Christmas Joy for All

No matter how busy my life gets, or distractions that clamor for my attention, or work, or life in general, there is one constant that gives true meaning to all that goes on...it's found in the Creator, and His only Begotten Son Jesus. So, remembering His precious gift of Life and Love brings me back into focus.  Jesus IS the meaning of Christmas. This Christmas I dedicated my card to Him.

Start with a versatile Poinsetta Bloom stamp and die (from Memory Box ) to make multiple flowers. Three to four flowers were stamped (bronze/gold ink) on green, red and cream pearlized paper (emboss this one). Over-lap the blooms to expose each color, then fasten with a flower shaped brad in red or green.

A Jesus is the Reason for the Season stamp used  the same ink and embossing powder, decorated with bronze brads, and placed on red paper. Sheer cream colored ribbon added the final touch,  (a decorative corner punch for extra contrast is an alternative).

A fun family picture was mounted on the inside to personalize our Christmas greeting. Walmart has an easy & inexpensive program to add text & boarders to photos. A magnetic strip was glued to the backside of the picture. I love putting pictures on the refrigerator... and I love CHRISTMAS.

May all our family and friends enjoy Jesus this year!

Our 2nd Annual Galveston Summer Vacation
This year was the perfect end to summer. Fun in the sun and a dash of a vacation!  We planned for lots of beach time, relaxation and long lasting memories. Setting up "camp" was pretty easy with this giant umbrella!

 Mom and Dad enjoyed the beach like they did in former days...close to the water with toes in the surf...yeah, that feels really good. We made several excursions testing out different locations along Seawall Blvd, and liked them all.

 Dad ventured out the second day into the surf, walker and all. We took pictures to prove his "big fish story" was not so fishy, just in case anyone doubted.

 We all joined together to sit at the surf's edge and take in the beautiful fresh sea air, balmy breeze and cool tide. Of course, this activity does seem to leave a lot of sand in the swim suit...oh boy!






Susan, Ken & I made our way out to the bigger waves. The gulf water was warm and inviting. We sure had our share of fun.

Susan was working the camera for this shot, while Ken held me up...we had a good laugh seeing how long his arms would last! Apparently she was trying to locate the zoom and found it just as we decided to give up...she got this picture just in time.

 Mom reminded us of how much fun she had "shelling", which means looking for sea shells. Susan and I ventured off toward the next peer to find some special treasures. My plan is to use the small ones in the photo album....well, that's the plan for now.

 Doesn't mom look like a real cutie in her new suit? She made an excellent choice...all done through an order catalog too...now that is a good shopper! Susan's hat was the perfect choice...the wire rim folded and stayed however you turned it up and down...which kept it in place, in and out of the waves!
We ventured out to this souvenir shop one afternoon. T-Shirts, hats, and all sorts of surf & beach items that look better in the store than on your shelf at home! We took time to sit on their deck and enjoy a cool soda while watching the waves.

This was so refreshing! Sitting in the shade, above the waves and sipping a cool coke...lemonade, whatever! Mom and Dad sure liked it! We  made an important discovery while up on deck...that under the deck was a perfect place to enjoy the beach in the shade! Another great location for us next year too!

  This was a great location! What a beautiful view!

Family is soooo important. Mom's brother, Lloyd was able to drive down to meet us. Pauline, one of 5 children came along. We caught up on family happenings and enjoyed just seeing each other again after a long time. Mom's heart sure felt full after seeing her brother! And ours too.

Now, at the end of the day we have to show off the newest members to the family...Venua and Merced! Are they puppy's or house-slippers?

What's all the hullabaloo about? Our annual Labor Day Balloon Fest was a wonderful time with old and new friends. To start, the early fall weather arrived with too much wind for a launch on Saturday. No problem, the 47 degree morning at 6am on the field made breakfast very inviting.

 

With the weather making for a fine balloon launch on Monday morning we gathered just after the National Anthem was sung. The field was alive with families and balloon teams unraveling their equipment. This is an art folks! And tricky maneuvers are necessary to tip the basket with hot flames flaring while getting the balloon to inflate without burns! Oh boy.

It takes a couple rounds to get all the balloons off the ground at Memorial Park. This year we had about 70 or so arrive for Monday's event. The park is covered with on-lookers peering into the balloons as they take on their gigantic shape. Teams hold fast to ropes to keep them steady and from taking off before all is ready. Crowds cheer enthusiastically as each team has "lift off" and sails toward Prospect Lake to clear the tree tops. The challenge some balloons take is to ascend over the trees and quickly descend to the lake. With just the right amount of hot air they "touch" the surface of the lake with their bucket. More cheering!!

Once the second shift lifted off, and the morning sun warmed the air and grassy park, we retreated from the waters edge and headed off to breakfast...yum!

Unbelievable! Who would have imagined to put a gator exhibit in Colorado...where it snows! But here is proof. What a crazy-fun place. Our summer trip started with a visit to Colorado Gators. The place is out in the middle of...well it was a long drive! But worth it. We each overcame our fear of touching this gator for a picture. Stand very still!

Now, here is a prime specimen of a fearsome creature. Along with famous gators like the one from Happy Gilmore, we saw ostrich's, iguana's, bunny's, ducks and fish...and who knows what else. Even a snake passed our path, and a tortoise joined us as we scampered the grounds.

By the end of the day we had seen gator eggs, touched & fed gators, and chased a snake. I can verify...kids think this is thrilling! Grandma was a hit for finding this far out place.

Summer...there's nothing like fun with family at a water park. WOW! We headed off to Denver's Elitch Gardens after a hardy breakfast on a  warm sunny morning in July. Dad Greg, Sequoia and Hannah were experienced with water parks, But Zak, Ken & I were in for a first time thrill.

We settled into our cabana, secured 6 rafts and headed out for adventure. The 3 "speed" slides were our first choice. Why not! Oh boy, speed was just part of the experience. The heart pounds really hard as we neared the launch pad at the height of the steps. There is a point of no return...but we found out the thrills far out weighed the fears.

Soon we were well on our way to explore every ride. And between the 6 of us, we hit everyone several times. From scary to lazy river runs we did them all. This was a trip we'll remember for years, and want to duplicate time and again.

A Special Birthday Card for a special little boy...Dylan! In May I was given the honor of making Dylan's birthday cards for his very first birthday. That's right, One Year Old and cute as any little boy on the planet! Searching through all my stamps and books lead me to the idea of this adorable puppy sipping through a straw. That's it! Dylan also uses a straw (already) and the two were an instant match.    Blue and brown were the perfect color schemes for a boy, so off to the next step.

Designing the layout was fun. I developed a few ideas, but the one that seemed to stand out hands down allowed the puppy to extend over the cards edge on top, and over the brown background on the bottom. A simple Happy Birthday message "popped" by using a brown Stampin-Up felt writer on the inside of a Cuttlebug embossing card, before running it through the Cuttlebug with blue paper. The effect was an "antique" look, finished off with a sheer brown petite dot ribbon. Ultra fine glitter brought a little life and charm to the lemonade.

Personalizing Dylan's big event was done by including a picture of the cutie with his mom...now that is a keepsake memory! I used a Gypsy to cut out the lettering, 20 in all! That was a life saver. Adding the For, Date, Time, Place and RSVP stamp finished the invitations.

Accessories: Gypsy, Cricut, brown & blue paper, sheer dot ribbon, fine glitter & ink pad glue, Wandering Gypsy fonts, RSVP stamp & large puppy stamp, Cuttlebug Birthday embossing set, Stampin brown felt writer & brown stamp pad, Martha Stewart edger.

One of my friends at work brings me a card for all the special holidays, and I wanted to show her my appreciation. What came together was a nice assortment of coordinating "gift" cards made to fit in a wooden gift box. The box lid and four sides are decorated with matching paper...so sheik. The top opens with a hinged lid!

Each card is about a four inch square to fit easily in the box. A variety of matching paper and embellishments are from one tablet of printed paper with pop-out tags and lettering. WOW, designing is really fun with so many choices! Just add a few accessories like ribbon and brads.

Designing with a few punches jazzed things up. A flower petal punch and multiple prints nicely blended the overall effects. I also tested out my new Spellbinders die cut Pendants design. That was fantastic!

                                                                                                                                                                 Edges can be fancied up with an edging punch. I used a couple varieties.

Now, putting all 12 together makes a wonderful "Thank you so much for thinking of me" gift! 

Accessories: Spellbinders Pendants die, punches: large flower, picture corners, label, edge. Colorbok earth tones patterned paper/stickers, ribbon, brads, "friends" stamp, box for cards.

Spring is on the way, and summer close behind! Many of my childhood summer vacations were spent at the beach. Just thinking about summer brings back memories of salt air breezes, rolling waves, searching for sea shells and tending our sunburns. And, sand castles we made only to watch them melt away under the sea foam.

Capture your "Summer Destination" as a theme for a card to a dear friend.  I found this Sand Castle stamp on sale at a craft store...don't you love sales!  Brown paper & brads compliment the little brown stripes running through the blue accent paper on the edge.



Pick a favorite message to stamp on the inside of the card. Mine was placed at the right bottom inside flap. Next, design a tag for the front using a word from the same message. Make the first letter for the tag from the same accent paper, or a matching color. This adds a trendy look... nice touch!

Accessories: Stamps from Jo Ann's crafts, brown & cream card stock, Colorbok patterned paper & stickers, brads, SeraTera ink pad from K&Company

I'm on a roll making CD case inserts. It's fun, it's simple and converts a plain CD case into a keepsake.
Take this little pretty created for my sister. She loves pansy's. I just happen to have the picture perfect paper for this project.

Located on the inside of the case top are 4 insert slots; two on the top and two at the bottom. Your design will slip into these 4 slots. On opposite sides are "edges" that keep inserts from slipping out. Use these as measuring guides. Mine is close to a 4 3/4" square.



To add a touch of flair I placed a layered label in the center, designed with a Gypsy. The middle layer of paper is the less prominent color in the pansy design. Using the same color of ink as the middle layer, brings it nicely together.

The double-sided paper adds a "boutique" look when the case is opened...so sassy!

Accessories: Stampin Up Riveting set, Cricut Lacy Labels, K&Company double faced paper, green & white card stock, white ink.

Saving precious pictures onto a CD makes a great gift idea. Here's a simple way to identify the surprise inside!
A box of clear CD cases cost just a few dollars, and can be found at all office supply stores. Don't own a CD label maker, like me?? No problem. Making a insert does the trick.

I chose theme printed card stock paper with contrasting black paper for a nice edging. The overall measurements are 4 3/4 " by 4 11/16", or almost square. Lettering from the Storybook cartridge (use a GYPSY) were perfect for this look. These letters are 1" by 1/2".



There wasn't room on the front side to add specifics about the pictures. Again, no problem! The flip side of the insert gives additional space. Or, print a ledger and picture specific information to include inside. Mine was a simple message written with a white paint marker.

 

Now I'm on a roll to get more pictures onto a CD!







Accessories: Once Upon a Time card stock, black card stock, white paint marker, Cricut Storybook lettering, Provocraft Gypsy Designer, clear CD case.

Spring-break...a perfect time to explore the BIO Park and Zoo.        We struck out excitedly, map in hand, winding our way to board the train linking the zoo and aquarium. Wonderful wispy breezes cooled us and the warm sun lightened our hearts.

Once aboard, we sat back to take in the peaceful scenery and sites at Tinkly Park where fishing for all ages is fun. Any caught fish must be returned into three of the man-made lakes.

                                                                                                                                                                                                           
Once at the aquarium, our minds went, well, a little fishy! Trying to imagine why God made some creatures is a mystery! Like this giant fish...not the most attractive creature to find staring back at us...what could it be thinking?


                                     

The Moon Glow jelly fish gracefully floated around their cylinder world with nothing to hide, Oh My! Literally, they are completely see-through... hundreds of them! These small wonders validated the awesome variety of God's creation.

After exploring the aquatic variety of wonderful underwater creatures, we boarded the train to clank, clank, clank back to the zoo. Week-old double-humped camels, baby hippo's and even young zebra's delighted us. How many stripes are there on a zebra?

There were ducks and fish to be fed, and us too! After four hours of beating through jungles and wet-lands, we called it a day. Smiles,  memories and shared discoveries filled our hearts.

I am so thankful to have such fun grandchildren...Sequoia, Zac and Hannah. God Bless them everyday, and keep their hearts.