I know; I usually post a card. But, tonight, I watched Julie and Julia after a rather stressfull day. You see, my son’s car went in the shop last week…so I loaned him my car. Today…my car died on him within a few miles of his workplace. Something that I am sure that has happened to most people. Your vehicle doesn’t get you from A to B…and B just happens to be your bread and butter…or the livelihood of someone you love…well…you get the picture! What does that have to do with anything? Well…you see…I started to reflect about passion. Julia was passionate about cooking. I am passionate about stamping. I have always loved to create things. Over the years I have watched my grandmothers and mom create things. My dad’s mother was a fantastic seamstress…and she could knit. My mom’s mom…she could crochet you a house! Okay…maybe a slight exaggeration…but you get the idea! My mom…she could bake up a storm! Melt in your mouth lemon meringe pie…and divinity to die for! Yum! I, of course, was so impressed…I tried to do them all!!! Sewing, for me, was an exercise of sewing, ripping, sewing and more ripping…to the point of exasperation! Crocheting…well…let’s just say…if it wasn’t a really small project it kept growing, and growing, and growing; something like the bunny in the commercial that kept going…only not in a good way! My afghan project in home economics class was a warped speciman! My grandmother ripped it out…and crocheted it over…and I kid you not…she (not me) got an A++!!! I’m pretty sure if I had turned in my creation…it would have gotten an F–!! As a girl growing up in Barbie land, I was blessed by wonderful Barbie clothes on my birthday and Christmas’s! My Barbie’s outfits were sewn, knitted, and crocheted by my grandmother’s…way more cool than anything that could be bought! I spent wonderful nights and days with my grandmother’s learning how to sew, knit, and crochet…but somehow…a real passion for any of those things eluded me. Following a pattern, counting stitches…oh dear! I had to pay way too much attention to details and instructions; it truly seemed a drudgery! I dreamed of sewing beautiful dresses, crocheting gorgeous afghans, knitting beautiful baby ensembles…only to be frustrated by the process! Then, one day…a friend invited me to a stamp party…and I watched as the demonstrator took some card stock, a stamp, some ink, and some glitter…and made this fabulous card! Then…she let us make the card. I was hooked! I duplicated this card hundreds of times and mailed it out to all my family and friends for Christmas! Not long after, I stumbled into a company called Stampin’ Up! After much deliberation, I decided to sign up for the kit and get the discount (never dreaming that I could actually sell the stuff!) However, I guess my passion for stamping was contagious…because 13 years later…here I am! I still love stamping! Card stock, color combos, ribbons, glitter, brads, eyelets, and so much more! All combined to send a message of cheer, hope, love, encouragement, sympathy, thinking of you, or just because! It’s personal, it’s from the heart, it’s created from the inner recesses of one’s self. An idea…an expression…it’s unique! Even if copied…no two cards are exactly the same! Have I had to abandon an idea for a card? Absolutely! But somehow…abandoning an idea is not as devastating as realizing that you have not followed the directions correctly and that you have to rip out all those stitches! After all…an idea is just an idea! It can be tweaked, modified, subtly changed, and morphed into a creation beyond what you had imagined or hoped it could be! Hours can pass in the blink of an eye! I have to confess that at times, life has become overwhelming…and I have entertained the idea of giving up stamping; purely because I felt overwhelmed. Period. But then, I tried to imagine my life without it. I could not.
