Relax, don't do it

Pick your pleasure:

You are lying on a beach doing nothing but sitting and listening to the ocean.

Or you are just swinging on your porch swing, staring into space.

Sounds wonderful right?

NO!!!  That person is so not me. Yes, I like to go to the beach, but I will not simply sit there and do nothing.  Yes, I like a good porch swing, but for about 5 minutes then I am done.  I am simply not that person that can sit and do nothing.  To me if just gets me uptight and anxious and makes me rest even less.

Even if it is forced upon me!!!!!!


January 29, I was at work. My back was killing me.  Which was not out of the norm.  My back has been hurting a lot there for months because my chair is simply too uncomfortable.  So no big deal. I stood up like I normally do while I worked.  Only today it did little to alleviate the pain.  Lunch came and I started getting sick to my stomach.  I thought it was my chicken and dumplins because it was a tad undercooked.  So I ate some peanut butter.  That seemed to do the trick.  After lunch I went back to work and all the sudden my face got numb. Quite like it does before a seizure comes on.  I stood up and drank a Dr Pepper.  Thanks to the girls at work nurturing me through, I made it the rest of the work day.

I got home and all the pain increased, by now I thought I was having a heartattack.  I call my mom because I want her.  She's got the flu!!!!  She encourages me to go to the ER.  We do.  I am a germ a phob, but at this point my pain was so bad I was rolling on the ER floor.  I am grossed out by it now, but I was in horrible pain.  Many many many hours later it was determined I needed my gall bladder out, but I was told they don't do emergency surgery in the ER.  I was NOT in the frame of mind to argue or I would have. Had my mom been there, I am bet $100 I would have been wheeled into surgery.  Had I not been drugged up, I bet I would have gotten better results, but at 3am.....everybody wanted to go to bed.  I got up the next day and went to my doctor, she said if she could do the surgery it would come out now.  She made appointment for the scans.  Apparently, they won't take it out until you have had the scans, even though I had a PET scan in the ER.  It was instantly determined I needed it out.  I had one stone that was almost 1.5 inches big and another right behind it that was massive.

I was told it would be a two week wait to see my surgeon of choice.  There was no way in this pain, that I would make that.  I had some friends that called the doctor and I got an appointment for the next day.  I went into the appointment on that Friday (having not eaten because I really could not eat, the pain was miserable) and he said "we are going to surgery now".  Turns out I was very bad and should have had it out the very first night in the ER.  The doctor did not even understand why they didn't call him that night.  I now had a bad infection and required a drain.  Almost a hospital stay, but luckily that did not come to be.

Fast forward one week....last night was my one week post surgery.  One thing I have learned....when my body can't do something I sleep.  I don't enjoy being in bed, on the couch....so I sleep. I guess that is good.  Yesterday, Friday, was the first day I could do something. I learned how (since sitting up for a long time is still a problem) to make cards lying on the couch.

My cards may not be the most perfect, but I am very pleased. I started at 8am and finished around 8pm and I made 8 cards during that time.  Not nearly as well as I could do if I was normal but pretty good for someone in my condition.

I am excited to be going back to work Monday.  Even for a half day.  I am excited for a schedule, for my friends and getting back to normal!!!

Have a great weekend.

Creating a Paper Ruffle

I have discovered something new and fun that I simply MUST share.  I have discovered, with the help of the internet how to make a ruffle from paper and it looks like cloth.  It is a beautiful addition to a card or scrapbook page.  The best part....it's EASY!!!

What you need:
a strip of paper (not card stock)
misting bottle full of water
a stylus (not required)
good quality double sided tape.


I cut my strip about 2x12. I am a poor measurer so who knows.  I laid it flat unto my craft sheet.  The paper I used was a thinnish paper that is usually .59 per sheet at Micheal's.  Spray the strip with the misting bottle, you want it wet but not too wet.  You may need to experiment.  It was wet enough to mold, but not enough to tear. Start with a couple of pumps and run your finger along the strip to spread out the water.  If the paper doesn't appear damp add more.  Each time run your finger along the strip to spread out the water.

Next pick up the strip and begin to "gather" it in your hands. I gathered between my thumb and forefinger. It's a bit hard to hold near the end but it will be worth it if you can.  I ended up gathering the 12 inch strip into about 4 inches.  I "fluffed" out the ruffles with my finger.  The internet said to use a stylus, but I like the look of your finger better.

Next set aside to dry or use a heat tool. I just sat it aside for a while.  The ruffle with harden as it dries and once it is finished you will have your paper ruffle.  You will need good quality double sided tape to stick it to your card.

I told you this was EASY!

Cards made this week

I have depleted my stash of cards, so this weekend was devoted to replenishing my stockpile.  I started with some photos of movie stars.  I called the first set "The Old Hollywood Collection".  They will be used to send to my movie buff friends.

I then made many generic type cards that could be sympathy, birthday, thank you or just because cards.

You can make cards without making a birthday card...























Last were a set of coffee cards for fun.

A Little Fruity, by Technique Tuesday

In 2005, I was introduced to a little company that would change the way I thought of stamps.  I met the Technique Tuesday girls at a CKC convention.  I attended their class because I had never heard of them and so glad that I did.  Since then, I have bought as many stamps as I could and attended every class that has been offered at CKC.

A Little Fruity is one of my favorite sets.  It features very detailed fruits along with the cutest sayings.  You can use this set for so many different things.

Today I used it to make a Turn that frown upside Blessings Box.  This is a two sided box.  On one side is the "when life gives you lemons" saying.  On the other "so berry sweet of you".

I hope if you like these boxes and live near Paducah, Kentucky that you will go to http://www.ephemerapaducah.com/ and sign up for my June 6 class.  There are also many other great happening things at Ephemera Paducah.  Please check it out and tell Kristin I sent you :)

Enjoy this weeks blessings:

I also had enough paper left to make some greeting cards.  I think they are rather fun.

Trace Creek Crop Completed Projects

One of my favorite days of the year is the Trace Creek Crop.  Yesterday was a day that my friends and I look forward to for months and months.  We got signed up in December and then you impatiently wait until it's here.

I didn't have extremely lofty scrapbooking goals yesterday. I am still until that stupid weight restriction and I wasn't sure I would be able to sit all day. In all actuality I found that I could sit for a while, get up and shop or just walk around and talk and I was fine.

I accomplished 3 scrapbook pages (I am almost finished with the October cruise, then onto the Christmas Harry Potter).  I made one cigar box (which I plan on doing a tutorial to very soon), and 16 cards.

Most of the cards that I made were completed using the Lucille paper pack.  I found this in October at Archivers and it has been a constant favorite since then.  It is reminiscent of the old fashioned clothing patterns my grandma used and the floral papers are very much like the patterns of dress that I wore in the 1970's.  I spent $12 at one of the booths yesterday to get some Lucille chipboard and tags. The other paper that I used was another favorite, Ladies Diary by Graphic 45.