JustRite 12 Weeks of Christmas Blog Hop #4

Welcome to JustRite Stampers’ newest Wednesday feature:
12 Weeks of Christmas Blog Hop #4!

Every Wednesday up until Thanksgiving some of your favorite designers will be joining the JustRite design team for a series of Christmas blog hops to showcase their entire Christmas Collection!

Mark your calendars for Wednesdays at 9am U.S. Central Standard Time for great Christmas gift, card and project ideas, starting at the JustRite Inspiration blog! This week, it's the Spellbinders™ Design Team!

Today, I'd like to share a card that I created with JB-09520 Clear Horizontal Stamper, JB-09255 Christmas Nested Sentiments & Verses and JB-P09770 Holiday Cheer with Free 1 3/16" Stamper (Limited Time).

Of course, in the mix are some of my favorite Spellbinders™ die templates. I shaped the card with S5-025 Labels Seventeen #6 (the smallest size die is #1) and used the same set to frame the sentiment (die #4) and its foil mat (die #3).

Using F-003 Blue Premium Craft Foil, I embossed with I2-1006 Impressabilities™ Floral and Stone for a textured mat behind the sentiment. I sanded the foil to highlight the embossing.

Next, I stamped a sentiment from the JB-09255 Christmas Nested Sentiments & Verses and cut it
with the S5-025 Labels Seventeen #3. Make sure to secure the die template with repositionable tape.

After I stamped an image from the JB-P09770 Holiday Cheer and cut/embossed with S4-114 Standard Circles LG #1 , I colored with atyou Spica Olive and Red to give it some sparkle.

For its mat, I cut/embossed S4-114 Standard Circles LG #2  and used a cool product from MuddPuddles.net. It started as a wet paste and when it dried, it became artificial grass! Love it! They also have it in sand, snow and many other variations. When dried, I edged it with dark green ink.

The last embellishment was the flower I created by winding a pleated ribbon on a cardstock circle with Zip Dry. Then afterwards, I adhered the matted holly image on top of the flower.

I inked the edges of the other elements and assembled the layers as shown below for a finished card.

Supplies Spellbinders™ S5-025 Labels Seventeen #3, #4 & #6, S4-114 Standard Circles LG #1 & #2, I2-1006 Impressabilities™ Floral and Stone, F-003 Blue Premium Craft Foil; JustRite JB-09520 Clear Horizontal Stamper, JB-09255 Christmas Nested Sentiments & Verses, JB-P09770 Holiday Cheer with Free 1 3/16" Stamper (Limited Time); My Mind's Eye Sign Christmas Collection; MuddPuddles.com Golf; atyou Spica Red & Olive; Maya Road Pleated Ribbon; Beacon Adhesives Zip Dry; Misc: white cardstock & fine grade sandpaper

Please visit the following designers’ blogs to see what fabulous JustRite Christmas inspiration they have for you on the hop today:

JustRite Inspiration Blog

Spellbinders Paper Arts

Becca Feeken

Mona Pendleton

Debbie Olson

Ashley Cannon Newell

Sharon Harnist

Eva Dobilas

Kazan Clark

Beate Johns

Kellie Fortin

Margie Higuchi

Kathy Jones

Regina Hanson

Sankari Wegman

Deborah Young

Angela Barkhouse

Michele Kovack

Terre Fry

Barb Schram

Thanks for visiting!
MargieH

Homecoming 2010

For once Homecoming in this household was an exciting event as our oldest son became his high school's sophomore class (male) attendant? prince? - what do you call these guys (other than the Homecoming King)?! LOL!!

We only had female attendants with male escorts of their choice (boyfriend, friend, father...). So this is something quite different for me. More confusing for my husband - they don't have this kind of event in Japan! LOL!!

I went to the Coronation yesterday. When the Emcee called Taka's name as the most voted for the sophomore class. It didn't register with me or him! He went to line up with the rest of the nominees instead of center stage! LOL!!! It was a FUN day for him.

Either way, I am SO PROUD of him!!! Never knew he was THAT popular! LOL!!

Congratulations, Taka! I'm sure Grandfather is looking over you! xo

A Tribute to My Father...

Hello all!
I've been off for a good reason but miss being back in my old routine.

Going back to the reason...my dear sweet father passed away during the Labor Day weekend (Sunday, Sept 5th) in Los Angeles. My family and I are sadden and heartbroken BUT we realized that he had a WONDERFUL LIFE - all 84 years of it!

Ittoku "Bud" Fujii
January 1926 - September 2010

Things About Dad:
- Born in Shanghai, China
- Was one of six siblings
- Father (my grandfather) was an international lawyer
- From kindergarten, wanted to be an international businessman
- Graduate of prestigious Tokyo University
- Named PANASONIC and now the whole company (Matsushita Electric
  Corp.) was renamed to PANASONIC worldwide
- Help phrase PANASONIC's tagline "Just Slightly Ahead Of Its Time"
- Started his own company (import/export-related) in his late 50s
- ALWAYS thinking about business! LOL!
- Married to mom for 50 years (they celebrated this year on May 23rd)

He will be sorely missed especially by my mother. She is holding up as best she can but I think it will hit her when she returns to Japan and the dust settles a little. It is interesting that the day he passed (Sept. 5th) was the same day he first took my mother to the U.S. - a little fact that my brother shared with me.

Although I have been apart from my parents for over 20+ years, my father was always there when I needed him especially when it came to my career decisions. I am proud of how he changed things in the Japan corporate world then and how it has evolved now.

Many, many thanks to all the emails, cards and expressions of sympathy from all of you. Words cannot describe how touched my family and I are. THANK YOU!!

Rest In Peace, Dear Dad!

OTSUKARESAMA DESHITA! xo