Christmas card with Whole Berry Sauce mandala is digitally printed using pigment inks on silky, bright white, acid-free paper. Folded card is 5.25" by 5.25" and comes with a beautifully made, bright white envelope. The photograph I used to create the mandala is printed on the back of the card with the photo location and a little story about the artwork. The paper is super smooth, not slick, and takes gel, ballpoint, and other inks well. The card and envelope are packaged together in a plastic sleeve and mailed in a stiffened mailer. One or two cards are shipped via First Class Mail without tracking. Three or more ship together via the most economical means, which usually includes tracking.

Interior Message. Wishing you bright moments of joy this holiday season.

Framing. This card is created using high-quality archival materials, such as might be used in a museum. The print is sharp, bright, and frameable. To protect the vibrancy of the artwork, I frame using UV glass or acrylic, and I recommend it. If you use plain glass or acrylic, make sure you hang this sweet, little piece and all your beautiful art away from direct sunlight.

About the art. The digital collage on this card, titled Whole Berry Sauce, was created using a photo of winterberry holly taken at Phipps Conservatory and Botanic Garden in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Winterberry is native to parts of eastern North America and can be an important source of food for overwintering birds, including robins, cardinals, and the occasional wren.

In this piece, I’ve reimagined the winterberries in the photo as bright bouncy cranberries, ready to be cooked down into sauce, baked up in an orangey loaf of holiday bread, or sugared and used to decorate a chocolatey yule log. Traditionally strung on thread and used with popcorn to decorate a Colonial Christmas tree, cranberries can also be offered to the neighborhood birds, who will likely allow them to shrivel to craisins before partaking late in the season.

The Poem/Ode. Quivering jelly, shook from a can, or whole berry sauce, stirred in a pan. Candy them nicely, décor for a cake, or string them on thread, a garland to make. Deck a bare tree out in the cold, Christmastime treats for cardinals I’m told.

~poetry and artwork created by Linda S. Gribko