Christmas cards for a caring friend

 

You have heard me mention my bff Anne who is always doing lovely baking and meals for me when I am sick.  Well I decided to start her off with her Christmas cards.  I copied 2 designs that I have posted previously so won’t put them up here again but did do a third design so she could have a choice (pictured on right).

I also made a little bag to put the six cards and envelopes in and have told her I will refill it when she has used these.  A rash promise as I haven’t even started making my own Christmas cards yet!!

 

How are you all getting on with your Christmas preparations?  Seems only yesterday I was preparing for last Christmas!!  Where does the time go.

 

PS:  Hope you are really impressed with me – three posts in three days!!!

I still have my hair!!

Just a quick update on how my chemo treatments are going.  Seems to be settling into a pattern each week – Wednesdays are chemo treatment days then either Friday or Saturday I have a bad day then the next day start to improve then I am okay again until the Wednesday.  Another downside is sleeping – can’t seem to sleep more than 4-5 hours at a stretch then wide awake – apparently a side effect of the steroids which I also have to take.  Wednesday night is the worse, usually only 2-3 hours sleep at the most even with a pill to help me sleep.  Never mind at least I don’t have to go out to work and can rest in the afternoon if necessary.  Also with hubby taking up all the TV time watching RWC I can stretch out on the sofa in the early hours of the morning and catch up on all my recorded programs!

And yes, as you saw above – I still have my hair!  Perhaps I shouldn’t be making a big deal about this as it could still all fall out but so far, so good.

Another downside – it looks like these treatments will continue on relentlessly until the New Year, then will be followed by some maintenance treatments (providing I go into remission).

Ever hopeful we are in the process of booking a 2 week cruise at the end of March so please keep your fingers crossed that it all works out and I am well enough to do it.  But – if we don’t book now we won’t be able to go anyway so it’s a risk we are going to take and it is something to strive for and look forward to.

Hoping you are all keeping healthy and well.

Birthday Wishes

Happy Birthday Paul (our son-in-law) for today and a belated Birthday Greetings to our other son-in-law Murray.  I can show you Paul’s card but I forgot to take a photo of Murray’s.  Will try and take one next time I go down country to visit.

     Paul is obsessed (yes you are Paul!!!) with cars so naturally had to use this car from the new Need for Speed stamp set.  Paul is a graphic designer so I tried to do something a little trendy using the distressing kit to create the background and the car is supposed to look like it has been engraved on a plaque.

Need for Speed stamps are ideal for guys – if I ever get to post Murray’s card you will see that I have used the airplane stamp (his obsession –airplanes!)

Happy stamping.

Poppy Parade Thanks

   

I recently needed some little ‘Thanks’ notecards so came up with this design.  Very economical to make as you can get three out of one sheet of A4 cardstock if you cut carefully.

• Cut 10.5 cm off the end of an A4 sheet of cardstock.
• Cut remaining cardstock into two measuring 10.5 cm x 19 cm
• Trim the length of the first cut piece to 19 cm giving you 3 x pieces measuring 10.5 cm x 19 cm
• Score each piece at 5cm each end
• The inside piece measures 10 cm x 8.5 cm.
• Finish as in photo above or design your own embellishments.

I used Poppy Parade for my cards – really bright and cheerful and teamed it with last year’s In-Colour Designer Series Paper to match.  I have accumulated so much DSP that I am having to be very frugal and not be tempted to buy more, but it’s not easy as there are some beautiful new designs in the new catalogue.  Oh well, will have to make more cards and use up my existing stock as quickly as possible!!

These notecards could also be used for birthdays, gift cards etc.

Designer Frames

Think I’m in love with these new embossing folders.  They are so versatile and I can see myself doing lots with them.  Was a bit dubious before purchasing, but no, well worth it.

Here are two simple cards using these folders.  You can see that you don’t really need a lot of other embellishments – just plain and simple does it.

 

For the first one I have finally made my first Christmas card (I must get on and start doing more before Christmas has come and gone!!!)  I have used the shimmer paint on the frame and part of the bird which looks really effective.

The next one I feel is so cute. Here I have finally used the (now redundant?) Sweet Summer set from the last Saleabration catalogue.  Not sure why I have never used it before because it is a lovely set.  Can’t bear to part with a lot of my old sets so will probably hang on to them a while longer and get some fun and lovin’ out of them.

There is one thing I must remember to do, and that is to put a piece of paper on top of my folder to stop the indentations around the sides – you will see what I mean on the second card.

You can tell I am having fun gradually using all my new toys from the new catty.  Hope you have got lots to play with too.

Chemo and wigs

Went yesterday and got my wig in readiness for losing my hair (they say usually within 2-3 weeks of starting treatment).  Today is the start of Week 2 but luckily my hair is still firmly on my head.  I have some hats also ready to go but the one thing that I’m not sure what to do about is the loss of eyebrows and eyelashes which really make your face look yuck!  Will have to make some enquiries when the time comes and think I might enrol for the “Look Good, Feel Better” session that the Cancer Society runs.

Today I had my second lot of chemo starting with taking 23 tablets of various drugs this morning at home and then going to North Shore Hospital early afternoon to get the other chemo drug by injection.

More ……  now evening.  What I thought would only be a half hour or so stay at the hospital turned into a 4-1/4 hr stint.  They had forgotten to tell me that I would also be getting an intravenous infusion of a bone-strengthening drug as well.  So had to drive home in the rush-hour traffic and didn’t get back until 6.15.  Will insist they pre-warn me next time so that I can request an earlier appointment.

Feeling a bit jaded and tired now (it’s not even 7.30!!) – so off to bed but hope I can sleep, if not I’ve got the radio, iPod, TV and a good book to keep me company through the night and in between the odd snooze.  Poor hubby will be relegated to the spare room again.

Goodnight all.

JAI 84

This week’s challenge on Just Add Ink was to use white plus only one other colour.

As I had some lovely new toys to play with naturally had to use these.  Bet you can pick them out!  

This is what I came up with – something blue (actually Baja Breeze) and white and lacy.

Hope you like it.

Thanks a Million

I have always loved Kristina Werner’s style and even now she is no longer using Stampin’ Up! products exclusively find her designs very adaptible to the SU range of products.  I was therefore excited to purchase her Summer Card Camp 2011 tutorial  put together in conjunction with Jennifer McGuire but what with one thing and another, have only just worked my way through Week 1.Below are the colours that were to be used this week:

 

 

On my computer the first colour looked more like our Perfect Plum as it had more of a purple hue but looking at it here it is more like Rich Razzleberry so there was my first mistake.

Found it extremely difficult and out of my comfort zone trying to juggle all these colours though of course, it might have been easier if I had used the Rich Razzleberry!  Anyway, this is the first card I came up with:

 

 

Mmm – what do you think?  Maybe I’ve sort of got the colours but think I will do another one later using some of the other styles and tips that are in the tutorial.  Then I’ll give Week  2 a go.

 

A result at last!!

Finally after the biopsy last Thursday on my spine I have a result.  The cancer is the plasmacytoma that was also on the rib they removed before Christmas.  I am to start chemotherapy straight away and my first appointment is on Wednesday over at North Shore Hospital – a real pain to get to.  At this stage I don’t know the full details of the treatment regime but guess I’ll know all about it on Wednesday and what the schedule will be and over what period of time.

Still doesn’t answer the question of my rising CA125 levels for the fallopian/ovarian cancer which are sky-high now but they can’t seem to find out exactly where the cancer has returned.  Guess though even if they do they can’t treat it at the same time as I am being treated for the plasmacytoma – different drugs and treatment for the different cancers.

Anyway thought I would let you all know.  How do I feel about this and having to go through more chemo?  I can sum it up in one word “resigned”.  I knew there would be more treatments along the line and this is probably only the first of them.  At least now they are doing something I guess and at least this time I don’t have to endure another operation.  Just hope I get to keep my hair as I have just paid out to have it coloured!!!

One good thing happening this week to take my mind off things – my Stampin’ Up order should be arriving any day with all my new goodies.  Hope I will be feeling okay to play with them.

Enjoy your week.

4 in 1

Been so busy with hospitals, tests and then recovering that I haven’t had time to update my blog with all the other activities, so here are four posts in one blog. Warning:  It’s rather a large blog posting so sit down with a cup or glass of something to drink.

How exciting – another new catalogue
– Stampin’ Up! 2011/2012

 

Just check out our latest catalogue full of wonderful new surprises.  Just click on the cover picture to open your eyes to some wonderful creative ideas.

I can’t wait to get started when my first order arrives.

 

Mother of Pearl cards
I was unable to attend Debbie’s class using this technique so a couple of weeks ago Karen showed Joan and I how to do these lovely cards.  The photos don’t really do them justice as it is hard to capture the pearl effect.

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Stampin’ Up’s Fun Day Out
Last Saturday demonstrators and their guests had a fantastic day playing with some of the new products and watching demonstrations by some of our talented ladies.

I made a few swaps using a monochromatic theme: 

 

And look what I got back – aren’t they all fantastic!

We also received some make ‘n take kits.  I have made two up so far as below.  The third one which is a small scrapbooking layout hasn’t been finished yet because I haven’t been able to find a photo I want to use.

Cute aren’t they.  These were made using the new stamp set Under the Big Top. Check it out in the new 2011-2012 catalogue above.

Health Update
Have been kind of busy lately with all my scans and biopsy – see previous post.  Thought I was going to have an easy time of it last week but no such luck.  Results from all the other tests were inconclusive as to the type of cancer so had to have a spinal biopsy on Thursday.  Quite a performance was at the hospital from 7:30 am to about 2:45 and have had to rest up at home the last couple of days.  They should have some results next week so am keeping my fingers crossed that there are some positive results identifying the cancer and that whatever it is can be treated though know from what they have said that it will not be curable.

A big, big thank you to everyone who has sent messages of support or rung me.  This is what helps me to keep going and staying positive.  I am so lucky to be surrounded by such wonderful friends and family.  xx Love you all.