1993 – Book In A Box – The first version of 7 Sleeps Until Christmas became popularly known among the recipients as the “Book In A Box”. Unable to find a publisher, he assembled the letters in two limited editions – handwriting them with a fountain pen and printing them on hand-embossed Santa letterhead for presentation in a customized wooden box. The first version was created in an edition of five and was printed on handmade paper, fabricated under the guidance of Edmonton paper artist, Barb Pankratz. The second edition was printed on high quality bond paper in a series of 55. The boxes were stamped on the ‘slider cover’ and on one side (to emulate the spine of a book) with water soluble oil paints using handmade linocuts by local artist Chris Carson. Printmaker Doris Freadrich provided her studio for the several weeks’ worth of evenings and weekends, and the project was completed with the assistance of his father, Bill, as well as Chris and Doris – each “book” required 11 impressions: three for the ‘box’, and eight for the letters, as well as well as assembly and numbering in a card stock ‘wrapper’ in the box. Once completed, he gave the 60 copies to friends – mostly those with Santa-age children.
1997-98 – Countdown Calendar – In 1997, he began work on an illustrated version which would lend itself to printing technology. He hired Edmonton illustrator Cindy Revell, and completed a prototype of the eight ‘letters’, assembling them in a coil-bound, ‘countdown calendar’ format for that Christmas, and distributed a few to parents for ‘kid-testing’. The next year, he made final revisions and distributed 7 Sleeps Until Christmas for Christmas – Chapters (the forerunner of Indigo) bought the book nationally for their 65 stores. That year, 7 Sleeps sold in the Top Five of children’s books in Edmonton and Calgary. It is still available in Edmonton from the Edmonton Art Gallery gift shop, which also carries his silver jewelry.
1999 – Mentors television program for the Family Channel – Season 1 (of 4), Episode 9 – February 6, 1999 – “The Presence of St. Nicholas”, featuring the 7 Sleeps Until Christmas letter, ‘the Joy of Giving’. Produced for Minds Eye – directed by Arvi Liimatainen and written by Peter Lapres.
2002 – CBC Radio – broadcast of Adams reading 7 Sleeps Until Christmas in his ‘Santa’ voice, beginning December 18, and continuing in the countdown calendar format. The audio was produced by Allan Boss of CBC Calgary, and was syndicated to CBC’s national network.
2011 – iPad App – Interactive application version of the book, including Adams reading the stories in his ‘Santa’ voice, and introducing a search game for the “Hoofs Who” biographies. Distributed in the Apple Store. as part of the Lung Association of Alberta&NWT Christmas Seals Campaign, produced by Adams and Fission Media. The launch also included a YouTube video produced and narrated by Tom Dodd of Fission Media.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xA52VNjp0H8
2021 – iPad App – updated with new requirements for the Apple Store by Adams and Digital Fractal Technologies Inc.
About the Authors
Background – Stuart Adams
Stuart Adams is an Edmonton writer who has worked as a journalist and business communicator since the early ‘80s – all to support his arts interests: literary, visual and music. Primarily a writer, he has written poetry, short stories, numerous types of reviews, and he is currently working with a publisher to release a couple of Young Adult novels.
His interest Santa Claus stretches back to when he became a teenage Santa Claus as a 17-year-old high school student. Working at his father’s Orange Julius stand at the beginning of the Christmas season in shopping mall, he was enlisted for the season when they had a problem with their Santa. The eight letters that became “7 Sleeps Until Christmas” stemmed from another stint as Santa Claus.
In the visual arts, he’s a registered silversmith and creates jewelry which is currently showing at the Art Gallery of Alberta gift shop. His work is abstract and he also had an exhibition of abstract silver relief sculptures. As a harmonica player, he has played in duos, trios and bands in Central Alberta and British Columbia
Background – Cindy Revell
As a child I was a dreamer who spent a lot of time with books, art and my imagination – I still do. Art was the only thing I seriously considered as a career and it suits this creative self perfectly!
Art is where my imagination meets the canvas. My work morphed through years of illustrating calendars, magazines, packaging, books and childrens’ books all over North America. The illustration would strongly influence the exuberant oil paintings that I create today. They include inquisitive birds, flowers and pattern as common elements in a menagerie of uncommonly coloured creatures. These characters come to life in gardens, interiors and still lifes.
Inspiration comes from the past and from what is around me daily. The Dutch artists and numerous old masters, primitivism and folk art with its informal spontaneity and the pattern and design of medieval, Asian and eastern art intrigue me. In my daily life inspiration can be something as simple as the flowers in my country garden or the pistachio colour of an aspen trunk in the rain.
It all comes together in a vibrant mix that implies ‘what if’ and ‘anything is possible’.
Background – Fission Media
At Fission Media we use top local professionals on all our projects. In this way, you get the talent and experience required along with quick and precise interactions.
Tom Dodd is a founder and president of Fission Media. He is the creative lead and producer on all of our projects. Tom has over 20 mobile apps and 400+ TV programs to his credit plus a dozen or more documentaries for such companies as the BBC, NFB, Access TV, CBC and ITV (UK), – many of them award winners.
Prior to forming Fission, Tom was half owner and Executive Producer for Critical Fusion, a multimedia company. Though he is still very active in video production, his main focus is now on mobile. His experience in business and both the digital and film industries serve as the foundation for the development of well-managed, diverse new and exciting mobile applications.