Gary's Valentine

Well, I finally finished Gary's Valentine. Fortunately, I finished it before Valentine's Day! Who would've thunk? Hey? Not me, that's for sure! I figured I wouldn't get much time to work on it over the weekend, since we were having the granddaughters for a night. But, Gary took charge of them for me, and let me retire to my craft room to create his card. (I wonder if that wasn't entirely altruistic on his part!)

I have also finished the second of the Silver Trilogy books. I feel drained. It is a mesmerizing, but totally uncomfortable series. I repeat, read at your own risk. I do not recommend it. I hope to have the third book finished this week so I can rest and recuperate. R & R. Like Gary had from Viet Nam. I wonder if they still do that for the soldiers? Like in the Middle East--a brief 5-day respite from the war. And where do they go? To China? Russia? Hmmmm....in our days it was Thailand, or, as in Gary's case,  Hawaii. Yeah, I could use a trip to Hawaii right after I finish this series. Too bad I have to wait until April. Oh, yeah, I'm sure you're thinking, wah, poor baby. Aren't you? LOL. Probably not.

I will be starting Gary's birthday card early. I have five cards to create for the Outlawz Copic/Promarker Challenge group as their March guest designer. I figured I might as well make use of the cards for the family-member birthdays I have during that month. Unfortunately, I won't be able to show them on my blog until the dates that they are posted to the Challenge, (which are March 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30). So, I may be blogging less, or blogging without cards; I haven't decided yet. At least I know I will have five cards to show you during the month of March! :^) Hopefully, they will all be Challenge-worthy. (I am really thrilled, but also nervous, about being a guest designer.)

The image I chose for Gary's Valentine is Magnolia's Tilda with Cozy Heart. I think she is so sweet! I picked a Magnolia sentiment that I think fits perfectly with this Tilda. Patterned paper, from the Paper Heart Collection by Crate Paper, was distressed (using my Zutter Distrezz-it-All), and inked with Stampin' Up ink. I used Stampin' Up CS for the card and the die cuts. Speaking of die cuts, I used a doily die by Cheery Lynn; a key, heart border, and lacy heart dies by Memory Box; and classic hearts dies by Spellbinders. I applied Star Dust Stickles to the key, the hearts, and Tilda's hair ribbons and shoe laces. Rather generously, I guess, but I like the effect for a Valentine. I accented Tilda with a Signo Uniball white gel pen.The largest heart has been colored with Copics and then treated with drops of Copic blender solution. A shout-out to Dawn of the Outlawz for this color-blocking technique! 

Tilda was colored with Copics as well. The colors used on the card: YR21, E0000, E000, E00, E11, E13, E15, E18, E70, R0000, R00, R11, R20, R22, R24, R29, R30, R32, R37, R46.

I am entering this card into one challenge: 

Outlawz Copic/Promarker challenge with a twist

Hope everyone everywhere has a fabulous Valentine's Day!