Update

Hi Stampers & Card Makers,
I've got no pics today for you, but thought I'd hop online and give you an update on my hand situation. Well, I was able to dodge surgery for our trip! However, I've got to have it when we get back home. Evidently, the tendon to the thumb was ruptured with the bone chip from the wrist break. If the rupture is repaired surgically as soon as it happens, it works. Mine wasn't detected until a month later when I noticed that my thumb wasn't working right. What they have to do in this case, is called a tendon transfer. The Doctor explained to me that the human body is designed with 2 tendons for the index finger and 2 for the little finger. The other fingers just have 1. In the case of a major injury like this, He will go in and take a tendon from either the little or index finger and transplant it to my thumb. Then after 4-6 weeks of healing, I'll under go intensive physical therapy, learning how to make my thumb and brain work together to get that new tendon to fire with the thumb, instead of the finger. He said it take some re-training of the brain and tendon, then I should be good to go. I sure hope so!!! This has been like being on a roller coaster ride. lol I'll be glad when it's all over, that's for sure. Maybe during vacation my thumb will miraclously come to life...I'm praying that it will! I want to be able to stamp & have fun with papercrafts.

Our weather didn't cooperate very much last Saturday for the yard sale. So I've been working hard this week (that's why I've been missing) getting more things weeded out to hit the tables for the yard sale this weekend. Right now we're having thunder showers, so I hope it gets it over with and is nice on the weekend. Wish me luck!!!!

Have fun with your stamping and card making and I'll try to post some work this coming week.
Take care! Bye for now... Ret.

Oh where, oh where, has Ret gone to?

WHERE IS SHE??? Is that what you've been asking yourself? I'm sorry I've been absent for the last few days. Things have been just crazy here. Last week I was working really hard getting ready to have a yard sale for yesterday. Boy, they are alottttt of work!!! It was worthe it tho, we got rid of quite a lot of stuff. And as some of you know, I've been having some problems with my left hand since my cast was taken off. Well, Friday I had a consult with an Orthopaedic Specialist and he informed me that the tendon that connects to the thumb, has had some damage. He wants to perform emergency surgery on it this coming Tuesday afternoon! YIKES!!! That was the last thing I was expecting to hear! We have alot in the works for this time of year, one of them being going away for a month to Upstate New York to visit with my Family & Friends!!! Along with other commitments I've made. I don't have time for surgery! lol stampin, yes...surgery no!! So, today I sought out an alternative type of healing...Reiki. If anyone has had any experiences with this, I'd love to hear about it. I will be talking with the surgeon again tomorrow and will know more then. OK, ok, ok....enough of that STUFFFFFFF!!! On with stampin...

For this card I used Stampin Up's Tart and Tangy set. `Actually all products used on this card are from Stampin Up. (Which reminds me, I wanted to mention...although I use ALOT of SU products, I'm not a Stampin Up Demo. I do plan on branching out to other rubberstamp companies and will be sharing those cards with you, I just need to get busy & purchase some rubber!!) LOL

So, back to this card...I decided to try a different size for a change. I used one of SU's note cards, the finished size is 5 x 3 1/2". I like this little note-size card! Here's the recipe:

Stamp Set: Tart & Tangy

Designer Paper: Summer Picnic (I used the striped page)

Card Stock: (SU Note Card), Whisper White, Real Red, Old Olive

Punches, 1 1/4" circle and 1" circle.

Verse: from Stampin Up, but somehow I seperated it from the set & I can't remember what

set is was from. Arghhhhh!

and lastly, Dazzling Diamonds along with 5/8" wide Old Olive grosgrain ribbon.

I love the strawberry, don't you? And with just the little dusting of Dazzling Diamonds on it, I think it looks pretty realistic! Almost good enough to eat! hehe

Enjoy your stampin time! Bye for now, Ret.

Blooming Beautiful in Blue

I absolutely love this set, it's one of my favorites. This card is the standard A-2 size. All products are Stampin Up.

Stamp sets: Blooming Beautiful, Sanded

Card Stock: Bashful Blue, Wild Wasabi, Watercolor Paper, Whisper White

Punches: Horizontal Slot, Slit, Scallop Circle, 1 1/4" Circle Punch, 1" Circle Punch

Watercolor Crayons: Brocade Blue, Old Olive, Yoyo Yellow, Close to Cocoa, Creamy Caramel,

Ribbon: Bashful Blue Striped Grosgrain

Versamarker (used for center of flowers)

Clear Embossing Powder (used for center of flowers)

Dazzling Diamonds (used on center of flowers & wings

Stampin' Dimensionals

This card was lots of fun to make & I'm happy how it turned out. I hope you'll like it. Thanks for coming by. I want you all to know that I appreciate your thoughts and comments...they really make my day!! Take care & I'll see you soon! Ret

Artfully Asian

Hey guys! I finally got my cast off after 7 1/2 weeks! Yeahhhh! Unfortunately, it was pretty froze up, but I've had P/T for it & I've been exercising my wrist, hand & arm...painful!!! Woohooooo will I EVER be happy when I have full use of it again!

Ok, this card is standard A-2 size and contains all Stampin Up materials. The stamp set is Artfully Asian and I used Old Olive, Summer Sun and retired Cranberry Crisp C/S. Inks are Cranberry Crisp, Old Olive and Black. Cranberry Crisp ribbon was used also. Hope you enjoy it!

Carte Postale in Whisper White

I tried, I really tried to take a picture without shadows, but it just wasn't happening. Sorry about that! Hopefully you can see it well enough to get the idea. I love this card in real life! It's just so elegant and clean and crisp looking. Details, Ret, get to the details...lol!! This is done with all Stampin Up products, except the bronze metallic paper and bronze embossing powder that I had picked up at Michaels. This is a 5 1/4" X 5 1/4" square card with seven, count 'em, 7!! layers. The whisper white base is the first layer, bronze, then whisper white embossed with white embossing powder, bronze again, whisper white, bronze one more time and whisper white, is our last layer. On that I embossed with bronze embossing powder and in the very center of the flower I put a dab of bling with Dazzling Diamonds. lol I love that stuff!! I really hope you enjoy this one. Bye for now!

A Walk Through My Gardens

Well, tonight I thought I'd do something a little different. I'd like to share some of my flowers with you. This is our orange Azalea bush. It's 7 years old, and this is the best that it's ever blossomed. It's so bright and cheery, isn't it!!

White Iris and Gold Iris

Here's a close up of my gold Iris with a brown beard and my white Iris with a purple and yelow beard. I'm sorry it's a bit fuzzy!!

Lupins

These Lupins are located on the side of the road, that runs in front of and along side our property. When I first moved from the States, to Nova Scotia, Lupins were everywhere you looked. The NS Highway Dept seeds lupins along the major highways and back roads. They are everywhere and are just beautiful!! I wanted to show you, so you can see what I mean. LOL

Iris, Iris everywhere!

This is the Iris Bed that runs along the front steps and in front of the deck.

They are so pretty, I sure wish they would last longer!

Garden Silhouettes

I really love this particular image in this Stampin Up set!! The Queen Anne's Lace just looks so pretty on the card. The base of this Standard A-2 size card is River Rock. Other card stock used is Chocolate Chip, Blue Bayou & watercolor paper. Blue Bayou Ink & Ribbon was used as well.

I used dazzlin diamonds on the flowers.

All products in this card are Stampin Up, but I think you already knew that! lol Hope you enjoy the card!

Acetate and Tissue Petal Prints Card

Don't faint!! I actually used a technique from TJNL!!

I'm down right proud of myself!!! Now, don't get me wrong, I always READ the newsletter from cover to cover every time it comes in the mail. But, for some silly reason I sit down to stamp & that's what I do...stamp!! Welllllllllll, this time I actually used a technique along with stampin! woooohoooooooo! This is the Acetate & Tissue Technique from the October 2002 Technique Junkie Newsletter (TJNL). An oldie but a goodie!! lol I like how it came out. I used Stampin Up's retired Petal Prints stamp set. I promise I won't wait so long before I do another one!

Baby Robin Continuing Saga

Today I went down to see if the birdies were

still in the nest. Three have flapped their

wings and left the nest. This little guy was the only one left.

I waited an hour & went back, he was just flying away...and I was able to get a picture of him. I was absolutely amazed at how much they have grown. This one was almost as large as the Mom, except he doesn't have the long tail feathers. They've all flown away now, so this is the end of my Robin story. I hope you've enjoyed the pics.

Groovy Guava Touch of Nature

Hi All, here I am again, and as you can see, I went back to my favorite stamp set. All the cards You've seen, have used Stampin UP products, because I just don't have anything else! lol But, I soon will and I'll be giving you some other images to feast your eyes upon. lol Today I used Groovy Guava for this Touch of Nature card. I really hope you like it.

Beautiful RAK from LaVerne

I am soooo lucky!! I recieved this beautiful RAK from LaVerne Wilson. I really love cranes, I think they are so graceful and beautiful, so I was thrilled to get this!! LaVerne used the Glitzy Technique (from the Technique Junkies Feb/Mar 2008 issue)on the main image & it sure is sparkly, you can see it in the scan, but ofcourse, not as well as in real life. Lucky, lucky, lucky me to have this! Thank you again so much LaVerne!!

Always in Blue & Silver

I know you can't tell in the picture, but the heart was done on Whisper White paper, and embossed in Silver. I put just a touch of Dazzling Diamonds on the leaves for a little sparkle, and embellished with a half pearl. I used the note card size card & envy. All products are Stampin Up. I hope you like this.

Both Way Blossoms Bookmarks & Holder

Well this is something a little different. Here's a little bookmark holder with 4 bookmarks. I printed some little verses about Reading, off the internet. I printed them on vellum then attached the verse with brads. All materials are Stampin Up. I hope you enjoy looking at them.