This past Sunday I gathered with a few of my favorite crafty friends for a Christmas Card Shoebox Swap. Each person designed a card and brought all the prepared supplies for each of our friends to make a copy of the card. Then we worked our way around the room making one of every card. Then we had lunch, everyone got a door prize -- something nice from the Stampin' Up! catalog -- and a swag bag filled with a few unique and crafty items, and we were out the door with our shoeboxes by 1:00. It is always awesome to have a bakers dozen cards designed by friends that we can study, copy, keep or send!
Yesterday I posted the first five cards from the swap, today I have 5 more and later this week I will try to gather up the remaining items. Some of them I missed because I was busy with host duties, like giving away the door prizes. I bring a basket of different items from the Stampin' Up! catalog and "raffle" them by calling names randomly. This adds to the fun, letting the crafters select their door prize, studying their options and hoping their first choice is still available when their name is called. And I am watching closely to see who picks which gift, studying what products are desirable and who likes what, so I can bring desirable prizes to the next event and offer classes in the next few months that my customers will enjoy.
The first card highlights the retired black glimmer paper, a Halloween product from 2015. Kathy and I designed this card together, via email, LOL! We went back and forth several times exchanging ideas and suggestions and were pretty happy with the results!Next is Iris's snowmen. I think I was last, and as you can see, the ink pad had been left open and was a little dry and sad by the time I got there. But the card design is darling and I will definitely spruce it up with my markers when time allows!
One of my favorite techniques is CAS, Clean And Simple, leaving some white space for the eye to rest! I have mislabeled this card, it was brought by Joan S. and I didn't take time to glam up my snowman so you have to imagine him with some color in his hat & scarf. This card will really pop when it is displayed among oodles of other cards--the white space will draw your eye and let you admire it's simplicity.
And following, is Joyce's group of snowmen. Let me tell you, she completed this card for me ahead of time. That's why her snowmen are all decked out in green and red, I would not have had time and focus to do the detail work while keeping all the door prizes and snacks and everything else running smoothly at the swap!
Finally, for today, is Kathy Z's card. I totally twisted Kathy's arm at the last minute and talked her into joining us, so she accepted my help with a design that I had introduced at a class, and had CASEd from Stampin' Up! CEO Sara Douglass. I love the horizon and trees on the Shimmery White cardstock and simple black sentiment. I will be using this design all year as a sympathy card, I just think it looks so serene and peaceful.
Don't forget to take a peek at the great prices on year end close-out products. Many are current catalog items, some are holiday catalog products, and some are retired items. But all are top notch and at clearance prices! Click here to be directed to the clearance page online. Enjoy!
Happy Stamping,
Dee Tollaksen
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