Grand Prize Winners
Two Winning Designs. One Very Special Annalee Exclusive.
Grand Prize: $100 gift card each
Both of these winning designs will come together to inspire a very special 2027 holiday exclusive. Our designers will combine the vintage charm, festive details, and nostalgic spirit of Benjamin’s and Meghan’s entries to create a one-of-a-kind Annalee portrait doll inspired by their winning designs.
Benjamin R. of Daly City, CA
Card Inspiration + Design Idea: “This card is my favorite because of the artist’s style and the woman’s striped dress while she’s holding many gifts.” We love the card’s nostalgic holiday feel, from the classic colors and vintage-inspired artwork to the charming details that make it feel like a holiday memory come to life.
Meghan B. of Elgin, NE
Card Inspiration + Design Idea: “This is certainly another favorite of mine. I love the nostalgic feeling it invokes. It makes me feel as though I am transported back in time to the ‘better days’ of my grandparents and parents. Every detail, from her fabulous hat to her fur trim and muff, is so festive and beautiful. Her dress also sparkles! It definitely gives me all the Hallmark movie feelings <3.” And we couldn’t agree more! This card captures the timeless magic of the holidays, with its fabulous hat, elegant fur trim, classic muff, and sparkling dress. It has that wonderfully nostalgic, storybook quality that feels like a holiday memory from another era.
Honorable Mentions
Whitney B. of Carl Junction, MO | Honorable Mention
Card Inspiration + Design Idea: “It reminds me of the old Annalee designs with ice skates but with an added whimsical touch with Santa on skates!” We loved this one, too! The nostalgic nod to classic Annalee ice-skating designs, paired with the whimsical idea of Santa gliding across the ice, inspired our team to create a special 2027 Outdoor Winter Fun holiday theme featuring Santa on ice skates. We can’t wait to bring this festive idea to life—watch for it in 2027!
L. Parker | Honorable Mention
Card Inspiration + Design Idea: “I love the whimsy of the mice. I can easily see them as Annalee mice, too.” We couldn’t agree more! This card is inspiring a whimsical 2027 holiday exclusive featuring Christmas mice — fun, festive, and sure to be getting into a little holiday mischief. And honestly, that’s right up our alley! We can’t wait for you to see what our designers dream up. You’re gonna love it!
Meghan B. of Elgin, NE | Honorable Mention
Card Inspiration + Design Idea: “A little shepherd boy with his lamb is a heartwarming sight.” We received two entries featuring shepherd boys and their lambs, and together, they inspired our team to create a timeless 2027 holiday theme for our core collection. The design will pay homage to the story of Christmas, featuring a shepherd boy with his lamb alongside Baby Jesus and an angel. It’s a heartfelt, traditional take on the season that celebrates the wonder and meaning at the heart of the Christmas story.
Judith O. of Elgin, NE | Honorable Mention
Card Inspiration + Design Idea: Two of the holiday cards submitted helped inspire a timeless 2027 holiday theme centered around the religious Christmas story —a shepherd boy and Baby Jesus nestled in the hay, with a sweet lamb nearby. Like several of the other winning and honorable mention entries, we’re taking inspiration from these cards and combining their ideas to create an entirely new holiday theme for our collection. But that wasn’t the only idea that caught our eye! Another magical entry sparked inspiration for a 2027 Christmas unicorn ornament —because a little holiday magic is always welcome at Annalee.
Thank you to everyone who entered and shared your creativity with us. Choosing favorites was no easy task! We can’t wait to bring these ideas to life. Stay tuned for the 2027 Holiday Collection!
A Holiday Tradition That Inspired Our Designers
There was another special reason this contest meant so much to the Annalee team.
Annalee has always loved studying Christmas cards. From the charming illustrations and tiny details to the colors, characters, scenes, and nostalgic holiday moments, Christmas cards have long been a wonderful source of inspiration. Our designers were thrilled to pay her homage by reviewing all of your entries and using them to inspire brand-new designs!
So when all of your Pic-a-Card entries started coming in, our designers had a wonderful time looking through each and every one. Your entries gave our creative team a chance to see the holidays through the eyes of Annalee collectors. They studied the scenes you created, the details you highlighted, and the festive ways you paired Annalee designs with the spirit of Christmas.
And, in true Annalee fashion, your creativity will directly help inspire future designs—from 2027 core holiday themes to exclusive ornaments!
We love the idea that something as simple and joyful as sharing a favorite Christmas card can spark a new idea in the Annalee workshop. After all, inspiration can come from anywhere—and sometimes it comes directly from our collectors themselves.
Thank You for Making the Holidays a Little More Annalee
Whether you entered the contest, voted, shared a photo, or simply enjoyed seeing everyone’s creations, thank you for being part of Card-fully Crafted.
For more than 90 years, Annalee has been creating whimsical, handcrafted characters designed to bring a little more personality and joy to the holidays. Seeing those characters become part of your own holiday traditions is one of our favorite parts of what we do.
Congratulations again to our winners—and thank you to everyone who helped make this contest so merry, creative, and wonderfully Annalee!
Keep creating. Keep collecting. And keep finding a little Annalee magic in every holiday season.