GAP Collection 2008

On May 21st, I ventured to Lancaster, PA to attend The Guild of American Papercutter's Collection 2008. It was a conference for papercutters that ran Wednesday through Sunday, and I must say, it was one of the most exciting things that I have ever been a part of.

I have been papercutting for about 13 years. I first discovered the art when my mom and I went to a Christmas craft show at my high school. There was a booth of papercuttings and I couldn't stop looking at them. That day we went home and I tried my first papercutting. At first I was very sporadic about cutting. I think I would do about one cutting a year or even every other year. Then I attempted to do some for my Christmas craft - I'd do about 15 and not cut again for about a year after finishing. It's really only been during the past 8 years or so that I have begun to do them on a more regular basis.

The funny thing is that this art form is so rarely seen, I've only met a handful of people who do papercuttings over the years. Luckily I got introduced to the Guild of American Papercutters around 2001 and it has been a wonderful connection to others who also do cuttings. The guild publishes a quarterly newsletter and it has been so inspiring. So it was such a great experience to go to the conference and meet all these people who I've read about over the years and have studied their work. I felt this wonderful sense of community - and it was just so cool to be able to be with all of these people who have the same interests as me. I didn't want it to end!

During the conference we spent most of our time at the Lancaster Bible College - attending workshops and different presentations by various artists. We also had a couple of field trips to The Landis Valley Museum, The Lancaster Quilt and Textile Museum, The Lancaster Cultural History Museum, and the Lancaster Farmer's Market. I also got to visit with my cousin Lisa and her husband Randy and her daughter Tori - they only live about 10mins from the campus!

Overall, it was a great experience and it really helped to inspire me and get me even more excited about the guild.

Here are a couple of pictures from the weekend and if you are really interested, you can check out the slide show of all of my pictures (there are a lot - just to warn you!)

This is my first attempt at using scissors (I do my papercuttings with X-acto knives). This was from a workshop on how to teach large classes.

This is from a workshop on multifolds and layers - my first cutting with layers of paper - fun!

Here I am with my cousin Lisa :)

It was the Guild's 20th anniversary so they had a cake. It was covered with all of these pretty little cuttings done by the committee members.

These are both cuttings I did for fun while I was there. The blue one has initials (SNL) and the gold one is just different designs.


We did a valentine exchange. Here I am with some friends I made - (L to R) Joan Sulecki, Robin Goodfellow (she got the cutting that I made), Me (I got the cutting that Zipora made), and Zipora Ne'eman.

This is another cutting that I did while I was there. It's a heart made out of lilac flowers.

And here is the slide show of all the pictures!!

2008 GAP Collection

Troubled Ducklings

I've had some extra hours building up for my work so I decided to take an extra long hike today. I was heading up Buttermilk Falls when I looked across the gorge and spotted a little duckling. It was obvious that it was stuck and didn't know how to get out of the gorge. It kept swimming upstream and then a few minutes later it was heading back down towards the waterfalls. The poor thing was exhausted and probably so scared. So I decided to try and get it. I took off my shoes and waded (illegally) into the stream and tried to catch it. But after about 5 minutes of really freaking it out, I decided that I best just let it go because I wasn't going to get it with my bare hands. And really, I was just wearing it out even more. So I continued on with my hike and thought about what, if anything, I could do. I then remembered that I had a net in my car and my puddle boots, so I got my gear and headed back into the gorge. I didn't even know though if it would still be there because it was a good 15 minutes for me to get to my car and then back into the gorge.
Once I arrived, I couldn't find him anywhere. I figured I was too late and he had been swept down even further. But as I looked around, I finally spotted him down stream past a few more waterfalls. At that moment I knew that he was too far and there was no way I could safely get to him.
I just stood there for a few minutes and sent him my best wishes to make it safely to the bottom. But then unexpectedly, he got out onto the bank and started making his way up the side of the gorge and closer back to where I could reach him. So off I went, crossing the water and climbed onto the wall on the other side. It was all so perfect, great footholds and I never even slipped. Then all of a sudden I saw him, getting situated under some ferns, probably for a little rest. I put my net over him and scooped him up! I couldn't believe it! I rescued him!! I felt so relieved. But then reality set in and I didn't know what to do with him. I had searched for his mother and other ducklings but couldn't find any. I then tried to think of other duck families around the area, but I really hadn't seen any. So I headed up to Lake Treman (in upper Buttermilk). But on my way I ran into a woman who had just come out of the gorge and had seen the mother and 7 other ducklings. She said they were stuck and there didn't seem to be anything that we could do.
So onto plan B - I drove down to the bottom of the gorge with the little duckling and started hiking up the gorge - looking for the mom and babies. At last, I did see them but they really were in a spot which was impossible to get to (downstream from where I found the first duckling.) I watched them for awhile but decided that there was really nothing I could do. Besides, I had to figure out what to do with the one I had (since it was going to be nearly impossible to get it back with the family.)
So back down the gorge - into my car and headed to the closest vet. They were nice and suggested calling the Cornell vet school - I guess they have a wildlife rescue unit. So that is what I did, and LONG story short, they found a person that does rehabilitation of wildlife at their own home. So hopefully the babe can find a new family and be ok.
I have to admit, even though I know that it would have been soo hard, I truly wanted to keep him and I'm now really sad that he is gone. I have always LOVED ducks - I think they are the most adorable creatures - so to have a sweet little duckling with me and sleeping in my hands - talk about being on cloud 9 (minus all the worrying parts).
But I know better and I am in NO situation at all to keep a duck, so he will be better off. I just hope the others make it out of the gorge ok.
Ah - the circle of life!

Isn't he the CUTEST little guy!!!

He didn't want to stay in his bin while I was driving and kept jumping out towards me. The only way he would relax was on my lap or in my hand. What a rough day for the poor guy!

This is right after I caught him.

Busy on the Homefront

Things have been a little hectic for us it seems, more so than usual, and it doesn't look like it's going to slow down for a couple of months. Traveling, busy seasons starting at our works, packing, moving and just living. So I might not be able to post again for awhile. I had a good run today though :). Although, after sitting on the computer for about 5 hours, I'm ready to do something different.

But before signing off, I just want to say Happy Mother's Day to our moms and all the moms out there! You are all amazing women and we are so grateful to have you in our lives!!!
WE LOVE YOU!!!!

Melting Kitties :)

Abner's getting excited about moving and having a new porch!

Even flash is getting into the moving spirit. Here he is outside for a field trip and here he is (below) trying to escape while I cleaned his tank - what a crazy turtle - doesn't he realize that he will never fit with that big shell on!!

And I almost forgot - I just added another slide show on the left with pictures of food - because lets be honest - food is awesome :) As many of you know, I am a little obsessed with taking pictures, in particular of food. So I think that most of the pictures in the slide show are things that Mike and I have made, but that might change in the future. For the most part it's salads, wraps, and stir-fries, our main food sources. And if you didn't already realize, you will soon after looking at the pictures, that in addition to my obsession of taking pictures, I am also obsessed with vegetables and need to have about a minimum of 5 in each dish. Yum!!!

Girls to Atlanta

A little over a week ago, Sarah, Roxie and I headed south to Atlanta. We went to help Sarah with wedding plans, to meet her family and friends and to just have some quality time together. We stayed with Sarah's mom and had such a great time. It was a busy couple of days but we were able to accomplish a lot!!

There was also a shower thrown for Sarah on Sunday while we were there. It was really nice to meet all of her friends and to see her surrounded with so much love.

Here's Roxie, Sarah & Nancy (Sarah's mom)

Opening gifts

A toast to Sarah & Ryan

I made them this papercutting - Sarah really likes these birds - I thought it turned out nice :)

So Atlanta is obviously very different than Ithaca and there are several things that are there and not here. So one of Sarah's favorite food joints is Chick-fil-A, so we had to experience the chick :)
One thing that I am definitely envious of in big cities are there huge stores and extra selections. For example, we went into a Michael's craft store and it was amazing how many more things they had there to choose from. I guess I'll just have to save up for when we go back in November for their wedding :)

One other amazing thing that happened while we were there, Nancy's cat was pregnant and actually gave birth. It was so incredible! I had never seen an animal birth before so it was quite the learning experience. She ended up having 4 healthy kittens and they were sooo precious!

Older Than Dirt

Ha ha - just kidding - but I have finally crossed over into my 30's as of the end of March. That's right, I am now the big 3-0!
And I am so grateful because I was able to have such a long stretch of celebrations with so many of my dearest friends and family. It actually started the weekend before in State College when we were home for Easter. We had a fun birthday party/dinner at The Deli with my parent's, Mike's parents and David, Jeannie & the boys. It was really nice.

Then for my actual birthday weekend - two of my most favorite people in the world - Dana & Bret - came up from Delaware and spent the whole weekend with us! It was such a special treat to have them here with us, and they brought their new puppy pug - Teva with them. She is the sweetest little girl!

So Saturday we all got together with Mike and Nicole and went to the winery where Nicole works - Lucas Vineyards. We had a special tasting and mini tour of the facility. The wine was fabulous!!


Mike, Nicole, Mike, Chris, Teva, Bret, Dana

After our wine visit we headed over to Bill and Patina's house where Patina cooked the most fantastic dinner for us all. It was just a fun evening of great food, drinks and hilarious conversations :)

Mike even baked me a cake!! We brought it with us and by the end of the evening, we all felt no need for plates, so we just dug in. Then, and I can't say how it all came to be, a cake eating contest developed between Mike, Patina, Mike and Nicole. Quite the sight to say the least :)

And then things got really silly when Bill and Patina busted out these funny masks. There is no way to not laugh when you look at someone with one of these things on! Here's Mike and me :)
Too funny!! It was a great evening to say the least!

Then on Sunday, we got together for breakfast with Dana, Bret, Mike, Nicole, Ryan & Sarah. We went to the ABC Cafe, which was a really neat place.
Afterwards we went downtown for a little and then eventually had to say our good-byes to Dana & Bret.

It was a great birthday and I thank everyone for making it such a fun time!!!

Easter in May??

Nooo, I've just been so behind with my blogging, it's actually quite ridiculous. But I really want to catch up, so I might as well start where I left off.

We traveled to State College this year for Easter and got to visit with lots of family. It was a great weekend and well needed after the passing of my Grandma.

Saturday morning, Mike and I went to my parent's church for an Easter egg hunt...in the snow! How funny - poor Conell, he just wasn't sure what to do about picking eggs out of the snow.

Here's Mike and Conell getting ready for "go time!"

He was pretty successful after all!

To say the least, both Evan and Conell made out pretty well. I guess the snow scared off a lot of people so they were allowed to get a crazy amount of eggs each.

Later that day we all dyed eggs - always a great tradition!

And then we had some fun in the snow - snowfamily making, sledding and even snowball fights!
(Here's Dave, Even, Chris, Jeannie & Conell)

My Mum with Evan and Conell

...and don't ever think that you are safe if you're holding a video camera... :)

Tap NY 2008

Last weekend, Ithaca Beer Co. attended a beer festival in Hunter, NY called Tap NY. Here is the website:
Tap NY Craft Beer and Fine Food Festival

And to say the least, they did pretty awesome!

Here are the Results

Flower Power IPA took the Silver!


Ten took the GOLD!


And Ithaca Beer Co. won the biggest award:
Best Craft Brewery in New York State!!


Pretty sweet!! :)

Happy Homeowners!!!

Yes, it is true, we are now homeowners for the first time!
Lay your eyes on our new digs!!!

It's crazy because it was exactly 3 months to the day of our first day looking. It took a little longer than expected and we saw a TON more houses than expected as well, but it all paid off. Last Saturday we put in our offer and got the word on Monday that they accepted.
We are soooo excited and can't wait to move in. We'll have to wait until June 16th to close, but it actually works out really good. Our apartment lease runs out the end of June so we'll have a solid two weeks to move in. (Stay tuned for moving party details!!! - ha :)

So here's the run-down:
4-bedroom, 2-bathroom ranch ~ 1500 sq ft., living room, sun room/dining room, full basement and an ENORMOUS garage. This thing is a monster - I think you could fit 6 cars in there if you wanted. It's not finished on the outside but we'll be doing that in the near future. Let's see, close to both of our works, a little out in the country, views of rolling mountains and farms, and a decent sized yard.....it really is going to be perfect!!

So you all won't have any excuses to not visit anymore!! Load up the cars and come to beautiful Ithaca!!! (of course that's after we move in :)

We Miss You Grandma

I'm sorry that I have seriously slacked off with my blogging - it just seems to have been the most crazy month yet!

The most important thing that has happened is that my loving Grandma passed away March 12th. She was 99 (remember her birthday :) and gratefully, she went very peacefully. Over the past several years her health had begun to deteriorate. She suffered from Dementia, which can be associated with Alzheimer's disease and was beginning to fade away. Yet, she still responded to love. She was always such a happy woman, I remember from all the nursing homes that she lived in over the past couple of years, people would always comment on her beautiful smile and how sweet she was. She never caused problems and only asked for a hug and a kiss.

She actually lived most of her life in New Jersey, so I have a ton of memories from visiting her and my Grandfather there. One thing that will always stick with me though is the love that her and my Grandfather shared. They actually eloped when they were young and spent their whole lives truly dedicated to one another (67 years!) I just always felt that was so neat – that they knew from the beginning that their love could last forever.

When she moved to State College to live with my parents, I was grateful because I was able to see her everyday. I had always lived several hours away from all of my grandparents so it was a new experience for me. I think that I really embraced the opportunity and felt that our bond grew even stronger. I remember how hard it was when Mike and I were deciding to move away. I just hated to break that rekindled bond, but I knew that she would want us to live our lives and to go on our own adventures. Still, every time we came home to visit, I never felt complete until I got to see Grandma and just hug and kiss her. I know that she sensed me.

I will miss her always. She was my last living grandparent, so its been a time of transition. But I feel her with me, as I feel all of my grandparents. Not a day goes by where I don’t think about them and know that they are all with me. My heart overflows with all of their love and the love that I have for them.

Thank you to everyone who has sent warm wishes and comforting words. If you would like to look at her obituary, please click this link: Verna May Stout

Wildlife & Cupcakes

Things have been going pretty good lately. Just working lots and trying to figure out this house situation. We got to see 4 more houses over the weekend, but still not much luck. We had some snow finally last week but then it got FREEZING so we didn't really get to play in it. Oh well, maybe we'll get some more soon. Today it about all melted with temperatures in the 50's! Crazy!!!

Here's a deer that was out back of our apartment - we have so many deer around here. People get mad at them, but I still think they are beautiful. It's pretty amazing that there are such large animals that just roam around us!

Last week I had to go to Geneva for a meeting and on my way up I finally spotted some white deer! I have heard about them for so long, but this was my first sighting. At first I thought they were goats, but on closer inspection I found that they really were deer. There is a whole herd of them in this old army depot area that is fenced off. The deer aren't albino - they just have some gene that somehow become predominant - maybe it has something to do with a lack of predators.....not sure, but they're still pretty cool.

A hairy woodpecker on our back porch.

Myra & Abner lovin each other :)


Cupcakes!! I actually baked - it's a miracle! I had been craving cake for so long and decided to break down and make some cupcakes for Valentine's Day. We took them to Pixel (this bar that we go to almost every Thursday for Cask night. Ithaca Beer serves a special cask - or mini-keg - every week. It's a lot of fun). Yum!

Turkeys!!! This is also out back of our apartment. I swear there were almost 30 on this morning - what a weird, yet beautiful bird!


The squirrels can be quite entertaining for the cats. This one was teasing Myra - so close, yet so far away :(


Aw.....