Burlap and Lace

Here’s another Bella.  Aren’t they just the most adorable designs.  Wanted to get this into the Burlap and lace Challenge that the Paper Trail is hosting but have been dragging my feet for several days as I was wrapped up in other parts of my life. 

I love this series.  They make me feel happy when I work with them.

Supplies used:

Smokey Slate and Melon Mambo cardstock from SU and a piece of animal print  designer paper in pinks and lime green burlap from my stash.  I also used lace ribbon and 1/8’ melon mambo ribbon from SU.  I colored the lovely bella with Spectrum Noir pencils and OMS to blend.

Hope you love this couple as much as I do!!

My New Health Journey

My New Health Journey

It’s the end of the week.  I am back to my blog.  I haven’t taken to the page in a few weeks.  I have been dealing with life and stuff and have finally found the time to put some of my thoughts on paper.

I have been considering my health for a long time now and for the last year or so have really started to see the signs of age creeping up on me.  I have some health problems that could be lessened if I was in better physical condition and in the last while I have been really looking at my life in a new way.

I have made a lot of changes in different areas of my life in the past few years and taking retirement was a good start to eliminating a lot of the stress in my life, I have always eaten fairly healthy, but I love to cook and bake so it is really difficult to go totally healthy with food.

I have never been into exercise and definitely not participating in group sports but I love to swim and ride my bike and walk so I do have a few good forms of exercise to fall back on.  Unfortunately, right now I am dealing with some health issues that leave me with very little energy and I do not feel like doing a lot of exercise. 

I am going through a lot of tests right now to find out why I am feeling the way I am feeling.  But I have decided I have to commit to a program and stick to it.  I have joined a group of women and a coach on Facebook. We are all like-minded and are all on a health journey.  Each of us has our own journey, but we all want to support one another in our pursuit of our goals. 

I have done all the prep work (ie start weight, measurements etc.) now down to the work.  I have committed to 2 months to start with.  I can then reassess after that. 

I’ll keep be back with more information as I progress through my program.

More Color

More Color

I started out experimenting with pencil crayons, then I discovered inks (many different types).  My next discovery was Copics, (oh no….) I love these.  Since then I have tried watercolor pencils, watercolor crayons, chalks, watercolor paints….  You get the idea!!!!  (If it has pigment, I will try to color with it!)

Anyway, my brother-in-law was having a birthday and I needed to make a card to celebrate this event.  I pondered about what I should do for him.  I could do a traditional male card with a car or some wildlife or a fish or something equally masculine or I could….

Here’s the story - my brother-in-law is a do it yourself kind of guy!  He likes to get in there and fix things and do jobs around house.  He’s quite good at it too!  He also loves to help others with their home jobs.  Well one of his friends invited him to his summer home on an island to help him fix it up.  Sounds like fun eh!! 

Off they went to a place with no running water, no electricity and no phone service and a ferry service that ran once a day!!  He had his cell phone so they were feeling pretty good as they headed out for a week in the wilderness. 

Next thing I know my sister-in-law is in a panic.  She has gotten a call from the mainland.  Here’s the story… 

True to form, within two days my brother-in-law lost his cell phone somewhere on the island!!! He had sliced his thumb almost off and it had been too late in the day so they had missed the ferry sailing for that day.  She had got the call after he had docked the next day and was driving home so she could take him to emergency!!  A 3 and a half hour drive!!  What possesses men to think like that?  What about the hospital in the town where they docked or the any number of hospitals in the large city they pasted through on their way home???  Anyway, home he comes and off to emergency and then surgery to re-attach the thumb they go…

So my girlfriend Chelsea from The Paper Trail, that’s a great on-line craft supply store that has be best stuff met me downtown with the perfect stamp to commemorate his birthday this year!!  Thanks so much Chelsea.

I did a background with hills and some old buildings and water in the background using my “Stampscapes” stamps and Tim Holtz distress inks.  Then I used my Copics to color the “Weekend Warrior” stamp from the Art Impressions collection from Chelsea’s store the Paper Trail.  I had to remove one of his gloves and replace it with a big bandaged hand.  I finished off the front with some embellishing and a SU Happy Birthday sentiment stamp.  For the inside I kept it simple.  I used the Weekend Warrior sentiment stamp and then created some red blood drops beside the stamp for affect.

Everyone had a good laugh!!  I know that even though his hand was really hurting a lot he really appreciated the effort I had put into his special day!! 

Gotta run now things to do so I can get back!

Where did that come from!!!!

Where did that come from!!!!

A couple of years ago I decided to retire and knew that I would need some kind of creative outlet to keep me from going totaling insane.  My husband and I have been married for 33 years and have two grown children. 

My husband has always been a physically active man and has never really had any understanding of my need for a creative outlet.

As a child I was a ballet/jazz dancer.  When I was 28 I underwent surgery on my knee and then my neck and was not able to return to dance.  At 33 I decided to try modeling and was quite successful as a classic model for about 10 years and ran a modeling agency in our city for young women and men.  Unfortunately, working at a government job, raising two children, keeping a home, running an agency and modeling on the side took it’s tole and I decided I had to give up something so of course what does a woman do… puts herself second and her family and children first.  

A few years later, still searching for a creative outlet I tried my hand at singing.  I joined a competitive A cappella chorus and we competed for about 5 years around the country.  I enjoyed the challenges of competition but again the investment of time took up a large chunk of my family’s time and I had to make the decision to leave the chorus. 

So for 5 years I worked at my government job and when I retired I knew it was time for me. 

I had no friends that were artistic and so I needed to find some new friends that shared my creative interest.  I was at my local Michaels picking out my first art supplies one day and I heard that there was a monthly crop event that was happening that evening.  I decided to bite the bullet and attend and it changed my life forever. 

I met women that shared my passion for art and creative desire.  It was such a wonderful experience to be with women that not only shared my interests and passion and were totally supportive and encouraging of my growth.

I tried many of the different crafts that the women I was socializing with were doing and enjoyed almost all of them, but I have realized that…..

I love to color, color, color.  So it is fitting that the first piece of work I offer to you is a piece I have coloured. 

I started with some Copic paper for markers, I stamped the beautiful Stamping Bella image “Posh has a Present“ with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink.  Next I colored the image with my Prismacolor Scholar Colored Pencils – I have a set of 60 pencils (I would love the Premiers but they were way more money) and used Gamsol Odorless Mineral Spirits and a blending stump to blend my colors.  This is my first attempt at using the OMS.  I must say I like them.  They did a nice job of blending.  After I was happy with my image I used a SU Whisper White cardstock base with some SU Melon Mambo cardstock behind my image and some beautiful pink ribbon I had in my stash along with some rhinestones for a little bling. As you can see I have made a few little booboos along the way, but I guess practice makes perfect. I hope you enjoy my first attempt!

I’m off now to do some preparations for dinner.  My son and his wife are coming for dinner along with my sister-in-law and brother-in-law.  I’m planning to make some salads ( a Tomato, Basil and Mozzarella Salad and a Caesar Salad) and some Roast Herbed Potatoes and Corn on the Cob along with Barbequed Chicken Wings.  That way, I can do all the prep ahead of time and my husband has to do the chicken wings on the grill while I enjoy the company!! 

Back soon!

And we are Off!!

And we are Off!!

I’ve tried several times in the last few days to put my first post up and I’ve finally decided to just go for it. 

I am by no means a writer and often I have a hard time coming up with the right words for the situation I am in so I will just be writing this from my heart.  Whatever comes from there is what you will get on the pages of this blog.

I have only been crafting for two years now so bear with me.  I am hoping as I open myself up and present my work to you I will improve and grow.

I’m not fully computer savvy so I may struggle now and then with technology but I hope that as I progress everything will get better.

I’m excited to present some of my latest work and would love to know what you think.  As I gain my confidence we will see where this goes!!!!  Let’s go……

Who Am I

I'm sure everyone at one time or an other in their life asks themselves...

 Who Am I?  

I've been asking this questions for over 50 years.  

I try to be the best person I can be every day.  But there has got to be more than that!!

I've always been a quiet person with a need for privacy in my personal life.  So why am I doing a blog specifically designed to reveal myself personally?  After many years of holding everything in, I have finally realized I need to get things out.  I have thoughts, frustrations and ideas that I need to talk about.  Sometimes I need someone to just listen, sometimes I need validation and sometimes I need comments and suggestions on a course of action.

I'm hoping by taking a risk, stepping outside my comfort zone and revealling my inner self and my personal journey, physically, emotionally and creatively, I will discover Who I Am. And so will you!!!