Creative Therapy

Whew! I am back! It has been a while. The outpouring of support for me while I took a break to help my mother (after being diagnosed with Stage 4 Colon and Liver cancer) was humbling. I didn't know there were that many of you that visited my blog! I have been very touched!

So, my mother is taking chemotherapy treatments and will continue for the rest of her life. The hope is to slow the cancer enough to give us more time. While I haven't really gotten "settled", I have realized that creating is my most important therapy! I started paper crafting in 2005 when I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis as a physical therapy for my hands, etc. I was amazed at the mental relaxation that comes from creating too! Of course, I will fuss and fight with things that don't go my way too, but in general, the rest of the world slips away. That is if I keep the door locked.

Fast forward to 3 weeks ago… I was getting a routine going with my mom and my family responsibilities, as well as my physical limitations. It's not that I "have the time", but I decided I needed to "make the time"! Once I made myself go and create for a while one day, I felt so much better!

Allowing yourself time to create, no matter the result, will release you from the other stresses in your life. Even if just for a short while. I do hope you all will continue visiting my site and watching my videos on YouTube! I have TONS to show you!

I will leave you with this piece of wall art, acrylic on canvas, with a very powerful quote. Click on the image for a larger version.

Thanks again! To place an order, email me at creativepzazz at gmail dot com!

Leslie

My BEST Creations!

I thought I would share some First Day of School photos with you all. It is a tradition that we take a photo on the 1st day in the kitchen in our house to mark their height, etc. for that year. We don't buy school photos anymore (they wash them out so badly!) so I make copies of these for family and friends. Another tradition is for kisses photos. Megan thought she was above all that this year, so she wouldn't kiss Syd. Megan will be 15 on the 30th and Sydney Grace is 10. They are both precious!!

Thanks for stopping by today! I have another video for you tomorrow!
Leslie

Pretty Woman Tag

I made my first tag!! Well, I have made Christmas tags before, but this is what I call Tag Art. I won't be using these tags as tags. I plan to place them in a book, sort of like a mini album of tags! Remember: click on the photos to see a larger view!!

            

Carlene the Pink Scrapper hosted a swap for August, and the theme was Pretty Woman. I decided to use a photo of my grandmother. I love things from the 40s. I think it is my favorite decade. So, I thought a photo of her from 1944 would be great!

I used pearls below the photo on the swap tags and black beaded trim at the base. I didn't have enough of the tiny trim I used below the photo on the tag for my grandmother or the vanilla trim I used at the base of her tag. It all worked out well though! They both look great! To me, at least.

My tag was themed around her as inspiration to the rest of us. I added a hope ribbon charm because she has survived kidney cancer (they gave her 6 months to live over 6 years ago) and bladder cancer (three times so far)! I am inspired by her strength, so I decided to add the definition of inspire and the word inspire stamped on the tag. Besides cancer, she has survived atrial fibrillation (abnormal heart rate), where they have to shock you with the "paddles" to get it back in rhythm. She went through that 3 times. It never worked. It basically kills you for a second or two, not to mention the pain of an all over extreme body contraction! She has a pace maker (recently placed) to help keep her heart rate from going so slow too! She had two strokes and was still 100% the same as before the strokes. She just had another stroke two weeks ago, which she is still recuperating from, but she should recover completely from it too!

Here is a video with all the tag details. I also have a video for the flower coming tomorrow!! For any further info about what I did or how, email me at CreativePzazz at Gmail dot com.

Did you lose count?

• Cancer X 4 (with a death sentence of 6 month over 6 years ago)
• Stroke x 3 (and still the same after all)
• atrial fibrillation (basically killed by the defibrillator paddles 3 times)
• Pace maker

Amazing, right? She is strong and it is all because of her faith in God. So, I dedicate my tag to her!

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Hope you enjoyed the video!

Leslie

Welcome Back!

Whew! I am back! Well, I actually haven't been gone anywhere, but I feel like I have been gone on a long trip. My in-laws are fine. My MIL had open heart surgery to repair 3 blockages. She is at home and fine. My FIL had 3 tumors in his abdomen that they swore was cancer, but after biopsy they said it was infection! They aren't doing anything for it right now, which puzzles me. If you knew my in-laws, you would admit that they are puzzling people to put it politely.
So, have I been creating during this sabatical? Nope. I made some birthday cards for my mother, but that is it. I haven't felt creative or like playing at all. This is a HUGE change in me. Even when I feel terrible, I usually feel like I at least playing around with techniques. Not this time.
I am praying that I am better. With that said, I will start posting to my blog again. It may not be every day, as it was before, but when I post, it will be worth the visit! So subscribe today for updates by email in the right side bar!
Family videos alert! These are some short videos I made at my cousin's birthday party! Soo cute! Presley is 4 (it was her birthday party) and Stella Kayte will be one in June.

One more!

Thanks!
Leslie

Birthday Cards for Mom

Today's post will show you the cards I made for my mother's birthday. She loved them! If you like the technique and would like me to make a video showing you how to do this, just leave a comment!
The first card is on Cameo Coral Cardstock with a Chocolate Chip mat. I used Mellow Moss (one of my favorite greens) to punch out some leaves. I have lost my leaves Sizzlit die, so I had to use the 5 petal punch. I sponged them with Mellow Moss. The roses are created on Shimmery White Cardstock (it has to be this type of paper). You stamp them in Versamark, emboss them in clear or white, then spritz them heavily with water. You add drops of reinker that swirl and mix to make these beautiful water color flowers! Both cards have different flowers done the same way.

This card is Cameo Coral with a Mellow Moss mat that was run through the Big Shot with the Plenty of Petals Embossing folder. I then lightly rubbed a sponge of Mellow Moss over the top. The sentiment is non-SU punched out with the designer label punch.

Thanks for stopping by!
Leslie
Below are photos from Mother's Day at my grandmother's house. We are standing in front of the old wind mill that powered the home until the mid 50's. My grandfather planted the roses that are growing in it now. The rest of the photos are of the flowers in my grandmother's yard.

The next photo is a close up of these roses in the wind mill. These are my second favorite flowers in the world!

The next 4 photos are of my #1 favorite flower ever! They are cabbage roses. I think they came from one of my great-grandmother's yards. These two roses mean so much to me. I have so many memories with my grandmother watering flowers and talking. These cabbage roses have the most sweetest scent that you can imagine. And to think that I don't care for roses (traditional ones) or the scent of roses. It is too strong for me. These don't even smell like roses.
   
Pretty Violas.

A traditional rose.

Another antique rose. I can't remember the name of this one, but I love it too.

Love this bird house on this old stump. I love the shabbiness of it and the ornamentation.

These are called Knockout roses. My grandmother loves these because they COVER the bush with blooms.
 
Another rose growing in the wind mill.
 
Love this vignette of the greenery, the old water pump, and the water bucket of wild petunias. They grow back every year.
     
Thanks for stopping by today!
Leslie

Major Announcement!

I have made some serious changes with my business recently. First, several of my products were picked up by a local store, so I am creating lots of the paintings and dancing tutu canvases, which is eating up TONS of my time. I have been busy with other orders too, such as another painting (the one that I lost the photos for), birthday party decorations and invitations, and some book orders too.

Also, I have taken a leave of absence as a Stampin' Up! demonstrator, but will be back in full swing again as of September 1st. You can still place orders through me, I will still provide you with samples, ideas, and announcements regarding Stampin' Up! products, and I still have access to any customer service needs you may have. I will still be hosting workshops to teach you new and creative ideas for gifts, cards, and home decor! Basically, this leave of absence is only on paper and will NOT affect you in any way!


I am excited about all the opportunities that have come my way for my business, and I look forward to spreading my wings to create using "other" products for a while too. I am still loyal to Stampin' Up! because I believe in the quality of the products and the continuity in the colors.

While I won't go into great detail, I will explain this leave of absence this way: I must surround myself with positive people and enter into situations that will be a positive influence. This is not just a personal preference, but also a physical requirement with my MS. A more positive outlook does affect the level of disability that is exhibited with MS, plus stress can bring on flare-ups of symptoms.

Stampin' Up!'s mission statement is called its Statement of the Heart , which states, "To love what we do and share what we love, as we help others enjoy creativity and worthwhile accomplishments . . . in this we make a difference." Stampin' Up! also stresses adherence to the Golden Rule (As spoken by Jesus, "And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise." Luke 6:31 KJV) for all business practices. Therefore, when certain circumstances, which were not in keeping with either philosophy of Stampin' Up! were brought to my attention, I decided a change was necessary to maintain positive situations. 


Changes may be happening behind the scenes, but you can still order Stampin' Up! from me and book workshops to learn fun new ideas. Plus, I am still your one-stop craft store for a complete line of color coordinated products! In Opp, I am your ONLY craft store!


I encourage you to continue to contact me with your Stampin' Up! product needs. I have direct access to sales and customer service, so there will be no disruption in your service, delivery, or product availability.
I thank you all for your support and continued patronage!
Leslie Jones…CreativePzazz@gmail.com

It's been one of those days AGAIN!

So I told you about losing those photos the other night, well today started out about the same way. First, I started making a project. It is a To Do List/ Weekly planner that I was going to decorate and bind using my Bind-it-all.

Well, apparently, either my MS or the pollen had me so foggy that I kept making mistakes. For instance, I forgot to sponge the cardstock before I attached them together, and I didn't leave space on the cover or the pages to allow for the binding space. Then I couldn't for the life of me find the O wires that I use. This is really frustrating because during my last organization project, I wrote down every single thing  that is in every single box, typed it up, and cross-referenced it. But today I go to get the O wires, and they don't exist on the list. I looked in several boxes before I decided to give up for the day.

So I thought that I shouldn't be defeated and just start another project. Here's the short version: I started the Business Card Holder Tutorial and messed up the video and photos by skipping a step. When I realized it, there was no way to go back and correct the mistake, so I have to start over. Needless to say, I moved on to another project. There I am stapling the tulle onto one of the dancing ballerina canvases (look under Wall Art in the Categories on the right side of the page) that I do. I am working away, just like I have done several before when I realize that I did the right side of the tutu with the pale pink tulle on bottom and the hot pink on top. The problem is the left side ended up just the opposite! It does seem funny now, but I was so frustrated at the time that I just lost it. I am sure I looked like a 3 year old, who was just told she couldn't have ice cream.

The result:

A post with no photo, no project, and I am not one step closer to marking anything off my To Do List after an entire day of work!

Maybe tomorrow will be better. So to celebrate bad days everywhere… Enjoy these.

Thanks for stopping by today!

 

And most importantly…

Happy Easter!

Edited to add: Sorry that this post ended up posting a day late! I got my dates wrong when I set the post date! That is okay though, it is never to late to celebrate Christ! LJ

I hope you and your family have a wonderful celebration for the risen Savior today! My God bless you!

Thanks for stopping by today!

Leslie

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

I goofed and thought that Monday was St. Patty's Day! Well, I can't say that I am of Irish decent, well not completely anyway, so I should be forgiven!

If I could hand pick a 4 leaf clover for you, I would. I wish each of you the most wonderful "luck" in the world.

My life has been full of scares, pains, and struggles. I still live with pain every day all over my body. Most people would not say that they are lucky to have experienced everything that I have. Yet, I look at it that God has blessed me with an opportunity to look at life differently, to re-prioritize my life, and to truly learn what a blessing is. I am blessed, truly blessed, to be where I am today, even with severe pain all day long. I am blessed with great friends and family. Everything I have experienced in my life, although I would change some of it and do better :(, has brought me here today and given me the strength and courage to be the woman I am today.

I hope you will take a look at all the "luck" you have in your life. Look at the situations in your life that you feel are not positive... can you find blessings in them? I did. Tons of blessings.



Thanks for stopping by today. Have a GREAT day!

Slán agus beannacht leat! (Gaelic for Goodbye and Blessings Be With You!)




Leslie Jones

Canvas Wall Art

Today's project has only one Stampin' Up! product used on it and no stamping,  but you are going to LOVE it anyway!! I want to show you what my next project is: I will be preparing several Wall Art panels to go in a store here in my hometown.  Southern Style, has unique gifts and products that you can have monogrammed. Well, now you will be able to purchase my Ceiling Tile Wall Art (you can see samples here), and I am adding a new product line for Dancing Ballerinas!

What do you think of this?

I took 2 pictures because you just can't see how poofy that tu-tu really is in the photo! These are "Tu-Tu Canvases" that you can have an initial painted on, add a Decor Elements vinyl letter, or attach a photo of your favorite ballerina to the front! They have straps at the top that hang from a small wire hanger that I made (couldn't get it to show for the photo). Aren't these so cute! 

I use 5x7, 8x10, and 11x14 canvases, but the area for the initial or photo ends up being a square area because of the tu-tu. I used a staple gun stapled the tulle as I scrunched it across the front. I did the hot pink first then the light pink.  I finished it off with black polka-dotted ribbon to hide the staples and create a waist band for the tu-tu. I used Pretty in Pink ink and rubbed it across the edges of the canvas. I then took a sponge and blended it in a bit, leaving the center a bit lighter.

What little girl wouldn't love to have this in their room?

I have seen people use canvases as their cover for a mini album. What a great mini album cover this would make! I may have to look into making one of these a mini-album!!

Thanks for stopping by! Oh, and Creative Pzazz products will be in Southern Style on April 10th!

Blog Candy Reminder!!

Just a reminder… Tomorrow (February 28, 2010 at 11:59pm) is the last day to enter to win Blog Candy! For complete contest rules, see this post. To see what the Blog Candy is that you will win, click here.

Sorry for the late post tonight. My friend's daughter is having sever medical problems because of a simple ear infection. She has sepsis, blood clot in her brain, fluid collecting around her organs, but she is starting to improve. Also, I am posting from my grandmother's. She is having some hard times now, but getting better too! God is with them both! Prayer works, my friends.

There are changes coming this way for my blog. Those of you who are long time visitors will see that I have changed the background and buttons recently. I achieved these changes using My Digital Studio! I made the little CP in the address bar with MDS too!

I am trying to get my blog switched over to my website CreativePzazz.com, but I am sure that will be a while away from now! I am trying to do it myself. I am also trying to set up a direct link for Stampin' Up! purchases from me, so you can shop in your pjs 24-7!!

Stay tuned!

Snow Day!!

NOTE: This post will serve as my post for Saturday. If you didn't know, I write all my posts at night, then schedule them to post the following morning. Because of the special circumstances of this post, I am posting live now. Also, this post contains a lot of photos and a video. I apologize if it takes a long time to load for you. The video is of my family playing in the snow. It is raw, has noises, and poor quality at times, just like us!!

Today was a complete SNOW DAY for us!! I did no crafting or craft research today because I was taking pictures and having fun with my girls!! We got around 4.5" of snow, and we all were like kids in a candy store! We've all been up since before 7am, and we are all still hyper at 8:30pm!

7am…snow just started, the girls couldn't wait. They are making a snowman, and then made a snow angel!

WHY?? You see, snow is rare in south Alabama. Really rare. The last snow we had was in 1993, seventeen years ago, and the snow before that was in 1973, a 20 year span. Some of you live in areas, such as New Hampshire, where snow is the norm, and is viewed as a nuisance at times. Here snow is such a big, exciting deal, and we LOVE the mess, the blocked roads, and being out of school!! Whoo-hoo!

7:30am…First snowman. 8" high.

9am… Bogey and Birdie loved the snow!!

10am…all the footprints are covered again!

10am… Andy and the girls having their first snowball fight!

11am… 3" of snow. This is Mallory (BFF) and Megan (right), my oldest daughter.

11am… Meg making a snowman.

11am… Syd, my youngest, making her own snowman.

11am… Andy helping Meg. There were as many leaves in this snowman as there were snowflakes!

1pm… my mom's house.

1pm…Uncle Tim's house. 1pm…Betty Jean's house.

1pm…Gafford's house. 1pm… my house from Highway.

1pm… Mema's house. 1pm… Mema's pansies. 1pm… Beautiful pines.

2pm…Final snowman of the day.

The video is a compilation of all video taken during the day. It is chronological, so you can see the progression of the snow. It ends when my oldest daughter falls down the concrete steps. She is fine, but has a bad bruise on her back. In all our hyperactivity of the day, it was bound to happen.

Hope you enjoyed the photos today. Maybe those of you in Cali, Arizona, and Tampa can look at them and be jealous live vicariously through us! To leave a comment, please click comments under my signature, and you can type in your comment.

Thanks, Leslie