A Fond Adieu to Crafters of Faith

Our little online group is disbanding, The Crafters of Faith will finish off 2013 with one final challenge.  Issued by our lovely leader, Kelly.  Here's her challenge for us:

Psalm 113:2 (KJV) "Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and for evermore." During this celebratory time of year, we rejoice at the miracle of the birth of the son of God! One of my very favorite Christmas songs is Holy Night, heads bowed before the Redeemer.  The literal translation of the first verse is:

Midnight, Christians, it is the solemn hour,
When God as man descended unto us
To erase the stain of original sin
And to end the wrath of His Father.
The entire world thrills with hope
On this night that gives it a Savior. 

With that, I ask you to create a card based on the blessing we receive from knowing how much was given for us! May we all be aware of the beautiful blessings we have and bestow to others.
For your December card, create a card of your choice in color and design with the theme: Sprinkle an abundance of Blessings!

Stamp: "Chickadees on Pine", Sentiment: "Tree-Mendous" by Technique Tuesday
Cardstock: SU Cranberry Crisp & Brilliant Blue
Background Stamp: "Snowflake Sky" by Brother Sister Design Studio (2001), embossed with Stardust Embossing Powder by Stampendous
Colored with Prismacolor and Derwent pencils
Embellishments: Stickles for snow & frost on branches, ribbon from local craft store, corner punch by EK Success

Here's a closer look at the image, showing some of the glittery pine branches.





Chickadees are one of my favorite wild birds.  While other breeds are jockeying for position at the feeders, and arguing over who gets to eat & when, these little guys swoop in and out, eating their fill, ignoring all the silly bickering of the others!


I am reminded of Matthew 6:25:

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink...
Look at the birds of the air;  they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not of more value than they?"

2013 has been a rough year for me, and for many friends and family members as well.  Through it all, it helped me to remember just how much was NOT going wrong in my life!

Kelly: I count knowing you as a blessing.  Thank you for starting our group and keeping it alive!  Because of you & your efforts I have enlarged my circle of online friends and that is also a blessing to me.

This is a fitting close to our monthly challenges - encouraging us to remember our blessings and how abundantly God loves us.  Peace to all of you in 2014!

Dueling Darlings and Treasures from Grandma!

Hello my friends!  My original post "poofed" into another realm...I have no idea what became of it, so here's round two:
The Dueling Darlings December kit for the Dazzlers came from our beloved Jeanette.  Here's what I came up with:

Image: Kraftin Kimmie O Holy Night
Papers: Paper Studio Hay and Wood Fences
Embellishments: Hobby Lobby Plywood Star Stickers, Hobby Lobby Gold Glitter Organza

The adorable image is colored with Spectrum Noir markers, cut out and mounted onto the Hay DP, which was die cut with Nestabilities "Labels 18".  This was mounted onto black CS die cut with Nestabilities rectangular scallop.

The front of the card features that wonderful Wood Fences DP topped with black cs covered with the Gold Glitter Organza.  Of course they need the star, so there it is, shining in the night!





Here's a side view, at an angle to show how gorgeous that Organza is.  It really sparkles!

Thank you, Jeanette for sending such a fun image and creative kit this month!  I truly enjoyed working up this card.

Here's the other part of the challenge: "Include in your post a Christmas story of your own. Perhaps a special Christmas decoration you own, a childhood memory, Christmas tradition, etc."

I knew immediately that I would share some of my treasures from Grandma.  She made incredible art from beads: wedding bells for my wedding cake, a mobile for over the crib of clowns and birds, miniature coffee & tea service, and many, many other items that defy description.

I have a box of Christmas ornaments that she made.  They are over 30 years old now and are truly loved by me.  My pictures fail to capture how brightly they sparkle in the sun or with the lights on the tree, but here are a few for you to look at.

A few angels and a southern belle.

Two of my favorite Christmas bells.

A closer look at the red bell with the overlay of clear and gold beading.

An assortment of various other ornaments.  The candy cane is amazing!











Some in blues with clear or mirrored accents.

Some are very dimensional.  These baubles are unique.  The green & clear one almost has a shape of a dreidel.

Holding it up, trying to give a better idea of it's shape.

A sampling of snowflakes and crystal shapes.  These look like glass when in a window or on the tree.

What's Christmas without wreaths?  Here are two.

And two more wreaths.

This star is wide in the center.  Below is a side view.
























Perhaps you can imagine how special these are.  My pictures really don't do them justice.  As I said, she made beautiful wedding bells for our wedding cake.  She crocheted teeny tiny clear beads into a beautiful necklace and gave that to me when I was a teenager.

She was a creative genius, making art out of rocks, (some of her collections won awards), soup bones, sunflower seeds, and many other common items.  Her work is now owned by her six daughters and over 20 of us grandchildren!  And now we begin to share them with her great grandchildren.  A very special legacy.

I think this is the longest blog post I've ever done, and if you stuck with me throughout, thank you!

Wishing all of you a very blessed Christmas and a safe and healthy new year!