Promises to Keep

Happy Birthday, Matt

2012-02-14T02:33:00.000-05:00

Just a quick post to wish a happy thirty-second birthday to my youngest, my son Matt. His birthday is officially 11:07 AM on Valentine's Day! He was my preemie so the fact that he is hale and hearty is a double blessing. Time to go to bed but wanted to post this early. From preemie baby to little boy to handsome man! In the first photo he is at the Philadelphia Zoo and his older brother, Ronnie, is keeping him from climbing in the enclosure. In the second photo, Matt tried to copy the facial expression on the bronze status of Massa, one of the long-term gorillas at the Zoo. In the third photo, all grown up and his Mom is proud. Of course, I am proud of all three of my children but it's Matt's BD. Matt spent the first nine days of life at the Neonatal ICU at a Philadelphia Hospital, about 10 miles from where I had delivered him. Since I had had a C-section, I spent 5 days in one hospital with him in another. So hard and I was so scared. It was on my birthday on the 16th, that the neonatologist called me to tell me Matt was going to be okay. He had hyaline membrane disease which affects many preemies because their lungs have not matured. Aside from a touch of asthma, which all three have, he is strong and healthy and this Mom is grateful. The sad part of all of this is that his early delivery was due to an error on the physician's part but he was a friend and I also knew he was only human. Matt did well, so all was forgiven.

When Matt was a teenager, I heard of a wonderful organization called "Carewear" which provides for babies in NICUs. I knew I had to form a Carewear group to provide for the NICU babies at one of the poorest hospitals in the Philadelphia area - Cooper University Hospital in Camden, NJ. Should you ever want to help, go to yahoo groups and look for Caring for Cooper or use this link:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CaringforCooper/?yguid=68887751. We have patterns on our website but there are also many on the Carewear website: http://carewear.org/. Of course, you can always help one of your own local hospitals and I believe there are lists of hospitals with needs on the Carewear website. If you are interested, you can ask for a pattern booklet and to be signed up for the quarterly newsletter on the Carewear website. It is a wonderful organization that does so much good. Good night!

Almost a year later - sorry!

2012-02-09T14:06:00.003-05:00

UPDATE: My apologies to my blog followers for the time between posts. In this past year I have come to feel that my address is c/o my local hospital rather than my own home. To sum it up, my knees are shot and I am not a candidate for knee replacement surgery because of other health issues. The most recent admission was scary. For two days my legs would not allow me to stand up so I spent a weekend in my recliner. When I developed a high temperature and skin mottling, it was time to call the doctor on call who sent the ambulance. In the ER the doctors really wanted to find a brain or spinal cord process as the source of the problem but deep in my heart I knew it was my knees and begged them to call my rheumatologist. It took three days but they finally did call my rheumatologist and he tapped my knees (my right knee went down 2 inches in girth!) and instilled steroids. I have to accept the fact that this is my life now, so it's a slow down, but not a stop. I will not give in and if it means an assistive device to get around, then that is what will happen.

SEWING: On a better note, in late summer I was given quite a gift - the task of turning a wedding gown into a boy's Christening outfit as well as a girl's Christening gown and a Christening coat. I've been sewing since age 17 (at least 1000 years ago), so I thought I would not have any problems. However, I had never dealt with "pick-ups" before or what was left when they were removed. It took three weeks to take the gown apart and with each stitch removed, my heart sunk a little more. When the pick-ups were released, I was left with 4 inch holes in the skirt fabric where each had been. It was tricky, to say the least, to find enough solid fabric to cut the pieces needed. The hem was another problem because it was a balloon hem and had dragged on the ground. While there was a lot of fabric on the inside, the hemline was badly soiled. A highly recommended dry cleaner would not touch the gown because of all the beading and sequins, so I had to work with what I had. Fortunately, since I was cutting an infant pattern, many of the pieces were small.

I had started on the gown first but the baby was a beautiful little boy - so I put the gown aside and really got busy on the boy's romper. The pattern was one piece but since the baby's parents are very tall, I was afraid of "popping crotch" from diapers, etc. I made it as a two piece garment, adding two inches to the bottom edge of the shirt part, so it could be tucked in the pants. The Mom liked it so much as it was, that she left the shirt extension out over the pants. I never had a chance to try it on the baby, but it fit him perfectly. Sadly, I did not get the coat done in time for the Christening. The knee incident happened while I was working on it and once I got home, I got a wicked flu (I think we always bring something home from the hospital and it is not always as pleasant as a new baby). I now have time to finish the gown and the coat for the next baby! The holes in the skirt made it hard to match beading patterns but I could come close. Here are photos of the gown as I received it, and the resultant boy's outfit which took every inch of plain fabric on the gown. I will post the photos of the others when they are done. The gown was exquisite and I hated cutting into it but doing so allowed me to create items that can be passed on through the family so that is good. You cannot see it in the first or second photos but the entire bodice is covered with a very fine champagne colored mesh and then beaded on top of that. I was able to leave the bodice intact in case it can someday be used for a little girl's First Communion dress.

I do have other sewing plans for the year - the get back to sewing for my reproduction and antique Bleuettes and Rosettes, and maybe for my Mary Hoyer dolls. For the first time in three years, I have ordered another Bleuette and she is due to arrive shortly after my birthday in February. I sew for these dolls by hand and find it so relaxing but I have not been able to find the type of vintage fabrics that I found while living in Maine. Maybe in Philadelphia proper. I also want to work on the great fabric stash in my bedroom that I swear multiplies in the dark! I have been following Lynn's wonderful quilting blog at http://sewnwildoaks.blogspot.com/ and ordered her Madrigal pattern. I have never used black in a quilt but I like the look of this one and somehow think navy or hunter green would not be as effective. She is also working on it in yellows and greens now so I may have found a use for a stash of Folk Art Wedding fabrics which I purchased in Minnesota in 2000.

TV: A friend here at the apartment complex has gotten me started on Korean dramas. Of course, the two shows are on at midnight and 12:35 AM here on the east coast, but I am completely hooked. It started when I taped the shows for her while she was away last summer. When she came over to watch them, of course I watched with her, and that was that. I was hooked. One is called "To Be With You" and the actress who plays the new mother-in-law is such a good actress (unless she is this evil in real life) that I truly hate her character and mutter under my breath at her during all her evil actions - worse than JR Ewing! The second show is called "Happiness in the Wind" and is should be winding up in a week or so. I missed the beginning but the episodes can be seen online. One of the ones I taped for her was "Smile Again, Donghae" but that ended and "To Be With You" took its place. Now, normally when the TV is on, I am doing many other things - reading, cooking, reading e-mails, etc. With these shows I cannot do that because they are all subtitled. I am learning so much about Korean culture and it is so interesting. I wish I could see the Jeju island they talk about as a honeymoon get-away. In one of the episodes last night they were preparing for a holiday - Chuseok, which is a harvest festival, rather like our Thanksgiving. Another thing I found interesting is family heierarchy. The evil mother-in-law has two daughters-in-law, the second of which is older than the first. However since she came into the family second, she is now of lesser status than the first, and they can no longer address each other by their given names, but by terms that mean older sister-in-law and second sister-in-law. Very, very interesting. If you have a DVR or Tivo, you might have fun watching them. Of course I get up later now, staying up so late, but it's like getting fun history lessons!

BOOKS: I have done a lot of reading over the last year, most recently reading a book that I read many years ago. If you are at all interested in the origins of antiseptic care in hospitals, or if you work in the medical field, you may find this book informative. It is called "The Cry and the Covenant" by Morton Thompson and it is about the life of Hungarian physician Ignaz Semmelweis who discovered something that could put an end to deaths from childbed fever. He was mocked, ridiculed and basically martyred for his beliefs and findings. It is a powerful book with a lot of Hungarian-Austrian politics of the time (which I glossed over for the medical parts) and it made my blood boil to think that doctors could be so narrow-minded at the time, while thousands of women were dying from the easily prevented childbed fever. In a lighter reading vein, I have discovered David Rosenfelt who writes about a lawyer, Andy Carpenter, who has a golden retriever named Tara. The author has begun a foundation for golden retrievers called "The Tara Foundation". While I generally prefer medical mystery type books and authors like Robin Cook, Kathy Reichs, etc., these are not so heavily into law that I find them difficult. Good reads and if there is a dog in it, even better! I am lucky in that the Bookmobile comes here twice a month and the woman who is in charge of the mobile library does a great job of finding the books on my long lists. She has even read a few of them. If you are a Jan Karon fan, read her children's books, especially "Jeremy - The Tale of an Honest Bunny" and "Miss Fannie's Hat".

I truly am sorry for the delay between postings and thank you for staying with me. Life just got in my way. Sadly, I have also recently learned that a dear friend has acute myelogenous leukemia and needs a stem cell transplant. Friends, donating is not like it used to be with bone marrow donation which was quite painful for the donor. Now, a donor is given something to increase stem cells and then a few days later, blood is drawn as for a transfusion, with the stem cells being filtered out and the donor's own blood being put back in. Donors can be between the ages of 18-60 and no matter how healthy the donor may be, he or she comes off the list at age 61. If you have resisted joining the national registry because of the fear of the harvesting procedure, it is easy now, so please consider joining it. Doing so requires you to do nothing more than swab the inside of your cheek with the swab sent by the registry. Sadly, I am too old at 64 to help my friend or anyone, in this way, but if you want to help someone in the future, you can find more information here: http://ww5.bethedonor.org/

or here: http://marrow.org/Home.aspx. You really could save a life.

I promise it will not be another year before I post again. Hope you are all well. I have missed you.

Peddler's Village, Lahaska, PA

2011-03-27T16:19:00.001-04:00

A recent visit to Peddler's Village in Bucks County, PA (town of Lahaska, near the Bucks County SPCA) showed that it was too early in the season for much to be in bloom, but photos are always taken, so I will share them, as well as some photos of the quilt exhibit that was going on (although the quilts are in the gazebo and it is too hot in there to be good for them). The quilts were judged in various categories such as Traditional, Amish, Applique, Potluck, and there were categories for children's submissions also. The gazebo is small and there was a railing to keep people from getting close to the quilts, so the photos are not the best but I love the inspiration anyway. One of the best quilt shows I ever attended was the one in the boathouse in Belfast, ME.

Crocus

Dovescote

Bridge over stream

Koi pond

Lovely shade of blue crocus

We have a winner!

2011-03-17T00:10:00.002-04:00

I put the numbers 1 through 35 in Random.org to cover the 28 who entered without cards and the 7 who entered with cards.

Here is the result:

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

9

Timestamp: 2011-03-17 04:08:04 UTC

Congratulations to Patty Price! Thank you to everyone who entered my Birthday Blog Candy. I will have to do this again soon. I know it won't be April, but maybe May. Keep watching and again, thanks for sharing my birthday with me, and for those who made cards, if I do this again, with another photo for inspiration, I will have a separate prize for those who make cards. I wish I could send something to each and every one of you.

Birthday Blog Candy, finally! Ends 3-16 at midnight

2011-03-17T00:01:00.002-04:00

Finally, all the goodies are here and I can finally get my birthday blog candy up and running! I hope you have not grown disinterested while waiting. There are a lot of goodies, and I am awarding them as one prize. You do not need to follow my blog or post the candy on your side bar to participate. If you follow, I would like it to be because you want to, not for the candy. Making a card according to my inspiration photo will entitle you to an extra chance to win the blog candy.

So, let me start listing the birthday blog candy:

First, from Virginiasvignettes on Etsy: You can see the breakdown of the items in the first photo by visiting the 2-18 blog entry. Virginia is so talented.

In this next photo, the carded vintage ribbons and fibers are also from Virginiasvigettes on Etsy as are the beautiful vintage salt and pepper shakers with mica flakes and glitter. Also included are pink crystal leaves and rayon ribbon from other sources.

Okay, the next photo shows the three Magnolia stamps, flowers and bling. The Magnolia stamps were donated by the very generous Diana Crick of

Magnolia-licious and are: #3030 Tilda with big ribbon, #294 Tilda with balloon and #226 Birthday Tilda, all from the "You Are So Special" collection. The pink and purple flowers are also from Diana: Flower Patch, pink and purple. The other large packets of flowers are Recollections Boutique Fleur from Michael's and the smaller packs are Jolee's By You. The white pearls are Recollections. The pink pearls are KaiserCraft.

Next items include: an 8 x 8 paper pad by K & Co. in Julianne; Tim Holtz adage tickets; Cosmo Cricket Rub-A-Dub-Dub rub-ons; Mary Englebreit 3-D stickers; an Oriental chipboard pack and two friendship-themed wood mounted stamps by Hampton Arts.

Next items include: A Richard Simmons dessert cookbook; a recipe book for gourmet coffee-based drinks; a chocolate strawberry (strawberry flavored chocolate - yummy); hot cocoa scented body cream; a chocolate-scented candle; feathers; vintage beaded lace; silver charms and a packet of Jolee's By You pink button flowers.

This final photo shows the last of it: 6 sheets of Basic Grey Nook & Pantry cupcakes 12 x 12 paper (the back is delightful also); another small recipe booklet using boxed cake mixes; a Making Memories storage container and one piece of vintage sheet music with text in English and French. There is a series but this is only one of the series, entitled La Biche (the doe) from a poem by Rainer Maria Rilke (a favorite of mine).

And finally, the photo for the card challenge. You may use any aspect of this photo for your card. It does not have to be an exact interpretation. I just want to see how it inspires you to create a card. There is no right or wrong. Just have fun with it.

Okay, I got Inlinkz figured out. I am going to add two blue frogs. The first one is for those of you entering for the blog candy without making a card. EVERYONE should add her info here. The second frog is for those making a card,which as I said, gets you a second chance at winning.

Okay, this second frog is for those making a card also:

Flashback Friday 9.0 Challenge

2011-03-14T22:36:00.002-04:00

Well, I don't enter challenges often, but Flashback Friday is having a challenge in which you share the first card you ever posted with a window cut in it. I have made ONE, so it was not hard to find. We are not to link back to the previous post but reclaim the card and post it again. I made this in the summer of 2010, and it was my first window card and the first in which I had things tucked inside frames. It took me the better part of an afternoon.

RECIPE:

Stamps: Magnolia - 60s Tilda #385, Rufus the Dog #402, Swing #512 (the branch is part of this stamp). Sentiment: S.U. Friendships Grow (2001) stamped with Color Box Cat's Eye and embossed with A La Mode clear embossing powder. Flourish: Recollections clear stamp set from Michael's. Cardstock, solid: DCWV Pastels. All the stamps are from Diana at Magnolia-licious. The numbers listed are/were Diana's stock numbers for these stamps.

PAPER:
DP: K & Co. Paper Doll (floral inside the frames, behind the swing and on the easel base). Rufus' Lollipop has been cut from a paper in the DCWV Sweet Stack. Solid is from a DCWV stack. I do not remember the source of the dotted paper.
COLORING: Prismacolor and Derwent colored pencils, Gamsol and blending stumps.

SUPPLIES:
Punches: EK Success Rock Fern; MS Frond and Butterfly.
Die: Spellbinders Label Two in Cuttlebug

Grass: Diecut by Jolee's By You/EK Success.
Embellishments: Stickles: Crystal on Rufus' Lollipop; Flowers: Prima Spring Petal Mix and Summer Mix (small roses); Glitter: MS coarse glitter in Crystal;
Pearls: Queen & Co..

Chalk: Pebbles, Inc. in Shimmers.

Wonderful blog post on Amie Bleu blog

2011-03-10T20:32:00.001-05:00

Every once in a while, you come across a blog post that you swear was written for you - or it could be a song, a poem, etc. Recently, it was this blog post. It just stopped me in my tracks and I have shared it with everyone I can think of. Please stop by Amy's blog and read this post, especially if you need a boost, a pickup, something to reinforce a flagging confidence level. Profound and the accompanying video is exquisite! Just click on the title of this post to be taken to the AmieBleu blog.

Just a reminder about the blog candy

2011-03-09T19:40:00.000-05:00

The blog candy has one more week to go, so if you are thinking about participating, best do it now. Remember, you do not need to make a card to win but doing so will get you an extra chance. Please note that there are two blue frog links. Good luck! Winner will be posted on Saint Patrick's Day, the 17th.

Photo-inspired card challenge

2011-03-02T18:28:00.000-05:00

I get the updates on Julie Glasgow's blog (Stampin Cabin) in my inbox through e-mail subscription. I don't think Julie has even seen my card challenge but this is a card she made for another challenge, and I think it is a very literal interpretation of my photo-inspired card challenge. If you are stumped, I hope you will take a peek at Julie's blog. You may even decide to follow her because she does make some wonderful cards. I could not believe how appropriate this was for my own card challenge. That said, you do not have to interpret my theme this literally. You may use any component of the photo for inspiration - the gold mask, the music theme, the Mardi-Gras beads, even the blue tulle in the upper left. Photos tend to speak differently to different people, so just let it inspire you and if you wish to make a card, I would love to see it. Enjow browsing Julie's blog.

Here is her link:

http://stampincabin.blogspot.com/2011/03/7-kids-college-fund-mardi-gras.html

Addendum re birthday blog candy

2011-03-01T18:17:00.000-05:00

I figured out the little blue frog and have added TWO to the birthday blog candy posting. The first frog is for all entrants, as this is your first chance at winning. The second froggie is for those making cards. Here you can post a thumbnail of your card. Please make sure that the URL you post takes us to the blog post with the card. If you have already left a comment, intending it as an entry, please enter again with the first frog. If you are making a card, enter using the second frog, once you have your card finished. Thank you again. Oh, and one correction on the hot chocolate "lotion". It is actually bath and shower gel. Guess I need new glasses. I have added three additional pieces of hand-dyed rayon tape, in berry colors, each 1 yard long, offered by Ribbonsmyth. Forgot to add these yesterday. I cannot get a good photo of the colors so you will have to be surprised. One is a pink to lilac shade. One is medium purple shades and the third is dark purple shades.

Waiting for blog candy goodies to get here and current reads

2011-02-24T20:04:00.000-05:00

While some of the things I will be offering in my blog candy are here, others are still on their way. I swear it feels like Christmas, waiting for them, so I can offer them to you, along with my card challenge. Maybe by Monday. I probably should be splitting the goodies into two offerings, but am going to keep it as one win. I hope to offer another when I hit 100 followers.

So, what am I doing while I am waiting? Since I cannot make any cards, or do any sewing my the dolls, because of the splint on my wrist, I am reading and then reading some more. I live in an apartment complex served by the local Books on Wheels. Sometimes the driver just knows what I would like to read, and will bring along a treasure with the books I have requested. A few weeks ago I discovered Lee Child and his Jack Reacher stories. While I started with the newest, I have gone on to read in the order suggested by Mr.Child, reading in the order written, not starting with the prequel which would give too much away about Jack Reacher. I have devoured these two this week, and am hoping for two more when the Bookmobile comes back.

I am also fond of the Amish stories by Beverly Lewis and Wanda Brunstetter. Beverly Lewis has a new trilogy - the Rose Trilogy, and I just read the first in the series, "The Thorn". I am looking forward to the second book which is to be released in April. Living so close to Lancaster, I have always been fascinated with the Amish and the simple lives they lead. I am not sure I could do it.

Oh, I have also been re-reading the entire Cherry Ames series, from the beginning, when the library can locate the books. I particularly love it when I get one of the original books, and not a newer reprint.

I have been on prednisone for my wrist and it is really creating a sleepless state that is getting old. I hate being up all night, I really do. It affects me adversely, and I don't seem to be able to catch up, ever, sleep-wise. However, I did get two more books read during one sleepless night:

"What a Difference a Dog Makes" is written by a man who felt the true value of his dog as he recovered from radical surgery for prostate cancer. Since I have two friends currently dealing with cancer, I strongly recommended this book. "Pukka" is a pure delight, a story told primarily in photographs, with some narrative, but told from the puppy's viewpoint as he relays details of his life with his new friend (owner). For all of you who have ever loved a Marley-like lab, Pukka does not seem quite as crazy, but he still is all lab, and delightful. Apparently, the author, Ted Kerasote, wrote a book about his previous dog, "Merle's Door", and this is now on my request list from the library. If you are a dog lover, please read "Oogie" as soon as you can. If you have ever rescued a dog, it will touch your heart, and may do so even if you are not a "dog person".

Hopefully by Monday all of the goodies will be here for the blog candy, so if you are a card maker, start thinking about the photograph I posted about a week or so ago, for inspiration. Making a card will get you an additional chance for the blog candy.

The candy will include the following: two cookbooks (one for desserts, one for coffee drinks), some vintage lace beading, the wonderful Hershey thin filled with goodies that I showed you before, a chocolate strawberry (wonderful real candy treat that you have to whack on something to get the pieces to open up!), a chocolate candle, hot chocolate scented body lotion, hand-dyed rayon seam-binding, two packs of Recollections flowers, three Magnolia stamps, one packet of Magnolia flowers, one 8x 8 K & Co paper tablet (Julianne), two Hampton Art wood-mounted friendship stamps, a Tim Holtz packet of Adage Tickets and an oriental paper and chipboard pack byJenny Ellory. Whew! I think that it is. If not, the rest will show up when I take photos of everything. I want to thank Diana Crick of Magnolia-licious, for her very kind donation of the three Magnolia stamps and a packet of pink and purple Magnolia flowers for my birthday candy. She is the best!

I figured out how to open an Etsy shop!

2011-02-22T17:40:00.001-05:00

I don't have much to list but this is something I have wanted to do for a long time, mostly to sell quilting fabrics and kits I will never use. My first listing was a kit for a dolphin quilt and includes the pattern and all the fabrics for the top. I assembled all of this approximately 10 years ago, when my oldest granddaughter was into dolphins. She is 18 now. Need I say more? I imagine her interests have shifted as she finishes her last year in high school. So, it was time for someone else to enjoy the dolphin kit. I listed two Waverly decorator cottons that should fit a purpose for someone but the real piece de resistance is a vintage embroidery device that looks for all the world like an early punch needle contraption. The instruction sheet lists the manufacturer/seller, located in Philadelphia, but at a time that predates the Post Office's use of two digit zones as part of an address (definitely pre 1943). The patent pending date is 1918! Everything seems original and only the top of the box is missing.

I hated to list this little device but my space is so limited that I just do not have the room to display a lot of treasures. Therefore, the dolls and books generally win the space wars. I hope you will have a look at the listing to see if the "contraption" and its history might appeal to you.

Here is the link for my shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/melrosemiss

Thrift Shop Treasures

2011-02-19T15:34:00.000-05:00

Some of you know that I live two doors from the local thrift shop. This can be a good thing, and a bad thing! There are several thrift shops in the area, but Impact Thrift is my favorite, especially the location near me (there are a few others). I like the smallness of the store, the friendliness of the staff, and yes, its proximity. While I can always find books that must join my collection, often times I cannot find those other treasures that speak to me. I love English ironstone, especially that by Johnson Brothers, Meakin and let us not forget Wedgwood Queen's Ware. I missed two lovely Meakin plates on Monday as I went just to look (no wallet), and they were gone on Wednesday when I went back. However, there was other treasure waiting, from Johnson Brothers. The first photo shows two dessert plates and a bowl in the English Chippendale pattern. (The bowl looks stained but that is a shadow, not a mark on the bowl). The second photo is also a Johnson Brothers pattern, Old Bradbury and I found two dinner plates in this pattern. The blue ones may not stay here but were too pretty, and too reasonable, to pass up.

I found a lot of books that interested me, fiction, decorating, children's, etc. However, these three were the real finds this week. Left to right they are:

The Age of Fable (Thomas Bulfinch, 1942); Never Cry Wolf (Farley Mowat, 1963) and Lad of Sunnybank (Albert Payson Terhune, 1929).

I have an inexpensive HP digital camera which I use mostly for posting photos on my blog or elsewhere on the web. I am saving for a DSLR, but that is still a way off. My HP does an okay job but it does not have a true macro setting. I found this at Impact this week, looking like it had never been taken out of the box, complete with photo card, remote control, all the books and brochures, a warranty that had never been sent in and a long-expired coupon entitling the original recipient to 10 free prints at Larmon Photo (our local true camera store). While the MP count is not great at 4.0, it does have 10x optical zoom, two macro settings (one of 1/2 inch away!), and a level for wide angle or telephoto with a range equivalent of 38-380 on an SLR. There is also the ability to save custom settings. Not bad for $12.00 with my coupon! As a bonus, it also feels nice in my hand, not too light, like the HP, and not too heavy. There is a hand grip on the right.

Now, for the real treasure of the week. This gorgeous coverlet has a silk face with a cotton lining. There is not one flaw on it. It was $4.75 with my coupon!

I should add that the pink wing chair recliner, on which I placed the items to be photographed, also came from Impact, and is half of a pair. There is a little wear on the arms but the mechanism work perfectly. They came from a local high-end furniture store which recently closed (Oskar Huber). I love the subtle flame stitch on them, and the muted shade of rose, like Meggie's "Ashes of Roses" dress in The Thorn Birds.

I bought this beautiful piece of cotton damask last week - 7 yards, 54 inches wide, $5.00, but again, I had a coupon so it was $3.75. It is the prettiest shade of pale butter yellow. I have no idea what it will become but it is gorgeous. It originally came from the Holy Redeemer Thrift shop (which does a better job of marking their fabrics than Impact does) but I guess it was not needed and was donated to Impact. In case you are not from this area, Impact profits aid local charities. There have been times I have passed up beautiful fabrics at Impact solely because the yardage and width were not marked, and the fabric was rolled and taped securely so you could not measure it. There is a pretty length of floral bark cloth there now, 4 yards I believe for $10.00, and a pretty Jacobean floral on a roll, but I don't know how many yards. If either of these interests you, I could go over and take photos for you and try to get an idea of yardage. Just let me know.

Blog Candy coming - STICKY POST

2011-02-18T23:30:00.001-05:00

This is a Sticky Post which will remain at the top of my blog at least until February 18 to give me time to acquire the candy. Please page down for newer posts. Thanks!

Keep watching this spot because Blog Candy is coming. My birthday is on February 16th and I will celebrate by posting blog candy. Once I post it, I would love it if you would follow my blog and post the candy on your blog. However, this is not mandatory. I want you to follow because you want to follow, not just to win some blog candy.

I am busily collecting the goodies for the candy at this time and can tell you only that it will include something from Magnolia-licious, donated by the wonderful and generous Diana Crick!

Now, if you want a second chance at winning, then WOW me by making a card using the photo below as inspiration. It was the only bright spot around during a recent snow storm and I love the lines of it, and the use of the sheet music. I will state that the Magnolias are my favorite stamps but it is not mandatory that you use a Magnolia stamp.

The 16th is not far away so be watching. My youngest son's birthday is Valentine's Day and then mine is the 16th. When I was married, our anniversary was February 12th, so it was always a big week! This will be my first candy offering and I hope you will like it.

By the time I post the photo of the candy, I hope to figure out how to use the little frog linky to make this easier. Don't sign up now for the candy, in the comment section, in case I can get the froggy working. If I cannot, then I will ask you to leave a comment with your email address and a (1) or a (2) in parentheses, indicating the number of chances you have, based on whether or not you made a card. Hope this photo isn't too difficult for inspiration. Oh, you do not have to use Mardi-Gras colors.

BLOG CANDY - Partial

2011-02-16T22:36:00.001-05:00

Eventually, everything will be here and I can finally post all of the blog candy for my birthday, but I have decided to whet your appetites, and show you part of what will be included.

As some of you know, my right hand/wrist have been in a splint for almost 2 weeks now, and I still cannot do any paper crafting. I found a lovely set on Etsy to purchase and include as part of my blog candy, courtesy of Virginia's Vignettes. The photo is Virginia's and I have her permission to post it here. Photos of other blog candy items will be included as they arrive, or as I can take photos.

From Virginia's listing:
This Vintage style tin is part of a series,and this one is Edition #4,with a 1995 date on it....Tin was never used for food,inside is very clean(NEW),outside shows a little ware due to aging,but no dents or off coloring...

Now for the fun part. Inside I have created a few goodies to celebrate a Love for Chocolate...done in chocolate and pink colors, as follows: small notebook(4 1/2in X 3 1/4in,160pgs) with a floral cover, an embellished couple with sweet words, antique lace....

2 round glass magnets depicting words of chocolate...

a pocket tag that holds 3 cards of vintage chocolate ads images, and antique(1919)ledger paper stamped with a To Do List on back...

a circular notepad with a floral design...

a floral designed journaling tag with a Chocolate saying on back...

all wrapped up in chocolate paper,with a decorative pink doily....

Tin measures 6in square and 2 3/4in high....

I will add only that the rest of the goodies will include Magnolia items, two specialty cookbooks, real chocolate and other goodies. Keep watching.

Send a love letter to Kitty Paw

2011-02-11T22:14:00.001-05:00

Ashley has a wonderful blog and as a tribute to her sweet kitty, she is asking for Love Letters to Kitty Paw, in the form of photos.

Here is the link to Ashley's blog, if you wish to send your own Love Letter to Kitty Paw:
http://www.ashleysisk.com/2011/02/love-letters-to-kitty-paw-photo.html

Here is my entry:

New Candy on Angie's Blog

2011-02-08T15:52:00.000-05:00

Angie is offering a free membership to her class on using Distress Inks. This candy runs until 12 PM on February 13, with the winner posted on Valentine's Day! To visit her blog for more information, click on the title of this posting. Good luck!

I won a digi stamp from LaLaLand Crafts!

2011-02-06T17:11:00.000-05:00

WOW! I almost did not sign into Facebook tonight, but something made me decide to do so, before I called it a day. I was reading the most recent News Feed and discovered that I won a digi stamp from LaLaLand Crafts. I am SO excited. This will be my first from them, but I already have a list of others that I want. What would we do without Wish Lists?

LaLaLand Crafts has digi and rubber stamps, so be sure to check their BLOG.

I was given my choice of any digi stamp, and it was so hard to narrow it down to one, but decided on Fancy Dress Marci because her dress reminds me of a favorite one fron high school! It will be a little while until I can create with her because my right hand is in a splint (amazing how well you can learn to type one-handed), but I am anxious for the sprain to resolve. She will be my first digi image, and I hope I do her justice. This is the digi I chose:

Irina, thank you so much for this kindness! It is very much appreciated.

Thanks, Eulanda. Friends are wonderful!

2011-01-31T15:46:00.003-05:00

Aren't our card friends wonderful? The last few months have been wretched - thus the reason for no posts from me. I don't know why my asthma has chosen this point in my life to get so much worse, but between the respiratory limitations and those inflicted by fibromyalgia and arthritis, some days (weeks, months) are just plain hard. Often, in the midst of those lows in our lives, there comes a ray of sunshine and I have been blessed with some good friends. One of those blessings came in the form of a card from my friend, Eulanda, in Canada, who never ceases to amaze me with her creations.

Since I follow her blog via email, she had sent me a note that I should not read her post for 1-13 when it came to my mailbox, so I did not (that was hard!). A few days later, an envelope arrived with one of Eulanda's treasures and I just had to share it with you. She used Babette/Wanna Dance from Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps and what a fine job she has done with this stamp (but then she always does a fine job).

As an aside, I was tickled when I won this stamp as part of Kellie's blog candy because my Dad used to own a nightclub in Atlantic City, NJ and it was called "Babettes". I saw a club with this name on the boardwalk in the TV show "Boardwalk Empire" so I guess it pre-dated my Dad's ownership.

You can click the title of this posting to visit this entry on Eulanda's blog but to make things easier, I will post the card and her recipe here on my blog. For more of the details, such as which sketch she used, and which challenge she followed, please visit her blog. Eulanda, thanks so much for thinking of me during these times when health issues just get the best of me. I will add the link here also:
http://eulandasilvey.blogspot.com/2011/01/dance-with-me.html
While you are visiting that entry, be sure to look around at some of her other entries, including the lovely Tilda one she just added for Valentine's Day, using Goin' Dotty.

Eulanda's recipe:

Stamps: Kraftin' Kimmie's "Babette"/Wanna Dance
Paper: Basic Grey "Marjolaine" paper
Embellishments: Tim Holtz's Trimmings - flowers (GORGEOUS!)
Punches: Misc feathers, brad is Basic Grey and Zva Creative adhesive pearlsInk: Copics

(My note - the butterflies may be a MS punch, as they look very familiar).

Thanks for stopping by. Your visits and comments help make my day!

Please help my friend, Mary

2011-01-29T18:16:00.003-05:00

My friend, Mary, makes beautiful cards. She is hoping to be considered for several design teams. Won't you please consider following her blog, so that the companies can see she has a good following, and will consider her? Her cards are amazing, as are her ideas and her technique. The photos below show a Christmas card she sent me in 2009. I know you cannot see the sparkle or the fact that the sleigh pops off the inside of the card. It is absolutely amazing. On the face of the card, she embossed the background behind the wee mousie. The stars in the sky have been "glitterized" and the snow on which the mouse walks is a very appropriate, coarse glitter that sparkles like new fallen snow. The little present is heavily glittered also. She used a Sizzix die for the sleigh, and then colored and cut out the mouse to sit in the sleigh. I have received many a hand-made card that takes my breath away but for now, I want to share this one from Mary and ask your help. She truly deserves the opportunity. She has even made lovely pins using a rubber-stamped design on a medium I cannot identify, adding a pin back. I have received many compliments on this lovely Asian style pin.

Her technique is exceptional and she deserves to be considered for the design teams. However, she needs followers to be considered. Please help her. Here is the link for her blog:

http://sparkly-train.blogspot.com/

Thank you.

Remembering Flash

2010-12-09T20:37:00.001-05:00

Sweet boy, Flash, who went to the Rainbow Bridge on 10-23-10

"...We who choose to surround ourselves with lives even more temporary than our own, live within a fragile circle, easily and often breached. Unable to accept its awful gaps, we still wound live no other way. We cherish memory as the only certain immortality, never fully understanding the necessary plan...

The life of a dog seems endless, until one day. That day has come and gone for me and I am once again within a smaller circle, still unable to believe that this evening I will not see him within the setting sun..."

Irving Townsend, Separate Lifetimes, "The Once Again Prince".

With me not nearly long enough, forever in my heart. I will never forget. I love you and miss you, sweet boy.

Shirley and Ernie, thank you for loving him too.

Hooray for Blogging Friends

2010-09-25T21:52:00.000-04:00

Well, thanks to Pam S. we have an ID on the sweet image in the card that Kellie included with the blog candy. The image is from C.C. Designs, by Amy Young, and is available at All That Scraps.

She is by Amy Young for C.C. Designs, and is a Sweet November - Twisted Sisters - Azalea - stamp.

Pam, thanks. I would not have begun to know where to look!

Kellie's blog candy arrived

2010-09-23T19:25:00.000-04:00

Kellie mailed my blog candy winnings from Australia on Sep.13th. Would you believe that I got the parcel on the 16th? It was like Christmas here. You can see all the goodies that were included if you go back two posts I think, maybe three. It is an amazing assortment of wonderful stamps and bling. She also enclosed a hand-made card which is adorable. I do not recognize the image, however. Perhaps someone who reads this will recognize it and let me know. Kellie, if you read this, I am overjoyed, and will have great fun with all these new toys. Thank you to Kellie and to Holley for my recent blog candy wins. I am sorry the image is not the best. I did not have the best lighting when I took the photo today. Who is this charmer???

Kellie's card:

I won some more blog candy!

2010-09-06T14:35:00.001-04:00

I cannot believe it. I actually won some more blog candy, this time on Holley's blog. There were lots of winners, so the wealth was kindly spread among many, but I won a Recollections Zoolicious stamp set. Kellie's blog candy from Australia has not arrived yet, but now I have two packages to await. What fun - like Christmas! Here is the photo of everything Holley offered. The Recollections set is towards the right side, under the book that says "Heritage".

ADDENDUM: The blog candy arrived on 9-11 and the stamps are so cute - photo below the one from Holley's blog. The blog candy from Australia, from Kellie's blog, will be on its way as of Monday.

Magnolia with Vintage Roses

2010-09-05T15:43:00.006-04:00

This card was made for the August "mingle" on the Magnolia-licious yahoo group. I did not want to post the card until I knew it had been received.

For this image, I used Magnolia with Vintage Roses, #3004. This item is currently out of stock at Diana's Magnolia store but is on re-order. I am sure Diana could give you an idea of when it is expected and you can contact her here.

This is one of my favorite Magnolia images and I have used it many times. For this "mingle", I made another easel card which I really love. Someday I will make a stash of heavy envelopes for them. Thanks for stopping by to see my card. I am always appreciative of your kind comments.

RECIPE:

Stamp: Magnolia with Vintage Roses, #3004; sentiment stamp - Hampton Art.

Coloring: Prismacolor pencils with turpenoid.

Sketch: Just Magnolia, week #66, by Bev Rochester

Paper: DCWV Luxury Stack, 8 x 8

Cardstock: DCWV Neutral Stack and Bazzill

Die: Spellbinders Standard Circles, Large, and Classic Scalloped Squares, Large

Punches: Martha Stewart Garden Trellis and Cedar Branch; EK Success Rock Fern

Flowers: Prima Tea Roses in Marshmallow, tinted with chalk; Iced Got Flowers in Rosy Red; Prima Flowers Spring Mix (buds)

Chalk: Pebbles Pearlescent Chalks in Shimmers (used on large white flower)

Misc: Making Memories Clear Gem Flower Brads; Recollections Gemstone Brads; Recollections Rhinestone stickers; Glossy Accents as adhesive; Gelly Roll in Clear Star.

CHALLENGES ENTERED:
Just Magnolia #71, Anything Goes
Paper Sundaes #34, Mixed Media
Your Next Stamp Challenge #23, Anything Goes