Simple

It's that time of year again, the annual Christmas card design. Each year, I firmly begin by stating the design will be simple, and each year I find myself creating a card more elaborate than the year before. Not this year! This year's design is going to be simple and easy to assemble.

It started innocently enough. I was looking through a book of artists trading cards. There was a clever pop up card done for a Christmas exchange. I could do that. No! Simple remember. But the popup is so cool. No, there's too much work involved. How 'bout this nice design, you could draw a sprig of holly and ivy. Then you could scribe the lyrics to the carol The Holly and the Ivy. Traditional. Nice and simple. Boring! Look at this cool popup. It's easy just three pieces. Four if you count the verse to print on the front. Well, it doesn't look too difficult.

My hand is tired and sore from cutting two of the three easy pieces. I used the rotary cutter to cut out the third. Whipped through those suckers right quick. All the pieces have to be scored, folded, glued, and suitable decoration added. The verse is scribed waiting to be scanned into the computer and printed. The envelopes still have to be addressed, and the illuminated initial is in my head waiting for my hands to find time to illustrate it. Sigh.

Next year, definitely simple. Next year, I'll buy a box of Hallmark cards.