In Celebration of 1500th post, I'm hosting a Giveaway!

Little did I know when I started my blog three years ago in December that I would find so much to share with everyone! At first my blog began as a way to stay in touch with my out-of-state family and friends, then as a way to share my art, and now as way to share all the contents of my heart! I'm so thankful for each and everyone of you who visits, posts a comment, shoots me an email --- in fact, I love reading your comments, visiting your blogs, and sharing in your lives. I have truly been blessed! In my little corner of the world, so many of you have became the world to me!

In honor of that {and my 5000th blog post - I'm still amazed at that!}, I want to host my first ever blog giveaway. So here's the details:

Leave a comment here on this post, then on Tuesday, January 1st, I will use a general number generator to choose the recipient of the above gifts. This gift contains: a favorite Christmas tin, a wine glass holding a glittered tea rose candle with a red bow created by me from our recent wedding, a handmade house accordian book, a handmade Christmas Projects and Idea journal, and a few hand hand-stamped envelopes using my newest stamp for your letters to Santa. Please be sure that a link back to your blog and access to your email address is visible to me for notification. Good luck and here's to a very Happy New Year!

Ahhhh, The Joy of Christmas...

is silently over, even though in my heart I'm not quite ready to let go of the spirit of Christmas. Sigh. I hesitate to begin taking down the decorations and the tree, still desiring to bask in the glow from the tree, the warmth of the candles, if only for "just one more night!" {So what, if I've been telling myself that for the past several days, LOL! } The same "last several days" that we've done as little as possible and only what was necessary, falling out quietly in the aftermath, reminiscing over the events it all.

Don and I actually had a really great Christmas this year, even though $$$ was tight and we were only able to purchased presents for a select few of those who mattered the most to us. This was another year that we didn't go overboard purchasing presents for one another since we purchase what we each need throughout the year and add in the "wants and desires of our hearts" when its possible to do so. We gave what we could afford to give and we weren't alone in that endeavor. Many of our family members faced the same dilemnas, not just the financial factor, but the stress that starts with searching for the "perfect gift" for someone special and surprisingly, we discovered that many of our family members and friends actually desired to keep Christmas "simple" this year, too. It was a really nice and pleasant change!

So, we shared our company, our companionship, our time, and smiles from our hearts with one another. We retold stories of the past, spoke kindly of family members who are no longer with us, remembering them fondly for the contriubutions they've made in assisting us become the people we are today. We spoke and remembered the "simplier" time in our families lives, not that those times were actually any "simplier" but they were treasured, cherished, and appreciated more. We spoke words of kindness and praise for the members of our families who couldn't be with us this year and kept them close in our hearts and in spirit. It was really a good reminder for us of what is truly important as we journey through our lives and it reminded me to make the days as simple and special as possible for Alexxis --- for one day these will be the memories that she'll treasure and cherish the most.

Last night, while I was curled up on the couch in my jammies, wrapped in a fleece covered throw that was a handmade Christmas gift from my sister, Mary, a few years ago, these were the thoughts running through my mind. To be grateful for those who fill us up, who warm our hearts and fill our souls with the truly good things in life. the things that truly matter the most, like honesty, integrity, showing kindness, sharing love, who reach out with not only their hands but their hearts. And I prayed that I, myself, may be that person to someone else. That I offer my gifts, talents, and inspire someone just as so many others have inspired me. After sitting silently, reflecting, reminscing, thinking, considering, and pondering these things in my heart, I offered up another prayer of gratitude and praise to God for showing me and sharing these things with me. A while later, I began thinking about what my gifts and talents actually are and wondered how can I share them? Somewhere along the way, doubts and uncertainties began to creep in the dark, deep, creavices of my mind, all the "what if's" and then a surprising thing happened. I suddenly realized that if I allowed all those "what if's" into my life, that they'd rob me, my heart, and my life of all the joy that God has to offer to me, to us, to our family and friends. I felt as if I'd just opened the most expensive gift that money could buy! And as I sat there in the stillness of the night, I heard a still, small voice inside of me whisper,



so I created myself a reminder to share with all of you. This will become yet another link in my gratitude chain, an ongoing project in the years that lie ahead.

Wishing Everyone a very Merry and Blessed Christmas!

A Rubber Stamper's Christmas....

These were emailed me to me by one of the ladies in one of my rubberstamper's Yahoo groups; just thought I'd share them here for others to enjoy!

Winter Wonderland

Brayers roll ... are you listening.
On the card ... ink is glistening.
A beautiful sight ... we're happy tonight,
Stamping in a winter wonderland.

In the kitchen we can build a snowman.
Then add color to his carrot nose.
You'll say: Are you finished?
I'll say: No ma'am,
I need to add some glitter to the snow.

When we stamp ... ain't it thrilling.
Even when ... the powders spilling.
We'll create and we'll play...the art stamper way,
Stamping in a winter wonderland


Deck the Halls
Deck the halls with foils and glitters, Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Tis the season for us stampers, Fa la la...
Don we now our inks and powders, Fa la la...
Troll the heatguns and embossers, Fa la la...

See the card stock blank before us, Fa la la...
Strike the ink and join the chorus, Fa la la...
Follow me in merry masking, Fa la la...
Join us in some Yuletide stamping, Fa la la...

Faint away with chalks and markers, Fa la la...
Hail the new, ye rubber stampers, Fa la la...
Stamp with joyous all together, Fa la la...
Heedless of the times that's passed us, Fa la la...


Twelve Days of Christmas

On the twelfth day of Christmas
my true love gave to me...
12 rubber stamps, 11 handmade papers,
10 embossing powders, 9 duel tip markers,
8 paper edger's, 7 assorted ink pads,
6 funky stickers, 5 exotic glitters,
4 brass stencils, 3 craft punches,
2 paper crimpers, and a brand new
embossing heat tool.


Jingle Bells

Dashing through the snow
To the stamp store here we go.
O'er the streets we pass
Anxious to spend cash.

Stamps on store shelves call
Making spirits bright.
Oh what fun it is to sing,
The stamping song tonight!

Stamping art, stamping art,
Stamping all the way!
Oh, what fun it is to stamp
In the good old fashion way!

Stamping art, stamping art,
Stamping's here to stay!
Oh, what fun it is to stamp
All the gifts you give today!


Let it Snow

Oh the weather outside is frightful
But the inks look so delightful
So while the winter is cold and damp
Let us stamp! Let us stamp! Let us stamp!

It doesn't take much convincing
And I've brought a tool for crimping
Choose some paper, turn up the lamp
Let us stamp! Let us stamp! Let us stamp!

When we carefully press just right
How we smile as the image unfolds
Add some color, so bold, so bright
The result is a sight to behold!

Our projects are quickly drying
And there's new techniques for trying
So until we get finger cramps
Let us stamp! Let us stamp! Let us stamp!


Merry Christmas to all my fellow stampers!

A Gift for Me...

Isn't this rubber stamp just the coolest? It was a gift from Don to Me. I so love the little wooden handle and the sentiment is just too adorable. Of course, I had to stamp a couple of the images onto envelopes; one for Little Miss Adorable's Letter to Santa and a few more with a "Wish" card for my blog giveaway! Even the little tag that accompanied it with its jute string was too precious to simply throw away so I'm leaving it on the handle. Perhaps, next year, Alexxis and I can use it to stamp more envelopes to decorate and hang on our tree!

A Christmas Sketch

A close up of the sparkly goodness...