24 years ago......

on one of the hottest days ever, about 99 degrees in the shade, George and I were married. It is so hard to believe  it has been 24 years! It seems like just yesterday.

Don't ask me what the key to a good and lasting marriage is. I don't know how to answer that. I mean I hold a grudge, I will go to bed mad and there a million things that he does to annoy me, but ya know what George has always been there for me,  he makes me laugh (even when I don't want to!),  he is a great art critic and most of all he loves me despite the million of things I do that annoy him!

So on a day just as hot as 24 years ago we are as happy and in love as ever!

Friends

I had a misunderstanding with a very good friend of mine. I was thinking one thing and she was thinking another thing.

Well I gave myself a week to chill out so I wouldn't say something I would regret. During that week my friend built the misunderstanding into something bigger.

When we finally did get together to talk things out, I thought everything was OK but she wasn't so sure despite what I said.

I am hoping this card says it all and we can both be in a good place again.

2 Birthday Cards

The spring brings lots of birthdays so I have to be on my game to get them all done. Of course these went out late.

Here are two very different cards sent to very good friends.

I hope you enjoy!

My Own Cling Pops

Most of you have seen the new cling pops from  Hero Arts, they are cling stamps with elements that pop out and can be used in the original stamp or on their own.

Well, I have my own version- of course since I am always cutting up my stamps to make them more versatile. I bought this HA stamp a while ago and realized the thank you just wasn't going to work for me.

Sooooo.... out comes my trusty x-acto knife and out comes the thank you!

The thank you now pops in and out. It will probably more out then in- since I don't have a zillion occasions to use a thank you where as a birthday greeting would be really useful!!

Her is the birthday card I made for my good friend Ray-Ray. Purple- a color I rarely use, but I really like how this turned out and the possibilities are endless. The saying is from Savvy stamps- an oldie but goodie. 

Special thanks go to Shari Carroll and her video on coloring with colored pencils that I switched up to use with my copic markers.

Have a great day artists!

thinking of you Mom...

Mother's Day is always a bittersweet day for me. My mom died on Mother's Day 4 years ago. She lived a rich and fulfilling life. At 37, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a reoccurrence when she was pregnant with me at the age of 42. Now this was the 50's and the treatments were not nearly as advanced as they are today. My mom told me she never thought she would die and just went on with her life taking care of her family. My mom lived to be 90!! I am convinced a great mental attitude can defeat anything!

This card reminds me of my mom- her favorite color was pink and she loved roses.

These are the items you will need to make this card. The stamps are- B1760 gorgeous bloom, B1761gorgeous mini bloom, B1765 makes me smile. Not shown is water color paper and a black ink pad.

Stamp and emboss the gorgeous bloom in white. Rub the distress ink on a craft sheet and using a water brush or a paint brush begin filling in the roses with the ink. I start with darkest ink and finish with the lightest ink.

Stamp and emboss the mini bloom and paint it and cut it out . The leaf I free handed with a glue pen and embossed and painted. assemble the card and stamp makes me smile. 

So thinking of my mom makes me smile.

Happy Mother's Day Everyone!

Dieing for Memory Box

Well Dave listened to you and he came up with his own dies! Some match his stamps and some stand on their own like the flower border above.

I have been having such fun working with them! Along with the dies he has a new collection of papers called Valise- they are done on craft paper and inspire the shabby chic in me.

The butterflies are Dave's. A row of butterflies to use as a border or on their own.

Stay tune for more Memory Box die cut cards.

I will be teaching a Memory Box die cut class at One Little Spark on May 21.