Cards for the Winter Solstice

These were the cards I posted on Outside the Box Monday.  I think the top one is my favorite.  I'm making a lot more clean and simple cards lately--fewer layers and embellishments.  This Snowy Pine Landscape stamp from Memory Box is one of my newest favorites.

Double Irish Chain Quilt

This is the center of the Double Irish Chain Quilt I made.  The center squares are fussy cut images of birds with sunflowers.  The center of the quilt is hand-tied.  The side panels are machine quilted using a wavy stencil pattern.  It fits a queen-size bed.  I shared this quilt at the Tacoma Lakes Quilters meeting on Wednesday.  I'm pretty pleased how it came out for my first bed-sized quilt.

No More Port in the Storm

The storm is over.  My oncologist okayed my request to have my port removed, so I had my port removed today!  That is a very good sign.  And I now have two of them.  Bracelets?  Earrings?--they're kinda heavy.  Pendants?  Christmas tree ornaments?  I'll have to make something creative out of them.  They kind of look like bugs to me--there's a tube (antennae?) at the top by two indentations where eyes could go and the big blue bump in the middle could be replaced by a gemstone, too.  I'll post pix once I get them converted into something wearable on the outside of my body!!!

medi-port

My Last "SPA DAY", November 15, 2013!!!

This is the last time (I hope) that I'll post this image!  Thanks to all of you who have supported me throughout my lengthy cancer journey through surgery, chemo, radiation, the double mastectomy surgery, and more chemo.  It has been a long hard-fought battle since my first diagnosis in 2010 and my recurrence in 2012.  I couldn't have done this with as much grace and humor without all of you!  Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Follow-up?  I'll meet with my breast surgeon in December and then every six months for a clinical breast exam.  I'll meet with my oncologist every six months starting in April.  I'll get my port taken out soon--then I'll have two of them.  I guess if they match I might have to have earrings made from them!

I'm meeting with a counselor next week to set up a post-treatment plan which will include some physical therapy to heal the scar area, regular massage, and monthly acupuncture.  I'm hoping that periodic real spa days will replace the not-so-real-ones at the oncology center.

I'm also setting creative time aside--time to paint, collage, sew and quilt.  I have so many ideas buzzing around in my brain!  As the days get shorter and colder, I look forward to time in my workroom.

Monday's Cards

This is the card I taught the Monday morning stamping group at Your Maine Stamper.  I used an old Cuttlebug embossing folder to create the background.  "Wallpaper" (3 X 3 1/2) and a "carpet" (1 X 3) were cut to fit the larger rectangle.  The PoppyStamps Large Chair was stamped in Hero Arts Cup O' Joe ink on Memory Box dot paper.  I cut it out and colored the pillow with a marker.  I added a Small Sitting Cat, a PoppyStamps die cut from black sticky-back paper, and pop-dotted the finished chair on the paper background.  I also rounded all four corners of the finished card to echo the corners in the embossed paper.  The sentiment is a stamp from DRS.  Each person in the group made a similar but different card using other papers and chairs that were stamped and cut from either yellow, pink, or blue distressed dots papers.  Cute!

This is the card I posted Monday morning on the Outside the Box blog for Memory Box.  Details for how to make this card can be found on the blog at http://davebrethauer.typepad.com/outsidethebox/.  Just scroll down until you come to "Spooky Halloween at the Manor House".

Happy Crafting!

Lots of Blue Ribbons!

Dad's Scarecrow took First Place in the Senior Division!  He also won blue ribbons for the Dahlias, green peppers, butternut squash, birdhouses, license plate dustpans, bird whirlygig, and more.  Total premiums paid:  $99.95.

I also won a lot of blue ribbons for my handmade books and scrapbooks and for my pickles.  Total premiums paid:  $74.60.

Prepping for Litchfield Fair

Dad and I spent most of yesterday and today getting our entries ready for the Litchfield Fair.  The fair runs Friday through Sunday at the fairgrounds just up the road from us.  Last year we didn't enter anything in the fair because I'd just had surgery and started chemo.  We more than made up for it this year with 48 entries!

From the gardens:

• green peppers
• red tomatoes
• yellow tomatoes
• kale
• pole beans
• butternut squash
• sunflower head
• pumpkin
• glads
• dahlias
• mixed flowers bouquet
• a potted Christmas tree

From Dad's workshop:

• birdhouses
• carved fish
• weather sticks
• tin can frog
• lightbulb bugs
• flowers made from old metal faucet handles
• a bird whirlygig
• a collection of vintage license plates
• license plate dustpans
• a Witch Scarecrow

From my workroom:

• collages
• handmade books
• scrapbooks
• mixed media books including the three different mermaid books I made this summer
• poster and notecard from my Adopt a Shelter Dog winning design
• greeting cards
• calendars for 2013

From my sewing "room":

• woodchuck/chipmunk pillows
• vintage crazy quilt pillow
• Double Irish Chain quilt

And I'm sure there's more!

I started at the Exhibition Hall this morning at 9 when I delivered the 5' tall scarecrow and picked up all of the entry forms and tags I needed.  Dad and I then spent an hour or so filling out tags and tying them to items and then recording everything on the appropriate entry forms--Flowers, Vegetables, Fruits; Arts and Crafts; Fancy Work; Canned and Baked Goods; Scarecrow Contest; etc.

After lunch this afternoon we raided the gardens, cleaned the produce, plated and tagged everything, cut and arranged flowers, etc.  Around 4:30 Dad and I went to the fairgrounds with most everything in boxes and placed the entries in various designated spots in the Exhibition Hall.  I know there are things that Dad and I intended to enter that just didn't make it this year.

There are no entry fees and the premiums paid are pretty good.  Dad usually gets more than enough to pay for the next year's garden seeds and seedlings.  And I hope to pick up some extra money for the California/my-son's-wedding trip.  

All of the judging happens on Thursday and we won't know how we did until we actually go to the fair this weekend and check out the ribbons.  Even then we won't know how much the premiums paid out are until we get our checks on Sunday night when I have to go back and collect everything between 6 and 8 PM.  The lines get pretty long when there are lots of exhibitors.  So I usually go up around 4 PM with a good book and claim a spot in line to wait.  And I take my little red wagon ( the one I actually had as a child) and fill it up!  I think it's going to take three or four trips to the car this year to collect everything!

So, if you happen to go to the Litchfield Fair this weekend, check out the Exhibition Hall and look for tags for Gene Thompson (his all have a blue circle with 90 on each one) and Anne Thompson.

And don't forget French Fries, Fried Dough, the Pig Scramble and the Horse Show!