Mojo Monday Valentine with Chantilly

This was such a busy week taking my mother-in-law to the city for daily treatment in the hospital. She's undergoing hyperbaric therapy for a couple of hours each day to try to heal her nose. Apparently, blood vessels had died after radiation therapy two years ago and the tissues had begun to die. The amazing part is that what seemed like cancer isn't cancer and should be corrected with this therapy in the next six or seven weeks. It left little time for crafting, but I've just been so glad to help her get better. I have a muscle disease that limits how much I walk and walking across large parking lots and through hospital corridors every day seemed to destroy my legs by the end of the week, but somehow, as I kept walking, I was mostly thinking about what I needed to do to help her. The pain came after I made it home.

I started to make this card for her because of the sentiment I chose. It's from an old retired Close To My Heart stamp set. She has lived nearly 88 years giving of herself anywhere she could without expecting anything in return. I've seen her unselfishness in action for many years. She has set a great example for my husband and me and her grandchildren. She would spend long hours in the kitchen cooking magnificent meals to entertain family or guests, even though she's elderly.

But when I saw the how this card turned out, I knew it was better suited for my younger friend who loves bright, busy cards. I'll have to make my mother-in-law something else with this message. great is great for my younger friend as well because she is always helping others without getting any "reward" in return. I am certain that many Christians will see their only reward when they reach eternity. What I really want to strive for is loving as Christ loved, unselfishly giving what is best for others, not necessarily for ourselves.

Here's the lovely pattern Mojo Monday gave us this week:

I used the bright and springtime papers from Close To My Heart called "Chantilly." I took a giant leap of faith in trying the busy background paisley, which was maybe brighter than I wanted, but I was on a tight schedule and had to finish quickly without time to change it. Also, I needed to keep the card fairly flat to go in the mail tomorrow so the pearls that I'd wanted to use were left off. Instead I cut out a glittery heart from a Martha Stewart valentine paper and attached it in the center of the glittery white flower from Recollections. The stamped hearts are also from a retired CTMH stamp set.

The rest of the sentiment is on the inside:

I'm sharing this card with the following challenges:
A Gem of a Challenge #66 - Hearts/Valentines
Come and Get It - Show Us Your Heart
Dream Valley Challenges #50 - Valentines
Mojo Monday #279 - sketch
Stamptacular Sunday #202 - From the Heart