Merry Christmas 2014

As we wind down another year, I want to take the opportunity to wish everyone reading this post the merriest of Christmases. It seems that it just keeps getting better and better. I, for one, love it. I am sharing below the cards I sent out this year along with a picture of the inside. 

It is my sincere wish that everyone has a happy and joyous New Year. 
Until then.

Quotes come to life

Hello everyone. Summer has sailed itself down the river. Can hardly believe that fall will soon be upon us. Yes, that causes me a great deal of angst. That means, wait for it, Christmas is on its way and I need to get busy. 

I have been taking some of my favorite quotes and turning them into wall plagues and other assorted things. I love looking up from my desk and there it hangs or sits to remind me of the good things life has to offer. I really do love this one from Maya Angelou. 

The coloring around the edge is actually a beautiful purple but this picture was taken in the twilight hours, and I did not want to burn it out with a flash. I kinda like the subdued look of it.

My baby sister wants me to turn this into a pillow for her. I will place it on the copier with a piece of purple fabric behind it so the white shows up and copy it onto transfer material (inkjet) and then stitch it up for her. 

I know my sewing machine will wonder what in the world is going on. She is actually plugging me in and using me. GASP!!!
Enjoy and until next time, 
Vee

Bon Voyage

We recently had a colleague to relocate overseas. The staff received the notice at the last minute, and I went home and quickly threw together this card for her. I wish her and her family well in their new journey.

Now, I have somewhere to spend my summer vacation. LOL
Until then.

Happy Mother's Day

I know, I know. Mother's Day was this past May and no cards were posted by yours truly. It is never too late to honor Mom.

These were the cards my students made for their moms. I cut and constructed the cards bases and inked the panels. Their only job was to create the flowers to go inside. I modeled a few for them and then turned them loose with all of the punched and precut flowers and leaves.

Of course at the last minute I realized they were all done and sent home and I had not ONE photo. There were gorgeous purples, pinks, greens, yellows and oranges, reds, etc.

There was one student who had to leave early the Friday prior and did not take his home. I snagged it and snapped a couple of photos.

 

They fold flat for mailing if needed and then pop open to form a box.

  

I do hope all of the Moms enjoyed their cards on Mother's Day.

Until Then.

Congratulations on your Ordination

Happy Sunday all. This is a quick post to share with you a card I made for a long-term substitute teacher in my building.

He saw a going away card I made for a colleague and asked if I could create something for his son. It was my pleasure and an honor.
This is what I came up with.

The background paper is DCWV Lemon stack. Love that paper. The cross is from Spellbinders Crosses Two and cut using the American Crafts Metallic line. The die cut border is Anna Griffin. The border around the verse is from Spellbinder also, just can't recall the set.

This is what I wrote for the inside.

I hope his son finds great joy in the card and that the memory of this night will last always.
Until then.

A half century ago...

One of my former colleagues pushed her way into the world and none of us have been the same since.

In honor of her birthday one of her best friends and former colleagues wanted to send her 50 hearts through the school mail so that she would be showered with LOVE on her birthday.
Of course I had to send my best wishes.

The original heart was pink poster board. I asked if I could jazz it up a bit and was told yes. The cards were numbered and I took number 50 and decided to do leaving 49 and forging ahead to 50.
  
This is what I sent from my son and me.

 

Once my students saw my heart, they wanted to send one to her also. At work that day, I quickly threw this one together from them. They all signed the back which was decorated and there was a die cut in the center that said, from 18 kids who know you rock...the number of students in my classroom at that time.

 

I truly hope that when she opened her box she felt the love that her former school stills feels for her.

 

Until then.

It's so hard to say goodbye

Hello my crafty friends. Time sure does fly past quickly when you are not looking. My year has been very hectic.
I did have the good fortune to have a student teacher intern for this school year. Can I say she is fabulous? I love her energy, excitement and new ideas. 

With little time to spare I created this card using her favorite shade of pink and yes those are the MS paper clay flowers adorning the centers.

Also, I created these cards for her to use as the need arises. They are a variety of sentiments. To keep it simple for me I kept the same format and simply changed up the embellishments.

Until next time.

Thank You Cards

Hello everyone and Happy New Year. We have been in the grips of a frigid winter this year. After that ideal summer weather we had, I told all who would listen that we were in for a very rough winter and we are indeed.

You would think with school being cancelled I would get more done. That has not happened. I am feverishly working on uploading projects and teaching Vee-dios so bear with me. The best is truly yet to come.

During the Christmas season I received a slew of gifts and decided to cut into some of that gorgeous Anna G. paper and use every tiny bit that I could. I used stickles and pearls and rhinestones to give them a festive sparkle.

These are a few of the creations I made using some of my neglected Spellbinder dies. Since they are very intricate, I did use wax paper to make removal easier. Although it may not show, I embossed some of the pieces just for added texture and interest.

For these I incorporated a bit of black for drama and hand wrote the Thank You using a Sakura white gel pen.

 

The flowers used here are soooo old. I ordered them years ago from QVC and decided to put them to use. Again, I am NOT a flower girl and have a hard time incorporating them into my projects. I did some others where I took quite a risk and stepped out of my comfort zone. The pictures I took of them were not quite up to par. Will try to shoot them again and upload them here.

Thanks for stopping by.
Until then.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s 1962 Speech in NYC

My son and I were desperate to find this speech once we heard the announcement it had been found. Thank you to the pack rats out there.



More than that I want to say, Thank you to Dr. King for keeping it real. What I enjoyed most about this version of the speech I am sharing with you is that the original or one of the edited versions plays alongside the given speech. I like that I am able to see his train of thought and hear how the words were changed for greater impact or subtle nudging.



Yes, we have come a long way, but we still have a long way to go.



I am truly looking forward to the day when I can go shopping and not have a store worker follow me around thinking I am going to steal something. I am also looking forward to the day when I can go out to dinner and the person comes up to take reservations(seat guests) honors me first, because I am next in line and not have to check with the other (white) patrons to make sure I am not lying. When that does happen to me, I leave the restaurant and vow never to patronize it again, after letting the manager know why.



Yes, my friends, the road is long and the journey is trying at times, but I vow to keep my hand to the plow because I know a change gonna come.

peace,

Vee