Pastoral Eagle

I made this card for one of our Pastors. Not sure what to send to a pastor? I thought long and hard about this myself. I thought, I am sure they are all religious. Should it be funny? No not this one. I wanted to let him know about the beautiful sermon her gave on Communion. It compared the taking of communion to a bride in biblical times drinking a cup of commitment wine with the groom to be. How marvelous--Have you ever thought of it that way? Well I never had! But from now on I will. The sermon was so impressive my hubby and I both had tears in our eyes. Sooo-my card was religious in nature. We sang a song about eagles lifting us up and it seemed so appropriate for his card. I wanted this one to be really different so I used an onion bag and sponged the background for the eagle. The eagle stamp is from Gray Wolf Designs out of Michigan. I love his stamps.

Thank you Pastor Jon Swanson for such a beautiful interruption of communion.

Nancy

ATCs

Have you ever created and ATC? Don't know what they are? They are Artistic Trading Cards. Yes, this is my newest endeavor. They are fun, can be just as challenging as a card. Card sizes are 4.25" x 5.50"--ATCs are 2.50" x 3.50". Smaller yes but just as involved and can be more challenging. Each ATC has a theme and the theme for this group trade was Women. My first interpretation for an ATC is for your viewing. Let me know what you think of this "little" woman.

One More Balck & White

I just love black & white. Crisp clean and eye popping. This is the last in my Monday Mailer series. The stamps are from CTMH and are no longer available. Sooo sorry--I really like these Fairy sets.

Feathered Friends

Another Monday Mailer in Monochromatic (Black & White). A tribute to our feathered friends in Retiform. This consists of marking off the cards in assorted sizes and masking off the surrounding areas so that only one square/triangle at a time is stamped on.

Shades of Blackness

Do you know how many shades of black there are? And shades of white. I made this card for a Monday Mailer swap and it is supposed to be only Black & White. Love this Oriental rabbit.

Watercoloring Markers

This is a new technique for me. Color in your block stamp and spritz with a fine mist. This allows the colors to combine and create other colors as well. This tech could be called the rainbow tech because it allows the colors to shift into the next dimension of the shade of color you started out with.

Happy New Year

I want to wish everyone a happy New Year. I am praying that 2009 will be a beneficial and healthy year to all.

Updating you on my health here. I have finished all my treatments! Yeah for Me! Oh Yeah! The chemo and the radiation are all gone away. I have been going to treatment everday for 33 days, 5 days a week for radiation at 11:20. So at 11:20 AM this week just do the happy dance for me. I still am burned from the treatments and they are painful but knowing that now all they have to do is heal is a real blessing to me.
I will be on a drug called Tamoxifen for 5+ years to reduce the hormone that causes breast cancer in my body.

Now the "real" healing can begin. The thoughts of what the next round of treatments will do to my body will vanish. My strength will be returning--one day at a time--no more being so tired that I can't even think of how to function. I am to start exercising 10 minutes a day- 5 minutes at a time. How exciting- I hate exercising- I mean if I were walking through Savannagh GA's Forsythe Park now that would be exercise and enjoyment at the same time. It would be like a small portion of heaven and improving my health together. Right?

I am also looking forward to all the new projects I have signed up to make. ATC's, Monday Mailers and my projects for Rubber Road Adventures (Domino Dancer) and my next project for Create A Card Club. And of course TJ 1-on-1. Also, the challenges for My Paper Moon.Working in my studio is one of my favorite things to do. Today I have a renewed sense of strength and am ready to delve into some unknown creation.

I want to thank you all for your prayers and concerns. I could not have made it through this trying time in my life without my God, my husband,my family and my friends.

Thank You & Thank You, again.

Have a Blessed New Year

Nancy

U-Pull Card

These are fun and inspiring to make. Isn't she elegant? Now that is a Victorian dress and all she needs is a mask with a long handle to match her dress.

Everyone Has Asked

I have been asked many times what the little symbol on my artwork is--well- it is a mask. A mask you ask? The kind that is worn in all the old Victorian movies-I am old but not that old to have really seen them at that time- also they are worn a lot at Mardi Gras. Actually, I bought one in New Orleans a few years ago just for fun. And no I don't wear it. LOL! After I won prizes in New York for my artwork while a senior in high school, I felt that just my name was entirely to boring. I do sign all my artwork on the back, I put my mask on the front so that everyone knows it was made by me upon viewing the piece. Now you know the whole story.

Day 9

My formula for Radiation.
9/33=24
Yippee!!
Have a blessed day.

The Countdown has Started

Monday my blood test said I was strong enough to start my radiation therapy. Well, out of 33 treatments I have had 3. Yippee!. 5 days a week for 6 1/2 weeks. The time will fly (I hope). Thank you for all your prayers. Some days my attitude is up and some days it is a little down. I can feel your prayers so I have more up days than down days. This is how I am marking my daytimer to keep track of the treatments left.
3/33. Good formula don't you think?

Thanks to you all!

Travel with Giraffes

Use a piece of textured paper towel and cover with black acrylic paint completely. Then using Pearl Ex powders to add blotches of color to create an exciting background. Set aside to dry Cut to desired size and embellish.

Not This Week

I was supposed to start Radiation Therapy yesterday. Oh Pooh! I want to get this overwith so I can get back to my life. I had a blood test first to see if I was ready and -NGO- that's what we called it in the financial industry when I worked-before retirement. NGO- means Not in Good Order. It appears that I am not strong enough for radiation. Sooooo next Monday I will have another blood test to see if all systems are go.

Have a Blessed week all.

Black & White Fun

Blackbird-Thank you

Grid Technique-Thank you card.

Fort Wayne Stamp Convention

My daughter Shelly promised she would take me to the stamp convention not matter what. We went Oh Yeah!! Although I am still pretty weak I made it all day. How you ask? Shelly got me a wheelchair and did not allow me to get up except to look at something that she couldn't get the wheelchair up to. She sure did love bossing me! LOL

What a labor of love. Bless her, she pushed that wheelchair from 10 AM to 4 PM.

Hats off to her and my grateful thanks. Thank you, too, to my daughters family for giving her up for a whole Saturday to help feed grandma's habit.

I DID IT!

I survived my three months of Chemo! Yeah me! I think. I am still suffering from the dreaded colon pain that accompanies my chemo treatments, but each day the pain is less and less. I have only had two vicodine today and that is great.

I am very anemic and will be starting some treatment on Monday. If the iron doesn't work I will need a transfusion. My white blood count is low as well but the radiologist says we can begin radiation treatments on Nov 4th. I will be going for treatment 5 days a week for six and a half weeks. How boring. I understand that the worst part of radiation is after about 3 weeks is when the tiredness sets in.

So one hurdle pasted and one to start. I know I would have not been able to make it through this without my Lord Jesus Christ and my husband "the saint". He told me the other day I looked cut without hair. What? My family has been a God send for just being there for me to cry or laugh. And my BFF Lisa Wolf and her daughter (my goddaughter). And and I almost forgot-(how could I)-My church Grabill Missionary Church and my Sunday School class "The Bridgebuilders".

Love comes in all shapes and sizes,an all different kinds of deeds. Open your eyes my friends and see the love.

I have been trying to get a path created in my craft room. (Turning red here)
I want to be able to do some painting in the next few weeks so have to get my easel set up and one end of my craft table set up just for painting. I figure that even if I am very weak I can at least work on the two paintings I have mapped out in my mind.

It's Almost Candy-ween

Halloween is almost here! I really wish we could call it Candy-Ween. I know that Christians don't support halloween well I am a christian and I went Trick or Treating. So CANDY-WEEN it is.

Now that I have no hair to speak of--what will I be for Candy-Ween? I have been Raggedy Ann, A Motorcycle Mama (in my youth), Cleopatra and Dorothy with Toto.
But this year,hmmmmmmmmmmm? Since I had my breast surgery I can see my tummy and I never really knew how big it was.

So is it Grandpa Munster or Alfred Hitchcock. I suppose I will see how I feel that
day. Although, I haven't been T & T-ing in years my profile does crack my up.

Attitude Is Everything

Attitude

There once was a woman who woke up one morning,
looked in the mirror,
and noticed she had only three hairs on her head.
'Well,' she said, 'I think I'll braid my hair today.'

So she did and she had a wonderful day.

The next day she woke up,
looked in the mirror
and saw that she had only two hairs on her head.

'H-M-M,' she said,

'I think I'll part my hair down the middle today.'

So she did and she had a grand day.

The next day she woke up,
looked in the mirror and noticed
that she had only one hair on her head.
'Well,' she said, 'today I'm going
to wear my hair in a pony tail. '
So she did, and she had a fun, fun day.

The next day she woke up,
looked in the mirror and noticed
that there wasn't a single hair on her head.
'YAY!' she exclaimed.
'I don't have to fix my hair today!'


Attitude is everything.

Day 2-Decline and Fall

After having my first Chemo treatment 2 weeks ago, Day 2 of declining and falling hair has plagued my existence. While I am a hat-person I never thought I would need to buy hats to cover my bald head. Although, I am not bald yet!!-I foresee it will be soon. Yesterday I went to Wally World and purchased three little hats with brims and little bows in the back. The Oncology department gives away little hats knitted and crocheted by a group called Stitches of Hope-Head Huggers of Northeast Indiana. I say Thank You to these wonderful crafters. The little tam is crocheted in a snappy mauve color with a Burgundy bow. Now I am thinking I will look pretty chic. (Chic for an old bald headed lady). Monday September 8th I will receive my second Chemo treatment. Do you know how hard it is to watch that poison go into my arm for a hour an a half? I half have considered not doing it-but I will be back for another round at 8:45 am.

Now I must get the dust buster and vacuum my keyboard tray to remove all the wafting hair. Need to move on to more creative work for now.

Get Well Cards

I want to thank each and everyone of you that sent me these beautiful handmade cards. Thank you for thinking of me. Your thoughtfulness and support to me, means more than you can possibly know. I have scanned them all together and I hope I haven't missed anyone. Please keep in mind that my family has been here helping my husband keep everything under control. So things have been quite hectic.

Blessings to you all.

My Thoughts

Wow! Where do I start. Now I know why they call cancer the silent killer. I didn't even know I had a problem until I found something very sore on my body. I was the size of a lemon and had spread to my lymph nodes. How the heck did that happen since I had my last mammogram in January and all this took place in July?

Be careful Ladies & Gentlemen because my oncologist says that this kind of breast cancer does not show on a mammogram. The mammogram scores only an 80% at finding all cancers. You are responsible for the other 20%. That means self exam. This has also happened to my 48 year old niece. She also had a double mascetomy in March. I was there helping to care for her little 4 year Chinese boy and all the time I had cancer myself.

My niece and her daughter just completed a 60 mile 3 day walk for breast cancer. I say Hooray for them. And thank you to all who walked.

Please remember folks--it is up to you to discover this kind of cancer yourselves.

More up dates later.

What is It? And Where did It come from?

Have you ever been told you have breast cancer? I hope not. But I am sure there are many more of you than I am aware of. For those of you who have, you have my prayers and blessings.

I was told I had to have to my breast removed because of cancer on 07-14-08 and had both breasts removed on 07-18-08.

Will update more later. Have to rest now.