PEACEFUL SEASON

Peaceful Season (Level II hostess set)

This is one of my favorite Christmas stamp sets from the Holiday Mini Catalog and the Scallop Trim Corner punch is also on my top list of favorites.

Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder (#120175, $7.95)

The background on this card is created by applying white pigment ink with a brayer to the Vintage Wallpaper impressions folder.

Place a folded 5 1/2" by 4 1/4" piece of Crumb Cake card stock (CS) inside it and then run it through the Big Shot.  I usually like to run it through twice for a deeper impression.

 This is the impression you will get.  A beautiful background for your card.

Now stamp the verse "Season's Greetings" on a 4" x 2 1/2" piece of Crumbcake CS with Black Stazon ink.

With Real Red and Garden Green markers ink up the holly leaf and stamp it over the greeting verse to the left side.

With a piercing tool make a hole near the berries and place a glimmer brad (#121006, $4.95).  Mount this piece of CS on to a 4 1/4" x 2 3/4" Whisper White CS.

 I used dimensionals on the back of the Whisper White CS and mounted it to the card front.

I can't decide which one I like best.  Hope you get a chance to try this technique with your Textured Impressions Folders from Stampin' Up.  You can find them on page 214 of the Stampin' Up 2010 Idea Book & Catalog or go on-line to www.Stampinup.com . 

Thoughts of Encouragement

God has a specific plan for every one of our lives.  His plan involves reaching out and touching other people with His love, mercy and compassion.  Ask the Lord to show you how you can share His love with others by giving of your time, your talents and your resources today. 

My Christmas Wreath

Good Monday morning everyone.  Thank goodness we all survived the Thanksgiving weekend.  We're probably 5 pounds heavier, and for sure dead broke, but I know we all enjoy this time of year and we'll do it again next year.  

Michaels 32" wreath

I went to Michaels a few weeks ago and saw these beautifully decorated wreaths, but too expensive for me.  So I decided to make my own.  The plain wreaths were on sale for 50% off and so were the picks.  I started by fluffing out the wreath's branches.

Then I began gluing the picks with the hot glue gun.  I bought the picks and decorations at Michaels for 50 cents each and at the Dollar Tree for $1 apiece.

I made my bow with two spools of ribbon that I found at the Dollar Tree.  I decided to go with gold and purple for my colors.  I tried to follow the directions to make a bow from Kathy at www.paperphenomenon.blogspot.com.  She posted directions last Monday, November 22nd. 

My pictures came out sort of dark, but it really looks beautiful in person.  Can you make out the gold angels on the gold poinsettias?  I finally have one Christmas decoration up.  Now to dig out all the other Christmas stuff from the garage and get the house ready for SANTA!

Thoughts of Encouragement

When y0u have a heart full of gratitude, it leaves no room for complaining.  There is always something to thank God for, no matter what kind of adversity you have in your life.

Good-bye's are always sad

Miguel, Bertha, Brianna, Palermo and Santy Briseno

My son Miguel and his family left this morning back to 
San Diego.  They arrived last Wednesday night and the time just flew by so quickly.  They made the 7-hour drive to come and spend Thanksgiving with me.  We shared alot in these few days and I am thankful that they spend this holiday with me.  

I got to go shopping with Bertha and she helped me select their Christmas gifts.  Then my son took me to the military Exchange to shop some more and I found a couple of bargains there.  Last night Bertha and I bonded and we went to the movies to watch Love and Drugs which is a great movie.  

I'm beginning to miss all the noise the kids made and their funny antics.  God has blessed me with six grandchildren and each one is so special to me.


Thanks for letting me share this moment of gratitude.  See you tomorrow.

Thoughts of Encouragement

Decide today to live a life of thanksgiving.  Thank him for the air you breathe and the sunsets you enjoy.  Don't allow the poison of complaining to prevent you from receiving all God has for you.

BLACK FRIDAY

Yesterday was truly a family day for me.  We had so much to be thankful for.  Our dinner was packed with lots of food.  We had turkey, ham and tamales, too many side dishes to mention and our desserts of course were all low calorie.

We played the white elephant game and we laughed so much stealing gifts from each other.  I wanted to share a few pictures of my family as we gathered to celebrate Thanksgiving.

Tisa (my nephew's beautiful wife)

Angie and Brianna (BFF's)



Hector and Maria (my happy nephew and thank God my sister out of the hospital)



Miguel (my son who came to visit with his wife Bertha and my grandkids)

My sister Maria and her hubby Victor

Natie and Zekey (granddaughter and nephew who ate all the pistachios)

Gregory and Santy (nephew and grandson.  I think these two had too much to eat.)



Terry and Natie (my daughter and granddaughter, I know thes two had seconds.  They even brought their own plate)



Emanuel and Natie (my son-in-law, these two never left the table)

Black Friday is here!  Were you one of the crazy shoppers up before the sun came up.  I have to confess I was out there at 5 a.m. rushing to Joann's.  I waited 1/2 hour out in the freezing cold, but it was so worth it.  I was able to buy the mini Cricut Cake machine for $99 (50% off), the Cinch book binder for $40 (60% off) and a couple of Sizzix embossing folders for $4 (at 75% off).  Waited 5 minutes in line to pay and I was out of there a happy shopper with my purchases.   I have to admit all these gifts are for me but sometimes you have to sacrifice and make yourself No. 1. 

Okay, time for me to go clean the kitchen.

Thoughts of Encouragement

You are approved by Almighty God!  Isn't that awesome?  You are created in His image, and you are the apple of His eye.  You did not choose God, but He chose you and He is pleased with you--His most precious creation.

PINEAPPLE CHEESECAKE

Ingredients for my cheesecakes

Today's post is food-related.  I am having Thanksgiving at my house this year and in getting ready for tomorrow I made three pineapple cheesecakes. Here's my recipe for one cheesecake:

Pineapple Cheesecake

2 bars Philadelphia cream cheese

1 egg

3/4 cup of sugar

1 tbsp Vanilla

1 tbsp lime juice

small bag of chopped pecans

small can of Dole crushed pineapple drained

8 oz. sour cream

1 graham cracker pie crust

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees

In a large bowl whip the cream cheese bars, egg, sugar, lime juice and vanilla.  Whip the ingredients for at least 4 minutes at medium speed.

Pie crust and sprinkled pecans

Sprinkle chopped or diced pecans into the pie crust.

  

Pour the cream cheese mix over the pecan layer.  Place in preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes.

In the meanwhile prepare the topping.  Mix 8 oz. of sour cream, 3 tablespoons of sugar and 1 tablespoon of Vanilla.

Once your cheesecake has baked for 20 minutes, drain the juice from the crushed pineapple and layer over the cheesecake.  If you don't like pineapple, you can make variations to my recipe and add strawberries or any other fruit you like.

Thanksgiving is tomorrow and I am blessed with having my son Miguel and his family coming from San Diego; my sister Maria, who just got out of the hospital today, and her husband; my nephew Hector and his family, my daughter Terry who lives with me and her family--a total of 17 including myself.  And of course, if you have no where to go, please come over to my house for some turkey and a slice of cheesecake.  

God bless all of us and may we be grateful for all He gives us.  Amen

Thoughts of Encouragement

Do you spend all your time on other people, but not any on yourself?  Eventually you will burn out.  Decide today to begin investing in yourself.  Take time to relax and rejuvenate yourself. 

TRIM THE TREE

Trim the Tree Cricut cartridge is the latest of my purchases.   I bought it at the Crafting Place from Jennifer.  When she showed us the different designs she had cut I could not resist buying it.  Today I decided to cut a few of the images myself.  I cut the candy cane, and two of the tree ornaments .  I recommend you cut them at least 5 inches and at a slow pace because as you can see they are so intricate and that's what makes them so beautiful.
 

Trim the Tree Solutions cartridge

Once I had cut out the images I wasn't sure what to do with them next.  This was a challenge for me and here's what I eventually came up with.

With the first one, I decided to make a 6 x 6 Christmas card.  I used the Stampin' Up embossing folder, Petals a Plenty, red grosgrain ribbon and Stickles.  I think this came out so elegant.

The second one I added some ribbon and made it into a gift tag.

The last one I added to a 12 x 12 page layout.  I first made it into a 5 1/2 x 4 1/4 card and then mounted it on my layout.  So you can lift the card front and place a picture there too.  I used the Martha Stewart snowflake punch for the mats.

I embossed the card front with Tim Holtz's Sizzix embossing folder set which came with two folders, the Snow Flurries and the Snowman.

The "JOY" was cut twice at 4 inches with the Cricut Winter Woodland cartridge. 




Hope you enjoyed this project, now its time for me to go watch "Dancing With the Stars."

Thoughts of Encouragement

Don't let the regrets of yesterday destroy the hopes of tomorrow. 

Christmas Tree card

Christmas Tree

This was one of the Christmas cards that we made at Friday night's stamp-a-stack workshop.  

Supplies:  

Stamp Set: Snow Swirled

Card stock:  Crumb Cake, Riding Hood Red, Whisper White

Ink:  Riding Hood Red and Garden Green

Punches:  Scallop Trim Corner and Scallop Trim Border, Scallop Oval

Other:  Petals a Plenty embossing folder, Rhinestones and Stickles,

Stamped envelope

Couldn't forget to stamp the envelope with one of the pretty snowflakes from the same stamp set.

Snow Swirled (#111690, $24.95, set of 6)

Also stamped the Season's Greetings on a small piece of Whisper White CS and then punched it out with the Scallop Oval punch.  The inside was stamped with the "May the true spirit ...." stamp.

I will be hosting one more Stamp-a-Stack workshop on Friday, December 3, at 6 p.m.  If you would like to make 15 Christmas cards for $10 and get a free Christmas box to store them in, please let me know by November 28th.  

Thoughts of Encouragement

Make sure you are enjoying your family and special people in your life.  They may not always be there.

Christmas Craft Fair

Candy Shoppe

Since Thursday it has been a very busy weekend, starting with getting ready for our Church craft fair and helping set-up the room for the fair.  Then Friday night my Stamp-a-stack Christmas Card workshop was held.  It was a lot of fun and profitable with the ladies working on three different Christmas cards. 

My daughter Teri thought of this great idea to have a Candy Shoppe at the craft fair.  She decorated the table and donated all the candy.  

Stuffed turkey

This cute little turkey was very popular and before we knew it we had sold out. 

Snow Angels

These snow angels were created by Marge and they also sold out quickly.

Beautiful gift baskets.

Several baskets filled with all kinds of goodies were decorated and more than half of them were sold.

Our parishioners were very generous with their donations such as blankets, knitted hats, paper crafts, paintings, wreaths, jewelry, ornaments, etc, etc.

Very cute witches

These cute little witches followed me home for Halloween next year.

Snowmen and Holly wreath tree ornaments

The Christmas Craft Fair and Bake Sale were a huge success.  The Marthas and Marys club made over $3,000 in sales for the church.  

Now I can go back to my Christmas projects.  See you tomorrow!