Four years ago this country was facing an unprecedented, tumultuous time that now, looking back, has placed us in a precarious position; not only for this country but for the world. Today, with a great deal of HOPE, we look for a positive turnaround. May God bless and provide us all the strength and humility to go forward. Four years ago too, I came across a blog post from Joan Bardee, dearpaperlicious, that perfectly illustrated the state of affairs at the time. I am almost certain that she, along with many, many Americans, feels a sense of relief now.
By the way, Joan is a stamper and extraordinary blogger; she writes with humor and sensitivity about ordinary things that happen to ordinary people . . . least of all, creative cardmaking.
Speaking of cardmaking, since the first of the year I've played with my stash of paper, ink, and stamps and made five birthday cards and numerous cards just because. My Stampin'Up! enabler/demonstrator has certainly been helpful in providing ideas and more supplies! Haha! I've joined an online group, Stamp Happy Academy which is strictly Stampin'Up! and am having fun with at least one of the challenges. That was a color challenge - to create a card using the SU colors blackberry bliss, bumblebee, and misty morning. I pulled out some stamps from 2014 (I have a ridiculous collection!) and made the first two cards. Then, I just couldn't stop myself and made a couple more cards using brand new stamp sets.
I could've gone on and made a few more with this color combination but, like all things I do, I got side-tracked by other pretty paper . . .
This is one of two birthday cards I made for my two older sisters whose birthdays are this month. The design is CASE'd from a SU stamper/blogger that I followed a few years ago (she no longer has a presence online unfortunately).
This card was made for our three-year-old great granddaughter, I just happened to have this cute cupcake wrapping paper to wrap up the little cupcake necklace we gave to her.
Here she is wearing it! I'm not sure what to make of the pink in her hair but I do know that she's a cutie!
This card was made for our eight-year-old great grandson and accompanied a special request quilt.
Back in November, our granddaughter texted a photo to me of an "idea" for Easton's quilt. It was a black and red "U" representing the University of Utah. I was very pleased to know that he is a U of U fan as I am too (being an alumni). My interpretation turned out rather bold (a little out of my usual choice of fabrics) but Easton likes it very much - "Mom and I think this is the best of all the blankets [you've made for our family]." Well, if that isn't a vote of confidence, I don't know what is! :)
Now this card was really fun to make as it was for our newest great grandchild, Olivia Mae, born December 29, 2020! Her birthday was a surprise as she wasn't due until January 17, 2021 but oh! What a wonderful way to finish out the year!
Precious little baby girl, our third great granddaughter. (Olivia's aunt, our sweet granddaughter McKenna, made the knitted blanket she is laying on. How very special!)
We have not met her in person yet and will probably not have that opportunity until after we both have received our second COVID-19 vaccination. We must be careful! Our granddaughter posted a photo of Miss Livy Mae on her due date, already two plus weeks old!
Still a little tipsy but wide awake!
The sweetest picture of all is this one of Livy Mae and her big brother Dawson.
Since my November 23rd post in which I mentioned that my husband was going to build his shop in the south end of the big barn, it has been done and he's been out puttering there almost every day!
Here he is putting some of the finishing touches on cabinets and shelves, December 14th. Just today he came in and told me that he needs a bigger shop! He is currently working on his 1948 Ford 8N tractor - restoring it to working condition - and he's also repainting the tack room door to one of the horse trailers. Those two things take up a great deal of space, besides the fact that he has two workbenches, two welding setups (a TIG welder and a gas welder kit), three shelf units with power tools and batteries, electrical paraphernalia, and painting supplies, and two shop cabinets on wheels. One area holds three sizes of ladders and a floor jack (and other automotive equipment). Fact is, he was astonished that he has so much - before organizing all of it in one place things were strewn in the house garage, the garden shed, the tack room, and the All-Tech Inc. shop (down the street). Of course, there was lots of things that were not useful but kept just because which ended up going to the landfill.
Because we house all the family's horses on our property, Diamond A Ranch, the tack room is well-used. Clare decided that it was time to get it organized and not only did he clean and rearrange, but he built a blanket rack.
These two photos just show the south side of the tack room after cleanup; the opposite side has cupboards and counter space, a refrigerator, and more saddle stands. Now the trick is to keep it neat out there . . . with multiple users that may be a challenge!
In other news . . . early in December I bought a gingerbread house kit anticipating a day-long visit from my granddaughter over the holiday.
Well, the kit sat on the kitchen counter unmade all the way through the holidays and beyond until this Tuesday, the 19th. Our granddaughter flew up from her home in Texas to meet her new niece, Livy Mae, and the day before she was to return she dropped by her old grandparents' home. She not only came to visit but she spent about five hours with us and during that time she and I built the gingerbread house! What a good girl she is to humor her old granny! Haha!
By the way, this is the granddaughter who works for the Lubbock Economic Development Alliance and today was promoted to Media Relations and Communications Manager. Bravo!
On the sewing front - other than making the quilt for great grandson Easton, I've been rather neglectful. Part of the problem is that I've been trying to work around severe arthritis pain in the hands and back/hips (I guess it's arthritis!). I had an x-ray and MRI done last Wednesday and will be meeting with my pain and spine doc this coming Monday to go over the results. In the meantime, I rub Voltaren gel on my hands and pop pain meds a couple times a day. When I sit at the sewing machine for any length of time, the pain becomes unbearable and I have found that stretching out on the bed is the only easing I can get. Blah, blah, blah! The flannel quilt I started working on back in November 2020 (with the intention to finish it by Christmas) is idling; I've got one column of HSTs sewn together and now my goal is to have it done by February 18th, my husband's birthday! Hah! Better get busy!
After a very dry two months (not a drop of precipitation during the last part of December and so far this January), it is supposed to snow today and tomorrow and a few days next week. So far, the skies are cloudy but the sun is shining bright. Doing a snow dance . . .
I leave you with this gorgeous sunrise January 12th.
Ta for now, Hazel😘
