I'm disappointed that I wasn't able to get a post up before Christmas detailing the cards I made and sent out in December. Chronic illness is a real pest like that, it never lets me do all the Christmassy things I want to do. It was a Christmas miracle though that I could even make 18 cards and get them sent out just in time, let alone write about them, so I did pretty well considering.

So today I'm excited to share my Christmas card-making adventure with you. Yes, a Christmas post in February! I'm a mess but let's just roll with it...

Back in August when Kaisercraft released their first Christmas collection for 2018, Sparkle, I fell deeply in love. The pink, the glitter, the blooms, the marble, the rose gold- what a stunning combination. I knew this was the collection I wanted to create some Christmas magic with, so when it went on sale in mid-August I used a bad pain night to my advantage and got my online order in at 12.30 am before everything sold out; which it did, apparently before 7 am. (You gotta get in early because us crafty bitches mean business.) 

Getting the gorgeous craft supplies you want at half price is a great consolation for terrible pain, I reckon. If only retail therapy was covered by health insurance. It seriously needs to be a thing.

While I had planned to make my cards before December rolled around, important things kept demanding my energy so I didn't get started on them until the first week of December. It was a stressful time but also a fun and rewarding one. Making and posting Christmas cards became a priority because it had been a few years since I'd done it because of moving house, and I wanted it to be a little thank you to some special people who helped me last year.

I was blessed to have my mum clean for me so I could focus on finishing my cards. Without her these cards probably wouldn't be possible. I also had to sacrifice a lot to get them done and missed out on doing so many Christmas activities, but I think it was worth it. Luckily I finished them in time and got them sent out at the end of the second week of December. Phew. The sense of achievement I felt when I popped them in the post was unbeatable. I felt like I had just defeated Goliath.

 I was so impressed with myself and proud of what I made despite intense mental fatigue. While I would have loved to have come up with more elaborate designs with more textures and layers, I didn't have the time or energy to experiment; I had to keep them simple, but stunning.

At first I didn't quite know what to do with the papers. I found them intimidating because most of the designs already had a lot going on so I wasn't sure how to go about layering. After some trial and error and having a look at what others had done on Instagram, I quickly got in the groove and the ideas kept flowing. I am still bursting with them! All products used are Kaisercraft unless otherwise stated.

Reindeer Radiance

Materials used: Francheville A6 Cardstock- White; Sparkle Radiance 12x12 Scrapbook Paper; Sparkle Paper Pad; Decorative Die- Reindeer; American Crafts Christmas Glitter Speciality Paper Pad.

I've had this reindeer decorative die in my stash for quite some time now but haven't made good use of it until now. I guess I was waiting for the right moment and for some inspiration to strike, and the Sparkle Collection provided it. When I saw the beautiful rose gold marble paper, I knew I had to try pairing it with the reindeer decorative die; and it's the perfect match. I added a strip of the Sparkle Shiny paper so that the reindeer doesn't get lost in the marble paper and is the focal point of the card.

Glint Glam 

Materials used: 12x12 weave cardstock- Tutu; Sparkle Glint 12x12 Scrapbook Paper; Sparkle Paper Pad; Decorative Die- Christmas Pine; Rhinestones- Black.

It's a tough pick but I think this is my favourite out of the six cards I made. It's a simple one to throw together so I love how it turned out looking more glamorous than simple. I found the poinsettia paper the most difficult to incorporate in a card but I love how it looks as a backdrop for the Christmas Pine Die Cut. I also love the strip of the gorgeous Vivacity paper (glitter side) as a layering base; it's so pretty and magical! 

For an easy sentiment (I had no time for stamping), I used one from the Sparkle Paper Pad and attached it with foam squares. For the tree I die cut two using my Cuttlebug and stuck them together with foam squares, then glued the base down flat on the card. Using foam squares gives the tree a 3D effect which helps it stand out from the busyness of the poinsettia paper. Black rhinestones hide the spots where the foam adhesive pokes through, which I incidentally found helped tie everything together nicely. I didn't cover the whole tree with rhinestones as I didn't have enough but I kind of like it that way; it's quirky.

Bauble Aglow

Materials used: Sparkle Aglow 12x12 Scrapbook Paper; 12x12 weave cardstock- Snow; Rhinestones- Silver; Decorative Die Script Bauble; Sparkle Clear Collectables.

When I saw the Bauble Script Decorative Die Cut from Kaisercraft in Spotlight, I knew I wanted to use it with this collection somehow. This was the first card I came up with and the one that took the most work. The die cuts are intricate and delicate, making them difficult to glue down. The glitter cardstock I cut them with also didn't help the situation. My fingers were covered in glue trying to wrangle glitter paper into place; as much as I love working with glitter it was a bit of a nightmare. I ended up piling the glue on and wiping away the excess with a baby wipe.

When arranging my mentally planned layout for this card on my desk I thought it looked great, so I went ahead with it. But once everything was glued in place I didn't feel as happy with it. I haven't put my finger on what's not right yet, maybe it's the alignment? I questioned if I should have put the tree die cut in the centre and flowers on both sides, but picturing that in my head didn't look right either. In the end I sent them as is because I didn't have time to experiment. Then I saw the card sitting on my auntie's kitchen mantle and I suddenly liked it more. It looked better and prettier up on that mantle which made me feel better about sending it. If I saw this card in a shop or on display at a market, I'd probably buy it, so it's not that bad. I still want to experiment with this decorative die though.

A Vivacity Christmas

Materials used: Sparkle Radiance 12x12 Scrapbook Paper; Francheville A6 Cardstock- White; Sparkle Paper Pad.

I used the flip side of the marble paper (Sparkle Radiance) as the base for this card. This was such a fun, quick card to throw together. I love how the strip of glitter elevates everything and how the fussy cut poinsettias add a cute finishing touch that's perfect for a dreamy Pink Christmas.

Glistening Reindeer

Materials used: 12x12 weave cardstock- Tutu; Sparkle Glistening 12x12 Scrapbook Paper; Sparkle Paper Pad; Decorative Die- Reindeer; American Crafts Christmas Speciality Paper Pad.

To keep things easy, I used the same layout as Reindeer Radiance for this card. To switch things up, I used the gorgeous pink and rose gold snowflake paper. I was contemplating on whether to use a rose gold coloured reindeer as well but I think the gold glitter stands out more and exudes elegance.

Reindeer Joy

Materials used: Kaisercard 12x12 weave cardstock- Coal; Sparkle Illuminate 12x12 Scrapbook Paper; Decorative Dies Words Joy; Sparkle Paper Pad.

This rose gold reindeer paper is to die for. Initially, I planned to combine this paper with some others in the collection but decided it made a beautiful card all on its own. I attached the paper to black cardstock and to make the card pop I used Kaisercraft's die cut sentiment 'Joy', which I cut from the rose gold paper in the paper pad. I glued the top half of the sentiment to the card and left the bottom unglued so it stands out and doesn't look too flat. It's such a cute and simple card to make, which I see being my go-to when a last minute Christmas card is needed.

I think the Sparkle Collection may be my favourite Kaisercraft Christmas release to date. I recommend getting your crafty hands on the entire collection if you can. It's absolutely gorgeous and such fun to create with. I stocked up on the collection during their Boxing Day sale- that's how much I love it!

Now I'm looking forward to sitting down and having a stress free play with these papers with no time constraints. I have a few more ideas I'm keen to try, and I'd like to take these simple layouts to the next level.

Which card is your favourite?

PS: I'm experimenting with font because Blogger is a wally, so bear with me. xx