We had a wonderful Christmas at Michelle and Gary's cabin up on Mt. Hood.
It was cozy and comfy and overflowed with laughter, love and creativity!
It wasn't snowing outside which was a bit disappointing...
but these snowflakes... handmade by Michelle and the girls...
more than made up for the wet cold stuff... aren't they amazing?
So much fun!
(from left to right: me, Monica, Cindy, granddaughters Alexis and Jessica, and Michelle)
I love being part of a creative family of girls.
And at Christmas time... that creativity shines... and thus...
one of my favorite family Christmas traditions is
the giving and exchanging of handmade craftiness!
My daughter Michelle, sis-in-love Cindy, niece Monica, and myself
do the handmade gift exchange and this was my offering...
They are small zippered bags combining my newly discovered love
for free-motion stitching combined with layered mixed-media art.
Each bag had a stamped word of inspiration sewn on the outside with a
scripture printed on paper and tucked inside. The verse for this one was...
"...with God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26
I had so much fun stitching these, I decided to make one for each of my
granddaughters as well... their inspirational word was "imagine" and their
verse was my life verse...
"God is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine,
according to his power that is at work within us"
from Ephesians 3:20.
This was a sampling of all the girls handmade gifties...
Monica stenciled fun kitchen tea towels and potholders for all of us.
Cindy sewed colorful and reversible placemats.
Michelle silk-screened the coolest owl shirts for Mo and Cindy but because
I already had one of her owl shirt, she made me this totally amazing stuffie!
I LOVE her and named her Lulu!
Michelle gave Lex and Jess original paintings by Lia Lane and my original is
by Jess... it's an acrylic painting of our cat Abby at her scratching post while
we were staying at the kids. She is so talented... and I am so blessed!
As believers in Christ, we are blessed, aren't we?
Blessed because Jesus came to this earth... was born a baby...
and lived among us... so we could see His glory...
and know His love.
That is why we celebrate, isn't it?
That is why we are blessed.
And I would be blessed to know...
did you make any handmade gifts this year?
If you did and blogged about them please include your link...
let us inspire one another!!
xoxoxo
Karla
