Just a quick "hello" to let you know I'm still alive! I ran out of things I've made that aren't simply copies of your fabulous work! My energies lately have been focused on an outreach project for church . . . but I'll be back in the craft room this weekend - FOR SURE! I'm going through withdrawal. LOL
Things are fine - in fact, my SIL is getting better, thank God. I don't think it will be too long before she is moved to another town, closer to her Dad and not too far from her friends. Her trach was removed a few days ago; she had a haircut today and looks more like herself. She is progressing nicely in rehab - everything is positive! Thank you all SO much for your support these past 4 months - you have made such a difference for me and I know your prayers have helped my SIL as well.
Love you.
This card was created for the Waltzingmouse Stamps sketch challenge #3. It's late and I've gotta get to bed - so I'll just post and run.
Edited to add: I was too late to post for the challenge. Oh well!
Hugs!
My DD had several Bettas growing up - she loved them (and frankly, I enjoyed them, too!). Most of them had delightful personalities! One just loved to tease the cat (no kidding!). He would swim around the tank in a circle and the cat would chase him around the outside on the table until she lost her balance and fell off the table! He'd wait until she got back up on the table, and then they would start the game all over. Another one was "shy" and afraid of it's own reflection, he would dive under the nearest plant or rock, or whatever was handy anytime anything moved. My baby is living on her own now and can't afford a kitty or dog (she can barely feed herself!) but she has a new Betta. His name is Bombay.
I made this card with a stamp I found in the $1 bin at Joann's. She'll get a big grin when she sees it!
It's Tuesday again, and I'm home, heading to bed early, again. I'm not sick, just tired. There is a lot going on and I just need to listen to my body (which is telling me to get off the computer and put my head on the pillow).
Hugs.
This card turned out much better than I thought it would! I created the bottom piece by stamping with the Close-to-My-Heart Boutique Borders stamp set in Hollyhock, Crystal Blue, Honey, and Sweet Leaf. The printed word part is a PTI stamp in Gray Wool CTMH ink. The top piece is a CTMH background that looks like notepaper (Gray Wool again) and punched with the EK Success punch. I made my first ever Yo-Yo. Am I the last person on earth to discover how fun and easy these are to make?? You just cut a circle of fabric (I used a circle Nestie die) and stitch a piece of thread around the outside of the circle. As you pull it, the thing folds in on itself creating this cool "fabric flower". I embellished with a button (to hide the middle stitched part and to make it look more interesting). The pink paper-clip is also a stamp and the yellow piece is a small piece of yellow silk ribbon.
Today was busy but rewarding. My SIL is still improving - and talking up a storm now! :-) My visits seem to get longer and longer as I just hate to leave her. She actually sent me away today; she was tired. So - it's been a great day! Hope your Saturday was good and you have fun plans for Father's day.
Hugs!
This card was a recent submission for a card swap - I love how it turned out. I used Close-to-My-Heart Splendor paper, and used Sunshine from the State of Mind stamp set for the focal point. I spied a trick on someone's blog - cutting a partial circle and setting the buttons in a bit, and I just HAD to try it. It was a little challenging with this busy paper to get the full effect. LOL
Another trick was that I used plain natural cotton twill and drew on the Goldrush stitches with a marker. Looks good, huh?! This swap brought back to me some absolutely amazing cards, I'll try to post them over the weekend so you can oooo and ahhhh over them, too. My friends are very talented.
Well, news from my personal life? My SIL has improved enough to be sent for physical torture, oops, I mean physical therapy (rehabilitation)! This is a huge step - and we are just dizzy with joy (at least the family is, I'll find out how my SIL feels about it tomorrow!). This is all about getting her strong enough to go home. I think if we can keep her focused on that, she'll be fine.
Happy Friday - what a long week!
Hugs!
For this one, I used some design paper from a retired CTMH paper pack (years ago, I've forgotten the name!) and Baby Pink CTMH ink with the Hero Arts negative image of the Poppies. A sliver of black cardstock, a pretty pink ribbon and a tiny tag to finish it off. Easy, peasy!
Tuesday. It feels like Thursday (at least I'm THAT tired). I couldn't go to Yoga tonight (a disappointment) but I'll survive. Friday I will go, for sure!
Hope your Tuesday was better.
Hugs!
This stamp set made me think of a dear friend that recently moved to Cape Cod from Arizona. She has a large white dog - and loves to walk the beaches and boardwalks. The entire time I made the card I was thinking of my sweet friend and memories from when she lived here, in Arizona. I will mail it in the morning with a little note and a current photo from "home". I know her new home is suiting her to a "T" but we still miss her here.
Who's That Girl stamps, with PTI pattern paper and kraft cardstock. The white card base is CTMH White Daisy. The clothing and dock were paper pieced.
It was an interesting Monday that kept me late at work tonight. So, no visit to my SIL today. I'll go tomorrow after work. I've enjoyed relaxing this evening visiting my blog friends - you have been VERY creative lately! How FUN! I'm going to play in my room for a little while before bedtime.
Namaste.
I'm so glad I had a few moments to craft today - I wasn't sure it was going to happen this weekend! This card is my entry for the Waltzingmouse Stamps Sketch Challenge, week #2. I used WMS digital paper (the Celtic Squares) in Leaf (seems appropriate for the tree image?!) and the tree is from Paper Tray Ink. I don't have enough of the WMS stamps (YET) but give me time - I'll collect them for sure! Claire Brennan (owner and artist) makes amazing stamps. You really need to check them out if you haven't! I visited my SIL in the hospital today and talked with my FIL in the hospital on the phone. Both are doing better than yesterday, thank God! I came home with a little sunlight remaining and cut the grass in the coolness of the early dusk. After preparing a delicious meal, I'm ready to face the new week. Hope you had a wonderful weekend and are up to the challenge for the what lies ahead.
Hugs!
I was inspired by the color combination, in fact, I think I made 3 or 4 things with these colors before I put them away for a few days! The Close-to-My-Heart stamps are called Friendship Blessings, the sentiment is a PTI stamp. The cardstocks are all CTMH. Edited to add: The little sparkles you are seeing are from some stardust stickles. I have to warn you though, the stickles (or liquid glass for that matter) over the Hollyhock ink tends to turn it orange. It was such a small spot on these that the color change isn't obvious but one of the other cards I tried was ruined by the stickles.
Today turned out all topsy-turvey. We've had more medical emergencies in the family. I'm exhausted from the stress of the day and am heading to bed (I do realize it's only 6:30 - but I don't care). I'll try to post tomorrow with a little more energy. I slept 12 hours. I was mentally and physically exhausted. My SIL was transported back to an Emergency Dept. - they were saying surgery but God is good and this morning they have all agreed it isn't needed. My FIL had a heart attack Friday and they did an angiogram yesterday (he lives in northern AZ) so I drove up to be with his wife and hear the doctor's report for myself. Again, we are very blessed. Good news on that front, too. Thank you dear friends. You are such blessings for me!
Namaste.
My DD asked for something she could slip between her new duplicating checks (I forget their real name - but you KWIM). I made this tag; it's stamped with sunflowers (because they are her favorite flower). The stamp set is a retired Close-to-My-Heart one - a classic, a favorite for all time. The sentiment in the center was picked up on a great sale at Joann's and while the saying is wonderful, the stamp quality leaves a lot to be desired. The frame is a CTMH one that was a stamp-of-the-month last year. I made the tag intentionally JUST ONE LAYER so she can write over it! It fits into an extra wide bookmark sleeve that I just trimmed of to the correct length. I hope she likes it! I haven't heard yet if it arrived on the scene . . . (hint, hint)
Today was a v-e-r-y long day! I was at work before 6:30 AM and left work after 6 PM. I'll be going off to bed in a few minutes and am happy that tomorrow is Friday! What's new in your world?!?
Maybe "inspired" isn't strong enough - I totally cased this one! I just had to use a couple of different stamps - check out Deb's here.
Just a short post to say "hello" - "happy Wednesday" and hope you're have a good week! Nothing to complain about here so I'll keep it short!
Hugs!
As I was wandering through Joann's the other day (they were having a big sale - gotta stock up!) I spied the little "fat quarters" of fabric in the quilting section and had a moment of inspiration! These were originally white-on-white. It occurred to me that if I dyed them, the darker white parts might still appear white (or at least lighter). So, home with my treasure to experiment. First, I tried sponging ink from the ink pad onto the cloth. It was working, but it was tedious (tossed that scrap). Secondly, I spritzed one with a Tattered Angels glimmer mist (wow, that's cool!) and it quickly soaked up the color and a little bit of the glimmer. Lastly I used plain old re-inkers diluted with a splash of water. Again, perfect results. My tools were the plastic cases that SU stamps and lunchmeat come in (no relation to each other, honest). I placed my piece of fabric in the plastic container and used an eye-dropper to add the dye. There was so little mess that I think I could have just wiped it out with a tissue and called it done! (of course, I didn't do that, I washed it). So, anything fabric (flat pieces, yo-yo's, etc.) that I want to coordinate with my Close-to-My-Heart papers I can achieve with the re-inkers. Pretty cool, huh!
Yesterday I visited my SIL. I am just filled with joy at her progress! God is good to us! Today in church we heard two lessons about God raising people from the dead. I realize that my SIL's medical team had an awful lot to do with her eventual recovery - but I also believe God was there guiding them. He still has plans for her.
I'm ready for the new week - hope you are, too!
Namaste.
I {heart} Waltzingmouse Stamps! I only have two sets, but I love them both dearly and they have seen some ink!! When I saw the sketch for this week's challenge, I saw immediately what I wanted to do with it! The star is lifted on pop-dots, and the circle of design paper in the middle is actually a circle that I just lined up with the piece underneath the navy cardstock piece when I was gluing it down. It looks like I might have cut a circle out of the cardstock. I'll have to remember that trick for the day when the challenge limits the number of layers we're allowed to use! ;-)
The inks and papers are all from Close-to-My-Heart. (Outdoor Denim, Cranberry, and a smidgen of Gray Flannel). Two coordinating punches were used to create the red piece and they are from Stampin' Up! I hope you like it!
This is my very first attempt at using a digital image. It is a beautiful design by Claire of Waltzingmouse Stamps that was a freebie earlier this year! It's called Shamrocks - but I chose to color it to look like some other kind of flower. I'm still learning the nuances of coloring in general, but especially working with something that was printed from my little home inkjet printer. I found it challenging and this image took a lot of fussy work to be even mildly acceptable. On the yellow design paper (Close-to-My-Heart, Sweet Home) the whole thing begins to pull together. It's really growing on me.
I came home, ate more yummy leftovers and went early to bed last night - these short work weeks are hard! So, 4 AM and I'm wide awake! That's good, though, because after visiting my favorite blogs, I can slip into the craft room and make something (while still in my jammies! How FUN!)
Have a perfect weekend!
Or it could be Gertle, who knows! Some of you might remember last spring that one morning I looked out my bedroom window to see a turtle digging the damp soil in my backyard. She was laying eggs!!! NO kidding! Well, I was SO excited and my friends helped name her Gertle turtle. Well, almost a year to the day, I awoke to look out and there is another (same?) turtle leaving a nest of eggs in my yard! I named this one Tillie - and she was in a tough spot to get a decent photo. I took this one through the sliding glass patio door. I think it's funny how she's tearing up my lawn! (good thing I'm not picky about grass). I guess I never told you, but while I didn't see the babies making their way back to the water (or get any photos), I did find one about the size of a quarter that didn't make it all the way - so I know that at least one of the eggs hatched. Maybe it wasn't such a silly place to leave her nest after all!
Today after work I went to see my SIL - she was sleeping when I arrived but woke up easily and gave me a huge smile! I helped her with hearing aids and explained that her DD was planning to call while I was there. When my niece called, it was the most joyful thing you can imagine. All three of us were grinning, laughing and crying! Gosh - even the staff at the hospital were grinning! (My niece lives in Australia - and it's been such a long illness for my SIL). My SIL is just beginning to learn to talk again (she still has the trach tube in) and her words just made us all emotional. So - more blessings!! And again, thank you, dear friends, for your support and prayers!
Hugs.
Time for something that I thought up all by myself! I hope it works? I do love imitating the professionals, and I've learned SO much from them! This card uses the music gift wrap that I found (mentioned before) and the Close-to-My-Heart stamps called Happy Journey. The taupe ribbon is that silk ribbon I found that is so delicious! The scallops are digital image paper, hand cut (hence the uneven edges) from Waltzingmouse Stamps.
Wednesday. I could get used to these short weeks! It's been a surprise every day to be farther along in the week than I expected. What a joy!
Hugs!
While I'm on a "casing" roll here, let me share the card I made that looks like this one by Christina Fischer of Flowers and Ink. I had some music paper (actually, it's a roll of gift wrap!) and the script paper is from the new Passages (Close-to-My-Heart) papers. I didn't have the same embossing template, so made do with the swirls (I still love this one!). The sentiment is PTI - it's the most "stained" stamp in that set (Out on a Limb Sentiments)!
Sadly, I need not just one, but two sympathy cards this week. One is for a friend who lost a grand baby - very sad; the second is for a co-worker who lost her horse - also very sad. So, I've got one ready - better go make a second one, huh.
Thanks again Christina for the beautiful card idea!
Work was terrific today - I had such a good weekend that I was energized and ready to go back! I went to Yoga practice this evening - and all is right in the world again. On another note, I've been trying to practice portion control (food) and so had a yummy serving of lemon chicken left-over. It was delicious warmed up and required no work! I think I can grow to love this portion control business if it means I don't have to cook as often! LOL
Can you believe it? Tomorrow is Wednesday! YaHoo!
Namaste.
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