Cracker Production

Oodles and oodles of treat tubes waiting to be filled.

I had these 6 inch long, 2 inch diameter tubes specially made a couple of years ago so that items of unusual shape or fragility could be safely mailed.

Cat Crackers are a big item at GillianCards.

Grendlepuss (my calico buddy) supervised the making of these for more than a dozen years. Sadly, she passed away a few days ago (November 2008) at nearly 20 years of age.

Deocrations for the Poinsettia Crackers.

Cutting the paper is always a big job.  It takes three or four days to cut it all for each season.  All of the paper at GillianCards Old-Fashioned Crackers is hand-cut.

Merry-go-Round tree decorations.
Waiting to be packed into crackers.

The poinsettias are truly lovely this year.

Bright chocolate kosher 'coins' are one of the little surprises packed into this year's treat tubes for Hanukkah. Beginning in 2008, we will be packing a Hanukkah Activity Sheet into each cracker for this line. This picture is from the 2006 production year.

I remember as a kid being given 35 cents each Saturday - 25 cents for admittance to the matinee at the theatre  and 10 cents to spend at the sweet shop next door to it.  They had all different shaped jars with fresh candies that we could buy for a penny. I still get that same 'kid' feeling when the boxes full of chocolates arrive each season.

Wrapped crackers. 

Each little tissue "paper crown" or hat is hand-made at GillianCards from printed tissues.  Here is a recent batch of 600 hats neatly folded and waiting to be put into crackers for customers to enjoy.  I tried not making the hats one year thinking that people always complain about having to wear them.  The response to that idea was nothing short of mutiny!!  So now I make mountains of them every year.

We started packing crackers this week and here are a few of the many boxes waiting to be filled
and shipped out for family holiday celebrations this year.

Decorations waiting to be packed into crackers.

No, I will NOT model the cat "paper crowns"

says Grendlepuss turning away. This picture was from our 2006 production year. I miss my model and supervisor very much.

And in between crackers, time still must be found to fill Christmas card orders.  I have been a full time professional greeting card maker for many years.  2007 was my 20th anniversary year.

These cards are from my new,

"He Said; She Said" Line - quoting thoughts that men and women have been sharing with us throughout the years.

They are a lot of fun and selling like hotcakes.

Well that's the end of the Cracker-making tour for now.  I will be adding a few more pictures for you from the 2008 production season so that you can see the mounds of beautiful crackers all dressed and ready to go to waiting customers!
Thanks for your interest in GillianCards Old Fashioned, hand-wrapped Holiday Crackers.

If you have any questions, please drop me an email.

Members of the MEDIA/PRESS, please visit here for a recent press release.