Finally... I found my smile

... and it's good to be back stamping and coloring and blogging!  I'm so very sorry to have been absent so long. More on that later.  Right now I'm going to share a new card with you.  It will take me a bit to get my skills back up to snuff, but here's my starting attempt.

This is a sweetie of an image from Stamping Bella named Ramona and her Wagon.  There are several Ramona stamps and they are all a-DOR-able!  What a fun way to get back into creating cards, right?  I colored her up, added white flowers w/ gold buttons (like daisies?), butterflies, gems, the sun, some glitter and some fluff stuff.  Voila.  I even get to enter a recycle challenge or two as the sun is from the packaging of something I bought the week before.  This was the inside of that packaging.  {smile}

Challenges:
Simon Says Stamp - happy birthday
Papertake Weekly - bingo -- glitter...die cuts...blooms
C.R.A.F.T Challenge - recycle -- the sun
Happy Campers - flower power
Bellarific Friday - splendid spring
Crafty Catz - anything goes
Brown Sugar Challenge - spring
Wags 'n Whiskers - April showers/spring
2 Sisters Challenge - anything goes
One Stop Craft Challenge - birthdays
Crafty Calendar Challenge - sunshine and showers
Crafty-Emblies - anything goes
Spark Your Creativity Now - anything goes
613 Avenue Create - anything goes spring fever
Cupcake Inspirations - polka dots
One Stitch at a Time - anything goes
Challenges 4 Everybody - anything goes
Dream Valley - happy birthday
The Squirrel and the Fox - inspired by a song or movie -- "Don't Eat the Daisies" ... both movie and song
Great Impressions - pastel colors and/or polka dots
Stamp with Fun - birthdays
stamps & fun = CREATIVITY - girl
Card Mania - punches and/or die cuts
Lexi's Creations - use your punches and/or dies
The Crafty Bloggers Network - anything goes
Paperminutes - chevron
Sassy Cheryl's - anything goes
Through the Craft Room Door - anything goes

Just to let you all know, my absence was due to my mom passing away last fall.  I was just not ready for that and it just broke my heart.  It's taken this long for me to find my feet and find the desire to do things I enjoy again.  I still miss her terribly, but most days are much, much better!  I just wanted to give my mom props!!  She was one of a kind and my life has changed a great deal since she's been gone.  Bless you Mom.  You're the best!!

Thanks for popping by.  I hope to have more of a presence here.  I really miss you all.  Take care dear friends.
Denise