Peace on Earth

I still enjoy sending out a mass Christmas card every year. This is the card that goes to the extended family and friends that we don't get to see very often, but want to include a photo or two and a little bit about what we are doing. I really do enjoy planning, designing and completing this task - it is just in the middle part of the production that is a challenge!

Because we send out around 75 of these, the goal is always to make something stress free and easy to produce. Let's see if you can spot the problem with this year's card.

Let's see, the main panel is cut from Teresa Collins' Christmas Cottage Music paper and the edges inked with Tim Holtz Barn Door Distress Ink (easy).  A spot near the bottom of the panel is lightly painted with a dry foam brush to make a home for my favorite sentiment from My Favorite Things Inspired By Christmas stamp set inked with Barn Door (easy, just need drying time between paint & ink).

The MFT Winter Wreath is die cut twice from green cardstock and a trio of red gems finish it off. I love this wreath die, but after cutting 150 or so of these I am ready to put it away until next year.

The first few dozen went weren't bad - I knew it was going to take awhile to get the number I needed - but then the wreaths stopped releasing from the die easily. I was losing a few as they ripped and really didn't want to be cutting any more than absolutely necessary.

When punches get sticky or difficult, I've used aluminum foil and wax paper to sharpen and lubricate them, so decided to try this with the die. What a difference the wax paper made! My wreaths were releasing easily again and when things started to get sticky after another couple dozen, I just cut a few wax paper wreaths.

Our Christmas letter is the base of the card. I wrote the letter in Word and printed it with a landscape orientation so that 2 letters printed on each page.  The page are cut in half and scored in the middle forming a card base. A photo of my kids and the beautiful Bella (technically not ours, but this is her second home) is taped to the inside.

This card is being entered in the Simon Says Stamp Challenge Anything Christmassy.

The only thing left on my Christmas/Holiday list is putting together a few treat bags. I decided just to make one cookie this year - Candy Candy Blossoms.

This is the first batch of cookies I made on Friday and they look pretty good.

I am so glad I took that photo, because this is what the batch I made this morning looks like!

The first batch was rolled in coarse red & white sugar and the second batch in crushed candy canes, but that should not have made a difference in one batch being so much flatter than the other?!

Another batch is in the oven now, so hoping it comes out looking good enough to give away.

Thanks for stopping by & happy holidays to everyone!

Jacquie