The TFJB Challenge Blog Challenge #18; Let's Do It Again!... "Love You To The Moon And Back"

    Oh my goodness; those Grandbabies of ours! I always said that we were blessed with our Sons, and then they in turn, blessed us with Daughters. But Grandchildren just have to be straight from GOD to our heads as crowns of rewards! These first two are just too precious for words, and it's got us looking very forward to adding the third baby come November! I keep trying to think of the words that fit the emotions of love you feel for these tiny humans who seem to just latch onto your hearts even more than your own babies did- IF that's even possible! But, oh, that first time they look straight into your eyes, grab onto your finger, and especially- that first smile and laugh... pure Heaven!
     Honestly, when The Funkie Junkie Boutique Challenge Blog announced the theme for this one; I knew there would be MANY things I wanted to do - or more aptly put; Redo. After all, everyone just loves a 'Do-Over' and it's only a repeat of previous fun, right? But what if there's something you never seemed to get right, and you just wanted ONE more chance... or two. Or three. I've included at least 2 techniques in this project that I really enjoy doing. And, let's be fair here; the one thing I really hated doing was going to either make- or break- this project with my constant failure to make it turn out right. So lets jump right in and see what happened...

I started by getting out everything I knew I'd want to use for the background

I've been wanting a do-over on.

This time around...I really REALLY worked that ink in!

I took my time and just kept blending the colors I wanted and 

worked in a shape of a highlighted area to look like ground-meets-sky.

Think "Joshua Tree National Park at dusk".

Then I took an old toothbrush and slowly worked on spraying the top to middle sections. 

Next was trimming away the excess to form a large Tag.

Then using a TH Stencil- Dot Fade- to add a little bit of highlights,

and used the TH Spritzer to lightly spray some Distress Black Soot Marker around. 

Edging the Tag with the TH Distresser and then giving it a depth with some

TH Distress Regular Ink in Black Soot.

Some TH Paperie in Correspondence made a good background trim-

as well as support cardstock backing.

A Bestie (who is an extremely talented painter), suggested adding some highlight in white paint,

so I used a bit of TH Distress Paint in Picket Fence with a tiny headed paintbrush.

After Distress Inking and heating, I kept crumpling, sprinkling water, and reinking,

until I got the desired look I wanted- on BOTH sides of the paperie.

This side would be the FRONT trim around the Tag...

...and this was planned for the BACKSIDE of the entire Tag.

I gathered everything I thought out in my head as to what was going to be the theme.

I began with the main feature- the MOON.

Inking, embossing, drying, until it was perfect- in MY eyes, anyway.

Then, it was taking the TH Dolls out to play again.

This is what happens when you put all your TH Dolls away,

and keep feeling throughout the day that SOMETHING is in your shoe,

but each time you take it off, you find nothing.

Because she finally fell off my foot and I was able to catch her and put her back

into the package from which she'd escaped. 

I sincerely hope she didn't get upset at the ones I ultimately chose... & go after them.

Luckily for those chosen; they have copies LARGER than her! lol!!

After putting some sets of TH Transparent Wings to a few 'kids' TH Dolls,

I chose a young couple just married- and added some bits of color to the flowers 

with Distress Markers (Spun Sugar, Peeled Paint, Barn Red, and Mowed Lawn).

And I wanted to use some Flower Soft I got earlier this spring on a Destash.

(THANKS 7 Crafty Sisters !!! LOVE you gals!!)

THEN I finally got ready for the MAIN (dreaded!) EVENT;

Tim Holtz's Chalk Embossing Technique.

CLICK HERE for TECHNIQUE

Back in 2014, during the making of that Tag; I actually gave up

and just used white embossing. But- like any perfectionist- it stuck in my mind.

Starting out, I cut 4 pieces of black cardstock, thinking I'd get a good one by the 4th try.

Hahahahahahahahaha !! Right.

I did this step EIGHT TIMES until I got one I thought was going to work out ok.

Again- I did this step also 8 times...

… and each time, I THOUGHT I got it right.

But along the way, I learned a couple of things:

1) keeping the stamp clean is an easier way to avoid a messy looking blob...

… and much like humans- stamp pads aren't perfect either.

2- A big lesson was learning to LOOK at the shape of my pads in order to make sure the ink

was correctly covering all of the stamp's face. That helped a lot!

It was important to get the right amount of ink in order for the

TH Distress Embossing Powder to stick.

3- get the TIM HOLTZ DISTRESS POWDER!

I found that most of my problem was from the "other" powders- they just weren't the same.

Out of 8 tries, I let the ChiefHubby choose which looked best.

He chose the same one I thought was best- the very last one.

It was time to add a few touches of more Do Over... a leftover TH Faceted Heart

became a faux rusty heart.

And some TH Crinkle Ribbon (SCORE!!) treasure found at Tuesday Morning...

...along with HUGE TREASURES of TH Assemblage (SCORE!!!) found their

way into my cart veeeery quickly!

I had a good idea I was going to use at least one of these on THIS very project!

And lastly; one more Do Over on the backside:

Cutting out a silhouette using a photo. 

I actually found a color cut of one I did earlier and thought I'd go ahead and use it

as a "then" in color up against the silhouette of a black "now". 

The idea came together in a pretty cool way.

The babies have grown- all three with the last in utero-

but this Memaw has managed to lose 25 pounds since this photo.

Doctor's orders, with another 18 pounds to go. Fun. But I feel better!

Here's the end result:

FRONT

BACK

Transparent Wings got them up there!

Rusty faux Faceted Heart...

with that TH Crinkle Ribbon; yesssss!

That Assemblage was perfect to show off

"The Cutest Grandbabies in the WORLD"!

Texture on the moon is dope!

My fave IdeaOlogy: TH Heart Charms.

And a camera charm- clearance deal from The Funkie Junkie Boutique!

That sweet seal again.

Flower Soft just ROCKS!!

Not too shabby a job!

I figured out how to just GENTLY rub the chalk, not SCRUB!

The fun of an interactive flap on a Tag...

And that's a wrap for this Challenge!

Big THANKS to TFJB Challenge Blog Design Team for the

beautiful inspiration they always have, and for the work they put into it all!

Another THANKS to

The Funkie Junkie Boutique

for sponsoring the Gift Certificate drawings each time!

I've been asked WHY I only follow one Challenge Blog/

The answer is simple:

I found it at a time when I was ready to 'go public' with my crafting.

The site was helpful and the people were all VERY ENCOURAGING!

I have since made many friends through The Funkie Junkie Boutique and Blog,

and following just the one has been more than enough for me.

I am very blessed to be able to do just that, and it's been all GOOD!

BE SURE: to check back in on

Thursday; August 29th,

when I will be Guest Designer for 

TFJB Challenge #19!

Until then...

Be Safe &

HAPPY BLOGGING!

The Funkie Junkie Boutique Challenge #17 (A Second Entry!)... "Ode To Dr.B"

   This was a year for a lot of changes in our family; the first Baby Girl in 54 years, a second Baby Larimore (It's a BOY!) due this fall, and, for myself, a lot of upheaval in he health aspect of things. This past winter was not the best I've had and getting through the changes in my meds was nothing short of horrible. But, I am very thankful it's bee quite some time since I've had such a rough year- with several surgical/invasive procedures. The meds are all back on schedule and I am finally settling in somewhat better. But, I'd be remiss if I didn't thank one particular person who's been my main PCP (Primary Care Physician) since the Fall of 1983- we've fondly called him "Dr.B" ever since the boys were small and saying his full name was a bit much for them. So the nickname stuck. There was only a short period of time when we didn't go to him, for about 18 months during the time our firstborn Son came along, simply due to a health care plan change that was forced on us by the ChiefHubby's job at that time.  Once the Dr who delivered him, of course- clear in another county- dropped his practice on us 6 weeks after delievery, we contacted our then-Insurance to practically BEG to be able to go back to Dr.B. They agreed, especially after the sudden drop with a preemie baby! We'd begun seeing Dr.B in the first place because the doctor I had was who delivered me when I was born, and was actually past retirement, already having told me that he didn't expect to deliver my babies. So after making the rounds of available doctors, the ChiefHubby's Mom told me about this guy. She'd gone to see him once: he was fresh out of Med school/Residency, was nice, was young (not too much older than my CH actually), and had a young family of his own. So our plans of having kids would fit right in with his own experiences that I felt were a bonus. Not too long after my first visit with him, CH's Mom got upset with him and refused to go back. He'd told her the plain truth; move it or lose it. She was very obese and didn't like to be physically active. He was right- she'd had severe problems the last 5 years of her life, and died 3 days after her 70th birthday. We've made it our own goal to always be active- with our kids and now with our Grandkids. But, she started me going to Dr.B, and I'm grateful to her for that. 
         Last Fall, when I had another appointment to help figure out all the problems that were cropping up, a KID walked into my room! I knew it then; Dr.B was OVERdue for some time of his own- retirement was coming up. He'd walked in after the kid did, and replied to my question about it- June 2019 would be his last month. I guess you could say that I felt a bit sucker-punched, even though I knew it was coming at some point. But, how do you replace a true, one-in-a-billion GEM?!
He'd helped me find my RA Specialist, took awesome care of every single one of our family of four when each of us were hospitalized, and was usually more right than wrong, without lording it over me with he was right, and the first to admit he might be wrong. He helped me through the rough parts of Mommyhood, while having my back with "Whatever gets you ALL through the night- so that you ALL get some sleep," when I had others actually picking apart what we did with our kids when we had the younger Son on a breathing machine 24/7/365 for 4 years. He usually tried to get us to try a  'home remedy" first, then try this on the next appointment until it healed, and not just pile on the "take 2 pills and call me next year" the way we heard so many other folks speak about their caregiver.  Oh yeah....he actually saved my life.
       The year 2002 was the start of some tough years in my life; beginning with the loss of our 2 sets of Grandparents (1 each year for 4 years), and then falling off the tread mill from severe chest pains in the fall of 2004 led to a couple of surgeries I was NOT ready for. But then, when you look forward to a certain age saying "This year- my 40th- is gonna be FANTASTIC!" while on your 8 mile a day run... only to have it all come crashing down; sucks to put it mildly. Turned my world upside down. EVERY PERSON has skeletons in the closet- especially us Christians; the worst of all sinners among who I am the worst. And I thought I'd kept those things far from my life and they didn't "bother" me anymore. But as I was supposed to be healing from the surgeries, my body had other ideas. I got down to 98 pounds (I was 5 ft 6 in) and could hardly move. And...I didn't really want to, either. Here I was, living the American Dream: a happy marriage, two gifted/talented boys, a nice home that I stayed in as a Housewife with a ChiefHubby who had a very good job with excellent benefits and free family Insurance to cover all the problems that mostly just the younger Son and I both had. But, I couldn't get "back into the Saddle of Life". On a post-op visit to Dr.B, I finally was able to just crash and burn- I spilled my guts out and felt so ashamed that even the love I feel for my own family just....wasn't enough to make me think life was better being ALIVE. He sent me to the Christian Counselor who worked in his office. And she helped me help MYSELF see there was a light at the top of the deep hole I was in. She helped me understand that I had a CHOICE, and more importantly: I HAD to MAKE a CHOICE, and I DID have something to still live for. It's still one day at a time- even 15 years later. But I know GOD still has plans for me- even when the plans get a little off the track. HE still has a great life for THIS life planned for me- as well as an offer for the NEXT life, as long as I take HIM up on that.. each and every day.
          So, THANKS, Dr.B!!! And THANK YOU! to your family for all the times you were called away from them. For all the things you missed (and even that golf game the ER paged you from when the train hit me in Clymers in 1991). For all the times you wished you could just NOT answer that phone, but you DID because you cared as a Doctor for others. And- for all the money that you paid for the training you took to become a Doctor. So many others pass that up, and I know it takes a special person to choose that field. 

                                       Here's what I made:

      The Funkie Junkie Challenge Blog asked everyone to include some kind of metal in their project. Since I worked with foil in the other project entered I wanted to do a second with Tim Holtz IdeaOlogy- my fave stuff! So, let's get to the photos...

Finished Photos:

There will be another Challenge posted soon and then the one after that...

I'll be Guest Designer!!

You can check out the other entries, and even see who won the PRIZE from

Challenge Blog Sponsor; The Funkie Junkie Boutique.

ANYONE can join the fun- ANYTIME!

Till next post...

Be Safe and

HAPPY BLOGGING!