Wreath and vintage tags

Hope you are enjoying the Christmas season!
I must say that my baking efforts had more success than my crafting efforts this year. I have lost a lot of inspiration but I'm putting that down to what I have been through. I have enjoyed having my sons at home and hearing about their lives at the Bible school. Our weather has been cold but blue sky and sun have prevailed for the last three days.
I would like to thank everybody who took the trouble to send me a card - I received such precious works of art, real treasures and have been enjoying them all over the house! They were also a source of inspiration and will continue to be so.

So, I still need to send some New Year cards, and through the Flickr gallery I got an idea on how to use the Hero Arts wreath stamp in a new way. It has lain in my 'give away to sister' box for a long time. Thats all we need with some stamps, a little inspiration to get us going. All I have done is stamp different size snowflakes, holly, leaves, stars etc. in different distress ink colors around the wreath, added some pearls, crystals and silver glitter. The nice thing about this is that you can use all your smaller sized stamps and different ones every time to change the look of it. It is quick and easy and all you need is a die-cut circle (thanks Sue Czosek).

I'm entering my tag-wreath into the Simon Says Stamp Challenge - 'anything goes', which can be found here.

Here are some vintage tags, love doing these!

God bless!
Jacqueline

Celebrating!

I am celebrating today - just had my 35th and last radio therapy treatment this morning, just before Christmas! For the rest of this year anyway I do not have any appointments etc. just can enjoy my time at home with our boys. DH put a bottle of champagne in the fridge.. and I am preparing a Chinese meal with Duck, we love that.

Yesterday afternoon I tried my hand at Salt dough, never tried it before, I wanted to make some Christmas decorations. It's so easy, you need 1/2 cup of salt, 1/2 cup of water and 1 cup of flour. Mix to a dough - use a cutter to make the forms and then microwave for three minutes. Here are some I made which are all hanging in the tree now. I just used watercolor paints and some glitter glue before adhering a flower with a gem.

I have a card to share as well. I was inspired by Dotukas, here is her photo stream. She might just inspire you too. I had a stamp with some Fir trees from Artistic Outpost that I had never used. Now all my cards have been sent (I think I made around 50 this year) I can use this idea for next year.
I really enjoyed using this stamp for a change!

Then this afternoon I made a whole tin of Christmas cookies, never made these before from a French recipe with chocolate chips but they are delicious!

To count another blessing to my lovely day, I received a little parcel from a lady from our Church in Holland who has always prayed for me. It is a Dutch magazine with beautiful pictures of inspiration for the home, a luxury item I call it! The little heart is handmade from material, and 'Hope' is stamped on it. Gives me an idea too!

I really hope your Christmas planning is not to stressful! I have a lovely link for you to go too - here.

May your Christmas be happy and your New Year blessed!

Christmas Tag and a little story

Another little Christmas Tag I made.

I am reading a book by Francine Rivers called:  HER MOTHER'S HOPE.
I have to share this with you as it so touched my heart. Hildemara Rose is a little girl, born to an English Mama and a German Papa. It is during the first world war and due to several unnerving circumstances the couple move to the U.S.A. Papa is a devout Christian and reads the Bible to his children. Hildemara is a sweet girl, but of weak disposition and at the age of five gets picked on at school by her teacher because of the fact that her brother was killed by the Germans in the war.
They are not a rich family, having to live in a tent, and during inspection in the morning at school, Hildemara always gets picked on for having dirty hands or hair, by her teacher. She is humiliated every time but doesn't talk about it to her parents.
One evening Papa reads the Bible about how Jesus was crucified on the Cross and about loving your enemies. Hildemara thought about it - did that mean she had to love her teacher although her teacher hated her?  Pray for those that persecute you, Jesus said.  What did that word mean she thought? Mama had said that it meant that its when someone treats you cruelly, when they spitefully use you. Her Papa said that 'Jesus was treated cruelly, when He was nailed to the Cross. He prayed for the people who put Him there. He asked God to forgive them because they didn't know what they were doing'.  Papa continued talking to his little daughter 'God says if you love only those who love you, then you're no better than those who are cruel to you. If you are kind only to friends, you are no different than your enemy'.
Hildemara didn't want her parents to be sad for her so she started praying for her teacher that she would be nice to her, because maybe she didn't know what she was doing either.  The prayers didn't change anything, in fact it all got a whole lot worse. The next day, the teacher made a spectacle of her in front of all the other children. Papa had told her to forgive but forgiveness wasn't easy, not when the same thing happened over and over again.
With the new school term, Hildemara's sister Clotilde went to school with her for the first time. Hildemara was dreading going back to school and was scared for her sister, but Clotilde was prettier than she was so she hoped that she would be spared the teachers wrath. Once again, Hildemara got pulled by her hair by her teacher yanking her from her seat. Clotilde ran from her seat screaming at the teacher to leave her sister alone and kicked her in the shins.  Hildemara grabbed her sister's hand and fled from the classroom. 'Why did you kick the teacher Clotilde? Papa says we aren't supposed to hate anyone; people were mean to Jesus too, and He didn't kick anyone. We have to be kind to her no matter what she does. Her brother got killed in the war, she hates us because Papa's German. We have to pray for her, she's very sad and angry. I've been praying for her for two years now, she doesn't know what she is doing.'
Very soon the Headmaster of the school found them and took them home and explained what had happened to Hildemara's Papa.
That evening Papa lifted Hildemara onto his knee, brushed back her hair and kissed her cheeks. 'Mrs Ransom won't be your teacher anymore. She quit her job.'
'She hates me Papa, she's always hated me!'
'I don't think she hates you anymore, said Papa.'
Hildemara's mouth wobbled and she burst out crying. 'I prayed for her Papa. I wanted her to like me. I prayed and prayed and my prayers never changed anything.

Papa pressed her head gently against his shoulder. 'Prayers changed you, Hildemara. You learned to love your enemy.'
UNQUOTE

That last sentence so touched me!! Our prayers will not always change other people, the circumstances, the World - but they will change us!

JOY!

I haven't had much time to give my blog the attention I would like to give it so I'm sharing a card which was posted on the Flickr gallery but not here until now.

I used a Collage stamp from Hero Arts for the background. Cut out some branches using a Stampin' Up stamp and the bird is from Inkadinkado. None of them are Christmas Stamps, but woven together with a bit of red glitter and green ink, it will pass for one.

Another thing that gives me joy is that God is so faithful! I have waited six weeks before sharing this testimony. As you know I started radio therapy six weeks ago and I had written down a promise from God, which is in the Old Testament from Jer.43:1-3, which I carried with me in my bag which I took to the hospital every day.

“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;

I have called you by name; you are Mine!

 “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;

And through the rivers, they will not overflow you.

When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched,

Nor will the flame burn you.

3 “For I am the LORD your God,

The Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

It was all about the verse underlined as I well knew that radiation can cause burns. At the beginning of the treatment I visited doctors and spoke to many patients. The alarming thing was that even the professionals would tell me about a 'prayer' I could consider, which meant going to the local Fire Brigade, ask them to lay hands on me and pray as a means to 'stop the fire', which is called 'l'arrêt du feu' in French. Apparently, the fire escapes via the feet.... This is an old Pagan tradition, and not the first one I had heard about.
As a Christian I have the Bible and I would rather direct my prayer to the God who created the Universe! The Bible says in Psalm 146: Put not your trust in princes, nor in the sons of man, in whom there is no help. 
I prayed and sang the above verse in Jes.43 every day in the morning, before and after treatment.
I was a little bit discouraged last Friday as I was very red and had a small burn on my lower neck. At the hospital on Tuesday they told me that I only had ONE more treatment to go that directs radiation to all three areas that were tattooed, and after that just eight more treatments only to the scar on my breast, which is 10 seconds each time which is nothing compared to the full treatment I was getting!
When the doctor took a look at me, she said - what are you complaining about, it looks fantastic compared to other cases I have seen! They didn't even think a bandage was necessary for the wound - that would clear up with a cream!
Can you imagine how thankful I was to God for helping me, for giving me faith and hope to trust in Him at all times, even when it doesn't look good, just to go that extra mile with Him and say - I trust You!!

I also want to pass on a link to this blog and this message, called The Surprise - I think it really describes how we think and who God is. I think its wonderful!

Christmas collage tags

Yesterday I received a phone call that the Machine which is used for radio therapy was 'en panne' which means not functioning so I have my second free morning this week. Probably just as well as I am red and itchy after 23 sessions of breast targeting!

So I have been making Christmas Tags.

I stamped an old Collage Christmas stamp from Hero Arts directly onto patterned paper and white embossed.
Cut out the size I needed to fit inside the already stamped Simple Frame from HA onto PP and cut out frame. I adhered paper to the back as well to strengthen it.
Added a little vintage image which I punched out and some snowflakes punched out of vellum.

This one is made in the same way and I think I will continue making these as little Christmas gifts while I am still inspired.

Now, the other day I downloaded the December calender from Mary Green here. I had an idea with a vintage image I had, so made this card with it.

Thanks for your visit!

Arch and head scarve storage

Good morning from a gray and rainy South of France. Hope you are all well!
I am still doing well and gaining strength every day. I have a fitness plan going on at the moment and am determined to get back into shape. I have just thirteen radio therapy sessions to go and will be finished before Christmas!

I am sharing an arch I made recently, just felt like working with a different shape and have heard that the weekly Gothic Arch challenges will be returning in 2012.

Now I am going to share a little idea I got recently with a basket I received with some lovely soup bowls in it last September for my birthday. It suddenly dawned on me that it would be ideal to store my head scarves in and it is so handy!

And this little blessing I have to share with you. The lady who drives me to the clinique everyday for the radio therapy bought this for me. It clips onto my head scarve and adds a little color and interest. So sweet of her.

I want to finish with a little encouragement about Biblical HOPE and how important it is. I read it the other day and it so blessed me. We need love because without it the Bible says we have nothing, we need faith because the Bible says that it pleases God but what about hope?
This is what I read:
Quote:
Hope is necessary if we are to maintain both faith and love. Unless we have hope, our faith will "leak out" and our love will fail. Hope is not optional; it is essential to the fullness of the Christian life. Where there is hope, there's life and where there is no hope there is no life.Hebrews 10:23 - Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.

Wishing you all a week full of hope!
Jacqueline

Paper piecing

I just wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone who visits my blog and leaves such a lovely comment! I have been so encouraged by them and I have to tell you - it really helps and lifts me up no end - I am very grateful to you all!

I love paper piecing and had the idea to make a tag with poinsettias using a leaf stamp from Hero Arts. In real life it is much darker and the flowers are red, I couldn't get a better photo though and pink poinsettias do exist!
So here is my tag:

I used dark distressing for the background and layered with a Script and Holly stamp.

I am happy to say that I am half way with my radio therapy sessions (had 17 already) and it's still looking good. I am feeling well and able to carry on with household chores etc. I am very grateful that I still have energy and praise God for the wonderful progress.

Enjoy your week!

Resist Embossed

Good afternoon! Today is a beautiful sunny day, after having rainy weather.
The radio therapy is going very well. Only last Monday after I was installed, the machine blocked and I had to wait ten minutes before a technician had fixed it - and I wasn't allowed to move a muscle either! I am also still having drainage massage for my right arm, which apparently is very important during the radio therapy especially to stop little pockets of fluid from forming which can harden and later can be very difficult to get rid of. My hair and eyelashes are growing too - I think my hair is about 1 cm now and it is black! Will have to wait and see how that will look in a couple of months time!

I wanted to share a little resist-embossed card today. I used the acrylic block technique after I had clear embossed the flower and leaves (Stampin' Up). I got this color by combining Aged Mahogany with Victorian Velvet distress inks.

The other day I was listening to Joyce Meyer and she was saying how she didn't know how to enjoy herself as she had always worked. Her husband enjoyed playing golf, watching the ball games etc. and she thought that by going on holiday she would find something she liked. She came to the conclusion that is was just the simple things that really relaxed her - like looking at God's creation, even if it was just a little bird in her garden. Enjoying pretty things and colors etc. I thought to myself, I have always enjoyed the simple little things, going on holiday often exhausts me, and just this week I found out that mushrooms grow in my garden - yes edible ones!! They are the wild sort of the Champignons de Paris that can be found in the shops and generally the wild ones have more taste too (and they are BIO!). I was so thrilled! When I come home from radio therapy, the first thing I do is go look if there are any new mushrooms in the garden, they are so nice in an omelet!
I took a picture of my little harvest the other day and funnily enough, this is what I enjoy!

Less is More - One Layer Card - Leaves

I liked this theme, but I'm sure I did not use enough white space on this card. I used masking as it has to be a one layer card.

It's for the challenge 'Less is More' which can be found here.

Have a lovely weekend!

A couple of Christmas grids

Once I start playing with alcohol inks I like experimenting. I love the effect these give using different stamps, and now I tried a couple of Christmas stamps which haven't inspired me yet, on their own, but using punched up like this, at least I get to use the stamp!

This one I entered into the Hero Arts Monthly contest, with the theme of bling. The alcohol ink colors are Lettuce and Caramel.

Using Cranberry and Ginger alcohol inks and the 'Decorative Ornament' CG226 from Hero Arts embossed in silver and white. This card is about 10x10cm - looks big, but it is really quite small, just how I like them.

Update and a share

We have rainy, gray weather at the moment, it is so much colder, but I like this time of the year somehow. Being cozy indoors with candles makes for a lovely atmosphere, so the dark days do hold some pleasures!

I seem to be in a grid mood again, I'm not so inspired any other way and just fed up with Christmas cards.
These are all Hero Arts stamps which were on unused projects.

Just to give a little update. I have had eight sessions of Radio therapy and all is well, apart from a little tiredness and small aches and pains! Friday I had my first lymph drainage massage from a physiotherapist and I have to say - it helped me tremendously.  I will explain what it is because it is so interesting. In fact I am very lucky to have had no real trouble with a build up of Edema in my right arm. The Physiotherapist said that I did have a little and she could help me with it.

Lymph-edema is swelling caused by a build up of lymph fluid in those tissues after breast cancer surgery, especially surgery that removes underarm (axillary) lymph nodes. (Edema is the medical term for swelling.)
A special massage technique called manuel lymphatic drainage can stop lymph-edema from developing.
Lymph fluid normally drains from body tissues through the lymph nodes and lymph channels. If some lymph nodes and channels are removed during surgery, lymph fluid may not drain properly and can collect in the tissues.
During physiotherapy, a specially trained therapist gently massages the skin and soft tissues of the arm where lymph-edema has developed and focuses on increasing the transmission capacity of the lymphatic system. By using certain handling, lymph deposits can be moved to the fluid areas of the body where the lymphatic system is still intact so that from there it can be deposited into the circulation and can be drained.
That has helped me so much as I can move my arm more easily and it feels normal again!

Have a great week and thanks for your visit!

A little tag

Just sharing a quick simple tag I made with a freebie from Mary Green. If you are interested the link is here.

The Hydrangea stamp is an all time favorite from Hero Arts.


And a little poem I wrote, there might be just one person who might get blessed by it.

Are you afraid to disappoint God?

To just come a bit too short of His Glory

Be still, and know that Christ didn't disappoint God

And You have been placed by God in Him.

Christ was 'enough' for God, He paid the full price

for your 'never measuring up '

Never think you could disappoint Him

When He has chosen to delight in you!
Unquote

Then I have a glue book page to share, but I have found out that a glue book means just paper and ink, which this is not of course, so I will have to think of a new name!

Have a lovely day. Here it is a National holiday as it is All Saints day, which is a Catholic festivity.

What I like about crafting

Just sharing a quick, simple card today that really fits into my way of crafting and my character. Actually I love making something from combined elements that are nothing on their own.

For example - the background of this card is the the cover of a paper-pack from K&Co, which one usually doesn't use. The paper I stamped the bird on is a scrap paper, as is the butterfly and flower. Fitting them together makes a card, but on their own they are just loose elements. I think it satisfies something in me to do this.

The Bird is from Artistic Outpost which can be found here.

Another glue page and card for friend

It is raining here very heavily and has turned quite cold. We really needed this rain so it is very welcome.

I have had no radio therapy these last two days because the machine has broken down, so I start again on Monday. Inspiration seems to be missing too - which is probably just a fact of life at the moment. I still do enjoy looking at the blogs and marveling at the wonderful creative people in blogland and on card galleries!

I did make this card for a friend who I recently met online - she doesn't make cards but she is going through the same as me, only worse because a tumor she had was not discovered until much later, which makes the going really tough for her. The verse is in Dutch, as she is a Dutch lady. Translated it is a cry from the Psalmist to keep believing in seeing good times in the Land of the Living!

Another simple glue page, not too much glue on this page though! It's just therapy at the moment, happily stamping and seeing what comes out of it!

Have a very good weekend!

Hero Arts Blog challenge

This month the challenge on the Hero Arts blog is to make Holiday Cards, also using non-Christmas stamps.

So this is my card, using the Friends definition stamp, the Simple Frame and the Garden Star (twice) to create a pinky, but Christmas looking card. The poinsettia stamp which has been randomly stamped on the background is a stamp that Louise sent me a couple of years ago - it's still going strong and such a nice stamp to have in one's collection for Christmas.

My inspiration came from Franziska, Tiffany and the Penny Black Blog.

Yesterday I started Radio therapy and it went very well, now just 32 to go and today I didn't have to go. The sun is still shining here!
Have a lovely day!

Christmas Grid

Hello! Its Friday and the weather is still soft and sunny here! It is so lovely to warm the muscles in the sun and enjoy being outside still!
I thought I would share one of my Christmas grid cards - have decided to do my Christmas cards this style this year because they are quite easy to do and use up the scrap pieces of paper which we all accumulate. I have diminished my pile no end these last weeks and that gives a great feeling - no waste! That is part of being creative.

This coming Monday I start my Radio therapy sessions - non stop until 15th December. The treatments are all early in the morning which is ideal. I don't know how many of these cards I will be able to make in the mean time, but I'm going to do my best.
Have a lovely weekend!
Jacqueline

Second page Glue Book

I love making these pages! The background comes from a book I found in a little French village near us - it was in a container free of charge, so I took a couple.

I am happy to say that yesterday I took one of my biggest hurdles yet and am relieved it is behind me. I had a Scan which made it possible to calculate where the radio therapy should be applied. It is usually three places around the affected breast which is marked with a very small tatoo which looks like a pin prick. The rays will be aimed at those places, lasting one minute or so each time, everday for six weeks, excluding weekends.

The verse that God has spoken to me for 11 years now is:

Do not fear; for I am with you

Be not dismayed; for I am your God.

I will make you strong,

Yes I will help you,

Yes I will uphold you with the right hand of My righteousness.

Isa.41:10

I had to lay still (was not allowed to move at all) for 30-40 minutes with my arm above my head and my head had to be at an angle... I was then moved into a machine for the scan. I had my eyes closed and was praying all the time so I didn't know what was happening! But when they came in after a very long time to relieve me, my arm was completely numb, I could not feel it! I was so relieved to have done that!
I don't know about you, but how many times do you hear yourself say 'I can't do that' in the many circumstances of life?

With God we can do much more that we ever think possible, so say to yourself in your situation
'I can do all things through Him who strengthens me' Phil. 4:13
and have a good day!

Vintage Gluebook

We are still having beautiful summer temperatures in the South of France. I happened to see a gluebook this afternoon and it triggered something in me. I looked at my scrap basket and thought it was time to use some of the pieces in there and I found a very old address book and made my first page.

If the inspiration is there, it works out, if it isn't nothing seems to fit. I  want to make some more now!
Wishing you all a very good week!

The Name Game Challenge

My friend Sue is the host for this challenge, which can be found here, and I actually managed to come up with something due to the lovely inspiration I find on the Flickr Gallery of Hero Arts, daily and especially Franziska's lovely artwork. Taking one day at a time as I said in my last post can give surprises as I really thought I had had it for the time being with crafting.

This is the clue:  Simply use your monogram as the inspiration for your creation! Mine is J D G, so I used the J for jewel (added some pearls) the D for Die cut and the G for Grey as I used a gray Melissa Frances background to stamp the Simple Frame from Hero Arts on.

The Robin stamp is from Artistic Outpost, which can be found here. I am entering this into the October referral programme.

Taking one day at a time

Dear ladies, I hope you are all well and still enjoying the beautiful summer weather in your part of the world. I can still use our outdoor pool to exercise which is a huge blessing as we are well into October. We had a lovely two days in Spain and when we got back we celebrated our son Joël's engagement to Vivian, a Dutch girl he met during his recent Bible school years.
I am having physiotherapy, started yesterday and I got told that the whole of my body is tense and needs to be massaged. I need to be ready for the radio therapy next week but she told me to be gentle with my body which I think was an excellent advice as when one is stressed you tend to think that a good workout would be better!
Thank you for keeping me in your prayers - I still need them as I have another hurdle before me. You have all been such a wonderful support, Thanks again.

I am very focused at the moment on just getting well and dealing with the outworking of the Chemotherapy. That does not leave much room to be inspired and make cards, so I am going with the flow and taking one day at a time, which is a very good Biblical truth as well. I am sharing a grid card I made yesterday which is probably the best thing for me to do at the moment, use up the projects that never made it to a card by stamping them into square sizes and using them in a different way.

Me, resting on the wall in Spain.

God bless!

I have Internet again!

Now I have Internet I can at least work on my blog and share and enter into communication with the world again - you think that may sound funny - well I live in a very small village in France where it is isolated and lonely - where the culture is different and the people not necessarily creative. They are who they are! But I need more than that!

We had visitors this weekend from Holland, one of them spoke in our Church on the subject of Grace - not an easy subject for those who always feel guilty, who always think have to earn their way into God's Presence- but a price was paid on the Cross for our Eternal acceptance! I always need to hear that, again and again.

So I wrote my own little poem today:

God is with you always in good days and bad ones

You don't always have to ask - will you??

Will you heal me, will you take away the pain?

When you hurt, God hurts, when you cry, God cries

He became flesh like you - you don't have to become God like Him!

You don't have to be 'good enough' - He was good enough

And He Loves You!

 ...

Have a lovely day today! I am going to Spain for a long weekend, so see you next week!

Jacqueline x

Posting while I can

Unfortunately our Internet connection at home is troubled. Since last week I have had days when I couldn't use the Internet at all and today it is going on and off, the whole time! This is so frustrating! So I am making use of it while I can. I have SO missed visiting the blogs and the flickr gallery! I have been to the office to use the Internet there but of course I would rather be at home!

Sharing this inspiration which is shared with Franziska who I met on the Flickr Hero Arts gallery - we both inspire each other. I distressed the edges with two colors distress ink and the middle with a touch of blue. Stamped the bird (from Artistic Outpost) and then stamped different leaf stamps around it in different colors.
The gold coated elastic with two charms came on a card from Israël - I think they are perfect to decorate a card with and I am looking out where I could buy them on the Internet. If anybody could help me out here - I know they could be hand made too, but I wouldn't know where to find the flat beads..

I have to share the wonderful surprise I got in the post today from Gaby from Colorful adventures. She makes the most beautiful earrings, and other mixed media art come to that. Here is what she sent me:

I was so happy to receive these as I love the color turquoise and I love birds! Thank you Gaby.
I hope to have Internet back soon to feel connected with the world again and to visit your blogs more regularly.

You are who you are!

Hi! I haven't felt that I had anything to share the last couple of weeks - what I had made was all a repetition of what I had already made before and I felt if I didn't have anything new to offer, any new insight to share, then I would just let it go.

But don't we all feel like that in certain periods of our lives? A bit empty, frustrated and the rest? So I am going to continue sharing, even though it might seem a bit dry because we have to be who we ARE, not who we would want to be.

So, yes, another grid, just because it seems to be the puzzles I make when I'm thinking about life and pondering on the Lord and what He has on His Heart for us all!

I want to share a little something someone sent me today which was found  on the Internet and it so encouraged me!! Her name is Holly Gerth and I think she says it just how I would have loved too have said it! If you see your life like this today - let these words encourage you too!

The world only gets one you.

You with your gifts.

You with your smile.

You with those things you do.

So take your place,

take your chances,

take this moment to know...

You’ve got something to offer.

Something good and right and true.

Something God-given,

Heart-of-Heaven created.

And the rest of us need it, need you.

Oh, you think it’s no big deal.

Anyone could be that way.

Anyone could do it.

Nope.

Not true.

There’s just one irreplaceable you.

Have a lovely, sunny weekend!
Jacqueline x

Indian Summer

No inspiration has left my blog barren for a while - but as it is the time for harvesting the grapes I thought I would share a photo of some grapevines which still carry them. I haven't been out and about to take photos of the grape pickers so these are pictures just outside our fence. The weather is absolutely beautiful at the moment, a real Indian Summer and I'm getting exercise in the pool in the evenings. Now is the time to take a little vacation to the Mediterranean, with all the summer tourists gone home, a place by the Sea would be just gorgeous!

Funny, no inspiration in the craft room but I did so much want to bake an apple pie with all the apples we got from the Orchid in a nearby village. This is the first time I baked a cake like this, truly (you can tell can't you)!

I have lots of cards I've never shared so I will share this Autumn colored card today.

Still needing lots of rest to recover from the onslaught from the chemo-therapy, hoping to get better every day.
See you soon dear friends and thank you for your visit!

Moxie Fab Tuesday Trigger - Delightfully random

I loved this Trigger picture and it triggered the card I made below. The challenge can be found here.

I used a left-over piece of vellum to represent the doily texture and the banner shape,  also a Hero Arts mini stitch stamp to get the effect of the stitching from the inspiration picture. I also cut out two mini stamped hearts to represent the heart doily shape.

We are enjoying some beautiful clear sunny weather here, just as it should be in these parts :) I have all puffy eyes at the moment but the strength is returning in my legs and arms which I'm thankful for! Thank you once again for your continued support, it so lightens my load!

I received this poem today inside a card and wanted to share it - I hope it blesses those who are going through a hard time at the moment!

He Giveth More Grace

He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater,
He sendeth more strength when the labors increase;
To added affliction He addeth His mercy;
To multiplied trials, His multiplied peace.

When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources,
Our Father's full giving is only begun.

Fear not that thy need shall exceed His provision,
Our God ever yearns His resources to share;
Lean hard on the arm everlasting, availing;
The Father both thee and thy load will upbear.

His love has no limit; His grace has no measure.
His pow'r has no boundary known unto men;
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus,
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again!

Annie Johnson Flint

2 Corinthians 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Unquote

Have you ever really thought about this verse - to glory in infirmities??? Its worth thinking about!

Joining in the CCC Blog challenge

Hello! I have not been up to much again lately, still so weak and tired. I have had three months off of work up until now and have come to the conclusion that with the coming radio therapy which will take six weeks (33 sessions) I will start work again probably in January 2012. So I have a lot of time to rest and prepare.

The theme is 'Let's face the music' and I have incorporated music in the roof of the birdhouse and the backdrop. The challenge can be found here. Thanks to the ladies that organize it. I have used bright colors as it is for a young girl's birthday.

This is another one I made, but not for the challenge.

God bless!