Angie Update

Well, it was a long day for my daughter, Angie. Her ear surgery went well. The surgeon was able to complete the surgery through the ear canal instead of drilling through bone (thank you, Jesus!). He had to scrap the growth of skin off the bones in her ear then he replaced her ear drum with a graft. She did great after the surgery and was all but ready to come home at 11:00 am then her pain level shot up. After two Vicadin (sp?), the pain was still raging at an 8 out of 10 so they gave her some Morphine. Poor girl was crying from the pain and she has a high pain threshold. Unfortunately, they had already taken out her IV so they had to stick her again (twice) for the Morphine. The Morphine upset her stomach so she had to have some meds for that as well. She finally got to leave at 3:30pm. She is off work for a week or two to heal. No bending over, blowing her nose, or hard coughing for two weeks. The packing around the eardrum graft will dissolve in about a month so good hearing is still a ways off. BUT God is good and has granted her a good surgery. We pray he gives her good recovery as well.

Sketch Challenge SC226

Here is my card for the sketch challenge for Splitcoaststampers this week. I needed to get it done tonight because Wednesday will be very busy.....more further down. I've had this cute flying pig stamp for several years as well as the words. Both are from Rubberstampave. I also had been hoarding the patterned paper by Basic Grey. It didn't look all that great until I sponged the edges and added the white dots. The sponging gave it some great depth. The pig is colored with copic markers. Can't wait for my certification class on May 20th!! I'm all registered and rearing to go.

Now for tomorrow's happenings. My daughter, Angie, will be going in for surgery to remove a growth from her ear drum. Unfortunately, this growth is on her good ear. The surgeon thinks that it is just a mass of skin. I pray that is the case as well. He also said that he thinks that by the time he removes the growth that there won't be much drum left so he will do an ear drum reconstruction at the same time. Angie had a reconstruction done when she was in 5th grade on her other ear. That reconstruction was done because her ear drum wouldn't heal after four sets of tubes. Poor girl! I'll go down early tomorrow to the hospital to be with her before surgery. Her MIL will be there too.

This weekend was good. We got our Orange 1967 Mustang Fastback washed and ready for the show on Sunday. It is one of the first shows of the year and they had 220 cars! That's a wonderful show and is a good omen for my car club's show in July. The Purple Dream (our other car) has a cracked header so it is off the road until the new headers come.

Tip for Multiples

No.....this will not be a tip for twins nor how to have twins BUT it is a tip on what I do when I have multiple cards to make. When you are making lots of the same card and you really want to give them time to really dry before you stack them together, here is what I do. I found these wooden CD holders at a thrift store. These happen to be made by Ikea. I did search their site today and didn't find this item so searching second hand stores seems to be the best route. I really like these holders because they are small!! Easy to store away but wide enough to hold the card. I found that as I was creating and putting the cards on the holder that I kept losing count so I numbered the slots so I would know how many I had done. No more counting. Soooooo easy!! I happen to have two of these for those really big jobs. They were only $1.99 each at Value Village. I hope you enjoyed this tip!!

hAnglar Bingo

Here is the card that I did for the Splitcoast Sketch Challenge this week. The image was shared from a friend in Sweden. It is by a company called hAnglar. The little girl is soooo darling!! She is colored with copic markers. I used my new Spica glitter pens on her wings but the scanner did its job in ignoring the sparkle. It also ignored the beautiful sparkle of the splats in the background. The technique on the background is from the most recent Technique Junkie newsletter and is called Bingo Blast. It really is a blast to make it!! Instead of using acrylics I used Radiant Rain daubers. They are incredibly sparkly.

I did get a pleasant surprise over the weekend! I found out that one of the cards that I submitted to Rubber Stamp Madness magazine through Kimm Bennington-Thompson's submission group is going to be published in their next issue. It is a tiger face for their Rubber Earth theme. I can't post the picture until the magazine is out in three months or so. I have a card in their most recent edition of Red Tulips.

I also found out that a tag card that I made over a year ago was accepted and published in the Stampler Sampler Catch Up issue! I've been haunting my mailbox waiting for my complimentary copy of it!! Here is a picture of that card. One pic closed and one pic open

Play Day with TJ

Today was a technique play day with Vicky Ward. We were originally going to have three of us but Mary Anne was sick......get well, Mary Anne! We played around with the AI Float technique as well as Bingo Blast and Madras Dragging. We had lots of fun and made lots of background pieces for our coffers. The dark cardstock to the top of the picture was black where we floated the Gold and Silver Metallic Mixatives. They came out really pretty but will need to be sprayed with matte acrylic as they wanted to flake. We did something interesting with the Madras Dragging. We used Border punches instead of plain paper. Wonderful results. That part of the technique was Vicky's idea. I had some alcohol ink made by Pinata that was White. I've never tried to use it and really didn't know how to use it. BUT....we decided that we would try it when we were playing with the AI Float technique. It came out very chunky in the water but what it did was really freaky. It was so strange that I had to film it. If you are interested in viewing, it is on YouTube Here.

This weekend was quite full. On Saturday we celebrated the 45th Anniversary of the Ford Mustang. My husband, Ray, organized a get together and we ended up with about 70 cars participating! Pretty good for a last minute thing. We started at Landmark Ford, a dealership in Tigard, then cruised to downtown Portland and around Pioneer Courthouse Square. We were to go around the square 1.5 times. Unfortunately, there were so many of us that we created a grid lock....HA!! We then regrouped on the other side of the river in an open parking lot. Our next leg of the trip took us to the far east side of the Portland Metro area to a town called Sandy to another dealership called Suburban Ford. They even had hotdogs for us to eat......a pleasant surprise that we didn't know about.

I played for both services on Sunday and it was an interesting service to say the least. Lots of missed ques but at least the music was great. Pastor and I need to communicate a little more. He thought I would do one thing and I the other. It was another "Earlene Appreciation Sunday!" Earlene is our really wonderful organist!! During the afternoon I watched Zander while Leah (daughter) and Ray went to softball practice for the church league they play in. Ray went to the Shelby meeting alone while I readied the house for the Monday playday.

A Lovely Surprise!

Sometimes e-mails contain news. Sometimes it is pleasant and sometimes it isn't. Today........well, today was a very pleasant one!! I have a friend, Sharon Briss, who is a Technique Junkie friend. She has posted great art through the TJ yahoo group. When I see great art, I like to tell people! So......I'm going through my mail and here is an award. For Me? Wow. Sharon bestowed the Renee Award to my blog. The Renee Award was created by Bella (bellasinclair.blogspot.com) and Ces (cesandherdishes.blogspot.com) who wanted to show appreciation of the impact their friend Renee made on their lives.This award is meant, according to Bella, to be given to those that, like Renee, are like "the acorn, a small package becoming a tall and sturdy oak giving more acorns, becoming tall and sturdy oaks, giving acorns…". I am honored to receive this award! I do have a couple of people that have truly inspired me and I would like to pass along the Renee Award to these special artists! Please visit their blogs and see why they inspire me!! Since I'm fairly new to the blogging world, I only have two recipients but hopefully that will grow over time!!

Again......thank you, Sharon!!

Marianne Walker - Copic Instructor - I Like Markers

Kimm Bennington-Thompson

Jade Magnolia

I did this card for the sketch challenge this week on Splitcoaststampers. The girl and bench are from Magnolia and were sent to me from a friend in Sweden! I started coloring her with copic markers. When I got to the pants, I really didn't have the color I wanted in my copics so I turned to my trusty prismacolor pencils, gamsol and stumps. I think it is hard to tell the difference in mediums! The flower placement on the left side was necessary because as I was sponging, I dropped my sponge and it left a mark on my main image.....augh!! So......I made the best of it and put a flower there to cover it up! I added a few more flowers on the other corner and voila! The flower punches were some of my recent acquisitions from the most recent rubber stamp convention. The border punch on the background paper turned out really neat. It was like the punch was made for this paper. If you look real close, you can see that it follows the pattern of the paper almost exactly!!

Easter was a nice day. Not with the weather though.....it really poured here. But choir did great for church and the grandkids liked their Easter baskets. We stopped first at Stones (my daughter, Angie, and her husband, Travis). The girls had fun tearing into their baskets. Audrey was all over the chocolate....my kind of girl! My mom sent over a special Easter present for the family. She had painted a picture of Audrey to go with one she did of Breauna when she was Audrey's age. Here is a picture of Audrey with mommy Angie holding the picture. Notice that sissy just couldn't help but through in some bunny ears. Heh! It's Easter.......you gotta do the bunny ears!

The next picture is of Breauna.....we are calling her Snaggle tooth! Her first adult tooth is coming in. Beside it is a missing tooth and to the other side of it is a VERY loose baby tooth. It is quite funny with all the different sizes of teeth at once. Breauna was quite proud of those funny teeth.

The last picture for today is of my grandson, Little Jim. He was quite happy with his Basket and wanted to eat, eat, eat, all that wonderful candy. His favorite thing in the basket though was the little matchbox truck.

Tickled!

Well, my duet (piano) with Gary (violin) went very well. We only had about 2 minutes of actual practice together before performance. But it wel very well.....only had one chord that wasn't what it should have been and I was able to save it and go on. Yeah! Our service tonight was absolutely beautiful. We sang (choir) two songs that went well and bell choir did a reflective piece that was difficult and very well done. The tenebrea (spelling?) service is the "Service of darkness" and as the scripture is read, the lights are lowered darker and darker. At the end, the Christ candle is the only thing lit and it is removed. After a time of silence, the book is slammed shut with a loud bang. Then after a while the Christ candle is returned and everyone leaves in silence. Such a proper and somber reminder of this Holy night of our Savior's death. BUT........Easter's coming!

On another note. The other day I had Allison Hicks call me. Her little girl, Chelsea, died about 6 weeks ago from Wilms cancer. So very sad. Chelsea loved monkeys so when it came time to make a sympathy card for her family I knew that a monkey card it had to be. After I finished the card I got to thinking........I then made up 10 monkey thank you cards so that Allison could use them for some of her special people. I was hoping that they would like them. Well.......when Allison called she said that they truly loved that monkey card and especially the monkey thank yous. Her real reason for calling was to ask me if she could purchase 50 more monkey thank yous! Why yes!! I was very tickled that she loved the cards.........Here is a picture of the original monkey sympathy card and the thank you that went along with it.

Little Jim's Easter Card

This card is very similar to the Easter card I did for my granddaughter. This one is for my grandson, Jimmy. The bunny digi stamp is from Mel as noted in the post where the other card is. It also works as the sketch challenge on Splitcoaststampers for this week (SC223). Colored with copics and using an Easter napkin for the colorful background.

After Service Critique

Well.......my playing at service wasn't perfect but it was pass-able. When I don't have a perfect playing service I call it my "Earlene Appreciation Service". Our best organist is named Earlene and she has more talent in her pinky that I have all over. She is also an absolutely wonderful teacher. She tutored me for a while. She is sick this week.......that's why I ended up playing tonight at the last minute. Tomorrow night is the duet. I think it will go well. It will be a prelude.

Bummed but happy!

Well my hero arts one layer card did NOT win.......... BUT......it did get honorable mention and that was cool because there were over 300 entries! ;-) Here is a picture of it again! Short post today.....gotta practice for tonight. Still some rough areas in my songs and I didn't get quality practice at church today since a group was in there trying to hang some banners and they need to talk and hear each other.

Easter's coming!

Well, it has been an exciting week. I found out that I play for Maundy Thursday service only on Tuesday!! Augh!! Four hymns and a praise song. Only one of the songs is really giving me a fit so it should go pretty well. I'll also be playing with Gary Hurst on Good Friday. Me on Piano and Gary on Violin. I practiced a LOT today so I took a break when the grandson, Zander, was sleeping and played in the Stamp Hole. Here is the card that I made for my granddaughter, Audrey. This cute little parachuting bunny is a digital stamp from Mel McCarthy (SCS Stampztoomuch). She shared them on her blog last week. There are two more as well. I'll use one of the other one's for Little Jim's Easter card. It was colored with copic markers. The patterned 'paper' behind the bunny is a beautiful Easter egg napkin that I got from the donut table at the Rhododendron Show on Saturday. I ran a piece of cardstock through my Xyron and adhered the napkin. The paper right immediately behind the bunny looks like clouds......isn't that a fun paper?!

On another note......I sent in my application yesterday to attend the copic certification class in Portland on my Birthday, May 20th. I found out today that I was accepted!! Hooray!! I can't wait to learn more about coloring with these wonderful markers.

Easter cards

I spent time yesterday making the Easter cards that I wanted to give to parents. The cross is a die from Sizzix. I really love it's design. I adhered cardstock to a blank coaster for the cross. It was a little dull so I added the glitter. The right hand border design was made using some of the new flat fold border puncher. I think they are made by EK Success. The left corners scrolls are a Cuttlebug die that is a bummer to glue. I love those corners but not the gluing! The flowers are from a free bag of miscellaneous Primas that I got at a shoe box card swap in WA a couple of years ago. The background paper is some that I've been hoarding in my stash. I thought it would look happy and springy for the card. I had forgotten that I had the Easter stamp!! While I was getting the cards done, Ray got the oil changed in two of our cars. At least it wasn't raining outside when he was doing it (which seems to be the norm). It got to about 74 degrees here yesterday and today should hit about 78!!!! After dinner we had planned to play pinochle with some friends. We hopped into the car and drove to their house.....hmmm.....no one home. I called my friend on my cell......."Where are You?" I asked. "We're sitting in your driveway wondering where you are!" So funny. I guess we really didn't say one way or the other about whose house we would play at! It was a good laugh!

Pooped!!

Sorry......no picture for this post.
Today was the Early Show at Crystal Springs Rhododendron Society. Ray and I got up around 6:30 am (we don't like early mornings) to get down to the garden somewhat early. Not too big of a show this year....only 140 entries. I had six trophies on the table. This is the easy show!! Off to grab a bite of leftovers, watch a movie, and hit the hay. Tomorrow is another early morning since choir sings for both services. 7:50am to be there.....ugh!

Kimm's Copic Challenge

My friend, Kimm B-T, is hosting a copic challenge. You can click the link to her blog to the left....she is listed as one of the blogs that I follow. The challenge is to make a card with three copic colors Kimm has chosen plus one from the green family. I had B21, and Y21 but not the Red. So I ended up using Y11, B21 and R21 as well as GY03 for my green. It was a fun card to do. My Versafine Black pad didn't cooperate tonight.......even though I hit the image with a heat gun for a while, the ink still feathered out when I was working near thick lines with the copics. I really need a Momento pad!! The cute little flower charm was a recent purchase from Michael's from their bridal section. They have a number of charms and they are way cheaper in that section than in the scrapbook/cardmaking section of M's!! I'll link my card on her blog tomorrow night.

I spent part of the day babysitting my grandson, Zander. He was very needy today. Wanted to have attention all the time and wasn't napping worth a hoot. Finally at 2:45pm he got his nap. He is cutting teeth and I'm sure that is his problem. While he was up after lunch, he played with the fabric grocery bags as I unpacked my treasures from last weekend's Saturday Market purchases. I needed to choose several of the 'trophies' that I purchased for the flower show tomorrow morning. I'll set up the trophy table then act as one of the judges. This will be the first show of the season for the Portland Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society. The last show will be on Mother's Day. There are only 6 trophies for this show so it is very low key. The MD show has about 35 trophies so it is a lot more work. So we'll hit the hay a little early tonight since we have to be at the garden at about 7:30 am. We still need to see if we have any flowers worth taking in for the competition too! We have probably about 15 plants blooming now.....not too many to choose from!

Thank you Josh!

We have a young boy (age 9 or so) at church who has been taking guitar lessons. About 4 months ago he started to play with our praise band. Let me tell you....this kid is quite good. Put a year's worth of lessons under his belt and he will be ready to be our lead guitar! Tons of talent there. I wanted to give him a card that the other members of the team would sign to encourage him and to let him know that we appreciate all of his hard work. He comes every Thursday night then again on Sunday morning. You can just see the strides forward he is making and he has such a beautiful attitude. I found the image from a blog by Andrea Goh and colored it in with copic markers. Here is a link to her art portfolio. Special thanks to Andrea for allowing me to use her art!! There is a cuttlebug embossing folder as the base layer and it is the music folder. Do you think he will like it?