Hold Dear

Dear Momma...

H A P P Y   B I R T H D A Y !!!

I hope you have a wonderful day and treat yourself good! You deserve it! I love you lots and lots!!!

In honor of my Mom's birthday, I made a banner in the style of Pam Garrison. WOW was this fun! The flags are about three inches and the perfect size to use up leftover bits of ribbon, paper, doo dads, etc. All of the sweet little stamping was done with Just Johanna stamps. Her line has lots of little tiny stamps. I love 'em! There's also a new tiny Eiffel tower that is total smile-maker! The letters are Heidi Swapp stick ons.

That's all for now. Hope you all have a bright shiny day!

just johanna part deux.

Hi there...thought I'd share the cards I made for my Just Johanna Design Team assignment this month. I was really in "card-making" mode, likely because I've been thinking about what I'm going to do for our family Christmas cards this year. I'm sure it will be a version of this one...

Red, green, and brown for Christmas? Uh...that's kinda different...PERFECT! :-)

Okay so even though the bird outline is from a design I contributed to Just Johanna Rubber Stamps, I am STILL SO in love with it! When I started playing around and laying the outlines close to each other, it totally reminded me of a map, ergo, the green and blue. :-)

I made the dotted border for this card using my RubiCoil. Man, I love that thing!

This one here is me having fun with chipboard and embossing. :-)

Okay, thanks for playing! See ya next time!

just johanna.

I'm home a bit early today. I was feeling way punky and decided to get myself home before I fell apart. The ride home was fun and exciting because it was actually snowing! Wheee! By the time I got home though, it had stopped (insert sad face here) and none of it stuck! Poo! I love the snow and we get it so rarely here that it's a treat and I am totally distracted by it. Sure wish we'd get a storm like in Lilli's part of the world!

I sent off the majority of my Just Johanna Design Team November assignments and I'd like to share a couple of them with you! I have one that I'm still working on and I won't share that one with you until the 30th. You'll understand why when I show it to you! :-)

I had extra fun with this month's assignment. Not really sure why. Maybe because I worked on them over my birthday/Thanksgiving weekend and I was just generally in good spirits.

This past weekend was also a reflective time for me. I have been thinking of all the things I am thankful for. Tomorrow will be 11 years since my Dad died. Tuesday, November 28, 1995. The last time I spoke to him was on my birthday the Thursday before he died and the last words I said to him were, "I love you Daddy." I'm so happy about that little detail I get to carry around with me for the rest of my days, and for that, I am truly thankful. :-)

Anywho, one of my art journal pages is a recount of a dream I had not too long after my Dad died. I was really missing him and struggling with the loss, as you can imagine. Just when I needed it the most, I had a dream about him. After that, I felt like I could deal with it and became a functional human again. I still feel like the dream was my Dad visiting me, letting me know he was okay. I cry whenever I allow myself to dwell on the significance of that dream so creating this page was a very emotional experience, but boy oh boy, did it feel good!!!

The white O's are a pen I got at Michael's Crafts. It's a Galaxy Marker and it's made by American Crafts. The color is Milky Way white. Pretty dang cool. I'm glad I discovered this one just in time for Christmas! Also, the "white" behind the lettering is the Just Johanna bird silouette stamp. I used it to try to create a smoky, cloudy, kind of foggy feel.

Here's a page where I experimented with the background. I was happy with the effect. I glued down strips of a road atlas (in the free bin at a garage sale!) and then painted acrylic paint mixed glazing medium over it and then skimmed an ink pad over it all. Pretty fun.

Okay I think I've blabbed enough for one post and I'm about ready to call it a night. I was in my pajamas by 4:00 pm so I think it's time for a cup of tea and some rest! I'll share the cards I made tomorrow. Thanks for listening, my dears.

long weekend.

One of the things I love best about Thanksgiving is leftovers. Sure, preparing the meal takes a good part of a day or in some years, several days. But...ahhhh...once the big meal has been prepared, you pretty eat off of the leftovers the whole rest of the weekend. No cooking or very little. I likey!!! And our leftovers would have lasted even longer if we ONLY ate them for dinner. Mashed potatoes and green peas make a very good breakfast!

Okay, confession time. I know I make all kinds of noise about how I love to get up early on the Friday after Thanksgiving and get out there with the mobs of people and catch some good deals. I just love the energy I get from this! But this year, I didn't do it. I just realized, I didn't really need anything. And moreso, over the last few years, I've become less of a store-bought gift giver so I just couldn't get motivated to shop and spend.

Miranda and I did go out Friday afternoon to try to go to the library. It was closed so we consoled ourselves with a trip to Goodwill. It was a good day. Lots of goodies including a bag of buttons still on their cards! I literally gasped when I saw it! Also found a box of envelopes. Cool. Now I know what size to make this year's Christmas cards! Also picked up a book that I am going to alter like Sharon did. I won't do much to the cover though. It's TOO pretty! And after learning how to solder at Art and Soul, I am inspired to use Edina's technique to turn the glass pebbles (in the jar) into these.

Also found this...

I double-gasped when I saw it! Don't know if it's old or just antiqued. I'm not even sure if it really is a bracelet since there's no clasp on it. That's okay, I'll be taking it apart anyways and will use every bit in some fun projects!

Last night (Friday), the three of us went to the movies with the neighbors to see the new James Bond movie, "Casino Royale." It was okay. There were some really good chase scenes including a foot chase that was incredible! Glen loved it but I was just too haunted by some of the scenes to give it a solid thumbs up. The torture scene was just horrific and I don't even have any of the parts that were being, um, tortured! After the movies, we dropped the kiddo off at the house and then went karoake singing. Yay! It was SO fun! We haven't done that for a long time! The place we went to had a really great song list! I can't wait to go back and sing two of my karoake favorites, "Blame it on the Bossa Nova" and "Que Sera Sera!"

Oh! I got all my projects completed for my November Just Johanna Design Team Assignment. I'll share pictures with you tomorrow!

.

I will close now with a picture of my prayer candle I have going today. It's for all the travelers over the holidays and for a few people I am keeping in my thoughts and prayers. Keep safe.

best birthday ever!

It is now 9:00 pm at the end of the day that was my birthday and I can say with all honesty, this was my best birthday ever! I've been thinking about this because for days, I have felt like this was shaping up to be a good one...I was right. But why? I have now recognized the anniversary of my birth 46 times (I'm 47) so I've had, a-hem, a few. This birthday was extremely quiet. We didn't go off on some exotic vacation or I didn't get some big fancy gift or have a big ol' party. So why then, dear reader, is my heart so full of love, happiness, and satisfaction. Could it be that I am so very happy where I am and what I am doing with this life?

There has been an accumulation of many, many wonderful things and events over the last month that, I'm sure, has contributed to my current state of bliss and happiness. The visit with my brother in October, the visit with my sisters and nephews earlier this month, putting my Dad to rest, being to school, success in my job, doing art on a regular basis, on a design team, and then there's the feeling of being so blessed to have such wonderful, thoughtful people for my friends. And I gotta tells ya, some people that I count as some dear friends are ones I've made on-line! I've received gifts and some heartfelt cards and well wishes from several friends that just about brought me to tears! (This doesn't include you Mom - your card absolutely brought me to tears!) Here is a picture of some cards and some gifts received:

I got cards and prezzies from two of my pals Lilli and Malou.  In addition to some yummy stickers and scrapbooking supplies (you girls know me SO well!), Malou also sent this to me:

This is SO cute! Based on the size of it, I'm thinkin' it's a tablecloth but I'm going to try to use it as a shelf liner so the kitty and trim hang down. Gosh this is SO sweet!

My Mom sent me a hilarious card with a turkey on it and some amazing rose stickers she ordered on-line. She also sent me a card that in one sentence, instantly brought me to a full on cry. Thank you Mommy.

My sister Simone sent me a card (even though she had given me a card while she was here!) that included some pictures of our Daddy and this one of me on my eighth birthday, THE turkey and roses birthday! While she was here, Simone also gave me a copy of "Eats, Shoots, and Leaves." I am SO enjoying this! The subtitle is "the zero tolerance approach to punctuation." SO up my alley. The interesting thing was I came very close to buying this for myself several times but for some reason, didn't. And if you know me, you know that I buy books for myself at the drop of a hat. LOVE books! But for some reason, I just never quite got around to buying this one. Must have been kismet!  Thank you SO much Simone!

And then, the thing that made it clear I was having a bout of "best birthday ever-itis" was this:

My sister Renee had roses delivered to my house along with a pop up turkey! I haven't enjoyed a good round of laughing and crying at the same time in a long time!!! This was SO SO sweet and clever Renee! Thank you SO much!!!

I truly am blessed. I am happy and I am healthy, and the people that I care for and love are happy and healthy too, for the most part. My friend Alison is having some health issues and so Ali honey, if you're reading this, you are getting a lot of thoughts and prayers from Oregon! I love you! :-)

collage in progress.

Just wanted to share with you something I'm working on. I actually haven't done much art lately other than what I've created in my drawing class. I have lots of stuff going on in my head though so hopefully this weekend, I can do something.

These last few weeks in my drawing class have been collage. Hello? Color me happy!!! AND I'm getting college credit for this! This past Saturday was "do anything you want" day. So using this image:

Here's what I'm working on. It looks better if you squint your eyes or view it from a distance. The material I'm using is a old dictionary that I picked up at a garage sale for .25 cents! I'll share a shot of this when it's finished. I'm enjoying how it's turning out AND believe it or not, I'm enjoying how utterly tedious this is. SO meditative! :-)

birthday week.

I sure have been in very good spirits these last few days. It actually started last Friday. When I got home from work, Glen had flowers for me! He said they were to kick off the official first day of my birthday week! To quote Lilly Von Schtupp in Blazing Saddles, "What a nice guy!"

So let's see...here is a list of goodness that happened in my life today, aka my birthday week:

• My work day went really fast.
• It didn't rain.
• Bought a new sweater at J. Jill.
• Aforementioned purchase validated my parking so it was free.
• Wore some boots I bought last week and they didn't hurt my feet.
• Brought my lunch today.
• Miranda started a new job at Starbucks today and afterwards, came to my office and brought me a soy Chai no water latte!
• Gave Miranda a ride home and we talked lots.
• Took Miranda shopping to buy pants and a shirt for work. She was successful and it only cost $21!!
• All caught up in class work.
• Feeling inspired and have a clear desk to begin this month's Just Johanna Design Team assignment!
• Joyfully anticipating Christmas and prezzies and cards and treats!
• Had tea with my friend Leslee.
• My friend Heidi told me of a very cool upcoming event.
• Another friend Donna invited me to lunch tomorrow.
• Have lunch plans for Wednesday already with Heidi and Rick, my "movie club" buddies
• Exchanged e-mails with both my beautiful sisters.
• Heard that nephew Casey is likely coming over for Thanksgiving.
• Paid balance for Donna Downey classes in January at Scrapbook Attack.
• Get to ride into work with Miranda tomorrow because she starts work at 7:30 am downtown.
• Didn't have to cook dinner because we had leftovers and Glen made sure I got the LAST yummy meat(less) ball!
• Read through the first Griffin and Sabine book. Sigh.

Okay...so let me stop here and talk for a moment about the Griffin and Sabine book. Wow. What a treat! This is a book I will reread several times. I just want to immerse myself in it's loveliness and mystery! And the visual images are so spectacular! It's a short read because it is exclusively a series of postcards and letters exchanged between the two characters. But oh boy, very cool! I totally know what my friend Lilli meant by being envious that I was just discovering these books. And oh how I know that feeling! There are a few books and movies that I wish I could experience for the first time again. Jane Erye. Bid Time Return. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Nottinghill.

I have already decided that although I have two other books in the Griffin and Sabine series (how many are there?), I will NOT rush into reading them. I will savor this anticipation. I LOVE anticipation! Likely I will wait until a rainy day, put on a fire, make a cup of tea and then enjoy it.

Hope you have a splendid evening!

something new.

Hi guys and gals! So I wanted to share with you a new discovery I made yesterday.

Glen and I attend the Neuberger Banquet last night. This is a fundraiser for the Washington County Democrats. It was very exciting to be amongst so many elected local and state representatives in various positions, Glen being among them. It was fun because we've realized that our circle of friends is growing to include people that are passionate and politically active. It was also cool to realize that a few friends whom we've known for years are also very involved and currently hold positions they were elected into. Needless to say, last night was lots of fun. There was also some good entertainment including a bidding "feud" that unfolded between two local city officials (and friends of ours) over a cut-down-your-own Christmas tree item that was in the silent auction. LOL!

And speaking of the silent auction, that brings me to my discovery. There were some really cool things in the silent auction and I made bids on several things. A necklace, anything chocolate, some gift certificates, and some assorted goody baskets. There were lots of political and sports items but nothing interested me there. There were lots of people so there was a fair amount of bidding going on and I had fun watching people stake out "their" item!  There was only one item that I truly set my sights on and it was this goody basket.

I know it's hard to see what it is in this picture but the thing that caught my eye was a wonderful pen set. It's a feathered quill with nibs. Also, there were these sweet bottles of ink in a variety of colors and three Griffin and Sabine books. Up until this point in my life, I had never heard of Griffin and Sabine. After hearing several people talk about them, I am SO happy that I successfully made this goody basket mine! I was so determined to get this that I even outbid myself! LOL! So goofy, I know, but it was worth it.

I can't wait to curl up and dive into these books! From what I understand, it's the story of correspondence that occurs between two people, Griffin and Sabine. The books have an envelope and then a postcard inside so it's very interactive. Fun!

Okay, Glen, Miranda, and I are off to go do some grocery shopping now. We need to get out of the house and we need food so there you go. It is extremely dark and rainy today and so far all we've done all day is some housework, interspersed with sitting around reading the paper and drinking coffee. Perfect! :-)

upgrade.

I have a riddle for you! What do you get when you cross a 40% off coupon and an upcoming bookmaking project? I'll tell you! A new papercutter! Yee-haw! So I've been using this one...

It still works okay although the cut edge is always a bit rough. I bought it about seven years ago at a garage sale for $7. I remember at the time, feeling like that was a lot of money but I never regretted it because from the moment I got it, I used it and used it! I never knew I needed one until I had one!

And here's my new one...so shiny!

Okay, so here's an odd thing - this papercutter has a laser so it uses batteries! I just thought that was the funniest thing - a papercutter with batteries! There is a very cool feature in that the blade has a locking mechanism on it so no more sharp edges hanging out there in the world, waiting for sweet little fingers!

I couldn't leave you with just showing you pictures of my papercutter so here is a picture of my little helper guy....

So today at lunch time, I was in Bath and Body Works today. Officially started my Christmas shopping. Wow! Can you believe it? A week from today is Thanksgiving and in addition to that being Thanksgiving, my birthday, and a day off of work, it is, in my opinion, the BEST newspaper day of the entire year! Five full inches of ads and sales! Oh how I love reading the paper that day. I can't wait to see what deals are in store for me! I really do enjoy getting up super early that morning, stopping to get a coffee, and be out with the crowds at 6:00 am! I know I'm a freak, but it just feels magical. It's the start of that whole wonderful time of the year. Then I love being home by 10:00, putting on Christmas music and start wrapping prezzies! So festive!

Okay...I'm off to go start thinking about what I want to make for Christmas presents this year!

Happy day!!!

Justin ain't got nothin' on my baby.

I'm not saying she's bringin' sexy back, but the girl's got style.

Miranda thrifted this hat recently at Ye Old Goodwill. Too cool.

She has a show Friday night (singer in a band) and said she might wear it. I suggested start out with it on and then midway through her show, casually remove it and set on the mike stand, ala Frank Sinatra. She gave me the obligatory laugh and then promptly said, "I don't think so." :-)