A Special Giraffe Card for Teresa

One of the reasons my daughter went into nursing was because she was heartbroken that her Aunt Teresa suffered unnecessary post-surgical complications that left her in a vegetative state.   By being the best nurse she could be, she hoped someday she might prevent another family from suffering a similar tragedy.  When my daughter found a cute giraffe outfit for her own baby boy, she wanted Teresa (who collected giraffe figurines for many years) to see her son wearing it.  Unable to travel to visit Teresa at the time, she took a photo and asked me to make a card incorporating the picture.

The giraffe cut is from the Cricut cartridge Sugar and Spice. The papers are from somewhere within my massive stash.  The envelope was made using the Martha Stewart Scoring Board.  But none of that matters.  The picture is the real treasure.

Always happy to show off my favorite grandson

Stamped sentiment

Sugar and Spice giraffe



Thanks for looking!

The Greatest Gift Ever, Available to All

Yeah, I'm preachin' today, but stick around.  You might just enjoy this video.  

 

I've always struggled with low self-esteem.  (Not to mention there's always someone around to knock me back down if my self-worth starts to climb.)  Even though I accepted the gift of salvation when I was a young girl, I always felt I took something that was really meant for everyone else.  Yes, low self-worth will do that to you.  

 

I don't cry easily.  This song makes me cry.  It helps me realize that God really did send His Son for someone as unworthy as me.   

 

I'm far from perfect (just ask my kids).  But that's okay.  God's not done with me yet. 

 

 

 Well done, Big Daddy Weave, well done.

Fun at the Post Office

I recently read that the US Postal Service is working with businesses to increase junk mailings as a way to boost the bottom line.  I don't claim to know all the problems at the USPS or how to solve them.  But last week I gained a little insight.

I don't often make trips to the post office.  I would rather put on a bikini and stroll through the supermarket than stand in line anywhere.  Especially the post office.  I have never seen anyone there appear to be in anything resembling a hurry.  I move faster when I roll out of bed in the morning and shuffle to the bathroom.  But last week I had no choice.

I took my envelope inside and waited in line.  And waited.  And waited.  When the clerk finally decided to acknowledge me, I stated that I wanted to mail the item first class with insurance.  Without looking up she asked, "Anything LiquidFragileHazardous...", to which I replied, "No".  She then looked up at the standard sized envelope I was holding and looked at me with suspicion.  Seems I had some 'splainin' to do. "Nothing hazardous,' I said, "just a gift card.  I also need $50 insurance."

For a moment she didn't seem to know how to respond.  To me it seemed the obvious response would be, "Sure, that will be an extra $1.85". Maybe it's rare for someone to insure items in a standard envelope.  Maybe she was certain I was trying to perpetrate a fraud on the USPS for the princely sum of fifty dollars.  All I know is the woman didn't want to sell me insurance.

"Do you have a receipt for the gift card?"

"Nooooo..."  I said, finding it difficult to form the word with my jaw on the floor.  "I need a receipt???"  I've been around quite a while and insured many packages.  This was news to me.

"Yes.  Otherwise you could tell us it was worth any amount."

Yes.  I could also present you with a receipt for a gift card I've already used.  What does that prove?

She seemed to search for another excuse.  "Some companies will refund the money if the gift card is lost."  Okaaaaay...

"I guess I'll have to come back later with my receipt", I told her, all the while thinking,  I wonder what FedEx would charge to send this? 

A few days later I had an additional piece of mail to send to the same addressee.  I packaged them both in a slightly larger envelope and went to do my time stand in line at the same post office.  I took my young granddaughter with me.  Maybe I'd look more respectable and less like a scam artist if I had a cute little one in tow.

"May I help you?"  Crap!  It was the same woman!

I had my receipt with me, along with the packaging from the gift card that read "Gift cards cannot be replaced if lost or stolen" as "proof" that I was legitimately trying to purchase insurance.  You know, just in case.  But I already knew I wasn't giving them a penny more than absolutely necessary to get my envelope from point A to point B.  This time I had no plans to pay for insurance.  I was ready to take my chances.

"I'd like to send this first class", I said.

"Would you like to buy insurance?"

Another Birthday Card for a Teenage Girl

Hubby wins again. 

As I recently posted, he asked if I could make a second card for our granddaughter's 14th birthday since we had to postpone the celebration until the weekend.  Men.

 

 

I used the Create a Critter Cricut cartridge for the panda, chopsticks, and bamboo.  Since Life's a Party was this week's freebie in Cricut Craft Room, I decided to search there for a balloon to give it some credibility as a birthday card.  I found a group of balloons on the first key, third row, card/shift function, and I then used the "hide contour" feature to cut a single balloon (it's amazing the lengths to which I'll go to avoid getting out of my chair).  The grass was cut from a Fiskars border punch.  I used a Cuttlebug embossing folder to add texture to the panda's hat. The background patterned paper is from DCWV Mango Frost pad.

 

The panda has no food, but he got chopsticks anyway.   My granddaughter is the only family member coordinated enough to eat her Asian food with chopsticks, so I couldn't resist adding a little personal touch.

Birthday Card for 10-year-old Girl

 

 

I drew a complete blank trying to design a card for my 10-year-old granddaughter's birthday (nothing new there).  Ten is such a transitional age, stuck somewhere between princess dolls and boyfriends.  I pulled out one of my favorite Cricut cartridges, Paisley, because I knew I could find something cute and girly, but not too babyish for a girl about to start her final year of elementary school.  This little frog "jumped" out at me.  I used mushroom-patterned paper from a Heidi Grace pad for the background and glitter cardstock for the frog's shadow (a little bling never hurt anybody). I added sparkly trim and a flower brad.  Done.

 

It was simple and quick and finished on time.  She "ooh"ed and "aah"ed over it and that's what keeps me crafting.



Birthday Card for a Teenage Girl

As usual the birthday snuck up on me.  It was after dinner on the eve of the princess's birthday when it suddenly occurred to me that I didn't have a card for her.  And as always, everybody in the house was underfoot when I needed time to myself to make something.  (If I fall down the stairs and break my ankle, somehow nobody's around to help, but that's another story...)

I waited until the princess went to bed (which was waaaaay too late---for both of us) and started the agonizing process of "creating".  I'm sure it comes easy to some people.  I resent this.

I finally decided to go with what she loves...books and her Ipod.  Well, her favorite thing is talking but I'd rather focus on the constructive aspects of her life.  And the Ipod.

The book was cut from the Cricut Locker Talk cartridge and the MP3 player is from the Cricut Paisley cartridge.  I used a Nesting Lace Ovals die from Lifestyle Crafts to cut the scalloped green background, which I pop-dotted for dimension.  And then God smiled down on me and I found a stamp with the perfect sentiment to tie it all together.  3 a.m. and I was done and off to bed.

We aren't actually having her birthday celebration until the weekend, so my husband suggested I make a second card to give her then.  What's wrong with men?

"It's My Birthday" Ribbon

 

Last month I had purchased a "Birthday Girl" ribbon at Dollar Tree for my youngest granddaughter.  (The more attention she gets, the happier she is.)  As soon as I got it home I knew I had to buy another for my oldest granddaughter since her birthday happened to coincide with her first day of high school.  My grandchildren think I'm clueless, so I wanted to present it to her and suggest she wear it to high school orientation to let all her friends know it was her birthday.  Don't worry.  I knew it was lame.  I just wanted to see what reaction I'd get.

I forgot all about it until last night.  Birthday/Orientation was today.  Dollar Tree had no "Birthday Girl" ribbons.  So at midnight I found myself desperately trying to make something.

I found a tutorial on making rosettes using the Martha Stewart Scoring Board, so I was on my way.

I started with three pieces of 12 inch by 2 1/4 inch paper scored every 1/2 inch.  I folded accordian pleats into each, then attached them into a circle with hot glue.  I flattened the circle into a rosette shape and glued the center with hot glue (this stuff gets really hot).  I used a two-inch scalloped circle punch to cut a shape for the center of the rosette.  I found a punch-out in one of my paper pads that said "It's my birthday" and glued that to the center of the scallop (this is why I collect anything I can get my hands on---you never know when you'll need something random in the middle of the night).

In my growing stash of ribbon I found one with a birthday theme.  It was a little too white and shiny, so I used Tim Holtz Distress Stain in Antique Linen to give it a softer look that coordinated with the rosette paper.  I cut a couple of strips, trimmed the ends, and attached it to the back of the rosette with hot glue (by now my fingers were blistered and numb).  I then cut a three-inch scalloped circle, glued it to the back of the rosette, and attached a pin with hot glue (still fantasizing that my granddaughter might actually wear it).

It turned out big and gaudy, and it gave my granddaughter a laugh on the day she needed it most.  It's still sitting where she left it early this morning, and that's okay.  She started her first day of high school knowing she's important enough for her Nana to make an ugly ribbon just for kicks.  I'll never solve world hunger, but today I made a nervous teenager feel loved and that's good enough for me.

Happy Birthday, Princess

Today is my granddaughter's 14th birthday.  It's also her first day of high school.   Where did the years go?

This child has been a wild one.  Not that she's a troublemaker---just "energetic".  From the time she was teeny-tiny I was convinced she would never learn to control herself.  She wanted to be in the middle of everything.  And boy, could she talk.  And talk.  And talk...  She never met a teacher she couldn't annoy.

Somewhere along the way she has become a wonderful young lady.  She still likes to talk.  But she also likes to help others.  She even occasionally shows me her thoughtful, appreciative side.  Not enough that I expect it, but when she thanks me for cooking dinner or doing her laundry it warms my heart like nothing else. 

I never planned to raise a second generation of children, but God always seems to know better than we do what we really need to make us happy (and keep us on our toes).  Thank you, God; You've really blessed me.  And You'll probably need to remind me of that before the week is over.

Another Cricut Card

Creating anything is a slow process for me, so while we wait for my creativity to kick in (or while I search the internet for ideas) here's another card I made a while back:

This is a Mother's Day card for my oldest daughter.  The cut is one of my all-time favorites from A Child's Year, which is one of my all-time favorite cartridges.  I think one of the things that draws me to this cartridge is the simplicity (silhouettes don't require endless layering) and I just happen to love children (yelling at them all day doesn't negate the warm, fuzzy feelings I have for them when they're asleep).

The decorative strip beneath the flowers is a Martha Stewart punch (I wish I could remember the name, or better yet I wish the manufacturers would label them!)   The envelope was made using the Martha Stewart Scoring Board and one of my endless sheets of random 12x12 paper.  I think I get more satisfaction from making envelopes from my neglected paper than I do from any of my other crafty endeavors (one sheet down, 249,999 to go...)

Thanks for stopping by!



Owl Family Card

It seems like a good time to take a break from whining and post something I created.  Of course I had to dig deep into my archives to find something...

The owl family is from the Cricut Lite cartridge Hoot 'n' Holler.  I made the card for my daughter's first Mother's Day, but it could also work to welcome a new baby.  When choosing colors for the owls, I decided to make Baby a mix of both Mom and Dad just like real life.  (Notice Mom can hardly keep her eyes open--again, just like real life.)

Okay, back to whining.  That's so much easier for me.

New Beginnings (And a Card)

Lately I don't know what's going on in my head.  It could be the effects of menopause, or maybe I haven't quite come to terms with the realities of my life.  Either way, I need a fresh start.  I can't run away from my life--and honestly, I don't think that's what I need or want--but something needs to change for my sake and the sake of everyone around me.  It's after midnight, so the only thing I can do tonight (except pray, which I've done and continue to do nonstop) is to find a project I haven't posted and share it with you.  Maybe it will remind me that there's a world outside my own head, and it isn't all bad.

(Image is from Cricut Cartridge A Child's Year)

Maybe this isn't the best project to remind me of the good things in life, or maybe it is the best thing for me right now.  It reminds me to appreciate the ones we love while we still can, because in a flash they can be taken from us.

I made this card a while back for my sister, Teresa, just to let her know I love her and am always thinking of her.  As I've shared with you before, she's been in a persistent vegetative state for over a decade now, but I still miss her constantly.  I remember how as a girl she always had a book in her hand, and when she wasn't reading it she was collecting four-leaf clovers and placing them between the pages.  She was a dreamer, but her dreams were cut short due to complications from a surgical procedure.  I want my memories of her to be a catalyst for me to make the most of my life, whatever it is that God has in store for me.

Life is often difficult.  We can make plans for our own lives (and we should), but ultimately we need to accept God's plan if we are to be happy.  Quite often they aren't the same.  It's impossible to sit here on this planet and understand how the disappointment and grief we feel in the present can be necessary in the big picture.  That's when we rely on a little thing called faith.  And a lot of prayer.

Another Shameless Post

I made this card a few months ago to congratulate my daughter and son-in-law on the birth of their son (who is now almost five months old--yes, I'm behind).  I really just wanted to show off the adorable photo of my newborn grandson, which I printed on vellum and added to the inside.

Average Card

Adorable Baby

Being a Dad

Being a dad is exhausting.

Being a (grand)dad turns your hair gray.

I often complain about the challenges of raising my granddaughters.  My husband rarely does.  The word "saint" crosses my mind when I think of him (but never my lips--if he knew I felt this way he'd surely use it to his advantage).

When I met my husband, I was a single mother of a four-year-old daughter.  Although his friends cautioned him to think twice about getting involved, for some reason (that he probably regrets now) he did it anyway.  And he became the kind of father that every child deserves--loving, playful, moral, hard-working, and one who quickly forgot that he wasn't the birth father of his newly-adopted daughter.

He has always done whatever necessary to give us the best life possible, first with our own two daughters and now with our two granddaughters.  When I can't find the energy to play with the kids, he somehow does.  And he would do just about anything I asked of him (except eat onions and have long, meaningful conversations).  I'm a pretty lucky lady.  And I think our four girls know how fortunate they are to have him in their lives.

Happy Father's Day, Mark!

Milestones

First graduation, May 2003

Ten days ago my oldest granddaughter graduated from middle school.  What a glorious day.

I never wanted a second set of kids to raise, but God sometimes blesses us in mysterious ways.  The past 13 1/2 years have tried my patience, my faith, my marriage, and my sanity.  But here I stand.  Hunched over & weak, yes, but still standing.

As I watched her walk across the stage, I couldn't have been more proud.  Her life has been filled with challenges (one of them being me), but she has surprised me with her resilience.  It can't be fun being raised by old people.  Parents, one generation removed, are bad enough.  Senior citizens (or those of us nearing that stage) are from another planet.  Or galaxy.  But she's a wonderful girl-- sweet, caring, smart, funny, and free-spirited.  As much as I grumble about raising her and her sister, I wouldn't change it for anything.  It has been my pleasure (most of the time), and my privilege. 

Seven more years and both girls will be out of the house.  I'm sure it will be bittersweet.  I just hope God doesn't decide to bless me again.  I can't do it a third time.

Something to Make Me Smile (and maybe you, too)

I haven't felt like posting in a while.  A really long while.  But today I came across this picture of my grandson, and it put a much-needed smile on my face.

Please, can I just get some sleep?

Anniversary Card for my Husband

In hindsight, it is a little girly.

It's the thought that counts.

In my defense, I had a fever of 102.  I've been sick for the past two weeks, so this was a last-minute thing.  Admittedly, it would have been last-minute no matter what the circumstances, but this time I have a legitimate excuse.  Also, my husband was in and out of my craft room every five minutes.  I'm not sure where he was hiding when the grandchild needed lunch, but as soon as the craft supplies came out so did he.  I can't help but think he knows I'm trying to make him something and he's like a kid anticipating Christmas.  He should know by now that I'm no Santa Claus.

Due to the lack of time (and privacy), I let the paper do the talking.  This is why I have hundreds of paper stacks.  If you have enough variety, you might just find what you need in a crunch.  Or maybe not. 

The patterned paper is from the Bella Bella stack by My Mind's Eye.  When I saw this stack in the store (and loved it enough to buy two), I never thought I'd use it for a masculine card.  But when you're feverish and coughing up internal organs, you sometimes use whatever's closest.  The sentiments are from an old vellum quote pack I've been hoarding.  And the twill ribbon, if I'm not mistaken, was salvaged from the wrappings of a household item I purchased.  To make the card as man-friendly as possible (given the bird and butterflies all over the front), I used a kraft paper base.  I'm not sure what possessed me to add the ribbon, but what's done is done.

Dinner out with my husband and two granddaughters and the romance was complete.

Along for the Ride

I brought tons of baggage into my marriage 29 years ago.  My long-suffering husband has carried it for me ever since.  He's a saint.  But if you tell him I said that, I'll deny it to the death.

We've been through some very difficult years with more ups and downs and twists and turns than our countless rides on Disney's Space Mountain.  Many times I didn't know how we would make it, but somehow I always knew we would.  Of course there were plenty of times I wasn't sure I wanted to and I'm pretty sure my husband felt the same.  But I think we both knew we were better together than we could ever be alone. 

Life is a journey, destination unknown.  Sometimes the ride is smooth, sometimes it rough, but if we're really lucky we'll have someone by our side to guide us when we lose our way.

Happy anniversary to my wonderful travel companion.

A Mother's Love

Five years after her sudden death, I still miss my mother like crazy.  She would have turned 74 today.

I had this vinyl cutout on the wall in my old craftroom.  When I moved to a new space, I couldn't bear to take it down. Every time I see it, it reminds me of my mother.  She was never happier than when she could shower a child with love.

Happy birthday, Mama.  You are always in my heart and on my mind.

Monkey Card for My New Grandson

I'm posting this in an attempt to get a jump on next Valentine's Day.  Okay, okay...I'm late posting for 2012.

Wanting to stake my claim as the favorite grandmother, or at least to make him think I have some redeeming value (unlike the opinion of the two granddaughters who live with me), I made this Valentine card for my brand new grandson. 

Once I learned my daughter would be having a boy, it seemed like the perfect excuse to buy the Cricut Lite cartridge B is for Boy.  The sock monkey alone is worth the price!  I also used it as an excuse to buy the Sugar and Spice cartridge and a few other unrelated items.  Don't judge me...

I used the Cuttlebug embossing folder Heart Blocks for the white background.  I cut the Love image from B is for Boy, then added glitter to the letters.  I added flocking to the monkey's body and hat.  Then I decided he needed googly eyes.  (Twelve-day-old babies really notice the details.)

I'm not sure my grandson even knows I'm alive, but my daughter said she and her husband really enjoyed the card.

Simple Birthday Card

I used the Cricut cartridge "Life's a Party" to create this simple card.  I added a few layers inside to dress it up a little (and to cover my mistakes).  On the inside I also used an EK Success edge punch, "Swiss Cheese", to mimic the cake design from the front.  (I had to look up the punch name on their website--HUGE mistake.  Have you ever seen how many cool punches they make???  I could go broke buying the ones I want!  Well, to be honest, with the lousy economy hitting me where it hurts I could actually go broke just buying one.)

Thanks for looking!

16th Birthday Card for a Young Man

I made this card for my nephew to celebrate his 16th birthday (and the freedom that comes with it).  I should have sent my sister a "thinking of you" card since she'll never again have a peaceful night's sleep.

The phrase is from the "Car Decals" Cricut cartridge.  The car is from the "Going Places" Cricut cartridge.  The background is map-themed paper from my stash.  I promise the car isn't really pink--I'm not that mean.

I'm glad I have a couple more years before my granddaughter can drive.  When that day comes, I'll need a "get well soon" card sent to my room in the psychiatric ward.

Getting Things Done

It has to be said.  I'm a procrastinator.  Big Time.  Case in point--I took a couple of pictures in January with the intention of blogging about it, and here it is February 19th.


The original idea for the blog post was to show the cover of an unread magazine I had found when I finally got around to cleaning out my stash.  Oh, the irony.

Somebody (me) needed to read this.

The date says it all.

February Memories

For the past five years, February has been a month filled with sadness for me.  On February 1st, 2007, my mother suffered a brain hemorrhage which took her life two weeks later.  Those were two of the longest, most difficult weeks of my life spent waiting and praying, and ultimately accepting that my world would never be the same.

February 1st, 2012, was another day filled with anxiety and waiting.  But this time I had reason to expect a happy outcome.  My daughter was admitted to the hospital to give birth to her first child, my first grandson.

February 2nd was delivery day.  Or so we hoped.  Because the baby was overdue by nearly two weeks, labor was to be induced at midnight.  The waiting began.

With two school-aged children and an undomesticated husband dependent upon me for their sustenance (and clean clothes),  I was forced to remain 400 miles away from the big event.  There's nothing worse than being so far away from your hospitalized child and not knowing what's going on.  Except, of course, if you are a world-class worrier and you happen to see all the complications unfold right before your eyes.  Luckily, I wasn't there to witness all the medical drama.  I simply sat by the phone waiting and worrying, and with each passing moment I played out terrible scenarios in my mind.   And since my husband seemed to be holding it together quite well, I decided to share these with him.  No reason to suffer alone.

Finally, just about the time my husband seemed poised to go to bed and leave me alone to face my fears, the phone call came. Baby Logan had arrived weighing 7 pounds, 8 ounces, and measuring 20 inches long.  He wasn't the record-setting large baby we were expecting based on the size of my poor daughter's belly and the length of time she spent growing him there.  But he still couldn't make it out the non-surgical way we had hoped.  My daughter gave it her all, but after 20 hours of labor and 2 1/2 hours of pushing with all her might, it was obvious the little guy was demanding a more dramatic entrance.

My daughter had been determined to have a natural birth, but even with all her planning and preparation, that wasn't to be.  Such is life. But mother and baby are doing well, and today they're heading home with the proud father, ready to start this new, exciting chapter in their lives.

February will always hold sad memories for me, but as I look at the sweet face of my new grandson, and hear the pride and love in the voices of his parents, I know it will now be the month that gives me renewed hope and happiness.  I feel certain my mother is watching from Heaven and enjoying the beauty of it all.

My newest obsession.

Isn't he precious?

Past Due

I've lost all credibility with my youngest daughter.  I promised her she would deliver her baby before the due date.  "There's no way you'll make it until January 27th", I predicted.  She's just a tiny little thing.  I was certain her growing baby would get tired of the cramped quarters and work his way out a little bit early.

January 27th has come and gone.  My daughter had so wanted to work up until the day she gave birth, but last week that proved impossible.  Being a nurse who's on her feet through twelve-hour shifts, and with an entire human being resting on her pelvis, she simply couldn't continue to carry both of them around the hospital all day.  So now she's at home and bored out of her mind (she just washed all the baby's clothes for at least the second time, and he's never worn any of them). 

I'm longing to meet my grandson, and I know my daughter and her husband are anxious to hold him in their arms.  I want my daughter to move around comfortably again, and to be spending this time at home getting to know her new son, not doing laundry and watching bad tv just to pass the time.  But more than anything I want to know the delivery went smoothly, everybody's happy and healthy, and that my daughter once again believes everything I say.

Hello Kitty Get Well Card

Who can resist Hello Kitty?  Sure, I'm a middle-aged woman (who, if I was a celebrity, would be dating a man in his twenties), but I find myself looking for excuses to use this Cricut cartridge. 

This card was made for my young niece, who spent Christmas vacation recovering from a tonsillectomy.  (Poor thing--that just doesn't seem right!)  I used the Card feature on the Hello Kitty Greetings cartridge to make this simple shaped card.  If it made her smile even for a brief moment, it was time well-spent.