A joy worth repeating, again and again, warm conversation, tea, and a friend.

A joy worth repeating, again and again, warm conversation, tea, and a friend.
Miss Madeline

December 31, 2010

Happy New Year!!

This New Year Baby has been a centerpiece on my dining room table for 46 years.  Each year is a different venue.

Birthday Card Pouch




Here is a Birthday Card that I made for my mother-in-law who will be 94 on January 1.  She loves hankies, so I bought a beautiful one for her.  I decided to put it in the birthday card, so I made a pouch for it.  The paper is My Mind's Eye and various punches, and stickles.  I also used Magnolia stamp colored with Copic Markers

December 23, 2010

Christmas Tags and Christmas Envelope



These are Christmas tags that I used for packages, table place cards, and gift envelope.  The stamp is Penny Black and is paper pieced.  Various punches were used.

December 18, 2010

Anniversary Card for my Daughter



Card Recipe:  My Mind's Eye Paper, Martha Stewart and EK Success Punches, and Pearls.  Sentiment by Stampendous.  I put a gift card in the pocket on the right.

December 15, 2010

Gift Holder For A Friend




This pattern is from Irina Blount's November Workshop.  I thought it would be fun to make this style for a friend.  On her blog Everything Paper Crafts you will see her pattern.  She made a matching card for the left pocket.  I decided to put candy in my pockets.


Card Recipe:  Three Bugs In A Rug Paper, Let it Snow.  Penny Black Stamp, Inkadinkado Stamp, Nesties, Martha Stewart Punches, Whimsy Ticket and Sentiments, Lizzie Anne Little Bits Sentiments, and Liquid Pearl for Frosting and Jewel Stickers.

December 14, 2010

Just Magnolia Christmas Cards









Card Receipt: Magnolia Santa and Lucia Stamps.  Imaginisce and Eskimo Kisses designer paper.  Images colored with Copic Markers. Various Martha Stewart Punches. Whimsy Ticket Stamps, paper piecing, stickles, diamond glaze.

December 13, 2010

Today Santa Lucia Day, Monday 13 December


Magnolia Stamp colored with Copic Markers.  


In Sweden and several other European nations Santa Lucia's Day is celebrated on December 13.  In Sweden, the oldest (or youngest) daughter in each household traditionally carries a tray of coffee and traditional pastries, called lussekatter (Lucy cats), to her parents before they arise in the morning. She wears a white gown, scarlet sash, and a crown of greens with four, seven, or nine lighted candles. Her brothers, wearing white shirts and tall, cone-shaped hats decorated with stars, and her sisters, all in white and carrying lighted candles, follow her. In many towns, a "Santa Lucia" is chosen to carry coffee and buns to each house. She and her followers, each bearing a lighted candle, sing carols as they traverse the dark streets while St. Steven, represented by a man on horseback, leads the way. The procession is done in memory of Santa Lucia's traverse through dark woods to bring bread and other food to the poor."

December 5, 2010

Happy Saint Nicholas Day - December 6


Saint Nicholas Day – December 6
Early in the Advent season we celebrate a feast that has been popular for centuries in Christian countries, especially in Northern Europe. This is a good way to remind children that Jolly Santa Claus, is, in fact, Saint Nicholas, a fourth century bishop of the city of Myra in what is now Turkey.
Saint Nicholas was renowned for his great kindness and his generous aid to those in distress. He is considered the patron saint of children.
Traditional celebrations of Saint Nicholas Day in Northern Europe included gifts left in children's shoes (the origin of our American Christmas stockings). Good children receive treats like candies, cookies, apples and nuts, while naughty children receive switches or lumps of coal. Today, especially in families of German extraction - children still put a shoe outside their bedroom doors on the eve of Saint Nicholas Day, and expect to find candy and coins or small gifts in their shoe on December 6th.
This has always been a wonderful opportunity early in the Advent season to remind the children of the coming of baby Jesus.  This has always been an exciting and wonderful celebration for our family.

December 3, 2010

Santa Marci Gift Tag

Card Recipe:  Tim Holz Tag and tree decorated with Santa Marci, colored wit Copic Markers.  Nesties and Martha Stewart snowflakes.  Sentiment Hero Arts