Make Mine Stamps

A Breath of Fresh Air!

Andy had his surgery yesterday and all went well.  His meniscus was too badly torn to be repaired so the shredded portion had to be removed.  His physician says no trouble in the short term, but he will more than likely be prone to Arthritis in his knee in 20 to 30 years, dependent upon how he treats it in the upcoming years.  He's a boy...'nuff said!

I didn't get to stamp today and barely slept last night.  He has an ice machine to keep the knee iced and compressed to keep the swelling to a minimum and he has a CPM -- some type of movement machine to keep that knee moving.  He has done so well!  He doesn't complain and is not taking much of the pain medicine, and they've prescribed a narcotic, so I'm glad to see that he is tolerating his pain and isn't taking too much of that drug.  Today, he is eating and it feels so good to have him here and be taking care of my baby once again.  How I remember when he was a baby and not a grown "man" who is much taller than me.  Thankfully, Thom is able to allow me to stay home all week too, although my father, (bless his heart!), is coming to spend a few hours with Andy tomorrow so I can go to work and get a few days worth of business posted.  Monday is statement day and I need to get a few more things done in order to get February statements out timely. 

As a result, here's a card I did last week for a sketch challenge.  I was happy with it because I created it on a very gray and rainy day -- it just says "cheerful" to me and it feels good to see some bright and happy colors.

I love these colors together:  Certainly Celery, Lavendar Lace and Cameo Coral.  The stamp set is Simply Said and I used the corresponding wheel, Kindness. 

I created the Certainly Celery layer using the Kindness Wheel using Certainly Celery ink.  I used my Stampin' Write markers to color the image from Simply Said and stamped this on Whisper White.  This was matted onto Lavendar Lace and I used Cameo Coral and the Photo Corner punch to create the corner treatment.  I love how this appears when you pierce it, so I decided to do a double layer of piercing before I added this to my image.

I layered the image onto my Certainly Celery cardstock layer and then wrapped the White Taffeta ribbon around this piece.  Next, I scalloped the bottom of the Lavendar Lace basecard.  I did this before adhering the Certainly Celery layer so that if I screwed it up, I could start that layer over!  I was actually thinking!  I didn't entirely like the look so I added a strip of Cameo Coral to the bottom of the card and pierced a line above.  I thought this looked much better.

If you have read any of my blog posts recently, you know I've committed to mailing cards this year.  I may be committed, but I have to say that the US Postal service isn't as dedicated to my cards arriving as I am to sending them!  I mailed KD's birthday card three days prior to her January 13 birthday.  She got it this week!  I mailed a card to my sister three days before her January 14 birthday and she got it late last week, prior to KD getting hers.  KD is in Tennessee and Carrie is in Florida.  Go figure...but I realize the mail is still a huge value at 44 cents to get it all the way to both places and I absolutely love our mailman at the office.  He's such a hoot and a really nice guy to boot!  So, I'm not dissing the mail service, I'm realizing I have to send things at least a week and one half prior to the date.  Good to figure out in January!

Tomorrow, I have a "guest designer".  Hope you enjoy!  Thanks so much for your prayers and well wishes for Andy!  We all appreciate them!

Thom's Valentine

Because I make cards, I have to be careful to remember to occasionally make a card for Thom...so true!  He doesn't get many because I have this problem -- I don't normally send them!  That is one of my goals for the year 2010 -- SEND CARDS!  So, when it came time to make a Valentine for Thom, I needed something different.  Last year, it was red, white and black.  This year, I entered a challenge for a "different card color combo" and came up with this card for his Valentine.  To date, he has not seen it and I don't think he "regularly" reads my blog. 

I'll admit -- I used this card for my January Techniques Classes as well.  We created the background using Watercolor Wonder Crayons in Green Galore, Tempting Turquoise and Brilliant Blue and the aquapainters.  Instead of the green bling brads, though, we used the Tempting Turquoise rhinestone brads and I liked them much better.

The card base is Brilliant Blue and the scalloped layer is Green Galore.  Once we created the background on Whisper White, we overstamped with the En Francais background stamp in Brilliant Blue.  Love how it looks and I think it is very pretty.  We punched the hearts in Green Galore, Tempting Turquoise and Brilliant Blue and placed them using glue dots.  I think he will be happy with it, but he may say something about the ribbon and the bling.  He'll probably wonder why I didn't "dimple" some of the cardstock!

Andy's surgery is today so I'm posting quickly.  We are prayerful that everything will be 100% positive and that he will have a complete recovery.  I'm looking forward to babying my son for a while -- 18 or not, he is still, and will always be, my baby!

God Bless!  Have an awesome day!

Black and White Simplicity

I created a card last week for a color challenge to use only black, white and gray.  I ended up using only black and white and I used a sketch challenge that I loved immediately.  Here is the card:

 I started with a base card in Basic Black and added a layer of Whisper White that I had texturized in the Big Shot.  Love those dots that Thom repeatedly refers to as "dimples".  He always says, "I love that paper with the dimples."  Is he just being simple or is he trying to be cute?  Who knows?  Who cares?  As long as he says he likes it, I'm okay with it.

I layered Basic Black once again with the Whisper White Bridal Designer Series Paper.  If you haven't checked this out, you should.  The corresponding Bride, Groom and Bridesmaids papers are outstanding!  Next came a long rectangular piece of Basic Black and I tied the White taffeta ribbon around the top. 

I adhered another layer of Black and White and on this layer, I stamped the the definition of "Together" from Define Your Life, one of those sets that people just don't seem to see and I don't use enough.  I finished the card off with a black and white gingham ribbon that I pleated to signfy black and white coming together. And as you guessed, the layers from the rectangular layer up are all applied with dimensionals.  I'm addicted and I'm happy about it -- no excuses given!

I was fairly happy with this one and will use it for an upcoming wedding.

Thom and I have received two "Save the Date" cards this year -- and impossible as it seems, they are both for the SAME DATE!  I'm not certain what we are going to do as both of these weddings are important.  I have a feeling we are each going to go our separate way and won't be spending our time "together" on that day in May!

Remember that this week starts my "contest" if you want to call it that.  Leave a comment on my blog three days a week now through the end of February and if I draw your name on March 1, you'll be the winner of over $100 in stamping goodies!  Can you use some new stuff in your craft room?  Or, do you want some new stuff you can use as gifts throughout the year?  It couldn't be easier and less painful!  Go ahead...leave a comment and let me know what you like and what you don't like, what you would like to see and what you'd like to learn.

Andy has his surgery tomorrow so please say a prayer for a complication-free surgery, and a quick, easy, painless recovery.  Please also pray for the doctors, nurses and assistants that they will be guided by God and know what to fix and how to fix it properly!  Thanks bunches! 

God Bless!  See you tomorrow!

Blogger's Challenge - Die Cuts or Punches

Okay, there are some gals out there who can see things in their mind and make them with punches.  I'm not one of them.  I can copy the gals who share so willingly, but I'm not sure where I was when the talent with punches was passed out. 

This weeks Blogger's Challenge is to use diecuts or punches.  I've chosen to use diecuts and made a really simple card that I can easily duplicate quickly and in bunches.

I don't use enough Bermuda Bay but I love the color.  I used the Scalloped Square die cut to cut the card from Bermuda Bay -- perfect for a smaller card when you just need a note to enclose with a gift or a quick note to jot a quick message.

I layered Whisper White and some Designer Series Paper from the Thoroughly Modern Designer Series Paper Package.  I cut the Lattice die in Whisper White and layered all of this together. 

I'm one of those gals who just loves to enclose a quick note and I layered the inside of this card with Whisper White -- ever notice how easy our Whisper White is to write on?  The ink just glides on and it is so smooth! 

So, sorry that I don't have anything glamorous to share today, but this card is quick and easy and HANDMADE!  It counts as a papercraft!

Ronald McDonald Scrapbook Share

Sherrill Graff is a Stampin' Up Executive Demo who lives in Las Vegas.  She is the lead demo for the Ronald McDonald house in Vegas and is constantly volunteering to do things for the house, as well as for all types of other charitable organizations.  She even has demos making special dream books for homeless children so they will have something to call their own.  She recently asked if someone could make some two page scrapbook spreads for the Ronald McDonald House Albums -- I'm assuming these are children who have been through the house.  I only know that for the toddler I chose, Rebecca Grace Hildebrand, there are two pictures that measure 3 1/2 x 4 1/2 and a 6x6 hand-written letter from her parents.  I also know that the colors in the pictures are Pretty In Pink, Sage (which I interpreted to be Mellow Moss/Always Artichoke), Burgundy and Black.  Because I haven't seen the pictures, here is what I came up with.

This page will be used to mount the hand-letter from her parents.  I cut 1 1/2" written squares, sprayed them with alcohol so they would moisten up but dry quickly and scrunched the heck out of them to distress them.  Next, I used my new sewing machine (THANKS MOM!) to sew around the edges.  It is supposed to look like I don't know how to sew and be a bit "off" -- more along the lines of an early childhood sampler.  I glued down the squares, but the middle square, which measures 7.5 square, was actually sewn onto the page.  I distressed the squares with Mellow Moss and Bravo Burgundy inks.  I stamped on some of the squares but tried to make them look like they were stamped a bit off too, once again to look like the samplers of old.

The next page, the right hand side, will hold the pictures of Rebecca and her parents.  I wanted this to look as if I had sewn a piece of fabric onto the paper and I think somehow I achieved that desire!

I used the zig-zag stitch to place the top piece down after I had distressed it.  If you click on the picture, it should enlarge and you can see that there is a floral detail in the top page.  I used picture clips and brads to appear as if they are going to hold the pictures.

After I broke the Very Vanilla paper down across the bottom, I ran it thorugh the scalloped punch and wanted this to appear as lace.  I stamped the sentiment (non-SU, but I really do believe this and HAD to include this on the page!) and used my zig-zag stitch to attach it across the top and allowed the bottom to float free.  I used a Bravo Burgundy ribbon which I had run through the Always Artichoke ink pad to add a bit of color to the strip, but it is also distressed with both Mellow Moss and Bravo Burgundy Inks.

I'm hopeful Sherrill likes the pages.  It has been forever since I scrapped and I am thinking that since I have my MDS certification, I should start scrapping Andy's school stuff for graduation -- doing it digitally would be so much quicker and I could add embellishment to my printed projects.  I've already got lots of his activities done, but his high school years are far from finished.  And now, since he is having surgery next week, and has yet to have his Senior Pictures taken, I'm wondering if he is ever going to get this done!  My only solace is that he will graduate whether he has pictures done or not.  It's a done deal at this point and the next hurdle is for him to choose from all of his many college options.

Okay, enough about the page and my fabulous son!  I've got tons of stamps and extras that I'd love to move to a new home.  Do you have room for some new supplies in your craft area?  If so, read on!

All you have to do is to check in at least three times each week over the course of the next month and leave a comment on my blog.  Let me know what you like and what you need to see more of, what you don't need to see at all and especially if there is something you would like to see but haven't.  For instance, I don't show a lot of fancy folds (cards) on my blog. Want to see some of those?  Want to see more scrapbooking alternatives?  Contest starts on Monday, January 25 and will run through Sunday, February 28.  I'll be updating my blog each day of the week (not the weekends, I take those off to create new stuff to blog!) and I'll draw a winner on Monday, March 1.  If you aren't local, I'll send your package out by Friday of that week and if you are local, I'll drop it off by Friday of that week.  Regardless, the winner's package will contain at least $100 in stamping stuff!  I value your opinions, but I need to hear them!

Have a fabulous day and thanks for stopping!  See you tomorrow with Blogger's Challenge -- I weenied out on this one and took the easy road.....you'll see!

More Herringbone and Vintage Vogue

I am so loving the new Occasions Mini!  The new clear mounted rubber stamps are awesome and I love the Vintage Vogue set.  I'm getting that old world feel, but still with a great vibe.  And, I needed a card for a challenge, as well as to use at my January Techniques Class so I decided to pair Vintage Vogue with the Herringbone Technique.  Herringbone is very easy to achieve and it is made with scraps!  You have to love something that comes out looking gorgeous -- especially when you can use scraps!  And let me tell you...I have scraps!

If you love Designer Series Paper like I do, odds are good that you've got tons of left over scraps.  I keep all my scraps -- ALL of them.  My storage solution is to use the 9 x 12 envelopes for my solid cardstock, but I keep all my DSP in clear 12 x 12 envelopeS with a zip top.  Works like a charm and I can see what I have.  I generally try to keep the name of the Designer Series Paper, as well as the coordinating colors, inside the envelope too.  Sometimes, I forget (and that could be because I have soooooo very much paper!).

The Herringbone technique is created by using strips of paper and setting them at right angles.  Truthfully, it is an easy technique -- it just takes time to make certain all of your edges are butted together and are lined up correctly.  Here, I've used the Tea Party Designer Series Paper and just used different strips that I had left over in the paper pack.

Once the background piece was created, I wrapped the White Satin ribbon around the layer and tied a bow.  Next, I adhered this layer to an Almost Amythest card base.  I stamped the image in Almost Amythest (one of my most favorite colors!) and mounted this on a Pretty In Pink mat with dimensionals.  I used the Vintage Vogue small flower to stamp on a scrap of So Saffron in So Saffron ink, then I stamped Pretty In Pink and So Saffron on Whisper White.  Once I cut these out, I punched 1/4" circles for the insides of the flowers out of Almost Amythest and adhered these with glue dots. 

Using my Big Shot, I die cut one stem of Little Leaves in Certainly Celery, cut it apart and when I was happy with the leaf and flower placement, I used glue dots to adhere these pieces to my focal image. 

I love this card and Thom says it looks like an Easter Card.  What it looks like to me is cheerful!  I'm tired of dull and gray and since the snow is now melted and is dreary looking, it was time to start creating happy, colorful cards.  This one fit the bill perfectly!

I'm still working on my contest so check back tomorrow for details!  In the meantime, get warm and stay warm!  I've been chilled for days and am spending time in my sauna just soaking up the heat!  My dear hubby bought me that gift a couple of years ago for my birthday and it is one of the best gifts I've ever gotten!  God Bless!

Jennys Coat

Here's a great technique I had a lot of fun teaching this month.  It's no secret that I love patterned paper and I especially dig stripes!  The Sweet Pea Paper Pack offers so darned many colors and prints that I'm very glad I took the risk and bought it.  I'll be buying more, that much is certain!  Here's how I used a piece of the stripe with some of the fabulous colors and the new Sweet Pea Felt pieces.

I just figured out today that I can actually turn the flash off on my camera -- yes!  I'm camera challenged!  Sorry for the poor picture. 

The base card is Rose Red.  The next layer is Pretty in Pink and I've stamped Rose Red with the Itty Bitty Background stamp and then added some Old Olive just because I thought it would look good -- and it did!

Jenny's Coat is similar to Joseph's Coat in technique.  First, we stamped the image from Friends 24/7 in versamark ink on the patterned DSP and heat embossed it with clear embossing powder.  Next, we brayered Chocolate Chip ink all over the embossed DSP and then when it was dark enough to cover the stripes, we used a paper towel to gently wipe the ink from the embossed image.  Presto Chango -- the image pops right out and looks great in this fabulous striped patterned paper.  We mounted the image on Old Olive and adhered this image to the Pretty In Pink layer. 

We wrapped the 1" Double Stitched Chocolate Chip ribbon around the Pretty In Pink layer, and then tied a piece of the 1/4" Whisper White grosgrain ribbon around the Chocolate Chip ribbon.  The final touch, before adhering the layer to the base card, was to add the pieces of the Sweet Pea Felt flowers with glue dots.  I absolutely adore these felt pieces and you will see them used again.  I think they are fabulous with this DSP -- love the colors and the stitching that is included on the pieces.

I hope you like this card as much as I did!  I'm working on the cards for my Card Club next week and we are going to be utilizing these pieces on one of the cards we will do then.  I'll be sharing another Techniques Class card tomorrow -- it's another Herringbone background and I'm absolutely hooked on making these because I have scraps and scraps and scraps.

I finally opened the sewing machine my mom got me for Christmas today to work on a scrapbook layout and I've got to tell you -- I'm hooked on sewing on my pages as well.  Can wait to finish and share it with you -- I'm donating the page to the Las Vegas NV Ronald McDonald House through Sherrill Graff, the Stampin' Up! Demo who is the lead for that house.  She does so much for them and is constantly asking for volunteers to help in her efforts.  What a lady and what a mission -- I see God in her, for certain!

See you on Wednesday!  Thanks for stopping!  Be sure to visit on Thursday because I'll be announcing a contest for free stamps and some accessories.  If you're interested in winning some free stuff, be sure to check it out!

Starring You!

A while ago, I shared that Andy had been selected as Teen of the Month in Marion.  All the schools have what they refer to as a "teen board" comprised of teens who attend each individual school in the county.  These smaller teen boards then come together to make up a larger "Teen Board".  Each school's teen board nominates one boy and one girl from their school to be put before the entire board of teens collectively.  All names are blocked out so that no one knows who they are voting for and each nomination is put before the entire board of teens.  They then choose who they want to be the "Male and Female Teen of the Month".  It's a cool process and has been going on for a long time.  Andy was chosen for December and yesterday, the article ran in the Marion Star.  It was a great article and I thought he represented himself very well.

Over the weekend, I happened to do a CASE challenge from the Stampin' Success Magazine.  Basically, it's a challenge where you take a layout from the magazine (for Demo's only) and you remake a card based upon the same idea.  When I saw the layout we were asked to CASE, I immediately knew what I wanted to create.  I have had a card in my head for a while, but just didn't have time to pull the design out of paper.  This one is for Andy and it will hit the mail tomorrow.  I think he will like this one.

This was a technique we learned in my Technique Class this month. I called it Watercolor Crayon Scribble Wash -- not complicated, just a long name.  I'm not sure what it is officially called, but many of the gals in this class have purchased the Watercolor Wonder Crayons and if you don't keep sharing what to do with these crayons, I think people forget they have them and don't consider pulling them out.  These crayons are very simple to use and this background was easy.  You choose your colors and working with your lightest color first, scribble randomly on your Whisper White cardstock. leaving white space for your remaining colors.  Next, you use your second lightest color and scribble randomly again, leaving white space, but not lots of it.  Then, with your final and darkest color, you fill in just a few places, but white space still remains.

Using an aqua painter or water pen, you just wet down or wash the colors, again starting with your lightest color.  Wash all of one color and then with a clean pen, move to the second color until the colors touch gently and cover the page.  You have to make certain you color off the page as well to cover all of your edges.  Here, I've used Summer Sun, Glorious Green and Brilliant Blue.  Once the colors are all washed, you heat your cardstock as it will curl slightly from the water.  Heat the top and bottom both with your heat gun and you'll find that the paper tends to flatten out for you.

After creating the background, I added a strip of Brilliant Blue and Summer Sun to the left of the background and because I like ribbon, I added a strip of 1/4" White Grosgrain ribbon to hide that first seam.  Here's where the real work started!

I punched a small star in Summer Sun, Glorious Green and Brilliant Blue and then, with the larger star punch, punched around the small star to create an open star.  I punched six acetate stars with the large star punch and used Tombow glue to adhere one acetate star to each of the large cardstock stars.  Next, I used dimensional tape, which I had to cut into very skinny strips around the back of each star -- very painstaking work but worth the effort.  Once the dimensional tape was attached, I filled the stars with less than 1/16 of a teaspoon of clear microbeads and adhered the acetate star to the back of the punched star to create shakers!  I love this technique and I know Andy will like it as well.

I finished off my card with the sentiment from the Starring You stamp set and punched this using both my handheld punch and my Movers and Shakers Die and Big Shot.  The inside sentiment reads, "Way to Go!"  I'm very proud of Andy and his accomplishments, but mostly, I'm proud of him because he has his priorities in line and is self-motivated.  He hopes to study Physical Therapy in college and will be getting a taste of exactly how that works when he has the surgery to correct his torn ACL and meniscus at the end of January.  Mama gets to mother him then and I can't wait -- please pray that the surgery goes off with a hitch and that his recovery is as painless as possible and without problems or challenges.

Remember that this is Sale-A-Bration and for ever $50 purchase you make, you get to choose free stuff.  Also, if you are interested in attending classes and are local or close to Zanesville, check my calendar and give me a call.  I can easily do a workshop for you and your friends and share easy card techniques with you too!  Anyone can learn to stamp -- I did and that is saying something!

Enjoy your day and thanks for stopping!  God Bless!

Blogger's Challenge - Chocolate Chip, Pretty In Pink, Whisper White

Today's challenge was to use brown, pink and White.  How is that for a challenge?

Here is my creation:

I used the Herringbone technique for the background because I just love creating the look!  The strips of Pretty In Pink and Chocolate Chip DSP are just the Chocolate Chip print patterns that I've brayered over with Pretty In Pink ink.  The small dots and the houndstooth Pretty In Pink Designer Series Papers are from the Sweet Pea Pattern Pack.

I used a Chocolate Chip base card and layered on the background I created.  I stamped my focal image from Happy Heart and matted it on Pretty In Pink cardstock.  Before I attached this layer to the base card, I adhered a strip of 5/8" Chocolate Chip grosgrain ribbon around the top layer and then tied a 1/4" strip of Whisper White grosgrain ribbon around the Chocolate Chip ribbon.  I also attached two of the small Chocolate Chip corduroy button brads.

The focal image is mounted with dimensionals and is attached to the top layer with dimensionals as well.  Got to have some height!

This card came to mind easily when I read the challenge; however, creating the card was not as easy as I thought.  All of my supplies were packed up for my Techniques class and I had to go dig out my Pretty In Pink ink pad and brayer, as well as my glue gun.  Then, I had to remember to pack them back up so I would have them for class last night -- it would not have been a good thing to forget them. 

I'm off to see what all of these talented ladies have created.  There is awesome talent in this group and they never cease to amaze me.  I'm always smacking my forehead and saying, "I would NEVER have thought of THAT!"  My forehead is getting flat!

God Bless and have a fabulous weekend!

Color Challenge - Out of my Comfort Zone

As I try to improve my stamping skills and my creativity (I pray daily that God will give me more creativity if that is His wish for me!), I want to challenge myself to do the hard things.  These would be the things I don't truly enjoy doing and find difficult, so I normally shy away from them if possible.  2010 is the year I try at least one color challenge a week if I can find the time.  My second goal is to combine my chosen color challenge with a sketch challenge and I've managed to do it here.  I actually really like this card!  It was a total shock and surprise when it came together as I envisioned it...well, sort of anyway...

The layout is the Lord Have Mercy Sketch Challenge 56 and Color Dare #51:  Melon Mambo, Barely Banana and Garden Green.  I chose to do this color challenge because I rarely, if ever, use Barely Banana or Garden Green.  However, it is sort of a weenie out because at least with a green, you can do flower stems and you can make your flowers any color you want.  But -- I did complete the challenge and I like the card.  I would actually mail this one to someone!

The card base is Barely Banana.  I knew I wanted to use the Flower Fancy set and that I wanted to stamp with the new Stampin' Up! blocks.  I love using my blocks to create images and since I purchased the entire set of blocks, I've got all the sizes.  I used the blocks themselves as stamps on a Whisper White panel to create squares in different shapes of Barely Banana, Melon Mambo and Garden Green.  I started with the Barely Banana, then moved to Melon Mambo and then accented with Garden Green.  Where iI felt the panel needed more color, I filled in with additional squares of Barely Banana.  I mounted this panel onto a larger panel of Garden Green that I pulled out of my scraps -- no cutting and I just figured I would make it work.  I did use my Piercing Kit to pierce a line of holes next to the stamped background piece (if you click the image, it will enlarge and you can see the detail).

Next, I stamped the main floral image by coloring the rubber with my markers.  This is a two-step stampin' image so I inked the second image to fill in the outline stamp with markers as well; however, I stamped off so the green leaves wouldn't be so solid.  I re-inked the flower in Barely Banana and then I used a sponge to add just a dab of Melon Mambo over that portion of the image.  I huffed on the stamp to moisten it and used my Stamp-A-Ma-Jig to position the filler and voila!  I know that it could have been positioned better, but trust me, I don't mind that it is a bit off.  It's a hand stamped card and the fact that it isn't perfect is what makes it mine.  I just go so excited that I was actually making a card I liked that I accidentally moved the image after stamping off to color down the leaves.

I used a smaller mat of Melon Mambo and adhered this so I could place the Melon Mambo ribbon next.  I used a dab of adhesive on the back of the ribbon (polka dots are down again!) so it would stay.  Then I mounted my floral image with dimensionals and finished the ribbon by tying it off into a bow.  Because I just really felt this card needed some "ooomph", I added the brads above and below the image.  I have Barely Banana brads, but I thought they would get lost in the card base.  I honestly wanted some bling brads but my colors were off just enough that I didn't want to mess up the card.  I love how happy and cheerful this card looks.  Who in the world thinks of these color combos?  I would never have put these colors together if I weren't challenged to do so.

Techniques Class meets Thursday night and I have an afternoon appointment so I'll be rushing tomorrow.  Consequently, you get two posts today -- that and I really wanted to get this card posted to the challenge sites (okay, I'm being honest here!).  I've got to go cut materials for class and get my technique cards written up.  See you on Friday with Blogger's Challenge!  Hope you'll join me...

Blessings!