Just a Few

 Hello friends...

I'm getting slightly fed up...I had hoped to be going back to my class today and seeing old friends, but it isn't happening...sigh

 

For the past couple of weeks the radiation burns have really been painful despite the products I am applying. I look like I fell on a barbecue and feel like it too. I can cope with the joint pains, the mouth ulcers and the hot flushes etc., All part and parcel of the treatment and drugs but with the high temperatures we've experienced this past week I feel exhausted and yeah, a little sorry for myself today...sorry.

 

Anyway, just ignore my moaning - I have a few cards to share with you which will be crossing the pond.

 

This first one was for a friend here in the UK who needed a little pick me up

The others...

 

 

You can see in a few of these that I am still using my stamps, stencils and embossing powder occasionally,

and I have gone back to using cardstock to paint on lately. The sea quotes are stamps from Inkylicious.

Actually, I got to go on a ship recently... We didn't sail anywhere, my husband had booked a day out for us to view the ship Ambition at our Liverpool Cruise Terminal and enjoy a beautiful lunch - It did cheer me up, even though I had a meltdown the night before thinking I wouldn't be able to make it. I'm so glad I did.

Be safe my friends and enjoy the wonderful season of Autumn

~ Ros ~

Another Two Months ...

Hello and good morning

Well it's just a short post to update you and to once again thank you for yet more cards received.

I finally finished my 3 week course of radiotherapy last week...YAY!!

I'm feeling okay but as to be expected, I tire easily. I have been told to expect the worse of the symptoms to affect me 10 - 14 days after treatment but I'm staying optimistic. Come Christmas I should be well on the way to being back to 'me' and putting this past year behind me.

I've still kept busy when I can though I don't have any paintings to share with you just now as painting has taken a back seat for awhile but I do have a photo of me leaving radiotherapy behind, with Mikey and a dear friend who has been with me every step of the way...

I'm sending hugs and love and grateful thanks for sticking with me.

~ Ros ~

Two Months Later....

Good morning friends

First of all I want to say a huge thank you for all the cards, messages, prayers and well wishes I have been delighted to have received. I am overwhelmed with your kindness and caring thoughts. I wished I could write to each of you personally but this will have to suffice for now.

Cancer is a lonely road with friends and family all having to stay on the sidelines urging you on and I have the best- Yesterday I got the best news ever... I beat it! In all the weeks I have been seeing my consultant, this was the first time the news was good and it couldn't have been better.

My blog has always been my journal .. I've never been afraid to share the good the bad and the ugly and who knows, maybe someone reads something that they can relate to and it helps.

So these past 2 months have been very rough and my journey is far from over having had to undergo a double mastectomy and node removal but I can see a light at the end of a dark tunnel. The NHS have been incredible and I am forever in their debt. 

 

On the 26th May I underwent surgery and came home later that evening with nothing more than a packet of paracetomol... I know a lot of people gasped at that. There is nothing like your own home, so I was very happy to climb into my own bed.  

Everything went well with the surgery but I have been plagued with painful seromas so I go back 2/3 times a week whenever I feel the need and they drain me. Once these have subsided I will start a course of radiotherapy, 5 days a week for 3 weeks as a preventative measure and I will stay on the hormone tablets for at least 5 years... Even saying that sounds good.  The healing will take a long while and I have to be patient but at least I have something a little stronger than paracetomol to help me.

I have still managed to do some sewing and painting, though I didn't get to photograph them but I did find 2 that you hadn't seen

This was for our Cornish cousins and they loved it

And this was for a friend of a friend who also had to have an operation.

 

We are enjoying a lovely summer here which is always a bonus.

I hope you are all well and life is being kind to you.

 I'm not sure when I will drop by again, but till then I send my love and thanks

~ Ros ~

 

Painted Minitures

 Hello friends...

First of all, thank you so much for your wishes, cyber hugs, prayers and the lovely cards I've received since my last post, I am so very grateful to have such amazing support.

It's been a whirlwind of hospital appointments and next week 2 more visits for more biopsies and scans. There's been so much to take in and come to terms with (and a few melt downs) but in between I find a little time to visit my colourful world of paint - even if they are just minitures. But I like that I can turn them into cards... I hope you enjoy seeing them

I only wish that the weather here was as colourful

Have a great day

~ Ros ~

It's me...

 Hello...

I hope this finds you well and enjoying the start of Spring.

So lots has happened since I last posted - Yes we got a 4 day break in Majorca and the weather was fabulous and we really enjoyed it

This was taken after a long day walking around Palma

We did a lot of walking in sunshine whilst the UK had nothing but rain.

I've also been painting ...A lot! Not everything turns out well but it takes me to a good place and if you read on you will understand

Yesterday I was diagnosed with breast cancer...

 

Yep, someone decided I didn't have enough to deal with but at least I now know - It has been the waiting, the not knowing that has been hard to deal with. Having time away was a welcome distraction.

I had to undergo quite a lot of biopsies, scan etc, and yesterday another MRI but I've been lucky... Crazy you may think but the prognosis is good thus far and hopefully the MRI won't change that. Next week I will know for sure and be scheduled for surgery with a further treatment plan.

There is no history of breast cancer in my maternal family and I was shocked to hear that 1 in every 8 post menopausal women will get the type of cancer I have... There was nothing I did or took that made it happen.

 

So you see why painting has been my obsession, my saving grace and why I really haven't wanted to blog either.

Today I will share a random selection of the paintings I've done, they are not the easiest to photograph, cards are so much easier...

 

 

 

Ok...I will post whenever I can to let you know how things are going, I also have to see my neuro consultant next week at the same hospital so 2 more visits in one week but I'll take each day as it comes.

One last share ... I saw this and it fits me perfectly

 

 

Be safe my friends 

Hugs

~ Ros

 

This & That

Good morning - I hope you are well

I have quite a few things to share with you, I'm still doing what I love.

First is a card I made for my friends' wedding anniversary today with a little stenceling and some painted flowers

I had to use the scissors to hold the card flat so you could see the painted flowers down the side and I did some flowers on the envelope too

I'm grateful that being right handed the nerve problem is not as severe in my right hand so it allows me to paint and I love doing these simple flowers. So much so that I made two little cards to send.

Not having done many cards these past few months, I'd forgotten how much I have to get up for things and the effort it is to use the bigshot Lol! When I paint I can just sit with everything on the table, it's so much easier so I painted directly onto the card on these two.

I have also been painting with watercolour card and learning as I go watching videos and a lot of trial and error. I thought you would like to see some I've done

I won't tell you how many goes I had at trying to get that atmospheric sky

...Learning to hone my skills with tree painting

I was quite pleased with the fox until hubby thought it was my cat!

More trees and yes a cat

Ok, another gnome... And finally

I only have sensation in the little finger on my left hand and both hands are always frozen cold which adds to the pain but painting takes me to another place. Talking of which, DH has booked us a little break in Majorca for next month. It will be our first get away in 4 years, it won't be beach weather but it's a break right? And I can take my travel paints with me.

Sending hugs to you all 

~ Ros ~

Happy February

 Hello friends!

I hope you are all keeping well - We are one step closer to Spring, even though we have a forecast of freezing temperatures in the next few days, I'm staying optimistic.

Tulips and daffodils are in the shops and I just love them, they make me happy. I have some cards to share with you with my own painted  flowers though the photos are not the best, I'm struggling to hold the camera still. They are sentiment free till I know what they will be used for.

I stamped the branch on this one and painted the rest, added it to a frame with gold leafing on and a couple of sequins.

 

...Whereas I painted the branch on this one

 

I love the way the paint left a mark on the plant pot ont his next one - makes it look more of a rough terracotta
 

More pots with the start of Spring flowers and foliage

 This looks so much prettier IRL - The heart is painted gold and I love the idea of a house vase. The piece behind the painting is from some packaging I saved and though you can't see it here, it's glossy.

 

I had to throw in a gnome, I was playing with salt on w/colour. I love to do this random technique and look for shapes to sketch/paint into it.

Finally some paintings I did, one of which I framed

 There is a lot of gold sparkle for the stars but unfortunately it doesn't show up here. I did a few of these

...trying out different w/colour papers and plain CS. I'm still not sure which I prefer but they all act differently so it's always a learning curve for me. One thing I do know is that I like to do tiny details rather than landscapes but this past week my hands have constantly failed me. I dropped my coffee all over my desk and it it even seeped into the drawers, what a palaver cleaning that up.

Well, I'm off to get a cup of tea... this has taken me more than an hour to type

Have a beautiful weekend

~ Ros ~

Back to Whimsy

 Hello and a belated Happy New Year!

I hope this finds you well.. It's a wet and cold day here in Liverpool.

Thank you so much for all the lovely Christmas cards and I'm glad to hear that some of my cards made it to you too. 

I've been painting a lot with a little sewing in between - Even made it back to my exercise class yesterday!

 

Lets talk little guys...

 The gnome variety that is. Seems they have taken me over and I just love painting them. I've noticed that they are attracted to snowdrops (well in my world). They come out at night  just to see them, or maybe they collect some secret potion from them, who knows, I haven't figured that out yet.

They are often alone, but sometimes if you look hard enough you can see another little guy in the background

...And once your eyes focus in the dark and the moon moves a little, you can even spot a little gnome house

They don't seem to mind me watching, in fact two of them even posed for a photo in broad daylight Lol!

It hasn't been all gnomes though,  in fact DH spent time putting some of my artwork on my newly decorated craftroom wall. I should have photographed them before to avoid the glare from the glass I know, but here's a peek. They also have a sparkle to them.

 

 

Well I hope I made you smile today...

 

Stay warm my friends

 

~ Ros ~