Good friends

*sigh* This one will be going out to my good friend Catherine. Catherine is just one of those friends who, even if don't talk for months, and even if we live clear across the country from each other now, it's always such a comfortable place when we do get to talk to each other or see each other. Catherine always knows the right thing to say, she always finds the positive in every person and in every situation, yet she is always very direct and unafraid to tell it like it is (while always being so amazingly diplomatic about it! LOL) I trust her and respect her completely and miss her terribly. So I am going to send her this card to remind her of what a great friend she is :o)

This card is also for this week's SCS Colour Challenge: Riding Hood Red, Basic Gray and Always Artichoke. Even though it is a near repeat of last week's colours, it's all good because I didn't get to play last week anyway (and to be honest, Green Galore is NOT on my list of faves... LOL) I got some new rubber today (YAY!!) and had to break it in. This is a set from the upcoming Holiday Mini-Catalogue - I LOVE IT!!! It's called Season of Friendship. I love how bold and yet simple it is. Totally my style. And FULL of possibilities!! (There are also a small snowflake and a small flower, as well as a sentiment: "The season of friendship lasts forever" - Awwwww... ;o) ) I also broke out my new Riding Hood Red striped grosgrain ribbon for the first time. And the two shades of leaves were done by stamping the image twice in Always Artichoke without reinking.

I also got two Sizzix Big Shot dies in my order (the Baskets and Blooms one, and the pillow box). I'm still playing around with those trying to use them in my cuttlebug. That part works fine (WOOHOO!!), I'm just having a wee bit of difficulty getting the lil baskets to look right. My second one looks way better than my first one, though - so it's not that hard LOL! Diana Gibbs makes it look way easy - I just need to work on making the ends line up properly, and on trying to get a rounder shape (rather than a squished shape). I'm getting there...

Happy Stampin'!

A-M