Lucky Shamrock for my Mom

It is appropriate to post this today Saturday, October 12 for my Mom’s first heavenly birthday. We are burying her ashes today. There are so many emotions and memories that go through my mind.
I feel it necessary to tell you that I wrote this post months ago. I made the top part a short version and at the bottom I give you a more in depth description into the making of this decoration. I also include a memorable moment that I had with my mom. So, Here we go.

I made a decor piece for my mom’s room at the assisted living center for St. Patrick Day. It got many compliments especially  from her. 

I cut out a shamrock stencil and traced it onto cardboard. I used a glue gun to adhere pieces of green fabric inside the drawn template. I altered and then glued the stencil back on top of the cardboard over the fabric pieces. To finish up, I outlined the edges and wrote the word Lucky with Stickles.

Long version:
 It wasn’t supposed to be this way but once my original idea was not coming together I went with what was working. The amount of time it takes me to do such projects is embarrassing. I have to stop over thinking everything and just try it, just do it and just use that favorite stash item you’ve been saving. Quit looking through all your stuff, and take the first thing that you like. Note to self is now finished.

Anyway, I cut the shamrock stencil out of the green-ish cardstock using my Creative Memories heart from the cutting system.  I traced inside the stencil onto a thick cardboard.  Everything inside the Shamrock is fabric pieces. 
After I put a layer of adhesive from my glue gun inside the shamrock area, I would scrunch the fabric into that glue keeping it inside the stencil outline that I had to drawn. I wish I would have used different shades of greens in some areas. 

And so now what do I do with this thing that I pepped myself up to have the ‘Just do it’ mentality and It looks horrible. 

I placed the stencil on top, stood back to take a look and I was so pleased. Wow! The stencil on top of the fabric was just what it needed.

The fit of the stencil wasn’t great because I had gone outside the lines with fabric and glue. I had to cut the stencil to get it to fit but I did so in small increments. I was sweating. This cutting worked well for the shamrock but not in keeping the square shape of the cardboard and although the trimming the shamrock worked in most places there were gaps in other places.

 Enter the Stickles to the rescue! 

Oh Crap! 
 I had to improvise due to the shortage of one color of green Stickles.
 I had a green/red Christmas mix that I used by alternating each color every other couple of inches. I ended up having plenty of the first green but it was lighter so I mixed the two colors together around all of the edges. This type of project might look good with a darker outside line to define the edge but not with this edge’s imperfections. I didn’t want to draw attention to it. 

I wrote the word lucky on a piece of fabric with more green Stickles. This piece was a scrap piece to see how it would look because I was going to write; “We’re lucky to have you” or something like that but I thought that was difficult for a dementia patient. I pulled this prototype out of the trash and glued it on. 

I was running out or low on time because my life revolves around other people that are willing to give me rides and if someone will take me to visit mom, I need to go when they’re ready. 
I still needed a way to hang it up. So when we got there, my brother was kind enough to use the pink Crop o Dile to set some eyelets on each side and tied a ribbon to make it hang. 
She loved it. It was great to see her smile. 
I need to share something that I want to remember:
The last 4 months before she died she would constantly ask me, 
“Who is your mother.” 
I would reply, “You are my mother”.
She would always say in an ugly voice, “I am not your mother”.
Over and over again she asked me the same question. I tried to redirect her and she would ask me, almost drill me,
“Who is your mother?”
I tried, Elizabeth, Liz, Beth, Ms. Bush to which she knew those names were her and with a scowl on her face she would say to me,
“I am not your mother”.
Okay woman, then quit asking me. Lol.

At the end, I didn’t bother calling her mom because she wouldn’t respond to anything other than Liz.

So the thing I always want to remember was about a week before she died I came in and said,
“Hi Liz. My name is Cindy and I’m here to visit with you.”
she said, 
“My daughter’s name is Cindy.”

Yes, yes it is.

Thank you for stopping by.