Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Me - But Then Again Maybe Not Wanted to Know!

Hi!!! I'm Lynne - one of the newest Design Team Members of Anything But a Card. I live in Elizabeth, Pennsylvania which is close to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the United States and have lived in this area all of my life. 

I'm the proud Grandma of 5 beautiful grandchildren - Zack (age 9), Sasha (age 9), Nick (age 8), Lily (age 3) Adam (age 1). They are the light of my life and as I tell Lily, make my heart sing! I was diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis over 4 years ago which affects my eyesight which limits the amount of time I craft - but I try not to let that stop me!!!!

I've been crafting as long as I can remember learning how to knit and crochet from my grandmother and aunt. I had lived with my grandmother and grandfather where I also learned another love of mine - cooking!!! 

When I was in Junior High, my aunt taught me how to sew my own clothing as I was embarrassed by wearing hand-me-downs which were my aunt's clothing and she was 18 years older than I was.

When I was a Senior in High School, I had won a local contest with making an outfit along with making the costumes for the musical "Oklahoma" and the play, "You Can't Take it With You". My hopes and dreams at this point had been to be a dress designer for the movies but life had other ideas in store for me. 

Sewing became my life-saver and support mechanism after I had left my first husband as that is how I became a stay-at-home mom with my daughter and able to support her and myself. I loved to make Jen clothes and her Halloween costumes until she decided she was too old to wear homemade and to dress-up for Halloween. 

I made wedding gowns, including my first wedding gown along with my sister's wedding gown which the picture is posted below

Yes, I did marry a second time and even a third time but I'm rushing my story - Bob and I had a beautiful daughter, Molly, that was born having a Grand Mal Seizure and a Stroke at birth causing her to be a quadriplegic - 

I was blessed as the doctor's gave her 3 to 6 months but she surprised them all by living to be 25 months. Sewing was still my passion and making matching clothing for her and her sister but when she passed in October 1991, my world fell apart as I no longer had a baby to hold and love. Here is where my passion became doll making and sculpting. I had taken sculpting classes from the Godfather of Dolls, Lewis Goldstein. 

I also began making quilts at this time with my first quilt being that of scraps of Molly's dresses and another of my grandmother's aprons.

Some of my quilts had become Award Winners whether it be in a Quilt Show or a Challenge Quilt where you are given 5 pieces of fabric to incorporate into a wall hanging. 

I still make some clothing for my granddaughters - Sasha loved the movie Annie and wanted a dress for her and her doll dressed as Annie

and of course quilts for my grandchildren

April 2007, I shattered my left wrist and arm and have plates in my arm along with the tendons replaced in my hand which has limited my hand quilting but I have taught myself to use my left hand again.

This is where my love for paper piecing, card making, scrapbook pages for my grandchildren and machine embroidery has come into place. 

My motto has been to live life to the fullest and to not let anything stop me and I'm thrilled to be part of the Anything But a Card Design Team. 

Oh yeah, as to my third marriage, I'm sorry to say that I left him about 3 years ago but I'm happy as I've reconnected with a previous love - I guess there is a Happily Ever After! 

Now, as to my Mini Challenge to you is to make a Post-it-Note Holder which is amazingly simple as easy to make as I first saw on LORRAINE of Rainey's Craft Room :

RECIPE and Supplies:

• one (1) sheet 8-1/2 x 11 sheet cardstock cut 7-3/8 x 3-1/2 inches - you can get three (3) post-it-note holders from one (1) sheet 

• score at 3-1/8 inch, 3-1/2 inch, and 3-7/8 inch 

 
• the 3-1/8 inch score part is the front of your post-it-note holder and the part that gets decorated
• fold at the 3-1/2 inch and make two (2) little cuts approximately 1-inch from either end making sure not to go through the score lines - this holds the optional pen 
  

• glue to the back to form the fold-out for the optional pen or binder and it should now look like this:

• use sticky tape to the back of a 3 x 3 post-it-note which can be found at any Dollar Store with 5 packs for a dollar!!!!

• now comes the fun part - decorating!!!!! I used Create with TLC Thank You Block which had been a freebie and chalked around the edges which is to "Thank" everyone for coming to the bridal shower which is the reason I made 30 of these! 

for the front, I cut the umbrella shadow from Cricut Tie the Note Cartridge at 1.75 inches with a heart rhinestone from DCWV:

I can't wait to see your Post-it Note Holders at this week's Mini Challenge at Anything But a Card at the Link-Up and read your comments as always - will your comment be the next?

Much love, hugs, and friendship

Lynne