Merry Christmas!

Good morning to my blogger friends and Christmas greetings!  Take a moment to remember why we celebrate, it's not just about the gifts and the food, it's the Savior who came to live among us. 
    Last night my husband and I went to a Christmas program at which my band members were performing.  The three older boys were in a skit about ants.  A man had found an anthill in his garden and he wished to warn the ants that their home would soon be destroyed.  He shouted to them, he left them a note but nothing he did influenced the ants, who continued to go about their ant business.  After some thought the man realized that if he were an ant that they would accept his message, so he became an ant and led them to safety.  Jesus came to live among us so that he could tell us what we need to do to be saved. 
    Sadly, there are still many who do not accept  him.  I hope this Christmas that you know that there is a Holy God who loves you so much that he sent his only Son, Jesus.  Jesus came because we have a sin problem that can only be fixed by accepting Jesus' gift of salvation- not just by being "good".
    So a very Merry Christmas dear friends, may God's love dwell in your home all year!

Minuet

 

Think Spring!

Whew!  I have been on the go all day, making and wrapping presents, baking cookies, taking care of laundry.  But I found time to make a card for the TAC blog hop while the cookies were in the oven.  Spice snap cookies smell SO good and they make the whole house smell yummy.  Oh, back to the blog hop- The theme was to either use Phillis Harris, or Soft Pencil stamps that were in the TAC catalog.  I recently acquired the Soft Pencil set "Brighten Your Day" and it is so cute!  

I stamped the image with Palette Noir ink and colored it with CTMH watercolor pencils.  I embellished it with stickles.  The sentiment "Think Spring"  is from another TAC set "Lots of Words".  The colors on the image are richer than in the photo.  Someday I'm gonna learn how to take good pictures.  So, is it too early to think spring?  Maybe a little early, but we will soon be longing for those spring flowers.

Check out the other creations on the hop and maybe join in.
Have a creative day and MERRY CHRISTMAS!

 

For Unto Us

Greetings dear friends, I guess it's been awhile since I have posted.  I have been busy making Christmas presents and getting our nine bedroom home ready for what we call 2nd Christmas.  We celebrate both Christmas day and the week after so that my sons can also have Christmas with their girlfriends' families.  My sister will also be here and her youngest son and his family.  Probably about 12 guests for overnight.  Good thing we have a huge house!
Do you have all your Christmas cards made and mailed?  My husband has promised to help me today by addressing the envelopes.  He has never helped before so this will be interesting.
So, on to the blog hop:  I recently received my first order of Unity stamps and I was anxious to be able to participate in one of their hops.  This hop is called "Let it Snow".

This was hard to photograph because of all the sparkly stuff.  The background paper is from DCWV Christmas Stack, I spritzed it with some shimmer.  The "snow" is card stock which I ripped and then applied Tulip Glitter Diamond fabric paint, there are three layers so it looks like drifted snow.  The image is "For Unto Us"  from Unity stamped with SU's Soft Suede.  I trimmed around the stable then "fingerpainted" it with gold stickles.  It is tucked behind the first layer of "snow".  The star that was with the stable was too delicate to trim around so I used punches to make the Nativity star- four small maple leaves with silver stickles and a flower with gold stickles.  Of course in the middle is a clear gem.  The other stars and snowflakes have more glitter paint and clear stickles.  Again, I apologize for my lack of photography skills, this looks much better in person.

More Hops:
Quirky crafts
For Fun Challenges
Crafts and Me
Stampin' Sisters in Christ (my birthday is Dec. 26th, and even my mom forgets sometimes lol)
Lollipop Crafts
Totally Gorjuss
The Squirrel and the Fox
Sparkles Forum
Polly Craft

Beautiful Friend

Everybody loves Nina B!  We are having a blog hop to celebrate her designs that were carried by The Angel Company.  I was able to get one of her sets before The Angel Company went out of business, it is called "Beautiful Lace".  It is one of my favorite sets and I use it often.  Nina B now has a line of her designs available through Layers of Color.

 

  

I always head to my scrap bin first and I found light blue cardstock that was card front size.  I used the large doily image with SU's Baja Breeze ink to make a background print.  The flowered paper was also in the scrap bin and I have been wanting to use it 'cause it's pretty.  The end of the piece was just large enough to punch out a decorative label that I used the phrase "Beautiful Friend" on (also in set).  I centered it on another punch and placed a bow over the corner where there was a leaf from the printed paper.  Now you know my secret, but it makes it look like I had a solid to match the dp.  I sponged the edges of the punches with purple ink and mounted them on pop dots to give it dimension (you can't see it in the picture, but it is there).  The ribbons and laces were from my sewing scrap box.  I was disappointed that the colors on my card don't look as beautiful in the pictures as they do in person, but I am not a professional photographer.

Visit the blogs on the hop, {TAC} November Blog Hop: We LOVE Nina B!  (Nina B sets that appeared in TAC's catalog), to see more of Nina B's TAC sets used to create beautiful cards.

Anniversary Blessings

Whimsy and Stars Studio is having their very first Gratitude Blog Hop, so I am hopping along.  When I saw this image I had to have it!  It is perfect for a couple that was married on Thanksgiving day!   My sister and her husband were married on Thanksgiving day November 26th, 1959.  The year I became engaged, Thanksgiving was also on the 26th, so my husband and I were also married on Thanksgiving day, November 26th.  We will celebrate our 30th anniversary this year.  Because thanksgiving does not always fall on the 26th, it seems we usually get to celebrate twice.  The Lord has been good to us and has blessed us with three wonderful sons, each of which now has a girlfriend, all sweet young ladies that we adore.

 
The image is by Mabelle R O and I colored it with CTMH watercolor pencils.  Buckles and buttons are done with a gel pen.  In my vast collection of stamps I apparently have no "Happy Anniversary" or can't find it, so I just made my own on the computer.  Be sure to head over to Whimsy and Stars Studio and check out the hop.  While you are there browse her digis, you are sure to find some that you love!

Other challenges:
Aud Sentiments
Crafty Purple Frog
Penny's Paper-Crafty
Scrapalicious
The Sisterhood of Crafters
Whimsical Designs
Lollipop Crafts
Sparkles Forum
Crafty Catz 
Sentimental Sundays

Oh Happy Day

Here's a birthday card for a fall birthday, this is for my sister in law.  I dipped into my stash of music paper for the background and found a remnant, then in my scrap box I found the polka-dot strip, and the cream colored strip, and the green mat.  The pumpkin digi is from Beccy's Place.  Beccy posts a lot of free digis and she has a generous angel policy.  The sentiment is from "Oh Happy Day" by TAC.

Linked to the following blogs:

Crafts and Me

For Fun Challenges

The Sweet Shop
Simply Create 
Sparkles Forum

Is it getting cold?

Jack Frost has started to decorate my car in the morning and there are Christmas movies on TV.  Definitely time for winter cards.  At a recent trip to a dollar store, I found some snowflake ornaments.  Always thinking about crafts, I, of course, bought some.  So here is my card, a white on white attempt, with the ornament:

No stamps were used on this card, just texture plates.  A little blue ink was sponged on to define edges and make "Warm Wishes" easier to read.  I added a little extra shimmer with Studio G glitter glue.

Hopping with:
CASual Fridays
Our Daily Bread Designs 
Crafty Catz 
Joyful Stamper
Fresh Brewed Designs
Paper Take Weekly
Pollycraft
Winter Wonderland

Teal!

My elbow is starting to feel better and I have been back to creating today.  This card is for the Do You Stack Up? blog, where the challenge was to use teal, and Card Patterns #140

The only stamp I used on this card was "Fine Lace" by SU, it was used to give a pattern to the large horizontal piece.  A circle was punched to reveal the word "Romance" which was printed on patterned paper.  Tatted lace, teal ribbon, a small teal tag, fabric flowers, and small teal gems finish the card. 

Be sure to take a peek at the other cards entered, they are fabulous!