My family and I are very into Christmas. We like the ritual associated with the festival and it's because of this fascination, I designed and wrote Paper Angels.
Illustration from Paper Angels by Emma Calder
Since my children were both very small, they have always made all their own Christmas cards. If you look carefully at the night time spread (above) in Paper Angels, you can see some tiny little Christmas cards that my daughter made. Most years I scan in my children's Christmas creations and these came in very handy, when I came to do this illustration. I just popped them into the drawing using my computer.
Christmas Cards by Coco Cripps at age eleven, 2007
In our house my children generally begin making their cards in October. That's weeks of concentrated activity after school, which I don't even have to supervise any more, I just provide the materials and the right sort of encouragement.
Between the two of them this year, they have made over 60 cards so far and below are a few of my nine year old boy's. I gave him glue, stickers, coloured paper and envelops bought second hand on a car boot fair and he used his own good quality colouring pencils.
Christmas cards by Oliver Cripps age nine
When my daughter and her best friend were in year four or five they started a Christmas Card workshop every day at their primary school, this was a great success and meant that everyone got lovely home made cards instead of boring, shop bought ones.
So get the cotton wool and glitter out and have fun!
And here is a card I made with Oliver when he was two or three. It's a fold up card see if you can work out how it goes. Clue, you cut the rectangles out...
Santa card by Emma Calder circa 2003
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