Tomorrow is my support group...

I am always ready to go to my support group each month! We inspire one another, several of us being artists, and we find ways to keep our hearts happy inspite of pain. I made some cute things this week, each needing to be tweeked, so I will post them when I do!

I also, took on a consignment, of doing about 25 wedding invitations for a dear friend, also a widow, who is finally remarrying after 11 years of singleness! Congratulations Buddy! He has given me complete freedom to use my artistic eye, using a color scheme of Purple, gray and white! Oh how the ideas are evolving! Any ideas for something of this kind?

Share with me! Ps--- I need some followers!

SNE

I WILL NOT BE AFRAID....

I  will not be afraid any longer... I just realized tonight, what a hold fear of being widowed meant to me... I was widowed at the age of 34... with three kids. He died in our backyard, after working all day and keeping the kids. He died unexpectedly... It created a fear in me.  I made a lot of mistakes learning how to be a single mom, and getting on with my life. I made millions of mistakes. Tonight, a friend told me on the phone, that she got a new car today... I was elated and when I got off the phone, I yelled to the bear aka my husband, that "Shelley got a new car today!"  No response. Then, I read an article in the paper, and I yelled out another thought... no response.  Suddenly, it hit me that he didn't answer me twice now, and I lunged from my bed, to find he wasn't even in the next room--- he was in the front toiletry, locked away!  This fear has sat in my heart, and I have said many times, I could not, will not be widowed again (like I have some control over it!). I can not live my life like this.


I will not be afraid. God got me through this situation once, and he will do it again, if the time comes! I will not be afraid and quit letting my heart jump in fear when my husband doesn't answer! 


Father, I give you this fear... please diminish it and take care of me. Remove all fears. In your hands I rest this. Amen!

Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: 

for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. 

This is one of my happy places... Bentley with his fresh haircut... Cute huh?

Got new page protectors and stuff today to organize UM stamps:

I generally, am a person that thinks outside the box... I got some page protectors, cd holder pages, as well as business card pages to put into my huge notebooks to save my stamps in... I am trying to figure how to organize them... Animals, Alphabets, Backgrounds, etc... or what? Any ideas, anyone?

Please!

Day after Valentines...

I am sitting, needing to get things done. Washed some laundry. Ate some chocolate. Made some phone calls. Found out the post office is closed today! Sigh! I think its the day after Valentines, and I am deflated. I shared with the bear how I felt about Valentines... and he cried. I hate when he cries cause I love him so much, that when I hurt him, even in sharing my truths, I hurt from so doing. What's a girl to do, when I spent a year in counseling trying to figure out how to just be... and not worry about other's opinions, and to let go... I had to tell him the truth!

I think I will go hit up Michaels and see what they have on clearance after Valentines!

Shelley

Happy Valentines Day... or as my tongue would say, HAPEPENFYCALENTEINS DAYT

YES! Today is one of those fibromyalgia days, when words come out wrong... but I hope my marinating steaks come out right--- oh if you could see my backspacing even! It's a fibro-fog day!

I went to Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory--- since the snow is nearly gone, the roads are clear again, but the WIND is tossing cars off the road! I made it there to buy one box of chocolates for James, 6 chocolate dipped strawberries for me and Danny, 24 cherries double dipped in chocolate for Barb, a bag of chocolate raisins, and hence, one piece of Mountain Toffee to eat on the way home! SIGH! So much chocolate... ummm-mmm grrreat!

Danny, being a typical country boy, bought me a card, and... a bag of Brach's chocolate stars... When I frowned, he said, "I know, I should have bought Lindts for you." I didn't say a word. Later he asked if I were going to eat them, and I said no, I would take them back, and get my Lindts--- the look on his face told the story! He got them on CLEARANCE!!! 

Is this the same man who let me buy over $200 in papers a few days ago? I know... I may seem greedy, but you. do. NOT. buy. chocolates for valentines. off. the. clearance. aisle!!! OMG! Do I have a right to cringe at this or am I being selfish? He knows better... I ALWAYS, and I mean ALWAYS talk about Rocky Mountain, and Choxie and Lindt chocolates!!! 

If he didn't buy all that paper, would you think differently than your opinion you hold now? I thought so! GROWL!!!!

 

Men are from Mars!!!

Thinking outside the SQUARE box...

I wondered, at an odd moment, in the routine of getting ready for bed, with toothpaste in my mouth, if those cute, little kids' tattoos would work on paper, kind of like a rub on!? The kind you wet down, lay on the skin, and let them slide off... My kids had tons of these years ago, getting them in sunday church, in the old toy (gum) machines from the mall. I went looking on ebay, and bought some that were nearing expiring, and paid $5.00 for 144 of them--- and guess what...

• They
• worked
• just 
• beautifully...
• OMG 

So, I went buyer crazy and have so many tattoos coming in, I can't wait to share pictures... Some of you ladies have inspired me, and now, I want to return the favor! Come on... Let's share ideas! Esp., ones where you think outside the SQUARE box!!! Think piercing, and glitter, and tattoos! See my first one, here:

Now, the question is, should I stickle this butterfly or not?

FInishing up my girlfriend's valentines... Delivery tomorrow afternoon!

   

I love giving Valentines to my husband, as well as close friends. I have fun playing with old stuff too, like the pompoms, and chuncky old glitter, as well as ribbon! These were fun to think of, and my husband is getting this new card, since he saw the one with the funky shorts! LOL--- I sewed the cards on the circle, as well as the matting, and used some fancy ribbon left over from Christmas--- I got to use my new crown border embossed with sparkly gold embossing powder, to set the stage for this "royalty" inspired KING OF MY HEART card! I used a flocked heart button, that I hand lovingly, sewed into place for the man of my life, my Danny-bear!

I love challenging my mind to think outside of my common boxes of creativity! Isn't it fun to see where our imaginations take us. I thought of this, last night, before falling asleep! The other colorful creations are for my favorite friends here in DFW... Happy Valentines ladies!

So, king of my heart, Happy Valentines! and Love to all who make my life so much nicer! 

Shelley

Snowing in Dallas, 12 hours straight!!!

 Forney Texas--- snowfall!!! 

02-11-2010

It's been snowing since about 4 a.m. I am loving each snowflake, and each little pile on our rooftop! It doesn't snow like this, except for about every 30 years, so this is special. A few hours ago, my husband measured 6 inches! I am loving it!!!

Here is a photo of the front of my abode... Isn't it pretty? Look at the flakes falling down! Big and fluffy! I love it!

Take that you stay-puf marshmallow man!

50% OFF scrapping supplies... Oh, WOW!!!

Tonight, my husband took me to find stamp foam for some new unmounteds I got at the recent stamp trade days... We went to Michael's, but they didn't know what I was talking about... Then we  hit Hobby Lobby! OMG!!! 

They were having a scrapbook supplies 50% OFF SALE!!! My dear and overly understanding prince started looking at papers while I was looking at a few stamps... before I knew what hit me, we spent over $200 in cardstock and paper supplies. Nine new stamps, two punches, 3 sets of buttons, brads, etc and TONS (aka 12 PADS) of pads of papers!!! TONS! I don't even know HOW I will sort all these fantastic bargains! I guess I better start bringing in the $$$ from my cards!

Would it (still) be (too) greedy of me to expect flowers for Valentines? (Snicker) Oh, how I love my country boy! Thank you my precious!!!

My husband's Valentine's Card... I love it!

Honey bear Country Boy... if you see this, you better fake it on the 14th! LOL, this is my husband's simplistic Valentines' card for 2010~ I love simple cards! The front is embossed, and stickled in Really red glitter, colored with Copic markers. The inside is printed on clear vellum. Simple card. I made several for the men in my life; my brother, my daddy, my uncle, my man-friends. Only my husband, of course, gets this message.

Huff, the gnarly Dragon UNLEASHED...

Here is my dragon... I don't think the photo picks up the color scheme well and I didn't have time to edit it! It looks worse than the actual production, but I wanted to show you all this DRAGON that tortured me so much last night...The colors are off, cause the background is a deeper red, and green paper blends well with my Adirondack Alcohol ink'd background!  He is foiled and stickle'd... He is one fancy fiery guy! 

Anyway, this is "HUFF", the gnarly dragon: 

I am going to post my husband's Valentine's Card... He doesn't know about it yet, so I hope he doesn't read my post... see next post! LOL

TO ALL THE BROKEN HEARTED THIS VALENTINES...

My friend "J" recently lost his life-mate to ANOTHER. He has been heart broken by this turn of events. Wanting to cheer him up, I bought this voodoo doll, and made this "He loves me NOT!" card. Albeit my faith does not believe in this, I just had to make my friend laugh! Isn't this cute?

The flower has a crocheted mirror middle on it. I sewed him his own Voodoo doll (FILLED WITH RICE) to play with during tense moments. 

I don't know, this just kind of cracked me up--- for all the broken heart'eds this Valentines day:

 

I love my friend, "J"--- Shelley

Dragon Torture... in time for Valentines.

Today, I was working on this card order... I had bought this new very detailed dragon stamp and soooo looked forward to playing with it. Then, I stamped it. It smudged. I stamped it a dozen times and the belly of this dragon just won't come out clear! What is wrong with this dragon... Then I pondered how to make his image crystalize into a nice scaley dragon without smudges. I finally had a fairly decent image, and I colored him in with my copic markers and he lost detail. Then I stickled him. Then I foiled him. Suddenly this smeared up piece of art came to life and I left him alone. Drying. On a shelf in a room by himself. I added ribbon behind him with double mats, and then stamped inside a cherry blossom limb, added FIREY red stickles to his tongue and eyes, and my dragon awoke from his sleep, and quite frankly roared! I am glad I am finished with the dragon--- I hope my customer likes him. I will take a picture and insert him when he is fully dried out!