Purple valentine

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It has been a strange year so far.  I never do mind when things are quiet and dull, always consider the alternative I think.  Dom's surgery happened so much faster than we had thought, and an exhausting few days spent up in Portland.  We had decided to do a couple of days recuperation at the ocean, high above the surf, an incredible view for whale watching.  Not a whale was spied, but we did live through 85 mph winds (110 only 10 miles down the beach), and scrambled to find the one single road back to the valley still open, only to have it close right behind us.  Not so very relaxing at all.  And we returned to find that my dad had died, sadly my family chose not to pass on that news to me.  He was a good and decent man.

So not a happy beginning, but I know things will start looking up.  I THINK I may have smelled spring coming home from breakfast this morning.  It isn't too far into February before the flowers are popping like mad.

A card today for someone sweet.  I chose to use the sketch this week over at City Crafter !  

The heart is painted with TH crackle distress paint, and is a TH die.  Everything on it is very very old, more than a year, except the DCWV design paper, which I just found last week.

And on to the following challenges this week !

City Crafter - sketch

Oldie But a Goodie - heart 

Cupcake Crafts - all you need is love

Cardstock - My Mind's Eye

Design Paper - DCWV, K & Co, Graphic 45

Ribbon - Martha Stewart, Close to My Heart

Sentiment - American Crafts

Brads - Recollections

Flowers - Michaels bridal

Bulldog clip & string - stash

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Papercraft Star 81

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The theme this week at Papercraft Star is....

Victoriana !

Here is the inspirational photo ...

Charming children.

Here is my card ....

So many of us love to do vintage things - this one ought to be easy enough for everyone to participate !

The fun chick digital is from our sponsor, theHouseAcrosstheBay digi shop.  It did make me laugh the first time I saw it !!

Digital image - theHouseAcrosstheBay

Cardstock - Recollections

Design Paper - K & Co

Punch - Martha Stewart

Ribbon, button, doily, jewelry cording - stash

Flowers - Michael's $1 bin

Ribbon - Hug Snug hand dyed seam binding

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Papercraft Star 80

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This week at Papercraft Star our theme is a frame.  We started out with this photo as an inspiration .....

I had every intention of doing white with some green quilty looking thing, and I just did not end up there AT ALL  !!  Lucky our photos are always use if you choose, and not a requirement. 

I always wonder about these sorts of bedrooms...  all white and wispy curtains.  I only do one thing in my bedroom, and that is sleep.  I don't want light and fresh and airy - I want dark and quiet.  Waking up in the morning with the sun beating into my eyes is not a good wake up for me.  Nor is a bright happy room conducive to any nap I have ever taken.  Nope, not for me.  I don't get that...  but HGTV always assures me that is exactly what I want !

Anyway, here is my card this week.

The charming half dressed woman is from theHouseAcrosstheBay etsy shop, our sponsor at Papercraft Star.  You can find her here, No. 167.

Image - theHouseAcrosstheBay

Cardstock - Coredinations

Design Paper - Recollections, My Mind's Eye

Frame - K & Co

Brads - My Mind's Eye

Flower - Michael's $1 bin

Doily, pearls, ribbon - stash

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Papercraft Star 79

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Our theme this week at Papercraft Star is - what makes you warm ??

Last week I spent a few days at a most charming boutique hotel in downtown Portland, Oregon.  As the rain was coming down each evening I could peek out my window onto the courtyard below, where large fire pits were burning.  And, only in Oregon, as the rain came down people were enjoying a drink in front of those same fire pits.  Now, that made me warm - all toasty with my down comforter and warm throw while others enjoyed the rain.

On the warm heart side, I made a thank you card this week.  Nothing makes one feel better than an unexpected thank you, does it.  I put a couple of "embers" behind the sentiment - giving it a double warmness !!

Here is our gorgeous photo from Papercraft Star....

and my thank you card ....

Teal & Yellow Digital images - theHouseAcrosstheBay

Cardstock - Canvas Corp

Vellum

Brads - stash

Sentiment - Inkadinkado

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A Card for Dom

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So glad to be back home again, with Dom's surgery out of the way, and hopefully he will improve his quality of life.  Whew.  Thank you all for your notes, comments, emails - we both appreciate it more than you can know.

Today I have a card just for me - I made it for my hub, and he is going to get it with that wonderful meal I am cooking for him (NOT), jello and a juice.  I haven't specifically made a card for my own use for a long time.

The envelope is removable, with a little TH ticket in there.  The silhouettes are a 7 Gypsies rub on, purchased from the Kraft Outlet.  

I am including it in the following...

the Kraft Journal - favorite color (black, ok maybe brown, both figure largely in most of my cards)

City Crafter Challenge - silhouettes

Pile it On - manly

Cardstock - Coredinations

Design Paper - Graphic 45

Envelope - 7 Gypsies

Silhouette rub on - 7 Gypsies

Alpha stickers - K & Co.

Ticket - Tim Holtz

Ribbon, brads - Stash

Punch - ek success

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Papercraft Star 78

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Winter is the theme this week at Papercraft Star !!

The photo for us is ......

Gorgeous, huh !!  

The background paper is from theHouseAcrosstheBay, our weekly sponsor at Papercraft Star.

I am spending the week in downtown Portland, Oregon, while my husband undergoes surgery for Achalasia.  If you have never heard of that before, welcome to the club !  In Brazil it is a bit more common, as it is attributed to a parasite that lives in the walls of mud huts.  How he got it is extremely unclear.  He has a 50% chance of this surgery working, or else they will have to remove his esophagus.  Please send us your prayers and thoughts (good karma if you are a Eugenian) as he hopes to begin leading a normal life once again.

Design Paper - theHouseAcrosstheBay

Cardstock - Recollections

Stamp - TPC

Ribbon - Hug Snug hand dyed seam binding

Pearls - Recollections

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