Tilda times two

Tilda times two.  We are having a ice storm/blizzard here in the St. Louis area of the USA so what better than to do than to color up two of my Tilda's!  I joined several image swaps and decided to randomly pull out several images to color.  Here are my results.  Take a look at my roses that I got from Stampin Up-LOVING THEM! 

Let me know which one is your favorite!  Love, Elle

Taylors Birthday Card

I have the sweetest granddaughter, Taylor, that will be celebrating her 6th birthday soon so I thought I would put together a birthday card for the occasion.  I just love this Great Impressions stamp with the basket of hearts.  Taylor certainly has my heart!  Enjoy the card.  Love, Elle

Notice my new Martha Stewart lattice punch?  Love it!  (I'm so full of love today, aren't I? lol)

Quote to ponder

Creativity takes courage
Henri Matisse

Update on my dad

God has other plans.  Dad is still with us.  For some reason unbenounst to us he has survived this far.  Funny how I have reverted back to a little girl as I go thru this process.  I find myself calling him daddy.  I want to crawl into his lap where I belong!  I was always a daddy's girl.  I want to be that once again.  It is hard to watch a parent die.  It is even harder to watch my mom handle her partner of almost 57 years slipping away.  Prayers are needed for my family.  That my dad die with dignity and respect.  That my mom doesn't crumble with the overwhelming loss.  That me and those who love Thomas Max Williamson see the joy in his life beyond our pain.  It is hard to loose my dad.............................Elle

Marley Has Arrived!

Marley has arrived!  I adore this stamp from the Magnolia collection of stamps.  I have been on the lookout for Marley every since I found her in the Christmas Issue of Magnolicious.  Isn't she perfect for this sweet Valentine card?  I used my new Nestability beaded ovals to showcase her.  I am loving my sweet mini doilies for my cards right now and added sparkles with my Glitter pens and some sparlky silver pipe cleaners.  Isn't this so sweet?  Love, Elle

It has been a long time!

It has been such a long time since I posted some pictures that I am going to share two different projects that I have worked on for Christmas and after the holiday.  The first one (nine) were Christmas presents that I painted this year.  I hadn't painted for two years so this was quite and ackomplishment!  Enjoy!

Here is a closer view of just one of them:

After Christmas (actually just the other day) when I was home from seeing my dad (he is hospitalized about 5 hours away from me) I got out some paper, stamps, die cuts, ribbon, punches, and a doily and decided to see what I could come up with.  The wording is from a stampset by Papertrey Inc.  I punched out two sized of hearts and lined them with brown glitter pen.  My goal was to see if I could combine different patterns into a cohesive project.  When I was finished I thought it was missing something to pull everything together so I played with the idea of buttons but found these cute stickpins that worked perfectly.  See what you think.  Love, Elle

Here is a closeup:

Update on my Dad

I thought I would give an update on my dad and explain why, again, I haven't been posting.  Dad is going back downhill fast.  They now give him 2 weeks-1 or 2 months at the most to live.  He can't eat or drink, his heart is working now at only 30%.  Add renal failure and copd that is horrible and increasingly worse there is no longer any hope.  He will be moved to hospice to die.  All I can do now is pray for his peace and dignity and for him to be as pain free as possible.  Please pray for him, too.  Love, Elle

Where have I been?

Where have I been?  Well, it is like this.  My dad almost died last week.  Do you believe in miracles?  The priest read him his Last Rites (a Catholic thing) and the doctor's told us to expect the worse.  He wouldn't make it through the night.  He as on life support and I have never ever seen him look so bad.  Grey.  We gathered together as a family to give him our love and support.  He did, indeed, make it throught the night.  And the next night.  And the next.  He was never alone.  With 5 kids we rotated and took turns being at his bedside.  If love could make him live, then he will live to be 100.  He is 82 years old.  I was not ready to say goodbye.  You see, I love my father.  With everything I am.  He is nos out of ICU and I am back home frantically getting ready for Christmas morning.  All of the presents are made and wrapped.  Baking is being done as I type.  Christmas is good this year.  My father is alive!  lOVE, eLLE

What I'm up to

I haven't posted any pictures in a few days because I have been CRAZY busy.  How about you?  Here is a short list of what is happening in my life:
1.  Painting 9 presents
2.  Making 16 ____ (it is a secret!)
3.  Preparing for my Cookie Exchange party.
4.  Decorating cookie boxes for said party
5.  Making gingerbread sugar cookie ornaments as party favors.
6.  Cleaning my house.  (yes, I said cleaning) lol
7.  Planning my annual Christmas breakfast.
8.  Cleaning and decorating my bff's house for the party.
9.  Preparing the craft class we are doing at the party.
10.  Baking and cooking for my house.
11.  Making whoppie pies.
12.  Making 4-6 dozen cookies for the party using a recipe that grandma used every Christmas.
13.  Not sleeping in order to get things done.
14.  Working out at the swimming pool.
15,.  Making 2 scraplings for a swap with Art For The Creative Mind-a wonderful online group.
16.  Getting something made and ready for my blog post tomarrow or the day after.
HELP!  So much to do and so little time!  Love, Elle

Christmas is in the Air!

Every year, even though I put up my Christmas Tree the weekend after Thanksgiving (in the US), the Christmas season doesn't start for me until I have watched "Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer" on television.  (for the 100th time!).  Gosh, I love that show.  I am busy working on some last minute Christmas cards that I wanted to share with you today.  Of course you already know how much I love the images from Magnolisious!  Today is no exception.  Without further adue let me present Tilda in all her wintry glory!  Love, Elle

I've been practicing my Copic Marker skills!