My Christmas card this year is like any another year — the same concept for decades — but I tweaked the design this year.
Some time ago, I fashioned this three-tier Christmas tree design, utilizing Hawaiian-print paper as the thrust of the card. It was festive, it said “aloha” and it was an easily doable project.
Thus, the creation is somewhat of a classic, and since each card is created separately, every card can be considered an original.
However, the scale is smaller this year (not an inflation issue, just so happened I had vellum white cards which were tinier than years past), but perfect for the project.
Simply, the three levels of the tree design had to be squished a skosh, to retain a star atop the tree, with the bottom base “holding” the tree, also minimalized.
It still works for me. I simply cut and assemble the three sectors and still give the creation a little twinkle with a yarn thread between the sections, which creates a luminous glow when light shines on the card.
And because I hand-cut a variety of Hawaiian-print wrapping paper, the card continues to say “aloha” or “Mele Kalikimaka,” without actually saying it.
So, here I’m sharing six specimens from the 36 cards I assembled over a couple of hours a few mornings ago. Hope it’ll be enough for holiday mailings this year.
To finish it off, I sign my signature since a fellow artist told me four decades ago that it was prudent to “sign” each card or anything you create, for identity purposes. It’s akin to a painter putting his/her John Hancock on a canvas on a grander scale.
For me and a dwindling audience, mailing cards still matter when you want to say, “Merry Christmas.” Emails are swift but don’t do the job.
Yes, Hallmark peddles their lovely gems and I occasionally peruse the racks and make a purchase, since I often find inspiration to hatch an idea to concoct my version.
Life’s a card.