Inkspired to Try Something Different

The brayer is not my most-used tool. In fact, I didn't remember which drawer it was in. Other people do amazing things with their brayers, and it's not like I've never tried. Nonetheless, I don't believe, in 10-plus years of stamping, that my previous attempts have ever resulted in a finished card. When I saw this card on Jessica's There She Goes blog, I was inspired to give my brayer another try. It was fun, and I'm pleased as punch with my card. Bjorn thinks it's "beautiful" as well and thinks he should give this card to his daddy, too! With regard to the brayer "technique," I simply played around with colors until I achieved a look I deemed acceptable.

Materials & Tools: Black cardstock; Glossy white cardstock; Black, Breeze, Sunkiss Yellow, Clover Meadow, and Ocean ink pads; Stampin' Up Essence of Love and CTMH Make It Count stamp sets; Black grosgrain ribbon; Silver mini brads; Diamond Stickles; Brayer.

As I listen to news commentators eulogize Tim Russert this morning, I can't help but about think about how lucky we are that Marv's heart problems were caught when they were and the twist of fate that made the discovery come about. Marv played in a memorial golf tournament yesterday, raising money for SIDS. As I enter this post, he's playing with his grandsons in the next room. To those little boys, he's so "big," and I'm not talking about his size. Life is good, and yes, we are so blessed. It's a beautiful morning in northern Minnesota, which is almost surprising, taking into account the not-so-nice weather we've had all week. With thoughts that it may not last, I think I'll get the little guys dressed and outdoors for a little exploration. I know we can find mud . . . Have a good day. I'll most likely be back later.