Christmas Swap

I usually dont post swap cards on my blog but since that's all I've been working on for 3 days now its all I have to post!LOL!

Okay I know this card is super simple and its usually not something I would turn in for a swap but let me tell you a little story.....I love to stamp but I have learned from the past few days I dont like to stamp for mass production. I get bored too easily!LOL! Stamping and coloring the same image over and over.....and over! I had to make 13 of these cards but I tell you it felt like 100. Things have been on the normal crazy side at home. Class programs, Dr. appointments, etc. All 3 of my kids were sick and now have gotten me and Danny sick. Okay back to the card now...I felt very bad when I sat down to do these swaps and I had to do them b/c they were due this week. I knew I wanted to do a square card b/c I was out of all other envelopes. So I cut my first card and put it together to make my template. The card was 4 3/4 sq. Now that I had my template made I got started on the other 12 cards. So I cut my card bases 4 3/4 x 9. Now if you are a match whiz you may have already realized my dilemma.LOL! I however at the time couldnt add! So I now have 12 card bases cut to 4 3/4 x 9. I start to score all my cards now. OOPPPSSS! I scored my first card at 4 3/4 and realized it didnt match up. CRAPPPP!!!!! So I start on damage control. I cut the card to 4 1/4 x 8 1/2. Well I cant make anything simple I could have just cut the card to 4 1/2 and left it alone and it would have been sq but did I realize that before already cutting half the cards to 4 1/4 x 8 1/2. NNNOOOO!!! After I finally had all the cards cut to the right size I punched out my scallops and used my fiskars to cut the circles. I stamped the Gina K Sandy claws image on the circle and the sentiment on the base of the card. I needed some type of embelishment for the card and decided on ribbon. Well I usually make cards with more layers than this card so my ribbon to where its hidden behind the layer instead of being on the back of the card and couldnt on this card so I cut it to 4 1/4". I tried to line the ribbon up with the edge of the card which turned out to be harder than I thought on this particular day. I finally put everything down for the day and went back the next day to color the images and assemble the card. I used my prismacolor pencils to color the image and blended w/gamsol. I added Tulip puffy paint in diamond to all the white areas of the image so it has some dimension and sparkle. FINALLY!! Almost done so I go grab my envelopes (that I should have done beforehand but oh well!!) I realize my envelopes are the large envelopes so now I have this little 4 1/4" sq. card in a 6 1/2" envelope!GRREEAATT!!! But at this point I didnt care! I just put them together and hope everyone likes the card.

Hope youre having better stamping days than I am!!! Hopefully I'll be back tommorrow with something that doesnt require a book to explain!LOL! Please keep Madison in your thoughts and prayers tommorrow. We are going for a renal ultrasound and praying my kidney problems have not been passed on to her.