Christmas Cards

I have been a horrible card-maker this year. I normally make dozens every year...for birthdays and anniversaries and thank you notes and just-because occasions. But this year, in the effort to just survive, I quit making and sending cards.

But the weekend I went to the craft hideaway, I had one goal: finish the cards. And by finish, I mean start...and finish.

Just thought I'd show you the anatomy of a card.

Here is the finished product:

I made big cards this year, so the first order of business was to fold all the cardstock in half:

This was the basis for the card. I found this stamp last year at Hobby Lobby when I was shopping for Christmas decorations. I really felt nudged to buy it and felt God impressing on me that it would be meaningful to me this year. When I met Isaac, I thought that was the "hidden" meaning behind the stamp. (Yes, I thought of that in the early part of the year while dating! For real!) After we broke up, I had a discussion with God about how I was supposed to interpret this now. He told me to trust Him, so I did.

The day I left for the hideaway, I still had no message for the inside of the card. Angi and I stopped at Hobby Lobby on the way over, and I found this. Not only did the fonts coordinate, but I thought the message was perfect for my year...and completed the thought on the front.

This stamp came from a set I bought years ago.

I ripped all the edges off the front of the card and sponge-inked them green.

Then I cut the long strip that I'd glue on every card. The hideaway has an amazing paper cutter. Makes this part go quickly!

For reasons unknown to me now, I thought it would also be a good idea to rip one side of that. By the time I was done with that step, I hated ripped paper! :)

Then I had to cut the smaller pieces...

And sort the embellishment rings by color...

And cut the ribbon.

I embossed the baby Jesus stamp...some in silver and some in gold...to coordinate with the rings. Then I stamped the outside stamp below it. OH and I inked the sides of the squares.

The most time consuming part was threading the ribbon through the ring, securing the ring to the card stock, and taping down the ribbon to the back of the card stock.

All done!!! - Message even stamped inside!

Took me a day and a half to complete them...but I did it!