Amy R's challenge

Such a pretty sketch from Amy at Prairie Paper & Ink this week. I used CTMH Key To My Heart paper pack for this one. I got a new stamp set the other day and it hadn't seen ink yet. Oh! The horrors! So the swirl and circles across the top of the card are CTMH Connections stamp set. I just stamped a bunch of circles, then cut them out with my Coluzzle and randomly placed them on the swirl. The flower and leaf images are from CTMH Life's Creation stamp set. The frame is a CTMH Dimensional Element.

OCC challenge

Laurie at Our Creative Corner gave us another fabulous sketch to work with this week.

I'm still loving the CTMH Key To My Heart paper pack. The colors remind me that spring is coming. I've had the house open for the last 4 days and been in shorts! The apple tree is blooming and I saw a fat bumble bee gathering pollen yesterday. I've seen quite a few Cardinals at the feeders and Robins pecking in the grass, looking for that early worm! The hummingbirds shouldn't be too far off. I usually see the first of them around March 15.

Anyway! Back to the card! I used the cupcake in the CTMH Feb promotional stamp set, Good Times, which I then put liquid applique on the "icing" and hit it with my heat gun to make it puff up and I Glossy Accent'd the bottom of the cupcake. The striped paper is on a piece of coaster that I cut out and it's pop-dotted. Circles were cut using my Pinking Nestabilities, and both the circles and the cupcake are also pop-dotted. Sentiment is from CTMH Say It In Style. The paper clip is the CTMH Spring Blossoms Mini Medley. Oh, and 4 pearls at the corners and a piece of lace from my stash!

Dermo revisited/The Old Grey Mare

I went back to the Dermo on Feb 3 to have two more abnormal cell spots cut off my back. One is in the small of my back, near the spine and the other is right where my bra strap meets the bra. I was to return on the 19th to have those stitches removed and a third spot that they keep calling my neck but I call my shoulder removed. Every day we have to treat the wounds with a Hydrogen Peroxide/water mix, then put Polysporin and a bandage on them. And we do that. Faithfully. So on the 19th, they tell me that the stitches are not ready to come out, the wounds aren't healing like they want and she gives me an Rx for a topical creme to put on the wounds instead of the Polysporin. I am also to use it on my foot, where they took the cyst off of it and it's still not healed. Okey dokey! They want to see me back in the office on the 26th. Well yesterday they hurt so bad, I couldn't stand it any longer. Nurse John said they were looking worse than they were with the Polysporin. He said if he didn't know any better, he'd say I was allergic to the new Rx. Well I called the office at 8:02 AM yesterday and once I had told her what was going on, she said to come in now. And the Dr agreed with Nurse John (hate it when he's right!) and said I was allergic to the Rx and if I had continued to use it, I probably would have ended up with a nasty infection and that opens up a whole new ballgame. So the $8.00 tube of ointment went in the trash. I am now using plain old Vaseline Jelly. That's it. Nothing more. She said that is the base for most ointments anyway and it doesn't have any other added "gunk" in it. She gave me a new oral antibiotic that I have to take 2x a day for two weeks. It also has an anti-inflammatory in it because the spots were so red and irritated. They have postponed taking the stitches out until Mar 10. She said taking them out before would only invite more trouble. I am amazed at how much better all of the sites feel, less than 24 hrs after I was seen. The one in the small of my back would throb with each heartbeat. It no longer does that. While it was necessary to get these cut out because of the abnormal cells, I think I'm gonna wait a while for them to take the 2 cysts off my arms. I'm gonna give my body time to heal. As everyone keeps reminding me, I'm not as young as I used to be!!

CPS challenge

Beautiful sketch this week at http://www.cardpositioningsystems.blogspot.com/

I'm using more of the MM Boho Chic line. I started with CTMH Playful Flourishes and the March Stamp of the Month, Butterfly Wings. The butterflies are double stamped with one set being cut out and pop-dotted on top of the first set. I also used Diamond Stickles on the wings. The sentiment is from CTMH Just Because stamp set. Edges of the cardstock were all sponged in CTMH Blush ink for softness. Lots and lots and lots of diamond bling on all of the flourishes.

Card Patterns challenge

I found another card challenge the other day. And this one is in it's infancy! This is just the third week for CardPatterns. So I did this week's and will go back later in the week and do the first two.

I'm using some more of that "special" MM Boho Chic line! I used a sentiment from the CTMH Just Because stamp set. Flowers are from CTMH and Prima.

Amy R's sketch

On a roll with sketches this morning! Amy gave us a fun sketch this week. Prairie Paper & Ink

I have decided that I'm no longer going to hoard paper for something "special!" I'm gonna use it. Because if I'm making a card for YOU, don't you want to feel special? Like I've used my "good" paper and embellishments for you?! So with that in mind, I pulled out some old MM Boho Chic papers and ribbon. I used a Bazzill Chips round and covered it in MM ribbon, then stamped my sentiment (CTMH Thoughtful Seasons stamp set) on a piece of cardstock cut with my circle punch. The flowers are first and second generation stamped in Chocolate using CTMH Treasure Life stamp set.

OCC challenge

Tag! Laurie's challenge this week at Our Creative Corner was to use a tag on your card. I needed a quick birthday card, so I pulled out an old Scenic Route line, Hampton, and some Bazzil cardstock to create my card. The pocket for the tag is vellum that I sponged CTMH Chocolate ink on for some definition. The sentiment is CTMH Curly Greetings stamp set which is embossed using Sparkle n Sprinkle Native American embossing powder. I used CTMH Simple Stitches for some faux stitching. The ribbon is unknown from my stash.

Expo stuff

And NO! It's not me that's doing the Expo! Never again! Lernt my lesson! Not no...hell no!

I'm actually helping Liane out again. I used the new stamp sets that I have that she didn't and created cards for her to display at two upcoming Expo's she has out yonder on the left coast.

First one is Ambiance. LOVE the little "trails" the critters leave behind! I just had to do a card and page topper with this set! The critters are all double stamped, one set cut out and pop-dotted and they all have Prisma Glitter on them. Second is Hodge Podge Alphabet. All of the letters are different sizes and thicknesses so it adds a lot to whatever you are doing. Then is Bird Basics. I LOVE this set. The birds are so cute and there are hundreds of possibilities with the different tail and wing feathers. Intrinsic Backgrounds is another favorite. Kanji Phrases is of course a favorite with mil being Japanese! Finally Boutique Borders. I did the first card and sent off to her, then I had an idea to use every one of the border stamps on one card without making it look junky. So the second card is what I came up with and I think I succeded in my quest.

I hope you do really well at your Expos my friend. As always, it's so much fun helping you out!

SheetLoad Shoutout

Doin' my part to enlighten the masses to the best online ezine out there! Every month, a new sponsor and great prizes. All you have to do is create a card and post to their online gallery. Easy peasy!

http://sheetload.blogspot.com/2009/02/february-2009-issue-sponsored-by-unity.html

CPS challenge

Tami has another fabulous sketch at http://www.cardpositioningsystems.blogspot.com/ this week.

I decided that this card needed to be mostly about the sentiment. It's a

t!m Holtz that I just love! Paper pack is an old CTMH campaign called Cocoa Cafe. All of the Consultants wish they would make it available again! I used my Nestabilities Labels 2 die for the circles paper. Everything else I used my edge distresser on. Cocoa grosgrain and pewter brad are both CTMH.

OCC challenge

Laurie gave us a cool sketch to work with this week at Our Creative Corner. I pulled out my Basic Grey Blush collection and CTMH Sorbet and Chocolate cardstock. I used my Nestabilities circle and scalloped circle dies along with my bird die. Ribbon is CTMH Chocolate and sentiment is from CTMH Today's Date stamp set.

I will be sending this card off to GA to my 101 year old "adopted" grandmother. She and her family used to live down the street from us when I was growing up and we adopted she and her disabled son after her dh passed away. When she could no longer keep up her house, she and Scotty moved into her sister and brother-in-laws home. She has trouble seeing, but otherwise is in great health for her 101 years! I tell her all the time she remembers more at 101 than I do at...oh...nevermind! This will go to Granny Fran and Scotty, along with an 18 pt letter so that she can read it more easily.

new challenge

I don't know how long I've been reading Amy R's blog Prairie Paper & Ink and yesterday it finally smacked me right between the eyes that she does a challenge every week. Somedays...OK! MOST days I can be dense! So as soon as I saw her challenge for this week, I knew I'd finally found a use for the bamboo embellishments that came on some bamboo sheets I purchased when Linens N Things was going out of business. I thought at the time how redundant it was for them to put the little bamboo embellishment on the package...like you weren't aware you were actually buying bamboo sheets! But I saved those little suckers! Not knowing when or on what I would use them, but knowing that I would use them! Because they are bamboo, I had to do an Oriental theme card. So I pulled out CTMH Unforgettable pp. The stamp is a JudiKins that I bought from an online friend. The image is Black Embossed, then I came back in with CTMH Juniper ink for the leaves and CTMH Creme Brulee ink for the flower and CTMH Sorbet ink for highlights. The edge of the cream paper has been sponged with Cocoa for some dimension. I ran the Junpier cardstock thru my Cuttlebug with the Swiss Dots folder, then punched the edge with my MS punch. The brown button is one from my stash, origin unknown.

Share the Love

Lea gave me the idea. Learn with Lea I'm copying her!

In celebration of Valentine's Day, be one of the first three people to comment on this post and at some point during the year, you will recieve a special handmade gift from me. You won't know what it is or when it's coming, but sometime this year, you will get a gift. The only catch is, you have to be a blogger and you have to Share the Love on your own blog. And you have to send me a link to your blog when you do your post. If you don't, I'll move down the line to the next commenter. You have to send me your link before the end of this week.

Hurry...the clock is ticking!

Bluebird of Happiness

John and I got new phones on Sunday. Our contract was about to expire, so we got new Samsung Rant phones. It will take me until the new contract expires to figure out everything these phones will do! We are going to donate our old phones to the battered women's shelter, so we're letting the batteries die down. So John's old phone woke me up at 3 AM this morning chirping that the battery was low. Duh! So I threw the phone out in the garage so I didn't have to listen to it, but the deed was already done. I was awake. And I can't go back to sleep. I needed a card to send to our friend Charlie who had surgery on his foot last week and one for my fil who had a basal cell cut off of his lower eyelid/cheek on Monday. I saw a picture of a wall hanging in one of the mail order catalogs that came last week and the overall theme of the wall hanging appealed to me and I committed it to memory so I could make a card that was similar. I used SU Kraft cardstock for the base. CTMH Circle Around and It's A Party stamp sets for the circles. The bird is from CTMH Bird Basics and the branches are rub-ons from the CTMH Love Story collection. The birds wing have Diamond Stickles, the eye is a Bitty Brad and the beak has Glossy Accents.

CPS challenge

Another fabulous sketch at http://www.cardpositioningsystems.blogspot.com/

this week. I took the sketch pretty literally, pulling out CTMH Notebook paper pack, Heartthrob and Romantic Backgrounds stamp sets. I used a SheetLoad Frosted Blank for my card base. I distressed the edges of the paper and sponged Desert Sand ink to distress even further. I crumpled the top sheet to make it look older. The heart is double stamped, first in CTMH White Daisy ink on black cardstock. Then I used Sparkle-n-Sprinkle Golden Follies Embossing Powder on white cardstock and cut it out, pop-dotting it on the black cardstock. A small piece of CTMH Hollyhock twill ribbon on the bottom of the card. I also stapled the paper layers to make it look more aged and old, like someone had found it in an attic somewhere and it was falling apart and they put it back together. A romantic card from a long-lost love that was kept in a box for years!

OCC challenge

Laurie is our hostess for Feb at Our Creative Corner and she starts off the month by challenging us to make a card about what inspires us. It's funny, because with all of the stamps and papers and embellishments I have, it's the Japanese style of stamps and paper that inspires me the most. I guess that says a lot abut how much my mother in law means to me. She married my fil against her parents wishes, came to the US not knowing the language but still managed to raise 2 fine kids. She continues to amaze me at 86 years old. She has more get up and go than people half her age! Sometimes I think she just may live forever! And with her in mind, this is the card I came up with this morning. In a former life, I was a quilter, so quilt patterns also inspire me and usually give me goose-bumps! The card itself is based on the Log Cabin quilt pattern. I used Prima Tea and Silk collection. The ribbon and flowers are from that same collection. The brad is a new CTMH Pewter Brad.

March Stamp of the Month

Yes Liane, I know! Overachiever!!

This is my contribution for our teams SOM swap. This uses the as yet unavailable March SOM, Butterfly Wings. I used Emporium Paper pack and my Friendship Blessing stamp set for the random stamping. The butterflies are embossed in black and cut out, then pop-dotted for dimension.

Gifts for Robbie

I can post these now since I just got a text from Chris that the box arrived today. I made just a couple of things for Robbie! I had never attempted an ABC album, so that was the first thing I did after Chris found out she was pregnant. I used gender-neutral papers since they didn't find out the sex. Then I decided that they would need someplace to keep all of the cards for him so that he will have then later on. So I used one of CTMH's Memory Keeper boxes and used Serendipity paper pack to cover it with. And I have always loved Aesop's Fables. The stories mean as much to me now as they did when I was a girl. I give a copy to almost everyone who has a baby. Then of course, I had to make him one of Sue's Famous Name Wall Hangings! And Chris sent a picture of him, enjoying all of his new stuff!

SheetLoad Feb challenge

Yet another great sketch from SheetLoad of Cards - Free Monthly eZine this month. This one is gonna be so versatile. It can be used horizontally or vertically.

Ambiance is another new CTMH stamp set I got last week, so it was just calling for ink! And who am I to say no to a new stamp set?! And since my new favorite paper pack is Key To My Heart, why not use it?! I used Desert Sand to stamp the cat tails, using first and second generation stamping. I then stamped the butterfly and stamped another butterfly image on a scrap and cut it out. Then pop-dotted it on top of the original stamped image and added some Tutti Frutti Stickles. I added a semi-circle of diamond bling in the upper left corner and a piece of Creme Brulee ribbon.

CPS Challenge

Really cool challenge this week at http://www.cardpositioningsystems.blogspot.com/! As usual!

I woke up this morning to find an email from Jan telling me that Favorite Youngest Nephew Jake was chosen as Artist of the Month at his school and Favorite Only Niece Joy was chosen as Citizen of the Month. Wowie Zowie! If anything deserves an Aunt Sue card...that certainly does!

Since I finally started using the CTMH Key To My Heart paper pack last week, it's become my "go to" paper pack. I just love all of the designs. And now it's not available any more! It was the promo of the month for January, and now it's gone. But I got some new papers and stamps to play with on Friday, so this also gave me a chance to use them. I used the KTMH paper pack for Joy's card. The brand new Bird Basics stamp set. This set is so cute! Three different birds, different wings, different tails, different feet. You can mix and match in hundreds of ways! I added some Tutti Frutti Stickles to the wing and a black Bitty Brad for the eye and it's pop-dotted for dimension. I also inked up my new Boutique Borders for the cardstock between the two paper designs. The circles are Pinking Circles cut with my Nesties. And because the card is for Princess Joy, the obligitory diamond on the sentiment!

For Jake's card, I used the new CTMH Stardust paper pack along with Star Struck stamp set. I folded the points of the star and pop-dotted the center to make it stand proud of the card and added some Diamond Stickles because boys like bling too! The sentiment has one of CTMH's new Pewter Brads. I used Labels Two of my Nestabilities to cut the background for the star.

Super Bowl Sunday

Unless you live under a rock, you know that today is Super Bowl Sunday. And this year, it's in Tampa. Which means we've been inundated with Super Bowl hyperbole ad nauseum for over two weeks now. Since we found out it would be the Steelers vs the Cardinals. Every local TV station has reported on the sightings of every minor celeb and celeb wannabe. They even have them doing sound bytes for their stations! Oy vey! Usually the game is not all that it is hyped up to be. One team or the other has generally got it in the bag by half time. But we still watch. As much I think for the commercials and half time show as anything else. John and I will stay home to watch the game. We enjoy the commentary as much as anything else and if we go to a bar or party, we can't hear! I've got shrimp that I will cook later today and he will go to Beef O'Brady's and get wings for us later. Whatever your plans are, just remember not to drink and drive. Designate a driver.