Friday, January 20, 2012

It's Friday! Time for Christine's Coloring Challenge!

Happy Friday dear ones!  I have been crocheting quite a bit this week, getting ready to send another package to South Africa.  I read some older posts on the KAS blog and noted that they have a need for socks.  So I think I will hop on over to Walmart and stock up on some socks to include in my package!

On another note, I am entering a card "challenge" @ http://christines-creativetherapy.blogspot.com/, my first ever.  I finally completed the card, which you will see below.  I love these designs by Mabelle, @http://whimsyandstarsstudio.typepad.com/; she has become a great inspiration to me!  Mabelle makes you feel so involved in her creative process and I'm so happy to have discovered her illustrations.  I have a whole new set of friends who regularly post and share on her FB page and that has been a great blessing for me!  I'm learning so much!

I love the sentiment, don't you?  It seemed perfect to got with the little bears holding hands.


I will post some pictures of my crochet in a couple days, I keep hoping it will get sunny enough to take some pics outside!  Ugh, it's not been very nice here in Georgia the last couple weeks!  I can't complain, it isn't snowing ;o)

Wishing you all a creative and blessed weekend!
Love and hugs, in fellowship,

~Mary Anne

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Letter from South Africa!

Hello dear friends!  It's a new year and one of my goals is to be more consistent with my posts (I think I may have said that last year!) 

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and New Year's celebration!  I have been learning to use Copic markers with my card making, but also spending time every day crocheting.  I wanted to share a letter with you that I received from a woman in South Africa who works for the KAS (Knit-a-Square).  This is one of the charities that I send crocheted items to.  I felt so honored and so blessed to receive this, I had to share ;o)  I hope it touches you as well and possibly inspires you to give back in some way!


"Dear Mary Anne
Thank you so much for your wonderful contribution of “pillow pets”, hats, vest and needles towards our project to provide blankets and warm clothing to the orphaned and vulnerable children of South Africa. Please accept my apologies for the long delay in my being able to acknowledge your contribution and lovely letter which were received some time ago now ! You sound a most courageous and generous person and we are touched that Knit-a-Square has received such an warm response from you and from so many other similarly “giving” people in more than 40 countries worldwide !!
Whenever we distribute these items to the children, we make a point of encouraging them to know that they are unique and special, beloved of God and created to fulfil a special purpose here on earth, and that in those terms each one of them is vital to the future of this country. We are keen to emphasise this message always because so many of them live in sad or difficult circumstances and all of them live with poverty.
It is people like yourselves who so generously sustain our efforts in this direction – truly, we could not do it without you.
We have several large projects to fulfil this coming winter and very much look forward to your continued support. The “pillow pets” are delightful and although our main drive is for the 20cm x 20cm squares, we would like you to feel free to make for us whatever you enjoy creating most !!! And do, please, keep us in your prayers as we remember you and all our wonderful contributors in ours.
If you are not already subscribed to the free online Ezine please log onto www.KAScare.com and go to Square Circle … Sandy includes reports on all our distributions with photographs of the children, so you may even recognise your own squares wrapped around a child, at some point !
We thank you again – most sincerely
May God bless you always

Ronda … and all the volunteers in Johannesburg"

Today, I sent another package to South Africa and I have some children's hats to donate to a local charity.  I have been so blessed in so many ways, it is very heart warming to be able to give back a little!

As I mentioned, I have been making cards and here is one I just completed, using the Copic markers.  This was a fun little digital stamp that I purchased from Whimsy & Stars studio; love her images!(http://www.etsy.com/shop/WhimsyAndStarsStudio).

Wishing you all love and blessings in 2012!!