Hello?? Anyone There????

Hi there everyone. I know, I know, it has been awhile...like January 7th that I last blogged??? I have no excuses, just trying to live life without Jay and wonder what my next step is and still try to keep sane in an insane world!!!

In the above picture, those are my Lilly of the Valleys, always pick and bring them in for a touch of spring in the kitchen to look at whilst I do the dishes. And even though JP is not here, for some reason I "still" have many dishes to do???? But eventually they do get done, in phases.

I have been doing some cards here and there. Still make cards for Heartland Hospice along with a few other ladies. The last couple of months we have been able to meet together, otherwise we were following "Covid 19 Protocol" and not meeting or just dropping cards off at a place and they were picked up by the Card Coordinator.

The cards above were from a "Stamping Up" kit from 2017. It was a fun kit, apples, strawberries and blueberry cards. I still have some checked background left over so I can make more cards like this. 

The card below is a die I have had for years....makes for a very pretty card. I can't remember how I made the colored background. Experimental ideas using different techniques that get stuffed in a box and forgotten about. This is going to be my challenge this summer...take old dies and stamped images and turn them into cards. I really have a lot of stuff. AND, 3 months to make cards for Hospice meeting September 2nd. I have a feeling that time will go FAST!!!! 

Below are my Irises that grow in the front yard. It was so windy the last couple of days that the poor flowers blew over. So, I cut them down and brought them in to enjoy for a few days. I have so much to do around this house. The neighbor next store cuts the grass in the front of the house. During the winter he was shoveling the snow. I will tend to the backyard with my manual push mower....I can handle that. If I do a little bit each day, I may catch up, by that time it will be fall.

I am going to make a few more of these cards, so pretty and they can be any kind of card I want them to be. The one below is a sympathy card. I am going to use a Thank you card like this for the main post picture. You should see it in the next day or so.

So my life has been up in the air for the last 10 months since Jay's death. I have not been able to handle being a "widow" that still sounds foreign to me. I have been told not to make any big decisions for at least 1 year. After that, not sure where I am going. What with the way this world is going, do any of us know where we are headed?? I only know, through this all, my faith in Jesus Christ and Him Crucified is the only way to go...there is much comfort in knowing him as Lord and Savior of my Life. I think I am learning how to depend on Him and Him alone...which is where He wants us all to be. 

That being said, I shall close here. Hopefully I can keep up with this blog and add new cards maybe once a week. I have moved my stamping space from the basement to Jay's old room. So it is handy just to walk in, sit down and make a few cards. Works for me and I don't have to climb stairs.

You all take care and take JESUS!!! ~ Louise
 

Finally..After a Year's Wait!!!

Hi there everyone....how you all doing?? Not sure where this month went, but it passed by pretty quickly. Although it was quite stressful for the most part.

So below you will see a printer. FINALLY bought one like this today, it's only been a yearmy old printer went capoot. When ever I had the money, it had to go for something else. Got it hooked up tonight, have not tried it as yet. It's a little bite different then my old one, of course much newer.

I had to write out my recipes by hand instead of printing them. What a bummer. So now I have lots of hand written recipes instead of lovely copied ones. 

The interesting thing, in how I got the money for the printer is pretty strange. It seems there was a lawsuit against the Office Depot and support. "Many customers who took their computers to Office Depot for a free 'PC Health Check' were told their computers had symtoms of malware - even when that wasn't true. The FTC says that these bogus scans, provided by Support, convinced many customers to buy unnecessary computer repair services". The companies agreed to settle the lawsuit. According to Office Depot's records, I was one of the customers who paid for computer repair services between 2012 and 2016. (gosh that means my computer might be about 5-6 years old.) So anyways, I got a check for $47.74 and decided this was a good time to finally get a new printer. AMAZING!!!! I paid $29.00 for this printer. It will be good to have one finally. 

I was using Heartland Hospice stickers inside my cards. One of the ladies gave me a bunch of stickers to use till I got a printer, now I can do my inserts for the cards, instead of stickers. Yeeeaaaaa!!

I have to tell you a funny story. I went into Best Buy to check prices for a printer (to high, cheapest was $44). Then I ask a salesman about a ROKO that gives you most TV channels if a person decides to cut the TV cable. Anyways I wanted something I would be able to still watch my HOCKEY GAMES. The one salesman says, "What team do you watch? I said Blackhawks, he said Booooooo. I said what team do you watch? He said Detroit Red Wings....I said Boooooo!! Blackhawks and Red Wings are rivals of course and they are part of the Original 6 teams that started in '26 there about. So anyways the other salesman says, I am a Pittsburg Penquin fan! Oh how funny, so we started talking hockey while he tried to sell me a ROKO...said I would think about it after the season is over.

Then off I went to Walmart and found this printer for $29.00

So my Blackhawks are doing pretty good right now...there is only 18 more games left for the Hawks and they are 6 points out of the Wild Card. To get in the Wild Card you make it into the play-offs....so it is getting pretty exciting. If they can win 8 or 9 games that might do it.

We lost a good goalie, Lehner...he was traded to Las Vegas Golden Knights. They are playing tonight so I want to see how Lehner does. I imagine ALL the Blackhawks will be watching this game also.

The Hawks played last night and beat the #1 team Lightning Bolts in the Atlantic league, they have 113 points. Tomorrow the Hawks play the 4th place team Florida Panthers in the Atlantic league. Should be interesting, cause the Panthers coach used to be the Hawks coach till he was fired....gonna be a wild game I think. The Hawks have something to prove and the Panthers will have something to prove too!!

I think I need a hug from Jesus....it's been a rough month. JP hurt his back at work, he does not remember how....but it was so bad that he has not been able to work the last 15 days. I use his pay check to pay the mortgage....Might have a hard time paying the mortgage in March.....we need a minor miracle. Do pray for us.

Well, time to close here so I can concentrate on this Hockey game between the Golden Knights and Sabers. Want to see how Robin Lehner does. Keep looking up, better days are coming.
Cheers ~ Louise

PS...where did Blogspots spell check go?????? If you see a mistake please overlook.

7th Game - They WON and a Few Cards for Hospice

Hi there everyone....how are the first few days of November treating you??? Ours not so good....we got the results of my husband's prostrate biopsy. It's not a good report. He has cancer, but it is a "slow growing cancer" maybe that is a good report. At this point we are not sure what will happen. The Doctor says this could go two ways. We can watch it and see how fast or slow it is growing by doing more biopsies. Operation, and take the prostrate out. Or radiation, but he did not think that would be a good option.

Next week we have another meeting with the Doctor and if we have questions that is when we will talk things out. JP wants to talk to his brother first. John called tonight, so I was able to fill him in on a few things and he will call JP tomorrow.

The 7th game of the World Series is playing right now. So I thought I would blog a bit. I guess I could have gotten fancy and put the Cubs decal up or something. Maybe next post....(darn the Indians just scored 1-1, okay, that's enough Indians!!). Yeah...score is 5-1 Cubbies just scored again and while I was on the phone with John.

Our Heartland Hospice meeting is this Friday. I've got 75 cards put together, Christmas, Birthday, Thank You, Thinking of You and Thanksgiving. Following are some of the cards that are included in the box...these are not all of them. I simply would bore you with all the pictures.

In the picture below a card made with a Christmas napkin. The napkin is peeled down to the first layer then glued on card stock and smoothed out and left to dry. Then I glue the card stock on a card and embellish the card with speckles...see the glittery look? I made quite a few cards using this technique. Christmas trees, a few different snowmen and Santa too.

Here is my Great Blue Heron....I sure do like this stamp....will probably make lots more of these cards. The Heron is stamped and colored in with copic markers. The layered on card stock and lacy material paper (the name of this paper escapes me at this moment), then I ran some washi tape down the side and added a greeting.

The card below is a recycled card....layered it on sparkling wrapping paper and card stock. The card might have been a post card then I embellished the card with speckles for that glittered look.

The card below was a card I made at Betty's house. The flowers were stamped with different colored  inks, it was not necessary to huff on the inks to make them stamp, as they were special inks allowing you to ink and stamp. I think the flowers were then die cut and raised on the card.

Now this card is my favorite Christmas card....die cut sleigh and houses. "Silent night" is stamped and a pretty trinket added. The background is snowflakes run through the cuttlebug and silver speckles embellish the snowflakes and the edge of the card where the sleigh rides.

Last but not least are these Christmas cards.....I made a whole bunch of these cards a couple of years ago. The scene is embossed with gold then the card was run through a cuttlebug, cutting out the Christmas tree. I layed some sparkly wrapping paper under the scene to pop out the tree. Pretty simple, but very pretty.

Well, the Cubs and Indians are still playing....the score is 6-3, Cubs winning and we are in the 7th.

I think I need to turn the heat on...getting a little bit chilly in this house. Love the weather for November......maybe it will stay nice like this till my Birthday....but then, there is always snow falling around my birthday.......we shall see, as the 21st will draw near pretty fast.

Oh-OHHHHHH Not good, the Indians just scored, it's 6-6!!!!!! Will the Cubs win????? Now we are in the 9th and Cubs are up. It's starting to rain now in Cleveland.....what next!!!

YAY!!!! The Cubs won the World Series....how exciting!!! 8-7....what a game. 1908 was the last time they won the series....that is a very long draught!!!! You have a great day and keep looking up cause better days are coming. Cheers ~ Louise

A Gift and a Few Cards for Hospice

Hi there everyone. I sure have been slacking at blogging, haven't I....no need to answer that. Guess I have been busy making cards. Our Heartland Hospice meeting was this past Friday. So all last week I was busy making cards and getting my box of 50 cards ready to donate.

We had a pleasant surprise waiting for us, we each were given this lovely gift, a cup and delicious blueberry muffin, which is hard to see in this picture. (it is actually gone now, that's why I said it was delicious!!! What a nice surprise. Heartland also buys us a breakfast at Denny's in December....so yeah, those are the little perks of volunteering for Heartland Hospice.

Note: I am drinking tea out of this cup as I type this blog....this makes a nice tea cup, don't you think???

Following are a few cards I donated to them....these Sandhill Cranes were filed away for 5 years....I thought, what the heck, lets turn them into a card. The crane was stamped and embossed in gold....just not sure how I did the background though......hard to remember after 5 years. I sure am glad no one asked how I made it or if I have the stamp anymore. The stamp was borrowed from and old friend I am no longer in contact with. Anyways, it turned out pretty neat and colorful too. I really should try and look for a stamp something like this...sure is an elegant card. Guess that is why I am enjoying using my Flamingo stamps....maybe I should look for a more elegant Flamingo like this Sandhill crane.

These cards will be good for a man....a cute raccoon and woodpecker.....I love this die cut and it will be hard to give back to the owner. I think this week I will make about 20 of these die cuts in different colors, so I have a stock of them. Can never have enough. Then I shall have to return the die cut to Betty.

In the picture below are some really easy cards I made. Saw a card like this on the Internet and saved it to my files. All I did was use the alcohol inks and scribbled the colors on, then stamped the tree, which was from Stampin'up and added the salutation and some sequins for embellishment.....very easy, peasy!!!

This was a neat card to make, I saw a copy of this card on the Internet. The stamp is from Stampin'up, it's called "what I love" the stamp comes in 3 phases, first the black is stamped, then the lighter stamp, then the darker part of the stamp to make it three-toned.....I like the look of this card, simple , springy and refreshing.

I donated this lovely lady along with a few other ladies that were similar to this one for Mother's Day cards....I did add some daisy stars along side this card, which completed the look. I sure do like this lady and probably will keep one for myself....maybe frame her and hang her on the wall, as we are BFF's.

This was another easy card, although it did take some time. Each flower was stamped, then cleaned and stamped with another color till all 4 flowers were stamped. Then I drew a line down each side of the flowers, it is hard to see in this picture, but I embellished the cards with speckles on the lines, and sequins for a little sparkle. I dabbed the one card with red ink, but did not care for the look and left the others plain.



I have a few other cards up my sleeves for Father's Day....one will be a golfer, maybe in black and white or brown....kind of simple.

I bought some new Stampin'up die cuts and stamps...looking forward to receiving them. Also from another company, I bought some oval die cuts and stamps.....I think I better hold back from stamp shopping, it sure can get expensive at times. Oh well...."what price, glory"!!!! (now what does that mean??? It just popped in my mind?????? Maybe I should ask Cortana???)

Well, time to close, have to go to bed in a little while. I have a Doctor's appointment tomorrow, they are taking some of my blood....hope my blood sugars are normal and not to high. I always worry about that.....don't want anymore medication to take, things are fine as they stand.

Have a great day and keep looking up....better days are coming.
Cheers ~ Louise