sending hugs...

Hello!

You won't believe that I wasn't going to actually post a card for today...I have a couple RAK's to share so I was going to call that good...then I remembered that I needed to create a sympathy card..sigh.

Here's what I learned....I don't really have any sympathy oriented sentiments for close friends...all that I have are the impersonal "With Sympathy" types....if you all have neat ones, please share them with me...

Anywho's, I did find a sentiment via the PTI Friends Til the End set...

This is where I insert my disclaimer...I'm really not much of a hugger...is it the Asian in me? I'll be hugged but only am the hugger with my kids and the man....and some other peeps...

Let me tell you a little story...years & years ago when my brother and I visited our Dad up in BC we were both literally alarmed when our Dad gave us each big bear hugs...when we got back in the car we actually asked each other if he was potentially terminally ill...isn't that sad? That would be the stereotypical traditional Asian family...No, he wasn't ill, he was given a lecture by one of his students {he was a professor} about the lack of hugging or something like that...evidently a light bulb went off in my Dad's brain and you would have thought he thought it was the best thing since sliced bread...My father ended up passing away in 1999. He would probably be pretty pleased that the kidlets are huggers:)

Okay, okay....my friend who's fil passed away is always trying to get a hug from me...so she'll chuckle when she reads her card:) A bunch of the girls are getting together to get her a gift certificate to a nursery so her family can go pick up a tree {or whatever} that they can plant in their yard, in remembrance of Grandpa.

I was inspired by FTL93:

♥♥RAK Alert♥♥

Check out the super cute card I recently received from the oh-so-fabbie Ivy Wong:

I love every square inch of this sassy beauty....lookie what else that girl sent me:

Can I get a huge Woot Woot? Bling and Mushies??!!!!!! Yahoooo!!!!! Thanks sooo much sista....you know me:)

Next up is this coffee-licious creation by Cindy Lee:

One can NEVER go wrong with coffee inspired cards...LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this girl...thanks sooo much:)

Okay, I'll be back tomorrow with the 365 Cards Super Sketchy Sunday Card...we have another FABulous Sponsor lined up...you don't want to miss it!!!!

Comments

Paulina said…
Girlie, I am amazed at how many RAK's you get! Your mailbox must always be super full! :)

I know that creating sympathy cards is difficult. However, you did a great job at now creating something "depressing" but also not over the top.

That's so funny that you aren't a hugger! Looking back....I guess I'm always the one hugging you. LOL
Anonymous said…
A simple sweet card for the occasion. So nice on gesture of a tree.
Love all your RAKs. Is it too late for me to participate in PIF? Will send some of my handmade goodies... have a good weekend ahead :D
Ginny Larsen said…
nice Amy! i think you nailed the sympathy card... and i'm right there with you on the 'no sentiments' for that occasion thing.

i love your story about hugging... my family definitely hugs a lot, but out of all of us, i think my baby brother (at 20, ha!) hugs the most :D
li-bee-ti said…
You did a perfect job with that sympathy card.
Very elegant.

I loved your story about 'the non-hugs family'.

And you're so lucky to have such friends to send you all those raks!

Have a great weekend!

Hugs (okay, okay, just kidding)
itsallrosi said…
this card is perfect and your friend will appreciate it so much.

how cute are those mushroom dies?! you'll have fun with those!
xiumaiyuki said…
Beautiful card, Amy...simple yet effective. And no, I'm with you...not a hugger as well. I, too, think it's from my Asian blood. My family has never been an all-out-there type. So, no worries, you are not alone. I think stamping/crafting is my outlet.
Sherry Eckblad said…
I think Sympathy cards are some of the hardest to create. I tend to use butterflies with a nice sentiment.

You will probably never want to meet me as I am a huggy/touchy type person.
Alice said…
very pretty sympathy card, Amy! thanks for sharing the wonderful RAKs!! wow!! hope you give you a hug some day!!! LOL! =)
Aimes said…
Oh a sympathy card is one of the toughest to make! I had to make one a few months ago and used exactly the same stamp for the sentiment - great minds think alike eh?!
I love your card, so pretty! I'm from a non-huggy family but I hear hugs are good for ya so I'm a huggy kinda gal now ;D
HUGS (LOL!)
Aimes
x
Courtney Baker said…
That's such a funny story! I'm not a huge hugger, but I'm not quite to the extreme you are! Cute cards all around!
Karen B. said…
Fine job with the Sympathy Card (so beautiful and not over the top) and I have no suggestions for you, perhaps the designers just don't want to create that type of thing either?
Laurel said…
Love these! I am not much of a hugger either, my family was not a family of huggers. Hubby's family is the opposite, they hug all the time. I remember when we were dating a long (very long) time ago and when he came home from University his sister came out to give him a hug, so nice!
Ann said…
I am not big on hugging either, except with kiddos (and my hubby, of course). I'm sure your card will be much appreciated.
~* steph :) *~ said…
your card came out really nice. i haven't made too many sympathy cards.
yah, i'm not much of a hugger too...i think it's an asian thing. i think i am more of a hugger now then when i was small though. i hug mostly family and close friends.
awesome cards from your friends! thanks for sharing and have a wonderful weekend!
*hugs* steph :)
Sparkplug17 said…
Such a pretty card! And I'm so happy to see the sun. :)
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh boy...I would probably totally freak U out...as I am a hugger!! LOL LOL LOL!! Sorry bout your friend's FIL.....that is a beautiful card for her and sweet that U are trying to raise funds for a tree!!! Loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee the cards U got too! :):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):)
Kay said…
Amy, your sympathy card is so lovely. I know your friend will certainly appreciate and treasure it, especially considering the "back story" about hugs! :)
As for me, I'll hug anyone and everyone..tee hee!!
Wowza, you've got some good looking RAK there! Fun, fun, fun!!! ♥♥ Kay
Your card is precious and sweet Amy!! And yes.....I think it's the Asian in you that makes you not be much of a hugger!! lol! My best friend is Asian and she is always telling me I want to hug too much!!! lol! It's great!!! But she lets me hug her and she hugs me back!!
I love that you used that sentiment!

Your RAK's are so precious!
Must be so fun to have all of that goodness in your mailbox!! :)
Dana said…
Your post actually made me cry Amy. My sympathies to you in loosing your father. The card you made for your friend is perfect. Not too sappy or over the top, just right.
yyam said…
I love this simple but elegant card Amy!

I've been told (cruelly) by a friend that I was frigid because I'm not big on hugging! :(
Karen said…
Sympathy cards can be hard, but I think you came up with something nice and I'm sure your friend will appreciate it.

Thanks for sharing your hug back story! I never thought about how hugs relate to different Asian cultures before...now you've got me thinking. :>

I think your mailbox must have a big ol' grin on its face or have grown toes to tap to a Happy Dance for getting such fabby Happy Mail!! :>
Rose said…
well personally I LOVE hugs :) great card girl and fab RAKs :)
Jenny said…
Great card!! Love it and nice RAK. :) :) :)
MicheleV said…
Amy wonderful card - sorry to hear of your friends FIL passing.
Reading the comments on hugging - too funny, should be a Sinefeld episode. I like hugs but don't like hugging people I work with - like my boss, I think that's just wrong!
Vanessa said…
Your card is beautiful and I love your RAKs! Lucky you!
Dora said…
Beautiful cards, and love the raks!
Elaine said…
Hey Sistah! Love the card - for not having many sympathy stamps or the 'right one', you did very well!

And our family is the SAME with the hugs...little ones get lots of hugs, but something happens and no one hugs once your an adult! I'm the MAJOR exception as you probably noticed...I hug anyone, everyone, and probably do it way too much! LOL
Cindy Lee said…
Lovely card, sista!! I'm glad you like the card :)
Carolina said…
Your sympathy is delightful and love all your RAKs...such talented friends you have!
lauren bergold said…
lovely RAK's which you SO deserve for being the sunshiniest (it is TOO a word!) lady on the world wide web!

beautiful sympathy card, too. which YEAH they are the very VERY hardest to make...tho i've eased up a bit worrying about theme; when MY dad died in '98 a very close friend sent a card that was not "sympathy" at all just absolutely stunningly beautiful with bright colors and butterflies on it and inside she had written just a short note "thinking of you" or something like that...and it was just sooooo lovely at that time to receive something that WASN'T about death or loss... but just a little moment of total beauty and calm. it kind of made me re-think the subject of such cards!!! (& obviously it made a BIG impression b/c it's the ONE card from 12 years ago i really remember with total clarity!!!)

ps: i don't know that the non-hugging thing is completely "asian"...i think maybe there are huggers and non-huggers sort of across the board. i'm the latter, which tends to surprise people. one of the world's few non-hugging extroverts! :)
Tina said…
Awesome RAKs girlie!

Lovely card on top too. So soft and subtle.
Tyggereye said…
Lovely sympathy card. Very simple and subdued. :)
♥ Audrey ♥ said…
I'm with you on hugging... the only hugs I give are to my boys and no strangers....in fact I find it really uncomfortable giving moochs and kisses to relatives and strangers as a way of greeting! Why can't a simple handshake do? LOL! Probably the Asian-ness thinking! Again with you on Sympathy cards... don't make them unless I have to and they are usually the cliche sentiment phrase! Some great RAKs you got there!
Evelin said…
love the card you created.... it's lovely..... and oh, all the wonderful RAKs that you get :) Yeah, it's always nice to find something in the mailbox waiting for us, no? :)
Spendthrift said…
"not much of a hugger." That's a bit of an understatement. Or, maybe it is a cry for help. I'll have an extra special hug for you tonight.