2009 Pressed Flower Christmas Cards

This years cards turned out absolutely gorgeous!

I didn't include seeds this year because I don't think anyone is planting them and with D losing his job money is squeaky tight for seed purchases. I'll be down to having only what I've saved in flower seed and not buying much for veg :( But, I think they look pretty awesome with the other additives in the paper.

Now, if I could just remember to start pressing the flowers in the spring . . .

Handmade Seed Paper Cards

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Pictures removed because they're being stolen by Polyvore!


I got such wonderful responses to last years Seed Paper - Pressed Flower - Rubber Stamped - Christmas Cards , I thought I'd go ahead and do them again this year.

Somewhere along the line I seem to have gotten stuck on a star pattern with the ferns.

Last year, I left the edges ragged/torn and this year I straightened them up. I really like them both ways.

Of course, there would be a bigger variety if I had remembered to collect and press more flowers. Oops!

The youngest daughter thought she'd make a few for her teachers and friends this year. Yay! I'll happily involve her in anything crafty. :)

Here are a few finished examples (yes, they got rubber stamped inside, but you don't get to see that. lol):

At least I had something to occupy my mind for a while. DH is getting laid off next week (which also means we won't have any insurance. Please, please, nobody get sick!). The whole second shift will be gone. Two weeks to Christmas - could the company have timed it any worse? UGH!

Things were as tight as they could already get around here. I don't know what we're going to do now. How do you pinch pennies that no longer exist? ~sigh~

Christmas sure isn't going to be all that happy. There is no way I will be able to buy gifts as the little I had saved will have to go towards food instead.

This totally sucks . . .

If I keep saying it, it might eventually come true: "Next year has GOT to be better!"

Anybody want to buy some four-leaf clovers? Cause they sure as hell don't work for me.

After-Christmas Sales Rock

Oh, man! Talk about a deal. Almost as good as the sale I got way back when.

4 Poinsettias (pots of 3 - red, white, salmon) = .50 cents each.
My grandmother had one she kept coming back for years and years, so for 2 bucks, what the hay, I'll give it a shot! Besides, the large pots themselves were worth the 50 cents. And the hubs makes cardboard boxes, so shouldn't be hard to get some for their 'dark' phase. lol.

5 Cyclamens = .50 cents each. And with pretty, hot pink and gold, woven pot covers! Yeah, another you have to diddle with to come back, but I'm game for the try. My problem is going to be letting them go dormant, I can see it now.

4 Christmas Cactus = .25 cents each. Can you believe I've never had one? Yes, I am hanging my head in shame. What kind of a gardener am I, anyway? Gave one to the oldest daughter to try.

$5.50 for $215.00 worth of plants! Yeah, us geeks actually figured out what they would have been at normal price. Ha! I'm ecstatic!

So, then we hit Kmart's 50% off sale. And . . . I am almost done with my parents for next Christmas! Unreal! I've never been this far ahead. Ever. I've found things here and there sometimes at after Christmas sales, but this was a wicked hit when they still had good stuff left. And I only spent 40 bucks. 40 bucks! I'll still have to get them a few more things, like some Charlie for my step-mom, but dang!

Ran into AC Moore's quick to see if I could find some Christmas stamps for the seedcards next year, and lo and behold - a whole stamp set, ink and all, for 4 bucks! And the hubs actually found it! Good thing he did because some guy came up behind him about twenty seconds later and took ever single one that was still on the shelf!
Oh, and cute little ornament kits for the kids to make as a gift for step-mom for .40 cents. The youngest and I try to find something cool and 'crafty' to do for her every year, so this was perfect.

What a great weekend.
:)

Kissing Balls - Done

Yes!
Done!
And they look maar-vel-oos, darling. Simply maar-vel-oos.
The youngest suddenly wanted to help (yeah, I felt her forehead to be sure she wasn't sick) so I let her go at-it finishing a couple. She done good! Well, she was much more careful after I showed her the burn hole in my finger. Damn, that hot glue gun is friggin' HOT. (Hmmm, wonder if that's why they call it hot glue gun? Duh!) Of course, it is a big industrial one ( read: about 1000 degrees!) of the hubby's.

Annnnyway, they really did come out beautiful. The colors seemed to preserve really well using the kitty litter. It took me a few minutes to remember how to make the tassel - I haven't done one in years, but after a couple tries I got it and I did a good job.

Oh! And I've gotten tons of great feedback from the seed cards. People are loving them! The only problem is that they're refusing to plant them because they're too pretty. Sigh. Plant the dang things people...that was the point!

Ok, so I guess I'm stuck making them again next year. I was thinking about it before, but that clinches it. All right, I'm really not 'stuck'. I loved doing them. They were mucho fun! And I'm extremely happy with people enjoying something different for a change. I just have to remember to grab some fern fronds next time. Those Cosmos leaves for filler were a real PITA! Never again.

Seed Paper - Pressed Flower - Rubber Stamped - Christmas Cards

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Pictures removed because they are being stolen and used by Polyvore!!

Yup, that's exactly what they are!

Handmade paper.

Seed paper.

Pressed flowers.

Rubber stamped.

Christmas cards.

And they came out better than I ever expected I would get for my first try.

It felt sooo darn good to be doing a new craft. Ok, 3 new crafts I've never done. I just had to try them all at once! :)

When I finished the paper, I wasn't so sure I'd like the ragged edges, but now that they're actual cards , I think they go with the pressed flowers nicely.

Dried seed paper

I added some globe amaranth petals for just a touch of color. I didn't want too much bling competing with the flowers.

Inside card

I ended up gluing a 4-leaf clover inside each card, too. I had to do something with that mountain! Maybe they'll bring everyone else some Christmas luck. :)

Below are a few examples of the finished cards. I did 20. Maybe I should do a few more...just in case.

Front of cards

And here are the cute little hedgehog envelopes they'll make the mail trip in. I hope the delicate flowers survive! The postal system can be brutal.

I am so darn glad I gave this a try this year. I hope the recipients enjoy getting something other than the normal Christmas card! If I'm lucky, They'll actually plant them and enjoy the flowers, but I'm not holding my breath. lol.

Hmmm, I had so much fun doing these, maybe I'll make this a yearly tradition! Ooooo, must grow new, interesting flowers to press! Wow, could I enable myself a little more?

(EDIT: They looked much neater - flatter, smoother - after I pressed them and cleaned up the edges! I wonder how those patterned edging scissors would make them look. hmmm...)