Christmas * 1989

Here is the layout that I did for this month's Reflections Challenge - I can't believe that this was almost 20 years ago - wow! I found this letter from my Great Grandma and Grandpa Sager - they had it attached to the picture at the top - the letter is tucked in a file folder behind that picture - I have also listed all the names on the file folder. Then I was lucky enough to find these other pictures from that same Christmas so I was very glad to get to put them together. The picture on the bottom left is me, my brother, and two of my cousins - it's amazing to see how much the family has grown since then - of the 4 grandchildren pictured there, two of us are married, one is getting married next Spring, and the other just left on his mission this year! There are now 10 more grandchildren (if I counted right), and my children which makes 3 (almost 4) great-grandchildren!

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The letter is so simple and sweet - it reads:

Dear Jena Vee,

Christmas is a time to celebrate the circle of our family's love. The greatest gift we can give to our grandchildren and great grandchildren is this picture of our family to remind you of the small family circle that has grown larger and larger over the years to include you and to eventually include your children and many others.
This testimony of the eternal plan of being a forever family is just part of the gift of life that Jesus Christ brought to us at his birth so many hundred years ago.

"I have a family here on earth,

They are so good to me.

I want to share my life with them through all eternity.

Families can be together forever

through Heavenly Father's plan.

I always want to be with my own family,

And the Lord has shown me how I can."

-Ruth Muir Gardner

Put this Christmas message and picture in a Book of Remembrance where it will let you keep the circle of our family's love alive in your heart and mind.

Merry Christmas with Love, Grandma and Grandpa Sager

Products Used - All CTMH: Traditional Holiday paper pack (retired), Classic Caps, Boutique Numbers, Adorning Corners

Birthday Cards & Gifts

Here are some birthday cards and gifts that I have made recently and haven't posted yet...
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For my SIL Liz - she likes orange - or at least I hope she still does ;-P Happy Birthday yesterday, Liz!

For my SIL Hannah - I really had fun with this card and I took a lot of pics of this one so you get how it looks. I took inspiration from Originals: Window Cutout, but instead of a 3 1/2 x 2 1/2 card, I turned it into a standard sized card (4 1/4 x 5 1/2). I embossed the star from Shining Star with Cranberry EP onto black CS and cut it out - then I mounted it on a piece of white CS and cut out again. then I cut out the center of the front of the card leaving a 3/4 inch border and attached the star. I also used the dot paper from Silhouette (I LOVE that pattern!), some Cranberry Ribbon, Black Waxy Flax, and some Black Bitty Brads.

I played a little more with it after my original pic, adding dashed lines around the star - did I add too much? Which do you like better, the first or second version?

For my nephew Damon who turned 6 last month - just a simple card using the most boyish stamps I own - when you have 3 girls there's just not too much boy stuff around ;-P Brianna picked the color since he is her bud. I stamped the Tool Time stamp sets using White Daisy pigment ink - and used Moonstruck B&T papers, Say It In Style stamp set for the sentiment, and some fun blue staples.

for my nephew Isaac who just turned 8 and was baptized this weekend! I used MCC #34 and Solos (G, R, 8, and the new Punctuation set). I was inspired by a sign at a local fast food place, advertising 'Join a GR8 team!' So I thought it would be perfect for an 8th birthday!

I also made him this journal/notebook - inside the front cover is a picture of Christ getting baptized. This was inspired by Originals: Tie Back Tag but created an 8 1/2 x 11 cover with it.

for my MIL - Happy Birthday today! She loves pink, can you tell? I took inspiration from Originals: Ribbon Envelope but turned it into a 6x6 card. I used Adorning Corners and For Every Occassion - I used some mini clear window circle stickers on the dark side of Blush textured CS to create the embellishment in the corner. I used the light side of the Blush textured CS for the front of the card, along with paper from the Paper Garden pack.

Here is another baby gift - that is LONG overdue! This is a fun puzzle (?) frame that I found - I don't know how else to describe it - each of the squares slides around like those puzzle games. I started this gift right after she was born, then the pics she e-mailed me, I couldn't get to print, so after I finally remembered to tell the mom I needed another picture, I was able to finish it up a few weeks ago when I finally got that picture. I just hadn't given it to the mom and baby yet (sadly she is almost 6 months old now) - I scheduled it to post here so I would finally remember. What a horrible friend I am ;-P

October Challenges

Reflections Challenge

Title Topper - Photos - page 21

This is a page I made for the girls' dance teacher (that's her in the pics with the girls) - I made her one last year so I thought I would turn it into a tradition - I hope she likes it! She still has last year's hanging up in the dance studio. Products Used: Perfect Day paper pack, Silhouette paper pack, Friendship Alphabet (large & small), Adorning Corners stamp set (clear embossed on the black paper), Black Bitty Brads, coluzzle heart.

Cherish Challenge

Duplicate Patterns - pages 64-65

(my sample can be viewed here)

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Imagine Challenge

Follow the Lead - pages 70-71

Here are some pages that I created last year - sorry, once again I didn't get something NEW completed for this challenge, I already posted a new Imagine layout this month and just didn't have time to whip out another ;-P Anyway, I just love these bath pics of Brailee from last summer, especially the huge one I used on the left page - I just love her features in that one! I don't remember the paper pack that I used here, but I also used Summer Celebration Sassy Strands, Classic Alphabet DE (with two letters wrapped in the sassy strands), and some buttons from the Mini Medley Summer Collection.

Oops, forgot to add the *new* Originals Challenge - it's Right Spotlight - page 29 and my sample can be viewed below in my Fall Open House post - it's the card that says Love is Spoken Here