Who needs Hallmark anyways?....

......evidently NOT the Hallmark lady that merchandises my Safeway store! She had asked me to make a card for her for her grand-daughter. Ha ha! How's that for irony?!

I had always seen Lola coming in my store, and I had asked her what she does with all the cards that she takes off the shelf. She replied that she has to throw them away! What?! That's silly! So I asked her if Hallmark is willing to donate them. Since I work with multiple non-profit groups, I thought this would be a great use for the cards. She's still looking into it, but she did give me all the extra envelopes she had! Whoo-hoo! As us card makers know, envelopes can get pricey, so that helped out a lot. She gave me more then next time I saw her that I gave to one of my groups.

As a thank you, I brought in a set of my handmade cards. I guess she liked them well enough that she wanted to hire me for her grand-daughter's card! Her grand-daughter, ASHLEY--not "Angela" as I put on the card! Good thing I fixed it before I gave it to her! I don't know why I had "Angela" stuck in my head--has leukemia and has been in the hospital for the last few weeks for more treatment. She's going to miss her senior year of high school. :(

To make things happy and cheerful, Lola wanted me to make a card that fits Hallmarks biggest envelope (11.5x11.5) and use monkeys, which are Ashley's favorite. I was also informed she's NOT a pink girl. OK, done. I didn't really have a good money stamp, but I did have some of the Animal Cookies dp with a money on it. So I scanned it to my computer and enlarged the image and printed it on cs. Ta-da! Instant monkey cut-out! I though it would be fun to make this a swinger card, so when you shake it, the monkey swings back and forth! I hope she loves it and that it's not to childish for her.

Materials: All CTMH. Colonial white, goldrush, ocean and chocolate cs, Animal Cookies dp, Treasure Life ss, Friendship Alpha ss, Boutique Alpha ss, Intrinsic Backgrounds ss, Serendipity ss, chocolate brads, goldrush, chocolate, sweet leaf, and ocean inks, pop-dots, sanding kit.

Other: Cuttlebug swiss dot folder, SEI ribbon, chipboard. The dot paper is actually the back side of an invitation to a barbeque I saved because I loved the paper. Going green!

For all the Ladies...

Since my computer has been a time-sucking evil life force lately, I haven't made anything.

I'm also preparing for a BIG scrapbooking class next week for the Job's Daughters' annual Grand Session in Wenatchee. It's when all the Jobie girls of the state get together and have fun along with competitions and meetings. I'm doing two scrapbooking classes to teach the girls the basics and also some cool techiniques. It's estimated for 100 girls per class. Yikes!

Grand Session is also when my Dad steps down as state office for the next year's team to move in. My little brother is even flying in from TN for the event.

So anyways.....back to the point of my post today. My good friend Becky sent me this today, and I wanted to share it with all of you to remind you that "You're worth it"!!

One Flaw In Women

Women have strengths that amaze men.

They bear hardships and they carry burdens,

but they hold happiness, love and joy.

They smile when they want to scream.

They sing when they want to cry.

They cry when they are happy

and laugh when they are nervous.

They fight for what they believe in.

They stand up to injustice.

They don't take "no" for an answer

when they believe there is a better solution.

They go without so their family can have.

They go to the doctor with a frightened friend.

They love unconditionally.

They cry when their children excel

and cheer when their friends get awards.

They are happy when they hear about

a birth or a wedding.

Their hearts break when a friend dies.

They grieve at the loss of a family member,

yet they are strong when they

think there is no strength left.

They know that a hug and a kiss

can heal a broken heart.

Women come in all shapes, sizes and colors.

They'll drive, fly, walk, run or e-mail you

to show how much they care about you.

The heart of a woman is what

makes the world keep turning.

They bring joy, hope and love.

They have compassion and ideas.

They give moral support to their family and friends.

Women have vital things to say

and everything to give.

HOWEVER, IF THERE IS ONE FLAW IN WOMEN,

IT IS THAT THEY FORGET THEIR WORTH.