Fe-Fe's World Of Craft, Creations and Kids.

This blog was started mainly for my crafting, however I also find myself writing about my family life too and in particular about my son Josh. Josh is just Josh to us and we're used to his quirky behaviour. As I don't want to have to mention Josh's autism every time I post about him, I thought I'd mention it here. Hopefully you will bear this in mind as you read and it may give you a little insight into the wonderful world of the autisic child in a very gentle way!

Friday, 3 October 2008

Cuttlebug Challenge Blog

These are two cards I made for the new Cuttlebug Challenge Blog. Their first challenge is to use 3 embossing folders on your project. I started by doing the Christmas Card but it just wasn't cute so I decided I would make the dinosaur card as well just to get my cute fix in! :-)

For this card I used the Swiss Dots embossing folder on the blue card stock. Then I used the zigzag stitching embossing folder on the matted and layered card stock and for the third embossing folder I used The circle one from the Happy Birthday set. I used blue chalk to make it stand out a bit. The stamp is by Whipper Snapper.

For the Christmas card I actually used four embossing folders but who's counting??? I used a border from the Just My Type set on the edges of the green card stock. The white card is embossed with the Snowflake folder. The green scalloped circle is embossed with the Swiss Dots folder and the snowflake is cut and embossed with the Ice Crystal set.

17 comments:

Captain Scrappy said...: oh those cards are just lovely! Thanks for participating in the first Cuttlebug Challenge and thank you for stopping by my blog. :)

Jenn; 3 October 2008 at 17:18
Cazzy said...: Gosh a Cuttlebug challenge! It wouldn't take me long to use all my folders (which are 5 Christmas, two baby and one birthday and one floral) and I only have 4 dies.

Nice cards Fiona.; 3 October 2008 at 17:39
Maria said...: Both cards turned out fabulously! Great use of all the CBs!! I have a ton of the embossing folders. . .I need to use them more often!!

Love the snowflake on your Christmas card!!

Maria; 3 October 2008 at 20:30
ScrapAddict said...: Great cards!; 3 October 2008 at 21:20
Rosanne said...: Gorgeous cards! Now I know I need a few more embossing folders!; 3 October 2008 at 22:24
Allison said...: two fab cards, thanks for taking part in the challenge
Cuttlehugs
AllisonX; 3 October 2008 at 22:38
ScrapMomOf2 said...: These are GREAT! You are loving your Cuttlebug, aren't you? I love both of these!

Aw, Fiona, I'm so sorry you had a bad grooming experience with sweet Max! Remember, just take a deep breath, and the hair will grow back! I know that doesn't help right now, but he'll be looking like himself before you know it! HUGS to you!!; 3 October 2008 at 23:03
Pauline C said...: beautiful cards - love your use of folders
pauline x; 3 October 2008 at 23:20
pescbrico said...: I like your card! It's really fun the way you used the embossing :) Have a great weekend :); 3 October 2008 at 23:22
Krista B. said...: Your cards are amazing : ) The Christmas card is stunning, love your work! Thanks so much for playing with us at the Cuttlebug Challenge - Can't wait to see your creation next week!; 4 October 2008 at 04:12
Kazz said...: great cards! I love that snowflake and your colours are stunning!

I've left you an award on my blog, hope you like it.; 4 October 2008 at 18:48
Debbie said...: Fabulous cards Fe..love that whipper snapper stamp and you have coloured it beautifully. :)

The christmas card is lovely too - oooh you can't use too many embossing folders, lol love you hurge snowflake. :)

xxDebbiexx; 4 October 2008 at 22:19
Dawn said...: Ooh lovely cards Fe and great use of the Bug - haven't entered yet!! Not enough time in the day!!

Dawn
x; 5 October 2008 at 09:43
Deanne said...: omg that stamp is adorable, i've missed all your posts because of the top post lol i thought you hadnt updated in awhile :)
all of your cards are gorgeous Fe
xx; 5 October 2008 at 10:10
carolann said...: These cards are absolutely stunning hun well done xxxxxx; 5 October 2008 at 16:55
Ginny said...: GORGEOUS...love the dino stamp

ginny; 7 October 2008 at 07:55
Deborah said...: Very nice use of your CB folder on this one! Love the snowflake! Deb; 10 October 2008 at 06:18

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.