Non-Traditional Christmas

The assignment was an ATC mingle. I little less stress, because you don't have to make a whole whack of ATC's, just one. Send it to the person below you on the list, and the bottom sends to the top! They are so much fun to do. A group I belong to has been doing them throughout the fall, with themes from Back to School, to Holiday Traditions. Our assignment this month was Non-Traditional Christmas. This could include techniques, colors, anything you would not normally associate with a traditional Christmas ATC. I saw a card over at SplitCoastStampers that used non-traditional colors, and it gave me the inspiration for my ATC, which was made for my buddy, Michelle..I like it so much, I may do something similar for my Christmas Cards next year!

I used DCWV Textured Cardstock, Doodlebug Bazzill, and SU! Green Galore Cardstock. Inks were SU! Tempting Turquoise, Green Galore, and Pink Passion. I used the Cutter Kit's distressing tool (SU!) for the edges. Stamps are Snow Flurries from SU's Holiday Mini, and SU's Warm Words. I topped it off with some chalk on the edges, some glitter glue, and a snowflake sequin!

In Memory of Aunt Phyllis

Isn't it funny how a song will bring something to mind instantly?? On the way to church this morning, DS and I heard Vince Gill's song, "Go Rest High". What a beautiful song. The song that they played at my aunt's funeral...The perfect song to play! Her work on earth was over, and she was ready to go meet the Lord. It will be 5 years this week, when she left us all too soon. Her suffering was unimaginable, but she never stopped touching the lives of others. She was such a fabulous Christian, and her faith and love for the Lord is what got her through to the end. She was a spunky little firecracker, a whole 4' 11" tall...but boy, did she pack a punch! You never had to guess what was on her mind, that was for sure! The people in heaven were very fortunate the day Aunt Phil arrived. I sometimes feel sad because she is gone, not for her, but for myself, and the family. But hearing this song makes me so happy to know that she is walking those streets of gold, and "shouting love for the father and the son."

**This is kind of a healing layout. Pics of Aunt Phil growing up, along with the lyrics of the Vince Gill song. There is also a photo of an angel's dress, that I had made for an angel doll I had sewn for her. She LOVED that angel, and now she is one! Thanks everyone, for looking, and I hope this isn't TOO personal!**

Another Thanksgiving Post!

Okay, so I lied! It's something more for Thanksgiving! Here is a Thanksgiving card I made, using Thanksgiving Toile from CTMH. I have a great passion for anything Toile, and have managed to hunt down all the toile sets from SU!....I have seen a couple of Thanksgiving Blog challenges out there, and figured I would tie them in on this post. First of all, I am so thankful this year. I think the older I get, the more clearly I see how important certain things are, and how material things are not so important. I am so thankful for a loving, caring husband, and a polite, giving, helpful son. I have wonderful friends and neighbors, and a great family. Everyone is always so supportive, and willing to lend a helping hand to each other. I am SO thankful to have such a great circle of scrapping/stamping friends, from my Pea girls, to my buds at SCS, Two Peas, Buzz and Bloom, and my own personal group of friends here at home that I have ushered to the dark side! I am thankful that even though times are tough, we have enough to keep us warm, and fed. I am thankful for my new niece, arriving anyday now, along with my other 14 nieces and nephews! I thank the Lord for health and the happiness he gives me every day to go on, and I thank him for all my blessings!

The second challenge was to talk about charities we support. Well, it took a little thinking, but I came up with some that I work with, or support. First off, Samaritan's Purse has a wonderful gift giving program! You can give gifts to impoverished people in different countries, in a loved one's name! From a dozen chickens, to a church, there is a vast price range. Literally a couple of bucks to $50,000.00. The site is www.samaritanspurse.org. Check it out! They will even send you gift cards to give your recipients, so they know what you have given in their name! I am giving in several people's names this holiday season!

Another thing I support, or actually run, is my Wesleyan Church's card ministry! We run off donations of supplies, and money to buy supplies. I, along with my mother and a friend, keep card racks in the community room, and two adult Sunday School Classrooms stocked full of cards. This way if there is a need, it is met! All a person has to do is grab a card, and an envelope, fill it out, and send it! It has been such a blessing to people who are unable to get to church, or have been ill! We have literally made a given away hundreds of cards in the past year and a half!

The last thing the I support, and help with, is a community food pantry. It has really opened my eyes to how hard things are out there. The food shelf is housed in our church, and is run by my mother and father. They feed about a dozen families a week. That includes frozen foods, toiletries, some cleaning products, and food. Usually a box and two bags of goods. The need in the community, and surrounding areas is huge, especially with the holiday season coming up, and the price of fuel so high. People are having to choose between gas/fuel, and food! It is a sad state. So I do what I can to donate, as well as help with pick ups of food at collection sites. Alot of time I am the workhorse, but it really gives me a good feeling, to know I am helping!

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!

More Thanksgiving Day Projects!

Can you handle MORE Thanksgiving goodies? I LOVE Thanksgiving! It is like Christmas, without all the commericalism and extra work! I love to have the parade on in the background, and we always watch The Mouse on the Mayflower! Well, I always watch it! These pics are of a few more projects I did for the big day! I find, at least around here, that there is a really limited selection of Thanksgiving decorations, so I made my
own! Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

One Snoopy, and Five Woodstocks Later!

One more holiday down! These little guys didn't take long at all. About 6 hours from start to finish. The little woodstocks were kind of tricky, with their feathers and skinny necks, but they turned out cute in the end. I got the idea off a computer wallpaper I had! Now to start thinking about Peanuts Christmas!

Christmas Cards Already??

I have known what stamp set I was going to use for my Christmas Cards since before LAST Christmas... SU!'s retired set, A Beautiful Season. Then when I saw the Snow Flurries set in the SU! Holiday Mini, I had to have it. It took me forever to decide on colors, then a design, but this is one I thought of ON MY OWN, not a case! The stamped image is only adhered on the top flap, with a sentiment stamped inside. I am not sure this is the exact finished product, I may attach the punch out from SU!'s word window punch, folded in half, with a brad or eyelet in it, on one of the edges of the card...but I am thinking it does not need any ribbon...I also added a scroll stamp from my friend Michele at Purple Onion Designs, but realized to late that one of the scrolls covers up the image too much, so I will do the smaller image on all 4 corners. I used SU! Chocolate Chip Ink, and SU! Cardstock (Chocolate Chip, Mellow Moss, Cranberry Crisp, and Very Vanilla). So, be honest, what do ya think? Does it need something else? Have a great Monday!