Even for those of you who are relatively new around here, you've probably caught on to the fact that I love a good series! A series helps me really explore a topic. They also help keep me accountable. And if there is one area where I need to be kept accountable, it's preparing for Christmas!
Christmas has always been my favorite holiday. I love the decorations, the glitter of everything, the fact that people are genuinely nice to each other!
What I don't enjoy is the stress. I hate when it feels like Christmas has snuck up on me. Before you know it, it's time to deck the halls, address the cards, wrap the presents, and I don't have anything ready.
So how do I solve this? Well, that's where this challenge comes in!
This challenge is based on a quote from A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. After Scrooge has had, well, an attitude adjustment, he states, "I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year!" What a beautiful sentiment! But.... a little vague for a challenge. So I too will keep Christmas in my heart all year, but on the 25th of every month, I will do something that will ensure I have a smoother Christmas! This weekend, I started working on Christmas cards! And yes, these cards are made with stuff from my stash! (Hmm, two challenges in one! Surely I get an award for something like that!)
One of my favorite things about the holidays is have the litany of bills and catalogs in the mail interrupted by a cheerful envelope or three! This past year, I NAILED it! Simple enough cards that I could create and I started early enough that I was able to send them out without having to make too many at the last minute! (apparently several STILL haven't reached their destination, but that's something to cry about later).
I was worried about this year, though. Could I match the serendipity of a pretty card that was also easy enough to create that each one didn't take 2 hours? I was dubious....
I feel like I did! Bonus: it has a COMPLETELY different vibe from previous cards of mine. I don’t think I’ve ever really done a rustic style before.
To create it, first I stamped this tree slice image from Concord and 9th on kraft paper. Pro tip: stamping it only once or twice in black makes it look like a dark brown. I then trimmed around it to get the full wood slice vibe.
Next, I rediscovered a pad of paper I’d had in my stash for YEARS! Some of the pages look sort of like Buffalo plaid and were only a little bit larger than a card front. So I trimmed that down (because I clearly need more paper scraps). But it wasn’t time to glue it down yet.
Next, I stamped “Joy” in maroon onto a piece of white card stock. I die cut it as a tag. I also cut a couple of branches from two shades of green using another die from Concord and 9th. I then trimmed them in half, being sure to keep a hole intact.
I then ran a piece of yarn through one each of the shades of branches and the tag. I originally thought I’d use crochet thread, but it didn’t show up very well against the patterned paper.
I then taped one end to the back of the paper. I proceeded to wrap the yarn around the patterned paper three times. I wasn’t too worried about getting the placement of the tag and branches right at that moment. I knew I could scoot them around after getting the yarn secured. A quick snip and another piece of tape and I was good to go!
I still needed a little something for the wood slice. I found the buck head silhouette and cut a bunch out of this random beige paper I found in my stash. The little flecks are a nice touch. A little glue and it was the perfect adornment for the middle of the slice! After that, I glued the slice down, adjusted the branches and tag, and patted myself on the back for trying something new and putting a good dent in my stash!
In the interest of full disclosure, I only made one for now. But I’ve already figured out how to mass produce certain elements of this, so I know the next ones will go very quickly! Good thing because I really do love this one!
I hope you love these cards too! I also hope you're enjoying this new monthly series and will come back to see the next installment (on February 25th), as well as everything else I've got going on. Don't forget: sharing is caring!