Where have I gone?

Hello Beautiful People! 

I know it has been some time since my last blog but in all honesty, just starting out, I didn't seem to have many followers therefore I really didn't think anyone would miss it... or (me...LOL). 

Today I had an epiphany. Maybe I actually managed to meditate with the pounding of the MRI machine or it was just time.  What was this epiphany? That this blog is for me. I am writing this to work through the ups and downs that happen to me. To detail the funny stories, the frustrating stories, the sad stories, that accompany me on this journey. 

You see, the last few years have been very trying for me and they've culminated in this wretched year of 2025! I realized today that yes, I may have lost myself or actually maybe never knew myself to begin with. Whatever the case I want it all to stop. I want to be happy, and I want to make others happy. I want my happiness to be so grand that people around me cannot help but be happy! I want to learn things, teach things, go places and be the place people want to go to. I want to give and to receive without remorse. There is so much more to me. I need to find it for myself. For no one else. I know for certain though that my quest will have a positive effect not only on my well being but on everyone who surrounds me. 

I also realized (the large magnetic force in that the MRI tube must have inverted my emotional poles---I know just let me go with it) even though I've heard it a thousand times, my happiness depends on ME! Like I said, it's not a great discovery for most people I know but for me it is. Let me explain.  Yes I know only I can make myself happy, but I realized today that when I did things that made me happy they were always done in such a way to please others or with others opinions in mind, even people who were nowhere near me. I realized I do not have the responsibilities I had before, I am only responsible for myself. My children are all adults, I am an adult and honestly I have no one whose negative opinion of me would devastate me so much that I would change anything about myself. 

I mentioned earlier how this past year has been wretched, but looking back now I know there is a lot I can learn from it, and maybe just maybe, that is the reason I had to go through it. I mean, I have already gone through hell a few times in  my life and guess what?  I survived.  I survived and got through it not only for myself but for my boys as well. So why should I not be able to survive now?  I'm only carrying my pain now not that of others. It's a lighter burden that way.  So I've decided I'm not just surviving. I am going to thrive.  My light is going to shine so bright that it will illuminate everyone around me. Most importantly I am going to do it for myself. Because I deserve it. There is a reason I keep surviving and I am no longer ungrateful to the Universe, God and whatever powers that be. 

Today, so many things came to my mind and how thankful I should be. Listing them all would take forever but, the main thing is that I deserve them. I deserve being here to watch my wonderful granddaughters grow up and having three wonderful boys who are turning out to be three strong gentlemen who would drop everything in a heartbeat to come to help me and two amazing women who gave birth to my granddaughters and I love as if they are my own daughters, I am so proud of all that they have achieved. I think of their determination and I am thankful for having them to inspire me. 

I am thankful for my artistic abilities, (talent still seems a bit too much but I'll go with ability) and I am grateful for the appreciation shown to me when I present my creations to someone. The simplest thing can spark such joy. Today I received a text with a photo attached showing me that the card I made for  them almost a year ago, still sits on their desk and makes them smile. I know I want more of that. I want my heart and soul to come through my craft.   This is one of the things that brings me joy. Sparks my creativity and makes me want more. More smiles, more laughs. more happy endings. 

I am also thankful for my friends which I must say I have been truly blessed with. The past weekend I had the honor of being a plus one for one of my friends as we attended a wedding together.  I went thinking I had no one to impress, there was no one who would judge me, or at least no one whose opinion I cared about. Guess what? I had the best time I have ever had! I realized today that I really never let go, nor have I ever done things without worrying about the consequences, people's expectations or their opinion of me. 

I am beyond grateful for my family: my sisters, my mother, and my father who is no longer with us. Their assistance morally, financially, and physically has been indescribable. They've taken time off to accompany me to my specialist appointments, Remind me of things I need to do, and just checked in to see if I'm ok. They have reminded me of all the good things, the fun times that my memory has put to sleep. My incredible mother who I never really understood until now.  Now I see our resemblance and what a fighter she is. I am grateful that she is my mom. 

I have had to lean on so many people, (literally at times) ask for favors (for those who know me you know how hard that is) and I have had to accept help. All the while feeling less of myself, ashamed that at the age of 55 I still didn't have my life together. I have always been so independent and stubborn. Now, I've come to think that if they didn't want to help they had the choice to say no. (I am in no physical condition to strong arm anyone. LOL)  My love and gratitude to them all is unsurpassable.  I am concentrating on my gratefulness for having such loving caring people in my life, and not "when will I ever make it up to them?"  I owe it to them, and in turn to me to be the best version of me that I can be.  If they think I am worth the trouble so should I! 

So my friends; Where have I gone? NO the question is where am I going? The answer is anywhere I want! The world is mine and I will take everything good that comes my way! The bad things you say? Well, as I look back on this year, the physical pain, the mental anguish and the broken heart.... all these things have taught me something. One way or another. It has allowed me to strengthen my bond with people that love and care about me and sift out those who don't. I have made new friendships and tried things I never would have tried otherwise.  I have had to learn new things, and accommodate the way I do things.Nonetheless, even though this road has a long way to go before it gets resolved I have been lucky enough to have a great medical team who jumps through hoops to get done what needs to be done!

I finally get dialectics. What is good is also bad, what is bad is also good. It is up to me to pick the path and venture forward. I have finally decided to set my soul free and just BE!  

The biggest truth of all came to me in the deafening silence of a machine: My happiness is my sole responsibility, and my value is non-negotiable. I am worthy of all the good things I seek, and I no longer feel the shame of needing help, only the immense gratitude of receiving it. The pain will teach, but it will no longer define. I am ready to set my new course and just BE. Let’s see what marvelous things we find along the way.

A presto!😄

P.S. If you'd like to see the creations that spark my joy, please visit my Personal Business Website or connect with me on Facebook.

Thank you for reading.

Fernanda ❤

🌞 Creative Workshops in Sarnia – Highlights & Upcoming Events

 Can you believe we’re already in the second week of August? July felt like it came and went in a blink—packed with creativity, laughter, and some truly inspiring moments in our workshops. If you missed them, don’t worry—we’ve got some snapshots to share that capture the magic.

📸 July Highlights

From ink-splattered aprons to the proud smiles of completed crafts, July was a whirlwind of artistic energy. Thank you to everyone who joined us—you made it unforgettable!

✨ What’s Coming Up

We’re keeping the momentum going with two exciting workshops this month:

🎨 August 18th – Brew and Glue August Edition 

Join us for a hands-on experience that’s perfect for beginners, families, and seasoned crafters Whether you're looking to learn something new or just want a creative escape, this one’s for you. We are using the Grateful Garden Kit.

🎁 August 25th – Christmas in a Box

Yes, we know it’s early—but who says holiday spirit has to wait? This festive workshop is all about crafting joy in advance. Think cozy, sparkly, and full of heart. You’ll leave with a box of handmade treasures ready to gift or keep. Sign up quick as spots fill up quickly!

💬 Stay Connected

We love seeing your creations and hearing your stories. Tag us in your photos, drop us a message, or just come say hi at the next workshop. August may be flying by too, but we’re making every moment count.

What will my week bring me?

 Well hello there beautiful people! 

Let me tell you, it's been a hectic week for this
crafty kitten! Hopefully, this one is a bit—not better, but let's say slower.
This was a week full of paperwork, phone calls and doctors visits. Not much crafting going on here this week; and that, my friends, does not make me a happy stamper!(instead of camper... get it?)

The funniest thing that happened to me this week was when I was talking to a women about my son's love of fishing and she says, " oh my husband loves to fish too! Are the pickerel running yet?" I replied: " I don't know, I thought they swam"  She wasn't too impressed. Next time listen to your Mom when she says not to talk to strangers.

Stamping is therapy for me. It's my outlet. I was deprived last week. When there's too much blood in my caffeine system and I haven't had my daily dose of 'meditation in motion' (crafting), stupid things are bound to happen!"

This week thankfully the people around me should be safe.   Today is the final day to register for my 'Brew and Glue' Workshop on the 21st! That means I need to order the kits tonight, which in turn means I get to browse all the pretty pages of the Stampn' Up® Website—one of my favorite things to do!

Next up I'm planning to have a table of my cards, and other paper crafts at the Petrolia Farmers Market on Saturday June 14th! Be sure to stop by and say "howdee" if you are around. This requires me to organise plan and decided what will be displayed. I also have to pray that I will be able to have a physically comfy set up - thank goodness for helpers! Now that may seem monotonous to some people but I'm actually quite excited about it.  It gives me a chance to go back and look at all of my projects and how my craftsmanship has improved over time.  It also gives me a chance to sort through the things I don't like, set them aside to make something a bit more up to par with where I am as a stamper now. 

This post may be short and sweet, or maybe not, but I can't wait to start organising, clipping and snipping away!!! 

What is your  week looking like?  I would love to hear from you outrageously beautiful people!!! 

Chat soon!

Fernanda💗

My Creative Spark: Where Paper Meets Life

 Well Hello Beautiful People!

Thank you for stopping by! I really appreciate it. So, where does one start a blog? According to Google I need to introduce myself and tell you about my Crafting passion. I thought that was what the Bio was for?

What do I know? I've never done this before. So, onwards and upwards my friends! Today, we're diving into how my love for all things papercrafts and how it intertwines with the everyday adventures (and sometimes misadventures!) of my life.

I believe everyone is gifted with something in their lives. Whether it be, writing or musical skills,  exceptional problem solving skills , organisational skills and so on. Many people also inherit great traits from their parents. When I think my Mom has an amazing complexion. as well as being the best cook and pastry maker you'll meet and Dad had a great head of hair and the most gorgeous blue eyes. So of course one would expect me to have inherited some of those traits! Nope! What do I get,  My Mom's thin flat hair, My Dad's fat thumbs, and then to top it off they both pitched in their arthritis!!! Thanks guys!

No hard feelings here! Truthfully though, what I may not have inherited from them genetically or been gifted at birth,  I observed and tried to emulate. In the end my love of art, history and simple family life came to be. I have developed my own eye for Aesthetics, and order. I may not be great at it but it makes me happy.  I believe there is beauty in everything around us and I try to bring that into my crafts.

Becoming an Independent Demonstrator with Stampin' Up®  may be a new adventure for me, but Stampin' Up® definitely is not. My baby Sister Cindy, also known as Stamping Chick Creations ( hmm hmm.. nice plug eh Cindy)  has been with Stampin' Up®  for almost 20 years and is one of Canada's top demonstrators.   Wait.. don't go running off to search her...I will tell you she is amazing you can check her out later. I'm sure I'll mention her a few hundred times. For now, let us continue on with my love of Stampin' Up®.

Along with my love of recycling, reusing and re-purposing, I am also very cheap.  People say frugal. Nope I am cheap! Think of the cheapest person you know and I am cheaper. I really hate spending money! With this in mind you can understand that I was always the friend, aunt sister, daughter, who you know you would never get a greeting card from. I just couldn't see spending so much money on top of a gift!  I mean, by the time you've picked out the card, added a bow, ribbon, and wrapping paper or tissue and a bag, you're easily spending at least $15. I can add that to the actual present. Right? Yes, but then my visual, artistic mind looks at the present and says "Really, you can't just show up with that!" So then the snipping, folding, colouring, and wrapping begins. In the end, my wise mind would often find itself mediating between these two warring factions – and what a mental workout it was!

Wait we were talking about how i started my adventure. Remember how I mentioned my sister has been loving this for close to 20 years? Yes? TWENTY YEARS what had I been doing for 20 years?  Getting old. That's what!  As the years went by, I started feeling the effects, I wasn't able to do many of the crafts I enjoyed doing,  Again, thanks Mom and Dad. I had attended many of Cindy's events and really enjoyed myself! I really like the card kits too.  I found it to be very relaxing, and I was able to bring a new spark to my creativity.  To be honest it breathed a new life into me. Depression, my friends is real and I am one of its most exhausted servants.

Stampin' Up® has given me such a sense of accomplishment, happiness and a great creative gateway. On top of that I get to spread the excitement with others.  I love sending out cards and hearing how happy I have made the receiver. They know they are getting a part of myself and they know it as soon as they open the envelope. Nothing is more fulfilling to me than holding a workshop and interacting with fellow crafters. Whether its gathering ideas with seasoned stampers, sharing tips and tricks or seeing the look on  the face of a novice stamper when they have completed a project they said they would never be able to do. 

So beautiful people, are you ready to join me on this new adventure? I can assure you it won't be boring. 

Lots of Love, Peace and Happiness!

Fernanda ❤