Real Friends Last Forever

I had a different plan for tonight until I visited the Twisted Chick Creations blog and saw her snowman card. I immediately thought of my little lineup of Snow Friends, a stamp set I can't seem to put away. I noted her cool combination of stripe and polka dots and thought, "I have some, too!" And, like Michelle, I love the stripe/polka dot combination. This card is what I'll call a "plain" pocket card. Unlike the pull-up card, no engineering was required, although the "lineup" would probably be pretty darned cute used on one of those cards, too. With this card all you do is pull the card out of the pocket to discover a heartfelt sentiment.

The words of this particular sentiment have special meaning for me tonight, because, a couple of hours ago, I experienced a hug from a friend when I really needed one. She stopped by to pick up a stamp order, and I had warned her before she came that I looked like heck because I'd been crying. I didn't ask for the hug. She just knew I needed one. That's what friends are all about. This friend is one of the very special people I've met through stamping. This friend is one who, even when we're too old and arthritic or senile too stamp, will still be my friend. When she reads this, she'll know, and all I can say is "Thank you."

Before I cry some more only because I'm a sentimental fool, I'll get back to my card. The card base is Colonial White (even though it photographs white). The patterned paper and ribbon are from the Creative Basics - Holiday paper packet. Because the snowman border is 5-1/2 inches wide, I only inked up a portion of the stamp. Being able to see what you're doing is one of the advantages of clear stamps. While I would have preferred to have cut the lineup off at five snowmen, the fifth snowman's hat foiled that plan. As seven was a little too close for comfort to six, I did have to draw in number six's right arm. I could handle a couple of twigs. I colored the snowmen with markers and used Twilight ink and a blending pen to add some shadowing to the snowmen's bodies. I also distressed all of the Colonial White edges ever so slightly with Bamboo ink.

Incidentally, I did go into work for a couple of hours this afternoon and got some of my "gotta do" stuff done. My tummy is still kind of lurchy, and I suspect is from hanging around little people. As a grandma, I seem to pick up whatever is going around the day care center. Oh well, Bjorn and Mathias' hugs and kisses, germy as they may be, are worth it. I'm off to bed with the thought my friend left me with - that every day is new - and for that, I am so grateful.