Imagine the Possibilities – My heartfelt homage to teachers everywhere

Hi everyone.  Happy Monday night.

Tonight's card features two stamp sets:  Word Play and Apple Blossoms.  The fabulous sketch is from the cleanandsimplestamping fall to layout #103 and the card was created for the wonderful theme across at ourcreativecorner and by the Goddesses at Stampin Royalty.  You really should go visit and take a look at the DT inspiration cards and the submission cards.

Many of my blog readers (at least those who send me emails and comment), are teachers.  Some active, some retired, some taking a break and bringing up children, some married to teachers.  (My dear friend Adelle fits many of these categories!).  So, tonight's card is dedicated to all you amazing people who dedicate time and passion to teaching the next generation.  It's also dedicated to 4 of the most influential teachers that I was privileged to know.  Mrs Tucker.  Mr Clarke.  Miss Bingham and Mr Carter.

My DH asked me why this particular sentiment?  Well, because my parents, and my teachers, made me realize that so many things are possible with an education.  I believe that teachers must begin every year imagining the possibilities within each child and hoping to bring those to fruition…. GO TEACHERS! 

It's astonishing to me how often my teachers will spring to mind – many decades after I left school.  Mrs Tucker was my first form teacher in high school.  She was a stickler for correct posture, behavior and the inappropriate use of the apostrophe and, heaven forbid, split infinitives!  However, she nurtured in me a love of the English language, literature and a fascination with words.  Most students hated her.  I loved her.

My first lesson with Mrs Tucker was at the ripe age of 11.  It was the first day of high school.  My first class in high school.  With my form teacher.  With a whole bunch of kids I didn't know!  HORRORS.  Mrs Tucker began her lesson.  I was caught staring out of the window… well, it was an amazing view!  I heard the rumble of thunder – nope – not from outside the classroom – but from within. Mrs Tucker had what she referred to as a "stage voice" – it carried across a room with immense depth, clarity and decibels!

Here's how the "conversation" went:

Mrs Tucker.  "YOU GIRL!  YOU STARING OUT OF THE WINDOW! YES!  YOU!"

Me: … "err… Yes, Miss?"  (with a slightly quivering voice.)

Mrs Tucker:  "Seeing as you are so entranced by the view from your window, would you like to enlighten the other students with a description of what you see?"

Me.. thinking… mmmm… guess that wasn't a question that gave me the opportunity to say no?

Me….. "Errr.  Well, Miss.  I see rolling hills."

Mrs Tucker. "ROLLING!  ROLLING! They aren't balls girl, they (with a flourish of her hand) U N D U L A T E!

So… there you are… I don't have ROLLS around my middle – I have undulations! 🙂

As you can imagine, I was completely mortified.  However, I did become Mrs Tucker's pet and got to sit on her right hand side for the school photograph that year!

Card recipe:

• Card stock:  Cherry Cobbler, Night of Navy, Whisper White
• Stamps:  Apple Blossoms, Word Play
• Ink:  Cherry Cobbler, Night of Navy
• Accessories:  Cherry Cobbler ribbon (from the new mini catalog), Regals buttons, twine
• Tools:  Scoring board, dimensionals, stamp-a-ma-jig

Card instructions:

• Cut Cherry Cobbler card stock to A2 5 1/2 x 8 1/2.  With the fold at the top at 4 1/4.
• Cut Night of Navy card stock to 4 1/4 x 3 7/8
• Wrap ribbon around the right hand side.  I did a double bow.  Adhere to Night of Navy layer. 
• I threaded twine through a small Night of Navy button and tied it around the knot of the bow and tied a knot on the top of the button.  Tip:  This really helps to keep the button in place.  I then adhered the bow to the card stock with a couple of mini glue dots
• Ink up the sentiment in Night of Navy and stamp
• Ink up the apple image and stamp twice.  Ink up the alphabet stamp and stamp between the two apples.  Tip:  Conditioning your stamps is a necessity before using a stamp with so much surface area. as you can see, I didn't do a good enough job! 
• I then using my scoring board to score two lines 1/4 of an inch apart.  This helps underline the sentiment and provide a visual break between the two elements.
• I adhered the focal point to the Night of Navy layer using dimensionals and then did the same thing with the Night of Navy layer.

Prayers for Trish, Germaine, Arthur (Brenda, I do hope they get Arthur his procedure soon!), T, Pri, John and Sue and Angela.

I hope you all have a fabulous Tuesday – one filled with love, laughter and some time to spend doing the things you love.  For me… my DH is out of town – AGAIN.  So, I get to spend some quiet time in the quiet house.  Before I go though, I wanted to share with you a picture I took of Charlie yesterday.  (Charlie is the kitten that we found abandoned outside of town.)

I managed to snap a picture of him lying on Lou's chair in the garage.  No, I don't make Lou live in the garage… although sometimes…. :-)…..  Lou uses this chair when he's cleaning his bicycles!

Ladies and gentlemen…… Here's Charlie!

Isn't he adorable?  He's a chitterer.  He talks to you the whole time but rarely meows.  He just chitters away.  He also stands on his back legs and paws at your legs when he wants to be picked up.  He loves sitting on your shoulder and just hanging out.   Oh yeah… and he's a drooler.  He drools when he's happy!

As always, thank you so much for spending time in my little area of the stamping blogosphere.  Your visits, your support – and your comments are so much appreciated.  I really do read every single one – as do many of you.  So thank you to those of you who do take the time to leave a message.

Hugs

Jaydee