Christmas traditions and things like that

Hmmm, a couple of different cards today.

Different as in that scallop square window is different for me.

After making the porthole Santa, I thought I'd try a scallop window. The scallop shape is an EK Success scallop and the square around it is a Marvy one I think. The brands don't really matter, it's the shapes that do. All you have to have is one that's smaller than the other.

I punched the scallop first and then did the square around it. Makes for an interesting window. Could do the same thing with scallop circles too. Any two shapes really.

This one below is different because it's made entirely from patterned paper - unusual and different for me at this time of year. Because I teach class, I have to make cards that can be reproduced. Finding heaps of the same paper can be a challenge, so I tend to stick to card.

This card's bigger than normal and I did nothing to the paper except cut it out and put it on the front of my card. The Santa, glitter etc were all on the paper already. It's from K & Co's Evergreen collection (found it at PC again), which is a more traditional red and green one.

I made the tag using a rectangle punch - I angled the sides there. The punch up the top, don't you love it? It's Martha's Dot Scallop one. I think I've mentioned how it's gone up the ranks, that one.

Here's the card...

The stamp is from a 2010 Hero Arts holiday set called Joy to All. Stamped on some left over paper and embossed in white.

There's also something else there that I've mentioned one thousand times this season, so I won't mention it again. You know what it is, you've seen it on almost every card. I can't stop. Honestly, it's just fab.

Here's the guy himself. Looking cheery, but a bit worn out?

Andrew and I were talking the other night about the fact that it didn't feel like Christmas. We put it down to the weather a bit - it's been raining so much that we haven't been out and about like usual. Not many lights around either. Probably raining too much for people to put them up!

I said it feels like Christmas when you eat certain foods. We had ham and eggs with salad for tea that night. I asked him if it felt more like Christmas to have that and he said yes. We only eat it in the summer when we have the ham in late December.

I guess I'm thinking too that traditions are good if they serve their purpose of making us feel grounded and secure. They're not so good if they bound us up in activities and duties and stress.

Traditions from the heart = good.

Traditions from the head and just for the sake of it = not good. I mean, why?

Traditions have to be nurtured too. They can become stale if they are done the same way every time. I find I get more out of doing the traditional things if I give them a twist. A bit of old and new at the same time. I remember someone in fashion said once, "Things always come back around, but always with a twist, so don't be pulling out your bell bottom jeans from the 70s because we'll know!"

One old with new twist example I've heard of this year is wrapping up the Christmas books instead of just leaving them around the place to read. All the Christmas books get gathered from around the house, wrapped in Christmas paper, put in a basket and one is chosen each night (ooh, what's it going to be?), unwrapped and read together as a family. Nice, hey? A nice twist to something traditional.

Hey, traditions are good, but not good if they twist you up inside! I guess we need to control the traditions and not let them control us. Kinda like us controlling the craft and not letting it control us.

Thoughts to ponder, thoughts to ponder :o)