The Time Has Come....

Well, we hoped that we could hold off on this surgery until May but the time has come to do it now. I will stay in the hospital and have the surgery on Monday afternoon and then be here an additional week to ten days.
I am confident in my surgeon. I told him today that many people are praying for me and they're praying for him, too. He appreciated that.
I will not be posting for a while but Mimi will give updates on her blog, Dandelion Wishes. (You need to go there and see the cute stuff she makes!)
I can't begin to tell you how much your comments, best wishes and prayers have meant to me. I am in the loving hands of God and I know he'll see me through this.
Nancy-I love your new Happy Homemaker tag for April!! I will catch up, I promise!
Suz-You and Jud are in my prayers daily.
PJ-My heart is hurting for you...I will be in touch as soon as I am able. Just know that you have been in my prayers
Marie-Slow and steady wins the race...you're getting there even though it seems endless.Prayers are said for you daily.
Thank you all for your outpouring of love and care!

xoxo

joyce

This will be very short....

I can't tell you how much I hate to be writing this but I am once again in the hospital....diverticulatis again....another round of antibiotics. I have appreciated your prayers and if you are inclined will appreciate them again.
I will return when I can but I don't know how long that will be. I am fighting as hard as I can to get over this. With Gods help I will!
Dear David brought the laptop in to the hospital for me tonight so I could write this post but I don't know when I'll post again.
Thank you dear friends. I love and miss you all!

xoxo

Joyce

Working to catch up....

It is a very dark and gloomy in Pittsburgh today and the rain is pouring down. There have been warnings of high winds (there were tornadoes not too far from here several week ago) so everyone is on high alert. In spite of the lack of sun and warmth, I must say that I feel better than I have felt since the beginning of the year!
I was grateful to Mimi for updating everyone about the fact that I was in the hospital for almost a week. I have been dealing with recurrent bouts of diverticulitis for months and will be facing surgery, probably in May, to remove the diseased parts. Right now my area of focus is to get healthier and remain that way so the surgery can be done as an elective and not an emergency.
I can't thank you enough for your prayers, kind emails, notes, cards and gifts during my illness. I am constantly amazed by the graciousness of the women in my blogging circle. You have made me feel buoyed by your spirit and encouraged by your words of faith. You are all a treasure and if not for the wonderful love and care of David, our children and family in addition to my friends, I would not have been able to heal and improve the way I have. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!
When you are ill or recovering from an illness or surgery, it is hard to be motivated to create. Many times I walked in to my craft studio (which, by the way, looks like a tornado went through it!!), looked around and walked out again. I did have some assignments to complete which forced me to think creatively and once I started last week....I have been able to accomplish some things....
My sister celebrated her birthday last week....it was a big birthday...a really, really, really big birthday. I had purchased some things for her but wanted to make something, too. Some time ago I had purchased art pieces from Michelle Palmer that were bird-related. I've spoken many times about her art and how much I love her pen & ink sketches on fabric. I gathered a wren, nest and egg and arranged them (along with some pretty feathers Michelle had included with my package) in a shadowbox frame I purchased at Michael's. (Isn't Michelle's attention to detail amazing?)

I added  hemp twine and some coordinating buttons to finish it off.

I also sent her a sequinned crown....because when you have a really, really, really big birthday...you get to be Queen for the day.

Other scrapbook related supplies were wrapped up and the package was sent last week.

 I  received my purchase last week,  from my dear friend Elizabeth of Creative Breathing, who was down-sizing her craft room. I was lucky to put in a request for these lovely gals...

Do you recognize them? Well, here is a clue....

Right! The Lennon Sisters! Those of us of a certain age will remember watching Lawrence Welk on Saturday nights for 13 years. Elizabeth created these pegdolls in honor of the Lennons. They are adorable! In addition to the pegdolls, Elizabeth also treated me to some vintage cards from her collection......these have wonderful graphics and I know I'll get a lot of use from the images!



I also received an unexpected but delightful gift from my friend Mary K. of Thyme To Spare. Mary remembered that I collect carrots (I know, it's crazy but there are sooooo many different ones to be found around Easter time!) She made me a fabric carrot bouquet....are you jealous? They are just the cutest and be sure to notice the adorable card that came with the gift....a bunny driving a carrot card. Wonderful!

I am so blessed and grateful to all of you for caring for me. Thank you!

xoxo

joyce





Hello to all of you-- friends and followers of Scrap for Joy.

My name is Mimi and I will be writing this post on behalf of our friend Joyce today. 

As some of you may know, Joyce has been battling some health issues over the past year.  These past few weeks have been especially difficult for her as she deals with this ongoing gastric problem.  It seems that the doctors have decided that she needs to have a little "vacation" at the local hospital so they can help her get the situation under control.  I spoke with her this morning and she is in good spirits.  She asked that I write this post to explain  why she has not been able to respond to messages or catch up on all of her favorite blogs.  She is anxious to return home to be able to communicate with you all once again.  

I know that she would appreciate all of your prayers at this time. 

Thank you all so much

Sending lots of love from Joyce



A Swap For All Seasons....my amazing fabric collage from Michelle

Many times I've written on this blog about the  wonderful women I've met through blogging.

Generous, talented, caring women.

I've written about my (blogging) friend Michelle Rondeau in several posts here, here,

and here. I first "met" Michelle through her Etsy store Wood and Fabric . (please take some time to go and visit her store and blog)

For a long time I nagged  encouraged her about starting a blog and she finally did.

Now you can see all of the inspiring things she creates right here.

We have both participated in several of Linda Smith's, A Swap For All Seasons

 seasonal swaps (gee, that's kind of a tongue twister isn't it?) and for the most recent swap...A Fabric Collage...we were paired! I wasn't sure I was up for the challenge of this swap because I've

not done any sewing for many, many years and I didn't know where to start but Michelle

encouraged me to jump in and give it a try. Last week I received my 5X7-inch fabric collage

from Michelle. As of this post she has not received mine (she lives in Quebec) so I won't

show the pictures of the one I made but I couldn't wait any longer to show you

the one I received from Michelle. Please prepare to be overwhelmed!!

I really laughed when I pulled the package and card out of the envelope (an envelope made by the way, from a cereal box...very sturdy!) The carefully wrapped tissue was sealed with 2 postage stamps which is a trademark of Michelle's...she uses stamps on almost all of her art. And look at the baby on this card....I'm sure it's someone Michelle knows...what a cherub!

On to the collage....

A stamped and sewn fabric collage of extraordinary beauty!

My photographs could never do justice to the details of this piece.

Every little detail is perfectly perfect. Can you see the word kindred spirits right above the pin?

The tiny little chatelaine scissors sweetly tied with a button and attached to a small

cloth bag with a token inside that says joy.

A thin glass vial with the tiniest of pearls inside and a coin attached.

A cloth tape measure sewn around the printed image of a little girl.

The famous postage stamp.

And the back of the collage....

It's a pocket! Edged in lace and fastened with 3 vintage buttons, it opened to reveal...

a cloth wrapped packet of vintage ephemera!!!

It took me a very long time to open and carefully examine every little

detail of all that Michelle sent.....I love this collage and it will

hang in my craft studio as a reminder of a treasured friendship.

Thank you Michelle, for another piece of your amazing art!

xoxo

Joyce

It's REDnesday...and a little Steampunk, too!

Hi All!

I'm joining Sue at "It's a Very Cherry World " for Rednesday.

I had been seeing these dishes pop up all over blogland and fell in love with them.

The problem was, everyone was seeing them at Home Goods which we

are not lucky enough to have here in "the 'Burgh" (Pittsburgh

for the out-of-towners)

WELL, last Saturday, I decided to stop in to Marshalls

since I hadn't been there since before Christmas (how did that happen?)

and low and behold....there they were!

So Cath Kidston looking....

but sooooo much more affordable!

Elyse....I hope you've seen these too...

I have plain white Corelle dishes for everyday so these accessory pieces will work in perfectly...

I picked up mugs, bowls, dessert dishes and one large dinner plate to use for serving.

Some are polka dotted and some are checked....all are so cute, don't you think?

I'm also going to squeeze my final Valentine photos in here for Rednesday day as well...

and the last of my Valentines for friends...I tried using some Steampunk images that were provided by Valerie at The Sum of All Crafts.

If you love vintage images...visit Valerie's blog. She is an amazing artist in her own right

and a generous sharer of images. You will spend lots of time there!

Here are my Steampunk Valentines....

(the lighting was bad the day I took this picture but do you ever wonder what to do with the multitude of paint samples you pick up along the way....for me, that's every time I'm in Lowe's or Home Depot!!)

Whew! That's a lot for one Rednesday....

I'll be back tomorrow to show you the beautiful (and I really mean breathtakingly beautiful)

fabric collage that I received in the Swap For All Seasons swap!

xoxo

joyce

Dear Elizabeth, Sandy, Paula Clare and Betty...

Your Valentine cards

have been mailed today...

Late, I know,

life got in the way.

You are so special

all year through...

so I'm sending my love,

to each of you!

I don't usually like to preview my projects before they are received,

but I wanted you to at least see what was on the way.

(I will show the cards I've received when they have all arrived)

I love Valentine's Day.

I always have...and always will.

I know there's a lot of discussion about whether Valentine's Day

 was invented just so that the greeting card industry

could make money from the

sale of cards but of course that's not true.

Valentine's Day goes back centuries to Medieval times.....

but I'm not talking history here....just fun!

 Years ago, my sister started a tradition in our family of

celebrating Valentine's Day by eating "red" food.

This usually meant eating spaghetti or lasagna for dinner

and red-sprinkled cupcakes or cookies for dessert.

I like this tradition...it's easy and fun and who doesn't like

pasta and red-sprinkled desserts?

This year David and I are breaking with tradition!

Because I was sick in January for both of our birthdays and we

never got a chance to celebrate, we are going out to a

favorite restaurant tonight for dinner.

Wonder if they'll have red food on the menu?

One of my traditions on Valentine's Day is to make (or buy)

and send Valentine cards to my family and friends

and always take some kind of treat in to my workmates.

I'm not working today so they'll enjoy their treat tomorrow...

Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Pretzel Bites

I saw the recipe for these on

 Olive Knoll's blog before Christmas and just knew that

I would have to try these morsels.

The recipe can be found right here.

The treats will be accompanied with a tag.

Every year I chose one of my pieced Valentines to

scan and copy to make multiples for the girls.

(I like the gang I work with but not everyone will

keep a handmade card for 100 years like I do.

I know the card makers out there will understand what I'm saying.)

Now the thing about making Valentines, for me, is that once I start making them

 I don't know when to stop. Like eating potato chips...one is never enough!

I can't show you all of the cards I've made because some friends need to be surprised...

and I don't even have David's made yet (Yikes!)

but I did surprise him with this little banner when he got up

this morning and came downstairs for his coffee...

The last item I'd like to share with you today comes from my sweet, sweet,

blogging friend Mary Lou of House of Whimsy. (Her photos

are on this post and are much better than mine)

We had a little one-on-one Valentine swap and this is the

magnificent piece she sent..

this beautiful padded and decorated heart...

seen here on the arm of my santos

beautiful attention to detail...

Thank you Mary Lou....I love this treasure!

OK-I better be off and finish the rest of my

Better-late-than-never Valentine Cards...

Have a wonderful day everyone....I hope it's filled with lots of

LOVE!

xoxo

Joyce