Shoebox Swap a Success!

Here it is Sunday night already. And look...it's late again. But I just had to say that Saturday's RWS (Remember When Scrapbooking) Shoebox Swap was a success. I had a really great time. I hope the other ladies enjoyed it too. We made some awesome cards and a mini-album. They totally rocked! I'll scan and upload pics later. This week is going to be pretty busy. Maybe I'll get to them on Thursday.

Anyway. I just want to say thanks to Shanna for letting us have our swap at the store. We had lots-o-space, and we got to shop too!

And thanks to the ladies that participated. It was fun meeting the new ones and seeing the "old" ones. You guys are too funny!

Anywho. I've got to go to bed now. I have to be @ work early for a training session. We're getting a new "system" for the whole university. I can't wait to see how it works. I've taken a few tutorials...but it's nothing like hands on.

What else before I go? OHHH, the highlight of my day. My 5-year-old pseudo-son (my friend's son) gave me a BIG HUG this morning during song service and said, "Tonya, I love you." It was all I could do to not cry. He's such a cutey! Of course I told him that I loved him right back. It was a priceless moment. I'll never forget it.

It's too bad that Brian and I can't have children. But then again, I wouldn't be as close to all my friend's children if we had our own. Someone asked me the other day if we had children. I said, "No, but I'm not childless." I have several friends with children. I've helped raise some of them. The oldest ones are now 24 (yikes), 22, and 19. I met them when the 19-year-old was 9 months old.

My best friend's two girls are now 15 (in Aug.) and 11 (in Sept., born on our 2nd anniv.). Where has time gone?

And my other friend's children are 7 (Nov.) and 5 (July, he's the one that gave me the hug). And these are just my friends' children.

My nephews are 27 and 11. My nieces are 24 and 18. And my great-nephew is 8. How crazy is that?

Wow! I can't believe I've watched these kids grow up. I can truly say that they ALL have been such a blessing to me. And they're not the only children I've been around. I really love kids! (Although I'm not as tolerant in my old age as I used to be.) We've played with most of the kids at the different churches we've been to. DH love to pick at people -- especially kids. Who am I kidding? He's the biggest kid of them all. He loves to laugh and have fun with them. And they seem to love picking at him too. I'm glad. It makes life so much more fun to hang out with kids. Keeps us young (wishful thinkin').

Jiminy!!! I've started rambling again.... Ok, gotta go. More L8R.

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Gettin' some Inkin' done

Well, I didn't get to work on the clear paint can on Sunday afternoon. Yep. I took a nap. Out like a light. I'm pretty much a night owl, and mornings are not my best time of the day. Needless to say I only get about 4-5 hrs. of sleep a night. I know it's my own fault -- I'm just usually not sleepy when it's "bedtime". Sooooo, Saturday is catch-up day for sleep. But then I stay up late because I've slept in that morning...a vicious circle!

BUT, I did get to work on then Sunday night after church. I worked on the medium sized one. It turned out SO cute, IMHO. I'll try to get pics when I'm done with them all. Did I mention that I have to have these done by May 31st? They are a prize for a contest at our shoebox swap. I need to work on the other ones -- but no, I'm bloggin'. Oh my! What have I gotten myself into?

But to prove that I really have been inkin' lately I'm going to try to upload a couple of things I've stamped. I've said that I love to watch ink go on paper -- but my favorite way of gettin' it there is to STAMP it there. Rubber stamp it there. That's what I do.

And what I do, mostly, is make cards. I LOVE CARDS! (I know. I use LOVE a lot! You'll just have to get used to it.) I have probably 90% of the cards I've been given over the years. I know I haven't thrown any away since the early 80s. I had my appendix removed in 1983, and I remember keeping all the get well cards that I received from that. It just kinda stuck.

I think, no, I know the reason I love cards so much is that they are hand-picked. Hand-picked to convey a wish, a blessing, a word of cheer or sympathy...a "hang in there", "I'm there for you", or "way to go!" When you give a card to someone -- you put a little bit of yourself into it. Just by the card you choose. It can be serious, funny, quirky, funky or just plain silly! Something that's just YOU!

For instance (before I started hand-making cards) -- my bff, Michelle, and I sent each other the same card the same week. Now we don't send cards to each other very often. Just a spur of the moment type thing. But it was the PERFECT card for that time in our lives. It was hand-picked by each of us, to convey our thoughts/feelings/emotions for the other friend. It was the COOLEST thing.

[oops! IM interruptus. having a convo w/my SIL. brb]

Ok, I'm back. So, cards are personal usually. Most people DO think about the card they're sending. You don't just go to the card rack, close your eyes and say "eeny, meeny, miney, mo" [GUYS! this means YOU]. So that's one of the reasons I started sending my own, handmade/handstamped cards. I get to make the card special, for the recipient...personalized in ways that no store-bought card can do. A one-of-a-kind! AND, I hope that the recipient I send it to feels like they are SO special -- the way a card is supposed to make you feel. Or at least I feel special when I receive a card. I know that someone took the time out of their day to pick out a card or handmake a card for me...ME. THAT makes me feel special.

So (geez I'm windy tonight), here's the card I made for my mom for Mother's day. I found this gorgeous card at Pattystamps by Lee Conrey (sorry, I don't have a website for her). It uses a bleaching technique. I loved it so much that I we made this at our May S-10 (Stamper's 10) club meeting. I let them choose the sentiment, because not everyone needed another Mother's Day card. I also made one like this that said happy birthday. It was for my DH's aunt. The colors are Blush Blossom, Ruby Red and Black (black embossing powder over VersaMark). The stamp sets used are Stampin' Up's Embrace Life and All Holidays. Love it! Love it! Love it!


Ok, I've GOT to go to bed now. I've been working on this post for 5 hours. That's crazy. But Kristy & Mark won Dancing with the Stars. I think David Archuleta should be the next American Idol, and I'm voting for him. The cats are fed and happy. DH is at work, and my eyes are very heavy. More tomorrow -- maybe!

L8R

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