It's Beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Well Christmas comes every year whether I'm ready or not!  Each year my husband and I, along with a group of friends have a Progressive Dinner Party.  It is so much fun.  The basic idea is that you go to a different home for each course of the meal.  We start out with appetizers at one home, go to the next home for salads, the next home for the main course and then of course a final home for dessert.

Last weekend was our dinner party.  My husband and I were in charge of the main course this year.  We cheated!  We had food ordered and brought in from a local BBQ place.  It was a good thing because I have been battling a cold and having the food already prepared was a lifesaver!  I honestly don't think I would have made it if I would have been cooking for 16 people.

Each year I make the couples a Christmas card and then they each get a small gift.  This year I made a card that I had learned to make at Archivers.  It was a class on some of the Tim Holtz techniques.  I had been wanting to learn about using some of the Tim Holtz products so I took the class.  I loved the card so much I made 25 of them! YIKES! What was I thinking???   This card is made using a stamp set called "Letter to Santa" from the Tim Holtz collection. 

The stamp set includes everything you need except the stamp that says BELIEVE.  I learned very quickly that Tim Holtz tequniques are all about layering.  I cut out a square of white card stock 4 1/2 x 4 1/2.  I used a distressing tool to wear the edges of the paper to make it look worn.  Once that was done I used an ink dauber to rub Tim Holtz Barn Door distress ink all around the edges.  I then stamped the image of the Santa  using a black Staz On ink pad.  Using the same ink pad I stamped the words along the bottom edge of the paper and then twice more working my way up the left side of the paper.    I used a smaller dauber and inked the red again inside the Santa image to lightly color his suit and hat.  I used Tim Holtz Tea Dye Distress ink to lightly ink his face and although it isn't shown on this page, I used the Tim Holtz Peeled Paint Distress Ink to color in a few of the holly leaves on his head.  I used the Pine branch and stamped it several times in the upper right hand corner and then used a glue pen and Flower Soft in the color Sage to highlight the branches. I cut out the numbers 25 and then used the Adirondack Acrylic Paint Dabber in Pitch Black to color the numbers.  I also used Stickles on his beard and hair to lightly give him some sparkle.

I gave this card to each of my guests along with a candy dish full of yummy chocolates.  I bought celphane and tied it together with a gold bow.

I had these pics on my SD card so I thought I would share the pictures of my front door and tree with you since they were there.

Have a great day!