Cards

 Last Spring I made up a box of photo and watercolor cards fronts that needed to be squared up and matted.  They will eventually be cards.  I like playing with paper.  

I played with them half the afternoon until Far Guy said lets go get some food.  I think he was hungry!  It was a nice day to sit outside on the patio at our favorite Sunday lupper place. 

So we had a quiet day, great lupper and a really nice nap.  My other baby brother and she who sees robins first stopped by to visit, my baby brother and his bride stopped by when I was doing my PT exercises so I missed saying Hi to them. The newest PT exercise has me hurting a bit more than usual.  Hopefully after a few more days it will get better.  It is doing Clamshells with a resistance band. 

Minnesota Weather: High 78 F or 26C  Low was 54F or 13C eh! 

Happy first day of September!

Far Side

The Cards

 Here are the Christmas cards that I made this year.  The best laid plans and all that.  I wanted a vintage looking card.  I bought the wrong cards...they were like a postcard with an envelope...oh well.  

I stamped them on the back

Then I created the front of the card on the homemade watercolor cotton paper.  

It was a process; the top card is the background, at the left trees are added and at the right I stamped Merry Christmas. 

Then it was time for the gouache...I had never used it before...but it makes great snow.  

Boy did it snow...on the cards, on the table and on me...it was a wild time. 

After the gouache was dry I glued the card to the cardstock and weighed it down...the first batch was a mess...too much glue and I had snow all over the backs of the cards....little white dots all over!  I was not happy luckily I solved that problem by using wax paper between the cards...well wouldn't you know it ...that trapped the moisture from the glue.  Trial and error...what finally worked was using less glue and wrapping each card in a Kleenex and then weighing them down.  

When you have no idea what in the world you were doing it all takes some trial and error.  

Yes all the cards are similar but different...some have more trees and some trees are tall and skinny and some are big and fat...kinda like trees in real life.  

I ordered special address labels...of get this... trees...it would be perfect.  Well those labels went back and forth stuck on a truck that kept circling between Brooklyn Park Minnesota and West Fargo North Dakota for 23 DAYS.  Go figure I finally said "enough" I will use those address labels next year and used some generic not pretty at all labels.  On the way to the Post Office to do the mailing we stopped at our mail box and guess what was there?  If you guessed my labels with trees that were ever so pretty you would be correct. 

All is well that ends well.  126 cards were mailed. 

Far Side

Cards

 I finally caught up with the Thank you cards from my Mother's funeral.  I ran out of the normal cards that the funeral home supplied us with (250 cards), so I watercolored some of my own.  After my siblings and I met to do the original cards from the visitation and funeral, each of us has been in charge of sending out thank you cards to cards we each receive in the mail

I appreciated all the cards and notes I got from blog readers.  It is nice to know that people care enough to send a card. 

Far Guy had a quiet day Sunday, no huge improvements, but no going backwards either.  I still have a lingering cough and fatigue.  But with my Arthritis fatigue is normal.  Interesting fact to note when I was on antibiotics for a UTI for ten days I had no Arthritis pain...now the back, neck, left hip, left knee and left ankle pain is back. 

Far Side

Cards and eggs

 I needed a few more cards.  I ran out of some supplies so Far Guy and I made a trip over to Hobby Lobby.  The supplies I needed were on sale so I stocked up!  We took Sadie along for the ride. 

The Ball jar full of flowers is one of my favorite stamps, it is fun to watercolor. 

I finished making the cards I needed and Far Guy worked on his latest woodcarving. 

We had the Millionaires Supper...eggs and bacon.  Who knew eggs would be so expensive. 

Far Side

Happy Summer

 The other night we took out Ranger Blue and sat in our old driveway and watched the storm roll in. 

Rain and some wind.   It was entertaining. 

When it was so hot I worked on putting together some cards.  I have many of the watercolor/stamps all colored. (last winter I colored many while keeping an eye on Sadie)  I just need to trim them to size and audition mat colors and envelopes and assemble them.   I finished about 25 cards and there are still more that I could do.  

Far Guy has all the blanks cut out for the woodcarved Christmas Ornaments.  He has begun carving. 

It was cooler and windy yesterday after the storms...temperatures were only 77 F or 25 C for a high, but we are headed back up to hot again soon. 

Far Side

Auditions

 With the rainy cooler weather came thoughts of Winter and Christmas...I had stamps waiting on my desk...for Winter and maybe a Christmas Card...so I did some stamping and watercoloring.  The jury is still out on the auditions.   I will try a few more techniques before I make a decision. 

The project kept me out of trouble for almost the whole afternoon.  

I watched a movie on Netflix...  Hampstead.  It was entertaining...I give it an 8 out of 10. Perhaps it is just me but I enjoy movies with older people in them.  It was an easy movie to watch and crochet at the same time.

Far Side

Color

 It is dark and dreary outside...the rain became a bit thick and flake like late in the afternoon yesterday. 

So it was a blah day...I tried to cheer up a bit with some color.

I worked on some watercolor stuff for cards...then I worked on the baby afghan that I would like to finish up this week. 

My work basket is filled with color.  I have enough of this yarn to make several baby blankets.  I crochet while watching TV.

I watched a very strange show on Netflix called I Care A Lot...I give it a 5 out of 10 stars...I should have stopped watching it...but wanted to see how it ended. 

Now for a rant:  Yesterday I saw part of a popular day time show and could not believe the stupidity of some people.   An out of work mother was rationing plastic diapers and letting her child sit in wet diapers because she could not afford to buy enough plastic diapers.  News Flash...buy cloth diapers...wash them, hang them to dry and use them again.  If you cannot afford cloth diapers...use towels...cut apart old flannel shirts...there are many ways to diaper a baby besides in plastic diapers. 

Far Side

Zooming

 We see a number of health professionals via Zoom.  During these Covid times it is a necessity.  Far Guy occasionally has a group from High School that he zooms with.   We also Zoom with friends. 

I attend book club via zoom.   It works for me! When the opportunity to attend a card making class via Zoom cam up I signed up and ordered the kit that was required...the class was free...and given by long time friend and fellow crafter Sarah.

Then our internet went down.   I was so looking forward to the class.  So I asked my other baby brother if I could use his office...and he said "sure."  He even cleared off a section of his desk for me! 

Everything needed was in the kit and it made 16 cards.  They are bright and cheerful cards.  We did four or five cards together over zoom and the next morning I finished them up, added a bit of glitter and when that was dry I added the cards to my new greeting card organizer.  

It was a fun project a little bit different from my photo cards or the watercolored cards.  At the same time that I purchased the card kit a new stamp just jumped into my cart.  

A very Spring like project in the dead of winter! 

We got 2 plus inches of snow Tuesday night, but the sun was quite warm yesterday and the walk and patio are almost clear of snow.

So far so good with the Internet, TV and landline phone...we have fiber optic service...sometimes equipment is just old and needs to be replaced.  Far Guy has been complaining to them for several months to no avail.  So hopefully we can put that all behind us!

Far Side