Wednesday, June 17, 2009

I Shouldn't Even Show You ...

... and wouldn't have had it not been for that little teaser last night. Now before you say, "What the heck is that?," I've got to tell you that up close and personal, it's a darned cute card. It simply will NOT photograph well, and it's not for lack of trying. Thirty-eight photos have been taken, using a variety of backgrounds and lighting conditions. I have given up.

Getting to the "story," my card was inspired by this cute card on the Lucy's Cards blog. Instead of using a ladybug stamp, I thought of some cute buttons I'd purchased at Wal-Mart a while back before they so rudely closed their fabric department.

This is where the interesting tools come into play. I attempted to cut off the shanks using the blue-handled tool thing show below. It snapped them right off, only not flush with the back of the button. They need to be flat. I grabbed a sanding block first. No go. A metal file was my next tool of choice. However, it was slow going, filing those little hard plastic ends. Then came the light bulb moment. Plastic melts! That's when I grabbed the "torch" (aka the Scripto lighter I use to light candles). Yup, plastic melts. It also gets very HOT, or so the thumb and pointer finger on my left hand found out when I attempted to hold the first one while torching it. The other two buttons were placed on the stone coaster, which handled the firing much better than my fingers.

Of course, I made a little noise over the burned flesh, which warranted the usual exchange: "What are you doing?" asked the man in the other room. "Never mind!" "Do you need help?" "NO!!" With my left hand in a bag of ice, I used my right hand to stamp the ladybug's antennae and the sentiment and then glued my now flat-backed ladybugs to my card with Liquid Glass. Crazy, huh?

Materials & Tools: Stampin' Up Kraft cardstock; CTMH Summer Carnival B&T paper (retired); Black stamp pad; Papertrey Ink Ladybug Luck and Hero Arts Trees, Birds, and Sentiments stamp sets; 1-1/4-inch circle punch; Liquid Glass.

How was your day? Mine was ... crazy busy. My head is still spinning. We had dinner with Dustin and Miranda right after work. It was fun. With a lot of stuff going on right now, I'm glad we made the time. Still wound up from my workday, I'm going to go relax in the bathtub for a while before attempting to get some much needed sleep. Oh, and this is it for the wild card-making stories this week. LOL. I hope yours was a great day. Thanks for taking the time to visit me! Later ...

19 comments:

Amy's Stocking Stuffers said...

Whether or not it photographed as well as you wanted, I can actually see that it's a very cute card! ;-)

Sorry you burned your fingers, though!

Sarah said...

This card is too CUTE. and I feel the need to CASE it LOL.
I about died reading your post on what you went through to get those buttons on there! I set my hubby on mine with an electric sander. What a genius moment to melt them, so sorry you burnt your finger.
I am glad you had a nice meal out and hope you unwound in the bathtub!

Sparkplug17 said...

Your buttons are darling!

Gamma said...

Cute Cute Cute card!! I am so glad to know, I am not the only one with burnt finger and thumb from trying to melt the back of buttons! LOL Except I did it twice. Too thick headed to learn the first time I guess. LOL

I hope you enjoyed your bath and unwound for a bit. Sounds like you needed it.

Hope your day is better tomorrow. Or at least not as crazy!

Leslie said...

card is too cute. Burnt fingers - sounds like something I'd do, but now I know better - Oh Great One!

Penny said...

I think this card is ADORABLE!!!

Stampin n da Hood said...

Darling card!

I have felt your pain, too!
I've found that using the hot, hot, needle tip nose of a glue gun works wonders on removing pesky pieces of button shanks.
(oh and of course our CTMH tweezers to protect my digits, too!)

Jeanne said...

First off, the card is adorable! ADORABLE, I tell you!

Second, I'm not laughing AT you, I promise, but your post gave me a good fit of giggles. I AM sorry your burned your fingers though. Ouch! Um, did you know there is such a thing as a button shank remover? Yep, there's a tool for that! Of course, it would eliminate the posting of any "burning" stories you'd want to share. LOL

Thanks for sharing such a cute card and the war story that went along with it. I sure hope you were able to unwind and get a good night's sleep.

Hugs!!

Alanna said...

What a crazy story. I wonder if you should take out some sort of policy to cover you just for any stamping mishaps. The things you'll go through to bring us such great cards.

This one is certainly no exception. I love those lady bugs. Have a fabulous Thursday.

Cindy said...

This card is so cute....I think I am going to CASE it...please :o)

Carolyn said...

Adorable card! I love the use of the plastic LB's.
When is the wedding? I must have missed that somewhere.

Twyla Norris said...

I think the card was lovely. i am not sure why you think it photographed badly, because I think it is so cute. i have a real soft spot for butterflies and since the fabric department at our Wal-Mart is still open, I amy have to go and look for some of those buttons myself.

Sharli Schaitberger said...

What a CUTE card! I love ladybugs! I'm sorry you burned your finger and thumb - but thank you for sharing so we won't make the same mistake! I can so see myself doing something like that - if I'd been smart enough to remember that plastic melts, that is. I want to try it - I'm going to look for some buttons with shanks . . .

Sylvia said...

I think the ladybug card is darn cute!

Lori said...

Your card is so cute. Love the buttons.

mE said...

Kathi!

Your card ROCKS :) I love the ladybugs in the little circles... I'm sorry you burned your fingers, but it made a fantastic card story! :P

Hugs!

E.

Liane said...

Oh my! Hope you are all healed now. Cutie card!

Connie said...

I absolutely LOVE this card. My youngest daughter is a ladybug fanatic and I am sure I will have to CASE this one for her birthday card. At least the pain was well worth it as the card is awesome!!!

Christina said...

Even with bad lighting it still looks like a dang cute card!!!