Showing posts with label friends. Show all posts
Showing posts with label friends. Show all posts

Monday, February 9, 2015

I'm Back!!

Hello dear friends!
I could write about 50 pages about where I have been and what I have been doing since my last blog post, 5 months ago, but I have lots of fun things to share and it's time to move forward!
I participated in two Swaps this month and I have pictures to sort through and a post to write about them. We had a small trip to Maryland to visit our Grandsons and also to see and old friend from Pittsburgh who now lives in Virginia (more pictures of that) The most exciting thing was meeting a dear blog friend, IN PERSON, for the first time! (pictures about that, too!) 
Right now I'm dealing with some kind of wretched cold...or whatever is going around and my energy level is zero! Give me a few days...oh right, you've already given me 5 months, and I'll be back!
In the meantime...here are a few birthday cards that went out this month...

For my friend, Mimi, who has an Etsy Shop named Dandelion Wishes...


For my best friend, Nancy, who wanted to be a cowgirl when she was little...


and for another blogging friend, Sandy McClay, who I had the pleasure of meeting several years ago in Arizona...


So many birthdays in February! 

I'll be back soon with more pictures and stories! 
I've missed you all!

xoxo
Joyce

Saturday, September 7, 2013

Treats from Hagerstown, MD and Lucketts, VA

In June, on our way to visit the boys, we stopped in Hagerstown at this nifty antique place...


I found some good buys...lots of wonderful things to see here...

a new addition to my white planter collection, beach photo and crochet cotton
vintage ice cream cartons
 (might be the start of a new collection)

After our babysitting weekend,
 David took me to  Lucketts to
meet my friend Michele for some girl time...translate: SHOPPING.
He dropped me off at Lucketts and then went off to kill some time on his own..
he's great like that!


we also had to go in to The Beekeeper's Cottage...



We had fun at both places and I found some more treats...
on SALE...

($6!!)

2 more planters for my collection
($3 each!!!!)
not on sale but loving them anyway...


a long-coveted locker basket...

The keyhole plaque is not new but I thought it would be great in a wall arrangement...

I love cloches...this wire one is real cute...

At lunch in Leesburg, Michele and I exchanged little handmades...
she made me these lovely butterflies...

So much fun on this trip...the boys, my friend Michele
and new treasures!

xoxo
Joyce

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Thank you, thank you and a Wedding

THANK YOU #1: I want to thank all of you who took the time to leave words of encouragement over my joy at being chosen to be part of the Say It With Letters design team. Your words mean so much to me! I hope you've had a chance to visit Deb's blog and see the wonderful work of the other design team members. I am so honored to be counted in with this group of talented women. New things will be popping up in the SIWL Etsy store soon  and next week I will be able to share my first project with you. I'm having so much fun!!

THANK YOU #2:  Everyone was so helpful in voting for the "knob" choice for my repurposed glass jar. Some of you were very firm in your choice and I considered all of your suggestions. I was leaning toward the glass knob and then I read my friend Meri Wiley's comment, "It depends on what the purpose of the jar is going to be, I guess. Personally, I like them both and can't really pick between them." The purpose of the jar...Aha! I wanted to use this wonderful jar as the storage for all of my beautiful bits and bobs of lace. When I placed the lace into the jar the choice became very clear to me...


The flower is the perfect knob I think.

The Wedding:


David & I are just back from a trip to Wilmington, North Carolina where we attended the wedding of the daughter of very dear friends.


We had a wonderful, relaxing trip. The photo below is the view from our hotel room. We had perfect weather while we were there.

That solitary figure is David soaking up the sun. I can't spend a lot of time in the sun because I burn to a crisp while he could stay on the beach for hours.

All of the festivities took place at a beach house that the bride and groom rented for family and friends.
After everyone left town, we were able to spend a day with our friends (the parents of the bride) before we all left to go home.
David and Gary got some fishing in...

Style setters...no?

My sweet friend Sims.
 Of course we didn't manage to get any photos of the 4 of us together!

OK-I'm off to get caught up on my blog reading and working on 4 different crafty projects.
I'm trying to limit my on-line time so I can get some crafting done in preparation
for the upcoming craft fair.

XOXO
Joyce



Friday, August 26, 2011

Good-bye and good luck to our friend Michele

A few weeks ago, our little crafting group got together to bid farewell to our dear friend Michele. She and her husband will be moving to Virginia as soon as their new house is built....actually, they will be living in a rented property until that time. We are sorry to see her leave us but I know that I, for one, will be visiting her as she will not be too far from one of our kids.....and she will be in an area where there are lots and lots of antiquey places to explore. Anyway....we had one of our fun brunches because our get-togethers must always include food in addition to craftiness.


The table was set using my pink Depression luncheon plates..


 I made each of us a candy cup using coffee filters and yogurt cups...

and a place card using a vintage image from Besottment by Paper Relics using a Graphics Fairy image.

Of course Michele also had a pink sequined crown to wear....
We dined on egg casserole, croissants and a beautiful fruit tray that Mimi brought
and for dessert, because we were also celebrating Michele's Birthday, chocolate cupcakes with buttercream frosting



We agreed that we would each make Michele a badge, no larger than 8X8-inches with a Friendship theme, in our own style. We don't ever want her to forget us.
Michele K made a vintegy banner, so like her. The little card with the 5 chicks represents us...clever girl that Michele K!

(click on picture to enlarge)

The badge came in this chipboard box


Mimi used fabric to make her badge...so like her. The strawberry fabric square was made using fabric Michele had given Mimi that had been her Mother's. She also attached one of her charms and even a clip earring. Clever girl that Mimi!


Mimi also made Michele a cute card....


Bethanie wasn't able to complete her badge in time for the party and will send it along to Michele.

(Mimi and Bethanie)

As usual, I couldn't even decide on what my style is because I like so many different things. There was only one thing I could do and that was to make a 2-sided badge utilizing both of my styles....
Funky (this one is all digital using steampunk images from The Sum of All Crafts.


 Valerie has great images (not just steampunk) for you to use in your crafting.
Everything is layered digitally (even the polka dot background paper) except the gears (from Tim Holtz) and the flower (made using sewing pattern tissue)
So that's one style I love, but there's another, very different style, too. The reverse side of the badge looks like this...


Yes, that's right...a little Ann Estelle from Mary Engelbreit's drawing board!
I'll show you in my next post how I put this badge together. Michele, in true Michele style...made each one of us a little gift also.

We had a good time together like always....we laughed and we cried and no one wanted to say good-bye at the end.
We will miss Michele.
We met while both working part-time at a local scrapbook store (now out of business) We would craft together at the store and chatter away about all kinds of things. We took classes together at Stamp Fanci and had lots of fun. I will miss our impulsive trips to Michael's and Joann's or the Butler scrapbook store. I couldn't have gotten through some of my darkest hours without your support and strong words when I needed them.
Take time to explore your new area and then get the guest room ready for me!



On a personal note: It's been a tense week for us at 9010.
David has been sick for almost 2 weeks and he's been going through some tests and scans to try to find the cause. As of last night we finally have some answers....not necessarily ones we would have liked but ones that can be managed at least.
David has shingles which I'm sure you know are very painful and if that alone isn't enough to deal with...he has also been diagnosed with diabetes. His blood sugar was extremely high on his blood work.
He now has meds for both (oral medication for the diabetes) and we are awaiting return phone calls to schedule appointments with a Nutritionist to learn about diet and a Diabetes Educator to learn about checking his blood twice a day. Ah, the rewards of aging. As I said, we are grateful to know what we're dealing with and we certainly recognize that it could have been a lot worse. We are again reminded that the keys to healthy living are in our hands and we need to take better care of the bodies that God gave us.
This is the first I'm mentioning this on my blog. If you could just say a little prayer that David has some relief from pain and an easy adjustment to all that we must learn to do, I would be so grateful.

Be back soon with the tutorial~
xoxo
Joyce

Friday, January 14, 2011

Winter Brunch

It was a cold and snowy day...

David had to clear off the driveway and sidewalks...

I had planned it for weeks. Friends coming for a Winter Brunch.
 Everyone bringing something to contribute to the meal.
I had undecorated the dining room from it's Swedish Christmas red and whites
and redecorated in the silvers and whites of Winter.





The table was set with white table linens, silver placemats, the "good" monogrammed silver, glass plates, a variety of glassware, and interesting napkins...



At each place was a clear ornament ball, holding vintage white buttons and
decorated with lace and seam binding, and a sequined crown...
and treat bags for each guest...along with some homemade cocoa mix...



The table was decorated with a centerpiece consisting of a mirror square on which sat
a pewter bowl filled with an assortment of silver, mercury glass and glittered ornaments.
The large Bethlehem star was found at Crate & Barrel several years ago.
Silvery snowflakes were scattered around the table and silvery Hershey's kisses
 scattered as well. My big mistake, of course, was decorating the table the day before the brunch.
Needless to say...I had to replenish the kisses before the guests came because
every time I passed through the dining room (and I got to the point where I had to
pass through  once or twice an hour!) I grabbed as many as my hand could scoop up
one or two.



We ate, we talked, we laughed, we ate some more, we exchanged gifts...

We had a wonderful time, relaxing together after the merriment of Christmas was over.
I wish you all could have come. Next year, I'd be happy to set a place for you...

XOXO
Joyce


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