A special gift indeed

Sometimes you just meet someone and you seem to "click".  That is how I feel about Jo.
I met Jo on line when I first started my blog.  I originally started my blog as a sort of homework in my concussion recovery (after we hit that blasted deer that injured my back).  I had a great rehab therapist and she worked with me to help me regain some of the skills I had lost. She encouraged me to start the blog and we met off and on over the course of a couple of years with her teaching me the skills to concentrate on tasks and to reach my  final goal to be able to start and finish reading a book.

I had just started the blog as a way to jog my brain to remember all the funny things my grandkids say and do,  and then I started posting my cards.

Jo commented on some posts and then encouraged me to enter some card challenges. I was uncertain if I could accomplish that due to the effects of the concussion.  At the time I was troubled with horrible headaches and had difficulties with my memory and with executing complex tasks.  Jo wrote back that she has experience helping and guiding someone with a brain injury and completely understood what I meant about being not sure if I was able to try the challenges. I didn't see how I could keep track of  everything involved.  She took the time to write back and forth explaining ways to organize the entering and tracking of challenges and just generally encouraged me at a time when I  was struggling to feel competent.
Jo is a busy Mum with 6 children so it was especially kind of her to take the time to explain how to do it.

After sending over a small package of some scrappy things to Jo and her daughter Rebecca to thank them, they have surprised me with the most wonderful parcel this Christmas. It is just full of the most wonderful things, not just for me but also for Little Miss C and Little Mr P.

Here are photos of our amazing gifts  This lovely collection of papers and stamps carry a decided garden/floral theme. I love creating cards with flowers and plan to create many more with these stamps!

Here is a close up of my lovely stamps.

Little Miss C and Littel Mr P were not forgotten. Jo remembered that Mr P loves building complex railroad track and plays with his trains for hours on end. There is a hugepacket of these die cuts in all different train colours.

Little Miss C's love of ponies was remembered and this adorable stamp will soon be creating many new cards.

Both children were remembered with these lovely card toppers...this will make their card making much faster...Oh they will be delighted to finish a card so quickly.  Card time at their house only occurs when Daddy has a long day and so DH and I are still there to walk Miss C home from school. Her eyes light up at the thought of card time and we rush home for a quick snack and a card session before the garage door starts to rise and Daddy's home! Usually we have to set the semi finished card aside until the next time Daddy works late...or plan a visit to Grandma's to finish it up!

Little Miss C loves those equestrian toppers so much she doesn't want to take the plastic wrapping off until we make them up, so sorry for the glare!
Lastly there were some Wobblers...now when Jo emailed that she had tucked in wobblers, I did not know what they were...ohhhhh, they are so cute. The kids loved them.

The crowning touch was this gorgeous Christmas card. I have never received a card like this before. If has so many layers and and so much depth to it, glimmer mist has been added to all the right places to accent the beautiful details, and it is just the most special card I have ever received. I save all the special hand made cards I receive...This one is going to be hung up in my craft room all year!

Here's a little close up so you can see all the gorgeous glimmer and shimmer. 

To check out Jo's blog and see more lovely creations, click here,  A little Piece of Me and don't forget to check out Rebecca's wonderful talent at  Rebecca's Craft Corner

Unlock

Now that 2013 is truly here, it is time for me to reveal my One Little Word that will help set the tone for my year.

This year I chose "Unlock". 2012 was a year of change for me and for my family. DH's heart attack and diagnosis of diabetes, as  well as my back surgery and ongoing recovery led me to this word.
2013 will see us unlock the door to better health, to new opportunities, to more time for family and relaxation, and much, much, more.

I will be following the prompts for OLW and will privately scrapbook my journey. I am going to resurrect Wednesday's Words of Wisdom and will be posting a quote each Wednesday that is appropriate to my One Little Word.

Here are some steps I have taken already to remind me of my word. I picked up 6 of these journals at a Michael's clearance sale. There were several different covers in that bin and I was so excited to see a half dozen or so that had this key unlocking a door. I grabbed them all! I  will use them to track the challenges I enter and any giveaways I try for.  To pick up this book every day, with this key unlocking a door full of opportunities, is a great way to remind myself of unlocking my future.


I managed to find some heavily glittered keys for my Christmas tree. I like a tree laden down with baubles...almost groaning from the weight of them. I know it is the style to put very little on the tree...but that would never work for me. These keys were added to the tree this year and were already reminding me to start thinking about my word. I snitched one off the tree and hung it beside my computer...jut under the TV.

Lastly, I found the little key last year and for some reason felt compelled to purchase it. I went on a search for it and have hung it under the TV in my scrapbook room too.  It hangs beside a quote from Bernard Bernson "BELIEVE...Miracles do happen to those who believe in them"
On the other side of it is my WOYWW badge...WOYWW unlocks a weekly opportunity to broaden my horizons, learn some new techniques and just unlocks the way to a whole lot of fun! As the year progresses I may add more things to this little vignette!

New Year's Day saw my paperwhites finally blooming! We were greeted with one stem's blossoms  fully open when we came down for breakfast. Sounds hokey I know...but it made me feel I had indeed chosen the right word!

WOYWD #187 - A whirlwind of cleaning for a wee tour!

We've had a few days of eating good food, munching on sweets and yummy nibbles and generally sticking close to home, lounging around the telly or listening to Christmas music. Totally relaxing and enjoying the season.

All good things must come to an end sometime...so it is time to put an end to being a layabout and embrace 2013! I have been having a good tidy in my craft room. My need to tidy up the mess my room was in after the run up to Christmas has turned into a massive clean out and tidy I have been busy finding homes for my  Christmas pressies as well as new homes for some of the old supplies. Funny how we seem to spend as much time tidying and organizing as we do crafting!

Here is a shot of the work desk counter that I usually show you...quite a difference after my tidy!

Next is a picture of the rest of my work so far. It is taken from an angle I don't usually show. I am standing at the bottom of the basement stairs looking towards the back wall of my room. This area used to have a recliner  that has now been moved into our guest suite. DH turned his office into a TV/reading den so I inherited his filing cabinet and oak desktop. You are looking at the back of it. I was happy to get it as I now have enough seating to invite a 3rd girlfriend to our craft nights. I will keep my sewing machine on this desktop but need DH to carry it down 2 flights of stairs and he is nursing pulled ligaments at the moment. Once down here, I will be able to once again, sew on my cards.  The green lidded stacking bins underneath hold my hair flowers bits and bobs.

 Just behind the stacking green flower bins is a stack of three narrow plastic drawers that now hold most of my  Christmas card making supplies. Here is a picture of the other side of the "desktop" to show what I mean.

You can see the green plastic slim drawers to the left of the phto. They hold my Xmas 6x6 paper pads, journaling spots, Xmas themed mats, etc. The little rows of black drawers on the countertop (to the right of the desktop) are storing the more delicate odds and ends of Christmas embellishments. I plan on doing the Christmas card weekly challenges in 2013, so wanted to leave Christmas supplies handy. The brown basket perched on top of the tiny drawers holds the bling that I add to Xmas cards. There is a selection of the usual red, green, burgundy and diamond but also aqua, pink, pearls in a variety of colours and even a few fancy swirly bits. Back under the countertop, the white plastic bins with the floral paper inserts in the front of the drawers store my wooden stamps and my inks and acrylic blocks etc. I have three of these units under my counters and love them!

Hope you enjoyed the little tour and did you notice that I finally hung the garden scrapbook pages!!! If you wish to see other desktop  tours pop in to visit the lovely Julia at the Stamping Ground. She sponsors this whole bloghop, be sure to leave her some bloggy hugs.

Now time to go and make a creative mess. I have several card ideas buzzing about in my head...