2022 Christmas card recap

Merry Christmas Eve! I didn't have a chance to post this little recap earlier, but I hope it will inspire you for next year's cards. (If you're like me, you'll be starting those in January!)

Click on the name of the month to see the full post for each card design.

January: Believe

February: Merry gel prints

March: Woodsy peace

April: Ornament trio

May: Ombre peace

June: Winter shaker

July: Pine cones and berries

August: Simple winter scene

September: Fun with patterned paper

If you celebrate Christmas, I hope you have a wonderful holiday filled with peace and hope.

Snailed It for neutral, all-occasion cards

I decided to mix in some non-holiday cards today for a little variety. This batch of cards was one I made a couple of months ago for a color challenge on the Ellen Hutson blog. I ended up being too late to enter the challenge, but I was really pleased with the way the cards turned out.

I used the Snailed It stamp and die sets (Essentials by Ellen) to create these cards. I started by choosing five colors that fit the color challenge. (Unfortunately I didn't write down which colors I used, and it's been so long now that I don't remember the specifics.) Then I stamped a variety of images using those colors and cut them out with the coordinating dies. Finally I mixed and matched the pieces to create five different card layouts.

I love that these colors and images work for masculine or feminine cards as well as a variety of occasions. I made a birthday card, thinking of you, thanks, and two hello cards. I also really like that they are bold, solid stamps -- I don't always feel like coloring stamped images.

For some of the cards I used clusters of a few die-cut pieces, and for others I arranged the pieces to fill up most or all of the card front. I added simple, neutral embellishments to the cards as well as a bit of texture with scored or doodled borders, die-cut frames, or embossing folders.

For this card I glued the pieces all over the card front. Then I embossed the card using an embossing folder with a small, all-over pattern. I haven't used this technique in quite a while, but it's a neat effect as it presses the die cuts into the card stock. Just be sure that all the edges of the die cuts are glued down; if not, the little ends might stick up a bit after the card is embossed.

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Hanukkah!

 

A Hanukkah wish for you and yours:

May the warmth and glow
Of each candle you light,
Make your heart happy
And your Hanukkah bright!

Wishing a bright and beautiful holiday to everyone who celebrates Hanukkah!

Easy handmade gift items

So I've temporarily solved my computer problems -- I'm borrowing my sister's computer. :) I'm going to try to get a few posts done and scheduled for the rest of December. Then I think I'll have to break down and buy a new computer next year.

Anyway, I don't have any more Christmas cards to post -- the September batch was the last for this year. But I have been busy the last few weekends making some little gifts for the holidays, so I thought I'd share some of those. None of the the gifts are holiday themed, so they would be great for a variety of occasions, such as birthdays, thank-you gifts, even party favors.

These coordinating notepads and pens were fun and easy to make. They are 4" x 6" unlined notepads and Pentel RSVP pens. I bought these supplies many years ago and made a few of them at the time, but I decided I would use up the rest this holiday season. I think they'll make cute gifts for the office staff at my school -- and I get rid of some of my stash!

I used card stock to make the covers for the notepads. I cut a piece of card stock a tiny bit wider than the pad and a few inches longer. I scored the card stock once at the length of the pad and then a second time the same thickness as the pad (e.g., score at 6" and 6-3/4"). So the cover folds around the gummed end of the pad and goes a couple of inches along the back. (You could make the cover long enough to cover the whole back of the pad, but I'm fine with it this way.) I applied strong double-sided adhesive to the card stock on the back of the pad and firmly pressed it to the chipboard backing.

For this batch of notepads, I cut the rainbow die out of five different card stock colors and then mixed and matched the pieces to make five rainbows. I added each rainbow to a covered notepad over a layer of rainbow-themed paper. (I made two each of the designs on the left and the right.) For the pens, I took a small scrap of each of the same patterned papers, rolled them up, and inserted one inside the barrel of each pen. I tied a few bits of coordinating ribbon onto the pen cap for a finishing touch.

Here are a couple of more notepads. The one on the right is a smaller, lined notepad, but I used the same basic process to measure and make the card stock cover. I also made a few notepads with ocean-themed papers and die-cut seahorses, but I didn't take pictures of those.

These magnets are a fun way to hang note on your fridge or in an office. I measured and cut strips of patterned paper just a bit smaller than the length and width of the clothespins. Using a set of small alphabet stamps I spelled out a few phrases with black ink. I adhered the strips to the clothespins and then coated them with a little bit of clear varnish. (I think something like Mod Podge or Multi Matte Medium would be good options, too.)

I cut strips of magnetic tape or magnetic sheets and glued them to the back of the magnets. Be sure you check the strength of the magnets first; I had some magnet sheets that were not strong enough to hold up the clip. I wish I'd had some really strong magnets, but the ones I used should be enough to hold a photo/piece of paper without the clip sliding down the fridge.

For my last project, I decorated these little boxes. (They are the mini pizza boxes from Stampin' Up!, although I'm not sure if they are currently available.) I know there are lots of ways to make all kinds of little boxes from scratch, but I wanted something faster. All I had to do for these was pick a pack of patterned paper and then cut and glue pieces on the top, bottom, and sides of the box. I chose Christmas papers, but anything would work here. Inside I added individually wrapped tea bags and a lip balm.

There you have it -- a few ideas for easy handmade gifts that would be great for party favors, teacher gifts, neighbor thank-you gifts, and many other occasions.

Thanks for stopping by!

 

I’m trying!

Well, hello! I can't believe I haven't posted anything on my blog in over two months. I had no intention of being “gone” that long, but my job, although I'm adjusting to it, still exhausts me. And October is crazy busy with family birthdays, and then there’s Thanksgiving, winter weather, and you know, life.

I finally sat down last week to share some little gift items I made for the holidays … and then I started having technology issues. My computer is very old and temperamental and apparently has already started its holiday vacation. Sigh. I’ll see if I can figure something out this week because I do have a few things I’d like to share. But just in case I don’t have any luck, I hope you have a wonderful holiday season or end of the year, however you celebrate (or not)!

Thanks for stopping by!