Simple and Easy Christmas Cards

For the past few years, I had good intentions of making my Christmas cards, like I had in the past. Well, time always seemed to get away from me and I would end up sending out store bought cards.
Then,  I would hear about it from family members that they were disappointed, because I hadn't made them special hand made cards. This year there will be handmade cards to send out, but not special, elaborate ones. I always tell myself that I will start early in the summer, but that just never seems to happen. I am such a procrastinator.
The other day in Michael's I bought a few Tim Holtz unmounted red rubber stamps with Christmas cards in mind.  This morning I dragged out some supplies and created a few fast and easy cards. I also used my Tim Holtz ink pads.
I bought a box of precut and folded cards with envelopes on sale a few weeks back in the craft store. Those cards are such a time saver, because I won't have to cut and score cardstock. Next, I rummaged downstairs in the basement, and found several precut corrugated cardboard pieces that I had sprayed with glitter sometime ago. I stamped my new images, used the Xyron machine, and started attaching the pieces to my cardstock.
Some of the cards below look crooked, but trust me, that is just me taking my photos and cropping. Sorry about that.



The next 3 cards were created from pads of background paper that I also bought on sale at Michaels. The papers were in a small pad. The pad had several designs each with a scalloped edge.
I layered my stamped image onto the glittered corrugated cardboard. On a couple I glued silk poinsettias and holly leaf and a rhinestone.


  
I did a couple of the winter tree scene using a Dreamweaver stencil and Dreamweaver embossing white paste that I sprinkled glitter onto the paste as soon as I removed the stencil. Then I let the card sit for about 15 minutes until the paste was dry. This card is so showy, but in the photo you can't see how pretty it really is. The glittered, raised paste background just doesn't show up.
I think this card needs a red cardinal or some pop of color to finish it off. I have looked for small flat embellishments, but haven't found anything that I liked. Any suggestions?

The ornament cards below were super easy. After Christmas last year, I bought a couple of packages of 10 cards and envelopes that were shaped like an ornament for 90% off the original $1.00 price. Oh, don't you just love sales and bargains? I sure do. :-)
I also bought some that were shaped like a Christmas stocking. I believe I saw the same card shapes in the $1.00 bins at Michael's again this year.
I once again used the glittered corrugated cardboard, but I added gift tags that are 3-D with glitter on top. I just cut off the part of the tag with the punched hole and gold ribbon tie. Easy, Peasy, don't you think?
I thought they would be cute to send to the kids in the family, and they can hang them on their Christmas tree. The message inside the card is rubber stamped.


The Christmas stocking card below was also from a pack of ten, red cards. I cut out a piece of cardstock to make the white topper part of the stocking, then stamped Merry Christmas.
 

Below: Yesterdays Project for the day.
I had the sewing machine out yesterday and made several fabric bookmarks for gifts. I ended up using my Big Bite tool for the first time to punch out the holes thru the fabric and then to add the grommet.

Well, that's it for today for projects. The area where I was working is covered in glitter, and I must confess I have a lot on me too. :-(
If you want to send homemade cards this year and time is an issue...cheat a little like I did to make some fast and easy cards. :-)