"The Way You Make Me Feel..."

I've had a heck of a week so far. Saturday and Sunday were just a write off, I'm not sure if it's to do with my low blood pressure but I went to work on saturday night and by the time I got there I was shaking, sweating and my head was as light as a balloon. The girls at work are such a pair of diamonds, I went from one booth to the next and in the minute it took to do this very simple task, it was arranged for me to go home and for my friend to work the rest of my shift for me. How lovely is that? It's always nice to know you work with decent people isn't it (not that I was ever in any doubt about them anyway, so thank you both, Tina and Elaine x x).
Monday was just the worst day I have had in a long, long time. I woke up in a very dark place and realy couldn't shift it all day. I watched one of my recorded episodes of the Channel 4 show 24Hrs in A&E (that's accident and emergency for my international readers) and the show featured a little girl who had set fire to herself next to an old bar heater. Her dad rushed over and took her clothes off and of course in the process ended up with burnt hands too. In the hospital he never left his five year old's side, even when they wanted to check his hands he made them wait while his daughter was cared for first. The way he spoke to his little girl, reassuring her and telling her exactly what was going on was a pure delight to watch. I of course sat watching it through a torrent of tears, missing my (adopted) dad and still breaking my heart for the relationship I never got to have with my natural father. I am nearly fifty years old and it never fails to amaze me that a decision taken by two people fourty six years ago can still affect me.
Their decision has been the dominant thing in my life. Counselling has been sought, closure tried, friendship yearned for, acceptance and loved denied and answers refused. There is nothing anyone can ever say to me that will help me to understand how a mother can abandon her child and the father who fought for the child could then do the same too! There's never been a truer saying than 'You can't pick your family', because if I could.....
Yesterday was a rather better day, spent with my dear friend (above) Elaine and her delightful mother Izzy. Jo and I had knitting lessons and tutorials (izzy even berated me for not trying harder patterns!), followed by a lovely lunch and some warm and friendly banter. Overall it was a really nice day and just the lift I needed to get me through the rest of the week.
I'm sorry if you find this blog a little on the dreary side but I am trying to be as honest with you as I possibly can. I don't just see my blog as being about the cards I make, it has become more about the journey I'm on and taking others along with me on the way.
But on to this weeks card for the I ♥ ProMarkers crew and this weeks challenge #129 is Vintage. I used one of the latest Kenny K Retro releases Frieda Flapper (available HERE) as I thought she was such a good fit for the challenge. I used a totally (Bazill) deep black background and then I put a Leane Creatief Lea'bilities Die (Frame Square Curve) over the top of that. My ribbon hides the place where I had to run my emobssing folder through my Grand Calibre twice to try and get the design to match up (I didn't do a bad job either but the card looks better with the ribbon ON it, trust me!). I finished with a lovely little cat charm, a couple of rose buds, some pins and a crocheted flower. It looked okay but I felt there was something missing in the gaps, so out came the old faithful alphabet rub-ons and Boo Boo Be Doop just finished the whole thing off.
She's a really cute character and it's so nice to be able to colour something realtively quickly because you don't have hair to do (and when your swede is that big!! Sheesh). Hope you like her as much as I do, don't forget the free candy over at the Kenny K's Krafty Krew site, just add your name to be in with a chance of winnning 3 Kenny K images, go on, what have you got to lose.
It's a lovely day so far so I'm going to get my next Kenny K card done and then concentrate on my other two Design Teams. Hope you like the card and that I will see you again real soon,
Hugs 'n Stuff,
Andy
xx
Entered Into: The Craft Room Challenge - Fashion
Deep Ocean Challenge #31 - Anything Goes
Art Impressions Challenge #75 - Any Sentiment
C.R.A.F.T. Challenge #167 - Add A Charm
It's All About The Vintage And Beauty Challenge #24 - Doilies (Flower)
Paper Crafting Journey Challenge - Anything Goes
Pixie Dust Studio Challenge - Pixie Plays In The Attic (Vintage)
Crafts and Me Challenge #96 - Use A Digi