It's that time again! SSSC42!

I think I'm old.  You know.....your parents used to tell you that the older you get the faster time flies.  It just seems like yesterday that I was posting for last Saturday and here it is again.  ;-)  Here is my card for the Sweet Stop Sketch Challenge.  Have you ever participated in a sketch challenge?  If you haven't you should give it a try.  They are really fun because you aren't required to use any particular stamps, techniques, or papers.  Just follow the layout and do that you wish with it!!  Click on the badge to the right to see what the other design team members did this week.  THEN go to your stamp area and create one yourself.  You can upload it for others to see on the Sweet Stop blog!  This card will be used as a birthday card!    The stamps are from Stampendous! and Amuse.  Cupcake was colored with copics and glitzed up with a little bit of glitter.  This was a fun sketch because it was round and I rarely do those!   The pearl swirls were from a $1 pack from a Craft Warehouse.

This week was the start of my monthly piano lessons with my friend, Earlene.  She has more music talent in her little pinkie than I have in my whole being.  Seems to me I remember that she has her Masters in Music.  As a piano teacher, she totally rocks.  My whole reason to start lessons again was so I could play better with our Praise Team at church.  Several years ago Earlene tutored me gratis to help me learn how to play chords.  Imagine.....5 years of lessons and many years of playing and I just didn't know how to play chords.  So I had learned a little bit of theory and chords then.  Now after about a year and one half of playing chords under my belt it is time to try to bump it up a notch.  The lessons are to be an hour long.  This last one.......ended up being 2 hours!!  The time just flew by and I really could have stayed longer!!  Going to learn more theory.....lots of scales....which I don't mind.  AND some learning of tricks and techniques to embellish my praise team songs.  THAT is the part that I really want!!  Now.......to find the time to practice!  We'll see how my lesson goes next month.  Once a month is really more than enough for an adult with lots of activities going on, don't you think!

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.