C♥NGRATS

Today, I have a very special card to share with you. A good Canadian friend of ours in Italy has just gotten engaged! He's spent the last 11 years in Italy and had moved over at the same time my husband moved over, two weeks after we had met when I was visiting my sister in Indianapolis. Do you remember that story (the other part is here)? Well, our friend met a sweet Canadian girl online about two years ago. She lives in British Columbia so that is a heck of a long distance relationship. A nine-hour time difference makes it very difficult to connect! After several vacations here and there, they decided it was time to make things official. He took her to France on vacation and proposed to her in the gardens at Château de Versailles. Isn't that romantic? Well, they are getting married later this year so she can move over to Italy and they can finally be together!

Do you love the bling on the girl's hand? ;) I used some of my new Hero Arts goodies, the larger 'bathroom people' and the Tree Trunks to make this sweet little outdoorsy scene. Our friend is very sporty and outdoorsy so I thought it would be cute for them to be sitting on a nurse log in the woods. I stamped the background twice, cut out the trees from the second sheet and layered them over some grass which was die cut from Basic Grey's Oxford Collection. I had a hard time figuring out how to incorporate the sentiment but finally settled on using the Typewriter Letters to make a banner. I did have the 'O' stamped and cut but decided to use a red heart instead. My son did not like that idea at all. He said, "No, Mommy! Use the 'O'. Make the guy holding the heart!" LOL He also commented, "That guy not really sitting, Mommy. The girl is but that guy not really sitting, Mommy." Oh, how he cracks me up!

I hope this card shows our friend how happy we are for him! Of course, I'm linking this up to the Hero Arts August Contest in the Technique Category: Making a Scene. Now, I better go do some packing before hubby comes home and tells me to stop crafting. :Þ

Yesterday, when I said I had a challenge all ready, I thought that today was September 1st, which it isn't! So you'll have to wait two more days for the challenge details. I'll even have prizes and InLinkz set up. I hope you're excited! :)

Sources: SU Bashful Blue cardstock; Gina K Designs pure luxury white & red cardstock; Basic Grey Oxford paper pad; Hero Arts Plaid Person, Polka Dot Person, Tree Trunks & Typewriter Letters; Tim Holtz for Ranger Walnut Stain & Antique Linen distress inks; SU Bashful Blue & Riding Hood Red inks; a•muse|studio grass border die; Stampin' Dimensionals; The Twinery baker's twine in Honeydew; SU Basic Rhinestones; SU Heart to Heart punch