Card - HB - Floral Ribbon

I found this floral ribbon at the ReUse Center this week and I thought it would work for a card.

I chose to make an A7 card because it did not cut off any of the rose ovals.

I chose a SU Handsome Hunter green card base. Then I added a smaller layer of SU Rose Red card stock. Then a piece of Very Vanilla to highlight the rose ovals in the ribbon.

I painted the right hand side of the VV layer with some rose colored watercolor leaving a spot of a greeting. Once the watercolor was dry and pressed flat I adhered the pieces in the layers you see.

I stamped the greeting with SU Cherry Cobbler ink with a SU greeting stamp.

I then wrapped the ribbon along the left hand side and taped the ends to the inside of the card.   I added an insert and 5x7 inch envelope and the card is ready to go.  This is for my sister who celebrates a birthday soon.

Sylvia's Simple Shots

I brought these beautiful flowers home this week.  They are a sympathy bouquet with pink roses, freesia and lilies on the passing of our dear Mom on Sunday, January 22nd. Some of her girls were with during her final hours and she passed peacefully.

These flowers were given to my sister but she could not keep them due to lilies and the cats. 

I am blessed to receive them and enjoy them - it is a gorgeous arrangement.

I am glad Mom is now with Dad and no longer in pain.

I received this Anniversary Clock when things were cleared from Mom's room at the Lodge. We were blessed to have many hands to make light work of moving furniture, clothes, appliances, sewing machine and entertainment center.  She had been in the hospital since Dec 11th so we had some warning that she would not be returning to the Lodge.

I don't know the story of the clock and on my last visit with her she was not responsive so I did not get a chance to ask about it.  It must have been precious as she took it to the lodge with her.  Maybe Dad gave it to her for one of their over 60 wedding anniversaries.  I hope someone in the family will have the history.

It has been around for a long time I think.   It is battery operated and it chugging away keeping time on my shelf now.

I dropped some stuff at the ReUse Center this week and did pick up a few things.

There were some small glass ornaments - The Nutcracker on the left and mercury glass acorns on the right.

There was a good amount of the yellow pear fabric which came home with me.  Not sure what it may become - maybe a towel hanger for the oven door.

The Best Detective Stories of the Year - 1972 edited by Allen J. Hubin. 

There were several good stories in this collection.  They were short enough to finish in a half hour before going to bed.

Bizarre story about trying to photograph heaven as beings are being killed to achieve this goal.  Another about how man in a  large transport truck terrorizes a guy in a car on a lonely stretch of road. One story documents a number of financial deals which ends up with someone being hoodwink of lots of money in the end.  A turn of words makes the difference. 

Maybe it was not the best reading just before bed.

We are headed back into the cooler for the next few days.

I managed to get groceries and run a few errands before that arrived.

O is for Outlaw by Sue Grafton was another great book in the Kinsey Millhome series. 

This central figure in this one is her ex-husband Mickey Magruder who now lays in a hospital bed in very bad shape. 

She learns that the circumstances under which she decided to end her marriage to Mickey may not be quite what they seemed.  Now, she must investigate the situation to clear up if and what she misunderstood.  Time is precious as Mickey is not long for this world.

Mickey was a cop and lost the job he loved and took a downward spiral - let's say not always on this side of the law.

It was interesting to see Kinsey have to look at her life and maybe see things and do things differently.   She usually is so sure of herself and generally a straight shooter.  A great read.

Sylvia's Simple Shots

I took a trip south to visit my niece and her family before summer plans take over our lives.  My sister and brother in law would be there too!

This was late June.  I took a leisure drive down and arranged to meet at her house for supper.  Several of them were headed to the Nanton Parade of Garage Sales that day.

I arrived at about 3:00 pm and connected with her husband who was home getting things ready.  I decided to head off for a walk with the camera as I had been sitting in the car for about 4 hours.  I did stop halfway for a bathroom break and a bit of a walkabout.

They live very near a large green space which I have walked before so off I went.

I found this new flower for me - Shrubby Cinquefoil.

I found Squills as well which were plentiful in the meadow.

Supper was great and it was wonderful to spend them with family.  As we headed to my nephew's condo late in the evening I saw the mountains in  the distance.  They are so big!

The next morning my sister and I took a bit of a walk so I could get some mountain photos.  I managed a few without getting too much of the city stuff in the way.

I would like to take a trip to the mountains sometime.   It's been 8 years since I was there.

My aunt invited me to sit down and watch the new Downton Abbey movie - A New Era.

I did not watch the series when it was originally broadcast but have caught reruns over the years.  I have a basic understanding of the main characters both upstairs and down.  Also, the relationships involved - the Grantham family and the relatives of the extended family.

We watched on the TV at her place which suited me just fine rather than going to a movie theatre.

We got some delicious burgers and fries to round out the evening.  She picked up burgers from Delux Burger Bar which were absolutely delicious!  Sweet Potato fries were excellent.   It was a splurge but worth it.

I was disappointed that Henry Talbot - Mary's husband did not appear in this movie.   It was a great night out for me.  Thanks so much.

I have visited the St. Albert Botanic Park again now that new flowers are blooming.  

Roses, dahlias, lilies, Johnny Jump Ups were blooming as well as many more not included in the mosaic to the left.

I love going early in the morning when not too many others are about.

I did stop by the river but there was not too much wildlife about.

It is taking a nature bath when I can be quiet, calm and enjoy taking pictures.

I have started taking video with my camera and it is a learning curve.  I took this video of the pond and water feature at the park.  Hand help recording takes a lot of practice.  The flowering Ninebark in the background, the bulrushes, the running water, the curving stream of water and the stones all make for an oasis.

I took a walk with a friend around Beaumaris Lake recently as well. It was her first time and she was amazed at having this quite large lake in the city.  We saw White Pelicans, a Cormorant, Mallard Ducks, RedWinged Blackbirds, Grackles, a Painted Turtle, Coutts, and much more.

I am always up for a Christmas story any time of the year.

This is a story of the typical life on an English green during the Christmas season.

The season comes with the Christmas play of course, presents to buy, those coming to visit, church services, meals to prepare, those in need of time, love, caring and sharing.

In this case an older woman of the village is losing her sight, has a fall and is in need of temporary care of the holidays.  A friend who now is married invites her to stay with them.  The last of her Christmas shopping is done, she helps with the meals, and they attend church services.

It is a heart warming story of friendship and neighborliness.  I enjoyed the book.

Sylvia's Simple Shots

This is a most beautiful flower.  It's the Astrantia Major Alba and to me is just says "wedding".  Soft muted colors with a hint of pink in the center.  Wonderful star shaped lower petals. 

This was my first nice photography trip following the break of the Heat Dome which covered my area for days! More about that below. 

I visited the St. Albert Botanic Park where the flowers were plentiful and it was the perfect temperature for a 2 hour stroll in the garden.

I just loved it so much!

Let me start with the most recent challenge in my life. Never have I experienced this!  Seven days of over 30C temperatures was very challenging especially when the low over night was in the 20C so really no cooling off.  This is record breaking for us here on the prairies of Canada.  

It was as isolating as the pandemic with temperatures in my home of 32C which was in my opinion dangerous. I walked outside very early in the morning. I drank lots of cold herbal tea, soaked my head once every hour, and the fan ran 24-7.  Thank goodness I had good books to read.   Typically, not too many households have air conditioning but I expect that it will become much more popular!
 

I did buy this book myself but I was not ready for the story I found within it's pages.

There are three women characters - Rachel the woman on the train, Anna her ex-husband's current wife and Megan who is the neighbour of Anna. 

These three women live a lot of their lives in their heads and the book leaves me wondering how much is real and imagined in their lives. 

I did consider putting it down and not finishing it several times but I finished the book.  

Did I enjoy the book?  Somewhat but it often was chaotic and unsettling.  I much prefer strong characters and these were pretty much all over the place.

A few more images from my photo trip out on Saturday morning.  The heat broke last Friday night and I was able to open the windows and let the cool air in. 

At the Botanic Park the roses were in full bloom and there are rows and rows of them.

Earlier this year I was concerned for the bee population but there was no lack of them at the park.  There were a couple of places where they could get water. 

The Song Sparrow was just belting out its song which was so good to hear.

I had a visit from a dragonfly and now I know why the are called dragon as they have quite fierce faces.

Every Breath by Nicholas Sparks is a book I totally enjoyed.  He is one of my favorite authors when I want a nice love story with strong characters.

Set in North Carolina inspired by 2 very different places. One is the "Kindred Spirit" which is a mail box on an isolated beach.  People leave letters and other written words in the box.  When you visit you can read the letters and other material and return them to the mail box for others to share.  The other is the country of Zimbabwe.  

Hope Anderson is a nurse spending time at the family cottage. Tru Wall, a 42-year-old safari guide from Zimbabwe is next door due to meet his biological father for the first time.  They meet on the beach, get to know each other, and in a few days make life changing decisions.  

I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it.  

There are several colors of Yarrow.  I have seen White, Pink and the park had this Yellow one.

I grew up with it being harvested for medicinal purposes so it has not been high on my flower radar but it is really nice.

I finished this book yesterday which was the third this week. 

What a terrific book - The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman.  The story about love, isolation, and right and wrong.  Tom Sherbourne takes a job as the lighthouse keeper on Janus Rock, nearly half a day's journey from the Australian coast. Later, he marries Isabel and he brings her to the island. She has suffered miscarriages and a still birth so when she hears the cries of a baby from a washed up boat she feels it is a divine intervention.

They choose to keep the child as present her as their own rather than report the death of the man and the surviving child. Two years later, they learn the consequences of their decision for other families on the mainland.



This love story is touching, heart wrenching and ultimately love triumphs.

I just loved this story. It made a mess of my emotions with a few tears shed at times. This wonderful story is recommended.

The Flickr Macro Mondays challenge this week is "Letters and Numbers".  This provides a lot of subject matter.  This is a metal tag put on infrastructure by the city.  You can check my Flickr Photostream (SMDPics) to see the image I submitted.

I am sharing with Angie who hosts Mosaic Monday #138 and

Mersad who hosts Through My Lens #296.

Have a great week and be safe.

Recent Photos

These flowers were presented at church yesterday in memory of death of my friend Nelson who passed away 6 years ago on Feb 23rd.

He was on holiday in Hawaii with his wife and 2 grandsons.  It was a shock to all of us.


The Christmas Promise is written in alternating first and third person point of view. The first person narrator is Gloria aka Miss Glory. She is a retired widow whose adult son has been missing for seven years. He left home just before Gloria's husband, his father, died, and she hasn't seen or heard from him since. She somewhat recently moved to the unnamed small town that has been the setting for all the Christmas Hope books. In an effort to keep busy and to help others in lieu of helping her son, she collects and sorts donations of food, clothing, household items, and even the occasional car, which she them redistributes to the needy in the community.
She ends up host a few community members in her house - Miriam her neighbour is having renovations done in her house, Erin a young woman who is pregnant and estranged from her Mom, and Donovan who is a young boy whose mothers works evenings at Wilson Department Store and is in an abusive relationship.
Chaz a young man has recently come to town who has alcohol problems and works at Wilson's Department Store. He befriends Donovan's mother Carla and Mike who is a homeless man who sometimes sleeps on the steps of the Wilson Department Store.   Their lives are all entwined and come together around Christmas. It was a very good book.

I have been dealing with plumbing issues for quite a while.

It was confirmed that the isolation valves in the bathroom and kitchen will be replaced on Wednesday. 

Once those are done I can get the rest of my work done.









I had to replace my phone charger this week.  A few areas of my life are starting to right themselves but the weather continues to get down to -30C.

Another terrific book that takes place in two different generations.  The Kashmir Shawl by Rosie Thomas. When Mair Ellis clears out her father's house, she finds an exquisite antique shawl, woven from the finest yarns and embroidered in the shades of lake water and mountain skies. Wrapped within its folds is a lock of child's hair. Tracing her grandparents' roots back to Kashmir, Mair embarks on a quest that will change her life forever.

Before the war, Newlywed Nerys Watkins leaves rural Wales for the first time in her life, to accompany her husband on a missionary posting to India. Travelling from lonely Ladakh, high up in the Himalayas, Nerys discovers a new world in the lakeside city of Srinagar. Here, in the exquisite heart of Kashmir, the British live on carved wooden houseboats and dance, flirt and gossip as if there is no war. But the battles draw ever closer, and life in Srinagar becomes less frivolous when the men are sent away to fight. Nerys is caught up in a dangerous friendship, and by the time she is reunited with her husband, the innocent Welsh bride has become a different woman. Years later, when Mair Ellis clears out her father's house, she finds an exquisite antique shawl, woven from the finest yarns and embroidered in the shades of lake water and mountain skies. Wrapped within its folds is a lock of child's hair. Tracing her grandparents' roots back to Kashmir, Mair embarks on a quest that will change her life forever.

It is a great story of strong women doing what has to do for their loved ones.  Loved this one which was very similar style of Kate Morton.   

Sharing with Mosaic Monday #16 hosted by Angie at Letting Go of the Bay Leaf. 

Iced Cappuccino

Getting caught up on my cards for the Coffee Loving Cardmaker Summer Bloghop.


For this card I used the free digi from Stamplorations.  You can find the it here.

I printed it on a quarter sheet of white card stock.  I then colored it with pencil crayons.  I used blue for background, tan for coffee and pink for roses. I cut it out and traced the edge with a black marker to eliminate the white edge.  I added a small pink flower in the middle ban of the cup on the right because it felt too open.  I guess I could have stamped something there as well. 

I then embossed a quarter sheet of pink card stock with the Sizzix Softly Falling folder and trimmed it to leave a small border.  I then wrapped a piece of white seam binding around it and placed the knot on the right hand side. 
The coffee accent was adhered to the pink with 3D foam tape to give the ribbon some room.  Then it was adhered to the light blue card base.  Love it!

Stamplorations is doing a never ending challenge. You can link a card made with their stamps & images.  So I am linking to that challenge as well.