how do you comfort a friend?

i don't have a lot of experience with loss, and frankly, i don't want to. however, since i have no experience, how do i help a friend who is experiencing it? i feel like there are egg shells all around me, if i make the wrong move... CRACK!
bottom line, i just want my friend to know that i care about her and will do whatever i can to make the hurt go away. i hope this card helps.
i got the inspiration for this card from shannon E on SCS. i used a full sized 5x7 white card base. top of card background is stamped with multiple stamps. small flower is from the SU set "delight in life" (sell-a-bration 2007) and i colored them with water color pencils; vines are from different $1 michaels sets; main flowers are from the SU set "happy harmony" (sell-a-bration 2007) and are clear embossed. bottom paper is from that huge 'unknow' pile and is embossed with my swirly cuttlebug folder, then sanded. i don't have the inverted corner rounder, so i used my little circle punch and punched only part of the circle on the edges of the white (w/ ink distressed so saffron). sanded some brads to put on the LLace cardstock (also ink distressed). ribbon is $1 michaels ribbon, can't remember where i got the swirly paperclip. it all came together so nicely!
if she smiles and understands that i don't have the right words but wish i did, it's a step. she will always have my ear, friendship, and shoulder.

big 'ol happy flower

this is what came out of me when i was attempting challenge #77 at ASB. i will have to do another as this is not what the sketch called for, oh darn it! more time for me! i am so hurt!
the flower stamp is "big blossom" from SU sell-a-bration 2007, and "happy" is from the SU set "happy everything". used black SU CS for CB (did ya get that?), PIPink is under that, and the colored block paper is from the infamous "i don't know" pile. huge pink button is from a jar of buttons that i found at a thrift store (what a great buy that was!). stamped sentiment in versamark then used both 'snowdrift' embossing powder and 'royal blue ultra fine glitter' mixed together and heat set.

asb sketch challenge 78

here is my take on this weeks (last weeks) sketch challenge on ASB, #78. stamps are SU ("delight in life", sell-a-bration 2007). used my swirly cuttlebug embossing die on the flowered paper (no idea, it's from that "no idea" pile that we love & hate all at once), then sanded it so the embossing would show up better. used those scalloped decorative scissors from 1997 (just kidding, it's a challenge on another site to use those things that you used to, but don't anymore, so i immediately thought of those). CS is all SU, used OOlive, CChip, and WWhite. inks are SU, used TWTeal and PIPink. took the plastic bottom off my SU corner rounder to create the edging on the card. ribbons are michaels (i think).
this was a fun challenge, i like the sketch challenges the most!

i'm so sorry

i don't think i've ever done a sympathy card. when i was looking around for some inspiration today, i spent quite awhile at ashleys gallery and her "pretty pink wishes" is the card that i cased. hers looks better than mine, but it got my juices flowing. thanks ashley!
i used my TAC for the big swirls on the BG (did in old olive), the flower on BG (pretty in pink), and the little swirl on BG (so saffron). ink distressed edge of WWhite CS w/ OOlive & CChip. flower is from SU "delight in life" (sell-a-bration 2007), leaves are from retired SU "mixed bouquet", and sentiment is from retired hostess SU set "warmest regards".
used michaels cheap pink ribbon and a silver brad. flower & leaves are on CS w/ dimensionals so they 'pop' out.
well, i hope that i never have to give this card out, but if i do,
hopefully it will brighten someones day.
have a great one!

bonjour!

since my "french flair" and "carte postale" sets are regulars now, i figure i had better get to using them! what i love about this card is its simplicity. i love these colors together, i love ink distressing, and the highlighted flairs (SU white gel pen) are just gorgeous! all inks and CS are SU. think i'll demo this at my next workshop...

window card

i have an upcoming workshop and am finding it difficult to get set up. i have not yet received my first order out of the new 2007-2008 SU catalog so i can only use sets that did not retire.
-first off, let me just say how excited and disappointed i am in the sets that made it through to the current catalog. "doodle this", "polka dots & paisley", "polka dots & petals" (all from spring mini 2007), "carte postale", "french flair", "snow flurries" (all from winter mini 2006-2007) are all great sets and i am glad they made it to the current catty. HOWEVER, "love matters", "jolly holiday", "small sayings", and "trees three" (all from winter mini 2006-2007) are all great sets and i don't want to part with them! since i can only demo current sets i have put many of my retired sets on ebay so DH doesn't yell at me for buying new stamps. but these sets are so great!
-anywho, back to the card at hand. stamps sets used are "doodle this" and "happy everything". since i have an abundance of CChip and bashful blue CS, i decided to use those, used black stazon, bashful blue & ballet blue inks, & used coluzzle system to cut the circle window. colored image with watercolor pencils, you can't really see it in the photo, but dazzling diamonds help the flower 'shine'. CChip grosgrain is the final touch!
i am looking for a bold image to do a scented card next...... wish me luck!

moms birthday

my family always combines celebrations. my aunts birthday, my birthday, my grandmothers birthday, and my youngest daughters birthday are all celebrated with easter. my moms birthday is always celebrated with 4th of july and this year was no different.
made this card using my "you're neat" SU set. just something colorful and fun. cardstock is all SU, patterned paper is from my stack of unknown papers. colored the image using colored pencils and added sparkles with my sakura gelly pens. that's not ribbon, that's raffia!