Forced Time Off!

On October 12th, I woke with the most tremendous pain on the right side of my lower back and pain radiating down the front of my right leg, just to my knee.  I've had this type of pain before, so I took muscle relaxers and laid around for almost two days.  Didn't help.  It got worse.  I literally could not walk without excruciating pain.

The only good thing about the trip to the emergency room was the two hours of pain relief.  After a trip to my doctor and an MRI, I was told that I had a herniated disc between L4 & L5, a bulging disc between L1 & L2, and a growth below L1 that was pushing against a nerve cluster.  What?  Really?  My doctor had provided me with anti-inflammatory and pain meds, but after a few days of being sick, I gave up on the anti-inflammatory!

So, the doctor made an appointment for me to see a neurosurgeon on November 13th.  At that point, it was 4 weeks away and I really was in tears.

I was able to get the appointment moved up to November 6th, which isn't far off now.  My daily goal has been to walk anywhere in my house without feeling crippled with pain!  I pay attention to when I eat and when I take a pain pill, or I end up sick.  I just want to walk from my living room sofa to the kitchen for a glass of water without assistance!

My dear sweet husband has his hands full:  working full time, working on 12 credits of college classes, and taking care of me.  He's kept up very well with laundry, cooking, and doing everything.  Thank you dear one!  Thank you also to Jamie, a dear new friend, who brought us the most delicious casserole and keeps checking on me.

Anyway, I have been forced to take some time off from creating anything.  I miss my craft studio, and I miss my life!  I am not used to being so idle.

I'm pretty sure I'm heading for surgery, I just don't know when.  I keep praying and trying to concentrate on anything but the pain.

Please keep checking back because as soon as I feel better, I will start posting again!

Girl's Birthday

This card has a lot of elements but was lots of fun to make!  The picture doesn't show the true color - the pink is bright pink.

A2 Card Base

White CS

Bashful Blue & Pink Passion CS (SU)

Foil Green Swirls Paper (DCWV)

It's Your Birthday stamp set (SU)

Card Chatter stamp set (CTMH)

Always in My Thoughts stamp set (SU)

Pink Passion, Old Olive, Chocolate Chip markers (SU)

Espresso Adirondack ink paw (Ranger)

Butterfly Ribbon (Made for Retail, Inc.)

Beautiful Wings Embosslit (SU)

Silver Stickles (Ranger)

White Opal & Flamingo Liquid Pearls (Ranger)

White sheer ribbon (JoAnn's)

Advent Calendar

I've been wanting to make this advent calendar since Kathy at Paper Phenomenon did her Ustream classes on it. I've been making so many cards lately that I'm sort of burned out on cards, so I jumped in with both feet. I still have some work to do on the "snow" area and probably some other stuff to add, and it is actually for Gary, who apparently has never had an advent calendar that he can remember! This is what I've gotten done so far:

Another Ornament!

I finally gave the ornament framelits and stamp set back to my SU Demo, Pam, who said I could keep them if I still wanted to use them, but, I bought my own set so now I can play anytime I want!  To top off my week, when Pam delivered my SU order she also gifted me a package of the Candlelight Christmas DP!  I was so surprised!  That's just Pam - she does that all the time - she's just the best and sweetest SU Demo ever!  Her only condition was that I had to make her an ornament out of it - not a problem!  (I forgot to take a picture of her ornament!)

Gary was feeling a bit left out - not a single "masculine" ornament in all those I made, so I hunted up some scraps of paper (literally!), and found some from last year's Graphic 45 collection (clocks on the fronts of these papers).  So, I got busy!  This is the "darkest" ornament I've made and the picture just doesn't show the details. So, here's Gary's ornament (which is now hanging in his college "study" room, aka man cave):

I think I'm addicted to making these ornaments!  As you can see - no ribbon or tulle!  This is not the ornament on the front of the SU Holiday Mini catalog, but my own version using four of the ornament dies.  I actually didn't have enough of the black print paper, so I used Michael's Kraft cardstock for the back two  cuts of the two largest ornaments.  It gives the ornament sort of a shadow effect.

Not ALL ornaments have to be for Christmas or frilly!

Lion Little Girl Birthday

I saw this cute punch art lion made by Kim Score (link to her blog below), and just had to try it!  It was so simple and fun and I'm sure our granddaughter will love it as she loves all zoo animals.

A2 Card Base
Pink Pirouette, Really Rust, More Mustard & Apricot Appeal CS (SU)
White & Black CS
Green Striped Paper (SU)
Pink Passion ink pad (SU)
Rusty Hinge Distress ink pad (Tim Holtz/Ranger)
Spun Sugar Distress ink pad (Tim Holtz/Ranger)
Well Scripted stamp set (SU)
1/2", 3/4" & 1-3/8" Circle Punches
Eyes & Nose: Owl Punch (SU)
Small Oval Punch (SU)
Tail - Leaf Sizzlit Die (Sizzix)
Black and White markers

Click here for Kim Score's blog.

Embossed Birthday

This is a super simple card using an embossing folder I forgot I had.  Once again, I was looking for a masculine birthday card idea.  Just changing the only color in the card could easily make this a feminine card.  I used glossy card stock for the embossed piece then inked it with a distress ink and applicator.

Supplies:
A2 Card base: White CS
Brocade Blue CS (SU)
Glossy White CS (SU)
Birthday embossing folder (ProvoCraft)
Chipped Sapphire Distress ink pad (Tim Holtz/Ranger)
Navy 3/8" Grosgrain Ribbon (Michael's)

Thanksgiving for the Adults

This is a super easy, but time consuming card - 3 leaf stamps and 9 circles per card (I made 13 all together!).  I also used Old Olive cardstock, which is a rare color in my cards.

Supplies:
A2 Card Base: Very Vanilla
Very Vanilla, Pumpkin Pie & Old Olive CS (SU)
Pumpkin Pie, Really Rust & Old Olive ink pads (SU)
Espresso Adirondack ink pad (Ranger)
Leaf Stamps (WeAreMemoryKeepers)
Heartfelt stamp set (SU)
1" Circle punch (EKSuccess)
5/8" Cream Twill Tape (Offray)
Square Brown brads (JoAnn's)

Thanksgiving(For the Little Kids)

For the grandkids, I have my long list of "cards to make" divided into "little kids" and "teenagers" and these are the Thanksgiving cards for the little kids.  I've discovered from my three step-daughters that their kids like the 3"x3" cards because they fit better in little hands.  Plus I have to make no less than five different variations!  For this card, I changed the mat colors.

ELEGANT EGGPLANT

RICH RAZZLEBERRY

GARDEN GREEN

EARLY ESPRESSO

OLD OLIVE

Supplies:

3" square card base: Very Vanilla CS (SU)

Very Vanilla, Early Espresso, Old Olive, Not Quite Navy, Garden Green, Rich Razzleberry, Elegant Eggplant, Pumpkin Pie CS (SU)

Give Thanks stamp set (SU) (I used a stampamajig and marker for the partial sentiment)

Rusty Hinge Distress ink pad (Tim Holtz/Ranger) (sponging on card fronts)

Espresso Adirondack ink pad (Ranger)

Garden Green, Creamy Caramel, Pumpkin Pie & Chocolate Chip Markers (SU)