I've Not Abandoned My Blog!!!

I am still here--alive and well! Counting my blessings even if today was EXTREMELY challenging! I've just been very, very busy with other things---Theresa taught our groupies last week Tues. and that was the last real chance I've had to "play" with anything paper and creative of that nature! I was busy preparing for the "sermon" I gave at our church on Sunday--while I stripped-- at the 9:30 service. God has moved mountains in my life in these past few weeks since my visit to the ER and I couldn't keep still and quiet about it. If any of you ladies ever have the opportunity to get involved with a Bible Study called Moving In Faith-Taking Off the Robes (hence my "striptease"!) by Jennifer Kostyal-DO IT!!! I need to send a shout out of thanks here to Theresa--who laughed with me at our local flea market over 6 very ugly bathrobes that I had layered on all at once! For her patience, too, in helping me reach the point where I could take off the robes of fear, negative words & criticism, rejection, etc. And to all of those at my church-my pastor, the praise band--who just let me plan EVERYTHING and "bowed down" to what I needed/wanted at the last minute-these people are AWESOME! My pastor had no clue what I was going to get up there and say---he just let me let 'er rip! Greg and team bent over backwards to make it all happen with praise songs that fit my topic. And my hubby? Well--it was the 10th anniversary of our first date---and let me tell you, I felt like a brand new bride all over again between my manicure, pedicure, new outfit complete with perfumed oils---for those of you who might not know my story--I've spent a lot of years "in hiding" so to speak-when you've been abused you try to be unnoticed. Not anymore! This gal has come out of her cocoon! Thank you, JESUS! SIgh. It's newsletter week at my "real" job
(church secretary!)---and then we are going to the VA State Fair this week-end---so I will still be MIA in the crafting world for awhile. Bear with me--I promise lots of good things between my return and the end of the year! Until next time, just know that Jesus loves you---just wherever you are---no matter what. And so do I, sister! Blessings, Sharon

HOMEWORK....?!

or "SIMPLY SHAKE IT OFF, SISTA!!" ; )

What do you mean I have HOMEWORK?! Yep---my acupuncturist...gave me homework yesterday! I was told that I need to loosen up and let it go. I need to stop hanging onto stuff, reliving stuff, chewing on it like a terrier with playing tug-of-war with a chew toy! LET IT GO, SHARON! Let STuFf move on up and out and LET IT GO. Ok-so---did she know she was quoting Matthew 10:14 (actually, vs. 5-42 are pretty awesome to but I digress)---Matthew 10:14 says: If anyone will not welcome you or----LISTEN TO YOUR WORDS---shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town" Didjacatch that? IF someone does not LISTEN to your words....shake their dust off, SISTA, and MOVE IT ON!!!! Get beyond it, above it, over it, around it---WHATEVER it takes-BUT MOVE IT ON!!!! Then---Oh yeah, GOd is working on my big-time!!---THe words from Ephesians 4:25-26 ---"In your ANGER do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry" is what vs. 26 says! Before that, though, 25 says---well---read Ephesians 4:25-32. I quoted from the New International version. Ya see--one thing Page (my acupuncturist) picked up on was I am angry. And I hang on to it. I have hashed and rehashed my not-so-plesant experience with my local dr.---and the anger intensifies each time! How do I let it go. Well, duh, Sharon---GOD put it in black and white! SHake the dust off-MOVE on. GET IT OUT before the sun goes down so you can sleep-like a baby. So-last night, I did just that. I cleaned the slate. And I slept. And tonight I will check that chalkboard again and use HIS (because the power, strength and how-to comes from HIM-not me!) eraser to get the day off and behind me. I also saw a sign I want to make this week-end. It said "THE CURE FOR ANYTHING IS SALTWATER: SWEAT, TEARS OR THE SEA". Oh yeah. He talks about water a lot, too. I will save that for another day. Ladies in our church 3 years ago, did a Bible study entitled "Taking Off the Robes". We're getting ready to do it again. I am PUMPED! I am agonna be shakin that stuff off! It has no hold--unless I give it the power to! Ok-so the tears are pumpin'. God gave me an awesome friend named Theresa. SHe has put up with well, a lot of sweat and tears from me---but what amazes me the most about Theresa is---she can laugh her way through almost anything. When she told me the story (while I was driving!) about having lost her husband, falling down a flight of stairs with her darling daughter who has Downs in her arms-and two small boys at the bottom not quite sure what to do---Theresa broke not one but both of her arms in that fall. With 3 children to care for and support-on her own. She told that story and I almost had to pull the car over because she had me laughing so hard I couldn't see to drive! Laughing. I am letting it go. It felt GOOD. I am gonna laugh. I am gonna MOVE (ok-I get the flylady movement thing, too!)---and---drumroll please--the ideas for "A CROP A QUARTER" are flying fast and furious. Our groupies--please pray! We want to plan a special event for Jan. 2011--that will hopefully turn into at least well, a crop a quarter! See-I am taking all that NEGATIVE energy that was draining my battery---and using it for GOOD--! Not only can we plan this thing-we can MAKE IT HAPPEN! And it will be AWESOME. A store? Someday? No sweat! We just need $. It too, can happen! I think...I got that homework thing figured out!!! Stay tuned-stamping stuff coming up soon---gotta do some crisis cleaning of the house and then stamp! Until next time, happy stamping and scrapping! Blessings, Sharon

ps/GOD BLESS YOU, MY FRIEND! You can tell it to me like it is-and I listen... and eventually get it! Harold sent you--I know it sure as I am stitting here!

DOUBLE Cover...

TOIL AND TROUBLE! Lol! And all that I created on my own! What the heck am I talkingabout?! Well, last week-end I decided that I had all the supplies I needed to make my own address book for all my cell phone #'s, etc. to go in my Emergency Bag. Cell phones are great-I often don't always get around to getting them and keeping them charged...hence the BOOK of numbers. So I pulled out all my supplies, decorated my chipboard covers and put my book together. For the inside, I stamped index cards with alphabet stamps to create my "dividers". I even had everything in the right order when I used the Bind-It-All (which I love!). Then, I realized...I had the cards facing the BACK of the book---the rather plain back of the book---instead of the pretty cover I had created! OOPS! So-now I have a double-cover book! Eventually, when I get 'round to it, I will take one off and redo the binding. For now, its just extremely decorative! At least I can laugh about it! Hope you enjoy it---until next time-happy stamping and scrapping! Blessings, Sharon

Gone to the BIRDS...!

Ok-so, again, this is not the card I've been promising...but its good! And since my last post was well, about birds, too-well, this just fits! Enjoy!

Bird Watching...
One of the things we enjoy the most is taking our boat out on the water, anchoring in some of the calmer inlets and waterways, taking a swim, having a picnic supper and then just sitting and reading until the sun goes down. Of course, while we are doing that, being that my late mother-in-law was an avid naturist and bird watcher, that is something we do as well. It’s not unusual to see a number of sand pipers, pelicans, oyster catchers and, perhaps the most common, the egret.
They are beautiful, snow white majestic looking birds. And I was amazed at how realistic Artful Legacy’s rendering is! This is an awesome "GOTTA HAVE" stamp! The deep etching and fine details made this the perfect stamp to use on one of my new favorite techniques–embossing and etching on glass. The mirror was a Wal-Mart purchase. I used clear contact paper and laid out the square of the mirror and then cut the oval from that, overlapping the right edge off the page/mirror.. It took two tries-the first time I forgot that I needed to work with a mirrored (reversed) image of my stencil. Ok-so at least I had plenty of contact paper on hand! I first lightly laid it down (without removing the backing!) and, using a detail clear embossing powder, I stamped the egret in the center of my stencil and heat-embossed it. I then waited for the mirror to cool (the glass gets HOT! Use caution!), removed the backing on the contact stencil, and made sure it was firmly adhered. Knowing the etching creme works quickly, so did I! I smoothed a thick layer over the stencil and set my timer for the required 5 minutes and went to pet Ms. Dolly. When it rang, I rinsed off the etching creme as well as the embossed image. Where the embossing was, there was now clear mirror. The oval surrounding area was etched, creating the "frame" for my handsome egret. Total time? Maybe ½ hr. counting my cutting twice and photography! What wonderful Christmas presents these would make! : )
As Ratty told Mole in Kenneth Graham’s Wind in the Willows, "there is nothing-absolutely nothing, half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats. Just messing...", I think maybe we’ll go and do just that! Maybe we’ll spot a few of our feathered friends along the way. Until next time, happy stamping and scrapping.
Blessings, Sharon

Who-oooo-oooo--oooo

does she think she is, anyway?!

TGIFN! Not heard that one? Thank God It's Friday NIGHT?! Lol. I am so ready for a good book (since I don't have a new stamp/scrap magazine...), a rum drink and relaxing! I started my day off with Round Gazillion and 1 with my so-called "doctor" whooooo thought it was completely acceptable and realistic for me to wait until my Oct. 2nd visit to discuss the results of the nuclear stress test I had this past Wednesday. I simply kept repeating to the receptionist that I WOULD have the results TODAY. After 15 minutes of arguing, phone calls back and forth, etc. I guess I finally got through as an hour later (after I had googled my rights to my records as a patient, etc.) my phone rang and it was "Norma the Nurse" (I kid you not!)--telling me my stress test was normal! Praise God but why did I have to show my backside to get what I was entitled to in the first place?! I will be starting a blog on this new journey---as I am tapping back into holistic health approaches and modalities rather than traditional medicine. As of today---she is fired! If I took her "advice"--I'd be recovering from surgery right now--needless surgery at that. If in doubt, please don't do it just because the doctor said so. Get a second opinion--or third. That said, please don't be stupid if its a life-threatening situation but too often we take the MD's word as gospel. There's only ONE GOD in my book-and it sure ain't Dr. Todd!

That said--this beautiful wise bird is decorating the front of my health care journal. I need to start tracking my journey and I was hoarding this paper. I used it to decorate the front, side and back of a clear-covered notebook. The papers and punch outs are by My Mind's Eye. and I just love the stark black and white. I didn't want a lot of bulk under the plastic but I did add some black and white polka dot ribbon at the bottom and a CTMH white flower that I ran through the Swiss Dot embossing folder and Big Shot. The pop of red is just enough (I think!). The variety of tags say "you", "in your natural habitat" (since I am exploring natural remedies and approaches!) "not" "just a lark"! So--this is holding all my records at this point. God, the vet and I cured the cat...by tracking everything we could possibly think of in detail and talking and listening to one another we were able to put all the pieces of the puzzle together and solve his issue. So-I am researching, making my list of questions, printing notes, collecting my test results, etc. and now I have a pretty place to put it. I will add it to my library as I have the Cat Care Journal-aka Inky's Story... and the "Wedding Control Journal" from planning our wedding in 2008. It kept all my contact info, to-do lists, receipts, etc. all in one convenient place and is almost a scrapbook in and of itself! And now this one...
tOmORroW...maybe I will get the card posted that I promised to post today! Sigh.

OH! Wait! One more photo. Our "girl", Ms. Dolly...has been living in one room basically since she came to live with us in Feb. She is scared of the boys and won't come out unless I carry her and hold her. So I am trying something new. While the boys are outside, I've let her out of her room and closed the doors so she doesn't have access to it. She's sticking pretty close to me but she has explored the living room and my desk...even played a little! She's not crying-just has a chronic eye issue...anyone with any ideas, Dr. T and I would welcome some insight. Her left eye, despite a variety of medications and remedies, remains cloudy and teary. It does not bother her at all, however, so that's the good news!

Until next time, happy stamping and scrapping.
Blessings, Sharon

I (finally!) GET IT!!!

Hi all. I am back. It's been a very long week, but I think I am about to begin being able to settle back into my routines. Waiting on one more test result (which I am not concerned about) and will move on from there. I've stopped all my meds except for blood pressure and I simply cannot tell you how much better I feel! No chronic headaches, body aches, fatigue or "crunchy" shoulders. I am sleeping and feeling rested and JOYFUL in the morning-BEFORE my coffee (absolutely unheard of for me!) I am a new old me--if that makes sense!

Yesterday, as we went back and forth for my stress test and I finally made it home and saw my messy house--I got what Flylady has always said..."You are not behind...just jump in where you are!" I got it! I am doing my happy dance. See-I can see...that its not as bad as the old me would think. Yep, Mt. Washmore is piled high, the floors need sweeping, the sink shining...but I also know that one short home blessing hour will put most of it back in its place. IT WAS OK to take the time I've needed to rest and regroup. A friend told me last night (Thank you, MC!)--that they are not going to put on my tombstone that I was a good housekeeper--or not! No one really cares about that! So this afternoon--or tomorrow when I am off-I will work on blessing my home-and my DH and myself...it's ok as it is--for now. I know my routines-and part of those routines is now going to include taking time to take care of me...another Flylady message I've ignored. Go check her out-now. Please. Until next time, happy stamping and scrapping. Blessings, Sharon

ps/I will post the "save the date cards" I am working on tomorrow...! : )