Snowflake Mittens

Yesterday was Ashley's birthday. I got her age right this year (37) of which she was glad.  She and Sonny went out early to finish up their Christmas shopping.  When they got back home, Ashley and I went out to finish up the loose ends in our Christmas shopping and baking.  We met Sonny for lunch at Purple Garlic (yummy meatball sandwich!!).  Sonny and Ashley did their annual baking of sausage balls while I made some chocolate pretzels and marinated mushrooms.  We went out for dinner at Josephine's for steaks.  So it was a pretty quiet day but we squeezed a lot into it!

Our cats are still taking a wide berth but they are tolerating each other at least and we are not having to keep them shut up and separated any more.  Here is a video I took today of them that is really cute!

And a little more Christmas trivia for you .....

There is one Christmas Carol that has always baffled me. What in the world do leaping lords, French hens, swimming swans, and especially the partridge who won't come out of the pear tree have to do with Christmas? 

From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics. It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember. 

• The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ. 
• Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.
• Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.
• The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.
• The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.
• The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.
• Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit--Prophesy, Serving, Teaching,Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.
• The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.
• Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit--Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.
• The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.
• The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.
• The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.

 So there is your history for today. This knowledge was shared with me and I found it interesting and enlightening and now I know how that strange song became a Christmas Carol...so pass it on if you wish.

OK - now for a card I made: 
I love the Perfectly Preserved set and how versatile it is!  Here is a Christmas card I made using the set.  I stamped the jar with Bashful Blue ink on vellum and stamped a snowflake in the center with White craft ink and embossed in white.  The mittens are cut out with a die that I have had for several years (Spell-binders I think) but SU has a mitten punch that could be used also.  I stamped and embossed the snowflake onto the mittens as well. 

This Snowman is for you!

Enjoy - Click HERE

Rudolph

The True Story of  Rudolph

A man named Bob May, depressed and brokenhearted, stared out his drafty apartment window into the chilling December night.

His 4-year-old daughter Barbara sat on his lap quietly sobbing. Bob's wife, Evelyn, was dying of cancer. Little Barbara couldn't understand why her mommy could never come home. Barbara looked up into her dad's eyes and asked, "Why isn't Mommy just like everybody else's Mommy?" Bob's jaw tightened and his eyes welled with tears. Her question brought waves of grief, but also of anger. It had been the story of Bob's life. Life always had to be different for Bob.

Small when he was a kid, Bob was often bullied by other boys. He was too little at the time to compete in sports. He was often called names he'd rather not remember. From childhood, Bob was different and never seemed to fit in. Bob did complete college, married his loving wife and was grateful to get his job as a copywriter at Montgomery Ward during the Great Depression. Then he was blessed with his little girl. But it was all short-lived. Evelyn's bout with cancer stripped them of all their savings and now Bob and his daughter were forced to live in a two-room apartment in the Chicago slums. Evelyn died just days before Christmas in 1938.

Bob struggled to give hope to his child, for whom he couldn't even afford to buy a Christmas gift. But if he couldn't buy a gift, he was determined to make one - a storybook! Bob had created an animal character in his own mind and told the animal's story to little Barbara to give her comfort and hope. Again and again Bob told the story, embellishing it more with each telling. Who was the character? What was the story all about? The story Bob May

created was his own autobiography in fable form. The character he created was a misfit outcast like he was. The name of the character? A little reindeer named Rudolph, with a big shiny nose. Bob finished the book just in time to give it to his little girl on Christmas Day. But the story doesn't end there.

The general manager of Montgomery Ward caught wind of the little storybook and offered Bob May a nominal fee to purchase the rights to print the book. Wards went on to print, “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and distribute it to children visiting Santa Claus in their stores. By 1946 Wards had printed and distributed more than six million copies of Rudolph. That same year, a major publisher wanted to purchase the rights from Wards to print an updated version of the book.

In an unprecedented gesture of kindness, the CEO of Wards returned all rights back to Bob May. The book became a best seller. Many toy and marketing deals followed and Bob May, now remarried with a growing family, became wealthy from the story he created to comfort his grieving daughter. But the story doesn't end there either.

Bob's brother-in-law, Johnny Marks, made a song adaptation to Rudolph. Though the song was turned down by such popular vocalists as Bing Crosby and DinahShore , it was recorded by the singing cowboy, Gene Autry. "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" was released in 1949 and became a phenomenal success, selling more records than any other Christmas song, with the exception of "White Christmas."

The gift of love that Bob May created for his daughter so long ago kept on returning back to bless him again and again. And Bob May learned the lesson, just like his dear friend Rudolph, that being different isn't so bad. In fact, being different can be a blessing.

Joyous Celebration

ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETARY

Rest easy, sleep well my brothers.

Know the line has held, your job is done.

Rest easy, sleep well.

Others have taken up where you fell, the line has held.

Peace, peace, and farewell

The wreaths on the graves -- some 5,000 -- are donated by the Worcester Wreath Co. of Harrington, Maine . The owner, Merrill Worcester, not only provides the wreaths, but covers the trucking expense as well. He's done this since 1992. A wonderful guy. Also, most years, groups of Maine school kids combine an educational trip to DC with this event to help out. Making this even more remarkable is the fact that Harrington is in one of the poorest parts of the state.

Here is a Christmas card I made.  I used the embossing plate on a piece of DSP and sanded it slightly. 

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas!

One week from today and Christmas will be over!  The time is running out and I still need to shop!!  Hopefully I can get a little done today and a lot done when Ashley and I go out later in the week when she is off work. 

We have arrived in San Antonio no worse for wear.   The trip has been interesting so far and with the cats in the picture, I know the next couple of weeks will be the same!  We arrived in Dallas last Thursday afternoon.  Margaret and Graham came by and picked me up and I went with them to their daughter's house.  I had never met Samantha's twins, Jake and Morgan and they are already 5!!  Such cuties!  After a quick visit, we met Sonny for BBQ back in Grapevine.  On Friday we met our good friends, Don and Sharon for a long lunch (Mexican, of course) and a  nice visit.  Then on Saturday, I had a 3 1/2 hour lunch with some of my girlfriends that I used to work with and my bunco-playing buddies!  It was so great to catch up with each other.  Sunday we headed over to "Jerry Jones land" aka, Cowboys Stadium.  All I have to say about that is .... it was an exciting game.  Just wish the outcome had been in the Steelers favor.   The Steelers fans outnumbered the Cowboys fans in the stadium and we saw a lot of Terrible Towels waving in the wind!  It was a beautiful sight!  Our seats were great - we were about 15 rows up from the field in the corner of the end field.  I have the best daughter in the world - she got us good seats .... if she could only have assured us a win!!

After a visit with our financial planner Monday morning and another quick visit with one of Jeff's old high school friends (who still calls me Mama!), we hit the road to San Antonio.  Sammy traveled most of the trip great but she was pretty restless on the final leg.  I finally got in the back seat with her and she settled down.  We stopped off in Austin to see our friend, Heidi and her 11 week old baby, Reed.  Awww - so adorable!  She is doing good with him and it is amazing to see her as a mom! 

We arrived at Ashley's house and after unpacking let the two cats meet each other .... not good!  Ashley's cat, Bogart does not meow - she is a mute cat but she has her claws.  Sammie does not have claws but she can definitely hiss and bite.  They just do not get along!  So at night, they sleep with their respectable owners and we shut our doors.  During the day and evening, we take turns letting one of them have the run of the house.  Although Sammi is pretty scared to even come out of our bedroom.  She spends most of the day curled up on the bed.  I really don't know what to do about it and hope they work out their differences and at least tolerate being in the same room.  Last night while we were watching tv, Sammie came out into the den.  Bogart was on the couch with Ashley & Sonny so Sammie came and sat in my lap.  Ashley had to hold on to Bogart to make him stay there.  Sammie didn't have any interest in going over to see Bogart.  And just now, Sammie & Sonny were still asleep when Bogart pushed his way into the room.  All I heard out here was hissing!  Sammie had crawled in her carrier and Bogart was trying to get her to come out and play.  Poor Sammie - she has never been around other cats so she is really scared.  Guess we'll just have to keep them separated while I'm here letting them take turns wandering around the house.  Anyone else have any experience with this? 

Ok - how about a little Christmas trivia on Christmas Cards!  I finally got mine in the mail this week - I was mailing them along the way as I finished them.

The first commercial Christmas card produced was in London in 1843. John Callcott Horsley produced them for Sir Henry Cole. The scene depicted both adults and children, sipping wine and having a spirited time. It was a bit controversial but proved to be a lucrative endeavor. The cards, a total of 2,050, sold for a shilling each. One of these cards sold in a 2001 public auction for about $36,062.80 in American dollars!

The early Christmas cards rarely depicted snow or religious scenes. They leaned more towards flowers, fairies, and other fanciful designs depicting the oncoming of spring. Again following the earlier traditions of Winter Solstice! Humorous and sentimental images of children and animals became popular as well as elaborate designs, shapes and decorations.

Louis Prang produced the first American Christmas card in 1875 in Boston, MA. Sometimes he is referred to as the “Father of the American Christmas card.” For graphic designers, you should know who this man was. He produced many beautiful lithographs for various items … books, postcards, cards, maps, etc. Actually he started in wood and steel engravings and then went to lithography. At first this was a very lucrative business for him but then printers came out with cheaper reproductions, ending this aspect of his business. He is also known for his endeavors to improve art education in the US, publishing instructional books, and creating a foundation to train art teachers.

Towards the end of the Victorian period, postcards became very popular. But by the 1920’s, cards and envelopes returned as the popular preference. During World Wars I and II, many cards were produced with a patriotic theme. During the 1950’s more humorous and risqué cards hit the market. The only prevailing type of card that has remained popular are the home-made, or hand-made, cards. Producing the cards was a family tradition right along with decorating the tree, exchanging gifts, singing carols, etc. Many often accepted the card to be the gift as it was made, not produced, from the heart and carried a high sentimental meaning. Consensus was hand-made cards started due to economic reasons. Now many produce these for artistic reasons or to avoid the commercialization of Christmas.

Stylin' Snowfolks Treat Box

One popular tradition of Christmas is singing Christmas carols. These traditions have their origins in the past well before the terminology “Christmas Carols” was actualized. Most of the popular carols were written in the 19th century and were sung from house to house near the Christmas season. The Church adopted this tradition in the 1820’s, giving these songs a greater sense of reverence. Hence the term “Christmas Carols” was born.

 

Popular Christmas Carols, their author, and the year they were written –

• Away in the Manger – James Murray – 1885
• Deck the Hall’s – John Perry Ddall – 1784
• God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen – author unknown – most likely written in the 1700’s
• Hark the Herald Angels Sing – Felix Mendelssohn – 1840
• I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day – Henry Longfellow – 1863
• It Came Upon a Midnight Clear – Edmund Sears – 1849
• Jingle Bells – James Pierpont – 1857
• Joy to the World – Isaac Watts – 1719
• Messiah – George Frideric Handel - 1741
• O Christmas Tree – Ernst Anschutz – 1824
• O Come All Ye Faithful – John Wade et al – 1200’s
• O Come, O Come Emanuel – John Mason Neale – mid 1800’s
• O Holy Night – Adolphe Adam – 1847
• O Little Town of Bethlehem – Phillips Brooks – 1865
• Silent Night – Joseph Mohr – 1816
• The First Noel – Davies Gilbert – 1700’s
• Twelve Days of Christmas – author unknown – 1500’s
• We Wish you a Merry Christmas – author unknown – 1500’s

  

 

 

STYLIN’ SNOWFOLKS BOX

1. Cut two Scallop Envelopes from Pool Party card stock
2. Cut two additional pieces of Pool Party card stock 3 1/4 x 8 1/4".  Score both pieces with long side along top of Simply Scored Tool at 2 3/8".
3. Adhere the envelope tabs together with Sticky Strip side by side alternately with long pieces to form the sides of the box (line up the score lines across the bottom).
4. Before adhering the last tab, stamp the small snowflake in Stylin' Snowfolks randomly over the sides with ink.
5. Punch the holes at the top of long pieces with Extra Large Oval Punch.
6. Adhere final tab to form box and fold flaps up on bottom to form box base.
7. Decorate the sides with Designer Paper…add the stamped Stylin' Snowfolk snowman and Tags Til Christmas greeting to the front with the Scallop Square Punch.
8. Add a Silver Glimmer snowflake from the Snow Flurry Die to the top of the box front.
9. Tie a pretty bow to hold the box top closed.

Christmas Cracker

The first Christmas Tree lit with electrical lights was in 1882. Edward H Johnson, an associate of inventor Thomas Edison, was Vice-President of the Edison Electric Light Company, which is now known as Con Edison. Johnson had bulbs the size of walnuts, hand wired, in red, blue and white specially made for him. They were initially called Christmas Tree Lamps! The tree was in his private home on Fifth Avenue in New York City. Most newspapers ignored this phenomenon considering it a marketing ploy. The story was published in a Detroit newspaper which dubbed him as the “Father of Electric Christmas Lights.” By 1900, businesses started stringing lights in their windows. For the average person, this was still an expensive decoration. Up until 1930, candles were still used in most homes, and then lights started becoming the majority replacement in most homes.

In 1895, President Grover Cleveland proudly displayed the first electrically lit tree in the White House. It was a huge tree featuring more than 100 multicolored lights. The first commercially manufactured Christmas tree lamps were produced by General Electric Co of Harrison, NJ. They were strings of multiples 8 sockets and each socket took a miniature two-candela carbon-filament lamp. From that point on electrically illuminated Christmas trees, but only indoors, grew with mounting enthusiasm in the United States and elsewhere.

Thanks to Andrea Walford for this Christmas Cracker project.

1. Using tissue paper: Put the tissue paper in front of you with the shortest side facing you. Fold it up in half to find the half way point and then open it back up again.  Take the bottom end and fold it up to the center line you just created. Then rotate the paper around so you have the other end in front of you and do the same thing (fold up to the center).   So at this point, each side has been folded up to the center.  Now, take the side you have and fold it up to the center again, then rotate it and fold the other side up to the center as well.  Be sure to smooth out all sides each time to you do it.  Then, fold the paper in half one final time. 

2. Cut along the bottom (non-folded side) of the folded piece of tissue paper, using paper snips or Fringe scissors. Repeat with the second folded piece of tissue paper.

3. Wrap the first piece of tissue paper around one end of the toilet paper roll, sticking it to the roll as you wrap, using Tombow multi-purpose liquid glue. Trim off any excess tissue paper, using paper snips. Allow time to dry.

4. . Gather the tissue paper fringes and tie a 6” piece of baker’s twine around the tissue paper. Trim the ends of the baker’s twine.

5. Fill the toilet paper roll with small candy or small toys. Stuff a coffee filter or a tissue in the end, to keep the candy/toys from falling out.

6. Repeat steps 3 and 4 for the other side of the Christmas cracker. (You can remove the coffee filter or tissue from the toilet paper roll just before you wrap the 6” piece of baker’s twine around the tissue paper.)

7. Sticka3 ¾” x 6” piece of  DSP to the toilet paper roll, using  liquid glue.

8. Stick a 6 ½” piece of  ribbon around the Christmas cracker, covering the seam between the DSP and the tissue paper using sticky strip. Repeat on the second side, using the second 6 ½” piece of  ribbon.

9. Wrap a 12” piece of  ribbon around one end of the gathered tissue paper and tie it into a bow. Trim the ends. Repeat on the second side with the second 12” piece of ribbon.

10. Stamp the greeting onto a scrap piece of Whisper White CS.

11. Align the greeting in the window of the Extra Large Oval punch and punch it out.

12. Punch out a label from a scrap piece of cardstock, using the Designer Label punch.

13. Center and stick the punched out greeting onto the label, using Tombow multi-purpose liquid glue. 

14. Stick the matted greeting on the Christmas label, using sticky strip. 

Clearance!!

Stampin' Up cleared out their warehouse and put them on the Clearance list.  Lots of new CLEARANCE items have just been added.  Click HERE to see all the new goodies added to Stampin' Up!
Ribbon – Punches – Stamp Sets – Embellishments, Big Shot Dies, etc! and while you are in there, add your last minute favorites from the Holiday Mini Catalog, as it ends soon.

Tea Lights Box and Flower Holder

We've arrived .... in Dallas that is.  We spent last night in Shreveport, LA which used to be one of our favorite hang-outs when we lived in Texas.  We liked to spend a weekend there at the casinos - back before the economy went south and we had money.  It only took us about 1 1/2 hours at the blackjack table to lose a couple hundred dollars!  I was done but Sonny went to another casino after dinner and won a little bit of our money back!

Sammie is getting used to the traveling I think!  I've been worried about her because she hasn't eaten or drank anything since we left NC.  But tonight when we got in the room and she had checked the place out, she drank some water and ate a little bit.  

Here is one of my favorite things to make at Christmas time.  They are great to give as small gifts.

E-Z TEA LIGHTS CANDLE BOX

·        For the box bottom - cut a 3-3/4x8-1/4" piece.

·        Your longest score lines are at 1/2", 1-1/8", 2-5/8", & 3-1/4"

·        Your short score lines are at 1/2", 1-1/8", 7-1/8", & 7-3/4"

·        Cut out the shaded areas and on the cut line to make flaps.

·        Decorate box as desired.

·        Crease all folds well with bone folder.

·        Apply sticky strip to the 4 outer most sections and assemble to box.

·        For the box cover – cut a 5x6" piece of card stock. 

·        Score lines will be 6" long side -  5/8", 2-1/4", 2-7/8", & 4-1/2".  (see picture below)

·        Crease folds well with bone folder and put sticky strip on one edge flap.

·        Decorate inside if desired. 

·        Peel the sticky strip and wrap cover around box, adhere flaps together. 

The box opened

EMBOSSED FLOWER CANDLE HOLDER

 The Fun Flower Sizzix die is used to make the holder using hardware flashing material.  Cut out with the die & Big Shot and emboss.  Put a "glob" of glue in the center to hold all together.

 

CANDLES:

·        Fold a piece of tissue paper into 4 layers, and sandwich between 2 layers of copy paper (to make it easy to punch – you don’t need the copy paper when you are done.) Punch out 1-3/8" circles.  Leave it between the copy paper layers and punch 3 times in the center with the 1/16" punch to make a hole big enough for the wick to fit thru.

·        Stamp tissue paper with desired images and color with markers.

·        Slide tissue paper over the wick onto top of the tealight.

·        Put tealight down!  Do not hold for this step.  Heat top of tea light  with heat gun until the tissue  paper melts into the wax.  All done! 

Paper Craft Sketch #20

We made it to Tuscaloosa yesterday with no problems.  Sammie did quite well in the car all that time.  Our complaint was that she wanted to sit in Sonny's lap or look out his window while he was driving!  Sammie has never sat in his lap or had too much to do with him so that was rather odd!  But most of the time she sat either in my lap or on the console between us.  And each time we stopped for gas, to eat, etc.  she got in her carrier without any trouble.  I snuck (?) her in the hotel last night and she had fun exploring it.

Today is 12/12/12. A significant date to be sure … a sequential date like this will not be seen again until 989 years!!!! That would be 01/01/01 or January 1, 3001.  Don't think we will see it!  Wonder what the world will be like then - any guesses?

Back to holiday trivia/news:   Did you know … holly wreaths are universal symbols? Ancient Druids and Pagan cultures believed holly had magical properties because they stayed green all year long. They would often wear sprigs and berries for this reason. Later on when Christianity took hold, holly wreaths became popular. It is said the sharp leaves and round shape represent the Crown of Thorns and the red berries represent the blood of Christ. Either way, holly and berries have been a holiday tradition longer than there’s been a Christmas!

Here is my sketch for the Paper Craft Crew #20!  It is a great sketch this week and we also did a color challenge - Crumb Cake, Bashful Blue and Red for the holidays.  I did a card that is supposed to be a stamper's wish list!!  What is on your list?

Here is the link to the other cards created by the Crew - check them out.