Paper Expressions Rubber Stamping & Video Tutorials

Christmas eve already?

WOW!  Time flies no matter what doesn't it?

I saved photos from our downline meeting last week just to share with you today!

Merr, Jennifer, Chloe, Jane and my mom were here and we had a great time. I just adore these gals!  Fun, funny, talented and I am truly blessed.

Inside these stockings I put a gift certificate. I admit I don't do a lot during the year for their accomplishments, (I just plain forget) so I gave them both a certificate through me for FREE stuff from the 2008 S&S catalog! Merr already knew what she wanted  

before the meeting was over! I will be ordering it for her in January.  When Jane sends me her list I will order it in January also!  These stockings are made with a larger pattern from the fuzzy topped one I shared last week. I just put my pattern in the copier and enlarged it!

I used "Dashing Designer Paper" and stamped their names on the very vanilla cuff in real red classic ink. The stockings are "sewn" around the edges with a tiny zig zag, the vanilla was cut with a decorative pair of scissors. They were really fun and easy to make!

Merr brought Jennifer & Chloe to our party, isn't this an adorable photo of Merr and Chloe? Look at her outfit! Tooo stinkin cute!

 

Here is Jennifer (Chloe's mom) and her ADORABLE make & take cards!

She is to talented!

And now for the GROUP! l-r  my mom, Chloe, Merr, Jennifer, Jane and myself.

  I hope your Christmas Eve is absolutely wonderful. Today I will be doing as much of the cooking as I can so that I don't have as much work tomorrow.

Have a blessed day!

OUTRAGEOUS PRICES!

This post will remain at the top - scroll below for current posts!

In honor of my 4 year anniversary with Stampin Up!

I have slashed the prices in my Steals and Deals photo album on all stamp sets!  Anything that was over $10.00 is now marked at $10.00 each. PLUS shipping.

I will ONLY TAKE MONEY orders and U.S. orders only for these sets at these prices. As you well know, these stamp sets sold for much more in the catalog and most of these sets are brand new or used once.  These prices are only good while the stamp sets last and at these prices, I don't see that happening for long! Payment has to be received to me within 5 business days, I will not hold stamps for longer. This is a clearance and I want to be fair to those who "really" want the stamps and accessories!

It's easy, just Email me with your choices and I will mark them pending, box them weigh them for postage and let you know the amount due. When your money order arrives they will get mailed directly to you (U.S. ONLY PLEASE)

Gifts for Men... Shopping help for the ladies!

Today's CleanLaugh - "Gifts For Men"

Buying gifts for men is not nearly as complicated as it is for women. Follow these rules and you should have no problems.

Rule #1:
When in doubt - buy him a cordless drill. It does not matter if he already has one. I have a friend who owns 17 and he has yet to complain. As a man, you can never have too many cordless drills. No one knows why.

Rule #2:
If you cannot afford a cordless drill, buy him anything with the word ratchet or socket in it. Men love saying those two words. "Hey George, can I borrow your ratchet?" "OK. By-the-way, are you through with my 3/8-inch socket yet?" Again, no one knows why.

Rule #3:
If you are really, really broke, buy him anything for his car. A 99-cent ice scraper, a small bottle of deicer or something to hang from his rear view mirror. Men love gifts for their cars. No one knows why.

Rule #4:
Do not buy men socks. Do not buy men ties. And never buy men bathrobes. I was told that if God had wanted men to wear bathrobes, he wouldn't have invented Jockey shorts.

Rule #5:
You can buy men new remote controls to replace the ones they have worn out. If you have a lot of money buy your man a big-screen TV with the little picture in the corner. Watch him go wild as he flips, and flips, and flips.

Rule #7:
Do not buy any man industrial-sized canisters of after shave or deodorant. I'm told they do not stink - they are earthy.

Rule #8:
Buy men label makers. Almost as good as cordless drills. Within a couple of weeks there will be labels absolutely everywhere. "Socks. Shorts. Cups. Saucers. Door. Lock. Sink." You get the idea. No one knows why.

Rule #9:
Never buy a man anything that says "some assembly required" on the box. It will ruin his day and he will always have parts left over.

Rule #10:
Good places to shop for men include Northwest Iron Works, Parr Lumber, Home Depot, John Deere, Valley RV Center, and Les Schwab Tire. NAPA Auto Parts and Sear's Clearance Centers are also excellent men's stores. It doesn't matter if he doesn't know what it is. "From NAPA Auto, eh? Must be something I need. Hey! Isn't this a starter for a '68 Ford Fairlane? Wow! Thanks."

Rule #11:
Men enjoy danger. That's why they never cook - but they will barbecue. Get him a monster barbecue with a 100-pound propane tank. Tell him the gas line leaks. "Oh the thrill! The challenge! Who wants a hamburger?"

Rule #12:
Tickets to a football game are a smart gift. However, he will not appreciate tickets to "A Retrospective of 19th Century Quilts." Everyone knows why.

Rule #13:
Men love chainsaws. Never, ever, buy a man you love a chainsaw. If you don't know why - please refer to Rule #8 and what happens when he gets a label-maker.

Rule #14:
It's hard to beat a really good wheelbarrow or an aluminum extension ladder. Never buy a real man a step ladder. It must be an extension ladder. No one knows why.

Rule #15:
Rope. Men love rope. It takes them back to our cowboy origins, or at least The Boy Scouts. Nothing says love like a hundred feet of 3/8" manilla rope.

IT'S Finally DONE! yippeeee

I began this project early this year and I am happy to announce that it is finally finished!!! (well the sleeve for hanging isn't done but I put it up anyhow!)

I bought this flannel panel at Craft Warehouse in Boise Idaho in early November of 2005 before we moved here.

Each square, character, etc... are stitched around on my Bernina machine by freehand.  I used left over binding flannel from my snowman quilt to bind this and it's adorable! I hope you stop by soon to visit and check it out! The backing is just a piece of dk beige cotton.  It looks fabulous in my kitchen with all my other gingerbread men and ladies!

Today's Thought... EXCELLENT!

I learned years ago that I could not, would not be perfect nor would any or the things I was doing!

and I am FINE with that!!!

FREE photos from Walgreens! today only

You can get a free 8x10 photo of your choosing if you go to Walgreens.com and order an 8x10 print (and you can order other stuff if you want) but it has to be for pickup in store - can't have it shipped to you. Use the code

VERYNICE at checkout to get the 8x10 free. Just thought I'd pass this on - ONLY GOOD TODAY - FRI 12/21 !!!

JACKPOT!

OH MY HECK!  Look what I found today!!  I am SO excited can you tell?  I have been looking for these for over a year!  And then on page 137 of the New S&S catalog they had one- decorated too!! And I finally found them today in some kitchen store I had never been in before!!

yippee-  happy dance- 

These are THE coolest cannisters! And they were 1/2 off thanks to a Christmas sale!!  yippe yahooo- I can't wait till after Christmas when I have "time" to mess with them! lol I also plan to clean off my stamping table and get out my scrapbooking items and take the next 2 yes TWO, months and scrapbook or quilt!

And the shopping continued at another store.......

Now, check out some of my other goodies I bought today at 1/2 off from Hobby Lobby~~

I know they are not SU but they are adorable and I just couldn't stop myself! lol  1/2 price too! yippeeee

I also bought a selection of fancy bows for packages and some DARLING tags-  want to see the tags? They are 3-d and awesome! IF you do, I will photo and post them over the weekend but I have to have at least 10 replies to this post first! I don't want to share things you aren't interested in seeing. It's time for supper.  Chicken Tortellini soup and then our home teachers are coming by, Kay is working late tonight and tomorrow night, but he has all next week off !!! hooray! Cya tomorrow!

Brown Bag Christmas Story

When I asked our newlywed Sunday School class to share a favorite Christmas story, Carrie Fuller said, "Our family has one we call the 'brown bag Christmas.'" When she finished, I had to hear more. Two days later, I called a member of her family for more details.

It was the early 1930s during the Dust Bowl days of

Kansas, in the heart of the Depression. The Canaday family---Mom, Dad, 7 children---were having a tough time existing, so there would be no luxuries at Christmas that year. Mom told the children to go outside and find a Christmas tree and decorate it. After a lengthy search, they returned with a dead branch, the only thing they had been able to find. They stood it up in a bucket of sand and decorated it with pieces of paper tied with string. Little Judy, almost four, did not know how a Christmas tree was supposed to look, but somehow she knew it was not like that!

As Christmas approached, the Canaday children, like children everywhere, pestered Mom and Dad about what presents they might get under their "tree." Dad pointed out that the pantry was bare, that they did not have enough to live on, and there certainly would be no money for gifts. But Mom was a woman of faith and told her children, "Say your prayers. Ask God to send us what He wants us to have." Dad said, "Now, Mother, don't be getting the children's hopes up. You're just setting them up for a disappointment." Mom said, "Pray, children. Tell Jesus." And pray they did.

On Christmas Eve, the children watched out the window for visitors, but no one came. "Blow out the lamp and go to bed", Dad said. "Nobody is going to come. No one even knows we're out here."

The children turned out the lamp and got in bed, but they were too excited to sleep. Was this not Christmas? Had they not asked God to send them the presents He wanted them to have? Did Mom not say God answers prayer?

Late that night, when one of the children spotted headlights coming down the dirt road, everyone jumped out of bed and ran to the window. The commotion woke up Mom and Dad. "Don't get excited, children," Dad said. "They're probably not coming here. It's just someone who got lost." The children kept hoping and the car kept coming. Then, Dad lit a lamp. They all wanted to rush to the door at the same time, but Mr. Canaday said, "Stay back. I'll go." Someone got out of the car and called, "I was wondering if someone here can help me unload these bags." The children dashed out the door to lend a hand. Mom said to her youngest, "Stay here, Judy, and help Mom open the bags and put up the gifts."

A deacon from the church in town had gone to bed that Christmas Eve, and lay there tossing and turning, unable to get the Canaday family off his mind. Later, he said, "I didn't know what kind of shape you folks were in, but I knew you had all those kids." He had gotten up and dressed and went around town, rousing people from their sleep to ask for a contribution for the Canaday family. He filled his car with bags of groceries, canned goods, toys, and clothing. Little Judy got a rag doll which remained her favorite for years.

With so much food, Dad wanted to have a Christmas feast, to spread it all out and eat as they had never eaten before. Mom, ever the caretaker, said, "No, we need to make this last." And it did last, for weeks.

The next Sunday, Mrs. Canaday stood in church and told what the members---and one deacon in particular---had done for her family. There was not a dry eye in the house.

Years later, the oldest sister Eva wrote up this story about her family for a school project. Eva said, "We were so thrilled by all the wonderful things in the bags, for a while ;we lost sight of the most special gift. The best gift that Christmas was not in brown bags at all.
It was Mom's faith, as she taught her children to bring their needs to Jesus and trust Him to meet them. And a Dad's love that wanted only to protect his children from hurt and disappointment."

When Carrie finished telling her story, she added, "Little Judy is my wonderful grandmother." Today, Judy Canaday Dryden lives in Sanger, Texas. As she relived this event from seventy years ago over the phone, one could hear the tear in her voice and feel her pride in being the recipient of such a precious heritage from her mother and father.

At Christmas, we celebrate praying mothers and caring fathers and believing children. We give thanks for sensitive deacons and generous friends and sleepless nights. And we praise God for the hard times that teach unforgettable lessons, stories of faithfulness that get told and retold through the years inspiring each new generation to place their faith in a loving Savior.

IT'S BACK! HOORAY!

I do not know how it was lost but now it's been found!

Can you guess what I am talking about? lol

For a while now the feedburner subscribe option has been missing from my blog- I have No clue how it disappeared or what country it has been vacationing in, but I do know that I found it and have restored it to my blog!  For those of you that have been patiently waiting for it's return you are in luck today! lol 

When you look at the left column under my photo look under the copyright info and you will now see it! Just type in your email address and each time I post, feedburner will send you a notice so that you can stay updated on what goes on here!

Thanks to Dawn and her help in tracking down my lost friend!  Dawnie girl you rock and I am truly blessed that you got me into this blogging business to begin with!! lol

hugs

Gwen

The good the bad and the ugly

Today is find my bedroom floor day lol (shh.... don't tell my teenagers that I am a horrid cleaner of my bedroom!)

I came across this family photo we had taken last month when we went to Silver Dollar City for their Christmas events. Remember I was bragging about the Dickens play?  Well it was to die for and I would love to see it again, as we came from the play we were passing the old time photo place and the kids begged us to have a family photo taken- so....................

 

YIKES!!! Don't mess with this solemn group! By the way- (the guns were MY idea lol)  I hate the way she placed my hat- If there had been a mirrior to look in, I could have fixed it! GRRRRRRRRR

Guess what? My mom is here for 2 weeks! they came in yesterday-  she married my dad's youngest brother about 3 years after dad died.  So my Uncle is my stepdad- lol

Jeff Foxworthy have I got some stories for you!

Well, I must get back to cleaning my bedroom, I can see the floor but now its all on the bed! ARGH! where does this stuff come from?

Do you have ANY tried and true suggestions for removing candle wax from lace doilies?  Add your comments to this post and include your home mailing address and I will send you something !  thanks for spending your time with me and my silliness!