A Giveaway

I recently joined a group called Giveaway Blogs, where bloggers and sponsors can meet to discuss how to do giveaways, learn about giveaways currently in progress, and connect with companies willing to sponsor a giveaway.

One of the main sponsors in this group,
Digital Room ( http://www.digitalroom.com/)
contacted me yesterday and asked if I would be interested in doing a giveaway.

Digital Room is an on line Printing Center that offers a wide variety of printed products. They are Eco-friendly, They offer recycled papers where they can, recycle all paper scraps, printing plates and ink wastes, and print using soy-based ink.

When ordering from Digital Room, you can use their pre-designed templates, for a quick easy design, or add your own pictures and clip art, or even specify your own size, for a truly one of a kind custom order.

The prize they are offering is 500 High Quality Business Cards. But before I give you the details, let me tell you a little bit about the history of business cards.

The first known cards exchanged were actually playing cards on which a man would write an IOU for a gambling debt, signing it, of course, with his name.

Louis the XIV (14th), of France, the longest reigning of any modern European Monarch, prided himself in having a court filled with pomp, ritual and ceremony.
It became custom in his court, for gentlemen to carry cards with their name on them, to be used to gain introduction to a lady.
During this same time period, some businessmen and tradesman were printing and distributing small advertisements, generally with directions to their stand or shop. (Imagine, a world without GPS or Mapquest)

By the 19th century, Calling Cards, or Visiting cards, were an essential for any gentleman throughout Europe and parts of the US. There was a great distinction between the personal calling card, and the professional business card.

Cards were presented on a tray to a servant who would then present your card to the person you wished to visit. They would either answer, or ignore the card. A stack of cards accumulating on a tray in the entry hallway was a reminder of social obligations and visits to return.

It was considered poor taste to present a trade, or business card in a social setting, in fact, if one presented a business card, it was often assumed that you had stopped by to collect a bill.

As time passed, the calling card vanished, and the business card has taken it's place.

In today's world, though, you don't need a business to need a card. Cards advertising your blog, your faith, or your political position are commonly seen, and I even knew a guy once who printed up cards that pointed out basic rules of parking etiquette. He would tuck them under the windshield wiper of offending parkers.

Whatever you decide to use your free cards for is entirely up to you, but here is a little bit of information about them:

The winner of my giveaway will receive:

500 Premium Business Cards
2 x 3.5”, 2 x 2” (square card) or 1.75 x 3.5” (slim card)
14 pt gloss cardstock, 14 pt matte cardstock or 13 pt recycled uncoated cardstock
Full Color Both Sides
Limited to US residents; 18 years old and above

I'm especially excited because they are giving me 500 cards too, for hosting this giveaway. Now we have to decide which of the dozens of possibilities for us we want to go with.

Here's how you enter:

The Giveaway will run from July 3o, 2010 to August 13, 2010. Two whole weeks! I apologize to my international readers, but this particular sponsor only ships inside the US.

** Visit Digital Room( http://www.digitalroom.com/business-cards.html)
and Leave a comment on this post telling me which of the three styles you would like to win.

** Leave a another post telling me you are a follower or you just signed up to be a follower

**Blog about this giveaway, leave a link back to your blog post in a separate comment for another chance to win.

** Join me by linking up your blog for Tuesday Trivia Tie-in, Aug. 3, or Aug. 10, one entry for each week you join.


That's all there is to it! Good Luck to everyone!!

Be sure and join me each Tuesday for Tuesday Trivia Tie-in, where readers are invited to share trivia and show off their treasures. Read all about it here