Thinking of You + Paper Craft Crew Sketch Challenge 166

Hello there my friends. Every Wednesday is the Paper Craft Crew Sketch Challenge. I played by the rules this time and stuck to the sketch to a fault. I have been wanting to break out the new In Color Mint Macaroon and what better color than to pair it up with Early Espresso and Very Vanilla? So that's just what I did. I also loaded this baby up and went so out of the box from my signature clean and simple style. I think it turned out pretty cool. I used the spotlight technique. This technique is where one part of the card is spotlighted from the rest of the card. With my card, it's the Very Vanilla card stock punched with a 2-1/2" punch and embossed perfectly to blend in with the branches. I also stamped my birds in a different color and centered the embellishments and sentiments clustered per the sketch.

Like I said last week, I'm on this completely and unplanned masculine card kick. It just happens, much to my chagrin. I'm divorced. I don't do that anymore. Maybe I have man on the brain. After 3 years, I should! I'm divorced, not dead. Maybe it's a subliminal thing, but it must end soon. On the other hand, this card might have been purposely planned. My dear friend Allan was just released from the hospital after a tragic accident involving his semi that caught fire. He has a long road of recovery ahead of him, but his family is so very supportive of him and he will be okay. I told Allan's wife that I will send him the gooey Get Well cards and she will get the fun chick encouragement cards. Please keep the family in your prayers. I've known them forever and they are wonderful people and have gone through a lot, but their commitment to each other, their marriage and their family, has brought them through it all. They are a family. Everybody is loved and nobody gets left behind or erased. I have great respect and admiration for a man like Allan.

So my friend, this card is for you.

We would love to have you join us for our challenge this week and don't forget to stop by the blogs of the other design team members to see the fabulous cards that they made for you too!

Thank you so very much for stopping by to visit me today. Make every single moment count because life can change in a second and my friend Allan and his family are an example of that. But, because of their love for each other, even though they know they have a long road to recovery, they are going to make it. When I was coming back from my doctor's appointment in the Bay Area last month, I had the opportunity to stop by the hospital to visit with him for a few hours. The accident happened in Colorado and he had been air-lifted to UC Davis after surgery and once he was stabilized. We had a great visit and even though he's only 54, I told him that it might be time for him to retire and he said he had been kicking that around. He knows the seriousness of his accident. Allan has always been one of those great people who are always happy. I've never honestly met anybody who doesn't like Allan. His right leg was severely damaged and is pretty much metal now. He was rescued from his rig literally seconds before it exploded but was still close enough to it that he sustained 2nd degree burns. All of his ribs were broken on both sides and I didn't know this when I saw him. So, of course, I give him this giant hug, but he had just been given a happy pill, so I didn't hurt him too much. He's in excellent spirits and I firmly believe this is because he knows he has a family who loves him and has something to look forward to, despite his horrific circumstances.

I was also there for his first dressing change after his surgery and saw how banged up he was everywhere. He had one burn on his foot that was starting to get necrotic and I prayed so hard that would not happen. They were talking about taking him back to surgery and scrubbing/cleaning the burns if it didn't improve. Thank God that did not happen. He's such a charmer and had the nurses wrapped around his finger. He's not flirty at all due to the fact that he loves his wife and respects her. He just has that wonderful personality that you're automatically drawn to because he makes you smile.

Allan is home now and Connie said it's been tough as he has to sleep semi sitting up due to the broken ribs and it hurts to breathe. I'm just glad that he is still with us.

God bless you and have a very blessed day. Pay it forward.