Fe-Fe's World Of Craft, Creations and Kids.: Pay It Forward

Wednesday, 16 April 2008

Pay It Forward

SammieJay visited my blog a short while ago and she left me a lovely comment so I went to visit her blog to say thank you and inadvertantly signed myself up for a PIF Rak and these are all the lovely things she sent me. Thank you so much SammieJay.

Now it is my turn to pay it forward, but what I'd like to do is this, anyone who posts a reply between now and 9pm tomorrow (Thursday) will be entered into the draw and I will pick three winners on Friday morning to receive a PIF Rak from me.

This is a birthday card that I made for a craft forum friend of mine, Paula.

Paula makes the most gorgeous cards and she has a very distinct distressed style which I love and would give my right arm to be able to make them as half as good as she can!

I wanted to have a go at making her a card in her style as I have lots of stamps that fit the bill but I don't tend to use them as, even though I love them, I can never get the look right and I feel because they are so "arty" my non crafty friends won't like them anyway. I knew Paula would appreciate my efforts though and it was really refreshing to make a card in this style and it turn out so well. So thank you Paula for being such a wonderful person to design a card for.

The papers are by Basic Grey.
The stamp is by Paper Artsy.
I also used Ranger Distress Inks and letter stickers.

4 comments:

Unknown said...: Its gorgeous, I love distressed style, I just wouldn't know where to start...ChrissyX; 17 April 2008 at 15:47
Dawn said...: Fe - I know what you mean - Paulas style is gorgeous - like you, I see these lovely vintagy designs and buy unusual stamps then sit wondering what to do next but this card is lovely and just whaat Paula would like, I Luuurve that stamp.; 17 April 2008 at 22:30
Debbie said...: Wow love this card Fe - I am sure Paula was delighted to receive it - well done. ;) :)

Debbie x; 20 April 2008 at 14:12
Anonymous said...: aaww thanks Fe *blush* I really did love this card and the photo certainly doesnt do it justice!I was really chuffed that Fe went to the trouble of making something that wasnt her usual style and I think (and Im sure youll agree)she does have a real flair for it!

Thanks again Fe xx; 5 August 2008 at 09:36

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Ode to Special Mums

Ode to Special Moms(by Erma Bombeck)

Most women become mothers by accident, some by choice, a few by social pressures and a couple by habit. This year, nearly 100,000 women will become mothers of handicapped children. Did you ever wonder how mothers of handicapped children are chosen?

Somehow I visualize God hovering over Earth selecting his instruments for propagation with great care and deliberation. As he observes, he instructs his angels to make notes in a giant ledger.
"Armstrong, Beth, son, patron saint, Matthew.
Forrest, Marjorie, daughter, patron saint, Cecilia.
"Rudledge, Carrie, twins, patron saint, give her Gerard. He's used to profanity."
Finally, he passes a name to an angel and smiles, "Give her a handicapped child."

The angel is curious. "Why this one, God? She's so happy."

"Exactly," says God. "Could I give a handicapped child to a mother who does not know laughter? That would be cruel."

"But has she patience?" asks the angel.

"I don't want her to have too much patience or she will drown in a sea of self-pity and despair. Once the shock and resentment wear off, she'll handle it.
"I watched her today. She has that feeling of self and independence that is so rare and so necessary in a mother. You see, the child I'm going to give her has his own world. She has to make it live in her world, and that's not going to be easy."

"But, Lord, I don't think she even believes in you."

God smiles. "No matter. I can fix that. This one is perfect. She has just enough selfishness."

The angel gasps, "Selfishness? Is that a virtue?"

God nods. "If she can't separate herself from the child occasionally, she'll never survive. Yes, here is a woman whom I will bless with a child less than perfect. She doesn't realize it yet, but she is to be envied. She will never take for granted a 'spoken word.' She will never consider a 'step' ordinary. When her child says 'Momma' for the first time, she will be present at a miracle and know it! When she describes a tree or a sunset to her child, she will see it as few people ever see my creations."I will permit her to see clearly the things I see...ignorance, cruelty, prejudice...and allow her to rise above them. She will never be alone. I will be at her side every minute of every day of her life, because she is doing my work as surely as she is here by my side."

"And what about her patron saint?" asks the angel, pen poised midair.

God smiles. "A mirror will suffice."

"Welcome to Holland"

"Welcome to Holland" By Emily Perl Kingsley

I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability - to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this......

When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.

After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."

"Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy."

But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.

The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.

So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.

It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around.... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills....and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.

But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy... and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."
And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away...because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss. But...if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things ... about Holland.