PAINT CHIP BOOKLET SWAP

On the Inky Fun Stampers site (inkyfunstampers-subscribe@yahoogroups.com) we have a "paint chip booklet swap".  I've enclosed only a few photos of how mine will look.  Right now I just wanted to share with you before I put on the "finishing touches". 

I've been working on mine off and on for the past month and it has been a labor of love, but it also  has been an out of the box exhilarating experience also.  When I regain my sanity, I just may make one for my g-g-kids.  You can find these crayola paint chips at your local Ace Hardware Store, and they are free for the taking.  I hope you'll want to make one of these little booklets also.  Please leave me a message if you would care to, but enjoy until next time.

2009 - CHRISTMAS TIME

I've enjoyed making our Christmas cards as you can see in the right photo.  I used regular white card stock, on which I placed gold glossy card stock, and then attached a Lustre Paper from the Paper Temptress line.  (Great card stock and papers and can see the whole line at the following address:

http://www.papertemptress.com )  I then used the leaf punch from Martha Stewart line to compose the Christmas Tree.  I stamped the deer in gold embossing powder (can't remember the name of the powder), from a stamp by Inkadinkado ( www.inkadinkado.com )  on a piece of white card stock and then cut it out and placed it on the card.  I used an I Brake For Stamps  ( www.ibrakeforstamps.com ) "cross" at the top of the tree and attached three (3) small white snow flake buttons.  I finished the inside with personal stamped sayings.

 Next came the trimming of the tree and the wrapping of my "homemade"

goodies.  This to me is the fun part of Christmas.  I placed on our coffee table my home created Native American nativity set which I made out of ceramics whilst living in Arizona.  I became allergic to the dust of the place where I took my classes, so haven't made anything since.

The gifts for the women are on the end table at the left of the tree, which consisted of four servings of homemade hot cocoa placed in a pint canning jars (all you do is add 8 oz. of boiling of water and enjoy while reading the good book).  What looks like tags hanging on the wrappings is actually bookmarks that I made. See photo to the left.  These were fun, and after I had them done it seems that the crosses were not in sync with the other stamped objects, but in reality the crosses are peeking out of the page they are holding for your next visit to the page. 

For some Christmas Presents I baked four (4) different kinds of cookies, one of which was a small batch (M&M cookies) and which was eaten straight away. The others I have managed to save and wrap up for our male guests. In the photo to the right you see me decorating some frosted butter cookies.  I also baked chocolate chip, and Ruth Duffners recipe of Peanut Blossoms.  As I said before the M&M cookies were eaten straight away as the recipe only made 18 cookies - Oh but yummy they were.

My baking is done, as well as I have my Christmas dinner all done, just waiting for our guests to arrive at noon tomorrow to have some fun.  It is now time for me to gather up some pennies with different dates on them to give to our guests.  (You can write me ( huffpede@yahoo.com ) to find out what we'll do with these pennies. Just put in the subject line "pennies" and I'll e-mail you the answer.)

You all have a Blessed Merry Christmas, and may you feel God's love, have peace, and joy to come.  Until next posting......

ITS BEEN WAY TOO LONG

It has been way too long in my posting. I do have a valid reason for not posting sooner. When you are gone from your own computer for 4 months, well I think you know how I feel. We're home now, I have my own studio, my own computer, and more important, my own bed. It was great of our kids to put up with us for so long, and we sincerely appreciate each and everyone of them. We spent a couple of weeks in Iowa getting the Veterans Clinic appointments all set up for my husband and since they were a month away I decided to go to Indiana to visit with my children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. We stayed with my youngest daughter and her husband and had a ball there. We had fun watching this petite little girl (woman), drive her school bus, especially when she would stop on the highway out front, and put the bus in reverse and "fly" backwards to the bus's parking spot. The first time was a "...OMG...", then after that it was just a fun site to watch. While there, we visited an apple orchard getting a half bushel of apples. What do you do with so many apples? Well of course you make and can apple butter. We also bought some Concord grapes and canned grape jelly. Oh, these are so wonderful tasting, and during our long winters they sure will taste good on hot toasted buttered bread and biscuits...yummy for the tummy!!! My daughter was taking the high school marching band to a competition and asked if I would like to go along. I couldn't say No, as it was not only being able to see first hand her handling of the school bus, but also to see my son-in-law (who is the music director of the high school) in action with the high school kids. All I can say is WOW, what a full day this was. It was an amazing day being with the kids on the bus and listening to their chatter. I even got an earful on what they thought of my son-in-law as their teacher - which they couldn't say enough about how he interacts with them and how they all love him. Made me feel very proud of not only my son-in-law, but also of my daughters (one of which is my son-in-laws wife and my very proud daughter/mother of three of my grandchildren). These kids were the greatest in my eyes, but in the judges eyes they weren't. I personally think that the judges need glasses and a bit more non-supportive of another school. But, what the hey, I'm only a very proud mother-in-law is all. We went back to Iowa and started in going to the Veterans Clinic so my husband could get his check-up. He definitely has interstatial (sp) fibrosis, has a scarred heart (no heart attack was found though), and needs a knee replacement. Other than that he is healthy as a horse - yeah right!!! We weren't able to see the eye doctor as he was out ill with the H1N1 Flu virus. To reschedule the appointment meant waiting another month which we couldn't do, so home we came. Since coming home he has gone to the eye doctor here only to find out that he has Glaucoma, and he definitely needs glasses. So, we now have glasses on order for him, and he now has to put drops in his eyes to hopefully relieve the pressure. Ah, it is so good to be home but now I have to put on my running shoes to get ready for our Christmas dinner. I'll post more later this week with some photos too. Here's hoping you all have a very Merry Christmas with Gods love, joy and peace. Stay tuned in for more.