Happy Birthday Lynell!!!

Did you know that we're celebrating the Queen's birthday this week? Well...the Queen of Stencils, Lynell Harlow, that is. Actually, her birthday is on Saturday, but we're surprising her by posting birthday cards in her honor today. Nothing like making you feel OLD sooner than necessary, right Lynell? You'll even see a few familiar names in our lineup, as some of the teaching team are whooping it up for her as well.

In addition to our birthday party, we are also beginning a new year and a new monthly challenge. In honor of all those resolutions we hope to achieve, our challenge is "Losing the Weight...AKA Clean and Simple (CAS)". If we all try really hard to simplify our design-work without losing our creativity, we can all say at the end of the month that we've lost some weight! Maybe not off of our waistlines, but at least off of our cards! Gotta start somewhere!

For this week's CAS card, and to honor Lynell, I thought I'd so a simple card using the Strie technique. I don't do this technique very often, I find myself naturally using the "rouging" technique for applying color so this was fun to make.

Stencils used:
LX 7014 Daisy Background and LG 704 Birthday Words

If you haven't already done so, please head on over the to the other Dream Team and Dream Teaching Team blogs, especially the Dream It Up! blog and leave Lynell some birthday wishes. She's a very sweet lady and I am sure she will be touched by all the kinds words.

Dream It Up!
Laura Drahozal
Lyn Bernatovich 

Pam Hornschu
Heidi Erickson
Louise Healy
Cyndi Bundy

Lee Kellogg
Liz Martin
Terrece Siddoway
Lea Kimmel

Kristi Parker Van Doren

I'll be back next week with CAS part 2! Until then, I hope your new year is starting our fabulously!