(I realize that this is my third post today, but it’s been sitting in the drafts for a few days waiting for the pictures and if I don’t put it up now it won’t be timely.  Also?  I’d really like to hit 100 posts before the end of the year and I have about 10 or so to go.  Please forgive me.) 

I mentioned earlier this week that my mom is the Queen of Christmas. In addition to all of the decorating, we (I say we loosely, it was pretty much just my mom) also used to make all of our own Christmas cards. I believe it started when I was in elementary school, probably as a way to save a little money. Each year the cards got more elaborate and the compliments just rolled in. We did everything from a Rudolph with googly eyes and pipe cleaner antlers to a precisely cut out silhouette of the Nativity scene. Card-making was a lot more difficult back in the day. Scrapbooking supplies were not so prevalent and we had to be pretty inventive.

For Christmas 2005 my mom bought boxed cards for the first time in almost 20 years. She decided that since I was married and out of the house and my sister had graduated from high school it was time for the tradition of the homemade cards to come to an end. It made me a little sad, but I completely understood.

For our first married Christmas TTO and I didn’t send cards. I was tapped out from the mountains of (homemade!) wedding invitations and thank you cards. Last year we sent cards AND a picture of the three of us. I was pretty proud. Finally, I was living up to my holiday duties. I planned on doing that again this year. Then the Christmas Crazy kicked in.

This summer I was buying birthday cards and I came across a neat design. The far reaches of my brain cried out, “Hey, that would make a great Christmas card.” I originally bought the supplies some time in October. I was convinced that I would make the cards before Thanksgiving and then all I’d have to do when we got back from Mexico was address the envelopes and toss them in the mail. Right. I finished the last few cards earlier this week.

Here is the step-by-step process (sorry to ruin it for the few that will receive one in the mail):

First, I cut the cards and the backing to size.

Then, I used a hole punch and a hammer to put a small hole in each corner.

A fastener went in each hole.

The inside was stamped (I paid $1 for the stamp at Michael’s!).

Now for the insane part:

That’s right.  I hole punched tons of little paper dots, outlined a word and then glued the little dots to the card to spell out the word.  If I were to do it over again I would have used a word with only straight lines because that O gave me fits.  This part was made just a touch easier when I found a skinny glue stick. 

The cards didn’t turn out exactly like I originally planned, but I’m pretty happy with the result.  I just hope the little dots stay on so people can read “Joy” when they receive it.  The added bonus?  I figured that with all the work I put in to these, people won’t care that I didn’t do a picture or a letter this year. 

I already have an idea for next year.  I guess I am my mother’s daughter after all.

Sorry for the picture quality – my camera doesn’t like the lighting in my house at night.