Saturday, January 1, 2011

Simple Saturday … Hello 2011!

Happy Birthday_Jan 2011

 

Happy New Year! While this card may not be as simple as yesterday’s was, it fills the bill and is another that was made with a leftover element (the square present) that was laying on my desk.

What’s to explain? LOL. I used White Daisy textured cardstock, wondering all the while what I am going to do when my supply is depleted. Oops! I should have looked before I spoke. Although the colored textured cardstock was retired, White Daisy is listed in Close To My Heart’s new Spring/Summer Idea Book. Well, make my day. When I run out, I’ll just order some more! Back to my card, the tall, skinny gift was mounted with foam tape. As for the color combination, I love it.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, White Daisy textured, and Pear cardstock; Pear and Lagoon ink pads; Happy Birthday (retired) and It’s Your Day stamp sets; Sparkles – Blue & Green Assortment; 3M foam mounting tape.

 

 

Be Yourself_Jan 2011

Using the same sketch (if you can call it that) and White Daisy textured cardstock, I made these cards last night (or better said, during the night) as well. I love them and could have kept going, using every stamp in the Be Yourself stamp set. Perhaps I will make a few more and turn them into a gift set. I made the top one first, stamping the dress on a separate piece of regular cardstock and paper-pieced it. I used a glue pen and glitter from my ancient (and bottomless) Glitter Stack to dress up the other two. Fun!

A little hint – I’ve found that water-base ink, solid stamps, and textured cardstock are not very compatible. It is difficult to get a good solid image. Thus, I do the best I can and then color over it with a marker – in this case a black marker.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, White Daisy textured, and Black cardstock; Black and Cranberry ink pads; Black marker; Happy Birthday (retired) and Be Yourself stamp sets; Glitter Stack; Quickie Glue pen.

A Slice of Life: I reiterate Happy New Year! I look back on 2010 with mixed feelings. Certain aspects of it were not great. Changes at work left me showing up every day with no real job description. For the second time in less than three years, I was shoved off a corporate ladder I had no interest in climbing to begin with. I learned lessons about human nature as it relates to the business world that I would have been happier not having realized. After only five more days in purgatory, however, all of this is going to change. Yippee!

On the home front, 2010 was full of blessings. Shortly after the first of the year, my mother decided to begin a new chapter in her life. I was surprised and delighted when I learned she wanted to move here, and little did we know it would happen so fast. Having her here and being able to spend time with her is a gift I never expected.

Speaking of gifts, little Marla Jean is an absolute treasure – even if she is currently keeping her Mommy and Daddy up all night! Another healthy grandchild – our first granddaughter – a dream come true. At five and almost seven, our grandsons are growing, learning, happy, healthy little boys. The parents of these children – our sons – are “settled” and happy and healthy, too. Miranda and Sarah are like the daughters I never had. Finally, there’s Husband, who is the best Grandpa and a great Dad. He takes care of me, grumbling if I don’t eat right or get enough sleep. He laughs with me, dries my tears, and puts up with my many idiosyncrasies. He loves me, and although he has a way of ticking me off every once in a while, he makes my life complete.

Who could ask for more? I begin 2011 very grateful and prayerful for not only my continued blessings but yours as well. May the New Year bring you good health, peace, and joy.

1 comment:

Laurel said...

Happy New Year! Love the cards!