San Diego 2010

Scott is doing alot better since his motorcycle accident and starting to feel like doing more. John was out in San Diego with him for 10 days and they managed to get out and around town some to keep Scott moving.
We have always loved San Diego and always wanted to live there, but the cost of living is so out of sight that it was never possible for us. But do love the weather, views, ocean and its a wonderful place!

While there, they went to the see the USS Midway Museum and tour the ship. Great way to experience what daily living was like aboard a ship and they have many simulators that make it all seem so real. John was aboard the Hornet while in the Navy but Scott and Autumn were  pretty impressed with the ship,

View down the street

John enjoying the sun

Scott

Yucca Tree

Scott

USS Midway

On desk of ship

Autumn and Scott

Bay

John

Scott feeling better

Chicago Stamping Retreat

It is always fun and exciting to be able to get together with a group of stampers, especially when one of them is the ower, creator, designer and artist of Stampscapes Rubber Stamps. Kevin Nakagawa joined us for 3 days of the ultimate stampers experience. While I did not join them for the full 3 days, I did spend several hours there on Friday. Ken Pesho also joined us again this year and he is also very talented and a wonderful artist. Here are some of the people and art from the weekend.

The Group

Kevin

Kevin

Kevin

Ken and Kevin

Yikes! What a mess!

Inspiration board

Board 2

Kevin's scene

Ken's scene

Ken's scene

Pat Moore scene

Top scene by Kevin bottom scene by Karen Wallace

I didn't get anything done worth posting this time as my head and heart were in California with Scott and the accident he just had but if you don't understand scenic art, each item is an individual stamp.
Several are choosen to create a scene and stamped onto the artists choice of paper. Then they are colored in with either inks, Copic markers, pencils, watercolor or chalks. The results are amazing

Sandy and John

Motorcycle accident

This has been quite a week! Last Sunday  received a phone call from my sister in law that my brother, Scott, had a bad motorcycle accident while dirt biking down in Mexico. Somehow I knew I would get that call one day! :( By some small miracle they managed to get him immediate care and then transported him to the border and was picked up in another ambulance there and transported to the University Medical Center.
7 broken ribs, a punctured lung and a broken collar bone and scapula later, he had surgery and they put in 2 plates and pins to repair the collar bone. The punctured lung is healing and he is home now. Very sore, in alot of pain and realizing just how serious this was yet how much worse it could have been if he had not been wearing his helmet and leathers. The helmet is moosh. Appears the handle bars sheared off causing the accident, not his high flying tricks or jumps. This time. Thank God, he is alive and will mend. John took off this morning to go help out for about 10 days. Since travel is so difficult for me, and with my own challenges, it was better that John go alone. I am devistated that I can't be with him. Autumn is an angle. She pampers him, takes care of him and was wonderful in letting us know what was going on, calling or texting whenever she knew something. She was a real trooper. Hopefully with John there, it will give her a break and she can get back to work without worrying about Scott. We say a prayer of thanks for both of them.

August Cards

Still working on August cards. Guess I better hurry up and get them all done or it will pass me by! Actually think I have a start on the September batch too. Thats a first! Most of the scenic cards were made using stamps from Stampscapes.com or Sutter Stamps. They are all individual stamps ( ie: tree, branch,water, sand, birds etc. ) that are positioned on paper to create whatever scene you see in your minds eye. They are both wonderful companies and all the stamps fit well to create scenes.

New cards

Seems like August is "THE" month to have a birthday. I have been locked in my office for the past 3 days trying to get through the numerous cards that I need for upcoming family and friends. With new "toys" to play with they sure help make it easy to create a pretty design card. These were made using the new Cuttlebug embossing folders of various styles. Some also cut out a window at the same time. Some pretty flowers either stamped and colored with Copics or some printed from photographs help make it easy to do.

                                                                  

The Sailor Suit

When WWII ended and my dad came home to his new baby daughter. With all his Navy uniforms packed away my grandmother decided to make a sailor suit for me out of one of dads. She was an excellent seamstress and could make anything without a pattern. All she needed was the image in her mind. I finally grew into it at about 2 years old but unfortunatley those photos are lost.  When baby brother Scott came along I dug out the suit and John took his picture in it. Ah..now its a family heirloom! When Traci was born somehow we forgot about and when I did find it, she had outgrown it. I passed it down to her when she got married to keep for her childern. Hayden came into this world a big boy and blew right past the suit before we knew what happened. Luckily it was remembered for Jaxson and so we finally have a photo of someone else in The Sailor Suit. Scott is on the left, Jaxson on the right.

                                                                                                    

Karate Blue Belt Test

One of the greatest joys in my life to be able to share in the lives of our 2 grandsons, Hayden (7) and Jaxson (2 1 /2). We have watched Hayden from the beginning as he started karate lessons when he was 4. He seemed so small and we wondered how in the world he would ever master all the moves, kicks, punches and balancing. As we have watched him thru the years we are amazed at how he has taken to this sport. So many sports are so competitive that kids are more concerned about winning than enjoying what they do. While the various degrees of belt colors is important in karate, it is also a sport about enjoying what you do, decipline, listening, balance, self defence, stranger danger and attitude. We are proud when he competes and wins a trophy but would be proud just because he tried and did his best. I love the fact that everyone who takes part in the tournaments goes home with a trophy and no one is left out. Hayden tested on Saturday for his blue belt and did very well. When the younger kids start out they advance by belt color also but now Hayden is in the advance classes and if he continues he could be a black belt by the time he is 11.