Crafting Christmas

One of my favorite parts of Christmas is to make homemade cards, gifts and home decor items.  I had gotten away from it for the last few years but am truly enjoying returning to it this year.  Past years have found me so busy with gift wrapping, cookie baking, shopping and practicing for Christmas plays that I had forgotten how much I like making things for the holidays.

I saw this banner in the Hobby Lobby scrapbooking publication in an advertisement for Glue Dots.  I loved it and decided to replicate it using my own materials.  The only things I needed to purchase were the burlap and canvas.  Burlap is so trendy right now that when I went to buy it I had to get specialty burlap (it has silver in it) because they were sold out of the regular kind.  Here's what it turned out like:

I knew just where I planned to hang it...in the cutout window between my kitchen and living room.  Then I realized I would have to make the other side pretty too.  So I decided to cutout a fancy design from the Damask Decor Cricut Cartridge with a snowflake motif and used some of my lovely snowflake embellishments that my friend, Heather (ScrapHappyLady) sent me last Christmas.  I knew just what it needed to say HOPE.  To remind me of The Lord and to keep my faith strong and Hope in Him for a bright New Year.  

Christmas is on its Way

I have been busy reading my emails and browsing Pinterest lately finding inspiration for my Christmas cards.  I look forward each year to making them and usually start by July.  This year I started in late September.  Once I started I really haven't felt like doing much else in the way of layouts or other types of cards.  It has been so much fun.

My first one was inspired by an email I received from my local StampinUp! Demonstrator, Carolyn Serviss oh2bstampin.com.  Loved the look of the stamped gold stars on the white background.  The die-cut was from the Damask Decor cricut cartridge.  Added some glitter and colored a clear rhinestone with my alcohol ink marker to match.

This next one was in an email from Paper Crafts magazine.  I bought some sequins a while back and thought this was a great way to showcase them.  I didn't have any paper with writing on it so made my own using a font called Christmas Card.  The Christmas tree was cut from the Christmas Cheer cartridge.

 

I.have a couple of friends who are really into the Country Primitive decor for their homes and wanted to do a simple country berry wreath but couldn't find a stamp or image to use so I doodled out the simple  wreath design.  Love the contrast of the dark red with the white dry embossed snowflake background. 

 

I have made some other designs too and am about halfway there with the number of cards I need this year.  With less than two months to go, it may be a challenge but I think I am up for it!