Hi everyone! I am so excited to share with you the full reveal of our awesome holiday collection, “Making Christmas”! I absolutely adore this collection! It is so beautiful and whimsical and filled with holiday cheer! To me, this collection really expresses all the magical, seasonal goodness that goes into making Christmas at your home. And that, of course, includes things like the Christmas tree, decorations, gingerbread cookies, candy canes, snow, and, of course, Santa! But there is even more that makes the season what it is, and perhaps the most important of all is the love that we share this time of year with one another. And so I wanted to make sure to express that in this collection, too. I accomplished this with quotes about love, and also with patterns and embellishments that are about being home for the holidays and the togetherness and community and love that comes with that.
“Making Christmas” is inspired by Christmas Town in the movie The Nightmare Before Christmas and also by the human neighborhoods that Jack visits on Christmas Eve. The Christmas Town that Jack visits in the movie is filled with magic and wonder and bustling with warmth and the joyous spirit of the season! And as Jack says, there is “white things in the air” and “colors everywhere”! Jack is in awe of all of it! In order to capture that feeling I chose to use these bright and bold and beautiful colors — red and green and pink and yellow and blue and mint — for this collection. And I also wanted to use lots of references to snow and images of snow and snowflakes in this collection because that is one of the things that Jack is most amazed by, and it is really such a magical thing! To that end, I also chose to do some bold black and white patterns that I think help to convey the feeling of snow.
When you look at “Making Christmas,” you can see the different details that were inspired by various things from Nightmare Before Christmas’ Christmas Town. For example, if you look at that dapper Snowman…well, he sure does look familiar, doesn’t he? Is that the Snowman that Jack pops into to hide himself in Christmas Town…is he in there right now? And that polar bear looks familiar, too…I think last time I saw it, it was carrying some cute elves around. Also, is that Christmas tree really a tree…or a portal to a little dimension known as Christmas Town? Anyways, you get the idea. All these elements were inspired by items in Christmas Town, and I think they are super cute! And I hope you like my little vintage-looking neighborhood that I created, inspired by the human towns and little mid-century modern houses that Jack visits as Sandy Claws. And I believe Santa himself is wandering around in there somewhere…
Alright, now that we have gone over the inspiration behind the collection and also the feelings that it evokes regarding all the things that make Christmas, well…Christmas, I would like to look specifically at all the wonderful pieces that make up the collection. So first, let’s take a look at the 12x12 paper!
First, let’s look at this beautiful pattern which is called “I Can Make a Christmas Tree.” I love this one! It is super cute! In it we have lots of different fun elements of Christmas, including Santa and gingerbread cookies and candy-canes. And there are Christmas words like “joy” and “noel” in there too, which is so cool! And on the back, we have a really pretty ornament pattern that is just bright and fun. And as you can see, it is very vintage inspired as the ornaments are meant to look like vintage glass ornaments from the 50’s and 60’s.
Here we have “There’s White Things in the Air.” This one is so classic looking and elegant! I love the gorgeous red with the white snowflakes and the interlocking dots. It reminds me of some beautiful, vintage, Christmas, wrapping paper or maybe some hand-embroidered, delicate detailing on a Christmas pillow. So pretty! And on the back we have the most adorable little polar bears that you ever saw! The back pattern feels more modern, and yet, it pairs so beautifully with the more vintage pattern on the other side, and I just think that that is a great example of the whole feel of this collection which has a very “vintage meets modern” Christmas vibe to it!
And this next patterned paper is called “How Jolly!” Isn’t this just so cute?! I love the little Santa faces with the hearts! And the combination of red and pink and white is possibly my favorite color combo when decorating for Christmas-time. The pattern on the back is a lovely and super vintage-y geometric pattern in mint and green and white and it has that mid-century modern vibe that I love so much!
Next we have this patterned paper which is called “Falala.” I don’t know about you but I am loving buffalo check right now! I think over the past couple of years it has really become a Holiday staple in terms of decor and clothing, and so you know I needed to have it in this collection, too, so that we could papercraft with it! And on the back is a really cool black and white typography kind of pattern with words like “falala” and “snow” and “christmas” on it, along with some really pretty and delicate snowflakes.
Here we have one of my absolute favorite 12x12 patterned papers in the collection, and it is called “Snowman Jack.” I just absolutely love this snowman! I love how adorable and dapper he is with his top-hat and his candy cane umbrella! And on the back we have a simple, but oh so very pretty, pink pattern with little Christmas trees on it. I love that too!
This next one, called “Home for the Holidays,” is also one of my favorites from this collection, and I think perhaps one of my all time faves ever! I think it came out so beautifully with the little vintage houses in the different colors of the collection! And they are all sitting in the snow with snow falling from above and little pines trees dotted around them. There is snow on some of the rooftops…and on the ground, walking here and there, are these cute little holiday-clad residents of the neighborhood. They are celebrating the season with presents in their hands, and they are dressed in their Christmas best and its just so cute! I love the little deer that are walking around too and the 57 Chevy that is parked outside the most beautiful Christmas house that you have ever seen! It is definitely the jewel of the street and I think maybe it is Santa’s favorite too because he seems to be wandering around right outside of it! Oh and there is that Dapper Snowman again… :-) The whole thing makes me smile! And on the back is a really gorgeous Christmas floral pattern that I also love!
This one is called “Making Christmas,” and it is also a favorite of mine. I hope you will love it, too! This pattern has a mix of elements, words, and images that I think really make Christmas, well…Christmasy! It has Santa and holly and mittens and a Christmas tree and deer and ornaments and snowflakes and gingerbread and so much more! And it has words of the season as well, like “snow” and “joy” and “tree” and “magical”! What I especially love are the little hearts dotted around here and there and the little house and the words “home for the holidays” which I think convey the most important part of Christmas, which is all about love and spending time at home with the people that are most important to you and who make Christmas the joyous and magical experience that it is! Turn the patterned paper over and we have a super sweet peppermint pattern that I also love the look of because of it’s simple prettiness!
And now we come to the cut-apart sheets. The first cut-apart sheet is called “Merry.” And there is so much about this that is just so awesome! I love all the 3x4 cards on this sheet, especially that pink “merry Christmas” one and also the little girl one that says “merry” on it! I also love that little polar bear piece and the great 2x2’s and the little house card at the bottom that says “home for the holidays” and also the tags…and well, all of it! And on the back we have a black and white pattern paper that is meant to be a kind of modern take on snow falling. And it is also way cute!
This next cut-apart is all 3x4 cards and it is called “Jingle All the Way.” Again, I love it all! I think the cards with the little words typed or in script on them are just so cute and remind me of those vintage flash cards that kids used to learn words back in the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s. And the big tags are awesome as well! And on the back we have a great and versatile red and white zig-zag pattern that feels very modern and fresh.
Now, let’s look at the embellishments in the collection. We of course did our signature ephemera pack. I know you guys love them and I do too! This pack for “Making Christmas” is especially adorable! I love the little houses and all the people in their holiday attire! I love the gingerbread man and the deer and the peppermints and Santa Claus…I love all of it!!!
Next we have our pack of flair buttons which is also a fave of mine! I think these are all so beautiful, and I don’t know if I could pick a favorite! We have the peppermint and the snowflake and the heart and Santa and merry and the holly and falala! Perfect details to use to add depth to your paper project, whether its a layout or a card or a decorative piece. And these would also be cute to make into little paperclips for a planner or a mini-album!
This is also one of my favorite embellishments in the collection and it is the Variety Pack. It is similar to an ephemera pack, but unlike an ephemera pack their are special goodies inside that are not cardstock ephemera pieces. So in this one we have some metallic-foiled pieces as well and also some vellum pieces and there are also lots of words in here that are just perfect to use on your projects! This is also one of our biggest sellers in our collections and I can see why. This one for “Making Christmas” especially came out so cute! I love the “lights” word piece with the string of Christmas lights around it, and I love the metallic pieces like the ornaments and the words “joy” and “winter”, and I love the little vellum gingerbread man, and I love all the little snowflakes that come in this pack! I filled this pack with so many different kinds of snowflakes, you are going to love it!
And here is our pack of Acrylic Pieces that comes in the collection. I loved doing acrylic embellishments for the last kit, “Trick or Treat,” and I really wanted to do them again for “Making Christmas.” I think these came out incredible, and I can’t wait for you to see them in person. I especially love the “falala” script word, and the cute little tree, and the gingerbread man…and the number 25, and the star, and the snowflake…oh, and the heart…oops, I think I just named all of them! They are really cute, though. You will love them all.
Next up is our specialty paper - an advent calendar page. It’s called “Countdown to Christmas.” You can use it as is, or you can cut it apart and make your own advent calendar out of it, or you can use it for something else entirely, like a holiday mini album, perhaps, or a fun layout. There are so many options, and I’ve included with the calendar a pack of Christmas sequins that you can use with your advent calendar or however you would like.
This next embellishment is our sticker sheet. I love these stickers! They are so adorable and versatile. I think my favorite might be the winter wonderland one with the snowman face, or perhaps the making Christmas one, or the one that says wonderful, or the cookies gingerbread man, or…oh no, I can’t decide again, they’re all way too cute!
Now let’s take a look at the planner pages that come in the “Making Christmas” collection. They come in two sizes, a 6x8 size and a 4x7 size. And these are all so beautiful and special! And as per usual, I included a Calendar one that came out so lovely and which would look adorable in your planner or as a page in your Christmas mini album, to document your holiday season. And what I love so much about our planner pages is that they can actually be used for so many different things — from planning to scrapbooking and beyond. They can be used as pages in a mini album, or you could frame them and hang them on the wall, or you could even use them to make large specialty cards for your loved ones. Anyways, now that I have mentioned some various things you can do with these beauties, let’s go ahead and take a look at them individually.
Here we have our cute little Santa page and he is definitely a favorite! I love his rosy cheeks and his big, bright eyes, and his sweet mittens and boots! He is so jolly! And on the back of the page, we have a “Dear Santa” letter journaling page that would be great to write out your letter/wishlist to Santa, or to thank him for your gifts this year, or even to use as a background for a little layout.
Next we have our Snowman page. Again, I am in love with this Snowman…I mean, look at that face!!! And the snowflakes falling down around him are just so pretty. On the back of the page is a lovely holiday quote that talks about what I think is on all our wishlists for Christmas this year — fun and laughter and love!
Here is a little deer that is too cute for words! I love the vintage look of the deer on this page, and how sweet it is, staring in wonder at those snowflakes! And on the back is a set of ornaments that would look great on any Christmas tree!
Next up is another holiday quote page. I love this quote! I really do believe that Christmas magic is made with love and comes from the heart! On the back of the page is a neighborhood of Christmas wonder and celebration! So adorable and beautiful! I just love it!
This next page is definitely one of my favorites! It has the cutest little girl on it! She is in her Christmas/winter finest and she looks so pretty! I love her mittens and her earmuffs and her big, bright smile! And I think she may be carrying a present just for you! :-) Oh, and on the back is a gorgeous Christmas tree that has all the trimmings!
And finally we have this beautiful Merry Christmas page with the Calendar on the back, and this is also definitely one of my favorites! I love the red Christmas house and the little people out front, dressed up in their Holiday clothes. It feels like a magical Christmas party is about to begin inside that house and I just wish that I was invited!
Alright, that is it for our “Making Christmas” collection. I love it all so much, I think it came out beautiful and I really hope that all of you think so too! This collection already got sent out to our Subscribers and is also available now for order to anyone else who would like to purchase it. Click here to order.
On a final note, I do want to apologize that this collection came out so late this season, and to thank everyone for their patience and understanding and support right now. I have taken a turn for the worse with regards to my CRPS. It has definitely spread more and so my body is more painful now than anything else. This year has been extra hard for me with my health and also with other personal and family matters (such as my father’s diagnosis of cancer). And really because of my health and the difficulty I have had with the mobility of my hands, the release of this collection and the kits was definitely behind to begin with and then unfortunately on top of that we had some manufacturing delays that were not in our control and so we had to wait on some of the product and even re-order some of the product from one of our manufacturers when it came with large streaks across the front…oh boy! That was not fun! I am sorry for the delay, and I hope that you love “Making Christmas” and feel that it was worth the wait. I hope that you get it and it feels like a truly magical Christmas gift that you get to play with! Please do keep me in your thoughts and prayers. I am hoping things will turn around soon. I am starting on some new medication soon that my doctor wants to try out and a new, holistic treatment plan so I have lots of hope that next year will be better! I have spent most of my days in bed for the holidays in so much pain, and I am really just wishing and hoping and praying for a few good days at the end of this month so that I can have some fun with my friends and family for Christmas. I would also love to decorate or at least get up the Christmas tree…we will see. Either way, I have the love of my incredible husband and partner, Ryan, helping me through all this and the love of my family and friends. And love is really the reason for the season and what truly makes Christmas what it is, so I will be alright. Hugs to you all and thank you again!
— Andrea (owner/founder/creator/designer of The Fairytale Club)