Merry Christmas!

Hope you all had a great Christmas filled with joy and yummy food!! We had a wonderful Christmas this year and Santa was definitely good to all of us! There is nothing better than being with family and this year I really realized how BLESSED we all are. We are all healthy and happy and are pretty lucky to have the things we have. It is a good time to reflect on all our gifts and to find ways to help others that may need a bit more. In the coming year I definitely would like to start giving back...because I love card making so much and working with children I thought it may be fun to call up to the children's hospital here in town and see if I would be able to come up and help some of the kids make cards! Wouldn't that be fun? Please stay tuned to see how it all turns out... What is something you could do to warm some one's heart this year? Just some food for thought!! I saw the wreath on my door and thought it would be fun to recreate..so, here it is using the small leaf stamp from the Take a Bough set. I will leave you with the sentiment...Season's Greetings!!

Oh my goodness..Oh my gracious!!!

I can't believe it.. I received honorable mention this morning on Nichole Heady's blog!!! That is sooooooo exciting for me.. I worked sooo hard this past month trying to come up with a card that would impress Nichole and she actually picked one of mine!! OH MY GOSH!! Thanks so much Nichole..you don't know how much this means to me.. For all of you stay at home mommas you know how life is.. the best in the whole world yet it can get a bit mundane..I started falling into the trap of what else is out there for me..I know I'm a good mom and I know I'm soooo lucky and blessed to get to be with my kids everyday but there are moments I feel I should be doing more with this life of mine!! Well, finding Nichole's blog has really lit a fire in me and I have found a passion that I just love..card making!! I've only just begun and have a really good feeling about the future! Life is definitely short..you need to believe in something and for me... that is my babies and stamping!!! Here is my card that made honorable mention at nicholeheady.typepad.com...

Christmas Spirit

I can't believe three more weeks until Christmas Eve!! WOW! Where does the time go? I feel like I was just putting up my decorations last year..life is too fast.. I'm particularly excited for Christmas this year..I want to decorate..I want to see all the lights on houses and I just can't get enough of the music..especially the classics. It's different this year because of my babies..we all know it is such a magical time for children and as adults we miss that time(at least I do). Well, now I get to replay that magic and have a big part in creating it! What fun! There is nothing better than seeing the joy and pure wonder in my children's eyes when I turn on the Christmas tree lights every evening! As I see the sparkle in their eyes it reminds me of the old Christmas saying "Believe". This year they have helped me to believe; to believe in love, to believe in joy and to believe in each other. Now that is a gift!!

I created my card once again using Papertrey Stamps. I used the Spirial Bouquet set to spell "Believe" and used the Take a Bough set to create my snowman!

Goosebumps!

All of this stamping business is new to me..I had never really gotten into the stamping thing until now.. and boy, am I hooked!! A few weeks ago I was surfing the net on inspirations for cards and came across Nichole Heady's blog..I was unfamiliar with the whole blog scene but something about Nichole's website drew me in..she is an amazing writer and wow..what ideas!! It was so inspiring and I sat at my computer for almost 2 hours reading through her entire blog!! I then realized she had started a company with two women called Papertrey Ink! What a neat story and it truly shows that life is full of surprises. I fell instantly in love with her stamps and all that goes with it! I immediately ordered my first set..Take a Bough.. I was anxious for it to arrive and checked everyday for the package..Finally, it came!! YAAA!! I opened it up and it was so fun to transfer my new stamps onto the CD case..I loved the smell of the new stamps..it seriously gave me goosebumps..The funny thing..I forgot to order ink..So, here I was with brand spankin' new stamps but no ink..It was close to bath time for my kids..so into the bath they went..down for bed and it was close to 9 pm..I had to run to Walmart for a few things and out of pure luck walked by their scrap booking section..I never knew it existed!! And there it was..ink..I had to get it..I didn't even know if it was the right kind..When I got home I just started stamping and since then I haven't stopped..It is so addicting and refreshing!! I think I found my calling..However, I have a long way to go..the cards I have seen out there are just amazing! Hopefully, someday I can reach that caliber of creativity!! So, tonight I will leave you with one of my very first cards I stamped using Papertrey Ink Stamps from the Take a Bough set!

Ideas, Ideas, Ideas

Ever since I can remember I have always enjoyed crafting of some sort! I love buying my supplies...paper, new markers, stamps, ink, embellishments..you name it, I love it! I have always enjoyed scrap booking and creating cards but it wasn't until my first baby was born that I started getting into making cards. It all started with Sam's first birthday party.. The theme..Frogs! I had a blast creating his card and it was fun to send off to family! There is nothing better than coming up with an idea and creating your cards! I lay awake at night thinking "OK..blue or green ribbon? right or left corner?" It goes on and on in my little brain of mine that many times I just have to get up and either right down my ideas or actually create it!! Call me crazy.. I know! I thought it would be fun to share some of my ideas with you.. and hopefully inspire at least one person out there in this big world. And I'm hoping to get inspirations from all of you.. Wish me luck in my new blogging experience!!