Just when you want to say "hi" to your BFFs

Some of my best female friends and family members live hither and yon, scattered like the amazing, bright, talented and vivacious leaves in the wind that they are.

I rarely get a chance to connect with them in a meaningful way - Facebook is the general tidbits of daily life; phone is rare due to my schedule; and visits even rarer, but good quality time to reconnect.

I wanted to create some cards that are personal reflections of my love for them.

Here are a few - though one I sent out recently before I took pictures of my creations, was one of the most detailed and beautiful crafted I have done...but only she has it now....

Enjoy my wild women, who I am proud to call my friends!

When you say you love me.....

I don't know how much money i spend every year on store bought cards for Valentines and birthdays. 

While some of the cards can take a long time to make, others just flow quickly when you have the right mix of colours, papers and accessories - and energy - to put them together.

My son said he likes the black and grey cards: a manly approach to love, and not so mushy.  Well said for a tween, who is finding a voice and style to express his budding hormones to his little girlfriends at school.  Perhaps he can help me design the preteen Valentines cards for school, so they move beyond trucks and Justin Bieber paper cards, to something small, respectful and classic-looking.

When you have Frank Sinatra playing, a glass of nice vino and candles too, well, it's a recipe for love.

Halloween - my favourite "holiday"

It's always a busy time of the year for our family, the few weeks leading up to Halloween.  Hubby creates a whole stage set inside the garage, and we decorate it for the impending ghouls and goblins of the neighbourhood.  We didn't do much last year, due to our hectic schedules, and heard it loudly and clearly from the neighbours...they expected more because of what we do every year.

Well!  We'll have to step it up this year.

Instead, I took some time and created cards for my friends and family, to celebrate the season.

They are safely stored until the week before Halloween, when I'll send them out and spook them via mail.

BOO!

It just started because...

I started to feel like a hoarder.  All of these great papers, brads, ribbons and spray paint...what else could I do?

After learning the tips and tricks of scrapbooking, I was feeling a little spent of inspiration for the traditional 12 x 12 scrapbook layouts.  I picked up a cardmaking magazine and I was hooked.

I'm still practicing.  Making cards by the moundful, but I'm really enjoying it.  The immediacy (for some cards); the beauty of the intricacy of others.

I'm looking forward to sending them to friends and family for all the special occasions throughout the year.

More pictures to come soon - of all the birthday and Halloween cards I've done.

What's on deck?  Lots.  I'm finishing about 10 for a theme I'm calling "Lovingyouiam."  I'll post the series when it's done.

What kind of cards do you like to send?

Stay tuned.