Okay, are you in panic mode yet? Are the pre-Labor Day Christmas Carols got you wigging out already? What do you mean, you haven’t finished your holiday shopping yet – it’s October!
Ugh! It seems like once we hit September it’s downhill from there, on a fast sled going down a sheet of ice into a blizzard!! But fear not, Dear Reader, because I am here to offer a little bit of help, at least in the card creating area. Sorry, I can’t do your shopping for you, bake your cookies (although I could help eat them), or mail your packages, but I here’s what I CAN do: offer some timely advice! Drum roll, please, as I present you with the
Christmas Card Planner 2014
Here is a timeline (well, they’re more like guidelines, if you know what I mean) for planning your hand-made holiday cards. In a later post we will talk about some fun options for cards that can easily be mass-produced (think simple).
October 15 DESIGN By this date you should have thought about what your card design is going to be – in other words, are you making multiples of one design or several designs? What is your color theme? Are you going to do any die-cutting? Stamping? Printing? Are you making your own envelopes? (Are you crazy?) Are you going simple or elaborate?
October 31 SUPPLIES By now you should have decided on your design so the next step is to figure out what your supply situation is. (You know we have gorgeous holiday sets in the Stampin’ Up! catalog, and Stampin’ Up! is releasing a holiday supplement, as well! Be sure to check my website for the roll-out on October 20). Here’s a checklist:
- Stamp Set(s):
- Stamp A: have ___ or need to order___
- Stamp B: have___ or need to order___
- Stamp C: have___ or need to order___
- Card Stock:
- Color A: have___or need to order___
- Color B:have ___ or need to order___
- Color C: have ___ or need to order___
- Ink pads:
- Color A: have ___ or need to order___
- Color B: have ___ or need to order___
- Color C: have ___ or need to order___
- Designer Series Paper: have ___ or need to order___
- Embellishments:
- Ribbon: have___ or need to order___
- Buttons: have___ or need to order___
- Jewels: have___ or need to order___
- Glitter: have___ or need to order___
- Embossing Powder: have___ or need to order___
- Brads: have___ or need to order___
- Washi tape: have___ or need to order___
- Other: have___ or need to order___
- Adhesive: have___ or need to order___
- Envelopes: have___ or need to order___ or want to make___
- Return Address labels: have___ or need to order___ or want to make___
November 15 ASSEMBLY It’s time to start your assembly line.
- Cut all your card stock
- Cut all your Designer Series Paper
- Stamp your images
- Die cut or punch your shapes
Now, at this point in time, you can either go right into assembly, or you can bag your pieces parts, throw in some adhesive, and take your cards with you to assemble on the go!
December 8 GO POSTAL Well, maybe by now you already have, wink, wink. But seriously, avoid the rush. You should be in good shape by now. And you can order your holiday stamps online at USPS.com, and for a buck they’ll ship to your house. Address your cards, slap those stamps on, and off you go! Now go sit down and relax for a few minutes. You’ve earned it! And tell them I told you to!
So there’s your timeline. Now get to work.
One thought on “Christmas Card Planner 2014”
Comments are closed.