Unfortunately....

Since I now have to "steal" my hubby's computer when he's home, I will not be able to respond to every comment that is left like I usually do.  By checking my e-mail so much less while my computer is not working, my e-mail gets really full and I can't get through it as quickly.  Just know that I appreciate EACH AND EVERY comment that you leave.  I will get back to personal replies as soon as my laptop is repaired (crossing my fingers it even can be!!!).  Take care!!

Tangerine Blooms Take II....

 

Actually, this isn't really the 2nd card I made with this LO - inspired by  Beate's WSC #62 which you can see HERE.  The card I posted HERE is actually the one I made AFTER I made this one, but I'm showing you this one second.  I think I posted the other one first because I like it a little better than this one.  What do you think?  Do you like this one or the previous one I posted better?

Stamps:  Eastern Blooms, Thank You Kindly
Paper:  Tangerine Tango and Whisper White CS, Haiku DSP
Ink:  Tangerine Tango classic ink
Accessories:  Tangerine Tango Striped 5/8" Grosgrain ribbon

OH NO!!!!

So, we ended up getting "liquid" stitches for my baby today and my laptop got soup dropped on it.  Don't ask....  So - I have a post scheduled to go tomorrow and I've already got Saturday's Combat Boot Challenge scheduled, but other than that I can't promise anything since I'm using my husband's laptop to type this.  So...please bear with me.  I am just so thankful that for the ONLY time in my whole life that I purchased insurance on a product I bought (tv, cell phone, computer) I did it THIS time, with THIS laptop, so no matter what happens, it's covered.  I just hope I don't lose everything.  Losing all of the pictures of my kids would be devastating.  So...as  said, please bear with me.  I will do my best to post if I can.  Thanks!!!

Lesson learned....don't wait until something bad happens to back up your files!!!!  That applies to a lot of things in life!

Sack Lunches

This was sent to me via e-mail today by Gina W.  Thank you Gina!!  I liked it so much I thought I would post it here.....Sorry about the little arrows from the e-mail!  :)

The Sack Lunches
>
>  I put my carry-on in the luggage compartment and sat down
> in my assigned seat.  It was going to be a long flight.
> 'I'm glad I have a good book to read.  Perhaps I will get a short nap,' I
> thought.
>
>  Just before take-off, a line of soldiers came down the
> aisle and filled all the vacant seats, totally surrounding me.  I
> decided to start a  conversation.  'Where are you headed?' I
> asked the soldier seated nearest to me.  ' Chicago - to Great Lakes Base.
>  We'll be there for two weeks for special training, and then
> we're being deployed to Iraq . '
>
>  After flying for about an hour, an announcement was made
> that sack lunches were available for five dollars.  It would be
> several hours before we reached Chicago , and I quickly decided a lunch
> would help pass the time.  As I reached for my wallet, I overheard a
> soldier ask his buddy if he planned to buy lunch.  'No, that seems
> like a lot of money for just a sack lunch.  Probably wouldn't be
> worth five bucks.  I'll wait till we get to  Chicago .' His friend
> agreed.
>
>  I looked around at the other soldiers.  None were buying
> lunch.  I walked to the back of the plane and handed the flight
> attendant a fifty dollar bill.  'Take a lunch to all those
> soldiers.'  She grabbed my arms and squeezed tightly. Her eyes wet with tears, she
> thanked me.
>  'My son was a soldier in Iraq ; it's almost like
> you are doing it for him.'
>
>  Picking up ten sacks, she headed up the aisle to where the
> soldiers were seated.  She stopped at my seat and asked, 'Which
> do you like best - beef or chicken?' 'Chicken,' I replied,
> wondering why she asked.  She turned and went to the front of the plane,
> returning a minute later with a dinner plate from first class.
> 'This is your thanks.'
>
>  After we finished eating, I went again to the back of the
> plane, heading for the rest room.  A man stopped me.  'I saw
> what you did.  I want to be part of it.  Here, take this.'  He handed me
> twenty-five dollars.
>
> Soon  after I returned to my seat, I saw the Flight Captain
> coming down the  aisle, looking at the aisle numbers as he walked.
> I hoped he was not looking for me, but noticed he was looking at the
> numbers only on my side of the plane.  When he got to my row he stopped,
> smiled, held out his hand, and said, 'I want to shake your
> hand.'  Quickly unfastening my seatbelt I stood and took the Captain's
> hand.  With a booming voice he said, 'I was a soldier and I was a
> military pilot. Once, someone bought me a lunch.  It was an act of kindness
> I never forgot.'  I was embarrassed when applause was heard
> from all of the passengers.
>
>  Later I walked to the front of the plane so I could
> stretch my legs. A man who was seated about six rows in front of me reached
> out his hand,  wanting to shake mine. He left another twenty-five
> dollars in my palm.
>
>  When we landed in Chicago I gathered my belongings and
> started to deplane.  Waiting just inside the airplane door was a man
> who stopped me, put something in my shirt pocket, turned, and walked
> away without saying a word.  Another twenty-five dollars!
>
>  Upon entering the terminal, I saw the soldiers gathering
> for their trip to the base.  I walked over to them and handed them
> seventy-five dollars.  'It will take you some time to reach the
> base. It will be about time for a sandwich.  God Bless You! Ten young men
> left that flight feeling the love and respect of their fellow
> travelers.  As I walked briskly to my car, I whispered a prayer for their
> safe return. These soldiers were giving their all for our country.  I
> could only give them a couple of meals. It seemed so little...
>
>
>  A veteran is someone who, at one point in his life wrote a
> blank check made payable to 'The United States of America' for an amount of 'up to and including my life.' That is Honor, and
> there are way too many people in this country who no longer understand
> it.'

Gotta Love Eastern Blooms!

 

This is another card inspired by one of Beate's Weekend Sketch Challenges.  I don't usually get to play the actual week that she posts them, but I love using them when I do get a chance.  You can see WSC #47 HERE. 

Anyway, I distressed the edges of the Whisper White CS that I had stamped "Thanks" on after I punched it using my Wide Oval Punch.

I stamped the flowers in Tangerine Tango ink and removed the TT ink where I didn't want it with my blender pen so that I could re-color them back in with Olive, Saffron and Mustard.  I was doing this to show how you don't have to have a re-inker to use the In Colors to selectively color an image.  The easier method WOULD be to use a Blender Pen and re-inker to color a few of the flowers Tangerine Tango. 

So Saffron is not usually my "go to" color for a card base, but I was using colors found in the Haiku DSP and kind of went with it. 

Hope you like it!!

Stamps:  Eastern Blooms, Thank You Kindly
Paper:  So Saffron, Old Olive and Whisper White CS, Haiku DSP
Ink:  Tangerine Tango and Old Olive classic ink, Old Olive, So Saffron and More Mustard markers
Accessories:  Blender pen (to remove Tangerine Tango ink from the image), Old Olive 5/8" Grosgrain Ribbon

CBC01 Wrap-Up

So, I sure hope that everyone who wanted to play got to join us in my very first Combat Boot Challenge (CBC01)!!!! For me, the picture had so many possibilities.  I saw so many interesting textures, colors, shapes and patterns.  Did you? 

Above is my card for this challenge.  As you can see - I went with the colors for the most part.  It is made using a technique similar to the other cards (HERE and HERE) I have made with Crystal Effects and Dazzling Diamonds coating my heart form the Always stamp set.  This time I used this handy dandy Crackle Accents from AC More that goes on like Crystal Effects but crackles when it dries.  INSTANT cracked glass!!!  So, basically I cheated!!  The liquid is in a bottle like Crystal Effects and as it dries it cracks on it's own.  I think that depending on how thick you apply it, it cracks differently.  Anyone know?  Anyway, I HAD stamped the heart with my Canvas BG stamp and then sponged it in lightly, but just a warning - the Crackle Accents muddied up the SU! Kiwi Kiss classic ink and you can't see the Canvas BG anymore.  You should be able to click on the pic to see it even larger. 

As for the other elements of the card, don't look too closely at the Kiwi Kiss layer behind my Large Oval punched sentiment (the sentiment comes from Best Yet, the hostess level I stamp set).  I had to hand-cut it to matte it and I had to stop  myself from trimming it anymore to get it any more "perfect" because I was getting too close to the Whisper White layer and then it wouldn't have been a matte at all!!!  It's NOT perfect, but it will do.  That grosgrain behind the oval hangs off the edge of my card thanks to THIS card by Kristina.  :) 

The faux tearing was done by putting a piece of paper over my card to mask the area I wanted to keep white, and the edge of the paper I used as a mask had been torn. I first stamped my Canvas BG stamp in Kiwi Kiss and then added some sponging to it also with Kiwi Kiss. 

As for the matting behind the heart - well, I kind of went a little nuts, but hopefully it looks okay.  Basically I was inspired as many of you were by the "pops" of black in the picture and the overall white in the image along with those Kiwi Kiss pillows. 

I don't know if you can see it, but I scored on the base Whisper White CS of the heart image - because I liked the pleating on the couch.  I don't have a Scor-Pal, so don't look to closely at that either! ;) 

I hope you all had fun playing, and now it's time for the spotlight on one of you, followed by the list of links to the projects of those of you who played along.

The Random.husband picked a number and he chose number 1 - which was Tiffany's card.  I have posted it below.  Isn't that paper GORGEOUS?!?!  I love her interpretation of the photo.  Stop by Tiffany's blog and let her know how much you like it (go to her name in the list of links below).   

 

Each of you really did a great job and I'm so happy to have you play along.  This week four of you lovely ladies decided to join us.  Here is the list of links:

Tiffany

Cori -  you will have to scroll down to her post dated Sunday, October 26th.  It won't allow a link to a single post on her blog.

Patricia

Lynda

Kelly

So...tell your friends to come join us next week.  The more, the merrier (and more inspiration!!!)!!  I hope you have a great day!

Is this you????

Lynda K. sent this to me and it is too cute!!!!  Sorry about the formatting - there was a cute pic with the e-mail that wouldn't transfer into my post but the text is still aligned for the picture.  It was a picture of stamping items.

From Eclectic Paperie Newsletter!

 

THE STAMPER by Jackie Saxby 1999

I started out with just one stamp
and when I bought some more
I decided that a shoe box
Would make an ideal store.

Then as I added inks and pens,
My stamp collection grew
So I bought a roomy plastic crate
It would last for years, I knew.

Embossing then became my thing
With powders and a heat gun,
Metallics, tinsels, pearls and clear,     
I soon had every one.

By now my lovely plastic crate
Was spilling everywhere
And my glitter glue collection
Lay scattered on a chair.

My husband started muttering
And said things had to stop,
So I bought a huge old wardrobe
At the local charity shop.

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But after a while,
I couldn't shut the door
And I put shelves in the spare room   
To accommodate yet more.

Our house is now for sale,
Something larger being sought,
By the way, did I show you
The latest stamp I bought......