Get Cracking: Merriest Of Christmases

Happy 2021! You didn’t stumble on an old blog post, you haven’t entered the twilight zone, this is ME encouraging YOU to start creating your holiday cards NOW – so you will have a nice stack of creations ready for the next holiday season.

For the past few years, I have been creating a few holiday cards each month so that I am more prepared when November comes around. I enjoy making the cards so much more when I have time to play with different supplies and techniques. I share these cards on the third Thursday of each month. You can see previous Get Cracking on Christmas posts here.

In December, I asked people in my {creative chick} studio share Facebook group, that if you didn’t send holiday cards in 2020, what were the reasons. One of the most common responses if they didn’t have enough time.

So I was thinking, how can I give you time? And I came up with a plan! I know that you enjoy when I host Facebook LIVEs and share with you a technique, or how I created a card- so this year each month for Get Cracking on Christmas I am going to host a Facebook LIVE near the day I share my Get Cracking on Christmas card, which is the third Thursday of each month. During these Facebook LIVEs, I encourage you to join me and start to Get Cracking on your OWN holiday cards. You can do something similar to mine, or just work on your own thing. Doesn’t matter, just show up and create!

Want a reminder text on your phone before I go LIVE? Text “jennshurkus” to 833-758-0501

This month’s Facebook LIVE will be tomorrow January 22nd at 8:30p ET right on my Facebook page here. Stop reading, and set an alarm now on your phone so you don’t miss out. You can use the world clock here to figure out what time it will be where you live. I have some other wicked fun announcements I am going to share with you during the LIVE as well. Like about my next online class, Distress Ink Techniques for Cardmakers, and details about my *virtual* Crop on the Cape which will be in March!

Don’t worry, if you can’t make my LIVE you can always catch the replay here:

Also each month I will still have some creative friends joining me in sharing holiday cards to inspire you. Be sure to read to the end of the post where they are linked, you don’t want to miss their fabulous creations.

And as you are creating your holiday cards this year, be sure to leave me a comment below with a link, or tag me on Instagram so I can see! We are also going to use the hashtag #getcrackingonchristmas.

We can do this! We can create holiday cards all year, and be a little bit more prepared for the holiday season!

If you do end up making any please leave a comment below with a link, or tag me on Instagram so I can see! We are also going to use the hashtag #getcrackingonchristmas

Ok, enough chatting, let’s get this party started!!

Get Cracking: Merriest Of Christmases

One of the other reasons why I started Get Cracking, is because I like to buy ALLLLL the holiday stamps, but don’t have time to use them all. Since I am using them throughout the year, I can justify all my crafty purchases! Tricky, huh? I had this fun stamp, Christmas Tree Cat from Colorado Craft Company, that I hadn’t a chance to use yet. Can you guess which of my kitties this is climbing the tree?

I started by stamping and embossing the main image from Christmas Tree Cat on the smooth side of Distress Watercolor cardstock using a Versafine Onyx Black ink pad and detail clear embossing powder.

Next, I watercolored the image with Distress Oxides: Rustic Wilderness, Festive Berries, Black Soot, Mustard Seed, and Peacock Feathers.

I then die-cut the panel with Lawn Fawn’s Outside In Stitched Rectangle. I stamped the sentiment included in the stamp set “Wishing you the merriest of Christmases” and embossed it with gold embossing powder. I cut the sentiment out and foam taped it to the card. I matted all of this on a piece of Chili Pepper Lawn Fawn Cardstock.

Learn how in my Facebook LIVE

I will share with you exactly how I created this card, tomorrow night, January 22nd at 8:30p ET on my Facebook page here. Set your reminders or better yet, get a reminder text on your phone text “jennshurkus” to 833-758-0501

Inspiration

Be sure to go visit my crafty friends for more inspiration! I am so excited that they are joining me this year to bring you more inspiration and to remind you to work on those holiday cards all year long!

• Amanda Willett
• Carolina Zarate Ponce
• Cheiron Brandon
• Donna Hitz
• Elyse Robinson
• Libby Hickson
• Marianne Elving
• Mirella Rogan
• Nancy vanOosten
• Peter vanElburgBoddendijk
• Samantha Mann
• Samantha VanArnhem
• Sara Zoppi
• Sharna Waksmulski
• Tiffany Beuning

Supplies Used:

Supplies I used are linked below. Click on the picture and you will be taken to the product. I use affiliate links when available which means if you make a purchase I get a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support!

“”””

Colorado Craft Company, Christmas Tree Cat Shop at: SSS | etc	Lawn Fawn, Outside In Stitched Rectangle Stackables Shop at: SSS | LF	Lawn Fawn, Chili Pepper Cardstock Shop at: SSS | LF	Tim Holtz, Festive Berries Distress Oxide Shop at: SSS | LF | Ranger
Distress Oxide, Peacock Feathers Shop at: SSS | LF | Ranger	Tim Holtz, Distress Oxide Rustic Wilderness Shop at: SSS | Ranger	Tim Holtz, Distress Oxide Mustard Seed Shop at: SSS | LF | Ranger	Tim Holtz, Distress Oxide Black Soot Shop at: SSS | LF | Ranger
Distress Watercolor Cardstock Shop at: SSS | Ranger	Ranger Paintbrush Set Shop at: SSS | Ranger	Faber-Castell, Collapsible Water Cup Shop at: SSS	Ranger, Super Fine Detail Gold Embossing Powder Shop at: SSS | Ranger
Versamark Shop at: SSS | HA	Tsukineko Versafine Onyx Black Ink Pad Shop at: SSS	Simon Says Stamp, Fine Detail Clear Embossing Powder Shop at: SSS	EK Success, Powder Tool Shop at: SSS | LF
Lawn Fawn, 80 LB WHITE 8.5 x 11 Inch Cardstock Shop at: SSS | LF	Mini Misti Shop at: LF	Original Misti Shop at: LF	Misti Precision Stamping Tool 2.0 Shop at: SSS | LF
Lawn Fawn Glue Tube Shop at: SSS | LF	Rainbow Glue Tube Holder Shop at: Shurkus	Mint Glue Tube Holder Shop at: Shurkus	Glue Tube Holder Shop at: Shurkus
Fiskars Microtip Scissors Shop at: SSS	3M Scotch DOUBLE-SIDED FOAM TAPE Permanent Shop at: SSS | LF	Lawn Fawn Stamp Shammy Shop at: SSS | LF	Mermaid, Stamp Shammy Holder Shop at: Shurkus
Mermaid Mint Shammy Case Shop at: Shurkus	Ranger, Heat Tool Shop at: SSS | Ranger	Wagner Heat Tool Shop at: SSS