Masculine Bday Card

I was in the mood to try out my brand new stamp. I just picked it up from Joanne Fabrics on Sunday. Then I saw Stampin B's challenge 103 to make a masculine card. http://stampinbsdesignteam.blogspot.com/

I had a good idea of what I wanted to do with the stamp. I definitely wanted two-toned blue. I tried lighter blues but they just weren't showing up, so then I stamped tempting turquoise then used my brillian blue marker to outline the guests, balloons and candles. I used summer sun and pumpkin pie for the flames on the candles. It took 6 attempts to get the image right. I always ended up with partial images.

So then I had to come up with a layout. I didn't really know what to do, so I went to Pricillastyles and checked out their layout for the week. It seemed pretty good, so I decided to try it. http://priscillastyles.blogspot.com/ This is challenge MMSC97.

After I found the layout, I decided to use my nesties. I mounted my image on tempting turquoise, then backed it up with garden green. The layer on the base is vanilla. I used one of my new cb folders and dry embossed the image in the background for texture. I then mounted my card on my bashful blue base. Thanks for looking and have a great day! :)

Has it been that long?

Wow, I can't believe I haven't posted anything to this blog since October of last year! That just amazes me!!!

Life is good! I am very happy in life. I still don't have much of anything. The snowstorms we have been having have been wreaking havock on my arms, but I am determined not to let that get me down. I spent far too long dwelling on the bad stuff. "Oh, whoa is me!" Yea! Enough of that! Been there, done that! NO MORE!!! Life is too short to dwell on the bad stuff. It is time to focus on the good stuff, like God and family.

I am in such a good place now that I got God back into my life. I swear, I am totally a new person. I spend much of my time in God's word (The Bible), it really has changed me.

I recently saw a very good friend of mine. She has diabetes, rhuemetoid arthritis, carpal tunnel and no insurance. She is in a very bad place. She cracked a beer open at 12 in the afternoon. I'm afraid she is heading towards alcoholism, if she isn't already there. But something struck a chord in me. I looked at her, and I actually saw me. I saw the person I use to be. She is letting her circumstanes kick her down a very dark path. It truly saddens me. We went out, and she was just plain nasty to me. In reflection, I realized that was who I once was. Because of my arms being such an issue, not working for years, and being in a bad marraige, I was a miserable B! I got drunk, and I got nasty!

I realized that because of my circumstances, alcohol intensified all the bad things in my life. That is exactly what is happening with my friend. I need to have a heart to heart with her. I've been down that road, and it isn't pretty.

I didn't drink for 40 days, because I was using wine as a stress reliever and I wanted to stop it before it became a problem. Then I had a glass of wine with dinner at a friends, then last weekend I had two over the course of 4 hours, just relaxing. Then Sunday came. Daytona 500. I was with my friend that I mentioned above. I had a few too many glasses of wine. NOT GOOD!

I realized this is not what I want out of life. Why on earth am I drinking in bars? Granted it was Daytona 500, and it was a party, but it is not what I want out of life. I don't like being in a fog like that. That lifestyle of bars, and partying, is not me anymore. I'm not a kid. I'm a parent. What is the purpose? To get drunk! Who needs that?! I certainly don't! You are not going to meet a nice guy in a bar. I've changed. I am a different person. I am proud of who I have become, and who I am changing into on a daily basis.

I'm not sick anymore. I'm not depressed. I am happy. I feel like I have so much to give in this world, so much love, peace, joy and happiness. I love life. I don't need to drink for happiness, and I feel sorry for the people that feel they need to drink to find it. It will never happen. It will just suck you into darkness even more.

Live life! Be Happy! Don't let your circumstances get the best of you. Overcome them with determination and self-preservation. We all go thru junk in our lives. It is how we choose to deal with it which determines whether we will survive it or not. Strive to be a better person. Choose the right path. Live life!

Here are some cards I've made recently: