Thank You's and Art Attempts

When my sister passed away last month we were gifted with food, mass cards, and other remembrances and these are some of the thank you cards that I quickly put together.  

While looking for something else in my craft stash I came across a package of water soluble wax pastels and gave them a try late one night laying the colors down first and then blending with an aquapainter. 

I sent away for a black sketch pad to try to work with the moonlight gel pens on.  This was done while on several phone calls - a different color for each call.  I'll continue to add to it until the page is full.  

I saw a post from Ann Martin of All Things Paper posted a link to a tutorial on her FaceBook page that I wanted to give a try.  The materials were something I knew I had - circle punches and an old book (in this case a student dictionary) and some mini clothespins.  Oh, and paper glue.

And here is the result.  I think it might need a partner.  

These days I sit at my dining room table surrounded by much "stuff" including a laptop (mine), a chromebook (work), and my cell phone on it's new stand that HWNSNBP was generous to use his time making for me since I left my little metal one at work.  There's my daylight floor lamp over my left shoulder and Kirby in his cage behind my aching right shoulder.  And then there's the art supplies.  Zentangle pens, markers, pencils, colored pencils, stacked sketchbooks, a new box of Arteza paints to try, my olfa cutting mat for sewing or puzzles, occasionally my camera, and other various bits and bobs.  At my feet are canvas bags full of more choice items - one for paints of all kinds, another for markers of all kinds.  There's a set of wax pastels and a set of oil pastels on one of the empty chairs along with some tissue paper for another project.  Behind me is an east facing window where all, or most of our orchids are on the sideboard.  I can look across the room right into the kitchen where HWNSNBP works at the kitchen island.  This has been my quarantine space for most of the time.  It's a mess, but it's a comfortable mess.  It gets straightened up every couple of days, but no chance of company coming so there's not much urgency in tidiness.  

I venture up into the stamp cave every now and then after my "working hours" when I need to get something, or make a card or two.  We have a birthday coming up on Sunday - a 1st birthday - and Mother's Day is right around the corner.  There's also Teacher Appreciation Week - which deserves some acknowledgement - I know the teachers have been working their butts off at home, most of them balancing family and students.  

There are a couple of jigsaw puzzles still waiting to be done and some various piles of clothing scattered about as well as items found during "cleaning out spurts" that need to find homes (and some of them need to runaway from home).  I get fully dressed up 2-3 times a week.  And by that I mean pants that button and zipper and socks with real shoes.  Otherwise, it's lounging clothes and sweatshirts and sandals.  

I posted a picture of this on FB and a local friend said she could use one.  I actually had asked HWNSNBP to make one for her before I saw a post from her the next morning that she scored some Lysol spray at Costco and had extra if anyone needed at cost.  I messaged her thinking they were probably all spoken for but said I would be leaving a stand in her mailbox.  She said she still had a can and we could trade.  The Lysol cost a lot more than the stand did - it was pennies of scrap wood and 15 mins of his time at most - so I think we made out in the long run.  It was nice to barter.  Cleaning products have been hit and miss here lately.  

Sunshine Comes From New Zealand

Going through some photos I realized that there are quite a few that I hadn't posted including these.  This card came from my blogging friend Sunshine in New Zealand as a note of thanks for thinking of here in a special way after an accident she had.  I organized a card party of sorts for her in March with my Pig Ladies, hoping to lift her spirits and it seemed to have done the trick.  She got cards from as close as California and as far away as Ireland, with the majority of them coming from right here in New Jersey which isn't just down the block either.  

Isn't this so true.  My "Pig Ladies" embraced her with thoughts of a speedy recovery and concern for her well-being.  They worked a little flying pig magic you might say.

Even the outside of the envelope was decorated.  

I am blessed with such wonderful and caring friends.  I know Sunshine said she was going to thank everyone individually when she was feeling better but I wanted to say thanks also.  You made my heart proud!

Paying It Forward Because..........

I had a wonderful, relaxing week last week off from work despite the mess you see below. This has been in the making for a llllllllooooooooonnnnnnggggg time.  This is the room I fondly call my "Stamp Cave" sans the shelves and another large table.  It was my son's room and after he moved out I slowly took ownership of it, removing the bed and unsystematically adding more furniture for storage of my ever-growing craft stash.  There were dings and dents in the walls, not to mention staples galore from posters and pictures that once decorated the walls.  So after we removed the shelves, table and an embarrassingly large amount of stuff, HWNSNBP had a lot of patching to do. And I had to pick out a color.  And I have to be sure that it's what I want to live with for a very long time according to the painter (aka HWNSNBP) because given our age and stage of life, once the stuff goes back in, it ain't comin' out.

For the time being my worktable was left standing in the middle so I could possibly use it in an emergency if need be.  But it had to be shrouded in plastic from the dust and paint splatter (from the ceiling being painted too).

Of course, while I was packing things up and moving them out I was coming across all kinds of things like these birds and the die cut tree.  So, while he was out playing in the yard (waiting for me to finish up) I dug out a blank white card and some inks to make a background and then assembled this quick card.  A little bit of procraftinating!

And speaking of finding things, the following are a few of the things that I found that I had doubles (an in one case triples) of.  So, I've decided to Pay It Forward.  I would be glad to share these items (all of them unused) with the first person who requests them in the comments below.  Just make sure to tell me which item it is that you would like and I will get back to you for your mailing address.  

The stamps below are 1" x 3"

The stamp below is 1" x 3"

The leaf stamp below is 2 1/4" x 3"

The Jingle stamp is 3 1/2" x 5"

I will get them out as soon as possible, I promise.  

And another reason I am sharing is because I had a bit of luck this weekend.  My godmother sent me some lottery tickets in my birthday card and I won $20 AND I was the winner chosen in Darnell's April Fool's Big Boo Boo Card Blog Hop and I am using my prize to get some new markers.  Thank you to all the blog hoppers who visited and commented on my card. I certainly had some giggles visiting each and every one of you!  And thank you Darnell for sponsoring such a fun event!