This week I am introducing some new holiday items to my etsy shop.  First up on the list are these newly redesigned Letter from Santa cards.  I am really loving the color combination of aqua and red.  So different from the traditional red and green!  But don't worry...I added some more traditional colors to the line up.  They will be coming up soon.

 What I am loving most about these cards is the additional details I added on to make them extra special.  They are constructed from quality cardstock and patterned paper instead of the tabbed card I used last year.  The envelopes remained the same because I think they're perfect the way they are!

I added shimmery glitter to the swirls on Santa's beard which is hard to tell from the photos, but it looks so pretty in real life.  Why shouldn't Santa have some glimmer?  He is a magical person right?  To bring in some dimension and add to the "special" factor, I also added little tiny red rhinestones for the holly berries in his cap and colored in the leaves to make it pop.

The back of the card also received some special treatment this year.  Overall, the setup remained the same, but I handmade the official seal from the North Pole.  I think it makes it look much more authentic!  

I don't have any children just yet, but I can just imagine a child going up to the mailbox before Christmas and finding this in there with their name on the front.  Can't you just see the surprise and excitement on their face when they see where it's from?  Or to know that they did such a great job this year being nice that they made it to Santa's official list?  

I can still remember when I received my letter from Santa.  It was in a different format, more of a computer printed letter instead of a card, but it was still magical to me.  I was maybe 5 years old and I remember my mom reading the letter to me that night.  A letter from Santa...just for me!  I couldn't believe it.  So many children in the world, and I was one of the ones to receive a handwritten letter from him.  I cherished that piece of paper and would read it often, even when it wasn't Christmas anymore.  This is the feeling I wanted to bring alive again when I made these cards.

Does anyone else remember receiving a letter from Santa in the mail?  Wasn't it magical?