SWG 10th Birthday: Birthday Card Project

[dawn_felagund]

The SWG will be celebrating its tenth birthday at the end of July, and the mod team is already planning how to celebrate. In true Tolkien tradition of giving rather than receiving gifts on one's birthday, we plan to offer the opportunity for fandom participants to send birthday cards to the SWG members who make the Tolkien fandom a brighter place for them. Like paper greeting cards, the card will contain a standard image/message, and you will be able to add a customized message as well, if you choose.

This post is a call for volunteers who want to help with the birthday cards and a place to share ideas on what birthday cards you'd like to see created. There are a few ways to get involved:

Artists and photographers can grant permission for our graphics designers to use their work to create birthday cards. We are able to offer credit and/or a copyright notice on your work. You can also specify how your work can and cannot be used. If you'd like to donate use of your work to our birthday card project, please email us at moderator@silmarillionwritersguild.org with links to the work that you're willing to allow us to use, how you'd like to be credited, and any additional terms you are placing on the use of your work.

Graphics artists are needed to create birthday cards. If you're interested or would like to learn more, email us at moderator@silmarillionwritersguild.org to be added to future emails about the project.

And finally, we need ideas on what birthday cards our members would like to see. Feel free to be creative and think outside the box! In addition to cards for specific fandom roles, you might have a poem, quote, or concept that would make a great card. Comment here with your ideas, as this post will be the go-to resource for our graphics designers as they look for inspiration on what cards to create.

(Examples: "I would like to see a birthday card that I can send to the people who always leave me comments that brighten my day." "I would like to see a card using some or all of the poem Achievements by Ella Wheeler Wilcox." "I am requesting something funny, done in a comic book style, for the people who keep fandom fun and humorous.")

Please share your ideas and, of course, ask any questions you may have here!

Comments

[lindahoyland.livejournal.com]

I fear I'm hopeless with graphics but am happy for my original photography to be used as greeting cards.

The photos can be found here, quite a lot are woodlands and flowers.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/52734929@N08/sets/

[independence1776]

Hmm… Some ideas off the top of my head:

~ cards for betas, both long-term and one-offs: "thanks for sticking with me" or "thanks for betaing" or whatever.

~ cards for volunteers: newsletter-related things, LJ comm stuff, running Tumblr, etc.

~ cards for the mods

~ outstanding characterization of [insert character]

~ "Writing so well done that I forgot I was reading."

[ladyelleth.livejournal.com]

I'd some cards for people who leave feedback - and since there are different styles of that, probably a few different ones?

* A general 'thanks for reviewing' card
* Squeeing and encouragement
* Analytical and insightful commentary
* Frequent reviewers
* Short and sweet (for 'I liked this a lot') type reviews

[heartofoshun.livejournal.com]

I really like all of the above suggestions. When I am caught up, I will think about other ones I would like to see.

[hhimring]

Maybe also something like this?

'Lambengolmo' for experts on Elvish languages

'Gwaith-i-Mirdain' or similar for tech wizards

'Messenger of Manwe' for contributors to the Newsletter

'Therinde' for banner-makers (or does that have the wrong associations?)

[febobe.livejournal.com]

I would like to see a card I could send that has Frodo h/c images/content on it. :) B2MEM 2012 inspired a lot of Frodo h/c enjoyment for me, and I'd like to honor that with a Frodo hurt/comfort style card I could send to say thank you! :) (If you have questions about what I mean by Frodo h/c, please let me know. I can describe some example ideas. Canon scenes are fine.) :)

Excitedly,
Febobe :)

[independence1776]

Some more ideas:

~ Thank you for being a member of this fandom!

~ Thank you for your enthusiasm about [subject]!

~ You made me see [aspect of canon and/or a character] in a new light.

[just-jenni.livejournal.com]

I love the fun and humorous side of the fandom and cards with some of the terrific drawings I've seen such as Pande's 'Free Bird' with Finrod discovering Men would be fantastic.