Christmas Cards

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Inkadinkadoo

LaBlanche

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After making the 9" stuffed santa dolls I got busy making Christmas cards to send out to family. These are some of the card fronts I made using rubber stamps from my stash.
Each  image was inked with archival black ink on white cardstock and then painted with a variety of products from my stash. I used Tim Holtz distress crayons, Dina Wakley scribble sticks and Jane Davenport aquapastels with a paint brush or waterbrush.
Thanks for looking and have a nice day! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! 

Handmade Santa

 If you looked at my previous finished piece on my blog you'll find the tapestry I just finished on the 17th of November. I planned on starting my Christmas cards but instead I purchased a Santa pattern to make some Santa dolls. These Santas are 9" tall.
 I started making Santa dolls the afternoon on the 20th of November and now 5 days later I have 5 dolls finished. Two of those days last week, I was gone all day.
 The dolls were made with good quality muslin. I had a piece of vintage red wool felt to make the coats and hats. I wish I had more of this vintage material.
 I looked at a few places to buy wool for the beard and hair but didn't find any at three craft stores. I know I have some but with my back like it is now, I didn't look through my stash.
I used double sided tape and glue to apply the yarn I found at Joann's for hair and beard for my Santa dolls.
 I painted the dolls arms, legs and face with gesso. A portion of the legs were painted with Dina Wakley Night paint to look like boots. I used a watered down Dina Wakley magenta scribble sticks over the gesso on face.
 I sewed on a small jingle bell on each hat, this size of bell was purchased at HL in Christmas area. White felt from HL was cut using a ruler and rotary cutter. I wish they had what I used years ago on my larger Santas.
 Everything was made using needle and thread except the beard. I have a Bernia sewing machine but it wasn't used to make my Santa Dolls.
Update: I finished a total of 9 Santa Dolls before Chirstmas. I've kept one for myself. The last 6 I tied a black ribbon around their waist to make it look like a belt.

                                                  Thanks for looking and have a nice day!

Wool Tapestry Stocking For My Mother

I started working on this Bucilla stocking from a tapestry kit the first of August 2018. I didn't think it was possible to finish before Christmas this year. I was making the stocking for my dear mother. I was hoping to finish before October when we celebrated my mothers 93 birthday.

I took the first photo August 18, 2018, as you can see I hadn't added that much wool yarn. It's slow going. The finished stocking is 18" long. 

Mom said she didn't want her name on it. I worked on this stocking nearly every day. With my eyesite like it is now, I had to use a magnify glass for every stitch. This was my first tapestry. I had to purchase a stretching frame made for tapestry work. As I started working on the tapestry I noticed I would run out of some colors. I found a business in Oklahoma City for more yarn. I purchased two colors of red, two colors of yellow and two colors of green. I had some leftovers of green and yellow. 

November 17, 2018 I finished the stocking and took this finished photo. In a few days we will be taking the stocking to my mother. I lined the stocking with padding and black fabric. The back is black felt. I finished the stocking by hand stitching.

Have you ever seen something and thought I recall making something like that before

I've been crafting since childhood, the first thing I remember making as a small child was a movie reel using a matchbox, two small sticks and comic strips from news paper. I was in 4-H growing up and made a table cloth which I still have and two traveling fabric accessories which I still have although they are a bit worn from use all these years. After marriage, I used my sewing machine to make stuffed dolls, bears and rabbits from early 70's, I poured and fired ceramics and enjoyed using barn wood to make planters and toys in the 80's and I started stamping 1993. I've been published on paper magazines many times but nothing recently because I haven't tried.
From 2004 to 2009 I was on two different online magazines. I have been a designers for several stamp companies.

Moving on....
A couple weeks ago I saw someone show a project on Facebook. The comment was made; "you had to go to her class to see how she made the booklet"
Now, this is where it comes to my mind, I know that I've created that booklet in the past or something very similar to it when I was a designers for two online magazines.
I won't be showing how I made this booklet but will show the first two pages. I have four pages but this will be the only one I will share for now. Small tags come out through the top of each page.
Oh, by the way, this was made this week!

Media Heavy Body Acrylic Paint and Stamps by Dina Wakley,
one stamp by Stampers Annoymous and
Archival jet black by Ranger Ink 

Recall Distress Painting Project from 2016

Remember this post: https://wwwstampedimpressions.blogspot.com/2016/08/creative-chemistry-103-distress-paint.html 
I found more empty rolls of tissues and plan on making something with them soon. 

Handmade Bears

While recouping from pacemaker and other health issues I made these 11 plus 13 more June through July this year. Most of these bears have gone to family near and far. These bears are 5 inches tall if they could stand up. To make these tiny bears I have to use magnifying glasses because I can't see the stitches without them. 

The graduate bear (below) was made for one of our granddaughters that graduated from her two year college this year.

The last bear (below) was made for my 92 year old mother, I made her bear a dress and a red bow with white curls in her hair. 

It takes me 6-8 hours to cut-out and hand stitch the bears and longer if I make hand stitched clothing. 

I've made a bunch of bears in the last 2 months. They consist of blue, red, purple, burgundy, grey, beige, teal, cream, medium brown and dark brown. 

Update: It's now August 10, I finished my last bear (No. 25) to give to my husband he wanted a blue bear and then I shipped out two bears one to Arkansas and and one to Wyoming. They were just like the bear below. 

Asthma and Sinus Problems

When we came home this past Tuesday, I wasn't feeling well. Before we left moms I was having sinus problems probably from the neighbors large cedar tree and cottonwood trees.
 By the time I got home I was having a full blown asthma and sinus problems. When I went to my local doctors appointment today for a routine pacemaker checkup, I told my doctor how I was feeling. He said as many things that is wrong with you; you'll needed medication.
He said I have sinus syndrome and asthmatic bronchitis.

He told me my heart doctor gave him the results why I needed a pacemaker. He said I had stopped breathing for 4 seconds on one occasion. At the hospital I heard an RN say I had three recent issues with my heart. I guess they saw the results from my loop recorder.

Back home with a Pacemaker

 My heart doctor said I had to take sponge baths for 10 days after surgery so I don't get my staples wet. Also, I can't raise my left arm the next 4 weeks. And wear a sling immobilization in bed for the next 4 weeks. No more MRI's!
I have another appointment next week to get my staples out.
We stayed a week with my mother. My youngest brother from Wyoming and oldest brother and SIL came in from Arkansas in at the same time I had my surgery scheduled. My youngest sister lives about a mile from my mother. If only my oldest sister had been at moms we would have all been together, my sister has heart problems and didn't want to fly.  

I didn't receive good news at eye surgeon

 Life has taken all sorts of twists and turns. I'm wanting to get back to using my stamping supplies! 

I thought my bad eye-site was due to having all the migraines and headaches that started December 2015.
Tuesday, May 15, I saw my eye doctor in our town, he tested my eyes for glasses because I was having trouble seeing. When he checked my left eye I couldn't see the screen, it was blue. He used a camera, he said it looks like fluid on the back on my eye. He didn't waste anytime and contacted a eye surgeon in Edmond, Ok so the next day, May 16 we drove down to see him. After filling out a bunch of papers, and then a bunch of photos on my eyes;  he said, there is nothing I can do for eye, I'm not keeping your records so don't come back. In left eye, I see a blue blurry blob in the center and only see a little of the outer perimeter. When I looked at eye doctors screens, all I saw was a blue screen or fuzzy screen when I was supposed to see a hot air balloon or black dots. 

My eye doctor checked me a few months after I was on life support April 2016. And a year after being on life support. Each time he would say, lets wait a little longer till you get new glasses. 

My right eye is 20/25, in my left eye 20/400. 

18 inches from computer is a blur to read. With my new pacemaker, I'm suppose to stay a safe distance away from my computer. I might have to change to a larger print on my computer. 

May and June 2014 I paid extra to get laser surgery so I didn't have to wear eyeglasses. Now with my eye site like it is, the surgeon said he can't correct or improve my eye-site with eyeglasses, surgery, or shots in my eyes. 

Update June 11, 2018, I will need new eye glasses when dear hubby has pacemaker/defibrillator surgery. He ordered me new lenses for clear and sunglasses. On left eye, will be just a lens with no correction, on right eye was an older prescription lens he had done several years back. These glass don't help, when looking down the highway I see double of everything. I can see if its close but not with the glasses. I won't be going back to this eye doctor for that. 

I just can't get a Break

I went to my eye doctor today after having months of flashing lights and small shining circles in my eyes. I thought it was due to having all the migraines since December 2015.  
It had got so bad I was having problems reading or typing. So if you see a typing mistake it's my crazy eyes showing a blank or looks blurry. 
I was run through several test before seeing my eye doctor. He checked my right eye and finally found one lens I could see pretty good but not perfect and then went to my left eye. All I could see was a big blue glob. He took camera shots of both eyes to look behind my eyes. My left eye is much worse. He said I have macular edema. I have a pocket of fluid behind my eyes and I'll need shots in my eyes. 

I told my eye doctor if they wanted to do an MRI, it would have to be soon as I'm having a pacemaker on the 24 of May 2018. He made the appointment for the next day in Edmond, Ok near the Oklahoma Heart hospital when I was on life support (April 2016) and then stayed 15 days across Memorial at Mercy rehab.
After I got home from eye appointment, I read up on macular edema, it says it might have come due to the laser surgeries. I had laser surgery on left eye May 2014 and laser surgery on right eye June 2014 or they said it could be due to a recent fall. I fell December 9, 2017, when I tripped over a cord and fell down hitting my back and head on a hard oak floor. I have daily headaches and back pains and need more surgery on my back. 

Things I started working on

While recouping I've been doing things that doesn't take much energy. I found a few planners at less than I could buy the round disk that holds the planners together.
 I bought new covers on some, others looked like new. I pulled out all the 2016 and 2017 papers, but kept some the monthly pages. And then added white or colored card stock. I'm going to use them as a journal to add stamped images, paint, gel prints and more.
 I made one for Madison, she is our youngest granddaughter in college. She wanted blue card stock for her papers. 

Working Through the Pain

I've dealt with pain in my head since December 2015 and doesn't seem to get any better. I've taken two sets of Botox shots with no results, no medication helps.

Then moving into December 7, 8, and 9 I had a garage sale in our rental that we had up for sale. The last day of the sale, an old man came in around noon he was not steady on his feet carrying a cane, he stopped in the living room to buy some ornaments, he didn't come up to my table to purchase them, he pulled out his money and looked over at me. I got up to take his money and sat down. He picked up another item in the living room, and this time he pulled out his money again. I got up and tripped over an extension cord I had running to my cash drawer. I fell down hard hitting my right hip on some metal and plastic boxes near my table, I hit my  back and head on hard wood floor. It didn't knock me out but as I was laying down on the floor the old man was standing on my hair, I ask him twice to get off my hair. Two nice ladies came up to help me, they ask him to get away from me. They took his money and took it to the cash register. They called my dear hubby to come help me. Dear hubby called our son, they both helped me off the floor. (yes, I know I should have called an ambulance.) Our son and hubby closed down my sale and went to ER. This happened on Saturday, on Monday I went to my local doctor, he said you will feel better in 6 weeks, just take the pain medication and let it heal. I ask my pain doctor for a surgeon that might help me. I went in to see the surgeon about three weeks after falling. He said he could have helped me sooner, if I had come in right after it happened. (Of course I didn't know him then)

On February 14, he operated on my back at T 12 with cement. I was put of Norco for pain.

I was still in chronic pain 7 weeks after surgery so I called my surgeon back and got an appointment April 5, he ordered X-rays, CT and MRI that day since we were two hours from home.

April 6, I stopped cold turkey taking Norco. It took a week to get over that medicine. I had been on Norco since  I fell December 9. I didn't like having claw marks on my skin from the itchy feeling and I couldn't tell it was helping me any longer.
April 10, 2018 we drove back to Norman, OK to see the surgeon. He said I need surgery again on T10, and T11 and L-2 and L-3 with pins and screws in my back.

On Friday, April 19, 2018, I went to a Medtronic guy to check my loop recorder in my chest, he said you need a pacemaker. He took his records to my heart doctor across the hall, they gave me an appointment that same day to come back to see the heart doctor. She agreed with the medtronic guy and I needed a pacemaker, she said she will put it in soon.
I called the doctor that was going to operate on my back and told his office I had put my back surgery on hold.

I'm in pain 24/7 sitting while riding in a car, walking, standing, cooking, bending down and now trying to sleep. I haven't found anything that helps that I can take. I'm allergic to what others take for pain.

All this time I've been in pain with my upper and lower back and still have daily headaches and migraines. I see flashing like many times everyday.

When will this night-mare end!

Sorry Bloggers, it has been a rough year! I'm off my venting now!

Botox isn't for Me

I stay indoors as much as I can due to my headaches.
I had Botox March 20 and July 17. 2017 hoping they would help my headaches.  My neurologist at Baptist hospital said the first shot of Botox might not help. Well, the second one didn't help either.
He gave me around one hundred shots in my head and neck first time with a whole bottle of medication, the second time he only filled one needle full Botox with about 25 shots. I made the mistake telling them I didn't want anymore shots, he told me he couldn't help me any longer. I guess it was all about the expensive Botox.

My doctor that retired before this doctor told me I had several kind of headaches and migraines and my life is not going to get any better than it is right now.

I started on a downward spin with Trigeminal Neuralgia December 2015 but wasn't diagnosed until March 2016.
And then my heart/asthma/pneumonia health issues came in April 2016 when I was dealing with pain from CPR, it rained many of the 15 days stay making my headaches and migraines really painful.
What happened to me April 10, 2016 with my health and heart has affected my health.

Since December 2015; I go to bed with pain and wake with pain in my head and now in my back. My face on left side continues to be numb, my teeth hurts with TN and my head hurts constantly. I can't stand loud noise.

This time of the year with the weather changing makes the headaches especially bad.

Flower blooming! Leaves on trees and weeds are coming up.

I don't feel like doing a lot of stamping like I did years ago.