Giving and Receiving.....

"Be merry all, be merry all,

With holly dress the festive hall;

Prepare the song, the feast, the ball,

To welcome merry Christmas."

W. R. Spencer - They Joys of Christmas

Today I am enjoying a sick day. Well, let me rephrase that, I don't enjoy being sick but I choose to find joy in my day despite my circumstances. I watched a favorite decorating show and a movie during which I was able to create a scarf on my small hand loom. I just have to add the fringe and this gift will be complete with just one more to go......
I have enjoyed cuddling with my little sidekick, Sophie. She is our little dog and when you feel bad she is extremely sensitive and sticks by your side like glue. On such a cold day I welcome her warmth and care.....I have enjoyed sitting in my living room on such a gloomy day with all my Christmas lights glowing, sipping hot tea, and being warmed by a cozy fire. I enjoyed my husband coming home for lunch to check on me, so sweet! And now I am enjoying some blog time. So, I guess I am enjoying my sick day!

I received another bit of joy over the weekend as I received a sweet tag that I won over at Creative Chaos.....

I also received swap goodies from Kris over at Blissful Elements. I was wowed by her generosity, here is what she sent.....

This beautiful embroidered linen tea towel which looks great in my kitchen.....
This set of sweet little snowmen with their "warm winter wishes" message.....
This awesome two sided soldered necklace, a cute little Christmas bird and Santa......

This yummy glittery cupcake ornament......
Kris made these the two vintage style ornaments below with some of her wonderful vintage graphics.....Everything came packaged in one of her vintage sewing machine drawers.....
AND she gave me that great Christmas Banner at the top of my blog! I am so overwhelmed by her generosity and adore it all. Thank you, Kris, for this wonderful swap!

Here is what I sent her.....

I made this stocking from some pink and white silk. The cuff is the end of an embroidered dresser scarf. The bow is made from the same silk and embellished with some old lace and a button. The "K" is a ninety nine cent ornament from Target and the dangling embellishment with velvet bow is an ornament I picked up for half price at a local hobby store. A stocking must come filled with goodies, hers held an aromatic soy votive candle in the toe, a package each of gourmet cocoa, tea, and coffee, with a tiny decorative spoon to stir them. It also included a gourmet piece of chocolate and some bath salts, and a current issue of Country Living magazine, all of which were given with the thought of squeezing in a little relaxation time during the busy holiday season.

This little tree is a Charlotte Lyons inspired creation made from cotton batting and embellished with vintage buttons, sequins, pearls, glitter, and a tiny golden angel on top.
The gift bags and tags were embellished with little snowmen made from cotton batting, felt mittens on silver tinsel arms, crochet hats and scarves, sequins, glitter, jingle bells, and iridescent stars. Their faces are painted and cheeks shaded with pink chalk.

I also tucked in a snowman ornament made from cotton batting and scarf that I made on a small round hand loom.

I have been filling my time this past week or so doing some crafting of gifts. I wanted to send out a little joy so I made this little gift for Cindy over at Cindy is Crafty..... Cindy sent me one of her wonderful creations so I sent her a thank you gift in return. The mittens are made from an old sweater and embellished with painted berries, glittered leaves, and red velvet ribbon. I was inspired to make these by Dawn's tutorial over at The Feathered Nest. The little tin is a coffee tin that I decorated with cotton batting, fabric scraps, buttons, and some embroidery. I left the interior unlined so it could be used to tuck little homemade sweet treat inside.

I finished my Christmas cards and got them in the mail at the end of last week.....

I bought the cards in a small pack 8 for $1.00 and altered them by using some card stock, wrapping paper, brads, glittered tags, ribbon, silver ink pad, and snowflake stamp. They were very fast and easy.

I also put together a little surprise gift for someone out there in blog land. It will wing its way to its recipient as soon as I can get it to the post office. It, like Lillie Belle,

the paper doll I made for Pinkie D ,comes with a little story.

Here it is....( Mrs. Twitter, pictured below, is made from an old sweater, vintage lace, and muslin. She is embellised with a tiny button on her lacy little wing.)Mrs. Twitter was so excited, today was moving day. She had summered in the thick bramble behind Quill Cottage and was ready for a change of scenery. She sighed as she thought of her skillfully woven nest among the honeysuckle vine where she had had the sweet scent of fresh flowers wafting around her all summer. It was time to move on and her new location sounded heavenly. She would be relocating to ____?____.

Some of her friends decided to give her a going away party and since it was being held at the end of the summer season they decided to call it a Harvest Party. The invitations were sent out and the date was set for Friday, September 1, 1882.
Mrs. Twitter was very touched by this but also sent her into quite a flutter as most women are when thinking about what to wear to a party. This was a bit different because she would be the special guest of honor. So she sent off to the milliners for some supplies to liven up her chapeau for the occasion. This was a gift left to her by little Autumn earlier in the Season. She ordered a bit of lace, some frilly yarns, a silk rosette flower, and a half nutshell full of buttons which arrived all wrapped up in pretty green tulle and tied with a rich chocolate brown twine.

She set about using her weaving skills to create a confection quite unlike anything ever seen in the Bramble community. She had decided that when she left the Bramble she was going to travel lightly and only take her new chapeau and handbag that little Autumn had left her, and of course her comfy nest. Having dispersed with all her other possessions all that was left was to say goodbye to her friends. The Harvest party was a great success and Mrs. Twitter was showered with gifts. She was presented with a set of decorative letters and a bouquet of white flowers tied together with a bit of yarn. She intended to dry and save them as a keepsake. Squirrel Nutkin was the first to step up and offered her two little velvet acorns to use as pillows in her nest and he added a real one should she need a snack along her long journey to ___?___.

Next, came her three best friends, Jenny Jay, Millie Mourning Dove, and Ruby Woodpecker. They each gave a quill so that she would have plenty for writing letters back to them and each would remind her of them, as if she would forget. Old Crow brought her a shiny metal object and told her it could be used as a fancy headboard for her nest, that it would indeed be quite beautiful. Mrs. Twitter was especially touched as Old Crow could be a cranky old fellow and one never knew if he truly liked you or not. The butterflies and moths used pollen and mud to stamp two lovely wall hangings to remind her of the plant life surrounding her former home and they each dipped their wings and imprinted them also, with many signing well wishes around the border.

Although little Autumn could not attend, she left a tiny framed photo of herself to be remembered by and the two little Nuthatch twins brought her some leaves of bronze, copper, and gold. She thought she might make these into sconces for her new home. Last, but not least, Katie Cardinal gave her a twig with some lovely moss and leaves from the tree that had sheltered her home. Mrs. Twitter was so touched that she had a very hard time saying goodbye to such sweet and special friends. They all helped her carry her gifts home and she suddenly realized that she had made no arrangements to have things shipped as she had planned to travel lightly with only what she could carry. She was sad at the thought of having to leave behind her precious gifts but there was no need to worry for the paper wasps which lived under the eve of Quill Cottage had been busy at work creating for her a wonderful paper box in which she and all her goods could ride comfortably to ___?___. The hens from across the road even brought her a burlap carpet, which had been cut from one of their feed sacks, to cushion the bottom of the box. The paper wasps had also woven her a cunning little blanket with a feather design upon it in case she got cold.

She thanked them all as they proceeded to help her arrange her goods for travel. Goodbyes were said and a few tears shed as she was sent on her way. Mrs. Twitter knew she would never forget those she left behind but looked forward to new adventures at ___?___.

And lastly I am contemplating what to give away in my next post, which will be my 50Th! Anyone who commented on the What I Love About My Holiday Home Post is automatically signed up and I will add those who sign up on the 50Th post to the list.

I pray your joy may be as full as mine is this day.

Blessings,

Miss Sandy

The Story of Lilli Belle.....

Dear readers, I know in my last post I promised to show you some Christmas crafting and fab swap goodies, however, I woke up quite ill in the wee smalls this morning. I thought I would just post one craft creation and the story that goes with her as she is a little Christmas paper doll ornament and her story is a Christmas story.

I made this little paper doll ornament for Pinkie D over at Pinkpomegranate. She was one of the participants who signed up for my Pay It Forward craft gifts. She loves dolls, collects them, restores them, and even makes her own. She said it was OK to share her and her story. Pinkie's custom made doll has a little green vintage velvet coat and tiny pink slippers ,(Pinkie's favorite color is pink!), made from vintage velvet ribbon. This little paper dolls name is Lilli Belle and this is her story:

Lilli Belle grew up in the antebellum era in the rural South. The South was still reeling from the effects of the Civil War and trying to recover. Christmas time was fast approaching and Lilli Belle's mother, Vivian Rose, wanted to have some sense of normalcy for her family during the holiday season but times were lean indeed. The thriving plantation life they had once known was an ever present memory and a painful reminder that the lifestyle they had led was a bygone era and change was inevitable. What little they had left, that which had not been burned or looted was very precious indeed. Vivian Rose fretted over what she could do to make this Christmas a special one for the one remaining child she had, losing two young sons in the war, yet still thankful for the return of her husband, Captain Clark.

This particular winter seemed more bitter and cold than past winters, perhaps it really was, or maybe it just seemed so with so much raw pain and loss so recent in the heart and memory. Vivian Rose, being a talented seamstress, wanted to outfit Lilli Belle in a warm outer garment at the very least. She sifted through the meager family possessions and found some worn green velvet that had served as a bed covering and she found a pink velvet pillow cover that had faded and aged and was a bit spotted here and there but yes, these would do nicely. She carefully laundered the velvets and sketched out her patterns and late at night while Lilli Belle slept her mother stitched by candle light until her fingers were weary and her eyes heavy. Captain Clark was concerned about his little daughters health and well being also, she having always been of fragile health, and wanting to make this Christmas special went out hunting early one morning. A light dusting of snow covered the ground and little animal tracks could be seen imprinted in the snow. Just what he was looking for, rabbit tracks, could be seen leading off into the winter dead blackberry bramble. Setting a trap he hoped to snare a rabbit for two reasons, one to provide food for his families table and the other for a Christmas surprise for Lilli Belle.

Lilli Belle was a very bight and merry child and she delighted in the world around her and was a great comfort, joy, and blessing to her parents. She had a beautiful clear singing voice and often sang solo's in her church choir. It was often said that she was aptly named, for she was named after her mother's favorite flower the Lily of the Valley. The Lily of the Valley was regarded as a symbol of purity and the return of happiness for it is the sweetest flower imaginable. The flowers were also called Ladder to Heaven because the miniature flower-bells grew like steps up the stem. So it was that she was called Lilli Belle, Lilli for the name of the flower and Belle for the flowers shape. Her voice rang out pure and clear and gladdened the heart of the hearer and lifted the soul up the ladder to heaven.
Both the efforts of Vivian Rose and Captain Clark were rewarded as a little green velvet coat and dainty pink slippers took shape under such skilled hands of a clever seamstress and there was meat on the table as well as soft warm fur enough to trim out the entire little coat with enough left over to be fashioned into a warm winter muff to keep Lilli Belle's tiny hands warm. Vivian Rose wanted to make the little garment extra special so she took some trim from her wedding gown, gossamer tulle, pearls, ribbon roses, buttons, and lace and skillfully and cleverly applied them.

On Christmas morning Lilli Belle awoke with a song on her lips and joy in her heart. Such is the resiliency of a child, to be able to find joy in the midst of sadness. She was particularly excited about singing a solo later in the morning at a special Christmas gathering at church. She fretted a little over the fact that her now "best" dress was growing worn and faded and did wish, as all young girls do, to have something new and pretty to wear. With a sigh she decided it did not matter so much as long as she still had mama and papa.

The ringing of sleigh bells sent her into action as she leapt from bed and raced into the parlor. There stood papa by the tree, sleigh bells in hand, ringing in the Christmas morning as he had always done. Mama sat in her chair by the fire smiling and holding the family Bible. Lilli Belle curled herself upon the hearth rug tucking her feet up under her for warmth and settled in the hear papa read the Christmas story. As papa finished reading he and mama seemed to have special twinkle in their eyes. Lilli Belle was curious but said nothing. Papa invited her into the kitchen for one of mama's Christmas buns and warm milk while mama excused herself and said she would join them in a moment. Lilli Belle swung her legs from the tall chair upon which she sat and enjoyed the delicious sweetness of the bun as mama entered the kitchen. Vivian Rose and Captain Clark shared a knowing smile and suggested that she hurry and get ready for church.

Lilli Belle entered her room, stopped, and stood statue still near the edge of her bed. At first she thought her eyes must be playing tricks on her. She tentatively reached out her hand to stroke the soft creamy fur trim, fingered the pearl beads, and examined the tiny pink velvet slippers. Then a cry of joy escaped her and laughter, dancing, and singing followed. She twirled to find mama and papa standing her doorway with smiles wreathing their faces. She thanked them for her Christmas coat, slippers, and muff.

Later that morning she stood before the congregation enfolded not only in the warmth of her new Christmas garments but in the love of her parents and she sang. Her voice rang out loud and clear and filled each heart with Christmas cheer.

I hope you enjoyed the story of Lilli Belle and that you will be filled with Christmas cheer this season.

Merry Christmas,

Miss Sandy

Door Prize Winners! What I Love About My Holiday Home!

Dear readers, I hope you all have had as wonderful a time as I did visiting all the lovely holiday homes. Didn't Karla do a fantastic job? (Karla, keep an eye on that mail box!) This was the first time I have participated in something like this and I found it to be a blessed experience. It was a perfect way to spend a day when I was not feeling well, in my pj's blogging to my hearts content. There was the most glorious decor to explore, from simple to opulent and every thing in between. Thank all you wonderful participants for sharing the gift of hospitality.

I have to mention two blog posts in particular. Essentially by opening our homes, even in a virtual way, we were exercising the gift of hospitality. Two of the women stole my heart by the sheer honesty of their posts. One expressed her desire to decorate more but small children with exploring hands and mischievous pets prevented her at this season in her life. Another expressed her desire to decorate but found the task daunting and exhausting. She did have decorations stored in her junk closet but didn't feel like digging them out. In spite of the obstacles, both these women opened their homes, (one even opened her junk closet!), and shared what they deemed their meager fare. I thought to myself now these are women I would like to get to know, confident and comfortable where they are in life. I could see myself moving the cat from the sofa, sitting down and sipping whatever was on hand, even kool-aid, in the midst of happy children and pets galore, and thinking I could learn a thing or two about hospitality from both. What they offered was a lesson of the heart and I thank them from the bottom of mine!

Now on to the door prizes. I decided I wanted to give out three prizes. I chose three because that is how many gifts were given to the Christ child, gold, frankincense, and myrrh. I spent this morning creating all three and gave it careful thought to what they would be.

The first prize is a Tree of Faith. This little tree is decorated in what seems to be this seasons hottest colors, pink, aqua, and silver. This tree is crafted from cotton batting with pink stitching and embellished with pink trim, silver beads, pink sequin flowers with iridescent bead centers. A silver tinsel star graces the top and the base is an old wooden thread spool which has been glittered with silver. The top and bottom of the spool are covered in pieces of pages from an old hymn book. The final touch is a velvet aqua bow at the base. Highlighted under each aqua stone is a word from various hymns. The words are, love, grace, peace, and shine. The tinsel star on the top also highlights a word, blessings. This little tree is a reminder that "love" came down over two thousand years ago in the form of the Christ child. It is by His "grace" that we are able to enter into heaven. He is our ultimate source of "peace" and gifted it to us. "Shine" is a reminder of His radiant power. And last but not least centered in the tinsel star is "blessings", which is a simple reminder to count all the blessings we have.

The second prize is a Whiter Than Snow sign. It too is in the colors of pink, aqua, and silver. The snowman is crafted from cotton batting with an aqua crochet hat and scarf. He has pink felt mittens and is embellished with iridescent snowflakes. His little sign proclaims "SNOW" and is backed by a chorus from an old hymn book based on Psalm 51:10. This little sign is a reminder to keep our hearts pure and clean, white as snow. I often pray this little song for myself, to create within me a clean heart and to renew a right spirit within me and I finish it off by asking the Lord to keep me sweet. (Quite a chore He has with that!)

The third prize is the Gift of Giving Angel. She is crafted from an old sweater, some tea stained fabric and vintage doilies, lace, and buttons. In her hand she hold a scroll that is made from a rolled up piece of an old hymn book page. If you look closely you will see the word gift on the front of the scroll. This angel is a reminder of all the gifts we have been given and to use those to bless others. If you turn her over you will see a little quote which reads, "What we are is God's gift to us. What we become is our gift to God." Eleanor Powell

At my final check I had 40 participants in my door prize give away. I numbered them all in the order of the comments. I used a custom random number generator to draw the winners and here they are:

The Tree of Faith goes to: Lori of Faeire Window! Congratulations Lori, I hope you enjoy it!

The Whiter Than Snow sign goes to:

Debbie at Random Thoughts From A to Z! Congratulations Debbie, will he fit in with those funny yet scary snowmen you have?:)

The Gift of Giving angel goes to:

Kari & Kijsa of Ask Kari & Kijsa! Congratulations Kari & Kijsa, uh oh, these are sisters and there is only one prize! Share nicely girls! (Or maybe I'd better whip up another one!)

NOTE: I could not just send one prize to two sisters so I whipped up another angel this morning. She is the Angel of Praise. She, like her sister pictured above, is also made from an old sweater, bits of vintage lace and crochet, and embellished with old buttons and beads. She holds in her hand a scroll made from a scrap of a page from an old hymn book and the word "praise" is visible on the front. Prasie is another form of gratitiude. This little angel is a reminder to be grateful for all things in all circumstances. It is said that God inhabits the praises of His people, so praise and gratitude draw us closer to Him. On the back she has a little reminder Scripture that says, "In everything give thanks." 1 Thessalonians 5:18. Here she is: Email me your address' so I can pop these goodies in the mail!

Thank you all for the sweet comments and YOU ARE ALL ENTERED IN MY NEXT GIVE AWAY! In a few more posts I will hit my 50th post so I simply must celebrate. You as well as those who comment on the 50th post will be entered so check back in next week to check out the goodies!

In the meantime if you need a Christmas chuckle at my expense you may read here and here and two more such stories will be posted next week. I'll be back this weekend to share some Christmas crafting and some fab swap goodies. Many of you mentioned my banner, it was a gift from Kris of Blissful Elements, (she sells them two for $25.00) you can read about Kris and see her awesome work here.

I pray your hearts are full of Christmas cheer and that joy and blessings spill your way in the coming days as we celebrate the birth of the Christ child.

Christmas Blessings,

Miss Sandy