TAGGED! Folder Number 6, Picture Number 6

Another game of TAG!

Yes, here’s yet another new game of “blog tag” that, thanks to Bethany from Malamoose and Godiva, I'm lucky enough to get to play!

The RULES of this Blog Tag Game, pure and simple, are:

Choose the 6th image out of your 6th picture folder from your computer and blog it. Then tag 6 more people to do the same!

OK, so . . . simple as the rules of this tag game may sound, I have to say that they were a bit of a challenge for me!

First of all, I probably have more photos of my card creations than anything else on my computer. And all my photos of people, pets, nature, and travel are in one folder on my computer, which, I might add, does NOT happen to be the 6th picture folder!

Then there’s the fact that most of my photo folders have yet more photo folders inside (I’m a bit of an organization freak!).

And last, but not least, when I started looking through my photo folders, I found that a vast number of my photos were as yet “unprocessed” and/or duplicates of some I already had.

But, determined to do my part in this newest game of blog tag, I managed to go through all of my photo folders and clear out all my duplicates and/or unprocessed photos, and to make sure my folders were in some semblance of order before I set about selecting a photo according to the “rules” of the tag game.

So, without further adieu, the following photo is from my 6th photo folder on my computer. Although this photo is technically not the 6th photo in the folder (I have multiple views of each card I make), it IS a photo of the 6th card in the folder. (Yikes. . .Is this making any sense at all??) Oh well, here you go . . .

I made this card about a year ago, and I called it “Gold Butterfly Glitz”. I purposefully left it without an outside text message, so it could be used for a variety of occasions, leaving the choice up to the card buyer.

The base of the card is a wonderful heavyweight archival quality cardstock from Crane and Company, with a subtle texture and creamy hue. Then I used bright red textured Bazzill cardstock, shiny heavyweight goldtone cardstock, and goldtone shiny metal mesh in creating the card design. For a little added interest, I cut narrow strips of the textured Bazzill and weaved them through the goldtone mesh.

The focal point of the card is a large 3-D embellished butterfly made from metal, mesh, glass and plastic beads, and acrylic rhinestones. (This purchased embellishment was actually a Christmas ornament!)

And NOW it’s time to “tag” 6 more Bloggers, so here are my selections!

1. Lazy Bone Creations
2. Gumball Grenade
3. Magnificent Obsession
4. Cards, Collage, and Altered Art
5. The Empty Envelope
6. Pickles on Pizza

Be sure to watch these blogs to see what interesting photos our fellow bloggers come up with!

PROXIMIDADE BLOG AWARD!

I was recently surprised and delighted to find out that a fellow Etsyan and Blogger, Cindy, had selected my Blog for a PROXIMIDADE Blog Award! Thank you so much, Cindy!

Cindy’s and my paths first crossed over a year ago, when she purchased a handmade card from my Etsy Shop. And it was then that I became acquainted with Cindy’s beautiful handmade jewelry. Please check out Cindy’s Etsy Shop, to see this talented artisan’s lovely creations! And visit Cindy’s Blog too, which was also a recent and very deserving recipient of a PROXIMIDADE Blog Award!

Admittedly, before Cindy selected my blog for a PROXIMIDADE Award, I’d not heard of this particular award before. But after reading about it and what it stands for, I’m truly honored to have my blog selected!

Following is a description of what the PROXIMIDADE Blog Award represents:

"This blog invests and believes in the PROXIMITY-nearness in space, time and relationships. These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement! Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this clever-written text into the body of their award."

For me, this PROXIMIDADE Award has special meaning. . . .Little did I know when I started blogging less than a year ago, that my blog would become such a creative outlet for me, as well as a new form of personal expression. Nor did I have any idea that through my blogging, I would “meet” so many interesting, caring and creative people, many with similar interests as mine, scattered all across the globe!

In my blogging “travels” I’ve come across some extraordinary blogs that I believe truly embody the philosophy of this PROXIMIDADE Award. So, it is with great pleasure that I’d like to pass along this PROXIMIDADE Blog Award to the following EIGHT Blogs/Bloggers:


Excerpts from the Edge

This blogger is a talented handmade card designer, and an accomplished scrapbooker. On her blog, you’ll see some of her lovely and unique card creations, links to other great scrapbooking and crafting sites, as well as family and vacation snapshots which give you a personal glimpse of life in Australia.

Girl with a Curl

This multi-talented artisan in Washington State does watercolor paintings, wonderful beadwork jewelry, and digital graphics. She has three Etsy stores representing her artistry. Her blog is always an interesting read, and she frequently features other talented artists and craftspersons.


WhippetSnippets

As a dog lover, this is truly one of my favorite blogs. There are eyecatching photos and wonderfully written and entertaining ”snippets” about the most adorable whippets you’ll ever see, Ribsy and Mirabel, who reside with “Boy” and “Girl” (AKA owners) in Ontario, Canada


Life with Dogs

Once again, this is a blog for dog lovers! It is without a doubt one of the most cleverly written blogs (much of it from a dog’s point of view) that I’ve experienced. Check it out and read about the daily challenges and adventures of Mr. and Mrs. Author, Nigel, Sola and Truffles, and their lives in Vermont.


The Seasonal Cottage

This blogger is also a talented craftsperson, and indeed her interests and talents are so broad that she actually has SIX Etsy stores! Even so, she manages to update her blog daily and has regular blog features which never fail to disappoint. I also “follow” her daily tweets on Twitter, and she is a tireless Tweeter! It must be all that coastal Maine air that energizes her!


On Ruby’s Hill

Once you read a couple of posts on this wonderfully written blog, I think you’ll be hooked! Residing in Juneau, Alaska, this blogger creates unique and unusual handmade jewelry, and works with several types of media including copper etching, sterling silver and soldered pendants. Although her blog does occasionally feature her beautiful handcrafted creations, this blogger also writes about a variety of other topics, ranging from featured Etsy artisans to her own personal musings and “snapshots” of her life in Alaska.


Ann Ranlett’s Blog

Ann is a wonderful artist and illustrator of animals and nature subjects. I’m particularly fond of her dog portraits. Ann’s and my paths have crossed through our blogging as well as on Twitter, and it is clear that she and I share a deep and enduring love of animals and nature. She creates her art from her California home/studio, but it is offered through a variety of marketplaces and venues. Please visit her blog and take a look!

SassyGlass Designs

I love to visit this crisp and cheerful blog! There’s always a new posting of interest, be it about the this blogger-artisan’s wonderfully handcrafted jewelry and lampwork beads, the featured work of fellow craftpersons, or photos of captured scenes from the blogger’s local Arkansas countryside.


Please do take a little time to check out all these wonderful blogs, and watch to see what eight blogs each of these bloggers select, to pass along the PROXIMIDADE Blog Award!



Until we meet again . . . . .Happy Blog Reading!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

It seems like a very long time since I last blogged, when in reality, it's only been two weeks. . . .not so very long in the overall scheme of things.


BUT, Today is VALENTINE'S DAY! And what better day than this, to get back into my blogging groove and re-connect with my fellow bloggers?








It seems like I've been busy making Valentine cards for WEEKS (and I guess I have!), so it almost feels to me like Valentine's Day should have come and gone by now.

Maybe that kind of time disorientation is an "occupational hazard" of handmade card designers. There are times I'm so engrossed in making cards for specific holidays that before I know it, the holiday is nearly upon me, and I'm not ready for it.

Indeed, it was only yesterday that I realized that I didn't have a special Valentine card for my dear husband Lee, so I had to go out and buy one! (Again, it brings to mind the old saying, "The cobbler's children have no shoes.")

But at any rate, today, on VALENTINE'S DAY, I want to send a sincere wish to all of you out there in Blogger Land . . .my fellow bloggers, friends, readers, and craftspersons alike . . .for a very special day filled with love and laughter.

Whether you are spending the day with your significant other, family members, friends, beloved pets or simply in your own company engaged in activities that you enjoy, I hope you have a lovely day!


Ciao!

Ride's Final Journey . . . .

Today’s blog entry is indeed a sad one for me to write. Last Friday, our dear greyhound Ride, took her final journey . . . . this time to the Rainbow Bridge.

Since my most recent post last Thursday, Ride’s health situation continued to worsen. The veterinarian had taken a biopsy of a presumed mammary tumor on Wednesday, and we were awaiting the results of this biopsy before she did any surgery . . . .Lee and I were leaning toward surgery to excise the tumor, at least to give Ride some pain relief, even though we hadn't quite decided whether or not we wanted to pursue chemotherapy.

And in the meantime, the vet prescribed an antibiotic (in the remote possibility that it might be an abscess), as well as anti-inflammatory and pain medication.

Over the next two days while we waited to hear on the biopsy, Ride clearly wasn't feeling better, despite the medications. By midday Friday, she hardly wanted to move, and was refusing all food, even her long time favorite “people” foods.

The vet called us early Friday afternoon to tell us that the biopsy results had come in, and that they showed lymphoma, a cancer of a certain type of white blood cells. Even she was surprised by the biopsy results.

Lee and I were told that chemotherapy was an option, but that it would require a weekly treatment for Ride over the course of 21 weeks, and there was, of course, no guarantee that it would be successful, particularly since Ride was already so sick.

After much soul-searching, Lee and I decided that it was time to let Ride go. We took her in to the clinic late Friday afternoon and were able to spend some quality time with her before she passed away. She died the day before my birthday, 6 weeks shy of 13 years of age.


We have lost five beloved canine pets over the past 25+ years, and it’s always a difficult experience.

Each and every dog, of course, is special in their own way, and our little Emotional Ride (her ex-racing name) was no exception.

Ride was a part of our family for 10 years, and she and I had grown especially close over the past 7 years, after I retired from my day job.

Lee and I like to think that Ride is now pain-free and enjoying the company of her other greyhound siblings and housemates who went to the Rainbow Bridge before her.

Thank you ALL for caring enough to read this, my last tribute to our dear Ride.

And until we meet again . . . .

I’d like to share with you a beautifully done animated web version of The Rainbow Bridge.
(You'll need to "Click to begin")