Blake's Birthday Card

Well, the first thing I have to say today is HELP!

You people have got to stop be so danged creative! Please!!! I have no time to make anything myself, because I am too busy commenting on all of your wonderful creations. So, please, for me, will you just give it a rest for a few hours or so? So I can finish something of my own? I mean, really, People, you are just exhausting me.

OK. Rant over. For the moment. I need to catch my breath.

I met Ellie for lunch yesterday at Paradise Bakery in Queen Creek. She wanted to take me to lunch for looking in on her kitties while she was in California. It was no big deal for me to do so, but she felt I deserved a reward--and who am I to argue with her? I had a yummy Chicken Cuban panini. I love paninis. They make my heart sing. (Not in tune, mind you. But just the same...) We got to catch up a bit with each other, and I gave Ellie the birthday card I made for her.

I also finished a card I made for Blake, the chef-owner of The Deli. You know, that little neighborhood spot we visit once a week? Yeah, that's the one. Well, his birthday is today, so I thought I'd quickly put something together for him. And, if you know me, you know I just lied a bit. I don't quickly do much of anything, especially create cards. Well, I have been known to speed-read, but that's about all I do faster than a snail. Oh, yeah, except one other little thing. I also drive a bit fast. In fact, Gary mentioned recently that I am lucky I don't have a host of speeding tickets for as fast I drive the freeway. Well, it's the freeway, for goodness' sake. And I go in the HOV lane (no, not during rush hour), so it's easy to go a bit over the speed limit. How much? Never you mind. It's like Charles Barkley said when he played basketball here--that lane is for speeding, so slowpokes should just move on over. I couldn't agree more.

But I digress. (I do that a lot; I am easily distracted. They have a name for that condition, but it seems to have slipped my mind.) Anyway, I thought it would be nice to use a chef image for Blake, since he is a chef and all. He probably would appreciate a NY Giants football-themed card, but that just "ain't" happening. Anyway, I found this chef image on Bugaboo Stamps, and thought the menu board would be a perfect frame for a funny sentiment, which I found on Graphicat Stamps. I merged the two images using Photoshop Elements, and I printed the final image on Cryogen CS.

I chose Bazzill Kraft CS for the card base, and covered it first with Basic Grey Kraft paper and then with cheesecloth. I thought the cheesecloth was terribly clever, ahem, since the card is for a chef who uses cheesecloth at work. (Sometimes, when I am really lucky, there is actually a method to my madness!) Then I added some Basic Grey Basics White patterned paper, which was distressed with my Zutter Distrezz-It-All.

The Deli has burlap coffee bags hanging from its walls, so I had to include some burlap on the card. I tied a bit of Martha Stewart baker's twine and some jute around a piece of cardboard, which I used to frame my image. Looking through my stash I found some card charms that fit the Deli profile--cheese, a wine glass, and a wine corkscrew--which I fastened to the twine with a Tim Holtz Trinket Pin. Also in my stash were some brown buttons, which I added just because I could. I hope I don't offend too many people with the little Tim Holtz Journaling Ticket menu I designed. The menu was inspired by the movie "Silence of the Lambs", and by my very dear friend, Hannibal Lecter. I thought the menu fit the sentiment rather perfectly. (Yeah, I know I am a sick puppy!) I affixed the ticket to a tag with a Tim Holtz Mini Paper Clip. Last, but not least, the image was colored with Copics: C00, C0, E000, E00, E11, E13, E40, E42, E43, E50, E53, E57.

I am entering this card into the following:

Digital Tuesday Monochromatic Challenge
Love to Create Add a Tag Challenge

Hopefully, neither challenge will toss out my entry for being inappropriate. Pffffft!

I am going to see my sisters today for a bit. Merrilyn is doing very well with her recovery, thank goodness! And Barbara will be leaving for her home in Wisconsin tomorrow.

Hope you all have a great rest of the week, but slow down on your creations, pretty please? Thank you. My fried brain will appreciate that.