Snowy greetings...

this December day!  It is foggy where I live, but I can feel that snow in the air.  The City Crafter Challenge Blog Week 34 is 'Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow'.  I've been 'saving' this Memory Box paper from their Dewdrop collection and it 'feels' right to use it now.  The 'snowflakes' are delicate peonies drifting down and the branch has a few leaves with tips of fragile chartreuse reminding me that winter will not last forever.  I used a country scene stamped in Brilliance Moonlight white onto Stampin Up Basic Grey.  The sentiment was inked again with Versafine Onyx Black onto Whisper White.  I had cut mats around both.  The tiniest bit of white/silver netting is tied to the branch of the tree...you can see the shadow from the camera angle.

This card also qualifies for the Splitcoast Stampers Color Challenge #300 which was to pick from one of the other 299 challenges.  I selected CC159 (Soft Sky, Basic Grey, Whisper White).

Hope your weather is just the way you like it....flurries, fog, liquid sunshine, or gentle island breezes...

Be Blessed this day and always

Stories are gifts....

with thanks to my Starbucks sleeve, I couldn't resist using it as the focal for my card today.  Thank you, graphic designer!  I've had this idea percolating in my brain since DH treated me to a gingerbread latte last Sunday.  And it all came together nicely for the 365 Card Blog Day 275 A Novel Idea, SplitcoastStampers CC 299, and Card Patterns Sketch 92.



 The Day 275 Challenge was a picture of the novel, The Secret Garden with the girl dressed in red  stopped to pass a note through the garden wall.  Perhaps a story about her life. 


 The Color Challenge on SCS this week was Real Red, Old Olive and River Rock.

  Neutral of your choice and for the Dessert Option, Christmas theme.






                                                                                    And  last, but certainly not least as this is the foundation of my card,
the Sketch from Card Patterns 92.  I did reverse the layout to make it work for my graphic paper and the cup sleeve.  I used the back side for the vertical panels...corrugated cardboard.






Being a homeschooling family, we read all the classics, including The Secret Garden.  And our rule is no movie version if the book hasn't been read.  I can remember taking my oldest son to see The Indian in the Cupboard when he was 5.  During the show, he kept saying. "Mom, they are leaving this or that out...it's not as good as the book!"  And even today, with them up and grown...we still read the book before the movie...


Thanks so much for stopping over to visit today, I'd love it if you would leave the gift of a story before you go.


Be blessed

Wishing you...

Love. It's Tuesday, yeah! I don't often get to be creative on Tuesdays. However, this Tuesday the muse was 'clicking on all cylinders' to create a card that meets the requirements for 4 challenges! The Color Challenge on SCS was turquoise, red, and white. Over on the Gingersnap Creations Blog the call was for Haute Couture. The 365 Card Blog issue was a challenge about wishing. And finally at Flourishes Timeless Tuesday, Barbara called for glitter.

My mind is mostly one track, so to combine all this fabUlous challenges was definitely exercise for the grey matter.

I absolutely adore this lovely woman (Stamp Francisco) getting ready for an evening out, a play perhaps. I stamped her directly to paper with VersaColor Black ink and embossed with clear. She is colored with Copics and I used Martha's Turquoise Glitter for the hat. The wishing you is an image from Impress and the Love is part of a Technique Tuesday stamp that I masked the part I wanted to use...inking with Adirondack Red Pepper. I finished it off with a bit of tulle...seemed the perfect accent.

In retrospect, I should have created the lady in red. Have a listen, your ears will thank you!!! Hope you have a bit time in your day to let your muse play. I would love to know what inspired you!

Our hope

I write this post being uncertain as to how I will reenter this blogging world. Thanks in advance for hanging with me! Many of you know my beloved Mother in LOVE was called home to heaven in September. On my birthday even. It was a sudden illness and she never regained consciousness. Her medical directive made it clear there would be no heroics. And so when the basics of life, breath and hydration, could no longer be sustained on her own, we prepared our hearts for separation. The elders of her church were called to the CICU along with family and friends. We surrounded her bed, praying, speaking remembrances, reading scriptures, and most of all, singing old hymns. Once the machines were turned off, it was just a matter of minutes that this worn out earthly body could continue to support the breath of life given to her so long ago. I praise our God that HIS plan is perfect and that his angels carried her soul that night. I stoked her beautiful face so soft and radiant, her hair so silvery (wisdom) perfect even with bedhead!and whispered how pretty she was even after all the invasive equipment.

And so with all the details of dismantling (my dear husbands' word) her life, it's taken me this long to feel ready to create again. I was blessed to make a video montage of Bette's life in pictures (when I figure out how to embed a copy, I will post it here). Both my sons were in on the effort, with Andy scanning all my many choices of photographs and Sam selecting the music that would be so important to the theme of her life. I felt happy in going through all the photo albums, shoe boxes, and picture frames to select the images that would tell the story of her life.

When it was presented at the memorial, it brought together a diverse group of people with Bette the center story of every thought.

I share all this and today's Color Challenge on Splitcoast for it is just a few days until we honor the reason for our hope, our gift. May you have the merriest of Christmases this year.

it's a freakin' party

Oh, do excuse my slang today, but we're havin' a bit of a party over at MotherMarks. She's celebrating her week 52 teapot challenge and well, you know how it can be when the gurls gets together. MotherMark has even lined up the Queen to teach proper teapot etiquette~~~which of course is polite social behavior~~~who knows what this bunch of gurls will do! I hear she's even brought in those big brown hatted guards just in case...

This card for MotherMarks' challenge also fits the 365 Card Blog Challenge to paper piece and the Color Challenge on SCS. Girls, oh, girls is it ever fun to load up on challenges. I used Basic Grey's Two Scoops paper, I mean ya just gotta have balloons at a party and fancy teacups.

So have a look, join in the fun, and if you get a chance, tip a cup or pint our way!

how can it be...you're turning half a century

I won't be mentioning names here today, just want to showcase this half century card.  Created for someone dear using SCS's Color Challenge and the Monday Mojo on Julee's  Blog.  I was able to use the fun K&Co's Cut and Paste collection for the vintage blocks.  More details in my SCS gallery.

We're soggy here in the Pacific Northwest...hope your day is shiny and bright!

Patience

Well, I could say I loved the fairy girls' emerald green gown so much I wanted it up for 5 days...but that wouldn't be the truth!  I'm still trying to dig out from a frantic weekend VSNing over at SCS.  There were 18 challenges spread over two days and I did have an empty house, but after 11 completed, I had to say...I need couch time.  And that was the end of it. 

I did have a wee bit of time this morning to work on the Color Challenge.  A yummo combo of sherbet colors that I put to good use.  I need an encouragement card for mailing today and here it tis.  Cornish Heritage Farms Saturday Evening Post's vintage butterflies paired up with Basic Grey's Ambrosia and SU's kiwi kiss and summer sun.  Got your sunglasses?

Have a super day...

my advice to you

I'm feeling lighthearted today...the day of lovvvvve is rapidly approaching and I want to be ready!  No, I didn't marry for money, just  the man of my dreams and he's still the one after all these years (he'll be singing this song to me all week).  And he brings me white chocolate turtles (I don't eat the brown stuff)  

My beauty for the CC over on SCS today is a huge Stamps Happen stamp that I've patiently waiting to use...hope you like what I've done.  I wrote a fun commentary on my gallery entry if you need a chuckle today...it's about bosoms and my early memories!  I would love to hear if I am unique in this!

Have a wonderful day wherever you may be.

patterns of change

With the new year approaching, I've been thinking of change.  Not just another list of resolutions quickly made and even more rapidly abandoned, but real change~~~ that lasts.  I know it has to come from within myself and yet not of myself.  I've tried and failed more times than I can count.  So this year I am praying that the Spirit of the Lord will begin a serious edit of ME.  That the old ways, some of which are working poorly would be replaced with what HE would have me be.  I might look different on the outside, but more than anything, I want to be new on the inside.

Seeing the Color Challenge on SCS today, I was not jumping for joy...those colors are certainly not what I reach for.  However as I sat looking through my image book, I came upon this awesome Tim Holtz set from Stampers Anonymous.  It was easy then as I knew the Basic Grey paper group, Stella Ruby would fit perfectly with my pattern idea.  So I have collaged my card to celebrate the changes I hope to work toward this year.  If you would like more details of exactly how I created this card, please click over to my SCS gallery.

On a related note, I've been waiting to blog about my most fabulous Christmas present!  And I have Amy  at Tsuruta Designs to thank for tagging me  on a get to know you questionnaire (which had more than 50 questions!)  But one of them really got me going, what was your favorite childhood toy?  Well, mine was a Betsy McCall Fashion Designer set, which allowed you to create fashions for Betsy with tissue patterns and a light box.  Santa brought one to me Christmas 1962.  I have never forgotten it!  Well, one thing lead to another, and a look on E-Bay and Kovels for what the possible value of the set, and I  snagged the set off the 'bay for $7.99!!!  It was originally sold for $5.95.  It arrived a few days before Christmas and I had told my DH that this was all I wanted and on Christmas morning all watched as I relived a long forgotten memory.  I plan to save it for when I become a grandmother of daughters and we can play together!     

There is a pattern in all things...what are you seeing and feeling?

Western Union

It very interesting to think about how just a couple generations ago important news was received by telegram.  My card today for the

 Color Challenge had me wondering how it felt to get your information this way. I used a collaged image from Oxford Impressions 'Winter Snow' set that contains the telegram as well as the wonderful vintage Christmas tree.  I set the tree inside Stampinks Unlimited fabulous shuttered window.  Merry Christmas is stamped onto the telegram .

I'm glad for today's technology that keeps us just a touch of the keyboard away from new news...but my Mom won't have any of it though my sibs and I have pleaded for her to get connected.  She still wants her news the old fashioned way.  And I do respect that, but you'll find me busy texting encouraging notes to my sons or a voice mail to my husband...sweet nothings...I will use what we have to the benefit of my family.  And I hope I'll always be willing to learn what's new...so I can keep up!  

So this card goes out today to my parents. Some things are just better the old way! How about you?

a caged Merry

I loved the colors for todays' challenge on SCS.  Red Riding Hool, Baja Breeze and Taken with Teal.  This was one of those, I knew immediately what I would do!   I love the old fashioned bird cages from B Line Designs.  And I knew they needed to be the stars of my card. Please pop over to my gallery, if you would like more details on the design of this card. Thanks very much.

I admire my friend, Amy Tsuruta's clean, crisp style  and tried to model this with the card today.  I actually think it is more difficult to pull off when each piece carries such weight.  I'm kinda groovin and just might be on to a new thing!  Thanks Amy for your beautiful art that inspires me on a daily basis.