Paper Pleasing Ideas

So Much Going On

I am so far behind I can see my rear end in front of me !!

With my father-in-law dying, it kinda set me back and then came Easter. I dealt with 2 little boys being sick(as in lose your lunch sick), all while trying to get together with family. That didn't happen as much as I would have liked!!

Then I got a phone call from my accountant - taxes are due!!  It is amazing what you miss when your hbby isn't here to tell you what to do ... lol. I got them in today, and they are due in on Saturday -AHHH! Hopefully everything is there.

On top of that, my next Zumba session in starting on May 3, and I have 3 classes a week now, so every evening I am doing about 2 hours of Zumba in my dining room to get ready for that. The boys soccer also starts that week, so I will have lots to occupy my mind for a bit.

I feel like I am neglecting my crafting love, but I am easily overwhelmed as of late, so I have to keep my mind focused on the necessary things. Thanks for the comments and concerns that I have received. I am well, just a tab behind.

Here is something that I found out some aquaintances were doing this week. The video is not them, but it is EXACTLY what they were doing. I don't have the guts to do it, but it sure looks like fun!!

 

A Butterfly World

 

I had another stamping class last night and this is the card we made (though everyone had different colors and sentiments). Isn't it awesome how we all start with one idea and each end up with a unique card ?!? I used THIS IDEA when making the card, but flipped things around and used my aqua painter with ink to color in the earth image. I also made the dots on the scallop frame with my crumb cake marker. Soft and vintage - is there a better combination? Tootles, have fun and happy stamping!!

 

Big Girl Boots

 

Had to put them on today and get some work done. Our trees are flooding, and Russ always pumped the water away.

 

I set up a pump, tying the cords around a shovel handle, so they can't fall in the water,

 

Ran a hose across the yard, plugged it in, and

 

IT WORKED !! Pretty good, for never having done anything like this before. Spring flood control - check.

A Long Weekend

But not the holiday kind.

Yesterday was the funeral for Russ' dad, my FIL.

Sunday was the viewing and I gave the boys the option to go or not. They both chose to NOT go see Grandpa, for which I was grateful. I went alone and WOW - not good. I sat and shook the whole time, I could not stop crying. I did not think it would be like that at all. If I had known, I probably would not have gone.

The burial was in the morning before the funeral, and I could not go to that. I had a hard enough time sitting there and seeing pictures of  Russ with his family during the funeral. Then, one of the final pictures was this one ...

 

They had put the words on the picture "Give Russ our love", and that was so hard to see. It just seems so wrong that they are both gone in less than 6 months from each other.

1 step forward, 10 steps back. People ask me how I am feeling, and this is what I compare it to. It is like putting a bandaid on a fresh sore. After the scab has grown on to the bandaid, you rip it off. The healing had started, but now it must start over. While it may not take as long to scab over this time, it hurts as much as the first time. This week has been one of very little sleep, and lots of tears. The boys are having a tough time, as well, and I am starting to feel drained.

It is very overwhelming to have everything on your plate and know that no one else is there. And I don't mean family and friends, I mean that one person that is in your corner, no matter what. The one you have your long talks with, the one who is your helpmate. It gets very lonely.

Please pray for me, that I can get back on track. I feel like things are falling apart, but I know God is with me, even through that.

Psalm 46:1 "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."

Paisley Thoughts

I got to stamp again yesterday.  My BIL, Jamie, came and took the boys for the afternoon, so I headed downstairs to get lost in my creativity. It sure takes me longer to stamp, since I don't do it as often, but I sure love the finished product on this card!!

 

I started with a 5 X 5 crumb cake base, and the DSP is a sneak peak from the new catalog, Paisley Petals. I then combined a crumb layer with very vanilla and pierced the outside edges, adding a few gold brads.  I stamped the sentiment from Word Play in cajun craze (stamped off), and this was adhered with dimensionals. The vanilla satin is the only ribbon that is not retired, but the crumb cake taffeta and gold cord matched perfectly, so I added them in. I think it turned out to be a beautiful card. Tootles, have fun and happy stamping!!

Getting Ready For Spring !

 

 

Gotta get rid of the shaggy winter coats, so it is time to buzz the boys hair.

Paisley Petal Sympathy

 

I was inspired for this card (6 of the same) from all the samples that I have been seeing on Splitcoast, and I needed the ideas because these cards are for my family.

You know the saying "God doesn't give you more than you can handle". Well, I wish he didn't trust me so much.

Russ' dad passed away on Monday morning. He went into a coma on Saturday from a stroke, and joined his son in heaven. It feels much like ripping a bandaid off after the scab has grown onto it. I know there is a joyful reunion going on in heaven, but there shouldn't be. Russ' dad was 87, and lived a long good life. Not that you WANT him to go, but it is more understandable when they are older. Too me, it just makes me miss Russ so much all over again.

On the flower, I sprayed the Vanilla Smooch Spray. That is about all the description I am going into for the card.

Vintage Sympathy Butterflies

I had a chance to stamp yesterday morning and had to take the opportunity to make another sympathy card. One of Russ' friends died last week very suddenly of a heart attack, so I made the family a card. I could not attend the funeral because I felt it would be too hard for me, and I probably would have left if I had been there. In the photo slide show of his life, there were pictures of him and Russ together. I don't think I would have been able to see that, and even now, it makes me cry to think of them both gone within 5 months of each other.

 

I wanted a soft vintage feel to the card and I really think it worked!!  I used very vanilla, and pink pirouette CS with crumb cake ink. I used my Ink Embossing Tutorial to emboss the vanilla mat layer with crumb cake ink. It really cements the vintage look, and I also did the same thing to my Beautiful Wings Embosslits folder for the butterflies. The scallop frame how-to is featured in THIS TUTORIAL.

This is a very soft and feminine card and I really hope it brings a little light to their day. Tootles, have fun and happy stamping!!