Citrus Christmas Tree

We had dinner at the Nueva Posada hotel in Ajijic with new friends, David and Karen, this week. We saw this most intriguing Christmas tree in the lobby. It is made of lacquered slices of grapefruit, oranges and lemons. There are also cinnamon sticks tied up with little red ribbons. It is a rounded, one sided tree which allows the light behind to show through the spaces between the citrus slices. Most unusual!! Karen was kind enough to send me a couple of pictures she made with her phone so that I could share this tree with you.

Here's a closeup that shows the citrus slices in more detail.,

It was a wonderful evening of delicious food and lots of fun conversation with a terrific couple. We'll miss them when they leave on the 31st,

Betty

Candy for Kids

Just wanted to give you a glimpse of my latest project. We will be going again (along with other friends) to the nearby village of Mezcala to distribute food bags and toys this Christmas. I have been saving toilet tissue rolls for more than a year and have filled them all with candy (you should have seen the 11 pound bag of candy that I bought at Costco). I wrapped them up pretty, and have enough to bring a big smile to 100 faces when I hand them out!! Can't wait!! We were so blessed by doing the food distribution last year to 50 families, and with the addition of some more couples to contribute, we're hoping to have 75 bags this year.

I also had a chat with a right jolly old elf, Santa himself, last week.............

Hope your Christmas preparations are going smoothly,
Betty

Thanksgiving on the Beach

Many thanks for the encouragement to continue with the blog, even though it may not be every day. I did say I had some pictures to share with you from our beach holiday over Thanksgiving, so here goes......

This first picture is the hotel (Coco's) where we stayed. We were on the second floor. It was not a fancy hotel, but nice, clean and all the employees were very helpful, with friendly smiles! There were actually three different pools at the hotel and it was right on the beach too!

The next picture is another section of the hotel, which was across the road from our building. Don't you just love the abundance of color?!

Thought I'd better show you a picture of me on the beach to prove I was there. This beach didn't have white sand but it was very clean and smooth and the water was crystal clear. One of the places we visited in Puerto Vallarta had such a rocky beach that it was very hard on the feet walking out into the water. Didn't have that problem here.

Another colorful sight on the beach was a vendor selling water inflatables. I don't know how he saw where he was going -- his modified bicycle was completely taken over by water toys!!

Just wanted to show you a picture of a house on the hill nearby our hotel -- talk about a house with a view!! I'd love to be able to a peek inside of this one!

We were simply fascinated by all of the pelicans on the beach. You could walk within a foot of them and they weren't bothered at all!

And a couple of closeups.....

It was a wonderful, relaxing way to spend our Thanksgiving. Might have to do it again next year!

Betty

Absentee Blogger

Hello! It's been a long time since I put in an appearance on my blog. Dental issues and other craziness of life have been taking priority.

Just wanted to share a picture of card class this month. A group of ladies from the Spanish speaking congregation of Lake Chapala Baptist Church came to the card class. I prepared a simple card that showed off embossing, die cuts, and stamping.

The lady on the left side with the face mask is Bertha; she was supposed to be our interpreter but got sick and could only whisper on the day of class! There are two "gringa" ladies in the middle. Beth is wearing a green shirt and took on the job as interpreter (she taught Spanish back in the United States!) and Joy (denim jacket) has been taking Spanish lessons and wanted to practice while meeting some of the ladies from the Mexican congregation!

I think they all had a wonderful time. Not only did they make this wreath card that I had prepared, they also jumped right into card making and created two or three other cards with the Christmas supplies that I had brought to use.

Also wanted to share a a few of the Christmas cards I've made this week.

I'm trying to decide if I'll keep up the blog, but I want to come back at least one more time and share some pictures of our Thanksgiving trip to the beach at Guayabitos.

Adios,
Betty

New Stamp Set

Thanks to my daughter who forwarded it to me, I now have my new stamp set from Flourishes, Naturally Merry. The set includes this beautiful pine cone, a spray of ivy, and several Christmas sentiments. I love pine cones -- have a basket of them on my front porch. a glass jar full inside the front door, and some above my kitchen cabinets. So I knew I was going to have to add this set to my collection. It will be another good stamp to use for masculine birthday cards.

Hope you all had a good weekend and are ready to have a wonderful Thanksgiving week -- thanks be to God for His great and wonderful gifts, especially His gift of salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Betty

Flourishes' New Release Challenge

Flourishes is changing up their challenge for the November release. They are having a progressive challenge and there are four steps to the challenge. You can read all about the changes here.

Step 1  Starts with a sketch. I believe I've got the sketch covered!

Step 2 Involves color. You must use a monochromatic color theme. My colors are shades of Green.

Step 3 Decorative Paper -- you must add a splash of decorative paper somewhere on your card. I have both light and dark green decorative paper.

Step 4 Sparkle -- add sparkle of your choice. Rhinestones are my sparkle of choice -- green ones for the butterfly and the sentiment; clear ones to indicate the butterfly's flight path! The ribbon also has a bit of sparkle in it.

Now, you can make a card with all of the requirements included or you can make four cards with each single ingredient -- it's your choice. Be sure to follow the link above to read all about this challenge and then join in the fun!

Betty

A Manly Birthday

Here's a birthday card I was asked to make. I started out with sketch #60 from Freshly Made Sketches but then I went off on a tangent, as you can see from the sketch below. Oh well, I got inspiration from it though!

I was supposed to have gotten a crown this morning (for my tooth that had the root canal earlier this week) but when I arrived at the dental office I found that they had no electricity. So, I guess you can say that I got a reprieve until next week!

We'll be playing Mexican Train with our group later this afternoon and am looking forward to that. I'll probably have a much better time without having had dental work done this morning!!

It's getting on toward noon -- we found a Red Baron pepperoni pizza in the frozen food case at Wal-Mart today so that's our treat for lunch. Doesn't sound like much but it's a little bit hard to find a good pizza here in Chapala and Wal-Mart doesn't always have the Red Barons. We add onion, bell pepper and mushrooms to make it extra special!!

Later,
Betty

Timeless Tuesday at Flourishes

This is my card for Makiko Jones' challenge at Flourishes Timeless Tuesday #194 which is to use a Flourishes silhouette. Happily I had one of their silhouette stamps -- Sweet Dreams of Summer. This set has such sweet images; there's also one of kids playing in a water sprinkler and a little girl reading a book under a tree.

I stamped with Not Quite Navy and this little girl tending the flowers makes me think of my friend Martha tending the plant that she gave me this week. Planting it as a cutting, watering it, watching it grow, and then loading it up in the truck and bringing it to me once it was "big enough to travel"!!

I'd like to share the link again for the Hope House Boys since it didn't work properly last time. You'll enjoy "meeting" some of the boys who call Hope House their home! Click here.

This and That

Root canal this morning -- I'm not in pain now, just really "achy"! Thought I'd share some miscellaneous things with you today.

Yesterday our friends, Jose and Martha, came over bearing gifts. We now have a beautiful potted plant sitting on our front porch -- it is called "Christ's Crown" and Martha started it from a small cutting about a year ago. Be careful, though, there are some wicked looking thorns hiding behind the leaves!

Martha also presented me with a couple of bracelets and earrings that she had made herself. She is such a sweet, giving person. She and Jose have both brought many blessings to our lives since we have met them. By the way, my sister Barbara met Martha when she was here visiting last month -- Barbara, Martha wants to know your favorite colors because she is going to make some for you too!

One more picture to share. We were so excited to find some beginning papayas on the tree that we planted. Sure hope that the birds don't get them before we do!

The bloom has fallen off the one on the right while the one on the left is still surrounded by the flower. There's also another one on the other side that you cannot see. We love papaya (especially with a little lime juice added) and it would be so thrilling to be able to pick one from our own tree!


I'd also like to share a link with you so that you can read about some of the boys who live at Hope House. They are giving a little biography of some of the boys who call Hope House their home.  Click here.

Later,
Betty

Watercolor Inchies

Got my card made today for Freshly Made Sketches #59. I watercolored the small panels and then stamped an Inkadinkado Flourishes  stamp with Momento Tuxedo Black ink. I didn't get the best picture -- the embossed black sentiment didn't like the flash but it's a very overcast day here (quite unusual for our area) and I had to use the flash.

Remember to set your clocks back tonight. We changed our clocks last Saturday here in Mexico.

Betty

Another Emboss Resist

This is another sample card that I've made to take to card making tomorrow. This one shows what the color Tattered Rose looks like with white embossed words. I used a colored butterfly that I first printed and then embossed with Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel to pop up on the Tattered Rose panel.

Have a blessed day,
Betty

A Winter Card

I will be demonstrating the emboss resist technique at our card making class this month. I have used shiny card stock and stamped the snowflakes from a couple of different stamp sets in Versamark and embossed with white powder. Then sponged on Faded Jeans Distress ink and wiped with a paper towel. I just love the icy effect the Faded Jeans ink brings to the shiny card stock! The background sheet is regular patterned paper -- the smaller panel is the emboss resist. Added some darker blue as a mat, blue pearls, and a bit of sparkly ribbon.

The challenge at Joan's Gardens is to make a winter card -- that's the only requirement. You can pretty much do as you please this time!! Come on and join in!

Betty

Wreath Ornament

I've been working today on making a couple of Christmas cards and finishing up the insides of the cards that I've made this year. I ended up with an empty ribbon spool and decided to try to make a wreath ornament out of it; I think it turned out quite cute.  I'll be entering this in the designer's choice challenge at The House That Stamps Built to make anything but a card.

My poor old blog has been neglected lately. Hopefully, I can get back to a regular posting schedule again!

Later,
Betty

A Guy Card and a Visit to Jocotopec

The challenge at Flourishes' Timeless Tuesday 192 this week is to make a birthday card. I am still needing masculine birthday cards for the church so this challenge fit right in with my needs. I can't wait to get my new Pine Cone stamp set that I ordered from Flourishes recently -- I think it will make wonderful masculine birthday cards! Until then, this Stampin' Up set is one I use a lot for "guy" cards.

I have a few pictures to share today from our trip to a nearby village, Jocotopec, while my sister was visiting. We walked along the lovely malicon there -- such beautiful views.

Cranes enjoying a rest.......

Barbara and I are enjoying a rest too..........

One of the joys that I've found in living in Mexico is that you never know where you'll find poinsettias growing........

These were found in a boat planted with beautiful greenery!

Christmas Glitters

I was fooling around today, trying to come up with a technique to teach at our next card making session. Thought I might try cutting the image into three pieces to make a "tile" effect but after putting the glitter on this one, I decided not to cut it apart 'cause I might end up with even MORE glitter all over the place!!!

I think I like the blues and glitter -- I had colored the little bow red on the ornament but decided to paper piece it with the blue paper instead. The ribbon bow was added at the last minute because I dropped the top to the black ink pad and it left a mark right in the top middle of my matted image. Arrrgggh! I think I covered the mess up pretty well, though!

It's a beautiful day in my neighborhood -- hope it's the same in yours!
betty

Antique Car

Recently I had two friends ask me to make a birthday card with an antique car -- I found this free image on the internet and made two cards like this one, only they both didn't say Happy Birthday, Chuck!

We have a friend at church who has a shirt with white, gray, and black stripes. I always think of this patterned paper when he wears it!!!!

Hope you're having a beautiful day!
Betty

Pretty Peony

I have a birthday card to share today. The colored peony is my favorite image from Beccy's Place and the background paper and banner are from Uniko Studio. I did the birthday sentiment in MS Word, printed and adhered it to the banner from Uniko. Then added some rhinestones to the butterflies.

The flower was printed and cut out with a Spellbinders die and then I traced around the outside of the die on the green paper to make a thinner mat. I like all the different colors -- makes me think of flowers and butterflies in the sunshine!

I'll be entering this card into Beccy's October Challenge which is to make a card with any of her wonderful designs!

Betty

Thinking of You

My sister from Mississippi has been visiting for the past week so we've been busy going here and there and everywhere! No time to make cards......

Unfortunately, all good visits have to come to and end and we took Barbara to the airport this morning. I saw the sketch from Freshly Made Sketches #57 and totally love this card! Thanks for the sketch, LeAnne -- it is a fabulous one!

If you'd like to play along, get your card done by Monday, October 22, at 12 Noon PDT and upload to the Freshly Made Sketches blogsite. Just click on the link above.

Will be sharing some pictures of our excursions out and about in the Chapala area in the next few days. We saw some very interesting sights!

My daughter posted the following picture of my grandkids on Facebook the other day. Thought I'd share it with you. Ashton is 8 and Brianna is 5, although they have birthdays coming up in November and December.

Adios,
Betty

Flourishes Release Week

It's release week at Flourishes and the noon challenge today was to make a card with the inside decorated as well as the outside. Last week I embossed this image from Flourishes Calla Lilies  in white on pink. I really loved that look and used it again but added a little color to the flowers, stems and leaves with watercolor crayons and a blender pen. I like the depth that just a little bit of color gave to the image. I already had the bow tied and waiting patiently to be popped onto this card.

For the inside I used another stamp from the same set and added a Happy Birthday tag. This will be one more card for our church.


Betty

A Couple of Cards

I have two cards to share with you this evening that were inspired by the Merry Monday Sketch 36. This first one follows the sketch and will be entered into the challenge at Lesley's blog, Always Playing With Paper.

Here's the sketch.......

That star really caught my eye and inspired the following card,

Thanks, Lesley, for the wonderful sketches you provide each week!
Betty

Favors for Ladies Luncheon

I was busy this past week making favors for our Ladies Luncheon on Thursday of this week. We are having an Accessory Exchange. We will take up to three gently used fashion accessories (purses, belts, jewelry, hats, etc.) that we don't particularly like any more and (hopefully) exchange them for something we'd enjoy wearing. Of course, there's always the chance that the item we like will get stolen away!!!! Thought that the little purses would fit the them of the luncheon very well -- had lot of fun making over 20 of these little guys in assorted patterned papers. I'm in charge of the devotional which will be on the promises of God. The stamp is from a Layers of Color set.

I'll be linking this up over at Word Art Wednesday.

Betty

Freshly Made Birthday

This is my card for the Freshly Made Sketch Challenge #55. I really let the patterned papers by K & Co. do most of the work; the "grasses" image is from AnnaBelle Stamps and the birthday sentiment from Creative Clear Stamps.

I had plenty of paper left over to make another card this afternoon. Here it is:

Adios,
Betty

Birthday Lilies

This is my card for the Think Pink challenge at Flourishes and I have created it using the sketch challenge from The House That Stamps Built (the Repeat Impressions Stamps blog).

The image stamp is from Calla Lilies by Flourishes, which I stamped in Versamark Ink and heat embossed with white embossing powder. The sentiment is from Gina K. Designs and is also embossed in white. Patterned paper is by My Mind's Eye and the sentiment was cut out with a Spellbinders die. Pink pearls are from Michael's Recollections line.

Hope you'll be able to join in with these challenges this week!
Betty