Sunday, October 25, 2009

Home is where the heart is....

Hello there! Long time no see, huh?! I have been running around like that proverbial chicken.....still! There was lots of company last month, a kidlet birthday that actually stretched three weeks into this month, a four day scrapbook retreat which takes a couple of days to pack for, two or three times that to unpack (I write this as we are still tripping over my dozen plus bags in our entry way), and a couple of weeks to recover from the uber late nights! We also had the usuals, school, homework, art projects, games, playdates, and the typical daily stuff. And one of my best friends unexpectedly lost her father.

I've been in shock since receiving the news and can only imagine her and her mother's grief. They were an extremely tight family and loved each other so much. We said good-bye to this wonderful man on Friday night. My friend asked us to hug our loved ones and enjoy them for whatever time we do have with them. She also asked and hoped that whatever we learned from her father, we take out into the rest of our worlds. He was an optimist, a problem solver, warm, loving, and opened his home and heart so willingly. And his whole family makes me smile!

Hmmmmm..........I suppose I've surprised myself as this is not where I was going to go with this post. But, because I think so much of this man and his wife and daughter, my friend, I am going to leave this in here.

And just so you do not think I have completely abandoned creative pursuits, including card making, I'll share a card with you as well. There are four of us best friends and I made this card for another gal in this group, my best friend that I met over twenty years ago.

My apologies for the shadows. I did not realize they were so strong when I took the pic and I have already given her the card and cannot retake the pic. I stamped images from PTI's Boards & Beams. The small topiary trees, I colored with Prismacolor colored pencils and then cut out with a craft knife. I stamped the house twice and cut the windows out on one of the images with a craft knife as well. I then layered the cut house on top of the uncut house with foam tape for depth. I wanted you to be able to look inside the windows. And as I have discovered many times now, I seem to like the graphic look of stamped images uncolored.

Here you can see those layers a bit better. I layered all of the pieces on a Kraft base, stamped the first half of the sentiment on the bottom, and added a Sweet Blush satin bow. On the inside, I stamped and punched out a heart from PTI's Heart Prints and stamped the othe half of the sentiment from Boards & Beams.


I chose to share this card today because the sentiment rings so true. My friend's parents built their last two homes and chose every detail, but it was the people inside that made them homes that they relished being in.

My own home definitely needs updates, new carpet, a redone kitchen, and some pruning in our yards. But, it is my family that lives inside these walls with me that warms my heart, makes me smile, share hugs with, laughter, and even tears that make my life what it is. And today, I am choosing to smile as football is on the tube, my daughter playing in imagination land under the dining table, my son yelling out at the top of his lungs for every touchdown, Hubby enjoying his first real down time day in over two weeks, and me, in the middle of all of them and finally checking back in with all of you! :> What are you smiling about today?

Supplies:
Cardstock: Stampers Select White, Kraft - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Onyx, Sepia - Versafine
Stamps: Heart Prints, Boards & Beams - Papertrey Ink
Ribbon: Sweet Blush Satin - Papertrey Ink
Punch: Small heart - EK Success (from PTI)
Other: Craft knife & Prismacolor Colored Pencils

16 comments:

  1. BOY DO I HEAR YOU! Life gets crazy busy! Sorry to hear about your friends father, my thoughts and prayers are with her!!

    Love your card...it's gorgeous!!

    Thanks for your sweet comments,I truly appreciate your time and for stopping by....nice to see you back!

    Love and hugs,
    Karyn

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  2. Sorry to hear about your friend's father but equally I'm so glad to hear from you and see that you are all well!
    Btw, wonderful card, Karen! Don't worry about the strong shaddows for it means there must have been strong sunshine, too :-)

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  3. I love your card!!! I like it on the craft cardstock..it somehow makes it feel homey. I'm sorry about the loss of your friends Father, he sounds like a great man.
    hugs

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  4. i am smiling today because you are back!!!! missed you. and i LOVE this card. good for you for getting to go on a scrapbook retreat. I am going on one in about two weeks. LOVE that time with scrappy friends. glad all is well in your household. see you soon.

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  5. Hi Karen, It's good to see you back. I love your card. So sorry to hear about your friends loss.

    ((hugs)),
    Mickey

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  6. this is stunning Karen! Love the intricate cutting. I'm sad to hear of your friend's loss, I'm glad you could be there for her.

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  7. What a great post Karen! I feel the same way about my house and sometimes get too caught up in thinking about what needs to be done. Thanks for reminding me to just enjoy the people who live inside with me! :) So sorry about your friends dad!! I am hoping it wasn't a friend that I know of yours! Your card is great and I am glad to see that you are still taking some time to create and go to fun crafting weekends!

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  8. Hi, Karen! Beautiful card. You did a great job coloring such delicate images. And I love that fabulous pink bow!

    Sorry to hear about the loss of your friend's father. A big reminder to the rest of us to hug our loved ones.

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  9. this is so pretty, I love the way you've done this

    Victoria
    x

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  10. Thank you for your sweet comment on my blog! That really means a lot to me!

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  11. I, my friend, am smiling about you...about your warm, engaging spirit..about your zest for life and your ability to make me enjoy mine all the more. You, my dear, dear friend are a treasure. I cannot recall how we came to find each other in this vast world of cyber space, but I am forever grateful that we did.

    You made me smile and even shed a tiny tear when I read your recent comments on my blog...and, well, I giggled a few times too. But after reading this my heart is heavy for your friend's loss but lighten by the beauty of you. Hugs and more hugs, L

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  12. So happy you have reemerged! We have lots to catch up on ;) Your card looks great - and I like the shadows because they show the dimension of the piece. It reminds me of the painted ladies on San Francisco ;) Very chic!

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  13. I'm sorry to hear about your friend's father! That is so so hard. I can't even let myself put myself in her shoes. I'm sure she is glad to have great friends around her.

    Love your card too. I recently borrowed this set from Kelley to use! It's so cute.

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  14. HUgs to your friend Karen! It's so hard to lose a parent.

    But let's talk smiles huh? YOUR CARD is making me smile! It is adorable with the lovely tailored bow and meticulous detail cutting. I am sure your friend loved this.

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  15. I am smiling because you are so sweet to post in the middle of all you have going on right now! Your card is adorable. Hugs to you and your friends. It is never easy to lose a loved one.

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