My 2025 Christmas Card

 

I’ve been writing letters and sending cards for as long as I can remember—literally since the day I could hold a pencil. There was a time when every big department store had a proper stationery department, and little paper shops dotted the Main Street: places filled with beautiful writing paper, postcards, note cards, fountain pens, colored inks, and envelopes that felt like small treasures. Those shops are still everywhere in Europe, but here in the United States they’ve almost vanished over the past twenty years. I miss them terribly.

Every holiday season I feel the pull again. This year the urge was especially strong, so I made my own cards (as I always do), decorated the envelopes, and sent out about fifty of them. I create one “general” design for most friends and a special one for my fellow Sherlockians. I was so excited to mail the Sherlock Holmes cards that I forgot to photograph the card itself—typical!—but I did capture the envelope, which I’ll share below. The main card this year was inspired by a lovely blog photo I stumbled across. I thought it would make a perfect seasonal greeting, and be the perfect choice for the inclusion of a recipe.

For the past several years, sharing my cards here has become my way of sending a little extra Christmas cheer to all of you. So whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, the solstice, or just the joy of a new year, please consider this post my handwritten note to you:

Wishing you light in the darkness, warmth in the cold, and a 2026 filled with good post.

I use Tim Holtz rubber stamps every year for my envelopes. You can find the ones I used here, here, and here.

 

If you’d like to take a look at what I’ve done in the past, here are cards from 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024.

 

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My 2025 Halloween Card

 

Years ago, if someone had told me I’d find more joy in sending Halloween cards than Christmas ones, I wouldn’t have believed them. Yet, here I am, completely hooked! Halloween card design comes with far less pressure. Unlike the intense holiday rush in late December, late October feels refreshingly relaxed, giving me more creative freedom. Plus, recipients seem to cherish these spooky cards more than Christmas ones, which often get lost in the holiday shuffle.For my 2025 Halloween cards, I’m thrilled to share a design inspired by the eerie yet captivating Capuchin Catacombs in Palermo, Sicily. As a fan of graveyards, crypts, and catacombs, I was disappointed that I was not able to visit this site during my Italy trip, but its haunting imagery makes the perfect card cover.

 

I had a blast decorating the envelopes with five unique Tim Holtz stamp sets, paired with his striking ink products.I’m so passionate about crafting these cards that I’ve already planned themes for the next three years! I hope you’re as excited for Halloween as I am—here’s to a spooky, creative season!

I haven’t blogged about all of the Halloween cards that I’ve made over the years, but I have about these two. If you’re interested just click on the highlighted links below.

Halloween Card 2024

 Halloween Card 2011