Living with grief

In my efforts to go on with life after the loss of my dear Dick, I've been doing a lot of things.  I am reading a book by Martha Whitmore Hickman, called "Healing After Loss".  This book was given to us in our grief support group at Hospice.  The book is set up to read daily meditations.

Two days ago, I read this in the book:  "If you are an artist, it is work that fulfills and makes you come into wholeness..."

I don't really claim to be an artist, but have learned the skill of making cards.  I have been trying to rediscover this skill.  It's not going well, but I'll keep trying.  Bear with me.

Today, in the book, I read this:  "Grief comes in unexpected surges..."  This is so true.  I never know when something will remind me of my dear Dick.  The tears come and the grief takes over my life for a bit.

I did manage to assemble one of the cards I've been working with.  I found some square brads in my stash and decided to try them to support the sentiment.  I'll keep trying to move on with my life, but I never know when my efforts will be interupted.

Day of learning

Yesterday, I spent the day relearning things I used to remember.  Inks work differently on different paper.  It's important to learn and remember which inks to use for each purpose.  I began stamping this image from Stamper's Best with Memento ink on matte cardstock.  I wasn't getting a really solid black image, so I began to experiment.

I thought it might be my ink pad, so I switched to Versafine.  I still wasn't pleased with the image quality, so I switched to glossy cardstock.  Then I remembered to read the back of pad.  It says, "Fast drying oil based pigment ink for uncoated papers (drying time varies depends on paper)."  Since glossy paper is coated, this made for slower drying time.  It gave a good black image, but smeared when I tried to use it.

I pulled out my Stewart Superior Document Stamping Ink.  This is the company that makes Memories ink and it would probably work well also.  This ink gave me a nice dark black image on my glossy paper.  I will work on assembling some cards today.

Lesson for today:  Choose the proper ink and paper carefully to get a successful image. 

Another tip:  I find I get a better image by standing up when stamping to get an even pressure over the surface of stamp.

PS:  Check out this tutorial on the Stars & Stamps blog.  This is a great explanation of stamps and stamping techniques.

Muscle card challenge

This has been a long process for me today, but I have 2 completed cards for the challenge.  That was my goal to complete some cards, so here is my offering for today.

The motorcycle stamp is from Stamper's Best and stamped in Versafine black ink.  The black & white patterned paper is from a pad by Making Memories.  Background is embossed with Cuttlebug embossing folder, with Brilliance ink on the diamonds.  Vertical card is Brilliance Platinum Planet and horizotal card is Brilliance Starlight Silver ink.

The wire star clip is from an old package by Creative Impressions.  I attached it with Crafter's Pick The Ultimate liquid glue.  I hope it holds metal to cardstock.  On the horizontal card, I attached wire star clip to a punched cardstock star.  Sentiment is by Hero Arts.



Tomorrow is another day and I'll see if I can create more cards.

Challenge for me

I really need some mojo to get some cards made.  I'm challenging myself to participate in the Operation Write Home Muscleman Challenge.  This is due by April 30.  I need to make half Father's Day/Masculine cards and half other cards.  I have a deadline and want to get them mailed before the end of April.

I'm trying to make cards, but just can't seem to get them to look the way I want them.  Will you join me and participate in this challenge?  These cards will go to our deployed heroes in the military to send home to their loved ones.

I'll try to get one card completed and post it later today.

Still organizing craft room

I made a couple more of these cards, adding more distressing to create a little more depth.

I'm still trying to find all my things, so need to get them out of boxes and where I can see them.  I've added some more shelves to my craft room to keep my supplies in sight.

Closet shelves

Xyron storage shelves

Shelves by window

I have more things to unpack and more shelves to hang, but I'm running out of wall space.

Missing You

I've been really eager to begin making cards again.  I'm still far from organized, but did make one card yesterday.  I couldn't find the stamp I really wanted to use, but I'll keep looking.  This is a very simple, basic card, but it's a beginning.

I used the scanner on this card and it doesn't really show that the dots have an embossed texture.  I also popped the sentiment on dimensionsl foam tape.  I'm going to work on this idea and try to make some more this weekend.  We have a very stormy forecast, so it's a good day to stay in the house.

Ribbon Storage

I'm working on setting up my craft room in my new home.  This room is much smaller and I need to make some changes.

This is how I stored my ribbon in my old craft room.  This is an 8 foot length of vinyl guttering from the hardware store.  The brackets are available there too, meant to mount it on house.  They are attached to wall with screws.  I placed it near the ceiling above other storage.  I used a Grab-It to get ribbon down where I could use it.

I'm working on now storing my rolls of ribbon in Kleenex boxes on a CD storage shelving unit.

I did a tutorial on making these boxes a year ago on my blog.  You can see it HERE.

I will work on organizing my ribbon more as I get the room more organized.  I have lots more ribbon to organize.  Much of it is still in boxes.

Craft room progress

This moving has been a long process.  I still have a lot to do, but I am making progress.  I've begun to set up my craft room.  It's a smaller room than I had before, so it will be pretty cramped.  I set up my stamping table first.

It looked pretty good until I started putting other things on it while I worked on places to put them. 
I hope to get it back to this condition soon.

Next, I had to have my paper and ink pads.

I hung my Crop in Style Punch Pal on the back of the door. 
I have 3 of these hooked together.  I'm still working on putting the punches in their little pockets.

I also have far more punches than this hanger will handle. 
I can see a lot of purging in my future.  Since I've been collecting dies, I use them more than the punches.  Punches take a lot of room and are heavy.

I have a lot more to do, but wanted to show you that I am trying to get back to making cards.  Operation Write Home has lots of heroes on the waiting list.

Spring?

As Spring approaches, the wind really blew in yesterday.  It took down the fence between my back yard and my neighbor's back yard.

This has created some problems with my dog.  He wants to explore that nice yard over there.  After the wind died down, it rained pretty hard during the evening hours.  This morning, I saw the snowy mountains over my back fence.

The sun is coming out now, so I may get a better view of the mountains under blue sky later today.