Ghosts and Goblins Don't Scare Me.....

Coffee of the Day - Pumpkin Spice, of course! ;)

Happy Halloween to all of you, if you celebrate the holiday that is.... Please read to the bottom of my post for my costume this year. it still gives me the giggles, but then y'all know I'm kinda twisted. ;)

(image from The Graphics Fairy)

Every year for Halloween, we get together with several other families at one of their houses to set up what has grown to be called 'The Hot Dog House'. rather than give out candy, we grill hot dogs, pass out hot cocoa, water, and chips to everyone out trick or treating. it is a HUGE hit in our little town. one year because of illness in the homeowner's family we weren't able to do it. there were so many concerned people the following year who were worried we had stopped. We don't charge a penny for anything we pass out - it's all free. and oh my gosh, is it ever so much fun! Still waiting to find out if we're doing it today or not because of the weather. still raining and oh so, cold, but then again, we've done this in the snow. we DO live in northeast Ohio afterall..... I won't be able to go this year, which makes me sad, but hubby and Ryan are really looking forward to it.

So on to my costume for this year.... I haven't worn a costume in years. really. just not a fan of Halloween and all it's become. but that is a story for another time.
while checking out an online t-shirt store for Walking Dead stuff..... yep, zombie love rules!, I came across this one. cracks me up! (click on photo to see all of the saying....)

I'm working on the 'surviving' part, but boy howdy, ain't this the truth!

have a great day! love to all of you! :)

p.s. today is the last day to enter my Hope You Can Cling To blog candy. thank you to those of you have played along & are sending cards to MD Anderson!

Still Around...

Coffee of the Day - Toasted Coconut Macadamia

I know I havw been missing for a bit, and I do apologize. it's been a rough week or so with my radiation. every day the burns & blisters seem to spread farther across my body & become more painful. as it stands now I have 3 more weeks of treatment. David & I have some very difficult decisions ahead of us, so we are doing a lot of praying. but in the midst of all this I still have so much peace. God is so good! He blesses me abudantly every single day.

We tried to go out for a while yesterday to enjoy the fall day, but had to cut it short when I had a bad episode. It's so hard to watch my family see me when the bad times hit. it tears my heart right open. but before hand we were able to enjoy a special time at a nearby apple orchard & farm as we used to when the boys were younger. They had apple dumplings while I munched on the most yummy maple bacon doughnut. oh gosh, it sure was tasty! :)  Brought home some fresh apple cider and sugarless apple butter.

The most beautiful blue jays have taken over the nest on my front porch. I haven't seen any jays quite this size in quite a long time. I think they are hiding out from the storm that is approaching. Our porch will be the perfect place for them to stay nice and dry. :) My baby squirrel friend is still around gathering  his winter nuts & berries.

All of you in the path of the storm please stay warm & safe. my love to everyone who pops by! :)
Jennifer

Hope You Can Cling To Blog Candy Reminder

Coffee of the Day - Pumpkin Spice

Happy Friday to ya!

 


Just wanted to post a little reminder to all of you about my Hope You Can Cling To blog candy..... you can link a card for ANY of the HYCCT challenges for the entire month. it does not have to be for only mine. right now there aren't any entries at all, so your chances of winning are pretty good. ;)  you have until midnight on Oct. 31 to link a project.

I can only ship the Big Pro die to a winner in the USA.

sorry I haven't been around much. haven't felt well this week. thank goodness every day of treatment means one day closer to being DONE, at least with this portion! ;)

enjoy your weekend!

Hope You Can Cling To - Peaceful Pink...blog candy, too!

Coffee of the Day - Salted Caramel White Mocha

Today is the big day for me - the day I am so very honored to be a Hostess over at Split Coast Stampers for Hope You Can Cling To!!!! I truly hope you will join me and the other hostesses in creating cards to send to breast cancer warriors at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Texas. As I have mentioned before, I have participated in this card drive ever year since it started. To be asked to play along as a Hostess is such a thrill! :)  So many amazing companies and individuals have donated prizes. Please consider making a card or several to send along. if you bear with me, you might even find a bit of blog candy at the end of this post....... ;)

The theme for my challenge is called 'Peaceful Pink'. many of you know that pink is one of my most fave colors, especially in crafting. when I was told that I had breast cancer, one of my first thoughts was, "well at least I got the pink one and not a yucky pea green one!" my oncology nurse just thought that was hysterical! :-D  But really, if you read my blog very often, you know that nature is very important to me, and has been even more so as I have been battling this dreaded disease. The birds singing brings me such comfort when the side effects of treatments get so horrible. I can sit and gaze out my window watching the squirrels and chipmunks play on my front porch for hours and my mind is brought to ease. So when I was asked to be a Hostess, I knew immediately that I wanted a challenge that could help bring a sense of peace to someone else who is fighting cancer. You can find more details about the challenge here in the HYCCT forums.

I chose the image for this card because while going through my own cancer battle, I have found great peace listening to the beautiful birds that sing outside my window. even when the chemo was at it's most horrible, I could listen to those birds, find comfort, and get through the next few minutes.


Image is from A Day for Daisies, papers are K & Co. Flora and Fauna, trim is Prima, buttons are vintage, leaf flourish die is Cheery Lynn. butterflies are covered in spun sugar distress stickles, flowers are accented with pink spica glitter pen, and water is covered in frost shimmer spray.

Even in the midst of winter, these bare trees are full of beauty. They remind me that while my hair is gone and my body is going through so many changes, spring DOES come again.....


the image is from A Day for Daisies, papers are Basic Grey Serendipity, sky was first watercolored and then sponged with SU! inks. snow on fence was painted with shimmer spray, as was the snow line among trees. button & seam tape are both vintage. seam tape was lightly sprayed with tea rose glimmer mist. chevrons accents were cut with a MFT die. rose is a Prima. after scanning this card I went back and added some rock candy distress stickles to the Prima rose for just a hint of sparkle.

Now for the blog candy....
I was a true Goober Queen and accidentally ordered 2 of these fun stamps from MFT - Fix-it Fred. So one of you will be the lucky winner to get not only this stamp, but also a roll of Prima Craftsman washi tape and bottle of Peeled Paint Distress Stain to go with it. I will also add a few other fun little goodies to the package. BUT you need to do a little something in order to qualify - please create a card for Hope You Can Cling To. it does NOT have to be for my challenge, but can be for any of the challenges going on all month. link your card from the SCS gallery or your post in the HYCCT forum so I'll know you have played along.

you do NOT have to be a follower of my blog to enter. but IF I reach 500 followers or more by the end of the month, I will add an ADDITIONAL blog candy for another winner. :)

I am adding another BIG candy for y'all - I bought this gorgeous Rosettes Big Pro die from Sizzix. Sadly the store I bought it from did NOT mention anywhere that it is ONLY for the BIG PRO machine, which I do not have and don't have the almost $400 to buy. IF you have one of these spunky machines and would like to have this beautiful die, please enter your info in the below Mr. blue froggy linky thingy. I would love to pass this cutie along. isn't is wonderful? there are some fab dies for the Big Pro, but I sure can't even imagine having an extra $400 in my lifetime that isn't going toward medical bills that seem to hit our mailbox on a daily basis.... sigh. anyhow, ONE of you can most certainly have this and I would be delighted! it's a value of $59.99!!!!!!
btw - this does need to be for USA residents only. the die is very heavy for shipping. sorry.

Winner(s) will be drawn on Nov. 1 and posted the next day. if you are not a member of SCS, you are more than welcome to send cards to me and I will put them in the card box at my Cancer Centers. just let me know in your post. Thank you so much! Jennifer

*Inlinkz tool removed per new privacy laws since all prizes have been claimed. thank you for your understanding. :)

A Few Cool Things to Check Out...

Please see next post for today's HYCCT card....

I want to share with you a few things I have come across while catching up on my bajillion emails from last week. I'm down to less than 100! woo hoo! hey, it doesn't take much to excite me these days! ;)  I'm happy 'The Walking Dead' started its new season even though I won't be able to watch it until next year when it comes out on DVD! pathetic, aren't I?!

anyhow.....
first up is a HUGE blog candy opportunity over at Bev's blog, Bearly Mine. you should see all of the great things you have a chance to win! wowza!

have you been to Blitsy yet? every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday new items are added to the store for one week only. prices are amazing and the shipping is really fast. be sure to stop by if you get a chance. the latest things added include Tim Holtz distress special edition inks & refills (thank you, Lisa, for introducing these to me!!), Cosmo Cricket, and Spellbinders.

next is a great opportunity to do something REALLY nice for some people who often get overlooked these days - the elderly living in nursing homes. Vera Yates is heading up a holiday card drive now through Nov. 30. Please pop by her blog for more information and consider sending along a card or 2. There are some neat prizes being offered, too.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend! :)

Jar of Love

Coffee of the Day - Pumpkin Spice (thank you, Gina!!)

this card is made for Theresa's Hope You Can Cling To challenge, 'Read All About It'. I love the added use of text themed items on my cards, so this was a fun challenge to play along with!

The beautiful image comes from A Day for Daisies, pretty vintage ad paper is Melissa Frances, flair button (which also contains text) is Pink Paislee, tickets are Maya Road, buttons are from my vintage stash. crochet trim and floral spray are also from my stash. flowers were sprayed with tea rose glimmer mist. flowers in main image were covered in shimmerz paint.

Tomorrow is my day to serve as Hostess at SCS Hope You Can Cling To. I do hope you will stop by both here and over in the chat forums to join me! :)  There are soooooooooo many prizes up for grabs thanks to the generosity of many wonderful sponsors.

Challenges:
LUFP

Dreams of Hope

Coffee of the Day - Eggnog (yeah, I know it isn't the season yet, but it sounded good!)

I was so excited to create this card for Bridget's 'Hope is the Thing' challenge for Hope You Can Cling To 2012.

the precious image is from A Day for Daisies, papers are My Mind's Eye The Sweetest Thing Lavender, button & lace are vintage, and all inking is watercolor with SU! inks. some washi tape, a pretty pink rose, twigs, and Pink Paislee flair button finish the card. shimmerz paint and glimmer mist add a hint of shine.

I need to give a HUGE shout out to Cindy Coutts who gifted me with the entire set of new SU! in color inks, markers, and papers, which I used on this card. Thank you, Cindy!!! I just love them all! :) I was the recipient of a prize of Cindy's several months ago, and then she surprised me with this lovely package of goodies from SU! What a kind and generous heart!

I also want to thank all of you who have so kindly sent me care packages of socks and slippers! :)  I haven't worn a pair twice yet, and the medical staff comment every day on what I have on my feet! it just cracks me up! tee hee! thanks to all of you my toes stay nice and warm as the temps are in the 30's and 40's, but oh am I stylin'! unfortunately my skin is getting burned from all of the radiation, but then that is to be expected. I seem to sleep ALL the time, but they told me that would be typical as well.

I must say that I am blessed beyond belief.....this callenge at SCS is all about hope and y'all have given it to me in spades. every day I wake up knowing that I am loved. that is nothing to take lightly, and believe me, I don't. I hold onto each of you so tightly in my heart. I might not get a chance to say it to you directly, but know that I think about y'all every single day. thank you. for being there with me each step of this journey - thank you! :)

Challenges:
LUFP
Simon Says Stamp - dies and punches
Papertake Weekly - all creatures great and small

It's World Card Making Day! :)

Coffee of the Day - Caramel Pumpkin Pie

Happy World Card Making Day to all of you! I truly truly love this day! I've been participating since Paper Crafts magazine first started it several years ago, and I most certainly wasn't going to let a thing like cancer keep me from taking part again! you know sassy little me! tee hee!

If you look around bloggyland, you will find some fun challenges, great sales, and some of the most wonderful people you'll ever come across. I hope you get a chance to do so blurfing, but also get a bit crafty.

Please hop over to the Jellypark challenge blog. Claire is offering up the  most adorable free image for everyone and a fun challenge for the weekend. I hope to play along today if I can.

I have made this card for giogio's HYCCT challenge of '3 dies or punches and a sentiment' as well as Party Time Tuesday's color/multi fold challenge.


The beautiful mermaid image comes from Krista at Saturated Canary. the card fold is one I had never tried before, so thank you to Beate for her diamond fold tutorial in the Split Coast Stampers resources area. :) papers are Graphic 45, button is vintage, cheesecloth was dyed with SU! crumb cake ink, shimmerz paint and my spica clear glitter pen added accents to the mermaid.

punches used were from Martha Stewart and SU! I also added a Spellbinders die, but if you count that, I go over for a total of 4. eek! I added little dots of water droplets with my shimmer spray.

Last night we had the most fun Friday evening with all of the guys home, sitting around the television, eating pizza, and watching Season 2 of The Walking Dead. pizza, zombies, and family - what could be better in life?! ;)

Challenges:
Simon Says Stamp - anything goes
Craft's Meow - WCMD
A Gem of a Challenge - for the girls
Crafty Mess - anything goes
Paper Crafting Journey - mythical creatures

Those Brave Boots...

Coffee of the Day - Coconut White Mocha

I made this card for Kathy's HYCCT challenge of 'Courage'. as I have been going through my own battle with cancer, each time I have to face yet another aspect of treatment that I really don't want to have to go through, I say this to myself..... "gotta put those brave girl boots on!" so of course when I saw Kathy's theme of 'courage', there was no doubt in my mind which stamp set I would pick up to create a card. ;)

stamp set comes from Unity, papers from Basic Grey Soleil, baby tickets from Maya Road, itty bitty flower from Prima, linen thread is SU!, buttons are from my vintage stash, and washi tapes come from Etsy. main tag was tea stained. I took my largest watercolor brush very lightly over the main image of the cowboy boots after all coloring was done to help soften the look.  since I was using all dye inks, this caused them to run ever so slightly, which is just what I wanted. hooray! lastly I used the SU! ink squirty tool over the tag.

I have some big decisions to make over the next few days regarding my cancer journey, so I ask for prayers for my family please. I know where the journey is taking me..... it's my family that matters most to me right now. thank you so much for being with me through all of this. hugs to all of you! :) Jennifer

Challenges:
The Stamping Boutique - pink, pink, pink
LUFP
Art Impressions - pink
Happy Campers CC - pink & brown
Crafts & Me - my sentiments exactly
Digi Stamps 4 Joy - you've been tagged
Paper Shelter - distressing

Strip Please - She Loved Behaving Badly! ;)

Coffee of the Day - Salted Caramel White Mocha

So did my post title catch you off guard? 'Strip Please' is the name of the newest challenge over at Hope You Can Cling To on Split Coast Stampers. the idea is to use strips of paper or cs behind your main image. I went a weeeeeee bit sassy with my interpretation and grabbed this oh, so fun digi from That's Fabulous on Etsy for mine. She has the most outrageous digis that capture vintage and a bit of sass all at the same time. some are flat out beautiful, too.

When Victoria was trying to come up with a challenge theme for HYCCT, I was telling her that I was constantly being told to dis-robe by one doctor, nurse, or medical technician for test after test, exam after exam.  She loved the idea so much she named her challenge after it! :)

papers are Basic Grey Serendipity cut with a MFT chevron die. perfect way to use those thin scraps! pretty flower is also from Etsy. buttons are from my vintage stash. lots and lots of shimmerz paint, stickles, and spica glitter pen accents on here for that glam touch. the ribbon was part of a gift, so I'm sorry I don't have the mfg.

I had some bad news today from my radiation oncologist regarding my cancer. I have a lot of tests and biopsies to go through in upcoming days, so will only be posting short messages with my cards for HYCCT and World Card Making Day. I want to spend as much time with my family as I can. all of the boys will be home this weekend and I need the time with them desperately. I do hope you can understand.

hugs and lots of love to you! :)

5 Words of Hope

Coffee of the Day - Salted Caramel White Mocha

Hello! As we get into October, every few days I will be posting cards I have made for the Split Coast Stampers Hope You Can Cling To challenges. As a hostess, I was able to help some of the other hostesses with their sample cards. I must tell you, these are some of the nicest ladies who have so kindly welcomed me into their midst. I do hope you can stop by to play along in a few challenges and enjoy some fun chats. You won't believe the prizes up for grabs as well.

In addition to HYCCT, Link Up For Pink is going on all month as well. most of my projects will link up there as well. I am a receiving station for cards for LUFP, as I will be taking them to the 2 cancer centers I visit.  I do ask that you make sure you have plenty of postage on anything you mail to me though. I've had quite a few envelopes arrive in the past month owing $3 or $4. I don't mind helping where I can, but it does add up after a while.

anyhow, off to the card.....
I have made this card for Edna's beautiful '5 Words of Hope' challenge for HYCCT. I just loved the idea behind this challenge! :)

the image comes from A Day for Daisies, paper from Basic Grey Soleil collection, words from Melody Ross Soul Food, trim from Pink Paislee, and leaf flourish die from Cheery Lynn. button is vintage and flowers are dried. flowers on main image have been accented with shimmerz paint.

Challenges:
Link Up For Pink
A Day for Daisies - anything goes
Paper Pretties - flowers
Divas by Design - texture
Penny's Paper Crafty - die cuts and punches
Whimsy Inspiration - anything goes

'Hope You Can Cling To' starts today!

Coffee of the Day - Cinnamon Hazelnut

 

Happy Monday to ya! Today starts the 'Hope You Can Cling To' challenges over at Split Coast Stampers. If you aren't familiar with these, for the entire month of October, a new challenge (or sometimes several!) will be released all based on the theme of breast cancer support and encouragement. Cards are made to send to the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Texas. I have played along every year since it started, but obviously this year has an even different meaning to me.

I want to tell all of you that this year not only am I playing along as a participant, but I am honored (and do I ever mean honored!!!) to be a challenge hostess! I am the first hostess to participate who is undergoing breast cancer treatment while during HYCCT. of course I don't even begin to measure up talent-wise with all of the other hostesses. man oh man, that list reads like royalty! ;) I am truly at the bottom of the totem pole, but so thrilled to be a part.

Please stop over when you get a chance, and hopefully play along. Thankfully I was able to get a few cards made before my radiation treatments started. no crafties seem to be going on these days, as I feel pretty pukey and tired most days. oh well. it won't last forever, thank goodness. ;) enjoy your week and listen for the birds' songs! :)