Thanks So Much to Pat, Lisa, and Charlotte!

Pat, Lisa, and Charlotte sent cards for Karen’s card shop, and I’m both thrilled and impressed! What kindness and generosity these ladies have shown. I’ve already got them packaged and ready to take to church!

We still need more birthday, sympathy, and thinking of you cards…if you have them to spare and are willing to share!

Today’s card—a masculine birthday card—made me so happy when it came together!

The background stamps are from Simon Says Stamp, the sentiment is from Papertrey, and the row of hearts is from Hero Arts. The dark red and warm gray inks are from Simon Says. I added small gray rhinestones to the dots that appear between the hearts on the border stamp. The result is simple and chic!

That’s all I have to say about stamping at the moment.

Mercy, grace, peace, and love,

Susan 

A Birthday Card Emergency

Two weeks ago, I restocked Karen’s Card shop and encountered an emergency! Hardly any birthday cards! How did that happen!

And then I went on a cruise to the Bahamas with my friend and fellow breast cancer survivor Kim, and forgot all about it. 

I can’t remember what alcohol was in that fancy chocolate drink, but it was delicious!

‘80s Dance Party

But then I returned from paradise, restocked the store again, and was reminded how low we are on birthday cards, sympathy cards, and get well cards.

This basket used to be all birthday. 

So I got busy. The first card was made with a Gina K posey set and colored with metallic watercolors. Very shimmery!

The second card was made with a small Hero Arts set from probably 10 years ago. The colors make me so happy!

If you would like to help out with this birthday card emergency—or if you can help with sympathy, get well, and thinking of you cards—shoot me an email at susanraihala at roadrunner dot com. I’ll send you my snail mail address. 

I get so much positive feedback from the shop. People love the cards, and they love having a variety to choose from. My cards generally look like I made them, and that limits the variety. When I tell people who sends the cards—people from all over the U.S.—they are amazed and grateful. And so am I.

If you donate, please remember to leave the insides blank since buyers can’t open the cello bags before buying. Also, I provide the envelopes, so unless you get fancy and stamp coordinating envelopes, don’t worry about sending envelopes. 

And thank you in advance. Stampers are the best!

Mercy, grace, peace, and love,

Susan

Happy New Year

The season is almost over, and I pray each one of you reading this little intermittent blog will carry the beauty of the season over into the bleaker months of the new year. 

Back in early November, I was invited to go on a cruise with a friend. Her husband, very much like mine, is an introvert and hates cruising, but my friend, an extrovert, will check the box of her twentieth cruise this time. I was so grateful to be asked, so next week, I’ll be cruising with Carnival for five days in the Bahamas. 

Yay, me! And muchas gracias to Kim and Joe for such a wonderful start to the new year. We will be leaving shortly before a massive winter storm is supposed to hit Ohio. Talk about making spirits bright!

Mercy, grace, peace, love, and sunshine!

Susan