Thursday, May 5, 2011

Walkin' Chicago

Hallo,
Lots and lots of walking today!!!!
My conference ended at 1 pm today and I decided to walk back to my hotel.....it was sunny, just a touch cool and not too windy (for Chicago anyway - I got windburned last friday on my first venture out walking...).
The pics arenot in order - I goofed - I walked from the convention center, up through the park to the fountain and then to Millennium Square.....
I love how there are all these wonderful old buildings right next to bright and shiny steel skyscrapers.
It took me about 3 and 1/2 hours to get back to my hotel but I did stop to take alot of pictures on the way....as you can tell (I have one more batch to edit from today that I will probably show you on saturday).
All for today - Take Care
Tera






































































































































































Monday, May 2, 2011

Chicago

Hallo,
As you can see by the post I am in Chicago - attending NTI which stands for National Teaching Institute - 6 days of Critical Care specific classes and other events too.
I had a little time to walk around town friday afternoon when I got here but really hadn't taken too many pics yet.
One thing I found curious was all the old water towers - there were too many of them around town for them to be not in use - course maybe some are and some not....
These first 2 I found right across the street from the convention center - not sure where I was with the second and the third is right downtown just a block or 2 from the river.

I left the beginings of summer in Florida to a nice cool spring just getting underway here in Chicago. There are alot of tulips and daffodils and the trees are only just begining to bud.
The flowering tree is in front of a brownstone only a block from my hotel and it literally sits within inches of a bright shiny steel highrise.
I have found a great little Italian resterant only 2 blocks from my hotel that is very yummy.
All for today..
Take Care
Tera


















Friday, April 29, 2011

Braggin' Post

Hallo,


Friday am, waiting at the airport, headed for Chicago for the week for a Nursing Critical Care Convention and week of education......


Had to get these photos up for the family and friends.


These are photos from Wednesday nights JROTC Awards night.


Paula took 6 different awards - Including Cadet of the Quater , Outstanding Cadet Award and Distinguished Cadet Award .


In addition to Paula's awards it was really nice to see that her group of friends took so many of the awards also. It was lots of fun for me and her Dad too.



The 2 yound men with Paula in these photos are a great pair and they might roll their eyes at me for the last photo but I just couldn't resist - it is such a great photo!!!! These guys are Eathan and Jon.


I tried to get a picture of Jack but he refused to let me - he looks very sharp in his uniform too (although he could use a bit of a hair cut right now....)





Ok I am back - had to fly :)
Good flights, on time, although $30 for a taxi to my hotel was an ouch....but the hotel is really nice and I an headed out for a walk with my camera and to find some lunch.
Checking email and finishing up here while I let my phone charge a bit....

I don't have anything crafty lined up for this week so you won't see me much here - I may have Chicago and convention pics if I have any time to spare :).

Take Care
Tera

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Forest Fairy

Hallo,
Just a quick post for you today....2 nights down , one more to work - then I am off for a week and 1/2 - YIPPEEEE.
Friday I am headed for Chicago for a major ICU Nursing Convention/Education seminars.
Not only is this conferance one of the best way to keep up with all the new stuff in the medical world but also a great way to stay in touch with all the stuff I don't do on a regular basis and to hang out with some 8 to 10 thousand other ICU Nurses!!!

I did this card for 2 seperate challenges.
First one is for 'In A Sweet Pea Dream' to use your favorite colors - see more here - www.inasweetpeadreamchallengeblog.blogspot.com

I used my 2 favorite colors again - purple and teal (this time with a pop of orange :)

The second challenge is for 'Sweet Pea Stampers' challenge to reuse and recycle - The purple frond background is actually an envalope that I have been saving for a couple months now, and the corners decorations are the innards of a punch that I saved too. Check out the challenge here - www.sweetpeastampschallenge.blogspot.com

The stamp is of course from 'Sweet Pea Stamps' and colored with copics. The main panel is cut with a Spellbinders labels die and edged with a gold metallic pen.


Well all for today - off to sleep.
Take Care
Tera

Monday, April 25, 2011

Trust in the Lord

Hallo,
Welome to another Monday morning. I hope everyone had a great Easter!!!! We had a nice quiet day - ate lunch at one of our favorite places on the water, the weather was beautiful!!!!

I worked last night so am off to bed here in a moment.....

Between friday and saturday I finished off another canvas and was really happy with how it turned out!!!!

Friday am I went for a walk with the pooch, did some yard work and then on my way to get groceries I decided to stop at one of my favorite thift shops. All the while I was thinking in the back of my head how I wanted to do up the next canvas.....
While I was wandering around the thrift store I came across this wire cross candle holder and I had a great idea!!! This little candle holder is about 7 inches high and 6 across and it only cost a dollar, so I decided to use it on the canvas.

I started out with a plain white canvas and painted it with cream and purple acrylic paints. Once it was dry, I used some purple glimmer mist and a glimmer screen (stencil) and sprayed the canvas with glimmer mist.

The wings are a Tim Holtz die that I cut out twice - once out of cardboard and once out of some pages from an old Bible that I had found at a garage sale (the covers had fallen off and alot of the pages are loose and some of the pages were pretty tattered too). I glued them together and painted the backs with cream acrylic paint - swipeing some on the front, also swiped a bit of mettalic gold acrylic paint too. I glued them down first.

I then glued the candle holder to the canvas useing chrystal laquer (it dries clear and it was the closest to me on my desk :).

I used the Tim Holtz corners again but painted then with the cream paint a bit of gold so it matched the candle holder better.
The phrases are both from Verve
The one on the front was stamped on some shimmery paper from Paper Temptress and embossed with white and layered onto darker paper (also from Paper Temptress) cut with one of the Spellbinders fancy tags.

The prases on the sides were a 3 line phrase that I stamped onto vellum (because it was handy - more on that in a moment...) and cut the lines apart so I could glue them to the sides. I used vellum because I had pulled out a bunch of scraps trying to find a leftover piece of gold shimmer vellum I knew I had (to use for the Jesus stamp...). Normally I would have used white tissue paper for this and let me tell you it would have been much easier to use the tissue paper!!!!! The vellum doesn't like to be glued down like that - it kept curling up. I eventually got it to lay flat and look nice but in the fucture I will definatly NOT use the vellum instead of white tissue paper !!!!

The Jesus stamp is one I had had for many years and have used alot - the name of the company that made it has worn off the side.....but I stamped him onto a piece of gold shimmery vellum and embossed him with gold. I then colored on the back with colored pencil to give just a hint of color.....I had first tried backing him with white cardstock so it would glue down easier but I wanted the cross to show through so on my second try I got out my xyron and ran the piece through so it was sticky all over the back and then stuck him onto the part of the cross where I wanted him - and it worked nicely (I wonder if that would have worked for the phrases......ah well something to try next time....).



I added some beaded swirls for accent and that was it....

I added this canvas to my Etsy shop
yesterday.

All for me today - my pillow awaits....

Take Care
Tera
















































Saturday, April 23, 2011

Flowers

Hallo,
Just a quick little post today before we get too busy today - already went for a walk this am and a bit of yard work so I am aiming for some relaxin time. Maybe I will try the pool this afternoon.....

Yesterday when I was done with yard work I grabbed the camera and took some picture of some of my flowers.

These first 2 pics are of my newest Clementis - accually about 2 years old - I made the mistake of trimming him down 2 falls ago and this is the first time he has bloomed since.

I have learned that some clementis like to be trimmed down in the fall, but they don't need to be, and others like this one DONOT like to be trimmed - matter of fact I thought I killed him, so was really glad to see him coming back this year!!! The darker purple behind him is another kind of clementis.

The next several pics are of one of my small cactus near my front door - the first of my cactus to bloom this year. The first 2 photos are actually the same except in the first one I tweaked the lighting a bit and the second one I just left alone - not much difference I guess but the color is more accurate on the second one.

The last flower is a gerber daisy in a pot alongside the pool.

All for today!!! See you on Monday - I plan to prepost for Monday and tuesday because I work 3 in a row starting tomorrow night.....
Take Care
Tera





















































Friday, April 22, 2011

Sweet Pea favorite colors

Hallo,
I have a wonderful Sweet Pea image to show you today.

She is colored with prismacolor pencils and will be for this weeks challenge over at 'In A Sweet Pea Dream' to use your favorite color. Check it out here - www.inasweetpeadreamchallengeblog.blogspot.com

Well my 2 favorite colors are purple and teal and this one has a bit of both.

I cut her and the layer under her with Spellbinders dies and edged them with gold metallic pen.

The base layer is another glimmer mist second - I sprayed over a screen for another project and then layed this cardstock on top of the screen to pick up the glimmer mist left on the screen.

It is very warm and humid here today(I even have the AC on...) - 80 degrees and 70 % humidity - I went for a walk and did some yard work this am, and then I almost jumped into the pool - It looks so good but it is still just a touch cool for me. The weather is sposed to be warm all weekend so the pool should be warm enough tomorrow or on Sunday.

All for me today - heading back into the craft room for a bit....
Have a great weekend!!!!
Tera