Thursday, November 29, 2012

Please Help and a Giveaway..

Hi Everyone,

I love crafts just as much as all of you and I love it even more when what I create can be a huge blessing to someone else.

On my personal Facebook page i subscribe to Dollar Store Crafts and today I saw a posting that made my heart melt and I so wanted to be a part of.  First I thought I would send a card and then I was given the idea of doing a giveaway to get my fellow crafters involved.

Rhonda, a fellow subscriber, just found out that her Grandmother was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer and the doctors say she will only be here for a couple more months.  All that is being asked is that a Christmas Card be sent to her Grandparents.  So this is what I propose.  If you make a card, send it Rhonda's Grandparents, link it below, I will automatically enter you into a giveaway.  I am not sure of the prizes yet but if you look at my "30 Fabulous Followers Giveaway" posting you can gain insight to the type prizes I like to give (click on the title). 

Here is the story about Rhonda's Grandmother: 


A Holiday Wish: Cards for Betty's Last Christmas
This year for Christmas, there is only one thing that I want.  It’s not something you can get at the store.  It’s not something that any amount of money can buy.  All I want for Christmas this year, more than anything else in the world, is for my grandma to smile.  So here I am, asking the whole world for something so simple yet so meaningful:  Could you please send my grandparents a Christmas card this year?
A Holiday Wish: Cards for Betty's Last Christmas
My Grandma Vogel, January 2011
This is my grandma.  This photo was taken in January 2011, at our family’s belated Christmas gathering for the 2010 holidays.  Doesn’t she look content?  This is exactly what I want for her again, to be happy and enjoying her family for the holidays.  But this year, well, this year is different.  This year is going to be grandma’s last Christmas.
Let’s go back in time a few weeks.  Back to when my grandma first went to the hospital.  She was having difficulty breathing; they ordered a ton of tests, put her on oxygen, and kept her in the hospital for a while for observation.  We all waited for news, hoping that it would be good but bracing ourselves for the bad.  When the first round of tests came back, we learned two things:  That she has severe COPD with less than 50% lung capacity, and they found a mass in her right lung.  That meant more tests, more waiting, more bracing for bad news.
They scheduled a biopsy of the mass for the day before Thanksgiving.  For the first time in my entire life, there was no family gathering for the holiday.  Though really, I guess none of us were in that festive of a mood anyway.
Yesterday, the results of the biopsy came back.  The news wasn’t good, and I hadn’t expected it to be, but it still took me by surprise when my mother called with the details.
The mass in Grandma’s lung is cancerous.  Her cancer is stage 4.  The doctors say she only has a couple of months left.
This kind of news is never easy to take, but finding this out heading into the holiday season has been absolutely devastating for my family.  Understandably, grandma is pretty depressed about the whole situation.  And I don’t think the reality of it has hit my grandpa yet.  I don’t know what he’s going to do when she’s gone.  She has been the center of his entire world for over 60 years.  It’s a kind of pending loss that I can’t even begin to fathom.
A Holiday Wish: Cards for Betty's Last Christmas
Grandma in happier, healthier days
The holidays are supposed to be filled with love and joy, not sadness and despair.  I don’t want grandma’s last Christmas to be melancholy.  I want the holidays to wrap her with caring and comfort.  I want so very, very desperately to see my grandma smile again.
In order to lift my grandparents’ spirits, my mother started asking everyone she knew if they would please send them a card this holiday season.  Heartfelt greetings, even from complete strangers, can have a profound effect on the recipient.  If you would like to help make my grandma smile through the holidays, here are some ways you can help.
  • Send my grandparents a card.  Their mailing address can be found at the end of this post.
  • If you are feeling crafty, I would love if you could create a handmade card for my grandparents.  All cards are welcome and appreciated, but there is something extra special about receiving a handmade card.  Opening them makes you feel all warm and fuzzy.
  • If you have children, perhaps you could have them draw my grandma a picture to cheer her up.  She is, after all, grandmother to nine and great grandmother to eight, and as a grandma she of course has an appreciating for young artists.
  • If you are active with your church, maybe the congregation would be interested in helping out.  Please pass this information along to your prayer circle or bible study group, or submit the information for inclusion in your church’s weekly bulletin.
  • If you have any other friends who would be willing to send my grandparents holiday greetings, please feel free to pass this information along to them.
  • If you are a fellow blogger, I would be extremely grateful if you shared my grandma’s story with your readers and followers.
  • Please share this story via social media.  Share this post with your Facebook friends, tweet about it, pin the top graphic on this post to Pinterest.  Any way that you can think of to get more people involved!
My hope is that my grandparents’ mailbox will be overflowing with love for the next month.  Please address your cards to:
Ed and Betty Vogel
425 E. Coleman Rd.
Clare, MI 48617
Thank you everyone for your help with this.  My whole family thanks you, from the bottoms of our aching hearts.

I pray you will join me and send a card to Mr & Mrs Vogel.  Thanks everyone.  Oh I will leave this giveaway open until Christmas.  I will select a winner on Dec 28 and mail out the goodies then.  I will post a follow-up to this blog showing the goodies.  Ok ya'll, time to shop and thank you all so much for participating!!  
Love and Hugs,
Kelli
If you have an questions, feel free to send me a message or ask me on the Facebook page.

Mr. Linky Giveaway Entry:





Saturday, November 24, 2012

Yellow and Gray Envelope/Pocket Mini Album

Hi Everyone,

So this post is a way to recycle the old into something new.  While Hubs and I were living in PA we were involved with craft shows/bazzars.  One item that I created to sell were Envelope cards that can be placed on gifts, used for money cards, etc.  Well I made tons of them and most of them sold but I still have a dozen or so left that did not.  So instead of throwing them away I chose to make a mini album out of them.  These minis can easily hold full 3x5 photos.  This is one of my favorite albums mostly because it is my favorite color, yellow.  Here it is...


I used a sheer gray ribbon for the binding and then used Deco Art Twinkles on the ends to stop the fraying.

Pages one and two and a sample of what all the tags throughout the album look like.
    


A tag tucked behind the fold out photomat.


Pages three /\ and four \/

Tags for pages 3 and 4.


Pages five /\ and six \/

Tag from page 5 and a fold out photomat with a pocket for tags.

So here is my work in progress.  I did make a video of this album.  You can see it here: 


Well everyone, that is all for now.  You know I am so grateful to be able to share these projects with you all and I am so thankful for each one of you!!  Thank you all for watching and I will see you in the next one...

Kelli

What I used...
~DecoArt Twinkles
~Silk Flowers
~Flat back pearls
~Doilies
~Recollections Card Stock
~Fiskars corner punch
~Autumn Leaves journal stamps
~Sheer gray ribbon
~Colorbox pigment ink
~Offray ribbon


Friday, November 23, 2012

Paper Bag Mini Album #1 - Paisley Fun

Hi Everyone,

So I have been wanting to do a series on Paper Bag Albums that I have created for quite some time now - like over a year - and I have finally been able to get my camera and the editing software to play nice with each other.  Well actually I just used my phone - it's a shame I didn't think of that before.  So here is my first Paper Bag Album.  I used a total of 9 Paper bags for this album.  ***Photo Warning and video at the end***













Well everyone here it is.  I really had a great time making this album and I know I will make another as I do like how this one came out.  So please tell me what you think of this album; I would love to hear/read your thoughts.  Thank you all so much for watching and I will see you in the next one.

Kelli 

What I used..

~Recollections Card Stock
~Offray Ribbon
~Colorbok gray ink
~Nicole Crafts paper pack
~Lunch bags
~Fiskars embossing corner punch
~Feathers
~Flatback pearls
~Rhinestones

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Sympathy Card

Hi Everybody

Just a quick post of a card I made for my dear Sister whose Father passed away. I pray she doesn't mind me sharing this card.  As a matter of fact I debated with myself over whether or not I should post this card but after persistent encouraging from Hubs I am posting it.  I am quite proud of this card and I adore the way it came out.  I wanted everything be just perfect for this card.  So here it is...






I am not going to say to much about the card other than a lot of love went into this card and I pray she and the family feel the love Hubs and I have for them when they look at the card.  {Sis, Hubs and I are so sorry for your Dad's passing and ya'll have been and will continue to be in our prayers}.

So here it is.  And yes, I know it has been some time since I posted but lots of life has gotten in the way and way too much drama from those around me, plus lots of helping people move - including myself.  A trip across country, a missionary journey, and rehearsals for a concert, just to name a few, have been my distraction over the last few months.  I have been working on Christmas projects and I will prayerfully be posting videos, yes videos, on these projects over the (USA) Thanksgiving Holiday 2012 and posting them on YouTube.  I will link the videos to the blogs as well. 

Alright everyone.  That's all for now.  Thank you all so much for stopping by and I will see you in the next blog.

Oh... If you have any questions about ANYTHING please let me know.

Thanks a bunch!!

Kelli

What I used...

~Recollections card stock
~DCWV Paper Collection
~Red mulberry roses 
~Cricut Schoolbook cartridge (for the circle shape)
~Sympathy Sentiment by
~Eva digital image by
~Black flatback rhinestones

Friday, September 21, 2012

Happy Anniversary to ME, well US!!!

Hi Everybody,

So one of the biggest reasons for my absence is that Hubs and I celebrated 5 wonderful years together September 8, 2012.  We have been unable in times past to really go out and celebrate, but this year we made a point to do some of the things that we have been wanting to do.

So early in the am we started on a two hour drive from Springfield, OR to Portland, OR.  We have the best drives ever.  We talk about about everything, have in-depth discussions, share ideas, laugh a lot, and just have fun being with each other.

So once we got to Portland we were hungry for breakfast and decided to visit a place featured on Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.  We love that show.  We stopped in at Pine State Biscuits.



Here is the video from Triple D....


To walk off breakfast we walked through a street fair and had a fantastic time seeing the talent people have.  Then we grew hungry again.  Well, I grew hungry again.  So we went to visit another place shown on Triple D.  This time we went to Byways Cafe.




Hubs ordered the biscuits and gravy and I got the pancakes.  We were so full that we had enough left over for breakfast the next day.  But it was soo good.

Then it was time for a little shopping.  We met up with some friends in the area and went to the outlets. This is a pic hubs took of me being silly with these shades he picked out.  They did not take the trip home with us.

So we wrapped up our day and finally took the drive back home.  We did stop off and pick up an anniversary Lemon Meringue pie from Shari's here in OR.  It was the perfect end to a perfect day.

So we really took the week and celebrated our anniversary, however, that trip alone made me so tired that I didn't have the energy to create or post anything.  I would come home and crash on the couch.

So this is what has kept me away for a little while.  But I am energized and ready to go so watch out.  :D

Well, that is all for now everybody.  Enjoy the videos.  Until next time..

Kelli

Silk Flower hair bows

Hi Everybody,

Yes I know it has been quit a long time but life has just been quite busy.  Not that this should be an excuse.  work for me starts at 6:30 am and I still trying to adjust to the new schedule.  I have been working on getting my camera and the computer to place nice with each other so that I can upload the videos that I have created of new projects to share with you all.  I have been going forth, stepping out on faith and doing what God has instructed me to do.  A bit out of my comfort zone but I know it's what he wants of me.

That being said, I am sharing this project with you all.  Ministering to people in song is what the Lord has asked of me and when I do I give it my all.  I tend to get hot when I sing as most do and so my straight hair tends to become an afro after about 15 min.  So solve this I wanted to find a cute way style my hair and stay afro-less (much love to the fro's).

So my hair piece is nothing new but new to me since I made it myself and I am proud of it.
Here it is...
This purple flowers I sprayed Lindy's Stamp Gang - Scintillating Silver spray once I hot glued all the flowers together.  I found the purple flowers and berries at Dollar Tree.  The cream flowers are from the thrift store.

The Mum and Poppy flowers are also from Dollar Tree.  Though hard to see, the Dogwood blossom is from the local thrift store.

I picked up stretch bands from, where else - Dollar Tree, glued the flowers to a piece of felt and then attached the stretch band to it.  I whipped these up in a matter of 20 minutes, literally!  No I have to make more in every color within my wardrobe.

Okay everybody, that is all for today.  I will really work on the camera thing and get those videos uploaded for you.  Thanks for stopping in and I will see you all next time.

Kelli

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Feel Better Soon Card - feat Melonheadz image

Hello Everybody!

So hubs and I donate blood and plasma anytime we can.  We truly believe in the importance of donations.  I have been involved with donating since 1995.  Anywho, Where we donate now, one of the technicians was in an accident and did some damage to her fingers (not her dominant hand).  She is back to work but on limited duty.  I wanted to create a little something, something for her to hopefully aid in the recovery process do I created this card and a cute and simple pair of earring for her.



I used a digi stamp from Melonheadz Illustrating because it was a perfect image.  Same hair cut, same injured side.  This image just looked like the technician.  She is just darling.  

I added some of the Studio G glitter glue to her flower and the hearts on her shorts and also to the bodies of all the butterflies to make them stand out.



Box created from Recollections card stock for the earrings.

The earrings are actually a pretty shade of sea blue but the camera didn't pick it up well.


Well, this is my project.  I love how this card turned out!  I wasn't sure of the layout of the card when I started but I had an idea in mind.

Okay everybody, I out!  I have a slew of projects that I need to finish including a few paper bag albums to share and a plethora of card ideas floating around in my head.  I also have Christmas on the brain.  I am preparing myself for projects now so I won't be behind later.

So until next time..

Kelli

What I used...
Card
~My Minds Eye "Howdy Doody" paper collection
~Fiskars butterfly punch
~Studio G glitter glue
~Melonheadz "Broken Arm Girl" digital image
~Copic markers:  Clothes: RV42, R11, BG0000, B97  Hair: Y23, E33  Skin: E11, E21, E13 Shadow: N0
~Offray white ribbon
~Hampton Art "Get Well Soon" wood mount stamp
~Studio G dark brown pigment ink.
~Recollections kraft card stock

Earrings
~Blue coin beads
~White pearl beads
~Gold hoops