Merry Christmas!

This little Santa is somehow (miraculously) up before the children, so I thought I'd take a few minutes while I have them and wish you all a Merry Christmas! We're one Christmas Eve party down and 2 Christmas celebrations to go. I'm hoping Santa brings me a long sought after, seldom received gift... a nap. The Witty Family Christmas Card Sweatshop has closed up for this year. Production went very well... it helps to get a good jumpstart at Thanksgiving. This year's design was inspired by this little piece of brilliance by Anabelle O'Malley. I've been using glassine bags like crazy this year, and I loved her take on using them with a photo. I debated about adding some dry embossing on the bag but simplicity won out, as it usually does when you know you're going to make 130 cards of the same design. Yeah, I know. A little crazy.

I used some vintage bookprint for the text layer. One well-intentioned person I know kept questioning me about it... "Now, why did you use print there? Are you supposed to read it all?" and there were only so many ways I could say "I just like it!" I did use an old book I found at a garage sale about the life of Jesus, so the text goes with the card.

I just had to use the "Joyeux Noel" sentiment on the front as I also included a coordinating birth announcement for my daughter, Noelle, in the pocket. That went in behind our family photo. (Somehow I missed getting a picture of that part.) I added a sentiment from Papertrey on the inside. I like to leave lots of room for writing.

And here's this year's Christmas picture. Taking this picture involved scoping out the perfect backdrop (railroad car), crashing a party at a glass blowing studio to do it, then dragging a railcar flat on wheels up to the railcar so that we could then all stand/sit in front of the car. The flat is actually about 4 feet off the ground. Fun times.

A grandma and grandpa who are willing to take several hundred pictures at a time (my dad) and serve as photographer's assistant who keeps kids happy and sitting in their chairs (my mom) are quite integral to this plan. I also highly recommend bringing along giant lollipops just in case anyone (i.e. your 2 year old who is normally quite easy-going) in your photo shoot is cranky. No one is crying. Everyone is (somewhat) cute. Success.

Merry Christmas, friends.

{Joyeux Noel} card Stamps - Joyeux Noel & star images (Pink Paislee); inner sentiment (Tree Trimming Trio by Papertrey Ink) PP - Basic Grey Cardstock - Kraft (Papertrey Ink) Ink - Chocolate Chip (Stampin' Up) Other - vintage book print, embroidery floss, tiny hole punch