MIXED MEDIA MONDAY - Crazy Brave

Somewhere along the line, when I put the book together, I got calendar pages out of sinc. This was supposed to be February's prompt. Given the subject though, I think the challenge fits any month of the year.

New Years resolutions are great when we make them. Goals are even better. The plan is to make this year the one where I am UNSTOPPABLE. Even though I may drift from my goals, I don't have to abandoned them all together - I pick myself up and get back to work. Falling off the wagon doesn't have to be permanent - unless I CHOOSE it to be so.

Well, I DO NOT choose that path. I'm stubborn that way. What I want to achieve may take a little longer but I believe in accomplishing what I start out to do... no matter how long.

Not the best picture. I just could not seem to get things in a flow yesterday. May have something to do with my first Monday with Bob back home. I did find my larger doll stamp and used her this time on a 2-page spread. My husband was quick to point out that my shoes are going the wrong direction... well, they weren't for the stamp! LOL Maybe I'm going to make this journey backwards. 

The shoes mark the path along the calendar year. You'll see that I have a GOALS image along the way - reminding me that if I'm not where I thought I'd be, I can readjust and KEEP GOING! There are several signs along the way reminding me DON'T Stop. This is part of My Story at the end of the year. The SUCCESSES, Stumbling Blocks and Drop-Off's along the way all make up MY STORY. 

You'll see a rainbow in the top left of the My Story image, then there's a smaller sticker. This is left over from my UndercoverWear days... a motivational sticker by The Booster.  The sticker says:

LIVE YOUR DREAMS

After I had all of the elements in place, I just played with my Recollections Watercolors. 

This isn't one of my best spreads but the message is there in spite of having an off day. 

SYMPATHY SUNDAY

If you've popped in within the past hour, you may have noticed only a partial post. I was in the middle of one over at my Stampin' UP! site and realized I needed to put a portion of that info on this blog instead. So here we go!

Beginning this week, I will use one Sunday per month to focus on Sympathy cards. While we don't like to need them, as my 'old soul' granddaughter will tell you, it's part of the circle of life.

NOTE: To see the first two cards in this set, please go to my Stampin' UP! blog HERE
Sadly, this past week I needed four of them. They were all in regards to the same person but because the kids no longer live at home, I wanted to send one to each of them as well as his wife.
Ron Booth was a character. We didn't always get along but when it came to my caring for his children, he knew I was the best. One time when the youngest decided to run away from home (she was 6), he called me. Last words she uttered as she stormed out the door - "I'm going to my Kelly. She loves me."  You see, these kids were family. We loved all three equally but held a special bond with one.

We practically raised the youngest. She'd been in my daycare since the age of 7 weeks... and most weekends, never went home. She'd fuss and whine about going home each night but when Friday rolled around, she somehow managed to stay the weekend. When Bob asked her what she wanted for her 5th birthday, she told him she wanted her own room. She got one, of sorts. One Halloween, she was dressed as a bride. I think she was 5 or 6. When they stopped by the house to show us their costumes, Bob took a play ring I had in the children's dress-up corner, knelt and put it on her finger.  Later, in the second grade, the kids each got to be Student of the Week. They were to bring pictures to display on the classroom door, depicting their life. The 'proposal' picture was smack dab in the center of the grouping. 

She has always been our Peaches.... but more importantly, she was her daddy's 'Pooh Bear'. So this first card is for my Peaches.

I was inspired by THIS  Pin from OCDcardLady on her etsy shop.

I used a retired set from Stampin' UP! called Love and Sympathy.

The DSP is from a suite retiring the end of May called Petal Garden:

Petal Garden Designer Series Paper Stack

144168    Price: $10.00 RECIPE: Card base - Sweet Sugar Plum Background Mat - Petal Garden Image Mat - Very Vanilla Flower stamped in Rich Razzleberry and Old Olive Sentiment stamped in Versa Mark then embossed in Gold. Sentiment mat punched from Very Vanilla and Sweet Sugar Plum with the: Everyday Label Punch 144668   Price: $18.00 To make the mat base, cut the sweet sugar plum label in 1/2 then position each piece just beyond the sentiment mat. I then added dimensionals.  The bow is from my ribbon stash and the pearls are retired SU. Card number two is for Ron's oldest daughter, Jessica. I loved the peach tones from Petal Garden for one of the sweetest young women I know on the planet. She's gone from short of despising her youngest sister when Kassie was small to now sharing a house with her. They do sister vacations and all kinds of things together - best friends.  The only time I babysat Jessica (as well as their brother Vinnie) was when the kids were sick. I would keep them through the whole 'sickness' phase so Josie didn't have to miss work. Kassie especially always wanted me to take care of her. The day she had her tonsils out, she asked her mom if they could stop and pick me up so I could be there, too. Yep.. they are my extended family for sure. While Kassie was my mini-me, Jessica always wanted to come to my house to craft. She loved coming in the door with an idea, knowing my knowledge and craft room stash would see her project to completion. So this is the card I made for Jessica: RECIPE: Card Base - Calypso Coral Background - Petal Garden Floral Mat - Pear Pizzazz - 3-1/8" x 4-1/8" Floral - Whisper White - 4" x 3" Ribbon - Pear Pizzazz Pearls - retired SU Sentiment punched from Pear Pizzazz and Whisper White using the decorative label punch (retired SU) Floral Image stamped in Calypso Coral, Pear Pizzazz and Memento Black - 2 step stamping method Sentiment stamped in VersaMark then heat embossed with gold.  My soul aches for this family's loss and wish I could be there for them, but these cards will let them know they are in our hearts and our prayers.  There will be a celebration of life for Ron in May and I'm hoping to travel up to be with them.  Creative Blessings!

THIS AND THAT - Card Chicks

Wow!

I sat here on Wednesday playing, trying to see how many cards I could get from everything in Forest Ranger's card kit this month. I got a lot! Six cards total! Four of them already will be going in the mail this week. I don't think I've ever put together this many cards from one kit AND mailed them almost as soon as they were made.  So here we go!

You saw the first one HERE

Here are the remaining with a few details about each:

#1 - I used a Pink Pirouette base, stamped the image from Fairy Celebration in Soft Suede then used the watercolor pencils. The patterned paper is from the kit (PaperStudios) cut with one of the Scalloped Square dies. I cut the center out since you wouldn't see that anyway and saved for another card. The brad, green polka dot paper and the ribbon were part of the kit.

#2 - This one I got a bit creative. I used the entire sheet of woodgrain DSP (The Paper Studio) on a Wild Wasabi Base. I used the Scalloped Square and Wilde Wasabi for the bird mat. The bird from Petal Pallet is stamped on Whisper White cut from a Stitched Framelit square. I used Soft Suede for the bird. The sentiment was part of the kit. The leaf stem is cut from Pistachio Pudding using the die from petal Pallet. 

#3 - Though the color is off, I actually used a Pistachio Pudding card base and for the Scalloped Oval mat. The image and the polka dot are from the kit. I used the Stampin' Blends to color the image. The sentiment is from March 2017 Paper Pumpkin

#4 -Another of my favorites.The striped paper and the flowers in the corner are from the kit. The flowers are cut from the floral DSP such as was used in the first card. I used Pretty Kitty Stamp set. The sentiment is actually 1/2 of a stamp in the set. The other part is inside the card that says 'to say hello'. Yes, I do cut my stamps apart. They offer more versatility and much easier than masking. The image and sentiment are stamped in Soft Suede and I've matted everything with Strawberry Slush on a white card base.

#5 - This last one is for another SCS group challenge - Stamp2Spend where hostess Ina challenged us to stamp on patterned paper. Remember that piece I cut out of the center of the mat in Card #1? Yep, I thought this the perfect place to stamp a dragonfly. 

I used the negative space from Card #2and the Timeless Textures stamp set to stamp both the dragonfly and the lacy pattern on the right side. The base and the ink are Wild Wasabi. The negative piece is from Pistachio Pudding. The dragonfly was stamped in Night of Navy then sprinkled with an unmarked bottle of glimmery embossing powder. I stamped with versa-mark, then the embossing powder. Once that was heated while it was still warm, I coated with the embossing powder again and repeated the process two more times to really let the dragonfly pop while still appearing to be a part of the flower background.  

On the inside, I stamped a linen-style texture stamp from the set and stamped in Pistachio Pudding then the sentiment, Every Little Kindness Makes the World Brighter in Night of Navy.

This card will be used to send a bank deposit in. I got a note from one of the gals at the bank today. We used to be neighbors. She wanted to let me know they enjoy the cards I send them. I thought that was sweet. She would like for us to chat and catch up. ... by phone! See - who needs facebook? LOL

Tomorrow I'll have a selection of Sympathy cards. I want to start posting them on Sundays. Sadly, I need three of them this week. A young lady who was like my own daughter and part of our daycare from birth to school lost her father to cancer this week. So sad. They were so much alike but the best of friends. She and her older sister share a house so I'll send one to each of them then one to his widow - who was one of my best friends for years. They also have a son. I may make him one and send it to his mom's address. 

So off to make sympathy cards. I'll see you tomorrow. Creative Blessings!

WOYWW 464

I'd like you to meet my timber kitty, Tabby. Tabby wandered into our yard from the back timber last summer. She is approximately 2 years old and weighing in at  8.5 pounds. Tabby fast became a indoor/outdoor kitty and is my shadow. Our only issue with her is since getting her fixed she has become very territorial and won't have anything to do with Goddess or Spirit. Goddess just gives her a wide berth but I can't have Tabby and Spirit (my 5th generation panther) in the same room unattended and a spritz bottle handy. We don't herd cats, we play musical rooms making sure we know where everyone is located before leaving the house.

Okay.. what you came to see:

Update on Bear. He took the last of his antibiotics on Sunday night but we can't get him in for surgery until next Tuesday so the doc and I agreed to put him on the pills to avert infection moving back in and having to postpone the surgery. 

That's it for my desk this week. Who's Miss Julia and why am I here?  When you are done visiting me in the Ozarks, please hop on over to Stamping Ground  for all the details. Miss Julia has a long list of other studios you can peek into. No standing on an up-turned milk pail to look in the window. We open the doors wide and welcome you.  Please leave your number and you'll be among the first on my list. 

Creative Blessings!

~Kelly

TUESDAY - Card Chicks

Isn't this pup adorable? He's from a company called Your Next Stamp. The stamp is "Blossom". Very appropriate. Has a Bambi-esque appearance.

I started with the striped DSP then auditioned cardstock colors. I found SU colors Strawberry Slush, Melon Mambo, Cherry Cobbler and Blushing Bride worked well.

Next, I chose Sketch # 218 from Operation Write Home then tweaked it a bit by adding a mat under the focal. I cut that from Soft Suede at 3-3/4 x 3-3/8.

The sentiment strip dimensions are incorrect. I cut one 3/4" x 2-1/2",  used the banner punch from SU.

HAPPY EASTER is from the March 2017 Paper Pumpkin.

I had a blast making this card so as soon as I hit post, I'm going to slide the computer back and use up the rest of this kit. I'll post them soon.

WOYWW #463 - Bear Update

There's my desk.
All of  my tools are back in place across the back, laptop where I left it last night after typing up labels for the new SU cardstock colors. You can even see the clean sofa (except for dog toy) in the background. After uploading a video later this morning, the laptop will be moved out of the way to get cards made. I'm also hoping my Paper Pumpkin kit arrives today. It's all about the sea... anchor, life buoy, lighthouse, etc. One saying says 'You are my anchor'. I want to get a card made and tucked into Bob's pile of mail before he gets home tomorrow. He's been gone 45 days.

Update on Bear - On Friday I found what I thought was an abscessed canine so made a vet appointment. Monday morning's visit went very well. He doesn't have an abscess but a growth on his gum that is common in large breed/ older dogs but his canine is cracked. We figure that is what has been making him so miserable. Aren't we all when we have a toothache?  He is on an antibiotic and a pain med 2x a day and is more like my teddy bear. Other than the tooth issue, he got a clean bill of health. Once the infection is cleared up, I'll take him back in for dental work. I'm so happy he trusts me.

Thank you all for your prayers and well wishes for my precious teddy Bear.

That's it for my desk this week. Who's Miss Julia and why am I here?  When you are done visiting me in the Ozarks, please hop on over to Stamping Ground  for all the details. Miss Julia has a long list of other studios you can peek into. No standing on an up-turned milk pail to look in the window. We open the doors wide and welcome you.  Please leave your number and you'll be among the first on my list. 

Creative Blessings!

~Kelly

TEAPOT TUESDAY - National Siblings Day

Finally getting into some Teapot Tuesday posts. April 10th was National Siblings Day. I had one person in mind for this card, but it wound up being for someone else.

I thought I'd pull out a set I'd not used yet. There are a few of those on my shelf.  I wasn't sure I even liked Hey Chick but I thought my eldest granddaughter would get a kick out of it. So I picked up the free set from the 2017 Occasions Sale A Brations.

For designer paper, I went with Botanical Gazette. A retired DSP from two or three years ago. I thought the honeycomb background held a chicken wire effect. After I had the card together I realized I could have embossed the Certainly Celery panel with the honeycomb EB folder. There's always more cards.