The SAGA of Sally's Left Arm-

PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO ANY OF THESE POSTS UNTIL THIS WHOLE
STORY IS DONE. LET ME FINISH ALL THIS FIRST. ....OK??? .Many thanks!!!

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In the BEGINNING-- there was a scheming mind among us--we all know by now WHO it was--don't we!

Through coleup's scheming 7 D-mails--where all this project developed--there was a lot of planning
and organizing and reaching out --to the point of obsession.....
--Who will bring a cake?
--Who has any ideas for a gift for sally?
--When should we present this to sally?
...... Besides some other gift suggestions--The bucket and seat and apron idea soon won out.
.......And so did stuffing all kinds of little presents in all the pockets as well as inside the bucket. Good ideas!

More questions surfaced:
--"Who is willing to make a card for sally????" Colup "screetched" (not really)....
--There was back and forth whether it should be a card--or a small poster? A nice, FRAMED poster to hang
on a wall somewhere in the house...but if all of us signed this poster--it would deface the "magnificent artwork"
that will, surely, be on it....Besides--How could I, discretely, walk around with a poster in my hand and have
everyone sign it??? DAHHHH!

On D-Mail blast #4---Coleup wrote:
****Gita has volunteered to make a card!!!! *****
Here is what she (Gita) wrote, "
"OK! OK! I will play artist and draw the card for Sally's B-day. I CAN do that! YES! I can!!!!...
Something whimsical and garden related--funny--in full color..etc. I will make it big..so we all can sign.
It will have Sally on it--for sure....and plants---and her dog---and weeds-----:o)"

I KNEW I could! I KNEW it would turn out great....HA!!! Would not be the first card I made!!!......
An example of my CONFIDENCE--which always precedes REMORSE of WHY did I say I would do this????

---Next question: When should we present the card and gift to sally?????

Coleup decided that we should all sing and present the card and gift as we all gather around to eat.
Well--that did not work out! We were missing 4 people! Happy, Chantelle, and Ruby &John were not here yet..

Sally was anxious to start eating early, as Paul had to leave....besides, Paul had promised to lead us all into
the "Happy Birthday" song....
This is not happening as we had planned!!! We were all looking at each other--"what do we do now?"
Sally had gone and gotten a plate of food--sooooo--- many of us followed suite. It will just all have to be delayed...
Eventually, the late-comers arrived--and I got everyone to sign the card. MY mission was accomplished!

And, so it came to pass! And--everything still worked out OK. Princess Sally was truly surprised and a great sport.
Paul even hung around long enough to sing "Happy Birthday" with us to Sally.

What a wonderful day we all had!!!!

For a few days, I let it ride--doing the "inertia" thing. Mulling it over--
The card now obsessed my mind--Over the next couple of days it was a constant presence.
How should I do it? What paper should I use? How could I make it funny? Pretty?
Don't want to draw it all--more like applique stuff on it. Glue it on! YES! That will look a lot better..

Hunting madly in all my stashes for the biggest card envelope i could find...digging in my card-making stash for
appropriate paper stock...it had to be a "gentle" color, something compatible with gardening....
NOT green--not blue (heavens no!)--so a nice, soft shade of wheat yellow was the choice.

Many plans came and went in my mind--me not even being consciously aware of it.
I said it would have sally on it. I can't draw sally! No way! Need some kind of picture to copy it from....

AHA!!! There is another sally in the cartoons--Sally Forth. They DO kind of look alike...
Maybe I will just draw a sketchy type of a card--in black ink???

Will use this Sally to copy it from...Genius!

A couple of days pass....still avoiding having to, actually, sit down and start all this...

I KNOW I can come up with a better picture.....think...think...think....GOT IT!!!!
There was a photo taken of sally and Robin a few years ago...gotta find it!

YES! This will work!!! I will copy it and cut Sally out--separating her from Robin
like some kind of a conjoined twin. Perfect pose too! Wowsa!

OK! sketched in and cut out what would look like the rest of her body.
Top and bottom fit pretty good!

BUT--sally has NO LEFT ARM! Can't have that! She has to have an arm!
So I draw an arm, making it fit--and try to color it in to match her other arm.

No go! Half a brown arm--and half a pale, bulky arm. Not happy!

Maybe if I color her jeans in it will look better.....Color....color....color......
Well--sort of--but now Sally has a seam around her hips. Like she had a body transplant and the Doctor
botched up the job. Close your eyes and picture it!

Still looking at the arm....NOT happy! Like "The man with the Golden Arm"---except this would be the "Pale Arm"...

Call that Doctor back! Tell him to bring a hack saw..

Sorry, sally! Your left arm just has to go!

Amputation complete.....You were so brave throughout all this!!!
This hurt me more than it hurt YOU! Yes, it did!!!

I cannot just leave sally with half an arm! She MUST have an arm!!!

Hmmmmm.....JCP circulars have a lot of pretty young things on every page in full color.
Maybe I can get an arm from one of them. At least it will be the right color!

Lets see---------------How about this one? looks natural?

Or maybe this one?????

Nah! Don't like the way she id holding her hand...Sally has to have that "TA-DAHHHH!" look.

Well--this one has good color--but, what's with the backward hand position!

Sally would never do that--at least NOT on my card!!!

Too bad! So much for JCP! Can't they even have decent left arms in their Circular!!!

Gotta think of something that Sally could be holding in her left arm.
Something BIG--but garden appropriate.. How about a dead groundhog???...(joke).

Hmmmmm.....The whole top drawer in my big oak desk is full of cut-outs from all kind of cards.
At one time--years ago--I was sure i could use them to make my own cards....

Spend the next couple hours looking through envelopes of all kinds of cut-outs...

Spend more time going through some garden catalogs looking for just the right thing that
would fit nicely in Sally's left arm, and camouflage the fact that she does NOT have a left arm...

Check a few magazines...Geographic has some nice pictures! OH NO!!! Cannot cut up a Geographic! NEVER!!!
They will come and lock me up and throw away the key! Must save them forever.....
May sell my whole collection (since 1963) for big bucks some day!!!! Never know!

Getting late--going to bed.....

OK! New day--maybe i will have some new ideas.....

How about this? JCP's best collection of wrapping paper... Looks nice and colorful!
I think you could wrap a cow in these...

Or this? A watering can with a nice fall arrangement in it?

AHHHHH....a beautiful, potted sunflower!

Man, Sally--you sure have a lot of muscle in your left arm to hold that up!!!
I mean--virtual muscle....sorry!

OR! A pet Parrot! She looks nice....At least you will have someone to talk to if no one else is around...

You could take her along when you go shopping--just let her sit on your left arm (teee--heee) and
spew profanities at all the other customers...I bet you could name her Poly.

Would love to see the commotion when you go down the cracker aisle! ...;o)

Oh, how pretty! A white Dove....

You would feel right at home at a Peace Rally, don't you think?

This one is pretty festive!

You could post it on the e-Harmony Facebook and see how many 'hits" you get....

You could be somebody's Christmas present....blush....

Well--I suppose you already know which left-hand-prop won out....
You look like a true gardener here.....I was happy! It just fit you.....You look beautiful!

Now--Sally--if you look closely at the card--I still had to cut out and glue on a hand.
Never mind that there is nothing between the elbow and the hand...

The finished card--for those of you who were not at the Swap.
Addy came and joined in....

Front of card---

Inside of card----Yes! I know!!!! One word is misspelled.....

Back of card----

This concludes my Story! Hope you enjoyed it! Gita

Gita, Thanks for sharing your creative talents to make Sally's birthday surprize memorable! This story had me cracking up with laughter..maybe you have a new "career" in the making..story telling time and card making! I bet you had fun making it too.

What a hysterical, wonderful tale of woe !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm happy to provide fodder for all that.................The evolving search for a left arm, with all hits near misses ...how funny!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Gita you told that story in excellent storytelling fashion. Kudos!!!!!

And thank You again for the wonderful card, and everyone for the wonderful surprise!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cracking up. Who knew you had an adventure before you even arrived. Great fun!

Darn it, I KNEW I shouldn't have been drinking my coffee while I was reading this!!!!!! ... wherrrre's my towel??.....

LOL, Gita, It sure was a great card. Little did we know the work that went into it.

Gita, once you said you would do a card for Sally, I knew we all could pull things off! Thank you so much for your willingness, creativity and persistance. You make beautiful things happen my friend.

ROFLOL

OMG, so funny. Do I dare even admit that it was me who took that picture of Robin and Sally at Ric & Holly's swap last spring? The viewing screen on my little point and shoot camera is so dull and scratched that I end up just pointing in the general direction and hope it turns out. Obviously didn't get "all" of Sally captured in this, but then again, we wouldn't have the left arm saga, so I guess it worked out for the best LOL.

Hahahaha

Good going all.

Ruby