Through The Craft Room Door Anything Goes Challenge

This week's challenge is being sponsored by Kenny K. To know Kenny K images is to love Kenny K images. And I chose a really fun one this week, called Biker Girl. 'Cuz she not only looks just like me, but she rides a mean bike, just like I do. You should see my hog. It doesn't go oink, oink, that's for sure. Someday, I'll share some photos of me riding side by side with Gary. You will be shocked!

 

Or not. Because I am just kidding. Or lying. Whichever you prefer. Not about the image I chose. But that she looks just like me. Nawwwww, I'm kidding about all of it. Except the fact that I did actually choose Biker Girl. Now that we have that all tidied up, I have to mention that my card didn't make it to the blog challenge. I turned it in before the challenge was posted, but I guess it wasn't seen. That'll teach me to get my stuff in on the last day, huh?

So I will briefly list the details and then get to some more vacation photos.

Image:  Kenny K Biker Girl, printed on Make It Colour Blending Card
Sentiment: Create with TLC
DP: Bo Bunny Weekend Market
CS: Stampin' Up
Ink: Stampin' Up
Copics: BG72, BG75, BG78, W1, W3, W5, W7, R20, R22, E000, E00, E11, E13, E15, E18, E21, YR20, YR21, YR23, YR27, B93, B95, B97, B99.
Copic Spica: Added to headlamp, belt buckle, and necklace.
Dies: SCACD Ornate Hinge, Classic Corner, and Alice's Clock Statement Corner
         Whimsy Mini Postage Stamp

Oh, I did call the T-Mobile Sales Associate that sold us my Samsung Galaxy SIII. I told her that my coverage in my home was virtually non-existent. She asked if I had Wi-Fi, and I said yes. So she told me to use that when I was at home. I really think that is an unsatisfactory answer, since it uses up battery life so quickly. But that is what I was told. I hate to really grouse about it in front of Gary, because that just hurts his feelings. So I will just shut my face and let it go. Of course, I still have to learn how to use all the features, so that should keep me busy when I am not making cards or commenting on blogs, hey?

The last photos I showed you were from our next to last day on the Big Island. We got up on Monday, our last day, and I have to admit I was a basket case. I knew I had to fly in that little mosquito to go back to Maui that afternoon. I did spend some time reading on the lanai and then Gary suggested we go to the Coffee Shack for breakfast.

That idea didn't quite pan out, as we couldn't get near the place to park. It sits right on the side of the main highway and has a tiny parking lot. And any close spaces on the highway were taken. So, we turned around and headed back to our hotel. Next to the hotel pool there was a little coffee bar, so we each got a Chai latte and a scone for our meager meal! It was tasty, and the birds thought so, too, as they swooped in to grab any crumbs that fell. (One thing you can depend on in the state of Hawaii. You will have outdoor restaurants, and there will be lots of birds to snatch your food!) But we love the red-headed Cardinals, so we got a couple of photos of one scarfing up whatever he could find. Funny how hard it is to photograph these guys out in the wild, but they are easy to find in a hotel lobby or on a restaurant table!

Then Gary took the little camera to shoot some pictures of the Sheraton that we had stayed at:

It really was a nice place to stay, and I would do it again in a heartbeat. Or a New York minute. Whichever is faster. However, I would not do the mosquito flight to get to the Big Island again. I would fly direct in a big jet. Below is the itty bitty, teeny tiny gnat that we flew in. And there was only one other passenger besides Gary and I. We almost had a charter flight.

Here are a couple of photos of Mauna Kea from the airplane. (It is really weird sitting below the wings.) I never saw Mauna Kea while we were on the island because of all the cloud cover. But I did get a shot of it from the air.

And here's the last we saw of the Big Island of Hawaii. Sigh....

And here comes Maui and Haleakala:

Now I do have to say that the take-off from Hawaii and the flight to Maui were really smooth compared to our last take-off and flight in this small plane. However, the approach and landing were scary as he**, due to the winds around Kahului--we felt those winds as we rounded the western side of Haleakala. The pilot told us after deplaning that he had to land on one wheel due to the cross-winds. Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat??????????? Never, never, never again. Nope. Nope. Nope.

Here's the southern side of Haleakala, followed by the western side. Then on the northwest side you can see all the cloud cover we were flying into. Ugh. And the last photo from the plane shows the eensy weensy cockpit, and the solitary pilot. (Who would have flown that little bugger if something had happened to him, I ask you? Just who? Yours truly? I don't think so!)

So look what we got into after landing. Yup. Rain. And more rain. And even more rain. It was so cold, wet and rainy compared to the weather we had just left on Hawaii. Very strange. We nearly froze eating dinner outdoors that night. OK, that's a slight exaggeration. But it was really chilly sitting in the damp wind. Fortunately, for us, that was all the rain we had on Maui. The other four days were beautiful.

Here's a photo heading west of the airport toward the West Maui Mountains:

Here's the view from the lobby at the Westin Hotel:

Lovely, huh? But our room was so cramped that we won't stay there again. Our lanai on the second floor had a view of the noisy lobby waterfall. Not the place to be soothed; however, if you wanted your eardrums rattled, it was quite perfect!

And if you look very carefully at the top of the next photo you can see a wee bit of the ocean and the island of Lana'i. That was the extent of our ocean view from our room. But hey, it was better than a parking lot view, right? And we were next to the beach and on Maui. So how could I possibly complain? I'll rephrase that: so why should I possibly complain? 

We did have a great time on Maui. Certainly ate quite well. I'll show you a few more photos on my next post.

For now, I hope you scoot on over to TTCRD and check out the wonderful cards by my teamies! And I expect to see you there with your fabulous entries. Have a great rest of the week!

The Outlawz Greetings "Emboss + Red" Challenge

Our sponsor this month is Bugaboo Stamps.

This week we are challenging you to do some embossing and use red on your card. This is in honor of American Heart Awareness Month. I would expect that February was chosen for this due to its holiday, Valentine's Day. (Guess that's kind of a no-brainer, huh? No wonder I could figure it out.) I actually didn't want to make another Valentine, since I had made several already. So I chose a fun little image, Bugaboo Brats Isabella Stroller to use on my card. And I added a non-Valentine sentiment by Create with TLC. I printed both the image and the sentiment on Make It Colour Blending Card.

The image was colored, shockingly, with my Copics: C0, C1, R02, R05, R08, R20, E000, E00, E11, E21, E33, E35, BG32, BG34, BG70, G00, Y21, YR23. I chose colors that would go with my DP from My Mind's Eye Six by Six Honey Cake collection and Basic Grey Konnichiwa collection. I paired this paper with DCWV and Stampin' Up CS. 

Then I finished my card by using a Sizzix SU Textured Impressions Chevron embossing folder on a piece of CS, and by adding several die cuts made with the following dies: Spellbinders Labels 3 and Decorative Labels 1, SCACD Ornate Hinge and Classic Corner, and Memory Box Baby Carriage.

I am a wee bit behind in my DT assignments. I have a card due today for publication tomorrow that I have not yet finished. So I am not going to take time to post vacation photos on this posting either. However, I do expect to do so tonight, when I write up my blog for tomorrow. Which, of course, will be written as if I wrote it tomorrow, but it will have been written yesterday, which is actually today. Got that? Good, because I think I made myself dizzy typing it out. 

Go forth, fellow bloggers and card-makers, and create something wonderful for us to see this week! And be sure to check out the fabulous cards created by my teammates! I'll see you again tomorrow, when I hope to get caught up on my blog commenting. 

 

Stamptacular Sunday "TWO's Company!" Challenge/Angela's Birthday Card

This week’s challenge is going to be so much fun!  We can’t wait to see what you create!

This week's challenge is a…

“TWO’s Company!”

For this week's challenge you will create a card that uses 2 stamps, 2 colors and 2 embellishments!  Oh…and don’t forget to STAMP!  After all…we don’t call this the STAMPtacular Sunday Challenge for nothing!      

You will have from now until midnight (EST) February 23^rd, 2012 to complete this challenge and post a DIRECT LINK to your submission into our InLinkz in order to be entered into the drawing for this week's fabulous prize donated by:

STITCHY BEAR DIGITAL STAMPS

PRIZE:  $10 GIFT CERTIFICATE!

Hey, that's a fabulous prize, don't you think? I love the images on Stitchy Bear, and there are so many to choose from that I had trouble choosing two to use on this card! In the end, I chose "Pirate Polly" and "Treasure Map" and printed both on Cryogen CS.

Now, I knew I needed to use only two colors, other than skin & hair; and I remembered that my daughter, Angela, had told me she wanted her birthday card done in purple and gold--Minnesota Vikings colors. (This was due to the fact that I gave her hubby a birthday card using the Green Bay Packers colors. In this case, what was good for the gander was going to be good for the goose.) (Did you understand that? Because I didn't, and I wrote it.)

So I had my two stamps, my two colors, and now I needed my two embellishments. I made a larger sword for one of them, and used a Tim Holtz Corked Vial with a message, (in a bottle, get it?), that I created for the second embellishment. And voila, it is done. Guess I should mention the papers I used, as well as the Copics: V01, V09, V17, V22, V25, Y21, Y32, Y35, Y38, B02, R20, YR23, E000, E00, E11, E33, E35. I added Copic Spica to her lips, fingernails, buttons, belt buckle, jewelry, and sword. And I used Stampin' Up and Bazzill CS for my card.

Before I close this short edition, I have a couple of things to tell you. One is that I will show you a few more vacation shots this week in a later post. But I am in a big hurry to get a couple of cards done, so need to do that first.

The other is that I got a new Samsung Galaxy SIII from Gary for my Valentine's gift on Thursday. (It was in addition to going out to eat a wonderful steak dinner at The Deli.) The new phone is really cool, very different from my old iPhone 3GS, but I am not happy with the T-Mobile Service I get in my house. I rarely get 4G on the phone, which is not acceptable. One of my friends told me last night that I should call T-Mobile to complain about the lack of coverage I have. And then they would probably do something about it. I certainly hope so!

It's really kind of funny--so many people told me that AT&T was so awful with its coverage, but I never had a problem using my phone in my home. And I surely do with our new T-Mobile service. So we shall see what happens. I do feel sorry for Gary, because this complication rather spoiled his wonderful surprise for me. He says we should take the phone back, but I would rather work through the issue. Besides, we would pay a terrible penalty for cancelling the service. I will let you know what happens, because I know you are sitting on pins and needles wondering about this. Or not.

I love the bigger screen on my new phone. And the fact that it weighs less than my old one, even though it is bigger. And there are so many, many features on this--it will take me quite a while to learn all of them. (Probably will know them about the time I get a new phone.) And it is supposed to sync up with my computer, which will be really wonderful to do again. And, for the first time, I have text-messaging. So I am not unhappy with the phone itself, just the service situation.

Btw, we got a flat tire last night. Fortunately it went flat about five blocks from our friend's home, so we limped in there and got Ford Roadside Assistance to come out and put on the spare. And spare is the correct word for that tiny, skinny little excuse for a tire that comes in your trunk. What a joke! That will get replaced ASAP! Not sure what happened to the regular tire; it just blew out all of a sudden.

Yes, it has been a strange weekend. I am looking forward to a good week and a visit from my sister, Barbara for a few days. Hope all of you have a wonderful week, too. Do check out the fabulous creations by my DTeamies! They are all such talented chicks! And then come up with your own 2-2-2 and show us what you did, OK?

The Outlawz Greetings "CASE the DT" Challenge/Merrilyn's Birthday Card

Our sponsor this month is Bugaboo Stamps. 

We are challenging you to CASE a card made by an Outlawz DT member and then change 2 or more things about it on your own card. I found this challenge to be extremely difficult. There were so many cards I loved that it was hard to pick only one to CASE. In the end I chose a card by Carla Suto as you can see below. I will describe what I modified after I give you a few more photos of our trip to Hawaii.

But first, I want to take this opportunity to thank Lady Anne of Cards by Lady Anne for allowing me to participate as a DT member on her Anything Goes Challenge group for the past several months. Lady Anne has decided to close down that particular challenge group; however, she still has four other challenge groups at this location, so be sure to check them out if you haven't already done so.

And now I return to our road trip around the Big Island. We had just finished photographing Waipi'o Valley from the overlook and had returned to our old fogies' van. Next we headed westward across the island from the eastern shore to the western one. We had to drive through Waimea again, so we stopped there for lunch. We thought we would eat at Merriman's, but as luck would have it, they were closed for lunch on Saturdays. So we ate next door at a tiny pizza place, called Pau, that was recommended as well. It mainly does pizza, but I didn't want pizza, so I opted for the Superfood Salad, which had wonderful ingredients: quinoa, brown rice, edamame, grapes, feta, spiced nuts, and a champagne vinaigrette over mixed greens. In theory, this should have been awesome. It would have been too, if there had been more than a thimbleful of dressing on the salad. It was really dry and, honestly, a little hard to swallow all the greens. Big dummy here didn't ask for more dressing. I should have. I didn't mention it until I was finished with my meal--serves me right. The waitress said everyone had been asking for more salad dressing, so the "chef" obviously needed a little education on the art of making salads. Gary, the smart-aleck, had pizza and seemed very happy with his meal.

So, off we went again, over to the west coast and down it to downtown Kailua-Kona. I wanted to see King Kamehameha's last home, his personal temple, (Ahu'ena Heiau). You can photograph it, but it is closed for public viewing.

And then there was this strange dude taking photos at the same place I was. The nerve!

I wanted to tour the Hulihe'e Palace, which is now a museum, but we were too late in the afternoon for that. So I contented myself with a couple of photos:

At the north end of the palace grounds is a seawall and small inlet. Gary spotted a turtle there, which I managed to photograph, both with him under the water and popping his head out of it. (The turtle, not Gary.) This was certainly a turtle week for us! Can you see him in the water in the last two photos? I thought I caught such a cute head shot in the second photo--you may need to click on the picture so you can see his sweet little face.

We stopped in at Splasher's Grill for a Mai Tai, because we heard they made good ones. Not so much. Not super terrible. Just not memorable at all. The hostess had seated us at a table where the sun was blazing down. I couldn't sit there--I am such a delicate flower, after all--so Gary got us moved to the bar. We watched a bit of playoff football beamed in from the mainland and talked with some kids from Seattle. They, of course, were so happy about their Seahawks, while Gary and I were a bit embarrassed about the Cards. Long-suffering fans, we are. Maybe next year. Or the year after that. Or, whatev.

We did walk around town a bit before heading back to the Lotus Cafe for some more fabulous Thai food. Gary said we had to stop there again. And so it was. This time he had a glass of their fabulous Thai iced tea, too. Wish a restaurant here could make it the same way, but that's not very likely. I honestly cannot remember what we had for dinner that night; I just know we really enjoyed it and wished that we could return. But they are closed on Sundays and we were leaving Monday afternoon.

Sunday found us needing to do laundry. And what do you know? Gary offered to do it while he read by the pool, (which was right next to the laundry facilities at the Sheraton). Hey, I am not going to look a gift horse in the mouth, so I said, cool beans and let him. (Please don't tell him I called him a gift horse.) Yes, I let him, with some pointed instructions, of course. 

So I spent a good deal of the day reading--which was so blissful--out on our lanai, listening to the waves. I also went to a general seating area at the front of the hotel, so that I could look at the ocean from a different perspective. I had my little camera with me--good thing--and saw a couple of manta rays feeding just offshore. Wish I had had my good camera, because I could have zoomed in better, but I was tickled to get a few photos anyway. The first photo shows you how far away I was. The others are zoomed views:

Don't you just love that blue, blue water? Oh, my....

The Sheraton encourages the rays to come feed here by turning spotlights on the water at night. That draws plankton to the area and that's what the rays feed on. There are nightly dive groups that go down to photograph the rays feeding. But, I was surprised to see them feeding here in the daytime, too!

We decided to try the Sheraton's wine tasting in the lobby that night. It was our last night there, and the only opportunity, so...you know we had to, right? The wines were really pretty good, especially for $2.50 a taste. Gary got two reds and I got two whites and we tried each other's. 'Cuz that's how we roll. Us old folks.

Grumpy Gary:

Happier Gary:

Happiest Gary:

And, yours truly, with a red neck and a chubby face, but happy nonetheless:

After our little wine tasting we decided to check out downtown Kona at night. We took a few photos with my trusty little camera. And, fyi, I tried to get Gary to buy the hat, but he refused. I do love that picture of him in it! He reminds me of the golfer Ian Poulter. An older version, of course, but still...

So, after checking out the shops & galleries that were open we went to Kenichi Pacific for some of the best Japanese food I have ever eaten! OMWord! I wish there was a branch here in the Phoenix area, but the closest to us is in Aspen, or we could go to Dallas or Austin. Yeah, right. I had the best miso soup, and then wonderful mac nut salad and firecracker shrimp! Ahhhh, so, so good!

That brings me to the last day on the island, which was Monday, January 14. And I will save that for my next post.

On to my CASE'd card. I changed more than two things: the card shape, the colors & papers, the sentiment, the flower & flourish, the border die cut, and I added an extra flourish.

I used the same image: Mo's Digital Pencil Party Girl. I printed her on Make It Colour Blending Card and then colored her with my Copics: YG91, YG93, YG95, E000, E00, E11, E50 E53, E57, R20, V000, V12, V15, C00, C0. I added Copic Spica to her glass, jewelry, shoes, fingernails, and lips. I printed my Create with TLC sentiment on MICBC also. I die cut both pieces and sponged Stampin' Up ink around their edges. 

My DP is from the Basic Grey Plumeria collection, which I paired with Bazzill CS. My die-cut flower has a SU brad holding it together. The dies I used to make this card are: Cheery Lynn Embellishment #1, CL Daisy Strip, CL Polynesian Sails Oval Doily, MFT Double Scallop Border, Magnolia Doohickey Flourish, and Spellbinders Labels 10 and 20. That's it: Merrilyn's Birthday Card.

I want to thank Carla Suto for such a fabulous card for inspiration. You are one talented lady, Carla! Sending you big hugs!

Be sure to check out the wonderful cards made by my teamies this week! And please, join us in the fun. See you on The Outlawz!

Here is the one I decided to try by Carla:

And here is mine: