Merry? Christmas

 

I recently shared this on my Facebook page, and thought you might like it too.

From my heart:

Recently one of my FB friends sent out a note of how this year there was no ‘Merry’. No family coming over to celebrate. No desire for decorations or fanfare of any kind.

My heart is just so saddened at the realization there are so many of us going through these feelings and hard times. I have been there myself at times.

There are 2 things i want to say. First, Christmas for me is not a sparkly, jingle-bell filled time of fun at the root. I celebrate Christmas because I have a God who loved me so much He sent his only son in the form of an infant, Jesus Christ, to become the only way I can have a relationship with my Creator. Wow. Awesome. So I approach Christmas with feelings of gratitude, thankfulness and a desire to spread this joy to others.

Second, I do like to decorate! Play special music and do special things! They don’t ‘make’ the holiday for me, but are expressions of my own joy. This time of year I can get very sad or sentimental when thinking of people I have lost. Why are they not here to celebrate with me? If I keep my eyes on the purpose of this time, it really helps me put things back in perspective.

It also urges me to reach out to others, as I realize I am not the only lonely one. I am not the only one who questions where the Merry is. Perhaps that is the key. Reach outside of yourself and see others who are lonely or alone. There is so much we can do to lift the spirits of others, and by doing these we lift our own spirits.

I do not mean go spend a bunch of money, or make yourself sing Carols or pretend that all is well, because it is not. Just reach a little outside of yourself and help make someone else’s holiday time a bit more livable. A bit more joyous. I know you will then find a bit more joy in your own life.

And it will snowball. Really! Who knows? You may even start to hum a little Christmas tune.

My sincere prayer and desire for each of you, my Facebook friends, is to have a Merry Christmas all year round.

Now go hug your mailman and tell them thanks.

Love,

Karen

Reminds me of the Star above the stable in Bethlehem

Comments, Seashells and coloring books

Salama

"Peace" in the Swahili language, spoken in South Africa

Nelspruit, South Africa

www.soschildrensvillages.org.uk

Welcome to my blog today!

I have a blog all set on 'SEASHELLS',

but first I need to address a nasty comment submitted.

I suppose this happens to everyone, eventually, who writes blogs.

However, it is my first time, and I feel so wronged!!!

First, the person didn't leave any way for me to return a comment.

Frustrating.

no photo cred, found at www.ethnicwords.blogspot.com

Second, the accusation was completely untrue!

Hurt feelings here!

www.CartoonStock.com

The comment went something like -

'you are an in-your-face photo thief who never gives photo creds'

ouch.

The funny thing is, by leaving only a first name, I'm guessing

the author was a photographer from a photo that I DID credit!!

So, let me reiterate (wonderful word of the day) -

If you find a photo, or puzzle, or anything on one of my blogs,

and you know who is the creator/photographer,

please

let me know so I can add the proper credit!

...as I have said again,

and again,

and again!

no photo cred, found at www.psychadminpartners.com

Now, on to more fun things!!!

:0)

Like Seashells!!!

www.seashellsupply.etsy.com

I've been workiong on a line of notecards to sell in my mainly paper shop -

www.collagepaperpainting.etsy.com

Here are just a couple of samples of the base images:

hand colored seashells, from Dover's Seashell coloring book

by inkspired

When I am in pain, and watching tv to get my mind off of it,

mostly movies that is...

I don't feel very creative.

But, I can't just sit there, so I color.

I have loved coloring since I was a small child.

We always had coloring books, and good crayons.

soy based Prang crayons, found at: www.ladyandtheblog.com

My mom liked to color also, so we would sit, sometimes just the 2 of us, sometimes the 3 of us (with my sister). She had a special box of crayons just for her, that were all sharp and new looking in the Crayola box with the fold up top and the crayon sharpener built in in the back.

Good times!

So, I continue to love to color. It is very relaxing.

I love the Dover Books series of coloring books.

I have many.

Dover coloring book by Jessica Mazurkiewicz

After finishing off some seashell pictures, using my new Fine Point permanent Sharpie marker set my Michael gave me, I really liked the finished result.

When turning the pages, I noticed that the back side of each page had such pretty designs from the permanent markers bleeding through!

Inspiration!

Here are just 4 examples. I'm not sure if I am going to add sparkle or glitter or whatever, yet.  I will be putting sets up for sale at:

www.collagepaperpainting.etsy.com

Here are a few coloring pages for you to have fun with -

I like this one because it tells me what the different shell names are,

from Dover.

A coloring page courtesy of Jan Brett.

She has wonderful coloring pages you can download for free!

www.janbrett.com

A wonderful large stamp from Peddler's Pack.

I LOVE their large stamps like this one!

Ruth Heller has a series of Designs for Coloring books printed by Dover

I especially like them, as the design is printed on one side,

and on the back side it is blank.

That means if there is bleed-through, it won't damage a second coloring page!

I really like that.

I have finished coloring in 'NatureScapes' by Patricia J. Wynne,

a Dover coloring book. I love the designs, but they are printed back to back, so I can only choose every other design to color, due to bleed-through.

Oh well.  Here's one I have finished:

NatureScapes by Patricia J. Wynne, Dover Books

colored by me!!

If you haven't smelled the familiar smell of crayons

or played with colored markers in a while,

why not color a coloring page today?

It truly is very relaxing,

 and then you'll have something you can hang up on your fridge!!

That is, for all you non-children households.

If you have kids, the space is all taken up with report cards,

art drawings, photographs, hand made magnets, etc.

Here are some seashells to inspire:

no photo cred - do you know?

Cloth of Gold Cone seashell, www.seashellsupply.etsy.com

knobby starfish, www.beachgrasscottage.etsy.com

Have a grand day!

:0)

inkspired

www.inkspired.etsy.com

www.collagepaperpainting.etsy.com

www.inkspiredmusings.blogspot.com

dominoes@myinkspired.com