I have been having fun using my "new" camera. OK, it's really Pete's camera, but he wasn't using it and so it is MINE now! (insert evil laugh)
AND, I've been making a few more cards lately, thanks to better organization, and more inspiration from OWH, and my stamping buddies, the "E" sisters. Esther and Ellen, it's so much fun getting together with them to make cards for OWH. We have a meeting once a month at Ellen's house, and at least once a month at East Woods Presbyterian Church in East Vancouver (where they attend), to make cards. I treasure my time with my card making buddies. We have such fun crafting and laughing and sharing our lives. Who knew no matter how old you get, you still have time to make new BFFs?
Esther also started a ministry through her church that goes to a local assisted living facility, Emeritas Senior Living. It was a surprise when I first discovered that the address I had been sending Christmas Cards to a long time friend, happened to be the address of this VERY SAME facility. So you know I HAD to go get involved there, about three months ago now. My friend, Mary Benson and I had lost touch, other than Christmas cards and the occasional Valentine's Day card, for the last decade or so, so I was totally surprised when Esther brought it up. Hmmmm, that address sounds familiar....voila! It was Mary's address. Serendipity!
Mary was one of the first folk musicians Pete and I met after were were first married and we used to go to the local pub in NE Portland called the Little Blarney Castle where she and 2 other musicians, Bob Kotta and Pat Herndon, played and sang every weekend. They did sea shanties and ballads, anything Gaelic. Ah, the memories. I can remember cashing in the returnable bottles so we'd have enough for the cover charge and one pitcher of beer, just so we could go listen to them and sing along. Wonderful music. That was the start of our life long addiction to Folk Music and almost annual treks to Seattle every Memorial Day weekend for the Seattle Folk Life Festival. I have the T-shirts to prove it. :)
Mary went on to sing with various groups over the year and we have many CD's with her voice on them. Unfortunately, about ten years ago, she suffered a stroke and that is why she is in the assisted living facility now. She speaks quite a bit now, but does have trouble finding the words she needs at times and her speech is a bit slow. I only hope that one of these days she will regain her voice again because she has a beautiful singing voice that can bring you to tears. I can see her in my mind's eye now singing on stage, or at the pub, or in the park. Ahhhh, Mary!
So, it is wonderful getting together there at least once a month too. We bring kits and help the residents make cards for themselves as well as cards to donate to OWH. It sounds corny, probably, but I believe Esther was in the right place at the right time to make the connection to start this ministry that brought us back together. How can you doubt a heavenly hand when things like this happen? Fate, karma, angels? Yeah, there's got to be something going on there! I'm just glad it is.
Anyway, back to the cards...Esther was there the other day when the director (who of course, now knows her on a first name basis), suggested they go shopping RIGHT NOW, to get supplies at the craft store to help with the card making projects. So off they went and snagged several multi-packs of background and texture papers for making cards. Originally marked $24.99, marked down to $3.00, what's not to love? And they got various other card making supplies, woo hoo. She then shared them with us at Ellen's Tuesday night at the card making party. So, the following are card kits I made for the next OWH party using some of the papers. And I'm not done...the next party isn't until Monday after all...
OWH Sketch - #25
Cardstock - CTMH
B&T paper - KI Memories Shimmer Paper in Jet Set Sunny (behind the yellow mat), and Playful Pets Birdie (the birds and bird houses)
Rickrack stamp - Hero Arts
Sentiment - Make An Impression
Ink - Tempting Turquoise Stampin' Up
OWH Sketch - #25
Cardstock - CTMH
B&T paper - KI Memories Shimmer Paper in Jet Set Sunny (behind the yellow mat), and Playful Pets Birdie (the birds and bird houses)
Ribbon stamp - Hero Arts
Right at Home stamp - Hero Arts OWH Set
Ink - Tempting Turquoise Stampin' Up
OWH Sketch - #9
Olive textured cardstock - Darice
B&T paper - KI Memories Jack & Abby Neighbors, Self Adhesive Cloth "paper'
Ribbon - red herringbone twill (made in England, but I cannot read the name of the company on the spool)
Right at Home stamp - Hero Arts OWH Set
Ink - Vinyard Berry CTMH
This background paper is cloth on a paper backing, and I didn't realize it was peel and stick until this morning when I looked at the back for the company credits. I used double stick tape on the back of it to adhere it to the card, but now I see, all I had to do was peel and stick. (Boy do I feel dumb!)
AND....Here is a card I made for a friend. It's fun to challenge yourself by making "masculine" cards, when most men probably don't really care if they get a card or not. (I want to make one, so you are getting one Bart.)
Card stock, paper - CTMH
Sentiment - Art Impressions
Lion - CTMH
Lion stamped with Terracotta - CTMH
Black ink - Memento
The block dots were made using a paper punch and adhered with tiny glue dots.
I just kind of followed the blocks of color on the B&T paper for placement of the image and sentiment. I should look and see if there is an OWH Sketch matching this, there probably is, because I have looked at so many over the years, I doubt I thought of this myself. :)
I'm off to a Stampin' Up Workshop this afternoon. I met a lady through the East Woods Presbyterian Church OWH group who is a Stampin' Up Demonstrator. She started up monthly workshops that have turned out to be lots of fun too. More ideas for cards to make for OWH. Of course, I now have another source for my addiction. This may not be a good thing...
