One Sheet Wonder

I haven't done one of these in quite

a while.  You take one sheet of

paper and cut it into various sizes

then make a bunch of cards all

at one time.  This set is for a gift.

These are just super simple cards.

Some people get very  fancy with 

theirs but I just wasn't in the mood.

I probably won't make another post

before Christmas.  My sister will be

here on Wed. evening and with 

everything else that's going on

I'm not feeling very creative.

So, I hope everyone has a wonderful

Christmas and New Year!

No "Happy Holidays" ....

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Eriovixia gryffindori

That's certainly a mouthful!  It's

the name of a new spider species

named in honour of Harry Potter.

I love it!  I'm not fond of spiders, 

but they are free to live outside my

home and I don't mind looking at 

them through glass.  Living with them

is where I draw the line!

Apparently I am back into these

flowers again, but I'm not sure

why.  It's not what I was going for

but it's what evolved.  I had a totally

different card in mind and somehow

I got sidetracked!  That happens 

with me.  I think I've got some

ADD going here.  Oh, look at the pretty

flowers!  Did you see that train

go by?  Wow, what about the snow

we just got.....my mind wanders.  It

is way too small to be out alone, lol.

We got snow so far, but nothing to

write home about.  Supposedly we are

to get sleet/rain, too, but I'm not sure

I believe that.  At least, I'm hoping

we won't.

I gave Dianne her retirement gifts

yesterday.  Yes!  I just couldn't wait!

She got quite a laugh out of the gifts.

I knew she would.  I know I got quite

a giggle picking them out.

Happy Saturday!

Pretty in pink

I never saw that movie.  I'm not

sure why, I just never had a desire

to, I guess.  And pink is not my

favourite colour, but it's what I

had on hand right at the moment

and I didn't feel like looking

for another colour.

I'm fairly happy with it.  At first I

had the inside just plain white and I knew

something was wrong with that.  It

looked very  unfinished.  So I came up 

with a corner treatment on the right

side.  The card doesn't stay closed

by itself but it will stand up nicely.

 

My dad said my mom seems to be a 

bit happier since she found out Robin

is coming for christmas, except for

the panic of not having the house

"just right".  She has always been

that way, but it's worse because she

can't get around physically like she

used to ever since she had the hip

surgery 5 years ago.  Robin has talked

her into taking her pills.  Whereas my

dad and I fly off the handle easily, Robin

has negotiating skills after being a paralegal

most of her life.  Of course, the doctor's

word doesn't mean a hill of beans to

mom because they don't know what 

they're talking about, don't know her

body, etc,. etc.  It's frustrating on a good

day.  I don't know what is coming.  I

don't know how long this process has

been going on and how long it will last.

I don't know how to act, react, even

pray.  I don't have a clue how or what

to pray.  And as with John, I think I'm 

going through anticipatory grief.  I

have always hoped that some day my

mom and I could find our way to a 

halfway decent relationship. Now I

know for a fact that that will never

happen.  There's no hope where that

is concerned.  It's hard to accept

all the way around.  I guess I just

have to trust that when I fall God

will catch me because I don't

feel very steady on my feet right now.

 

Card box

This is not the card box I intended

to make but for some reason I could

not get the measurements right.

I could swear I've made it before,

but it didn't seem to fit the cards.

So I settled for this one.  I do mean

settled, too.  I don't like it, but beauty

is in the eye of the beholder, I hope.  I

can't figure out why the other one won't

work unless it's for smaller cards.  I

don't know how that can be.

It's freezing in here and the furnace can't

seem to keep up.  It runs for a minute or two

and then shuts off, then comes right back on

and still it is only 67 in here.  I don't know what

to think.  I'll call my brother in law at a decent

hour and ask him if that's normal.  It's like one 

degree outside, or some dumb number like that.

I'm thinking about kicking on the gas stove

but then I'd have to close the bird door and

it's chilly in there even with a small heater.

Is summer coming soon?  I guess I don't

have anything to complain about since I

could be homeless in this weather.  So, Lord, 

 forgive me  for whining.  But I'm still cold.

Here is what I got for Dianne for

her retirement gift.  I'm so worried she

will be bored, LOL.  These ought to 

keep her busy!

Happy Thursday!

bad news

According to the doctor the MRI

shows vascular dementia.  That

is scary in and of itself.  The most

scary part is that he told my dad it

would be a good idea to get all the

kids together for Christmas.  I don't

know if that means he thinks she's going

to die soon or that she might not 

remember us before too much  longer.
I simply don't know.  Since I have

her medical power of attorney I am

going to call the doctor today and get

an appointment to discuss the situation.

  I need to know, if possible, what kind of

scenario we are dealing with.  Maybe

he won't be able to tell me much,

but I need to ask.

Here is the third card for Dianne's friend.

Tomorrow I will have the card box to

show.  It is supposed to be for 5 cards

so they may move around a bit.  She only

wanted three.  But I don't think that

will really matter a lot.  It's such a pretty

box and I haven't made it in a long

time.  Very easy, too.  As you can see,

I'm kind of into the gold at the moment!

Robin is going to try to be on the road

next Wednesday.  It kind of falls

at a good time since the courts will

be closed for a 4 day weekend next week.

She has vacation time coming so if

the weather turns bad she can always

stay.  I think her husband, Steve, is going

to stay to keep an eye on the dogs and

birds so they don't have to pay a kennel

and person to come take care of the birds.

It would be nice to have him here for her

but we can all rally around each other.

It's going to be a hard Christmas for sure.

Happy Wednesday

I survived!

The snow storm is over and everyone

survived it.  I had to get the shovel

out because the snowblower is so

temperamental.  My shoulder

isn't happy.  It's been very chaotic

here. My dad had to drive my mom

to  hospital in the storm.  They think

she's been  having "mini strokes" also

known as TIA's.  Which aren't "real"

strokes in the sense that they don't

cause brain damage, but can be

a precursor.  For some reason they

are keeping an eye on her heart as

well.  Dementia has also been

mentioned.  Good luck getting her

anywhere for an evaluation.  My dad

spent the night so he wouldn't

have to drive all the way back home.

So we had a nice evening.  I don't know

if she will be coming home today or not.

Then there was a minor issue

with the car which I think has been

resolved.  Hopefully.

All that to say that I didn't really

get to making any cards.  So here is

one I made last night which I'm

super happy with.

I finally got to use one of the

dragonflies I had cut.    I need to

make one more for Dianne to give

to her friend and I'm also planning

on making a nice box to put them

in.

 

It occurred to me the other day that

as much as I don't like winter, cold

and snow (and everyone knows that!),

it is the same as the end of our lives.

We die and then are reborn into a

beautiful place.  Like the trees, grass,

etc., die and are reborn in the spring.

I am not saying I like winter any more 

than I ever did.  It's just an observation!

 

 

Happy Tuesday!

 

 

S. N. O. W.

Not a happy camper today.  Yesterday

they said 6-8 inches.  Today they

are saying 7-10.  Make up your minds,

guys.  It's not snowing too hard yet, 

maybe and inch and half on the ground,

but it's supposed to pick up.  I'm

not going to church today for that reason

and also because my engine started

making funky noises yesterday and

then the oil light came on.  Naturally.

I was planning on getting the oil

changed next week.  So hopefully

Cody will be able to bring by a

quart of oil to put in until I can get it

to the shop tomorrow.  (insert mad

face here)  What a nice time for

this to happen.  I don't think the

oil light has ever come on before.  I

hope I didn't damage something else

running over that curb.  (insert another

mad face here).  I can't afford this.

Enough of my troubles.  Here is the

card I made for my friend Dianne

who also asked me for the anniversary

card.  She asked for 3 cards to give

to someone as a gift.  Not a problem!

I'm happy with how this came out.

I thought I had some tiny dragonfly

dies, but I guess I was thinking of

stamps, not dies.  All I had was a

big one.  So I went with the butterflies

instead.  I love the cream on cream

with embossing.  It looks elegant.  

Maybe I should have made the

flowers in blacks and whites.  Now

that would really have been elegant.

I will have to make another card

like that.  Muse, thy name is

Reflections and where the heck 

have you been anyway?

 

So I am planning on hunkering down

under my blanket with a warm dog

and watching some movies on pureflix.

 

Happy Sunday!

 

Happy Anniversary!

My friend asked me to make a 70th

anniversary card for her. Can

you imagine being married for

70 years?  They must have

been babies, LOL!!

It isn't exactly how I wanted it.

I wanted to make a gold mat, then 

a white one, but the corners

wouldn't fit and still be able to

have the hearts in the middle.

I tried smaller hearts and that

looked dumb.  I didn't have anything

in between, naturally.  But I think it

turned out really nice anyway.

I'm pleased with it.  On the inside

is a beautiful gold peel off sticker

that says Happy Anniversary.

The whole sheet is all the same

and I almost didn't get it but then

noticed that it was 50% off, so

why not.

 

I went to JoAnn's today and they

have practically no scrapbook stuff

anymore!  Walmart has more than they 

do.  I wonder if they are phasing out a

lot of it because of Hobby Lobby.  But

they carried some different things.

I will have to go to Fort Wayne from

now on if I'm looking for something

hobby lobby doesn't have.  (Yes,

occasionally hobby lobby doesn't

have what I want!)  I'm kind of

bummed that they aren't carrying

much anymore, and probably won't

go there again.

 

Happy Saturday!

 

double dutch

Isn't that the name of a jump rope

technique?  It's also the name of

a card fold.  I think this turned 

out so pretty.  I was a little bummed

that I had to use a belly band to 

keep the lower part closed, but

that usually happens with a 

gate fold card.  At least to me it does.

With the belly band

Without the belly band so you can

see the fold.  It's actually a really

neat fold.  I like trying different folds

because the same old, same old.  

 gets boring. Some of them are quite

challenging, though, and I give up.

This one is pretty easy..

We didn't get the snow they were 

predicting-yet.  It's still snowing

and I hope it slows down a little

because I have a lunch date at

11 am.  Winter is bad enough with

the cold, but snow makes it even

worse.  I'm quite certain I've 

mentioned how much I hate winter.....

 Anyway...I had yet another bite

on Luna (get it, bite?!  I know. Lame.)

This one from New York.  I am

seriously considering looking into

shipping her because no one close

enough seems to have any interest.

I just don't trust they will get her

there safely and I worry how scared 

she will be.  I don't want her but

I also want to make sure she is

safe and loved.

Happy Friday!

My way

Isn't this exactly how we feel a lot

of the time?  

I almost completely copied this from

pinterest, but I got such a giggle out

of the sentiment!  I know I feel this way

a lot of the time although I try not to.

I have to keep reminding myself it's

not all about me.  A friend once got

John a tee shirt that showed a circle

with ME in the inside of it and the

world revolving around the circle.

The sentiment said, "See, the world

does revolve around me!"  

My kidneys are no better, no worse and

I'll take it.  He has told me that I

will never get any better,  probably

just stay steady for years.  But I

was a little hopeful after last year.  

Steady is good.  He is such a

wonderful doctor.  Most specialists

are so detached.  He is very compassionate

and really pays attention to the person.

He said, "It's been almost three years

now, right?"  He remembers things.

We talked about my signing and he

was so excited about it and how I might

be able to help people with knowing

the language.  He even told me about

a movie he and his wife watched about 

a deaf couple and their struggles.  And

he told me how proud he was of me for

how I've been doing.  I got the best

when I got referred to him!

I am done with my Christmas cards-

finally-and now all I have to do is

address the last couple and get them

out.  NOW I have to clean my craft room.

it looks like a tornado struck it.  Debris

everywhere!  It won't take much time,

it's just doing it.

Larry and Laurel are coming over tonight.

Larry is going to put in the smoke alarm

that I  needed to replace and had

to actually order online!  I told him I

would let him win if he would help me.

Not that he doesn't win most of the time

anyway, but I'll let him think it's my idea!

Happy Thursday!

Merry Christmas banners

I got some pretty silver pointsettias

yesterday from a swap and thought

of a great card to make with one.

I wish I'd have put it up higher but

I was paying attention to the glue that

was drying quickly and not to the placement

of the flower and banners.  Oh well.  It still

looks nice and there's glitter everywhere,

now, including, probably, me.

 

How nice will that be for my doctor

to see, huh?  I see my kidney doctor

today and I am hoping for good news

again.  Last year he said he thought

my kidneys were healing themselves-

something that NEVER happens- and

he was as surprised as I was, maybe

moreso since he knows more about

it than me.  Does God perform miracles

in this day and age?  Of course.  Can He

heal people?  Most certainly.  Did I think

it would ever happen to me?  No.  So

I will be grateful for a status quo

report and am praying for more than

that.  Only God knows and whatever

the outcome I know He is in control

and I trust that He knows what

is best for me.  Some people

would say, how would kidney disease,

cancer, or other things be what is

best for us and if God can heal someone

why doesn't he?  Why does he let these

things  happen in the first place?

It's all easy to answer in my mind.

A fallen world.  Sin.  God didn't create

the world this way.  He didn't want us to

suffer and die.  But He also uses these

things.  In ways we may not even

know about.  I do know and

fully believe that if John  had not

gotten cancer he would never have

been saved.  I also know that the

gall bladder attack I had is how I found

out I had kidney disease.  If not for

that I would probably have been on

dialysis by now.  Or worse.  So God does

use things even though it pains Him

that we have to go through them

in the first place.  He suffers with us

in illness and grieves with us when a

loved one dies.  And He never, ever

leaves us.  Even, as I said yesterday, when

we don't necessarily feel Him there, He

is always by our side.  It's best not to

trust our feelings in those situations

because it's a perfect time for Satan to

come in and try to turn our mind to

thoughts that Jesus isn't really there,

doesn't love us, etc.  That's where FAITH

comes in.  John had a hard time with that.

He always said he was from Missouri, the

show me state.  That's why it's called Faith.

God does show us things sometimes, but

other times we just have to trust Him.

So that's what I'm doing today, I'm

trusting Him that no matter what the

outcome of the tests, He is with me.

Always.

 

Happy Wednesday!

 

Ugly sweater

Everyone is jumping on the ugly sweater

bandwagon so I figured I may as well

ride it, too.  This is THE ugliest card

I have ever made, not even including 

the ugly sweater and I will probably

throw it away after this, but at least I

can say I made one!

Didn't I warn  you?!

 

Yesterday I was reading a devotion

from the book "Jesus calling".  I love that

devotion book.    Something really caught

me up as I was reading:

 

"Whenever you feel distant from me say

"Surely the Lord is in this place" (Gen. 28:16)

Then ask me to give you awareness of my

presence.  This is a prayer I delight to answer."

 

Sometimes God seems so far away and I

try to find him.  I've always heard that if

God seems far away it's your fault not

His.  So I start to despair not being able

to feel His presence.  I have never before

thought to ASK Him to help me be aware

of Him.  It seems so simple, really, but

something I never thought of.  It was 

kind of a light bulb moment for me. 

 

My sister's boss' wife was just diagnosed

with an inoperable brain tumor.  I hope

everyone will say a quick prayer for

Chris and Rebecca.  Thanks.  She's only

42 and they have two children aged 7 and 9.

Very sad situation.  There are days when

I just can't wait for God to come back so

all this horror will be over.  I am anxiously

awaiting His return always, but some

days I feel more desperate to have

all of this over with.

In the meantime, Happy Tuesday!

 

 

 

Happy hatchday, Lili!

Yesterday was Lili's 4th hatchday.

And yes, I sang to her!  :)

 

These are ghiradelli purses.  I was going

to take a picture of a candy peeking out and

forgot.  The candy packets fit in there 

perfectly and of course, you have to use

the peppermint bark for this time of year.

I love ghiradelli, but I'm not as fond of the

peppermint bark.  They came out OK, but

for the life of me I can't cut or fold straight

even with rulers and cutters.  It's aggravating!

 

Bri spent the weekend with me and we

went to the Bethlehem market place.  It's

the 27th year.  Cody and I even acted in it

once!  I was going to post a picture from

it but believe it or not, I could not find

even ONE picture of the marketplace.

If you've never been to one, they are

so cool.  I even got shoved by a guard a

few years ago when I told him Herod was

not King, Jesus was!  He shoved me and

told me to move along, LOL.  It's all

part of the experience.  

It snowed last night and I was so bummed.

I was supposed to go to church and hear

a concert by Jeffrey Benward.

I started out, but even the highway wasn't

too great and the snow was driving so hard

I was getting disoriented, so I turned

around.  I hate winter.  Have I ever

said that before?

Happy Monday!