Happy Birthday, Bethann...

Happy New Year to all my friends and family. I hope we can all make this a most productive year!

(I actually started a quite different post on Dec. 23rd and never completed it, and in my "not thinking state" completely erased it today, and started this one. duh...) :)

Today (January 1, 2012) my sister Bethann is having a very special birthday! She is turning 50! It's hard for me to believe because she is my "baby" sis. lol But...she is! Welcome aboard, sister!

This is a long post today which I haven't done in a long while, but I made a set of cards for her birthday, and I made so many I then had to decide which ones to put in a set. So the cards I have posted here are what I chose from.

Here is my quote today for my beautiful sister, compliments of Pinterest!

Girl, I LOVE YOU!!!

I am linking this post to:

1) Make it Monday

2) Unstampabelles Challenges (The actual birthday has no stamping on it)

3) http://kennykkraftygirlzchallenges.blogspot.com/
4) http://joyfulstamper.blogspot.com/

5) http://craftybootschallenges.blogspot.com/

Here is her birthday card. This card is actually a Mojo Monday design (Christmas week), but I ran out of time to post it before I left traveling for the holiday week, so.... oh well.... : /

It is actually like a forrest green glitter paper, gold on the bottom, white pearlized sizzix embossed with the numbers, spellbinder diecut circle with several clear and black rhinestones.

Here are the cards. The bird cards for some reason I turned into birthday cards. The rest of the cards I left blank inside. Some she will be able to utilize as she sees fit, depending on the sentiment on the front. The stamps are from various companies...

They were relatively simple to create, I just picked out my embossing frames, some sentiments or quotes, colored cord and multiple rhinestones.

I'm not sure if these embellishments came from Jolee's or Nicolecrafts? I know I just made them, but I threw all of the packaging away.... : /

These felt embellishments are from American Crafts.

I don't know what happened at this point in my blogging. I changed my email address because I am sick of Verizon and am planning my exit strategy for my eventual departure. : ) However, it did cause a problem with blogger. : /

The flower die cuts are by K & Co. I just picked the ones out of the package I liked the best that I thought would work with these frame designs.

Well, this concludes my post for this first day of 2012. It promises to be a bountiful year. But regardless of what goes on, through it all.... I have my sisters!

I wonder.....

Thanks for your visit, I do appreciate you stopping by, and if you left me a comment!...

Hugs!

The almost last Christmas Post for 2011

Hello Friends and family!

This will be the last post with Christmas cards. I have one more with Christmas Thank you cards that my son and I will send out for the people that have thought of us this holiday season. Due to all of the expenses for Senior year and post high school tuition, I had to do an extreme cut back on Christmas gifts this year. So I don't think I will need too many thank you cards to send out. Although we have already recieved at least 3 gifts in the mail...

I am closing in on my last few posts for 2011, so I thought this would be a fitting quote to start off with...

I know those words oh so well. I never intended to be a single mom. I always knew myself well enough to know it would not be my strength. But here I am. God knew better. It has been the hardest experinence of my life, but so far, we are both still standing...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

About today's cards....I went to a Stampin' Up "Stamp Camp" through my friend Kathy- where we made these cards. We made a few more, but they were more for Thanksgiving, so I didn't post. Maybe eventually. Kathy designed the snowman card which is also a magnet. I thought it was very cool.

Thanks for stopping by for a visit. Until next time....

HUGS!,

Christmas card#6 Peace

Compliments of Pinterest!.....................................................................................................................

I am linking this page to:
1) http://ppp-makeitmonday.blogspot.com/
2) http://craftyhazelnutschristmaschallenge.blogspot.com/2011/12/chnc-challenge-51-anything-goes-for.html

3) http://lexiscreations.blogspot.com/2011/12/challenge-55-and-winners-of-54.html

Sounds like my kind of advice. I like it! Laugh as much as you can- laughter just makes you feel good...if you are with someone who NEVER appolgizes (even if that someone is you)- there is something wrong there-try to work on it... and sometimes it's definitely hard to let go,, but sometimes that's all you can do...

Now my card...

I really like how this one turned out. More non-traditional colors.

I found these snowflake ornaments last year and thought they would be flat enough

to use on cards. I didn't trust any adhesive, so I sewed them on (too much glitter).

This paper is great, too. I LOVE DCWV (the Natural foil stack)! (so hard to make just one!)

A closer look....

Closing thoughts....

These statements are really something to think about. We complain so much, but we forget how truly blessed we are.

Thanks for dropping by for a visit. Until next time.

Hugs,

Christmas Post #5 :]...Snowman

I am linking this post to:
1) http://ppp-makeitmonday.blogspot.com/
2) http://craftyhazelnutschristmaschallenge.blogspot.com/2011/12/chnc-challenge-51-anything-goes-for.html

Compliments of Piiiiiiiiiiiinterest! :)

..........................................

That is the reason I push in between the imperfect conditions

to make cards (as well as other things......, HAHAHA!) : )

I fell in love with this snowman label, and bought a couple packages. I thought he would make a really cute focal point for a Christmas card. I still think I was right. :) I didn't have enough of any one ribbon so I used a lot of different ribbon scraps. Not sure which is my favorite. ... I moved the snowman's position on the background paper depending on where the Merry Christmas was (as well as I could), and varied between red or gold heart brads. I also added rhinestones to the small snowflakes that didn't already have them. All in all, I was happy with how they turned out.

Thanks for your visit. I will leave you with this thought near this very bust holiday...

Hugs,....