Climbing the Castle Walls

Good afternoon!  I am just returned from a week long trip to my parents' (flying solo with three children under age four wasn't exactly my idea of a good time, but I couldn't really work out a way to fax us there...)  Anyway, we had a chance to catch up with my parents and my sister, plus my other sister brought her three kids down on Thursday to spend the weekend.  The cousins all had a blast running around and playing together--reminded me of my own childhood playing with cousins.

We girls also threw my parents a surprise anniversary party Friday night--they've been married 35 years this May! I have to say, we got them good!  My other two sisters did all the heavy lifting on the party--I just showed up with my kids and helped a bit with the set up, but it was a lovely event, and I think my parents had a very good time.

Amidst all that hustle and bustle, my niece celebrates her 8th birthday this coming weekend, and my mom was planning a little party for her right after we left for the airport.  I knew exactly what card I wanted to make for her--I had seen it on Lisa Young's blog before I left and filed it away under "things to do when I get back from the trip."  So that was first on my list this morning (after a Goodwill drop off, post office run, and grocery store run).  I had a lot of fun with this card!  I changed a few things because I didn't have all the punches/dies/stamp sets that Lisa used, but I still think it came out very cute.  I don't have the letters die, but I used My Digital Studio to print out the letters using the sans serif alphabet stamp brush set, and then used those as a template to cut out the real letters with blushing bride.  (I would have just printed the letters in color and then cut them out to save a step, but I discovered that my printer was out of color ink--boo).  In any case, I think that worked pretty slick, even if it was a bit picky to cut out.  Luckily her name is short.

We are at the start of Holy Week (Orthodox Easter is a week off the West this year), so I may not post again this week.  To my Western Christian friends, Christ is Risen!  To my Orthodox Christian friends, a blessed and peaceful Holy Week to you.