Magazine Monday

Today's card was created with a special friend in mind. MaryLou is a sweet lady whom has been going through so many medical and personal issues of the past several years. She is the sister-in-law of my dear friend, Soni, whom I've introduced you on here in the past year with trials of her own. To say this entire family has been bombarded is an understatement. I just wanted to send a little cheer MaryLou's way.

MaryLou and I connected several years ago during a visit she and her husband, Bill, made to Soni and Wally's. We discovered we both love and collect bears. So I know when I began this card for her, it had to include a bear. All of my cards for MaryLou have included bears. LOL We agree you can never have too many!

The design for this layout came from the Spring 2006 issue of Paper Creations Magazine. Designer Rhonda Palmer created a square card. She chose 3 coordinating colors of DP from Scissor Sisters for the panels. Her senter mat was a SU flower as well as the sentiment on the tag (Thank You!). Rhonda used a black gingham ribbon knotted at the top of the mat and a button for the flower center.

Where Rhonda positioned her panels vertically, I chose to flip the card and run them horizontal. I selected DP pieces from my scrap drawer to coordinate with that soft, cuddly Ted E. Bear from RubberStampede. The peachy/ brown stripe is from S.E.I and the green flourish is from. Ted E. is stamped in Memento Brown and accented with Derwent WC pencils. I colored him first very lightly in ORANGE then went back over him with DK. BROWN. When I took the water-brush to him, the two colors blended beautifully to create the soft caramel tones with a perfect shading. I matted him with SU Chocolate Chip. The ribbon is from Ribbon Trends. Although the flower brad looks orange in the picture, in real life it comes very close to that peachy stripe in the DP.

I hope this very special bear brings a smile to MaryLou, if even for a moment.

Creative Blessings!