{Hand}made with Love

Today we bring you a delightful postcard inspired card from the McCarty family...

Who: Matt (dad), Keri (mom), Ellison (15 months)

Location: Bob Jones Nature Center, Southlake, Texas

Props: None

Clothes: Matt - American Eagle; Keri - Gap, J.Crew; Ellison - Gap and Old Navy (hair flair and bib necklace handmade by Keri)

Comments: I knew that I wanted to have a navy and green color scheme, because I wanted to be able to display the photos in our house without them being the traditional red and green. Also, I was certain I could find Christmas papers that would match without being the traditional red and green as well. "My Mind's Eye Winter Wonderland" was a perfect fit!

The photo we selected for the card was one of Ellie blowing a kiss and me kissing her cheek. We loved this photo because it was a stage in Ellie's life where blowing kisses was a favorite thing to do, so I wanted to remember that milestone. I also remembered having the "Merry Kissmas" stamp and thought it would be the perfect sentiment for the car.

I have always loved the look of postcards so I tried to emulate it as close as possible by adding the three stamps in the upper, left corner. And I used three different colors to highlight their differences. I added the sparkle, die-cut snowflake to add dimension - it pops off the card a bit, but not enough to be damaged in the mail.

I used a font from dafont.com to write the greeting on the back of the card and another stamp to make the heart. I always like to hand-sign my cards when possible, so I left that option available instead of printing it with the font.

Designer: Keri handmade it!

Photographer: Heather Bush with Chunky Monkey Photography

Favorite Thing: I really like how it all came together! We didn't intentionally try to get a kissing picture, but the serendipity of it led to this creation!

Blog: Nope, no blog. Kinda scares the beejeebus out of me!

*****************

Katy's Thoughts: Ok, let's take a moment to reflect on the face that she HAND MADE these cards. Like she cut and glued and placed and stamped each part of it. Over and over and over again. My thoughts are that she is crazy! ;) I love that this is so personal! Not many people still hand sign cards these days (the Kings included) so I think this is amazing. Keri is the Queen of Crafts...seriously. I keep trying to talk her into starting a blog - don't you think she should?!?

Cindy's Thoughts:  Impressed!  That is the best word to describe this card. I am so impressed!  Impressed with the forethought and sincerity behind the design. Impressed by the darling kissing picture.  Impressed that she LITERALLY made the cards.  I know that the people who received this card felt LOVE and MERRY when they opened the card and well, isn't that what the season is about!

*****************

How can you recreate this card? Well, the beauty of the handmade card is each one is original! We adore the "Merry Kissmas" theme - which you could spin lots of ways! Engagement/Wedding photo with a picture of the cute couple kissing under mistletoe; parents and kiddos, even a beloved pet giving someone a smooch. Lots of fun possibilities with this one!

Get PINspired:

1. If you love the "Merry Kissmass" theme as much as we do - then you are in luck...this card is adorable! 
2. For other inspiring "kissing" scenes...check out our Mistletoe Board. (And dear readers, beware of the things that will pop up when you search mistletoe on Pinterest. Weird stuff).
3. We also found lots of handmade goodies... we loved the thought of using buttons for ornaments, a wreath or a snowman. Adorable! 
4. This link leads you to 25 adorable home made cards! Incredible!

So what do you think? Shouldn't Kerri start a blog? Or maybe come back for a how-to Christmas crafting session? Share your thoughts below!