Another Furniture Restoration Project

In the process of cleaning out the basement and getting ready to move, I discovered this old wooden cabinet. I should have taken a "before" picture. It was dusty and the paint was yellowed with age. My husband had car radios, crank shafts and a couple of windshield motors sitting on the shelves.


I took it outside (outside mister!) and repainted it. Shined up the chrome and put the hardware back on it. The inside back wall was already stained a warm cherry red. The glass is missing but I found some great fabric and made a couple of cafe curtains that fit the period of this piece. Oho, its so cute.

Paper Take Weeky-Letters Mingle Friends

This week's challenge was especially challenging. Here is my submission. Go to http://papertakeweekly.blogspot.com/ and check out

Paper Take Weekly Fruit Theme

This week theme at http://papertakeweekly.blogspot.com/ is fruitful creation. Very fun...here's a cherry of a card I made this morning in between packing to move to ? (don't know yet) and doing laundry. Lots of creativity fruitfully multiplying on Paper Take Weekly blog. Go visit and see what's new.

Thinking of You Card-Paper Take Weekly Challenge

http://papertakeweekly.blogspot.com/ Paper Take Weekly Challeng...Because it is a busy week, I went ahead and made this card for someone special who is getting well by the day. I found this pattern on line gave it a try. The background of the card was stamped before applying the cut out pieces. I don't have a Cricket but I have scissors. (I just don't run with them.)

http://papertakeweekly.blogspot.com/

Paper Take Weekly

http://papertakeweekly.blogspot.com/

This week's challenge at Paper Take Weekly is using orange, pink and brown. Here is my submission. I was thinking polka dots, but I don't have polka dots...

Paper Take Weekly

Here is my submission for Paper Take Weekly http://papertakeweeklychallenge.blogspot.com

--it's great when they give you a pattern to follow. Go on over to Paper Take Weeky and see what lovely submissions some very creative women have submitted.

Pie Chest Stamping Cabinet

Thanks Dear!

I made this thank you card for my husband using a stamp set and paper from J&K that I got for Christmas. The French Hen is adorable....

My husband so graciously let me convert this old pie chest cabinet into a stamping cabinet. I keep my stamps, inks, and tools in the top half. Paper and embellishments in the bottom half.
The pie chest has a shelf which conveniently slides out for a work space area. The cafe curtain covers my space when all things are put away. Its functional, has a purpose and easily accessible.

Grampa's Valentine's

For Madison:

My husband wanted to send Valentine's too his two grand-daughters so I came up with these two cards. He really liked them and shed a few tears over Taylor's card because she is growing up so fast. (going on 15 years old)...:

For Taylor:

Free Vintage Valentine's Day Cards

Go on over to http://tipnut.com/ and download these adorable Valentines' Vintage Cards. There are more--they are too cute! That is a great web site. Leave a comment and let me know if you like them. I will post more free-bees as I find them. Enjoy!

Reverse Negative Card

I found the instructions for this card in Creative Stampers Sampler magazine. Is simple and fun to do. Just cut out two pieces of paper one in the color of your background and the other one in your application piece. Stamp them both then cut the darker color in half and attach it to the lighter color. Embellish as you wish. I don't have white ink so I used my white embossing powder and it came out just fine but not as defined as it could be.

Now I am going to get to work on some Valentine's Day cards. I feel the love already.

PurpleFower Card

There are a couple of birthdays next week so I reached into my card "stash" and selected this one. It was so enjoyable to make because is all stamps. Stamps I purchased on E-bay. They are Stamping Up stamps. The card stock was purchased at Joann's at their sale with the stripes already on them and the ribbon was on sale too. I really enjoyed using the flowers and the leaves. Happy Birthday to Michelle and Linda!

Witnessing Packet

I have this witnessing kit posted on my http://thepaperhandmaiden.blogspot.com/ but I especially wanted to put it on this one. I was asked to speak to the teenagers about sharing the Gospel and their faith.

It was interesting because before you can share the Gospel ,you actually have to know what the Gospel is and asking them to tell you what the Gospel is and what it means to them is a good indicator of t. This kit is great because its easy to make and can be made for all age levels. The contests were purchased at the Christian Book Store, but if you have a computer you can print out your own contents.

I'm Back!

Finally, happily, Mr. Dell has come home. When you live in the boonies, you don't realize how much you rely on Mr. Dell for communication. The top picture is not a forest fire, but the sunset last week. It looks like a blaze out of control. The birthday card is from my daughter-in-law and I love the simple elegance of it. I did have a happy birthday --but another birthday that puts me somehwere around the speed limit, made me think of sunsets.

My Second Award!

My computer should break more often. I am encouraged that no one has forgotten me! Thanks again, I am really thrilled!

There will be some serious nominating when the Dell comes home!

My First Blog Award!

I was pleasantly surprised to receive my first blog award. How nice to be encouraged in your craft. Since my computer has malfunctioned, it was hard to post anything. The good news is that it is now fixed and on its way back to me. Shirley is such an encourager and leaves the most complimentary messages. I nominate her has Best Motivator!

You can visit her amazing blog at http://cardartetc.blogspot.com. You can learn a lot.

Computer Withdrawal

My computer is in the "repair lab" but I managed to make it to the library where all things are free except you cannot upload any photographs. So in the meantime, while I go through photo-withdrawal..I haven't abandoned I just can't show.

It's amazing how much time and effort one spends on their blogs...You know all is a well when the next post you see is a picture of me hugging my lap top --ahhhh...who knew you could be so attached to such an inanimate object...

Homemade Apron

Here are two of my favorite gifts for Christmas. My talented daughter-in-law made me this great apron. The picture doesn't do the colors justice but it is absolutely beautiful and a lot of thought and work went into it.

I also received from J&K a photo-scanner and print shop. I had my first crack at it when my husband went off to work--I know that they know a photo-scanner can be a dangerous thing in my hands but that's how much they love me, they bought it for me anyway!!!! Have a great rest of the "Holidays". In honor of their gift, they are my first photo-shop crop and print!

Long-Distance Birthday Celebration.

Last week was my husband's 60'Th Birthday. The man is amazingly youthful and doesn't look his stated age. Fred, by the grace of God, survived a heart attack three years ago and works evenings for a towing company. Since we live in Virginia and most all of our family and friends are in New England, it was challenging to come up with a way to celebrate this milestone. Our home is for sale and we are moving back to NE but in the meantime we are carrying on as usual. It was hard to come up with a plan because everyone lives 800 miles away. So, what else would be more perfect than a Birthday Card campaign. He is Fred enjoying his Birthday Cards...

This card was made by my precious daughter-in-law, Keri. I love the hidden quotations which reveal great wisdom. It is thoughtful and precious and a fantastic idea!!! (Visit Keri's blog, http://quaintandquirky.blogspot.com/ - see her fabulous totes, dog collars, etc.)

Christmas Everything Card

This card was made using a little bit of everything. I love the holly berry punch, the pinstripe paper and the stitched ribbon. The corner punch always adds a nice touch too. The embossing is done in bronze.

Since I made a variety of Christmas cards during the past few months, I can now get down to writing and mailing. Yep, that's what I'm going to do as soon as I remember where I hid the pens so no one will use them....

Paper Turkey Place "Cards&Sea Glass Pendant

I just drove back from a week -long trip to RI to see the family and stayed a week with my son and daughter-in-law. We had a ball "Black Friday" shopping , which was quite an experience and I suggest you get over to JoAnn's Fabric shop as quickly as possible and grab all those wonderful products at 60% off.

Jason made paper Tom Turkey place "cards" for each family member with their names on the "feathers"...They made a lot of turkeys but its been a tradition at my sisters for years that the place sitting card is made by one or more of the children. Great job on this one...

My sister, Linda, has been working on this painting. She had it sitting on an easel and I had a camera so I thought I'd share it. Taking the picture is the height of my "painting" talent. If you look closely you can see the sketch of the remaining painting to be done.

My sister, Mary, collects sea glass and recently learned how to wrap it for making pendents. She presented this to me on a recent visit to her home. Its gorgeous! Who wouldn't want to spend the summer combing the beach for sea glass. We have lots of family memories of summers at the ocean and this treasure of a pendant will always take me back to those great days.

A Very Special Thanksgiving Card

We received this card in the mail today from Taylor's mom, Melanie. It is a very sweet card and since some of you have been inquiring about Taylor, I thought it would be nice to share it with you. I'm impressed because with everything that is on Mel's plate right now, she had the time to craft this great card.

I love the frame Mel used and if I remember correctly she got it at Keepsake's Fabric in Center Harbor NH last May. Mel, Taylor, Keri and I descended on Keepsake's Fabric with scrap booking, quilting and card making in mind. It was the sale to end all sales. We scored a lot of great items while the men dutifully waited outside.

Thanks for the Card Mel and Jason and Taylor and Happy Thanksgiving to you too!

A Couple of Christmas Cards

There isn't too much you can do with this stamp because it is so large. I embossed with bronze and kept it simple. Like the birth of our Savior--on a quite Holy Night.

I like this card because it different. It's not elegant by any means but understated. I bought the stamp at Hobby Lobby and really like the message.

Just a Few Thoghts

I wish I had the inclination

to sit myself at the crafting station;

Lots of things are on my mind

and somehow I can't find the time....

I have been working on a few projects which are "blog sensitive" and if I showed them now it would spoil a few Christmas Surprises. My family is very computer savvy and so after the holidays I can show you the xxxxxxxx and the xxxxxxx and the xxxxxx.

I didn't take a picture of it but for Josh's birthday I made him a scrapbook with some interviews I had with him when he was a boy. I asked him the same questions once a year. It's amazing how consistent he was with his answers. I then added a few poems by Grampa and Some things My Grandmother said along with a story written for him--its a great idea. Start interviewing your children once a year with the same questions and then present it to them when they are grow up. It's a treasure....

I'm really enjoying every ones Christmas Card creations. Thank you all for your prayers for Taylor she is doing excellent after her surgery and came back two inches taller!! You know they are better when the start being "bored"....

Cupcake Birthday Card

This card was so fun to make. It's Josh's birthday card and he's now twenty with 9 years experience. I got the template for the card from Stamping Samplers magazine. The picture of him is perfect because he's eating a cupcake. I shrunk the picture on my computer and then printed it out to fit. The dogs' birthday hat was blue so I embossed it to match the card prints. That cupcake is so easy to do and lots of fun.

Taylor's Get Well Card

This weekend, I have been working on a few projects--but can't display them until "after the holidays"...

This is a card made for Taylor, our 14 year old granddaughter who just had back surgery for scoliosis--she had two rods placed in her back and will be in Boston Children's Hospital until Friday and then a long recovery. Please keep her in your prayers while she recovers (recovery is several months but God can speed that up).

She is very special to her Grampa and so I made a card for her with that in mind. I embossed the "thinking of you" but wanted to make the card very personal and made my "own" sentiments and printed them out...Sometimes you just have to "make your own stamp"... this is definitely a "Grampa" card and Grampa shed a tear...