Oh, it's been so long!

Hey, Dear Readers...
I bet you're disappointed to not find a new post when you click on this favorite blog! I am so sorry! I have no other excuse but that I've been so busy with just getting through the daily chores of "elder care" and regular life!
I have another blog spot though where I posted my Christmas greeting and my latest story of my Dad.
I would love it if you hopped over to these sites and made a comment on
Merry Christmas!
http://debi-peacebypiece.blogspot.com/
and
Happy Birthday Dear ole' Dad!
http://debi-peacebypiece.blogspot.com/2011/12/happy-birthday-dear-ole-dad.html

I hope to be back to my doodling pad real soon, but until then, I'm finishing some belated Christmas quilts at the side of my Dad's hospital bed in my own home. Peace by Piece holds my thoughts while I am quilting/sewing, so a few days ago, I wrote these precious thoughts and hope you enjoy the good thoughts I've held in some dark moments.

Love seeing your handiwork! Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and are looking forward to a blessed New Year.
Love, Debi

Unfinished ink...

The last word was quite unfinished and ink strayed off the page, leaving a faint line on the new page...

This is how I imagine a "draft" affected my kitchen calendar for several months. It was written on December 31, 2010, but before it could be edited and posted, something must have called me away.

Dancing Toddler

Carpenters at LOWES

Glancing over my words from that last day of an adventurous year, I noticed that I reflected God's goodness and recorded some highlights, but I sure didn't realize the exciting changes that would stretch into almost another full year! Matter of fact, I would be so busy in those calendar days that my thoughts would remain hidden in the unedited pile, and the days of 2011 would slip by, filling my heart with more precious memories as I watched the baby grow into a dancing joy-filled toddler and captured of special times with the older sisters.

That new calendar was clean and fresh with dreams and expectations for a New Year, but didn't even hint of all the changes my family would face.

I encourage any readers to click back to "Can it have been that long ago?" posted on December 31, 2010 so I can continue the story of how that calendar hanging day stretched to this week before it closed a chapter.

My Dad's wall...

I nearly jumped when Dad spoke softly from his bed. He woke up and saw me tip-toeing around as I worked on my surprise for him and he was greatly pleased.
Stealthily I had moved around his apartment while his oxygen machine hid the noises of movement, and his peaceful roar told me I was being successful. I was nearly finished when I heard his voice.
"That looks really good."
My plan started when I found this terrific black iron wrought TREE.

Dad's devotional tools...

You see, Dad has 74 descendants and loves each one of us dearly. His fatherly dedicated heart causes him to spend a couple of hours each morning flipping through his pile of 3x5 prayer cards. On the top of each card sits one of our names and then, items of needs Dad has heard require the Savior's attention. He used to spend these hours with our mom, but since 2006, has faithfully carried on this task alone.
And we are so blessed.
I wanted a way to show him our understanding of why his life has been so blessed and how that blessing has overspilled into our lives.
We have had wonderful lives of safety, blessings too numerous to count, and family ties strong enough to pull us through many storms of change. His faithfulness gave us confidence, strength, love, kindness, and so much more to grace our memories and building tools for our adult lives.
At the sight of the wall hanging, a plan formulated.
This morning, my plan was ready for display. I used my Cricut to shape the calligraphy letters in black vinyl forming the verse I've heard him quote often, and now would display his life's walk with its words.

Once awakened, Dad coached me through the pasting of the final letters. "A little to the left, no...too far. How about moving that a little higher"...and so on! Finally, I stepped back to see my work, smiled at him as he read it aloud. "You know, that's my favorite verse. I didn't know it was my favorite until I just read it aloud and see it displayed so boldly. It would have been the first verse to come to my mind if anyone asked for my favorite verse." 

He is so pleased with his new wall decor. I like it too.
It tells what God does with the faithful man who delights in the Law of the Lord and seeks to please his God.
My dad did this, and now, in his elderly years, his foundation is rooted deep and rich in resources of wisdom. Many enjoy visiting with him and are honored by the many stories of God's miracles touching his life in small unmistakable ways. His favorite story, filled with emotion, is the day he surrendered to the call of God and in faith, took steps in preparing to be a pastor. His prayer yielded his heart to God, but claiming another promise, declared God would have to provide the needs for his growing family.
Now, at 89+ years, he smirks in pleasure and boasts of God's goodness in every area of his life. And each one of his descendants is his walking testimony of God's provisional faithfulness.
"He shall be like a tree, planted by the rivers of water..." 
That's our Dad!

PS. The little red heart was made by a sweet little grand daughter and has hung on the wall faithfully reminding Dad of how much he is loved. Thanks, Megan!

Garden Seats Featured MY Blog???

"You've got mail!" gave me a wonderful surprise this morning! So, before I display my latest "exploration" of my new Cricut cartridges, let me encourage you to check this out...

http://gardenseats.org.uk/blog_awards/index.php?id=48113

My doodlings are featured in "Best Blogs". Does that mean anything? I don't know...but wow, if it opens another outlet so others see the enjoyment I find in being more and more like my Creator as I create a little bit of beauty to encourage others, then, praise God!

Garden bench...what a wonderful dream for all who seem buried by the latest snowstorms, and long for another season to hurry the warmth and sun. Hope springs eternal, right? I browsed Shiela's blog and found this photo. Creating a scene made my giggles erupt as I tried to imagine a leisure moment, wrapped in a homespun quilt, a cute little ground fire to warm my frozen toes, and my gloved fingers hugging a steaming cup of tea! I almost could envision the fun in it...just to dream of SPRING!

So, thank you, Shiela, for popping over and enjoying what you saw on my blog. May your "garden seats" encourage others to take a moment to sit in leisure and enjoy the beauty around them. I hope we all take a moment today to meditate on our God who created all things for His glory, and find peace in our lives! Thank you for sharing your love of benches and gardens with us and for this lovely photo that reminds us that "moments of awe" are found even in the littlest snow flake covering your benches! 'http://gardenseats.org.uk/'

Oh! Don't let me forget to show off my display of "snowflakes" from new cartridges! 

I have no idea why these cards are flopped sideways - not like that on my computer! That's the way it is with a non-tech person, I guess! At least, you get the idea that I am thoroughly enjoying myself on this snowy winter day! Blessings on your day!

Christmas Tags

I've been so busy with the little things in life, but I cannot believe I didn't post anything I created over the holidays! I think the biggest project was making gift tags. My girlfriends and I decided to make 10 gift tags per Care package for the elderly shut-ins of our church. These gift tags could be used by them and would help prepare for Christmas without having to shop for tags.  Each tag was so different in size, shape, and colors, and yet, we hoped each one would show our older friends that we were thinking of them while wishing them a very happy holiday.

So, with a little organization, we used 8'tables to set up 10 stations in the Fellowship Hall of the church. At each station, we placed a sample of the particular tag for that station, and then, all the supplies it would take to complete the task. We welcomed anyone to join us, explaining that we would teach any techniques needed, but for the most part, we made plans that would only require someone to glue the shapes onto the supplied tags.
The setting up of the stations took most of our morning, but by afternoon, we scattered around the room, each taking a different station, and created while we visited with each other.

My favorite tag came actually came about quite by accident. I was experimenting with my Cricut machine and some new font cartridges. I hate wasting anything, so I began to put together whatever had happened out of the machine. Then I used some scrap rectangles and squares, topping them with cricut-cut bows. I love the large font and the overlay look I created.  Because these were made with my experimental fonts, each tag was a little different and fit the background differently. I couldn't take photos of every little one that was made, so I kept one of my favorites. They sure were fun to create and often made us chuckle at the end result.

Another cute tag was made by using buttons. This was so simple to assemble. This one was suggested by my friend, Ann. Because few supplies were needed, it went together very quickly, using a glue gun and one rectangle piece of card stock. The edges of the tag were dusted with ink and the "to" and "from" stamped on with a red ink pad.
And oh! Each tag's final touch was a hole punch and ribbon tied on to make a connecting string.

Demonstrating the many uses of the Cricut machine for a girlfriend who hadn't tried it yet was also some of our entertainment. I took her idea of a red and white tag and made this cute tag. She loves to use the very simplest art forms, so we just cut the font out and then, she used a punch for the little snowflakes. These letters were skinny and fragile, and we wondered if simply gluing them on would last under the Christmas present, if they made it that far. After a little thought, we decided to attempt to "modge podge" the entire tag and let them dry overnight. They were shiny and bright in the morning, and so much more durable. It was a great idea! My friend loved the Cricut uses so much, she purchased one on sale a couple of days later. We've been having fun comparing cartridges since Christmas!
So, all in all, we had a wonderful day together, made some terrific memories and used many ideas and mediums to create a little JOY for some of our shut-in loved ones.

Can it have been that long ago?

Checking "drafts" after months of just trying to "keep up" with life's activities, I noticed this reflection of 2010.  I cannot believe I am about to close another calendar, yet realize the recorded chapter continued to flow onto new monthly pages, filling each day with a variety of changes and challenges.
So, dear readers, as I sit at my desk on November 18, 2011, reflecting the past 16 precious months, I chose to dig this post from its hiding place as a launching pad for the new chapter in our lives.

December 31, 2010...Taking down the calendar always makes me stop and reflect on the year and the places each month took my heart. 2010 was memorable, and worth a moment to recall the highlights.

road to the house from pool

It started with a rough winter with more snow than I remembered ever falling in my yard, and I longed for Spring. Then, the birds and blossoms grabbed my attention as I cleaned up the yard and prepared for a beautiful landscape job! Well...that never happened. A trip to see family and welcome the newest little one filled our minds with plans for length, flights, gifts to take, and so on.

the new addition 

Finally, that day arrived and the plane lifted off the ground with our excited hearts wondering if we would arrive before our third grand daughter made her appearance. How thrilled we were to see her preciously held in my daughter's arms at the front door of their home when we arrived 37 hours later! We spent 2 wonderful weeks vacationing with the family, and then, Don left me there to return to work in America.

card made when leaving island

I loved all my time in Indonesia and have wonderful memories of many activities and play with grand daughters occupying my days while Don and I were separated by the oceans. Finally, after putting everything in storage and closing the tropical home, the whole family returned to the states with me, and we enjoyed 2 more months together in our cozy home!

mountains surrounding Knoxville, TN

In October, we had an unforgettable  rare weekend trip to Knoxville visiting my younger daughter. Sight-seeing, shopping, and a drive left us remembering breath-taking scenes made by the surrounding mountains with southern hospitality filling our tummies.

My dad shares Thanksgiving with us

My elderly dad returned from the east coast where he was visiting while I was away.
The eight of us looked forward to Thanksgiving when our younger daughter and her husband would join us. How fun it was to be together for the first time in 3 years! The weekend passed all to quickly and everyone packed suitcases and departed for the holidays with other family members. Don and I enjoyed a quiet Christmas with my Dad,
and now...at the end of this week, we'll begin 2011.

Thank you card of kindness

A fresh new calendar decorates the wall, and for a few moments, no scribbles for appointments on it yet. We're counting our blessings for the path God led us on in 2010, and for all the opportunities we had with friends and family. Thank you for all who visited, called, wrote, or even hung out with us for a day or two! Thank you for stopping by my blog and commenting on some of my creativity and for being online friends.
A new calendar, a new adventure, and fresh new opportunity to serve the Lord with gladness and know His love. Have a wonderful start for the brand new year, and may you see God's hand of blessing on you and your family's lives. Love, Debi

Two little boys welcome baby sister...

What type of card do you send to two little boys so you can congratulate them on becoming big brothers? How do you welcome a 'princess' into the world, with all the pink and frills...yet, allow your card to be appreciated by her big brothers?
Well...this is what I did:

I used two images to match the little guys and added trucks and machines to draw their attention













and then, on the inside....I welcomed the precious princess!
They really loved this card and thought I had drawn pictures of them and their little sister!
I loved their reactions to my card and their little giggles pleased me as they looked at it over and over again!

They love that little sister!