Stop the madness!

Today we took a break from the craziness of the holidays. Christine and Kelly made tons of their Christmas cards, Sue finished her project, and I'm still working on mine. No surprise there! Kelly inspired me to make a card with Baja Breeze and Very Vanilla.. you'll have to check back to see it. Christine had the Punch Pals set, and I was jealous because I just love that penguin!! And not to mention the Short and Sweet set.. how have I missed that one? Thank you ladies for the inspiration! - and pleasure of your company!
The teenagers were in and out, and I even heard some studying going on (shhhhh!). The dogs and cat were relatively well behaved - Bella was Bella of course. All-in-all it was a wonderful day. I enjoy the get togethers and meeting new people, and enjoying a little relaxing time doing something we all enjoy.
So next time you see a Come On Over! event, please join us. I have no doubt you'll enjoy yourself.

Snow... Snow... Snow!

and embossing...
We had our first snow this morning. It was only about an inch but it was pretty and white. So when I finally had time to do some stamping, embossing snow just seemed to feel right. This card was cased from "card crazy" on Splitcoaststampers with a little of my own sparkle added. It was a bit labor intensive, but it was just what I needed this weekend.
With the economy as bad as it is, how can you help make some changes in your finances and lifestyle? As I watch my daughter learn about money management, especially emergency spending, saving for special occasions like birthdays and Christmas, I realize how much I need to go back to a simpler time. So we'll be making some gifts this year, and planning better for next year.
Stamping is so versatile, this new passion of mine will lend itself well to this downturn economy and change in focus to handmade, sentimental, and elegant gifts. It gives me another reason to explore new techniques and try new things.
I hope you'll come along for the ride!