I DARE you!

I dare you to be economical this holiday.
I dare you to start early--like today--on your 2010 holiday goals.
I dare you to make it simple.
I dare you to make it homemade --with love and with STASH!

I dare you to make time today to plan out what holiday cards you are going to make for the 2010 season this year. Regardless of religion, we all celebrate life and we all love to give, and receive, gifts and cards.

I also DARE you to use up some of those older holiday or winter papers, solid cardstocks, ribbon trims, and metal embellishments or rubber stamps. Do not buy cards this season--those store bought cards cost uncomfortable amounts of money which you can now save (--or spend on something else on the gift lists!)

YOU DO HAVE ENOUGH SUPPLIES ON HAND! I know you do. LOL Do NOT try to fool me. If you do this project from stash I know you will have a fabulous feeling of self-worth at the end. Using what we have on hand confirms us and enriches us. Why did we buy it if not to create with it? As Tim Gunn would say, make it work!

Look over these cards at the link below for inspiration and PICK ONE that you can use kind of like a card sketch to spring your ideas from. Perhaps you like the color, or you have a rubber stamp that is similar, or you just like how they emphasized a certain message. DON'T try to be exact. I know they are mainly stamped but if you don't stamp--or don't want to-- then make it your way! Let your own papers and trims and items inspire you further from your starting point.

http://www.pagemaps.com/sept10cardmaps.htm

or

http://caardvarks.blogspot.com/

Now that you are inspired, get started but do this the FAST way! Grabbing everything and tossing it into a project box should only take about half an hour --so let's get going!



1. Grab your envelope size FIRST! This is crucial to using the stash up. Envelopes are hard to find and match once you have produced the cards so START with the envelope size. Now, count how many envelopes you have. That is how many card bases you will need to make in step 2. Use what you have on hand. (Choosing the cardstock should take less than 5 minutes)

2.Choose a solid color or two of card stock that you have a ton of for your card bases. Do not be color obsessive here. Holiday cards are not permanent keepers for most people. Cut the bases to fit the above envelopes! (Choosing cardstock should take less than 5-10 minutes)



3. Find some pattern papers from STASH to coordinate with your card stock bases. Again just pick something that goes together with your previous steps. Think paper packs if you have them. Single sheets will great work too. Did you know that a single 12x12 pattern will make 6 of the A2 size card fronts? What a bargain! This is a stash using year for us. NO obsessing or nit-picking on yourself. No defeatist self-talk. BELIEVE! (This step will take less than 10 minutes)

4. Find some ribbon trims to USE UP. Preferably a WHOLE blinking ROLL! LOL --Or equally great would be about 3 dozen smaller bits from that mess of a ribbon box I see you have hidden over there in the corner. I bet those are from other projects and if you keep an open mind, there are lots of bits in there that would work very well too depending on the colors in your pattern papers! Just grab some options and work with them! Don't overthink this. (This step should take 5 minutes)

5. Choose a rubber stamp (if you have them) to utilize as a background or as a interior sentiment. Most of us don't give our rubber stamps as much of a workout as we should. Cost per use gals, cost per use. So use those spendy rubber stamps often! This is one time you will make that one stamp pay for it's keep! (This step will take 3 minutes)

6. If you don't have stamps, (and even if you do!) think of embellishments or stickers or metals next. Keeping your inspiration card in mind, feel free to TWEEK it to make it work with what you have! (This step should take 5 minutes--just grab your winter or holiday embellies and just work with what you see!)

7. Glitter it! The holidays are one season when all cards can get by with glitter! From Halloween to Valentine's Day, people don't mind seeing glitter on their cards! This is terrific news for you! Break out that Distress or regular Stickle bottle you bought and haven't had time to use yet. Break out those old-school glitter pens and mini-flake glitter tubes. Use up that older glitter-slick-paint from back in the days of t-shirt painting! USE IT! (Grabbing the glitter options should take about 3 minutes)



8. Make ONE prototype card simple and fast. Do not think too hard. Adjust sizes or trims or design features as needed. Let it flow. Remember that simple is the goal. Your sample card should only take you 30 minutes, roughly, as you already have your idea from the idea card you chose in step 1.

9. Sit down with a paper trimmer and cut those bases.


10. Now, complete each step of your holiday cards like an assembly line. Do NOT try to finish one card fully at a time. Assembly line style is the best.

11. As you work, believe in the creative process and in yourself. Know that it is natural to second guess yourself every time you have to change a paper or a trim. You will run out of this or that and substitute in another paper, sticker or trim. GO WITH IT. Believe in your own taste and style. If you like it, it reflects your creativity. This is YOUR card. Remember they do NOT have to be identical because each person who gets your card will not know that it is different than the person before.

12. Enjoy! So often it is this step that gets skipped because we are in such a hurry to move on to the next thing on our list of daily life in general. Take the time to admire your cards. Be happy with them! Pat yourself on the back for finishing them! In general, we get so used to being self-effacing in our daily life that we often don't celebrate our creative moments as successes!

ENJOY the fact that you created something of joy from your own hands and your own ideas. You used stash, saved money, and now these cards will brighten someone else's day. You took the dare. You met this creative challenge. YOU DID IT!