Blown away!

Not only have I been blown away literally with the terrible winds we have been experiencing lately, but I am always blown away with the support and well wishes from not only my friends and family, but from those lovely ladies I have got to know through the Stampin’ Up network.  Thanks so much everyone for your understanding.

Now on to the latest cardmaking news.  I was lucky enough to go to Debbie’s on Friday night and make these gorgeous cards using the cracked glass technique.

        

Had so much fun making these and chuffed at the way they turned out.

Now believe it or not but it took me 3 days to complete the following card.  It’s for my son-in-law’s birthday – a fairly simple male card – but it just wouldn’t come together the way I wanted so I kept putting it to one side, then playing with it a bit more.  Oh well, this will have to do and I don’t think it looks too bad.

Hope you all have a good week.  I’m off to Oncology on Wednesday and am feeling very apprehensive about what they intend to do.  Apart from anything else, I have all these dates (stamping related of course!!) on my calendar so hope I don’t get to miss out on too many of them.

And the waiting goes on ….

and on, and on!!  In case you are all wondering ‘what on earth is she going on about’ I am talking about my life with cancer.  I haven’t mentioned it up here since I went to see the Thyroid clinic where I learned that I not only have the fallopian (ovarian) cancer but they now suspect I have thyroid cancer as well.  They are basing this on the results of the PET scan I had in Wellington a few weeks ago which showed lesions on both the thyroid and the rib.  I won’t go into all the details but I had another scan last week, I’ve got a blood test this week then an Oncology appointment next week.  In the meantime I am waiting for an appointment to see the thyroid surgeon.  This doesn’t solve the problem of where in the abdominal region the ovarian cancer has returned as my CA125 levels 3 weeks ago were nearly 200.

I cannot believe that I can be so unlucky as to have two different types of cancer at once.  Keep hoping it’s all one big mistake.

Anyway I am keeping busy making cards, reading books – in fact, anything that keeps my mind occupied and not thinking about “the other”.

 

First off is a card I made for my daughter to give friends of hers who have just had a wee little baby girl.  I have kept it very pink and feminine.

 

 

 

I made this using the round stamp from the Just Believe set.  The colours are Marina Mist and Cajun Craze – first time I have used these new colours but they go beautifully together.

Love my embossing folders too – you will be seeing a lot more of these in the future.

 

I just made this one today for one of my blogging sisters in England who sadly has just lost her father.

Don’t like making sympathy cards – I am never quite sure whether what I am making is appropriate and of course, would much rather be making for a happier occasion.

 

Hope this weather improves soon, it is so depressing!   Happy stamping all and take care.

Just believe

First time I’ve used this stamp set and I’m loving it!!!  Enough said – here’s the card.

Colours used for this are the lovely new Pear Pizazz – I think I will be using this a lot.  With it I have used Rich Razzleberry – don’t they go well together.

I am still using up some of my retired supplies as you will tell by the ribbon but feel these are too lovely to abandon just because they are not in the new catalogue.

I think this new stamp set is going to be a winner!

 

Weather forecast is not good for this weekend, so a good excuse to stay indoors and stamp the weekend away!  Have fun.

The good, the bad and the ugly!

I’ve been playing with some of my new goodies with mixed results.  Do you agree with my verdicts?  Please excuse the poor quality photos as these were taken under artificial light.

 

 

1)  THE GOOD:

I was very happy with the way this card turned out.  Love that stamp set – gorgeous!

 

 

 

2)  THE BAD

What can I say about this one except that I’m not too pleased with the way the colours went together – oh well, it’s all about trial and error!

 

3)  THE UGLY!

Tried to use my colour coach with these new in-colours.  This is one of their suggested colour combos but somehow it didn’t quite work for me. I don’t think it was the fault of the colour combo – just the way I put them together, so back to the drawing board!

 

Is this how you would rank them?

Our WOW team

It was a week ago that we had our team training at Karen’s house and I should have shown you these gorgeous swap cards immediately after, but they are well worth waiting for.

From our team leader, Karen:                          Sally’s card:

             

Debbie’s card:                                                 Sarah’s card:

             

Lesley’s gorgeous box:

 

Aren’t they fabulous?  I think this must be the ‘bestest’ SU team (oh boy, I’m going to get a bit of flak over this remark!!)

In case you have been wondering

As I haven’t updated you since the end of July when I found out that the PET scan showed two areas of concern – one in the thyroid and one in a rib bone, thought I should let you know where I am at.  Well actually, nowhere different really.  I had my ultra sound on my thyroid and have an appointment (at Greenlane Hospital) on Wednesday with the Thyroid Clinic so am wondering what they are going to say.  I have had my biopsy on the rib but this was a disaster. Despite trying for nearly 2 hours they couldn’t get the needle into the bone to take a specimen, so all the pain and discomfort was for nothing.  Also I will never believe them again when they say they are going to give me something that will make me sleepy and relaxed – I have never felt so wide awake and alert in my life!!

On my most recent visit to Oncology they now want another scan (next Monday at North Shore Hospital) and the report from the Thyroid Clinic before deciding what to do.  They have suggested that they may operate and remove the rib bone if I am agreeable – am I? – not sure that I want another operation but then I want to stay alive a bit longer so I guess no contest.  This would be followed up by either radiation or chemotherapy treatment.

Went to Auckland Hospital last week to have my portacath checked and have to go back there on the 23rd and then to Greenlane Oncology clinic on the 29th.

As you can see from the above, think I intimately know all the hospitals now.

Will report back after the 29th.  They have to make a decision soon as my CA125 levels are rising more rapidly – they went up from 136 to 198 in 4 weeks (should be under 20).

Thanks to my WOW paperKrafters team and all my family and friends for their understanding and ongoing support.  The above is the reason why I have decided to stop doing my classes and workshops – found it really hard to concentrate on organising with all this going round in my head also my energy levels are really low.

Card catch-up #2

These cards were made by me leading up to the launch of the new catalogue and using the new stamp sets that I got at convention and regional training, also those stamp sets which, as a demonstrator, I was lucky enough to be able to pre-order.

   
Stamp set: Perfect Punches                                      Stamp set:  Cute by the Inch
Embossing folder: Perfect Polka Dots                        Other:  Leaves from Large Bird Punch, Pretties Kit    
Stamp sets:  Printed Petals and Perfect Punches                       Stamp set:  Every Moment
Other:  Sweetest Stem Embosslit Die                                         Other:  Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder

   
Stamp set: Artistic Etchings                                                               Stamp set:  Party this Way
Other:  Newsprint DSP                                                                       Other:  Eyelet Border Punch

The card using the Every Moment stamps was CASEd but for the life of me I can’t remember from where.  It is a lovely card so thanks to the original creator.

Keep watching because I have some beautiful cards made by my team members coming in the next post.

Card Catch-up

I promised I would have some cards up here for you to look at.  This is my first post featuring some of the cards I couldn’t show you until the new catalogue came online because they featured some of the new product.

At last I can start posting them.  I will start with the cards we made way back in May at the Sydney convention where we were lucky to be given 3 of the new stamp sets, also two cards we made at the Auckland Regional Training.

         
Stamp sets used: – check them out in the new catalogue (see link on right).

Every Moment (p.72)
Printed Petals (p.74)
Party this Way (p.35)

You will also notice a peek of the new colours in some of these cards.  Yummy!!!

Watch this space  …   more cards to come.