Farewell to 'Poldo...and a Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Bone Graft

I have a card today that I made for my dear friend on the occasion of her lovely Dad Leopoldo's passing.  He was a really lovely man and is sadly missed

I tend to keep sympathy cards on the simple side, especially those for men.  This time around I used heavy linen card, stamped the trees from Stampin' Up's "Lovely as a Tree" stamp set (I LOVE this set, it was expensive but it stamps so well and I think the images great) with Stazon Timber Brown ink.  I used sponge daubers to colour the background, the linen texture really grabs the ink, looks nice IRL
The (computer generated) sentiment was done using my laser printer, deco foil and a laminator.  I matted the image and the sentiment panel on textured brown/black metallic card and added gold brads to the corners to finish them off.
I used the largest of the stamps to stamp a scene inside the card, masking off one end to extend the scene out to the edge of the card.  There are a couple of "ghost" trees in the background too, though I was nervous, so they are very light, lol
Obviously more colouring with the sponge daubers and Versacolour inks to complete the scene.  The advantage of this technique is that you can write over the top of it... so even though the sky was creeping up the page a bit it really didn't matter - there was plenty of room to write my message
That's it for just about the simplest card you can get!  It did look more impressive in real life... honest :-)  I would like to enter in the following challenges:

As You Like It Favourite: Layers, One or Many and Why... I like patterned paper and like to layer up my cards, but I also love One Layer cards... I just find them "hard", so this is the sort of compromise, lol
Simon Says Challenge Make a Scene

Pile It On Your Favourite Colour - I love "autumn colours", always have :-)

Catch The Bug, Through the Craftroom Door, Digi Choosday, Crafty  Creations, Crafting with Friends Current Challenge, Li'l Patch of Crafty Friends, Polkadoodles, Gem of a Challenge, A Perfect Time to Craft, Creatalicious Challenges and Crafting With Attitude All have Anything Goes

.... and now to the "funny" thing that happened on the way to the bone graft
I was due to get the block bone graft done to my upper central RIGHT incisor on Wed last week.  
When I had the Cone Beam scan done that determined the extent of the bone loss, it picked up a small "bubble" at the top of my top LEFT eye tooth... nothing to worry about says the Maxofacilliary specialist, your dentist can resolve that with a root canal.... okay, not great but I'll get it done. When I had my hip replaced the surgeons were VERY keen to get any areas of inflammation removed if possible; I had my gallbladder out because I had gallstones (which were not pleasant), but I was dallying on getting it removed until it's potential to cause problems for the bone surgery were pointed out.  That it mind, I thought I'd get the root canal done on the Thursday BEFORE the bone graft so it was all done and dusted before going for the bone graft... about which I was (and now AM) very nervous about, after hearing some horror stories about facial swelling, pain etc

I had the root canal done, as soon as the anaesthetic wore off it didn't feel right.  I've had them before and this was WAY more painful.  The pain increased overnight, I got little sleep.  Went to the dentist on Friday got antibiotics, still in pain.  Went to the dentist Saturday morning as I was still in pain and my face had started swelling... she didn't see me but had left me Codalgin Forté - codeine based, didn't touch it.  Ibobrufen helped but not for long at a time, swelling continued.  I went to the after-hours GP clinic at the hospital on Saturday evening, he was a little concerned, thought the dentist had pierced the sinus cavity and infected that, said the next best thing to IV antibiotics is a needle in the bum, okay, he gave me Tramadol for the pain and a course of strong oral antibiotics - after the injection.  
Got no sleep again (third night in a row) with the pain
Sunday the swelling kept going up.  I was going to go back to the clinic but my sons both thought the time had come to go to Emergency.  I (reluctantly as I loathe waiting for hours anywhere!) went, they actually took me straight through even though they were very busy (Joondalup has the busiest Emergency Department in Australia, so when it's busy for them it's BUSY, lol)
They were not happy that the swelling and redness had started to go down my neck... I was worried about my eye closing and the proximity to my brain, they were not, lol.  It was facial cellulitis and there was "involvement of the lymph" no degree detailed just that term "involvement"... the worry apparently is sepsis, and not helped by my RA. 
They admitted me, I had three lots of two different IV antibiotics over a day and a half .... and had to ring my surgeon to cancel the bone graft.
I'm all good now, even the discolouration has gone... my dentist is jittery though :-))  She's never seen anything like this, I told her she's just too young to have!  She wanted me to go to an Endodontist to check it out, but I'm sick of shelling out for dental so just went back to her yesterday - she was amazed at how recovered I am... though I DID tell her that I have lots of practice at getting "unusual" things and heal pretty quick from most of them.
So, I thought I'd have time to "blog", but I haven't.  The couple of days I was completely out of the work loop (should have taken my laptop up, didn't think of it and hubby was pressed as it was) made three days extra work when I got home!  All caught up now :-)
Still, I hope to get back on here soon..I have so many cards to blog.  Until then, Happy Crafting, Donna x

Another Simple Card

I have (yet another) simple card from my (yet again) Drafts Folder today, ONE day I'll get back into my Bloggin' Groove.  I've still got a lot of cards "unblogged" so I'll keep chipping away at them :-)
This is a card I made for my Sister in Law when her son died in 2015... I can't believe it is over two years since sweet Bradley went to a better place, but it is!

The grey and white designer paper is gorgeous in real life... just impossible to capture in photographs!  It has a lustre on the gold and a true pearl finish to the white... yummy!  It is from one of my "birthday vouchers" from my son, from one of my favourite haunts for "fab" paper... Starfish Lane in Perth.'

I popped the patterned paper (with flat black mat) up on foam dots.  I used versa linen light card for the image, colouring the sky and grass with Prismacolor pencils before printing the trees - which is just a free-to-use image I downloaded from the net, resized and flipped to make each tree look a little different.  I added a few native grass trees (Brad loved the bush) with permanent marker and some long grass and shadows around the base of the trees, I also added some highlights to one side of the trees to indicate light source... and to just break it up a bit!
The sentiment on the front is from a clear stamp set, can't remember the maker, the larger dots (they are faceted, but that doesn't show in the pics) are stickers I've had for yonks, the small flatbacks are also from my stash

In the inside I used a sentiment I made in Photoshop a while ago, I have the .png file for it on my "Templates and Freebies page" or here, if you'd like to grab it, and the same techniques and finishes on the front.  I added the jotting panel to the inside "cover" as I think it looks nicer than writing on the card base itself
... and that's it :-))
I'd like to enter my card in the following challenges: 

Moving Along With The Times Theme: Trees

Allsorts Challenges Theme: Colours of Autumn

Paper Creator Crafts Theme: Reds, Browns and Oranges

Cupcake Inspirations Using this pic as inspiration.......

Fab'n'Funky Challenges Theme: Masculine Touch

Cuttlebug Mania Theme: Masculine

Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge Theme: Use Patterned Paper

… and the following challenges have "Anything Goes" themes
Aud Sentiments, Polkadoodles, Cute As A Button, Little Miss Muffet, Crafting With Friends  Challenge #54 , Creative Fingers, Li'l Patch of Crafty Friends, Create and Inspire, Creatalicious Challenges, Simply Papercrafts, Crafting With Attitude, Paper Creator Crafts, Corrosive Challenge, Card Mania Challenges

So that's all folks for today.  I hope to be back a little sooner with my next card, I also hope to MAKE a Christmas card or too... but it's my son's birthday (again, I know!!) so that will have to take precedence, along with his cake of course

Until next time, Happy Crafting, Donna

Fabulous Fall Colours at Di's Digis

Well here I am... the Deep South of New Zealand DOES have internet connectivity; albeit expensive and a bit flaky, lol.  So I get to publish my card "personally" instead of scheduling... here it is.

The new challenge theme starting today at Di's Digis Challenge is "Fabulous Fall Colours"... we don't have a 'big' autumn in Perth; having a temperate climate, yet autumn is my favourite season.  My card is one I made for my Dad for Father's Day... celebrated last weekend in Australia.  It's an easel card, of course, I love them and so does Dad

Dad's 86 and doesn't need the beer that this little cutie (Siesta Time, available here) has in his hand to drop off into a little slumber, what he needs is the opportunity... my Mum is (at 85) still VERY active and looks on with disdain when Dad drops off, so this sentiment (from Create with TLC) is a little tongue in cheek! 

I coloured the image with Copics and Prismacolor pencils... as I do, lol... and added some gloss to the beer bottle and bear's nose.  Second card in a row that I'm happy with the colouring on :-))  It's much more subtle in real life, like I said I'm happy with it.
The papers are from Kaisercraft's Up, Up and Away collection; I think these colours are great for guys, AND autumn!  Goes well with Kraft too.  
I've been eyeing off those wavy dies (Lawn Fawn's Hillside Stitched Borders) for some time, especially on Annette's blog :-) and finally got me some.  I'm so glad I did, they cut SO beautifully and the set of four gives some variation.  I raised the little hills up on foam dots, looks good IRL, adds to the "scene" feel. 
The circles were cut and embossed with my much-loved Lifestyle Crafts circle dies.  It doesn't really show in the pics but I inked around the edges with a copper die, it gives a nice vintage feel.

I didn't quite have enough of the patterned paper for the back or base of the card, not without having the front of the card laying almost flat at least, so I added a few layers of kraft and brown with those yummy border dies ...and I like it, lol 
The string is from my stash, as is the Card Candi.  I made the Happy Father's Day sentiment on the computer, in fonts to (at least try) to match the main sentiment.
That's it!  
Pop over to Di's Digis Challenge blog and check out the rest of the team's work... very nice autumn colours on show.  Hope you get a chance to enter the challenge, even if it's not autumn but spring like it is here in Aussie, lol.  Great prize on offer as always, and don't forget if you use one of Di's images there's extra opportunities, yeehaw!
I would like to enter the following challenges:

Sparkles Monthly Challenge More than One Fold 
Little Red Wagon Use a Digi 
Gem of a Challenge Boys, Boys, Boys 
Without Words For the Boys 
Outlawz Friday Colouring Challenge Hats 
Moving Along With The Times  Cute Animal 
Addicted to  Stamps Die Cuts 
As You Like It Favourite Die Cut and Why (like I said; the border dies 'coz they're new, cut well and give a bit of variation to a border, but my Lifestyle Circles because there's so many in the set I can make a big range of sizes and wide or narrow mats)
Craft Your Passion Anything Goes 
Art by Miran Anything Goes

Tuesday Throwdown Anything Goes

Through the Craftroom Door Anything Goes

Clear It Out Anything Goes

Cuttlebug Mania Anything Goes

Aud Sentiments Anything Goes

Catch The Bug Anything Goes

Li'l Patch of Crafty Friends Anything Goes

Cute As A Button Anything Goes

Little Miss Muffet Anything Goes

I'll be back shortly with another card from my drafts... provided I have internet coverage of course, lol.  Meanwhile, until next time from VERY COLD New Zealand (well 8 degrees Celcius IS very cold compared to Perth, lol) Happy Crafting, Donna