Love Blooms In Me

Few Cards

OK, I know, I've been MIA for a few more days. Barry home and me not feeling well is just getting too much. I've tried to work on a few cards this week. I did some done yesterday and I'll share them. It's one day feeling better and then the next not. Today was a not, so hopefully tomorrow will be better! Barry talked to his office today and they are still paying him, at least for this week and still looking for another contract, so we are safe for another week. I know I would get better alot quicker if he wasn't under my feet all day and always wanting to "do" something!

Just another snowman using up some more of that Figgy paper. Just a nice bright Christmas card. They are beginning to look alike to me at this point!

This is a card I made last year, but it's still a pretty one. If I can find the stamp tomorrow I'm going to make some more. Very easy and elegant!

Well, that's it for now. I'll try and make it back tomorrow and maybe I'll have better news on the Barry job front. Thanks again for all your emails and concern about my health. Blessings to you all!

Paula

Thanksgiving Photo

I've gotten so many emails from friends asking what's up with me! I haven't posted in a while and they were getting worried. That's so kind of everyone to think of me. I have been under the weather for the better part of three weeks and I am finally, I hope, on the mend! Another new medicine, but at least the cough is starting to stop and that's a very good thing as Martha says! I haven't played much in the last week. Nothing I've tried has really worked and Barry being home isn't helping. He's still waiting for the next contract to start. At least he got paid for last week and now we just have to see for how long that will last. Being without work is never good, but worse at this time of the year, and it's the second year in a row for us. When do you get too old for this stuff????

I have a picture that was taken on Thanksgiving with the whole family. The boys took us out to a wonderful Brazilian restaurant. They love meat and meat they severed. The best part for me was just seeing all my family happy and healthy. This year has been a long one and I was just so happy to have them all. I think I'm getting shorter as the years go by or the kids are a lot larger then I remember! Look how big Madelyn has gotten. 4 1/2. Time does fly. Justin will graduate in June from HS and Evan is be 33 soon. It's hard to believe he's my "baby"!

Again, thank you all for caring about me. Blessing to you all and to your families!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Just my wish for all of my family and friends to have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day! I am blessed with so much love and good fortune, having all my dearest ones around today and I wish you all the same!

Paula

Under the Weather

Just when I thought I was getting over all this cold stuff, it strikes again! Barry is home right now and yesterday we went to Tom Thumb. It was so cold in there and I got to feeling so bad we had to come home. I made Barry put the food away and I went to bed! Lots of medicine later, I'm feeling much better. I'm glad I don't have to cook for the holidays! We did buy a turkey breast to make for sandwiches for the weekend.

I made a few cards over the weekend and this is one. I was tired of Christmas stuff so I broke out the flowers! Since it's going to be finally winter there in Dallas tomorrow, I thought one last fling with Spring would be fun!

Did you see the new Mini Catty from SU? This is the link to see all the new stuff! I can't wait to be able to see it in person! The good thing is that Jan is my month for stamp club this year!http://www.stampinup.com/us/documents/SSCPreview_08_us.pdf

Well, enjoy the looking and have a great day! I've got to go and do something today besides watch programs on the DVR!

Blessing to you all for a wonderful holiday!

Oh Sweet Saturday!

Isn't that the day you wait all week for? Remember back when you were in school and everything you asked to do got the same answer--wait till Saturday! Well, it's the day and here I sit do nothing! It's not that I don't have anything else to do, it's just that I want to enjoy a bit of down time and thought I'd show some of new things I've made off. Then you can enjoy Saturday with me too!

I just love using this fun stamp from SU! It has grown on me. I cut an extra snowman out and used a pop dot for him. Lots of Stickles are on the letter and I found these "gems" in my stash. I think they came from M's $bin. The paper is from SU and BG,

I made several of these "teacher" gift sets to sell on ebay and found some darling clear gift bags with snowmen on them to send them in. I love making these little sets. They so easy and fun to do. I have four different ones made, so I'll see how they sell.

I guess that's about it for today. Not a busy one, but maybe we'll do something this afternoon after I take a nap!

Happy weekend to all and blessing to everyone!

Out With A Bang

Well, we hope it's just a small bang, but tomorrow is Barry's last day at the current contract he's at. He hopes to start another one either Friday or Monday. Fingers Crossed! Anyway, he called about 90 minutes ago to say that it's looking good but he "NEEDS" two cards for tomorrow. One for the boss and another for the people he works with. Now, he's known he was leaving after tomorrow for about two weeks, and still didn't tell me he needed cards. He is one lucky man to have such a crafty wife who could whip him up some cool cards right away!

The first one is for his boss. He's from New Orleans and loves his food, so I thought this would be cute. I paper pieced the chef with BG paper. I just love doing this because it always looks so cool and it's so easy to do. The stamps are from SU. I know, no surprise there.

Second card is the people he works with. Since I already had the pad of BG out I thought I'd use some more of it. I even stamped the envelope. The puppy's are from Loads of Love, but everything fits so well with the boats too.

Off to do something for dinner now. It's been one of "those" days. Maybe tomorrow I'll get my act together and stamp some more cards for the holidays. It was fun to take a break, but costly!

Have a blessed evening and come visit again soon!

Paula

Barry Home, No Stampin!

Yesterday was a bank holiday, so Barry had the day off. Guess what? I didn't get much done and he even went to a meeting last night and I had time to myself. I did sell a bunch of cards last night, so I guess that counts for something! We went to M's in the afternoon and I saw a friend who we don't see often enough and she is having a booth at the craft show in the high school right down the street from me on Saturday. She said I should bring my stuff and see if it sells. If I have anything extra made, I'm going to do that. It's been years since I did any craft shows.

I'm so glad that I bought this set of stamps from SU called Season of Joy. I just sat and looked at it for days before I finally figured out what to make. I love the way this card turned out. Lots of glitter and some hardware too. I love the Wintergreen paper from Stampin Up. It's one of the prettiest papers I seen. I hear all good things about what's coming in the new catalog in January, so I can't wait to see more.

Second card using the same set but with different papers. I also added some corner on this card and the extra snowflake. The gems added a lot of glitz!

Well, I'm off to create or at least look at my stamps for the next several hours! I need to create something to sell for the rest of the week. I think I'm caught up with special orders and now I have some design work to do and maybe make a few cards for the show. We'll see...

Have a great day and I hope you all are Blessed with good health, love and friendship!

Friday, Friday

Boy, who would have thought we'd make it to Friday this week! What a long week and now it's almost time to have fun! What are your plans for this weekend? Nothin for tonight, but tomorrow Barry has several Lion's functions to attend and we are planning to get together with friends for Pizza for dinner. Can't wait to see them! Gretchen and I always have such a fun time when we get in the same room as stamps! Fred, her DH, is such a good guy too. He really listens to the things she wants and then when it was her birthday, he got her lots of those goodies! That's what I call a good husband or newlyweds!

Pretty card? I wanted this set called Peaceful Wishes so bad from SU and then since I've gotten it, I've only made one card! Do you ever have a set you can't seem to get your handle on? This for me is one of those sets. I do like the way the card turned out. I did case the basic layout from another stamper. Sorry I can't remember who or where, but I changed up the paper and color, so I hope if she see's it, she'll like it! The paper is from Cosmo Cricket. The ribbon was a bit too bright, so I toned it down by coloring it with a Copic marker that's near to the River Rock of SU. I added some "snow" with liquid applicate.

Well, gotta get back to making cards. They are really selling well this year, but they don't get themselves made as hard as I tried that! Snowmen are calling my name. Have a great weekend. Stay safe and warm, and finally, as always, Blessing to you all!

Some Fun Things Today

How about nothing but fun cards today? I'm not up to much after coughing half the night, but I thought I'd share some of the cards I've been making and selling. The first one is with GinaK stamps and Figgy Pudding paper. I save all the scraps and had to find a way to cover up some of the places it didn't fit, so I used the ribbon. The flowers are from the Holiday Collection of Prima Flowers.

The second card was made using Season of Joy from SU. I really like anything I can use flowers on. I was going to make two cards alike, but then this one ended up not so straight and I had to take it apart. I like the way it turned out. Figgy again!

The last card is using Kitchen Sink designs stamps and of course some Basic Grey. I think I should work for them! I stamped out the abc's on paper in craft ink and then embossed them. I needed to fill an empty spot on the card so I used another SU set for the heart and star. A little ribbon and button is all that was needed! I wish I had somebody to send this card to. It's so sweet!

Things are looking up in the insurance issues. After many emails between me, B's company and UHC, it seems as if I was given the "wrong" info! Yea right! But they say they will pay for the bags. I saved all the emails, just in case! His contract is still suppose to end on the 15th, but his company has submitted him to another place and we'll just have to wait to see how that turns out. I'm on some new med's for my cough and hopefully I'll start to feel better. I'm ok unless I'm coughing or trying to sleep. I did get out to the new WalMart in town! What a WOW! They are testing an "up scale" Wally World and boy is it nice. It still has all the things we know and love about them, but with a bakery that's right in front of the store with handmade fresh goodies! Of course the best part was they have an in store Dunkin Dounuts! Needless to say I had to have some of them to wash away my cough! No it didn't work, but they tasted pretty darn good!

I'm off to work now. Take care my friends and thanks for letting me vent the last couple of days. Feel free to vent on me if you need to.  Blessings to you all!

Is Hump Day Over Yet?

Golly to think it's only Wednesday! Man, am I starting to sound like a broken record these days, but everyday its a new challenge just to make it to the next day. Barry went to work for his company in part because of the good insurance they offered. Took a nice cut in pay, but we thought it would be off set some by the coverage. WRONG again! Now they are changing insurance companies at the first of the year to United Health Care. I'm sure they are a fine company, but some of their policies are outdated to say the least. For those of you who don't want to listen to my soap box, please skip down to the posted card! Most people know that Barry has no bladder now since he had cancer surgery and that for the rest of his life he will have to wear an ostomy bag. We are dealing with that, but United will only cover products that can be reused. It that not the sickest thing you've heard today!! When I called B's company, they said they didn't know the policy and call UHC. UHC said they B's company wrote the policy. It seems like one hand doesn't know what the other is either saying or doing. So now I am busy emailing back and forth to try and get this problem solved. Since we were with UHC when the surgery happened, I know it can't be resolved. They won't pay. Another $200 a month in outgo. OK, that's my stand today!!

Here's my card for today. It was made using the Kitchen Sink Playful Alphabet. What fun set. Someone pointed out that I'm using a lot of green these days---well, I've gone green!! If it's good enough for NBC, it's good enough for me!! The backround was made using a set called Boarder and Backrounds. Perfect name!

Well, I'm going back to work and make some more cards right now. Have a wonderful day and blessing to us all!