tirsdag den 29. november 2016

A day of!


My friend left yesterday late afternoon - I miss her. She is so great to be around.
We thought we were going to do a lot of crafting, we didn't, we talked and talked - and did a little bit of crafting. 
My husbond got a few days for himself, and he appriciated that, he said so himself.
I'm already looking forward to the next time she's coming.



Beccys Challenge is great. It is fun learning so many ways a card can be made.
This is my card for to day. 
A digi-stamp made by Mo Manning. It is called Grace and the owl.
The card reads: Whishing you a peaceful Christmas.

søndag den 27. november 2016

Black and white

I've not much to tell to day, only that I enjoy some days with a very close friend, Eva. We're crafting, laughing, cooking and much more. It's so good to be able to spend some days together.

Here's my entry for the challenge on Beccys blog. To day it is "white on white"!

The card reads: Merry Christmas!

onsdag den 23. november 2016

A dear friend

I have very few I can call close friends. But, I know we will always be there for each other. Like in the poem, we may sometime feel alone, and jey our friends might be close by, helping. I'm so grateful for my close friends, one of them is coming to day and staying a few days. We're going to do a lot of stamping and quilling. It's going to be so fun.
My wish is, that we'll always be there for each other, helping others when they fall. Also, and I know this is difficult, let others help us when we need it. It will strenghten the friendship between us and others. Give it a try! What do you have to loose?


One night I dreamed a dream.
As I was walking along the beach with my Lord.
Across the dark sky flashed scenes from my life.
For each scene, I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand,
One belonging to me and one to my Lord.
After the last scene of my life flashed before me,
I looked back at the footprints in the sand.
I noticed that at many times along the path of my life,
especially at the very lowest and saddest times,
there was only one set of footprints.
This really troubled me, so I asked the Lord about it.
"Lord, you said once I decided to follow you,
You'd walk with me all the way.
But I noticed that during the saddest and most troublesome times of my life,
there was only one set of footprints.
I don't understand why, when I needed You the most, You would leave me."
He whispered, "My precious child, I love you and will never leave you
Never, ever, during your trials and testings.
When you saw only one set of footprints,
It was then that I carried you."

tirsdag den 22. november 2016

Two large buckets!

A dear friend has this quote on her kitchen wall:
Entegrity is keeping promisses to one self - and to others.

For me, entegrity is also to be true to one self - and to others.

I like this quote, we need to set a standard for ourself, so we can stand firm and true for what we believe. When we know who we are, we can help others.  We don't need to be perfect, none of us are, but we need to be true to who we are. 
Sometimes we may think we don't do much of anything, but where we are, we matter.
I would like to share a story about that

...an elderly Chinese woman had two large buckets. Each bucket hung on the ends of a long pole, which she carried across her neck. One of those buckets had a crack in it and the other bucket was perfect. The perfect bucket always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the house. But the cracked bucket arrived only half full
For full two years the Chinese woman went daily to the stream with the two buckets and she would carry home one and one half buckets of water. Of course, the perfect bucket was proud of its accomplishments. The cracked bucket however, was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it could only do half of what it had been created to do.After two years of what the cracked bucket perceived to be bitter failure, it spoke to the woman one day by the stream. “I am ashamed of myself, because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house and you work so hard.”The old woman smiled and said, “Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other bucket’s side? I have always known about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you water the flowers. For two years, I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty  grace my house and give me so much joy.”As I think about the story, I am reminded that each of us has our own flaws....
to
This is my entry for Beccys blog to day

mandag den 21. november 2016

Just a little bit!

I was in hospital again, it was volvulus. I'm happy to be home again. There's nothing like home!

I've not much to tell, I've spent most of the day making cards.


My card for Beccysplace.blogspot.dk to day. It says: Merry Christmas

These other cards

These cards are made for Operation Skriv Hjem (Operation Write Home)




These last 2 cards are for Cancerkort

lørdag den 19. november 2016

How do we grow?


I must admit, I do not like changes. Most of the time, I'm happy with things the way they are.

I do on the other side accept, at in order to grow - things have to change.

I have some favotie qoutes abt. change:


  • If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.
  • Change your thoughts and you change your world. Norman Vincent Peale
  • Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek. Barack Obama

I guess for me, it is I have to come away from my comfort zone.
Like when I began to read! I've always had difficulty reading. As an adult (+30) I took a class with other adults who also had a hard time reading.
After that class, I've been reading. There's a hole world out there, just waiting be to explored.
Give up your comford zone, change a bit - and by that, change the world.

To day I've tried to to two new things.

Baking "Birkes" again, first time was not a succes. This time it was much better.

And, at Beccys blog , the challenge to day, is to make an easel card.
I've never made a one before...But I decided to give it a try, since Beccy has made a great tut. It is easy to follow, so if you haven't tried making an easel card, then go look at it - and give it a try.



In Denmark we celebrate Christmas Dec 24th, in the evening.
That is why the paper says 24:12 God Jul (Merry Christmas)

2nd try on breakfast bread "Birkes".

fredag den 18. november 2016

A mini update!

This is just a very short input today.
Yesterday when my husbond and I had to sort through some boxes, I made a wrong move - and bang, I was in the most painful painattack. We could not drive home, so we had to take a taxi. Just not fun at all.

Here's my pictures for Beccys blog
I've tried to make 2 christmas cards for men.
Excuse the quality of the pictures. I do not know why the cards looks so wrinkled - for they're not.





onsdag den 16. november 2016

A day off!

A day off where I don't do anything - it sounds just great. My little insignificant tasks today only involves:
Bakingm shopping, sorting boxes, pick up our daughter (she want to come home and spend the day), visit from our other and grandson, sorting out the old storage room, clean the house, do laundry... 
Now it sounds like I'm complaining - I don't - I feel blessed that I can do these things. After so much surgery and the recovery, it feels great to be able to participate in daily activities.
To fully appreciate the things we often take for granted, we may have to experience the opposite. To experience the oppesite leads us to appriciate the blessings we receive, but we can also learn what is most important in life. What we think we can't do withour or something we have to do, is suddenly irrelevant.
Funny thing though, I have found out that many things I thought I could not live withour, eventhough they felt a burden - giving it up, either by giving it away or througing it out, provided the  freedom I love so much.

My card for today at Beccys place


tirsdag den 15. november 2016

What is trust?

Hi there!
To day I have a thought about TRUST.
What is TRUST? 
Why is trust so importent?


Define Trust at Dictionary.com: (here's only a few things)
  • reliance on and confidence in the truth, worth, reliability, etc, of person or thing;
  • fait, (a person or thing in which confidence or faith is placed)

I don't know about you, but I find it hard to trust a person I've just meet.
A man once said to me: Christ told us to forgive every one - but they have to earn your trust agin. 
Until that moment, I'd alwayd felt that if I forgave a person, I also had to fully trust them again
It was a relief to be taught that trust, even as an adult,  is something you have to earn a right to.
Trust is a big thing, I wonder if we think about that from time to time - and appreciate the trust we feel from family and friends.




mandag den 14. november 2016

Our heritage

The last few weeks I've often thought about our heritage.
My spouse and I have talked a lot about it.
My childhood was influenced by my father's alcoholism and violence. My grandfarther on my fathers side and my great-grandfather were also alcoholic. My fathers sister married an alcoholic...
I was removed from home when I was 13 years.
Maybe that's why I often think of where I could have ended, if I'd not been removed - or where I would have been had it not been for the love of my grandmother (my morthers mother), or the love of my "church family".
My thoughts are often about why I did not choose the same path. Why do some and others so not?
In a way I never felt I "belonged" in my family. I was different. My family felt it to. I wanted something different than them.
Symbolically, it was as if I looked up and longed for the stars, while my family was satisfied with where they were.
I was often told I would never amount to anything, that no one would marry me, that I should be grateful for what I had.
My thought: Are we ungrateful becaurse we desire something diffrent than our parents? Because we think other thoughts? I though so for many years.
I'm grateful for my husbond and all he'd done for me. For believing in me and my dreams. He has taught me that it's ok to want something different than others - by that we can even prosper and grow.
Reach for the stars - claim your dreams. Do not let heritage hold you back, and prevent you of being the best you can be.
Today I've made a different card - I saw it om Pinterest, and I reached out and tried it! The result is not perfect, but I tried, and learned a bit along the way.
 The card is closed

 Now the card is opened!



søndag den 13. november 2016

A great day

Hi...
I hope everyone has a blessed Sabbath. I was not at church to day. I have gone down with a servere cold and fever.

Last night I arranged the stamps I didn't have time to the day before. I'm very pleased with the result.



Though I'm not feeling well, I wanted to make a christmas card. It is not fancy. I'm not even sure I like it - but then agan, like in life - there should always be room to try, and if you fail, learn from your mistake - and try again. With that said, here's my card. Thank you Beccy, for this month of Christmas card challenge.

lørdag den 12. november 2016

A deep red poinsetta

Oh, how I love that flower, a poinsetta. I can't remember a time I didn't!
When my father-in-law lived, he used to give me one each year in the beginning of December, because he knew how much I loved that flower. I was so thankful to him, it became a symbol of his love for me.


Some years after he had died, I told my youngest daughter about that tradition. She said it was a sweet story about her grandfather, and we didn't talk about it after that. December came a few month later, and so did a poinsetta. Ever since then, she has given me a flower in December. To me it has has become a sign of familytradition and love.



fredag den 11. november 2016

A treasure in the garden

Do you know the feeling, when you need something, right now, and you do not have what you need?
To day needed a stamp with stars, and did not have one like that (I thought). 

I thought I probably really should consider getting my stamps in some sort of a system. It's hard to know what you have, when they are just mixed together. 

There was not far from thought to action. I found a system and began to sort the stamps.
Then I moved onto the Christmas stamps from Bildmålarne (from Sweden). I desided to begin with those, as Christmas is just around the corner.

What did I find? A stamp that said: Under the starts! Just such a stamp that I needed - and had forgot I had!

I think life is a bit like my mess with the stamps - sometimes. Once we were glad for something, and as time went by, we forget all about it. If we are lucky, we find the joy again - and once again rejoice in the little things in life.

I like this childrens song, I am like a star shinning brightly

We have many small treasures in our lives - we just need to open your eyes and see them.

The challenge today at Beccys place was to make a card with stars.

"Under the stars"





Before                            After

Another unit





torsdag den 10. november 2016

The Polka Dance!

To day the challenge at Beccys place, is to use polka dots.
Polka dots makes me smile. What makes you smile?

It is funny how things can make you happy or sad. All I know is that polka dots makes me happy.
My thoughs always goes to the Polka dance.

Here's the polka dance: The Polka Dance

When I imagine a circle of girls dancing the polka, it makes me smile - and my day gets       It makes me smile and makes the day so much better.
So, here's my polka-Christmas card.


tirsdag den 8. november 2016

What makes a great Christmas

Is it sitting alone or being with just your family - or maybe invite as many as possibly. 
I don't think there is a right or wrong answer to this question. It may vary from tradition or family to family - or even country to country. I think it is important to look around and see if there is someone feeling lonely - or even forgotten. Can we open our heart and home for them? 
The Christmas message for me is about LOVE. 
Christ, our King, was born in a manger. I think there is a symbol in that: None of us, is above another. Love has no boundry, we must love everyone.
Christmas is not just one evening - it is all year round.


At Beccys place, the challange to day, is "For something a little bit different, try using part of a stamp, allowing some of the design to extend off the page. " 

This was again a difficult challenge. I pondered for a long time, which stamp I could use - until my thoughts began to revolve around my son Jimmy, who now lives in England. He just started a new job. Will he have to work at Christmas? Does he come home and celebrate Christmas with us? From these thoughts, the card was born: I'll be home for Christmas.     

I'll be home for Christmas - Michael Buble'                                                                                                                             


mandag den 7. november 2016

Is winter coming?

Is winter coming?
I love the winter time. There was frost and snow on the car this morning. The white blanket was ice and a bit og snow, it looks so beautiful.

The challenge on Beccy today are: use a button! I've never done that on a christmas card, so it really was a challenge for me. I know the buttons are to big for the card, but it was the only snowflakes I had.

                                            

søndag den 6. november 2016

It is Sunday, a day to worship.

It is Sunday, a day to worship our God and Savior Jesus Christ.
On Beccy's blog, the challenge to day is to make a card with the theme: A Christmas song.
I love Christmas songs. My all over favorite are Oh, Holy Night.
I though of making a card abt. that song - but no. Instead I choose a Swedish song, that have become popular in Denmark in recent years.
It is "Nu tændes tusind julelys". Listen here: Nu tændes tusind julelys
The lyric goes like this:

A thousand Christmas Candles Now


A thousand Christmas candles now
are lit upon the earth.
A thousand more in heaven glow
to honor Jesus' birth.

And over town and field tonight
the Christmas message flies,
that Christ our Savior and our God
in humle manger lies.

Oh star that shone in Bethlehem,
so radiant and so mild,
shine in to night with hope and peace
on hearth and home and child.

And may each heart that's sad and dark
be opened to Thy ray,
and may God's light and love reach in
apon this Christmas day.

Emmy Köhler



lørdag den 5. november 2016

What to do?

I'm still in pain, so housework are on stand by...
I lie and wonder if I could have done something different, so the pain had not came back.
It is three months since I last had a major attack and had to be hospitalized. What happened?
I can not put my finger on anything in particular. I have not lifted Mads many times, and certainly not the last week. I am not standing in the kitchen, for here where we live, we can buy good and cheap meals, so we choose that, just for me to save my strength for other things.

My daughter Grethe, said something wise: When setting a goal, there is also small sub-goals... that way you pause and see how far you have come.
Mom, Your goal is to recover completely, maybe this here, a bit like a sub-goal - this i not a failure, because you still have your goal in mind.

Pondering about it, I think she's right. It's hard to think positively about something that right now are perceived negatively - but it is healthy to turn the situation into something good. If you have good things to work with, so it's easier to start again. Putting one foot before the other, take it step by step ...

I have embroidered 3 Christmas calendars this year, they only lack the bracket so they can hang on the wall. Jubiii I'm so happy they're done before Dec 1st.
The calender with the train is made for Mads. Both Mads' fathers mother Solvejg and I will buy 12 gifts. I can't wait to se his calender with 24 small gifts - hanging on the wall. (That's the way we do it in Denmark, then each day Mads will unwrap a pressent) It will be fun to see him open his first calendar gift.


fredag den 4. november 2016

Just stamping


Hello I hope to day has been a blessed day for all of you.
I'm trying to get over yesterday, I was suddenly hospitalized with incredible pain. There were many patients admitted, and it meant among other things a wait of 50 minutes to get some painkillers. After a scan, it was decided that it had to be an exacerbation of the normal cronic pain - and I could just as well be at home and wait for it the pass. In the midst of a painful attack, I was released ....

At Beccysplace, the challene to day was: Just stamping



tirsdag den 1. november 2016

Blue and silver!

We are slowly finding a rhytm in what we call "our new life".
Quite and calm, we get more and more of our stuf in place.
It's amazing how much we have collected in the 31 years we've been married.

We enjoy the time with our family - and miss our son Jimmy, who is in England.
The Importence of the family, is central for us.
Mutual love and respect means a lot to us. The last 2 years with much illness, have shown that our
family is there for each other - it's not something I take for granted. I see and feel it as a great blessing.

Last Sunday, I was in church. I have missed to take part in the Holy Sacrement. What a blessing to be there again, and partake.

Until next time: Take care of yourself - you're best at it!


I have now made claim on the kitchen: It's mine!!!




There's a fb group where we are a group of members who swap advents pressents.
It's all about crafting: cards, scrapbooking and such. 
I've signed up fot 2 - and in return I'll also recieve 2 gifts.



Still working on the craftroom... and our little grandson sure likes to help.
We put things in place - and he reorganizes it right away...



At Beccysplace the month of Nov. means a month of fun!
Each day Beccy gives a new challenge. Come join in - you'll learn something, I prommise.
To day the challange was easy: Make a card using your favourite colour combination.

Right now my colours are silver and blue. 
The inside of the Christmas card.