I am Up and Running....

This was a happy hectic weekend ...with a relaxing Saturday being bookended between my daughter's wonderful Sweet 16 Party on Friday night...and my website (The Card Galleria) finally becoming a reality tonight!!
The web address is: www.thecardgalleria.com

In coming weeks I'll be adding more photos and other items... what you see today is my "start"....

I'll share a few photos of my daughter's party later this week..but for now can share the link to my website...which has a page for the  Gentle Mother and Calf card posted here again today.

Part of the purchase price of a boxed set of this card will be donated to The Elephant Sanctuary in support of my friend John and his dedication to these beautiful animals.

If you visit The Card Galleria HERE you can read all about The Elephant Sanctuary.....

Something for Someone Who is Dedicated to a (Very)Good Cause

My friend John is a Vet...and very passionate in his efforts focused on stopping the mistreatment of circus elephants....organizing protests...meetings with community leaders..and other individuals whom he hopes to engage in support of his dedication to bringing to light the ongoing mistreatment of circus elephants..and implementing changes that hopefully will bring positive change to how these beautiful animals are treated.....handled and used.

I wanted to make a set of note cards for him and so a while back I searched around for a stamp that would be reflective of these beautiful animals....and somehow portray their (natural) beauty...and convey a feeling of peace and tranquility...

In my search I came across every imaginable image of elephants (who knew there were SO many elephant stamps out there!)...but as soon as I saw this one...I knew it was the right one.

I love the image of mother and baby...and their trunks touching....I think it definitely captures and portrays the feeling that I had hoped to capture..and the combination of the cocoa..black and vanilla card stock seemed like a perfect fit..especially with using the Distressed Vintage Photo ink for the image itself......

With this being a set of cards for a guy....I kept the look clean...and simple...and in the end..I was very happy with how they turned out... (I hope he is too!)

I am Still Here....

Hi Everyone..

I am still here...not much creating has been going on...so my poor Blog has been VERY neglected...
actually..it's more like it was "abandoned"...temporarily...

I spent the first 2 1/2 weeks of December in bed with the flu..and then 3 more weeks out of bed..but housebound...feeling "not too great"....Gary and Chelsea stepped in and kept things going and i give each of them an A+++...and am grateful for their willingness to do their best at keeping up on things while I was in bed..so December is a big blur to me..with 5 weeks of being home..going nowhere and not doing a thing. (no cards...no housework...no big hullabaloo for Christmas here at our house..NOTHING)...(I did venture out one Day mid December thinking I was feeling okay....and did a Cards Only Daytime Workshop for 3 hours..but realized at the end of the day that opting to do that was a BIG mistake...and so back to bed I went for another week...

Finally last week..I realized that I am feeling a little bit more like my usual self..and have started to get back to normal..

I had my first all day monthly workshop of this new year on Saturday (had to cancel December)..and it felt SO good to be back in the creative mode...

Now I am anxious to start digging thru some of the things that I had ordered in December...while home sick.. I have unopened boxes here filled with lots of goodies..everything from 2 HUGE SU orders...to dies..nesties..stamps..card stock..gorgeous paper..lots of BG 6 x 6 pads...embellishments... a great order of Ornare piercing templates... copics...and lots more that I can't even remember...

I'll feel like its Christmas all over again when I finally open everything up...and have time to try things out...

..I hope that this fresh New Year brings only good and wonderful things to you...and I'll look forward to sharing some creativity with you here on my Blog....and to get back to visiting each of your blogs...

PS..the card pictured here is a simple very basic card that we made at the Monthly Cards Only Workshop this past weekend...this was the basic card..and then variations were made starting with this fold and basic sketch