I am loving this Linky Party...it is really motivating me to get these cards finished. Another busy day though so I did not get the rest of KCC 11 cards created but did finish off 2 more. Sketches #4 and #5 are up today. And the super cute little snowmen are the star of the show.

Make sure to enter your own creations over at the BYHSC blog.

You can find all the products listed below the photo.

Supplies

Not 2 Shabby Stayin' Cool Paper Pad

Not 2 Shabby Winter Snowman Treats Ephemera

Lawn Fawn Critters in Snow Stamp

 

BYSHC Linky Party Day 4 | Stayin' Cool and Kendra's Card Challenge

Day 4 and I made it! Only 1 card today but it was a super busy day. 

I am using the Not 2 Shabby paper pad "Stayin' Cool" and Kendra's Card Challenges for my set of July cards. I already showed 3 cards last week prior to the Linky party starting on my YouTube Channel. 

You can enter your own creation here. There are some fantastic sponsors. 

So today, I started working on the rest of the cards and before having to leave to go to an appointment I was able to get one completely finished! I have also used Gina Marie Designs Cursive Merry Christmas die and a snowflake that I am unsure of the brand. 

 This is Sketch # 7 from Kendra's Card Challenge 11. You can download her sketches from her website. Kendra's Card Challenges. Then enter your cards in her Facebook group...there are LOTS of prizes to be had for the quarter. She also gives out prizes for each month as well. 

Build Your Holiday Stash Cardmaker Linky Party Day 3 | Sponsor Products: Not 2 Shabby and Gina Marie Designs

For Day 3 I decided to pull out some dies from my stash and use on my cards. I combined 3 products from  Sponsors of the hop to create my 2 cards. 

You can enter your creations to be eligible to win some awesome prizes. Enter over on the Build Your Stash Holiday Cardmaker Blog.

Now onto my cards! I used Not 2 Shabby products, Gina Marie Designs products, and Lawn Fawn products. I love how these cards turned out! 

Supplies Used:

Not 2 Shabby Winter Blues

Not 2 Shabby An Elegant Christmas

Gina Marie Designs Wreath Die

Gina Marie Designs Cursive Merry Christmas Die

Lawn Fawn Scripty Joy Die

Bow Die...so sorry that is unknown

 

BYSHC Linky Party Day 2 | N2S Gingerbread House

 

Hello, I am back for day 2 of the Linky Party! I am thrilled to be able to show you my creations today. I created 4 cards using a super simple sketch, the paper pad, cardstock, ephemera, and some enamel dots!

You can link up your creation by going to the Build Your Stash Holiday Cardmakers Blog and share your holiday creation. There are lots of awesome prize sponsors!  

So for my process, I always pick the sketch first.

Next, I choose however many pattern papers the sketch calls for. Then, I choose any solid cardstock colors. I move on to cutting all the papers and die-cutting anything if need be. After that, I adhere all my cut pieces to my card base, then add my ephemera (in this case). Lastly, I embellish with enamel dots, bling, sparkle pen, or other embellishments.

Shown are my 4 cards here. *Note 1 card only has one strip behind the focal panel because I did not have another piece that matched and I didn't want to cut into another whole sheet of paper. 

Supplies can be found here:

Gingerbread House Paper Pad

Gingerbread Cookies Ephemera

Let's Get Cool Collection Enamel Dots

Not 2 Shabby + BYSHC Hop = the Perfect Christmas Cards!

 

I am so excited to be participating in my friend's Blog Hop she puts on! Crystal is a dear friend and I sure missed participating in this hop the last couple of times. I am also a sponsor and love sponsoring prizes for this wonderful hop. Make sure you create some Christmas cards and link up because there are fantastic prizes! 

Come back each day this week because I plan on having an entry each day during the hop! 

For today, I used the Christmas in the Forest Paper Pad 

from another of the sponsors "Not 2 Shabby." I did not get to use this paper pad last year due to recovering from my surgery when I was not crafting for 8 months! So, I was super excited to pull it out!

I started looking through it and saw the cut-apart page and knew I had to create six cards. I used a sketch from Crystal and went to town putting them together! I also added some sparkle with some "This Calls for Confetti" sprinkled around the card. 

Life Update Part 1

 

I will start off by giving you links to Part 1 and Part 2 of my Life Updates:

Life Update Part 1

Life Update Part 2 (see August 20th post first)...Warning...very long post!

My next to last paragraph of Update part 2: I am healing well and getting stronger every day. I am going to stop here and will be back very soon with some thoughts and concerns that I hope you can help with. 

Two weeks later after I posted that I decided it was time for me to try and get back in the "normal" swing of things and I tried to cook dinner on a Friday evening. Well, I ended up passing out (thank goodness I had the forethought to sit down on our dining room table's bench)...I called hubby over and he came and stood in front of me asking some questions and I just passed out into his arms. He laid me on the kitchen floor...I came to right away; he called an ambulance and I ended up spending the night in the hospital. More tests...a diagnosis of an irregular heartbeat and a recommendation to follow up with my regular cardiologist.

Once seen at the cardiologist's office I needed more tests and a heart monitor for a week....then another visit for results. Dr. Walsh gave me the absolute best Christmas present ever when he said the test came back showing all was fine. I still have an irregular heartbeat but it is not too concerning at this point. 

I was given the go-ahead to begin Cardiac Rehab. He said that would be the best thing for me.

I still have days where I am extremely tired, and not sleeping well at night I am sure adds to that. But, I am plugging along healing well, and doing the best I can do to resume normal activities. 

So, here I sit typing this a few hours before all my wonderful grandchildren come over for our Cousin Crew party, extremely thankful and grateful to so many people for keeping me in their prayers, family for putting their lives on hold, doctors for helping to keep me alive and our wonderful Savior for deciding it was not time to take me home yet. 

I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and wonderful celebrations with your family. Hold them a little extra tighter this year!

Life Update Part 2 (see August 20th post first)...Warning...very long post!

 

If you haven't please read the post from August 20th first.

I wanted to give everyone an update on all of my medical concerns....first of all I want to let my followers and subscribers know that I was vague in the past and I didn't mean to be but wasn't sure if I wanted to just spill it all...Well, I hope you are up for a long story. I am going to begin with some honest feelings and concerns I have. Please, if you have any advice please let me know.

As stated in my previous post some medical concerns popped up when I went to the Doctor for a regular checkup. I was diagnosed with Carotid Stenosis and after some further tests it was determined that I needed to see a neurosurgeon. 

However, in the meantime my Doctor wanted me to take a stress test and well....I failed that test. So the next step was a heart Cath which revealed a major heart blockage! I was petrified! 

I was admitted to the hospital and floods of various doctors started flowing into my hospital room...each one having to be told the reason I was there and my previous diagnosis...do they not stop to read your chart to determine what is going on with you before talking to you? We were getting very worried and very concerned quickly. 

The concern was raised that since I was referred to a neurosurgeon and there was not one in our hospital or county that shouldn't I be at a hospital where we could consult with one. So the process began to transfer me to a different hospital. 

I took a long, lonely freezing cold (I felt like I was riding in a refrigerator) ride in an ambulance to Largo Hospital in Largo, FL. Thank goodness for my wonderful daughter following the ambulance at midnight all the way there. 

So, began the long process of gathering all the information, more medical tests, meeting new doctors (at least everyone here seemed to all be on the same page) and waiting....yes more waiting. After 6 very long days it was determined to monitor the Carotid Stenosis for now because that was not emergent, but the major heart blockage was going to take at least a double bypass.

I am sure you can imagine what that 6 days (actually 8 if you count the heart Cath day and the next I was in the other hospital) was like....VERY EMOTIONAL....like I though I could possibly die! 

So on Tuesday September 20th I had double bypass surgery. I would not wish this surgery on ANYONE! Although I am so grateful to be alive and for all the doctors that coordinated my care it was and continues to be a pretty tough road to go down. 

I am healing well and getting stronger everyday. I am going to stop here and will be back very soon with some thoughts and concerns that I hope you can help with. 

Thanks so much for all your support, the cards and care that have come my way while I have been down and unable to craft or communicate really.