Greeting cards are an excellent example of an everyday object that can become magical with a touch of Augmented Reality.

Just a few weeks ago was Valentine’s Day, and if you think you did something special for your loved one, we’re pretty sure one guy – Vashner Muhi from Sydney, Australia – has you beat. Vashner used the Layar Creator to create a personalized, interactive Valentine’s Day card for his girlfriend. And of course, she loved it.

“Being a graphic designer by occupation, I’m always trying new styles and techniques to be innovative and always grow in the field,” Vashner said. “So I got curious about Augmented Reality because I’ve never had previous experience with it.”

Vashner inserted a “SCAN ME” card into his Valentine’s Day card for his girlfriend, which accompanied her favorite flowers. By scanning the card, his girlfriend was able to watch a personalized video message from Vashner, with hints at where they would go on the special day.

“Layar was the best and did exactly what I wanted to surprise my girlfriend,” Vashner said.

Check it out yourself by scanning Vashner’s card at our Get Inspired page.

You may have noticed a few changes to the Creator lately, and we’re eager to know what you think!

So eager, in fact, that we’re offering 2 free Pro Pages to any Creator user that completes our Creator User Survey.

The purpose of the survey is to learn a little bit more about you, our customers, so that we can better provide solutions that meet your needs. By providing some background information, we will compensate your time with 2 free Pro Page credits to use in the Layar Creator.

At the end of the survey, be sure to enter your Creator username and email address so we can deliver your free pages. Also make sure you answer each question as best you can to be eligible for the free pages as incomplete answers will not be considered.

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Valentine’s Day is a great time of the year to let those near and dear to us know just how much we love and appreciate them. So this year, why not go above and beyond to create a truly unique, personalized valentine that your special someone won’t soon forget?

With Augmented Reality and the Layar Creator, you can spread the love by creating an interactive valentine that comes to life with a video or audio message, a photo slideshow, a link to a Website and much more. Your imagination is the limit!

Here’s how it works. Just scan or take a picture of your card or valentine and upload the image to the Layar Creator. Then simply drag-and-drop the interactive digital elements you want to add to it. You can easily record a quick video greeting using your smartphone or webcam and upload it to the Creator to give your valentine an interactive personal touch.

Then just hit publish and you’re done! Let your special someone know they can scan your valentine with the free Layar App for iOS, Android and BlackBerry to unlock your personal message.

Get started right now for free by signing up for the Layar Creator! Or, see more about how Layar can spice up your Valentine’s Day.

When you hear the old advertising adage “sex sells,” you usually associate it with scantily clad women put on display to help sell beer, cars and other items to men. But what “the other half?”

The Charleston Animal Society (CAS) from Charleston, South Carolina, is using this tactic for good by enlisting the help of hunky local firemen (and a few firewomen as well) to spice up their 2015 calendar benefiting Toby’s Fund, the society’s medical fund for abused animals. And best of all, it’s been made interactive with Layar!

Putting a new spin on the infamous “firefighter calendar,” the CAS had the firefighters pose with cute and cuddly rescue dogs and cats. When scanned with the Layar App, each month’s photo comes alive with a video of the firefighter and their furry friend.

The CAS was forced to nearly double its initial print run of 6,000 calendars to 11,000 due to the high demand for the calendar. The society was lucky enough to have their project picked up by popular media outlets, such as the Huffington Post, BuzzFeed, The Daily Mail, the Today Show and more. According to Caroline Eller of the CAS, the society has received orders from around the world, including China, Australia, Norway, Peru, Brazil and Germany.

“Being in the printing industry I am always looking for new ideas and ways to help my clients,” said Don Oswalt of Nelson Printing, who produced the calendar for the CAS. “There was a lot nervousness in the beginning since it was so new to us and not having produced anything with Layar platform before. We are very proud how Layar and its amazing technology has set this calendar apart as a one of a kind.”

To give it a try yourself, head on over to our Client Examples page!