Rain Rain ... Don't Go But Stay

Rain, rain, go away

Well actually I am a bit different when it comes to rain .. I have the opposite of SADS (you know when most people start to feel blue because the weather is gray and rainy for long periods of time). I seem to have way more energy ... when the days are shorter and darker.

I enjoy sunny days, but not near as much as I enjoy the Rain.

Come again another day

When it rains .... this woman sleeps better ... is happier and has a clearer head. So bring on the rain ... Come again another Day.

Little Cynthia wants to play.

I am so pleased with the choices I have made recently ... even the "overcooked Gingerbread fiasco" ... I vow to learn from my mistakes and very much believe that you get what you give in life. So now for your viewing pleasure are a smattering of cards that I have made (A lot of the designs are created by my good friend, Dragana ... check out her blog at: www.happyinker.blogspot.com)

Thanks to her I have learned all kinds of different techniques and she allows me to share them too .... xD.

I hope you enjoy the following card designs ....

Let's start with a little Christmas ... as it is almost upon us.

And a more Bling Version

Get out those roller wheels .... and colouring pens

This one has a circle that spins ....

And another new technique ... thanks Kari for this one.

This one has a pull off Bookmark ....

This one is another wheel technique ...

A cool stencil technique ...

Wheels and more wheels ...

That same stencil technique with a little bit of vintage added ...

A cool Chalking technique ...

I like the subdued look of this one ...

Butterflies and Bling ... what more do you need ???

Okay add a fairy or two ...

A cool die rubbing technique ...

Bring out the Big Shot ... and lets do some embossing ...

I love crimping paper and of course I had to add a few brads ...

Plain but Pretty ...

Who knew Baby Wipes had tie-dye usages ??

Don't look to closely ... I put on the words upside down, but of course my kids noticed.

This one uses fire and soot ... don't get too close to the flame though ...

A shadow stencil technique ...

Took a Christmas Card and Customized it for a customer ... Thanks Susan and Barb.

Keep calm, Carry On and above all Keep Crafting,

Thanks for Viewing and Reading,

MamaBear

Gingerbread Man, Gingerbread Man

These pictures are before the Gingerbread Fiasco

'Run, run as fast as you can!

You can't catch me,

I'm the gingerbread man!'

Short version .. Paid $280 for a table @ Gingerbread Creations Craft Fair .. told there would be 60 vendor tables .. 23 - Friday night ... 21 - Saturday .. Poorly advertised .. Poor communications .. Poor Signage .. Hard to Find.

The Vendors asked for some kind of Rebate after wasting 10 hrs & barely any customers. We were told to Forget about It, cause we were getting NOTHING BACK !! Jenneil Peters .. You Suck !!

Well Gingerbread Creations ...

This woman in the shoe ...

will not be held back by getting Nothing Back.

On to the next show.

Keep Calm, Carry On, and Keep Crafting,

MamaBear

And then the technophobe got help.

1. It's a little box.


2. Here's the top.
3. The box unfolds!

4. Final box pic.




A little Christmas box.
A beautiful rose
A cute owl box that you could fill with goodies.
These are little boxes that originally come with easter cards.

The picture above is of earrings made in Jamaica. They are made with wire and colour thread.

The picture above is a Jamaican necklace. It's made out of hematite.

I hope you enjoyed the trip down the rabbit hole!

Well I went to the Cobbler

Cobbler, cobbler, mend my shoe.

The shoe needed repair and now it is done .... Most of you who know me might not believe this, but it is true .... I don't like confrontation. Don't get me wrong ... I do like a good fight, but I want to end up as friends. I guess I am more like a guy that way .. No offence meant to the male of our species. I think if more of us gals had a good "scrap", moved on and went out together for a beer afterward ... it would be a whole lot easier on our emotional health.

Get it done by half-past two;

I find instead of "Scrappin" ... us females tend to fight with our words, hurt each other, take offence, and hold a grudge .... No offence meant to the female of our species. We tend to fight and fight and are lucky if we "get it done" by half-past two.

Stitch it up and stitch it down,

The Shoe has been to the Cobbler, been mended and now I am ready for a good ole run. I am feeling so much more confident in my choices and here is where it all gets fun. The future is filling up with more and more opportunities. I feel like I am "stitching up and stitching down". Craft shows, classes, and crops are coming at me from right and left. (Thanks to you who have sent "work" my way ... You know who you are). I am card making, crafting and creating even in my sleep ... I asked my youngest the other day ... if she could "draw me an igloo" .... even before I said "good morning" to her....

and Boy do I hope that my winter card idea works out.

And then I'll give you half a crown.

I don't know exactly how much "half a crown" is ....

but if I can make a penny and have fun doing it .... I am all for it.

So remember to all of you ...

Keep Calm, Carry On and above all Keep Crafting.

Mama Bear

No longer the black sheep

Growing up I was always labeled the Black Sheep.

Good or Bad ... that is what it is ....

Here is what I say to labels ....

Baa baa ... black sheep

My thoughts are that we don't need to live down our labels ... we should just live them up.

Soo follow along with the Shoe and we will live it up together. Learn to make some cards, fold some paper and maybe scrapbook a page or two ... We can make it together.

Speaking of learning together .... If you knew me personally you would know that I am not much of a techno person ... I ask my oldest child to turn off my cellular phone when we go into a theatre ... I am in fact a bit of a TechnoPhobe, but if you are patient ... I might just learn to add pictures and videos to this blog ...

Have you any wool?

As people of the world ... we don't want to have anyone pull the wool over our eyes, and yet having a shoe full of sheepskin sure is comfortable.

So let's get together and say ...

Yes sir, yes sir, three bags full!

I say Bring on the sheepskin ... Bring on the comfort ... Take some time for yourself ... Spend some time with family and friends ... Take a minute and maybe ...

One for the master, one for the dame

And one for the little boy who lives down the lane.

Well goodnight all and remember ...

Keep Calm, Carry On and above all Keep Crafting,

MamaBear

The shoe is being buckled

1, 2, buckle my shoe.

Well ... when the shoe is unbuckled it makes it soo much harder to move forward.

5, 6, pick up sticks.
7, 8, lay them straight.

I have a found a flaw in my otherwise flawless business plan. I didn't pick up the sticks, nor did I lay them straight. Those of you who know me will understand what I am talking about, and those of you who don't know me might understand this ...

When you start a new adventure ... it is best to get all your ducks in a row. Clean up the old stuff in order to usher in the new stuff with open arms and eyes wide open.

The first duck was lined up by completing the first ever One Blue Shoe Craft Extravaganza .... Thanks to everyone who helped with set-up and take down: (Tamara, Akita, Malika, DY, Kurt and Julia).

And thanks to all who came in, left with goodies and of course left their cash with me.

3, 4, shut the door.

Second duck will be set when "my talk" takes place. My mother would say that it is a bit like shutting the gate after the horse has already left the barn or in my case lacing the shoe after I have already tripped over the laces. My shoe will be buckled soon.

9, 10, a big fat hen.

You know the saying that "when it rains ... it pours", well I feel like a "big fat hen", cause the Shoe is feeling "fat" with jobs ... and the future looks really "wet".

Keep Calm, Carry On and above all Keep Crafting.

MamaBear

Welcome to The Big Blue Shoe

Well here we go ... the new blog of the Woman in the Shoe.

Remember the old nursery rhyme of the Woman in the Shoe ... So many children that she didn't know what to do.

Well I have three children, two dogs, 4 and a half cats (and that is a tale for a later blog), and various "adopted" kids and adults coming and going from the Big Blue House.

We have a loving, warm, not always tidy home. So why am I blogging all this ?? Just to introduce you to the Home you will be a part of ... if you decide to follow along with our life in the Shoe.

There was an old woman who lived in a shoe.
She had so many children, she didn't know what to do;
She gave them some broth without any bread;
Then whipped them all soundly and put them to bed.

Well that is what the Old Woman did with her time ... Stay tuned and I will show you what this woman does with hers ...

Keep Calm, Carry On and above all Keep Crafting.

MamaBear