So Many Reasons to be Thankful

I've been itching to try my hand at watercolor and this card design seemed the perfect way to get started.  I found the inspiration for it here.

I did one other version of it as part of my commitment to try to use up my stash. I've been thinking about how hot eyelets were when I first started cardmaking and how many I have and how neglected they are. So here's how I modified my design to use up a few. . .

Would love to hear which is your favorite.

I hope you and your families have a wonderful Thanksgiving tomorrow.  I'm doing the cooking this year and feel so blessed at thoughts of having Mom and Dad here this year along with my neighbor family.  Life is feeling very full.  I'm grateful!

Embossed Border

Hi Gal Pals!

I was catching up on my Gina K Designs videos and saw this one and wanted to share.  As part of my stash busting this year I've been looking for ways to use all my embossing folders.  I thought this technique was really cool.  And I absolutely love the simplicity of this card.

Hope you had a good weekend and today is a good start to a good week.  

Thanksgiving Mini Album

 

Remember the little mini album I was working on last week?  Here's how it turned out.  Had to use my last little wobbly turkey :-)  Although I have to fess up about a big creative deviation I had to take.

 

Originally I wanted it to be a hostess gift for my neighbor who invited us for dinner Thanksgiving Day.  I thought it would be cool to have everyone at dinner write a note of Thanks to her and document what they were grateful for.  Kind of a nice keepsake - even though I know the guys would have just rolled their eyes.  I guess they should be thankful they were spared from having to do that as I messed up the construction of the album. 

 

Even though Debbie told me not to adhere the ribbon on both covers, I did it anyway - not out of stubbornness mind you, but just because I wasn't paying attention.  And lo and behold, she was right - the accordion folded part of the album didn't unfold.  Dang it!

 

But I saved it by adhering the back / open part of of the folded pages together and then cutting on the front folds.  That turned it into a conventional little book which Cricut Man and I will use to preserve some Thanksgiving pictures and thoughts for this year.

 

Gotta love those Creative Deviations, huh?!

Gobble, Gobble

Well I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving holiday.  I don't know about you but I'm stuffed!  We had a full turkey dinner with our friends Colleen and Diane on Wednesday night - a tradition we started back in the 90's since none of us had family in town.  And then another full turkey dinner on Thursday with our neighbor family - a tradition we started after Stephen passed.  And then if that wasn't enough, we had another full turkey dinner on Friday night so Allan could show off his cooking talent.  And boy! is that Cricut Man talented!!!  It so delish!  I think I've lost my position as head chef for the holiday dinner. I'm not sure that's a bad thing ;-)

Here's the next in line of the holiday wobbly owl cards.  I liked how this one turned out MUCH better than the silly one I did for Halloween.  And something cool I wanted to point out on this one. . . .the back feathers - the ones punched with the scallop punch - used an old coffee sleeve.  The puckered craft color paper was just perfect and added a little texture. 

So next up for the owl cards is Christmas, then New Year's and finally Valentines.  Once those are done it will be a full year of holiday owls.  I have to tell you it's been pretty fun.

I'll leave you with another turkey project - and one that's much cuter than mine.  Here's Mona's quirkey turkey placecards.  She was inspired by this post on Tim Holtz's blog.  Didn't they turn out cute?  Can't wait to hear about how everyone in her family liked them.

Gratitude

Feels like a long time away - away from this blog, away from my gal pals, and away from being able to breath.  I've been struggling with a really nasty cold for over a week now.  Early last week I thought I was on the downhill side of things but then Thursday I really bottomed out.  Have been home and quiet for 3 days now.  Although still very congested, my energy feels a little better than it did on Friday.

I'm trying find quiet things to do and to resist being up cleaning or wrapping presents.  I feel so behind on everything for the holidays which makes me so sad and disappointed but I'm trying to find the lessons in all of this - maybe that you just can't control anything and just have to accept and go with the flow.

So I'm cleaning off my desktop and will be posting some of the weekly cards to the family.  Some you've seen at the shop and others - maybe this one? - will be new to you. 

The word panel on this one is a jumbo wheel stamp from SU.  Of course I can't use the rollers to save my soul so I unmounted this one.  Then took my watercolor crayons and randomly colored the words.  I misted it with water before I stamped it.  I loved how it turned out.

Hope your week gets off to a good start.  And this is a very special week for our gal pal Val - her last week of work in the looney bin.  After Friday she's a free woman - free to define whatever next chapter she chooses.  I'm so excited for her!