Make a Difference

Continuing with Christmas today on the JustRite Mega Font Blog Hop … I promised my mom a few weeks ago that I would make a few things for her to contribute to the annual craft bazaar that is coming up. I thought these little list pads would be cute for her to take.

Last year, I realized that I liked mixing my JustRite fonts (on sale thru 9/24) with fun stamp images and sentiments for one of a kind tags on Christmas gifts and packaging.

I loved this stamp image of these little children sneaking down the stairs with their candles, stockings in tow (CHF). I started with Poison Ivory cardstock, and using my JustRite 1 5/8″ round stamper and the Small Letter Set, I created a custom sentiment, ‘naughty or nice…check it twice‘, stamped in dark brown around the outside of my circle. Then I filled in the center with the candle image from Merry Little Christmas  in lighter, latte colored ink.  Over the top of that, I stamped Welcome Christmas Time (CHF) in Real Red ink. The ivory circle is punched with a 1 3/4″ circle punch and layered on the Marvy scalloped circle punch (super jumbo).

These list pads are made from 5″x8″ inch legal pads that I had cut in half at the local office supply. You can view the full tutorial on how to cover your own at Splitcoast.  The patterned paper is from the Merry Moments pack at Stampin’ Up!

I’m glad to have this project checked off of my Christmas list, but I think I’ll be making a few more lists in the next few days. They are too easy.

I’m sure you are enjoying all of the JustRite projects today. I love seeing how many different people use similar items to create totally unique projects. For sure,  I’m going to take a peek and take notes! You can see projects using many different JustRite fonts by visiting these fabulous bloggers:

Michelle Wooderson

Sankari Wegman

Heidi Blankenship

Eva Dobilas

Beate Johns

Sharon Harnist

Barbara Anders

Sharon Johnson

Deb Saaranen

Becca Feeken

Kazan Clark

Lauren Meader

Tammy Hershberger

Linda Beeson

Jenny Gropp

Tanis Giesbrecht

Jenn Balcer

Lisa Somerville

Karen Maldonado

Pamela Smerker

Karen Taylor

Latisha Yoast

Julie Overby

Mary Pfaff

Today, we’re celebrating with a JustRite Christmas Blog Hop. There is a master list of ‘hoppers’ at the bottom of this post, and I know you’ll find plenty of inspiration and want to get moving on your Christmas projects now..not December 14th.  You know you’ll want to be attending festivities, watching your tree lights twinkle and enjoying your family when Christmas rolls around. Save yourself some stress and get going now.

I used the sentiment ‘snowflakes are winter’s butterlies‘  from Merry Little Christmas Borders & Centers and created a tag for an altered wooden snowflake ornament.  I stamped the sentiment and center snowflake with Memento Inks (brown and sand) twice on Poison Ivory cardstock then accented with Dazzling Diamonds (ultrafine from Stampin’ Up!) glitter. The circles were cut with Small Circle Nestabilities. The circles are adhered to a Petite Scalloped Circle of Suede Dark Brown Prism. So, when the tag hangs freely and spins, you have the same thing on both sides. A short piece of linen thread is attached in the middle of the cardstock layers. This is where I was glad that I use Zip Dry liquid paper adhesive. The liquid grabs right onto the linen thread and holds tight. I just used 2 clothespins to hold the layers together while the glue dried. It was all set and ready to finish with in about 5-7 minutes. Love the stuff.

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Love never fails ~ I Corinthians 13:8 

Several weeks ago, I was looking through some Christmas reading selections, and I stumbled across this one called I Corinthians 13 - A Christmas Version, from ‘an ordinary Christian woman’ named Barbara. Like her, I felt a few twinges of guilt here and there while reading, and I knew I had found my Divine Design project for December. Make sure to check out other samples this month from Angel, Jami, Nancy and Taylor. Leave them some love if you are inclined. I’ve babbled a little bit on the previous post about the challenge and what these gals mean to me.

This month, I made a hanging ornament that will be displayed in my kitchen this month. I’m praying the reminder will keep me focused on Christ this Christmas.

The full text and supplies are printed at the bottom of this post. I kept the details of the project to a minimum, because truthfully, I could not put hours and hours into this project and then tell you that I was really keeping the commitment, now could I?

I’m not suggesting that I am throwing out all of our time-honored Christmas traditions and festivities, but I want this to be a Christmas filled with love and laughter, not stress and headaches. I don’t want my girls to grow up remembering that I was so stressed out about classroom parties or hectic shopping or unreasonable (self-imposed) expectations of platter after platter of pretty cookies (THAT WE END UP THROWING AWAY!).  And, I don’t want to snap at my husband all month long and then put a smile on my face on the way out the door to a joyful Christmas get-together.

I’m letting go of some my favorite, time-consuming cookie recipes in favor of boxed brownies and quality time with the girls. You’ll see tomorrow, that I’ve let go of has-to-be-perfect packaging. I’ve decided on more store-bought gifts with a quick tag accents and thoughtful notes. I’m having the girls wrap things for me. We have limited the social engagements that require fancy-schmancy finger foods or gift exchanges.  In cases where I do need to take a finger food, I’ve purchased some different types of cheeses, and I’ll be putting those on a simple Christmas platter. It will be about the joy of getting together, not the grueling party prep. My brother’s family and Wes & I have agreed to not exchange gifts, and we are contributing what we would have spent on each other to a woman’s shelter in his community. It’s not too late for you to re-group and re-organize!

I’m sure KNOW I’ll need the reminder daily until December 25th, but so long as I can remember to make it about showing love, I won’t fail. His Word is truth: Love never fails.

Here is the reading:

If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights 

and shiny balls, but do not show love, I’m just another decorator.

If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing 

gourmet meals and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime, but 

do not show love, I’m just another cook.

If I work at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home and give all that I have 

to charity, but do not show love, it profits me nothing.

If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes, attend 

a myriad of holiday parties and sing in the choir’s cantata but do not focus 

on Christ, I have missed the point.

Love stops the cooking to hug the child.
Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the husband.
Love is kind, though harried and tired.

Love doesn’t envy another’s home that has coordinated Christmas china 

and table linens.

Love doesn’t yell at the kids to get out of the way, but is thankful they are there.

Love doesn’t give only to those who are able to give in return but rejoices in 

giving to those who can’t.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails. 

• Stamps: JustRite Stampers (top tag), Beautiful (Cornish Heritage Farms)
• Cardstock: Smooth Vanilla, Suede Light & Dark Brown & Razzleberry Dark (Prism)
• Ink: Rhubarb Stalk (Tsukineko)
• Accs: Dew Drops, fern punch (Martha Stewart), chipboard (Maya Road), ribbon (Stampin’ Up!), displayed on a pine cone tree from Target (purchased several years ago)

 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord ~ Luke 2:11

Several years ago, a friend gave me a baby food jar with a spiced tea mix and a sentiment about making Jesus my Priority. The idea was that we would make time for Him in our busy daily lives. I kept the empty jar, label facing out on my spice shelf long after the tea was gone. I was thinking about all of the special gifts that I need around Christmas, and thought this tea would be perfect for a few. Isn’t this the time of year that we get most lost in the shuffle and bustle and forget a few of our priorities?

I used the recipe that Sharon shared last year HERE, but if you google ’spiced orange tea recipe’ - you’re sure to find a recipe that suits your fancy. There are many. I put my tea mix in cello bags and then inside new kraft coffee bags. The coffee bags were stamped with the Fiery Floral Scrapblock from Cornish Heritage Farms. I used a Cranberry Pigment Ink Pad from Ranger. It gave such a rich, deep look.

Next, I stamped the sentiment with my JustRite Stampers, C41 Stamper and mini alphabet. Pssst, they are having a ‘buy one, get one free’ sale thru 11/30/08. Check it out HERE. The ‘Believe’ is a Rummage Bin sentiment that I love, created by the beautiful Lesley Langdon for Cornish Heritage Farms. It took a few minutes, so stamp several when you get it all set up! Don’t forget your Stamp-a-ma-jig.

I used Cranberry and Pesto Adirondack Dye Ink on the labels. It’s great that Ranger offers the colors in both dye and pigment ink. Make coordination a breeze with the proper ink for different mediums. Speaking of coordinating, the brads were colored with Copic Marker R59, it matches perfectly.

I cut the labels and the matted frames with Nestabilities. The tags are MayaRoad chipboard covered with Basic Grey Wassail patterned paper. I used Mod Podge to adhere the paper and dimensional dots to pop up the die-cut labels. Various ribbons from Webster’s Pages, Beaux Regards and May Arts (all available from the fabulous Cindy Lyles at StarLitStudio) finish it off.

This is the label on the back with a few suggested Christmas readings for a few stolen moments of quiet time. By the time I got here, I was getting lazy, so these are just printed on a clear label from the ole computer.

I’ve had a wonderful weekend full of crafting and getting ready for Christmas. More tea packaging, gift and Christmas ideas to follow this week. What’s up tomorrow? A challenge issued by Jami. She’s the bossy one! <wink> So, I wouldn’t dream of not following orders. See you in the morning.