Sending Hugs and Kisses

Today I wanted to share with you an idea using a sketch from Scrapbook and Cards Today .  This is their challenge sketch for February and I thought it would be perfect for bookmark cards!  These cards are perfect for Grandparents, parents, aunts or uncles for any occasion and Valentine's Day is no exception! The important thing to remember about a sketch is that it is meant to be a starting point but if you want to CASE it completely that is okay too!  Sketches are a great way to get your creativity flowing.  I followed the sketch pretty closely on these card but tweaked it to work with the supplies I had on hand.  I created two cards; one more manly and the other a bit more feminine. These adorable bears were colored with Staedtler Watercolor Pencils, Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers, and Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils.  I was going for a specific look with these images; I wanted them to look like illustrations.  The bear stamp sets are Cub Cud...

Lately, I have been posting lots of crafty things but nothing from the heart... so it's time for a little heart sharing post. Most of my readers know that I am the Mama Bear to both a teenager and a toddler (yes, I know that big age gap may seem crazy but I LOVE it!).  Currently my teenager is going through all the normal things that a 15 year old goes through.  When he exasperates me the most I try to remember what it was like to be that young.  How every feeling seemed larger than life, how I seemed invincible, how I rarely looked beyond the problems of the present moment.  I think about the adult that I am now and what I want my teenager to know as he goes through the next few year.  These are my thoughts in absolutely no order other than how it pours out of my heart... Dear Son, First off, I love you more than you can ever imagine.  I am so proud of the young man that you are.  You are truly an amazing, smart, funny and awesome human being.  I...