"Hippy" to be Back

Well..... I'm ba-ack!  My Hip Replacement operation went well, there was more damage to the joint and femur (because of the Necrosis) than expected so my surgeon said it was "technically challenging" - he also said it was good of me to make it an interesting day for him... as he's GORGEOUS I said I was happy to oblige :-))  I was up on Day 0 on crutches and home on Day 3. something of a Poster Girl for the more difficult Posterior Approach.... then again I'm probably 20 years younger than the average candidate, lol.  More on that later.  The card I have today is the second of my inspiration projects for the Card Mania Challenge, the theme this week is Buttons; I was supposed to post it yesterday but, well, forgot eeek... so here it is now.

 I made a double easel card, I've only made one of these before, not sure why... I quite like them.  I used heavy textured burgundy (or is it ruby) card as the base; it definitely was better at not flattening out than the last one I made though it does still 'wilt' a bit.  The decorative papers were all from Kaisercraft's Gypsy Sisters pad - it's a real feast of texture, with flocking. sparkle and gloss featuring generously, the shaped borders are die cuts from the pad too. Divas by Design want to see texture, I'm in! 
I've used this colour combo before, though with the emphasis reversed (here's a link if you're interested) and I do really like it; Top Tip Tuesday and Delightful Challenges want to see our Favourite Colour Combinations so I'm entering there and That Craft Place has Girly but no pink, so in there too,

Now,the buttons - after all that's what the challenge is about!!  The beautiful turquoise and gold filigree buttons featured on the back layer have been in my stash for YEARS... originally I was going to make earrings from them.  I added a red pearl to the centre to tie them in with the colour scheme.  For good measure I added some tiny red buttons to the panel at the front, the scroll embellishment featured there is a self adhesive strip that I coloured with a Red Copic.
The image is from Milk n Coffee, who are the sponsors of the challenge this time around, it is "Tiffany with Champagne"  I coloured with Copics and Prismacolor pencils, adding gloss to the glass and cherry, Metallic gel pen to the necklace and Stickles to the earring and shoes

I cut the image panel with Nestabilities Standard Ovals die (leaving the base of her dress "outside" of course) the turquoise (actually it's called Tiffany, so more appropriate than ever) mat was cut using Nestabilities Scalloped Ovals and the Burgundy (ruby?) mat was cut with a Nestabilities Floral Ovals die.  The sentiment is from Craftworks Cards.

I added a jotting panel to the back of the card, I found last time I made one of these cards having the jotting panel on the inside meant you're flattening it out all the time making it harder to get it to stand to attention!  The floral oval is one of the die cuts that came in the Gypsy Sisters pad, I added some pearls to finish it all off... Done!!
I'm entering Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge Patterned Paper Challenge, and Crafty Calendar has this Bingo Board - I've used Die Cuts/Sentiment/Pearls
Seize the Birthday has an Anything (Birthday) Goes so I'm entering there and Through the Craftroom Door, Bizzy Becs, Whimsy Inspirations Challenge, Addicted to  Stamps, Art by Miran and Aud Sentiments all have Anything Goes challenges running so I'm entering them too.
Well that's it for today, pop over to the Card Mania blog and check out the rest of the button-y goodness. Hope you get a chance to enter the challenge too.
I'm done, the one thing I've really felt since this operation is what is a well known side effect; the energy drain.  I had the Posterior Approach for my surgery, leaving me with a bigger wound/scar, more muscle injury and more precautions but giving the surgeon a better working field - you don't second guess your surgeon on these things, so I was happy to go with his advice.
I am walking on one crutch only for most of the time, two when I'm on uneven ground and I'm taking no painkillers at all during the day, so I'm doing pretty well.... yet I can't seem to avoid the energy drain; it hits hard and fast and wipes me out, all I can do is nap.  I am getting better each day, doing Physio and walking as much as I can.  As the leg feels stronger and all the bruising and incidental stuff goes I feel generally better.  I hope to get some time in which I manage to stay awake and actually craft, I can't drive for another three and a half weeks at least, and my surgeon wants me to observe the precautions such as sleeping on my back (hate it!) not bending past 90 degrees etc for 12 weeks - which seems interminable.  I'm sure I'll survive :-))
Until next time, Happy Crafting, Donna