Someone Thinks I'm Moxie Fab! :)

Coffee of the Day - White Chocolate Coconut

I've got to say a huge shout out 'THANK YOU!!!!!' to my dear sweet friend, Cath over at Moxie Fab World today. She thinks I am Moxie Fab! I'm glad someone does, 'cause man oh man, I am sure not feeling it today. She has sure brightened my day though, with her wonderful article about me. thank you so much, Cath! someday YOU need to do an article about yourself, Mistress of all the Moxie Fabness in the world! you so rock the casbah! :) over on the Moxie Fab blog you'll get to learn a bit about me, as if you really wanted to!, and also see a piccy of me REAL BIG! sporting a new bandana. it's all in black and white, which is really more like my in real life grey skin anyway. ;)  oh what cancer does to take away youthful glow...... tee hee!

In case you are interested, images used on cards from the interview come from Jellypark, A Day for Daisies, and Create with TLC.

I've been sick in bed since all day yesterday with this icky poo radiation poisoning popping back up for a howdy ho. it just won't go away and play nice. my skin is burning yet again. guess it goes with my sunshine personality! ha! we know better, don't we?! ;) but it's still snowy outside, so that makes me happy happy. and I've got a few crafty things done for something waaaaaaaaaaay cool that I can't show you until April, but they make me smile, so I'll show them when I can.

love and mushy sloppy hugs to all of you! :)
Jennifer

Button Up with Jellypark

Coffee of the Day - Maple Pecan

Today starts a new challenge at Jellypark Friends and I am so excited to be playing along! Our theme is 'button up', so we want to see lots and lots of fun buttons on your projects!

I am really far behind on not only  making, but sending out thank you cards, so this seemed a perfect time to get at least one more finished. I used Claire's cute thank you tag image (which was a past freebie for members of the Jellypark store!), Basic Grey Lucille papers, a fun little glassine envelope to hold the tag, vintage buttons, Basic Grey flair button, ribbons, a doily, a baby Prima flower, and embossed the card base.

I do hope you will stop by the challenge blog to see the new release images and perhaps play along if you get the chance! we'd love to have you! some great new things are coming at Jellypark, too! :)

Have a most wonderful weekend!

Challenges:
Moxie Fab - use 10 different embellies (um..... I MAY have used a few more...... grins!)
Crafty Catz - cute as a button
QKR Stampede - pastels
Simply Create Too - anything goes
4 Crafty Chicks - buttons
Aud Sentiment - bingo:  you, embossing, flowers
Paper Shelter - anything goes

Milk Coffee Hearts

Coffee of the Day - Chocolate Peppermint

oh it is still snowing this morning, and it is glorious indeed! we have several feet of the fluffy stuff on the ground. I am in my own lovely little heaven. :) I took this photo out my upstairs hall window as soon as I woke up this morning, looking out upon our barn and backyard. it is beautiful! you'll have to excuse the quality, please. I was using my phone.

I was actually able to play along in today's feature showcase at Milk Coffee. Gosh, how I love that name! grins! it takes me back to times with my beloved Daddy and drinking what he called 'coffee milk' with him. of course he drank his coffee black, but I felt so grown up drinking my 'coffee' right alongside him! funny, I still take my coffee pretty much the same way as I did back then.......

anyway, the theme for the showcase is 'hearts'. As soon as I saw this adorable image, Love Call,  I knew it would be perfect to create a Valentine for Mick to give Jocelyn. (Jocelyn, if you are reading this post, don't look any further!!!! at least not until after Valentine's Day!!! spoiler alert!!!) from the time they first start dating, he has always sung to her over the phone. it's the sweetest thing! this sentiment from Create with TLC was perfect!

Papers are MME Lime Twist Happy Go Lucky, border die is from My Favorite Things, several different washi tapes, some wooden hearts from Studio Calico, and a few other little fun embellies.

Challenges:
Stamp and Create - love
C.R.A.F.T.  - Valentine/love
Craft Us Crazy - Valentine/love/use red
Digi Stamps 4 Joy - anything goes
Sisterhood of Crafters - hearts

B is for Bows or Boys...

Coffee of the Day - Chocolate Peppermint

Today starts a new challenge over at ABC Christmas Challenges and our theme is 'B for Bows or Boys.' We are also welcoming some great new members to our team! I do hope you will stop by and tell them hello, plus say hi to our fab team and their gorgeous projects!

Well with all the guys in my family, it was pretty easy for me to go with the 'boys' portion of this challenge! ;) I did throw a bow in there as well, but shhhhhh...... they might not notice! tee hee! One of our sponsors is the ever fun Bugaboo, and I just LOVE this Santa buried in the sand image. he makes me giggle! The sentiment comes from Create with TLC. just seemed perfect!

Papers are Basic Grey Aspen Frost, the border die is from My Favorite Things, holly die is Basic Grey, ticket was sprayed with glimmer mist before adding washi tape and a vintage button. Santa's hat has stickles added to pom pom and cuff while holly berries are covered in distress stickles.  Santa's cool shades are covered with the last bit of crystal effects in the bottle that hadn't dried up..... (see post from yesterday. sigh......) I so love the candy cane stripe ribbon that was tied across the bottom. I don't have much of it, so I tend to use it sparingly.

a little update on my radiation poisoning - I met with my oncologist on Friday. he told me that I will probably have some of the after effects for almost another year because of the level of poisoning I had. I also will need to be very careful of all scans and x-rays that I have from here on out. I didn't realize that there is a lifetime  medical maximum of radiation a person can have. I will have to be careful even with having mammograms, which is a real problem with someone who not only has had breast cancer, but triple negative breast cancer. I should find out in the next few days how some of my other tests went. 

so in the mean time, I am trying to keep myself occupied by getting a bit of crafting done. it sure helps me keep my mind busy on things other than health ickies.... :)

I am hoping to do some more submissions to magazine calls, so we shall see how that goes. a bit nervous 'cause it has been a lonnnnnng time since I've submitted anything. even longer since I was actually published, so I will be busy in the bg crafting, although it might not all pop up here on my blog for a bit.

hugs to all of you and thanks for stopping by! :)

Jennifer

Lovely Layers at Top Tip Tuesday

Coffee of the Day - Bourbon Chocolate Caramel Pecan, oh yeah, it is GOOD!

Tuesdays mean Top Tip Tuesday Challenges, and I am NOT late this time! woooo hooooo! Can't tell ya how happy that makes me! ;) We are sponsored by Bugaboo, and that store always has some fun images for any occasion! The theme for our challenge this fortnight is lovely layers. Pop on over to the challenge blog to see the fabby creations by the DT!

I used the coolio image French Hen and a sentiment from Create with TLC. papers are MME Union Square. the border die and Eiffel Tower die come from My Favorite Things, French Script bg stamp is SU!, graphite glimmer mist was sprayed on the tag & twill ribbon, and crystal effects was added over the wine glass. (so happy SAB is right around the corner because my little bit of crystal effects left in the bottle has about dried up! yikes!) a few strips of washi tape to upper corner of card and accents with both a white gel pen & spica glitter pen were added to main image. voila!

Tip - an old cork saved from a bottle of wine, sliced thin, makes great buttons for craft projects! a few holes punched and you are ready to go! tres chic!

Challenges:
Incy Wincy - make us laugh
Bugaboo Bingo - image, ribbon, sentiment
Cutie Pie - 3 textures (crystal effects on wine glass, cork buttons, & twill ribbon)
Whoopsi Daisy - use a digi
Squirrel and the Fox - anything goes
Through the Craft Room Door - anything goes
Use it Tuesday - warm it up, use red, orange, and/or yellow (obviously my crystal effects is VERY old! I've also had the SU! bg stamp for a long time)

Hearts!

Coffee of the Day - Cinnamon Spiced Hazelnut

Happy Sunday to you! I'm finally getting to play along in the challenge today at Pile it On! hooray! this week we are asking you to Pile it On with hearts! our sponsor is the ever fabulous Dilly Beans! no one can draw a zombie like Megan, I tell you..... I was so thrilled to be part of that DT for that time in my life. maybe one day when I'm doing better I can re-apply to a few..... I sure do miss a lot of those wonderful people!

anyhow, here is my card for the hearts challenge. hold on to your hats, because this style is soooooooo different from anything I've done before. yep, it's ALMOST CAS! ;)  did you just spill your coffee? I was kinda surprised myself..... don't know that I'll do it very often, but I do like how it turned out.

I actually used more than just my standard watercoloring, too. flowers were colored with SU! markers and hedgie accents were added with my new white colored pencil. that's one snazzy tool to have and I am loving it! :) a little bit of washi tape, some baker's twine, and a button are the only embellies. faux stitching was done with my white gel pen.

I don't know how well you can tell from the scan, but the hedgie portion is actually on the INSIDE of the card. I made a window on the outside to peekie through (thanks, Moxie Fab challenges for the idea!)....... images were printed right onto the kraft cs. I was trying to do some precise measuring to figure out where to put my Spellbinders die when it dawned on me - put the die directly over the image, only with the cutting portion UP. when I folded the card and then ran it through my Big Shot, this cut the shape exactly where I wanted it on the top. easy peasy!!! boy did I feel silly that it took me 5 minutes to figure that one out.......


Challenges:
Pile it On - hearts
The Pink Elephant - pink, red, white
Simon Says Stamp - washi tape
Craft Us Crazy - celebrate love or use red
Card Makin' Mamas - CAS
Simply Create Too - anything goes
Sweet & Sassy - anything goes with a digi
Paper Crafting Journey - anything goes
Simply Create - anything goes digital
Stamp 'n Doodle - anything goes
Whimsical Designs - anything goes
Anything Goes - buttons and bows
Craft Room - Valentine
Inky Chicks - anything goes
Mayzy Art - romance
Mark's Finest Papers - twine
Little Scrap Pieces - flower (I hope my heart flowers count!)
Crafts and Me - new (my coolio white colored pencil!)
Bunny Zoe's - anything goes
Moxie Fab - make a card with a widnow

Top Tip Challenges - Fur or Feathers

Coffee of the Day - Red Velvet Cake

Good golly, some days I truly can't get it all together...... it just dawned on me today that I never posted the card I made for the current Top Tip Tuesday challenge - Fur or Feathers. and I actually had it done on time and everything! sheesh....... what a goober I am! ;)

head over to the challenge blog to see all of the great projects by the DT. you still have a little more than a week to play along. We are sponsored by the fabby Zlatoena and her cutie  pie bunnies! :)

My card uses the fun Rabbit Traveler digi image and Basic Grey Green at Heart papers. A spica clear glitter pen was used on the bike spokes; white gel pen for accent on the bunny, basket, and road markings. MFT die was used for grass. embellies include felt flower from Michael's, crochet trim, pearls, ticket stub, washi tape, and buttons. of course I have to add lots of distressing! :)

again, I am so sorry I forgot to post this back when I was supposed to...... this radiation poisoning has really messed me up. still trying to get over it. my skin ended up burning again, which was really weird, and is now trying to heal from that. what a bizarre ride this has been! have a visit with my regular dr. on Monday and my oncologist on Friday.

while all of the guys were home, we have been watching all of the current seasons of Dr. Who. boy oh boy, did I ever cry when David Tennant's Dr. regenerated. what an emotional episode! also reading lots and lots of books while resting. starting the new Michael Crichton one today. I do so miss him.

craft-wise I am slowly getting my craft room ready as well as trying to read as much as I can about Copic markers. want to learn how to use the few that I have so I am not so scared of them. ;) also trying my hand at printing a few digital papers. figured now is as good a time as any to try new things!

---->  don't forget that today is the big blog hop over at Create with TLC!!!! Paulette is so generous with her free artwork. be sure to let all of the DT know how wonderful their projects are with the free images provided on each blog. :)

Challenges:
Through the Craft Room Door - anything goes
By the Cute and Girly - cute and girly
Cards Galore - anything goes
Heck of a Challenge - thank you
Natalie and Amy's - favorites (Basic Grey, buttons, washi tape, tickets, distressing, PINK!)
Avenue 613 - anything goes
Dream Valley - anything goes
Glitter and Sparkle - use a digi
Allsorts - dies and punches
Basic Grey - new beginnings or something new (new-digi, felt flower, floral washi tape, floral button at top, pearls)
Stampin' for the Weekend - anything goes

Well I've Told All of You I'm Weird.....

Coffee of the Day - Toasted Coconut

If any of you have been around my blog for a while, you know I tend to run on well, let's just say, the wacky side of life most days. ;)

For the past few weeks I've had what I thought was a bizarre case of poison ivy. I am one of those strange people who is so allergic to the stuff that I don't even have to touch the plant in order to have a reaction that can knock me out for weeks. I just have to walk by a plant, even if its dormant and I become infected. yep, it's nasty for me, especially since I love to be around nature so much.

After a visit to my dr. today,  I have discovered that not only do I NOT have poison ivy, but I instead have a rather serious case of radiation poisoning. immediate treatment with heavy antibiotics was called for. hooray.....I tell ya, I am turning mutant on us! haven't you heard me mention this before?! yep, it's happening.....I'll be talking to those ants before we know it.

I have the absolute nicest dr. in the whole wide world. he is my gp dr., not my oncologist (who is also nice!), and he was having the hardest time today giving me the news. he took the news of my cancer so rough, and I guess this is pretty heavy duty, too, for it to have reached this point.

then hubby & I were picking up the antibiotics a little while later and came to discover that this particular one is something I just might have an allergic reaction to. the pharmacist told us all of the things to watch for in the event of a reaction because of a specific allergy I have and my problems since having cancer. she said to be prepared at a moment's notice to head to the ER.  poor Dave just looked at me with the saddest expression on his face and said, "are we really ready for this adventure tonight?"  I feel horrible for all that I've put my family through.

So suffice it to say, there's never a dull moment around here! ;)  if any more teeth of mine fall out, I'll be eating baby food soon. yikes! my hair and eyebrows have taken to falling out again, too. I look quite the picture, I tell ya!

well hopefully I'll be feeling okay to craft after all is said and done. gotta keep looking for the sunshine! :

p.s. all blog candies have been mailed out as of yesterday. please let me know if you are a winner and don't receive yours in a reasonable amount of time.
I will try to get a 500 follower candy listed shortly.

Continued New Year Blessings.... 'cause I ramble....

okay, I just like to ramble - y'all know that about me. my earlier post went live about 12 something or other last night. it's now a wonderful snowy morning and I find I have other stuff to say. no surprise there, huh?! ;)

but this is my less serious post, so bear with me. best grab that BIG cup o' joe for some fortification before reading!

to start, mr. blue froggy linky thingy did his magical bit last night and picked a winner for the Valentine blog candy - Renee B.  I couldn't have been more tickled to see her name pop up in my email from inlinkz. pop over to her blog and you will understand why. leave her a cyber hug if you can. God is good and works in small, quiet ways sometimes, even if it is just a packet of crafty stuff..... :)

next, I saw that I now have hit the most amazing of milestones here on my blog - over 500 followers! whoa nelly! so many of y'all put up with me! astounding! I'm really not all that interesting folks. I say that to people all the time. so thank you for hanging in there and drinking coffee with me. it means a lot! to celebrate I'll get some kind of special blog candy together in the next week and get it posted as soon as I can. be on the lookout! and I promise that crafty projects will be coming soon.

finally, don't take life too seriously. there are going to be some really stinky things happen to you along the road and you will meet some equally stinky people. just hold your nose and walk on by. don't let their stink rub off on you. don't make their stink yours. it's a choice you make. choose to be happy. put those brave boots on and just keep putting one foot in front of the other. you WILL meet some amazing people along the way who will make every day so beautiful and fragrant.

remember to laugh! laugh at life and most especially, laugh at yourself. I find myself to be a constant source of amusement, just because I am such a goofball. ;)  ask my family if you have any doubt! ha!

and because I am a geeky sort, this photo from Pinterest made me LOL yesterday. if you've seen the movie or read the book, you'll understand why..... oh Mr. Lincoln, you are my hero! :)

you wanna know how Santa was to me this year? I received coffee and zombie stuff - pure delight!!! :p

Happy 2013!

Coffee of the Day - Eggnog

Today is a new day, filled to the brim with blessings in abundance. Do you feel the joy unfolding before you? Do you sense the excitement of a new, grand adventure just outside your door? Can you tell that God has more in store for you than your most wild imagination could possibly fathom, and it is all designed with your best in mind because He loves you so much??!!!?!

This is what EVERY day brings, not just a new year. how often we tend to lose sight of this. we need to remember that our mercies are new every single morning. every single day is a fresh start - a clean slate.

I'm ready to begin...... are you? will you travel these roads with me? who knows what lies ahead, but then again, I'm wearing my brave boots! ;) bring it on! with a friend by my side and God's wings to protect us, let's remember to LIVE this life, not just coast through. we need to laugh more, love more, and be people of integrity who spread kindness. Kindness IS a choice, and I choose to not let the ick that comes along make me miserable. it's just not worth it. Giggles are just so much more fun!

I have spent several days trying to decide what my 'word' is going to be for this year, and I think I have finally decided upon "integrity". If I don't have integrity, the words I say or write mean nothing. if the life I live and the things I do don't match up to what you hear, then I am worthless. lukewarm. if who I am isn't pleasing to God, then none of it matters. thank goodness for His grace and that He loves me where I am, but wants to help me get to a better place. It can't be an act I put on, but MUST be genuine. and I know that it won't be easy. for nothing that is worth gaining ever is........

my love to all of you for a year, no, a lifetime that overflows with blessings. may you know that you are loved, truly. Jennifer