Gifts

Here's a collage I did for my niece's Christmas present. I cut her picture out, glued it on a painted background, coated it with gesso and painted over it. I then used my stash of painted paper to make a frame.

I remember my niece when she was this age- so lovable, and so loved. She called me her valentine! Such a funny little girl- when my husband-to-be came visiting, she would say, "Auntie Patsy, you can go to sleep. I will entertain him." Or she would sit between us while we talked.

I can't believe she is 18 years old already! Still very precious and still very funny! I enjoyed making this frame for her. Here, she is wearing a "filipiniana", our national costume in the Philippines. My sister made it for her, and she looked really cute in it. Time spent in making things for others is always time well spent.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "The greatest gift is a portion of thyself." Wish I had more time and more discipline to make my gifts to family last Christmas.

Speaking of gifts, through the course of my blog-hopping with the One World, One Heart Gypsy Caravan (my prize for this is a few posts down), I chanced upon blog candy on these sites:
Crafty Makes, Marlene's, and Siggi Shop. Who can resist craft supplies, paper, brads, flowers, etc? You can join their raffle which ends on Jan.31 and maybe, just maybe, get a nice gift for yourself!