P. Kelly Smith
For those of you just joining us today, make sure to read all of our festive posts this week. From our spotlight on cover girl Jennifer Beason to getting gifty to celebrating the seasons with Wendy Johnson and dressing the tree with homemade ornaments, we’ve had a grand ol’ time! And special thanks go out to all the manufacturers who’ve donated their fabulous product for our daily giveaways! As always, your generosity is much appreciated!
If you haven’t entered one of Cath’s “Stretch Your Holiday Style” challenges, it’s not too late to play! Whether your style is clean & graphic, vintage & shabby, fun & cute or classy & elegant, you’ve got until Monday, Sept. 7 to upload your project image. (Or if you’re feeling really adventurous, why not enter all five of Cath’s challenges?! Today she reveals her final one!)
Today I have the opportunity to spotlight a few of my favorite designs from the diverse cards section of Holiday Cards & More, Volume 4. If one of the styles mentioned above resonates with you, then you’re in luck – all of these styles can be found in the 100+ cards we feature in this merry magazine!
If you're a stamper, you can't go wrong with Alli Miles' Trees of Joy Card (p. 29). Not only did this card grace our cover, it can be recreated in five steps or less!
If you're more of a clean & graphic girl (and you like to stamp!), look no further than Teri Anderson's Trim the Tree and Joy to the World Cards (p. 16).
Or if you're into the vintage & shabby style, you'll definitely find it in Renee Lamb's Partridge in a Pear Tree Card (p. 55).
Knows what else is big? Today’s giveaway! I’ve been wanting to spill the beans all week long, but then I would surely end up on Santa’s naughty list. And since I’ve been a pretty good girl (up until this point), it wasn’t worth the risk! But since Friday is officially here, it’s time to unload Santa’s sleigh!
Since this is our fourth volume of Holiday Cards & More, three winners will each receive:
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Technique Tuesday’s Peace, Joy, Love, Holly Jolly Christmas and Frayed Ends stamp sets (Teri used these sets on her Joy to the World Card.)
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Making Memories’ new Mistletoe collection
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A copy of Holiday Cards & More, Volume 4
How would you like to unwrap this present under your tree?
Have a happy “holly-day”!
Kelly
P.S. Just a quick reminder… If you’re looking to buy Holiday Cards & More, Volume 4 for you or a friend, today is the last day you can purchase this special issue for 10 percent off the retail price. You might as well start your Christmas shopping early! Click HERE to reserve your copies today!
The best present that I unwrapped (well, sort of) was a new car! Love the Holiday cards and excited about the new issue!
My best present was when my Hubby gave me a pair of Emerald Earings for no reason at all. We were getting dressed to go to a wedding and he hands me this jewelry box and said ‘I bet you would look good wearing these.’ Wow, I had no idea what to say I was blown away! They looked great too – even if they didn’t match my dress.
Growing up it was always about the shoes. Every Christmas it seems I got new shoes and I would cry because I was so happy. When I was in 10th grade I really really wanted a pair of Doc Marten boots in black. Not only did I get them in black, but I got them in a brown and a cherry red. There are pictures of me screaming holding up the boxes with tears going down my cheeks. Very embarrassing now, but back then I was in heaven!
I would love to win…
My daughter, born Christmas morning! Otherwise, probably my Easy Bake Oven when I was about 6 or 7… :p)
I and my five sisters each always got the same Christmas present every year… handsewn nightgowns and housecoats by my Mom. I’m afraid we were not as appreciative as we should have been! The best gift I’ve ever unwrapped was a huge bouquet of red roses from my husband for my 50th birthday last year.
My fave is opening the cards from my family and in-laws to see the new photos of my nieces and nephews. We live far away from our families so I look forward to seeing these photos each year.
A framed copy of a poem and original artwork that my Uncle did for us when we got married. Mom was sneaky and had it framed for Christmas.
So many presents over the years that I’ve loved. But the most memorable one for me I think is the set of framed family portraits – the first in about a decade that we did and the only ones that I have. We’re all scattered around the country, so having the photos was a fantastic gift.
My “biggest” present was my Copics that I got from my hubby last Christmas. I had been wanting them *forever*. He wrapped them up in a super big box so I was totally surprised to finally get to them! I love them and use them all the time!
Thank you for the chance to win!
~Renee
The best present I have received for Christmas was a dryer from my husband. At the time, we were dating and getting very serious. I was a single mom of a three yr old, had absolutely no money (and no child support) and was drying my wash the old fashioned way- outside on the clothesline. What a wonderful surprise it was to find a dryer (okay, it wasn’t new, but it worked!) with a huge red bow on Christmas morning! Best present ever, and best (now) husband ever.
My then boyfriend (now husband) gave me a beautiful five stone diamond promise ring for out first Christmas together. It meant so much to me!
I was born on Christmas Day and my parents always said I was the best gift they ever got, but, I think that on that long ago Christmas I got the best and most enduring gift of my life – two wonderful, loving parents!
Hey Everyone, I miss u guys I just got back from the Honeymoon friday and we had a blast(we were is Jamaica). I came back just in for this amazing giveaway(love it). I love Christmas,so I’ve started reading the posts from this week to catch up on everything I’ve missedc this past week. The best present I opened has to be my engagement ring Dec 2007.
The best present I ever got…two things come to mind. On my 30th birthday my husband gave me a Tiffany necklace that I had secretly been longing for for a long time; and Christmas 2004, my husband gave me my first ever digital camera-that started our shared love of photography!
Since young till now I don’t get too many presents. Sometime not even on birthday or Christams. So the ones I do get and unwrapped are all BEST to me. These days I especially love the one from my kids (most of which are handmade in school or drawings). I love to see the excitment on their faces when I open their presents.
the best present i ever received was a beautiful string of pearls from my parents. they worked very hard, and this was a very lavish gift.
it is beautiful, i received it over 25 years ago and i still treasure it.
janice
hmmm, I’ve got lots of great memories and have recieved some wonderful gifts over the years. As a kid, I think my absolute FAVE christmas was opening my Cabbage Patch Kid doll, loved her to death. Recently, I’d have to say it was my Cuttlebug…I was so impressed my DH listened and took the time to search it out and picked out some cool dies. It was this gift that turned me into a hardcore papercrafter, it’s the best too ever.
These “sneak peeks” have been fantastic! Thank you for the opportunities to win a copy of the latest “Holiday Cards” issue. ~ Jen
Great holiday projects and cards ….it’s all inspiring me to start some gifts for Christmas!
Wow, I have received many wonderful gifts over the years, but the best one was the year my mom had been very ill and was not expected to live…..but she showed us all!!!!!!!!She was with us that Christmas and for ten more after that!!!!!! She was a wonderful woman and I miss her every day.
The best Christmas present I ever got was my engagement ring. I was wrapped up in a HUGE ovesized box. I never saw it coming!!
The best present was a small painting of the beach where we got married…signed to us by the artist! My husband bought the painting and asked the artist to sign it.
The best present was the Canon DigiRebel my dh bought for me 2 Christmases ago.
The best present I ever recieved was from my parents when I was 17. I worked at JCPenney at the time and found this beautiful emeral ring in the jewerly department. Emeral is my birthstone so needless to say I fell in LOVE with this ring. I showed my mom the ring and told her how cheap it would be becuase of the sale and my employee discount. She told me she would get it for me for Christmas but it will be the only thing under the tree for me that year. I agreeded and on Christmas day there was my emeral ring. I had for 17 years. We were robbed las year and the jerks took it. Very sad but I still have the wonderul memories of that gift.
I have gotten some really wonderful gifts over the years, but the best must be my Husband. The best thing that ever happened to me!!!!
My first married-Christmas I received a Viking mechanical sewing machine. I didn’t have the skills to do much more than thread the thing, but I learned OH-SO much with that sewing machine. It’s made kids clothes, quilted wall-hangings, even a card or two (recently)!!! The husband who gave it to me is an EX- now, but the sewing machine’s great after all these years.
Our family does a Santa wish list every year so ALL of my presents ending up being EXACTLY what I wanted to they ALL qualify to be the best. LOL.
Well, I can’t win these great giveaways since I’m in Canada, but I’ll play anyway!
The best present I ever unwrapped was my Easy-Bake Oven… when I was 24!! I had wanted one desperately when I was little, but never got it. So my husband surprised me that Xmas! Now my kids and I have fun baking with it!
my best gift was diamond earrings and necklace from my hubby — they were family diamonds he had remounted for me and I love them and wear them often!
Whatever was in my stocking was always my favorite gift! Growing up, we weren’t allowed to go downstairs to open our gifts until my Dad came home from early Mass. We WERE allowed to sneak partway down the stairs, reach over the railing, and grab our stockings off the hook. So there was always a fun little toy and even candy to keep us happily occupied sitting on the steps for a few hours.
Thanks for all the great ideas – looking forward to reading the magazine. Thanks for the chance
a pair of clogs that my dh thought were ugly awful, but he knew I wanted them.
My best present ever was a little telescope, about7-8 inches long. My sister and I used it to “spy” on the neighborhood when we were kids. I still have it and my kids like to spy on the squirrels in the yard.
I would have to say my Kitchen aid mixer. I love ,love , love it!! My family got the best end of the deal the goodies I make with it!
Donna Polley
I would have to say my Kitchen aid mixer. I love ,love , love it!! My family got the best end of the deal the goodies I make with it!
Donna Polley
I would have to say my Kitchen aid mixer. I love ,love , love it!! My family got the best end of the deal the goodies I make with it!
Donna Polley
My husband bought me a Lladro Christus statue for our second Christmas, i believe. We were poor students, but he got my parents to go in on it with him. See, I was a missionary in Spain and Lladros are a big thing in Spain. I really wanted to buy one, but they are pricey. My Dad sent me a letter when I was getting ready to leave spain telling me to buy one. Unfortunately, his letter didn’t reach Spain until I was already on American soil. So, getting a Christus, especially when it was a sacrifice to buy, was my most memorable Christmas present!
When I was about 14, someone broke into our house right before Christmas and stole everything under the tree… except one present. I wanted a sewing machine that year & I guess the thieves weren’t too excited about my gift. It was a great Christmas for me… and I still use that same machine almost daily!
Oh, melikey to have a chance to win!!! Fabulous Christmas cards & would be thrilled to have your Holiday publication again this year!
A friend & I just used your fab magazine today to CASE the online bonus project by Cari Fennell for Halloween — LOVE it!!! TFS!!!
Last christmas I unwrapped a BEAUTIFUL quilt that my grandmother made for me; it’s amazing and piano-themed; my favorite! =D She is sooo talented!
My best present couldn’t be wrapped…it was a surprise birthday party from my daughter on my 50th. My jaw dropped when I walked in the door!!
The best present I have ever unwrapped was for my Birthday, not Christmas. It was my cricut machine. I love using that thing.
My best presents (jewelry) are usually wrapped, but I did get a Cricut Create for Christmas last year & it was, indeed, wrapped.
My latest one was my sizzix big kick! I am having fun with that puppy!
hmmm… the best present I ever unwrapped??? probably my gps, it is not romantic or exciting, but it has saved me many a times. what a great giveaway!!!
When I was ten, I wanted a cordless phone from Santa so BAD! Christmas morning, we unwrapped all of our Santa presents…no cordless phone. I was heartbroken! As we got to exchanging our family gifts, we came across a beautifully wrapped present hidden under all the presents. As soon as I saw the package, I knew it was for me:o)
I can remember when I recieved my Barbie doll mansion, it had an elevator and four levels. I loved watching my dad put it together. That doll house rocked!
the best gift ever I unwrapped is the jewelry box my husband gift for me with body shop gif set last Christmas
2 dozens OPI Nail Colors wrapped in a a psychadelic colored box from my best friend – I am obsessed with pedicure and color on my toenails:)!