More Last minute Holiday Cards

What happens when you sit down with the 'Occasionally' stamp set, some kraft card, assorted coloured card scraps and matching inks and ribbons, and your trusty crimper, in order to make just a couple of last minute  holiday cards?  There is a chance you may get a little carried away, and end up with something like this:

Not just Christmas cards, but cards for all occasions (and this photo was taken after we had given away a couple of the cards already).

After stamping the images on white card, it was a quick job to punch them out with a square punch, mat them on a kraft square made using the bigger square punch, and then attach those to some crimped card, using stampin' dimensionals.  Most of the cards got some coordinating ribbon to finish them off, but a few were left more simple. 

For the holiday cards I made little sets of cards in a couple of different sizes, and some without the ribbon.  They all had the stamped image on the crimped coordinating card though.

 

The snowman, Christmas Tree, and Candy Cane images were especially good for these cards.  And when I had more than enough of those, I couldn't help myself.  I had to keep going with some other occasion cards like these birthday ones:

I like the fact that this quick and easy design could be used for boys or girls of all ages, just with a quick change of colour.  I especially like them with the wider ribbon, but if you didn't have coordinating ribbon you could use a strip of card and perhaps stamp on a greeting instead.  Use some softer colours and swap the images and you have baby and first birthday cards:

You probably get the idea by now.  Quite a productive morning on the card making front - not so much the bed making and laundry!  Never mind that though, making cards was much more fun, and best of all, if you want to make some for yourself, the 'Occasionally' Stamp Set that I used here is one of several that are currently part of an inventory clearance sale, and is discounted 50% for a limited time.

  To see the full list of discounted products, (with discounts from 25-50%) you can click here, or see the link on my sidebar over there on the right.

Quick little gift tags

It is true that you can find gift tags pretty cheaply (especially from December 26 onwards) but there is something very nice about a hand made tag.  They don't have to take a long time to make, and they don't require a lot of supplies (although of course, you can make them just as fancy and embellished as you like!)

These ones fit right into the quick and easy category.  They are all made using stamps from the 'Occasionally' stamp set.

It really does have something for every occasion, although as you can see here, I have stuck with the Christmas theme for these ones (afterall, it was Christmas gifts I needed them for!) using white card, and then matching ink and coloured card for the back of the tag (real red, garden green, elegant eggplant, night of navy, and baja breeze with a splash of glitter for those little snowflakes).

Tomorrow I will show you the last minute cards I made using the same stamp set.  I might have gotten a little bit carried away!

All about the Giving -Part 2

When we asked Campbell what he wanted for Christmas this year

this was it:

Yep.  A goat with an affro.  It was on a brochure that had fallen out of a magazine, and he was pretty sure that is would be about the best present ever.  And funny too.  Yep, that was what he wanted for Christmas.

So we looked at the brochure together (there were lots of other funny animals too - pigs, ducks, donkeys....).  And we read the brochure.  And we explained that the funny animals were really just funny pictures to catch our attention, but that if we wanted we really could buy a goat (or a pig or a duck), except, we wouldn't get it ourselves.  It would be given to a family who really, really needed it.  And no, we didn't know who that would be.

And then Campbell told us that he really still did want to get that funny goat for someone, and was it okay if he used his birthday money?

Yes baby, it is.

And then we felt so proud, because he had realised that although getting presents is pretty fun - especially goats with affros, giving presents can be even more fun.  Even if you don't know who it is that will be getting that present.

And then we went goat shopping, at Oxfam Unwrapped.

Oh yeah, a goat with an affro and bling!

If you want to, you can go goat shopping too.  Or pigs.  Or ducks. (Or even a toilet or clean water). Gifts range in price from just a few dollars to more if you want - corporate gifts welcomed too (you know, for all those big business CEO's who happen to be reading my blog!).

Oxfam will take care of the gift wrapping and delivery.

Please note, these links are for the NZ branch of Oxfam, and gifts will support families in that part of the world - Including Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, East Timor, Indonesia, or, depending on the gift, emergency supplies to be used where and when they are needed.  If you prefer to support your 'local' branch of Oxfam please visit  www.oxfam.org and follow the links for a gift that truly gives twice.

I promise, it will make your heart feel happy.

(and tomorrow we will be back to the gifts that require scissors and sticky tape)

All about the Giving

Everyone loves getting presents.  We may not always know what we want  (how often have you been a part of the conversation 'What do you want for Christmas?'  and the reply 'I don't know') - but we know we want something!

Then there is the giving.  Giving can be fun too - maybe not so much the shopping part, that can be stressful, especially if you just had a conversation like that one up above.  Definitely stressful!  But it can make your heart feel happy too.

A few years ago we learned about an organisation called Samaritan's Purse.  More specifically, their 'Operation Christmas Child' project.  When we told Hayden about it he was excited to be involved, and announced that he was going to use his birthday money to buy the presents for his 'shoe box kid'.  We have enjoyed taking part each year since, until this year, when we just didn't get ourselves organised in time, and found another way to give instead (a goat with an affro - more on that soon!)

Here is a scrapbook page I did after the first shoebox we filled.  This was before SU made it to NZ, so uses non-SU supplies, and Hayden's own writing for the gift tag/title.  My idea was to make it look like a big gift box - but it is one of those layouts that I have never  been entirely satisfied with.  I love the subject, though and so here it is:

Letters from 'you know who'

If you know anyone who might need a last minute reminder not to be naughty, or a pat on the back for being good, or even just to put a smile of their face - this link might be helpful:

www.freelettersfromsantaclaus.com/free_printable_letters_from_santa.asp

Just so that nobody recognises stamps, or papers, or fonts, or handwriting...

But you didn't hear it from me.

Catering for those Christmas Celebrations

As part of a European Cultural Fair that Hayden had at school a few months back, he had to find a recipe from Denmark, and then prepare the food (or have his Mum prepare it for him!) He needed enough to share with approximately 120 friends and classmates.  The fact that this recipe said it made about 12 dozen cookies was a big part of its appeal - and as a bonus they sounded pretty good too.

So, with the help of the big stock pot (because our mixing bowls were just too small) we mixed up a batch of Danish Butter Cookie Dough.  Around this time, we decided that in fact the smallest star cutter would be perfect - giving us 'sample sized' cookies.  That of course meant we got a lot more than 12 dozen cookies. This was what 231 cookies looked like all piled up:

And we still had loads of dough left!  Thankfully, the dough freezes well, and we were pleased to have a ready supply of homemade cookie dough just waiting to be cooked whenever we needed it.

Now with December here - not just Christmas, but the beginning of birthday season in our house as well, there seems to be one 'catering opportunity' after another.  I got to thinking that Danish Butter cookies were just exactly what we needed, and would be a great family tradition in the making.  Cookies in the cupboard, and dough in the freezer - ready to go when we needed it, and making life that little bit easier, at this very busy time of year.

It works well for brightly coloured lizards as well!

So here is the recipe for the super yummy, incredibly handy Danish Butter Cookie (Smørdejgskager) recipe, just in case you find yourself with lots of 'catering opportunities' too!   

2 cups soft butter     4 cups sugar     6 egg yolks - beaten

1 cup sour cream     2 tsp almond extract     2 tsp nutmeg

2 tsp baking soda     2 tsp cream of tartar     9 cups flour

6 egg whites - beaten stiff

- Cream butter and sugar then add the egg yolks and beat again.  Stir in the sour cream and almond flavouring.

- Sift nutmeg, soda and cream of tartar with the flour.  Combine with creamed mixture to make a stiff dough.  Fold in egg whites.

- Roll the dough about 1/8 inch thick and cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters.  Sprinkle with sugar.  Place on greased cookie sheets.

- Bake 10 minutes in a preheated 375 degree oven.  Will yield about (at least!) 12 dozen cookies.

 This time round we made half the quantity of dough, and still have more than enough cookies and dough to go around.  When we use the little star cutter we only need to bake the cookies for around 5 minutes, rather than the ten minutes of the recipe.  We found the original recipe here:

http://www.mindspring.com/~cborgnaes/    (under cookies and small cakes).

And just when you were thinking this was all about the baking and not so much the scissors and sticky tape, here is a quick scrapbook page I made about the delicious Danish Butter Cookies. 

I am still deciding if I want to put this in a Christmas album, a family traditions (old and new) album, or a recipe album, so I kept it kind of simple, and decided to go for an 8.5x11" layout (12x12 just seems a little cumbersome for a recipe book!)  Hidden behind the photo is some journaling explaining why it is we happened to have 231 cookies (plus enough dough over for another 231!) and how this Christmas catering 'tradition' is coming about.  The main part of the layout is simply the recipe, with some clear embossed stars (from the classic stars jumbo wheel) on the background card, just to fancy it up a little bit.  This was a quick layout to put together using the computer for the journaling and title, and I have to say, the recipe album idea is growing on me.

Gorgeous Christmas Decorations

We weren't quite sure what we would be doing for Christmas this year, and so our decorations went into storage along with most of our belongings.  As it turns out, we will be spending Christmas eve on a plane, in an airport, and then in a car midst the holiday traffic, so decorations in storage isn't such a bad thing.  Except, it does feel strange not having any decorations at all in the build up to Christmas, and it seems kind of silly going out and getting new ones.  But making our own?  Now that is a good idea!

So this is where we started.  Bridie calls them 'the spinners' because she likes spinning them around.  I call them about the prettiest things we have made with the scallop punches, and a great way to make use of the 'tricky bits' of the pretties kits (those whole beads, and the hat pins)!

.

And once again, oh so simple to make! For these ones I have used some paper from the Baja Breeze patterns pack.  All you need to do is punch out some shapes (I have used the scallop circle and the scallop square but you could probably use any shape), fold them in half, and then glue them together until they loop around and join up.

Because the paper is double sided, I made the most of it by alternating the two patterns.  The circle ornament was made using 10 punched circles, while the square used 8.  You could use more or less as you prefer.  For these ones I threaded a couple of beads on a hat pin, put the hat pin through the gap at the centre of the ornament, where all those folded edges meet, and then added a couple more beads at the bottom to finish it off.  The hat pins have a 'clutch' at one end to secure everything in place, and a hook at the other end to hang the ornament.   Best of all, if you want to, when you have finished with the ornament you could always take it apart and reuse the beads and hat pin for another project.  If you prefer to make them more permanent you might want to add a drop of crystals effects when you attach the clutch, to prevent it being removed.

Better than a bought one, that is for sure!

The Perfect 'last minute' Christmas Card

Did you have plans to make your own Christmas cards this year, but time got away on you?  It isn't too late (says the person who hasn't sent too many Christmas cards for a few years now - oops!)  This is a card that was my favourite last year, and which, thanks to its quick and easy nature, is a favourite this year too.

Not only is it quick and easy (I timed myself making one and it took two minutes, including mucking around with the stamp-a-ma-jig to make sure the greeting was straight), economical (with just two layers of card and no extra embellishments) and perfect for mass production, it also has a wow factor that defies it's simplicity. 

The trickiest bit is preparing the template for the background.  I chose an oval, but any shape will do.  Once you have your template you can reuse it over and over.  I made the outside dimensions of my template card the same size as the vanilla piece that goes on the front of the Christmas card, so that I don't have to think too hard to get it in the right place.  Fast and simple is what it is all about!  In order to keep the template in place while you are working use a temporary adhesive.  I used my two way glue pen, and left it for a few minutes to become tacky and repositional.  This allows you to remove the template when you are done, without damaging the card underneath.  

If you use the two way glue pen remember that when the glue is blue - when you first put it on - it acts as a permanent adhesive, but if you wait a few minutes it dries off and will appear clear, and the adhesive will be temporary rather than permanent.

Now, it is a little tricky to see in this terrible photo, but the next step is really easy.  I used a piece of stampin' sponge to lightly sponge some mellow moss ink around the inside of my oval template.  It doesn't look too flash at this stage, but trust me, when you remove the template you will be wowed yourself.  If it isn't dark enough for you, you can always reattach the template and do a little more sponging.

When the sponging is done, and without removing the template, I used the line of trees stamp (Lovely as a Tree), inked with mellow moss ink, and stamped off gently (I want these trees to be a subtle background) then stamped onto my vanilla card.

Now the background is done, and you can remove the template.  I used Always Artichoke to stamp the single tree, and the greeting (from the Sincere Salutations stamp set) with help from my Stamp-a-ma-jig to make sure the greeting was straight.  Attach to a Mellow Moss card base and you are done.  Well, you could always add a bit of glitter to those branches if you have more than two minutes to spare.

Then comes the hard bit.  Actually sending it to someone!

And now a Christmas Carousel Note card.

While I was playing around making this carousel note card, I got to thinking that those carousel notes did look a little bit like a mighty big Christmas ornament, and how that could work well for a Christmas card.  So that became part two of my carousel note challenge.  To add to the fun I decided to work with a non-christmas stamp set that is another of my favourites, and which I know a lot of you have yourselves - the ever lovely Baroque Motifs.  (I should point out here that the greeting came from the 'Occasional Greetings' set and not Baroque Motifs).  I have probably said it before but this is such a versatile set - beautiful for backgrounds or the main focus, and any and all occasions - including Christmas.  I used a Ruby Red carousel note, and teamed it up with some kiwi kiss, for a more traditional red and green christmas look.

This time round I decided to work with just one of the carousel notes as the front of the card, and then attached a more conventionally shaped card behind it.  This way you get the scalloped circle look, but can still stand the card up easily, a bit like an easel. 

After stamping up the vanilla circle with the vines, flowers and greeting, I sponged the edge of the circle with kiwi kiss ink, and then used a two way glue pen to add a dash of diamonds to the flowers - Christmas just wouldn't be Christmas without some glitter.  It doesn't show up so well here, but in real life - it's sparkly!

The top of the 'ornament' was made from a round tab punch of kiwi card, folded in half then adhered to the top of the carousel note (purely decorative this time, not an actual hinge like on the last card).  The finishing touch was a kiwi kiss ribbon bow at the top of the ornament, and some stamping and sponging on the inside of the card.

This really was a quick and easy card to make, but I think it looks really special, and definitely a little out of the ordinary. This card could even double as an ornament - just by threading some linen thread, or even some more ribbon, through the folded round tab at the top.  Might not work so well on those really little trees though!