Welcome to the New Year! I love that Anne of Green Gables quote, "Tomorrow is a brand new day with no mistakes in it yet." I love a fresh start and what better clean slate than a brand new year? To celebrate this day I'm participating once again in the Season's Giving Blog Hop.
I am so thankful to all of you who have stuck by me over the past few years as I laughingly attempt to balance being a mom to toddler twins, running a full-time business in a part-time way, being creative, coordinating multiple challenges and blogging. Some days I feel like I'm just all washed up and have nothing more to give. And then I log on and see a sweet comment from one of you that turns my day around. Every kindness matters. Truly. As I struggle through hard days and tough times I have found how true that is in my own life. One simple kindness can change a whole lot. A WHOLE lot.
I'm striving to take more time each day to make sure those around me know that I appreciate their efforts. To say thanks and comment on posts and do all the things that my struggle with depression has made so difficult these past three years. So thanks so much for joining this journey with me. I appreciate each comment on this blog, every card made for one of my challenges, each post made using my stamps and every little note about how you told your friends about Verve or made something amazing and can't wait to share it. Thank YOU! You may never know how much you have touched my heart.
As a way of saying thanks, I've put together two giveaways for this blog hop. One is a package of papercrafting goodies. The other is a gift code to my store, Verve Stamps. To be eligible for the prize drawings, just leave a comment on this post before 2:00 pm Mountain on Jan. 5. If you'd like to tell me what you're most looking forward to in 2015, I'd love to hear it. I personally am so excited that Donna Downey is starting her Inspiration Wednesday videos again. Her weekly art journaling videos gave me something to look forward to through the horrific double dose of newborn/colic/acid reflux stage with the twins and I just can't wait for January 7, since this time around I'll hopefully be able to do some art journaling at the same time instead of just watching the videos with a screaming baby in each arm!
Giveaway 1: {winner must have a US shipping address}
Package includes Twitterpated, Calendar Countdown, Wings of Love, No Matter What, Flourished Trim Die and From the Heart Die Set from Verve Stamps and the Teresa Collins Something Wonderful collection: 12x12 papers & stickers, brads, wood chips, buttons, ephemera and washi tape,
Giveaway 2: {winner must have a shipping address in one of the countries Verve ships to... Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom and the United States.}
Comment deadline for prize giveaways is 2:00 pm Mountain on Monday, January 5.
Please check back on Jan. 6 to see if you are a winner.
My card for today is a New Year's card using one of my favorite Verve products from 2014.... the Mask Die Set and coordinating Masquerade set. I paired it with the happy new year sentiment from Light My World. The masks and handles are die cut in black, then stamped with Versamark and embossed in gold. For the feathery accent at the bottom I stamped the image repeatedly in black, then lightly outlined sections with a blender pen and dusted some gold embossing powder on and heat set it. Love the look with some of the black still showing through. The side accent is a strip of black cardstock with a bit of gold cording wrapped around it.
Thank you so much for stopping by today!
Next stop on the hop is Michelle Woerner!
Season's Givings Hop List:
Julee Tilman {YOU ARE HERE}