Anniversary Card for my Husband

In hindsight, it is a little girly.

It's the thought that counts.

In my defense, I had a fever of 102.  I've been sick for the past two weeks, so this was a last-minute thing.  Admittedly, it would have been last-minute no matter what the circumstances, but this time I have a legitimate excuse.  Also, my husband was in and out of my craft room every five minutes.  I'm not sure where he was hiding when the grandchild needed lunch, but as soon as the craft supplies came out so did he.  I can't help but think he knows I'm trying to make him something and he's like a kid anticipating Christmas.  He should know by now that I'm no Santa Claus.

Due to the lack of time (and privacy), I let the paper do the talking.  This is why I have hundreds of paper stacks.  If you have enough variety, you might just find what you need in a crunch.  Or maybe not. 

The patterned paper is from the Bella Bella stack by My Mind's Eye.  When I saw this stack in the store (and loved it enough to buy two), I never thought I'd use it for a masculine card.  But when you're feverish and coughing up internal organs, you sometimes use whatever's closest.  The sentiments are from an old vellum quote pack I've been hoarding.  And the twill ribbon, if I'm not mistaken, was salvaged from the wrappings of a household item I purchased.  To make the card as man-friendly as possible (given the bird and butterflies all over the front), I used a kraft paper base.  I'm not sure what possessed me to add the ribbon, but what's done is done.

Dinner out with my husband and two granddaughters and the romance was complete.

Along for the Ride

I brought tons of baggage into my marriage 29 years ago.  My long-suffering husband has carried it for me ever since.  He's a saint.  But if you tell him I said that, I'll deny it to the death.

We've been through some very difficult years with more ups and downs and twists and turns than our countless rides on Disney's Space Mountain.  Many times I didn't know how we would make it, but somehow I always knew we would.  Of course there were plenty of times I wasn't sure I wanted to and I'm pretty sure my husband felt the same.  But I think we both knew we were better together than we could ever be alone. 

Life is a journey, destination unknown.  Sometimes the ride is smooth, sometimes it rough, but if we're really lucky we'll have someone by our side to guide us when we lose our way.

Happy anniversary to my wonderful travel companion.

A Mother's Love

Five years after her sudden death, I still miss my mother like crazy.  She would have turned 74 today.

I had this vinyl cutout on the wall in my old craftroom.  When I moved to a new space, I couldn't bear to take it down. Every time I see it, it reminds me of my mother.  She was never happier than when she could shower a child with love.

Happy birthday, Mama.  You are always in my heart and on my mind.

Monkey Card for My New Grandson

I'm posting this in an attempt to get a jump on next Valentine's Day.  Okay, okay...I'm late posting for 2012.

Wanting to stake my claim as the favorite grandmother, or at least to make him think I have some redeeming value (unlike the opinion of the two granddaughters who live with me), I made this Valentine card for my brand new grandson. 

Once I learned my daughter would be having a boy, it seemed like the perfect excuse to buy the Cricut Lite cartridge B is for Boy.  The sock monkey alone is worth the price!  I also used it as an excuse to buy the Sugar and Spice cartridge and a few other unrelated items.  Don't judge me...

I used the Cuttlebug embossing folder Heart Blocks for the white background.  I cut the Love image from B is for Boy, then added glitter to the letters.  I added flocking to the monkey's body and hat.  Then I decided he needed googly eyes.  (Twelve-day-old babies really notice the details.)

I'm not sure my grandson even knows I'm alive, but my daughter said she and her husband really enjoyed the card.