Aurora woman a winner at creating ‘Hallmark’ moments

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Updated: August 4, 2011 4:20PM

So where do the ideas for those warm and cuddly Hallmark greeting cards come from?

For Auroran Mikki Kramer — a nanny, student, office support worker and “full-time mom” who home schools her three children — the idea “just kind of popped into my head.”

Kramer, 34, was driving home from work when she came up with an idea for a Hallmark anniversary card contest.

She said she wanted to create a “real-life” and funny card.

“So I got home,” she said, and pitched her idea to husband, Michael. “I’m like, ‘Go put on your holey lawn-mowing socks. He’s like, ‘What?’ Take your shirt off, put your jammies on and lay in the recliner!”

Even after nine years of marriage, Michael was not initially on board with modeling.

“I was pretty reluctant,” Michael said. “She insisted. And I thought, ‘You know what, what the heck? What do I have to lose but my dignity?’”

Mikki snapped photos of Michael chilling out on the family’s teal, velvety recliner. She called out directions like, “Stick out your gut so it looks bigger!”

Mikki remembered Michael continually asking, “My face isn’t going to be in here?”

The card has a black and white photo of Michael stretched out in the recliner, hands behind his head, part of his face with some hair on his chin, belly pouched, comfy pajama bottoms and the highlight — worn-out, holey socks.

The front of the card says, “Happy Anniversary …” Inside the card reads: “… to the only man who, after all these years, can still take my breath away!”

Kramer ended up winning the anniversary card contest in April — in the third Hallmark contest she entered.

Winning again

Kramer won a second time in October for a general office humor category, which the cast of the NBC comedy show “The Office” judged. This card features a bobblehead award of the show’s character Dwight Schrute.

Entrants had to create a card based on the television show or a real office.

“I tried watching some clips of it and it was just different humor that I’m used to,” Kramer said of “The Office.” “So, I just went off my own office knowledge.”

Kramer’s inspiration behind the second win came from her job at Cynthia Han’s dental office in Naperville.

Kramer had thought about her younger days when she put faces on erasers. And that reflection turned into a card creation.

“I was like, ‘Hmm. I bet I could kind of put some eyeballs on the stapler,’” Kramer said. “People get bored at work. This is easy. So, it just kind of all fit together and I snapped a picture at work.”

The card also features happy faces on a pen, pencil and eraser. It says: “You know you’ve been alone too long in an office cubicle if … you have time to “make” new friends!”

Makes her own

Kramer sells cards on Greeting Card Universe, an Internet site where she has card categories like birthday, love, encouragement and anniversary.

Those interested in purchasing Kramer’s two winning cards can go to hallmarkcontests.com or find her anniversary card in some stores that sell Hallmark cards.

Family, pets and nature have been sources of Kramer’s card ideas.

“My husband will be like, ‘What are you doing?’ I’m like, ‘There’s a spider web on this little bush!’”

Now people can see Kramer’s smiling face on the back of her Hallmark cards.

“It’s kind of like, wow. My mom’s a star now,” 12-year-old son Nicholas said.