Flowers and Princesses ...

Have I ever mentioned I love paper crafting??? Stamping? Making STUFF?? I have been soooo out of the loop this past five weeks (lucky for me I had some stuff in my arsenal to share with all y'all, or this blog woulda been EMPTY!). I actually made this card this morning ... dragged myself down to my craft room (which I usually keep pretty clean, but due to the wacko way my life has been is an absolutely TRAIN WRECK!). I didn't even have the obligatory 6"x6" clean spot to work in (so I had to make one!). Yikes!! But at least I got to make a card (and sorry for the over abundance of birthday cards lately ... I have a bunch of family birthdays coming up and need to get on top of it!). This card is a hybrid of a couple of things I saw on Pinterest ... feeling sooo badly that I have NO idea where the inspiration(s) came from, so I have NO idea who to credit!!! Sorry 'bout that!

Stamps: Creative Elements, Petite Pairs
Paper: Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, Whisper White
Ink: Cherry Cobbler, Soft Suede
Accessories: Designer Frames Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Pearl Basics, Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding

Moms are making progress. My mother in law is doing amazingly well. She should be out of the rehab center by the weekend ... a mere 7 weeks after her terrible fall down the stairs that resulted in many broken bones (including her neck!). She is almost completely weaned from the neck brace. She is such an inspiration with her happy, cheerful attitude and zest for life. I only hope that I can be as awesome as she is at her age when I get there! My own mom is making slow progress, but progress nonetheless. Her body is still pretty wiped out from all she has been through, but I have been able to kidnap her a couple of times and take her to lunch and on a little drive. I think it does her good to get out and see the "real" world from time to time!!




And this little angel put such a smile on my universe this weekend. Sweet little Emma took a tumble down the stairs ("Just like great-grandma!" she says.). Broke both the bones in her forearm. This girl is a princess through and through. She LEAKS pink!! And sparkle!! And all those happy, princess-y things. So everyone was SHOCKED when, after days and days of talking about getting her "pink princess cast" she informed the nurse that she wanted a BLACK one!! WHAT??!!?? We were all soooo confused ... until she mentioned to the nurse that she was gonna make it "sparkly like a princess!" YAY and HOORAY!! I CAN DO THAT!!!



Was sooo excited to have her come over last night so we could hook her up! Her mom and I giggled all the way through the process ... it was so much fun to deck her out!! (See??? Having a nearly unlimited supply of blingy stuff IS essential for those "rainy day" projects that might unexpectedly come up!) I was laughing so much when I took her picture. And just so ya know ... she did not dress up like this to come and visit me so we could bedazzle her cast ... she dresses like this pretty much EVERY stinkin' DAY!!! She and her little sister LOVE to be princesses, that's for sure!! (Don't we ALL??)

FYI ... I have NOT forgotten about the little basket tutorial I promised for the project I made for LAST month's Control Freak's Blog Tour. I just haven't been home long enough to actually do it (or if I have been, I've been wiped out and crashed!). I will have it up for ya this week, so stay tuned ... and thanks for being patient with me!! This will be a perfect thing to make for Easter ...

Happy Monday!

Three in a Row

Just a quick fly-by today ... I feel sooooo rusty!! I haven't had hardly ANY time to "play" with paper in the past 5 weeks ... between going to work, hobbling around on my foot to TRY to clean the house (a little) and running back and forth to the rehab place to visit my moms, I have very little free time. The good news is that both moms continue to make improvements ... my mother in law should be ready to go home in a week or so, and my own mom should not be far behind her. HOORAY!!

I had envisioned this card much differently, but my brain and hands were not cooperating today. I did it for the Free for All Challenge over on SCS. The challenge was to use "three or more" or anything, so I did my bestest!!

Now, it's off to another day at the races!!

Ciao!!

Stamps: Petitie Pairs
Paper: Rich Razzleberry, Lucky Limeade, Daffodil Delight, Whisper White, Summer Smooches DP
Ink: Rich Razzleberry
Accessories: Blossom Punch, Small Oval Punch, Triple Layer Blossom Punch, Word Window Punch, Whisper White Baker's Twine, Brights Buttons, Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Folder, Paper Crimper

Freaky Spring Has Sprung!

Welcome to Spring!! (Or at least the Freaky version of it!!) You should have just come from the ever-so-Springy projects of Dawn Olchefske ... I am LOVING the color combos she used with her beautiful daisy garden!! C'mooooon, Spring!!




I kinda had an explosion of pink in my craft room ... after having made this first card, I wanted to make a TOTAL departure and do something absoLUTEly different ... it didn't quite work out how I had planned ...

This Vintage Vogue stamp set is so much fun to create with!! I kinda started stamping and cutting and flowers and couldn't hardly stop myself (yes, I must admit, I am one of those WEIRD ones who actually ENJOY "fussy" cutting ... go figure)!

Stamps: Vintage Vogue, Bring on the Cake
Paper: Rose Red, Blushing Bride, Whisper White
Ink: Rose Red, Blushing Bride, Pear Pizzazz
Accessories: Framelits Labels Collection, Pear Pizzazz Pleated Satin Ribbon, Pearl Basics, Ticket Corner Punch, Adorning Accents Textured Impressions Folder, Brights Button, Whisper White Baker's Twine


As I stated earlier, this card started out in a COMPLETELY different color combo!! I started with Tempting Turquoise, Black, Crumb Cake and Whisper White ... NOT where I ended up!! Try as I might, I could not get the "vision" of what I had planned in my head to come out onto the paper ... so I just gave in to my inner Pink Princess and let 'er go ....

Stamps: BFF
Paper: Melon Mambo, Tempting Turquoise, Pink Pirouette, Whisper White
Ink: Whisper White, Melon Mambo
Accessories: Beautiful Butterflies Bigz Die, Beautiful Wings Embosslits Folder, Adorning Accents Textured Impressions Embossing Folder and Edgelits Die, Blushing Bride Pleated Satin Ribbon

And ... what the heck ... I just let the pink take over on this one!! I have NO excuse other than I like pink, and pink makes me think of flowers and spring and Easter ... so there!!! This is actually one of those little plastic "goodie" eggs you get for the kids' Easter Baskets (and YES, you CAN open it and fill it with CHOCOLATE-Y goodness). I can't believe I actually had THAT many rhinestones (there are 85 of them on here!!). Faberge' eggs got NOTHIN' on this baby!! (And it is standing in a little EMPTY brad/button container ... way to recycle, baby!)

Paper: Melon Mambo, Pretty in Pink, Pink Pirouette, Whisper White, Nursery Suite DSP
Accessories: Boho Blossom Punch, Rhinestone Basics, Whisper White Satin/Organza Ribbon

Now go and check out Connie Babbert's bunny and birthday box!! Sooooo ca-YOOT!!

Lucky Me!

First of all ... I had to share that I actually got to STAMP something!!! Something with some of my NEW stuffs!! Something just because I FELT like it!!! HOLYCOW!!
I LOVE this stinkin' Mixed Bunch Stamp Set/Punch combo!!! (And thankyouverymuchJanTink for making me love something I initially really didn't like ... at ALL!!) With my life being as crazy as it has been with the hospital merry-go-round for the past month, I have had very little time to do anything but CRASH into sleep every time I come home. It is nice that I am starting to feel mo' bettah AND that my moms are at a rehab facility right down the street from my house ... MUCH more manageable!! Both moms are making progress ... my mother in law should be ready to come home in the next couple of weeks (she has made an amazingly-miraculous recovery), and my own mother should not be too much farther behind her. I can't say again how thankful I am for all of the prayers and support I have received from so many different corners ... I am grateful more than I can say.

Stamps: Mixed Bunch, Elementary Elegance
Paper: Poppy Parade, Lucky Limade, Peach Parfait, Whisper White
Ink: Poppy Parade, Peach Parfait, Whisper White, Versamark Marker
Accessories: Whisper White Baker's Twine, Daffodil Delight Seam Binding, Blossom Punch, Large (Wide) Oval Punch

Which brings me to the next subject ... a random act of kindness from my new friend, Morgan. I have long been an admirer of the simple and elegant jewelry in Morgan's Etsy shop (this photo doesn't really even do justice to how beautiful it is!) ... without really knowing me or my crazy life (especially this past month), Morgan put a smile on my life with her kind nature and giving heart. I won't go into any great detail, but suffice it to say her thoughtful gesture brought tears to my eyes. She has inspired me to "pay it forward" ... if more people treated others this way our world would be a much happier place, don'tcha think??? Hooray for happy people!!

More from "Tink and Bell"

Jan and I have been having SOOO much fun with Tink and Bell's Digital Scrapbooking Club ... as have our friends and club members! This is one of the first sketches we helped our members with ... didn't it turn out fun?? (I hafta admit it, it is HARD for me to scrapbook something about me ... but since Halloween is my FAVORITE, I decided it was as good a subject matter as anything!!)







And, DANG!! Here I am AGAIN!! This time it is with my best friend ... I have been blessed to be married to the most fantastic person ever!! He has been my rock ... don't know WHAT I'd do without him!!







And it's NOT too late to join in the fun with me and Jan ... in addition to getting two sketches per month, we are also doing some great video tutorials on how to use MDS (My Digital Studio) ... click on the "Tink and Bell's Digital Scrapbooking Club" tab at the top of my blog to learn how you can be part of our club ... we'd love to have ya!!

Big Ol' Butterfly with Summer Smooches!

Being THE self-professed Butterfly Queen, I knew I HAD to copy this little guy when I saw him. Holy cow!! Isn't this aDORable??

I got the idea via LeeAnn Greff, via Bev Watt, via Kim Score!!! Honestly, I wouldn't know how to do ANYthing crafty if it weren't from the inspiration I receive/ideas I collect from the Genius of others!! Thanks to all who share what they love every day for making me stretch my limits and my "wings" every time I sit down to create!!

I used this card as my sample for today's F4A (Free for All) Challenge over on SCS (for which I am the hostess). The challenge was to incorporate an accordion or "fan" fold somewhere. The background on this is actually made using a Bigz rosette die ... was too lazy to cut out three more pieces to complete the rosette, so I just used one pieces and laid it straight across the card instead of putting four pieces together in a circular fashion. I love how this looks with the new Summer Smoohes DSP!

FINALLY got my mom OUT of the hospital late yesterday afternoon and into the rehab facility (she is actually only a couple of doors away from my mother in law!). I will be able to visit BOTH of these wonderful women in one stop!! What a blessing! So grateful to all of the doctors and nurses who have given/continue to give such loving care to both of them. Hope to have them BOTH out of there and back to their regular selves soon!

Stamps: Create a Cupcake
Paper: Rich Razzleberry, Daffodil Delight, Pear Pizzazz, Real Red, Basic Black, Summer Smooches DSP
Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Signo White Gel Pen
Accessories: Punches, Rosette Bigz Die, Daffodil Delight Seam Binding, Summer Smooches Brads, Paper Crimper

I'm Still Here!!

I have been meaning to write a post all week! I will be oh-so-glad when I am off of this crazy roller-coaster-ride of hospitals and such!! Sheesh!

Here is a card I did quite some time ago and never got around to posting ... and it is reflective of where I have been many times in the past few weeks. Sooo grateful for the power of prayer and its influence on my life. And I am continually grateful for so many of you who have sent well wishes and offers of prayers. You all are the BEST!!

Stamps: Lift Up Our Hands, Best Friends Forever
Paper: Island Indigo, Pool Party, Whisper White
Ink: Island Indigo
Accessories: Perfect Pennants Bigz Die, Lacy Pearl Trim, Silver Flower Charm

Mom is FINALLY moving out of the hospital TODAY!! Soooo very happy about that. She will be moving into a rehab facility for a short time in order to get the help she needs to rebuild her strength. She is soooo wiped out. Poor sweet Mom ... I am so glad she has enough stubborn/fiesty left in her to keep on keepin' on. I was blessed to be able to get her into the same rehab facility where my mother in law is, so that is going to make things very nice ... and it is literally just down the street from my house, which will make visits all that much easier. I am so grateful that we are at this point and look forward to getting her home!

Today is my 27th wedding anniversary ... I am married to the most wonderful person and my very best friend. He has been an absolute ROCK for me through this entire ordeal ... he has been an absolute ROCK for me through our whole lives together. Love you, Ron!! Looking forward to the next 27 years ... and beyond!! (that kinda sounded like Buzz Lightyear ... so much for being sweet and heartfelt, right??)

And I did NOT forget about the basket tutorial I promised ... I will get to that this weekend ... thanks for being patient with me!

A Little Lily

This card was actually an experiment. I realized I could've gotten the results much differently ... and probably easier ... but it was a fun way to get to the final result.

See that lily??? See how it looks like So Saffron cardstock??? Well ... it ISN'T!! It's actually Soft Suede ... I stamped the lily with Basic Black craft ink and embossed it with clear embossing powder. Then, I "colored" the flower with a q-tip and some bleach ... so there ya have it. I like how it came out, though ...

Foot surgery went well. In fact, my foot is still pretty much NUMB, so I'm not having ANY pain!! (I am being a good girl and taking my Ibuprofen every 8 hours for swelling ... keeping my foot elevated and iced ...) It just seems weird that I'm not feeling ANYthing!! I can FINALLY feel MOST of my toes ... my toe biggest toes are still a little half-in/half-out ... I'm just waiting for that stinky pain monster to rear its ugly head!! (Maybe it's on vacation! Where I hope it STAYS!!)

Mom is still in ICU. They are having a very hard time weaning her off of the blood pressure medicine (dopamine). She actually had a totally-unexplained seizure last night. Didn't remember it at all, and seemed to have no side effects from it. They are going to do an EEG this morning to see what's up. Sigh ... this has been a long haul for her. I certainly hope they can get her out of that hospital SOON!!

And my mother in law seems to be moving right along. At the rate we are going, it is quite possible that my mom AND my mother in law will be in the same rehab facility for a short time together. That would be nice for both of them, I think, as they are already good friends and lunch buddies. Here's hoping ...

Stamps: Define Your Life, Fifth Avenue Floral, French Filigree Background
Paper: Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, Pear Pizzazz, Very Vanilla
Ink: Very Vanilla, Black Craft, Soft Suede, Whisper White
Accessories: Vintage Wallpaper and Square Lattice Textured Impressions Folders, Build a Blossom Punch, Decorative Label Punch, Very Vanilla Seam Binding, Dimensionals, White Gel Pen, Pearl Stickers

Happy Leap Year!!

Wouldn't today be the COOLEST day to have a birthday??? Seriously ... it would take you FOREVER to get old!! (Although, that would ALSO mean that you would be a teenager for a very, VERY long time!!) In all actuality, my dear friend, Kim Smith is having a birthday today and she hasn't EVEN reached her teens "officially" ... yet ... Happy Birthday, Girl!!

Learned to make these little paper-punch flowers from my cute friend, Emilee, during a shoebox swap we did at Convention last summer ... aren't they fun??? They are made from four scallop circles fiolded into fourths and placed on a large glue dot with the tips of the folded pieces touching in the center ... kapisch?? (That word just makes me smile ... my Dad used to use it all the time!)

Stamps: Elements of Style
Paper: Real Red, Night of Navy, Whisper White, Night of Navy Patterned DSP
Ink: Night of Navy, Real Red
Accessories: Scallop Circle Punch, Whisper White Satin/Organza Ribbon, Eyelet Border Punch, Polka Dot Brads (retired)

My mother-in-law tells me that the physical therapists have introduced "pain" into her daily exercises ... a fact that she laments, but also relishes because she knows she is healing. Her stamina and optimism amaze me ...

My mom is struggling to maintain a decent blood pressure ... she is having a hard time being weaned off of the dopamine that is keeping her pressure up. Her sense of humor is still intact, though ... while we were watching a little tv the other night, a news promo came on touting the upcoming Republican primary elections in Michigan. I asked my mom what she thought about them ... she said, "Who?" I said, "Romney and Santorum ... the guys running for the Republican side." A dyed-in-the-wool Democrat, my mom responded quickly and without skipping a beat, "I don't think they should have ANYbody running on the Republican side!" 'Nuf said ...

And I am heading into outpatient surgery this morning at 6:00 a.m. to cheer up my cranky foot ... (as if my life didn't have ENOUGH drama/hospitals at the moment!). I will get a day or two "off" from my crazy schedule of running back and forth to visit my mom, run errands and trying to squeeze a little work in there somewhere (good thing we are self employed!). I am sooo blessed that my big brother, Kenny, arrived from Colorado Springs last night to help out with my mom ... the extremes I go to in order to get some R&R ... Sheesh!!!

Stamp Club Cards

Believe it or not, a week ago last Saturday I actually squeezed in some time to make a few card samples and have some good times with my Stamp Club Girls (an escape I DESPERATELY needed!!). Thanks to some inspiration from my BFF Cheryl (love you, Girl! Thanks sooo much!), these are the cards that we made (to be fair, I almost made exact copies of the cards Cheryl had done for her own Stamp Club ... with a few slight modifications ... because I have had NO time to be creative lately!).



This first one is so easy it's scary!! LOVE the new Hearts Framelits dies!! I hafta admit I added the Baker's Twine AFTER I had already had the class ... I kept thinking it was "missing" something ... and I remedied it, at least for the sample in this photo ...

Stamps: Sprinkled Expressions
Paper: Wisteria Wonder, Concord Crush, Whisper White, Sweet Shop DSP
Ink: Concord Crush
Accessories: Hearts Framelets Dies, Wisteria Wonder Baker's Twine



And this is a variation on the Valentine's Day card I did for my hubby (the idea also was inspired by Cheryl). I cheated and used a not-to-be-mentioned-non-SU diecut for the "windows" ... something you could also achieve with a square punch ... I was just in too much of a hurry to go there, so I did this instead.

Stamps: Kindness Matters
Paper: Calypso Coral, Soft Suede, Whisper White, Everyday Enchantment DSP
Ink: Soft Suede
Accessoires: Large Oval Punch, Everyday Enchantment Ribbon, Adorning Accents Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (Heart Border), Itty Bitty Heart Punch, Pearl Basics


One more ... I totally LOVE the combination of the Crumb Cake and Pool Party cardstocks ... I think they look great together, don't you??

Stamps: You're My Type
Paper: Crumb Cake, Pool Party, Whisper White, PInk Pirouette
Ink: Basic Black
Accessories: Pool Party Seam Binding, Fashionable Hearts Embosslits Die, Rhinestone Basics

I am still more or less "living" at the hospital with my mom. She had a setback on Saturday ... a TIA ... which is a medical abbreviation for a transient stroke. Very scary stuff, but it appears that she has regained most of her previous abilities (although it is kinda hard to tell since she is so incredibly exhausted after all she has been through). We are hoping that she can make the move out of ICU very soon and start regaining some of her strength. I cannot thank you all enough ... again ... for your outpouring of love and support.

My mother-in-law continues to do well ... we are hoping that she does not have to spend much longer in the rehab facility. She is making wonderful progress!

I am having a little outpatient foot surgery tomorrow (when it rains, it pours, right??). Should be kinda uneventful, and hope to be back to "normal" (whatever THAT means!) in no time!! At least I will have some time to watch the second season of Downton Abbey ... again ... soooo totally addicted to that show!!

I think I seriously need another trip to Disneyland ... or a CRUISE ... better yet, a DISNEY cruise!!! Oh man, that would be the BEST!!