Week One Post Surgery

Hi Everyone!  Today I'm officially one week out from surgery and doing great! I'm wearing a lovely black sling on my right arm that sports an even lovelier waste band to go along with it.

So far I have already had two physical therapy sessions and another one on Friday.  I've got my one week appointment with the surgeon tomorrow.  Hopefully he'll remove my stitches--they are really uncomfortable!

I am happy to report that the recovery process is going so much better than I anticipated and I expect to be back to normal soon.

I'll be back again next week to post another update.  In the meantime, I hope you are all creating away!  Thanks for bearing with me this long.

Have a great day,
Merilee

Upcoming Surgery

Happy Monday Everyone!  I hope your day is going great!

I'm writing to you today to let you know that I won't be able to post any new projects for awhile.  It seems I have torn the cartilage in my shoulder in two different places and I'm going in on Wednesday for surgery.  Of course, this tear is in my right arm and I'm right handed--could it be any other way???   ;o}

The doctor has informed me that I will be unable to move my arm away from my body for six weeks while the cartilage grows back to the bone. I promise to get right back to my creativity as soon as I can.  In the meantime, I will post now and again to let you know the status of my progress.  I will also be following each of you as you post new projects to your blogs.

Have a great day and I'll chat with you again after surgery.  Wish me luck!

Merilee

Celebrate Earth Day at CCI Blog!

Hello my friends!  Today we're celebrating Earth Day over at the Creative Critterz Imaginations blog and I have posted an Earth Day card made from recycled, reused and repurposed items.

If you'd like to get a better look at my project, head on over to see what's new.  I can't wait to share my project with you!  You can get there by clicking here.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope to see you again soon.
Merilee

Birthday Card

Hi Everyone!  Happy Sunday!

As promised, today's post is a birthday card featuring my little "Puppy Girl" from the Pure Innocence line by My Favorite Things that I colored various different ways in the last couple of posts.

This card is bright and cheery for a young girl's birthday.  The papers I used are from Mambi Sheets by Me & My Big Ideas and Rue de Fleur by The Paper Studio.  I love these colors together--they just have that extra kick of life in them!  :o)  The background is matted and stitched with my sewing machine.  Across the center is pleated trim, layered with two strips of ribbon and then adhered to the orange card base with my ATG gun.

Here is a closeup of Puppy Girl.  I cropped her using Spellbinders Large Labels S4-168.  The edges are first inked in yellow and then again in pale green.  She is matted first in black to draw the eye in and then in green and yellow.

I always try to incorporate some type of interaction in each of my cards--especially when they are for younger people.  The image is popped up on foam tape with the tape strategically placed only on the top and bottom so a tag would slip diagonally beneath.

The tag is hand cut to fit inside the opening, stamped with two sentiments, and adorned at the top with patterned paper, a tiny flower brad, and a ribbon threaded through.  The tag sentiment is actually from two separate sentiment sets that I put together to form a rhyme:  Top-Clear Stamps VS-4911, Series 23, by Studio G; Bottom-Big Greetings by My Favorite Things.

The final addition is two large, stacked silk daisies topped with a large, yellow button in the center.

For the inside of the card, the background patterned paper is matted and stitched together.  Then a hole punched in one corner to add stacked paper flowers with a tiny flower brad through the center and a bow on back.  The finished mat stack is then adhered to the inside of the card with my ATG gun.

The inside has a mix of stamp sets, as well.  "Woof", "Bark", the puppy paw prints, and the dog bone are all from Inkadinkado, Dogs-97620; "Happy Birthday" is from Big Greetings by My Favorite Things; and "Sending Canine Kisses" is one of the sentiments that goes along with "Puppy Girl" from the Pure Innocence line by My Favorite Things.  I think they all come together quite nicely to make up a happy little card.

 I hope you've enjoyed today's card and you'll be back soon to visit me again.  I will be designing something special in the upcoming days for the Creative Critterz Imaginations blog.  I hope you'll join me.  Until then, thanks for coming by!

Merilee