Bye Bye Cards!
Yes. Yes. Yes.
Bye Bye cards!
They are really FOR REALZ in the mail. All my Christmas cards that is.
I can’t tell you what an incredible feeling this is.
For the last 2 years I haven’t sent cards. Like really sent cards. I’ve sent a few to family. Last year I did a photo card in a hurry but I haven’t sent handmade cards in over 2 years.
I have a ton of cards made this year and almost all of them have been shared here. I’ve been procrastinating addressing them. Last night I said no more procrastinating. I turned my TV on grabbed a pen and started writing.
120 cards later… they are addressed, stamped, and in the mailbox.
YES! Bye Bye cards. I am so excited to bring a bit of holiday cheer to someone.
Do you feel this way?
Okay… now let’s talk about cards for a minute if you don’t mind.
Over the last week my mailbox has been filled with lots of holiday cheer. I love opening my mailbox this time of year and seeing all the beautiful cards, stories and pictures of friends.
BUT…
This year I could not feel more inadequate!
Let me say this… I have beautiful friends. They have the most beautiful families. They are color coordinated in their outfits for the pictures. I mean seriously… they look stunning.
Then there is the Van Diepen clan.
I could not find one picture of us together except the one putting up the tree together. It’s a ridiculous but funny picture of us. For gosh sake I am wearing a tank top and mortified my Mother when I posted the picture on Fakebook because I was showing a bit “too much!” It was the ONLY picture together.
I had nothing else and I sent it.
How did that happen? I am the queen of pictures. I really have nothing else?
Here is the thing my friends. That picture tells quite a story. One that a photographer (although I love them and wish to get our professional pics soon) could not have captured the way I did with that crazy selfie stick. It was a blissful moment of laughter. One this family has struggled a bit over the last year. It really tells the story of the moment.
So, there is nothing fancy coming from the Van Diepen gang. It is what I call real life as it is NOW. It’s crazy, it’s fast paced, it’s 100% real.
Make no mistake next year I will try harder to get a fancy picture. This year I am going to smile as big as I can that I sent my cards with corny pictures and pray my friends see the fun side of these people I call my family.
Dashing through the Rain…
After listening to all of that I sure hope you enjoy the card I have today.
We are not even close to dashing through snow, more like water. It’s rained for 2 days straight and we needed it here in Florida.
One of my favorite techniques this year has been watercoloring on Crumb Cake cardstock. I found it works best to emboss the image first and then watercolor. I also did a quick watercolor wash over the die cut word Snow after die cutting it twice and then layering it. Once it was dry I just grabbed some color using my Aqua Painter and washed over it.
I love that layered look of the die cuts. Just adding one layer on top of each other makes them look much thicker.
Time to Wrap!
Now that I have my cards complete I have the next thing waiting on me… wrapping. I have gifts hidden all over my house and I’m still in need of a few more gifts. Yes. I hate to admit that but it’s the truth.
Tomorrow I will be busy wrapping, and buying and hopefully I can say by this time tomorrow I am DONE. Honestly, I’m ready to eat and enjoy my family and I hope you are too. Are you ready?
XOXOXOXO
3 thoughts on “Bye Bye Cards!”
Kimberly, thank you for always sharing your heart completely with all of us. You are teaching me how to shed the perfectionista part of me each and every day.
I am so glad you found your creativity and voice again. Each morning at 5:00 a.m. (insane , yes) I enjoy my coffee and reading a few favorite blogs. There was a big void while you needed some time off. May you enjoy many blessings this Christmas and in the New Year.
Michelle Gleeson, StampinMojo.com
Kimberly – you’re real! That’s what counts! Don’t stress about being perfect, cause that’s NOT life! A very Merry Christmas to you & yours – Cyndi.
I too sent many Christmas cards. I love making them just need to start much sooner. I still have brand new SU set I can start next years cards with. I can’t wait for the new catalog to start my cards. I would never finish. I love the watercolor on crumb cake too. I love the real life pictures too. You all look so happy and having so much fun instead of posed. Merry Christmas and happy new year. Ps visiting for FedEx deliveries to wrap my final gifts. 😉
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