Trusting In The Lord For All Things: Card Marathon!

Another month is almost at an end. Where does the time go? As a kid, time seemed to drag, but now, I blink and it's the next day, week and month.

I've been busy making cards for the Splitcoaststampers Card Challenges. There were 43 different challenges. Here's a link to the challenges.

What I like about these challenges is, they stretch your abilities and challenge you to learn new things that may be out of your comfort zone. They offer prizes for finishing all of the cards.

Here are some of my cards.

The challenge was to drip paint or ink to make a card. Then add your sentiment and image.

The challenge for this card was to make a card with the bokeh effect. This effect is used in photography. You see circles in different places. I especially like this Grumpy Cat stamp set by Taylored Expressions. There are many fun or snarky sentiments in the stamp set.

The challenge here was to make my own background paper. I made a One Sheet Wonder which makes 4 cards. This is one of the cards.

The challenge here was to pick 4-5 colors. Then draw lines that weren't straight. Then you color each row with a different color. Then you color each column with a different color. It made for some crazy color combinations. This was not in my comfort zone, but I learned something new.

This challenge was to make a beach scene. I enjoy making scenes with clouds, water, sky, and sand.

I use ripped paper for ripple effects in the water. This is an old, retired Stampin' Up stamp set which I loved, so I still have it.

This is a combination of two stamp sets that are older and not used recently. The challenge was to use older stamps that haven't seen ink in a long time. This challenge got me digging into more stamps that haven't been used for other challenges.

For this challenge, you had to find something that normally would be recycled or thrown away and add it to your card. Well, wouldn't you know it, our trash and recycling had just been picked up. The words, CHECK OUT, were on the Wheat Thins box which was in the inside recycle container.

The challenge here was to make a flower scene and add something that was paper pieced. Paper piecing is where you stamp an image on designer series paper, then cut it out. The boots were stamped on the pretty flower paper and cut out. I don't know what sentiment I'll stamp it with, but was happy to get this to work.

The challenge here was to make a one-layer card. This is a card that doesn't have any paper layers on it at all. I haven't decided what sentiment will go here either.

What's your favorite card?

Stamping is, my Happy Place. Being retired allows more time to do it. I have two friends who donate cards to me. I am getting ready to send a box to Ronald McDonald House, here in Cleveland. They are for the families to use who are staying there. Free cards for all sorts of things. They don't have to go anywhere to buy cards, they are there for them.

The Lord opened up two more opportunities for card donations. The first was an assisted living facility that could use birthday cards and sympathy cards. The staff signs cards to give to residents. When they lose someone, they send a sympathy card.

The second opportunity is in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. My sister is an RN who travels to client's homes to give care. She has many to see. The wife of one man she sees is 77 years old and gets around with a walker. She loves to send cards to people. My sister gave her cards to use and asked for more since she's used up the Get Well cards she received.

I am getting together some Get Well, Sympathy, and Encouragement cards. We all can use encouragement. I thought my sister could use these when she visits homes. She becomes very close to these clients. My sister is a real talker, so she makes clients feel like family in no time!

My baby sunshine turned 4 months old last week. She's doing so many things now. She is babbling, sucking her thumb and fingers, holding her head up, laughing and reaching and grabbing things.

It is so wonderful to see all of this develop. God is so amazing in his creations, isn't he?

Baby Sunshine's mom goes back to work next week and I have two days to watch her. The other grandma has two days, and mom's best friend has one day.

This is only until their house is finished and they are moved into it. This is an incredible journey being a Grandma.

I was supposed to watch her tonight, but their event was cancelled. I almost cried because I was so looking forward to being with her. She's a real bright spot in my life.

My son is such a sensitive guy. He did a video call with the baby on his lap. Oh, it did me so much good. I was just sitting down to dinner, but I needed a baby fix. He knew I'd be sad not seeing baby Sunshine.

This past week I've been listening to old songs with Phil Collins and Huey Lewis. It was great fun to sing along to the songs.

See if this one takes you back.

You'll Be In My Heart by Phil Collins. Phil Collins is 71 now, and appears frail. He's no longer performing. He had back surgery which affected his hands. The only way he could play drums now is if the sticks were attached to his hands. He walks with the aid of a walking stick. That sounds better than cane, doesn't it?