Papertrey Ink - 7th Anniversary - Day 1

  
Hello Sweet Crafty Friends,
Here with a card for Day 1 of the Papertrey Ink 7th Anniversary Festivities!  There are so many wonderful things happening all over the web - Facebook, The Forum, Capture the Moment etc.  I am just trying to take it all in! 

Here is the color recipe and sketch that I used to create my card:

Okay...since it is an Anniversary I am going to get a little mushy about my sweet Stuart and Papertrey Ink so you can skip this next section if you want to....but it is kind of a nice true story in my opinion...

In just a few more days it will be two years since my son and I said goodbye to our beloved Staurt and there is a story related to Papertrey Ink that some of you probably do not know. I posted a portion of it on Facebook this morning when they asked, "How long have you been a customer of Papertrey Ink?" but I thought I would share it here too.

I started this blog in November 2010 just 4 months after my sweet Stuart was diagnosed with cancer.  I went from working outside the home as a small business accountant to becoming a full-time caregiver after my husband's surgery left him with cognitive deficits requiring constant care.  I left my job to care for him daily and when he was resting  -which was often after difficult treatments- I would retreat to my craft room.

The outpouring of love that happens when someone you love is diagnosed with cancer is unbelievable and I had so many people I wanted to thank.  And so I started using my scrapbooking supplies to make thank you cards - and lots of them.  And this eventually led me to Papertrey Ink after seeing some of their lovely products used in a "CARDS" magazine I purchased.  I carried that CARDS magazine with me to waiting rooms and studied how to make a card.  And I started learning little by little.  I still remember the first thank you card I made using the Year of Flowers: Roses Stamp set.  The people I gave that card to still had it displayed in their waiting room even after my sweet Stuart had passed away.  Sharing our thankfulness and love in a card can mean so much!

My husband and son encouraged me in my card-making endeavors and as time permitted I began to join in the Make it Monday challenges and meet sweet crafty friends on-line.  Lisa Elton of My Paper Tales and Marybeth of Marybeth's Time for Paper were some of the first people to comment on some of my PTI challenge cards.  And then Tracey, Leigh, Kara, Kelly S, Helen F, Julie, and so many others. This gave me encouragement to keep trying.

To this day I feel that the connection I made to stamping and Papertrey Ink stamps during this difficult time has helped me through one of the most challenging times in my life.  My friend Sue Lelli calls her blog "Card Therapy" and I have shared with her that I find it to be just that for me also!

I share all of this with you because the culmination of Papertrey Ink's Anniversary celebrations each year is always with their release on February 15th and it is always something that I look forward to and enjoy!  The challenges, the products, the fun anniversary activities!  It all brings joy to my life and my husband knew how very much I loved the celebration and Papertrey's wonderful products!  And I wonder sometimes if Stuart planned it - for this was the day that my Staurt went to heaven.  So while it is a very difficult day for me it also is a day that has something to look forward to that evening - the Anniversary Release!  It is something to make me smile in the midst of my sadness and to share with all of my crafty on-line friends who love Papertrey Ink as much as I do! And I know Stuart smiles down on me as he sees me enjoying and nourishing my artistic side!  And Papertrey Ink is what started it all for me!  So thanks Papertrey Family and all my crafty friends who visit and encourage me here at Greenwood Girl Cards!  Your support over the past few years has touched me far more than you may know or realize!  You are a great big blessing in my life!   

Okay...so if you are still with me and hopefully not crying like me...back to the card...here is a close up of the tiny tags:

    And one last picture of my card:

Thanks as always for looking!  And I hope you get to enjoy all of the fun over at Papertrey Ink as we celebrate their 7th Anniversary....I am so happy that I have so many wonderful friends to share this craft that I love with!  
Hugs,
Jill