Chalkboard Obsession Saturday Party

Saturday mornings are my chalking mornings...so this weeks chalkboard is done. 

I found a cool new tool to help.  It is a white charcoal pencil that I found at Michaels in the drawing section by the charcoal.  I draw lightly with this pencil and then I am able to retrace it with chalk for a darker look.

I'm going to add a couple previous weeks in here too.

It's Your Turn

Rules...

1.  Follow me, preferably through email (found at top left of page)

2.  Share as many of your chalkboards YOU have done as you would like.

3.  Please grab my button and tell others about this party.  

4.  Visit and comment on others blogs :-)

<div align="center"><a href="http://throughmycreativemind.blogspot.com" title="Through My Creative Mind"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0hK9PdaIcgaY1LzzXNeltsuX71HOQK6tjM72L6Idql_3xWCI8GPgcUhEFkC8cCRE5dTBxkpTVvYokuQEUdHOQ8fXO4P-LYP_IBPuONKQUyeFiwLYK3RQZg2qCSZq104_Kb8tR2mz-VqfH/s220/chalkthumbnail.jpg" alt="Through My Creative Mind" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

Linked up on...

Cancer, Crafts and Chalking...

This is a rambling post today...Lots on my mind...so hang in there with me through it.

Today is one of the saddest days in my life.  My Mom, a very strong person, is sick...very sick!  I never thought I'd see the day that she would be getting older and not be healthy.  Today...she is not healthy anymore.

Two weeks ago she went in to the doctor and found out she had stomach cancer.  They live in a small town in Arkansas, so they had to travel to Little Rock but had to wait two weeks for a PET scan to see how extensive the cancer was.  Yesterday, she had the scan and got the news and it is not good.  The cancer is a tumor where the esophagus meets the stomach, it is inoperable and radiation will not help it.  The only option is chemo and that will just keep it in check, not get rid of it.  It has spread to her lymph nodes as well so now it is just a waiting game to see how her body even reacts to the chemo.

I am numb from all this news and my heart is breaking for what she will have to go through as well as my Dad.  They have been married for 42 years this March and they do everything together.  Plus...they live 12 hours away with no family around them.

I'm struggling with all of this because I have been out of work from my surgery for a month and so money is tight right now.  To go down there will be tough...money wise, emotionally and work wise.  I want to see her before she gets too sick to enjoy the visit and I don't want my kids to see her sick and remember her like that.  I want them to see her as she always has been...that loving Grandma!

I ask that everyone please send prayers, thoughts, well wishes...whatever you feel like sending!


{Dealing with Sadness through my Creativity}

The last couple days have been hard...very hard, trying, draining and sad.  But...my creativity is pulling me through all of it and letting me express some of my emotions.  My mom is an artist, painter to be exact.  I feel blessed that I inherited my creativity through both my Mom and Dad.  Mom, a painter and my Dad a painter, drawer and woodworker/ craftsman.  Here are a few things I've been working on.  Some are sneak peeks to projects still in the works.

My desk is a mess with all my projects but I am letting myself be scattered and just going with the flow of things.

I am also working on a wooden Mod Podge bird house covered with Chatterbox scrapbook paper.  It is in the process, so check back to see how it turns out!

A new flower chipboard album is also in the works!   Here is a sneak peek at how it is turning out.  Watch for future posts with both of these projects finished.   Thanks everyone for your support!   ~Jen









Linked up on...

Gift Frame & Friday Linky Party #6

I've been trying to use some of the craft stuff I have around the house before I go out and buy more fun stuff.    I found this plain white frame I've had for years...about 7 years at least...just waiting to be used.  My Mom will be away from home while she is going through her treatments for stomach cancer and I thought it would be nice to have a photo of all of us together and some words of encouragement from each of us.

I call it a gift frame...it could be used for Grandparents, get well from a family or co-workers, a wedding present, wishes for a new baby, graduation or any other occasion you would like.  It gives a personal touch with handwritten words on it.

I used all scraps on it and was able to make 3 cards as well....what a deal!

1.  Find something to decorate (frame, book, box...)  2.  Rub an ink pad along edges to give some color without having to paint the whole frame.  3.  Add scrap papers to create a writing area.  I also added a frame I found around the photo. 4.  Write your wishes onto the frame.

Quick Scrap Cards

1.  Gather coordinating scrap papers and plain cards.  2.  Rub ink pad along edges of cards. 3.  Place a large block of scrap paper onto card.  4.  Layer long strips or blocks of paper to get desired look. 5. Add embellishments such as a saying, flower, ribbon or button.

Now it is your turn...What have you been up to lately?  

Show me anything creative, I love to be inspired!

{Share the Love} Linky Party

My rules are simple... Please start following me!

1. Share as many of your projects below as you would like...

2. visit other blogs that shared their projects...

3. comment if you would like.

4.  Grab a button...

lf you would like to be a co-host and grow your audience please email me: jennobyrne@gmail.com

<div align="center"><a href="http://throughmycreativemind.blogspot.com" title="Through My Creative Mind"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjra3MCfldM4z7v2Y_XzdcWy157XkAzTUBVMpf7FkWsqH-tWbDG1SqXt6DTXgHgOjsPJu8JtntIwqFYPhlJcA8viqBx-i_5TZPc-e9yg8zh-ImOnpQjk5r-WpIH8l2CexX9uu8HTKyUaBgX/s220/thumbnail1.jpg" alt="Through My Creative Mind" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

Linked up on...

Thoughts Needed and Purple Lunch Bag Album

My thoughts today are scattered and I decided I needed to do something for my Mom.

Two weeks ago, she found out she has stomach cancer.  Tomorrow she has her PET scan to see how bad it is and what steps will be taken.  I've been trying to keep a positive attitude. She is 68 and has always been very healthy but several months ago she started having a hard time swallowing but thought it was acid reflux.  She finally went in and they found ulcers and an area of cancer where the esophagus and stomach meet.  If you can send good thoughts tomorrow, I would appreciate it!  I thought she could use a little reminder of who loves her as she is going through her tests and away.


Purple Lunch Bag Album

White or Brown Lunch bags
Plastic craft bags 4x6 size
Photos
Coordinating paper/Embellishments
Hole Punch
Ribbon

1. Gather several coordinating papers and embellishments.  
2. Go through your scrap paper to find smaller pieces of coordinating scraps.
3. Rub an ink pad in desired color around edges of white paper bag to add a little color to the bags.
4. Trim photos down to smaller sizes.

   
     5.  Measure baggies and cut desired number of pages to size.
     6.  Create pages and place in order into baggies.
     7.  Punch holes in paper bags (start in middle of bag and then do outer holes.  Line up bags and punch holes in back bag.)
     8.  Line up plastic baggies and punch holes in each one.

     9.  Now that holes are placed, decorate the front of album.
    10. Line up entire album.
    11. Run ribbon through the album, lining up holes.  Tie in bows or knots.

Linked up on...

 

15 Minute Card Challenge

I went through my card box and realized that I need some new, basic cards.  After I finished a small photo album I decided to challenge myself to a 15 minute Card Challenge.

TIP: After working on a project take 10 or 15 minutes to make a few cards out of the scraps leftover.  You will be surprised at how many you can get done.  Why? You ask...  You have all the coordinating papers and embellishments out and matched up.

I am a fast scrapbooker and card maker because I keep shapes simple.  I use the scrap papers I have,   Maybe cutting off a small piece here and there, but for the most part I use the sizes they are and layer them.  Keep your cards simple!  Most people throw a card away after a couple days, so don't put too much effort into it.

Worth a Thousand Words

Photography is one of my passions and as I look back on my photos, it brings back memories and evokes feelings of that time.  Here are a few of them...


I had found a beautiful park up along the Mississippi in St. Cloud, Minnesota.  It was a warm fall day, and this family just happened to walk across the path at the perfect time.  In the same park, a few weeks later, a hard frost had hit. I was somewhat down this day and came across these beautiful flowers still hanging on for life, even through the hard frost.

A couple years ago I had a friend visit and we went to the Arboretum.  It was spring and the Bridal veil bushes were in full bloom.  It was raining down light, fluffy pedals and as I stood under the tree my friend captured this photo of me.  

  

We introduced Abby and Nic to the Renaissance Festival this past summer and when she ran into one of the fairies, I thought she was going to jump out of her skin!  Lyric, the fairy, had Abby make a wish as she blew fairy dust over her.  Below...Duluth at sunrise.  We were on our way to a snowboard competition and my GPS was taking us all over.  So I headed toward the lake so I could get my bearings and the sunrise was right there in front of us!  Stunning!

I took the kids down to my parents house in Arkansas and brought Meg's best friend, Jacob with.  Here are the two of them acting so hip!

And Roxy...aka Maddie...right after we had gotten her.  She was obsessed with playing ball.

The most American trip ever is to Mount Rushmore, and if you haven't made that trip, it is a MUST!  To get the feeling of the push west for land years ago, this is a great area.  So much to see and experience.  This, unfortunately wasn't what we had expected. This gigantic storm pushed through our camp site and tore down my Sister-in-Laws tent and pushed ours over slightly.  The sight of this storm was spectacular though!

Friday Linky Party #5 and Valentine's Presents

I hope everyone had a great Valentine's Day!  We had a great week and I started back to work a little with some dusting.  Here are a few of our Valentine's presents.

I got Scott a new orchid.  It is knows as a Lady Slipper Orchid and is so cool and pink...for Valentine's Day.  We collect orchids and for our special occasions we get a new one.  This baby is our 19th one.

Scott added these little "Love Dolls" to my present.  I thought they were so cute!  You are supposed to pull them apart and you are bonded together forever.

Saturdays are also my day to change our large chalkboard to a new quote.  So, my inspiration is from the movie P.S. I Love You, that we watched last night.  She said "My job is to create." and  I loved that...so...here is my chalkboard for this week.

I always draw out a quick sketch of what I want the board to look like so I know how to center it and what type of lettering I want.  It gives me a chance to figure out how words will fit together as well.

Tip: Always use wet chalk.  I keep a small container near to dip my chalk into.  It will look soft and faded at first and will get brighter as it dries.

{Share the Love} Linky Party

Please start following me!

1. Share your projects below...

2. visit other blogs that shared their projects...

3. comment if you would like.

4.  Grab a button...

lf you would like to be a co-host and grow your audience please email me: jennobyrne@gmail.com