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Simply Sweet Christmas Inspiration Hop


My sweet friend, Lesley, invited me to join in with her and The Challenge Design Team for her first ever Simply Sweet Christmas Inspiration Hop. The hop is an inspiration blog hop focusing on LAST MINUTE SIMPLE YET SWEET Christmas cards or tags. There's sure to be a lot of fabulous inspiration along the way so let's get started.  

If you came from Claire's lovely post, then you're in the perfect spot for a little more inspiration.  If you're just happening by, head on over to Lesley's blog post to start from the beginning and enter in her little hop giveaway.  I have a little giveaway too, so be sure to read to the end of this post. :)



If you know me, you know that simple isn't really my forte. Sweet I can do, but simple is tricky.  I do try to tone things down for the holidays and I hope that today's cards can qualify as simple.  I just couldn't stop with the ribbon and the snowflakes, but these cards could easily be adapted with a small die cut snowflake and no ribbon. :)

I don't care for mass production, but I do often make a group of similar cards in one go. With little ones around I get lots of little "pockets of time", but not a lot of time all at once to create. I've found one of the best ways to be productive is to either print out a digital set or stamp a bunch of images on one page. Then I color them while the boys are putting on their jammies. Then maybe the next time I'll come in and die cut and/or fussy cut the images.  Another time I might pop in and add some glitter or Nuvo drops and cut some scraps of patterned paper. Here's what my Good Cheer DIGITAL looked like after my prep process. 


Don't you just love that sign? I keep it on my desk because it makes this textbook procrastinator smile every time.

When I do get to settle in for a longer crafting session with the pieces already prepped, it's just a matter of layout and embellishments and it seems like everything falls into place a little faster. 


Here I went with a similar layout for all three cards, using some scraps I had from some Doodlebug and Echo Park Christmas paper pads. My patterned paper strip is 1.5" x 5.25" and my circle die cuts are 2.5" and 1.75".  The coffee cups are cut with the coordinating Happiness in a Cup Die Set.


I used a dry embossing folder on a 4 x 5.25" white panel to add some texture and then finished with some snowflake embellishments and ribbon, all on an A2 card base.


Thanks for hopping along! Next stop is the super sweet and talented Kelly Lunceford!

Come hop along and be sure to visit each blog. 
There is a lot of inspiration to get your creative juices flowing!


Julee Tilman  (You are here!)


Enabler's List
Stamps: Good Cheer DIGITAL Set (Verve)
Paper: 'Tis the Season (Echo Park), North Pole and Home for the Holidays (Doodlebug), white
Ink: laser printer, Copic markers
Accessories: Happiness in a Cup Die Set (A Cut Above by VERVE), stitched circles STAX (MFT), Season's Greetings embossing folder (Cuttlebug), wood snowflake (Recollections), flatback pearl, ribbon



I am also offering a randomly drawn prize of the Good Cheer DIGITAL Set and the Happiness in a Cup Die Set I used for today's cards, as well as a little variety pack of handmade cards from my stash. I will send them to one random winner. 

In order to qualify to win please...


Leave a comment on my blog telling me about your favorite Christmas or holiday tradition.


The Giveaway Contest closes at 8pm Mountain on Saturday, December 2nd.

26 comments

Kelly Lunceford said...

Julee, these are beautiful! Great job! I'm so glad you joined us! Big hugs!

~amy~ said...

How wonderful Julee! Love your card set!
Love your sign :) I work better under pressure.

scrappin' GA peach said...

I really love these sweet cards! The Verve cups are just so pretty.. I think these are perfect...meaning, nothing more needed on them... great job!!!!
The sign is soo me!

Lesley said...

These are super cute, Julee and I totally giggled at that sign!!! I can’t wait to ink up the digital stamps! They are so handy to work on like you have done...a little prep for your card stash! Thank you so much for joining us!

MackieMade Paper Creations said...

So festive and fun!!! I love the teacups! And I especially love that sign!!! I am a prime member of the Procrastinator's Club! LOL!

Christine said...

Your cards are wonderful, and I need inspiration for simple, do-able projects. Love the sign!!!

Christine said...

Oops! Forgot to share my favorite tradition---I love to wrap our family scrapbook for the previous year. After reading the Christmas story, we unwrap the scrapbook and take a trip down memory lane.

jeanchaneyaz said...

Love your beautiful cards. I just spent the afternoon making cards for my four grown boys. The image is of prepping a cookie bake. That is the most treasured tradition in our family. Even my grandson is now making these family recipe cookies with his son! Everyone comes to Grandma's house for Christmas eve and all four of the boys (well, men now) dive for those cookies!

JoAnn said...

Love your set of sweet Christmas cards. Great digital sets you used. I love the pretty fonts and cute cups. My favorite Christmas tradition is having my family come over for Christmas dinner and seeing the little ones open their presents. The bigger ones get money to buy their own gifts. :)

Celeste Goff said...

Julee, these coffee cards are just gorgeous! I always love your seasonal coffee sets!

Karen Day said...

This is why I love printing our your pages of digi stamps! You can die cut everything out, and make up a group of cards in one shot :o) I love the bits of patterned paper on your white cards - quick and easy :o)

Nance said...

Beautiful cards, Julee! Love the variation of patterns on the different cards. So glad Lesley had you join us!

Allie said...

Very cute layouts! Love those digi stamps :)

Jill Norwood said...

Julee that sign is so ME too! Or maybe as mom's we just have too much to do all the time....in a good way..lol! I love (as always) the texture and layers on your beautiful cards! And I love all your new Christmas digital sets! My favorite tradition is baking cut out cookies with all the kids in our family...it started when I was a girl with my Mom and then continued with my nieces and nephews in my 20's and with my son later. We also make traditional Italian Pizelles and terluck etc cookies each year. They bring back memories of my grandmother Michelene and my great grandma Berniece. Have a blessed Christmas my dear!!!

Michele K. Henderson said...

These cards are all beautiful, Julee! My hubbie and I are always on the road over Christmas, traveling to spend Christmas with our extended families. Christmas is never the same, year after year. But in my hometown there is a house with the most spectacular outside decorations you've ever seen! No matter when we arrive, or what days we'll be home, we always drive to that old house where I can see the yard full of trees, loaded with thousands of twinkling lights and ornaments!

cghundley said...

Lovely cards and
great designs. We
put up our Christmas
tree on my husband's
birthday on December
16th as that has been
the way it's been since
he was a child.
Carla from Utah

Darnell said...

These are all gorgeous, Julee! I love how you showed the "building blocks" of your pretty design! My favorite holiday tradition is actually cooking and having Thanksgiving. Everyone is happy, the food is delicious, it's open to all Americans of any race or religion, and there are no gifts to exchange other than our love and gratitude. Well, that ended up more Hallmark'y' than I meant it to sound, but it's truly the coolest holiday tradition to me! Hugs, Darnell

Broni said...

These are beautiful, Julee! And they certainly don't look like "last minute" cards!!

Notes by Nina said...

Fabulous festive cards Julee, wonderful designs.

Karenladd said...

I just love your festive and cheery card set and I'm all for using the same card layout but just switching out papers and colors. Your procrastination sign made me laugh...that is so me. Thanks for the chance to win those adorable digis!!

MiamiKel said...

Oh be still my heart these literally made me swoon ! Such brilliance and absolute joy in these cards ! Our favorite Christmas tradition is making the gingerbread house with our four kids :) Thank you for sharing these absolutely gorgeous cards. I can't tell you how much of an inspiration you are from someone who visits your blog and watches quietly from the sidelines :)

CherylQuilts said...

Oh, Julee, what a fun blog hop, and I LOVE your cards! Thanks for sharing your process, and I really identify with your sign. That's me. I have always been great under pressure...sadly. Haha! But it was great when I worked and had people who procrastinated...I lit the fires! I really appreciate the photos and love that sign (I need one and cannot find it...I may ask DH to make me one...). What beautiful cards, and I love the sweet digis...and have them all...including the dies! My favorite Christmas tradition is trimming the tree. My mom was in charge of it, and now I am in our household. I love unwrapping each ornament, and my sweet hubby puts up the tree. I love putting the lights on and adding one ornament at a time, backing away to make sure they are all well placed. And then voila! The lights twinkle, and I feel like Christmas is officially here...as we celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ! Hugs and love!

Becca Sadler said...

Julee, the cards are terrific! In the past I've crafted much like what you described. Crafting with the little pockets of time led to stage-and-staggered assembling of similar looking cards. Keeping the layouts almost identical, has let you use different patterned papers for the vertical accent section. And it is a great layout that I would like to use sometime soon! For Christmas tradition, one of my favorites is attending church on Christmas Eve. It is always such a solemn yet festive service with candlelight, carols, and Christ.

SHartl said...

I always love your cute little designs and these cups of cheer make me want to curl up by the fire and sip my evening away. I also have two little ones who keep me busy so I know all about crafting in little bursts so quick card-making is just my style. My favorite holiday tradition is posing the Elf on the Shelf around our house in the days before Christmas. My husband gets very creative and our girls have a ball!

Anita said...

Your cards are beautiful! So happy you joined our hop!

Purple Princess said...

Super cute!!