Asian Art

Well, I am another year older today! Birthdays are such blessings and I am very grateful for my life, my family, my friends, my crafting buddies, my colleagues and my job. Someone up in Heaven must love me, because no matter where I look, I only see blessings. It has not always been the case and I always try to remind myself how far I've come. It keeps me grounded. I sent my last batch of Christmas cards yesterday. What an achievement! I handmade each and every single card and took the time to handwrite the inside and the addresses on the envelopes. Doing this every year is a gift for myself more than those people I send them to. It's my way of doing something that brings me joy.

My 13 year old car has been acting up on me recently. My very impatient husband tells me to get rid of it and buy a new one. I am very attached to this car. I pretty much transported my kids in it most of their lives and we've driven it from Alaska to California. We've taken it to many family vacations and it's been such a constant thing in my life all these many years. The car is fine. It takes me safely to where I need to go and back home. Surely, it requires repair and a check-up more frequent than a newer vehicle would. So what - it's old and just needs a little more TLC, but overall, it works more often than not. I feel like I can relate to it, you know. As I am getting older myself, I am so amazed at how quickly this whole "aging" occurred. It does not even seem like a process. One day I was a boy crazy teenager, then all of a sudden I am a woman in her mid-forties. Sometimes I even doubt the clarity of my memory. You know like when I think of my younger years, it feels like I am thinking of an entirely different person. I'd talk to friends from my "younger life" who never fail to remind me about the wild things I used to pull, and I'd just shake my head because the person I am now would never do those things. Perhaps, that is why I made sure to put my life in order, to prove that my past does not determine my future. My life is beautiful and it turned out so much better than I hoped for. So, happy birthday to older and wiser little ol' me.

Card Recipe

Stamp Set: Asian Art
Paper: Card stocks in Real Red and Basic Black'
Ink: Encore Ultimate Metallic in Gold
Tools & Accessories: Heat Tool, Embossing Powder in Gold, Round Punch

Well, this is all I have to share for today. I've always loved this stamp set from years ago. I guess aside from anything vintage looking, I also like Asian themed anything. I wish Stampin' Up! carries more stamp sets like they used to. This card was very easy to make and required so few materials. Embossing can dress-up any card and make it really nice.