Monday, December 24, 2012

Holiday Note

Welcome.  I hope you are well.  I have been super busy, trying, and trying to get everything done this holiday season.  Wheew!  I think I forgot how busy this season is, and I am still struggling to get everything done.  I don't even have my Christmas tree up.  So, it really doesn't feel like Christmas.  Maybe that's why I'm having so much difficulty.  
I did find an hour few hours this morning to get a jump start on a few holiday thank you notes.  (the stores aren't open yet, anyways.)  
I was shopping at a local scrapbook store several weeks ago, when I saw these papers, and I just had to purchase them.  I knew that I wanted to do something with them, for Christmas, but didn't have any idea at the time of purchase.  Well, I found a  use for them!  Christmas 'Thank You' cards!


The card base is Old Olive card stock.  The pattern paper is from Authentique, it's one of their holiday lines, Peaceful.  I guess the first thing I thought was, green, black and cream for a holiday paper?  uhm.  Well, I have to admit, I just love the simplicity of it.  I used three of the pattern papers (the bird, the stripes, and the flourish) for my card front.  Because the papers were CAS, I wanted my card front to follow.  I used the Tasteful Trim die from Stampin' Up! to make the scallop trim on the card.
The sentiment panel is from Paper Trey Ink, called Stylish Sentiments.  This stamp set, has a variety of holiday stamps that are square (like this one), rectangle tall and rectangle long, with a variety of three different styles.  So, to me, very versatile and easy to work with.  I stamped my sentiment in Basic Black classic ink onto very vanilla card stock.  I distressed the edges with Crumb Cake classic ink and sponge, and swiped Pear Pizzazz classic ink pad across various spots.  I matted the sentiment square onto Old Olive card stock and used foam tape to 'lift' the sentiment square off the card front.  
I used some of my Old Fashion Christmas crinkled seam binding from Prairie Boutique , to tie a multi-loop bow, and secured it to the front of my card with a Recollections pearl brad.  I created two different tiny tags, one is 'Thanks', the other is from a holiday post mark.  Both tags where stamped with Old Olive classic ink, and the edges were distressed with Crumb Cake classic ink.  
The sentiment on the lower right side of the card is from Paper Trey Ink, called Signature Christmas.  The thing I love most about this set, is the small, beautiful font.  These stamps fit perfectly on tiny tags, and other small places.  One says, 'just a little Christmas note' and the other one says, 'A Christmas Thank You'.  
I stamped the envelopes this time, which is something I seldom do.  Not sure why, but I typically don't. I stamped a bird on a holly branch from Stampin' Up!, called Beautiful Season, in Basic Grey classic ink.  I stamped the sentiment that is included with this stamp set, 'thinking of you at Christmas', is stamped in Old Olive classic ink.
Thank you for stopping by.  Now, I'm off to the mall.  Wish me luck! and stop by tomorrow, if you have a moment.  I'll share with you a few photos of a holiday 'thank you' box I have made for the various families we visit on this joyous day: Christmas!  

Happy Holidays & Happy Crafting! hugs, Sharon W.

2 comments:

Susan said...

this is beautiful & shows a labour of love; Happy Holidays to you, too; thank you for sharing a detail of the card

Lili said...

Gorgeous cards Sharon! Love, love those pattern papers. The colors you used are fantastic.
Happy New year!
Hugs ;)