4th Sunday Of Advent

the 4th candle, the pink one "the Candle of Joy", is lit on the 4th Sunday of advent with the the other three. It is the Angel's candle. As we light this candle, We are remindedof the heavenly hots that proclaimed Christ's arrival with 
"behold, I bring unto you good tiding of great joy!"
The Angel candle is also purple, reminding us that it was a King's birth the angels were announcing.

 

The angel Gabriel said to Mary, 

"Do not fear, Mary, you shall conceive and bear a son and give him the name Jesus. 

Great will be his dignity and he will be called Son of the Most High..." 

Lk. 1 Fourth Sunday of Advent

for more readings go to this webpage called :"Arts and Faith advent", where you can combine Art and Holiness...

Here it is The 4th and last video.

amid the flurry of Christmas preparations, we look for practical ways to observe the holiness of the season in our everyday lives. - See more at: http://www.ignatianspirituality.com/advent/#sthash.8CkAKDXQ.dpuf

{The following video is a commentary about a work of Art inspired by the Sunday scriptures of advent, it is a look  at this "season of preparation" through the lens of Sacred Art}

Enjoy! 

Artist: Anton Raphael Mengs (German)

Painting: "The Dreams of St. Joseph", 1773

SUPPLIES
found on  
ORIGINAL POST HERE

a Burlap goodie bag for The "Novena"

Hello My dear Stamper friends:

I thank all the people who come and visit me and comment on this special busy time of the year...I know  how hard is to find extra time, so I am really truly thankful for your friendship and care...

Today, I am sharing with you this cute burlap bag that I decorated with some stencils and dies from Memory Box. This project was posted at the French blog: "Un brin de Créativité"...

I will be giving away these bags filled with sweet goodies on one of the nights of our traditional "Novena"...along with the Tag recipe card that I shared last week for the Blog Hop with memory Box and Poppystamps...

Today, December 16th is the official start of the "Novena".
Mexicans called it "Posadas", we Colombians, called it "Novena" and In France is called  La "Neuveine", which is a Catholic celebration of 9 days starting from the 16th until the 24th, which consists in gatherings in public or in homes, for reading prayers printed from small devotional booklets...
But In Colombia, this is not only a pious gathering but a whole party, each family takes turns and hosts a "Novena", the host family invites friends and relatives and every body sings along with the prayers and then we eat, of course and then we dance...
so in Colombia for 9 days is just party time!!!.. the elderly or more adults take it seriously, for the young it it just an opportunity to have fun, eat, sing and dance...
I remembered in my early years, these nights were the opportunity to get with cousins and friends and play around...nowadays, as an adult I get more the meaning of it and I enjoy reading every night the prayers and I enjoy cooking the special dishes for these days...
I remembered complaining as a child to "have" to read things that they make no sense to me, nowadays I am so grateful for these traditions, they shapes us in life!!!

As for the food, we have several traditional dishes prepared specially for these days.
Mexicans give "Tamales", that are sweet or savory cooked in corn husk, celebrate with Piñatas, and hot sugar cane drinks ...we, Colombians make our "Tamales", with 3 kinds of meats, potatoes, rice and vegetables cooked in banana leaves, fried some "Empanadas".. drink "eggnog' and prepared traditional desserts, something similar to "flan"...

I made yesterday these "Colombian Tamales"....
They look like small Christmas packages don't they?

As for my Goodie bag, I used these supplies

stenciled a small piece of canvas to be placed on the front of my bag...with this practical ink cube from "Versacolor"

and here it is a last view...I will filled them with chocolates...

In Mexico and In Colombia this period is very festive, and every family enjoys getting together, for me, living away, I still carry on with tradition and celebrate as if I was in Latinonamerica...and this is true for all my friends living away from their native countries...

Thanks for the visit...

I will be back as soon as I get another moment free...

enjoy this season...

and 
big hugs

SUPPLIES

InLinkz.com

3rd Sunday of Advent

the 3rd candle, the pink one "the Candle of Love", is lit on the 3rd Sunday of advent with the first two. It is the Shepherd's candle. We are reminded that God sent the angels to proclaim HIS arrival to common man and that HE still uses ordinary people today to spread the good news of Christ. This pink candle represents God's love and faithfulness.

 

 John's disciples said to Jesus, 

"Are you 'He who is to come' or do we look for another?" 

In reply, Jesus said: 

"Tell John what you hear and see: the blind recover their sight, cripples walk, lepers are cured, and the poor have good news preached to them..."  

Lk. 3:10 Third Week of Advent 

the past 2 Sundays, I have shared with you all, this webpage called :"Arts and Faith advent", where I can combine Art and Holiness...
For this 3rd week I chose this video...

amid the flurry of Christmas preparations, we look for practical ways to observe the holiness of the season in our everyday lives. - See more at: http://www.ignatianspirituality.com/advent/#sthash.8CkAKDXQ.dpuf

{The following video is a commentary about a work of Art inspired by the Sunday scriptures of advent, it is a look  at this "season of preparation" through the lens of Sacred Art}

Enjoy! 

Artist: Geerthen Tot Sint Jans (Netherlands)

Painting: "St. John the Baptist in the wilderness", 1460

SUPPLIES

found on  

ORIGINAL POST HERE

Celebrating our Lady Of Guadalupe with Lost Coast Designs

Hello Dear Stamper Friends:
I have a quick post, due to our stormy weather here in California, We are on and off from shortages of electricity ...so I am hurrying up to write this post while I have electricity...

Today The lady of Guadalupe, 

the virgin patron of Mexicans and of all the Americas

 is being celebrated !!! 

on December 12th...

and I made this triptyque using my silhouette machine for the shape of the card...
the stamp is from Lost Coast Designs, embossed in gold
and the background was embossed with a Darice embossing folder
and a stencil from Memory Box

Last night at midnight everybody gathered at the biggest basilica in the world (after the Vatican) at the Basilica in Mexico city, to celebrate HER day and sing to her the happy birthday...
You may visit my post from Last year "The feast of our lady of Guadalupe" and read a little bit more about her and this festivity...

Unfortunately due to our weather...I did not go to church last night at midnight and celebrate this day here in California...:(
anyways at least I have this card to share with you all...

This tag with the poinsettia made in a "make and take" holds the image of the virgen, this tag is always placed at my desk with one of my favorite prayers....

and this image of Her,  I carry in my wallet...

on this  special day, 

I thank The "Virgen de Guadalupe" 

for her protection and all her blessings!

Big hugs and keep on celebrating 

on this wonderful season!

SUPPLIES

Lost Coast Designs: Mary and angels;

InLinkz.com

Quick CAS card for the 2nd week of advent

Hello My dear Stamper Friends:
I posted this card at the Spanish blog:"A crear se dijo!",  for Memory Box...
a quick CAS (clean and simple) card
although this card does not have the traditional Christmas colors or the candles representing the colors of advent I wanted to make a card for this second week of advent ...
and as you may have noticed, on this season I am in the mood to use unusual colors!!!
So here it is this card!

Yesterday, December 7th marked the beginning of Christmas time in Colombia, here in the USA is pretty much right after Thanksgiving, (end of November)  but in Colombia, where I spend my childhood, all the cities light the buildings and streets, and the people at home lit candles and placed them on their porches...in honor of the "Immaculate Conception day of the virgin Mary", celebrated next day today, the 8th!
so everybody gets out in their neighborhoods and visits their neighbors and admires each others houses with the candles placed in pretty handmade lanterns (like the Asian ones) ...
It is supposedly made to welcome The Virgin Mary, Colombia as most Latin American countries is still very  religious...
it is an amazing show!!!
I miss so much this celebration BUT...even though I am miles away from my native country I still keep this tradition and I lit candles here at home.
One year I made a party with all my American friends and introduce them to this holiday and everybody lit lanterns in the garden!!!
It is very similar to the Indian celebration of "Diwali" (the festival of lights)...

The tradition dictates that on this day, on the 7th, also, the nativities are set up, so yesterday I spend my day finishing up setting up all my nativities, I collect them and I have quite a few !!!
I lit my lanterns and of course I lit the 2 candles on my advent wreath...

Below it is a photo of one of the many nativities that I have from Colombia.
This one is a miniature one, the size of a quarter (25c) carved from an indigenous nut called "Tagua"

and this other one, was painted by one of my dear Colombian painter friends: Carlos Baquero.
He represented Colombia, Bogota with all its landmarks:
-the bullring,
-the Christ on the mountain facing the cathedral on the other mountain, with its famous  Funicular
-the modern part of the city with its skyscrapers and the old colonial downtown...and its traditions
on this unusual nativity made out of wood and painted with acrylics.
Do you see the Holy family on the center of the painting riding the bus?
I love this nativity!!! for what it represents...

as for St Nicks' day on Saturday, December 6th, do you remember that I shared right here with you all the tag that I made to celebrate Saint Nicholas day?
Well,  My husband as every year forgot that his shoe had a surprised inside!!! :)
How about you did you get something?
I know some of my french friends told me that they remembered this day but do not celebrated it anymore...how sad!!!

As for my upcoming  "special" days during this advent time, I will be going to church this coming  Friday December 12th, When Mexico gets ready to celebrate the Feast of the Virgin Guadalupe and on the 13th, this coming Saturday it is St Lucy's day celebrated on most Scandinavian countries...festivity that I got to know, when visiting my father...

Ok my friends, I know you must be very busy too celebrating your way according to your traditions..
what it is important is to live in the present, enjoy this beautiful season, grasp the magic of this Christmas and keep on crafting! Creation is wonderful!

I will see you soon with another holiday card \

Thanks for the visit 

and for taking the time to leave me a small message

SUPPLIES

InLinkz.com

2nd Sunday of Advent

The second purple candle "the candle of Peace" is lit on the second Sunday of advent along with the 1st one. It is the Bethlehem candle, reminding us that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. It is as well in purple reminding us that it was a King who was born in a manger.

When John the Baptizer made his appearance 
as a preacher in the desert of Judea, 
this was his them: Reform your lives. 
The reign of God is at hand!" 
Mt. 3:1 Second Sunday of Advent

And amid the flurry of Christmas preparations, we look for practical ways to observe the holiness of the season in our everyday lives.
Ignatian contemplation and reflective prayer encourage us in the season of Advent. Below we highlight Advent resources in the tradition of Ignatian spirituality.
- See more at: http://www.ignatianspirituality.com/advent/#sthash.8CkAKDXQ.dpuf

Last Sunday, I shared with you all this webpage called :"Arts and Faith advent", where I can combine Art and Holiness...
For this week I chose this video...

amid the flurry of Christmas preparations, we look for practical ways to observe the holiness of the season in our everyday lives. - See more at: http://www.ignatianspirituality.com/advent/#sthash.8CkAKDXQ.dpuf

{The following video is a commentary about a work of Art inspired by the Sunday scriptures of advent, it is a look  at this "season of preparation" through the lens of Sacred Art}

Enjoy! 

Artist: Pieter  Brueghel the Younger (Dutch/Flemish)
Painting: "St. John the Baptist Preaching", 1601

SUPPLIES
found on  
ORIGINAL POST HERE

1st Sunday of Advent

The first purple candle "the Candle of Hope" 
is lit on the 1st Sunday of Advent. 

It is called the prophecy candle and remind us that Jesus' coming was prophesied hundreds of years before He was born. 

The candle's purple color represents Christ's royalty 
as the Kings of Kings. 

 "Jesus said to his disciples: 
'Be constantly on the watch! Stay awake!...
You do not know when the Master of the house is coming.'"  
Mark. 13:33 First Sunday of Advent

And amid the flurry of Christmas preparations, we look for practical ways to observe the holiness of the season in our everyday lives.
Ignatian contemplation and reflective prayer encourage us in the season of Advent. Below we highlight Advent resources in the tradition of Ignatian spirituality.
- See more at: http://www.ignatianspirituality.com/advent/#sthash.8CkAKDXQ.dpuf

Amid the buzz and flurry of Christmas preparations, I  look for practical ways to observe the holiness of the season in my everyday life and I found this webpage called :"Arts and Faith advent", where I can combine Art and Holiness...

amid the flurry of Christmas preparations, we look for practical ways to observe the holiness of the season in our everyday lives. - See more at: http://www.ignatianspirituality.com/advent/#sthash.8CkAKDXQ.dpuf

{The following video is a commentary about a work of Art inspired by the Sunday scriptures of advent, it is a look  at this "season of preparation" through the lens of Sacred Art}

Enjoy!

Artist: William Holman Hunt (English)
Painting: "The Light of the World", 1851
 

SUPPLIES
found on  
ORIGINAL POST HERE

a video commentary about a work of art inspired by the Sunday Scriptures of Advent. Use these videos to take a new look at this season of preparation through the lens of sacred art. - See more at: http://www.ignatianspirituality.com/advent/#sthash.8CkAKDXQ.dpuf

And amid the flurry of Christmas preparations, we look for practical ways to observe the holiness of the season in our everyday lives.
Ignatian contemplation and reflective prayer encourage us in the season of Advent. Below we highlight Advent resources in the tradition of Ignatian spirituality.
- See more at: http://www.ignatianspirituality.com/advent/#sthash.8CkAKDXQ.dpu