saying goodbye

We said farewell to our beloved Jessie last night. She was somewhere around 11, don't know for certain, we rescued her in 2001. Oh, the love and devotion she had given us all these years. So many memories to cherish and recall when the 'missing' kicks in. Already no heavy footfalls behind me in the kitchen meaning: it's morning time for chow. No climbing up in my dear husbands lap while we read the newspaper and have our coffee. No paw reaching up to tap my leg, "hey, pay attention" to me. . Thank you, my sweet big kitty for all the joy you brought us. And Father God, you who created all things, wherever she is, I know it is so much more than here. It's been a season of goodbyes for our family the end of this year. Hope springs eternal, life continues, and forever the best parts remain in our hearts.

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.

Happiness is...

made to be shared! It's Monday all, I still feel well and that makes me so very happy.

The sun's shining on a lovely autumn afternoon. And I had a chance to combine challenges

for a card for the 365 Card Blog and Card Patterns. It was make a mosaic and the sketch

over at CP. I still love Basic Grey's Urban Prairie and thought it would look great in the

mosaic. I used a Marvey 3/4 inch for the squares. The sentiment is part of a group of

rub-ons from K&Co's Cut N Paste group. I love all the scrolls. The base is Basic Grey black,

I used the shell embossing folder on the end with the hydrangea petals.

Thanks so much for taking a peak. Have a wonderful turn of the globe no matter where you are!

Not quite sure how the type got so funky...so sorry!

dawn...

Happy Sunday dear cyber pals! I am finally feeling better...after three weekends of every kind of cold symptom...today dawned with a feeling of wellness. I am so glad and couldn't resist the 365 Card Blog's Sketchy Sunday challenge. I don't do sketches very often...it is my greatest challenge, but if you follow Pam, you've probably already noticed very well thought out sketches! This one is no exception. I admit in advance that I took artistic license with this one. but love the overall shape!

Keeping the oval shapes going, I decided to use one of a set of 8 doors I received as a Christmas gift last year from my first cyber gal pal, Amy. We happen to share a love of architectural elements and have had a blast trying '2 1up' each other in the gifty part. So I've searched out all kinds of sentiments related to doors to go along with my divine door selection . This Emily Dickinson quote "Not Knowing when the dawn will come, I open every door" is a sentiment from I Brake for Stamps. I used the Memory Box Butterfield papers, Memento Tuxedo Black,

Rhubarb, and Rich Cocoa inks. I soften the edges with ChalkBox Creamy Brown and Dark Brown. The buttons are die-cuts from K&Co that I embossed with clear ep for dimension.

technology

The 365 Card Blog issued a very interesting challenge today: technology. I must admit that I took it literally. And racked my brain for how I could combine the Ways to Use It (red) over on SCS with a post to the Artistic Outpost Blog. So this is what I did...using PhotoShop Elements, I colored part of my little yellow truck red. This makes the Ways to Use It challenge with the 'paint' job and the technology of PSE qualifies for the 365 Card challenge. Now if you want to see the original, just hop over to the AO Blog.

It is amazing what can be done with the computer, I know enough to 'hurt' myself! Have a happy Friday eve, all!!!

Leave the everyday

It's another Wednesday and that means, Gingham Girls' Word of the Week challenge! The word is windstorm. I've had this adorable little girl from Stamp Francisco since the new year (a huge Christmas set of images) waiting for the perfect opportunity. I think she fits in with windstorm...I know in the fall in the Pacific Northwest we have what Thornton Burgess called the 'merry little breezes' in Old Mother West Wind. I paper pieced her coat and hat (adding black flock to the hat). The rest of the image is colored with Copics. I used Basic Grey's Mellow paper group. The layout is from the sketch challenge on Splitcoast today: SC245.

So how's the week going? Our family is still feeling the lingering cold and getting back into the routine of schooling. Today I sat in on Andy's Entrepreneurship class and then on the way home, we stopped off at a new place close to our homeschool resource center called SNOW MIRACLE...it is amazing, just like eating frozen cotton candy! We decided to eat dessert first and sampled the mango and grape flavors. Awesome!

Be good...

and if you can't be good, be STYLISH! Inkadinkadoo's Kid's Quotes Stamps. How can anyone resist these sentiments? I've had this one for a bit, waiting patiently to use it at just the proper moment. Well, today's Inspiration Challenge on SCS was all about handbags (high end ones at that!) I must say I loved every minute perusing the gorgeous bags. It was this one that inspired me. And a big thank you to Chrissie for your beautiful work with Chris Dark's digital images.

The 365 Card Challenge is to add a charm to your card. I added a brass bow to my tag. During one of my wonderful summer yard sale finds, I came across a container of 25 tiny brass charms which I knew would come in handy. For this one, I coated it with VersaMark and embossed it with glossy black embossing powder. I used paper thread to tie it to the ribbon. The purse was printed out on GP white cs and colored with Copics. I added micro beads to the fancy trim. The buckle has a rhinestone enclosure and edged with a Sakura gel pen. The tag was made with a Making Memories template with PTI spring moss. The sentiment is embossed with clear ep and pulls out to reveal "the rest of the story". I used Basic Grey's Sultry group, "Vogue" for the background. The darker mat is PTI smokey grey.

Have a delish weekend...and labor not my American pals!!!