This Little Card of Mine

Reflecting on 2010

This year certainly had its rough moments.   Tough challenges at work - some of the toughest I have ever experienced.  Lots of medical testing.  Oral surgery. A heart scare (false alarm -- learned through it all that my heart is in great shape.  :-)  )   My first ride in an ambulance. Gall bladder surgery. My sweet cat Toby diagnosed with congestive heart failure (he's still hanging in there).  You get the idea.

But I look back on this year and leave it very grateful.  Not that it's over (though I do hope 2011 is less eventful).  But grateful for the lessons learned and the many blessings that God showered on me this year.  Things like:

- Gratitude for friends and family who rally around me when I need them.  Priceless.

- Wonderful doctors and positive caring experiences at the hospitals. 

- Knowledge that I can face some of my biggest fears and come out feeling stronger.  And that with God and friends I don't have to face them alone.

- That no matter how hard it gets the people I work with are amazing, dedicated and supportive

- Grateful that I leave this year healthy, fully recovered and with an optimism that 2011 will be a healthier year.

- And most importantly, deeper understanding of God's love and His unending care and comfort.

I could go on and on but I won't.  I also am grateful for all of you who visit here and leave your kind comments.  I look forward to creating in 2011.  I'll spend some time doing so this weekend so I have new things to share next week.

I wish all of you a blessed and happy New Year.

Merry Christmas everyone!

 

My family.....

Not by blood but in every other way.  Treasures I received from Jennifer this year.  Love you all.

Love this...

From my sweet friend Heather with a photo of her handsome son, Alex.   And inside?  Some handmade tags as a surprise.  So clever, so creative, so wonderful.  Thank you  Heather.  Love you.

I have talented friends!

When I saw the envelope from Nichol I got a little excited.  She is one of my favorite card makers (and people!) and every card I get from her causes me to gasp just a bit when I see it.  This one was no exception.  Come on people.. the coloring!   I just sat and looked at it for awhile.  Thank you Nichol -- love you!

 

A Christmas surprise for Braden

I was thrilled to see this post about a wonderful surprise for sweet Braden, one of the kids from our Cards for Kids drive.  I love when a community comes together like this.  Merry Christmas Braden!  See the link here.

A Watercolor Christmas

I LOVE Pure Innocence stamps... I've seen some amazing cards made with them and many of them are colored in with Copics and/or paper pieced.  So I thought I would try something a bit different on this one... Watercolors.   I used 300 lb. watercolor paper (really thick stuff) and pencils and a brush with water.  Simple!  And such a soft pretty look I think.  (so soft that you can't tell that the sky is blue! :-)  )

Supplies:  Pure Innocence (My Favorite Things) Sending you a Little Christmas stamp set; Hero Arts notecard, Envelope Pattern stamp; Ranger Stickles (used on tree top star and ornaments); Ranger Glossy Accents (on sleigh); Ranger Platinum Liquid Pearls (on coat button); Watercolor pencils:  Sparkly Fluff by Our Craft Lounge (Sugar); Quickie glue (to hold Fluff); Versamark ink; Ranger Detail Clear Embossing powder; Versafine black ink; Copic Spica Glitter pen (sleigh blades)

Cards for Kids Drive update

We are working our way through the piles of cards that you all have generously sent for the card drive.  Look for a list here of all of the card we have gotten.  Thanks so much for your patience!

Another Beate Johns class card....

sort of.   She had us color in this rose image with Copics and had a beautiful card done with it.  I didn't get to assemble the card in class and had to pull this together quickly to send it off to my Aunt.  A simplified version of a gorgeous card she made.  (Sorry I don't know the supplies she used)

Does this look familiar?

I did THIS CARD as a class project and it is one of my favorite cards.  I was so excited to find a bunch of extra kits, pre-embossed and everything!  So I added a Christmas greeting instead of Thinking of You and turned it into a Christmas card.  This blue color just makes me happy.