Christmas Cards

[ellenmillion]

The apocalypse is near. Nigh at hand, even. I have printed, colored, folded and packed Christmas cards. I can't remember the last time I did this. I haven't done it for everyone, not hardly, not even half of you good folks who deserve them will get them, but having done ANY is a minor miracle worthy of note. I agreed, a few months back, in a fit of stupidity, to an exchange with a dozen or so others, and Actually Got Them Done.

I am not as happy with this accomplishment as you might think.

First, I was going to paint something new. (This is as much because I honestly can't remember what random cards I've already sent to people, and chances are good that I'd manage to double up. Even though I've only sent, what, 6 Christmas cards over the last 10 years. My luck is like that.)

So, yeah, as you might expect, a brand new design didn't happen.

Then, I found a design I did a few years back that I've been too blonde to remember to put up at EMG. Just linework though. 'I'll hand-color everyone's cards this year!' I said in optimistic, bubbly fashion.

The first one, I colored the candy cane, and the skin and the hair and the cute little dress and the holly-wings and the stockings. This was great! I was going to send out the best cards this year! The second one, I colored a little less carefully, 'cause my hand was already cramping. Also, I wasn't happy with my coloring job in general, or the pencils on the card paper, I'm just not that good at color and I was getting bored with green and red. The third one, I was not liking the linework too much - I kept finding flaws I'd missed when I inked it. I didn't color the dress. The fourth one I only colored the candy cane and the striped tights. By the fifth one, I was hating the design, only coloring the candy cane, and detesting Christmas. Whose stupid idea was it to send hand colored Christmas cards, anyway?

Anyway, if you get one, I hope you appreciate how much willpower it took to suck it up and send them anyway. Merry frakking Christmas.

*grinches off to put more wood in the stove*

Comments

[arison.livejournal.com]

Awww. I've done that too, if it helps any. My hands still don't work quite right.
For what it's worth, I'm proud of your accomplishment.

[pixiewildflower.livejournal.com]

Merry frakking Christmas to you too!

[starrydance.livejournal.com]

Christmas Cards! <3

I got your package today, but I went ahead and stuck it under the tree - We havent wrapped presents yet so I wrapped a ribbon around the box! Haha!

But I DID shake it to see if it was ... ... well I dunno! No clues there!

*gets out the detective kit*

[jenelycam.livejournal.com]

Awww...Ellen. *HUGS TIGHT* I could NEVER hand color a bunch of cards. I'd have to shoot myself first. That said, I hand embellished over 100 with iridescent medium. Maybe I should've shot myself instead? :P

[cynnalia.livejournal.com]

*lol* I'm sorry to laugh but your post is great...I can totally image the bubbly optimism slowly morphing into "what the frak was I thinking?!" I had a hard time finishing my Christmas card and even when I was about 85% done I still kept saying, "bugger this for a lark...I can just say I've got a really big head-start on my 2008 cards." But yes...slogging through wins the day! *hugs*

Oh, and I'm tickled pink that I've finally watched BSG so I get your fraking reference...LOL

[celticwren.livejournal.com]

I have cards from last year that I never got around to sending out, due to moving, sitting around somewhere... I don't think cards are in the cards this year for me, too busy working on stuff I've been procrastinating on all year. Some years I wish that I could get away with cards that I haven't drawn. :p