Livin' Life on the flip side of 50!

Livin' life on the flip side of 50 does have its perks!

2012-01-25T15:05:00.004-05:00

Some of them are witty - but most of them are kind of true!

         01. Kidnappers are not very interested in you.

         02.. In a hostage situation you are likely to be
        released first.

         03. No one expects you to run--anywhere.

         04. People call at 9 pm and ask,"did I wake you?"

         05. People no longer view you as a hypochondriac.

         06. There is nothing left to learn the hard way.

         07. Things you buy now won't wear out.

         08. You can eat supper at   4 pm.

         09. You can live without sex but not your glasses.

         10. You get into heated arguments about pension plans.

         11. You no longer think of speed limits as a
         challenge.

        12. You quit trying to hold your stomach in no matter
         who walks into the room.

         13. You sing along with elevator music.

        14. Your eyes won't get much worse.

         15. Your investment in health insurance is finally
         beginning to pay off.

         16. Your joints are more accurate meteorologists than
         the national weather service.

        17. Your secrets are safe with your friends because
        they can't remember them either.

         18. Your supply of brain cells is finally down to
         manageable size!

         Never, however, under any circumstances, should you take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night!

The best tips I've ever received:

2012-01-22T15:36:00.004-05:00

Hull strawberries easily using a straw.

Rubbing a walnut over scratches in your furniture will disguise dings and scrapes.

Remove crayon masterpieces from your TV or
computer screen with WD40.

Stop cut apples from browning in your child’s lunch box by securing cut pieces with a rubber band.

Overhaul your linen cupboard- store bed linen sets inside one of their own pillowcases and there will be no more hunting through piles for a match.

Pump up the volume by placing your iPhone & iPod in a bowl. The concave shape amplifies the music.

Re-use a wet-wipes container for storing a roll of small plastic bags - they just pop up.

Add baby powder to your beach bag - it gets sand off your skin easily!

Attach a Velcro strip to the wall in a nursery or bathroom to store soft fuzzy toys.

Use wire or heavy twine tied to nails on each end of a side space on a closet shelf to store gift wrap rolls upright along the wall, rather than cluttering up the floor.

Find tiny lost items like earrings by putting a stocking over your vacuum hose.

Make an instant cupcake carrier by cutting crosses into a box lid leaving the bottom of the box in place for sturdiness

Forever losing your bathroom essentials? Use magnetic strips to store bobby pins, tweezers    and clippers, behind a vanity door

Store shoes inside shower caps to stop dirty soles rubbing on your clothes in the suitcase - and you can find shower caps in just about every hotel.

A muffin pan becomes a craft caddy. Magnets hold plastic cups down to make them
    tip-resistant.

Bread tags make the perfect cord labels for a computer and such.

Bake cupcakes directly in ice-cream cones, so much more fun and easier for kids to eat.

Microwave your own popcorn in a plain brown paper bag. Much healthier and cheaper than the      packet stuff.

Install a tension rod to hang your spray bottles by handles.

Turn your muffin pan upside down, bake cookie-dough over the top and voila, you have cookie bowls for fruit or ice-cream.

Freeze Aloe Vera in ice-cube trays for soothing sunburn relief.

Create a window-box effect for a veggie garden using lengths of rain gutters (hang them on the sunny side of your home or garage)>

Use egg cartons to separate to store your Christmas decorations.

2012-01-19T15:19:00.001-05:00

Groundhog Day is a legitimate celebration on February 2 in Pennsylvania. Would you believe many Pennsylvanians believe a groundhog can predict the weather? The groundhog - Punxatawny Phil as he is called - dwells in a hole in Punxatawny, PA Each year on February 2, a bunch of grown men put on their top hats and tails gather round the hole and try to coax Phil to come out - probably with a treat of some kind! If Phil sees his shadow, he retreats back into the hole and folklore has it - we are going to have 6 more weeks of winter weather, otherwise Spring is the forecast!

When I found this printed groundhog fabric a few years ago, I knew that locally it would make a popular Kalico Kard. Its message inside: "Any day above ground is a good day!" I hurriedly created about 30 - the first 6 went to our senior pastor because I know him to be a devout Pennsylvania Dutchman who would enjoy them. The rest of the fabric however was lost - it fell to the bottom of a fabric storage box and was only recently discovered - and again it has become a popular card locally. If you are interested in purchasing it you will find it on my website here:
http://www.kalicokards.com/catalog.php?item=345

In Punxatawny, the ground is covered with snow presently - and locally snow is predicted for tonight. In 2 weeks, it will be colder still around here, and even colder in Punxatawny! I don't know about groundhogs, but I'm tired of this cold weather already, so along with those grown men in their top hats and tails, I will be waiting to hear Phils prediction - and if Spring is just around the corner I'll want to believe a groundhog can predict the weather, but if the prediction is 6 more weeks of winter weather, like many others I'll be saying "what does a groundhog know about the weather?"

the kardlady

A honey of a card!

2012-01-18T14:02:00.002-05:00

I love shopping for fabric - it has to be my favorite thing to do aside from creating a new Kalico Kard! I'm always looking for the "spectacular", the "unusual", the one that speaks to me telling me what it wants to become!

Often I find a fabric that lends itself to a particular message I've wanted to use, like the one on the left. This fabric had beehive written all over it - I could almost hear the bees buzzing round it. That was only the beginning of a Kalico Kard idea however - when its message popped into my mind, that was the clincher: "Wishing you a honey of a birthday"! I get excited when that happens - I can't wait to start turning it into a Kalico Kard, and get it into the card rack at a craft show, soto hear a customer giggle or comment on it! This confirms to me that the spirit in others is connected with the spirit in me!

I think that's what our creativity is for - connecting! I don't believe any of us paint, knit, quilt, crochet, craft jewelry, create greeting cards, write poetry or stories, etc., just for ourselves - it's about sharing a part of myself with another - connecting spirit to spirit. Some of us are fortunate enough to be doing what we love and making a few dollars doing it but that is only a small portion of the benefits experienced and received!

Life is about love, which means relationships and connecting. Love is something we all need and desire, and creativity is for sharing that love and connecting. For it's in sharing it with others that we experience it ourselves. So when a piece of fabric jumps off the shelf into my arms at a fabric shop, it is the beginning of a another love connection!

Life before the computer.......

2012-01-10T18:09:00.000-05:00

I may have posted the box on the left before - but it's worth posting again!

Recently I had decided to give up my website at www.kalicokards.com because it is not carrying itself and is requiring a lot time! After much soul searching and seeking to find another way, I went to go.daddy.com who was my original host when I opened the Kalico Kards website. I was greeted there by a technician who listened to my complaints and reasons for wanting to close the website. He took time to ask questions about my sites stats and was very thorough before he made a few suggestion on how to proceed - giving up the site was not one of them! My website stats revealed that it was serving me well except in one area! He suggested a few ways for me to deal with it and none of them had any strings attached to his making a sale!

And so I will still be doing business as Kalico Kards online and in addition will add an Etsy store to my task list! It didn't take me long to change my direction and take on some new challenges. Wish me luck!

the kardlady

PS Thanks Pam for your encouragement and support - you are a friend indeed!

Happy New Day!

2012-01-05T16:09:00.000-05:00

Living life on the flip side of 50, celebrating the new year begins to lose its glamor and your choices reveal it! Losing a good nights sleep, feeling lousy in the morning or nursing a hangover just isn't worth what it costs! Living life on the flip side of 50, every day above ground becomes more important than the last one, especially more important than one night of celebration! If you approach each day with celebration and a decision and resolutions for making better choices, your desires will motivate your daily choices and reveal your good intentions!

Someone once said "Insanity is doing the same things over and over and expecting different results"!

Each day is filled with new opportunities to grow, to think and to live and be outside the box and make a difference. We're not limited by our yesterdays, or our mistakes and errors - we have dominion over the world within us and can choose our reality beginning right now - we don't have to wait for a new year or even a new day. So you've blown your new year resolutions - begin again - look to this day where life exists in the present , where your dreams can come true if you intend them to!

We live in a universe of infinite possibilities, so don't lower your expectations or give up! You are designed to dream your dreams and fulfill your desires, to accomplish wonderful things. Step into a happy new day through your thoughts, words and actions - live outside the box with new choices to create your dreams and desires now!

the kardlady

"It's a wonderful life!"

2011-12-29T17:18:00.000-05:00

It really is a wonderful life isn't it, when you take the time to enjoy it? I've been away from the drawing board only a few weeks, and already I can't wait to get back to what I was wanting to escape only a few short weeks ago - creating cards - if I'm perfectly honest with myself and my intentions and attention!

Living life on the flip side of 50 is actually no different than living life before 50! You may have a bit more hindsight after 50 - but using it for your good depends on you! If I believe and think life is empty without creating cards - it is! When I divert my attention elsewhere , I feel okay for a little while but then a longing sets in again and I feel empty until I'm filling my creative purpose again! Paying attention to my feelings within is how I know the direction to choose - and a little trust doesn't hurt either!

the kardlady

Blessings to you and yours at Christmastime!

2011-12-23T12:44:00.000-05:00

This is the scarf I've been going wild with - do you know that with a N Crochet hook and Boucle yarn you can crochet this scarf 10 stitches wide by 50" long in about 4-5 hours. It's soft and warm and very pretty and only cost me about $2 (after using my 50% off coupon at ACMoore's)

Last evening I made one scarf and started a second one! The fringes take a little more time to make: I cut 2 strands for each stitch ( each square) on each end (about 40 strands) 10" long. I folded them in half one at a time and inserted the folded end into the square and pulled the cut ends through the folded end. I didn't fringe all them though - fringes get caught in my coat zippers!

I was back to the craft store twice now and purchased two more skeins of boucle in different colors.

I'm off now to finish baking a few more cookies! My family of 13 is coming for dinner Christmas day and I want to be fully prepared! I hope you have a blessed Christmas Day and a joyful Christmas season.

the kardlady

Love is hand-made!

2011-12-21T16:38:00.004-05:00

When I said my 2011 crafting season was over - I guess I really meant it because I've not been at the drawing board for almost a month now! What I have been doing in my spare moments is crocheting! I've made 4 beautiful scarves for gifts and I'm off to the craft shop for more yarn today! The more unusual the fiber, the better!

I just love knitting and crocheting with different fibers - it's so gratifying, especially with all the choices in patterns and yarns there are to choose from! Recently I came upon a different fiber which is not your ordinary yarn! It can be purchased at your local yarn or craft shop or online at www.premieryarns.com . The image of the scarf on the left is on their website - one ball is all that's needed for this beautiful scarf - 6" by about 54" or however long you wish to create it! On the website, click on "starbella" and there's a video on how to use the 3" wide netting that has to be opened out of its ribbon-like shape. The technique for knitting with it is a little unorthodox but the wait is well worth the time it takes to learn the technique.

This is going to be a handmade scarf Christmas in my family - and when I used my % off coupons at the A.C.Moore's craft store, a beautiful handmade gift was only a few dollars and a few days away!

the kardlady

The problem has been solved . . .

2011-12-15T14:12:00.004-05:00

I've solved the problem as to why time seems to be flying by! It was a simple deduction! "Living on the flip side of 50", one gets slower, and slower, and s l o w e r....... which means you get less done in the same amount of time you did before 50! Our Christmas lists haven't changed - but we have physically! I expect myself to get to the bottom of the same list in the same amount of time I always did - and that's impossible when you're moving at a slower pace and working on the same list! I've been measuring the length of my days by what I want to get done in a day, therefore time seems to be passing too quickly!

Well- the decorating is done, and the shopping is finished , and most of the baking - so I've also concluded that three out of 5 items on my Christmas list isn't too bad when I considered there is still nine more working days til Christmas! One thing I've found for sure - the post office is moving slower than I am! I sent a package to Pam in Australia - priority mail almost 2 weeks ago, and it still didn't get there! I'd like to know whose priority the post office is working on!
the kardlady

PS: This is the extent of my decorating this year - our 2011"grandpop" tree (as my kids call it) is the old fashioned kind their grandfather used to put up each year - a Frasier Fir I believe.

Cookies, cookies, cookies

2011-12-14T12:29:00.060-05:00

   Recently my friend Pam sent me a link to a cookie swap at GingerbreadSnowflakes Perhaps you want to follow the blog and join the cookie swap which is held each year. Now that my 2011 craft shows are behind me I can get down to the business at hand, which is Christmas - baking, decorating, shopping, wrapping, and sending Christmas cards.

This past weekend baking was on the agenda - my daughter and I baked 180 NUT TOSSIES, which our family loves. I am including the recipe in this post:

Dough: 1/2 lb butter,
             6 oz. cream cheese
             2 cups flour
Cream butter and cream cheese together then add flour and mix til crumbly. Work together with   hands and mold into 60 nickel size balls and place each in a nut tossie cup

   Syrup
2 eggs beaten
2 tsp melted butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/4 tsp. vanilla

Place syrup mixed in a container with a small opening or spout for pouring (see picture below) put about 2 teaspoons of the syrup into the bottom of each lined cup and add about a tablespoon of crushed nuts to the level of the doughs top edge. It makes about 60 tossies - bake at 350 degree for about 20 minutes til dough has a tint of brown around the edges. Store them in a plastic container with a not so tight lid in a cool place.

It was a chore to make tossies until I found a crafter who made this little tossie pressl that fits into the bottom of one tossie cup (1 3/8 inches in diameter and about 3" high, as seen in the inserted picture on the left) you dip the bottom end of the tool into a little flour and slowly press on the ball of dough in the cup - the dough squeezes up the sides and leaves a center for filling. What used to take me hours is done in a short time with this little tool, which is easily made wood.

Each year 5 favorite family cookie recipes are chosen from the Christmas Recipe file plus one new one to try. This years new one will be a fruit and nut recipe which a friend sent me - I'm going to be make small ones in the tossie pans. Pam has a recipe blog where she posts unique recipes from "down under", and a Cloth to Creation blog on which she posts images of what she creates and sells - practical items and unique ones using vintage materials. Right now she is working on a blog challenge to post a photo every day for the month of December! It's a tough challenge to keep, but Pam is doing it, and I'm finding the posts very interesting because Pam is an interesting person and I'm getting to know her more and more through her blog.

the kardlady

THANK GOD FOR COUPONS!

2011-12-12T17:11:00.000-05:00

This years economy has been rough on the budget of average income families - I could tell by my card sales - not many were able to send out as many greeting cards as they usually do for the holidays.

I don't know about you , but without coupons this holiday season would have been a blitz! Since before Thanksgiving I've been using the coupons available from mailings, magazines and newspaper ads for all my Christmas shopping and I have probably saved a few hundred dollors doing it!. . . . 20% off your total purchase here,. . .50% off one regular priced item there. . . even $10 off your purchase of any sale or regular price item . . . I've used them weekly and gradually did all my shopping. There's only a few things I didn't find coupons for - so I changed what I planned to give. I am pleased with all my purchases this year and I think I'm giving bigger gifts than usual because of them!

I am the kind of person who loves to hand make her Christmas gifts , decorations, and all the trimmings. I love doing it but sometimes there just isn't enough time for all of it. I'd love for you to share here the ways you've found practical to celebrate the holidays without breaking your budget? Add them to the comments box below and they may inspire others!

the kardlady

Shop til you drop!

2011-12-07T10:39:00.000-05:00

This past weekend I set up at my final craft show for the season. I'd been wanting to take a digital photo to display online of the tree holding some of my popular pocketbook gift card holders - I finally I remembered to take the camera. The image is on the left. It's not a very clear image however (help!!) - my card display racks are on either side of the tree

I received the tree as a gift from a friend a few years ago - a metal rod that stands about 3 feet with a spiral of wire with circles of wire for displaying cards but I hung the ribbon handles of the "pocketbooks" on them instead. Beforehand, I entwined colored twinkle lights around the wire - and the display attracted many buyers. There's a pocket inside that will hold money or a gift card and I can hand print one of a variety of messages like "Shop til you drop" or "Whoever said money can't buy happiness doesn't know where to shop!", etc., along with their name! The pocketbooks were created with colored card stock coordinated fabric and ribbon and embellished with glitter and buttons or trinkets and each folds down to fit into a 4 3/4"x6" envelope.
There's also handmade wallets for the guys in your life - the outside is faux suede leather which is top stitched onto card stock and a message of your choice can be printed inside - like "A little $omething just for you". You can view a larger image of these gift card holders or purchase here!

There's a lot out there for giving at Christmastime - but for those who have everything or are hard to buy for, a gift card in a unique holder fills the bill!

SECOND ACT

2011-11-28T14:43:00.002-05:00

"Second Act" is a series of articles about different individuals who are living their dream after retiring! After being contacted for an interview by Milton Carrero of The Morning Call, Allentown, Pa. the article was printed in the weekend newspaper under the title: "Creating her own greeting card line" - it included a picture of me with a few Kalico Kards. I've given a brief overview of the article here because it was lengthy:

-When a painful back condition forced her to retire early, Dianne feared for her future - "I thought the better part of my life was behind me - but that wasn't so"! She works at what she loves up to 10 to 12 hours daily designing and creating the greeting cards she then markets at local craft fairs, a few local shops and online retail and wholesale (the website can be seen here: www.kalicokards.com .

An early retirement made Dianne seek within herself for resources and talents she didn't know she had and since she's always loved fabrics creating her own greeting cards using fabric for the designs was just what she needed to feel productive again. She's created more than 400 different designs in the 20 years she's been making Kalico Kards and carries more than 250 different ones in 20 categories to her shows and has sold as many as a thousand cards at one showing.

It's not the profit that drives Dianne - her cards have been the same price for more than 10 years - she says "I'll never become rich financially, but emotionally and mentally I've been blessed. Once her greeting cards caught on she realized a healing work was being accomplished within. "You can't print an encouraging message into 50 or more cards without having it affect your psyche! I feel good about doing something that is acceptable to so many people - Kalico Kards are an extension of myself!"

From shopping for fabrics to the witty messages inside that go with the fabric designs, every part of her creations have one intention - to make others feel loved and accepted also! Dianne enjoys the challenge of special orders - her experiences are encouragement to continue with what she loves doing! In 2010 she had back surgery which ended her pain and she says she now has a new lease on life and feels more enthusiastic about the years ahead. "I will probably die with a scissor in one hand and a Kalico Kard in the other"!

It's Thanksgiving

2011-11-21T15:45:00.000-05:00

What's nice about livin' on the flip side of 50 is - at about this point in your life, there's most probably children and grandchildren old enough to keep the traditions going that were established, with a little encouragement from mom! Since no one can make the pumpkin pies and the bread stuffing like "mom" - mom gets to make the pumpkin pies and the bread stuffing. The one question every year however, in our family is "where" will we hold our holiday celebration?

Thirty years ago, when our children were growing faster than we realized, - two of them were in college and one was in junior high, we decided to move from our big 3 story home in the city to a small cottage in the suburbs, and one at a time each of them married and started their own families. While growing up, my parents, their grandparents, were where it was at when the holidays came! My mother was a "super-mom" and a "super-grandma" where the holidays were concerned! - no one could do the holidays like she could -Thanksgiving, Christmas nor Easter ! My brothers and sisters and their families all came home to mom's for the holidays also and we all loved it! Mom was generous and she made the holidays very very special for us!    After my dad passed away, our tradition changed , and we all felt the change, although no one would admit it . Each of our little families tried to create new traditions, but the yearning for the old ones always remained. My   children today ages 45, 50 and 52, still long for "the good old days" at Nana's -Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter!

Mom was with us til she was 91 but things were never really the same after my dad passed away.    My eldest daughter has the largest accommodations, and so our immediate family has gravitated presently to her home for the holidays. My husbands and my little cottage is not adequate for our 16 family members. My sisters and brothers (one of them has since passed away) have created their own traditions and I'm sure they have the same longings we do.

It's remarkable the bond that a tradition can have. No matter how hard you try to create what was, there is still that longing for what was which cannot be recaptured - except in memory!

Happy Thanksgiving
the kardlady

Guess what!

2011-11-15T16:52:00.000-05:00

I bought a new scanner! Got tired of dealing with the other one for 4 weeks ! I couldn't believe you can get a scanner, printer, and copier fin one machine for the same price paid for a scanner alone ! I've already connected it and everything works fine.

I was anxious to see if the new one scanned my cards with more definition than the old one - but I don't see much difference! I' m not a photographer and I'm not a computer guru, but I do have a longing for better images online than I can create! Is there some secret to it that only a few know? I've been on others' websites and their images are so clear and defined ? If you know the answer please forward it to me!

I was interviewed today by someone from our local newspaper who is writing an article on individuals living their dream on the flip side of 50 - how they broke away from their usual routine to follow their hearts desires.   It was a pleasant hour of remembering and sharing my love for creating Kalico Kards! It 's good to know and affirm where you receive your energy, enthusiasm and inspiration from and where it is taking you! It kind of makes all the frustrations seem worthwhile!

the kardlady

She who laughs - lasts!

2011-11-13T12:20:00.000-05:00

When I was younger and had lots of responsibilities, I took life too seriously. Livin' life now on the flip side of 50 , to me means giving it the opposite response! So the first thing I look for in the Readers Digest is the joke pages , and the funnier the better! A cousin of mine is a constant source of humor each day -in his emails - he makes my day! Life is a little sweeter after a good laugh!

There's a little market near our home which my husband and I visit regularly. He heads straight for the stand that sells these funny little plaques that are all about life, and we laugh together. Now everyone who knows my husband knows he is a very opinionated person - goodhearted but opinionated! So without his knowing it, I purchased one of the plaques he laughed at that read: "The opinions expressed by the husband in this house are not necessarily those of the Management" ! I hung it on the wall near our breakfast table at a very conspicuous spot. This morning when I walked into the room I found the plaque turned around with the reading facing the wall. His comment when I mentioned it : I AM management ! Now you know as well as I do that if your husband is "management" it's because you the wife, allow him to be!

My favorite plaque is this one: "I'm on a thirty day diet - and so far I've lost 10 days!" They say laughter is good for the soul - so keep on laughing! - find a little humor in life and you'll last longer!

the kardlady

2011-11-11T11:48:00.002-05:00

Can you remember what life was like before the computer? I've almost forgotten! I know I always loved creating things with fabric and I enjoyed reading and watching a good movie on TV. We have a big swing on our porch and I enjoyed sitting and swinging and dreaming. Don't get much time for such things anymore. I rarely take time for the few friends I have , for going out to lunch or a movie, or window shopping! What has this piece of equipment done to me?

Perhaps this is why the days are flying by: there's so many emails to answer and send , links to connect , marketing , blogging and updating my card catalog online, loading new cards, removing old ones, dealing with lost programs and picture files, trying to get my scanner to work , etc. etc. etc. No wonder the day is gone before it begins. I rush through dinner just to flop in my favorite chair exhausted mentally , and I'm ready for bed before the sun even sets ! Luckily I'm sleeping well these days. Sometimes livin' life on the flip side of 50 isn't what we 'd like to be doing - but consider the alternative!
the kardlady

Hang in there!

2011-11-07T16:09:00.000-05:00

It's been a few days since my last post because I have felt swamped! We lost our power for 4 days last week due to a snowstorm that weighted down tree branches with leaves still on them which snapped and tore down power lines in the northeast! When the power came back on it was catch-up again along with preparing for a craft show on Saturday. That was added to the backup of work I'm accumulating because my scanner still isn't working!

The card at the left is encouragement from me to me! (The message begins on the outside) "Hang in there" - (inside) - "Don't let your ball of yarn unravel!" I need all the encouragement I can get about now! Would you believe I am still trying to solve the scanner problem! My computer still doesn't recognize the scanner! What can I do to get it to recognize it? It was fine 4 weeks ago? I've deleted the Precision Scan program so many times and reinstalled it along with drivers and driver updates, the Precision Scan CD that came with the scanner, etc. and I am still no further than I was 3 weeks ago!

One good thing came out of all my searching - I found card images in a folder I would never have looked in, which were lost for more than 2 years! I thought they were gone forever! I immediately put a link to them on my desktop so I wouldn't lose them again! I recently contacted Microsoft with my problem since HP couldn't help me - they told me I should consider purchasing a new scanner (that was brilliant)! I was wondering however if maybe it is in need of some repair? How would I know if the scanner needs repair or if the program isn't installed correctly? If you have an answer for me , please forward it right away! I would appreciate any light you can shed on my scanner problem!

The Kalico Kard above is my own design - created a while back to fit its message! Encouragement cards are in demand right now and you'll find many in the Kalico Kard catalog!

The kardlady

Copied from an email received from a friend:

2011-11-03T19:03:00.000-04:00

Kevin thinks God lives under his bed! My friend says Kevin was praying aloud and he overheard him say "where are you God - under the bed?" and for the first time, my friend realized that Kevin lives in a different world than we do!

Kevin is mentally disabled, 30 years old, 6'2" but there's only a few ways in which he's an adult! He'll probably always believe God lives under his bed, that Santa Claus is the one who fills the space under the Christmas tree every year and that airplanes stay in the sky because angels carry them!
He's up before dawn each day, off to work at a shop for the disabled, home again to walk the dog and to eat his favorite meal of macaroni and cheese and then to bed. The only variation in his schedule is when he does his laundry - he hovers excitedly over the washing machine like a mother with a newborn child.

Kevin never seems dissatisfied. He lopes out to the bus every morning, eager for the day and on Saturdays, his dad takes him to the airport for a soft drink, to watch the planes land and to speculate loudly on the destination of each passenger. His anticipation is so great he can hardly sleep the night before. Kevin doesn't know what it means to be discontented - his life is very simple!

He doesn't care what brand of clothes he wears or what kind of food he eats - his needs are always met so he doesn't worry. Kevin is never so happy as when he is doing his chores - unloading the dishwasher and vacuuming the carpets - his heart is completely in what he's doing. He doesn't shrink from the job until it's done and when it is, he knows how to relax. He's not obsessed with his work or with what others do - his heart is pure.

Kevin believes everyone tells the truth, that promises must be kept, and when you're wrong you say so and apologize instead of arguing. Free from pride and unconcerned with appearances, he's not afraid to cry when he hurts or is angry or sorry - he is always transparent, always sincere and always trusts God implicitly! Not confined by intellectual reasoning, he prays as a child would - he has a very simple faith! One would surmise that Kevin has some divine knowledge that is far above a normal persons questions!

Maybe Kevin isn't the one with the handicap! Maybe it's we, who call ourselves able - and - our fears, our obligations, our pride, and our realities are our handicaps! Who knows if Kevin comprehends things that we've never learned! He's spent his whole 30 years in a kind of innocence, soaking up the goodness and love available to him! Maybe one day when the mysteries of life are opened, we'll be amazed to find out how close God really was to us - we'll discover God heard the simple prayers of the believer and maybe all the time, lived under your bed - Kevin won't be surprised though!

Only 54 shopping days left til Christmas

2011-10-27T14:55:00.002-04:00

I can't believe there's only 61 days left in 2011! This year has been all about catching-up for me! I never dreamed that having back surgery a year ago would make such a difference in my life (on October 18th it was one year since I had 3 vertebrae fused together and a metal rod inserted along my spine)! My recovery the past year was well worth it however - I haven't taken pain medication since January!

I finally finished my Christmas stock - the card on the left was the last one (click here to view details and a larger image or to purchase). It has an embossed background of holly and berries which was done with that new Big Shot "toy" I spoke of about a month ago! The embossing is better seen in the larger view of the card. It's hard to believe the Christmas craft shows are upon us - I have 3 to do locally and then this year will be history!

the kardlady

PS - I haven't made any headway on the scanner problem I spoke of in my last post, but I haven't given up!

HELP!!!

2011-10-25T16:22:00.000-04:00

I'm sure some you out there must have felt this way at one time or another - I thought this was a very appropriate image to post because this is exactly how I feel today!

For some unknown reason (to me) , my computer does not recognize my scanner which I use all the time and which has been working, no problem, since my pc crashed in the late spring! I am so frustrated I'd like to take a hammer or something to it!

I spent the better part of yesterday, and most of today trying to find the answer. I had lots of suggestions, but none of them worked! If you have one I've not tried, I'd be pleased as punch to hear from you! I did uninstall the program and reinstalled it as HP told me to, as well as downloading a driver again, and it still isn't working! Without the scanner I feel dysfunctional! I scan cards for the blog and my website all the time. This happened once before and all I can remember is - something I tried, worked! So I'm just going to keep trying until I find what works!

the kardlady

Angels are among us. . .

2011-10-24T10:13:00.000-04:00

Angels are a big part of our present day reality! Every little girl loves angels and if the sale of angel greeting cards is any indication, big girls love angels also! You can always find an angel card at Kalico Kards - it's a classic design! Angels on fabric are not easy to find, so many of the angel designs are my own creation.

The card on the left is a Kalico Kard Keepsake charm card (click here to purchase or view a larger image and details). This is an original design of an angel on a cloud, reaching high to hang out a brass charm hanging from a gold thread - above it is printed "...Congratulations..." The message inside: "An angel will hang out a special star tonight in your honor!" The greeting on this card or any other Kalico Kard can be changed to "Happy Birthday", "Thank You", "So Proud of You", "Great Job!" or a greeting of your choice - It's what I call customizing a card. There is no charge for customizing- any greeting or message inside a Kalico Kard is interchangeable with another, at your request! Personalizing a card - adding the recipients name to your card choice - is encouraged (see the option below the card), it is handprinted for you at no extra charge using the same color and font as the greeting!

the kardlady

2011-10-20T10:09:00.003-04:00

I recently visited an acquaintance and was introduced as an artist to her friend. I'm a little shy when people call me an artist because to me, the word denotes someone who has accomplished their talent and is a Pro! I have taken a few lessons in decorative painting which I love but I'm still timid when it comes to using my talent! Now when it comes to fabric - that's another story - I feel like an artisan when using fabric - I use it as an artist would a paintbrush! I've already put fabric on a wall using a beautiful strawberry and blueberry fabric border I cut - and using liquid starch placed it where I wanted. The nice thing about it is - when the fabric gets a little dirty, you can remove it, wash it by hand, dry it and press it and place it back on the wall again using liquid starch. (you dunk the pieces into the starch and run it between your fingers to remove the excess!

The Kalico Kard on the left was one of two Kalico Kards I've handpainted. These cards take exceptional time to create because each one is done individually! The hood of the umbrella is a sheer white sparkly fabric, hand cut and glued onto card stock and the handle of the umbrella is decoratively painted with burgundy roses and green leaves created with a marker. After I decided to add this card to my stock it became a classic Kalico Kard for a bridal shower (please Click here to purchase or to view a larger image of this card). The other card I handpainted has become a special keepsake card - it's been posted on the right side of this page since my blog began and can be previewed or purchased by clicking here. (a Kalico Keepsake is a framed Kalico Kard - frames and mats to be viewed or purchased here - all frames and mats were chosen especially to accent the fabric design colors in Kalico Kards) .

Because of the popularity of my hand painted roses cards, I added the gift package on the left to my website which includes a wooden tray handpainted with burgundy roses. This too has become a favorite and can be purchased or viewed with items listed and details included here. Customized gift packages are also available for any occasion! A customer prompted my changing the roses to fabric grapes around the border of the white wooden tray and in the center, a special message in gold was hand printed along with his name and his title for a gift package she was very well pleased with! (please note that because of Pennsylvania law, the wine could not be included in the package so the customer added it to the gift package when she received it.

the kardlady

2011-10-17T15:02:00.000-04:00

When I was a kid our dad brought home one or two dozen chick eggs each year to hatch and raise. It wasn't uncommon then to have a garden and some chickens, turkeys, or rabbits if you had a big enough yard for the pens! It was fun for my brother, sister and me and it was a good learning experience too - especially when we found out later why the chickens kept disappearing one by one - our family was having them for Sunday dinners!

I've always had a kind of soft spot in my heart for chickens because of how cute and cuddly they are as babies. It's surprising how many card buyers love chickens also - it's become a classic Kalico Kard to stock. The rooster on this Birthday card reminds me of the fearsome rooster back then. The message inside the card is: "Today you've got something to crow about, sun up to sunset!" - click here to purchase or view a larger image of the card! It can also be personalized for you with his/her name on the card's front.

My daughter has a fondness for chickens also - she teaches second grade in a Christian School and each year she brings a half dozen eggs into the classroom and sets up an incubator for the hatch - the children get all excited waiting for the day - it's a good learning experience for them to watch them grown! A fter they've outgrown their home in the classroom pen, she takes them to a local farm.

the kardlady

.

Lovin' life on the flip side of 50 with Kalico Kards!

2011-10-12T21:29:00.000-04:00

I've been pushing myself recently to finish up my Christmas stock for 2011 but I just can't seem to stay at it! There's always something else to pull me away! Usually I'm finished by September - and the designs I chose for this year are much more elaborate this year, so they're taking longer to make! Today I completed 43 of the one on the left (click here to purchase or to view a larger image) and was so pleased with the results I just had to post it for all to see!

The cards front is layered with fabric, the deer is cut from gold fabric, but because it had some intricate cut work around the antlers, I decided to put the fabric onto card stock before I cut the design so it wouldn't fray. The red background fabric is sprinkled with gold sparkles and a holly sprig was added to finish it off! The greeting and message inside the card can be personalized with their name(s) at no extra charge: "Wishing your holidays filled with that special Christmas magic!" It's days like today I can truly say " I love livin' life on the flip side of 50" with Kalico Kards!

My first of four Christmas arts and crafts show is this coming weekend (see details here) ! More and more, I'm finding I want to create more extravagant cards that will dazzle my customers at the shows! Kalico Kard customers are very special - they are so generous with their comments as well as their purchases that it motivates me to outdo last years creations to capture their hearts this year!

the kardlady

The woodpecker story

2011-10-10T18:21:00.000-04:00

On the flip side of 50, our family moved to the outskirts of the city, into a small cottage type home. Because there's a 3 acre piece of ground next to us and a creek flowing behind us, we live with many different forms of wildlife - which can be frustrating for a city girl - when the deer eat your prized hostas and the raccoons turn your porch garden into a shamble!. We also had many other things happen that made us smile - like when a wren built her nest in my husbands sneakers hanging on the wash line to dry!

We have a large black walnut tree in our yard and every year hundreds of walnuts drop from the tree - which make it tough to cut the grass!. You would think the squirrels would clean them up faster than they drop - but ne squirrel rules the yard - and that squirrel does not pick the walnuts up while they are on the ground, he waits til we pick them up, then empties the container we put them in one at a time and proceeds to bury them all over our yard! We know that for a fact because the following year they sprout and we have little walnut trees to pull up before they become a bigger problem!! My idea was to cut down the walnut tree and be rid of both the walnuts and the !squirrels!

Then there was the time a huge box turtle laid her eggs in my vegetable patch! There's this huge area for her to choose from and she chooses my red beet patch!! Turtles usually lay their eggs in a place where their young can get to water easily! That was the last year I planted a vegetable garden!!

A few years ago we had a noisy woodpecker visit us daily for about a month - he tapped on the aluminum siding that covers our home with a rat-a-tat-tat just long enough to wake us, early in the morning! I don't know what he was drilling for, maybe he was just sharpening his bill, but he was relentless! So I created the card above in his honor (click here to purchase or view a larger image). On the front- "Birthdays and woodpeckers..."(inside)" they're relentless!"

the kardlady

Children are like kites. . . . .

2011-10-07T16:27:00.000-04:00

Livin' life on the flip side of 50 yields a lot of hindsight - because there's more experiences behind you than there are ahead of you! Many of my handmade cards relate to my experiences past and present! The card on the left has been online a few years (click here to purchase or view a larger image) as well as on display at local craft shows, but few have found this little treasure. Recently one of those few asked to have it turned into a poster for her son's dorm room at college and that brought to mind many good and some sad memories !

The message inside the card is handprinted in the shape of a large kite- and reads:
"A child is like a kite - you spend countless years trying to get them off the ground, running til you're breathless - they fall, you pick them up-patch them- and try again. Then one day they soar, alive and free - off into the blue and you're left holding a ball of string and some wonderful memories."

I hadn't realized that each Kalico Kard has a story to tell! The card above is only half the story of our youngest daughter! We picked her up more than once and patched her, trying with no luck, to find a better way to get her off the ground! A few weeks after high school graduation she made the choice to find her own way in life, and we chose to let her, because she thought she knew better.

That was more than 25 years ago! Recently she's come home to stay - so she says! A little broken and a little wiser from living on her own, she is still in need of her family's help in getting off the ground again - and once a parent, always a parent! After 50, it doesn't take much for one to become breathless - but we're certainly glad we chose not to discard that ball of string!

the kardlady

"Life whistles by like a fast train through a small town!."

2011-10-04T19:04:00.000-04:00

Does it seem to you like time is just flying by? I've heard that life's like a roll of toilet paper and the closer we get to the end, the faster it goes! Is it because I am filling my moments with busy-ness or is there some other reason? I've heard many people say time is flying for them also - so it's not just my imagination!

I can remember well how school lasted forever - and then summer came. Maybe there's something to the toilet paper theory! Here it is the pre-Christmas season already for those of us who are retailers. Seems like I just packed Christmas away in the closet and here it is again!
I chose the card on the left to preview today because its message is so appropriate (click here to purchase and to view a larger image) - the message inside this card is the title of this post! You wouldn't believe how many train-lovers there are out there - trains are a regular Kalico Kard design, along with wine, ice cream cones, angels, and Christmas trees! You'll always find them in my catalog!

I'd love to hear what you're thinking about time - is it or isn't it just flying by? I guess I don't wanna believe the toilet paper theory!

the kardlady

Count on one hundred!

2011-10-01T10:08:00.000-04:00

The following article was in a devotion book I recently read - I thought it worthy of posting. It begins with a quote by someone who had a 1/2 hour exercising program on TV 40 years ago - Jack LaLanne. The quote is : "Exercise is king, diet is queen. Put them together and you have a kingdom." The article is by James Rouse, a naturopathic physician. It begins:

"I fully believe that I will realize my burning desire to live very well, well beyond my one-hundredth birthday! Are you up for that? Picture that experience for yourself and feel its vitality and power. Greater peace and creative energy can be harnessed by knowing that your longevity is greatly enhanced as much by broccoli and jumping jacks as it is by showing up heart first and giving and living large." He goes on to say "centenarians eat right and light and the cultures that boast the most centenarians are the ones that love a plant-based diet, getting ample complex carbs, proteins, and fats from their veggies and fruits. Legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains power the body and mind for the long run and help prevent diseases while adding energy for a full lifestyle." We're told to exercise only on the days we eat to burn calories, sweat our prayers and move with grace and gratitude! The word "retirement" doesn't exist in the traditional Okinawan language. Those who live the longest have created a purpose for getting up in the morning.

In conclusion, the more friends, love, laughter and community you have, the longer you will live! Hug more, smile brighter, and serve with passion - live like you mean it!
That just might be another Kalico Kard!

the kardlady

Sometimes all we need is a swing!

2011-09-29T10:13:00.001-04:00

To en-courage: to give courage in the formless gifts of hope, confidence and support! We all have a need for encouragement whether we know it or not, but courage isn't something that's found outside ourselves, it's within us - it just needs a little coaxing and prodding to be revealed!

There was a time in my life when fear ruled me big time and I couldn't find the courage to do things I wanted to do! My spouse was my biggest encourager - he saw things in me I didn't see in myself, and eventually with his prodding - the courage surfaced and as it did the fears dissolved! The biggest misconception I had was believing that courage was somewhere out there - therefore the most enlightening time was when I discovered otherwise! Sometimes all you really need is a swing!

The Kalico Kard above (click here to purchase or view a larger image) is encouragement: "Hang in there!" The message inside: "Cherish yesterday, Dream of tomorrow, Embrace today!" A little encouragement can open doors and windows within and allow the light to shine on the gifts already there - and when it does, the darkness dissolves! With a little courage, anything is possible!

Your comments are always welcomed!
the kardlady

Old friends!

2011-09-27T12:11:00.175-04:00

There's something about an old friendship that never wears ragged! An old friend is someone who knows all about you and accepts you anyway! There's no better looking glass than an old friend! Friendship never ages - it's a treasure that just keeps growing in value!

Recently an old friend found me through facebook online, and as we caught up on each others lives since we last met, I was reminded of many things I'd forgotten, and was refreshed with pleasant memories of times when life seemed so much simpler. I was reminded of a gift I had created for my friend 30 years prior, which was still treasured and of the impact each of us had on the other!!

The card on the left (click here to order or see a larger view) takes those "livin' on the flip side of 50" back to the days of our youth - its message affirms the value of an old friend: "Age is the sweet price paid for old friends, vintage cars, and nostalgic memories!"

Over the years I've learned this about friendship - it isn't a big thing - it's a lot of little things!
Your comments are always appreciated!

the kardlady

"Life's just one juggling act after another!"

2011-09-23T12:50:00.003-04:00

Life can be one juggling act after the other, can't it? We put on so many different hats in a day, is it any wonder we forget who we really are - I've put on four different hats already this morning and it isn't lunchtime yet: I was chief cook (I made my husband breakfast for a change), practical bargain shopper (at the grocery store), cleaning lady (the bathroom was a mess) and now I think I'm a blogger! If I hadn't taken time this morning to focus on who I really am, I'd be lost in the sauce til the day ended! The Kalico Kard below is a pretty good image of many of us (click here to purchase or to view a larger image) - it's message inside states a universal truth: Life is just one juggling act after the other", but we all know what the alternative is!

Many years ago I asked myself "Is this all there is?" - there was little balance in my life, only never ending work and responsibility! Years later I found that this question was answered for me. Upon reflecting, I discovered - that wasn't all there was to my life - my life was merely what I was giving to it - I had created the world I was living in! Something within me wanted to prove to me there was much more to my life! Unconsciously, I started making more time for joy, rest and relaxation - and when I did my life became more pleasurable and more joyful. I began to cultivate my desire and life changed to the same degree I gave myself to it!!

I've never made it a habit to think about aging -"old" to me is someone 10 years my senior! Those around me talk a lot about aging - they try to convince me that there's a certain time in life that we should start acting "old"! But inside me there's this wise little person who is the same today as she was yesterday and wants to be tomorrow - she wants to live each moment fully believing the rest will just happen naturally without thinking or talking about it! Maybe that's the way it's supposed to be!

Your comments are always appreciated!
the kardlady

"Put on your poodle skirt attitude............"

2011-09-19T12:10:00.001-04:00

Do you remember poodle skirts, saddle shoes and 45 rpm record?, If you do, you were probably a child of the 50's like me ( oops! did I just give away my age!)! I didn't have a poodle skirt back then, I just admired them on others- but I did have a pair of saddle shoes and remember well how it felt when I wore them! I also remember my large collection of 45 records from the 50's and how alive the music made me feel then and now!

Recently I've been reminiscing with the oldies music of the 50's on public TV's fundraiser. It's surprising how you can't remember a name or an appointment or where you put your carkeys, - but can remember every word to most of those old songs! And when I sing along with them, I get the same feelings of aliveness I had back when and can remember the place I usually heard the song and those I was with! I can recall incidents from 50 years ago but can't remember what I had for breakfast this morning! Guess I'm gonna have to learn to put things to music so I don't forget them!

I created the card above for a few "old friends" from the 50's (click here to purchase or view the larger image) - its message inside: "Put on that poodle skirt attitude and dance your Birthday away!" It doesn't take much to change my attitude when it comes to music! We all have what I call "sometimers", (its a relative of alzheimers) sometimes we forget but sometimes we remember with a little trigger like this Kalico Kard

the kardlady

"Remember when our birthday suits fit!"

2011-09-16T14:38:00.000-04:00

Weight seems to be the favorite topic of conversation anymore - as a matter of fact you can't pick up a magazine without a new diet plan being headlined! I'm on a 30 day diet now - I've lost 16 days so far!

I do remember well when my birthday suit fit - when my hair was fat and I was thin? The Kalico Kard at the left carries todays blog title inside (click here to view a larger image or to purchase). One thing's for certain on the flip side of 50 - if we're not bulging in the wrong places, we're wrinkling! It's why my closet still holds outfits from the 70's and 80's - I keep thinking they are going to fit again some day!

I have so many "Remember whens" waiting for just the right moment to become a Kalico Kard :i.e. "Remember when hardware was a box of tools and bytes came from mosquitos? "Remember when the shuffle was only a dance?" If you don't already have "some-timers", please remember this: "In spirit we are ageless - we are always young-at-heart!"

the kardlady

Celebrate your little tail off!

2011-09-12T15:27:00.000-04:00

Gray is not a woman's favorite hair color! If you're anything like me, at the first sight of few gray hairs, your next stop was the drugstore to pick a color to cover it up! The only problem with mine is - no matter what shade of brown I choose, my hair has a mind of its own - it wants to be red!

The little "gray hare" on the left (click here to view a larger image or to purchase) is a long time Birthday card favorite with Kalico Kard customers. It's message begins on the outside - "Don't let a little gray hare bother you... (inside) celebrate your little tail off!" As I said in my last post -" every day above ground IS a good day - especially our birth days!
Have you ever considered how fortunate and unique we really are? How special you are that that one little egg who was to be you was chosen to have life out of all the rest present at that time! It gives a whole new meaning to "living"! Life is a celebration - not just for our birth days but every day! Today I celebrate the wonderful you!

the kardlady

"At our age it's just putt...putt...putt!"

2011-09-11T09:08:00.006-04:00

The Awkfest, held in Macungie, PA is a big event locally attended by many from all over the country. It's a "car show" plus, and every year I have a vendors space there for marketing my handmade greeting cards

Being a child of "The 50's" I love the older cars - they're so distinctive and colorful! As I watch them year after year process onto the field for display , the energy of my youth rises in me! First the "oldies" enter- the cars of the 40's, 50's, etc. and then the "grand-daddies" - the older models enter with their putt...putt...putt! There's something about an "old flibber" that stirs the soul and takes you back to a time in life when everything moved at a much slower pace - and the older the car the sweeter the feelings are!

The Kalico Kard above (click here to view a larger image or purchase) was a popular seller this year at the car show. The message inside it speaks to many of us baby boomers livin' on the flip side of 50: "At our age it's just putt...putt...putt!"! We find a slower pace better, even a putt...putt...putt, as long as we keep moving! After 50 we realize that" any day above ground is a good day"!

the kardlady

"We still got it - it's just a matter of remembering where we put it!"

2011-09-08T09:55:00.003-04:00

I've still got an item hanging in the back of my closet that I loved wearing, it's a little too young looking for "someone my age", but now and then I take it down and try putting on the courage to wear it again!

This Kalico Kard at the left (click here to purchase or view larger image) reminds me of the things I've lost that made me feel young - like - Saturday night dancing, in-vogue hair styles, a fashion makeover, a slimmer body, etc. All it takes is a little confidence to step up and be courage for yourself! Now let me see.... where did I put it!

How old we are in years does something to our minds! Nature chooses the face we have at 16, lifestyle chooses the face we have at 30, but we choose the face we have on the flip side of 50! Aging may be the price we pay for maturity, but it's a choice to be old! What if we counted our friends and the blessings we have, instead of the years and dig out our confidence again and put it on- " We still got it - it's just a matter of remembering where we've put it!"

the kardlady

"We're not ready for the cider barrel yet!"

2011-09-06T12:47:00.002-04:00

One of my favorite Kalico Kards is the one on the left - the message inside: "Hang in there - we're not ready for the cider barrel yet!" Click here if you're interested in purchasing one for a birthday upcoming - or as a reminder!!

I'll bet everyone of us knows someone who is going sour - you know what I mean - it seems they're always decomposing - like an apple that's ready for the cider barrel! They talk about "getting old", about how life is slipping away and they're tired of livin'! Did you know that what we think and talk about and focus on, has got us - and before we know it - we're up to our necks in the cider barrel!

Livin' life on the flip side of 50 takes courage - agin' ain't for sissies! Givin' up is too easy! When you have a mind for livin', there's no room in your mind for giving up! There's no time for it. So hang in there friend - we're not ready for the cider barrel yet!

the kardlady

"The secret to staying young- live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age" -L .Ball

2011-09-04T12:54:00.001-04:00

"Pick a number and stick to it" is what grandma always said! It's not the years in your life but the life in your years! You wouldn't believe how often I've been asked when I'm going to "retire"! Let's see now - isn't that something you do to a car? I tell them "you have to be working to retire - I'm not working, I'm doing something I love! If "retire" means to stop what you're presently doing - I have no intentions doing that! I told someone the other day that when I die, I want to be buried with a scissor in my hand and a piece of calico cotton thrown over me!

It's only the beginning of September but I'm finishing the last of my Christmas cards for my upcoming shows and online! The new Halloween cards are already finished - they were created in June! Year round, each evening, you'll find me, scissor in hand, in front of the TV, cutting fabric designs for the coming year's Kalico Kards. When I feel I'm caught up for a time - I get out the crocheting - I have 8 grandkids who will be getting married one day and when they do, there will be an aphgan ready for each of them! Livin' life on the flip side of 50 is very productive for me!

the kardlady

The joy of livin' is learning to spin straw into gold!

2011-09-02T15:31:00.000-04:00

I think we can all relate to this adage - I just came across this one recently! For a lot of years now I've been trying to spin straw into gold - literally - and it "ain't" easy! In a world that revolves around dollars and cents, I've had a great time taking bits and pieces and turning it into something I treasure.

I come from a long line of "trash pickers"! I love flea markets and yard sales and such - because I usually come away with something I can see a treasure in! Isn't that what life is all about! Aren't we to look beyond what appears and call it into being? That's what I've learned in all my creating and crafting. At this stage of life however all I'm hearing about is "sizing down"! To me sizing down is giving up - it's diminishing......I've just begun to live the past 20 years. Before that, life was responsibilities and raising up those kids, and makin' ends meet. I'm not ready to throw in the towel and all I've accumulated and love just yet!

We have a little cottage, my Mr. and me - but we have an upstairs bedroom that we built ourselves - it's the whole second floor with eaves on three sides and a raised roof on the 4th side. It is full! The Mr. says it's mostly my things - and I guess he's right! Since I'm the lady of the house and he calls the linen closet mine because I'm the only one who goes in it, then I guess it's mine --- as well as the sewing machine and cabinet I purchased to replace the old sewing machine, but couldn't get used to   so it's still there. The new cabinet is a nice piece of furniture I'm not willing to part with- yet! So don't talk to me about sizing down!

But after 53 years of marriage I've learned that you have to lose some of the little battles with the Mr.   so you can win the big ones - so this morning I told him I would give up the 3rd bed in our over-stuffed bedroom - a select comfort twin bed - you know the kind with a sleep number. It filled my need to be hospitable while the grandkids were younger (the youngest is now 16). So I let him convince me to give it up! I have had second thoughts about it - it's not gone yet!

the kardlady

Yes - this is the Kalico Kard blog but with a new focus and face!

2011-09-01T12:20:00.003-04:00

Over the years designing, creating and marketing Kalico Kards - the handmade cards with classic fabric designs and messages that warm the heart and tickle the spirit - I have accumulated quite a collection of original and borrowed - quips, quotes and humor which I use in my birthday cards often!

Livin' life on the flip side of 50 can be fun, and inspiring both to self and others! Kate , the Kalico Kard at the left has this message inside: "Age is a matter of mind - if you don't mind, it doesn't matter!" You've probably heard this old cliche before: "aging is mandatory- getting old is a choice - it's not a Kalico Kard as yet, but that's what I mean by Livin' life on the flip side of 50 - the accent should be on "livin"! "We're too blessed to be stressed" - Life is for livin'!

Journey with me as I take you through the lighter side of "Living life on the flip side of 50"! If you have a little wit, humor or wisdom about aging you want to share with others - add it to the comment box below. - you just might find it on a Kalico Kard one day!

How quickly time flies by.....

2011-07-02T18:59:00.001-04:00

Can't believe it's been almost a month since my last post - where does the time go?

Just one year ago our youngest daughter and grandson moved back from Hawaii. She wasn't well physically, mentally or emotionally when she arrived, which was the main reason she returned.   But to look at her today you wouldn't know she's that same person! It's inspiring what a little love, attention, and patience can do in just one  year.

Time can be a good thing when it comes to healing! Hurts and wounds from the past may leave scars, but they are mostly on our minds.   With a  little love and time, one can usually find some good in their pain and begin getting better instead of being bitter!

The stories ending wasn't what  her Dad and I expected, but then it wasn't our story to write or to rewrite!. As long as she is happy, healthy and whole, we're looking at it as a new beginning instead of an ending!

the kardlady

A bit of Inspiration

2011-06-07T07:09:00.001-04:00

"Keep a list of everything that interests and excites you no matter how insignificant. Remind yourself that these are indicators or clues that both the talent and the spiritual assistance exist to bring them into reality!" -Dyer

We're never too old to be inspired by something new!

2011-06-05T13:13:00.002-04:00

Don't you just love finding a tool that's a big time saver?   I purchased  this little Sizzix Big Shot hand cranked die cut and embossing machine this week for doing some of the designs on my handmade Kalico Kards. I love new tools - especially if they save me time! For 21 years I've been handcutting every design that goes onto Kalico Kards with a scissor, and  individually embossing some of the backgrounds by hand.  The new tool so inspired me this week, I couldn't pull myself away from it! So many new ideas, so many possibilities!

For those unfamiliar with the Big Shot machine, it's similar to the wringer on an old 50's washing machine, only much smaller.  Big Shot's accessories are: a platform, and rubber, silicone and acrylic plates (for squeezing  your chosen material and the die cut or embossing folder between) , and a variety of available embossing folders, and die cuts which can cut a variety of materials including fabric.

The die cuts and embossing folders are sold separately - and you can also use other companies products with it as well.   I've already cut 50 fabric Christmas trees in 45 minutes,  which would have taken me 4-5 hours with a scissor.  The embossing possibilities are endless  because you can actually make your own folders! I've not experimented with that yet! There are many videos on http://www.youtube.com/ on both embossing and die cutters.

It's just what I needed to move forward and give a little different look to my products! Just goes to show - we're never too old to be inspired by something new!

the kardlady

Update on the scam

2011-05-15T16:34:00.002-04:00

Thought you'd like to hear" the rest of the story" re: my last post about the scam!! The money orders did come back to the bank - they WERE bogus as I suspected - even though the bank said they passed the test! ! The bank advised me to put the money from cashing them into my checking account, but not to use the money.

The postal money orders came back to the bank a week later and I was responsible for that money which totalled $1973 plus $12 for their return - the price I paid for falling for the scam! Some laughed when I told them - but any lesson learned is no laughing matter! Had I mailed the money off to the address in the email I received, I would have been out of more than $2000 which I didn't have!

Do you have a similar story? Post it here - maybe someone can learn from yours!

the kardlady

Thinking of you

2011-05-06T17:39:00.000-04:00

Where is the time going? I can't believe it's been almost a month since I've posted! There's been lots going on in my life since the past few months - and I'm still pain free!

I must share with you a most recent experience! It started with a promising email about earning a few extra dollars by being a "mystery shopper"! Being the gullible person I am, I applied for the job and within a few days my first assignment arrived in the form of 2 postal money orders for the same 2 large amounts totalling more than $900 each. I wasn't hasty to get started - I even had doubts about what I was supposed to do and sent an email  to ask a few more questions about my new job!

As it turned out, I chickened out of  the first assignment after  reading the alerts on  the moneygram form I was told to send out to a third party! ! It stated: " don't send any money in regards to a request of you as a mystery shopper, because someone may be trying to steal money from you"!

The puzzling thing- it wasn't my money I was asked to send out - I received the monies the day before in the form of 2 postal money orders delivered by FedEx! My assignment was emailed to me a few hours later after the money orders arrived: cash them at your bank and   forward the money in a moneygram from this particular store to a third party whose address was given me! The reason I was given:   customers had been complaining that the monies they sent from this  location was never received! It sounded legitimate enough - however a red flag went up when I read the alert on the moneygram instructions! I was stopped in my tracks knowing that I didn't have the confidence to go forward with what I was being asked to do! So I returned home and sent another email to the person with more questions!

I found out today from the bank manager that even tho the money orders looked authentic enough to cash, that they  were either stolen or counterfeit and would probably be returned to the  bank within 10-14 days! My checking account would be held responsible for that money, had I sent the moneygram - I would have been out of almost $2000.

Live and learn! Luckily I stopped to read the instructions before sending the moneygram which also asked for my social security number, my birth date, my occupation, etc. because the moneygram was over $900.

I never got a reply to that email sent back to my assigner - so   today I took the money back to the bank for safekeeping until the money orders clear or bounce! In the meantime I am thankful I did what I did - it was a learning experience - and the anxiety I was having has dissolved!

Beware - if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!
-
the gullible kardlady

Another aphgan finished!

2011-04-08T16:34:00.000-04:00

If I don't stop crocheting, I may never get my card stock finished for the upcoming season! I finished the second aphgan now and have begun a third one - a topper for a Queen size bed!

The first two were "mile a minute aphgans" working with 2 different colors for each. They did finish quickly, especially the second one because it called for a size P crochet hook and was worked holding 2 strands of knitting worsted together instead of one! I had never crocheted with that large a hook before - once I got the hang of it, I enjoyed seeing the aphgan develop so quickly - 7 panels, each 8" wide by 72" long, which I then whip stitched together!

There's something about the rhythm of crocheting that is totally relaxing for me - once I pick it up, I don't want to put it down - I get kind of lost in it. Dinners have been getting later and later every night! I even got my hubby interested - he accompanied me to the craft store and helped pick the colors, and I catch him every now and then, watching my hands fly as this very wide aphgan (220 sts) grows in length (it will be 98x102 finished)! I always get a remark or two about how far it's come to date!

I've been creating cards in the daytime and crocheting in the evenings - and so I have accomplished a number of cards - approximately 400 (in groups of 50-60 of each design). The problem is - I'm so far behind, I fear I may never catch up. By this time last year, I had more than 3000 cards individually made and was still creating up til the week of my back surgery! Now I don't have as many to do this year because I'm creating less of each design - I've cut down on the craft shows I booked.

By the way - my back surgery was a great success! It has surpassed my expectations! There were times I had some discomfort because of overdoing it, but after resting , I was pain free again! My Doctors orders were - to make my back a priority and to get in the habit of resting when my back begins to tire - something that was foreign to me for a lot of years! Guess that's why I had a back problem!

It does take some time getting used to being without pain - after working with backpain for more than 25 years! That alone is inspiring! I never thought I would be pain free in this lifetime! I guess miracles can happen if we allow them to! I could have had surgery many years ago, but the timing wasn't right. This time, I had no choice - but I'm glad it's all behind me! I'm finding life a joy again - doing things I haven't done in ages!

Sincerely
the kardlady

2011-03-24T10:03:00.001-04:00

The quote below is from Pam's Cloth to Creation blog ( along with someone's answer)!

If all the world is a stage, where is the audience sitting? ~ George Carlin
Answer: They aren't sitting anywhere. They're standing at the ticket booth trying to get a refund!

Well I fnished that aphgan I talked about in the last blog! While crocheting it, I decided it would be a nice gift for our daughter and her hubby's 30th wedding anniversary! Pleased with how it turned out, I blocked it, folded it and put it into a gift bag for their special day in August!

The following weekend at lunch with my daughter, the conversation turned to crocheting and in passing she mentioned the aphgan I had made for her some years ago. I didn't recall it so when we returned home after lunch she brought it down from her bedroom to refresh my memory - it was the same aphgan I had just finished in exactly the same colors! Have you ever done something like that?

And so I've started a new aphgan for them - she chose the pattern and the colors to match her living room. Crocheting was just the jolt I needed to get started on some new card designs again for my online shop. I'd been having trouble getting back into the mode of creating after my surgery. The first card is already in the catalog here ! It seems all it took to get started was to spend myself on a creative project for the inspiration to flow again!

What has inspired you to create recently?

2011-01-22T10:15:00.000-05:00

Can't seem to get started on my normal January schedule - designing new cards for the 2011 season. While recovering I did some knitting and crocheting because I just love the feel of yarn! A few posts ago I added an image of the hanger covers I made for little holiday gifts . They were really appreciated! I also knitted a sweaater vest - but the sizing didn't work out as planned.

While creating the hangers, I inspired my two daughters to learn to crochet. The one is making a scarf and the other has made a few ladies hats. They are doing well with their new found hobby!

Because I still had the yen to continue crocheting - I went through my older books and found a pattern for a "mile-a-minute" aphgan from Annie's Attic. It's a beautiful pattern and very very simple, done in 9 strips approximately 6" wide by 82" long with rounded off ends that when sewn together become scallops, top and bottom. I chose light rose and white yarn like the pattern on the cover and have already finished one strip - I just can't put it down.

I find the winter months a good time to work with yarn - but then anytime is a good time for creating - don't you think? If you've been inspired to create something new or different, why not share it with us in the comment box below.

fondly - the kardlady

2011-01-15T11:39:00.001-05:00

Can't believe 14 days are already gone in this year! At this rate , spring will be here before we know it - 65 days til spring by my calculations!  Now that's inspiring!   During these cold winter days I've been keeping my eyes pealed   for things that inspire me! I just want to huddle up with a blanket to stay warm and read a good book .

I found a little book this week called: "365 ways to bring inspiration into your life" ! The book is by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer who has written many inspiring self help books.

Each page of this little book is a brief thought on inspiration taken from his book on Inspiration - " put together because he has no doubt that inspiration can be cultivated and become the driving force in our lives."

His first thought is :  "When you're inspired, your heart sings in appreciation for every breath, and you're tolerant, joyful and loving."

I know that when I'm inspired to work on a new card, I can sense my heart singing and time is no matter - I have extended patience, and feel joyful and loving! Dr. Wayne states in his introduction: "what I'm offering here is the awareness that we can return to a full time position of inspiration, which is the true meaning of our lives!

Allowing inspiration to be the driving force in your life  sounds like a choice we must make! What do you think?

sincerely
the kardlady

Did I forget to wish you a wonderfully happy new year?

2011-01-03T09:54:00.000-05:00

It's the third day of a brand new year and I was so excited about writing my last post, I didn't even wish you a happy new year!

Tomorrow is my first visit with the surgeon and I'm looking forward to getting lots of answers to lots of questions as well as my "marching orders" for the coming weeks or months. I've gotten almost all the drugs behind me and feel much better about life and my health because of it. The temperature for January has been very mild, so I've even taken a few 15 minute walks, which felt great. I did have a xray 3 weeks ago for this visit to find out if that little cage they've surrounded the 3 fused vertebrae with is still in place, which I'm sure it is.

I do feel good physically and think the operation a total success - but I'll give you any details tomorrow after the visit. The big question I want answered is am I capable of taking an 1800 mile road trip to the keys in 4-5 weeks?

As for the book A Return to Love - I have a few more pages to read and then I'm going to re-read it and take notes.

Until tomorrow - Sincerely - the kardlady

So much has been said about A Course in Miracles

2011-01-02T14:54:00.001-05:00

Over the past month, while recovering, I took the opportunity to read Marianne Williamson's reflections on A Course in Miracles , as well as her insights on the application of love, which are profound.

The book reveals how we become " miracle workers" through willingly accepting a different perspective on any problem we face, with the help of the holy spirit within us - whether it's relationships, career or health. She shows us how love can be a potent force and how practicing love we can make our own lives more fulfilling and at the same time create a more loving peaceful world to live in.

At first I thought it would be just one more self help book to digest - but  I was wrong! Her concepts are inspiring start to finish - she actually turns your beliefs and concepts right side up!

I recommend the book to anyone looking for a miracle - as many of us are! My miracle goes far beyond the  recovery from back surgery. It goes straight to heart and the healing of three relationships - between a mother and  her daughter and the daughter and her husband. More about this later.

If you've taken the course in miracles or read Marianne Williamson's book on A Return to Love, I'd love for you to  share your insights here or privately. I was never so motivated by a book as I was with this one - which tells me I have much to learn from it.

Sincerely
the kardlady

Back to Inspiration

2010-12-06T10:08:00.000-05:00

It's the day after one recovery day of complete rest - and I feel like a new person! Fully alive, energetic, optimistic, and of course inspired!

I want to put up that little Norfold Island Pine tree I pur chased and decorate it and bake some cookies while listening to the Christmas music........ but .......I'm gonna wait a little longer....... until the time is right......and I'm truly able to stand for more than an hour without my legs failing me and feeling sick to my stomch from the activity!

I've already decided not to rush out to buy gifts for everybody, even tho I love Christmas and do it every year! I've decided to just give gift cards to their favorite stores - which can be done in one trip to the grocery store - they have gift cards for everywhere!

I do feel a little left out of all the hulla-ba-loo at times - but then I reflect on the greater hulla-ba-loo - of my being pain free for the rest of my days. Seems sometimes we/I forget the really important gifts life has for us, if we have a mind to listen and look with an open heart!

the kardlady

Why do we always have to learn the hard way?

2010-12-05T15:00:00.001-05:00

Just thought I'd share my weekend with you! This was the last card show of the season I had booked and it was my option to go or not - she would have saved my space for next year.....so guess what I chose?

Right - I felt I could handle it this time! Didn't learn from the other one Nov. 6, that too much activity has its consequences! The show was from 3pm to 9 and would continue Sat. 9am to 3pm. I knew I was in trouble when one hour into the show I was already feeling bad.

I hung in there til 9pm but did not feel well the whole time.   Knowing I had to get up and be at the show again at 8:15 after not sleeping all night, it was then I  regretted my bad decision.

I said many prayers along the way - wanting only to be home snuggled in my recovery chair in front of the TV - but here I was at 8:15 still feeling totally uncomfortable! The other 2 girls in the room said I looked like I'd seen a ghost - but I hung in there - had another cup of green tea, primped my card racks and got it all ready for the customers at 9:00, and when they arrived, thank God, I was revived!

The revival however, was only short lived - by l:00pm the sick feeling came back again, so I told my husband we'd better start packing up the cards which takes at least 3/4 of an hour - we did and he drove me home then  went back with my grandson to pack up the rest of my display and the cards!

In retrospect I asked myself - why didn't you learn from that first show that as yet, it is just too much activity for your condition ?  I'm so glad the shows are behind me for this year and I can just get on with my recovery .   I do have some pain but it's not intolerable - it's the drugs again and what they do to you when you overdo!. I will go for an xray this week to see if that contraption they put in there survived all my activity! I guess knowing better isn't quite enough for some of us- you have to make the effort to do better also!

the kardlady

Pattern for Hanger Covers

2010-11-29T14:21:00.012-05:00

As promised, here is the simple pattern for the hanger cover (upper left). You'll need a J crochet hook and a ball of yarn -( leftover from a project works fine). I got 8 covers from a new 8 oz. mutiple color skein! The hangers should be wooden with a wire hook at top but they are hard to come by so I found a pkg of 8 hard recycled material coat hangers at K Mart, as above, which work just as well. They are a little longer but excellent for those heavy winter coats!

To begin chain 60, dc in the 3rd chain from the hook and dc 5 more dc in that same chain.

Skip a st in the long chain and slip 1 st in the next chain st, sk another st then dc 6 st in the next chain st. - this pattern is repeated throughout and continued around the end sts doing 12 dc in the end one and along the other side to the last stitch, doing 12 dc there also . See the small image above for a close up of the end.

Make 2 of these and place back to back. Wih same or contrasting yard you're going to begin in the edge of the very center (where hook is) of the two pieces to form the pocket for the hanger to be inserted.

Make a loop on your hook and push through the center stitch chain and pull up a loop (slip stitch) continue to do this all around the pieces, binding them together until you come to the other end. At this point insert the hanger (if you go beyond this end you won't be able to get the hanger inside. Not continue to do the same with the hanger inside. It's a little awkward to hold but it can be done. Slip stitch to the center hook which completes the pocket! Tie your threads off and tuck any loose threads inside. Cut 2 15" pieces of yard and weave around the bottom of the hook and tie in the bow.

They crochet fast - and you can tie them up 3 in a bundle for a little gift - after you've checked your own closet for a few.

Let me know if the instructions are clear - it's my first time writing our instructions.

the kardlady

It's the holiday season

2010-11-29T10:32:00.002-05:00

I hope you all had a nice holiday season. I apologize for the absence of my presence - things havent been so good the past few weeks trying to reduce the meds

I've never known something as difficult to get through, in my 70 years! But then I've never taken narcotics before! At this point I think I'm half way through being finished with them. The strongest is gone but the percoset doesn't give up easily. The Dr. gave me a barbituate now to get me though the percoset, and the barbituates make me lose control - legs, bladder, etc.. The good part is -I've not had any more diahrea or vomiting from the percoset reduction - that was the purpose of the barbituate !

I will go for an xray within 2 weeks to see if the little cage inserted in my back to hold the 3 vertebrae together is still in place. The instructions were - NOT TO BEND AT THE WAIST!
However - things happen. Mostly, I did not bend the waist but found other ways to get to the floor - like on my knees - or doing a lunge - and a few times I just pain forgot and down I went! So I'm hoping everything is still in place !

As for inspirati0n - I've been told "you're an inspiration" - but let me tell you I don't feel like I'm inspiring most of the time! I'm not one to just sit around and recover.

I've been crocheting hanger covers for those delicate items in the closet so they don't get marks where the shoulders are. I love them. Thought since I can't get out to buy gifts, a group of 3 tied together would be a unique gift to give. I'll gather my scattered thoughts together and add the pattern to the blog here just in case you would like to try them.

Thanks for your time - and no matter what happens - look for how you can inspire or be inspired!

sincerely
the kardlady

Just a note.....

2010-11-07T14:50:00.002-05:00

It's all over but the recovery - that is - from all the narcotics I'm taking! After 4 days in the hospital, I was anxious to get back to my comfy airbed and a decent nights rest at home!

It's been almost 3 weeks now and the doctor says I'm doing better than expected after an 8 hour surgery. Except for withdrawal symptoms from one of the drugs I've been taking, things are moving along nicely! I'm able to climb the stairs more than once a day now - and have been to the grocery store once or twice with help.

Thank you much for your prayers and your concern.

with regards
the kardlady

Surgery is Monday

2010-10-16T07:48:00.002-04:00

Only 2 more days to go - up to this point I was able to hold it at bay - but I find myself living in the future the past day or so! It's tough to plan for and wait on surgery. I've put it off in the past because of that! There's no turning back this time! Actually I've been excusing myself from it lately - thinking: maybe it's not that necessary! But that little voice inside keeps saying it is - and there's no turning back!

I have a craft show today - but it's only a 6 hour show, and my family was kind enough to set it up for me, so all I have to do is show up! It always encourages me to see, talk to, and hear the customers kind responses to my cards. I've cancelled all but one of the other 6 shows I had scheduled - my daughters will do that one for me.

I should be able to write another post in a week or so and let you know how it all turned out!

the kardlady

Focusing on inspiration anew

2010-10-13T08:05:00.003-04:00

I received an encouraging email regarding inspiration this morning headed: "Fueling the Artistic Flames"! After being immersed in pills and pain the entire week, I found this to be an encouraging word:

"Do you ever have a difficult time coming up with your next project? Do you sometimes have a new product and don't know just where to go with it? It isn't always easy to go it alone, but there is lots of inspiration to be had all around you. Whether you go for a walk, meet with artistic buddies, or turn to your favorite magazines like ClothPaperScissors, inspiration can be found all around you!" How true!

I've spent much down time the past weeks but none of it was without inspiration - if not from friends, or from peering through the window at the beauty of Mother Natures garment as the season changes to Autumn, it was from paging through some of my favorite craft magazines! Inspiration can be found all around us! Ideas for new cards abound for my online catalog!

Life's too short not to spend it on what inspires and encourages us onward! Life is inspired and for all to enjoy - the only thing needed is our awareness!

Dianne
the kardlady

It's Strange.....

2010-10-03T16:27:00.010-04:00

It's strange how the mind works! A week or so ago I posted the images of a few cards I'd been creating - and made mention of the dimensional butterfly cards with spring flowers - and while doing so I was thinking of "Spring", when my life would be back to normal again! I'd be booking my shows for the 2011 season and preparing for my first big show which rolls around fast!

Would you believe, yesterday I began creating Easter cards for the 2011 season! Now Easter cards aren't especially big sellers - not like other holidays - but to be doing them even before Christmas is a first! I only do a few different designs for the Crafters Mall where I have a display and I also put a few in my online catalog - but it seemed kind of strange, with Halloween just around the corner, - and here I was making Easter cards!

I only thought about this today as I was putting the final touches on those Easter cards, that this is the first time in 20 years I've ever been so ahead of myself - and I conclud that it was my thinking about Spring 2011 that set it all up!

I suppose that's how our dreams and desires become reality for us! What we focus on, has got us! Of course it isn't really Spring - but my heart's in a springtime mode and that's almost the same - isn't it!

I've added two of those Easter cards here for you to view. As you can see, fall and winter may be just around the corner, but springtime can be experienced in the heart!

Thank you for your encouraging responses to my posts regarding surgery - - I appreciate hearing from you. Tuesday is my pretesting - then in less than 2 weeks I can begin to put that all behind me. I'm so looking forward to Spring - I just want to skip right over Christmas and get on with Spring!!

Sincerely

the kardlady

A sense of humor is necessary

2010-09-29T07:38:00.003-04:00

Thank you Jenny for your comment! Yes, a sense of humor is necessary toward this and any other situation in life, don't you think? I'd like to look at the whole situation I'm facing, in the light of humor - not just the doctors order to not bend at the waist, no matter what!

Someone suggested putting my underwear on before I get out of bed in the morning! I've never slept with my underwear under my pillow before, but I just might try it! I've already moved the necessities to the top drawer of my dresser soas not to have to bend to get to it!

As for the cooking - many women would jump for joy at not being able to get to the utensils and preparations necessary for cooking a meal. Let your hubby do it - the same solution applies to loading the dishwasher, putting the laundry in the dryer or into the dresser afterward! Take a vacation from all the things that require bending - it's laughable but it's one way of handling it!

Let me know what you think?

the kardlady

Awareness

2010-09-28T07:58:00.004-04:00

I enjoy my quiet times each morning - rising early before anyone else to prepare myself for the day. Ever since I read Eckhard Tolle's book on "awareness", I've tried to practice awareness regularly - because "what's got your attention, has got you"!

My recent trip to the neurosurgeons office was informative as well as instructive. I not only learned what the surgery was all about but what was expected of me afterward. The doctor stressed one thing strongly - I may not bend at the waist, no matter what! I must consider my back before I do anything!

And so when I returned home, with "awareness" I tried to see just what his instructions entailed! Do you know how many different tasks require bending? From getting into your underwear in the AM to taking your shoes and socks off at bedtime - there are so many tasks that require bending!

And so, with awareness, I've been trying to come up with new ways of doing some of those tasks without bending - and I've not been too successful! It seems following this one order is key to a successful recovery, so I plan to keep on trying - using creativity to find helpful ways to do things so I don't have to bend at the waist.

If you think its an easy task, try dressing yourself without bending, or try getting the dishes, pots or dry goods out of the bottom of a cabinet to prepare a meal, or loading the dishwasher after a meal, or putting clean laundry back into the dresser drawers without bending! I'd love your input on how to accomplish some of these normal daily tasks! If you can help in any way, I would appreciate it!

Sincerely
the kardlady

Remaining hopeful

2010-09-25T07:05:00.003-04:00

I've had my appointment with the surgeon and October 18 has been set for surgery. I have mixed emotions about it all, but no choices! Actually, the surgeon did give me another choice: to wrap myself in bubble wrap and climb in bed for the rest of my life!

The pain is unpredictable as well as unbearable - there are times when I feel better, kind of forgetting I'm on strong medication - and then there's times the pain is unbearable whether sitting, standing, or laying down, even while taking the medication! I tell myself that these are times to encourage me again that the surgery is very necessary - and if it isn't done as soon as possible, according to the neurosurgeon, I will lose my ability to walk!

My hope comes in knowing that I'll be free of this unbearable pain before the end of the year!
I try not to think about the surgery itself, and the rods and screws they'll attach to the 3 vertebrae to hold them in place while the bones fuse together over the next year or so!

One of my chores presently is cancelling the shows I'd reserved space for the next 3 months. Some of these reservations were expensive - and one of them - a Historical Society, is not willing to refund the $145 I paid for the space! It's hard to believe that someone would deny a refund with 2 months notice! It is a show I've been doing for 10 years- one I have encouraged many vendors as well as customers to participate in!

I've learned from experience however that getting excited or angry over anything, only heightens the pain level! So I guess even pain has something to teach us!

If you have something to share, I'd love to hear about it - maybe we can be encouragement for one another!

Sincerely
the kardlady

2010-09-21T08:29:00.002-04:00

Recently I've created a few new Kalico Kards to add to my catalog online! While my focus is on creating cards, my mind is off the pain. Here are a few of the cards: I did three different dimensional butterfly cards - each with different spring flowers - and while doing them, "Spring" was on my mind - looking to the time when things will be back to normal again!

The fabric butterflies were cut beforehand- two for each card: one goes on the card and the second one is placed on a small piece of cardstock, cut again and glued on top of the first one just at the body, so the wings can be lifted as though the butterfly is in flight. The fabric for the garden wall already has a dimensional look about it, and I always have a stock of flowers cut and prepared for use. I'm constantly cutting fabrics -sometimes because I love the design or color, other times because I have a card already in mind for its use! I have a stash of designs cut and prepared and filed in alphabetic order according to the names I give each.

I also added this football star card to the keepsake category. It has a 2 color fabric star behind a fabric football. The colors of the star are customized to the receivers favorite teams colors. It's appropriate for the football enthusiast or player in the family - personalized with his name, it becomes a keepsake treasure he'll hang onto! There's also a baseball, volleyball, and soccer star card which can also be customized to team colors - and like all Kalico Kards, has a greeting on front and a message inside - both of which are interchangeable!

At craft shows, I'm constantly asked where I get all the ideas for my cards. Actually- the fabrics tell me what they want to be! There are so many beautiful fabrics available! Nothing lifts my spirit like a fabric shopping trip to Lititz or Lancaster, PA - a trip made 2 or 3 times a year! I also shop for fabric in between those trips at Allentown Sewing Machine - I am constantly looking for new additions to my fabric stash!

The Princess Cat is another new card in the catalog, the design is a fuzzy flannel fabric! The flannels today are so bright in color and there is a large selection of novelty fabrics available - I usually use these for animals. This one is unique and when I saw it, I couldn't wait to cut it and get it on cardstock. I placed faux pink stones on the crown to glitz it up a bit!

I guess you can see- the back pain hasn't kept me from creating - the creative process is still inspiring me. Inspiration and creativity are very healing - they lift the spirit and I have no time for self pity or to be out of sorts with others or myself.

Apologies for my absence here

2010-09-16T07:50:00.003-04:00

I've been encouraged by a friend to share with you the reason for my absence online - but first of all I feel the need to apologize.

My intentions were to post at least twice a week, however, over the past 2 months the back pain I've been dealing with 20 years or so, has gone beyond the bearable. I've known surgery was inevitable, but tried to hold it off as long as I could.

My lower spine has deteriorated to the point where L2,3,4,and 5 are beyond physical therapy, chiropractors, pain management, and medication. I've already had one appointment with a neurosurgeon and received his plan for reparation - my next appointment on 9/21 will reveal the date of surgery for fusion.

It's surprising how pain can change ones attitude! Eight years ago an orthopedic surgeon explained his plan for reparation of my problem but I wasn't ready to hear about surgery or the recovery period afterward. Presently, I cannot wait to have it done and be on the road to recovery!

Constant pain in the lower back is bad enough, but when it goes down the buttocks and both legs and your day is mostly about how to live with the pain - then it's time to let an expert in his field do what must be done!

My main concern is how long the recovery period will take? I would appreciate your encouragement and your prayers. I promise to keep you posted as to what's going on. I'm told they expect me to be out of bed and functioning upright on the third day already! Hopefully, I'll have less pain then and a better attitude about my future.

Sincerely,
the kardlady

Inspiration abounds!

2010-07-06T08:07:00.006-04:00

A few days ago I was standing in line at our local fabric store waiting to have a piece of fabric cut for another Kalico Kard and started a conversastion with a young woman in line holding a bolt of fabric used for pillow ticking. Curious, I asked what kind of project she was working on, and she told me she was re-covering her bed pillow! I remarked how resourceful she was in doing so, and with a smile of contentment she told me she's been sleeping on the same pillow since she was a child of six! I felt goosebumps down my spine!

In our throw-away world, where hand me downs are presently thrown away and lots of things discarded when they need only repair or recycling, this kind of connection with your childhood inspired me: still dreaming on the same pillow you did when you were a child!

It took me back to the many items I lost track of over the past 50 years - along with the precious memory which could be inspiring today.

If you have an inspiring story to share - use the comment box below - I'd love hearing from you.

Live life inspired . . .

2010-06-14T08:45:00.008-04:00

Where inspiration is concerned, music has to be near the top of my list! My children were brought up with music- it's been a vital part of their lives and mine. The guitar and piano were our instruments, we had sing-alongs regularly and the guitar with song made naptimes a lot easier! We also had lots of recorded music for encouragament.

Music has continued to influence both our kids and our grandkids lives. They play piano and guitar, the drums, bass guitar, and violin. My oldest daughter also leads the early morning worship at our church every Sunday morning and inspires all, including me, with her singing.

Music inspires me - the music of my youth (the 50's and 60's) makes me feel young and alive - other music pieces send chills through me no matter how many times I hear them. Josh Grobin has a way of delivering music that makes my spirit soar - and our National Anthem in the right setting will stir me to tears, as does my daughters music choices on Sunday mornings!

Music has become such a vital part of everyones life today, so many are musically inclined or talented in voice, instruments, and their ways of arranging those 8 little notes of the scale! In itself, that is inspiring!

Depending on our choices, music can calm us, stir and inspire us, and even heal the cells of our body. Van Gogh once said "In the end, we shall have had enough of cynicism, skepticim and humbug and want more to live musically" ! Why? Because nothing is more commendable than living life inspired - whether it be music or something else!

Living life with a song in your heart inspires your heart and therefore your life - it moves you and your hands, your feet, your lips, and your voice! But don't wait. . .

"Don't die with your music still in you! " ~Wayne Dyer

Live life inspired - it's a choice we make for ourselves!

The purpose of inspiration . . .

2010-06-11T06:48:00.008-04:00

I've been doing a lot of thinking about "inspiration" lately and have found that thinking about it and being moved by it are two different things. It's amazing what we attract by our focus and attention - it actually opens your mind and heart to learning more about what you focus on! Life is like a schoolroom with lessons to learn from just about everything experienced! What does inspiration have to teach us?

Whatever spirit inspires you to do, spirit will see you through!

What this means is - whatever is involved in my inspired work is not personal it's not for personal gain - it is for spirit, by spirit and of spirit who is working through me for spirits purpose!

Therefore my inspired passion - my ideas, my energy and focus, in response to being inspired, has spiritual purpose for its moving through me and that purpose remains the same - it is to inspire ! It is not to gain riches, nor is it to make me look good, or for any other material reward - it's to inspire the same spirit who dwells in all of us! Others' responses to that inspired work may make one rich, or make one look good or even reap material rewards for one, but that is a bonus and not to be expected! When expected or sought after, the inspiration disappears and we begin having to struggle to do what spirit can do timelessly, purposefully and without effort!

All I know is that when I'm working at my handmade cards, which I love doing - time is not! I am present in the moment, feeling inspired and on purpose and one with spirits creativity! It's a wonderful way to work at anything! The only work that is really involved is to remain in the flow of spirits inspiration while working!

Putting a price on what we love doing is a difficult area when your passion becomes your business! When others ask why I sell my cards for so little or tell me my cards are worth much more than I'm charging for them - something in me rebels! Only I know the benefits I reap from working on purpose - so why allow anyone or anything else to dictate what price I should charge when an inspired item is sold! I love sharing Kalico Kards with others - I give away about as much as I sell! Hearing how much others love them tells me that spirits inspired work through me continues to inspire others in the same way it inspired me to create them!

Wouldn't it be wonderful to live all of life in this way - on purpose - in spirit? I'm sure that has to be the lesson inspiration has for us! What are your thoughts? What has been inspired in you recently? I'd love to hear your story.

A bit of inspiration. . .

2010-06-09T08:29:00.008-04:00

In my living room above a favorite chair I spend time in each morning upon awakening, is a wall that I've covered with 8x10 framed pictures of my kids and grandkids as babies.

If you've read my profile you know already that my husband and I have 3 children and 8 grandchildren and each of them has inspired my life in a many different ways. However, being surrounded by all of them together each morning is enlivening, enlightening and inspiring.

Along with the 11 photos there's also a baby picture of myself, and a grade school photo of my husband as well as our family's wedding photos and a graduation picture of our 3 children. Those who visit usually remark about the "wall of fame" created more than 20 years ago, especially our kids and grandkids.

I've since started another "wall of fame" in our TV room with pictures of the grandkids "all growed up" - and by Gods grace we hope to add to it, pictures of their spouses and children - our great-grandkids! That is inspiring! Babies touch the world with love bringing out the best that's in us and no matter how old they are, they're still our babies at heart!

My younger daughter will be arriving home in a few weeks for vacation after being away for more than a year! Because our home is small, we usually turn a room into a bedroom for her - she and my grand-daughter have requested sleeping under the "wall of fame" -It''s represents "home" and is a reminder of their roots and our oneness - and of course they love seeing their baby pictures again.

If you have a story about a bit of inspiration in your life, I'd love hearing it - add it to our comment box below.

What's inspired you...

2010-06-08T08:18:00.005-04:00

What's inspired you in the past week? Was there anything that motivated you to do something out of the ordinary or. . . something ordinary in an extra-ordinary way?

It's the second week in June and I've been creating Christmas cards like I usually do late spring, early summer, to add to my online catalog and for craft shows which begin in August! This really takes inspiration, especially when the temperature outdoors is 82!

I am inspired when I think of the upcoming craftshow season which begins in August - seeing the familiar faces of old customers and looking forward to meeting new ones, hearing their stories and listening to their comments as they browse my display of cards.

Because Kalico Kards have fabric designs that are cut individually and take hours to do, I am usually cutting at craft shows while selling - talking with customers and trying to discover what their card needs are! My customers are my inspiration for cresating Kalico Kards - these are the people who inspire and motivate me to do what I love! Ears open as I cut, I hear them gathered in front of my display racks, customers and friends chuckling together as they read the puns and witty messages handprinted inside my cards. I think of this as the reward I get for the hours of labor put into each design - this is the reason I love what I do!

So - what inspires you to do what you do? A thought, a word, a deed? I hope you will share it with us - add it to the comment box below - I'd love to hear your story. . .

affectionately - the kardlady

The yearning in you. . .

2010-06-02T09:55:00.005-04:00

Inspiration is in all ways present in every living thing - even a tiny acorn is an inspiration! It doesn't make sense however until we look beneath the surface to perceive the acorns created potential! Who would know by appearances that a tiny acorn would one day be a great oak? Appearances change however when our perceptions are changed!

Along with our potental is the always and ever present yearning for that potential to be filled - a desire can't be seen, but it forms the focus of your life! However, just knowing what that yearning is within us, is inspiring!

The process of a human beings potential coming into being may not be deliberate or graceful - more like a stumbling forward through darkness - but it's worthy of our enlightened perspective, and our patience, our support and compassion! If we have an opened heart and allow it to flow through us outward, we and others are inspired by it!

Do you have an experience you would like to share here with our readers, please do add it to the comment box below!

Life. . . .

2010-05-29T06:31:00.003-04:00

Life is like a beach and we're like little children trying to empty the ocean into our little holes dug in the sand - and we're doing it because we see everyone doing it!

Focusing on the external carries us away in our minds - and because we're someplace else other than in the moment where life is unfolding, there is no infilling and we feel insufficient and without - like something is missing - and no matter how much we pour into that "little hole", it just never seems to feel full!

"All we seek abides in fullness - it consists in opening out a way so its imprisoned splendor may escape? -- Browning

Life is ever challenging us to BE PRESENT in the now, where it's unfolding, heart and hands opened, a ready channel for it to flow creatively, outward through us, inspiring and blessing all it touches!

Welcome, Introduction, and Theme for this Blogspot

2010-05-25T17:36:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the Kalico Kard blogspot and my very first post!

I guess the first thing to do is introduce myself:
To many of my friends and customers I am known as "the kardlady" - a title I enjoy, but don't let limit me!

I've been hand-crafting since I was a child - beading, knitting, crocheting, dressmaking, designing and creating drapes and curtains and other home furnishings for our family and along with lots of other creative tasks! I just love taking an outdated item or something trashed and turning it into something useful! My most recent passion however- Kalico Kards - gets most of my time now! Creating them I've found, isn't just a pastime, it's my passion!

Long before I created a website for my cards, I took my them to the public locally and the cards were always received graciously! Two questions I was and still am repeatedly asked is "Did you make all of these cards yourself?" - and : "Where do you get all your ideas"?

Were it not for inspired ideas and the creative spirit within us life would be kind of dull, don't you think? Being inspired is such a joyful experience!
And so I thought it appropriate to create a blogspot where INSPIRATION is the topic of sharing!

WHAT INSPIRES YOU?
You are challenged to share your inspiration here - something that you were inspired to create or do - and then send a link to a picture of it you have posted in an album or on your website - or just relate the task you were inspired to do and the results!
Add the link and your comment to the box below - don't be bashful - here's an opportunity to discover more!

I'm so looking forward to hearing from my readers and hope you're interested enough to return and participate as we discover more and more about the joy of INSPIRATION!