"The Little Angel"

Just days before Christmas, maybe December 23, I still had 20 cards to make-a bout of strep throat the week before Christmas will put you down in a hurry and you don't want to make anything! I came up with this idea on my own, finally an original thought. The stamp is from Stampington and was stamped in Versafine Green-not sure of the name-onto Beckett Expressions Candlelight, edges cut with deckle scissors, edged with gold, layered to decorative paper and adhered to green cardstock.

"My little chick-a-dee"

I barely did anything without my friends help this year-it was a needful thing and they were very helpful and so talented, lucky me! Chickadee stamp was done in Versafine Black Onyx, I think, colored with Prismacolor pencils on Beckett Expressions Prairie. Cut to size, edged with gold pen, layered onto red cardstock and then to decorative paper edged with gold and adhered to green folded card. There's a pattern here, birds, gold edges, decorative paper, etc, I told y'all I needed help this year!

Simple Joy

This card is another from my friends. Stamp from Michael's and I can't remember who made it right now. Colored with Marvy Markers onto Beckett Expressions Prairie, cut to size, edged with gold pen, layered onto red cardstock. 'Joy' ribbon from Michael's dollar bin was a find and cut into lengths and frayed, then adhered to red cardstock. All pieces layered onto decorative paper and then onto green card.

A look at my Christmas cards for 2008

I'm late doing this, too. I made several different designs this year thanks to a couple of friends that let me share a stamping day back in November, I think. Jimmie, by running bud, and our friend, Noi, had a wonderful couple of days stamping and playing and chatting, which was needed by all.

This first card is "Cardinal Joy" from an SU set. Stamped with Versafine Sepia, colored with Prismacolor pencils with highlights added with a glitter pen. Sentiment is from Penny Black embossed with JudiKins bronze powder all layer onto decorative paper.

Winter at the Lake

I finally made a card to post and think I have it in the right spot! I tried to copy one of Michelle Zindorff's masterpieces, http://zindorf.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/ and hope I've done some justice. I changed up and did my 'stippling' as I can not get the hang of the brayer. I also have an awful time following directions and Michelle gives fantastic ones-I just have a brain block on following them and some things were done before they should be and I do see the reason why now, I know where the icky parts are. Hope you enjoy.

To finish last year or start over now!?

I had ended by saying I would start back blogging and posting photos and finally today, January 7 , 2009 I've done that.My family and I made it through birthdays without Daddy, Thanksgiving without him and Christmas without his physical presense, but he was so with us and I know will continue to be, I'm thankful for that. We were able to cry some hard tears when looking at photos and then when looking again we had some good stories and some great laughs, I like those best.

We also had our 2 sons come for a weekend with their children and one wife and my in-laws came too to see the children. We have some very pretty kids if I do say so. Charles and LilyAnne who is 18 months old came first and were just delightful, kids that age are just fun, fast but fun. She was shown how quickly ornaments will come off the tree and that when chased giggling is pretty much required by all. She is such a happy child with curly hair that gives her an impish look.

Loren, Cari and Alexcia,8, and Jansen, 3, came the next day and the race was on! Three year olds are BUSY all time. Alexcia is such a sweet patient child and quite the beauty-can you hear granny pride in this anywhere! Jansen is a doll, who looks so much like his Daddy did at that age, gorgeous skin tones and sparkling mischievous eyes that need no words.

Our daughter, Ashley and her husband, Jude came over the first night for a visit with Charles and LilyAnne and were excited to have her to themselves and the play started, it didn't take long before the tree didn't look quiet the same, remember me mentioning how the ornaments could be eased off the tree amid laughter!!! Such fun.

Peep and Jeff, my in-laws were delighted to be able to visit as they see the children maybe once a year or year and a half. Their visit was very special and pictures were taken to remember it by.

Now it's the new year, we have survived the head, throat, chest, ear invasions and now just cough at times and have the weakness that goes with it. That too will soon be over because I

see a road trip coming up-Mesquite ScrapandStamp Convention and my friend has us both signed up-yippee! She signs us up, I drive and we get there in due time. I'm sure we will spend some money and learn some new things and come home and make everything possible-NOT-or at least we never have. Bought the things, yes, leaned some things, yes, do them later, I think probably not!

That's it for my catching up for now. Who knows, I may remember something that y'all need to know and I would hate for y'all to miss something I know, wouldn't be right.

Later,

b