Craft Supershow, Here I Come!!!

It's time once again to hit the friendly skies, this time to sunny Orlando, Florida!!! As you probably are aware, the CHA (Craft & Hobby Association) trade show is there this summer (they do these shows twice a year - I went in January to California to their winter one). For the first time ever, after the trade show for retailers, manufacturers, members of CHA, etc., they're having a Craft Supershow which will be open to the public. Expected attendance - 6,000!!!

My friend, Betty, owns a craft store called Ye Olde Outhouse. She was asked by the CHA echelon to host some workshops using different techniques and applications, not necessarily just cards, to which she agreed. The team (of which I am part) has been working for months preparing for this event. I will be one of the instructors at the 5 workshops on Friday and Saturday. Betty and Kim (the other instructor) are already in Orlando at the CHA. They drove down with a van jam-packed to the brim with necessities, plus the portable "outhouse" on top! (I'll have to send pics later.) Colleen and I (she'll be working at the booth selling stuff) fly out tomorrow morning. Then Bev, Betty's sister-in-law, is flying in from Colorado to work the booth as well.

This is to let you know that you won't be seeing me online for about a week. Please agree with us that "all will be well" and that the supershow will be a total success for everyone, especially Betty. She's really gone out on a limb for this!

Check out our classes too! Look under Education tab of the CHA Craft Supershow website, then under Ye Olde Outhouse projects!

Wish you all could go too! I'll report in when I return.

2 Special Ladies' Thank Yous

Several weeks ago my youngest son sat at the kitchen table twirling his fingers through my crocheted table cloth while he ate his breakfast! I was devastated when I saw the result of his twirling - a hole the size of a baseball! This tablecloth is special to me because it's a special gift from my husband from one of his overseas trips, India if I remember right.

My friend, Carolyn, who knows everyone, said she had a friend who could fix it. Anna, when looking at the tablecloth, decided this was a job fit for her friend, Rosemary, as it was too detailed and beyond her expertise. Rosemary took the tablecloth, and having just had surgery on her arm, sat for a month repairing each and every stitch! You can't even tell where the hole was now! She did an amazing job! And after it was finished, she then gave it back to Anna who starched & ironed it, preparing it for its return to me!

Neither lady would take any money for their labor saying it was "an act of love" for me, someone they never had even met! So I figured I'd send them a 6-pack of note cards that they could use when sending gifts, a note of thanks, encouragement, whatever!!! While the packets were pretty much the same, there were slight variations with each of the cards.

This is Rosemary's thank you card.









And this is Anna's.











And these are the note packets I sent to each of them for an exceptional job well done!

Thank you ladies! I am so grateful and appreciative for what you have done!

(In case you're wondering what "consequences" my son received for such an act, I withheld his new paintball hopper, bought and sitting in the packaging and very much in my room and out of his hands, until such time as the tablecloth was back in my possession! A lesson well-learned on his part!)

25 Years For Ron & Judy!

25 years ago our friends, Ron & Judy, began pastoring their church near Buffalo, NY. To commemorate their silver anniversary at Love Joy, I made them this black & white card using lots of silver brads on the crossed score lines!!!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to two very special people!!!

Janet's Corrosive Creations Challenge #20

"WHO LET THE DOGS OUT?" is the theme for this week's challenge over at Janet's Corrosive Creations Challenge Blog. I had fun with this one too. I even dug out (no pun intented) an old SU set that I've used many times on other projects, but nothing lately.

As you can see, the dogs are out enjoying themselves, as they should be!

Hope everyone has a YAPPY day!!! (sorry, couldn't help myself)

Stampin' For The Weekend Challenge #7

Here's my entry for the Stampin' For The Weekend Challenge #7. It's actually a birthday card I did for one of my SBS sisters. Sun, Sand & Surf make one happy adventure for me and fits the song title "Seasons in the Sun" by Terry Jacks. There were 2 other song titles to base your card on too..."Tangled Up In Blue" by Bob Dylan and "Three Times A Lady" by the Commodores.

Hope you're enjoying summer where you are!

A Couple of Recent Projects

I've spent alot of time lately on my Harley lately so I've not posted anything in a few days. But in between road trips I have created some things, which I'll show you over the course of a few posts.

This first card is for our Assistant Pastor and his wife's anniversary coming up on the 18th. I used some of the new 2009-2010 In Color colors and DSP. Very simple.

This next card is another simple one for one of my uncles in California.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY UNCLE BOBBY!

We're expecting rain off and on for the next week so I'll undoubtedly be inside more than I'd prefer to be. But that also means I'll be online more seeing what you all have been up to and hopefully showing you my creations!

Have a blessed day everybody!!!

Sketch Saturday #59 Challenge

Here's my entry for the Sketch Saturday #59 challenge. I had so much fun doing this one. Don't you just love that butterfly??? It's dream, I'm sure, is to find one beautiful flower after another! This is actually a birthday card that I'll send to my friend near Syracuse next month.

Time to get ready for church!!! Indeed this is the day the Lord has made...and I WILL rejoice and be glad in it!!! It's a wonderfully-sunny day already, promising more sOnshine throughout the day! Blessings everybody!

Stampin' For the Weekend Challenge #6

The theme for this week's challenge is "Strawberries Dipped in Chocolate," so of course my mind immediately started singing this song, which really has NOTHING to do with chocolate OR strawberries! Here goes...

"When I think about rain, I think about singing,

When I think about singing, it's a heavenly tune.

When I think about heaven, I think about angels,

When I think about angels, I think about YOU!"

I know you're wondering why I would start singing THAT song when I should've been at least thinking about chocolate and strawberries. Well this is how I got there.

"Strawberries," ... mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm!

"Chocolate," ... MMM MMM MMM MMM MMM!

And the 2 together ... "pure heaven," which made me think about the song! Weird, I know!

But the fact that I love this delectable treat also made me think of phileo love, the kind between a husband and wife. And then I thought of Josh & Kelly, our youth leaders, who have an anniversary coming up in a few days. And then I thought, I need to make them a "strawberries dipped in chocolate" kind of card, or something that would fit the theme. So then my song became... (drum roll please)

"When I think about chocolate, I think about berries,

When I think about them together, it's a heavenly tune.

When I think about heaven, I think about love,

When I think about love, Josh and Kelly that's YOU!"

Can you see how I got there from here? You can't? Okay, I'll have to orbit a while longer in my own little world. But at least I'm still singing!

Wedding Card For Our Niece

My husband's brother's daughter (aka "our niece") is getting married on Saturday, the 11th. "Uncle Eric" was asked to officate at the wedding so he flew out to LAX yesterday along with our youngest daughter so he could be there to "do the honors." Deb just wanted to go with her dad.

Here's the card I did for Breanne and Jeff to send with their gift. Her favorite color has always been purple so I of course accommodated her color scheme...only to find out later her wedding colors didn't include purple at all, but rather green and brown!!! Oh well, I tried.

I think this picture is just adorable though, don't you?

I Know What You Must Be Thinking!

Where is she?

Why hasn't she posted anything in more than 2 weeks?

Did she run away from home?

"On the run" (not from the law OR my family, but on the run just the same).

"Busy. Busy. Busy." ... and ...

"No" are the answers to those questions (though running away from home sounded like a good idea on more than one occasion!).

Truly, the operative word behind all my musings these past couple of weeks is

being just plain busy. I've really had no time at all to do much crafting.
Ever since my hubby's birthday I've had one thing after another to either attend, take care of, administer, figure out, fetch, plan for or accommodate.

Thankfully I have been able to leave comments on a few blogs, but that's about it.

Hopefully today will mark the end of the lull in the "Sofa Lady news" department.

Lest you think it's been all work and no play, let me show you a couple of pics of my adventures on the 4th of July. Several of us gathered for a ride from upstate New York to the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania - 110 miles one way! It was fabulous!!! The only thing that would've made it even better was if my hubby could've gone too. Unfortunately he had to man the home front and finish the bathroom remodel. (Bummer, I know. I so missed him!) Here's just a couple pics of that day:

This is our group standing in front of the overlook.

We look like a motley bunch, don't we?

And this one is what we could see from the "lookout" point.

Simply beautiful!

I had to get this shot too because it shows how even the guys were taken up with the awesomeness of the view!

And yes, I did manage to get this card done in the midst of my crazy life.

It's for our former pastor's birthday whose big day is July 3rd.

I usually do stars & stripes or red, white & blue, but this year I thought I'd do something totally unrelated to the Independence Day holiday.

I can't imagine what he must've thought as he opened it from his mailbox, but that's okay.

It's the thought that counts, right?

I trust everyone is off to a great new week!!!