In Case You Were Wondering...

...where I've been,  my younger son was creating a fantastic crafting space for me which is now finished.  I also just replaced my worn out printer/scanner. It's such a joy to have a place for everything and plenty of space to create!

The first two cards are Newborn Congratulations, the third uses Loreley Sands and Shells, a digital stamp by CS Designs, as is the sentiment, and the fourth is a birthday card for the creator of my crafting space.

The Peter Rabbit background was done with masking and sponging. The frames are SU Framelits Labels, popped up on SU Dimensionals. Peter is also attached with Dimensionals.

This is the first time I've used the babies from the SU set, Baby Firsts, but I've got to find an excuse for using them again--I love them! More babies were stamped on the background, using Versamark ink.

 
The background of the Loreley card was stamped with a PSX sailboat image and Versamark. The sea turtle is also PSX. My first stamps were from that company, which made such quality images. I treasure those I have!
Loreley will be entered in the Art With No Boundaries Bonus challenge, Rhythm of the Sea.

The sun in the birthday card background was made by sponging ink over a circle punched mask. The grass and sentiment are SU Inspired by Nature. I cased this card from Cat Spicer; http://wahoohaven.blogspot.ca/2011/04/live-with-passion.html

23 July 2009--Birthday Boy

Today, my First Born is 45. Still has the same big smile, albeit he has pearly white teeth to show now. The barely-visible, silky hair on his 3-month-old head in the above picture is white. As he grew, the white hair became blonde and visible. When he was born, however, everyone made me furious by saying, “Il est chauve!” (He’s bald!) They’d be almost right today. He’s got that classic Male Pattern Balding going for him, and definitely has more than a few white hairs, too.
I have no brothers or sisters, had never babysat for children under the age of three, so First Born was, to say the least, an entirely new experience. He was also the source of some frightening learning experiences. Like the time I gave him his first bath.
The Canadian Mother’s Handbook said not to give a baby a tub bath until the remains of the umbilical cord had fallen off.
“Spread a large towel on your lap," said the CMH authoritatively. "Place the baby on the towel and carefully sponge him down, avoiding the naval area and being careful not to allow soap to get in his eyes.”
My husband was the oldest of three. His sister was four years younger and his brother almost seven years younger than he. Figuring the whole sponge bath thing would be a piece of cake for him, I stationed him by my side, relying on his (Hah!) superior knowledge to fill in if anything went wrong, I began the ritual. (I learned later that he was never interested in such proceedings being performed on his siblings.)
I undressed our precious FB, placed him on my towelled lap and touched him with the warm, soapy, wash-cloth the CMH had prescribed. Instantly, FB let out a bone-jarring scream. My husband, who could field-dress a moose with only a little assistance, screamed even louder, “Tu lui fais mal!” (You’re hurting him!). FB started sliding off my lap. “Help me hold him!” I screamed back. “Je n’en peux plus!” (I can’t stand it!) my Intrepid Man of the Great North Woods cried as he ran out of the bathroom. I started crying, wrapped FB back up securely and decided the First Bath could wait.
My mother died when I was 5½, and the grandmother who took over raising me had died two weeks before I was married. I called my mother-in-law for help the next day. She calmed me down and had her FB drive her over to our apartment the next day.
She made the whole operation look easy, and gave me the confidence that I could bath FB just as proficiently as she did. I threw away the Canadian Mother’s Handbook, because DML had totally ignored its instructions, and obviously knew better than any handbook I could've turned to.
As for Intrepid Man of the Great North Woods, he developed confidence too, although he never gave baths to either of his sons. He preferred doing the dishes while I did the baths.

There'll be a change in the weather...

Just as the song of the title says, there's been a change in the weather here. I suspect it was blown in by the heavy winds we had yesterday, continuing today. The weatherman says that it's 34°, but feels like 23°. It feels even lower to me! But, as always, there's cause for rejoicing; the colder it gets here, the sunnier it is!
There's a lot of glorious sun out there, trying desperately to warm things up, but the wind has other ideas. Don't you love it when everything works together to create confusion?
The card immediately above, was made for my older granddaughter, who will become a teenager next month. The House Mouse one will be a Valentine for someone.