Just Because

I created a card for a few different challenges. Not for anyone special, but just because I wanted to make something. I had this brainstorm after looking at the challenge possibilities. Don't have one of those. Brainstorms, that is. They hurt. And I now lean a bit to the left. Of course, that could also be a result of my left leg being somewhat shorter than my right. Which is a real problem for me when I buy pants, because they are usually a little too long for my right leg (I am short, after all) and way too long for my left leg. I am digressing again, aren't I? Sorry.

Before I go through all my thoughts about this card, (which aren't many since the brainstorm fried my left hemisphere--or was it my right?), I wanted to tell you that we met some old friends for dinner last night in Scottsdale. Well, old as in old, yes, but also old as in known for a long time, like 30 years or so. Which is probably longer than some of you have been on the planet. 

We hadn't seen Bob and Connie for a couple of years, I think. I can't remember for sure. That brainstorm again. Do yourself a favor and don't have one. Mush, I'm telling you. My brain has turned to mush. Anyway, we met them at Eddie's House. It was Eddie's birthday yesterday. And he was celebrating by doing a buy one entree, get one free. And he wasn't even in the country. He was somewhere else celebrating his birthday. What's up with that? Oh, that's Eddie Matney, for those of you who don't know about Eddie's House. This is the second of Eddie's restaurants that we have visited. And it is just as good as the first one we went to, which was called Eddie Matney's.

Do you want to know what I ate? Too bad. I'm going to tell you anyway. We started with some really good cracker bread. Then we ventured into some edamame, which wasn't your standard soybeans covered in salt. These were marinated in some soy sauce and other goodies that I couldn't identify due to that brainstorm. But they were really yummy. Then I had a bowl of lobster bisque, which I try everywhere I can. It was OK, but not to die for. However, my entree of scallops with sweet potato, green onion hash, Bleu cheese and autumn melon relish was. To die for. Oh, so, so tasty. And free! Actually, I think Gary's was free, since my dish was more expensive than his halibut, which he loved. But who cares? You don't, I'm sure. Even I don't. I'm just glad I got the scallops. They were worth every penny. No pun intended. 

We ended the meal with the special birthday dessert. It was a cherry turnover covered with vanilla bean ice cream and the most amazing caramel sauce. Oh, my! I had to share that with Gary, but he let me have the biggest part of it, like he always does. Great way to end the meal. And the meal took about four hours. It was very leisurely. Just the way I like it. We had so much fun catching up with Bob and Connie--so very much to talk about and laugh over. We shared a couple of bottles of wine, which was just right for the four of us over the four hours. Not enough to get us inebriated. Good thing, too, because when we got on the freeway we saw cops everywhere we looked. What the heck? I have never seen so many squad cars on the freeway, unless there was an accident. And it isn't a holiday weekend. So I am not sure what was going on, but at least they weren't after us. Or my brainstorm.

Which brings me back to my card. OK, so 7 Kids College Fund Shaped Card Challenge gave me the idea for a shaped card. And it's been a long time since I've done a Magnolia image, so I thought I would find one to color. I picked Soccer Edwin, to go with the Midweek Magnolias The Olympics Challenge. That's when I hurt my brain with the brilliant idea to make the shaped card a soccer ball. Ooooh, that hurt. I found the soccer image by Kate Pullen and sized it to fit a Spellbinders Grand Oval 5-3/4" die. At least I think that's the size I used. Remember, mush, people, my brain is mush. I have no idea why I did an easel card. Must have thought it would look cool.

So I found a couple of other challenges that would fit this card. Crafty Ann's has a circles challenge--perfect. And Pixie Dust Studio has the Olympics as a challenge. Cool beans. Then The Outlawz CPC group has a Tic Tac Toe challenge, which I thought was fun. I chose the Ribbon, Die Cuts, and Buttons column of the grid to follow for this. I had planned to enter this into the Simon Says challenge, too, but then realized that totaled 6 challenges and Midweek Maggies will only allow 5. So I decided to drop Simon. I'm sure he'll be OK with that. 

OK, so I have set the stage for this card. I stamped Edwin on Cryogen CS with Memento ink. I printed the Create with TLC sentiment and the soccer balls on Stampin' Up CS, which I also used for the card base and the die cuts. Different colors, of course. Goes without saying. But I said it anyway. Pffffft. The dies I used were: Spellbinders Grand Circles and Classic Circles, Memory Box tree, and MFT grass and clouds. I added some SU ribbon and buttons from my stash. I colored the image with my Copics (imagine that!): G40, G43, G46, C00, C0, C2, C3, C7, E0000, E000, E00, E11, E13, E25, E27, E29, E49. I added a bit of accents with a white gel pen. And that's it. That's what caused my mush. 

Here's hoping that never happens again. Because I don't have much brain left to work with. 

Sister update:  Merrilyn's physical therapist told her to ditch the walker--she wasn't using it anyway. She was just pushing it around. And she could bend her robo knee 92 degrees on Thursday, a mere 9 days post-op. Which is really ahead of schedule--so good on her, hey? :^) 

Have a wonderful rest of the weekend!

  

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.

Ellie's Birthday Card

My good friend, Ellie, is having a birthday on August 6. But she and I are having lunch on Tuesday, so I thought I would give her birthday card to her then instead of waiting. (Besides, it's much easier to hand-deliver the cards I make than it is to mail them!) So, Ellie, if you are reading this before we have lunch, proceed at your own risk. Of course, if you want to see your card before you open it, by all means, keep reading! ;^)

Before I get to Ellie's card there are a couple of items I would like to mention.

First, I want to thank all of you for your well-wishes for my sister, Merrilyn. Her surgery last Tuesday went very well, and she felt great that night. However, not so much on Wednesday or Thursday. She had quite the reaction to all the anesthesia and pain medication she received. So she was sick to her stomach, (that's a nice way of saying she puked her guts out--oh, did I just say that?), on Wednesday and Thursday. She was able to proceed with her physical therapy in spite of her nausea, and really doesn't remember much about being ill. Sometimes drugs are wonderful. They help you forget those nasty bits you don't want to keep in your memory! The hospital finally got everything regulated, and Merrilyn went home o Friday feeling pretty good. She says her knee hurts, but not any more than it did before her surgery. And this pain will go away eventually. So she is a happy camper, albeit one who sleeps at the drop of a hat now.

BTW, her therapist told her that she was doing remarkably well with her walking and her exercises. I told you she built up her leg muscles by swimming, and it really has paid off for her. My other sister is attempting to do the very same thing before her surgery in September. I wish her every success, because that will make her recovery easier, too! 

I would also like to mention that I read two books this week that were really great reads. Both are selections by Suzanne Dean for her Bookendz Book Club this month. I needed to get them read quickly as the month is about over! The first book, very well-written, is The Kashmir Shawl by Rosie Thomas, which I really loved. The second book is Promises to Keep by Jane Green, which is also very well-written, but can be a bit of a tear-jerker. Just sayin'. So, beware if you cannot deal with angst.

To the right of the beginning of this post, (no, your other right), is a short video for a blog giveaway by Darlene Lyons at Scrappy Dues. Check it out; she has 200+ followers now, and she is celebrating by giving us the chance to win some great stuff!

OK, on to Ellie's card. I picked out this digital image in the middle of March. I fell in love with it, as I have with all the Saturated Canary images. But I bought it because it is called Ellie's Birthday, and I wanted to use it for Ellie's card! It is just lucky that I remembered this plan of mine four months later. The old grey mare just ain't what she used to be and neither is her memory! Gosh, that was a bit snarky, wasn't it? Good thing I was talking about myself and not one of you! Where was I? Oh, yeah, Ellie's card. So I picked out a Create with TLC sentiment that I thought would go with the SC image. Both the image and the sentiment were printed out on Cryogen CS.

My paper choice is from the Basic Grey Life of the Party collection. And I paired it with some Stampin' Up CS. I added flowers, a stick pin, and a crown pin from Wild Orchid Crafts, some baker's twine from SU, bow die cuts from a Cheery Lynn die, a Tim Holtz Adage Ticket and Mini Paper Clip, and some cheesecloth. Just because I could. And I liked it. So there. Put that in your pipe and smoke it. Or not.

I colored the image and the sentiment with my Copics: YR000, YR12, YR14, YR16, B000, B91, B95, B97, B99, E000, E00, E11, E13, E25, E31, E50. I added some Glossy Accents to Ellie's eyes and lips. I was planning to add some to the balloons, but chose not to because of the hair hanging in front of one of them. I felt I would make a mess of that, so I chickened out. And too bad if you think I should have done it anyway. Why don't you just come on over to my house and do it for me? My eyesight just isn't what it once was. Pffffft!!! Oh, and I did manage to accent the image with a bit of white gel pen. I think that should just about do it for this episode.

I am going to enter this card into the following:

Cheery Lynn Celebrations Challenge

Divas by Design Happy Birthday Challenge

Fashionista Baby or Birthday Challenge

Inky Impressions Dies or Punches Challenge

Outlawz CPC Anything Goes

Simon Says Anything Goes

Oozak Bright Colors Challenge

Here's wishing everyone everywhere a wonderful week. And, if you're watching, enjoy the Olympics!

Merrilyn's Get Well Card

My sister, Merrilyn, is having knee replacement surgery today. I know she is really anxious about it, (who wouldn't be?), but I also know she will do just fine. She has done an amazing job this past year of getting ready for her surgery. She took off a great deal of weight by swimming for an hour every day, and by changing her diet completely. She eats healthful foods and enjoys what she eats. (Geesh, wish I could say that!) So she has strengthened her leg muscles and reduced the pressure on her knees, which is really going to help her recover more quickly. And she will be so happy to walk like a normal person again! 

BTW, she is not the only sister who is having knee replacement surgery. My other sister, Barbara, will be having hers in September. Kinda like when it rains, it pours, right?! But don't look for me to be having that surgery any time soon. My knees are doing just fine, thank you very much! Besides, I am much younger than both of my sisters! (Let's see how soon I hear about that crack!) These siblings do keep me busy making cards!

I certainly couldn't do a CAS card for Merrilyn. She likes the layered ones; says she likes them better in person so she can see the 3-d effect. I would hate to disappoint her in her hour of need. Therefore, she is getting a layered card. (Yeah, like that's the only reason I would do a layered card. Riiiiight!)

OK, well I looked at different challenges for some inspiration and, boy howdy, I surely did find it! One challenge, Sketch Saturday, gave me the basic sketch, which I tried to stick to, really I did! And two other challenges, Saturated Canary and Craft Your Passion, gave me the color scheme, which is black and white plus one other color. Another challenge, Stamptacular Sunday, calls for two or more dies, and just when do I not use two or more? For that challenge I just hit the Staples Easy button. (Is that ad even on TV anymore?) A fifth challenge, CMC Copic Challenge, called for anything goes with a girly twist. OK, that one really had me stumped. Oh, just kidding. And the last challenge, The Corrosive Challenge, calls for something cheeky, saucy, or sassy. So I felt my Saturated Canary image, Zombie Niamh, along with my Create with TLC sentiment would fit that bill rather nicely. It should be fairly simple for me to be a bit cheeky, saucy, and sassy, don't you think? At least my parents certainly thought so years ago. But that's another story for another time. Or not.

Here is the sketch I tried my best to follow:

I printed the image and the sentiment on Cryogen CS. I chose Authentique Journey patterned paper, which I paired with Stampin' Up CS. I used the following dies: Spellbinders Circles and Scalloped Circles, and Cheery Lynn's Lace Corner Deco B. My flowers are from Prima and Wild Orchid Crafts. The stick pins are WOC. I applied glossy accents to the eyes of Niamh and her cat, as well as to the cat's nose. I added Stickles to Niamh's hair bands, lips, and the heart on her stocking. And, as usual, I accented the image with a little white gel pen. The image was (shockingly) colored with Copics: R20, E0000, E000, E00, E11, E13, B0000, B000, B91, B93, B95, C00, C0, C2, C3, C5, C7, C9.

 

I will be giving it to Merrilyn today after her surgery, but I doubt that she will even know that I did. She will still be under the effects of the anesthesia, I would imagine. Which could make for an interesting conversation, if I play my cards right. And my sister, Barbara, who is arriving today for our sister's surgery, will probably play along with me! Oh, look out, Merrilyn!

In case you are looking for a good book to devour, I just finished The Rose Garden, by Susanna Kearsley. (It was recommended by my soon-to-be robo-sister, Merrilyn. Ha, wait 'til she reads that comment! My name is Mud.)

Wishing you a wonderful week!

No Copics? Really!

Just wanted to get a quick card made for a color challenge on the Outlawz . I know, I know, no Copics is really weird for me. Will wonders never cease?

Anyway, I am entering this into the Outlawz Color Challenge with a twist: Things with Wings. And I had this wonderful sentiment by Paulette at Create with TLC to use on this card. I used Tempting Turquoise, Black, and White CS by Stampin' Up for the colors in the challenge. I just got this beautiful Orchard Tree Frame die from Memory Box for the outline, and then embossed a piece of cs with a Cuttlebug Tiny Mosaics folder to fit behind it. The butterflies are all made from Cheery Lynn dies. The die used for the sentiment is a Spellbinders Labels 8 die.

That's it for now. I am off to make a card for my sister, Merrilyn, who is having knee replacement surgery on Tuesday.

Wishing everyone everywhere a safe and wonderful week.

I am so sorry...

OK, I am absolutely horrified about the Colorado shootings. Just to get that out there in blog-land. I will never, ever understand the thought processes that lead a person to mindlessly kill another human being, much less many other human beings. I simply cannot fathom this. I want to send everyone, who has been impacted, my deepest sympathies and wishes for strength to get through the madness you find yourselves in now.

Sending you the biggest hugs possible, Penny

Another Tag She's It

It's been a while since I created something, due to reading The Hunger Games series. I just couldn't put the books down until I found out how the story ended. Thank heavens I am done with that! So I got back into my craft-room last night and got to work. I decided to make a tag to enter into Mayzy's current challenge, so I picked the MayzyArt image, Jean. CMC is having a dark blue challenge, so that set my color scheme. And I found a wonderful sentiment by Paulette at Create with TLC to go with my image. I worked until 3:00 a.m., and then I awakened at 5:30 a.m. when Gary's alarm went off. Would you believe he set it so he could go golfing? Old poop.

I am a little bleary-eyed after a couple of hours of sleep. I take that back. I am very bleary-eyed right now. I am going to keep this post brief, as I want to go take a nap before Kelsey's birthday party this afternoon. I don't want to arrive as the crabby grandma, which is what I will be without more sleep! (Perhaps, if you ask the girls, they might say I am the crabby grandma all the time! Ya never know.)

I printed Jean on Cryogen CS. I colored her with my Copics: YR21, RV21, RV23, RV25, B34, B37, B39, E000, E00, E11, E13, E15, E18, E40, E41, E42, E43.  I accented her with: a Signo Uniball white gel pen; Stickles on her barrettes, jewelry, lips, and belt buckle, as well as the cupcake frosting; and Glossy Accents on her eyes.

I rubbed Stampin' Up ink on the edges of cardboard and Bazzill Beach House paper, which was combined with Stampin' Up CS. I used the following dies: Spellbinders Labels 20, scalloped oval, and grand scalloped oval; Cheery Lynn Nautical Wheeler Doily; and Magnolia Doohickey flourish. I added some cheesecloth, lace died with my Copics, two Wild Orchid Crafts crown pins, some ric rac, twine, and miscellaneous blue trim. I also colored some Recollections adhesive rhinestone swirls with my Copics. I think that covers it.

I am entering this tag into the following:

MayzyArt Cardless Challenge
CMC Navy Blue/Dark Blues Challenge
Bunny Zoe's Swirls and Lace Challenge

Hope you are all having a wonderful weekend! I'm off to take a nap. I hope.