Last Cards of 2011

I began cleaning up from Christmas crafting this past week and created a few more cards with bits and pieces I collected from my desk. Finding just the right mix of new and vintage supplies to create a pleasing design really makes me happy.

These are the last few cards I have to send in 2011. I wouldn't say I'm caught up answering mail (especially mail art,) but for the holiday season, I'm feeling pretty good about things. One more letter to finish before this last card can travel through the post.

I hope everyone enjoyed a safe, happy New Year's Eve.
We toasted to many good mail days in 2012!

Letter to Santa

This letter wasn't sent by post, but it's a letter just the same!

View the Irish Times article here.

Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

Simply Merry

Sometimes simplicity is best...
especially this time of year.

May your days be merry and bright...

And may all your Christmases be white.

Old-Fashioned Christmas Cards

A lovely vintage postcard greeting from Mary Has Sound,
"Winter in the Country" by Courier and Ives

My take on an old CPS sketch (#235), with a vintage playing card image
"The Road--Winter" by Courier and Ives

Aspiration

Oh, give me an old-fashioned Christmas card,
With hostlers hostling in an old inn yard,
With church bells chiming their silver notes,
And jolly red squires in their jolly red coats,
And a good fat goose by the fire that dangles,
And a few more angels and a few less angles,
Turn backward, Time, to please this bard,
And give me an old-fashioned Christmas card.

-Ogden Nash

(From Epstein, Spare That Yule Log, copyright 1933, 1961,
found in The Gift of Christmas, copyright 1965)

USPS 2002

I believe it was also Ogden Nash who said,
"Merry Christmas, nearly everyone!"

CPS 246 Believe

Well, gee whiz, I missed the deadline to share this card on the Card Positioning Systems blog, but I'm going to post it anyway! This week I flipped the sketch. I was so excited to use a whole row of buttons on a card! I had seen it on some other designs, and I finally found a spot it worked for me. I do love buttons; the more, the merrier I say! The little charm is hard to read on the scanned image--it says "believe." I decided to use some of my jewelry making supplies on cards, since I have been too busy playing with paper to make bling for myself. The paper is more from the 6x6 My Mind's Eye pads, some vintage ribbons, and machine zig-zag stitching around the image, also from the paper pad.

Today I helped out with a group of 6th through 9th grade girls, my oldest daughter included, charged with making Christmas cards to include in gift bags for shut-ins. It was great fun to see what the girls designed, their different styles and tastes. I made a few cards to contribute too, and I managed to do it all without my cutting mat, metal straight edge and craft knife! Sometimes it is freeing to "rough it!"

Card Patterns Sketch 143

I decided to play along with several card sketches this week, to get a few more Christmas cards made and have fun doing it! This one comes from the Card Patterns blog. I have some fancy, but bulky, trims that I decided would be just the ticket on some of my more formal cards.

I usually wrap the ends of ribbons and trims around to the back of the design to hide the ends, but that just wasn't going to work with these stiff, thick trims. I broke out the Fray Check and the Tacky glue and cut flush to the edges with a sharp craft knife. I'm pleased the results and glad to make use of some these lovely bits and pieces, a gift from a sweet neighbor .

The paper is My Mind's Eye, the star is die cut from glittered paper and mounted over a tulle rosette. The buttons are hand-stitched to the card, my favorite way to secure buttons. A little zig-zag machine stitching finishes the bottom edge. The angel stamp is from the same series as the previously featured reindeer, from the recent half-price stamp sale.

I decided I really liked the design, so I made a series of four similar cards from a single 12x12 sheet of Basic Grey double-sided paper, changing the color of the base cardstock or the vertical trim. I also added a strand of gold thread to the tail of the tulle rosette and tried out my gold Stickles to accent the stars and snowflakes in the angel stamp. (After trying dollar-bin glitter glue, Stickles is heavenly to work with!) Enjoy!

'Tis the Season?

I actually wrote this post over a week ago, but I have been debating whether or not to post it without further editing. I was raised with the motto, "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all." Perhaps this is why I am so quiet/shy? Anyway, I decided that this is my little space on web to share my thoughts, and I should do just that, as long as they are well-written and not posted hastily.

Yes, it's that time again, time to start worrying about who will be offended by the holiday mail you send, or don't send.
My kids' Halloween--I mean Harvest--Parade is coming up and their costumes must be related to a book to be worn on school time. Not too hard with a witch and a zombie, but that's not the point. Oh, we are so fragile these days. In our efforts to not get sued and be all-inclusive, we are afraid to expose our children and ourselves to things outside our beliefs. Wouldn't want to Learn something New, especially at school, you know. Wouldn't want to Think or Question; that only leads to confusion.

I have lived in Pennsylvania my entire life, mainly in this small city, but for a time near Philadelphia, and a few summers in the state capital. Chartered by William Penn, it seems those who yell the loudest here these days have forgotten the state was founded on religious freedom, early democracy, and fair treatment of natives and immigrants. I do not wish to impose my beliefs on anyone, nor do I wish to have others' beliefs imposed on me, but whatever happened to open and honest dialogue and education?

I would love to travel the world and learn about as many different cultures and belief systems as I can. Alas, I am a homebody, with family responsibilities. So if you wish, send me mail, mail that challenges me to think outside these four walls and this sometimes-oppresive town/state/country. Open up new worlds for me, share old and new ideas. In return, please consider any mail I send to you an expression of who I am, a sharing of my ideas and beliefs with you, no strings attached. Thank you to superhero for reminding me that the art we chose to view is not always what we need to see to grow.

I just researched one of my all-time favorite quotes, a perfect conclusion to my editorial. “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” Attributed to Voltaire but written by Evelyn Beatrice Hall from The Friends of Voltaire, inspired by a 1770 Voltaire letter to an Abbot le Roche, in which he was reported to have said, “I detest what you write, but I would give my life to make it possible for you to continue to write.” Coming full circle, Voltaire, a prolific letter-writer, praised Pennsylvania as the only government in the world responsible to the people and respectful of minority rights.

So, without further rants from yours truly, the post office brings us four lovely new issues with which to post our winter holiday greetings.

Madonna of the Candelabra by Raphael and Holiday Baubles, released 13 October 2011

Kwanzaa and Hanukkah, released 14 October 2011
I love how the colors and designs of these three work together! I will definitely be putting one of each on some of my bulkier mail this holiday season.

Truly, the more I learn, the more I understand there is so much more for me to learn. What did you learn today? What can you teach me?

CPS 239 Holiday Season Joy

Today I broke my own rule that I made a few years back about no Christmas music before Halloween. I figured maybe it didn't count if no one else was around to hear it!

I wanted to try this week's sketch from CPS, and I wanted to try using some of the holiday card-making goodies I collected recently. Not a rubber stamp inked for this one, but I went a little crazy with the die cuts and textures! That music paper rosette adds quite a bit of dimension; it will require a larger envelope (and extra postage) if it travels by mail.

The ribbons with the little banner-cut ends are vintage, recently cleared out of my mom's basement. The ribbon is fairly stiff, so I used one corner of my 3/4-inch-square paper punch to make those V-cuts--so quick and easy! I cut the rosette from old sheet music with a Tim Holtz Sizzix die and spritzed it with walnut stain. The glittered flourish and "Joy" are also Sizzix die cuts. The main image is a small re-purposed card front with Cuttlebug embossing folder swirl texture added and layered on a paper doily and circle of DCWV Christmas paper. The finished card is 5x7 inches, larger than my usual A2 sized cards.

No matter what you might be making or mailing today, I wish you joy!