Recovery...

A HUGE round of applause, kudos and whatever else to THERESA for rescuing me from the dull drums of recovery last night!  Nurse 1 (aka husband) said Nurse 2 (aka Theresa) could take me to scrapbooking group last night! I timed my pain meds to just before we left (that's not in any way a reflection on Theresa's driving!), had a pillow to stabilize the tummy, a pair of scissors and glue stick and off we went.  The gals were very nice and accommodating and I am happy to say that I didn't have to crash in Buzz's guest room!  I actually finished my pages and made it through like a trooper.  Shoulda taken the next dose of meds with me but that's ok, too.  I survived.  Getting out of the house, having some great company and girl talk was well worth it.  And two more completed pages to boot! The dog lovers did dog pages, and us cat lovers...did this...

I was able to round up pics of ALL our "current" kitties--we have a few that have moved on...

but these are the felines in residence-both inside and out!

I also worked on finishing a card yesterday for our associate minister who will be moving later this month.

The "Bye-Bye" image from Mo's Digital Pencil was perfect and this is what I came up with...

In case you're wondering, I added the little license plate using Publisher! Too cute!

If you go looking for it in Mo's image-it's not there!

Had I picked my papers before I colored the image, I would've chosen different colors but oh well! It'll do!

My colors look washed out in the photos-not sure what's up with that--they are vibrant in the card itself. 

 I cut the yellow "frame" and popped it up around the verse from Jeremiah---"I know the plans I have for you..." etc.  The girl image is of course pop dotted and I cut out and popped up her little lady bug back pack as well! 

 Let me tell ya-Martha Stewart punches are HARD to use on a good day---even harder after surgery!

That wasn't a smart move but it added what I wanted.  I used it on the inside panel as well...



And just so no one gets bent out of shape for my cutting off Mo's credits, I listed that on the back-

they sat in a weird spot when I trimmed out the image so I just trimmed them out!

Today...I need to make a get well card for my daughter-in-law who had a tooth (or is it teeth?) implant(s) done yesterday! OWIE! She's braver than I am, that's for sure!

Not sure what I am going to do for her yet---maybe something like

I hope your nurse is as good as my nurse with the Prairie Fairy images--maybe use the doc's head with the nurse's uniform? Her hubby was an active Marine!

Roberta has instructions on how to do a wobble-head card-that might be kinda cute, too!

Become a follower and sign up for some BLOG CANDY as well!

FIVE FREE IMAGES to the winner-of course THAT'S going to be MOI but feel free to try, too! ; )

It's a pretty day here at the beach so whatever I do--some of it is going to be

OUTSIDE!

Until next time, happy stamping and scrapping!

Blessings, Sharon



Scene from Sunday...

Picture this: My "nurse" is downstairs taking a break.  The "patient" aka -- ME-- is sitting at the desk during my few up minutes, trying to do some blogging and eating a delicious piece of watermelon. Bad Cat  is sitting to the right of the computer. Poppa Cat figures since BC is there---HE wants to be in the middle, too. So he climbs on the left side of the desk with the watermelon--despite my protests. Next thing I know---the watermelon is everywhere-PC is headed for my sore tummy-there are claw holes in my leg--did I mention the blood?--BC and PC are in a royal snit and cat fight and  I am trying to slide out of the middle without popping apart!!!  Of course Ink had to go get in the middle to see what was going on. THANK GOD the desk chair rolls...the claws that landed in the knee would have been in my tummy had it not.  So now I have even more band aids!  Sigh.  New rule: NO CATS ON THE DESK when momma is in residence there!

I went back to bed after that with my Copics. It's safer there!  Although not so much so for my bank account as  I want more!!! They are so nice and so much fun!  And Roberta of Prairie Fairy came out with 4 NEW digital stamps yesterday (cute grads, a mermaid and Gillian on a tire swing!)---and promises more in a wee bit! I happened to  have an empty  notebook I  put Copic how-to notes in, then my Prairie Fairy images along with Mo's.  I try to print out a colored image so I, shadow-challenged as I am, can have something to go by-my Copic cliff notes so to speak! All go into page protectors so they are printed and ready when I want to color. 

Friday was rough-felt the best on Saturday-yesterday not so much and today---well, I think I am going to plug into the chick flicks my friend Margarett loaned me.  I was able to sleep-but missing a dose of pain meds isn't fun yet. Down, girl, seems not so bad at this point...and if I want to be down...ya know it's not too good! Humph.

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

I survived!!!

My gall bladder surgery, that is!  We had to be there at 9 AM--surgery was scheduled for 10:15. Two hours later found me throwing a royal tantrum at the desk as I was still waiting.  Between it being freezing, two tv's playing on different stations, and people talking--I had a migraine and nausea before I even got started! I was not a happy camper!  Lots of tears, more waiting, thanking God for a sympathetic anesthesiologist who got me something to calm me down as soon as Nurse Ratchet got the iv in.  I remember moving onto the table in the OR, chatting with the assistant anetheiologist and nothing more until I woke up in extreme pain!  Thankfully, they were able to do it laporscopically, however those 4 little incisions were burning like crazy!  One dose of pain med didn't bring it down, so the NICE NURSE went and got two more doses of something stronger than morphine! I was still awake and even made it up our two flights of steps.  By supper time, the hospital pain meds were wearing off and pain was breaking through the pain & nausea rx's.  It was a rough night but finally starting to subside with the doses  this morning.

I don't know if my doc knows I am a scrapbooker or not-but I have a photo collage (4 pics) of  the gall bladder.  Found some cute digital stamps at the Prarie Fairy site

to use along with the bracelets, etc.  Just need to trade the doc's needle for a scapel...any ideas?

Gotta say---I was TERRIFIED

but it wasn't too bad...

as long as your doc and staff are attuned to your need for pain meds...it's good.

One thing I wish I had done more of before hand is practiced my yoga...

having my leg muscles in better shape/strength would help in getting up & down--

trust me-you don't want to use your abs in that process! Or cough. Hiccup. Sneeze.

I am just glad it's OVER--thanks for the well wishes, prayers, etc.

Time for a little more blogging and lots of resting. Maybe a little art work later-my copics & the digital stamps on the front deck looking at the ocean & smelling the salt air...counting down the weeks  days (makes it sound more achievable!) until hubby & I can go to the

Jamaican SUGAR SHACK RESTAURANT

for some cod fritters, RIBS, french fries & raspberry mango cheesecake!

Until next time, happy stamping and scrapping!

Blessings, Sharon

Well wishes...

are already arriving! I am receiving phone calls and e-mails with thoughts and prayers for my surgery on Friday. A friend of mine stopped by my office earlier today to deliver this...

 

as she will be out of town toward the end of the week! It is an ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL bouquet!

Of course Bad Cat had to check it out...

Mind you I KNOW what happens when one BAD CAT decides to eat the leaves off  sunflowers...

it's the one time vets-or vet techs as the case may be--recommend giving milk to cats!

sigh.

I could write my own book on remedies at this point!

And I don't trust the "baby" around them, either as he likes to eat branches, vines and trees-artificial Christmas trees to be exact...

so these may need to go by my bedside and be secured!

It brings back memories of my wedding bouquet !

It's nice to have it ahead of time to stop and enjoy--and there are a few lilies that aren't open just yet so they will still be blooming and pretty when I really do need a pick-me-up.

I have in mind the thank you notes I want to do--they involve Close to My Heart clear cards, a stamp set I got over a year ago that hasn't seen ink-yet-and of course, my new Copics!

Until next time, happy stamping and scrapping!

blessings, Sharon

Paper storage

I absolutely love buying new papers!  It's so nice when you find the perfect piece to match your photos or think of a project...hence I have what seems to be TONS of paper.  Two paper storage towers full to be exact.  So--part of my cleaning entailed me sorting and putting away paper.  I started on the paper mountain with this method:

1) sort out scraps from full 12x12 sheets.  That's it-scraps in one pile-12x12 in another.  Easy-peasy.

2) from the 12x12 pile, sort out solid cardstock/paper from patterned and, in my case, Close to My Heart

    paper from other companies.

3) Next I worked on the Close to My Heart papers.  ALL of my CTMH papers went into the large ziplock

    bags we sell. They are AWESOME.  First, I did solid colors. Each color has it's own bag.  I used a Sharpie

    and wrote on the bag what color it is.  They got put into the tower.

4) Next I put the patterned papers and, if they still had their matching solid cardstock close by, that went in, too.

    Olivia...Hooligans, Cherry-O, etc.  They all got their own bag and labeled the same way.  I then put as many

    bags as would easily fit onto a shelf in the tower.  Since the bags are labeled, they are easy to find.  I did        

    these in alphabetical order.

So---at this point---I began wondering how to label the shelves...hmmm.

Once upon a time I had tied tags to the shelf. Those didn't work too well. Theresa has a clipboard with a list. I know I'd walk off with the clipboard, never find it and with my ADHD brain, matching the list with the shelf wouldn't be easy and I'd only end up frustrated.  I *thought* I was going to cut narrow, 12" strips, score the end, attach a label, and slip that into the shelf above the one I was labeling so it would create a little tag that hung down in front.  That was my plan.

Our pretend Wal-Mart was out of computer ink so I couldn't print the labels for the tags.  The label makers were a but pricy and not what I wanted.  Couldn't find tags to go back to my original method.  BUT WAIT---as I was perusing the office supply aisle, I saw BABY BINDER CLIPS!!! The smallest imaginable.  They were too cute even tho they were solid silver-no pretty color or pattern.  I then hit the ribbon aisle. Found some pretty aqua ribbon. I can tie that onto the clip to dress it up!  And, I have that cute little file folder punch at home...and my handwriting isn't that bad...I couldn't wait to get back home and get to work! It seemed to take forever to get back across that bridge---and then to tie ribbon onto 48 binder clips!  But when I finished...this is what I have...

Not bad, huh? But the very bestest part---the part I didn't count on---is that the binder clips allow me to MOVE THE TAG out of the way to get the paper out! It fits nicely around the wire post and has enough room to swivel!!! See...

I was so pleased, I organized and labeled the other tower, too! 

I have to confess, there's more 12x12 in a drawer to be sorted and put away--and I really need to send some to the yard sale boxes as well.

And the scraps...sigh.  They are in a pile. Not sure what I want to do with those.  I may sift through them and save my favorites--and then donate the rest to one of the local schools.  I have faced the fact that I really don't go to a scrap drawer/box/whatever much.  I've tried. It doesn't work. I try to keep some on hand for my goddaughter to use when she comes to play, but don't need nearly as much as I have.

Hope this helps solve your paper storage dilemma! Any punch would work to make tags--and the binder clips were less than $ 2 I think. It did take 1 1/4 rolls of ribbon to do just a once-over knot so get extra ribbon!

Off to work!

Until next time, happy stamping and scrapping!

Blessings, Sharon

Monday, Monday!

Where or where did my week-end go? Oh-wait--I spent it cleaning the magic kingdom (aka my craft room!) This is what it looked like as of Friday morning...

And, after three days of plodding through the piles, bit by bit 15 minutes at a time when it seemed overwhelming (thank you, Flylady!) this is what it looked like at 6 PM yesterday...

Yep, there are still some boxes to sort--but it's in boxes...and not scattered on the worktable and floor! And there needs to be a curtain sewn and attached to cover the storage area under the worktable...but all that can be done another day!  I am happy to see the floor, the worktable...and to actually be able to find the things I need!

If I feel up to playing while I recover, well, I can actually go in there and do it.

It will be a super busy week at work this week-and it looks like I am going to have to take the baby back to the vet.  He's just not feeling well and I have tried all I know how to do.  He is eating, drinking a little but other than that just laying around looking miserable.  So it's time to see what Dr. Travis can do.

Until next time, happy stamping and scrapping!

Blessings, Sharon