May You Have A WONDER-filled Christmas Season

It beginning to feel a lot more like winter in our area -- colder with the possibility of snow. I'm adjusting to my new work schedule and I'm finally beginning to feel comfortable with my new job responsibilities -- so much so that my daughters and I are making some hand made items and art. Also working on plans to open our own etsy shop in the Spring. More about that later. Right now, it's beginning to look to look a lot like Christmas!

Here in our home the beginning of Advent turns us towards a time of reminiscing, reflection, anticipation and celebration. I love the Advent season, both the magical side of Christmas with family and friends but also the spiritual, which are inseparable for us.  I enjoy the change of season and bring out special books, music, and decor to point to the "reason" of our holiday season. We've begun our Advent readings for this season which is our way of focusing and meditating on Christ throughout the holidays.

Decorating has started. The day after Thanksgiving we put up the tree, stockings are now hanging by the fireplace, and the wreath is on the front door. A list of our favorite, traditional baked goodies are listed in their special order with home made Peppermint Bark at the top of the list. It was made right after Thanksgiving so we could have a special treat while putting up the decorations. Memories of loved ones and events of the past years are a loved topic of conversation, mingled with both happiness and sadness. Photos and photo Christmas cards are be sorted and organized for display. We have so many that I'm making a new display board this year for our ever growing collection.

While all the excitement builds with the expectation of a brand new holiday season, our minds and hearts yearn for the meaningful, satisfying reasons for celebrating the season. While we can't perfectly, completely understand or explain everything about Christ coming as a baby in the manger, we celebrate because He is THE baby born in a manger that night long ago, He is THE provided sinless, sacrificial Lamb who came to redeem His people from the bondage and guilt of their sin. That God became man to come looking for us so we could be with Him again, to love us when we hated Him, to take away our sin and to give us His righteousness, to set us free from the power and control of sin, to make me His own when He could have rejected me as I deserved -- is a marvelous WONDER far greater than I can fully comprehend. This is a WONDERful time of year!

Here are some links about Advent and Jesse Trees for varying age groups and other resources:

List from my home education blog: New Advent & Christmas Resources I've Found
RCA: Jesse Tree Family Devotions Advent 2011
Advent Devotional 2008
Pastor Randy Booth's Advent Readings
Celebrate Meeting Jesus
Mary, Mary Mother of Our Lord by Nancy Wilson Femina blog
Artcyclopedia's Advent Calendar
Go To Bethlehem and See...
Advent Calendar
Full Homely Divinity Advent Calendar
Love Blooms Bright
BBC Radio Bach Christmas Calendar
Medieval Advent Calendar
Simple Mom: A Simple, No Frills Advent Calendar
Half Pint House Jesse Tree PDF
Jesse Tree: Calendar Daily Activities
Jesse Tree: A Christian Family Celebration of Christmas
Our Jesse Tree
Jesse Tree Project 2008
A Big God For Little People Seven Christmas Eve Meditations
Advent Readings: Book Review

Last year I posted a list of of some wonderful, artful Advent calendars to make.

I wanted to share an image of three 1950's vintage Christmas gift tags I've scanned. Each measure 1 x 3 inches.

 

These are free images from my personal collection. They are free to download and you may use them in your art only, NOT for Sale on a Collage Sheet or a CD.

If you use these mini Chrismas tags for any personal art or art projects for sale, please, make a reference back to me here at my altered heART works blog May You Have A WONDER-filled Christmas Season. If you use them I would love to see what you make. :-)

ENJOY!

Our countdown begins. May you have a WONDER-filled Christmas!

Is there anyone there? from FLN on Vimeo.

“Unto Him who loves us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests unto God and His Father; to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever! Amen."

Revelation 1:5–6

Lovely Advent Calendars - Inspiring Projects

We've started getting ready for Christmas and are enjoying putting up the treasured decorations, some of which have been around for a long time and the same for years. This year we've started with the indoor decorations first. At last it's snowed, our first real snowy day. It's also got very cold, so cold I don't know if we'll get to any out side other then the wreath on the front door. The tree in the living room is finished and a small Advent tree is on the shelf next to it. Boughs are across the fireplace mantle and stockings are hung. Our olive wood manger from the Holy Land (a gift my my mother-in-law) and Ginger Bear are on the built-in oak hutch in the dining room.  My Gingerbread Man & yo-yo potpourri basket is on the pantry counter. Christmas scented candles warmly glow most evenings and fill the air with delicious aromas. My youngest daughter is making a baking list of what she plans to make this year, starting with Peppermint Bark. Her first batch has disappeared already so she will have to make more. I've been enjoying searching online for Advent calendars. I've a found several that I really like and I'm sharing links to the projects. Nothing that I'll get to this year but they are certainly inspiring and keepers for a future Christmas:

Godelieve of StampingMathilda has made a unique and beautiful Wooden Box Advent Calendar with lovely, hanging tags and ATCs made from scrapping paper, wooden sticks, ribbon and beads. Be sure to click on the link to each day to see close ups of the individual pieces and the detailed stamping, embossing, distressing. So inspiring -- I want to make some thing similar to this some day!

I love yo-yos and scrumdillydilly has made her own yo-yo Advent calendar. She has a great photographed how-to tutorial at craftzine.

A wonderful fabric Advent calendar is made by
Anna of Noodlehead. Get the full, photographed tutorial from her guest blogger post at Gwenny Penny. She's made printable activity cards for inside the pockets and they can be printed in either color or black/white from her PDF file.

This Advent calendar project is made from an item everyone has lots of: empty toilet paper rolls. This is one of my favorites recycled items to use for crafts and art. I've also used empty toilet paper rolls for seed starters for my garden seedlings. Maya's Count Down Calendar 2010 project is made from them. She has two other wonderful Advent projects also made from toilet paper rolls: Count Down Calendar 2008 and Count Down Calendar 2009.

Another beautiful fabric Advent calendar is made by Elizabeth from my crafty mess -- she has a fabric Advent calendar of recycled old lace, bits of sweaters and rick rack -- elegant homespun, another project on my list I'd like to attempt.

Another yo-yo Advent Calendar is from Sunshine Creations with a detailed 26 step photographed tutorial.

This is a great project using everyday items found around the house. Kristy from craftastica has an inexpensive recycle bin Advent calendar made from recycled magazines, catalogs, newspapers, and brown paper grocery bags.



















So many wonderful ideas and inspiration for some thing similar next year!

First ATCs: Advent-Christ-Incarnation

I worked on these in November and December of 2006 during the Christmas season. I was thinking particularly about the incarnation and that God became one of us.

ATCs for a friend: Advent-Christ-Incarnation

I worked on these November and December of 2006 and sent to a artist cyber friend.