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After making Halloween and Thanksgiving cards I dived right in to making Christmas cards without putting away the papers, embellishments, ephemera for the previous collections. I got off to a good start cutting papers and changing color schemes and selecting card sketches, but I was drowning in all the different pattern papers and all I was unable to focus on Christmas themes. I had to STOP.
I removed everything related to FALL and tossed all the paper scraps and strips in the trash!.
Some of you may hang on to those pieces for future use, I understand.
But when Fall rolls around again believe me I have plenty of papers to start over again.
My creative juices are flowing again and I can focus clearly on Christmas themes full speed ahead, Yay!
Can any of you relate?
The following 15 users liked this post by Bohodiva:
100% I have been making Christmas cards since August, with a few fall things thrown in. I really need to get done and clean up and get back to my first love -- scrapbooking. While many of the tools are the same and I stamp a lot for my pages, doing a 12x12 two page spread with photos and papers and stuff takes up a lot room on my craft table, no room for any cards!
Mary Beth
The following 3 users liked this post by lutheran:
I can relate but I'm not ready to leave fall yet! The rich colors, textures, and images are my favorite and it's such a short season here in Pittsburgh (maybe a month ack). But when it is time to begin Christmas stamping, all the fall stuff gets stashed away and out comes the basket dedicated to Christmas products.
I just asked the activities director at the assisted living center I donate cards to if the residents would like handmade ornaments and Christmas cards (I saw the idea from Susan Levasseur of WOW Nola Creations), so if she says yes, I'll have to break out the Christmas stuff! Could be a 100, I don't know, but it's enjoyable for me to mass-produce stuff because it allows my mind to wander while I listen to music or a podcast, so I HOPE she says yes!
__________________ Nicole
The following 4 users liked this post by cnsteele:
I can relate but I'm not ready to leave fall yet! The rich colors, textures, and images are my favorite and it's such a short season here in Pittsburgh (maybe a month ack). But when it is time to begin Christmas stamping, all the fall stuff gets stashed away and out comes the basket dedicated to Christmas products.
I just asked the activities director at the assisted living center I donate cards to if the residents would like handmade ornaments and Christmas cards (I saw the idea from Susan Levasseur of WOW Nola Creations), so if she says yes, I'll have to break out the Christmas stuff! Could be a 100, I don't know, but it's enjoyable for me to mass-produce stuff because it allows my mind to wander while I listen to music or a podcast, so I HOPE she says yes!
Have yourself a holly jolly creative good time!
The following 2 users liked this post by Bohodiva:
Bohodiva, this is exactly what I've been doing except I started my Christmas cards months ago. My Thanksgiving cards are ready to be addressed and mailed tomorrow and then I am going to put away all the Thanksgiving/Fall papers, stamps, embellishments, etc. and throw out the scraps. You have enabled me to throw them out instead of saving them as I usually do.
Bohodiva, this is exactly what I've been doing except I started my Christmas cards months ago. My Thanksgiving cards are ready to be addressed and mailed tomorrow and then I am going to put away all the Thanksgiving/Fall papers, stamps, embellishments, etc. and throw out the scraps. You have enabled me to throw them out instead of saving them as I usually do.
I'm sure many of you can relate when I say, I have enough paper to last multiple lifetimes,
And still buying more! .
The following 4 users liked this post by Bohodiva:
Right now, I am in the middle of making a box of cards for a Christmas gift. I find that I work best if I at least clean my craft mat of all supplies when I finish a card. I have a pile of larger scrap pieces that I am using up off to the side, everything else goes to it's home when I'm done. I don't throw away small scraps. I punch shapes out of them and donate them to nursing homes for crafts and card making. That way, I don't feel bad about throwing away paper. I understand the need to do so, though.
__________________
"The most valuable thing you can make is a mistake--you can't learn anything from being perfect."
I have been making a Christmas card a week all year so when December comes I only need a few. I only do it because Christmas cards are my favorite ones to do. Something about the papers and embellishments I really love. But I do have to learn to throw away scraps,like Bohodiva I too have lots of paper and need to let go.
Because we don't have any fall celebrations in the UK which require cards (I've never heard of anyone sending a Guy Fawkes card on November 5th) we can start our Christmas cards early. However, with the pandemic and all the times we've had to stay in our homes for months on end, I've just been making cards - all sorts of cards. I found myself having finished 2021 birthday cards in January, but I still had so many with some parts gathered together that I carried on and I think I have enough for next year's birthdays! So I stopped making those and went on to Christmas cards: I already have enough of those, over 80, but, once again have a lot more which are partly assembled so will probably carry on. I, too love Christmas cards and, because I probably won't have many, if any, birthday cards to make come January, I may well carry on making them through 2022. Maybe in 2023 things might get back to normal?
Lynda
The following 3 users liked this post by lyndaejane:
I saved my pattern paper scraps. I finally have a use for them. My daughter it’s a school counselor and she sends cards to kids who have been excluded due to Covid. I use my paper scraps to make simple postcards for her to send. I just use strips of paper. I thin strip and a wider strip down the long side of a 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 piece of cardstock and a rectangular piece with a sentiment on top. Sentiments include hello, thinking of you, and hugs. The kids really enjoy receiving these with her special note on the back. It is fun to combine the colors and patterns.
The following 2 users liked this post by chrishandy:
I bet you could go through your stash and come up with a really interesting and appropriate design with what you already have.. I'm always amazed at the original, creative ways people find to use stamps, paper and embellishments.
On the other hand, you might not want to go down that path. I remember years ago thinking "Easter? Valentine's Day? Thanksgiving, Halloween?? I'm not buying those stamps. Who has time to make all those? I'll stick to birthdays and Christmas."
Wellll....Guess who now makes cards for all of those occasions? LOL
I bet you could go through your stash and come up with a really interesting and appropriate design with what you already have.. I'm always amazed at the original, creative ways people find to use stamps, paper and embellishments.
On the other hand, you might not want to go down that path. I remember years ago thinking "Easter? Valentine's Day? Thanksgiving, Halloween?? I'm not buying those stamps. Who has time to make all those? I'll stick to birthdays and Christmas."
Wellll....Guess who now makes cards for all of those occasions? LOL
You're probably right, Here and There: bound to be something in my stash that would fit the bill. But it's not really one of those sorts of occasions: most people nowadays don't bother with building a guy (a representation of Guy Fawkes, usually burnt on the bonfire) or setting off fireworks in their backyard. There are usually organised firework displays, but gone are the days when kids used to stand on the streets with their home-made guy, asking 'Penny for the guy!'. When I was young, they were quite happy if you just gave one or two pennies, although as time went on they expected something more, as the fireworks had become more expensive.
STOP, regroup, proceed
