"Where go?"

"Where go?"...I remember when my nephew first started saying this, tilting his head to the side and holding his hands facing up. Ü

I had really planned to be posting alot more before now, but things don't always go as we plan, do they?

**WARNING: below is a long dialogue of just musing and of where I have been. Ü

On the 18th, my wonderful DH and I went to Omaha to watch the Final 4 Volleyball games. He had purchased tickets as he knows how much I love watching Nebraska volleyball and they had made the Final 4. It was a wonderful time (THERE) even though we lost. We broke Penn state's perfect "no set losses" for the year, so that was fun. BUT the trip home was something else. What should have been a 4-4.5 hour trip took 9 hours and 20 minutes!!!! We drove in absolutely terrible weather, but there really wasn't anything else we could have done. You couldn't see an exit to take and if you COULD see an exit it wasn't cleaned off or safe to take! We drove (in our Ford Focus car) on ice covered, snow deep, roads, sometimes sleeting, snowing, blowing. Thankfully we had a full take of fuel and a shovel. There were times we were the first ones to make tracks. It will be something that we will never remember. As scary as it was at times for me, it is a special time when we were alone (rarity around here Ü) and could talk without interruptions (well except for driving ones). To keep Bruce awake, he asked me lots of questions about my grandparents and it was fun going down memory lane, sharing story after story with him and being reminded along the way of things I hadn't thought of for awhile.

So, fast forward a bit to Christmas...We actually had our first Christmas celebration on the 20th at mom & dad's. Then Christmas Eve service the 24th, Christmas breakfast on the Fisher side the 25th, then left early the 26th to go to my brother's. That trip ended short as Aaron got sick, so we left early and then I got sick on the way home. Came home to find out Bruce had been sick the nite before. Guess there is a 48 hour stomach flu sweeping the state.

We have one more Christmas on New Year's Day. Bruce is excited to go as NE football is in a bowl game that day and we don't have tv access here (we have a tv, but no antennae), so he can enjoy the game.

I have been busy working on new design team projects for Lizzie Anne Designs. I love the new sets that are coming out and the sneak peeks will be beginning soon. Be sure to check back here on New Year's as I have a POTM (project of the month) to share with a stamp set by them that is available now. I had fun making this project and can't wait to share it with you. Ü

Well, that's all for now. I have a project to finish up, to show you tomorrow and am working on my Embellish-Online projects that will be revealed the 6th. School is back in session on the 5th, so I need to get LOTS done this week.

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and I wish you all the Happiest and Healthiest New Year!

A White-ish Challenge

Good Morning! This is a prepost as I (along with my two sons) am hopefully if not ON my way, soon to be on my way to my brother and SIL's for a couple of days. I have packed some stamping items (esp new goodies I received for Christmas Ü) and hope to do a little stamping while there.

Then we will bring my nephew back to stay with us until the 4th.

I belong to a SU! yahoo group that holds weekly challenges. It's been awhile since I joined one, but the "white-ish" challenge sounded like fun. The challenge was to use mostly white and/or vanilla with a hint of color. I hope this wasn't too much "hint". Ü

I embossed white on vanilla (for all panels) for the background using Canvas background stamp. For the main image, I embossed the leaves from Embrace Life and watercolored them Certainly Celery. I then embossed the flowers on scrap paper and watercolored them using Cameo Coral (with the ink pad) and cut them out and mounted to the leaves.

Ribbon, brad and "Be Merry" are also SU!

Merry Christmas!

I want to wish all of you my readers a very Merry Christmas! I hope that sometime today, you can take a moment to reflect on that day so many years ago, when Jesus came to earth in the form of a baby to be our Saviour.

Here is a card I made using Storage Units, Ink & More's "Bear with Me" set. The sentiment is computer generated.

The red notched piece behind the bear is cut with my Cricut.

Merry Christmas Eve!

Alot has been going one here. I am hoping to be able to get back to posting more regularly.

I wanted to share some SUINK cards with you... this card is for a dual challenge..SUINK and the Friday challenge (12/19) on EIO. The challenge was to make a quick Christmas card.

Whatcha Doin Wednesday

SUINKWWC20 –Your Christmas Wish to All

Here is Mary Jo's challenge to team A:

I realize this is a super busy time for us all so
how about just any Christmas card for this week. If you have one that is a
favorite, go ahead and repost or pre-post one that is new. This one is just as
simple as you want it to be. Enjoy the holidays with your family.

This is a repost, but it is my favorite Christmas card that I made with SUINK stamps:

Not feeling so hot?

"Take two peanuts and call me in the morning!" Is this just the cutest set by Our Craft Lounge or what? I love this elephant and have named her Ellie. The tin is one that has flavored coffee in. Anyone that knows me, knows I can't stand coffee, but Bruce's grandma has been saving these for me and I'm just now getting some altered.

Home

Here is what I've been working on, but couldn't post until my friend Michelle had received it. Ü

Embellish DT gallery open

This opened Friday, but I brought my nephew home after work with us and he took him home today, and haven't had time to be on line. You can go to the gallery to see what the DT created here. This is my favorite project that I made:

This is made from coasters. I used Wassail papers you can find in the EIO store here: http://www.embellish-online.com/cate...17/Wassail.htm

J, O, Y, snowflakes, circle, notched rectangle and parenthesis all cut with Cricut. Tab on circle cut with SU! punch. Leafy shape, Martha Stewart punch. I have no idea where the square jump rings are from. They have been in my stash for a LONG time and I now need more! Ü

Snowflake is inspired by the infamous and VERY talented Anna Wight. Be sure to look over her blog as she has several she has done. Be sure to click on her name and check out her blog. She has made several snowflakes that are just so cool! You will also enjoy reading about Tiny Tim. Ü

close up of snowflake:

Snowman Birthday

card I made using scraps for a winter birthday

Mouse Notes

This is an image I had colored several months ago that someone sent me. I do NOT like mice, but these are just too cute.

The patterned paper is a digital print that I had in my stash.

We Wish You a Froggy Christmas

It's SUINK "sneak" day. There aren't any new stamps that will be released in December, so we were challenged to use an earlier released stamp set and give it a winter/holiday twist to show the versatility of the sets.

Here is my sample: I used Leap Frog and Deer Ol Santa (stamped just the hat and cut it out), Basic Grey paper, velveteen ribbon that I rec'd from my friend Michelle and a Making Memories safety pin (I'm going to hate it when I'm out of these as I don't think they make them anymore). I used Polymark dimensional fabric paint that I got at Wal-Mart this summer when it was marked down to 10 cents! (should've picked up more, but wasn't sure how it would work on paper)

Layout inspired by CTMH catalog.

Be sure to check the SUINK blog to see what others came up with.

Dual Challenge Card

This card was made for the Friday Challenge on Embellish It and for the day 1 challenge on Paper Craft Planet's 12 days of Christmas.

On Embellish it, the challenge was "leftovers". We were to use scraps. I used scraps from my paper scraps as well as ribbon scraps.

On PCP the challenge was to use a bird, tree or both on our card. The owl is by Pink Paislee.

Whatcha' Doin Wednesday

Today, Mary Jo's challenge is:

Make a Christmas card using untraditional colors. You know that the basic red and green.

You can see what Team A came up with by checking the blog here.

I'm not on Team A, but here is a card I made that would qualify for this challenge. I also used Splitcoaststampers Sketch Challenge #202.

Chap Stick holders

The idea for this came from Splitcoaststampers. Snowman is from The Angel Company. You can find the instructions here.

And more fun ideas for decorating the fronts here.

Paper Flower Wish

Today is Friday Challenge day over on Embellish It. I am the hostess this week and my challenge was a color one using:

raspberry, orange, and chocolate

Here is the card I made for the challenge. I would love to see your card if you play along. I have been seeing these paper flowers all over and have been wanting to make one. They are so fun that I will definitely be making more. Just cut some circles, distress and layer.

Birthday Turtle

I did the words on the computer and cut out.

Whatcha' Doin Wednesday

Today's challenge is Gift Bags. We were challenged to decorate one or make one. I love making these "Genie" bags. They are so easy to make and handy to have on hand for when you need to give a little something to someone.

The set I used is Kiss the Cook. This oven reminds me of the old fashioned kind. I once saw a cream and green one like this at an auction and wish we would have gotten it. We could have "electricized" (is that a word?) it.

I like to give food gifts to neighbors, mail carrier, post mistress, etc. I think I will make several of these bags and fill them with Peanut Butter Temptations in a cello bag. They are little treats that will fit in the bag perfectly.

Here is the recipe:

Peanut Butter Temptations

1/2 c. butter

1/2 c. peanut butter

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 1/4 c. flour

3/4 tsp. baking soda

48 Reeses mini peanut butter cups

Cream butters and sugars; add egg and vanilla. Beat until creamy. Stire in dry ingredients until blended. Roll dough into 1" balls. Press into 1 1/2" muffin tins. Bake at 350* for 12 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately press one miniature peanut butter cup candy into each hot cookie crust. Allow to cool.

Featured Stamper Day

Today, my friend Kendra was chosen as the featured stamper over on Splitcoaststamper's. I had a hard time choosing just ONE card to CASE, so I chose three. Ü

Here is the first card I chose to case of hers:

http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/1093628?cat=500&ppuser=1321

I loved the simplicity of the sketch. Here is my version: I used a chipboard snowflake by Making Memories that my friend Michelle sent my LAST winter! I was going to paint it at first and then add the stickles, but because the paper has some brown in it, I decided to leave it natural. I like how the color comes thru. I used Baby Blue stickles and Basic Grey cardstock. Ribbon is from JoAnn's and I have no idea who makes the brad.

Card case #2. Here is Kendra's:

http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/1049799?cat=500&ppuser=1321

And here is mine. Again, I loved the layout. I have had this image (again from my friend Michelle Ü) colored for some time now, but couldn't figure out what to do with it. And here is the 3rd one of Kendra's:

http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/609156?cat=500&ppuser=1321&sorttime=all&sortby=v&way=desc

And here is my version: I used papers that the DT received from Embellish It. The castle is from patterned paper in the set and I layered it on white cardstock before cutting out to give it more stability. I punched 4 scallop circles of white and one of the blue to give the look of a cloud behind the castle. I edged it with stickles.

EIO's Friday challenge

I love this paper by K & Company. This is a dual challenge as I made it for Ching's Fall challenge on Embellish-It and Lizzie Anne Designs sketch challenge by Kendra. (However, since I uploaded this early to the gallery, everyone saw it, so I made a second card for this challenge.)

The argyle embossing folder reminds me of a vest or sweater that one wears when the air gets cool. Add a fall pumpkin from Lizzie Anne Designs' Happy Harvest set and warm and soft chenille type ribbon and you have all the perfect elements for a fall card.

Here is the second card I made. This too is a dual challenge card. As well as for today's challenge, this card is also for SCS's Featured Stamper that was on Sunday. The featured stamper was Wendy Bell. Her gallery was so full of inspiration that it was had to pick just one card. But as soon as I saw this card, I knew what I was going to do. I had already stamped the tree and leaves from Lizzie Anne Design's In the Treetop and got stumped as how to finish it up.

Wendy used SU!'s stitched felt ribbon, but I didn't have any, so I just cut a strip of felt and sewed down each side. I am really pleased with how this turned out.

grandpa

I want to thank everyone who sent me e-mails and/or a card. As promised here is what I wrote and a picture of grandpa. This is a very personal part of my life and was had to post. Losing grandparents that I was very close to is a hard thing to do. I was blessed to have known not only grandparents, but great grandparents growing up.

This picture is the last one taken of my boys with grandpa. This was taken May 24 of this year. It was grandpa's birthday and several of us met at the nursing home and took him cake and ice cream. It was also a great day as he knew who I was and was joking around. I asked him if he knew it was his birthday and he said "well, that's what everyone keeps telling me". I then asked if he knew how old he was and he said "no". When I told him he was 94, he said "well, I'll be...sometimes I feel that old". Ü


Here is the tribute I wrote for grandpa:
Grandpa…grandpa and grandma. As I was thinking of what to say today about grandpa, it was hard to think of grandpa without grandma. It’s like saying ice without cream. It’s not as sweet or enjoyable and Grandpa did not enjoy being without grandma. They were truly “one” in every sense of the word as they did almost everything side by side.

People, who after learning grandpa had passed away, shared almost the same thing with me. How much they respected both of them, how they would always remember that gr’pa looked so young and that gr’pa is now where his heart has always been… with gr’ma.

I tried to think of one sentence that would describe grandpa and this is what I came up with…Grandpa was someone who worked hard, never seemed to age, loved to tease and laugh, loved babies & children, but more than he loved babies (and g’pa LOVED babies), he loved g’ma. I know there are many more words to describe g’pa, but these are the ones I’m going to touch on today.

Hardworking-g’pa practiced what he preached when it came to working hard. I can’t remember how many times he tried to retire, only to be bored the next day. No, not BORED as that word was not allowed in the house, but unable to be inactive for long periods of time. I am sure that there was never once a time when we, as grandchildren, stayed with them that g’pa didn’t either tell or show us how important it is to work hard. I remember when I got a job at the bank. I was living in town with them and it was my first day of work. At breakfast, G’pa said to me “there are only 2 reasons you should NOT show up for work…1. You are VERY ill and 2. You are going to a funeral.” So, it is fitting that we have this funeral on a Saturday when it is more likely that people didn’t have to miss work.

Never seemed to age-well that one is easy. Anyone who knew g’pa knew that he never looked as old as he really was. And sometimes could probably say he didn’t act his age. Ü

Loved to tease and laugh-g’pa loved to tease the great grandkids as well as others (including the nurses at the rest home) and g’ma. One night when I was staying with them, g’pa & I were setting the table for supper while g’ma awas at the stove. G’pa always had to have bread with his meals and he asked g’ma if she wanted any. She said “no, I’m not very hungry” and g’pa got an ornery look in his eye. The phone rang then and while g’ma answered it, g’pa put 1 pea, 1 bite of potatoes and 1 bite of meat on her plate, as well as a few drops of water in her glass. When g’ma sat down, she just looked at him with a puzzled look on her face. He started laughing and said, “well, you said you weren’t very hungry.”

Laughing-you can only understand this word to the fullest if you’ve ever been around g’pa and Uncle Alfred, Uncle Ellis and Uncle Merlin. I don’t know of anyone else who laughs as they did and do it with their whole bodies. They would move their chin up a little and their shoulders would begin to shake. They could make others laugh just watching them and we wouldn’t even know what was so funny that caused them to laugh. Even in the nursing home when we didn’t always understand what g’pa was saying, something would tickle him and he would start laughing.

Babies & children-g’pa loved babies in a way that you don’t usually see grown men love babies. He dearly loved his great grandchildren. When Benjamin was born, and we would visit g’pa & g’ma, I learned early on that you let g’ma hold the baby first, because when g’pa got the baby, anyone else just lost their chance. Even in the last few years when he was slipping away in his mind and we would visit and could barely understand anything he was saying, all it would take is for Ronnie or Tony to walk in with Emma or Trevor and it was like magic. G’pa would light up and start talking to them as plain as can be, holding out his arms as he wanted to hold them.

Grandma-Grandpa and grandma taught us what a marriage should be like. They taught us by example and sometimes by word. It always bothered them when they heard of a marriage breaking up and I can still hear g’ma’s voice saying “why can’t people just get along?”

When g’pa needed to go to the nursing home, g’ma refused to be separated from him and went too even though she could have been on her own. When g’ma died, I believe a part of g’pa died too, but his heart was too healthy to let him go at that time. They are now together again.

The last time I talked to g’pa where I could actually understand him was a couple of months ago and he told me two things. The last thing he said was “I want to go”. I asked “where do you want to go g’pa?” and he said “I just want to be with her” and I’m pretty sure he was talking about g’ma.
The first thing he told me reminded me of a poem that someone sent me. It was weird when I rec’d it because it is said that it was written by a man who was in the nursing home in North Platte and it was so close to what g’pa said to me that day.

Here is the poem…
Crabby Old Man
What do you see people? . What do you see?
What are you thinking . . . . when you're looking at me?
A crabby old man, . . . not very wise,
Uncertain of habit . . . . . . . . with faraway eyes?
Who dribbles his food . . . . . . . and makes no reply.
When you say in a loud voice . . . . . 'I do wish you'd try!' Who seems not to notice . . . the things that you do.
And forever is losing . . . . . . . . . . A sock or shoe?
Who, resisting or not . . . . . lets you do as you will,
With bathing and feeding
The long day to fill?
Is that what you're thinking?
Is that what you see?
Then open your eyes, people . . . . you're not looking at me.
I'll tell you who I am
As I sit here so still,
As I do at your bidding, . . . . . . as I eat at your will. I'm a small child of Ten . . . with a father and mother,
Brothers and sisters . . . . . . . . . who love one another
A young boy of Sixteen . . with wings on his feetDreaming that soon now . . . . . . a lover he'll meet.
A groom soon at Twenty . . . . my heart gives a leap.
Remembering, the vows . . . . . . that I promised to keep.
At Twenty-Five, now . . . . . . . I have young of my own.
Who need me to guide . . . . And a secure happy home
A man of Thirty . . . . . . . . . My young now grown fast,
Bound to each other . . . . With ties that should last.
At Forty, my young sons . . have grown and are gone,
But my woman's beside me . . . . . to see I don't mourn.
At Fifty, once more, . Babies play ' round my knee,
Again, we know children . . . . My loved one and me
Dark days are upon me . . My wife is now dead
I look at the future . . . . . . . . . I shudder with dread. For my young are all rearing . . . . . . young of their own.
And I think of the years . . . And the love that I've known.
I 'm now an old man . . . . . . . and nature is cruel.
Tis jest to make old age . . . look like a fool.
The body, it crumbles . . . . grace and vigor, depart.
There is now a stone . . . . . . . where I once had a heart But inside this old carcass . . A young guy still dwells,
And now and again . . . . . . . my battered heart swells I remember the joys . . . . . . .I remember the pain.
And I'm loving and living . . . . . . . .life over again.
I think of the years . . . all too few . . . gone too fast.
And accept the stark fact . . . . . . that nothing can last . So open your eyes, people . . . . . . . open and see.
Not a crabby old man.
Look closer . . . . see . . . . . . . ME!!

From Our House

Card made with Storage Units, Ink & More's Kiss the Cook. I added glitter to the cookies to look like they were sprinkled with sugar. This would be a great card to accompany a plate of sugar cookies.

I used more papers from my Basic Grey Figgy 6 x 6 paper pad. Sketch was inspired by Splitcoaststamper's Sketch Challenge 194.

Warm Greetings

It's rare that we have warm weather for Christmas. I thought this would be a fun card for someone who lives where it is warm OR for someone who lives here that does not like cold weather. Ü

I used Storage Units, Ink & More's Oh Holy Night for the trees and sentiment from Kiss the Cook.

Colored with Gamsol and colored pencils, Basic Grey papers, Prima flowers, and SU! brads

Sketch inspired by Splitcoast's Sketch Challenge #196.

Watercolor Garden ll

all supplies SU! except for ribbon

Roses in Winter

This is probably one of my favorite stamp sets ever from SU! (Roses in Winter)

This card was CASE'd by one of my favorite stampers "Carolina" on SCS.

Happy Holidays

This card uses the new set from SUINK called Deer Ol Santa. I also used sketch #146 from Splitcoaststampers sketch challenge forum. This is a great resource for sketches! I have them printed out and in 8.5 x 11 page protectors in a small binder. This sits on my desk at all times and is so handy to pull out and get ideas for images that I have already colored and just need to put together for a card or project.

Another football card

I love how this turned out. Again used the Swiss Dots cuttlebug embossing folder to give the look of a football and inked it up good with the dk brown ink pad directly to the cardstock. I used twill to do the "stitching" that's on a football.

I totally messed up on today's challenge for Storage Units, Ink & More, but decided to go ahead and post anyway. Ü
This is a tin I altered for a quick and fun treat to give someone. You are probably sick of my glittery candy corn girl, but she is so fun to make this way. Ü Here is the side view with ribbon. And here is the perfect treat inside. I used Core'dinations cardstock and the stamped image is from SUINK's Kooky Kostumes set.

grandpa

Grandpa passed away this morning. I have a few things preposted so there will be some things posting this week. The funeral is Saturday.

Are you ready for some football?

Not me, I'm a volleyball girl. Ü Esp, Nebraska Volleyball....

Go Huskers! But here is a card for football using SUINK's First and Goal.

I used Core'dinations for the brown and then used the Swiss Dots Cuttlebug embossing folder and inked it to give it the look of a football.

Happiness Ship

Here is another ship card made with SUINK's stamp set Bountiful Harvest. Other supplies used are Core'dinations cardstock, Swirls embossing folder by Cuttlebug, Basic Grey patterned paper, "happiness", pop dots, crystal effects and metal accent by SU! and twill from my stash.

Here is a close up of the sails

and here of the crystal effects I put on the port holes.

I'll be back soon

We are on fall break and have alot going on. I did do lots of stamping on Saturday so will try to get everything photographed and preposted so that you have something to look at all week. Ü

I have had some e-mails asking how Benjamin did at state. He placed 77th which was his worse time of the year at 19:30. It was the day after we had gotten snow and it was very cold. He had been battling a cold all week and the conditions were terrible for someone with asthma. He said the cold air burned his lungs before he even ran. However, if you've been with me for a year, you will know that he placed last a year ago due to stepping in a hole at the beginning of the run. So he improved a great deal from 94th to 77th. That doesn't make him feel a whole lot better as he is bummed with his time, but I told him it's okay. According to the time he had before, if he would have been able to breathe, he would have placed about 44th. We had one girl and one boy medal and lots of injuries, so it was a tough year for the kids. I am making cinnamon rolls today and feeding the state qualifiers breakfast at the school tomorrow. Hopefully this will boost their spirits a bit.

Another thing going on...my g'pa is dying. He hasn't eaten for several days now. One of the nurses said "he has forgotten how to swallow and that this is normal when the days are numbered". His lungs are filling up and he is really "rattle-y" so I am guessing he also has pneumonia. Yesterday we were told it's just a matter of time. The "Millsap's" have very strong hearts and live long lives, so it's taking longer I guess for his body to give out. The last conversation I had with g'pa was a few weeks ago and he told me "I want to go", I was worried that he thought I was taking him home, so asked him "where do you want to go?" and he said "I want to be with her" (meaning g'ma). It was so hard as they were a couple that just did about everything together. So to be left behind when one dies is more than they can take.

Didn't mean to leave on a sad note, but it's just kinda where I am right now. Today is the last day of fall break and I have LOTS to do. It's also Parent/Teacher conference and one of the perks of working at the school is that I can just talk to the teachers there, so I don't have to drive 60 miles for them to tell me that my 4.0 student is "very quiet (ha! they should live with me for a day Ü), knows the work, works hard, etc". I am thankful that he is such a good student and am glad to know he CAN be quiet! LOL!!

Check back later today and hopefully I will have something uploaded to inspire you.

Local classes

I will be teaching an easy class this Tues nite at Scrap Happens at 6 p.m. for all you local readers. You can sign up at the store. We will be making these two items for $5.

The first project is a cute little gift bag. You could fill this up for goodies for the kids...young and not so young. Ü
We will also be making this cute Frankenstein candy bar wrapper. Candy bar (Hershey) is included in the class fee.