I'm finding it hard to read, especially with the way you have the shape laid out behind "Best Wishes." I find because there's some whitespace in the middle of the W that I want to break the word there, and then again where the other breaks in the background are. I think you could use the background fill shape to help make the words more legible, by adding space in the background between the letters and keeping the background solid beneath the words. This could also work vertically on "the New Year." I think giving a bit more leading to the words there would help increase legibility.

I understand the desire to make an ambigram work, but in this case, with the already tough to read lettering, I think an ambigram just adds a whole lot more confusion to the mix.

I do like the type you've created, and I really like the backgrounds you've got going as well. I just think overall it's becoming a bit busy and confusing and working on stuff to help organize things, like the solid background shape, would help.

Huh. Looking at the date on this, I'm thinking there's a chance you've already completed the project, but I thought I'd post my replay anyways.

Thanks for your comments anyway ;-)
I ended up using 'Best Wishes' on a white background with the upper pattern on the back of the card. Nothing more, nothing less.

I always recall something a photography teacher used to say, paraphrased:

"Composition is largely a value problem"

And by value he meant the range of darks to lights. Your main issue here is that your background is so distracting, it's a heavily contrasted background that uses the same shapes, space, and value as the type; sure eliminating the background completely will also work but there's other approaches:

- Redo the background color palette to use colors of closer value
- Enlarge the type
- Reduce the size of the background so that it appears as a tighter pattern
- Increase the stroke on the type and/or decrease the stroke on the background