The Final Installment - Ornamentally Speaking, that is

This particular image shows five ornaments I decided were the best for the swap. I really like the way they have turned out. They are on bamboo tiles and the images come from a number of stamp companies. I should have scanned them before attaching the ribbon as it makes the image messy.

Ornamentally Speaking - Take Four

This was a wonderful idea in theory. I just didn’t seem able to make it come to life the way I wanted it to.

I used an old Christmas card. Backed it with cardstock and put lace around the edges. The lace does not show up good in the scan but that is okay because it is the lace that has disappointed me the most.

 

Ornamentally still - set two

I have yet to post the pic of the ornaments I sent off in the swap but am still working through getting more done to send/give to the kids.

These were precut wooden shapes. They did not have lines to decide what goes where. They are done in Sharpie permanent marker.

Ornamentally speaking, my dear Watson

As part of, though sort o separate, the charm swap also has an ornament portion. I also have two adult children who will be celebrating their first Christmas in their own houses/apartments. So…I have been making ornaments.

This is a circle ornament that is decoupaged with a bright green tissue paper. I really like the look but think it may need a second coat or third coat of tissue paper.

Ornamentally still - set three

Still not the swap items but these are ceramic casts. I bought them ages ago and used Sharpies to color them in also. I am much better with a Sharpie than a paint brush.

I Never Knew

When I started walking again for exercise over the summer, I never knew I would become hardcore. I am up to running most of my mileage - or at least the majority each day - and am still outside despite the wonderful upstate NY temperatures.

When I started exercising again, I began as part of the Shape Up Broome challenge. I, though, am not motivated by community wide challenges I have decided. I set up a group, got members and never entered a single step into the site. Not a good leader.

The end of September, beginning of October - after that soul searching 46th birthday - I decided I needed to be more consistent. I began with walking at least 2 miles every day. I did this for myself but also for my family and friends. I have many health strikes against me but the worst is probably the fact that both my parents are diabetics. I have carried extra weight since having six kids in ten years and well, I MUST exercise.

What I didn’t know when I started this preventative exercise to help keep at bay the lovely things heredity will one day bring on me is that I would over the last eight weeks walk and run, combined, almost 110 miles. I didn’t realize I would be compelled to purchase new running shoes and actually keep track of the mileage on these shoes.

I definitely never knew that I would walk on three state highways (NY 26, 38B, 62), four county roads and at least one small town road.

I never knew that I would spend a quick 30-45 minutes every day on a sensory tour.

I saw the change of the seasons up front. One day, I even took a slower walk, no running, so I could take my camera along and click a few shots here and there as the sun finally peaked over the hills to the east and shone on the fall leaves to the west. I saw a flock of wild turkeys parading along the forest path, heading down to the creek. I saw a white-tailed doe in someone’s garden. I was quiet enough I could have almost touched her before she turned tail and ran. I saw plenty of fuzzy caterpillars signalling the end to fall and the encroaching winter that would make me think twice about being outdoors to exercise. I have seen blue herons on the creeks nearby.

I smelled the rain, the snow one day and the scent coming from wood burning stoves and heaters starting for the first time in a year.

I heard the school busses and their children heading to school. I heard the siren from the local volunteer fire station whistle at noon. I heard, and saw, a fight between a hawk and two crows over someone’s spilled garbage. I have heard the dripping of water in the creeks when there is little to none. I have, also, heard the rushing of the water after an all night rain as the creeks are filled to the banks and then a bit more.

I have run in shorts and tank tops, tee shirts and shorts, tee shirts and warmups, and in several layers with gloves and earmuffs. I have seen the temperatures go from 80F to 29F and still have been outside to get in my exercise.

I have run past the scene of a fire a day after it happened. Several weeks later, there is still a lot of debris being hauled from this house for the garbage truck every week.

I have run past the scene of a fatal car accident. I have seen the accident re-creation crew working to figure out just what went wrong to cause this car to be put on a tow truck in pieces and for its passengers to leave the scene in either ambulances or a hearse.

I never knew that exercise would mean and be so much to me.

It’s A Charmed Life, Final Installment

Yes, these beauties are the final installment in my “it’s a charmed life” posts. I am in a swap and these little cuties had a hoop attached so they can be put on a charm bracelet and mailed off.

Each charm was created with shrink plastic. The punch is A Whale of A Punch tag punch. I, then, used a hole punch to create the hole for the charm attachment.

The Christmas tree is a Stampin’ Up! stamp from the Year Round Cheer set. It is stamped in Brilliance ink in Pearlescent Jade. The edges of the charm are edged with a Sharpie in metallic gold.

The gingerbread man is from some Stampin’ Up! set whose name I no longer have. It is stamped in Brilliance ink in Cosmic Copper. The edges of the charm are edged with a Sharpie in metallic copper.

The snowflake is one of the first stamps I ever owned. It was bought through a fundraiser from some company in Rochester, NY when my kids were in Catholic schools. I have no idea who the manufacturer is. It is stamped in Brilliance ink in Mediterranean Blue. The edges of the charm are edged with a Sharpie in metallic silver.

It’s A Charmed Life, Part 2

I have mailed off the actual charms that are going to be used for the swap I am in but I am slowly putting out there my initial attempts.

This particular view I call “Charms Gone Bad.” I forgot which side I wanted to put the image on the shrink plastic for a couple so you don’t see an image on both sides. A couple more - duh! - have words on them. Well, unlike a mirror image of a graphic, words look funny backwards or in a mirror. And the final gone bad was freehand. I like it but it is not fantastic which is what I was aiming for.

It’s a Charmed Life

I had this idea for a charm. I thought it was going to be perfect. It was going to be on shrink plastic - the only possible detriment. I have a problem determining how large things need to be in shrink plastic, prior to shrinking, to get them the size I want to start. Well, the charm above is too big. I am going to work a bit more - maybe even making another this size as my 13 year old swears this is perfect for my earrings.

Before Football Activities

I spent a good portion of the time prior to the 3:30 kickoff in the WVU-UConn game working on Christmas crafts. I have to finish up some ornaments for a swap and charms for a swap so was looking to add some pizzazz!

I also wanted to get some door hangers done. The ones above are the start. There are four of the Ho, Ho, Ho ones that are going back to Niagara University with my daughter. She and her three RA friends are going to have them on their doors for the time being.