First card of 2010

I made this card last week for my childhood friend who I have not seen for 50 years. We keep in touch at christmas and her birthday is January 8th. I always thought it a shame to have to celebrate her birthday so soon after christmas and was glad that mine is in the middle of summer so the presents were spread during the year.
I used one stamp, the crocus, which came to me last year as a freeby with an order from Graphicus. I thought that the handpainted yellow flowers would be cheery at a time when so many of us are/have been snowed in with difficulties getting from place to place. Vivienne I hope you had a wonderful birthday.

Boxes

Well - a month since I last posted.
Christmas was very enjoyable with family around, so as they have received their pressies I can show the decorated boxes made to hold them. I didn't manage to photo them all before they were given and these pictures were taken after Christmas day.

The box on the left was covered with brown paper, coloured with the direct to paper technique, stamped and embossed with copper powder. It was made for Son no.2 girlfriend, as a jewelry box to hold a beaded necklace and earings made by me.

The gold box in the centre was given to my dear hubby filled with his favourite fudge. The decoration on the top is an Elusive Image stamp of Christmas Roses.
The right hand box has a removable fence on the outside. The box is decorated with tree, leaf and flower stamps, again from EI, to represent a country farm. Chris is threatening that he will have a pig to rear as soon as he has a garden of his own. Inside, as a 'joke' present we bought farm animals, including parent pig and piglet. I also made a 'put it together yourself', pig sty from corrugated card sprayed black and shredded straw coloured paper for bedding.