Happy Anniversary

Happy Anniversary to me and hubby Skip who have been married

33 blissful years today! 

He had to work 1st shift this morning and asked me if I wanted 

my gift this morning of course I said yes. 

Love this little heart pendant. It has his and mine birth stones in the center. 

And he had our names engraved on the bottom of the heart. 

The two little bunnies which are suppose to represent us came

with the necklace. Too cute! 

I got another gift today....well actually from SU. I got to preview

the new catalog. It's not on line yet for the general public, but will be 

 

in June. 

 

I dropped my mouse this morning an while picking it up I whacked the

 

side of my knee. Thank goodness it wasn't the knee that just got replaced. 

 

Hope everyone has a great day! 

 

Happy Anniversary to friends Lisa and Geoff. They are also celebrating today. 

 

 

 

Stamping trails

Karen

Mailable Monday # 105

Base card Very Vanilla. Stamp set Painted Petals. 

Colors: Blushing Bride, Wild Wasabi, and Marina Mist. 

I took a trip to Pat Catan's yesterday. I didn't get much just

some much needed adhesive runners, and glue dots. 

It was good just to get out and visit one of my favorite stores! 

Saturday night Skip treated me to dinner at Ruby Tuesdays. 

Since he will be working on our anniversary we decided to go out 

over the weekend to celebrate early. Can't believe we have been married 

for 33 years! Don't know where the time has gone. 

Stamping trails

Karen

Note Cube

Sorry it has been almost a week since my last post. 

I haven't been in the mood to stamp. I think the cold blast we had this

week has made me shut down. I've been taking it easy. In the recliner reading. 

I did do out patient therapy yesterday morning that seemed to perk me up a bit. 

I can bend the new knee to 128. Still having trouble getting it to lay straight. 

But I guess it is a work in progress. 

The above project is a note cube. I picked some up at Hollo's last Saturday. 

I was going to take photos of the other sides, but the camera battery needs to be

charged (thanks to John running it down). 

I do have a few other projects in the works, but they are detailed and going to take

me a bit of time to complete them before I can share them with you. 

I got on the scale the other day and found out that I gained two pounds. ACK!!!

I'm blaming it on the weight of the steel knee. That's my story and I'm sticking to it! 

Stamping trails

Karen

Clean and Simple Butterfly Basic Card

Okay this card should have been posted yesterday for Mailable Monday,

but son John had my camera and I didn't get it back till this afternoon. 

I really need to get him is own camera or start hiding mine. 

Stamp set Butterfly Basics. 

Colors: Pear Pizzazz, Coral, Marina Mist, and black. 

I had my first out patient therapy this morning. It went well. 

I got on a stationary bike for a whole 3 minutes!  LOL

He said I can ride my recumbent bike that I have at home. 

I also have some weakness in my hips and left side. 

Since I'll be getting the other knee replaced he is going to 

have me work on both knees and hips. So that's a good thing. 

The retired list came out today for Stampin'Up! You may want

to give that a look over to see if there is something you wanted, before its 

gone. I'm holding out on placing an order till May. I have tons of stamps and 

supplies to play with so I don't need to add anymore to it. 

Congrats to my friend Lisa would finally got her craft room completed. 

I saw the pictures and it looks great! Can't wait to visit all my friends in TX so

I can play in there stamping spaces! 

Stamping trails

Karen

Just an Update

I went on an outing yesterday. Haven't been 

out in a long time other than the times I've gone 

to the doctors or was in the hospital. 

First we went to Khol's to get new shoes for me. 

Then I got to stop at Hollo's paper store. I haven't

been there since forever!!!! I picked up a few things that 

I'll be posting later when I get the projects done. 

Next stop was Bob Evans for lunch. 

After that I was pretty tired and took a nap for a few hours. 

I still don't have all my energy back yet. 

 

 

On Wednesday I wen to get the staples pulled from my knee. 

 

That hurt like all get out! Doctor said it would feel like been stings. She must have

 

been talking about prehistoric bees. OUCH!

 

I had a last visit from home health care. Ann the PT measured my knee movement.

 

She came up with a zero for how straight I was able to get the knee, and 

 

a 108 for how much I could bend the knee.  She told me I'm doing really well. 

I started to walk inside the house with a cane. I'm still using the walker outside. 

Sarah is coming over this afternoon. We need to start getting an idea on the

wedding invitations. I'm also hoping to get back into my craft room. 

Stamping trails

Karen

Rehab with the Cat

After my PT was finished this morning kitty decided I needed some

company. She jumped up on the bed and went to sleep while I was

icing my knee. 

Isn't she just the cutest little thing? 

Nothing more comforting than having a cat sleep next to you. 

I've been getting around much better. I went downstairs today 

and made tuna casserole. I meant to have it for dinner, but it

looked so good that me and hubby had it for lunch instead. 

It was warm today in the 70's, but as I'm writing this the rain is 

pouring down and the wind is kicking up. 

I'm still hopeful that I'll be able to get back in my craft room sometime this 

week. I'm itching to stamp again! 

Stamping trails

Karen

National Sibling Day

Several days ago was National Sibling Day. I missed it but

still wanted to post a few pictures I found. I'm limited on

where I can get to in the house so just used some photos I did find. 

This one is of me and brother Tony. Taken at the home on East 71st street in Cleveland. 

I had to laugh at this as mom had me ready for bed and my hair was all pinned up 

with bobby pins. I've always loved this photo of me and Tony. So young, 

and so happy. 

Looks like I'm the only one smiling in this photo. 

I don't have many pictures of our sister Charlotte in a group shot. 

Not sure why. I'll have to get into all the photos I got from mom before

she passed away. I'm sure I'll find a few more. 

I'm moving around a bit better. I've been getting down the steps to kitchen

a few times a day, and have been able to make a few meals and clean up after. 

This week will be the last week of home therapy. Starting on the 21st I'll be 

 

going for out patient PT. 

 

Looking forward to getting the staples out on the 20th. My knee is beginning to itch! 

 

Stamping tails

Karen 

Cards from Friends

So our house was built in the early 70's. There are things about it I don't like.

I never liked the metal doors that are on all the closets. However they

do make for a great place to display cards. 

I've been receiving get well cards from friends and they really do perk up 

John's bedroom which I'm currently staying in. 

I can enjoy looking at the cards as they really do pick me up! 

I had a little set back yesterday. 

I went down the steps okay with Skip being right there with

me just in case I should fall. 

The problem was with old habits die hard. 

While coming up the stairs you are suppose to step up with the leg 

that was NOT operated on while using one crutch and holding the railing. 

Well I forgot that on one of the steps and I stepped up on the leg that got the new 

knee....big mistake! I didn't bear all my weight on it as I quickly put it down after

the shooting pain. I had a really rough night. I was taking the pain pills and 

using ice, but it wasn't helping as much as I would have like so I was 

up most of the night. My physical therapist will be here this afternoon, and 

I'll let her know what happened. I was still able to do some of the PT work

I need to do this morning, but the knee is not feeling so good. 

What a bummer as yesterday the day had started out so good and I was feeling good. 

Oh well. I'll have to be more careful!

Stamping trails

Karen

New Knee

So the surgery went well last Monday. The doctor told me 

that the knee was really bad. Which I already knew. From the amount of 

pain I was in I knew it was bad. 

This was what my leg was bandaged in when I woke up. 

Tons of batting that was wrapped with ace bandages. 

There was also a wrapping with a cold pack. This attached to an

ice chest that was changed out with new ice every 4 hours or so. 

I call it the elephant leg. They had me up and walking around 5 pm the same

afternoon. I was surprised I could walk at all but I did. 

Here I am in the hospital bed. Love the yellow wrist band that

reads fall alert. 

The "elephant" leg stayed on till Wednesday morning. 

This is a shot of the incision. I counted.....total of 18 staples. Which

 

will be removed on the 15 of April. 

 

Everyone who sees the incision has told me how great it looks. 

 

To tell you the truth while I was on the table getting the iv and checking

 

in for the surgery I almost changed my mind. Nerves I guess. I'm 

 

glad I went through with it, but I tell you its a long hard road and the PT is rough.

 

I don't know when I'll be able to get back in my craft room. John gave up his

 

bed for me as our bed is to high for me to get into. Him and Sarah cleaned out a lot

 

of the stuff in his room and put it in my craft room, so there is no way for me to 

 

get to anything. I'm hoping by next week I'll be good enough to get back into

 

my own room again. 

 

Stamping trails

Karen

Mailable Monday # 104

Just a simple card today. 

I first colored the back of the flowers from Sheer Perfection designer vellum. 

After the coloring was done i went over the images again from the back with 

a scoring tool. It makes the flowers pop up. 

Stamp set Nature's Perfection. 

Colors: Mossy Meadow, Hello Honey, Whisper White. Ribbon Mossy 

Meadow stitched satin ribbon. 

Here is a side view. You can see the raised images from using the

scoring tool. 

Stamping trails

Karen

Happy Easter

Happy Easter to everyone! 

Skip made me a little Easter basket. Of course

Cherokee thinks it belongs to her. See her ears poking

from the back of the stuffed bunny?

What do you mean...its not mine?

But just like you and the chocolate bunny....I go for the ears first!

I'm done playing...sleepy time now. 

I'm happy to be home. They released me from the hospital late Wednesday afternoon. 

I've had the first visit from the Home Care Nurse on Friday. She said

I was doing very well. They will be coming to visit me all next week, then

I'll be an outpatient to receive the PT. 

I'll post some photos tomorrow. I won't be able to 

update the blog with artwork for the next few days. When I feel better

I'll get back into it. 

Hope everyone has a wonderful, and blessed Easter

Stamping trails

Karen

Vintage Flower Pin

I made this flower using my wedding dress

and the folded flower Big Shot die from SU! 

I wanted Sarah to have something from my wedding dress to 

wear on her big day. So depending on what she would like I'll 

either turn this into a pin she can wear on her dress or into a garter. 

I still have lots left over from my wedding dress that I'll be making into something. 

Maybe some of it will find its way into a quilt, and I might make a pillow.

Not sure yet. 

Stamping trails

Karen

Sheer Perfection Butterfly Thank You Card

I like the Sheer Perfection designer vellum pack so much

that I put in a small order just to get another one before the

end of March before its gone. 

I colored the back with Wisteria Wonder, Blushing Bride, and So Saffron.

Layered that on white, then layered again on Hello Honey. Base card white. 

On the front I added a burlap strip and a strip of Blushing Bride rosettes from 

the Artisan kit. Which I also have to buy another one of those kits, because

I like what came with it. Wish I could get a ton of the Blushing Bride rosettes. 

Seems like Blushing Bride is my favorite color lately....could it be because 

Sarah is getting married this year? Yep I'd say so. 

Greeting is from Painted Petals. 

Stamping trails

Karen

Carrot Sour Cream Container

I cannot even remember the last time I made a sour cream 

container. 

But I'm glad I remembered how to make them....

isn't this just too cute? 

I used the bunny from Baby We've Grown stamp set. 

I love that bunny! The designer paper for the container is from 

Birthday Bash collection. 

Pear Pizzazz used with fringe scissors for the top. 

Tombo glue was perfect for sealing the side and bottom of the container. 

After gluing the leafy top to the inside and filling with candy

I sealed up the top with a mini staple. 

Greeting from For Peeps Sake stamp set. 

 

Happy April Fool's Day, and the 1st day of April. 

 

I'm hoping to come home from the hospital today. 

 

 

Stamping trails

Karen