The days are getting longer and warmer. For those of us living in Australia, that means that Christmas is just around the corner! The stores have had their Christmas decorations out since the last week in September, and whether you think it's too early or not, it's definitely not too early to start making your own Christmas cards! The more you need to make, the earlier you need to start!
But, where do you start? If you've never made a card in your adulthood before, then to start making your own Christmas cards, can seem quite a daunting task! To some regular cardmakers, Christmas cards seem too overwhelming! No matter which category you fall into, I have some tips I'd like to share with you over the next few days about making your own Christmas cards!
Get Inspired
Inspiration (often lack thereof) is usually what holds a cardmaker (that's you, even if you've never made a card before!) back from making their own Christmas cards. So, it's time to get inspired! Get into the Christmas spirit! I love Christmas, and everything associated with it, so when it comes time for me to get inspired, I like to put on the Christmas music, and get into the spirit of the season! But, that isn't always enough, so I like to also take a look at some work that others have done. If you have old cardmaking or scrapbooking magazines lying around, take a look through the Christmas editions. Or, go down to your local newsagent, and grab a magazine that you like the look of, if you've never bought one before. No magazines? That's okay, head on over to Google and do a search for handmade Christmas cards.
Kristina Werner (who I'm a big fan of) is currently in the middle of her Holiday Card Series for 2011. This is the third year she's run this series (see her blog for the past two years). The series includes videos of her making a different card each weekday for 25 days prior to Christmas. It's a huge undertaking, and a great source of inspiration!
At this point, it's important not to get too carried away with the beautiful work that others are doing. We can so easily put ourselves into a little box with a label on the outside that says we can't do [enter complaint in here]. Just keep in mind the kind of card you'd like to create, and take a look at the design of a card, colours used and any new techniques you'd like to try! There may be three or four different cards that you like an element or two from each one. Remember, it's not about re-creating, it's about creating! This will be your piece of handiwork!
On Friday night I joined my friend (and Creative Memories consultant), Ingrid at her monthly workshop, where we all had a chance to create a Christmas card using some of their Christmas papers and embellishments. Ingrid has showcased the card and matching tag I created on her blog this morning, so I invite you to go over and take a look!
No comments:
Post a Comment