I want to pause the busyness for a minute to wish each of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
I appreciate all of you who subscribe, view, and comment on this blog. Your participation is what keeps me motivated to share my “little works of art” on this site each week. Being a small fish in a big pond can be a bit overwhelming at times. Your comments, questions, and orders feed my desire to keep on. So thank you!
I have a question for you… How many of you send handmade Christmas/holiday cards? Normally we send out a newsletter, “The Hallam Times,” that my husband cleverly writes and publishes each year. His sense of humor shines in these tongue-in-cheek accounts of our annual events. And every year I make dozens of cards, a few of which I send to people that I craft with, people to whom I wouldn’t normally send out a “Times.” Imagine the collection of cards I’ve accumulated! So this year, every person on our Hallam list got a handmade card along with a “Hallam Times” and the response I’ve received is amazing!
Bottom line, people love a handmade card. Take the time. It’s worth it!
Here’s a suggestion:
Start early! Don’t wait till the day after Thanksgiving to start making your cards. You’ll never get it done! We have a lot of our Stampin’ Up! products on sale right now. You can pick up some holiday paper, stamps, and embellishments that are marked down to sell out.
- Check out the Clearance Rack for the biggest discounts. You find some cute things, like this Family & Friends Stamp Set for $16:
or this Penguin Punch for only $4.80:
- Look at the current Last Chance Product List for the soon-to-be-retired catalog products. Not everything on the list is discounted but many things are.
- Start a collection of cards and store them in a special box for next year! It’s really fun to hand pick which card will go to that particular person. They will appreciate the connection.
- If you still have left-overs, the local senior facilities or hospitals love to get cards to share with their residents.
If you do pick up some of these seasonal bargains, please use my Host Code when you order! Thanks! Here’s my code:
Again, have a blessed Christmas! Cheers to the new year! May it be filled with good memories and happy times!
I loved your Christmas card and enjoyed reading the Hallam Times! Every year I say I am going to start earlier on Christmas cards and time seems to get away from me. I try to make up for it with New Year cards and Valentine cards. I also really enjoy sending out cards at Thanksgiving. So thankful for friends & family and that we get to do what we love!!!!
Thanks, Jeanie! I feel the same way. Best wishes for a great 2024!
Every year I send out about 125 handmade cards to friends and family. I usually design 6-7 cards, then decide who gets which design and keep spreadsheets with that information so I don’t duplicate the next year. I enjoy doing this and by making several designs I don’t get bored making the same one over and over. I, also want to thank you for your posts. I love what you design and make – you’re one of my favorite Demos to watch,
Thank you, Marciene! That’s so kind of you to say! I have to admit, I’m not good at remembering which cards I sent to each person, so a spreadsheet is a great idea! 125 cards would be a lot to keep track of đ. I hope you have a very Merry Christmas!
Thank you and Merry Christmas wishes to you and your family as well!
I made and sent around 40 cards. I made 30 for a nursing home, I was having so much fun using up kits and playing, I have another 50 for some senior citizens in low cost housing. I was so happy to make them when people at the community center asked. Unfortunately, the husband of my cousin called to thank me for the card and to tell me my cousin had died around Memorial Day and they forgot to tell me. She had advanced Alzheimers so bad she needed a feeding tube which she did want and hence died like her mom.
So sorry for your loss, Chris! That’s a hard way to learn about a death in the family. I love how you make so many cards for shut-ins. I know they really appreciate it! Have a good Christmas, Chris!
I’ve handmade all my Christmas cards for the past 3 years. About 75 each year. You are right, the comments back are heartwarming and keep me motivated. I have a friend that hangs all her handmade cards she receives on a door every Christmas. She hangs the old ones and the new ones. Love it! Merry Christmas Karen!
What a great way to remember past years! Such a fun idea. Thanks for sharing Beth! Merry Christmas!
I make for family and friends and they LOVE getting something homemade. No it’s not easy and takes time (I try to start in Oct), but hearing how much it means makes it all worth while. With so many wonderful SU choices picking which ones is the hardest for me!! ha-ha
Merry Christmas and Praying for a Better New Year!
Yes, the homemade ones are special! Merry Christmas to you, Patty, and cheers to a good & healthy 2024!
During Covid, I made it a point to send cards to people I didnât have on my regular list as well as to the friends and family I would normally send toâI knew there were so many folks alone and needing a personal acknowledgement. Youâre rightâthe response was so gratifying. My list is over 100 nowâand while I admit every card was NOT handmade this year (time and health intervened), I refuse to drop anyone from my list. And bonus, probably 80% of those people send me a card, or write a note to me after the holidays.
And as a bonus, the addition of the Light in the Sky bundle makes it easy to create New Years cards for my last minute procrastination/ forgetfulness! Win-win.
Merry Christmas, Karen, and all the best for the New Year!
So great, Linda! It’s awesome to stay in touch, even if it is only once a year. And I agree about the Light the Sky bundle! Perfect!
Merry Christmas, Karen. I sent out about 20 cards that I made. So many that I know no longer send cards for Christmas. We stay in touch throughout the year, though.
Yes, Christmas cards, like hand-written letters, are slowly becoming a lost art. But it is wonderful to receive one and I intend to keep it up as long as possible! Have a wonderful Christmas, Phyllis!