Sunday, March 16, 2008

Good Morning, Sunshine!

How about a little taste of spring this morning?

I LOVE this card! I adore the designer paper (Scenic Route). Of course, I adore anything orange, but when it's combined with lime green??? Divine. I know I'm probably one of the few people on the planet that thinks that way, but those two colors make me HAPPY, and who doesn't like happy? It just screams SPRING!

I wanted to try something different to keep up with all the amazing cards/projects being made out there in blogland. You know the ones I'm talking about....all the fancy folded cards and treat holders that no one but the really uber talented people would come up with (you know who I'm talking about, the Nichole Heady's and Beate's of this world). I want to be more like them!!!!!

In a half-hearted attempt at doing just that, I came up with this card, which, if I'm being honest, I think is super cute. And super easy! I know it's not nearly as fancy as some of the cards out there, but I've done my best. And that's good enough for me. I'll leave the fancy work to them:)!

It all started with three scalloped flowers I stamped from the So Many Scallops set by SU. I punched the centers out of the flowers (it says "Your So Sweet" inside the flower, but I didn't want to say that three times) and replaced it with a piece of the plaid designer paper. You can see what I mean by looking at the top flower on the card. See the plaid paper? I did the same with the middle and bottom flower, but eventually, covered up the plaid paper by adhering the other sentiments you see on the card. They are actually two different sentiments, from two different companies. The middle sentiment is actually PART of a sentiment. The full sentiment reads "Take Time to Laugh, it is the Music of the Soul" (by Stampabilities). I stamped out the sentiment onto a piece of white cardstock, and then using my 1-inch circle punch, positioned it over just the "Take Time To" part of it. I adhered it to the center of the flower using dimensional tape. The sentiment on the bottom flower comes from Papertrey's Mixed Messages set. I can't believe I was actually smart enough to combine the two sentiments to make an entirely NEW sentiment! I was on fire with this card:)!!!

The final touches on the card were the two ribbons, one orange organza and the other lime green polka dot organze. The other touch was the little orange and lime green butterfly I adhered on the top flower. Isn't it cute?

So much fun working with fun colors like these. I know these aren't colors for everyone. Using colors like orange and lime green (especially together) for some is akin to fingernails running down a chalkboard or scraping your teeth along the fork as you remove it from your mouth. For some, bright colors are that bad. But for me, I get energy from colors like this. I difinitely lean more toward the brights as opposed to the muted colors. I hope no one ran off screaming when they saw today's card! If you did, I hope you come back and give brights a try this week!

We've got Palm Sunday services at church today, and then an early BBQ with good friends. There's no school this week, it's Spring Break, so we don't have to be rushing home to get homework done before Monday rolls around. I can't eat after 830p tonight because I have to fast for 12 hours before I have some blood work done tomorrow morning. Remember my dr. appt last week with the new OB/GYN? He's running a gamut of tests to make sure the inner workings of my body are running correctly. I am hoping he tells me that my thyroid levels are all screwed and that explains my big weight gain over the past year. BUT, I'm fairly certain he's going to say the thyroid is ok and it's just the fact that I'm over 40 and female that's I've gained weight. It's at that point that I'm going to reach across the room and punch him in the nose because I hate hearing that weight gain is inevitable just because I'm a female and over 40. Anybody else out there with me? What curse do our men have just because they're male and over 40? I bet they never hear that!

I will be back tomorrow with a beautiful card I made to send to my SIL & BIL (my hubby's sister and her hubby), who received some very sad/scary/overwhelming news this past week. Suffice it to say, the Westerman family has been hard hit by tragedy this year. God must really think we're strong, because we keep getting dumped on, and He says He never gives us more than we can handle. We've had another hit to the solar plexis and are still reeling. But more on that tomorrow. If you can bear hearing more bad news from me, come back. If you can't, you might want to stay away. I don't want to be accused again by any annonymous commentors about being "too depressing and wallowing in my sorrows". Consider this your fair warning! LOL.

I just had to say that. I worry about sharing my feelings on my blog now for fear I'll be attacked again by someone who think my problems aren't nearly as bad as theirs. But then I tell myself, "hey, it's MY blog, I can't write what I want". But on the other hand, I know the depressing news all the time gets to be too much. So I am trying to weigh what I write more carefully, and word it more positively than I might have in the past. I don't know. It is what it is. We all know I wear my heart on my sleeve and that I don't hide my sadness well if I'm feeling it. Don't get me wrong. I am not a "sad" person by nature. Actually, I'm pretty happy most of the time! I just find it hard to put on a happy face for people when I'm not feeling happy. As I've said before, if something is causing me sadness in one part of my life, I can't pretend in all the other areas that everything is ok. If one part of my life is out of balance, it's all out of balance!

The good news is we WILL get through all of this heartache eventually. I know that. I don't think I've ever asked God "why me?" during all of this. I learned this year from a woman in my BSF group that the appropriate question should be "why NOT me?". She lost her 7 year old daughter this past summer, and that's what she says to herself. why NOT me? It puts a whole different perspective on self pity, doesn't it?


21 comments:

  1. Love that card - it's so bright & cheerful! Yes, your family has been through more than it's share of bad this year, but you've come through stronger than ever. (We can't grow on the mountaintops, that's what the valleys are for!) My goodness, that's a really faith-filled woman in your group! Sounds like she's found the ability to focus on God & not the problem. He always has a reason - sometimes we can see it later, sometimes it's not quite so obvious. (It's really wonderful how God puts ONE woman in my group every year whose life teaches me a lesson in faith!!!) Sounds like you have one too - just be sensitive to His leading - there are lots of good lessons there! Blessings to you!

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  2. Anonymous8:12 AM

    LOL!! I LOVE this card, Amy! (I love your style). I'm with you on the doctor stuff, girlfriends. Doctors started explaining away a 40 lb weight gain and lethargy when I was 26, saying it was due to age (say WHAT!!) and having a sedentary job (CPA). For FIVE years doctors told me this (I went to about four). Anyway...turns out there WAS something wrong with my thyroid!!!

    Good Luck!

    Hugs, Mary L.

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  3. Amy, this is such a HAPPY card! I love the colors and the layout is every bit as wonderful as what the *uber talented people* create!
    As far as your sharing tough times... well how else are we suppose to lift you up in prayer if you don't tell us you need us to?
    I love your creations!
    HB

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  4. Anonymous8:36 AM

    I love that card!!! :) It just jumped right out at me. LOOVE LOOVE LOOVE it!!! Please share any heartache you want to. It is your blog and to me, that is what it's for. PLUS, you need our prayers and like you said, if they don't want to hear they don't need to come and read it. LOL!!!! {{{{{BIG HUGS}}}}}
    Love,
    Beth

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  5. You did good, girl. Great card.

    And God doesn't think we're strong, but He knows that He is our strength and He is gracious. Prayers and hugs coming your way.

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  6. I LOVE this card, Amy. I just want to say that I totally love your style and your amazing cards. I'm new to stamping, card making, and creating with paper, stamps, and the like and I LOVE what you have to share. I also love that you are honest and share stories from your heart. I am enjoying your posts and all that you have to offer with regard to tips, hints, suggestions. Have an awesome week! ~~ Sue :o)

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  7. Love this card, Amy! Big Hugs :0)

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  8. Amy I think your card is GREAT! Oh how I adore those happy colors. yummy!!!!

    I am also thankful that your share your heart with us; I learn from you so often. I also find out I am not alone - or I feel validated. You see, I think we're the same age (I'll be 42 in July) and 2 years ago I jumped up 2 dress sizes in one year. I was hugly depressed and all the doc told me was that it was my age. Excuse me!!??? Bologna!!! Now I don't recommend this but I did take myself off all medications and continued to walk briskly every day, drank lots of water, ate smaller portions and prayed harder than ever and after one full year I lost 20 pounds. It was the hardest thing I've ever stuck with for sooooo long. It really took one full year to lose it!!! But I honestly believe the biggest problem was the chemicals I was putting in my body becuase I exercised like a crazy person and all the other stuff for many months and only kept gaining so long as I took those meds I supposedly needed. It really did not make a difference until I stopped the chemicals that had been prescribed to me by the docs. Oh and guess what - I take all natural vitamins and some herbs and I'm doing fine without those drugs.

    Now truly this is not for everyone but we have to really think about what we put into our mouths and how it effects our bodies in the long run.

    I for one will be back to be by your side when you share your other news. Good or bad, thick or thin (thighs and all) I love your blog and your heart. I am grateful for God being in your life and mine and that I found your blog as inspiration both in art and in Heart!!!!

    It's amazing to feel like we're such good friends when we've never met! (Even if the feeling is one sided!! Ha) When I started reading blogs I never knew it would lead to long distance friendships with various ladies spread across the USA. And it's those who share their hearts that seem to adore and respect the most!

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  9. I am so ready for spring! Love the colors in this card and those little flowers with fun centers are great!

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  10. Be YOURSELF. And continue to BE yourself. I don't think you sound sad or defeated. Don't make apologies or adjustments for the enemy. You DO let the light shine thru and that is ENCOURAGING to the rest of us who read your blog.
    You and your family are in my prayers. God never intended for us to carry the burdens alone. He provided His Spirit and Christian brothers and sisters. I know what it's like to have a rough year and feel like the weight of the world has been dumped on you. Be yourself. Share without intimidation. We got your back!

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  11. Great card! I may have to caes it!
    PLEASE, DO NOT LET anyone or anything, except the Lord, hinder you about what you post here!!! IT IS YOUR BLOG, IT DOES MINISTER TO US HUMANS OUT HERE, and you just never know how YOUR STRUGGLES will help someone else! KWIM? IF they don't like what you blog about they don't have to come here... GOD is your "leader", don't let the enemy of our souls dictate to you, thru anyone, what you write here! God honors truth, He does NOT honor falsehood... so your truth can help others and the enemy doesn't like that.
    AGAIN, KWIM? Be led by the Lord, not by fear. If they don't like it they don't have to read it!

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  12. Anonymous3:33 PM

    Amy:
    I enjoy reading your blog every day! Please don't change and don't worry about a random hater that found you. This, like everything else is in God's hands. By the way, it's no mistake that that people flock here to see what you do every day. Your work is awesome and so are you :0)

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  13. I love your card today. It's really happy and vibrant. I'm sorry that your family was hit by more bad news.

    I agree, it's your blog and you can share whatever you want. Also, you can turn off anonymous comments on blogger. That might help ileminate the sissies who leave rude comments.

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  14. amy--consider that card CASE'd, girl! it's a great use of the scallop punch and that cute SAB flower! why don't i ever think of these things!

    i choose to come to your blog because you share from your heart, and i love that you invite people into your life to walk with you through it...the good, the bad, and the ugly. i wish we were neighbors!

    i'll be back tomorrow...hugs from GA!

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  15. Beautiful card..love the flowers on the side. Just wonderful design!

    Hugs--still praying hard for you. Hopefully really good times are coming soon.

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  16. I love this card!!! Great for spring :)

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  17. First off, I love this very happy card! And, DON'T change! Don't let some insensitive person make you think something you are not. I have never felt that you are a sad person. Quite the opposite really. You have been hit with a lot, and if writing on the blog helps and we can give you some words of encouragement out here.....then it is worth it. You are always in my thoughts and prayers.....

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  18. I love your card , I think it's really cute ! Big Hugs to you and your family and praying things will get better very soon !

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  19. Okay, I have to weigh in on the whole "edit my blog so I am not offending anyone" issue.

    I am a longtime lurking reader and love your work and greatly admire you.

    Please take all your feelings about needing to edit your blog so not to be offensive and throw them out the window. You are right, it is YOUR blog and if we don't want to read what you have to say, we don't have to log on to your site.

    Yes, some of your news is depressing but it is SO countered by your inspirational attitude and positive outlook on life. I am honored that you share so much of your personal feelings and experiences with us. I don't know you but somehow I'll feel a kinship with you.

    Okay, I'll get off my soapbox and go back to lurkdom. Best Wishes and Much Love to you and your family. Jann

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  20. Wow! This card is so fresh and springy! I love it!
    I hope your family gets some uplifting news soon. Like you said...it is your blog...so you blog what you want!!

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  21. AAaaaaaaaaah! I love it! It's so bright and cheerful and PRETTY!

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