. . . . .DITTYDOTS . . . . .

Waiting to come out of the closet.....

2012-01-28T17:38:00.000-08:00

Do you wonder why I have not been creating this month. Well, as you can see by the picture I am still in the unpacking mode and trying to find spaces for everything. I think it is an impossible task, but hidden behind those doors will be my new creating space, with shelves and a countertop desk and space underneath for my drawer space. One of these days it will be so nice to be able to come in and open up those doors to my creative world. But for a few more weeks I still see it looking much like this picture. For those of you still following me, I really appreciate you sticking by me during this upheaval. I hope I never have to move again. And I discovered while packing that I have much too much stuff, so a lot of it will be donated to schools, or sold in a carport sale. I have stamps I never use.
And then I have stamps from sets that I use all the time, so split them up and get rid of those redundant ones I say. Hope the weird winter weather hasn't affected too many of you out there. Our snow is almost all gone off the gardens now. We had quite a dump a few weeks ago. And then we had some snow showers today, but it didn't last long. Keep warm everyone.

Do you like to read?

2012-01-17T08:24:00.000-08:00

My sister has just had her first novel published, which is available on various sites and also as an e-book. It is about a woman who visits a friend in the north of British Columbia and after seeing a robbery in progress, is kidnapped by the thieves.
She escapes into the wilderness, when she realises she is in danger of losing her life at the hands of these men. Alone, and pregnant she must learn to survive the harsh conditions in front of her, as well as her own sanity.
As I can't seem to get the link for this Iwill give you her name and the novel's title to enable you to find it online. Author is June Bourgo and the book is called Winter's Captive . It is published by Asteroid Publishing and is available through
Chapters, Barnes and Noble, as well as British and German sources as well. If you are into e-books, you can purchase the download as well. Happy reading everyone.

Oh, here are some of the sites you can purchase June's book: Smashwords (all formats), Barnes and Noble Nook, and Amazon Kindle. Her web link is: www.junebourgoauthor.com.

I'm back

2012-01-14T23:23:00.000-08:00

For those who follow me, I'm back. We moved a week ago and are still living in a sea of boxes. No we aren't homeless, thank goodness. Just in a state of upheaval.
I can't post anything in photos, as I can't find the connection wire for my camera.
And as far as creating something, that will be out of the question for a little while. But I will try some updates over the next little while to let you know how we are doing. So be patient, and I will be back in a better position in a few weeks.
My monitor and keyboard are sitting on a file cabinet, my mouse is on a box beside me, and the computer is sitting on the floor beside me in a sea of cables. Not really condusive to creating or sitting for any long time trying to type. Take care everyone. I'll be back soon.

It's over-now the cleanup

2011-12-26T08:19:00.000-08:00

Toys strewn all over the floor, Christmas wrap in the garbage, tummies full of Christmas din, complete with a cup of tea. Now that was a day. A quiet one with my family and mother. The day began with the other mother coming for breakfast and joining in on gift opening. It is a tradition that she arrives either for breakfast or Christmas dinner, shared with her other son and his family. The dog loved her new toys and wore herself out tossing them around the floor. And in the afternoon we drove over to the seniors residence and picked up my mother. She has slowed down so much over the past six months. But despite having had a few days in bed this week, because of her bad back, she managed to come out with us and thoroughly enjoyed her dinner and visit. Her friend was waiting for her when she got back, so she topped off the evening with a visit with her. All in all a lovely day, and the sun even came out just before supper, so it made the perfect end to our day. But today, it is back to reality and packing once again. Only days to go to the move.
Happy New Year to everyone who visits my little blog. There won't be any creating for a while until we settle in and unpack. Thank you for following my blog.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVE

2011-12-24T17:40:00.001-08:00

CHESTNUTS ROASTING ON AN OPEN FIRE - JACK FROST NIPPING AT YOUR NOSE - ITS BEEN SAID
MANY TIMES, MANY WAYS - MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU.

The evening is quiet. Hubby and I have just come in from outside, and we are waiting for the kettle to boil. We planned to order in Chinese food, but have
decided that appy's suit us best. After being out in the fresh air, I don't think
we will try to stay up and catch Santa on his rounds. We are too sleepy. Tomorrow
we will have breakfast upstairs with our family while the kids open their gifts. After lunch we will drive over and get my mum from her residence and bring her home
for Christmas dinner. It will be quiet. Just the seven of us. But that is good.
Less than two weeks until our big move, so I will enjoy the day, not doing anything.

I hope that Peace fills your homes this year, and happiness with family sits high on
your priority list. Have a wonderful day. Merry Christmas, Joyeux Noel.H

Reflections

2011-12-18T08:07:00.000-08:00

It's quiet in the house. Everyone's sleeping in their beds. Time for reflection on days gone by. Today is my day, once a day for celebration but now I just wish they would slow down a little. For today is my birthday. Oh, there will be snacks and a cake and some gifts too but do I really want to remind myself that the years are adding up. Scarey. But on the bright side, I will have my family around me. My precious grand-daughters hugging me and wishing me a good day. The dog giving me her paw and then clammering up on the coach to give me a doggy kiss on the cheek. Is that not what a birthday is for? Having everyone you love around you. Including my aging mother, whom we will bring home from the seniors residence. She is getting so frail now and looks all of her aging years. So this time is special for her as well. I have a few more minutes to myself, before the house awakes. Ahhh, peace.

Hard Day

2011-12-16T19:15:00.000-08:00

Well, today was the last day of school before the Christmas Holidays. It was also the last day at their current school for my granddaughters. Oh my, tears did flow.
Mum had a hard time containing her tears, in an effort to be the strong mum for them.
I remember when I was eight. I had a best girlfriend and one day she told me that her dad had got a job in California. That was the other side of the world from our
Montreal home. We said goodbye on the sidewalk and she climbed into her dad's car, and I waved to her as they drove away. I walked slowly back to our apartment entrance, and got inside and then sat on the inside stairs (no elevators then) and cried my eyes out. I do feel for them. It was a hard few days, but in the grd-kids case, they have Christmas to look forward to, and then the big move after the New Year.
Thank goodness for friends, who invited them to supper tonight. A bit of a distraction from their thoughts. Three more weeks to go and we are on the move. The days are flying by. One more big dump run this weekend. So much to do. When we move in, I don't plan to move for two days at least. Just sit in my chair and vegetate. Well, excuse me, but I need every spare minute to do something around here, so I must get moving again. Are you ready for Christmas?

Mug Shots

2011-12-09T20:11:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday, I have to renew my drivers license. What a scarey prospect. You either luck out and take a good picture, or end up with one that has to be the saddest looking specimen to mankind. Egads! And to top it all, I have decided to get an
enhanced one, which means I can use it to cross the border, instead of a passport.
Which seeing as we are 20 minutes drive to the border, you never know when you might just decide to go for a drive and have dinner across the line. With your license always in your wallet, you can do that on a spur of the moment. Like who carries around their passport on a daily basis. But then it hasn't been a habit of ours to
just drive across the line for no particular reason either. But you never know. It could work in our favour. So I enter another field of technological advance. Imagine getting so wrapped up in computerized gadgets at my age. We are moving soon, and guess what? We are going to get our first cellphone. Only because we have
more highway open space around us, so getting stuck in the middle of nowhere does not sound like a lot of fun. I still work on a desktop computer. No laptops for me, or I-pads, or Wi-Fi's. Guess you can only teach an old dog so many tricks. Oh, but I do have a Wii!

19 days and counting.....

2011-12-06T10:47:00.000-08:00

Are you ready for the big day? I had one more gift to buy for a little girl, but her mum saw something out there today, and called me. So now I don't have to go out in those big stores. Yay! But I do have to get stamps for my Christmas cards that have to go out today. Yuck! I finally broke down and opened a box and put up my little Christmas tree. Stuck poinsettias all through the branches and said, "that's it". Hubby said, 'I thought you weren't putting that out this year'. Well I changed my mind, because it doesn't look like Christmas in here. Besides, all i have to do is put it back in a box. NOthing hard about that. Isn't it wonderful,
that putting up a tree, means plugging it in and there you have it. But I do miss the smell of a real tree. How about you?

Christmas is coming

2011-12-03T17:24:00.000-08:00

I can't believe that Christmas is only 3 weeks away. I have decorated my mantle with
poinsettias and candles. We aren't bothering with a tree this year. Mind you it only comes out of a box to sit as a table topper, but it just means more work putting it all away, just before moving. We are simplifying the holiday for the family, but not all the important parts for the grandchildren. We can't forget that this is a big day for them. My shopping is almost done, so I am thankful for small mercies. And in between, I am busy packing, and sorting and tossing and donating all those items that just sit in the cupboard or closet for years on end, never seeing the light of day. Someone else should find pleasure in them.

Tomorrow, there is a celebration of light in our city, and a parade of big rig trucks completely decorated in hundreds of lights. Hopefully we can get down to see
them this year. We missed it last year and read about it in our local newspaper.
Well, pretty soon, I will be packing up my computer and will be out of commission for a while until we are set up at the new house. So for all of you still shopping,
happy days ahead until Santa's big night.

Once upon a time....

2011-11-29T00:01:00.000-08:00

Eight years ago, a little girl decided to make her entrance early and join her family as the newest present under the Christmas tree. And this week we celebrate her birthday distancing that day by another year added to memories of that special day. Even before her birth she distinguished herself as a diva, deciding that natural childbirth was not something she would tolerate, so mum had to endure a surgical birth for her dramatic entrance. Nothing has changed for her since that day. She is our drama queen, our fashionista and has already taken on that air at school. Other mums wait to see what outfit she will put together in showing her own fashion sense at school. The more glitter and glam, the better. She's a monkey, an imp, an acrobat and an avid soccer player and full of love to boot. Happy Birthday, grand-daughter. Love and kisses, Nana.

What a mess

2011-11-26T17:31:00.000-08:00

At 8 am this morning, we were shaken to the foundations after forgetting that we had
a Bobcat with a jack hammer coming in to break up the cement driveway out front.
Because we had some water leakage into the house, it was determined that our old cement driveway was at fault and we need to replace it with a new one. One that is
slanted away from the house instead of drawing rainwater to the house. By the end of the day and through the downpour we had today, the result is a mucky mess. But
they got most of the cement pieces out of the way and tomorrow will try to smooth out
the muck and lay down a new layer of rock. But it seems we will have a reprieve from the rain, with several days of sunshine, so that should help a lot and enable the laying down of a new driveway. In the middle of this we had nine little people in for a birthday sleepover. Was that fun. A couple of hours of noise and running,
a couple of hours of a movie and food, and a settling down period of just talking while in their sleeping bags, or reading, and then lights out. You could hear a pin
drop.

Christmas Card 2011

2011-11-20T17:48:00.000-08:00

Here is the finished product of my Christmas card. I was waiting for a shipment that included SU glitter paper. It finishes the card with just enough bling.
I have a mix of stamps here, some GinaK, and unknown, some dollar store ribbon, Cuttlebug embossing folder, StampinUp cardstock. A mix and match that definitely works together. So I have about 35 to 40 of these to make up. I have two dozen flowers cut out so far and all the embossing background done. Just a few more cuts
and taping to do and my cards will be done. Now where did I hide my envelopes.
I changed up my usual Christmas colours to a black and white motif, with just a touch of colour, using a copic marker. A couple of sparkly leaves and we are done.

Excuse Me!

2011-11-18T13:27:00.001-08:00

Hey, you, I'm trying to change the bed here. Just because you found a soft and comfy spot, doesn't mean you own it! It doesn't matter if it is dirty laundery,
a towel, a blanket thrown down, or quilts from the bed, Charlee thinks everything in this world is hers. She is a diva through and through. Step on her long fur and she squeals like a stuck pig, howls when the phone rings, and barks up a storm for every noise happening. She literally drives you nuts with her antics, but she is a loveable, cuddly animal and is always ready for more of the same. She may be an oddball, but we love her.

I'm being neglectful

2011-11-17T12:49:00.000-08:00

I haven't been on the ball as far as my blog is concerned. So sorry to those of you who visit me. Truly I have been busy tossing and tagging stuff for our move and right now my house is looking like a cyclone hit it. Thank goodness we don't have to worry about visitors to buy. We only have seven weeks and there is so much to do.
And in between when I want a break, I have another item on my list to do, and that is
to make Christmas cards. I am in the process of getting all the bits and pieces together to make them. I have supplies on order from StampinUp and I just have to run in and get them, as they have arrived. I really want to have them all done and ready for the mail by the end of the month, so that I can concentrate on packing and Christmas too. I would show you a peek preview of my card makings but my batteries gave up on me last night. I'm really in a sorry state. LOL.
I went shopping this afternoon and bought batteries, so here are some of the bits and bobs, or do-dads, as are family expressions growing up. It is going to be simple, and black and white, with a spot of colour, both in the poinsettia and in the greeting. The background embossed with a Cuttlebug folder. I may add a little sparkle to the flower, once I find it. And that's it. Come back again.

History of our old house

2011-11-05T10:52:00.001-07:00

Now here is a confusing statement and some background history of our old house. In the picture below of our old house, the front is the back, and the back was the front. What?? Well, the original owner had acres of land and this house faced East
with a long driveway down to the street. But he sold the land around it and the city rezoned and put in a road that came down to his back door, which now became his front door, because his address was changed to the new street. So at some point of time the open carport with covered roof, and sundeck over it, was changed and covered in on the top deck to make a family room, with new doors and steps that are now the front entrance to the house. Underneath that they covered in one side of the double garage and put in a bedroom, which is part of our basement suite. We
enclosed the open single garage with a garage door and it became hubby's workshop.
But we aren't finished there. The curved window you see to the left of the front door, was an extension we put on to make a nanny suite for my parents. Dad is now gone and mum is now in a seniors home. But it has a living room, bedroom, 2 pc bathroom, and a kitchenette in it. So this home has undergone some extensive renovations both inside and out. It is rather plain jane on the outside but is updated and comfy on the inside. But time has a way of changing priorities and so we decided to put it up for sale and move on. From list to final papers we sold in
38 days. There are no complaints there.

Old is sold - New is a deal!

2011-11-05T09:58:00.000-07:00

Well, it's a done deal as far as our house is concerned. The final subjects were lifted yesterday and our house is considered sold. Yay, no more lookiloos through the house and we can relax and live like normal people, instead of a showroom atmosphere.
The new house,(shown right) has the inspection to go through on Monday and then lift the subjects next week, and it's a done deal too. Now it's clean, clear and pack and the big move will be the first week of January. We just hope it doesn't snow because we live on a hill and usually we end up hibernating for a few days when that happens. That will be a pain. Oh well, keep positive thoughts.
So as far as my creativity goes, it has been put on hold for the next while. I am
making Christmas cards, in the simplest way out of a basket of essential goodies I have kept out, but everything else is packed away. So tidbits of life around us, maybe some photos here and there and the odd photo of one of my cards is all I will be able to manage until we move. I hope you will stay and visit from time to time.
Perhaps I can be a reporter on world events. LOL. We'll see. Our old house is 41 years old and the new one is 14 years old. A baby in comparison.

Poker, anyone?

2011-10-30T23:42:00.000-07:00

It's like playing a hand of poker and waiting to see who holds the best hand. This is the bidding war for a new house for us. We accepted the bid on our present home,to sell, and now wait to see if we hold the upper hand on the new one. It's the playing of the old game of marbles. I'll give you the blue catseye for two ruby gems! All right, if you throw in the amber star too! And you know what?
When it's all over, it really isn't. Because then you have to madly think about what is important to move with you, or donate the item, then pack up the rest. Oh fun! It's exciting but oh my goodness the Tums bottle is growing empty.

Staging

2011-10-25T15:29:00.000-07:00

What to do with an empty room - why stage it, of course. But we weren't prepared for another viewer on the same day that we patched the walls and want to paint it
tonight. Oh well, I hope they understand. LOL. So we put a cosy chair in the room, with a reading lamp and table. In the far corner, we made the desk look like it was usable. And voila, you have a den, or small bedroom again. Or maybe a teen's room with a study corner.

Cupboards bare

2011-10-24T10:54:00.000-07:00

Attempting to sell a house and make a move is exhausting. You don't live like a normal human being. The house has always got to be ready to show. Meanwhile because I have a craft room with tables and shelves all over, we decided to dismantle it and turn it back into a bedroom. What a chore that was. But it is done, as you can see by the photo. Everything is packed and ready to go to a new
location. But that means no crafting from me for a while. And today we take down the tables and shelves. I feel like crying. I left myself a basket of goodies though to make some Christmas cards. Hopefully that will satisfy my cravings. But then I could always turn to chocolate. LOL. So for the next while, I will have to
continue my blog with ramblings. I hope you will still visit now and then. Thanks for everyone who has done so in the past. Well, back to dismantling my table.

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-10-08T18:58:00.000-07:00

To all my Canadian friends, family, and assorted others (LOL) I want to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving weekend. If I am not mistaken I believe our U.S. patriots celebrate Thanksgiving next month. If I am wrong, then my wishes go to you as well, for a wonderful weekend and fond memories.
I haven't been making a lot of cards lately except some ATC's for a swap, but I took this photo today while in a restaurant having lunch. I took it at a weird angle, looking over my shoulder to the shelf above me. Sometimes you hit it lucky, and I think this is one of those times. I love it.

Northern Flicker

2011-10-05T19:38:00.000-07:00

While taking a break from cleaning and tidying, which becomes a daily chore while the house is on the market, we had flocks of little birds in our back garden, flitting all over the place and giving the dog whiplash, as she followed their flights. Out the front we had a flock of robins, picking through the grass. It was like being in the Alfred Hitchcock movie, "The Birds". And then out on our back deck on the rail were two of the most gorgeous birds I have ever seen. They were first time visitors to our garden in the ten years we have been here and we were fascinated with them. I went through Google, trying to identify them and I found a photo. Aren't they the prettiest things? Their name is the Northern Flicker and they belong to the woodpecker family. These ones had the prettiest wing feathers when they flew away. Pretty red in colour. Apparently, the eastern version of these same birds have a yellow under wing colour, while western birds have the red.
We have a resident woodpecker living around here, but he is not that pretty. These are the showcase variety. Unless we can find a new place with lots of trees, we are going to miss all the little birds chirping and singing in our garden.

Molly Maid

2011-10-02T00:53:00.000-07:00

I feel like Molly Maid service. Constantly making sure everything is tidy and dust free, and vacumned and cleaned and fresh. Is this a natural way to live. Egads! Oh well, if the house sells, it will be the stepping stone to a new move and new adventure for us. Mind you visiting homes to see if we want to buy them is tiring and stressful in itself. We did four viewings on Friday, and we were exhausted after them. Stairs were the killers in this venture. With both of us having hip and back problems, it was sheer power that got us up those stairs to peek into homes. We know that level entry is the way for us. But with family moving upstairs too, we want to see what their place would be like as well. So we continue our quest. I am working on an ATC swap at the moment, so I will post some of them soon.
Thanks for continuing to follow me, even though I haven't shown a lot of creative
muse lately. Take care everyone. Be back again.

Still here

2011-09-27T04:54:00.000-07:00

Just a few quick lines to let you know I am still around. We have been so caught up with preparing the house for sale. After all our hard work, we are having people come through and hopefully one of them will like what they see, and decide to buy it.
Meanwhile, we are beginning our journey tonight to find a new home for us. Such a stressful time. Then my mother is having a bout of severe back pain from a long standing issue of hers, so is bed ridden for a few days, until it eases for her. On top of which she has an internal infection that is making her feel grouchy. She is
responding well to her meds and is expected to be up and about in a few days. But these bouts show up her mindset and definitely show her need for her care. She is very good at hiding her dementia symptoms, except when under stress. Poor thing can't understand why she gets sick and that it is her age and weakening immune system that creates the problems. She isn't able to address her increasing old age.She says she is "getting there" rather than she is there. She is 89. Bless her.

Mama's Sewing Basket...

2011-09-18T12:05:00.000-07:00

When you spend time sorting through drawers and boxes and what have you, you come across items of memory and nostalgia. In a plastic shopping bag that was in my mother's closet were items that brought back childhood memories. The little needle holder she kept, which happens to be my first sewing attempt while in Brownies or maybe it was Girl Guides. It's too long ago to really pinpoint that time. And then there were these buttons that she saved. I remember a sweater that my Irish girlfriend made for me and sent from Ireland and it had real leather buttons on it.
The card of fasteners was another relic from sewing days gone past. But look at the
fading flowered spool. Not many use one of these today. It's a darning holder. I remember my mother sitting and doing her finest work, darning my dad's socks, so that there were no ridges to rub his heels, but giving some more life to a pair of socks. Today we throw them out and buy new ones. But I love this piece. It use to have a gold painted handle and the mushroom shaped top was also painted gold on the underside. The flowers have faded but it is still so pretty. This will go into my
memory box.

Shopping begins.....

2011-09-14T04:22:00.000-07:00

Tonight, we start our shopping spree with the visitation to our first new home prospect. Our house should be listed by the end of the week, once we settle on a price range. Because it is an older home, which we have renovated extensively and it
doesn't show like these new granite and stainless steel kitchen types, we are in a unique situation. We actually have far more square footage, more bedrooms and the potential of two separate suites within the house, but we cannot seem to find a common ground to evaluate it. We are hoping for a comparitive pricing with the extras we have over the marble tile and hardwood floor types. We can only speculate at the moment and check out other homes within our budget as well. Wish us luck.

Itsy Bitsy Spider

2011-09-04T10:43:00.000-07:00

Itsy Bitsy Spider ran up the water spout -- hmmmmm, no water spout here, but when you see these webs created overnight in the garden, you know that THEY are preparing for fall. And today is day number one of some 80 degree temperatures. Finally we
have some summer weather. I think this little creature is a bit confused.
So we are getting closer to having our house ready for the market. Unfortunately,
miss spider will lose her home. We don't want potential buyers tangling with her.
And we are seeing those thread like webs appearing in the corners inside the house.
Yuck! That's the problem with living on ground level in a garden apartment.
I'll be popping in during this week, but without any creative items. I am too busy
clearing up my mess, to make more. My craft room is the last resort to tidying and
organizing. Ouch, what a job that will be. Well, off again to tackle some more.

Less means More.....

2011-08-29T18:24:00.000-07:00

This is only the beginning of our purge. I haven't even started on the mountain to do yet. But the fun begins and with my daughter's help I will get through all the necessary steps for moving. It is an exhausting adventure and we haven't even started having people in yet to buy our house, or looked for another house for us. But first steps first and we will get there. It's exciting and challenging and most of all very exhausting. I would imagine at this stage of our lives, that our next move after this will probably be to a seniors home. But I won't think that far ahead yet. LOL. We are certainly aware of our limitations. I am done in for the day, so cheerio for now.

Pony Up!

2011-08-25T03:12:00.000-07:00

Of all the things, my husband refuses to give up or give away, is this poor little
pony, that we once rescued from a 2nd hand shop and gave it some life. It was just a
colourless little article stuck in a corner of the shop with boxes sitting on it.
It cost us all of $19 and he fell in love with it. So we packed it around with us in our 2 door Thunderbird, on the backseat, for the remainder of our vacation. And then it came home with us on the ferry from Vancouver Island. I chose some paint and in my primitive talent, painted our little pony with flowing mane and blue eyes.
We gave it to our then 7 month old grand-daughter for Christmas. At that time she was just developing her personality and the word Attitude fit her to a tee. So on the back of the seat I painted the pony's name "AT2D". We have 2 girls now, 11 and
almost 8 years old. And the younger of the two still drags AT2D out into our living room and sits on it with legs crossed, in lotus form, on the seat and rocks. The first toy that moves out of its resting place, is that pony. It doesn't seem to matter that everyone is bigger than it. They fight over it. Literally. Who ever would have thought that a junk shop find would have produced a version of a
hobby horse that has weathered well, with its paint job and is the love of any child
that has crossed our threshold. Including our great niece, who had just turned three
this summer. Maybe there's some magic in that little wooden nag. Neigh-h-h-h-h-h!

Good bye Ole girl!

2011-08-23T23:22:00.000-07:00

Now here is the original couch potato. It has sat in my living room for the past
35 years plus. But come September 7th, it will be picked up with my recycling and
out the door. I loved this set with its many pieces, and this is the last one left,
but it has to go. I can't stand looking at it any more. My husband asked me what were guests going to sit on now. I said, the floor or a kitchen chair, as I really don't care at this point. I just want this out of my sight. Look at it. In those days they made furniture to last. There isn't a wear or tear anywhere on it and the cushions are originals. It just won't wear out, but my patience has grown thread-bare, so good bye ole girl. R.I.P.

Time Out

2011-08-23T00:05:00.000-07:00

I am going to be a busy beaver for the next few weeks, as we purge our household stuff and clean and make our house sellable and ready for inspection. Which I have told you in previous posts, but it is in seriousness now. We have given ourselves
three weeks to accomplish little fixups, cleanups, and making the house clutter free.
So I will not be around to make and think of creating too much, but I will try to keep a commentary going on what is happening here. My mother is in a care home and is coming up on a one year anniversary in a couple of weeks. So today we told her about our impending move, which after some thinking through on her part will probably bring some heated conversations. She has had the fantasy that she is well enough to come home, and in reality, it would be too dangerous for her to look after herself without the care she requires daily. So this news will eventually hit her hard, when she realises that there is no home to go to. We expect some backlash for it and it will be understandable from her point of view. But the move has been considered thoroughly by the rest of the family and it will be a beneficial one for all of us, including the children and their future. So we must make steps to move on and my mother will have to learn to accept the inevitable. It is a hard decision.
But nothing will change for her, in respect to our weekly visits and outings we take her on. And if she wants to make a similar move to a place closer to us, then we can try to arrange for that as well. So good friends, I will keep you posted, but here is a card I made this past week that I am considering making my personal Christmas card. Everything about it is StampinUp, including the stamps, paper, markers, embossing ink etc. What do you think?

Getting closer

2011-08-17T23:30:00.000-07:00

After a long struggle, my sister has reached the end of her journey to have her first book published. It is scheduled to be on the market this October, available through Asteroid Publishing and other outlets and book stores. Today, writing a book is more than researching, writing, re-writing and being accepted into the club.
Once all that has been done, you then become your own marketeer and approach a list of possible retailers who are willing to bring your novel into their inventory. You have to approach venues for personal appearances and readings. As though the journey to write, be accepted to publish is not enough, your work continues to then advertise yourself. I couldn't believe the work involved after the fact, nor the
energy it takes to continue this journey. I am worn out just thinking about it all.
But come October, it will be worth the sacrifices it took, to say, I am a writer. Take a look at my work.

Move, Charlee......

2011-08-13T03:12:00.000-07:00

Ever since my daughter (who we share a house with) has decided that it is time for us to move. And in this case, meaning both families, into another shared home, I have been busy going through things and sorting out clothes and needless items. I haven't even put a dent in anything yet. But to make the house look more presentable to prospective buyers, it is a job that has to be done. We all have jobs to do. Gardening, painting, cleaning and sorting and purging old toys, involves every member of the family. What a job this is. The only one who manages to get away with doing nothing is the family dog. Her job is to move out of the way, when we want to move around the house. I caught this picture when she and I sat out on the patio for a few minutes. She has a look of distain and confusion mixed. "Can I really sit down without you telling me to move again"? "Hmmmm, I wonder what these silly people are up to now?"

Down in the Valley

2011-08-10T10:08:00.000-07:00

Another gorgeous view of our road trek. I love this part of the drive.

Valley View

2011-08-09T15:29:00.000-07:00

Isn't this pretty? When we drive East on Highway 1, and on a clear day, this beautiful mountain fills the landscape in front of us. At times it is directly in our path on the highway, until we head into a switch in direction. Here we see it
off to our right. This is what we see on our drive out through the Fraser Valley.
It seems we may be moving at some point this year and in all probability it will be somewhere in the valley as our next home. We have lived in this home 9-1/2 years and economics to our better entice us to look for another home at a much lower price than our current home and in most cases, a younger aged place as well. We win out in all ways and also offer our grandchildren a better social aspect at school and the opportunity to meet new friends. They have lost a lot of their school mates through moving and as high school looms closer for the oldest one, having permanent friends will make the transition a little better for her. So before that time comes her parents feel this is the time to make the move. It will be quite the change for all of us and a hard one, as we like our present house, but opportunity knocks and now is the moment if we want to grab on to the gold ring. So we are house hunting and purging our present home of all unwanted, unneeded stuff! What a job that is. Once we are happy with the de-cluttering, we will have the real estate agents come in and check out our house. So I won't be doing a lot of creative things for a little while. It's work, work, and more work ahead.

Misty Morn

2011-08-05T16:42:00.000-07:00

Well, we promised to take our grd-dtrs to the waterpark today, but something happened to the weather. Instead of sunshine and warmth, we had overcast skies, and cool winds. Not at all the kind of weather you want to be wet in. So it got cancelled. So we suggested a park. One said yes, and one said no. So nobody went.
But they are good for one waterpark adventure next week, so they are happy.
Meanwhile, with hubby's birthday yesterday, he got a birthday greeting in an email, so I made a quick card to glue the greeting inside. Just some papers on hand and a
handy butterfly stamp sitting there in front of me. I really didn't use a lot of imagination to make this one, but it's cute and he liked it. A few rhinestones to glitz it up a bit and there you have it.

Morning Tea

2011-08-02T08:10:00.000-07:00

Another day begins. As I sit here looking outside, the early morning haze is slowly lifting and the sun is hiding behind fluffy white clouds. Misty blue sky is gradually clearing into bright vivid patches. A clear indication that today is going to be beautiful, sunny and finally have some warmth to the day. I've had my morning cup of tea, turned on my computer, checked my emails. I have no definite plans for the day. Perhaps get rid of an old TV and computer tower at the recycle depot. Except for the usual daily routines that start the day, I think I will just let the day play itself out, with whatever pops up on my blank menu. LOL. I haven't been in my craft room for a few days. A new month begins and with it are the bill paying moments and getting in the groceries, so we have no news to speak of
that would hold your attention. So I wish you all a pleasant day and I'll return again soon.

Springtime

2011-07-25T14:38:00.000-07:00

Here's something different. It is called German Scrap, which comes in every imaginable design, from picture type to border edges. I guess you could call it sticker art, but it isn't sticky backed. Every piece is embossed and has texture to it. Very pretty pieces. Again I used StampinUp products for my card, did a little
vintage ink on the edges and added a ribbon to break the monotony of the card. Another one to add to my box of ready-mades, when a card is required. I am going to take a break for a couple of days, as hubby and I have some shopping chores to get done. Be back real soon.

Laugh Out Loud!

2011-07-23T11:32:00.000-07:00

Here is another stamp that surfaced in my stash, while going through my craft room.
It made me laugh when I bought it from a local stamp shop. I have a weight loss theme on Split Coast Stampers and I like to find little motivation items for the girls online. I haven't shown this one to them so it will make its debut today.
Isn't it priceless?
No matter what size we are, we always want to be something different. This stamp plays fun with ourselves and points out how silly we can become.
Well I am not on my blog quite as often but I will try to keep it going more than once a week, with more pictures, articles and more creative pieces for you. Have a good weekend everyone.

Good Morning, Sunshine

2011-07-23T11:17:00.000-07:00

Well, we have an unexpected visitor with us this coming week. Supposedly Sunshine is going to visit us for a stay with warm weather in her suitcase. What a change of pace for us here in the Northwest. Our highest summer temperatures have only been
in the sixties. Certainly not beach weather or even sun tanning time. Just maybe we can leave our jackets in the closet.
I am still on a purging mission inside the house. I'm not too motivated but I do toss out bits and pieces from each room. Actually I think I should concentrate on
one room at a time and finish it. Then I will feel like I am accomplishing something. I came across a stamp, that is of unknown origin to me. It could be StampinUp or possibly GinaK and for the life of me I couldn't figure out what it was, until I actually inked it and put it to paper. Hey, it's a Halloween stamp. So I rummaged through my scrap box and this is what I came up with. Now I know that most of the paper and cardstock is StampinUp. I purchased a sample bag of their paper and these were some bits and pieces in my box. I have no idea what I will do
with a Halloween stamp or the card I made. It isn't one of my holiday themes that I
work with. But here it is for you to view. Just to let you know, it is mounted on a black card base, and is not just shadows around the edges. Enjoy.

Whoos got a birthday

2011-07-17T09:54:00.000-07:00

So finally I have a card to show you. It is my sisters birthday next week and I have to mail her a card today. I didn't have any made up that I liked, so I actually trashed two cards and came up with a new version for her. The paper stock is all StampinUp, the owl stamp is from GinaK, and I used Cuttlebug dies for the frame. The silver brad is also a SU product. I have done the same on other cards, that have sat for a long time. I obviously don't like them for some reason, so I reuse parts of them and build a new card. I hope she likes this one. The greeting inside if also from GinaK - many happy returns. And that's it for today.

An ahhh moment

2011-07-15T23:04:00.000-07:00

Today, we took our granddaughters to a goat farm. They joined a summer program that presents an event each day of summer vacation, that they can attend at will with a parent chaperone. The one girl wanted to go to the farm while the other was lukewarm about the idea, but when we got there they had a blast. The hit of the adventure was this little newborn just four days old. They fell in love with him.

And what outing doesn't deserve an ice cream break? Check out the jackets in July!
It was cloudy and cool, until we bought the ice cream and suddenly the sun came out in warm beauty and the coats were shed as it should be in July.

Temperatures out this way of the land have been below seasonal bests and hot days have not been something we have seen yet. Today was running about 60degrees. But it is comfortable for me, but then I'm not a sun worshipper. Never have been. I've had my share of sunburns and some have not been a pretty sight. But really, it is summer. Let's have a little taste of warm breezes.

Awwwwwh......

2011-07-14T13:31:00.000-07:00

How very annoying. I took pictures of my mother on her birthday while she was reading her letters and cards (and she was unaware that I was doing so). But when I uploaded them to my computer, something in the process didn't take place and I lost all the photos, including some of the card I made her, and the flowers my sisters sent to her. I must have visited every recouping site available, trying to get them printer ready, but with no luck. I could see them there but the file wasn't complete and access was impossible. And each day they pixilated worse and worse until they were just a coloured smudge. So I deleted the entire run. Oh that hurt.
I won't get her birthday pictures back, but maybe when I visit next time, I can take some of the card I made and a picture of the flowers to forward to my sisters, who live miles away and wanted to check them out, as they were an order-in purchase.
So disappointing. - Well onwards and upwards. It's clearance day of old printers,
monitors, and TV unit that I can take to a recycle depot. So that's my afternoon to go.

Friends across the Border

2011-07-11T18:47:00.000-07:00

I received a most beautiful gift today from a very special lady named Cyndi. Cyndi loves to sew and one of her passions was to make handmade bags. Last year I asked her to make me a bag and I was so pleased with it, that I requested another one this year. However, she has progressed in her sewing skills to other projects and her
energy and focus are on those now. But she said she would make me my bag anyway.
But little did I know that she was going to present it to me as a gift of love. And here it is. I chose the material online and Cyndi ordered it and designed the bag for me. My only wants were a shoulder strap and a top zipper, as I am always dropping my purse on the floor and scrambling for all the goodies hidden inside.
I am over the moon with this bag. I love the little green button embellishment on the front of the bag. She made a large pocket on the back with a tab and button closure to accommodate letters and such that you might carry. Inside the fabric is the same as the purple berry material that you see on the tab, shoulder strap and the piping over the top of the pockets. Cyndi I love it. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. When I brought the box home that it was mailed in, my husband stood behind me and said, "Well hurry up, so I can see it before I go sit down." He loved it too. I was holding off opening it, like it was a Christmas present. Once you take the paper off the package, and open the box, the anticipation is gone. But oh
my, what a beauty. Why does thank you seem so inadequate? Sigh.......

Life goes on

2011-07-11T03:53:00.000-07:00

I have been absent from my blogsite lately. Simply because life got in the way, and the days just flash by. We had several family birthdays this week and of course, the July 1st weekend as well. My son-in-law added another year and it was followed with a cake and coffee afternoon and some gift giving. And my mother enjoyed a day out celebrating her 89th birthday, by having lunch out with my daughter and I and a shopping trip that let her choose some birthday gifts that she liked. And then a
small sightseeing trip to nostalgic places for her and us. She enjoyed it all and of course, being able to leave the seniors home for a few hours. The next birthday
coming up is a sister's day and then my husband's comes due in August. So no end in sight of cake and ice cream parties. Nothing else new to report this time. Enjoy the day, til next time.

Can I go out to play?

2011-07-01T23:38:00.001-07:00

Thursday was the first day of summer vacation for my grand-daughters, so we took them out for lunch to celebrate. While I was getting dressed and ready, I gave my
11 year old my camera and said have some fun and take some pictures. Well, most were silly ones not worth keeping, but this one is really cute. We live downstairs
in the house we share with our daughter, so we tell people we have a garden apartment. On nice days we open the inside door and let the sunshine and light stream in, and we can also see outside as well. This shot is priceless. As the dog
loves to lay in front of the door and watch the world go by. And when she wants to
come back in from outside, she peers through the door and paws the window to say "hello" I want to come in now. If we don't take any notice of her, she lets out
a little bark to say, "hey people, I'm still here, so come and get me". Good job on the photography "M" - you captured Charlee's personality.

Different

2011-06-29T23:31:00.000-07:00

Well, I have finished my last swap of the summer. I won't enter into anything more before the fall now. Again it was for ATC cards. I don't know whether there seems to be an apathy to enter these swaps, as seems to be the trend this year, a lack of interest or a winding down period, to recoup creative juices. I know there has been a slow down in entrants. I am going to take the summer off to get a feel on what I would like to do next. But here is a card that I created with the theme of
Paisley pattern. That was a tough one. But I ended up with something that I call "Paisley Garden", using the paisley pieces like flowers and adding cut out die forms of branches with leaves. Definitely different but I like the end result. So for everyone on this holiday weekend, be it Canada Day or the 4th of July, safe journey and enjoy the fireworks.

It's Summer!

2011-06-21T13:21:00.000-07:00

So today is the first day of summer. Well, it's sunny out there anyway. The temperature could be a touch warmer, so we can believe it is bathing suit time. A little chilly on the waterfront and shocking if you actually dip your toes in the
salty brine. No I'll sit on the beach with my towel wrapped around me and drink my tea and enjoy the waves lapping at the shore, and the seagulls flapping overhead.
Besides I'm not a beach bunny anymore. The sun doesn't like me and I don't enjoy the
slow burn to my exposed body. But I think a lunch out on the patio would make a nice change to being couped up in the house. So with that I am off to find something in my fridge.

Mundane routine

2011-06-19T06:43:00.000-07:00

A week has escaped and I haven't posted anything. There wasn't anything noteworthy to report on. Just one of those mundane, day by day routines like everyone elses.
Not worthy of mentioning or boring people with details. I can't even offer new household tips to you. About as much as I have learned about myself this week, is that I am no longer able to weed ground level gardens and any future gardening fun will have to be done in raised container gardens. Be it flowers or veggies. My poor old knees and back can't take the pressure of bending or standing for any length of time. Notice I said old knees and back. I certainly do not feel old in my thoughts and deeds. But my body sure is. Oh to be one of those seniors who still
jog around the sea wall and have the energy of a child. It must be nice. Genetics must play a big part in it. Although I come from strong, English stock, known for their walking abilities. But I must be a throwback to those few weak links in the family. Oh well, like I said, my mind is still young. And with that I will close off
my seemingly mundane chatter, until next time, when hopefully I will have something useful to speak about. Happy Father's Day out there.

2011-06-11T20:18:00.000-07:00

We lucked out on our week away. It was beautifully sunny with the exception of a couple of overcast days at the end of the week, but it didn't rain and the sun was out in the afternoon. So we were able to take advantage of the patio outside our unit and enjoy the canal that ran behind it. We had lunch out there, our evening coffee break and just enjoyed the ambience and quiet and all the twittering birds.

We also enjoyed evening meals at the local restaurants and as a laugh I also took a photo of a pair of friends at our table. My husband thought I was mad!

It was so quiet! I had to do something to change the mood of the evening.
Oh, you want to know the reality I spoke about yesterday? I came home, walked in my door, saw boxes all over the place and the fireplace burning and fans going. My first thought was OH,OH! Our 5 year old water heater broke down. Water all over,BUT thank goodness for my sister staying overnight for the weekend. She called my son in law upstairs and he turned off all the water. There was a puddle in the bathroom, but they managed to contain it with the exception of a 3 foot square of rug outside the door that was soaked. It is almost dry now. Had they not asked to come down and use our house for the weekend, we would have been in a similar position
as we had two years ago. A flooded house! Phew! The heater was on warranty and replaced free but the labour for installation was $500. OUch! How's that for reality?

Back to Reality

2011-06-11T10:43:00.000-07:00

Well, our holiday is over and we are now back in reality land. We had a very peaceful time away. I managed to read three books, we took drives out and about to see what was around the next corner. Visited some nice restaurants for coffee, or our dinner at night. And watched the tide come and go on the canal behind us, and
the sunsets fall into the bay at night at the front of the cottage. We saw many birds while we sat on the patio sipping our coffees. Cranes, crows and unknown varieties, including a hummingbird. Here are a few pictures of our crow friends that I managed to take through the window, until my movement scared them away.
And one of our little unknown varieties that were in abundance, flitting the skies for insects. Pretty little things, they are.
Back to reality ---- well that is a different story for tomorrow and some more photos
of our journey.

In Hiding

2011-06-02T10:37:00.000-07:00

I'm going into hiding for a few days, to wander the seashore and wilds and get in tune with nature and my inner peace. That means taking my books, camera, husband and food to newer places and enjoying the adventure. I'll be back soon, with some stories and maybe some photos too. Miss me while I'm away.

Fun Night

2011-05-27T22:57:00.000-07:00

Wow, what a fun night it turned out to be. Not only did we volunteer for some of the events held there tonight for the kids, but I met someone that I worked with over 20 years ago, whose wife had also been my grand-daughter's teacher last year at the school. But I also won two raffle prizes. I hardly ever win anything, but two?!! Unbelieveable. One basket held survival things, like lanterns, tarps, ponchos, 1st aid items and many little things you would need to survive a disaster for those crucial first days. Then I won a basket of oriental food products and sauces, that my daughter loves to cook with, so most of the items will go to her. I kept the Jasmine Rice. What a fun night it turned out to be. And the weather changed at noon to brilliant sunshine so the outdoor events went off beautifully.
I think this fund raiser this year was a terrific success. Congratulations to the hardworking PAC.

2011-05-26T10:42:00.000-07:00

Wow, I am really behind the ball this week. First the time has flown by, and I have nothing to show from my creative side. My family arrived back home from Disneyland,
having enjoyed themselves and vowing that there will be no return trips for several years. Mum and dad had fun but want a nice sunny beach holiday next time, so the kids can swim and make sand castles. We are getting ready for a little holiday soon,
so it seems we have been doing nothing but laundery, dog-sitting and now this week,
there is a fun fair at my grd-dtrs school. We are volunteers to man some of the booths. The kids love it and we do too. They get so keyed up at the school and you get a lot of energy flowing around you. I like to see kids have fun and laugh and giggle. There is too much of the seriousness and sadness flowing world wide. That is about all I have on my plate so far.

I am working on another ATC swap. The first card is with a theme of Patterns. This one is evidently Plaid. And the second one is Vintage clocks. I found this clock
online and it was made from the ash of Mount St. Helens volcano eruption, in 1980 in
Washington state. So I located a picture of the mountain as it blew, shooting the ash into the air. I hope the receiver likes it. It is a little different than normal vintage cards, but none the less interesting. And that's it for now.

Lilacs in the Morning

2011-05-19T07:18:00.000-07:00

I have been doggy-sitting the family dog this week, while the grand-kids are down in Disneyland. Nothing wrong with that, she is a good little dog. Except every morning this week she has woke me up at 6:30 am to go out. Ah come on dog! I guess I am past the mothering stage. I enjoy my sleep too much. So I thought, okay if you have me up this early, why not take my camera and grab some shots of the lilac
bush outside. The flowers are double what they were last year, so number one we picked the right spot for it, and number two it shows promises of what's to come in
future years.
This week has gone by so quickly. Two more days at Disneyland, and on Saturday they get to attend a family wedding. They are looking forward to it very much. The brides background is Chinese, so they are going to have a tea ceremony before the actual wedding, which should be very interesting. My daughter is looking forward to that. I don't know how formal it will be, or whether Shaina will adopt Chinese traditional clothes. I hope she does, as it will be an exciting cultural event for the grand-daughters. The bridal couple will return to their home near us after their wedding. I'm looking forward to the wedding pictures and of course, their Disney trip.

Gotcha...

2011-05-16T04:27:00.000-07:00

You never saw such a shocked face, as when we all yelled surprise at my daughters
40th birthday party. For a person who always has a comment for everything, she was
stunned and we were all delighted. She is the hardest person to spring things on, but just once we finally managed the ultimate surprise. We brought my mother out for
the day to join in the activities. It was tiring for her in the end, but she enjoyed being with her family. The grandchildren were so excited that they had pulled one over on their mother. And of course, they were excited that all their little friends were there too. They had a corner in the restaurant of their own and were able to have their own special day as well. One over active boy was given an
apron and helpers button, and he helped serve cake, and clean up which delighted him,
and kept him busy and out of mischief. He loved it. All in all a very successful day and a good feeling for those who worked so hard to pull this off.

My Baby's 40

2011-05-15T00:01:00.000-07:00

Oh my, where have the years gone? It's funny, but I have a hard time trying to remember her as a baby in arms and then the other day, when hubby and I went to our favourite restaurant and we were parking the car, a woman was walking a little 14
month old into the restaurant ahead of us. She had short red hair, green pants and
a little pink jacket. My heart jumped into my throat, and I said out loud, "Oh, look
there goes baby Kelly". Wow, did memories flood back then. She was our little girl
through and through. You don't often see redheaded babies and when I do, I am drawn to them immediately. It warmed my heart to see her. And so we are going to celebrate her 40th birthday and I had to make up a photo board for the surprise party. These are not the best photos. I do wish I had a better camera, but you get the idea anyway. Her daughters have kept the secret and are so excited for the surprise they will give their mother. We are looking forward to it.

Just for You.

2011-05-08T23:28:00.000-07:00

Flowers, phone, a corner nook,
A favourite chair, a treasured book.
A day for you to settle back,
Have a cup of tea and a little snack.
Wishes and gifts from your family, who say,
Relax mum and enjoy, it's Mother's Day

Altered Creation

2011-05-07T23:35:00.001-07:00

Here is another Mother's Day card that I made today. Only this one has a funny story behind it. First of all it isn't my card to give my mother. While I was talking to my sister, she cried, "Oh no, I forgot to mail mum's card to her". If I
email it to you, do you think you can do something with the picture and make a card
with it? Well here it is. It was so pretty that I didn't want to do anything to take away from its beauty. I can imagine that the real card is a beauty with the filigree around the edge. So what I did was cut it out in the same state as I received it, and mount it on StampinUps Blushing Bride cardstock. Then I used a sparkle gel pen and just dotted all over the filigree. Too bad it didn't show up in
the upload to my blog. It adds just enough sparkle to make it as pretty as the original. And I had to add a little bling to it, which I did by adding
the little crystal butterfly in the top corner. Hopefully, you like it Sis. I'm quite sure mum will, when I visit her tomorrow. And by the way she did get our flowers, hand-delivered by the shop right to her room. She says they are beautiful.

Beyond the Garden

2011-05-07T06:17:00.000-07:00

Here is the card that I made for Mother's Day for my mum. With the exception of the little green crystals, it is all StampinUp products. Blushing Bride is the base card stock, with a matting of Pear Pizzazz. The BP is designer paper from SU in pear pizzazz polka dots, and the floral BP is called Beyond the Garden series. I have also used their Chantilly Lace and the medallion is the new Triple Layer Doily
punch. Of course, the colour isn't the truest to life, as my camera or computer just can't seem to get it 100%. It took me two days to work on this with more scraps of paper left behind. I am struggling with my mojo, but I have new stamps,
papers and dies to try out, so something will click at some point. I'll have to start looking at more techniques and challenges for inspiration again. Hope your weekend is a good one and Happy Mother's Day to all those busy ladies out there.

Glory in the grass...

2011-05-05T00:39:00.000-07:00

To add insult to injury, after having all our lawn equipment taken last week, another piled on top of it all. While the sun shone today in its glory, the garden was ablaze in yellow splendor. Except it was an addition that gardeners always cringe when they see it. The dandelion. Although, quite pretty, it seems winter was hiding these little clumped beauties until some rain and sunshine created the right combination and they came forth in an army of colour. Without a lawn mower, I
think we are going to have an abundance of these little critters. And once they become fluff balls, the dog is going to be in her glory. Combine the wind, and a
slightly off centre animal, who finds leaves, bubbles, and dandelion fluffs the highlight of her day, we are in trouble. She is a cocker spaniel with floppy ears.
Have you ever seen a cocker's ears when they chase "fluffs" or flying leaves. They look like a Swifter Mop after it has gone under furniture and found the dust bunnies!
Oh happy day she says. I'll have a new card for you tomorrow. Good night.

Scrap Pretty

2011-05-03T11:14:00.000-07:00

Well I promised that I would show something to you this week and here it is. Now this is going to have to be an unnamed paper and stamp source, with the exception of
the polkadot background paper. That is StampinUps Designer paper in Pear Pizzazz.
As for the rest of it, I just went to my scrap box and found the lovely colourful striped paper and the little floral vignette with tiny crystal accents on the flowers. It all worked and with a little cutting and pasting, voila I had a card.
I have to get my mojo back again, so my designs may be simple but I want to bring it up a notch in future and experiment outside of my box. But don't expect sewing and
addition of layers of paper, as that is not me. The cards you see with the Magnolia stamps and flowers and bling are just not me. I love bling but in a taylored look.
Wish me luck and I'll see you in the scrap pile.

To be Published

2011-05-01T16:11:00.000-07:00

Shown here is a photo of my sister's first novel, that is to be published this coming fall. Probably around October, 2011. It is in the final stages of being
prepared for printing, with editing changes, author photo and biography added and all the bits and pieces that go into the makings of a book. It has been a long journey for her, with many learning curves, umpteen re-writes, editors comments and
of course, the famous rejection letters. But finally this past Christmas she received a letter of interest and it has been excitement and more work to complete all the details. Never let anyone tell you that writing a book is a piece of cake.
You must have dedication and belief that you have a story worth putting on your shelf. She is in the process of writing the sequel to her first novel, so I wonder how long it will take for this one. I am quite anxious to read it too. When it comes out in the shops, I will update you at that time. A Christmas gift, perhaps?

Camera Shy

2011-05-01T12:30:00.000-07:00

I worked on my first card in a long while and was excited about uploading it to show you. Well, try as I may, with different lighting, working with my photoshop, I just could not get a successful photo. So I am not going to upload something that looks so terrible. I had used a monochromatic colour scheme, and it just would not copy properly and show the card to its best. So give me some time and I will do something else to post. Meanwhile, we have had several nice days, with some spotty rainshowers, but on the whole bright and sunny. Well, back to the drawing board and we will see what I can create with better camera results. Enjoy the rest of the weekend wherever you are.

Panic in cardsville.

2011-04-28T20:30:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness, last night my daughter came down and wanted a birthday card for a seven year old boy. What a wakeup call that was. First of all, I haven't really made cards for a long while, and second of all, I asked her why she always leaves things to the twelth hour and arrives in panic mode for a card. I don't mind making the card, but she gives me all of a couple of minutes to do so, so I freak out and
am not in the most pleasant of moods. So I think it is time to spend the time in making some cards for my holding box, and to get back to showing you some creative juices again. So watch for them soon. I have to get my mojo back. But I have some new stamps from StampinUp and a couple of sets from GinaK Designs. My swapping days are taking a rest, so I can spend the time over the summer making my cards. I'll be back with more chatter and definitely more cards to view.
Meanwhile, this is an add I found while cruising the web for some colourful gerber daisies. Pretty eh?

STOP Thief!

2011-04-24T00:23:00.000-07:00

Well, as my title indicates, we were the victims of a robbery. Boldly done during daylight hours, when hubby and I were out for appointments, BUT, still while my daughter and grd-kids were home as well. She had just got home from the school and
was settling in, when the dog kicked up a row at the front door. So she investigated and could see nothing out of the ordinary. But she did see a car come
up our driveway and disappeared up the street. Today, I asked her a question about
the snowblower we have and whether her husband had put it away in the shed. He said
yes he did. A few minutes later they were outside and knocked on my door to say that
we had been robbed. Someone had stolen the snowblower, the lawnmower, weed wacker,
the edger, the leaf blower and the pressure washer from the shed. We have lived there for nine years and have never had any problems like this before. And someone had to have come on the property to case the place, because the shed is in the back
on the same sidewalk that runs in front of all our windows and front door. So they are not visible unless you come through our patio and past our door. The only way in and out. We have a case number now, so the next step is to go through our insurance. The strange thing is our neighbour has just rented out his basement suite to two different renters in the past two months. We think it could be someone who lived there temporarily. It puts you on edge for sure, and in a monetary pit,
when you have to replace everything. Doesn't it make you want to scream?

Sleepytime Tea

2011-04-21T00:19:00.000-07:00

Well, another day has gone by. A busy day, with groceries and banking to do. And because the Easter weekend is coming up, it was crowded. But I lucked out as I was able to use the fast check and I was in and out in minutes. But I wasn't as lucky
with the bank. I got to use the ATM, 2nd in line, with a lineup behind me minutes later. But I had to see a teller as well, but one look at the lineup of 20 or so
customers stopped me in my tracks. There is always tomorrow, has become my motto since retiring. I can't seem to stop yawning tonight, so I brewed my herbal tea and
closed down my computer stations and now I am about to shut down for the night.
Sleep tight everyone - may tomorrow bring sunshine and flowers to you all.

Precious finds

2011-04-17T10:29:00.000-07:00

I am in a cleanup mode. Starting with some bins that hold secrets now, because I packed them up two years ago when we had our flood, and I have no idea what I will find in them. My grd-kids are having a clothing and soft items drive at the end of the month and the first bin I opened contained linens for a king size bed. As these are of no use to me, I am making my first donation. But first they need to be freshened.
In one bin, I got the surprise of my life. My M-I-Law was an avid knitter and she made blanket throws for all her grandchildren. I was thrilled to find one in my bin,
that I had forgotten she had made for me. What a priceless heirloom to remember her by. I had no idea or recollection of having it, so it is like finding an old quilt,
that you never throw out and keeping it for ages to come. My daughter still has hers
that her grandmother made when she moved out on her own to her first apartment. And because her lifelong friend moved in with her, she made one for her too. To say that
I was thrilled is an understatement. She has been gone for four years, but what a
wonderful remembrance of her, when I cuddle in my chair to read or watch TV with her
comfort throw around my legs. Thank you Mum. This is indeed a precious find.

Blackberries and Facebook

2011-04-09T16:37:00.000-07:00

Through the magic of these two enablers, I have been able to follow my niece's wedding today. One of their friends has been taking photos and posting them on Facebook, as events happen. We weren't able to attend the wedding, but it is lovely to see the photos, and her happy face. Congratulations K&T. May your future be rosy.
It seems that they had a beautiful day, and the sun was shining on them. Once again, congrats to you both. This is a beautiful photo of the two of you.

Frustration Plus

2011-04-07T23:58:00.000-07:00

For anyone who is contemplating on have your elders placed in a care home, beware!
Working with the Ministry is torture, as your questions are never answered, you are
left hanging and in complete limbo. Six months ago my mother had to be place in a
care home. We were pressured by the hospital at the time, where she spent 8 weeks, to take her home until she could be placed. We told them it was impossible for us to
do so. But they stalled and stalled and would not give us any helpful answers, so we looked into homes for ourselves and found one very suitable and close to home for
visiting purposes. We asked if we placed her under private pay, could she apply for
subsidy and the answer was yes. And it might take up to a year but she would remain there when her approval for subsidy came through. They would do the paperwork and she would remain in her own room, quite unaware of the changes made. So we agreed.
In January she was assessed and approved for funding. BUT they said that she would
remain at the home only until they found another to move her too, and that we could
say no to that facility, but it would put her at the bottom of the list. That's called blackmail. Meanwhile we have left messages with them for answers. We just get voice messages that they will move her at their perogative, if she wants the funding. We have been led down the garden path, and are in a hopeless situation,
because my mother refuses to move. She likes it there, but we are running out of money. So we have approached our local MLA to see if he can intervene. Next to going on TV, we don't know what to do. So be aware that there isn't much room for you to do anything, and the ministry, so far, is holding all the trump cards.
I am off my soap box now, but believe me we are not done yet.

Hydrangea family

2011-04-06T10:42:00.000-07:00

This is a card I did for a swap. Have you ever looked closely at a Hydrangea bush?
Each flower head is smothered in individual florets or flowers if you will, that could stand out on their own. But it was decided in natures world to combine the
total of many flowers into a family unit and become an extravagant vision to behold.
For this card I wanted to show that, so I did a multi-level cut and paste, ending in the top layer having individual blossoms accented with SU. crystal effects. The leaves are individually cut as well. All of it mounted on some German Scrap which is again mounted on SU stock paper. I added a crystal to one of the leaves to indicate a dew drop.
I have got away from a lot of stamping over the past year and enjoy piecing images together to make 3D dimensional cards. I find the layering a fun project. Lots of
cutting though and sometimes a pain, but the end result makes me happy.

Blooming.....

2011-04-03T14:33:00.000-07:00

I decided to take a walk outside into the yard with my camera, to see if I could find spring. My only regret is I wish I had a little more sophisticated camera to get better images, but I can only do what I can do. But here are some of the things I found out there.

Forsythia in full bloom. In fact I almost missed the opportunity to shoot them. They are almost spent and are dropping their blooms all ready.

Next we have these pretty purple bells, a relative of the Hyacinth family. Aren't they sweet?

And last by not least, my little Lilac tree is budding.

My daffodils made a poor showing. I guess all that cold and snow got to them. I have lots of tulip leaves showing, so I will have to see what they bring. I think I can say that I found spring, finally. However, yesterday we had a hail storm to beat them all. We were caught inside a store and couldn't get to our car. It hurt
out there. It wasn't April Fools Day, but I think Mother Nature is still pulling a fast one over us.

2011-03-28T22:32:00.000-07:00

Vintage Dress Forms - what can you do with that theme to make it interesting. First of all there are so many old style dress forms, but this one caught my eye with its
metal frame work. So I cut out some of the pieces to look see-through as the image
conveys. But what do you do with it? Well, decorate it, I guess. Ribbon, and flowers and pearls, of course. All part of the vintage look in days gone by. The background paper is StampinUp. Two different pieces cut on an angle and fitted to the ATC card. You can't have a dress makers form without some stitching to be found.
So I outlined down one side with stitches and then in dots around the dress form.
Simple but effective, that is my style. And there you have it. I have one theme that I am in dread of trying, but try I must. And that is beading. Like what do I do for beading? When I come up with an idea, I will let you know, one of these days. LOL.

Hawaiian Plumeria

2011-03-27T22:45:00.000-07:00

On this ATC card I had to use Plumeria, which is a very fragrant Hawaiian flower.
The fragrance gets stronger in the evening, and is very heady and rich. My very first trip to Hawaii was almost overpowering with the scent of these gorgeous blooms.
But twenty years later, when I returned with my grown up family, Waikiki had become
urbanized and the gardens had disappeared. The scent is faint, if almost gone now.
I had this black and white paper in my stash, and because my printer ran out of colour ink, I printed the image in black and white and coloured the flowers and the
figure with Copic markers. The pearl centers were also tinted in soft yellow as well. I am quite pleased with the end result and I hope the reciprient likes it too.

Moose fun

2011-03-26T23:12:00.000-07:00

This is an ATC card I have made for a swap. The theme of this one is "Be careful what you ask for". It stumped me at first, but then I thought it has to be a play on words, when you say one thing, but people take it a different way. I had recently purchased some German scrap images and I love this gold moose. So how could I use him on my card? My message reads: "I SAID: I wanted a designer rack,
NOT my rack designed!" And so I proceeded to colour his antlers in various hues,with Copic markers and in addition a paper flower for more adornment. I used StampinUp's scallop punch and then outlined it with gold stickles. I love this moose and how many times can you use it, really.

Therapy????

2011-03-22T05:02:00.000-07:00

They call it therapy but let me assure you that there is no therapeutic value to the
torture you undergo while on the table of a massage therapist! You bravely submit yourself to their hands, while they gently massage the affected area in question and
then their features change. The soft smile turns to a glare, and fire spouts from their nose and their fingers become the talons of a hungry vulture. They find every spot on the excruciating pain level and squeeze, until you ultimately utter the groan of their satisfaction. They own you now. When they see that you have drifted
off into escape land, they rub you with oil and annoint your soul and then ask for their fee and make another appointment. All this while you walk out in a fog oblivious that you just made a pact to return for more. Only when you get home, do you realise that you do have a little more mobility in the affected arm and it actually moves once again. But just a little bit. Because you have to go back again! Hmmmm - did I hear music during this physical abuse? I don't remember.

Enjoy

2011-03-19T15:06:00.001-07:00

Here is another one to enjoy. This one is called Blossoms by mouth painter Mariusz Maczka. Isn't it beautiful? I believe I have it sideways though. The branch should
be at the bottom.

Foot and Mouth

2011-03-18T20:52:00.000-07:00

That's an odd title for my post, you think? Well, on this post I want to share the
cutest painting I found on a calendar that was sent to me. It showcases the wonderful art painted by some very talented Canadian artists, who paint by foot and
mouth. This particular one is from an artist named Chris Opperman, who mouthpaints.
This piece is called "All my love" and of course filled the spot for February's calendar page. There are some beautiful works of art in this calendar, and when I
run out of my own creations, I will take the time to show you some of their work.
I hope you will enjoy them as much as I do, having the calendar sitting in front of me, beside my monitor. Enjoy.

Healthy Issues

2011-03-16T17:34:00.001-07:00

Well, I'm pleased with myself. I visited my doctor today, just for some results of
routine blood work and it seems that losing even 16 pounds in weight, has made a difference in my blood level. It isn't quite at the optimum, but definitely a nice
drop in the right direction and he is pleased with that. And I also had quite a drop
in my blood pressure which he was surprised at. If it keeps up this way, he will consider dropping my medication from me. So those are positive signs of good eating.
But and there has to be a but, I have done something to my arm and I can't lift it
without some help from the other and it is so painful. I seem to have done some damage to the rotator cuff in my shoulder. So I will be off to a sports and massage therapist next Monday to see if she can help get it on its way back to health again.
I have no idea how I did it. Just one of those crazy things, I guess. It's time to
get back to crafting again after an absence. It sure is hard to pick up again after
a lay off of creativity. Have a nice evening and I'll be back again.

Hugs and Kisses

2011-03-14T16:45:00.000-07:00

Eleven years ago, I witnessed the birth of my first grandchild. In fact, my daughter had a lady doctor during the delivery and she demanded that I be up front
and center with her, to greet her in style and wish her Happy Birthday. Today, that
beautiful baby has turned eleven. She is changing in herself and shows little inklings of a pre-teen person. Slender, dark hair, blue eyed beauty. I call her my Snow White, as she has the fair skin, pink cheeks, blue eyes and gorgeous brunette hair and to top it all she has the natural pink lips requiring nothing but lip gloss.
She went to see Justin Biebers movie two weeks ago, and I think she has her first crush too. She is a cuddler and even now, will run across the room and sit in your
lap and snuggle for a few minutes and then as fast as she was there, she is gone again. She can do that for as long as she wants, says this proud Nana. Tonight we
go upstairs and enjoy a piece of her birthday cake, and give her some gifts. And like all grandparents, when WE have had enough, we can slink back downstairs to our
domain and leave the girls to their mother and dad. LOL. Happy Birthday, sweetheart. Hugs and kisses from Nana and Papa.

New Header

2011-03-12T20:36:00.000-08:00

It is time for a change. A new beginning to a new season. The clock spirts ahead tonight to spring time, so I have attempted a new blog header to bring in the spring.
Fresh, simple and peaceful with a promise of things to come. I am making a new change to me, having lost 17 lbs so far this year and continuing on to a new and healthier me. Here's with deep hope that our world can settle down without further
catastrophies and that we can all see the light and each work our own magic to make this world a better place and remain hopeful for a better future.

Mary, Mary...

2011-03-09T11:37:00.001-08:00

Whoa, I have been away from my blog for a while. I got caught up in finishing a swap for this month and getting it mailed away in time. Meanwhile, I joined another swap, which is not so intensive as the last and although it is not due until the end of June, I have actually finished my prototype and have all the bits and pieces in a baggie ready to assemble. This time I am working on a nursery rhyme tag. I chose to do Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary, How does your garden grow. I love the front of this tag, as Mary does not look at all herself and indeed looks very contrary. LOL.
The back of this piece is a little lighter when we look at her garden. Each little shell is individual and cut out and pasted into the garden. The original shells in the image did not stand out, so I improvised with a bigger shell image.
I added some flower soft to the front under Mary's feet, and stamped the floral image
from SU's Just Believe set on the background paper. And that's about all I have been up to over the past couple of weeks.

WeGotSnow!

2011-02-27T10:08:00.000-08:00

February 27, 2011: Sometime during the night when heads lay on their pillows, and hopefully sweet dreams were being played out deep within slumber, snow crept in on cat's paws and left gardens and paths hiding under its blanket. The crocus and daffodils just emerging from their hibernation have been tucked back into their beds
and told to stay there, like naughty children, who tried to sneak out of the house
and were caught!

Can you believe this crazy weather system we are having? The cherry blossoms are in
bloom closer to downtown, where they are protected from the cold by their tall building friends. I went out early this morning (real early and in my nightclothes)
to take this shot of the stairs leading to our upper deck. It says it all, doesn't it?
We lucked out here at the house and only got half of what they predicted, but as pretty as it looks, it means one day on hold for going out and doing things we had planned. Our streets are not cleared, so living on a hill presents its challenge.
No, my plans can wait for another day. That's the perks of being retired. Procrastination becomes a viable word in my dictionary. LOL

Sunshine wins

2011-02-23T12:03:00.000-08:00

So sunshine won and the snow is gone - for now. And the daffodils are continuing their climb to the sun. We seem to be in a trough right now with all kinds of weather systems circling us. Which one will be next? But we still have sunshine. Yay! I am still struggling to lose the grip of this cold. At least I am not coughing all night long and I'm getting some decent sleep. Hubby is going out for a couple of hours soon, so I am going to be crafting for a while. I don't know where this month has gone, but March and some deadlines are approaching quickly, so I have
to get moving. Nothing really special going on this week. The family dog has gone in for grooming. She is a cocker spaniel so she looks so cute when she has her hair cut. Otherwise she is a curly bear and the hair on her head becomes curly and tall.
She has to have a close cut this time because she had surgery on her leg four weeks
ago and she looks funny with curly hair and one leg shaved down to her ankle with
a puff of hair like a poodle. She is getting better but has to be leashed for three
more months to prevent her running and tearing the ligaments again. I don't know how that will work out, because she is a runner and can outrun a racehorse I think. LOL. Ah it's my time, hubby just left so to work I go. Til next time.

SNEAKY SNOW!

2011-02-21T22:47:00.000-08:00

SNOW SHOWERS! Ah, come on. It turned colder over the last couple of days and they did warn us that we could get some white stuff, and just before dark, hubby said hey
look outside. And the grass was white! I don't know whether we will get more or not, as it creeps in silent and ghostly. So winter isn't quite over for the West Coast. But better a sprinkle on the grass than the blizards and white-outs they are
having on the other side of the country. They must wonder what they did wrong this year, to be punished so harshly by Mother Nature. Wondering what the post is in the photo? We live downstairs on the ground level of our home, while daughter lives upstairs, so we look out on the back garden. Meanwhile, back to the post,it holds
up the deck above us that the family uses upstairs. We have a cement patio down
underneath it. We didn't get too much of a chance to use it last summer as we had
a lot of rain and I had to keep taking in the chair cushions so that they didn't get
soaked and then ruin. I finally gave up and we only took them out when we needed them and put them back at night. I'm hoping we will get more use of the patio this
year. Here's hoping.

Birthday blooms

2011-02-14T13:22:00.000-08:00

I just used my new stamp set from StampinUp, called Just Believe. Using Very Vanilla and Black cardstock only with SU black ink has created such a sweet card in
my eyes. I also used a white gel pen to accent the leaves and a couple of irresdescent pink crystal flowers to the stems. The word inscription is a loss for me. I can't find its original container, so I am not sure which set it came from.
Which is typical of me. I take stamps out of their containers and end up having a
basket of unknown origin pieces. So forgive me. I had the brilliant idea of putting all flowers together, all Christmas stamps together etc. but never gave thought to identifying them for my viewers. A duh moment and one I can't reverse now.
Once I finish some pretty hefty swaps during March, I will return to making more cards and showing them off, here on my blogsite. I thank those of you who continue
to come back. Do make comments on what you see. It fills my little ego pot. LOL.

Once Upon a Time...

2011-02-12T19:17:00.000-08:00

"There were four little rabbits and their names were: Flopsy, Mopsy, Cottontail and Peter. They lived with their mother, in a sand-bank, underneath the root of a very large fir tree".
And so this 4x6 inch tag was born, for a swap I am currently in. This is my verse to
create. Using digital images, hand stamping around the frame, a little bit of lace,
a crystal flower and pearls for buttons on Peter's coat my tag emerged from a thought to reality. But so much cutting, yikes. The frame is cut out in the center,
Peter is cut out, the fir branch and then the verse. What a lot of work. Then the
picture inside the den had to fit the frame and of course a second tag on the back to
sturdy up the creation and provide a place for more decoration and my name tag. It was a good idea at the time but when you think that I have to make 20 of them. What was I thinking? In all 20 different tags will be made up from the story of Peter Rabbit and we will eventually have a full story tag book each. I think after this
swap, I am going to have to go back to making some cards with new techniques. Back to table and cut,cut,cut.

Inspiration Garden

2011-02-10T13:04:00.000-08:00

Isn't this pretty? It is a stream on my sister's property out the back of her home.
It was overgrown and had weeds in the water. They waded in and pulled them all out,
cut down the scrub brush, pulled in rocks for the stream's edging and planted a garden around it. She takes her coffee out back, and sits in the peace of the air and the gurgling of the stream, while she writes her novels. One is about to be published. Her first book, while she is working on the sequel. It's her private space she says. There is a little bridge that goes over the stream and it leads into
a little round clearing, surrounded by trees. One day she wants to put a gazebo in
there and make it her little hide-away. It's perfect for that and an inspiration point.

Thank you

2011-02-08T09:03:00.000-08:00

Here's a little card that I whipped up yesterday, using SU supplies such as the Designer Series Paper Stack, double sided papers. I used the Eyelet border punch along the bottom edges of the paper, and the Scallop Trim corner for the tag.
The stamp is from Engraved Greetings which also has a birthday stamp as well.
I decided not to add additional bling to this one other than the white ribbon. If I
was re-doing this card, I would have put a darker mat around the blue before placing
it on the white cardstock base. My card looks squatty but it is the regulation size
of 4-1/4 by 5-1/2. I can't seem to get them looking normal.

Bunny Tag

2011-02-04T09:53:00.000-08:00

I am currently in a swap, using tags as my base. The theme is about Peter Cottontail. We each have a verse in the song and have to create around it. I have
found my elements but now have to work on their presentation and embellishments. Here is a mockup of my tag, which I printed in black and white to preserve my colour ink. Hard to see, but the background is soft coloured jelly bean paper. I have to
make it vintage, so I will be using some flowers and ribbon on it as well. Right now it is just in my thoughts. I have some time to work on placement as it is not due until March 25. When I decide on the finished product, I will post a picture again and next time it will be in colour.

Wake Up World

2011-02-02T07:43:00.000-08:00

Good morning everyone. Well I woke with the birds today. Not because I wanted to but because I had the most restless sleep last night. Which means a snooze sometime
today in my lazyboy chair. But anyway, when I was contemplating on returning to bed,
I spotted this glorious view from my window, so I got out my camera and snapped away. In fact, because I took it through my window, you can actually see my camera
on the left side of the picture. Isn't that wild? Our back garden faces East so we
can get some pretty sunrises. Too bad it's only of my neighbours shed, but then it
adds a little interest to the shot.
I have a busy day planned today. It's called "mum's day". Not me, but my mother. She has a couple of doctor appointments set up this afternoon, so we will be her chauffeurs. She finally got her cast off her arm, so now we hope she stays upright
on her feet and doesn't take another fall to break something else. My daughter is all excited because they are planning on recarpeting their house and buying new living room furniture. A first in their 15 years together. The kids are excited too. Later this year everyone will be getting new beds as well, so it will seem like a new house to her. I wish I could get rid of some of my old stuff. It is years old, but doesn't show any wear at all. I am just fed up with it. (Oh, and I'm
not talking about my husband either) Maybe next year. A change is as good as a rest they say. Have a good day everyone.

Has spring sprung?

2011-02-01T18:09:00.000-08:00

We went out shopping today in the brilliant sunshine. I took my camera to see if I
could capture the mountains surrounding us. Wouldn't you know it, we never hit one
red light. So these two photos are caught on the run from inside the car. We see the mountains south of us with a beautiful view of Mount Baker, which is actually just across the line in the USA, and then they come northward and surround the city
on their way up the Canyon and into the Rockies. I wish I had taken my camera two days ago, because the air was crystal clear and the peaks were sparkling with new fallen snow. As you can see we do not have snow and I like it that way. But it is only the first of the month, so anything is possible before March comes in.

Poor Baby...

2011-01-30T09:29:00.000-08:00

Our family dog has a history of weak knees and two weeks ago she put one of them out
and was on anti-inflamatories to calm it down. But just as she got better with that leg, she took off running and tore the ligament in her other knee and just had surgery to repair it. So we have an invalid dog who needs to be carried outside several times a day, monitor her actions so she won't jump up on anything and keep her from licking the wound. She has a cone to wear but when we put it on her, she
hyperventilates and we have to take it off again. And we can't leave her, so we have to co-ordinate our times so that someone is always home with her. This is like
having my mum at home, worrying about her falling. In this case, we worry about her
jumping or bothering her incision with licking. Poor baby. I get to doggysit this morning while the girls are at soccer games and hopefully be able to visit my mum
later this afternoon.

Busy, busy, busy.....

2011-01-22T22:16:00.000-08:00

I know it has been a while since I added anything to my blog. Maybe because
life hasn't been that exciting and yet we seem to have filled our calendar of
days with things to be done. But the most important one of them all is the fact
that hubby and I have gone on a diet with our doctor's full joy and agreement.
I fully expected that last year would be my year, but as it went along, my time
and efforts became more and more for my mother. Well, since she has been in a
home for the past several months, our time is more of our own now and the pressures
are off. Good timing too, as I am having a lot of problems with my legs and it is
affecting my walking abilities. Hopefully losing this weight will be the answer,
because I don't want to think of the consequences, if more doctors are involved.
I have cut back on a lot of my crafting, simply because I have lost some of my mojo
and creativity. But I won't give it up entirely. I think I am in a creative slump
at the moment with an awakening moment just around the corner. I hope so, because
it is getting a little monotonous being a Domestic Goddess. Laundery is beginning
to irk me. LOL. Maybe it's all the rain we have been getting. Waking up to grey
mornings, dark corners in the garden and no little birdlife outside is dismal. So
bring on sunshine, the motivator for wellbeing and the joy of living. Don't you feel ready to work or play when the sunshine streams in the windows. I know I do.
Be back again soon. Meanwhile, have a great day and carry on stamping.

Tryptychs anyone?

2011-01-09T23:05:00.000-08:00

Well we are moving into the middle of the month and I can't believe it is coming up
so fast. What happened to January. Hubby and I will be beginning a new weight program in hopes that we can lose enough to enjoy summer and perhaps start walking.
Meanwhile, we still have the balance of winter to go through, whatever that will bring us. A bit of snow, lots of rain, cold and hail storms. I am working on several more swaps and just finished one today. It is called a tryptych, which is a
series of 3 making up a whole. So it can be three panels of related colour, or images. I was stuck for a while, as I haven't made these before. I love poppies,
so when I saw these digital images and put them together, I used a ribbon to keep
them together and added some studs and a crystal for embellishment. The actual panels are glued to a cardboard base (cereal boxes cut to fit) which helps to keep
the picture from bending. I glued the ribbon to the backs of the panels and then
covered them with a piece of cardstock on each piece. I call it "Remember".

HAPPY NEW YEAR

2011-01-02T14:28:00.001-08:00

A new year begins and hopefully the past is left behind with this new year. My first
swap project is due in March. In this one we must submit a photo of ourselves, so
that we can "meet" all our online friends face to face. I made one card and wasn't too sure of it. But in my new SU items I had the stamp set "Glorious and Free", a
true Canadian version of the land of the free. I also had these leaves in my stash,
and the idea formed around it and one of the stamps and this card was born. Our claim to fame is our quiet nature, never tooting our own horn, so what better way to
bust out and show our pride and nationalism than this. I hope the group likes it.
I received a box of papers and accessories from my sister for Christmas, so I will be
taking some time to create some more cards and a few scrapbook pages as well. Come back again, if you wish. And may I wish you all a Happy New Year.

Birthday Treats

2010-12-24T20:25:00.000-08:00

Well, I hooked up my new flatscreen that I got for my birthday, and it is taking some time to adjust to the new look. My old monitor was more on the square side and
this elongated version is a little weird. Plus I still have to go through my tutorial on how to set it up to my liking. But being Christmas Eve I am not in the mood for maintenance programs, so it can stay this way until next week when I have more time to play with it. I wish they gave you a manual on how to do things rather than a CD. My memory isn't what it used to be, so unless I write it down, I forget the steps of the set up procedure. Kind of a nuisance, for me anyway. But I won't
spend a lot of time here with you tonight, as hubby and I are going to watch some TV and enjoy some coffee and goodies, while we wait for the man with the red suit to appear. Wishful thinking on my part eh? He doesn't come until you are asleep.
Smart little grd-dtr I have. She said to me yesterday, "Nana, when people come to the door, Charlee (cocker spaniel) always barks. If she does that when Santa comes,
he won't come in." No fear T. For some reason Santa has a special bond for animals
and Charlee won't ever bark at Santa. So he will come and Charlee will be quiet. It
just happens that way. Besides Charlee knows that Santa brings her a present too, so
if she is bad, then she won't get any presents. She was all smiles. Have a good night and good wishes to all.

Losing Cinderella......

2010-12-22T09:54:00.000-08:00

......is the name of my sister's first book. Today she received word that her book has been accepted by a Canadian publisher for printing and distribution. She is so
excited. She has been working on her novel for several years now and after a long road has succeeded in achieving her goal. Meanwhile, she has been working on the second follow-up book for a couple of years, so hopefully this is a sign of things to
come. Congratulations Sis. I knew you would make it one day. Perseverence is the name of this game and you have done it.

This Says it All.......

2010-12-20T23:24:00.000-08:00

Christmas Pot Pourri....

2010-12-20T00:24:00.001-08:00

With Christmas less than six days away, I have not been in my crafting room or have anything on the go over the holidays. So I opened packages once again to see what my swaps had brought me and I found one of Christmas twinchies and ATC's. So I popped them into a little wicker basket and set them out on my coffee table for people visiting to pick up and browse, if they wished. I don't get a chance to show
off what all those talented artists create, but what a perfect opportunity to toss in
a seasonal view of their creativity.
Have a wonderful holiday everyone and I hope the New Year will be stress free for all of you. I'll be back during the season just to keep in touch. Come back and
visit again. I appreciate your comments and visits.