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Saturday, April 26, 2014

Rehabing a Knee


 How do you rehab after knee construction surgery? Keep the leg up, ice it, and drink enough water to drown a whale. A good bit of your time is spent on pain management and physical therapy. Pretty boring stuff, especially since comfortably sitting with your leg up is not an easy task. I can't work on artsy things yet, so I'm reading about artsy things, and I can color with my Copic markers. You know there are 24 hours in a day, that's a lot of hours when your activities are limited. One of the things I've been doing is putting all my quotes in one journal. No biggy you say? Well, yeah it kind of is because I've actively been collecting quotes since I was in high school. At one time I thought about becoming a writer. Don't get too excited, I also wanted to be an architect and a veterinarian. Which is why it took me six years to get through undergrad school!

One of my favorite past times has always been reading. Thank goodness I can do that while rehabbing the new knee. I have always been a  voracious reader. Ever since I learned how to read in Mrs. Richardson's first grade class in Marion Adams Elementary back in Sheridan Indiana. I drove poor Mrs. Richardson plum crazy. I learned to read very quickly and then that's all I ever wanted to do. When it was my turn to read during round robin reading circle, I never knew where we were. She'd fuss and tell me to keep my place, and the next time I still didn't know where I was supposed to be. I can hear her now sayin' "Carole, what on God's green earth are you doing?" I told her I already finished the story and I was reading the next one. "Well just see that you keep your place next time." The time it was my turn I was reading another story and finally I’d read the whole darn book. I remember thinking, what am I going to do now? I can not follow along with kids like Bobby or Kenny who read slower than molasses. So I started reading other books, you know hide them inside my text book. Mrs. Richardson took those too. It didn’t matter much to me just what I read. I just loved to read and learn new things. It wasn’t long before I learned that a thinner book could be more easily hidden inside my text book. That’s when I started reading Archie Comic Books. Mrs. Richardson ended up owning her fair share of those too. My six year old brain could never quite understand why Mrs. Richardson wouldn’t just let me read. I was a good reader, I made straight A’s and could read just about anything I picked up. I’d read just about any ole’ book I could get my hands on, whether it was Grandma’s church magazines, Daddy’s horse magazines or my big brother’s history book. Mrs. Richardson’s older, more mature brain just could not figure out why I wouldn't play by the rules and sit there quietly like all the other good little children. In second grade I was in Miss Ring’s class. I loved Miss Ring, she let me read what ever I wanted when ever I wanted. When it was my turn to read, she would calmly tell me where we were, I’d read it aloud, then go back to my book. Miss Ring even found more books for me to read. She introduced me to the first mysteries I’d ever read. Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigators. It was a great series of books and from time to time I still see one in a used book store. I wonder what Miss Ring and Mrs. Richardson would think of the Kindle that I have now with tons of books on it?
Quotes? Oh yeah, I found this while I was in College and decided to be a teacher. I guess it's really a poem, but it was in with all my quotes.
A Builder.
A builder built a temple,
He wrought with grace and skill;
Foundation, pillars, arches,
All fashioned to work his will.
 Men said, as they saw its beauty,
"Magnificent it is, my friend,
Great is thy skill, O builder--
Thy fame shall never end!" 

A teacher built a temple
With loving and infinite care,
Planning each arch with patience,
Laying each stone with prayer. 

None praised her unceasing efforts,
None knew of her wondrous plan,
For the temple she was building
Was unseen by the eyes of man. 

Gone is the builder's temple,
Crumpled into the dust;
Low lies each stately pillar,
Food for consuming rust. 

But the temple the teacher fashioned
Will last while the ages roll,
For that beautiful, unseen temple
Was a child's immortal soul.

Monday, April 21, 2014

Retiring Items!

The lists of retiring products have posted so start stocking up! Don't forget: all products, including stamps, are only available while supplies last, so get them before they're gone for good!

Also, with FREE shipping on everything today through April 25, now is the time for you to order!

Click Here for List of Stamps

Click Here for List of Accessories

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Mini Album Fun

 I'm off to the hospital tomorrow to get my new knee, so I kept myself busy today creating a quick mini album.

Monday, April 14, 2014

Stamp Your Art Out Class

I had such fun with the ladies in this group last Friday!

 
The problem cutting the angle was that you must cut the paper down to 5" FIRST, then place the upper right hand corner at the top of the cutter, 2 1/4 inch at the bottom.

8 ½  x 11” cardstock: cut 10 7/8” x 5” score at 3 5/8” x 7 ¼” then cut from corner to 2 ¼”
12” x 12” cardstock: Cut 12” x 5” score at 4” and 8” then cut from corner to 2 ½”
Design by French Martin


Project Details
Stamps
Hardwood, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Card Stock & Papers
Crumb Cake cardstock and scraps of various designer series paper
Ink
Early Espresso
Accessories
Stampin’ Dimensionals
Tools
Punches: Modern Label, Word Window, Bitty Butterfly, Elegant Butterfly, and Decorative Label



Project Details
Stamps
En Francais, Lovely As A Tree
Card Stock & Papers
Chocolate Chip: card base 5 ½ x 8½ score at 4 ¼
                           2 ¾ x 2 ¾ 
Very Vanilla:     3 ¼ x 4 ¼
                           2 ½ x 2 ½
Soft Suede: 4 x 5 ¼
Color Collection DSP  Neutrals 4 ¼ x 1
Modern Medley DSP 2” x 2”
Ink
Always Artichoke, Old Olive, Chocolate Chip
Accessories
7/16” Trim” (burlap type ribbon)
Tools
Woodgrain Embossing Folder,sponge, sponge dauber,

Project Details
Stamps
Petite Petals
Card Stock & Papers
Island Indigo: card base 5 ½ x 8½ score at 4 ¼
Whisper White: 4 x 5 ¼
Watercolor Wonder DSP: 3 ¼ x 2 ¼                                        
Gumball Green: 3 ½ x 2 ½
Marina Mist: punched flower
Ink
Island Indigo
Accessories
Gumball Green Stitched Satin Ribbon, Gold or Silver Baker’s Twine & button or Dahlias
Tools
Banners Framelits, Petite Petals Punch
 





Saturday, April 5, 2014

Mini Album

Besides shoveling out from under massive quantities of pollen, I've been working on a mini album. Staying inside is a good idea for me this time of year because of allergies, but it's soooo gorgeous with everything bursting into bloom.
You know, I really wish I would follow one design or set of directions when making these things, but I absolutely can not resist experimenting and thinking, "oh but this would be better, or I should add this." So I can't point you to a specific tutorial, but I can tell you about a book one of my sister in laws gave me fo Christmas. Its called Interactive Mini Scrapbooks by Kathy Orta. I used several ideas from that book to create the one below.