Christmas Card Extravaganza

I usually design two for each client.  I LOVE sitting in photoshop with a blank canvas.

 I'm just having a lot of fun designing Christmas cards the last few days and thought I'd share some of the designs with you all.

That blank space is waiting for a picture of their other son and his wife.

Christmas Cards!

'Tis the season...to order christmas cards!  Wait much longer and we may not be able to get them printed in time to send them to your family and friends.  Call or email me to set up an appointment before the month is over.

Winter Notecards

One more favorite.

I just love how this one turned out.  And it makes me realize I need to do more photography so that I can afford a better zoom lens!!  Wow.  The Fall color was great. 

Grace Mennonite Church Staff Christmas Card

click the photo to enlarge and really get a kick out of these fun personalized photos.

Zwarich - teaser

Madelyn's 2 Year photo shoot: just a taste

Cordell - A Grand Prize Winner

Greg and Beth are some of our newly acquired friends.  We met through a mutual set of friends who are also a man from Canada and wife from the States.  We've celebrated U.S. Thanksgiving with Greg and Beth, roasted weiners with them, and Beth and Karen(one of Derek's college friends) and I have started a baby-sitting co-op. This relationship has blossomed into a friendship and I was very happy to see a familiar face at the Morden Farmer's Market this Summer.  Beth entered our drawing and won grand prize:  a free photo shoot and an assortment of prints!  I was very pleased to give one of my awards to a family so photogenic.  Not hard to get a good picture of this guy!
 

This apple tree was planted the year Cordell was born.

the family on the front step

The whole name change she-bang

To anyone who reads and doesn't just scroll through looking at pictures :)  It's okay if you do that, by the way:

The last few weeks have been full of business busy-ness for me and I am finally, at long last, ready to unveil my new arrangements!
My photography business is really taking off and I realized if I wanted a new business name I should do it before I got too deep in business cards and name recognition to consider the move.  So Laura Ann Thiessen Photography (BOring), is now A Tree to Call Home mixed media (Hurray!). 

Background:
The name A Tree to Call Home was inspired by the children's story "Runaway Bunny" by Margaret Wise Brown.  The bunny tells his mother he is going to run away and the mother says, "I will follow you."  The bunny concocts many schemes to get away including becoming a crocus in a hidden garden, becoming a sailboat and sailing away, and becoming a bird and flying away.  The mother takes his scheming in stride and makes witty replies including, "If you become a bird and fly away from me, I will become a tree that you come home to."  This book has always been very special to me, and when reading it to my son one evening I was struck by the phrase, "A tree that you come home to".  There are many trees with which I have special memories, and the images that sprang to mind left my creative mind overflowing with inspiration.  The fact that this book has been important to me as a child, an adolescent, and now as a parent sharing it with my son also made the connection meaningful and colorful.  With the help of many of you I whittled the name down to something a little easier to digest.  And now you see it in it's fullness:  A Tree to Call Home.

Contact Info:
This, as you probably noticed, is my new business email address (please put me in your contacts list), my new website address is www.atreetocallhome.ca.  The website will also link you back to the blog you are reading:  atreetocallhome.blogspot.com, where I will be posting fun new photos.  I will try to keep up on facebook too, but I can't make any promises there.  I'm just not on the computer often enough to be real current in all these different forums! 

My phone number and address are the same - I'm still working from my home.  If you have proofs on my website all of your login information is the same, all you have to do is visit the new website, click on Client Proof, and enter the ID and password that I emailed to you.  If you've never been to my website, now's the time to go.  You never know what's going to be up from day to day.  You may even see yourself!  Any messages you send me through my website (click on "Contact"), will be forwarded here to: atreetocallhome@yahoo.com

I am so relieved to have the name change official.  I am breathing a sigh of relief.  Now we can get to the really fun stuff - taking your picture!  Call me to set up an appointment - it's not too early to be thinking about having a family photo taken for a Christmas card! Since I'm a natural light photographer, Summer is the ideal time to photograph, but that doesn't leave much time - so call sooner, rather than later.  And for those of you who live in a far distant land - there are special rates for long distance photography, give me a shout to hear all about it. 

Upcoming Events:
I will also be setting up at the Corn and Apple Festival in the Pembina Hills Art Centre August 27,28, & 29th.  It will be a busy weekend, so my husband Derek will be helping me out.  We would be just thrilled to see you there!  See my previous blog post for an example of the types of photos Derek and I are doing at the Festival.

Thanks all for your patience during this name-change process.  I am looking forward to hearing from you. 

~laura thiessen

Morden Corn and Apple Festival, Aug.27, 28, 29

Dear friends,
I will be following up my Back 40 fun with a repeat performance at the Corn and Apple Festival in Morden August 27,28, and 29th.  I sure hope you can come out and have your picture taken, or send your friends.  I will be INSIDE the Pembina Hills Art Centre and UPSTAIRS.  It's not too hard to find.  Just look for the big clock tower on Stephen St. and go upstairs.  I'm hoping they will open the clock tower trapdoor to let some beautiful natural light in since I will be photographing just at the bottom of the clock tower ladder.  Don't miss all the fun!

~laura 

Max and Doreen 8-6-2010

I love B&W