We are so excited to kick off the 12 Days of Holiday Giving with you today! Thank you so much for stopping by! Starting today and running Monday through Friday until December 19th, we want to take you out of the hustle-and-bustle of the holiday season (if only for a few minutes!) to deliver inspiration from our design team showing off beautiful new holiday products and to share amazing prizes with you from our partners! Kicking off the celebration today is our Editor-in-Chief, Susan R. Opel! Let’s take a look at what she has created, and don’t miss our first day of giveaways at the bottom of the post!
I’m happy to be kicking off another incredible 12 Days of Holiday Giving with SCT! Our team will inspire and delight you, and you won’t believe your eyes when you see the stellar prizes from our sponsors! Let’s get this holiday party started!
There’s something about this time of year that gets my creative juices flowing, and I’ve had such an inspired 4th quarter of 2023! Let me show you what I’ve created for you today!
Supplies | Cardstock: Concord & 9th, Simon Says Stamp; Specialty cardstock: Simon Says Stamp; Patterned paper: Echo Park Paper, Spellbinders; Gold dots, wax, seals: Spellbinders; Dies: Spellbinders Nativity Scene etched dies, Simon Says Stamp; Ribbon: Tim Holtz; Adhesive: Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L, Therm O Web, Trinity Stamps; OTHER: Trim
Have you seen the super fun snow globe dies created for Spellbinders by Simon Hurley? They are very simple to assemble and very versatile! I used the Nativity Scene set for my card, but there are other scenes that you can use instead. I can’t wait to send this card to one of my loved ones this Christmas.
The Spellbinders Santa Lane collection is so beautiful with elegant and vintage patterns, so I chose three patterns I loved and cut them into tags. I die cut the tags again from white cardstock and adhered them to the back of the patterns. This not only made them sturdier but also created a space to write ‘To/From’ for gifts. The crown jewel of the tags though are the SUPER fun wax seals from Spellbinders. I found it exhilarating to heat that wax and come up with something beautiful!
I’m sad to see the holiday-making season come to an end. I love it so much!
May the light and love of the season bring you warm memories you’ll cherish for a lifetime! Merry Christmas, and here’s to a wonderful, happy, and prosperous 2024!
Find more of Susan’s work here: Instagram | Facebook
We have two wonderful giveaways from our partners to share with you today, and we think you will be excited about them!
GIVEAWAY 01: SPELLBINDERS
First, how would you like the products that Susan used to create her beautiful card and tags? Our friends at Spellbinders are sharing them with today’s winner!
We hope you enjoy creating warm and peaceful holiday projects using this lovely collection of dies, embellishments, and wax sealing elements. We are grateful to all of the Spellbinders fans out there and wish everyone a delightful holiday season!
GIVEAWAY 02: CRAFTER’S COMPANION
Next, you’re going to need a great machine to cut your die cuts, right?! How about the new Gemini II from Crafter’s Companion?
We are so excited to show you our brand new electronic die-cutting and embossing machine, the Gemini II, and portable Desk Vacuum.
Keep your craft space clean, today and ready for your next project with the Portable Desk Vacuum from Crafter’s Companion! This powerful handheld vacuum cleaner will pick up even the tiniest die-cut pieces, as well as glitter, small paper offcuts, crumbs, and more. A detachable dust plug makes it easy to clean even hard-to-reach paces. An included USB charging cable means you can charge on the go to enjoy mess-free crafting wherever you are!
Smarter and faster, the Gemini II has all the unparalleled cutting power, precision, and performance of the original Gemini, but with new and innovative design features and updated functions.
With the Gemini II, you can cut, emboss, and create amazingly intricate designs from just about any material, in seconds and all at the touch of a button! Technology to apply higher pressure than many other machines offers perfectly crisp and clear results every time. It has the power to cut through a range of materials from card and paper to cork, thin metal, leather, and multiple layers of fabric.
So, whether you enjoy making beautiful handmade cards, sewing a unique home decor project, or creating one-of-a-kind personalised gifts, you can enjoy professional, impressive results every time.
A brand new, full-length optical sensor means you can use any size of plate with the Gemini II to enjoy edge-to-edge precision for all your projects up to US letter size.
New easy glide feet make this machine so light on its feet! And with the optional, additional 360° turntable you can manoeuvre your machine with ease and rotate your Gemini II to take your plates from the back, no fuss!
Craft along with your favourite tutorials and workshops with the fold-out media stand and USB ports, so you don’t have to worry about your tablet running out of charge. Built-in storage shelves and compartments keep all of your crafting tool essentials at your fingertips when you need them and neatly tucked away when you’re done.
Catch mistakes before they happen with Pause, Reverse, and Resume functions. If you forget to add that essential third die, want to double-check your plate combination, or decide to swap your cardstock, you can do that before your plates go through the machine!
With accessories, plates, and a comprehensive User Guide included, there’s everything you need to get started right out of the box. So, whether you’re an experienced crafter, or just starting out, the Gemini II is for you.
From scrapbooking and home decor to handmade cards, quilting, and everything in between, with the Gemini II, you can turn your hand to so many craft projects. So, why not give it a try and see where your creativity takes you?
Wow! What a great way to kick off this special event! To enter to win these two wonderful prizes, leave a comment on this post telling us your favourite holiday memory by midnight Eastern time on Wednesday, December 20th! A randomly selected winner will win both prizes on Friday, December 22nd. Good luck! Be sure to come back tomorrow for day two of this packed holiday event!
Susan, you’ve taken the Spellbinders products to a whole new level of WOW with your gorgeous Nativity scene globe and pretty wax seal tags. Thank you to both Spellbinders and Crafter’s Companion for their gifts; many days of joy for the lucky recipients!
My favourite holiday memory is getting our little mini schnauzer on Dec. 23rd, five years ago. Talk about a precious gift that keeps on giving and giving and giving! She’s my love!
~carol
My favorite memory might be the year we moved on Dec 27th (coldest day of the year). We had a minimalist Christmas. We still had a tree, but it was only decorated with snowflake and icicles and it was beautiful!
Sometimes it is the simplest things that make the best memories. .
Wonderful inspiration! Going to sit and do a version of that card today, thank you! And also for the chance to win!
Wow, what a kick off! Great way to get us all excited for the 12 days. Thanks for wonderful first day prize offers. One of my favourite recent memories is our grown kids hiding Baby Jesus, from our nativity scene, somewhere else in the house. The game has started for this year.
Such great ideas for cards and tags. My favourite Christmas memory is from the year I was six and told my little brother that we couldn’t get up yet because I could hear Santa setting up his train set — turned out to be my grandmother getting the turkey ready!
I am just now realizing the beauty and dimension of wax seals on projects. Especially during the holidays they seem to add tradition to cards. My favorite holiday memory is making holiday caramels with my children. Everyone had a task during the processes and working together helped my family become closer.
Time is flying by ever so quickly, need to get the gifts of Christmas cards wrapped up, will take any help that is available….including tools. Christmas would not be Christmas if I did not send cards, a favorite activity and memory. Thank you for the opportunity.
Wow what a great way to kick off the season. My favourite holiday memory is having dinner with my Mummu and Papa in the country. Was always a wonderful time ” at the farm”!
My favorite holiday memory was two years ago when my mom came for the holiday and we all piled in a car with hot cocoa and popcorn and drove to the city to see all the lights. Best night ever..
My favorite holiday memory is Christmas morning when my boys were little, we would gather up the stocking and open them in bed while the coffee brewed(we had probably been up until the wee hours and the boys woke up super early!) We had this quiet family time before the rush of the day began.
Wow, what amazing kick off giveaways!! My favourite holiday memory is Santa visiting our house and his reindeers left hoof prints in the snow.
7 days before Christmas, we hung a rope to our bed post that had 7 knots in it. And every night, we took out a knot, so it was like a count down to Christmas. So, Christmas Eve, we untied the last knot.
Then…our parents told us that once Santa had come, he would tip toe into our rooms and tie a small present onto our rope. So, if we woke up and no present was on the rope, we should do back to sleep. If there was a present, we could “ring the bells” and wake everyone up.
We had a wide ribbon with various bells sewn onto it. This was the single purpose of this ribbon, which was to wake everyone up on Christmas morning.
We never decorated the tree until Christmas Eve. We would have a big buffet spread and decorate the tree, and all our neighbors would stop in for a drink and help with the tree decorating.
On Christmas Eve, our mom would give us an ornament and our dad would give us a little book.
Honestly, Christmas Eve was so awesome, Christmas day was kind of anti climatic
Sounds wonderful! I love traditions!
Favorite Christmas Memory – my mom’s last Christmas in 2011 and she was well enough to sit up and go outside for a bit. She passed just a short time after.
Wow, what a kick off prize! Thank you for a chance to win this.
My favorite holiday memory is going to my grandmother’s Christmas night for the full family gathering and her delicious meatballs!!
Great giveaway! Live making Christmas cookies with my grandkids!
Wow is right! You pulled me in with the beautiful golds and blues on your card, and then threw a gemini II into the mix??? A favourite Christmas memory of mine is going to the “living nativity” in Kitchener with my kids. The church has had to stop doing this now, but for many years it was an amazing show with camels and donkeys and sheep and flying angels…
Amazing giveaways. I love that nativity globe!!
Wow – what beautiful projects Susan created!
One of my favorite memories is seeing the northern lights at Christmas.
One year, and only one year, it snowed a lot early in the day. The roads were cleared before the evening. We got in our car with cocoa to see all the lights. As the incandescent lights warmed up they melted the fresh snow. Everywhere we went looked like a Hollywood movie set. Gorgeous!
Wonderful card and tags. One of my favourite Christmas memories was spending Christmas at our cabin. Cutting down our own tree and decorating it with popcorn and cranberry strings we had made.
What a fabulous giveaway! One of my most treasured memories is when I would bake Christmas goodies with my grandmother. She always made it so special.
OMG!!!! Wow wow wow, you sure do know how to start things off with a bang. What an awesome prize. Your snow globe is beautiful and we can only hope to re create such a scene. Thank you for this chance to enter.
Wow – great projects! Get together with my kids and doing our holiday baking!!! It reminds me of what I used to do with my mom!
Wow, that snow globe is huge! Love how dimensional the globe and wax seals make your beautiful holiday card. This would make an amazing gift, thank you for the chance to win them. I keep thinking I need a Gemini but haven’t made the plunge yet. My favorite Christmas memory was our daughter’s first Christmas with us. It was such a delight watching her eyes light up with astonishment and glee when she saw all the presents under the tree. It was such a sweet, happy Christmas morning.
My favourite Christmas memory is on Christmas Eve when I was young. I was trying to fall asleep when I turned and saw a plastic santa (maybe a piggy bank but I don’t remember) on my night table. I called out to my mom and she came in to my room. I asked if she put it there and she said no. I was sure I hadn’t fallen asleep so I was a believer!
WOWZERS!!!! what a fantastic way to start off the giveaways, thank SCT & sponsors. Memory: the 1st Christmas with our 2 little ones ( over 40 years, lol) . The joy, surprise on their sweet faces is unforgettable. I think the unwrapping the presents was better than getting the gift.
My favorite holiday (Christmas) memory is the time when I was about 8 years old and I distinctly heard Santa and the bells of his sleigh outside my bedroom window.
Favorite holiday memory has to be seeing Santa”s legs walking in our front garden, towards the chimney. I might have been 5, sitting in our playroom, in our split level where the window only captured the bottom half of people! My uncle had the bells jingling, the HO HO HO down pat! Childhood innocence, nothing comes close!
I think my favorite holiday memory is gathering with family and playing Pictionary on Christmas Eve every year and then singing Christmas Carols!
one of my favorite memories is when my kids got a wii for Christmas. They were super excited and we had so much fun playing games together as a family. Thanks for the opportunity to win these great prizes.
I have so many, but probably the best was telling my Mom we were pregnant with our first child on Christmas Morning….it was a complete surprise and wonderful.
Fabulous way to kick off the holidays and thank you.
My favorite memory of the holidays is of my Dad. He didn’t cook very often but on Christmas Morning he would get up and make breakfast. His pancakes would be in the shape of Santa :) He was proud and we ate them like they were ambrosia.
I love remembering my childhood Christmases when times were simpler. All the joy was shared, not only with my parents and siblings, but also with aunts, uncles, and cousins!
Wow! Beautiful. One of my favorite holiday memories is a white elephant gift exchange we do with three families. Always so much fun.
I love all of the holiday memories. Watching the joy on my daughter’s and niece’s and nephew’s faces as they experience the magic of the holiday season as they celebrate the traditions each year with family.
My favourite holiday memory includes a Christmas when I was about eight or nine and my sister, and I had been given money to buy each other some thing. Christmas morning when we opened up our presents, we had bought each other the same stuffed animal. It was a dog named scruffy I still have that stuffed animal all these years later ❤️
Thank you for the opportunity to win these fabulous prizes.
WHat a wonderful give away. Good Luck everyone
My favorite holiday memory is waking up as a 6 year old to see the incredible tree and decorations my mom and dad put up while we were sleeping.
Beautiful cards! When I was younger, we had basset hound dog, Bodine. She was such a lovely girl! We could only decorate the top half of the Christmas tree because when she walked by, her happy tail would wag and knock the decorations off! ♥
I love that nativity scene. Simple the way Christmas should be! Love it!
My favourite holiday memory I don’t know if I can choose as life has gone from me being a kid to me having kids to my kids now being grown. Hard to pick one, but, I loved when my brother and I would sleep by the tree promising each other we wouldn’t fall asleep before Santa got there. We never succeeded and we would wake up to presents and ask each Other if we saw Santa.. we never did that sneaky Santa!
I love our family tradition of pajamas and a Christmas ornament delivered on Christmas Eve by the elves! When my children were young, I would sew them all matching a PJs, and I still like to give them loungewear on Christmas Eve!
My favorite holiday memory happens every year – I and my son hang the handmade ornaments made by my grandmother. It’s always a special moment for me!
Wow, what generous prizes. My favorite holiday memory was celebrating Christmas one year in the summer because my brother who was in the Navy was coming home. We put up a tree and bought gifts too. I was little, but he would always bring me home a gift from faraway. Our Christmas in the summer even made our local paper.
My parents both passed by the time I turned 10, so any holiday memory before that.
One of my favorite Christmas memories is I had my 3rd daughter on Christmas Eve and I had to tell my husband how to put out Santa for the other 2 girls for Christmas Morning. My middle daughter told me when I came home Christmas morning that Santa had given her socks that were too big and her sister got socks that were too little.
My favorite holiday memories are the Christmas suppers at my grandma’s house. She made everything from scratch. She passed away at 100yo in 2020. She was the best. ❤️
My favorite Holiday memories will always be when our kids were little and sooo excited to see our real Christmas tree with all the gifts underneath.