more card creations

Its been an odd couple of weeks...with things converging into this weekend in particular.

Yesterday 'the Gang' said a very sad goodbye to Paula - after an eventful Spring and Summer last year we noticed that she had lost quite a dramatic amount of weight - we presumed it was down to her recently stressful personal life.  

At the beginning of November and continued weight loss she was diagnosed with IBS. 

One month and a 2nd opinion later, she received the devastating news that she actually had ovarian cancer. 

From that day (19th December 2013) on, she argued and fought it every step of the way.  The prognosis was never very hopeful, even from the outset the doctors thought she had six months to a year at best.  As much as she fought and sought 2nd opinions and argued and challenged different treatments and 'trials', she very sadly lost her fight just 23 weeks and 1 day later on the morning of 30th May 2014.

and yesterday, we had to say a final goodbye to her.

We'd all chipped in for a small floral arrangement - a hydrangea for Paula in her favourite blue, surrounded by nine white roses - one from each of 'the Gang'... the original arrangement was made by the floristry team where I work, which my sister and I 're-arranged' to something more suitable and like we had in mind. As the floristry team are 'students', they don't have 'cards' as you would get in a more professional shop, so I decided to make a card for the gang to sign... I was very pleased with the result...I think she would have liked it...

the remembrance card...watercolour on card

the original arrangement - not 'quite' what we requested - but otherwise still beautiful

the arrangement mark 2 - which is more structured with just the 1 hydrangea head

I'm sure Paula would've approved :-)

Now I'm about to get ready to go out with 'the Gang' to celebrate a birthday - it had been arranged before we lost Paula, and the birthday girl was going to postpone - but the rest of us have put a stop to all that - we need to go out as a group and enjoy all that life is - grab each day and celebrate every opportunity you get - just like Paula would have done.

homemade birthday card...

Was a gorgeous day today - and while I had an eight hours delivery time slot to wait for, I thought I make a little homemade birthday card for my friend Rose - a little bit of cutting out, hand sewing on the applique and a healthy amount of Spray Mount to attach it to the card!!!!

Pleased with the results - its now busy laying flat to dry off properly...then I'll write my birthday wishes in it.

It's been a short weekend for me...only the two days (had a lot of l-o-n-g weekends for while due to the need to use up some well earned annual leave from work!) ... and went to a friends wedding reception yesterday...so feeling a little 'delicate' today, then all of a sudden, it was Sunday Evening and the weekend was all but over!

tiny bit of tinkering...

Had a day off work today ... on the quiet...was up with the lark and had the weeks shopping done and dusted and back home with a cuppa in hand by 10.00!!, pottered about the house and prepped a half leg of lamb (its been bubbling away in the slow cooker now for 5 hours - the kitchen smells divine!!) for tonights meal, and caught up with all my housework by midday...

so while I enjoyed some of my 'art' programmes (I really need to be inspired - there's an exhibition I'll want to put some bits into in October/November)... I thought I put a tiny little embellishment on my Nieces apron:

a little bit on hand sewing - think it adds to the 'patchwork' request she had made...

Its her birthday tomorrow - so this really is the last bit of tinkering I shall do on it!

and for the birthday card....

My middle niece is one for the 'handmade'....so, along with the dressmaking patterns she wanted and the handmade apron, I also made her her very own hand drawn/decorated 21st birthday card....

hope she likes it :-)  (I suspect the bundle of cash that'll be going in it will help too!!)