Santa Stationary

Hiya PTI'ers. Ready for more holly jolly fun? I'm having a lot of fun creating with all these goodies this month. Surprised me a bit, my head not being in the holiday state of mind and all. Although it just might be after the 15th comes and goes.

There is one thing that I'm super excited to bust out for the holidays, even if I can be a bit bah-humbug about the rest of it. I have been missing Honk and his antics since about one minute after I put him away on Dec. 24th, hidden and locked up high so little children wouldn't find it. I think I have more fun with our "Elf on the Shelf" than anybody else! This is a photo of Eliza and I saying good bye to Honk last Christmas Eve. I'm just pouting a little bit.

As a mom and the official cruise director of a young family, I'm super cognizant of starting traditions and bringing the "magic" to Hank, Eliza, and Sully. I live for it, quite honestly. I want them to look back at their childhood and smile at what will be (I'm hoping anyway) a treasure trove of fantastic memories. There are certainly things that I experienced as a child at Christmas time that live on in my heart forever. I want my kids to have that too.

We started "Elf on the Shelf" last year and it was a huge hit. I thought I would use today's group project with "Letters to Santa" to get a jump start on Honk's (that's what Hank named the elf) arrival this upcoming December.

When I first saw the preview for "Letters for Santa" I didn't quite see the possibilities. Seemed a bit "one and done" for me. You might feel that way too. But after working with it and letting my mind wander a bit, I'm so in love with what this set can do. I have plans. Mad plans for it as long as there are children in my life. Neighbor kids and third cousins twice removed fall under this category...so it will get super inky.

So first up, a shot of our dear Honk all posed and ready to be discovered one future December morning. Perhaps even his 2012 Holiday Season Debut? He has come back from the North Pole with stationary for the kids to write their Santa's Letters.  He has also gathered a bunch of toy and clothing catalogs for them to flip through.  I remember pouring over the Sear's Toy Catalog for hours putting my list together. Can't leave that fun out.

And to add to the realism, Honk's already written their names on the envelopes and left the pencil behind. That darn elf thinks of everything.

Now, a little side note. It was super hard to get these elf pictures. Hank doesn't nap any more! I was that desperate Mommy bribing her son to stay in his room yesterday. Want my iPad for a movie in your room, kid? You got it! Candy in there too? Not a problem. Just don't come out!!! Fortunately, I was able to pull it off. Honk is once again under lock and key, nobody the wiser.

So how about the details? I went all business-like with my general theme. Clipboard, paperclips, even Post-It Notes. I imagine they need all those things to keep them working efficiently at the North Pole.

A few directions are given to the kids on Post-It Notes. I also stamped directly on the clipboard in Pure Poppy ink. This particular clipboard I got at Walmart for around a dollar. It's the smaller size. I couldn't figure out how to get the clip off, otherwise I'd have stamped the whole darn thing. Maybe you'll have better luck if you go out looking for them. I know Michael's has some, not sure of the exact clip status however. 

The "Naughty or Nice" Post-It just cracks me up. What kid is going to admit they've been naughty. Oh the pathos!  The "Take Note" is in the Take Note Stamp set. I just thought it was a cute way to direct something to Santa's attention. The list is lined with dotted lines from Journaling Lines and the numbers are from Gratitude Journal. New Leaf Patterned Paper Pack adds some color to the top of the list. 

All Santa Letters need envelopes right? These two are stamped with the slanted diagonals from Postmarks in Christmas colors, To/From are stamped from Friendship Jar Winter Fillers, and the labe isl from Letters to Santa. I made four Santa stamps on the self adhesive paper cut from the postage stamp die and placed them on a piece of acetate. Another Post-It gives instructions and an arrow from Get to the Point adds a little direction.

Here's a look at the back and front of the envelopes with a fun detail on the back.

Like I said, I got some inspiration while I was stamping. Didn't have the time or materials to execute it for this release, but I can certainly write them down so I can  do them later.

Additional ideas:

1. Find a mailbox and make it Santa's Magic Mailbox, it comes and goes with the elf. Place letters inside after they are written.

2. Come up with a clever reply letter from Santa and place it in the mailbox the next day.

3. Save the letters every year and put them in a mini album.

4. Create the whole Santa Stationary Suite to give to friends with kids in early December, just don't let the kids see. Let the parents be the ones to surprise the kids with the blank letters and write their own reply letters. I think this is a really great gift to give for the holidays, but at a time when people aren't so glutton with gifts. It's useful, practical, and gives the gift of a family activity.

5. I was a super sneaky kid and would have probably seen through all this stuff within a minute or two. Would have tied in the stamped letter/envelopes with the fact I had a mother who stamped. Maybe set the whole elf thing up with the elf stamping it all? Blame the elf. He doesn't mind being thrown under the bus. It was the elf who got into all of mommy's supplies.

Moving on from the whole letter thing, how about we use the new Letters From Santa on a card? I almost feel like I'm cheating here because I used just part of a single stamp. But it was too good of an idea to let go. And besides, I got to working the new Boards & Beams and Home For the Holidays dies. They were seriously so fun to work with.

I used Scotch Tape to mask off the majority of the stamp with Santa on his sleigh. You can see the image in it's entirety stamped on the bottom of the clipboard I created above. The Santa and sleigh? Fits perfectly on the roof of the house from Boards and Beams. Seriously, how fun is that? The die for the house really helped to make this look possible because of that one eave. Glad I didn't have to mask that off as well. Just stamped the house on the die cut and adhered on top.

OK..that's it from me tonight. And it's plenty! Be sure you  hop around the internet and check out some more projects using this set.  And I'll be back soon with more projects.

Maile Belles
Nichole Heady
Jessica Witty
Dawn McVey
Melissa Phillips
Heather Nichols
Betsy Veldman
Cristina Kowalcyzk
Danielle Flanders
Ashley Cannon Newell

Supplies

Stationary Set
Stamps: Letters to Santa, Take Note, Postmarks, Friendship Jar: Winter Fillers, Get to the Point, Gratitude Journal, Journaling Lines
Patterned Paper: New Leaf Patterned Paper Pack
Ink: New Leaf, Pure Poppy, True Black, Simply Chartreuse
Self Adhesive Sheets
Pure Poppy Baker's Twine
Dies: Angled Label Collection, Postage Stamp
Martha Stewart Washi Tape
Clipboards

Home For the Holidays Card
Stamps: Boards & Beams, Home For the Holidays, Wonderful Words: Holiday Addition, Letters to Santa
Ink: Pinefeather, Pure Poppy
Dies: Boards & Beams, Home For the Holidays, Wonderful Words: Holidays
Pure Poppy Bitty Dot Patterned Paper
Copics