"She who finds a friend, finds a good thing"

Tomorrow Gabe turns FIVE! He's my inspiration for this blog because he loves to help Gracka make cards, which he always declares "pretty" despite what the opinions are of others.  He's had some storms in his short life that I would have done anything in my power to protect him from. The past 8 months have been especially difficult for him, as will be the next 3 months. Because he is so precious to me, I have called on, and trusted, my very special friends to stand beside me in prayer for Gabriel, in much the same way that Aaron and Hur stood with Moses (http://donsweeting.wordpress.com/2011/07/24/the-blessing-of-having-a-moses-an-aaron-and-a-hur-in-your-life/). And they have indeed been faithful. I love to make unique cards for my one-of-a-kind friends, and here is my latest result:

 Can you tell what the vintage-looking paper is? It's actually not paper at all, but the fabric from a used tea bag! I LOVE the way tea bags look when they have dried; each has a unique pattern, and different colors depending on the blends of the teas. And it always seemed such a shame to throw away those tea bags after just a few minutes' use. (I might not be able to convince anyone, but I'm really NOT a "hoarder"). The bird is a Tim Holz stamp, the flower is a piece of satin ribbon, and because I'm not at home where my sewing machine is, the stitching is "faux". I've entered this into these challenges:

Creative Belli Blog Challenge                  #123 Non-paper Materials

PaperPlay Challenges                             Create your own DP

Delightful Challenges                             Things With Wings

Southern Girls Challenge                        Black & White with pop of one color

Created By Hand                                   Rainbows/Multicolors/Wings (hope the bird qualifies)