I haven’t been feeling that great (just a cold) and have temporarily lost my crafty mojo, so I wasn’t sure what today's bloggy blog entry would be about. But then it hit me: take a moment to write and reflect on old friends and good times. Sometimes life sends you a nice surprise…thanks to the interwebs. A couple of weeks ago I was so happy to hear from my college bff Amy. Unfortunately, we haven’t been in touch for (too) many years. But, now we have been emailing back and forth and it just seems natural to talk to her. It has been so fun to get to know her again and learn about her life. She is super smart and is a college professor on the east coast. I love it.Here is a pic of me and Amy at our sorority initiation in <ahem> 1984. Yikes, yes, kids I was really 19 years old once…A long, long, long time ago. Aren’t we adorable? I think so.

Mz. Amy doesn’t know that I saved the totally awesome, rad, bitchin’ clipboard she made me all those years ago and still admire it! She is quite crafty, don’t ya think?

I am so delighted that we are back in touch. Isn’t it nice to have friends who knew us when? These crazy girls went through a lot together. I am having some flashbacks right now that involve champagne…hmmmm.

Do you have any old friends that would love to hear from you? Make a card! Send a letter! Let me know what happens…I know you would make someone’s day.

I’m so glad you found me again, Amy! Thank you. Smile.

Roses #1 and #2. To make the pink one, I covered the rose pieces in white pigment ink first and then went back over it with two colors of pink pigment ink. Then I sprayed it with glitter mist to give it a sheen. The red one was made exactly according to Tim Holtz's directions with pearl-x and misters.

I made three roses in all. The white/silver one was made by covering the grunge paper with eggshell color acrylic paint – about three coats on each side. The antique silver glitter was (generously) applied as the final step after the rose was assembled.

I'm not sure what I will do with the roses, now that they are done! I was thinking they would make very nice package adornments. I was also thinking of making one or all of them into pins to put on a hat or a cool jean jacket. The possibilities are endless.  
  
I would love to hear what you think of my project. Also, let me know if you've tried this and how yours turned out! Happy crafting! 

You can find the fantastic and detailed instructions here on the Tim Holtz Blog: http://timholtz.typepad.com/my_weblog/2009/12/12-tags-of-christmasday-12.html

So it's the end of the old year and time for a new one…Fresh snow always makes me think of a new beginning.  2009 was not my most favorite year ever. It was a hard one…but it looks like we're gonna get through it! Just in the nick of time.  

On Christmas day the DH and I drove up to Lake Tahoe to see the snow.  We are lucky enough to only live about an hour away and a drive seemed like the right idea for the day. As you can see from the photos, it was bright and clear out.

We drove up Highway 80 and then around the top of the Lake and back down through South Shore and home on Highway 50. It was about a 5 hour trip all in all. It felt so rejuvenating to see the pristine surroundings and it was a good opportunity for us to talk and catch up on life. You get a better perspective when God's work is placed before you like this.

My wish for everyone is that 2010 is a great year! I hope that you are healthy and happy and surrounded by people who love you. I hope to meet new friends and cherish dear old friends as we begin anew and start fresh.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Okay…so here goes. I’m taking the plunge…

For several years I have read and enjoyed the blogs of funny, smart and creative people. I must admit I’ve been a bit intimidated about doing my own blog. More and more, though, friends are asking if I have a blog, and kindly prodding me forward. So…here it is. I’m starting a blog! A Blog Called Wanda.

My intent is to have a place to share stories of everyday life and my love for creating artwork of all kinds. I am truly blessed to have a good life, a great husband, and wonderful friends. Lest I forget, I am mom to the most handsome cat ever…Buddy. I’m not sure where this will go, but I’m taking that first step. As you can see from the format, I haven’t quite mastered the art of creating my own blog design…but I’m working on that.

As I wrote earlier, I am a fan of many blogs. I laugh and cry at what people are writing and I get inspiration from what people are creating. My goal is to possibly inspire others and share information. I would also like to use the blog as a forum to sell some of my cards – we’ll see about that later too.

Don’t know how often I will blog, or what it will be about! Thanks for reading so far and I hope you find something you like here. I’m open to suggestions and feedback.