Hello, sweet friends! Big, giant (((HUGS))) and thanks to you all for your cards, encouragement, love, and most of all prayers. It sure has been a LONG time, hasn't it?! I've missed you all!
This is a card I made in early-2019 before Walt and I had our health problems. It has been on my table in my craft room as an encouragement to me, so I thought it would be a good start to upload a card after more than a year. I really haven't made anything serious for a long time, so I am slowly regaining my strength, energy, and motivation. As to where my mojo is," well, I hope to find it someday! Surely it will return!
Earlier last year, I found this digital image in my UFO box that I had printed and decided to finish coloring it and then fussy cut it to put it on a card with a sentiment. I remembered the beautiful decorative die from my dear friend Tracy, and I thought it would be perfect for this card. Doesn't it remind you of Battenberg lace? I cut the die in white and then traced the die on Rose Red and "loosely" fussy cut it. I traced the inside of the decorative die onto Rose Red and used it as a mat for the white layer. I used my Mini MISTI to add the sentiment, leaving room for the rose. I shaped the rose with my Empressor to give it dimension and popped it up with thin adhesive squares. I cut a card base that hides behind this card front. Using the clear set, I stamped the single rose in Rose Red inside at the bottom left, adhered it to the card front...and it was done. This card has encouraged me this past year and will be sent to someone who needs encouragement now herself.
I've shared this card on my blog along with details about our long, hard journey this past year. God has been so gracious, and we are so blessed to have been encouraged along the way by such dear friends here on SCS!
Thanks for taking a closer look, and I hope that you are staying safe and healthy! It's so good to be back, and we'll see when I can share a new card soon! Hugs and love! xoxo
Date: Friday, June 12, 2020 GMT Views: 1781
Favorited:12
Stamps: Rose and Chamomile digi, Everything's Even Rosier clear set - retired (Power Poppy), Bridge set by Dina Kowal (Impression Obsession)
Paper: X-Press It Blending Card, Rose Red (SU!), Solar White #110 (Neenah)
Paper Size: A-2
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento), Onyx Black (Versafine), Rose Red (SU!)
Accessories: Copic markers, Lacey Edged Rectangle die - retired (Gina Marie Designs), Empressor tool, Mini MISTI, Thin 3D Foam Squares (Scrapbook Adhesives), Tombow Mono Glue, white tape, red tape
Techniques: Digital images with Microsoft Word, Copic coloring, fussy cutting
Splitcoast Dirty Dozen Alumni Proud Fan Club Member Splitcoast Challenge Hostess Teapot Tuesday TEAm
Registered: April 18, 2011 Location: Melbourne, Aus Posts: 51844
Sun, Jun 14, 2020 @ 9:55 PM
WoooooooooooHooooooool my beautiful Cheryl. It is beyond wonderful to see you in the gallery, what a lovely surprise! Of course your card is amazing and your mojo will surley be sitting up paying attention now. Look how much you have been missed sis. Xxxxx
------------------------------ Susie
Please don't take your organs to heaven - heaven knows we need them here.
Registered: June 10, 2011 Location: Canberra, Australia Posts: 7275
Mon, Jun 15, 2020 @ 6:30 PM
So good to see one of your wonderful creations in the gallery. I have been wondering how you were going and after reading about the past 12 months can understand why you have been absent. Miss your encouraging and cheerful comments. The rose is beautifully coloured and so nicely framed with that great die and your very fussy cutting. Welcome back.
Registered: October 20, 2004 Location: Somewhere in the middle Posts: 30599
Tue, Jun 16, 2020 @ 10:37 AM
Hello sweet Cheryl!! Have been wondering about you and was hoping to see you around somewhere! Glad to "see" you're back along with the many other here!! Your card is gorgeous and so inspiring, just like you my friend!! Take it easy and take care of yourself!! Sending hugs
------------------------------ *Vicki*~ my blog "Go Stamp some Smiles"
Registered: March 20, 2008 Location: Hamilton, Ontario Canada Posts: 615
Sat, Jun 27, 2020 @ 10:06 AM
Dear, sweet, Cheryl, I just came from your blog, where I read your accounting of the very challenging journey that you and Walt have walked for the past year or more. Thank you for sharing this, for it truly helps me and I am sure many of your other friends and fellow believers know how to pray for you. My heart ached as I read about your unrelenting pain, and how you were blessed to have a good friend come in and pray that God would help you endure this. Dealing with pain longterm, I think is a very special challenge. It's one thing to go through very tough pain that one deals with as a result of surgery, etc. But when you are in a situation of dealing with pain over a longer period, it can become extremely difficult dealing with the knowledge that you will likely be waking up to more pain over and over and over again. I agree with you that only through Christ is it possible to really handle such intense and awful pain in the long term. It's a battle physically, emotionally, and spiritually, no question! Please know that you will be in my prayers, that I care how you and Walt are doing, and that if I can be ever of any support to you that I am here and that I really want to be of help. I have been dealing with severe chronic pain as the result of a car accident that took place while I was stopped at a red light when an elderly driver mistakenly put his foot on the accelerator instead of the brake. I have learned a great deal about pain but even more, I have learned a lot about myself. It can be truly a battle against good and evil, and I have experienced it some time ago. I am so very grateful for Christian friends who recognized this, and who covered me with prayer. Just know that the offer is always there. I know that you have many great friends and lots of family support, and also know that this offer never ever expires.
You have given so much caring support and loving encouragement to SO many here on this site alone, myself included. Now, it's my hope that you will be on the other end of a lot of helpful support. I think that it's very important to realize that each person will process physical pain very differently, and that we perceive and process pain in different ways on different days, and how much stress affects pain, sleep affects pain. I am probably telling you absolutely nothing that you have not experienced...
You give so much to all of us here, from your encouraging and wonderful comments--I am always thrilled when I see that you have left a comment for me because it's so evident that you put your heart into your messages.
Your artwork is absolutely glorious!!! I love seeing great coloring, something I aspire to have in my own work, and so I recognize greatness in the coloring of others, and you and your colleagues at Power Poppy are absolutely prodigies, each one of you!!!
I understand your concern for your mojo, especially after you have been through SO much, both what you have gone through yourself, and what you have dealt with as Walt has been going through his own major health challenges. I think that you are going to come back with the same excitement in your mojo, although it can take some time. Doing little bits of die-cutting, and stamping and coloring, whatever feels good will bring you back to your work, but I believe that your work will have the benefit of all that you have experienced and that you will be able to express what you have been through, and all that God has done for you to help you will be richly expressed in your artwork.
Sorry that this is so long, I tried to leave a message on your blog and lost it, and decided to leave it here, but perhaps I should have tried again.
I am SO GLAD to see you back, and may God continue to bless you and keep you. I was extremely blessed by your testimony and it really helped me, especially your words on enduring. How I appreciate this!
Sending hugs to you and my continued prayers for you and Walt.
You are such a blessing to this whole site, and to its members, God uses you in a very special and wonderful way here, Cheryl, I can readily see that.
Registered: March 20, 2008 Location: Hamilton, Ontario Canada Posts: 615
Sat, Jun 27, 2020 @ 10:18 AM
I felt that my comment was already too long, and I hadn't mentioned your so beautiful card as of yet... I was really gobsmacked as the saying goes to realize that you had fussy-cut out that lace image, and that you had done some shaping of the beautiful rose. I can only imagine how truly stunning this card would be in person!!!
Your rose looks almost 3D, such truly glorious and so very realistic coloring, something that I admire as being so very important to give more realism in coloring, and you do it SO well!!!
I believe that your Mojo will return, especially if you don't have too many expectations and to lose yourself in the joy of being back and enjoying the process of making cards--I used to be so concerned about how a card would turn out, that I realized that I wasn't enjoying the process of making it as I should have. I am sure this is not your experience... Being joyful in each moment while creating in the smallest ways will create such beauty and just what you want to see on your cards. Personally, I cannot wait to see your creations--and I have found that some of my periods of most growth artistically (this was in my music performance career before my car accident a long, long time ago) took place after an extended time away from performing and playing due to an overuse injury just before one of my doctoral recitals, but I was so thrilled to see that I had grown so much through the process when I could not play flute, and when I finally could a number of months later, that my gratitude was translated into a noticeable maturity and a strengthening of my ability to express myself musically and creatively. I have no doubt but that you will have a great experience too, it will be different from mine, but no less heartwarming, I am sure.
If I can be of any support, PLEASE do not hesitate to contact me.
It is so good to hear from you and to know how you are doing. I'm sorry to hear how hard it has been for both of you. Will pray for complete recovery (and then some!) for you and Walt.
Fabulous card! I am glad you have found encouragement along the way.
Registered: December 30, 2017 Location: arizona Posts: 1412
Thu, Jul 02, 2020 @ 12:46 PM
Hello and SO good to hear from you. I was just about to send a card, thought quick, just look and see if anything new yet. WHAT A GREAT SIGHT TO SEE!! I will go to the blog and keep my good thoughts and prayers, coming. HUGS, Teresa
Registered: December 9, 2005 Location: Tucson, AZ Posts: 2505
Sat, Jul 11, 2020 @ 6:16 PM
I'm sorry to hear that you've had some health problems. Such a beautiful card to give you hope and strength throughout each passing day. I hope you are fully recovered and can get back to creating again soon.
------------------------------ ....~Tanya~....My Blog