Hi everyone! My goodness, it has been a while, hasn’t it? Hard to believe how quickly this year has flown by. Al and I (and Lexi, of course) enjoyed a wonderful couple of months on the road. We crossed the Nullarbor again to visit our families in Victoria, and it was fantastic. If you’ve never done a road trip across the Nullarbor, I highly recommend it. There’s so much to see and experience, and I honestly can’t wait to do it again, but for now, the focus is on Christmas and Christmas cards.
Of course, travelling for so long meant time away from the craft room. We initially weren’t going to be away for a long time, so I hadn’t packed any crafting supplies. Because we extended our trip, I had (yes, had!) to get something crafty to do. I picked up some colouring books and pencils, and I loved them. It was incredibly relaxing. I’m planning to share some hints, tips, WIPs (Works in Progress) and completed pages over time. I’m really approaching colouring as a way to learn new skills, improve them, and enjoy the journey. It can only help with cardmaking, too. Speaking of which…
I’ve just put the finishing touches on this year’s Christmas cards and, as always, I’ve come out the other side wondering how something seemingly so simple can still take so long. I thought I had chosen an easy design, but once you’re making multiple copies, it’s never fast!
A Sweet and Simple Design
For this year’s card design, I used the beautiful Concord & 9th Jolly St. Nick stamps, dies and stencils. It is such an amazing set! The star of the show, from my perspective, was the adorable Santa with his big, fluffy beard. Using this die, you really didn’t need much more, as it is a fabulous focal point.
The Stencilling Marathon
To colour the card base, I used the Concord & 9th Jolly St. Nick diagonal stripe stencil and created two colourways: Polished Pink and Pool Party (Stampin’ Up!®). Stencilling one background is relaxing. Stencilling forty (That’s how many I needed to make this year)? That’s a whole new ball game. For a while, I didn’t think I was ever going to get them done. I reached that point, I’m sure every cardmaker hits during mass production, the “why did I do this to myself?” moment. That is part of the reason I chose to use two colours. I thought it would help break up the routine a little.
Of course, once I had finished inking up all the card bases, I then had to go through and ink up all the Santa’s. I used Pale Papaya (Stampin’ Up!®) for Santa’s face, Tea Dye (Distress Ink) for the forehead and inner ears, Barn Door (Distress Ink) for Santa’s hat, Tuxedo Black (Memento) for Santa’s eyes, Smoky Slate (Stampin’ Up!®) for the mustache, and Polished Pink (Stampin’ Up!®) for his rosey cheeks. Yes, I was very ready to be finished with this part of the process, but I am SO happy with how they all look. The effort was worth it! The finishing step was to stamp the sentiment in Tuxedo Black ink.
Next, I spattered some white acrylic paint on the card bases for a little more interest. Once the paint had dried, I adhered the Santa’s to the base with Stampin’ Dimensionals. I also added some holly leaves (Evergreen Bough Distress Ink) and berries (Barn Door Distress Ink) to Santa’s hat, for a little more colour and interest. The cards were then complete. You could always add a little more shimmer, but, surprisingly, I decided against it this time.
When You Ask for Feedback…
After I had made the cards, I asked Al which colourway he preferred—pink or green. I must not have phrased the question clearly because his response was, “Well, Santa comes at night… so you could’ve done a blue sky, with maybe some stars and the moon.” Not exactly the answer I was expecting, but he’s not wrong. Maybe that’s something to try in the future?!
Here’s the first card…
Here’s the second card…
Now the cards are finished, I’ve hit the final hurdle: writing in them. After all that stencilling, die-cutting, colouring and assembling, the idea of handwriting messages feels like the toughest task of all. Are you the same? You put all the effort into making the card, and then writing the message feels oddly overwhelming. Let me know in the comments below.
Even with those “what was I thinking?” moments, I truly love this tradition. I’ve been making and sending handmade Christmas cards for decades, and it still brings me so much joy — even when I’m complaining or feeling the (self-imposed) time crunch. There’s something lovely about seeing all the finished cards lined up and ready to head out into the world. I always hope they bring a little happiness to each recipient.
Many of my friends and family don’t send cards anymore, and that’s completely fine. This is something I do as much for me as I do for them. It’s my way of sending a little love out into the world
Hope you have a wonderful day! Thanks so much for stopping by!
Supplies
(DISCLAIMER: I am a member of various affiliate programs. However, I purchased all the items used in my projects myself. I only link to products I personally use, love, and recommend (though I may link to different sizes). If you click on my link, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you!)
