Family Christmas Card & Wishes for Spencer

It is finally SAFE for me to post my Family Christmas Card (you notice I used "initial caps" when I typed that out?? I felt it deserved it since it took soooo stinkin' long to finish these!!)

I had envisioned making a quilt card quite a while ago (and to be honest, after having made THE pop-up Christmas tree a couple of years ago, I feel like everything that follows it up falls a bit short!). What I HADN'T envisioned was cutting/punching out 33 individual quilt pieces for each card ... not to mention the two mats, five pieces for the stocking, the punched corner, the twine, the bell, the ribbon and SEWING ... not to mention embossing!!). I actually enjoy making something that I know will go to all of my dear sweet friends and family ... lots of work, but there is love in every piece and my family and friends are WORTH it!!

Here is the inside. I decided to do our greeting auf Deutsch (in German) this year. Since my husband's family has such a rich German heritage (and since, let's face it, after making cards for so many years I was starting to get stale!), I decided German greetings would do very nicely. So there ya have it ...

Stamps: Tiny Tags
Paper: Early Espresso, Riding Hood Red, Marina Mist, Pear PIzazz, Whisper White, Frostwood Lodge DSP, Letters to Santa DSP, Silver Glitter Paper
Ink: Basic Black
Accessories: 3/4" Square Punch (sooo sad this is retired), Photo Corner Punch (sad that THIS is retired, too!), 3/4" Circle Punch, Build a Stocking Punch, Petals a Plenty Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Snow Burst Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Houndstooth Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Linen Thread, Riding Hood Red Taffeta Ribon, Jingle Bell, Sewing Machine


And this was our second year volunteering for Spencer's Wishes. My dear friends, Phil and Pam Roundy, organize this event every year in honor of their sweet little boy, Spencer, who passed away from brain cancer at the tender age of 10 just over 11 years ago. In keeping with a list of Christmas wishes that they found in Spencer's room after his passing, they try to "help Santa deliver presents to children" by sponsoring a wonderful event every December complete with pizza, music, a magician, SANTA, and a $100 shopping spree for each of the 100 children who are invited to attend (each child is nominated ... all of the children have had a tough year in one way or another, and this is to help them put some joy back into their lives). This is me with my new buddy, Zane (and Santa, of course!).



Last year, my daughter Amelia and I went. We had such an AMAZING experience that we convinced my two sons, Devan and Garrett, as well as Amelia's friend, Merin (one of my other daughters!) to join us. Smiles, laughter and love ruled the day ...



Here is Santa getting ready to count the crowd down to releasing our purple balloons to Spencer. Purple was his favorite color. It was also the favorite color of his best friend, Susie, who succumbed to leukemia prior to Spencer's passing. He had purposely released a purple balloon after having received a large bouquet of brightly-colored balloons. When his daddy asked him why he let it go he said, "Because purple is Susie's favorite color. I'm sending this to her in Heaven, where I am sure she will find it!" Chokes me up even TYPING that!!



And there they go .... "THANK YOU , SPENCER!!"