Crochet...

Hi girls, I hope you are all well!
I am popping in with a prayer request - my blood count has gone down from 5 830 to 1 500 and the doctor thinks its still 'reasonable' and because I don't have a fever, he is not going to give me anything!
It is causing real tiredness and heaviness in the muscles.  I believe the Lord can hear prayer and increase this count as I have to have my sixth (and last!) session next week and if its so low, I will have to miss out a week! And I want to get it over with.....!!!

So, as I am mostly laying down, I have taken up crochet and having found this wool in a secondhand shop, I am making a cushion. I  will be adding more crochet flowers, but will have to make them.

Thank you all!!
Jacqueline x

Less is More Week 30 Recipe

On a 'lighter' note today I am finally seeing light at the end of the tunnel and am out of bed with new strength although weak, at least I am improving.

This card is for the challenge on the Less is More Blog, the challenge being to choose 3 from any of the previous 29 challenges and combine them in your design. I chose:
Week 15 - Embossing
Week 19 - In the Frame and
Week 28 - Use ink

I used all Hero Arts stamps to create this CAS card. The Simple Frame design block, the Garden Star, the acrylic leaf prints and a new sentiment set which I won from Marcy from the HA Flickr gallery.

PDCC 96 and a little testimony

Hi, I hope you are well! Since Monday I have been too weak to craft and even now I am not totally well. It seemed that the Chemo treatment took a different pattern of how and when it worked this time which caught me by surprise.

I am joining in the PDCC color challenge as I had a page of rub-ons from Making Memories which were the ideal match, which Marcy had sent me. First I stamped the Heart from Stampington and went from there.

Here is the inspiration picture:

I have a little testimony to share with you.
I am reading a book called 'Leaving' from Karen Kingsbury, who writes Christian books. The more I read, the more I really like her style.

This morning God spoke to me from its pages with one single phrase : "She had a faith that defied logic". This was said of a woman named Tara who had lost her son in Iraq and was sitting next to the hospital bed of her daughter-in-law to be, who had just had a car accident... it was instant revelation.

It is true that the last couple of months it has been harder and harder to cope with the Chemo treatments. At first it touches your body, but within no time it gets to your emotions and starts to affect something deep within you. I have been pouring out my heart to a friend this week that what was happening to me just wasn't logical - how the events over the last five months had been so contrary to what I had believed and so confusing. If only the cancer had been less than 2cm and not spread, then I would not have had  to have Chemo therapy, if only I had found out earlier, if only God had given me the testimony of not having to loose my hair... if only, if only.... So many questions.

I suddenly realized once again that logic and faith don't go together, in fact they exclude each other. You can't have a logical life and at the same time have faith. God just isn't logical - He is above time, He is Eternal, He is Love - He gave Himself entirely in Jesus Christ to save us and all He asks is faith, faith in that Cross - because Hebrews 11:1 says that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

It humbled me and I realized I still do have faith,  I am still holding on to that faith and I know that in His Time and Wisdom, that which is not fathomable will be perfectly 'logical' - when I see it through His Eyes.
Isn't it wonderful how God can use anything He chooses to speak to us?!

Butterfly garden

A grid I made a while ago using the Butterfly garden stamps from Pink Paislee. The kraft colored squares were made on the back of an ordinary A5 envelope that come in the post from time to time - its a way to recycle and get another effect.

It is so incredibly warm here, I'm looking forward to the Indian summer type weather!
Have a lovely day!

A little bit of Summer 2011

A little bit of Summer this year in the South of France all pulled together in a picture postcard.

Please click on the pictures to get a better view.

At the moment the house is being cleaned, DH is on his way to pick up David and life with its structures, school life, etc. will begin again.

With everything that happened we just have to say - we were blessed!

Just sharing a little poem dear Chris sent to me and I am passing it on to you:

"This is my wish for you. Comfort on difficult days, smiles when sadness intrudes, rainbows to follow the clouds, laughter to kiss your lips, sunsets to warm your heart, hugs when spirits sag, beauty for your eyes to see, friendships to brighten your being, faith so you can believe, confidence when you doubt, courage to know yourself, patience to accept the truth, love to complete your life."~~Author Unknown

Have a lovely weekend!
Jacqueline x

City Crafter Challenge Blog - Scrap Happy

Hi blogging friends! Today I had my fifth Chemo session and it went better than I had imagined.. not too many people, no stress, the room had been aired and the doctor smiled at me ;). Have noticed that I am loosing my eye-lashes and although I already only had two thin line of eyebrows, they are gong too! That is hard!

The temperature is 34 degrees C (94°f) here which is hard to do anything in at the moment, but when I saw the challenge, which can be found here on the City Crafter Blog, was scraps, out came my basket and I quickly put something together with what I had. The only thing I added were flowers I stamped (from Artistic Outpost) on the left side of the center panel, as the bird was already on it.

 
My camera is broken so I had to scan this, but at least the colors are true to life!
Thank you for your continual support, I appreciate it so much! Just to give you an indication of how well it went after the last Chemo, my white blood count (Leucocytes) was 1 960 and went up to 5 380 in three weeks time - the doctor said that it was a perfect report! What a blessing, thank you Father God!

Tuesday Trigger - Luminous layers

I love this dress! It so happens to be the inspiration on Tuesday Trigger this week:

and this is my take:

I couldn't get a good photo, as my camera wont work, but its the best I could do.

Have a great Sunday.
Jacqueline