Where Am I? An Update

Hello my crafty friends, wanted to pop on here and update everyone. I know I am always "missing in action" a lot. I wish I had a good answer for that but think I have finally figured it out. I am changing, leaving the grieving seasons (years) and moving on with life. That's not to say I won't ever be back to blogging regularly or visiting all my lovely crafty friend's blogs and leaving comments. But right now I am not regular about that at all and I don't know when I will be. So I hope you all will bear with me while I figure out this life of mine. I am keeping busy. I go to the library on Wednesday's for senior day for people 55 and older. We exercise, play games/movies/puzzles, play Jeopardy or Family Feud, have speakers that come in and have a nice lovely free lunch. It is 4 hours of fun and meeting new people. Most are older than me, but I am still enjoying it very much. I've been going to the movies at least once a week with friends. Been getting crafty as well. I was asked to make stencils for 5 very large signs, my nephew has asked me to do coach gifts for him for this year since it is his senior year, and of course doing other crafty things. 

I am also going away for just about the whole month of Oct. I'm a little nervous about being gone for so long though. lol Bret will be holding down the fort and taking care of the dogs. Where am I going you ask? Well let me tell you, on Oct 3rd, my sister friend, her husband and I leave their house in VA for Gatlinburg, TN. We will spend about 4 days there, then will move on to Memphis-spend another 4 days or so there and then onto Nashville. Again, 4 days or so there and then moving on to Waco TX. Then back home. It should be a fun trip with so much to see and do. I'm looking forward to it, but nervous about getting home sick and missing the pups. But all will be well I'm sure. So that is what is going on around here in my life. Keeping busy, moving on with living and getting crafty here and there. 

So here is the signs that I made the stencils (I'm not doing the stenciling, just made the stenciling to the sizes they needed) for as well as the shadow boxes I made for my nephew's golf coach. My nephew will be adding golf tees in the bottom of the shadow box to finish off these gifts. Now I'm designing wrestling gifts, then pole vaulting. I'm sorry I haven't been around visiting in such a long time. It will be a bit longer before I come by I'm afraid. But I will be by sometime!! 

As always, thank you for your patience with me. You all mean the world to me and I don't want you to think I've forgotten about you all. I haven't, just trying to figure this life of mine out and trying to just find joy in everyday. With having so many falls, I think I've realized that one day I might not get back up, so I need to live life. I thank you also for always sticking by me. You guys are the best on line friends one could have!

Crafty hugs,

Card Recipe:
Everything cut using fonts and my Cricut Maker or Explore
Images from Cricut Design Space altered to fit my needs

Paper Bag Mini Album-Pic Heavy

Hello my crafty friends, I hope this Friday is a happy one for you and that you are looking forward to a nice weekend. We are supposed to be lower humidity and temps, so I'm liking that! 

I have a little tiny mini album I made. And I do mean tiny. lol It is 3.75 x 3.50 with the lid and covers on.  Here is where you will find the directions to it if you want to make one. Helen is amazing and has her own line of stamps, papers and dies. I love watching her and seeing the creations she makes. So I wanted to try my hand at making a tiny mini paper bag album. Decided to go with a fall theme, so I used digital images in this little mini. Papers were from my snippets piles and a 4.5 x 6.5 paper stack by DCWV. Had snippets in there as well, but also used some whole sheets. This mini is great for using some snippets up. So here is my tiny mini. As always my supplies will be listed at the bottom in the recipe section. 

I kept the outside simple so nothing would get caught on anything. I also made a little "lid" to go on the top of it, to give it a finishing look if someone wants to keep it on a shelf or something. 

This is the back of the mini. Can write "made by" or the date in the frame. 

 Both sides look like this. 

 The bottom, and of course the top looks the same as well when you take the "lid" off. 

 Yes, I forgot that I was going to use magnets to hold it closed along with the lid, so didn't get them under my paper to be hidden. Oh well, I can live with it, but would have preferred them to be hidden.

 Inside cover and first page.

 Second page-on the left is a pocket on each page, on the right is the opening of the paper bag so it has two places to put photos on mats.

 Here is where the two mats are, so could put 2 photos on each or one photo and journaling on the back. 

 I think this digital collection is adorable. I didn't use any of the papers from it, but will next go around. Just used the images, tags and such. Hope you enjoyed this little mini. 

Thank you for taking time out of your busy summer and visiting with me for a spell. I always love to hear from you as you bring lots of sunshine into my life! I will be by to visit you as well soon. Happy Weekend!

Edited to add that I am going to join in at the Snippet's Playground. I haven't been over to play in quite some time, so it will be nice to go over and see everyone. 

Crafty Hugs,

Card Recipe:

DCWV Fall & Halloween Combo Matstack-several years old
Nitwit Digital Collection-Pumpkin Patch Collection
Recollections Paper Bags-I used 6 in the size of 3.5- x 2 x 6.75
Paper Studio-heavy weigh kraft cardstock
Cricut-Print and Cut of digital collection images
Snippets from my stash

Twofer Challenge-Garden

Hello my crafty friends, I hope this Saturday finds you all well and staying cool. It's a hot one out there across most of the country. But the end is in sight....at least for us come Monday. Tuesday through Friday is supposed to be low humidity/dew points and temps of 84! That will feel lovely to throw open the windows and doors! 

I wanted to join in the the Twofer Challenge that is garden themed this month. I love my first card, not so much the second card. But it is made so I will go with it. I did print out two each of the sentiments, so I will change things up on the second cards. I used a NBUS stamp set that I've had for ages. I only used the sweet fruit from it with the except of the pears, which I wish I would have used, just wasn't thinking clearly. Again, I will change things up for the second ones I make here soon. I started out printing my sentiments and then built my cards from there by doing my stamping and coloring. No fancy coloring (not that I do fancy) as my markers are drying out and I need to buy refills for them, but that will have to wait. I think I will try water coloring with my distress inks for the next cards. We will see how that goes, or else use my Zig's/Arteza's. Again, will see how that goes.

I want to take the time to thank you for stopping by and visiting with me for a spell. Your comments always bring so much sunshine and joy into my life. I will be by to visit you soon as well! 

Crafty hugs,

Card Recipe:

My Creative Time-Berry Special stamps & dies-NBUS
Cricut & Design Space
Bic, Sharpies, Spectrum Noir markers to color

Buzz, Buzz....

Hello my crafty friends! I have a few cards to share today. Trying to get back in the swing of blogging a little bit once again. So one day I wanted to make a few birthday cards. Saw some papers I had printed a while back and had snippets of. Such pretty paper and so summery so I thought lets get some card sketches and make some birthday cards using this paper. Here is what I made. As always the recipe of what I used will be at the bottom of this post. 

As always, I appreciate you stopping by and visiting with me for spell, especially since I have been out of blogland for so long. Your comments always bring sunshine to my life and I appreciate you all so much! I know I have been sporadic with commenting-trying to get things done around the house, but the fall also made my Lupus flare and I get tired so easily. Just haven't gotten my stamina back so to speak. So hopefully once I get that settled back down I can do more commenting. Hope to be by soon!

Crafty hugs,

Card Recipe:

printed paper from a Nitwit Digital collection
bees, beehive and some sentiments-My Creative Time-Bee Happy and Stitched Bees & Beehive dies
honey comb-My Creative Time-Stitched Honey Comb dies
Bic markers to color my bee's, along with a blender pen on the wings (the blending shows in real life so much better than in the photo's)
Nuvo Sparkle pen for some sparkle on the wings

Finally Back With a Project!

Hello crafty friends, long time no blog! It has been a struggle for me since the Friday of Memorial weekend. I had a fall that broke front ribs and back ribs. Was out of commission for quite a while. Bret took a family emergency day that Friday morning as it happened before he left for work. Since it was a long weekend for him, I was hoping I would be ok once he went back to work on Tuesday. When Tuesday came around, it was plain to see that I wasn't going to be able to care for the dogs. So he worked from home the whole week. So thankful for him and his job that he was able to work from home. He was going to take vacation days instead and then decided to just work from home. So he took care of the dogs and me, cause it hurt to just to sit, and definitely move. Now I'm doing so much better, but sure took a long time to heal. I can still feel a back rib, especially when I lay down in bed or turn a certain way and a front rib will bother me from time to time. So still have a way to go. I might not ever be back to normal though, broke these ribs to many times. 5 times total, 4 times in the last two years. If I don't start being more careful, it will be a walker for me! And I don't want that, not at the age of 59!

Anyway, I did a little crafting. Some before my fall and some just the other day. Sharing the cute mason jar tissue holders that I have made today. I have made 5 of them so far, two have already been given away and I forgot to get photo's of them. But I have the other three. Just used some chalk spray paint and a black spray paint on some of the lids, not all of them though. Kept some the gold color and just wrapped twine on the gold lids that I got  from the Dollar Tree. Then using my Cricut and some black vinyl, put my design on. I am making more of them, spray painting when it isn't to windy outside. These make cute gifts and a great little hostess gift. I love making them! I have been sticking to a white/black/gold color combo because I figure they will go with any color of decor, but they would be so pretty in other colors of chalk paint as well. These have been hugely popular all over blogland and Pinterest. So far they have been well received as gifts as well. 

Now if you are squeamish, don't look at these photos of my fall. I will leave you with my lovely bruised body of the day of the fall, it got uglier and took a month for the bruising to leave. But it was the ribs that was the worst for wear!

Card Recipe:

twine from the Dollar Tree
"writing free" mason jars from WalMart
chalk spray paint-can get from WalMart/ACMoore, etc...Got mine at ACMoore
black spray paint-Dollar General-can get anywhere
flower is from My Creative Time dies
black vinyl-or color of choice, can also use stickers or if talented hand paint
die cutting machine-I used my Cricut Explore and Design Space
some little enamel accents-optional

Retirement Card

Hello my crafty friends, I have to apologize for not getting around lately to visit your blogs. I had picked up something and had been very sick. A bug really gets the Lupus stirred up and I get hit double whammy. Finally feeling more normal, but the tummy isn't quiet right yet and I'm moving very slow. So that is why I haven't been why to visit. Of course the issues with the septic didn't help and now issues with poor Savannah. Not sure how that will play out for her. I sure hate to lose her as I'm so attached to her now, she and Kahlua are my girls. 

But lets get on to why you are here shall we?! My Stampin' Up Lady is retiring. I don't buy much SU at all, but would go once in a while to make cards, for socialization. Went more before Dwayne passed, and only a couple of times since. Anyway a bunch of us are getting a gift card for her and I was asked to make the card. This is a 5x5 square card, not mailing it so I could go with a square card.  I used all snippets to make this card, even the card base is made some a larger snippet that was given to me. So will go over to the Snippets Playground to play along. 

Thanks for stopping by and visiting me for a spell, I promised I wiped down surfaces with disinfecting wipes so you won't catch my bug! As always, your comments bring rays of sunshine in my life. I will be by to visit some of you today and hopefully will catch up in a few days. Thanks for your patience with me and all that is going on in my life right now. I sure do appreciate you all even though it doesn't seem much like I do, I really do! I appreciate all your support throughout the years as well. Just seems like life is a little crazy right now and shows no signs of settle down any. So please bare with me. 

Crafty Hugs,

Card Recipe:

Cricut Explore Die Cutting machine
Images from Design Space

Twofer and Snippets Playground Challenges

Hello my crafty friends, I hope you all had a blessed Easter! We had a good one here, very low keyed which is nice, just myself, Bret and my step father for a meal. We had to eat off paper plates because I'm having septic issues and having a hard time getting any kind of help about it. As Bret has told me before, you just can't give work away. sigh One day hopefully we will have it fixed!! It all has had me in a tizzy and thus resulting in some flares, so haven't felt the best either. But we will get there eventually.

I wanted to play in the Twofer Challenge, but really had no clue what do make. I don't have much in the way of Zoo animals either. But that is the point of a challenge, right?!! So I went to Pinterest for inspiration. I saw a few cards that I thought were cute and that I could kinda' put my own spin on. I decided to use a SU panda bear for both my cards. The bear has a balloon in his hand and I didn't want it, so I masked it off before I stamped him. As always I will have the supplies I used in the recipe section below. I also used snippets on both cards, so will go and see if I can play in the Snippet's Playground.  It will be my balloon card, using black snippets for my stacked "hooray". 

As always, thank you so much for stopping by to visit with me for a spell. Your visits always make my day and make me smile! If I haven't been by to visit you, I will be soon. I do get behind or don't make it every time. Trying not to spend so much time on the computer and do things. Have a card party coming up, so keep your fingers crossed that my potty and sinks works by then!!!

I had a play with Brusho's powders one day and I didn't think anything was looking very good. I'm not very good with them or don't know how they are supposed to look, not sure which! So I quit but kept everything I had done as I figured I could die cut something and get my use from them. Well, glad I did because it worked out well for my balloon. It's much greener in person and has some browns in there as well then what it shows in the photo. I stacked three layers of the "Hooray" to get some dimension to it, added my twine and called this one done. 

This one is very simple, just a frame, some die cut letters and a star in my Panda's hand. I might go back and put "to the world" on yet for Joy to the World. Not sure. Or maybe "Christmas" for Christmas Joy. 

Crafty Hugs,

Card Recipe:
My Creative Time-Stitched Circle Balloon Dies, Bunch of Stitched Stars
Amazon-Hooray Stamps and Dies-no name, so unbranded I guess NBUS
Stampin' Up-Party Pandas NBUS
Brusho's powders
Canson Mixed Media paper
Snippets
twine