Yuletide Vintage Christmas Cards

While at my annual Christmas card exchange the ladies wanted to create some cards I had on display last month. I guided them through a few of the cards and encouraged them to try different paper and complement combinations. Not every card was exactly the same. We had lots of fun mixing other papers, vellum and embellishments into the cards. We also decided that the Yuletide papers and images on the complements gave the cards a beautiful vintage Christmas feel.

2014 Christmas Card Exchange

Yesterday I held my annual Christmas card exchange. This year I had a total of 7 participants including myself. We exchanged our creative cards, ate some yummy food and played with some paper while laughing and exchanging stories. As always I was delighted with all the talent and creativity that this group of ladies brings every year!

The card I created this year was inspired by one that I saw on Pinterest. I had no instructions though and needed to incorporate products exclusively from Close To My Heart. I loved the idea of creating a Christmas scene within a cozy home setting. Not only did I pull out some older non-Christmas stamps, but I also dug out some older retired textiles!

I used my Cricut to make a variety of cuts from a couple of the cartridges. I also borrowed my daughters sewing machine to sew the fabric curtains on the window!

Do you recognize those old sassy strands wrapped around the Christmas tree? I even created a snowy scene behind the vellum framed window!

Here are the cards from the ladies~

Aren't they all amazing!!

I also made a small gift for them as a sincere thank you for their participation and hanging out with me for some creative fun!

Inside of these adorable little burlap bags were a couple of my favorite types of tea. I hope that when they are relaxing at home, enjoying their tea, that they will think of me and our fun creative times we shared throughout the whole year. I really, truly have the best customers and friends!

In my next post I will share with you what these wonderful ladies were up to at our get-together! Hmmm....I wonder what they could be making?

Christmas Yuletide Shadow Box

I created this shadow box last month to display at my Holiday Open House. The frame is on page 163 of the Annual Inspirations Idea Book. It comes in a Black finish or as I chose for my project a Colonial White finish. I chose to use almost one solid sheet of the Yuletide paper for the entire page, however I trimmed just a little bit on all the edges to adhere it to a dark green base. That way it really stands out in the frame. The photo I chose is actually from last year, but one of my favorite pictures of me with my almost grown kids!? I added some grosgrain ribbon, complements, zip strips and lots of gold glittery sparkles.

The Details~

 

a close up~

I decided to display my shadow box on the fire mantle this year.

 

Check out Santa-man chillaxing in his sleigh!! I "believe" in throwing in some whimsical fun into a classy and elegant display!!

The shadow box and Yuletide papers truly are gorgeous any way you display it. Close To My Heart makes it easy for you to make your Holiday homemade!