Friday-9:30am (End of the World Day)

If today is the end of the world, I guess I created my last zendala for the weekly Zendala Dare...

...and had fun perusing my Tangles Binder I made and picking different designs to try.

Aqua, Capell, Clothesline, Daggerly, DL Sunray, and Jalouise.  As usual, I put this first so the fellow Zendala Dare folks won't have to waste any time trying to find this on my blog...especially when this could be our final minutes.  ;)

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But for those of you who don't care or aren't worried--I have a ton of pictures today (not going out with a whimper), so grab a cuppa and I'll tell you about my week.  ;)

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First of all, I have gotten quite a few beautiful Christmas cards but I do enjoy sharing the handmade ones.  This one is from Felicia...

 ...who is obviously a talented card maker.  The whole inside piece swivels when you open it.  Sweet!

 And this lovely piece of artwork is from Tracey Fletcher King, an artist in Australia.  I thought all of you dealing with the snow and cold might get a kick out of her "hot" Christmas card!  ;)

 And then--I know this is hard to believe--I got another early Christmas surprise!!  A gift certificate from Iggy at Goulet Pens!!  Iggy hasn't been blogging because he had a bad shoulder injury and is looking at surgery in his future, so please say a prayer or send some good energy his way.

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I keep thinking this Christmas couldn't get any better and it does!  I am so thankful and happy--some days I feel like I am going to bubble over!!  Even if today is my last--I shall still bubble!!  :):)

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The only fly in the ointment...

 ...is the hood for the ten gallon has finally bit the dust.  I put a couple small lamps, one on each side, to give them some light.  The hood is so old (1991 or 1993) that I have had to pull the on/off switch back out with a pliers for the past several months.  But even this has a happy ending.  (Sorry Mom and Dad.)  They don't want us to open our Christmas card until Christmas, but I need my Christmas money to try to save the five fish, live plants, and zillion snails.  I know you'll understand.

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Dagan is picking me up after work this afternoon (half-day).  We are depositing the check and heading for PetSmart--if we should live so long.  My last moments may be in PerSmart--LOL!  Or at home picking snails off the underside of the old hood--trying to save as many as I can.  (I know--I know--hypocritical for someone who lets Karma watch wasps die in her bug jar.)

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I was very busy this week.  First off, I have needed to make more bookcards for months.  I assembly-line them when I run out.  The first thing I do is grab this flowered box...

...and pick out covers.  I pre-cut 12 X 12 scrapbook paper for covers (they're in the front)...

...and different papers for the insides.  Remember when I bought all that business paper?  I use a bookend and pieces of chipboard to keep them upright so the paper doesn't bend.

I fold the covers with the bone folder...while sipping coffee from my thermal cup--LOL!

 Then I make up the signatures of five pages each (I used three different kinds of paper this time) and fold those.

 Next I match up inside paper and covers. 

 Got out my cardboard cradle...and picked a template.

 Funny, you can see the "No" and arrow where I accidentally punched in the wrong spot when I was making this template.  No clue how my mind could have wandered so--LOL!

 Then I center the inside pages and punch the holes in all of them. 

 There were many breaks.  Timer going off all day.  But I also managed to add tissue paper to the wall art project...

 ...and then gesso it again so it was ready to paint.

 Back to the assembly line.  

My cardboard cradle has seen better days.  I have re-taped that edge a couple of times...it broke through once again, though.

 This time I tried something different and got out my bulldog clips!  That worked okay to finish off the rest of the holes this time, anyways.

 So, there they lie...waiting to be paired up with...

 ...colored embroidery thread.

 Was time to get out the scissors, tapestry needle (dull point), and my zip lock bag of the embroidery thread bits and pieces.  [Yes.  I save those, too--cut them up into tiny pieces and add them to paper pulp.  Quite colorful!]

 I stack them all up with their threads so I can sew them together while I watch a movie or TV show.

 This is the first time I have started sewing them from the center...

 ...and had the knot end up on the inside.

 So these are the bookcards.

 They have 20 small pages in them...sometimes less if I totally screw up a page writing--LOL!  Occasionally I special make one with more pages, but when I assembly-line them I use five half sheets per bookcard because then they are light enough to be mailed with the regular postal rate.

 I made 26 of them this time.

 I have a whole envelope full of little writing guides.  Not all of us can eyeball a straight line--LOL!

 Karma slept through most of my timers and back and forths and up and downs.

 We had another dusting of snow.  Enough to cover the grass again, at least.  South of us people got dumped on, but it missed us again. :(  I may be the only one who was saddened by that.  I am still hoping for a nice thick white Christmas. 

 And, lastly--I added color!!

 I boldly used my Dick Blick liquid watercolors.  Which are darker when wet...

...than after they dry. 

But I am not done playing yet.  I'm thinking...deeper color...some shimmer...maybe some gold?

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Well, I won't keep you any longer on your final day.  If this is it, I am going out with a smile, organized, playing, and trying to save snails.  Live with joy, leave with joy!  I have a few quotes for you today.  Smile!!!

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The fear of death follows from the fear of life.  A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.  

~Mark Twain

Dream as if you'll live forever.  Live as if you'll die today.  

~James Dean

When your life flashes before your eyes, make sure you've got plenty to watch.  

~Unknown author