Stamping Again!

It's been such fun getting inky in my stamping room again! I have made three thank you cards, with a fourth nearly finished. And I made the card you see above, which I sent to my parents in honor of their upcoming 52nd anniversary. A stamping friend sent me the image, so I don't know which company makes the stamp. It was embossed, so it was very easy to paint it to add color. I used my small supply of Radiant Pearls, which for those who don't know is a thick, very shimmery paint that dries by being absorbed into the paper (so in other words, it doesn't ever dry on certain types of glossy paper, unless you emboss it by coating it with embossing powder and heating the powder to seal in the paint in a raised, shiny surface). Sadly, they don't make Radiant Pearls anymore. I have no idea if there is something else out there that replaces it. There is something called Twinkling H2Os that is also very shimmery, but it comes in a hard cake form and must be activated with water.

Anyway! Under the central image is a piece of what was tan colored cardstock. I sprayed it with Adirondack Color Wash in Butterscotch, then with Moon Shadow Mist and finally with Glitz Spritz (also from that link - Lindy's Stamp Gang). Once all that was dry, I stamped a Dee Gruenig Signature Designs leaf image, inking it with more Radiant Pearls paint. So much fun! I love to layer all those different colors and sprays and see what happens. Only drawback: it took quite a while to dry. The dark green cardstock is years old, probably not made anymore, by Keeping Memories Alive. You see? I'm using up all my old scrapbooking papers on cards these days!

The thank you cards I've made are very different from this one, and I hope to share them with you soon. I also hope I will have more cards done by tomorrow! Today went by quickly, as I spent a fair amount of it outside the house - very rare for me. Liat had the day off from school, so I took her into downtown Netanya to check out the beading supplies at a crafting store I know. Unfortunately, she didn't find everything she wanted, though she did bring home a few things, mostly beads. I can certainly understand the concept of "a beader can never have too many beads!" I bought a piece of gold dry embossed cardstock which I think will make a nice layering piece for cards, and a meter of black fabric with gold stars, which I hope to use as a lining for another jeans purse (this one in black denim).

Later, Avi and I drove into Tel Aviv to deliver the scarf and Fetching mitts to the lovely recipients at Assuta Hospital. I hope they like them! I feel so much better knowing those have finally made it into the hands of those for whom I made them (how's that for a convoluted sentence?! Sheesh!).

Who knows what tomorrow will bring?

Photo Op

I used to be a nigh-fanatical scrapbooker, snapping hundreds of pcitures of my girls every month. I would spend hours planning and executing a lavish 2-page layout of one particular moment in a day. I have numerous scrapbooks stuffed with great snaps, funny stories, and wonderful memories. But after awhile, it all got too overwhelming. I tried to figure out how many albums each of the girls would have by the time they hit 18. It would have been something like 15. Each.

Now I rarely get opportunities to take pictures of the girls. One near-craved-in-stone tradition is the first day of school photo. A close second is the post-haircut photo. Yesterday, Liat and Meital got their hair cut and blown dry, and I got my first pictures of them together since September 2008.

Meanwhile, all the "unscrapped" years that have gone by are weighing on my conscience. I keep meaning to go back and get those photos into albums, but the hobby has lost its joy for me. Now, it's more like a chore. Most likely, once I got started and saw all those pictures again, I would enjoy the process, but I know that all the little details and stories that should go with the photos are lost by now. It makes me sad to think I let it happen.

I think several factors contributed to my loss of pleasure in scrapping. We switched to digital photos, and while it is great to print out only what I need in the size I want, I don't usually like the way the photos look printed out, even on special photo paper. Also, when Liat hit her teens she began to actively shy away from the camera for the first time. If you have to nag, threaten or beg, the pictures just aren't going to be as good. And third, the scrapbook industry and the on-line communities I had been a part of changed. It seemed to me the focus was 95% on products: who had the latest gadget and what could they do with it. Layouts became, in my opinion, more about the artistry of the scrapbooker, and less about the people (or places) in the photos.

But I started keeping scrapbooks when I was about Liat's age, so more than likely I will get back to it again one day. I just need to find the enthusiasm for it again first.

Apropos

When the bold branches
Bid farewell to rainbow leaves -
Welcome wool sweaters.
B. Cybrill

Today I had the house to myself for several hours, and in an unusual turn of events, I felt rather lonely. Usually I relish the time alone, but today I wanted everyone to hurry back.

While they were gone, I baked a cake and knit. Not too shabby.

I am into the decreases on the right front of Meital's cardigan, which means it won't be long before I am casting on for the sleeves. I'm looking forward to being done with the complex cable pattern that adorns the front and back of the sweater. I think it will be a great looking sweater, but I'm just a little tired of cabling on every row of a 12 row repeat.

On one of my knitting lists, people are talking about dedicating January to knitting things for themselves. Nothing at all wrong with that. They started out calling it "Selfish" Knitting. I can see where that came from; most knitters I know knit at least 90% of the time for others (family, friends and charity), and to them, it feels selfish in some ways to want to devote a large portion of their time knitting something for themselves. I think it would be wonderful if everyone who longed to make something for themselves would do so. I hope they will!

Another person pointed out that even if she gives away everything she makes, the actual knitting is something she does for her own enjoyment, so in a way everything she knits is for herself. I have mentioned before feeling this way myself.

In other words, it's all good.

My Forever Friend

A sister is a forever friend.
Author unknown

Today a package arrived from my sister. It contained gifts for all of us, including the two you see above (for me!). Of course I was delighted to get the Yarn Harlot's calendar. And the fact that my non-knitter sister sent it to me shows how she pays attention and cares. The cross stitched picture is even more beautiful than it looks in the photo, but more important than that, it is something my sister made for me. She is always busy, and I have not known her to pick up a needle in a very long time, so I am humbled and honored that she would put in the time and care and love to make this for me. I will always treasure it.

I know if I have it framed and put under glass, it will be protected and stay clean. But what I long to do is make this into a pillow that I can hug close to my heart. And I have a feeling that is exactly what I am going to do.

Still Quoting

Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.
Plato

In the photo above you can see the Fetching wristwarmers (as modeled by Liat) and one of the two thank you cards I prepared. I used two different templates to make the Hebrew letters, then colored them in with Radiant Pearls paint. The heart in the center is a rubber stamp, which I inked with gold pigment ink and embossed with gold embossing powder. I'm pleased with the results, but I do want to find a more yellow gold embossing powder one of these days. This one looks almost brass colored to me.

The words say, "Todah" - "Thank you" - and "m'kol ha lev" - "from all the heart" - but of course the intention is, "with all my heart."

I think that pretty well sums it up.

Now, to wrap the gifts, write messages in the cards, and deliver them.

Getting Even?

The only people with whom you should try to get even are those who have helped you. ~John E. Southard

Recently, I was shown kindness by several people whom I had never met before. I have learned many things from Alison, and so I am making a couple of gifts that I hope to deliver to those people. They helped me, and touched my heart, and I want to be sure they know that I appreciate that, and them.

Above is the Heart scarf (pattern on Knitty.com) for Dalia. I am working on Fetching wristwarmers (also a Knitty pattern) for Edna. Thank you cards are made, but not written in yet. I hope to finish all these things up by Sunday.

I've also been working on Meital's Starsky Jr. sweater (yet another Knitty pattern. Hmmm, I sense a trend...). I finished up the left front and started the right front this afternoon. Feels good to be making progress on that.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Happy New Year

A happy New Year! Grant that I
May bring no tear to any eye
When this New Year in time shall end
Let it be said I've played the friend,
Have lived and loved and labored here,
And made of it a happy year.
Edgar Guest

Lots going on in the new year, but I want to wish all of you a year filled with smiles, hugs, friendship, good health, joy and love.