I hope your Christmas was less kleenex-intense and plenty merry!
We will get back in the swing of things with a Christmas thank-you card featuring holly. The holly green, the ivy green, the prettiest picture you ever seen....
It's time to say thank you for all those gifts you got Christmas morning, and a pretty, handmade thank-you card is the perfect vehicle for conveying your gratitude!
What was your favorite Christmas present you opened this Christmas? And no saying "time with your family" or "candle-light worship services"! We're talking rampant materialism here. What was your favorite gift you opened?
My favorite gift was cash for stamps and dies. Several relatives contributed to my craft account, and I'm looking forward to spending with abandon and not an ounce of guilt!
So, what did you get that blew your socks off?
Mercy, grace, peace, and love,
Susan
Supplies
stamps: Papertrey Holly and Mistletoe, Hero Arts sentiment
ink: not sure as I made this a while ago
paper: Papertrey white
accessories: craft foam
The best thing I opened this Christmas was a diamond ring. To make a short story longer, my husband had given me a ring for my 40th birthday of 4 diamonds in a band, one for each decade. Last year (after owning this ring for 7 years) I looked down and noticed a diamond was missing. Distraught, I called my husband, who reassured me that it was ok, and we would fix it. He promptly that evening walked in the door, said "what is that on the floor?", and bends over to pick up the missing diamond. I didn't get it fixed right away because we got distracted by the need for my husband to have open heart surgery. He passed away this summer from the surgery, and for Christmas, I had the ring fixed for myself in his honor. I miss him so and it is a constant reminder of how much he loved me--beyond the young love of the newly engaged--but a love of mature strength, friendship and passion. It is as materialistic as you can get--bling--but ah, the love it represents is irreplaceable.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this personal precious story and memory...I am so glad you fixed the ring...what a wonderful, tangible symbol of his love.♥
DeleteMy goodness! What a beautiful reason to fix that ring! I’m so sorry for your pain but thrilled you were able to repair a symbol of your love so tangibly. Thank you for sharing your story. Praying God’s peace and comfort are with you.
DeleteYour story really touched me. What a brave lovely woman you are. I hope every time you look at your ring, you feel his love for you. My prayers are with you.
DeleteMy daughter gave me a 55" flat screen Smart TV by Samsung, but the over the top gift was her purchase of 58 tubes of Daniel Smith watercolors.
ReplyDeleteWOW! Happy viewing, and happy painting!
DeleteI'll go against your directive since I didn't receive any gifts to open. My best gifts were the Christmas Eve morning service with a beautiful solo liturgical dance done to Amy Grant's "Breath of Heaven" which brought tears to my eyes since the young middle school dancer is an orphan from Malawi adopted by our medical missionary. During her dance I thought of her mother who on her deathbed said she wanted the woman doctor to have her baby who was now dancing for us. The other gift was the candlelight service that night followed by a meal with good friends at Denny's - the only place in town open the night of Christmas Eve. I am truly blessed.
ReplyDeleteHow lovely! What a beautiful picture you painted for us.
DeleteMerry Christmas, indeed!
My husband gave me a set of 132 prisma color pencils in a tin. 6 trays! I'm having fun just going through them all and making a color chart. :)
ReplyDeleteAWESOME! What a pretty, crafty Christmas present!
DeleteI ask my husband for a new Prismcolor set as I needed to replace over half my pencils. They were just nubs. He got me the 150 premier set. I am so excited as I have had the 75 pencil set for years. So many beautiful colors I also got the MISTI.
ReplyDeleteWe were sick with the flu Christmas day. Our real good friend brought us homemade chicken noodle soup, fresh bread, and fruit salad for Christmas dinner. The best Christmas dinner. we are so blessed.
I hope your cold is long gone by now and you're well on your way to health in this new year.
ReplyDeleteI got a whole bunch of card-making supplies from my parents and siblings—stamps and inks I had asked for and which I am very grateful to have. My favorite gift is a tie: either Mama Elephant's Little Cat Agenda stamps and dies from my parents, or the gift cards I received from relatives and used to get over a dozen Copics in colors I've wanted for ages but could never justify splurging on. The long-awaited variety of colors will open up so many more possibilities for using supplies I already have, but the Little Cat stamps are adorable and so much fun to design with. I'm a dog person, but the cat set is full of useful images for birthdays, bookworms, crafters, and writers, and I've been enjoying using the stamps for my thank-you cards, tailoring each card to reflect the gift received.