GOD IS GOOD...

...but then most of you already know that...

This Wed., as Rick and I were celebrating our Anniversary, I got the call that one of my good friends was in the hospital awaiting surgery for a massive accumulation of blood clots in her leg. Since she and I co-founded our Ladies Bible study, I got out our phone list and asked everyone to pray...and we all did for 2 days.

To make a long story short, after waiting over 24 hrs. for an operating room to become available, the doctors removed 80% of the blood clots, installed a device to keep any clots from traveling upward, and scheduled a second surgery to add a stent to keep the vein open. When it came time for the second surgery, the doctors discovered the vein had corrected itself and the remaining clots had dissolved--The Lord had already answered our prayers!

After being listed as in "Critical but Stable" condition, Gail is going home this weekend, thanks to the tender mercy of the Lord. We are all so grateful...

THANK YOU, KIM!

What a nice surprise to have received an award from Kim MacNutt at "Stamping Between the Dishes and the Laundry!" (See link at right.) Coming from her, this is a real honor because she maintains such a beautiful blog. Make sure you give her a visit.

Kim also has a music player on the right side of her blog that contains some wonderful music to stamp by!




Note: Special thanks to my DH for showing me how to post this award. Today is also our 42nd Anniversary!

Basket of Fun

Here's a card I started at Cyndy's "Girls Nite Out" on Friday. I finished it up here in the tower later.




After mounting the basket and yarn with SU dimensionals, I added faux stitching around the edge, with a "bow" in the upper right corner. Then I placed tiny black "gems" on the basket handles. After knotting some embroidery floss several times to make it the same size as the balls of yarn in the basket, I used a glue dot to fasten it to the image.

This should make a cute little note for someone!

UNDERWATER SCENE

Here's a card I whipped up today using some new papers and an old stamp set from TAC. Maybe it should say "Best Fishes?"

Back from Long Island

This weekend was spent "staging" the co-op apartment we've been trying to sell since last Fall. It was interesting to see how my creative card-making skills applied to decorating, which turned out great. Here's how the living room looked when we got done...

All we need is a buyer! Know anyone who'd like to move to Huntington, NY?

STAMPING WORKSHOP

This Saturday I'll be hosting a stamping workshop around my dining room table for six or seven eager stampers. Here is one of the cards we'll be making.

First, they'll stamp the image with Versamark, then color it with chalks. Then, they'll use the Giga scalloped circle punch, add some Stickles to the flower centers and set it aside to dry. Next, they'll choose a dsp for the card front, mount it with double-stick tape and tie the embroidery floss around the (top fold)card. After cutting about a half inch off the bottom of the top flap, they'll add a coordinating strip of dsp on the bottom, stamp a greeting and glue an embellishment on.

Finally, they'll attach their image with SU dimensionals. Elegant, but easy--the best kind for a workshop!

Wish you could join us!

HIS & HER CHALLENGE

"HER" card is done on darker cardstock, and uses purple flowers beneath the tree to make it more feminine. The oval greeting also uses the purple flower, and the ribbon is tied in a bow. There is a purple gem brad for embellishment.

"HIS" card, though using a lighter cardstock, features a red birdhouse, bolder lettering in the oval, and a wider ribbon tied in a knot. For embellishment, I used a dark green maple leaf.

Christmas Green Flower Soft was used for the leaves on both trees. (I'm finally getting the hang of it!)

If you'd like to enter a pair of His & Her cards for the challenge, check out the Florishes Newsletter. (Sorry, I don't know how to post a direct link from my blog.)

Another Card, Same Elements

It's always amazing to me how you can make several cards with the same supplies and yet they all look different. Here's a tri-fold that's a variation of the one in the previous post:



The front features a yellow cuttlebug background for the flower and bee. I added Stickles to the bee's wings, same as in the previous card.

The inside flap (which folds over the center of the inner panel) began with a CB oval, then the new SU Oval-All stamp on the scalloped oval. I added 3 buttons for interest and some dots on the diagonal upper left.

The long image on the left matches the same image on either side of the inner part of the card.

I hope you get the "feel" for this card--it was hard to scan in a way that really captures its essence.

FLOWER SOFT REVISITED

I'm soooo glad I didn't give up on this new product! After switching to regular white craft glue, the Flower Soft works much better. I made this card (and several others) today with this old set that I still enjoy using.

(Click to enlarge.)

OFF TO LONG ISLAND

It's my sister's birthday today, so I'm leaving for the 2-hour ride to Long Island for a 2-day visit. We'll be going out for dinner to celebrate with Dad and a few of my sister's friends.

Since the forecast calls for rain on and off all week, it will be good for stamping when I get back. I just love weeks like this where I get to build up my stash of cards!

BTW, I store the completed cards in a box on my table behind labels marked, "blank," "sympathy," "birthday," and "holiday." The largest batch is behind "blank" so I can use them for a note or add some word stamps for a specific purpose. It's so handy to have them ready to go as needed.

What a good feeling to be so ahead of the game this early in the month. I've already finished up the May birthday cards and plan to mail them all this week before the postage rate increases on the 11th.

See you when I get back from partying!!

IN THE PINK

Although pink is definitely not one of my favorite colors, I put this card together yesterday to match the envelope I found in the midst of my completed card box. It somehow got separated from its card, which I probably mailed in another envelope over a year ago. Using two coordinating pieces of scrap dp, which were in my scrap dp drawer for just such an "emergency," I pieced this lily together and mounted it on white cardstock. (BTW, when saving scraps, I keep only pieces that are larger than a business card. Otherwise, I'd be buried in scraps by now!)

After adding black Stickles to the stamens and some embroidery floss on the side, it is now in my box of ready-to-go cards! This might make a nice get well card, with a "hoping you're in the pink again soon" kind of saying...

Thank You, Nina Brackett

Today I finally got a chance to create something worthy of the stamp sets Nina sent me recently. It was fun coloring these delicious-looking cupcakes! I used yellow Stickles on the flowers, red Stickles on the rosettes and Glossy Accents on the cherries.

This is from the "Cupcake Mix & Match" set by There She Goes, designed by Nina herself! Thanks, Nina!!