Eclipse

Tiny image of a crescent is to the right of the arrow.

We saw the eclipse tonight – well, as none of us had welding glasses or other appropriate eclipse-viewing gear, what we saw was the projected image of the sun partially blocked by the moon.

Witnessing the alignment of three celestial bodies (Sun,Moon & Earth) was pretty cool.

It was a busy day of running errands and I hadn’t really made any plans but as the time got close, Rem found some information on pinhole viewing on the Exploratorium’s website.  We went for the quick and easy directions: one piece of card stock with a square cut out of it.  A piece of foil taped over the square and a pinhole poked in the foil.  That was our projector.  A piece of white card stock was our screen.

Easy peasy.

It was windy out and we learned it was easier to use card stock with the pinhole and project the image onto a wall.

Can you see the crescent?

Even easier was the suggestion to align your fingers in a crosshatch pattern and look at the light coming through the resulting pinholes.

You can see blurry little crescents formed as the semi-blocked sunlight shines through my fingers onto a wall.

Our little science moment!  It was fun, it was interesting and we were talking with our neighbors, a nice benefit.

The site also mentioned looking at light coming through tree leaves.  We first noticed this on the sidewalk but then our attention was caught by the play of light and shadow on a wall across the street.

Not a dramatic “ring of fire” photo, but as the moon and sun got into alignment and the sky darkened, it was pretty cool to view this natural phenomena.

What was your eclipse experience?

Thanks for stopping by.

30 Days of Creativity 2012…Coming Soon

30 Days of Creativity is coming and I’ve decided to participate again.  It was a wonderful experience last year.  It was also a challenge.  Could I get something made?  Every day?   The idea is simple: create stuff, anything, everyday, for 30 days.  Of course you also want to post what you create so you can share it and it does take time.

So I’ve decided the best way to approach it this year is with more planning.  I’ve started a list of projects that I hope to tackle.  I’m making sure I have supplies on hand. And if a project is something that I can’t finish in one day (or fraction of a day because, after all, I will still be doing everything else that I normally do, like going to work), I will count the partial project as one day and the finished project as another.

You can do it too.  Here is their site: http://30daysofcreativity.com/

Wish me luck!  Thanks for the visit.

Mother’s Day Roundup

A great picture of my mom with my sister and I taken over 50 years ago. I’m in the middle.

Mom, Mother, Mommy, Mama, Ma, Anne, Mutter, Maji, Mai, Emak, Mamma.

Whatever you call your mother,  here are a few ideas for ways to express your love and gratitude this Mother’s Day. (Click the links to get directions.)  Scroll back to my most recent posts to see the Mother’s Day Butterfly Card and Jewel Box Envelope and Card.

Here is a very pretty Mother’s Day Hat card  with swirled paper roses from last year.

Heart Strings – sweet strings of hearts cut from old books and sheet music.

Muffin Cup Quiche would be nice for brunch or breakfast in bed.

How about a nice picture  of you in this Rolled Page Picture Frame?

This sweetheart was born last year on Mother’s Day. Happy Birthday, Manek!

A favorite poem or song can be enhanced with this Doodle Heart Background.  If you can doodle, you can do this project!

A jar of this delicious, dark, buttery Caramel Sauce to put over ice cream (or pound cake or crepes or in a spoon) would be a sweet gift.

Finally, how about making the Russian Nesting Dolls (Matryoshka) card set?  With a mama doll card holding a pocket of smaller dolls, this set is made for Mother’s Day!

Whatever you make, I hope you make it a good one for your mother.

Now eat your vegetables …and thanks for stopping by.

Mother’s Day Butterfly Card

Mother’s Day is the second Sunday in May, which this year will be May 13.  I think flowers are always wonderful for Mom and this pretty card has flowers and a pop-up butterfly.  The butterfly is made of vellum. Only one wing is glued down to the paper so the other wing is free.  It looks beautiful, and though it does take some cutting of small pieces it really isn’t hard.

Flowers are either cut from flower-patterned paper or stamped and cut out.  Colored card stock is the base of the card with a piece of white so your colorful flowers and butterfly will stand out. Blossoms are arranged in one corner of the card with a few on pop-up dots for depth. The vellum butterfly is stamped or traced, colored and cut out then put into place fluttering over the flowers.  Accent the card with a ribbon and perhaps some glitter or gems.

Mother’s Day Butterfly Card

Supplies:

Vellum Paper I use 17 lb. letter weight  (Stampin’ Up)

Butterfly Rubber Stamp

or

Butterfly Image that can be traced onto the vellum

Ink I use both ink pads and colored markers

Card Stock white and colors

Printed Paper with Flower Design

or

Flower Rubber Stamp

Scissors

Double-Sided Adhesive (My favorite is Tombo permanent)

Ribbon

Pop-Up Dots (optional)

Optional Embellishments:

Glitter and Glue Pen

Self-Adhesive Gems or Pearls

Small Hole Punch for Dianne Dots

Directions:

Stamp butterfly on vellum.  If stamp design is mainly an outline I stamp in black or other dark ink.  If the stamp has a more filled-in design I use colored markers to color directly on to stamp.  If you do this, be sure to breathe a huff of breath onto the stamp to moisten the ink before stamping. (I tried to get a picture of this for you but it just looked like I was going to eat the rubber stamp!)

If you don’t have a butterfly stamp, you can print a butterfly image and trace it.  Put the vellum over the image and trace the main lines.

Color the butterfly image.  I think it looks best if you color both sides of the vellum.  I like using some lighter colored markers for  at least part of the wing so that light will still show through.

Carefully cut out the butterfly.  Some of these pictures show both antennae with the vellum cut out around them.  I decided it looked better to draw the antenna onto the card on the side that is glued down.  Figure out which way the butterfly will be placed on the finished card. Cut around the other antenna leaving a small margin of vellum.

A little glitter is a nice embellishment and with a glue pen is easy to add.  Put glitter on the sides of the wings that will face out – in other words, on the wing that will be adhered to the card, put glitter on the top or inside of the wing and on the free wing put glitter on the bottom or outside of the wing.

Once your butterfly is complete, you can create your garden.  If using flower-printed paper, cut out flowers.

If you are using flower rubber stamps you can stamp and cut out the images or stamp some directly on the white card stock and then stamp a few more flowers and leaves on a piece of scrap paper, cut them out and layer them with the others using pop-up adhesive dots.  Add pearls or other gems as desired.

Assemble your flowers in the lower right corner of the piece of white card stock, putting some blossoms on with pop-up dots for dimension.  Add a piece of ribbon (or washi tape) across the bottom, a little ways up from the edge, gluing the ends of the ribbon to the back. Layer the white card stock onto a mat of colored card stock and layer that onto the card.

Fold the vellum butterfly in half. Using double-sided adhesive, coat one wing of the butterfly and stick it in place.  Open the wings and draw the missing antenna onto the white card stock. Fold it back up so it is partially open, ready to alight on a flower.

Finish your card with a greeting inside and your signature on the back.

I’m not sure if the following is really an Irish blessing but it is a sweet sentiment:

May the wings of the butterfly kiss the sun.

And find your shoulder to light on.

To bring you luck, happiness and riches.

Today, tomorrow and beyond.

A small version of this card is simply a butterfly accented with Dianne Dots (a trio of paper dots made using a small hole punch, glued on with a glue pen).

It made a nice gift card for my sister’s birthday.

A very Happy Mother’s Day to my Mom and to all mom’s.

Thanks for fluttering by.

Room With A View

Sometimes you go out to eat and you know you’ll be paying a little extra for the view.

Sometimes it’s worth it.

Rem and I enjoyed our dinner at The Caprice in Tiburon, CA the other evening.  We especially loved the view.

The weather was beautiful.  Boats went by right outside the window.

Angel Island was just over my shoulder.

There was a little regatta.

Dinner was good too.  Not great, but very nice.

But the view…

It was worth it.

We drove around Belevedere before heading home, stopping to take another look at Angel Island.

You can just see the restaurant in this picture, right there at the tip of the land.

We returned home relaxed and well-fed not only from our meal.

Thank you for checking out my post.

Jewel Box Envelope & Card

This is an embellished envelope that looks like a little box.  With a card tucked inside it might be just the thing for Mother’s Day to let mom know what a treasure she is to you.

This envelope is made from card stock and embellished to enhance the illusion of being three-dimensional. I used washi tape, stick-on gems and colored markers for the decorations.

I made a template here for you to make your own jewel box envelope and card.

Jewel Box Envelope & Card

Supplies:

Template

Card Stock

Patterned Paper for front of card (optional)

Scissors

Bone Folder (Useful but optional)

Pencil & Eraser

Ruler

Sticky Tape or other stronger adhesive for the flaps

Double-sided adhesive (My favorite is Tombo permanent)

To Embellish: Washi Tape, Stick-On Gems, Gold or Silver Pen, Colored Markers

Directions:

Print out template and cut out pattern pieces.  Carefully trace around the envelope pattern onto colored card stock. Use a bone folder to score where the dotted lines are indicated on the pattern.  These are fold lines.  If you don’t have a bone folder you can use a letter opener, ruler or popsicle stick to score the fold lines.

Cut out envelope.  Another way to do this is to use tiny dabs of adhesive to adhere the pattern directly to the card stock and cut out the card stock right on the lines.  Tracing around the pattern makes it just slightly larger than the original.

Don’t assemble the envelope yet – it will be easier to do the embellishment before it is assembled.

The card that goes into the envelope can be either a folded card or a tag style card.  In the photos for this project I made a folded card.  If you want a folded card, fold a piece of card stock and put one straight edge of the card pattern right on the fold.  Trace the card and cut out leaving the fold intact.

Washi tape is a great decoration for this Jewel Box envelope.  I picked out a narrow tape with two thin stripes of color and a wider tape with a floral print design.  If you haven’t yet given in to the lures of washi tape, you could cut narrow strips of decorative paper to embellish the envelope.

Crease the envelope piece along the fold lines to see how it fits together but don’t glue it yet.

With a ruler and pencil, lightly draw a line down the center of the front and back of the envelope where it comes to a point.

Refer to photos – this is harder to describe than to do!  Line a piece of washi tape up with the bottom edge of the front, going across the pencil line.  Lightly mark where the pencil line is and cut the washi tape right along the pencil line.  Smooth the tape into place and do the same on the other half so the two pieces meet together in a V in the middle.

Continue to place your washi tape keeping it lined up with the bottom edge of the piece.  I found it easiest to cut or tear a piece of tape slightly longer than what was needed for each section, lay it lightly in place, mark the center line in pencil and lift it up to trim along the line than smooth it back in place.  Once the washi tape is all in place, erase pencil lines.

Fold the envelope together to see where the lid of the box will be when the envelope is assembled.  Keep the trim below that line.

After you finish embellishing the front and back of the envelope, continue to the lid portion, marking with pencil in the same way.

For the lid, I made a diamond shape with the washi tape, following the lines of the paper. I added some bling with stick-on jewels, pearls and flat, sparkly stickers.

Add additional embellishment with gold and colored markers.

Once you’ve finished decorating, fold the envelope and adhere the tabs into place.  Even with careful cutting and folding, you may need to trim places that aren’t quite aligned.

I used decorative paper for the front of my card.  I was delighted to find this great hexagon printed paper in my stash from a recent shopping trip to Scrapbook Territory.  It is Wortley Village 12×12 Victoria Park Paper  by Lily Bee Design.  It went perfectly with the colors and shape of the project.  It’s nice when something works out so well.  Simple trace the shape of the card on decorative paper, cut it out and adhere to the front of the card.

Another variation would be to use washi tape to add a border around the edges of the card.

You can finish the card off by putting a heart on the inside.

Be sure to write a lovely message inside the card to go in your beautiful Jewel Box Envelope.

Thanks for the visit.

Keeping Busy

Spring, in my part of the world, is a time of warming weather and rapid plant growth.  Bees buzz around beautiful, blooming flowers collecting nectar, and birds sing in the trees.

Plants send out tender green shoots and tiny leaves unfurl and seem to grow larger in hours instead of days.

In the face of all this vitality and life it is especially hard to see my dad decline.  He was diagnosed late in May of 2011. So last spring, before we had any idea what was going on, the cancer in him was growing. You can read more about it here. He has now been through a series of grueling treatments.  He was on a feeding tube that has been removed and he’s eating again.  But the illness, chemo and radiation have all taken their toll.

This life limiting illness has been terrible and it is rough watching my dad suffer. My mom has been right there with him, his partner and caregiver through every minute.  Even the five days when he had C. diff. and was in the hospital she was by his side for part of every day.  That was not a respite because he was so sick and we were so worried – anxiety is not a restful state.   It is hard seeing her suffer too.

Now he and my mom have decided to stop the treatment and he is at home under hospice care.  A scan in November showed that the cancer that started in his esophagus had spread to his lungs.  He isn’t eating very much and his strength and stamina have diminished.  He sleeps a lot. Cancer and the treatment he received have aged him.  Chemo has taken most of his hair, beard and mustache.  He has lost weight and he doesn’t look quite like himself.

Yet I’ve found that I get used to each change.  I see the wispy hair and hear the raspy voice but in spite of that I see my dad.  He is funny and ornery.  He is social and loves having his family and especially his wife close by.  We sit by his recliner in turn and visit with him and hold his hand.  We bring meals and recently most of the family gathered for a potluck Easter brunch.  Those who couldn’t make it for brunch visited within the week.

Though I’m in a choir  that sings for those on the thresholds of life, he doesn’t want me to sing for him; he wants me to make him laugh.  I save up funny stories and recount them with animated expressions and silly voices.  He likes to tease and he calls me a smart mouth but I believe he likes that I’ve learned it from him. He loves their dog, Molly, and enjoys watching her antics.

I heard someone use the term “pre-grieving” or anticipatory grief. We feel sad about what has already been lost and as we anticipate the further loss. I have two thoughts about anticipatory grief.   First, I DO feel sorrow, especially when my caring boyfriend or a friend offers a concerned ear. But most of the time I need to make some space for myself away from the sadness. I don’t mean in a stuffing-down-my-feelings way but in a putting-them-to-the side-so-I-can-function at work way.

Most importantly: my dad is still here.  I don’t want to put a lot of focus on grieving.  I want to make the most of every visit to be with my parents without adding to their anxiety or worries.

This is where the keeping busy comes in.  I do my best to maintain a regular physical exercise routine. In a good week I workout at the gym three mornings before work, attend a Jazzercise class one evening with one sister (though she goes more often) and walk every Saturday with my other sister.

Another stress-management tool is my crafting and blogging.  Sitting at my wonderful new desk and spending time creating something is a great distraction that takes my time and energy and results in something that gives me pleasure.  Making something with my hands is usually very calming and brain relaxing.  I sit focused on a project and everything else fades away…at least for an hour or two.

Even though having a loved one fighting cancer has become a lens through which I see things, I know that there is still much to celebrate.  I know my dad wants us to be happy.

Having this blog has been an outlet for me to express and share creative ideas and also to connect with friends and other creative people online.  Being able to communicate the experience of my dad’s illness here with you means I’m able to ease the burden of sadness because I’m not carrying it alone.  The love and support I receive in return is a blessing.

I saw this quote on Pinterest recently and printed a copy for my parents which is now on their fridge.  I need to print it out for myself:

Peace.  It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work.  It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart. ~ Unknown

Thank you for stopping by.  Thank you for your support.