Sunday, December 28, 2014

The 'Creek's 2014 Year In Reverse (& a trick chicken...)

Hello!

Hope you had a wonderful Christmas!  It's time for that annual bit of reflecting, so I thought I would do it backward like most other things I do:)  If you don't know my family personally, you might want to drop to the end to the chicken!

This was a busy month for the kids.  Taylor finished up his first semester at University of Cincinnati, but had to go back Christmas day to hop on a bus with the band to DC as the Bearcats got into the Military Bowl.  After their star quarterback got hurt, he said everyone knew it was over.  They had to use a wide receiver (Munchie) to fill in--though the same thing happened against the same team in the same bowl a few years ago and Munchie won the game.  (Sort of reminds me of Ohio St. this year going through quarterbacks like water.  Go Bucks! Beat Alabama on New Year's day and go to the national championships!)

Audra now has one semester left before she graduates from Ohio Wesleyan and will have to find a real job.  She is catching up on cooking shows and Netflix as I type.

This Fall Audra had her senior recital and did a great job.  It's hard to play the French Horn for a half hour alone!  Audra and I went to Cincinnati to visit Taylor and take in a UC home game (they won.)  My sis-in-law Mary and I went to the Ohio St.-UC game to see Taylor play in the 'Shoe (which is now closed-in and not really a shoe anymore...)

The ladies (hens) had a nice summer that wasn't too hot, but they had a hard moult and quit laying in August or so.  I was afraid they had gone into early "henopause," but found out everyone's hens did the same thing around here.  Weird.

This Summer I changed from Appliance Sales Specialist to Kitchen Specialist at Lowe's.  It is nice to be able to be creative (and nicer to deal less with appliances...)  I design kitchens, craft rooms, laundry rooms, the occasional bathroom and even a basement!

Taylor graduated from high school and worked for his dad in construction.  He sure got hot and dirty!

Not much happened last Spring aside from dealing with the yard in the aftermath of that never-ending awful Winter.

Truly and Carrie are doing fine and look forward to their daily chewy treat we like to call bamboo because that's how Truly eats it between her feet.

It was an all-round nice year here at the 'Creek.  I plan to do more crafting and blogging next year (though I should be doing more cleaning!)  If there is a question or topic you would like me to address, just let me know!

One thing I was finally able to get captured on video is Henrietta the Americauna hen (brown with a beard and ear muffs who is more like a dog than a hen) catching treats in the backyard.  She has caught up to 8 in a row, but this day was windy and she only got 2... the other hens let the treats bounce off their beaks or heads or whatever.... the bottom video is easier to see.









Wishing you Health, Wealth and Happiness in 2015!

Gale

P.S.  Audra did finally decorate the tree Christmas Eve.  Even undecorated, the tree was pretty and it smells unusually nice!

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

From Our Homes To Yours... Merry Christmas From The 'Creek!


From the birds...







and the bees...






down to our undecorated tree...

Merry Christmas from All from Us at the 'Creek!



Love, The Thompson Family

Saturday, December 20, 2014

Gale's Gallery XV: Holiday Greeting Cards

Hi everyone!

This year it just doesn't feel like Christmas yet.  I really think when you work in retail you become immune.  There are still only lights and a star on our tree (which is at least real because Taylor was willing to bring one home and set it up.)  Audra says she likes it the way it is because she doesn't want to decorate it either.  I am on watering detail and have wrapped some gifts, even made a few this year!  Well, maybe I will feel like doing more next year... in my defense I have been working overtime the last few weeks!

I did, however, start in October and made a few cards!  I watch lots of demos on You Tube and got inspired.  There are loads of channels full of information and techniques if you are interested as I'm not really going into that today.

Some good ones are:  Jennifer McGuire Ink (all cards/stamping), Hero Arts, Tim Holtz/Ranger Ink, Split Coast Stamping (other crafts as well) and The Frugal Crafter (who makes all kinds of things and is always enthusiastic and fun!)  I know I am leaving out several others, but you can flip through for what looks interesting to you.

Here is this year's attempt.  Please forgive the photo quality.  Natural light in Ohio in December is tough to get!

This was just stamped on white cardstock in Staz-On Jet Black Permanent Ink and colored in with Copic Alcohol Markers, then highlighted with a white Inktense pencil.  Brushed lightly with clear Wink of Stella glitter pen and a tiny bit of Stickles glitter glue to finish.
The interior was splattered with green and white ink.  Boy, did I make a mess!
This was from the first stamping class I attended.  Sadly, most of the places in our area are gone, so you almost have to go online for new techniques.  We used to have a group of gals that met on Tuesdays and that was fun and inspiring.  Try it!  This is simply a gold heat embossed stamp colored in with water-based markers.  The border is a small stamp that is repeated.
This stained glass card was from the same workshop.  It is so easy!  You stamp and heat emboss vellum, then color on the inside!  No need to worry much about staying in lines!  Then you tie the vellum to a gold edged notecard.
Received this the other day from good friend Karen Boggs.   Very elegant!  Note how she staggered the trees  on the slope and let one hang over the frame for added dimension.  I think she used pre-glittered cardstock for the background.
Karen sent this a few years ago.  I can't bear to throw away a handmade card.  This looks like a lot of layers, but the cardstock is edged with a gold leaf pen.

I made this card years ago.  Really easy.  Just stamp, heat emboss and cut out tree, add rhinestones, then place on cardstock that's been run through a corrugator.

Even this simple card is cute and warm... This is just stamped and colored in with pencil by Mercedes McPherson, who has made lovely cards for many years.




This simple greeting is harder than it looks!  Those are two small postage rubber stamps that are masked off to appear like they are in front of each other.  The center greeting was masked off until the rest was stamped.

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas!  I have some time off and am planning to be back here much sooner than usual, so stay tuned!

Until next time, Feliz Navidad!
Gale

Friday, December 5, 2014

'Tis The Season...


So far I've only hung the hen's wreath!

Greetings!

I hope you are more in the season's spirit than me!  I guess it hasn't hit me yet, but that could be because working retail numbs you...stuff was out the first of October.

In order to help get in the spirit, I've linked posts from Christmas pasts that you might enjoy:
(if you have issues with the link, you can go to the index of topics page link at upper right corner)

Our Quick Trip to Clifton Mill's "Legendary Light Display" 
Happy New Year!  Our Trip To See The Trans-Siberian Railroad 
The "Dreaded" Christmas Letter!
Merry Christmas 2013!  
What We Did During Winter Break... 
Christmas Greetings From The 'Creek

The Day After Christmas (a poem--sort of)  
Gale's Gallery: Christmas 2012, Part Two  
Gale's Gallery: Christmas 2012, Part One 

Gale's Gallery IX:  It Doesn't Get Any Easier Than This! --Ornaments
The 'Creeks 2013 Year In Review 

I plan to have a new post for you soon!  

Until then,

Gale