Cattitude Monday - Learning To Trust

Remember this post from a couple of weeks ago:  http://faithartistry.blogspot.com/2008/09/cattitude-monday-introducing.html  - What a difference two weeks has made.  Our,
"Mystery" kitty is now quite at home on my mom's porch and will even allowed a few photo's to be snapped (he doesn't like the sound the camera makes though.)

Last week I took him out some Tuna Fish and the water off of the tuna and made a friend for life!  He's allowed us to even pet him and while this isn't the greatest photo I've ever taken (I had to put the camera on timed photo) I did get a picture of him letting me pet him.  See that chair behind my big butt?  That's my mom's lawn chair on her porch and now if I sit in the chair he'll hop up on my lap and let me pet him and oh can he purr.  The problem now is that he has claws and likes to "kneed" them into my knees (not so good when you're allergic).  So this morning I took a folded blanket out with me so he could hop on the blanket without doing damage to my legs.  He of course wants to stay on my lap and while that would be nice I had to eventually get up (He's quite heavy) so I ended up having to just stand up holding him on the blanket and setting the blanket down in the lawn chair with kitty still on the blanket.
He loves attention but just had to gain trust in the fact that we weren't going to hurt him.  I think he'll be sticking around now as he's there every morning and every night regular as clock work for his food, water & "lovins". 

Spooky Sketch - TECC35

I got to play with Taylor's Cupcake challenge today.  I just love her Cupcake Friday cards and now that she has sketch challenges it's doubly fun!  This sketch looked like a lot of fun so I thought I would give it a try.

I chose to use a set that I've had for some time (a year in fact) and create a Halloween card.  The set I used is from Papertrey Ink and can be found here:  http://www.papertreyink.com/stamps_spookysweets.html It's called, Spooky Sweets.  I stamped the Jack-o-lantern in Tangerine Tango and Kiwi Kiss ink (SU).  Then I stamped just the pumpkin portion again and cut it out and stamped the face with Palette Noir Black ink.  I went over that with a Black Spica Glitter pen for some shimmer (which really doesn't show well in the scan) cut it out and raised it up with foam mounting tape.  I added some webbing to the corners of the Whisper White panel using the Cheesecloth Background Stamp (SU-retired) and Black ink.  I mounted this piece to Kiwi Kiss distressed with KK ink as well. 

The Card Base is Kiwi Kiss layered with Pumpkin Pie that I stamped the Spooky Sentiment on and then ran through my Cuttlebug with the Spiderweb Embossing Folder.  I distressed the edges with Basic Gray ink and added a row of Orange and Black mini brads (Queen and Company).  I also added Googly Eyes to the centers of the "O's" for a bit of whimsy.  My 4 panels were done using Basic Black CS and Ghostly Greetings DP (SU).  I stamped the Spider with a Versamark Pad and Embossed it with Black EP and then cut it out and mounted it with foam mounting tape to complete my card.

There you have it a Spooky Sketch for your viewing pleasure.  Check out Taylor's blog if you haven't already.

Awards and Tags

If you are like me life sometimes gets away from you and you often just don't have the time to do everything that you'd like to do. Lately that has been the case for me. Sometime back I was given this award from Amy (Partners in Crimp) and I just was so bogged down with things that I had to hold off putting this on my blog and thanking her as well for nominating me.

There are "rules" with this award and while I don't normally do this today I am "breaking the rules" because there are just so many great blogs out there it doesn't seem fair to only pick 7. Instead I am sending you to this blog: http://stampinwhenican.blogspot.com/ and asking that you visit some of the Blog Finds she has posted. I've visited a number of times and have found some really wonderful blogs through this feature on her blog.

Also my new friend, Elena (The Red Haired Girl) tagged me. Again I am not tagging other bloggers but instead ask that when you visit a new blog you leave a nice comment as you never know just how much that will mean to the person. I know I always appreciate it when people stop by and leave comments on my blog.

As for the 7 Random Things about me...This is always a hard thing for me as I don't think I'm all that interesting but I'll give it a try.

1. I love to bake and of course eat what I bake...One time I made one of those Cherry Cheesecake Pies (from a mix) and ate the entire thing myself (took me 2 days) and afterwards I felt pretty sick but it was sure yummy while I was eating it.

2. Sometimes when I watch a scary movie I will squint my eyes or peek through my fingers when it starts to get really suspenseful. I guess I feel safer that way. 3. I don't know if I've shared this or not before but I've been told that I'm "gullible" and was once asked what time it was in the Metric System and my reply was, "How Would I Know?" - There's no such thing as Metric Time by the way.

4. I hate spiders..that's probably not a secret but did you know that my sister-in-law gave me one for a "Pet" once as a joke. Plus Tarantula's do not scare me. They are so HUGE that they just don't creep me out as much as smaller spiders do.

5. If I could travel anywhere in the world I want to visit, Ireland and I really have no clue why other then the fact that I love the John Wayne classic, (The Quiet Man) which was suppose to be set in Ireland and I've just always had a fascination with the idea of going there.

6. I stink at sports of all kinds. I can't swim (even though I took beginners lessons), I'm horrible at Basketball, Baseball, Tennis, Archery, can barely Ice Skate, Couldn't master the Hula Hoop, Monkey Bars etc...but I can Bowl or at least I make an attempt and carry about a 150 average.

7.Everyone knows I love cats but I can name every cat I've ever owned: Boots, Tiger, Paws, Muttonhead, Rocky, Tumbleweed, Sagebrush (he got stolen) Spooky, Pumpkin, Trouble, Nuisance, Mischief, Snickers, Dottie, Blackie, Callie-Jo, Harley.

Okay hopefully if you read this you weren't to bored with my Random Facts...Now go find someone to tag or cheer up by leaving a comment on their blog.

BC Wk. 66 - Andy Warhol Does Halloween

" In The Future Everyone Will Be Famous For 15 Minutes."  - Andy Warhol

Happy Friday! - For this weeks Blogger's Challenge our challenge was to create a card/project using the art style made famous by Andy Warhol.  -  What I know the most about Andy is the famous quote above and this painting of a Campbell's Soup label:

Of course his art work was quite colorful and I've included a couple of samples of the type that I chose to try and imitate with my card above:

I decided to do a Halloween card just because I love Halloween and it lends itself to some really bright bold colors so well.  The Skeleton image is by (Inkadinkado).  I stamped the image seveal times on,

Summer Sun, Tangerine Tango, Gable Green and Orchid Opulence card stock.  Then I punched out squares and lined them up on a piece of Basic Black Card stock.   For some extra fun I added some bright orange rickrack to the sides.

My card base is Basic Black layered with Orchid Opulence that I distressed with OO ink and layered with this wild Halloween Plaid designer paper by ,

(Karen Foster) that I stamped the "Boo" sentiment (Papertrey Ink) in Palette Noir Black ink.  Then I punched out some 3/4" circles of Tangerine Tango and layered them with 1/2" circles of Orchid Opulence and a Black Brad.  My focal image was mounted with foam mounting tape.

Now be sure you check out all the other Warhol creations by clicking on the Blogger's Challenge Icon on my sidebar.  I'm sure they will all be really fun and creative projects. 

Thankfully - Under The Wire

If you haven't been to Carolyn's Blog you really missed out on something BIG...See this post:

http://myblogbycammie.blogspot.com/2008/09/heart-to-heart-blog-candy.html What a wonderful tribute to her Grandma. While I don't know anyone personally who has suffered from this horrible disease I know that it can be very devastating to loved ones when something like this happens to their loved one.

I have been trying all week to get my card posted and finally got it done today. Being sick hasn't helped any with time management but I'm feeling better so here is my card. I will be sending this to a lady that heads up an Organization called, Mail For Cheer. My mom is a volunteer for this. Basically they send out cheer cards to people who need them for various reasons, (ie: Death in the family, health issues, depression) to help Cheer them Up. I think this is a real blessing and I know my mom enjoyed receiving cards when she had her Knee Surgery and she loves being able to brighten up someone else's day.

For this card I used: Thoroughly Thankful (SU). I embossed the image with Gold EP and watercolored with ink pads and the Aqua Painter. I highlighted the Pumpkins and Sunflower with Spica Glitter Pens for some shimmer. The Designer Paper is from the Haiku Series. Card colors: Old Olive, Tangerine Tango, Kiwi Kiss, Very Vanilla. I stamped the sentiment with Palette Noir Black ink. The shiny leaves at the bottom are from Creative Imaginations (Debbie Mumm) collection. I also added some ribbon (May Arts).

Well I am thankful that I managed to get this card completed even if it is "under the wire" for the Blog Candy Giveaway. The real purpose for making the card will not be to win (although that would be cool) but rather to help brighten up someones life a little.

Thanks Carolyn for being a such a caring person.

Is It Monday Already

Oh my I am so not ready for today...I hit a button before I was suppose to and immediately posted a blank (I just typed plank at first.) page that I had to go in and delete.  I wonder if it says the page has been published and I delete the post do you still get the original boo boo page?  I need more coffee!

So it's Monday and once again no Cat Card to show for "Cattitude Monday"  -  Trust me it probably wouldn't have looked that great anyway since I'm still recovering from my (whaever it is) illness.  I had a cold that went into my lungs and with Asthma it just makes things miserable.  I've been on antibiotics and such for a week now but still feeling run down, irritable and generally just not up to par. So I haven't really done much stamping.

I'm sharing some photo's though of our two newest furry friends.  Harley on the left in the nice clean blankets (what cat can resist warm blankets fresh out of the dryer) and Callie-Jo on the right having a really good stretch by the look on her face.

And finally....I give you our DOGS!  The one on the right is our Chow,

Angel and the one on the left looks suspiciously like our granddaughter, Coleen but I might be mistaken.

Notice how the tongue is even hanging out of her mouth!  She loves to pretend she's a cat or a dog (doesn't matter to her as she loves both)so much to the point that when you talk to her while she's being one of them she only barks or meows at you in reply.

Have a great day.  I'm going to try and get some stamping in today of some kind.  Off for another cup of coffee now.

BC65 - Create, Inspire and Be Yourself

HAPPY FRIDAY! - For our Blogger's Challenge this week we were assigned,  "Watercoloring".  Now as many of you know that technique is not exactly one I excel in.  I have tried watercolor pencils, crayons, working with reinkers and an Aqua painter and let's just face it,  I'm "Challenged" when it comes to watercoloring.  I have the worst time working with an Aqua Painter and always get way to much water out of the darn thing no matter how much I try not to. 

So for today's challenge I took the "easy" way out (At least for me) by using Watercolor Crayons and coloring directly on the stamp and misting with water.  Since I was out of Watercolor paper (except for a cheap brand that really stinks) I decided to go with Whisper White card stock instead.  I still think it came out pretty decent even if it didn't bleed as much as it would have on watercolor paper.

My stamp is from (Penny Black - Carnation) Carnations happen to be one of my all time favorite flowers so I had to have this particular image.  I colored it with Regal Rose, Rose Red, Old Olive and Garden Green crayons and then lightly misted the stamp a few times before stamping it on the card stock.  Then I stamped my sentiment (Hero Arts - Treasure the Moments) in Palette Noir Black ink.  I added 3 Dew Drops (Island blossoms) and some Rose Red Grosgrain ribbon and a Prima Flower with a Rose Red Brad. 

The background paper reminds me of a "watercolor wash" even though it's pre-printed it still has that effect. It's from http://www.-cut-it-up.com/   I added a strip down the side of Regal Rose & Rose Red.  I used my crimper on the Regal Rose (does anyone use a crimper still?  Well obviously I did but I mean is that really out of style now?) The focal piece was mounted with foam mounting tape.

This is another card being sent to a fellow stamper that inspires me.  She's known as Debbie Olson of Thinking Inking.  I love her cards so much.  She has a real elegant style of stamping so I hope she enjoys this card.

That's it for today.  Be sure to check out all the other wonderful watercolor creations by clicking on the Bloggers Challenge Icon.  You won't be disappointed.

Something to Crow About

I found this "funky" rooster on a recent visit to a Stamp Store and immediately though of Anna Wight (Sweet Miss Daisy) who lives on a farm in Texas with lots of different animals including chickens and of course Roosters.  I decided that I wanted to send her a card using this Rooster and this is what I came up with.

The card base is Pumpkin Pie layered with Close To Cocoa that I distressed with CTC ink as well.  Then I added a strip of DP (Provo Craft - Apple Harvest Scrap Pad) and a scallop punched strip of More Mustard. 

For the focal image (Judith - I-33) that's the name on the side of the stamp. I stamped the Rooster with Palette Noir Black ink on Whisper White card stock. Colored it with Prisma Colored Pencils blended with Gamsol.  Then I masked him and sponged an oval using a punched template and So Saffron and More Mustard inks.  I added Crystal Effects to his top notch and whatever that funky chin thing is called (Anna will know) I also highlighted his beak with an Orange Spica Glitter Pen. (Here is a close up so you can see the detail a little better.)  I cut the image out with my Rectangle Nestablities and mounted it on a So Saffron Rectangle distressed with More Mustard Ink.  Then I added a piece of Pumpkin Pie Grosgrain Ribbon and a cool button I got from my mom's button stash (thanks mom) and frayed some of the ribbon to tie on the button.
For the sentiment (Hero Arts) I colored directly on the stamp with Basic Gray & Pumpkin Pie markers, cut it out with the Lg. Oval punch (SU) and added 2 orange mini brads (Queen and Co.).  The sentiment and focal image were mounted with foam mounting tape.

Anna is such a creative person and has a unique and fun style of stamping.  She always makes me smile with her wonderful creations and this is my way of saying, "Thanks for the inspiration and the smile you put on my face with your wonderful cards."  - Anna if you read my blog this is on it's way to you.

Grinning Bat - BC Designer Paper Challenge

SMILE! - That's what this little bat just seems to be saying.

For today's Blogger Challenge we were to use Designer Paper on our cards/projects. I hadn't planned on participating this week not because I didn't have any designer paper but more because I've been sick (boo hoo) all week with a bad cold, I had a Stamp Club to prepare for which was last night and today is my daughter's birthday. So much going on and I just didn't think I could fit anything more in. Then "inspiration" hit and I just had to come up with a card. Halloween is one of my favorite holidays an I just couldn't resist creating this card for this weeks challenge.

My little bat is one I picked up several years ago. The label says, Carson-Dellosa Publ. CD-8534 on it. I colored him with Copic Markets and an Only Orange marker. Then I cut out the Bow Tie from a second image and added Orange Peel Stickles to the tie for some sparkle and raised it up with foam mounting tape.

My card base is Old Olive and then I layered a piece of the Ghostly Greetings DP (SU) that I distressed with Pumpkin Pie ink. I stamped the sentiment (Inkadinkado - Ghouls and Goblins) with Palette Noir Black Ink. Next I added a strip of DP with the Pumpkins onto Basic Black card stock that I cut with Fiskars Notch Paper Edgers (I need to use my scissor more often).

I cut out a piece of the Bat patterned paper using my Nestablities Dies and a piece of Basic Black. Then I mounted the Bat image with Foam Mounting Tape and added 3 mini orange brads (Queen and Company) to complete the card. I also highlighted the bats toes with a Yellow Spica Glitter Pen for a little more glitz.

I had FUN with this card and hope you enjoy it too. Be sure to check out the other projects by clicking on the Bloggers Challenge Icon on my side bar.

You Are Always On My Mind

I saw a card using the Pocket Silhouettes stamps set that I liked and decided to create a card based on it for my upcoming Stamp Club meeting.
Here is the link to the card I originally found:

http://haman.us/blog/2008/09/silhouette-spots/

For my card I changed the layout so it would appear at the bottom of the card.  I also wanted to incorporate the Upsy Daisy stamp set so I used it as a background stamp,  "pretty cool" huh!

My card base is Whisper White followed by a layer of Chocolate Chip that I stamped the Upsy Daisy flowers with a VersaMark pad.  Then I embossed the sentiment with Winter White EP.  I recommend embossing the sentiment first and then stamping the flowers.  I did it the opposite way and my flowers hadn't dried enough before I put the EP down and I had to use a small paintbrush to get rid of the excess powder where it wasn't suppose to be.
I added a piece of Chocolate Chip Designer Paper and Kiwi Kiss that I used the Scallop Punch and Paper Piercing Tool.  Then I stamped the flowers from Pocket Silhouettes using Kiwi Kiss, Tangerine Tango and Pacific Point Blue on Whisper White and punched them out using the 1 1/4" Circle punch and layered them on the 1 3/8" Circle in the matching color.  I also punched smaller circles using the 1/2" circle punch.  I glued the smaller circles down and raised the larger ones up using foam mounting tape to complete the card.

Cattitude Monday - Introducing....

You may have noticed if you read my blog on a regular basis (and I hope that you do) that I've neglected the "Cattitude Monday" feature for a few weeks now.  Sometimes I just don't seem to find the time to get an entry in or I don't have a card made etc...but I will try to post as often as I can when I have something to post.

This week I am featuring some photo's of our cats.  This first picture is an Introduction to,  "Mystery Kitty."

Last winter when it was cold and we actually had snow on the ground we noticed paw prints going into our back storage shed.  I got the idea to leave food and see if it would be eaten.  Sure enough it was but we never saw who was eating the food so we named the cat, "Mystery Kitty."  Eventually we discovered who the cat was and decided to just keep the name as it fits him.  He seems to be sadly a "homeless" cat that wanders the neighborhood looking for food where ever he can find it.  Lately we've started leaving food for him on my mom's front porch and he's decided that our house is the house to come to for his meals now as he knows he's going to get fed regularly.  He's becoming a bit braver now as he use to run every time he saw you but now he'll come up on the porch and eat while you are standing there.  He got close enough to me the other day that I thought I would try and pet him.  BIG mistake,  I ended up with some nice puncture wounds in my wrist for my efforts.  He also doesn't like his picture taken and runs when he sees the camera.  I managed to get this photo of him hiding in the back fence.  I really like it as it shows his wisdom and it gives him the air of "mystery" that his adopted name suggests.  It always makes me sad when people get pets and then don't take care of them or dump them off somewhere to fend for themselves like this old cat has to do.  I feel better knowing though that he's getting fed now and hopefully someday he'll trust me enough to allow some human contact.

Here we have Callie-Jo who decided that Coleen's little toy doll carrier was the perfect place for a nice little "cat nap."  Doesn't she look sweet.  Lastly there is an very UNUSUAL cat in our house at times.  This one look suspicious like our little granddaughter, Coleen (she loves pretending she is either a cat or a dog) she won't even talk to you when she's in pet mode.  She either meows or barks at you.  Her she's of course getting a drink of water from the cat's water bowl.  (She put her own water in the bowl incase your freaking out about her drinking out of the bowl after the cats have drank in it.)

Swimmingly Fun

Well the Stamp Girls Gone Wild (SGGW) group just finished up another round of the now famous (well if it isnt it should be!) Mystery Image challenge.  This time our hostess was, Judy Huettel and she chosse this adorable little Changito image by Stampendous. 
For my card I chose to use some Designer Paper from DCWW (Die Cuts With A View) that came on one of those huge mixed packets.  I based my Color Scheme on the paper and away I went.
My card base is: Chocolate Chip layered with Cool Carribean (now retired - insert sad face) that was distressed with CC ink as well.  Then I layered the striped designer paper.  I added a piece of the Polka Dot dp that I added scalloped strips of Creamy Caramel card stock and pierced holes in the scallops.

My focal image was watercolored using the ink pads and an Aqua Painter.  Again I'm not all that great at watercoloring but I gave it the old "college try" as they say and it didn't turn to bad.
For some added fun I used Crystal Effects on the flippers and snorkle.  I also used a Clear Spica Glitter pen to add some shimmer to the polka dots on the inner tube.  The sunglasses have foil tape on them so they look pretty authentic.  I added 3 tan brads (Queen and Co.)  to the side of the cirlce as well and then mounted it to Cool Carribean and Close To Cocoa using my Nestabilities Dies and the piercing tool.  The sentiment is from one of those rolling stamps that has several sentiments on it and I picked it up at JoAnn's.  I stamped it with Chocolate Chip ink and mounted it onto the Cool Carribean.  They were punched using SU Oval punches.  I added 2 small mini brads from Queen and Company and mounted the sentiment and focal image with foam mounting tape.

BC Wk 63 - You're A Blast

"Got Sunglasses!" -  For this weeks Blogger's Challenge Group we had a Color Challenge using some of the new "In-Colors" from Stampin'Up! -  The colors were:  Kiwi Kiss (Love it), Tangerine Tango (Another favorite), Pacific Point and Red Ridinghood Red - These are all gorgeous colors but they are quite bright so I was leary about pairing them together.  In the end I chose to just use a "tad" of the Ridinghood Red and Tangerine Tango and went with the bolder Pacific Point and Kiwi Kiss as my main colors.

I chose to use the Rocket from Pun Fun as the starting point for my card.  Rockets can pretty much be any color you want and sine these were (out of this world) what better image to use then a rocket!  My card base is Pacific Point Blue and I layered that with Kiwi Kiss which I stamped with the Paisley Print BG (retired). It sort of reminded me of swirling things in outer space for some reason.  I added 3 punched stars in Pacific Point with Orange brads (Queen and Co.)  The focal image was watercolored with the color scheme and raised up with foam mounting tape.  I highlighted portions with Spice Glitter pens.  I stamped the sentiment in Palette Noir Black ink and mounted it onto a piece of Ridinghood Red card stock.  I couldn't resist using a piece of the Kiwi Kiss Satin Ribbon, it's just so pretty.  I added a small punched star (source unknown) and a mini orange brad. The main panel was also raised with foam mounting tape.

So there you have it a bright, cheerful card to send to someone that I find a real "blast" to be around. - Now don't forget to check out how the other members interpreted this color challenge by clicking on the Bloggers Challenge Icon on my sidebar.  -  Off to Bed for me now...5-4-3-2-1  Blast Off!!!

Upsy Daisy Friendship

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13)   What a powerful and thought provoking verse.

For this card I used the new, Upsy Daisy stamp set from Stampin'Up! -  Isn't it GORGEOUS!  I've seen so many fantastic cards already and just had to ink mine up yesterday.  Due to the fact that I was on a trip last week I wasn't able to participate in Taylor's Cupcake Friday challenge but I liked the sketch so much I decided to use it for this card.  If you haven't visited her blog lately I suggest you do as she has some super adorable stamps that are going to be released tonight at midnight EST.  I can't wait to get them.

For my card I started with a base of Tangerine Tango (one of the new "in-colors" for this year) and layered that with So Saffron distressed with So Saffron ink.  Then I added a piece of Haiku designer series paper. One thing I really like is that this year SU included the color combo's that match the Designer Paper which makes it so much easier to coordinate your projects. 

For the focal image I colored directly on the stamp with markers (More Mustard, Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive) and then misted the stamp with water and stamped it on Whisper White card stock.  Then I used a 2-way Glue pen and Dazzling Diamonds Glitter to add some sparkle to the flowers.  I added two Old Olive brads and mounted this to a piece of Old Olive card stock that I distressed with OO ink and the distressing tool.  I punched a slit using the Horizontal Slot punch and added Old Olive Grosgrain ribbon.  The sentiment was stamped in Old Olive and mounted on a piece of  Tangerine Tango that I raised using foam mounting tape.  I just love how this card turned out.  We will be doing this at my Stamp Club meeting on Thursday of next week.

A Windy Wedding

Last week Ihubby and I  left on Thursday from Walla Walla, WA (no we don't have an Acme Mail Order Company here)* to attend my stepson's wedding in Crescent City, CA.  The trip was 571 miles and we wanted to take plenty of time since we had both our mothers and Coleen along and didn't want anyone to get to stiff and sore from riding in a car all day long. 

The wedding took place on the beach (South Pebble Beach) in front of that large rock you see in the photo.  That was the first place where Erick told Elaine he "liked" her and kissed her way back when he was only 17, he's 25 now.  It's been a rather rocky romance for the two of them over the years and they've split up and gone back together several times.  It was good though that he finally decided to marry her. The wedding was short and sweet and very WINDY! - We all sat on logs and had sand blowing in our faces and even though the sun was shining the wind made you feel extremely cold.  I will share nicer and better pictures once we figure out how to down load them off my husbands camera onto the computer.  For now though this will have to do.

They had a Black n White color scheme for the wedding party so I wanted to coordinate that into the card we gave them with their wedding cash.    The card base is Basic Black which I layered with Shimmery White that I ran through the Cuttlebug using the Textile Embossing Folder.  Then I added a strip of Black and White Polka Dot designer paper,(http://www.oneheart-onemind.com/)  I embossed the heart from Always-SU with Black Diamond EP-JudiKins and cut it out.  Then I stamped the sentiment (Hero Arts) with Palette Noir Black ink nad layered it to the Shimmery White card stock.  I added the Heart Charm (which I happened to find one day in a parking lot at the grocery store) and added a tiny black brad from Queen and Company.  I mounted the sentiment and the heart with foam mounting tape. 

Here is a close-up of the heart so you can see how sparkly the embossing powder turned out.

We hope they have a long and happy marriage.  It's going to be a long haul for them in the next year as Elaine is expecting a baby in December and Erick will be heading back to Afghanistan for another tour of duty (He's in the National Guard) so he will pretty much miss the first year of his child's life.

We made it home safe and sound late Monday night and I will try to share more about our trip later on.

*For those of you who aren't familiar with the Bugs Bunny Cartoon the Coyote always bought stuff from the Acme Company to try and catch the Road Runner.  At some point in the cartoon it was shown that the Acme Company was located in Walla Walla, WA! -  We've also been mentioned in a few other movies,  "The Creature from the Black Lagoon, and Stake Out to name a couple.

BC Wk 62 - Labor Day

Ah the miracle of computer technology....I pre-scheduled this post since I am out of town this Labor Day weekend attending my Stepson's wedding in CA.

The Blogger's Challenge this week was Labor Day - Patriotic or Baby - I got the connection between being in "Labor" for the Baby theme but couldn't quite understand the Patriotic portion for Labor Day.  According to Wikepedia here is the origin of Labor Day:

Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September. The holiday originated in 1882 as the Central Labor Union (of New York City) sought to create "a day off for the working citizens".
Congress made Labor Day a federal holiday in 1894.[1] All fifty states have made Labor Day a state holiday.
Traditionally, Labor Day is celebrated by most Americans as the symbolic end of the summer.
So I'm not entirely sure about the use of Patriotic cards for this holiday but I chose to do a Baby themed card instead.

I have so few "Baby" related stamps it was hard to find something to use but I managed to come up with this card.

I used the Giraffe from (Wild About You - SU) and the sentiment from (Riveting - retired SU).  Then I based my color scheme on the patterned paper from Debbie Mumm - Baby Boy which I purchased from Jo-Ann's.  I stamped the giraffe in Creamy Caramel and then colored the spots with Prismacolor Pencils and added some sparkle with my Clear Spica Glitter Pen.  Then I cut it out and mounted it on Whisper White card stock layered to Bashful Blue and distressed with Bashful Blue ink.  I added 3 Button Brads (source unknown).   The sentiment was stamped in Bashful Blue and mounted onto a circle of Pretty In Pink.  I used my new Cuttlebug Embossing folder to emboss the row of buttons in Pretty in Pink and also used the Scallop punch (SU) on the border.  Then I added a small strip of Kiwi Kiss card stock.  This was mounted to a Barely Banana Card Base that I distressed with Barely Banana ink.
I think it turned out pretty cute.  Now I'll just need someone to send it too but at the moment I don't know any pregnant women so it may sit awhile in the card drawer before it gets used.

Be sure to check out everyone's cards by clicking on the Blogger's Challenge Icon on my sidebar.
Have a great Labor Day holiday...Fall is around the corner and summer is winding down.  This year sure has flown by quickly.

Donating to a Good Cause

Hey, Do you want a chance to win some really great stuff (I talking about a lot of cool stamps)...Go check out this entry then on Mary-Jo's blog for all the details.
http://technostamper.blogspot.com/2008/08/you-can-win-over-200-in-brand-new.html

What a wonderful cause and for a small donation you can have a chance to win all that loot. Go contribute. I just did.

BC Wk 61 - A Touch of Country

Summer is winding down (where did it go?) and kids are heading back to school next week. For this weeks Bloggers Challenge Group our challenge was a Color Scheme (Chocolate Chip, Old Olive, More Mustard and Ruby Red)...those colors to me seem to signify the end of summer and the beginning of fall as the leaves will soon be starting to change colors on the trees.

Yesterday I posted a card for Julee's Mojo Monday sketch which I had altered to suit the image I used. Since I still wanted to play along using the actual sketch this time I chose to use her sketch for my card. So this is what's been referred to by some bloggers as a "two-fer" because I'm combining 2 challenges into one card.

I just got my new shipment of stamps from SU's new catalog/idea book and wanted to use one of the sets. I chose, Pocket Silhouettes. It has the neatest little images of plants and flowers and since flowers are a favorite of mine I just had to ink it up.

My card base is Old Olive distressed with Old Olive ink. Then I added a layer of More Mustard stamped in More Mustard ink with the retired Fine Lace Background Stamp. I added a piece of the new Chocolate Chip Designer Series paper and pieces of the new Old Olive Grosgrain ribbon.

My focal image was stamped by coloring directly on the stamp with Ruby Red, More Mustard and Old Olive inks. I added highlights to the flowers with a Clear Spica Glitter Pen (it doesn't show up in the scan that well but you can see it on the flower on the circle accent). I then did some faux stitching around the image with my paper piercing tool and a Chocolate Chip marker. I layered this to a piece of More Mustard distressed with the Cutter Tool Kit and layered on some strips of scallop ruby red using the new SU Scallop punch. The sentiment was stamped in Chocolate Chip ink and layered on Old Olive. I added a Ruby Red flower punched with the 3 For You punch and a More Mustard Brad. I pierced a line across the bottom and added Ruby Red brads. Although looking more closely at it now I see that a Rose Red brad found it's way into my container as the middle brad is a different color (but a close match).

I like the "Country" feel of this card. - Be sure to check out the other members cards/projects. You can find them by clicking on the Bloggers Challenge Icon on my sidebar.

Have a wonderful Weekend!

Moments to Remember

Owls are so "in" these days so when I saw this absolutely adorable Owl stamp (www.stampavie.com ) by Rachelle Anne Miller I just had to have it.  I started out trying to use the Mojo49 sketch from Poetic Artistry for this card but since my image was larger then the sketch called for I decided to just alter it to suit the look I was hoping for.

My card base is Old Olive and I layered that with a piece of BoBunny Designer Paper (Organic Marigold). I based the colors of my owls from the DP.  I added a strip of Creamy Caramel distressed with Chocolate Chip ink. Then I added the scallop border (SU Scallop Punch) in Really Rust Textured CS and pierced it with the Crafters Tool Kit.  I stamped the sentiment (Hero Arts) with Chocolate Chip ink and added 3 Old Olive Brads.

The focal image was stamped with Palette Noir Black ink on Stampers Select CS (Papertrey Ink)  and colored with Prismacolor Pencils blended with Gamsol.  I highlighted the owls eyes and the little caterpillar with Spica Glitter Pens.  You can see how sparkly they are in this closeup. The image was cut out using a Rectangle Nestabilites Die and mounted on a Chocolate Chip Scalloped Rectangle.  Then I added a super cool flower by Sassafras.  I just couldn't see putting that flower under my image so that's why the sketch ended up being altered.  If you notice the little caterpillar was alos raised up on foam mounting tape.

I just love the expression on the owls faces.  My mom said it looks like they are wondering who is going to get the worm first (ick!)  Hope you find your own special moments to treasure in your heart forever.

$630 Worth The Rubberband! - Not for the squeamish

It's Monday and that usually means it's time for a "Cattitude Monday" entry.  I had high hopes of getting a card ready as I just recently received an adorable cat image that I planned to use for my entry but alas my plans were altered for this week.

Instead I bring you another tale (or "tail" ) of our own furry household.  Be warned that this photo is going to be GROSS so don't look if you are squeamish at all.

Saturday night our little furry buddy, Harley decided to get sick again and upchucked another piece of a rubberband (We have no clue where he found this one).  At any rate he continued to get sick throughout the evening and into the night.  I was up pretty much every hour on the hour as he was pretty sick and I had to get up and check on him, clean up the mess and make sure he was okay before I'd crawl back into bed.  At 6:00 am we made the decision to call the On-Call Emergency Vet and have him looked at.  The Vet had to take X-rays to determine what was wrong but she was pretty sure he still had something in his stomach so we agreed to surgery to find out. 

This is what was inside his stomach and had started to work into his intestines.  Pretty Gross, huh?  It's the rest of the rubberband, a small stick and a bunch of hair and thread.  Disgusting! 

I am happy to report that Harley was able to come home this morning. Here is a picture of him looking pretty "sassy" after he got home.

He's been doing pretty good since he got home but he's winding down and resting right now.  It was quite an ordeal.  While the Vet had him under she offered to Neuter him for only an extra $10 so I guess the title of this should have been $620 dollars worth the rubberband!

Lastly a picture of his incision.  He'll be on Antibiotics for a few days and also a laxative formula so he can clear out all the junk he couldn't while he was plugged up with that nasty rubberband.

Guess you know that we are going to be EXTRA careful now to keep him out of rubberbands, strings, thread, etc...as the vet said they can be repeat offenders and believe me we know because if you remember this post you'll know this isn't the first time he's ever done this but hopefully it will be his last time.  We're just happy to have him home safe and sound.

Sunset Sympathy

Here is another Sympathy card that I recently made.  I based it off of a card made by Beth Silaika found here.   I wanted to try my own take on a Zindorf styled card.  If you haven't visited Michelle's blog Freedom in Creating be sure to stop by and check it out.  She has some "Awesome" art work and tutorials on her blog.

For my card I used the new Tangerine Tango  for my card base.  I love how rich and vibrant it is.  I layered that to a piece of Apricot Appeal.  Then I took a piece of So Saffron and masked a circle using a PostIt Note and sponged on, Summer Sun, Tangerine Tango and Pumpkin Pie Ink and removed my mask. Then I stamped my tree branch (Hero Arts - Trees, Birds and Messages) with Basic Black ink.  I colored in the leaves with Old Olive and the Flowers with Tangerine Tango ink using my AquaPainter.  I highlighted some of the flowers with a Clear Spica Glitter Pen.  Then I lightly stamped the Canvas Background (SU Retired) in Apricot Appeal Ink and stamped my sentiment Brighter Tomorrow (SU Retired) with Basic Black ink. I pierced holes along the bottom using my Crafter's Tool Kit.  I added Apricot Appeal Grosgrain ribbon, Prima Flowers and Orange Brads from Queen and Co. and then Photo Corners punched in Tangerine Tango to complete the card.  I really liked how this turned out.

I have a "Sweet Tooth"

One of my favorite blogs to visit is Taylored Expressions and I have long been a fan of Taylor's Cupcake Fridays but have never participated in any of her challenges.  I thought this week was a good time to start as I really liked the sketch.  You can find the sketch here     I really like the look of a long card as you can play around with it so much more then the standard size (41/4x51/2) card.

For this card I used an image by Stampendous (Tiers of Treats).  I had one of this image as it was sent to me as a "thank you" for a recent purchase from Eclectic Paperie and I thought it would be perfect for this sketch.  I just love all the little Sweet Treats on this platter.  I can just imagine being in a Pastry Shop and sampling some of these decadent desserts.  Yum Yum! 

I chose to use a white card base (Stampers Select from PapertreyInk) and layered it with a darker green textured card stock (Bazzill).  Then I added some patterned papers from BoBunny (Shabby Princess line). I love the Polka Dots and the Stripes are so pretty.  I based the colors of my sweet treats off the designer paper.  The image was colored with Prisma Color Pencils and blended with Gamsol.  I added some little details to the image with Crystal Effects, Liquid Applique and a Red Spica Glitter Pen.  Here is a close-up that shows a little more of the details.  To complete the card I added ribbon by American Crafts and Offray. I also added a Large Red button and 2 tan brads (Queen and Co).  The image was mounted on Sage Shadown card stock and I used small pieces of Chocolate Chip as accent strips. The focal image was raised with foam mounting tape. The Sentiment is from Hero Arts.

I had a lot of fun with this sketch and hopefully this won't be my last time participating in Taylor's Cupcake Challenge. 

BC59 - Same but Different

Hope you have all had a wonderful week.  It's winding down now and we can all get ready to enjoy the weekend.  In the mean time it's Friday Challenge Day for the Blogger's Challenge Group. This week our challenge was (Same but Different). What that actually meant was we were to create 2 cards using the layout of our choice but different stamps for each card.  So I chose to use a layout from Taylor's Cupcake Challenges.  It's an older one that you can find here: http://tayloredexpressions.blogspot.com/2008_05_01_archive.html You'll need to scroll down the page a little to see her card and sketch.

I also challenged myself further to use some yet "uninked" stamps that I've purchased but never gotten around to using. 

For my first card I chose this adorable little stamp by (Great Impressions).  It has a sentiment on the stamp but I cut it off and mounted it separately on the side of the stamp. The image was colored using Prisma Color Pencils and Gamsol.  I highlighted the little flower with a Yellow Spica Glitter Pen.  The ribbon is from JoAnn Essentials line. I used the Ticket Corner Punch on the corners and added Mini Brads (Queen and Co.) and a punched flower (Three For You Punch - SU).

My card base is Pacific Point (I love this blue) from SU's new "In Colors" layered with Red Riding Hood Red also another new "In Color" and distressed the edges with the same color of ink.  Then I added the pretty floral patterned designer paper (source unknown since I cut the tab off - Silly Me). My strip in the middle was done using Pacific Point, Kiwi Kiss (Embossed with Cuttlebug Circles Embossing Folder). The image and sentiment (I just used a portion of the entire sentiment) were mounted with Foam Mounting Tape.

Card Number 2 uses this elegant reindeer stamp by

Inkadinkado and a snowflake stamp from SU's retired set, Nature's Secret. The card base is Old Olive layered with patterned paper (Basic Gray - Fruitcake line) that I stamped the snowflake on with Red Ridinghood Red Ink.  The piece down the middle is the reverse side of the designer paper and I added white scalloped borders using SU's new scallop border punch.  The Reindeer was stamped using Red Ridinghood Red ink and highlighted with Spica Glitter Pens and Stickles.  I cut it out using Rectangle Nestabilites Dies.  Card Stock was, Old Olive, Kiwi Kiss, Whisper White.  The ribbon is Always Artichoke Grosgrain.  My sentiment was computer generated.  Then I stamped the snowflake off once and onto my sentiment using Red Ridinghood Red ink embossed it with a VersaMark pad and Iridescent Ice EP.  I added 3 Dew Drops to the side and mounted the image and sentiment with foam mounting tape.

Isn't it fun to see how you can use the same layout and yet create very different cards just by changing your stamps, papers, colors, inks etc...So be sure to check out the other members and see what they came up with for this weeks challenge.  You can find them by clicking on the Bloggers Challenge Icon on my sidebar.

Have a great weekend! - Ida

Coffee With A Friend

I saw some cards being posted on blogs using this sketch and just had to try it out myself.  In fact it was the Wednesday sketch on Splitcoaststampers SC188 if you want to check out all the other cards using this sketch

My card base is Chocolate Chip that I layered with the new Kiwi Kiss and distressed with Kiwi Kiss ink and my distressing tool.  Then I added a piece of designer paper by BoBunny.  I stamped my coffee cup from Flourishes on Whisper White card stock and again on the patterned paper.  I cut the coffee cup and saucer out and glued them over the image.  The saucer was raised up using foam mounting tape.  Then I stamped the steam using Chocolate Chip ink and highlighted it with a Clear Spica Glitter pen (it doesn't show up in the scan but is pretty in real life). I stamped the sentiment with Basic Black ink.  The sides were distressed using Ranger's Brushed Corduroy ink. Then 3 brads (Queen and Co.) were added and the edges distressed again.

The triangles were done using the reverse side of the patterned paper and ran through the Cuttlebug using the Swirls embossing folder.  It reminded me of the steam from the coffee cup. The focal image was mounted with foam mounting tape to complete the card.

Soft Sympathy

Here is another Sympathy card that I sent recently to a fellow church member who just lost her brother. I started with a base of Perfect Plum layered with Pale Plum.  I added a layer of Pink Pirouette (it's such a soft dainty pink) that I ran through my Cuttlebug using the Textile Embossing Folder.  I added strips of Perfect Plum and Shimmery White that I used my new SU Scallop punch on and 3 Pretty in Pink brads. 

For the focal image I used (Live Your Dream) and colored directly on the stamp with markers, (Pale Plum, Mellow Moss, and rocked it onto my Perfect Plum pad for some highlights.  I misted the stamp before stamping it onto the Shimmery White card stock.  The butterflies were stamped with Pink Pirouette ink.  This was mounted on a Scalloped Rectangle of Perfect Plum that I cut using Nestabilities Dies.  The main image was mounted with foam mounting tape.  I computer genrated the sentiment.