Have you seen the prices of greeting cards lately? It is hideous! Once you purchase the card and gift-wrap, your overall cost can easily increase by $10 to$15. If you are on a tight budget, this can be difficult as you spend more on the fluff and less on the actual gift. Not only are greeting cards expensive, their sizes often overwhelm small gifts, which make the overall presentation, looking goofy and unbalanced. Basically, you really don't need to spend on expensive greeting cards to make an impression.

We all have this perception that greeting cards are the perfect match to gift giving. Although true, there are cost effective ways that can help you spend more on gifts and less on greeting cards. For instance, packaged blank cards are the best way to go as you pay less per card then individually. The other advantage of blank cards is that they are not specific to an occasion and can be used for anything. You should always have a pack handy and ready to use, as you never know when you will need to buy someone a last minute gift or card.

Choosing the right card can be time consuming. As the overall look of your gift is very important, you must consider size when choosing your card. The safest way is to choose a small size gift card, as it will fit to any size gift. In my opinion, the Groovy-0-Grams mini cards are the best to use as they fit perfectly on any size gift and they are very affordable. For the price of one greeting card, you get six per pack and you can use the mini cards for six different occasions. Now that's a bargain! Not only are they affordable, the mini cards are really fun to use as they focus on different personalities rather then occasions. They also promote positive self- esteem, which is a gift in itself.

Being prepared in advance with a pack of mini cards will save you time and money. And, when those last minute gift frenzies strike, you will spend more on your gift and less on the fluff. Happy gift shopping!

For more gift shopping ideas and tips please log on at http://www.groovyarts.com

Karen Couillard is one of Canada hottest artists. As a highly recognized businesswomen, artist, product designer and writer, she is known for being an entrepreneur in the world of art and design. As the founder of Groovy Arts, she has successfully developed and launched products specializing in giftware and home d?cor based on her signature art collection. Her work has appeared on CFTO " "Panorama" Toronto CH 11 "CH Morning Live," Hamilton, KNBC-TV "News 4," Los Angeles, KESQ-TV "Channel 3 News," Palm Springs, City TV "CityLine," Toronto as well as in many publications including " The Hamilton Spectator," "West of the City," "Art World News," "Le Madawaska," "The Globe and Mail" and the popular French magazine "D?coration Chez-Soi." Her expertise in the art and design industry has led her to teach workshops about art and business as well as write several "how to" articles that can be found on her website at http://www.groovyarts.com