Handmade Christmas

Christmas is quickly approaching and I am beyond excited for it! This year we have decided to give handmade. So my hands have been busy at work! My Mother in Law, loves Christmas, and sending Christmas cards. She even sends out an annual Christmas letter catching everyone up on what's new with all of the Carman's. So as part as her gift from us, I handmade her Christmas Cards, and am thrilled with how it turned out.

I started with just plain white cards.

Then I used a Martha Stewart punch across the top of the card.

Then I added some navy blue paper to the remaining outer portion of my cards.

Then I stamped my card with silver pigment ink. I used pigment ink because parts of the card are embossed. I purchased all of the stamps used at Michael's. I also added a single pearl in the middle of the Christmas star.

 I used royal blue pigment ink on the inside of the card. I used clear embossing powder and an embossing heated hand held tool. 

I hope that you have enjoyed a glimpse of what my hands have been busy at work doing! Come back and check in for more handmade Christmas projects!

Life Happens

 I have spent the last month or two dealing with changes and the realities of life...not the most fun things. My father-in-law suffered from a stroke the first week in August,it wasn't his first, but it was the first since I've ever been with my husband, it was the first time that I was confronted with his age. I was reminded that each day is not guaranteed, that our children might never meet him, and that there is a great possibility that my husband could loose his father in his early 20's. My heart is broken, just thinking and processing all of these new realities. We now have a go bag packed so that we can leave at the drop of a hat to head to Texas, money put aside for emergency airfare. I never thought that I would be 21 and preparing for things this severe. When the time does come, how am I supposed to be there for my husband, how can I prepare for this? There simply is nothing that I can do to ease this, make his Dad younger healthier, or love longer. That is a hard truth that I have had to come to terms with. I know that none of us is guaranteed tomorrow, but there is just an awareness and realness that happens after someone you love has a stroke.  I have struggled with this for the past two months and am just now settling back into life. I have to trust God and his timing. Something that is so simple has been so hard for me. I have got to stop thinking of everything that could happen and enjoy each day.
 I said all of that to say that my normal blogging and crafting is in full force and I will be back up and running. You can expect to see lots of handmade gifts as I am gearing up for Christmas! I really look forward to getting back to blogging and hope that you guys enjoy reading what's to come as much as I enjoy writing and doing it!