I don't have any Christmas Supplies! Make Christmas Cards using what you have.

 Christmas Stamps and Dies are beautiful and we want them all, right? I know I do. 

When you are just starting out as a crafter, you have limited space or limited cash, it is hard to justify spending money on a stamp set you only use 'once a year'.  Also, many of the specifically Christmas stamp sets, only make one thing or one way. We want supplies that can pull double duty. 

If you don't have any Christmas stamps or dies, you can still make beautiful Christmas Cards.  If you want to invest in something for Christmas I would choose a simple sentiment such as Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Joy to the World.  Something like that. Let's dive in.  

These two cards were made with not one Christmas item! 

The And Sentiments from Catherine Pooler has these three words in it. 
So good, right. I just did some simple ink blending and splattered some 
shimmer spray on the back ground. All of these supplies can be used for other occasions, but when put together, they make a beautiful Christmas Card. Admittedly, I probably wouldn't want to mass produce this card. 

I used a green re-inker in a spray bottle and some gold pigment powder
to spray through a mandala stencil for this background. An alphabet stamp or die set, 
means you can make the Christmas sentiment whatever you want it to be. 
Using the traditional Christmas Colours transforms your everyday crafty stash into Christmas Perfection. 

A simple and elegant embossing folder just needs a lovely gold ink blending over it. 
The lovely "Joy" word from 'And Sentiments'. 

Triangle stamp and a star.  Slap a Christmas sentiment on there and you're good to go. 

One of these cards uses Christmas themed pattern paper, but the other one is just Green cardstock. 
I stamped stars and other patterns to add some interest. But there wasn't a Christmas stamp in sight! 

If you invest in one or two Christmas greetings, the possibilities become almost endless. Check out the first batch of Christmas cards I made with some washi tape and only one Christmas Sentiment. 

The circles look like ornaments on the tree, right?

Circle stamps and a Christmas sentiment. Too easy! 

I used some stars out of a birthday stamp set, for this card. 
It is a bit rough and ready, but cute, right. 

This card is just beautiful. The photo doesn't do it justice. This card is so shiny! 
As Lauren Bassen says, "you got a leaf, make a wreath".
A simple Christmas sentiment, turns these leaf die cuts into a stunning Christmas Card. 
I just love those sequins too. 

There you have it.  9 Christmas Cards that you can make with no Christmas supplies, or just a simple Christmas sentiment. The first year I decided to make Christmas cards, the only Christmas stamp I owned was a "Merry Christmas".  That's it.  I have slowly accumulated more Christmas stamps, one stamp set a year - only if it's on sale! 

My DIY Prayer Retreat- Part 2

 Last time, I told you about my DIY Prayer Retreat. 

It was so good. I also promised to share with you a few of the insights I had during my retreat. 

1. I love listening to Praise and Worship Music. Why don't I listen to it more?!  Therefore, I will listen to my Christian Music playlists when I craft and during my quiet time - maybe not everyday, but so much more than before. 

2. Memorising Scripture really changes my mindset and it helps me to focus on God's love. Therefore, I am going to start using my scripture memorisation app again. Why did I stop? If you want to learn more about this app, click here. 

3. I need to give myself more opportunities to both be still and move.  Not at the same time.  LOL. I also need to do some mindful breathing from time to time, because breathing is important and focusing on my breath is like a little reset button. I always wanted one of those. 

I hope you have found these posts about Prayer Retreats helpful and you can use them to design your own. Of course, it would be wonderful to go to a retreat that is designed and lead by someone else, but we have to be practical about these things. Sometimes in some seasons of our life (often when it's most important to take time to retreat) a weekend away is not feasible. You can do it yourself.  I did. 

Until next time