Spotted Canary Blog

When I was growing up, my family would always clang in the New Year. Just as the clock struck twelve, we’d race outside and bang our issued pan with a wooden spoon. There was nothing melodious about it. It was pure noise. We’d exchange New Year’s greetings with our neighbors and reminisce about the past year. And as tradition would have it, just as everyone had returned to their homes, my father would lift his head to the sky and start to bay. Yep, just like a dog. Makes a daughter proud.

At this point my mother would make a dash for the front door. And just as she hit the threshold she’d hear the canine choir begin its annual concert under the direction of her snickering husband and complete with solos provided by Ringo and Rusty, our neighbors Cash and Ida’s two bellowing beagles. Now what makes the story even funnier is the conversation my dad and Cash would have the following day. Cash would comment to my father about Ringo and Rusty’s sudden excitement and wonder what the catalyst was. My dad, with a twinkle in his eyes, would make his trademark furrowed brow, shrug his shoulders and simply reply “It must have been all the clanging.”

Thinking back on the whole scene, I’m pretty sure the brow furrowing was just a means to prevent him from bursting into fits of laughter. My dad was a stinker. Hiding under his mild mannered, rather passive personality, was a troublemaker brewing. Some would say the apple hasn’t fallen too far from the tree. I’m fairly sure they are referring to my brother because I would know nothing about of being a stinker. And thankfully my mom is out of the country right now with no means of disputing this statement. But I digress.

New Year’s Eve was special because it was the night of extraordinary treats. It was a treat to stay up late. It was a treat to sip sparkling apple cider from crystal stemware. It was a treat to go into the streets of Pinole and make as much noise as possible. I loved those home bound celebrations. And so the tradition of being at home for New Year’s Eve has continued for me through the years.

There was however the exception year of 1999 when my husband, mom, son, good friend and I ventured to downtown Fort Worth to ring in the new century with a few thousand of our closest neighbors. I mean the world was about to collapse, right? So why not watch it unfold from the middle of a city square where there was plenty of protection from chaos and rioting. Yeah. Good sense runs in my family. See above story for proof.

Well, the world did not collapse. There were no riots or ensuing chaos. In fact, the only tense situation was being in the car as my husband tried to maneuver our way from the parking lot to the freeway. It’s a miracle we are still not driving around in circles ten years later. This was after all pre-navigation systems and pre-husband-realizing-he-needs-to-occassionally-ask-for-directions. But I digress.

Being home for New Year’s Eve through the years has, I must admit, lost its specialness. And I wonder if I have done enough to create that same sense of excitement for my son as my parents did for my brother and me. Honestly, by the time December 31st arrives any more, I am usually so tired from all the holiday hoopla that the thought of staying awake past 10 o’clock makes my head hurt. Makes me yawn right now even thinking about it.

So what can I do to get the frivolity back into our New Year’s Eves? I think there are two steps involved. First is to get more sleep so that I can actually stay awake long enough to see the clock strike twelve. This step could include one of my favorite things … naptime (hey, I like this plan already)! And second is to make a bigger deal out of the evening. This step could include inviting people over for some festive food, games and pan clanging. I mean, who can resist pan clanging?

With step two in mind, my brain began thinking of an ensemble of accessory pieces I could incorporate into the festivities. And after some aimless wandering around my local crafts store, I had a color scheme, a motif and a theme for all the pieces. I fell into giddiness with the teal and tiffany blue sequins I stumbled upon and used them to base my color scheme and circle motif on. Hanging right next to the sequins were packages of silver bells and from there my theme was formed. It was kismet.



I began my Ring in the New Year party pieces with the food markers. To incorporate the sequin’s circle motif, I simply stamped and embossed the food name on the lighter cardstock and punched it out. After matting it with a larger darker circle, I hot glued it to a large bell. These large bells were screaming to be used (ok, maybe not screaming, but at least chiming loudly) and I love how they reinforce the party’s theme.



Next I toyed with the idea of glass charms. It’s easy to lose track of your glass at a party, especially if everyone is drinking the same thing, which at our house is still sparkling apple cider on New Year’s Eve. I rummaged around for some leftover wire jewelry hoops and started threading sequins onto them. With a simple paint pen initial, these charms were way quick to make and can even be done by your guests as an ice-breaker activity. Every party needs something to bring people together; a common activity can be that bonding experience.





Now what says party more than silly hats? Nothing else really. Especially if those hats have crazy antennae like embellishments popping out from the top. Again, this is an item that your guests can make themselves. Pre-cut the cardstock half-circles and ribbon lengths then set out multiple staplers and hole punches for everyone to use during assembly. Each hat will be unique and everyone will have fun modeling their haberdashery to each other.



I believe every party should have a parting gift. A little something that says thanks for coming. So here’s what I came up with for this Ring in the New Year bash. It’s a faux old-fashioned cracker. You can make it a real one; there are ways to do it. But for demo purposes I just faked it. Christmas wrap rolls would be great to use as the base, but paper towel and toilet tissue tubes are sturdy enough too. Wrap the tubes with colored tissue paper and tie off the ends with ribbon. I added the sequins and bells by wiring them onto the ribbon knots. The sentiment circle was done the same way as the food markers. Gather these in a silver bucket placed on your serving table for a pretty display and then hand them out as guests leave.





Silverware wraps are another favorite accessory of mine. I guess because I hate fumbling with separate utensils at parties. I always seem to drop one or two while piling my plate with buffet goodies. Both maddening and wasteful. A length of ribbon tied around the grouping is the easiest way to secure them. But why not take it up a notch by gathering a few sequins and a bell onto a wire jewelry hoop and attaching it to the ribbon knot. Quick and painless with a striking end result.



The last item in this ensemble is the invitation. I know, I’ve worked backwards this time round, but hey, it’s ok to break my self-imposed rules once a year (as long as I don’t make a habit of it, right? Yes, ma’am). I used ideas from the other pieces to make the invite. There is the ribbon tie from the cracker and silverware wrap, the circle sentiment from the food markers, and the sequin/bell loop from the glass charms. Each element gives your guests a hint of what’s to come. They all tie together to set the mood and theme of the evening as well as to be so dang cool that no one will want to miss the party with the awesome invitation.





So however you decide to spend your New Year’s Eve this year, whether it’s a quiet night catching up on your sleep, a gathering of family and friends in your home, or a wild night out on the town, I wish you safety and happy memories. May your 2010 be filled with many opportunities to share your home and hospitality with those you hold dear and to celebrate all of life’s moments whether they be monumental or mundane. And may your neighbors refrain from calling the police when you fill the street with the loud and thunderous sounds of clanging pans. Clang on, dear friends, clang on! 

~ Elizabeth (ekb)
 

 The budget seems tighter than ever this holiday season. Many of my friends and family are looking for jobs.

To remove some of the stress from having to buy so many gifts on such a thin budget, we decided that the gifts this year would be crafted or free.

Here are some ideas for those who are hard to buy for or when your budget is short on funds.

Coupons:

 I have always loved this idea and have used it for wedding anniversary gifts to birthday celebrations.

Create a coupon representing a special reward. You will be amazed how much teenagers love this gift.

Some examples --

• Good for using the car for 30 minutes (for teenager)
• No chore day (for kids)
•  Free babysitting (for friends)
•  Good for a car wash (for Dad)
• Cooking on me or going to the grocery store on me (for Mom)
•  Dusting the house (for Grandma)
•  Playing cards (for Grandpa)
•  Good for 30 minutes of playing video games (for kids)
  
  Personalize the coupon. Make it fit the person you are gifting it to. Wrap it in a special box or container that can sit out and be used. 
  
  Companionship:

Young and old value spending time together. Playing games, watching a movie, or just declaring it a special day with that person is a wonderful gift to give. There is nothing on earth more valuable than the people you love and the time you spend with them. The gift of companionship is such a giving present this holiday season. Wrap up a box with the date you will be spending with that person and include ideas of what you would like to do. Make a larger commitment, like spending every Tuesday with that special someone or having it be one child per week special day. Think about volunteering to read at a hospital or in a nursing home.

Giving a piece of you is a selfless act of love. 

Letter with Meaning:

Write a letter to each of your friends or family members. Tell them why you love them and how much they mean to you. Reminisce about the good times you have shared and document your feelings in a letter. Roll the letter and tie with string or frame it in a thrift store frame. I guarantee this letter will be more valuable to the recipient than any sweater, scarf, or movie you could buy for them. 

Free Gifts from Children:

One of the best gifts my children could give me is a NO Arguing Day! Doesn’t that just sound like heaven? A whole day of no picking, spatting, or poking at one another. I would treasure that gift! Another gift I would appreciate is a Day of Chores gift. I would love the dishwasher emptied, the beds made, laundry put away, or even just simple picking up after each other. It sounds like bliss in my book. Such simple ideas but so meaningful for a busy mom. 

Time for Yourself:

From a busy mom’s perspective one of the nicest gifts I can give my friends is a day to pamper themselves, or a day to shop without children, or a day to leisurely look through magazines at Barnes and Noble. The older I get the more I value time to myself. Gift those busy moms this season by offering to car pool kids or relieve them of their chores for a day so they can have a little time to themselves. Dads also need a day when they can golf, watch TV, or spend time wandering in a hardware store. They work hard and do so many things for their family. Place a thrift store watch in a box or an old clock with the simple phrase “Time for You” written on it. Take over and let them have a day for themselves. 

 Pampering:

As the mom to a teenage girl, her want list is a mile long but something she enjoys is pampering herself. Create a spa day at home for her. It is simply running a bubble bath, painting her nails, or giving her a facial/make-over. Make it special by putting apple juice in a pretty glass or having chocolates and strawberries for her to snack on. It is all about making her feel like a princess.

Doesn’t every girl wish for that? 

Gifts for Children:

I love the idea of having a sledding day for the special nieces and nephews in your life. Wrap up a hot cocoa packet with a message that says “Good for a day of sledding and fun!” Have hot cocoa for them and a wintry story to read or frosty movie to watch after a day of fun spent together. This may become a holiday traditional gift. Double gift by creating a crafting day for the little ones in your life. Finger painting, homemade play dough, or creating a city from boxes and construction paper is a wonderful way to spend the day with friends, cousins, or nieces and nephews. It is way to gift their parents of some time apart too!

Crafting:

There are so many projects you can make for gifts. Calendars are personal and useful presents. Food gifts are a favorite of mine. This year I printed 5 x 7 photos of my friends with their families from different times we had spent together. I found $3 frames at Wal-Mart in my area. I loved seeing their faces when they opened the pictures. I gave them a piece of me and what I like to do.

For more gift ideas, check out these websites.

The website Yes All 4 Free had categories for finding items you were looking for, coupons, and web promotions.

Read the fine print carefully on this site.
http://www.yesall4free.com/

Family Crafts list 100 gifts you can make with a photo of each gift idea.
http://familycrafts.about.com/od/giftstomake/tp/HomeMadeGiftIdeas.htm

This season try to remember that it isn’t the monetary amount spent on the gift. It is the meaning behind it.

 We are all trying to tell our friends and our family how much we love and care about them.

Happy Holidays!
~Kara (Studiopink)

 
The holidays are quickly approaching, and just the thought causes my heart to beat faster and worry to run rampant.

Do I have all my shopping complete?
NO

Are my Christmas cards made and mailed?
NO

Am I receiving cards and feeling guilty because mine haven’t been mailed?

YES

After talking with friends, I guess I am not alone in my holiday anxiety. Several said that they didn’t put up Christmas trees this season due to lack of space in their apartments or the large task of pulling out boxes from storage and unpacking their holiday decorations.

That had me thinking about a way to make an inexpensive tree that could hold a few ornaments or even become a card holder.

As usual, I was lost in the hardware store while my dear husband once again disappeared in his favorite place. I was wandering in the front of the store waiting on him to magically appear when I spotted, tucked away by the outside door, Tomato Cages! They were upside down and stacked past my head. I am sure visions of sugarplums danced in my head. Oh, they had two sizes -- large for $3.50 and small for $1.48. Decisions, decisions…what should I do? Since this tree is for small spaces and for a crafter on a budget, I chose the small tree for the least expensive price. On an end cap in the very same hardware store were glittery garlands of sparkling tinsel in all colors, textures, and types. They ranged from $3 to $5 in price and 12 to 18 feet in length. I picked the more natural looking garland, 18 feet for $4.89.

My dear husband magically appeared looking perplexed. He wanted me to know that I couldn’t grow tomatoes during December in the Midwest. Really…?
I informed him these supplies were going to be a Christmas tree, and I was gifting them to a friend that had too many other things to worry about this holiday season and wouldn’t have a Christmas tree.

I brought my cage home and realized that I needed to make my tree pointed by gathering the wires at the top of the tree together. I placed a small washer at the top to just hold it in place. Then, I wired my garland to the frame of the tomato cage. My husband warned me that the circles can easily come off the cage so to be careful. I hid the washer under the wired garland. It was perfect. Lightweight, easy to make, inexpensive, and it could be used for many purposes.

I decided that due to the small space the tree would be in, it would be best for it to have more than one purpose.

• My friend could hang ornaments from it,

• use it as a card display,

• or simply add lights and a pretty star for a little Christmas bliss in her apartment.

I decorated clothes pins with some glitter. They were purchased for $1.00 at our discount store.

 My total price for all the supplies I purchased to make the tree was $9.39.

I was so happy to have thought of this Tomato Cage Christmas Tree. I got on the computer and just for fun typed into the search window Tomato Cage Christmas Tree. I though it was an original idea because it came to me in the hardware store. The joke is on me. Website after website appeared with a variety of cool ways to alter your tomato cage, from feather boas to grapevine wreaths. I have a saying that seems to hold true whenever I think I have an original idea, “A thousand monkeys thought of it first.” Even though my tomato cage tree was already discovered by other creative crafters, mine is unique to me. Isn’t that what crafting is about -- making your tree merry with your unique take on it, supplies you use, and your creative vision?

Happy Holidays!

~Kara (Studio Pink)

The Countdown is on! Funny how the rush of Christmas sneaks up on me every year! I’ve made my lists, finished the shopping for my husband and kids, and am down to finding a few items for extended family. It’s at this time that I start panicking about what I’m going to give the “extra” people in my life. “Extra” meaning the people who we interact with constantly, but may not be our closest friends! My kids’ teachers are definitely on the list – they do so much on a daily basis - for our kids and with our kids, that I feel indebted to them for their time, caring and patience! I love to be creative with special presents for them! Another person that I feel deserves a little extra at the holidays is our Bible Study leader and his wife. He spends so much time all year preparing the materials for the lessons and class discussions each week.

I am definitely a “giver.” Don’t get me wrong, I like to receive, too, but to me there is no comparable feeling to sharing my creativity with people through the gift of giving! It’s very satisfying! For the “extras” in my life, I don’t spend the day shopping for just the right thing; I generally spend a day crafting to create gifts for them. This keeps the cost down, and allows me to make multiples if I need to for several of the people on my list.

I’ve decided to do this blog as more of a list this time through. Perhaps it may help you remember some of the “extra” people in your lives that you feel deserve a little something special this year.

“EXTRAS” (Meaning people who significantly contribute to your life!!)

• Pastor
• Your Boss
• School Principal
• Secretaries (I think I will do something for my kids’ school Secretary – she is amazing, and when does she get recognized from the kids?)
• The Mail Man
• Close Neighbors
• Kid’s Coaches
• Choir Director
• Co-worker
• Day Care Giver
• Special Aids at a school or church
• FedEx or UPS Driver (if they frequent your home or business often!!)
• Hair Dresser/Barber or Nail Tech
• Your Doctor or Health Care Giver (if you frequent their services throughout the year)

Next, I have made a list of fun, quick projects that would be great for giving to any of the people I have listed above.

• Ornaments of any kind 

 • Gift Card Holders (and you would have to buy a gift card)
• “To Do” Handmade Coupon Books (great for kids to give)
• Wooden Blocks painted and decorated as presents (used for holiday decorations)

• Paperweights – could be glass for photos, or something as simple as a rock that you paint!
• Pre-designed mini scrapbook
• Homemade baked goods wrapped in a decorated box or gift bag.
• Painted wooden plaques – write an message on relating to the holiday.

• A box of homemade note cards (could include their monogram)
• A bottle of wine with a homemade label

These are only a few suggestions… the list could go on forever of things to create. These are my favorite gifts to give because I can personalize each one. Hopefully these ideas will inspire all of you to make a few of the little gifts this year!

Happy Holidays!

Karen (Kabby) 

So last Thursday night I decided that our tree had stood naked long enough; that it was time to get it decked out in all its ornamental glory. My husband had hurriedly put the lights on a few days before and then left town bequeathing the remaining tree décor duties to my son and I. I think my tardiness in finishing the task was due to my pouting. I was simply disappointed that our 2009 tree decorating experience was not going to be Norman Rockwell like. In fact, truth be told, it ended up more Norman Bates like.

When our son was younger, his attention span for hanging ornaments was at best about five minutes. And instead of spreading the baubles around the entire tree, he would amass them on one branch; a very low branch at that, just perfect for the cats to reach and whack at. I did my best to affirm his accomplishment and to hold back my Type-A impulses to readjust their placement. I just kept telling myself that it would all change as he got older; that some holiday season in the future we would spend the evening as a family decorating the tree with smiles on all our faces, glasses of egg nog ready to refresh us and It’s a Wonderful Life playing in the background. I had grand hopes that our boy would eventually relish this special tradition, even crave it and that he would happily stick around until the last ornament was hung. So much for expectations.

After convincing my son that helping me trim the tree was in his best interest (the newest DVD installment of a-boy-with-magical-powers was due out on DVD the next week), he dragged himself to the family room and promptly tuned the TV to a show set out to discover whether or not a prisoner could saw through steel bars using dental floss. Scratch holiday mood background noise. And scratch the refreshing egg nog. There was none in the fridge.

Together we worked on unpacking the ornaments from their boxes and it only took three “I know mom’s” for him to remember about stuffing the bubble wrap back into its respective box. The unpacking took way too long. I was losing him fast. So in an effort to ensure that he stayed on task until the last decoration was thoughtfully displayed, I had him start hanging things up. Well, let me tell you this: age does not equal design sense. My almost-grown-in-his-own-mind child continued with his ornament amassing on low branches habit. And let me tell you another thing: age also does not equal ideal maternal encouragement. Add one more item to my list of motherly guilt.

By the time the fourth snowman had been placed within a six inch radius of the others, I had lost all ability to suppress my control-freak tendencies. I followed him around the tree immediately removing and repositioning each ornament he proudly hung, oft times even muttering under my breath something about “doing it all wrong”. See, very Norman Bates like. So scratch the smiles on everyone’s faces. At about thirty minutes into this do-over decorating episode my son turned to me and announced that he was going to bed. He hadn’t even lasted through one third of the pile. Ugh.

I bid him goodnight and promptly began my pity party. But I must say that the party didn’t last very long. Somehow, someway, I managed to change my attitude and enjoy the decorating solitude. It ended up being a wonderful sentimental journey down the path of our family’s history. Every ornament on the family room tree tells a story, a look into who, how and what we are, and as I worked to find just the right branch for each piece, I was able to reflect on its meaning and significance. And best of all, I was able to laugh and cry without the mocking jeers from the male members of my household.

Our First Home




Our First Cat




Our First (and only) University




Now I’m sure you’re asking, what does all this rambling have to do with a Party Time blog? Um, I’m not really sure. Other than I think it would be fabulous to include handmade ornaments on my tree that represent who I am as a paper crafter and that years from now would evoke sweet memories of happy times spent indulging in my hobby. And indulging in my hobby is way more fun when done with my paper crafting partners-in-crime by my side. In other words, PARTY!

So what follows is a plan, a sketch, a loose outline of ideas for an ornament making party I’d like to call “Ornamental Fun”. Use what you want, modify it to your needs. Just enjoy the time crafting with friends and the pleasure in knowing that years from now when you unwrap these handmade tree embellishments you will be wrapping yourself in cherished remembrances of the past.


What to Make (start here)

Choose a theme and/or a technique to carry throughout the party. For my examples, I chose snowflakes, folded medallions and shiny stuff you sprinkle.





Set some creation parameters. With your theme and/or technique in mind, decide just what kinds of crafting materials you’ll want to have available. Glitter, pattern paper, ribbon and punches are the staples to my ornament designs and all are elements that can be bought on the cheap in bulk.











The bases I used, clear glass balls, felt cut outs and chipboard letters, are also less expensive items that can be bought in multiples. You can also fray some of the costs by having guests bring items with them such as clear balls or pattern paper to match their décor.














Make plenty of examples for guests to follow. You will have those who will want to go off on their own tangents, but for those who need and want to stick with a plan, make sure there are enough mock-ups for them to handle and examine.


How to Let Guests Know

Send invitations that announce your theme. For my party invites, I covered chipboard ornament shapes that I found in the dollar section of my local crafts store and embellished them with details from my ornament designs. Printing party information on transparency sheets then slipping it into clear glass balls tied with ribbon is another option. Either way, use the invitation to give guests a hint of what they will be creating. It will get them excited to be there.








What to Serve Guests

Keep the food selection simple. Most prep time will be involved with getting things organized for guests to craft so keep the menu uncomplicated to maintain hostess sanity. And because table space will be needed for working on ornaments, a counter top buffet makes good sense. Choose finger foods that can be nibbled on easily as guests take breaks from crafting. These snowflake cookie cutters from Wilton are a perfect way to carry my party’s theme into the buffet line. I see the cookies sprinkled with bright colored sugar crystals (like glitter) and tied with a red licorice rope hanger (like ribbon). Mmmm. Both yummy and pretty.




How to Set the Mood

Keep decorations within the scope of the party’s theme. Gather colored balls in bowls or hurricane vases for a quick and thematic centerpiece. Hang beaded ornaments from the chandelier with ribbon. Intertwine a lighted garland around serving pieces and tuck miscellaneous ornaments and trinkets into the branches for added pop. Or dress plain napkin rings up by wiring ornaments to them.




How to Pull It All Off

Kit pre-cut and measured items. Handing guests a kit full of everything they need to make each project will make the creation process go much more smoothly as well as prevent supplies from being wasted. Make sure there are ample amounts of shared supplies like scissors and glue brushes. Busy guests are happy guests.

Protect the space. Remove furnishings that if ruined would be devastating. Accidents will happen. Glue will be spilled and glitter will fly into every uncovered crack and crevice. My cats are still wearing glitter from lying too close to my desk while I was working on these examples (but at least now I can see the black one in the dark).

Sit down and enjoy the experience. Being in the moment is the hardest step for me. I tend to fret over keeping things on a time schedule and keeping ahead of the messy clean-up. Make sure to focus energies on sharing creative time with guests and just plain having fun because those are the best memories to unwrap during future holiday seasons.

~ Elizabeth (ekb)

They say confession is good for the soul. Hmm. I usually feed my soul chocolate to help it to feel better. But maybe confessing should be my new diet plan. Certainly if I traded chocolate for confessions I’d be sure to drop a couple pounds, right? Right. And since there are still about a gazillion calories worth of leftover Halloween candy in the kitchen, I had better start owning up to a few things. I’ll start with something quirky.

I collect twist ties. Not in a weird put-them-in-a-shadowbox-for-display kind of way but rather in a baggie-full-of-them-stashed-in-a-kitchen-drawer kind of way. Why you ask? Well, because they are one item you can’t buy a package of at your local grocery store. Ever tried? I have. And it’s fruitless. So I deliberately save them in an effort to keep freezer burned veggies at bay.



Whew! They were right. That felt good. I’m ready for some more.

This next disclosure is a scary one to put out there in the paper crafting cyber world. It could cause a call for my “creative license” to be revoked. But I hope that in this season of peace and love, I will be granted amnesty. Here it goes.

I don’t send handmade holiday cards and, you better be seated for what’s next, I have been known to not craft my annual holiday party invitations. I know. Gasp! It’s unthinkable. It’s appalling. It’s downright wrong. But I have my reasons.

My foremost excuse is timeliness. If I were to make my holiday cards from scratch, it would be St. Patrick’s Day before they arrived in everyone’s mailboxes. Yes, the green color scheme would work, but people generally know the difference between a holly leaf and a shamrock.

My other rationale is tradition. I don’t do Black Fridays. There is not a discounted TV big enough in this world to entice me out of my warm bed at 3 AM the day after Thanksgiving. But put holiday cards, invitations, wrap and ornaments on sale for 50% off the day after Christmas and I’ll brave rain, sleet and snow to be there at the crack of dawn elbowing my way to a coveted spot in line. My mom instilled this annual behavior in me and we often go together; one to grab the goods, the other to steer and guard the cart. Over the years we’ve become a well-oiled machine. Synchronized swim teams even envy us.

But before you demand that I turn in my Herma and Cutterpede, let me defend myself. I do have holiday card and invitation crafting abilities. In fact, I’ve made quite a few over the past eight years. They’ve just all been for classes I’ve taught; but nonetheless, I do have skills. Here’s a picture of a card I made last year for proof.



See, I can do it. I just choose not to do it en masse. What I do choose to do is to embellish and convert store-bought boxed cards into more personable and usable sets. That’s my compromise. So when I’m out there the Day after Christmas jockeying for a good deal, I look for cards and invites that I can quickly and easily enhance or re-purpose.

Here are some examples of cards that I added embellishments to.

I started with this plain invitation.



And by adding a ribbon tie to the cover, the card is now much more elegant and perfect for a holiday dinner party.



This snowman card was screaming for some glitz.



So with a few dabs of glue and a sprinkle of clear glitter, the snowman now gleams with a festive brilliance.



It seriously only took my about a minute to add the glitter and wow, what an impact it makes.




I also love to convert holiday greeting cards into invitations and thank-you notes. This can be a great way to use up leftovers from past years. Here are a couple of ways to do that. 

This card started with a regular holiday greeting on the cover.



I printed a thank you sentiment on coordinating cardstock and punched it into an oval shape.  I then attached the shaped sentiment with foam adhesive and viola, a quick and easy thank you card. 



Most times the holiday thank you cards are not on sale the Day after Christmas so this conversion is a perfect way to save some cash.  Just look for cards that are blank inside and have an outside sentiment that can be covered without too much hassle.

Here is a leftover card from my last year's mailing.  It would make the perfect invite to a holiday ornament making party.



By trimming off the "love" sentiment and adding a handful of hot fix jewels, this card is now ready to beckon guests to a fun filled afternoon of merriment and ornament crafting.





So I guess to coin a phrase from a popular TV network’s food franchise, I do things “semi-homemade”. I may not start from scratch, but I believe the results are appreciated just the same by the recipients. At least that’s what they tell me. Who knows, maybe they’re just humoring me.

I hope by exposing the rather quirky and shocking sides to my underbelly, which is also very soft and wiggly from all the “soul searching” chocolate I’ve eaten through the years, that I have given you the courage to start a project NOT from scratch. I hope that you will seek out and find cards and invitations that are conducive to further embellishing. And that you will enjoy the conversion process, turning the store-bought into the semi-homemade. It’s addicting and I’m sure will eventually emerge in your other holiday and yearly party planning.

But for now, I’ll see you in line at the “gold crown” store the Day after Christmas. My mom and I will be the two ladies with matching wet suits and sequined bathing caps. Watch out, we both throw a mean elbow.

~ Elizabeth (ekb)