I went to our letterbox the other day and found the first Christmas card of the season.

A bit early, I know, but it wasn't entirely unexpected. We have relatives who like to get their cards out by mid-November! Eek!

So with Christmas card season officially here I thought I'd share some tips to make your bulk cardmaking a little easier.

1. Pick a design early

Found a card you enjoy making? Then stick to it. This will be your official "Card of the Year".

2. Keep it simple

Chances are you'll be making a lot, so try hard to resist the temptation to add bits here and there. Keep it simple.

3. Have enough supplies on hand

Check that you have enough ribbon, adhesive, cardstock and embellishments. Is your favourite ink pad a little patchy this year? Add a reinker (they're only $5.95) to your order. Allow a week for me to get the raw materials to you.

4. Set up your crafting space

Clear off a bench or desk, or pull out the trestle table for the weekend. Think carefully about how you can best set up your craft station using optimally planned logistics. I'm serious! Five minutes spent in careful planning could be a great investment. I'm sure I'm not the only one who has stamped a bunch of images and then thought 'I should have moved the stamp pad over to this side next to my hand'. lol.

5. Set up an assembly line

Mass produce elements first, assemble later.

6. Don't forget the envelope

Stamp it, emboss it… you name it. The envelope is the first thing the lucky recipient will see in amongst that pile of bills. Get them smiling before they even see your card by prettying up the envelope.

And most importantly, crank up the Christmas tunes and have fun!

I can't wait for Christmas this year. It will be the first Christmas dinner that I'm hosting at home, and I'm so looking forward to the challenge. Bon bons, place settings, festive decorations… *squeal*.

Happy stamping,

****CLASS UPDATE – Classes Booked Out: If you are a newsletter subscriber you'll have seen the NEW CLASS SCHEDULE released this month.

Thanks for your interest. All 2011 classes are now filled. 

Well, the cards are (finally!) done and sent, pressies bought and wrapped so now it’s time to sit back and enjoy Christmas.  Yaaaay.

Yesterday I spent the day cooking with the kids. They got to pick all their favourite foods and we had so much fun – and made a huuuuuge mess, but hey that was half the fun.  Cupcakes, fruit pies, choc-dipped fruit and more.

I even found some time to decorate this little ‘double-pocket bag’ that my friend Keah showed me how to make. I decorated the front with the ‘roo from Happy Christmas Mate, using Real Red and Old Olive cardstock and ink to tie in with the stripes on the Dashing designer series paper. It’s the perfect size for a gift voucher and matching gift card.

Hope you have a safe and very merry Christmas, and enjoy the festive time spent with those we don’t see often but especially those we see and love every day.

Ho ho ho,

It’s that time of year when the kids are finishing up school and kinder, and all their other activities, and there are lots of people to thank. This year I’ve had fun making Christmas Tree ornaments out of the wonderful scallop punch, a couple of circle punches and yummy peppermint cream chocolates from Cadbury’s sandwiched in the middle. They make fun little treats and look great when done up in a gift box.

These are acetate ‘matchboxes’ I made for the girls in my Stampin’ Up! group at the recent Melbourne Regional training day. They perfectly fit 3 of the Peppermint Cream Sandwiches inside. The slide-off ‘lid’ is made from clear acetate sheets (similar to overhead transparency sheets) which are available from office supply shops.

This one (above) features the Level 2 Free Hostess Set Spring Solitude – now that is one understated stamp set! When I first saw it I thought ‘not me’, but it has really grown on me. With any of the 2 Step stamp sets it takes a little more effort to see their potential, because it’s not immediately obvious what you can do with it, but let me tell you this is one great little versatile set! Colours: Pale Plum, Perfect Plum.

Better get back to the chocolate, oops I mean stamping…