You Make Me Smile

Here is my take on FTL #132 as featured recently on the Clean & Simple Stamping blog. The image was colored with Copics – more than once. What is with the inked up sentiment stamps I am dropping on almost-finished cards these days? It’s like the stamping gods are testing my patience and/or perseverance. LOL.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy cardstock; Doodlebug Design Black Eyelet patterned paper; Memento Tuxedo Black ink pad; R24, R29, YG3, and C1 Copic markers; Penny Black Gossamer stamp; Hero Arts Thinking of You stamp set; Red/white gingham ribbon from Wal-Mart; Button from my stash; Close To My Heart Licorice Opaques.

A Slice of Life: Hello! I hope this post finds you healthy, happy, and enjoying the first days of spring. I’m doing OK with regard to happy and healthy but have yet to enjoy spring – much. Currently, Mother Nature must think the inhabitants of the frozen tundra need one more blast of winter in the form of a gigantic snowstorm. While the precipitation has not yet arrived, the forecasters keep saying its coming. Ugh!

The past few days have been busy. We had three overnight guests on Saturday night – the grandkids – which made for a fun evening and Sunday when the “big kids” turned up here, too. Yesterday, I pretty much spent the day recuperating from the weekend and my funky workweek. Today, I had lunch with Mom and did some shopping. Tomorrow evening, it’s back to work. Bummer.

Speaking of “bummer,” there is so much going on in the world right now, I don’t think the media knows what the heck to report. Surely, they are not telling much in the way of good news. Much of it is depressing. Some of it is scary, and we hear much, much  more about the people who are doing bad things than we do about the activities of good folks. I find that sad, because regardless of how wild and crazy the world appears to be, I maintain that most people are good people – ordinary people living ordinary lives – people like you and me.

I have met a lot of good people and wonderful friends through stamping and this blog. One of those special people is my friend, Jeanne, who took the time to email me and offer encouraging words – in a way that only she can do – when my blog was young.

Last week, I mentioned a surprise in my mailbox. It was a package from Jeanne that contained this wonderful cross-stitched birth sampler for baby Mari. I was as touched by this beautiful gift as I was by the breathtakingly gorgeous afghan and hat that Jeanne made and sent in January. While I consider myself to be reasonably good with words, I stumble as I try to describe the beauty of these keepsakes and what they mean to me – what Jeanne means to me.

In the card that accompanied the sampler, Jeanne noted the joy she derived from making it as she thought of me spending time with my new granddaughter. I believe that to be true, as she is clearly one who derives joy in using her many talents to bring happiness to others. I am so blessed to be one of the recipients of her goodness and generosity. This is one of those times when “thank you” doesn’t seem like enough. Nevertheless, it’s all that I have. Dustin, Miranda, Mari, and I thank you, Jeanne, from the bottom of our hearts.

If you are still with me, thank you for stopping by my little corner of the blogosphere. Whether it’s posting or visiting other blogs, I haven’t been around nearly as much as I would like to be lately. So much to do… So little time… and seemingly less now that I have more. Whoa. Figure that sentence out. What I am trying to say is that I have a lot going on right now. My hope is that life settles down a bit one of these days and I find more time to show up here on a regular basis. In the meanwhile, take care. Hope to “see” you soon!

Make a Wish

Christmas is in two weeks. It’s 1 degree outside – Yes, just 1 degree Fahrenheit. And I’m playing around with bright, summer colors. This is Penny Black’s Betsy Bluebell again. I colored the image with Prismacolor colored pencils and OMS. Another birthday card for my stash.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Cotton Candy, Sky, and Sunny Yellow cardstock; Black and Cotton Candy ink pads; Penny Black Betsy Bluebell and CTMH Party Pennants stamp sets; Sparkles – Red, Purple, and Pink Assortment; Prismacolor colored pencils; Gamsol odorless mineral spirits; Blending stumps; Fiskars Apron Lace border punch; 1 and 1-1/4 inch circle punches; Cuttlebug w/Stampin’ Up Lattice Squares embossing folder.

A Slice of Life: Happy Friday! It was another fast, busy day. I anticipate a fast, busy weekend, too. There is a lot to be done. Places to go, too. Miranda’s friends are throwing a baby shower for Mommy and Baby Girl Carlson tomorrow afternoon. Someone asked. Yes, Baby has a name, but I’m holding out for the big announcement. Soon? Maybe, although her doctor’s nurse has predicted January 7, which, if she is going to hold out that long could just as well be a day earlier, so she and Great-grandma (my mom) can share their birthdays. That would be cool.

Sarah and I had a great time finishing her recipe boxes last night, and they really turned out nice. We used Yes!  paste for two of them, which were covered with thinner paper, and the Xyron to accommodate heavier stock. She thought the Xyron was pretty cool and probably would have opted to use it for all three had I given her the option. I thought she needed a “paste experience,” however. LOL. Regardless, she did an awesome job and was really proud of her gifts for her sisters. Sweet.

I’m off to see what everyone else has been up to in Blogland before slipping into my jammies for an early bedtime. I hope you have a wonderful weekend. “See” you soon!

Thanks a Bunch

I took a little break from making Christmas cards to play with a new stamp set, Penny Black’s Betsy Bluebell. While I certainly did not need another stamp set, this little one’s cuteness wore down my resistance – like it took much. LOL. Anyway, I paper-pieced her dress and colored the rest of the image with Prismacolor pencils and OMS.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White, Indian Corn Blue, and Olive cardstock; Patterned paper scrap from my stash; Black, Olive, and Tim Holtz Antique Linen Distressing Ink stamp pads; Penny Black Betsy Bluebell stamp set; Dark red grosgrain ribbon from Wal-Mart; Summer Craft Buttons; Prismacolor colored pencils; Gamsol odorless mineral spirits; Blending stumps; Foam distressing tool; Cuttlebug w/ Stampin’ Up Square Lattice embossing folder; 3M foam mounting tape.

A Slice of Life: It was another busy day at work. As for the weather, it was frightful – very windy and because of it, very cold. Tonight it is even colder – 10 degrees but the winds have subsided, which any temperature more tolerable. Your probably wondering, “Am I going to have to listen to this girl complain about the weather for the next five or so months?” Nope, I will get used to it. Besides, with that new job I’m starting next month, I won’t have to go outside as often.

It’s Hump Day already tomorrow. Make yours a good one!

Up for the Challenge

This card is my take on SSS67, this week’s sketch on The Sweet Stop blog. It also meets the criteria for Challenge #29 on the Raise the Bar blog. “Sticky Situation” is the theme, which means you are supposed to use a sticker on your card.

I used two stickers on my card. The focal point image and border are Penny Black stickers that have been in my stash forever. It was nice to have a reason to use them. It took me a while to choose papers to use with the sticker. Finally, I decided on Lilac Mist and Spring Iris, which coordinate with the spots on the sticker. Both the image and the sentiment were attached to the card with foam tape.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Lilac Mist, Spring Iris and Black cardstock; Spring Iris, Lilac Mist, and Black ink pads; Impression Obsession Anytime Sentiments and CTMH Noted Backgrounds stamp sets; Penny Black “Sun-kissed” Stickeroos; Martha Stewart Layered Arches border punch; 1and 1-1/4 inch circle punches; Sponge dauber; 3M foam mounting tape.

A Slice of Life: Today was one of church (with Mom) and chores (all by my lonesome). Tomorrow, it’s back to work. It’s hard to believe it is August already. Before we know it, school will be starting. And the baby that is due in December … it won’t be long. Dustin and Miranda had a doctor’s appointment last week. He called the next night and said that it was all finally becoming real to him – to the point he’d had a hard time getting to sleep the night before after their appointment. I have never seen a father-to-be quite as excited as this one is. I love it and know he is going to be a fantastic daddy.

I hope you had a wonderful Sunday, too, and that the week ahead brings you nothing but good things. Take care, friends, and thanks for stopping by.

Pure Innocence

I love Heather Ellis’ Pure Innocence images. The two I used for the cards I am posting today are digi stamps from her Etsy store. A line of Pure Innocence clear stamps is also available from My Favorite Things. For me, these images perfectly portray the simplicity – the innocence – of childhood.

I colored both images with Prismacolor pencils and OMS. The dresses were paper-pieced.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White, Chocolate, and Heavenly Blue cardstock; Topstitch paper packet; Pure Innocence digi stamp and Hero Arts Anytime Messages stamp set; Baby Pink brad; White Bitty Brads; Papertrey Ink Sweet Blush grosgrain ribbon; Prismacolor colored pencils: Gamsol odorless mineral spirits; Blending stumps; 3M foam mounting tape.

 

 

 

Materials & Tools: Colonial White, Chocolate, and Sorbet cardstock; Cosmo Cricket Earth Love 6x6-inch Mini Deck; Chocolate ink pad; Pure Innocence digi stamp and Papertrey Ink Take Three – Spring stamp set; Sorbet mini brads; Sorbet Ribbon Rounds; Fiskars Apron Lace border punch; 3M foam mounting tape.

I had the opportunity to play around with my printer a bit this weekend, printing off some freebie digital patterned paper I came across the other day. It printed beautifully, and I’ll be using it one day soon. I don’ know how much printing of this type I will be doing. The ink for this particular printer is not cheap, so I’m anxious to see how long the cartridges last. I have located a source that sells the six cartridges in a bundle for approximately 40 percent off retail. That will help.

Today was pretty much a typical Monday – probably better than most, because I got a good night’s sleep last night. I hope you had a good day, too. With nothing on this evening’s agenda, I.m looking forward to putting my feet up and relaxing until bedtime. I’ll catch you again tomorrow. Take care, and thanks for stopping by.

Slow and Steady

I watercolored this image on Friday evening after posting my other Bunny Kiss card. Those watercolor crayons are fun to play around with, and I figured I could use a little more practice.

I painted the bunny gray this time, the chick a brighter yellow, and the sky a brighter shade of blue. Everything else about the 5-1/2 inch square card explains itself … I think.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Baby Pink, and Breeze (retired) cardstock; Sweet Pea paper packet; Black and Petal ink pads; Penny Black Bunny Kiss stamp and CTMH Say it in Style stamp set; Paper flowers and brads from my stash; KaiserCraft pearl accent; Lyra Aquacolor crayons; Waterbrush; Fiskar Apron Lace border punch; Cuttlebug w/Nestabilities Classic Circles set.

While my the computer is unbelievably fast, I’m pokey – proof that the old adage, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” is true. LOL. It will get better. Funny thing, though. I find as I get older, I have more patience with everyone else and less with myself … maybe Husband, too, or at least that is what he’d say. It was an OK day at work. Tonight, I think I’ll take a break from Computer 101 and spend some time in my corner where I know what I’m doing.

How was your day? A good one, I hope. Enjoy your evening! Later …

Spring Greetings

This week’s Stamp Simply #130 on the No Time to Stamp? blog is a color challenge – to make a card or stamped project using the colors pink and green. The sketch is my take on Taylored Expressions Sketch Challenge #104.

My image was stamped on watercolor paper and then colored with a waterbrush and Lyra Aquacolor crayons. I have had a set of 48 of these crayons for years and up until this evening, had yet to use them. While I am certain there is much room for improvement, I’m not entirely unhappy with my first try. And, aside from the image, I’m surprised this card looks as good as is does for as many times as it was pulled apart and put back together again. Some days are like that.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy and Sweet Leaf cardstock; Daydream paper packet; Black ink pad; Penny Black Bunny Kiss stamp and Impression Obsession Sentiments II stamp set; White mini brads; Sweet Leaf Designer Ribbon Rounds; Fiskars Apron Lace border punch; Lyra Aquacolor crayons; Waterbrush; 3M foam mounting tape.

Do you have plans for the weekend? It’s going to be a busy one for me – everything from cleaning and laundry to bookwork and getting electronic equipment up and running. For what is left of the evening, however, I am going to kick back and relax. I hope you have a great weekend, and thanks for stopping by!

Simple Saturday

The green/purple color scheme is so pretty, I decided to create one more, using the scraps of Sweet Leaf and Amethyst Textured cardstock that were cluttering up my desktop. What makes the card so much prettier in person is the Diamond Stickles on the spots of the butterfly’s wings.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy cardstock; Amethyst, Sweet Leaf, and White Daisy Textured cardstock; Sweet Leaf, Amethyst, and VersaMark ink pads; Penny Black Gossamer Butterfly stamp and CTMH Air Mail (retired) and Say it in Style stamp sets; Diamond Stickles; White Embossing powder; Embossing heat tool; Cuttlebug w/Nestabilities Classic Circles set; Round sponge.

While there are a thousand things I could/should be doing, I’m relaxing today. Perhaps I’ll get a surge of ambition later. Maybe not. LOL. I hope you’re having a good day, too! Later, friends ….

Simple Saturday and a Challenge(s) Card

This top card is my Simple Saturday offering, inspired by this card on the Jennifer McGuire Ink blog. I used a white gel pen to make the dots on the background. I colored the frog with markers. I usually color these little Penny Black frogs with Prismacolor pencils but think the markers worked out OK on this one. I kinda like this card that would work for a guy, gal, or kid of any age.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Sweet Leaf, and Topiary cardstock; Topiary and Black ink pads; Citrus Leaf, Topiary, Desert Sand, Brown Bag, and Black markers; Hero Arts Dots & Flowers stamp; Penny Black Toadily and CTMH Happy Birthday stamp sets; White gel pen; Black My Legacy Writer; Liquid Glass.

"Let's Polka" is the theme for this week's Stamp Simply challenge on the No Time to Stamp? blog. The sketch is Taylored Expressions Cupcake Challenge #79. The polka thing is polka dots - my favorite. I chose to use coordinating papers from Cosmo Cricket's Early Bird collection. I love these papers but struggle with them a big, perhaps because they are so bold. That's something I need consider the next time I see something wonderful someone else has made and before I go flying off to some website to gather some up for myself. Back to my card: With all that color and pattern, I left my chicken white. I colored her with markers and used a blending pen with Juniper and Chocolate inks to shadow and ground the image. You'll note I'm using a black My Legacy Writer for outlining again, and the detail you probably can't see on either card is the Liquid Glass I used on the frog and chicken's eyes.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White, Ponderosa Pine, and Juniper cardstock; Cosmo Cricket Early Bird collection; Black, Ponderosa Pine, Juniper, and Chocolate ink pads; Honey, Holiday Red, and Gray Flannel markers; Whipper Snapper Designs Standing Chicken stamp and CTMH Happy Birthday stamp set; Stampin' Up Old Olive grosgrain ribbon; Juniper mini brads; Black My Legacy Writer; Liquid Glass; Cuttlebug w/Nestabilities Classic Circles set; Piercing tool; 3M foam mounting tape.

Although I could write a novelette about all that is on my mind, I'm going to opt to go make something happen instead. And believe me, I'm sparing you. There's a lot rolling around upstairs today, some of which is personal, troubling, and stuff/crap that would take an entire novel to explain, because it's taken an entire lifetime to transpire. Anyway, accomplishing something will make me feel better. I hope your day is a good one, and as always, thanks for stopping by. Your visits and kind words mean more than you know. Later...

A Slow Start ...

Have I told you lately that I'm not loving Blogger. I had this post half done, and all of a sudden the whole darned thing disappeared - photos, text, all of it. I shouldn't bitch (oops ... complain) about a service that's free. However...

With that out of my system, my first card would most definitely qualify for a "Simple Saturday" offering. The focal point image was cut from patterned paper, conveniently from the same Studio 45 paper I used for the background. Pretty, isn't it? The Stamp Simply challenge this week on the No Time to Stamp? blog is "Lovely Lace." I mounted the paper image on a piece of chipboard and attached it to my card with foam tape to accommodate the bulk of the ribbon and crocheted lace. With hopes of coordinating the paper I used for the sentiment with the patterned paper, I distressed it with Desert Sand and Brown Bag ink. I could have added a brad or two but instead, asked the Why? question and left it as it.

Materials & Tools: Vanilla Cream and Desert Sand cardstock; Studio 45 Botanicals Collection Antiquity paper; Cocoa, Desert Sand, and Brown Bag ink pads; Stampendous Flexible Friendship Wishes stamp set; Crocheted lace from Wal-Mart; Cocoa grosgrain ribbon; Chipboard; Sponge daubers; Stampin' Up Word Window punch; 3M foam mounting tape.

My next card is my take on Weekend Sketch Challenge #91, hosted this week on the Fresh & Fun blog. Again, I used paper from Studio 45's Botanicals Collection. I will have to admit that the finished product is not what I originally had in mind. Once I stamped the sentiment, I found the larger stamped butterfly I had planned wasn't going to work. Lucky for me, I came across a paper flower that I'd colored with my Creme Brule marker I while back (that obviously didn't work for whatever I intended it for). The little butterfly in its center was cute from the patterned paper. One more thing. The texture on the Autumn Terracotta cardstock (if you can see it) was created using the Saran Wrap technique. That's wadding up a piece of plastic wrap and using it like a stamp. It's a favorite of mine, especially when I want to make my paper look like suede or denim. I like it when cards that evolve turn out as well as this one did.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White and Autumn Terracotta cardstock; Studio 45 Botanicals Collection Ode to a Butterfly paper; Black, Bamboo, and Autumn Terracotta ink pads; Creme Brule marker; CTMH Butterfly Kiss stamp set; Big Pinks paper flower; Antiqued Copper mini brads; Stampin' Up Photo Corner punch; Piercing tool: Stampin' Up Piercing Guide and Mat; Sponge dauber; Sanding block; 3M foam mounting tape.

For this last card, I weaned myself away from the Studio 45 paper, and reached for Basic Grey's Lime Rickey. Man, there's some wild paper in that pad! This card meets the criteria of two challenges. The sketch is this week's A Sketch for You to Try on the i{heart}2stamp blog. And, the current Challenge #9 on the Pile it on! blog is to use at least three flowers on one's card and combine that challenge with another. I have to say this card satisfies my blue/green color combination yen, even though the Outdoor Denim cardstock and ribbon look black in the photo. Speaking of, I think my poor camera had a bit of a time with this card cuz' I took several shots and didn't get a single one that was clearly in focus. Too much goin' on, I suppose! We wouldn't want to blame it on the photographer or anything. LOL.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Citrus Leaf, and Outdoor Denim cardstock; Basic Grey Lime Rickey 6x6-inch paper pad; Black and Outdoor Denim ink pads; Penny Black Toadilly and Papertrey Ink Mixed Messages stamp sets; Outdoor Denim grosgrain ribbon; Just Blooms White Daisy and Summer Posies paper flowers; White Daisy Bigger Brads; Mini brads from my stash; Prismacolor colored pencils; Gamsol odorless mineral spirits; Blending stumps; McGill Multi-tag punch; Cuttlebug w/Nestabilities Classic Circles set; 3M foam mounting tape.

With all these cards and so much text, I won't bore you with too many details of my ordinary life. Besides, between stamping last night and then going to bed, there isn't much to say since my last "report."

Oh, one thing... So ya think I'm brave to shop for clothes on the Internet, huh? I've been lucky, I guess. I always check out a site's return policy before spending too much $$. The company from which I ordered my "wedding suit" guarantees satisfaction and provides a return service label with the order. Shipping it here was $14.95. If I need to return it, the postage will be $6.95. Thus, should it not work out, I will be "out" $21.90. Were I to physically "shop," I would have to travel 55, if not 120, miles to a town that has real stores. In my neck of the woods, gas isn't cheap. And so, for those of us who live in the boondocks, the Internet is a godsend. I'll let you know how my new duds work out. So long as I don't try it on while eating a slice of pizza, I should be OK. LOL.

Hope your day is a good one! Thanks for stopping by! Later...

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things ...

When I saw this week's Stamp Simply challenge on the No Time to Stamp? blog, I hopped right on it. It's a twofold challenge that entails using my favorite color green and blue combination and a technique - paper piercing.

It was a perfect opportunity to use a stamp set I've been thinking about all week, Penny Black's "Toadily" set. I also love this word set from Impression Obsession. It's so versatile, made even more so by the
Sentiments I Add-ons set. I colored my image with Prismacolor pencils and odorless mineral spirits, and the card came together with some favorite papers and ribbon. A fun card, although I may be cursing myself by the end of the evening for having used the name of a song for my title. It seems to be stuck in my head. LOL.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy and Black cardstock; Basic Grey Urban Prairie 6x6-inch paper pad; Black ink pad; Penny Black Toadily and Impression Obsession Sentiments I stamp sets; Black gingham ribbon; Prismacolor colored pencils; Gamsol odorless mineral spirits; Blending stumps; Piercing tool; Cuttlebug w/Nestabilities Classic Circles set; 3M foam mounting tape.

Happy Friday, friends! How was your day? I finished a couple of projects and tied up some loose ends at work before coming home at 4. The weather beautiful all week, the temperature has dropped significantly, and it's clouding up for what may be a cool, rainy couple of days. That's a bummer, as I was hoping for some outdoor fun with the little boys this weekend. I guess I'll have to come up with an indoor plan that Bjorn finds more interesting than Grandma's computer. That will be a challenge. LOL.

Tonight, I'm off to work on my surprise post. It'll be up first thing tomorrow morning. And no, Jeanne, as much as I wish it were true, I haven't re-learned how to crochet just yet. One of these days ... Enjoy the evening, and as always, thanks for stopping by! Later...

Inkspired

Tonight's card was inspired by this great card I saw recently on Jennifer Buck's The Buck Stamps Here blog. Doesn't the Flower Soft look pretty? Now that I've used it on a few cards, I'm finding myself really liking it and wishing I had more colors.

Materials & Tools: White Daisy and Black cardstock; White Daisy and Baby Pink textured cardstock; Black, Topiary, and Grey Flannel stamp pads; Penny Black Gossamer rubber stamp; Close To My Heart Happy Birthday set; May Arts ribbon; Black My Legacy Writer; Dove blending pen; 3M foam mounting tape.

How are you on this Tuesday that feels like a Monday? I had a crazy day that began at bedtime last night. At 3 a.m., I was still staring at the clock - thinking, I think, about the work I'd brought home that I hadn't done and fretting about the workday ahead. I finally fell asleep only to wake up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at 5:15. By 7 a.m., I was at work where I pumped out an article due today for a magazine in the UK in record time. Additionally, I distributed two press releases, one of which was picked up by CNBC, a first, finalized at least four more press releases, wrote drafts for a couple more, caught up on my correspondence, and started another article, which is due on Thursday for another publication in the United Kingdom. On a roll, my plan was to work until 5. I didn't make it. Seven hours and 45 minutes into the day, I was having a hard time keeping my eyes open. Eight hours was enough. By 4 p.m., I was at home and sound asleep on my futon. While I'm still tired, I think I'm good to go for a couple more hours. Falling asleep tonight shouldn't be a problem.

Changing the subject, Cameron called to report that Bjorn lost his first tooth tonight. That should make for a cute little smile. For now, I'm off to entertain myself for a couple of hours. I hope you had a wonderful day. Thanks for stopping by!

Just Because

Although I have several "intentional" projects to work on such as graduation cards, a gift for Bjorn's teacher, and a couple of other things, I made these cards last night just because I felt like it.

First, I was in the mood to paint with my much-neglected waterbrush. Watercolor is my favorite paint technique, and I've long wanted to learn how but have never found/made the time. A waterbrush and ink from an ink pad are as close as I've come ... so far. As for the card, it's self-explanatory, I think.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White, Lilac Mist, and Black cardstock; Watercolor paper; Black, Lilac Mist, Spring Iris, Sunny Yellow and Topiary ink pads; Penny Black Gossamer rubber stamp and CTMH Argyle Backgrounds and Happy Birthday stamp sets; Black Bitty Brads; Black wire; Martha Stewart Butterfly punch; Medium waterbrush.

My second card was the result of my craving some cuteness as well as my desire to cut into some new patterned cardstock from my little trip to Archiver's. I paper-pieced Megan's top and skirt and colored the rest of the image with markers.

Materials & Tools: Colonial White and Pansy Purple cardstock; My Mind's Eye patterned cardstock; Black and Pansy Purple ink pads; Tombow #850 Flesh marker and CTMH Sweet Leaf, Autumn Terracotta, Baby Pink, Sunny Yellow, Topiary, and Grey Flannel markers; Whipper Snapper Designs Megan stamp and CTMH Happy Birthday set; Colonial White mini brads; Black My Legacy Writer; 1 and 1-1/4 inch circle punches; Pop Dots.

How was your day? I was very busy and will be tomorrow, too. As soon as I heard my manager say my name followed by, "Don't freak out," I knew something was up. It was a request for a 600-word article for a publication in the UK due ... uh, today... I didn't freak or faint. It's only 600 words of rather generic information. She got the deadline extended until tomorrow morning. I'll get 'er done ... that and about 20 other priority projects that are piled high on my desk. Obvious, isn't it, why the 32-hour workweeks didn't work out? It's nice to be needed. LOL.

Marv called a few minutes ago and is on his way home with four little fish and one fish story - the "big" one that broke Dustin's line. Typical.

If you follow American Idol at all, you'll know that my prediction was wrong. My reaction was rather blasé - no moans, groans, or tears. I didn't fall out of my chair. Before the show was over (it ran past two hours), Cameron called to see who won, so I was able to share the moment. He was more shocked than I was. Good thing his dad wasn't here. He would have been annoyingly noisy about the whole thing.

No, I'd better go get to work on those "intentional" projects! Thanks for the sweet comments on my last post. Your support and visits are appreciated. Enjoy the evening, and I'll talk to you again on Friday (yea!).

Spoiled Brat ....

AKA "I Want That Punch" AKA "Enabler's Alert." LOL . Coming up with a title for my post was no problem tonight. I just had to pick the one that fit best.

First, to give credit where credit is due, my card was inspired by this card on Julie Koerber's Out to Impress blog. While everything about her card appealed to me, I wanted the stamp instead of the stickers. I didn't find it, however, but did come across the stickers a few weeks later. So, I bought 'em, and they've been occupying a spot on a shelf for nearly a year. Funny thing is, I came across the stamp recently, too, on a new website I found.

The brat thing, however, is not about the stickers nor the stamp, which I have yet to buy. It's about the punch that I saw on May 3rd on Terri's My Frame of Mind blog. Isn't Terri's card cute? And, from the moment I saw her buttons, I knew that I needed that punch. Somehow though, I managed to control myself until May 8th when I searched for a "Martha Stewart button punch" on Google. While I found a lot of talk about it on a lot of blogs, I didn't find it available from a retail location. Thus, I checked out eBay where I found it and exercised the "Buy it Now" feature. Thirty seconds or so and the transaction was complete. Gotta love it.

Now, for the really impressive part of this little story. May 8th was Saturday. My husband came waltzing through the door tonight and asked, "What the heck did you buy from a Rafael Rodriguez in Long Beach, California?" "I don't know," I replied. There was no way the punch would get from California to Minnesota in one business day, or so I thought. What's even more amazing is that it was here yesterday, and he forgot about it and left the package in his office last night. He apologized. I didn't care. I'm just darned impressed that the USPS can get something from California to Minnesota over the weekend, and it wasn't even Priority Mail. I'm impressed with the punch, too. Did I need it? I dunno, but I think I'm really going to like it and use it a lot. Do you need it? That's where the enabler thing comes in. LOL. The fact that the punch embosses a little rim around the button is pretty nifty.... And now for "the list."

Materials & Tools: White Daisy, Hydrangea, and Citrus Leaf cardstock; Dutch Blue Textured cardstock; White glossy cardstock (the button); Penny Black Sun-Kissed Stickeroos; Papertrey Ink Birthday Basics stamp set; Ribbon from Wal-Mart; Martha Stewart Embossed Button punch.

After that long spiel, I'll keep it short. Had I not had so darned much work to do, I would have left work sick at 10 a.m. this morning. I hope none of my guests from Sunday are having stomach issues. If they are, it's a sign that I should stay out of the kitchen. Seriously, while darned near doubled over throughout much of the day, I'm much better tonight.

That said, my husband wants some attention. Perhaps I'll engage him in some type of game that will improve his memory, so he doesn't forget the important stuff. LOL. Hope your day was a good one and tomorrow is, too! Catch ya then ...