In search of the family Christmas card

It was easier when I bought cards.  I'd go out, fall in love with a card, buy a box or two or three and that was that.  But now I'm making cards and it seems somehow wrong to go out and buy what I love making.  And I really do love making cards,  It's just that I have so many colours, so many stamp sets, so many choices.  It was easier last year when I was just starting out and had a mere fraction of the choices.

I've made three tentatively so far.  Three cards!  Each a different design!  And I'm still waffling about the merits of this one or that one.  And time is not my friend.  I hear the clock ticking.  Christmas is coming.  Post Office deadlines are coming.  I have to decide on a design!  Of course those that know me well, know that I get a bit carried away.  What works for one card can be a major nightmare for a few dozen.

This card, for example, was in the running.  I thought it was cute.  The colours worked for me.  But then reality reared its ugly head and I had to acknowledge the fact that putting the components through the Big Shot five times for each card could take me until next July or so.

And, of course, there is the hand-colouring on each card.  This could not be our family Christmas card.

Another favourite of mine included masking and colouring and although I really liked the finished scene, I didn't even go so far as to put a sentiment on the card because I knew it couldn't be our family Christmas card.

So then I thought, "why not go a bit smaller?" and decided to do a fun shape card.  I used my Window Frames Collection framelits and cut over a fold in the cardstock so that it would wind up being a shaped card.  Of course when it was finished I realized that I would have to do that several dozen times, put the square shape through the Big Shot in an embossing folder, put the stamped image through the Big Shot using the Ornament Keepsakes framelit, not to mention hand-colouring the image.  Too, too much work.  This could not be our family Christmas card.

The hunt goes on.  I'm thinking Lovely as a Tree has potential and have a couple of ideas.

Right now, however, I have to start another card.  I just looked at my calendar and realized it's my husband's birthday tomorrow.  Christmas will have to wait.