Furry Friends : Sisterhood Challenge

So I just discovered my past Sisterhood challenge didn't post. Guess I'll edit that and post tomorrow. In the meantime, here's the latest challenge over at The Sisterhood of Crafters - a creation with an animal on it! I chose to use a couple of adorable images that always inspire me to color (which I really need to practice).

 

 

Coincidentally, both are for friends/family who have recently lost pets, hence the "hang in there" sentiment, which I thought worked for the monkey and the heavy-headed fuzzball donkey.

 

 

The sketch I used for the donkey card was this week's Mojo Monday 288 Sketch in a combination of Basic Grey, Bashful Blue and Whisper White.

 

 

This time, I used Splitcoast Sketch Challenge 430 and Color Challenge 420, though I didn't have Pool Party, so I went with something I did have.

 

 

Head over to the Sisterhood to show us your Furry Friends :)

 

I have just under three more weeks until my next half marathon and I am pumped! I've also been doing some snowboarding lately and things have been coming together nicely. MrP says the change from last year to this year is remarkable and it makes him almost want to try snowboarding since I make it look seamless. I think he's blowing smoke :)

 

Hope all is well with everyone!

Happy Anniversary! Happy Anniversary! Happy Anniversary!

Well it's Chelsey's anniversary so I had to drop this off at her house this morning (since it's too darn big to send in the mail - I love 5.5x5.5 cards, but they're a pain to make envelopes for).

And before you start with me, I do have posts for the last day of Napa getting it's final touches....I blame the wine (and flaky internet on the last day). It'll be up later.

Back to the aforementioned Viva La Verve Week 2 sketch. Like Marisa, I LOVED this one - thanks Teresa! So much fun to play with and the colors were a Splitcoast Color Challenge 347.

Anyways, I it was the first I'd gotten to use my jotted heart die, as well as inked up anything from my Small Phrases set. I also got some stitching practice, as well as twine bow tying.
Now I can't stop thinking about how much more I could do with this sketch and wanting to play with it - just like others!

Happy Birthday, Chels!

I can't wait any longer

I know this features the same stamp and sponging of a nestie that yesterday's had, but too darn bad for you. Go somewhere else if you want "new & fabulous" =) This card used the Mojo Monday 111 Sketch  and Color Combination 241 - Always Bravo Cameo.

Stamps: Beautiful Life

Paper: Very Vanilla, Cameo Coral, Bravo Burgundy, Always Artichoke

Ink: Bravo Burgundy

Accessories: Artichoke Ribbon, Dimensionals, Nestabilities, Silver Brads

R&B should have their card today or tomorrow and I'm hoping in the meantime she doesn't check it out on here...because I spent the evening at the gym, then at an Epicure tasting party with my friend's adorable three year old. I've decided she's a hazard to my baby-free lifestyle. The kid is freaking ADORABLE and when I went to put on my coat, she begged me "Stay at mommy's house?" When I went to leave, she ran over "I wanna hug....wanna hug!" and then proceeded with a big hug and cheeky kiss....love her. So needless to say, I didn't get any stamping done last night and I was tired when I got home, so a little reading & off to bed.

Basic Sunny Eggplant Mojo 106

For this week's Mojo Monday Sketch 106, I also used Color Combination 237 from SCS, which was  technically Crushed Black Razzleberries, but I don't own two of the colors and the alternatives were eggplant or burgundy for the razzleberry and summer sun instead of crushed curry...so I worked with what I had!

Stamps: Verve Circular Sayings, Petals & Stems

Paper: Basic Black, Summer Sun, Elegant Eggplant, Very Vanilla

Ink: Summer Sun, Elegant Eggplant

Accessories: Dimensionals, Very Vanilla Ribbon, Corner Rounder, Nestabilities

Am I allowed

to say I LOVE THIS CARD?! Well, I did, so there's no taking it back now. I love this card. I love the stamps. I love the dimension. I had a blast with it and I'm not going to deny it any longer!

Stamps: Verve Party Time
Paper: White, Tempting Turquoise, Real Red, So Saffron, Delicate Dots DSP

Ink: Basic Black, Tempting Turquoise, Real Red, So Saffron
Accessories: Real Red Ribbon, Dimensionals, Corner Rounder Punch
Techniques: Paper Tole

My newest Verve order arrived while I was in Banff and this was the first chance I'd had to ink up these awesome little balloons from Party Time. I used the SCS Color Challenge 138, which was Tempting Turquoise, Real Red and So Saffron, along with Mercy's Sketch 40. She's always got great sketches and this one was no exception.

I've really been loving the paper tole since I tried it for Dawn's Challenge on the Taylored Expressions 2nd Birthday Bash, so I had to use it for this set. The red ballon & tricolor balloon were both colored a second time and layered. The tricolor balloon was then colored a third time and layered - such fun!

 Here's one more of the layers.....because....I love this card!

Okay - so you know what I think....what do YOU think? Ever have one of those cards that just "works" for you?

Friendship Tree for SSSC31 & CC232

Stamps: Renaissance by Design
Paper: Very Vanilla, Close to Cocoa, Taken with Teal, Close to Cocoa DSP
Ink: Close to Cocoa, Taken with Teal
Accessories: Sponge, Nestabilities

I couldn't wait to ink up my new Renaissance by Design stamps. When I discovered this local company, it wasn't long before I found this stamp set and fell head over heals in love with the tree and sweet sentiments in Roots and Wings.

I really wanted to give Karen's Sweet Sunday Sketch 31 a try and thought this was a great chance. I also used the Color Challenge from SCS's CC232, which was Taken With Teal, Very Vanilla and Close to Cocoa, which happens to be one of the DSP I own...too perfect!
A little sponging on the very vanilla layer, some simple layering on the others, a little glue & Dazzling Diamonds and I was happy with how it turned out. What do you think?

What The ......

Dear Thieves,
I despise you. I loathe you. What gives you the right to take from others that which does not belong to you? Were you unloved as a child? Are you a child? I doubt that since I can't see what interest a kid would have in a company access key or why you'd read a company letter that states employment. Nevertheless, the items you took have value, so maybe you wanted them for yourself, but I can assure you that they meant more to the one that you took them from, you weasel. You're a spineless scoundrel. A menace to society. A disgrace to the neighborhood. And I hope karma kicks your butt!
Love,
Tanny P

Okay. I feel better. Last night, I suspect MrP left his car unlocked. It's parked on the street, so in my mind, he does kinda deserve a boot to the behind, but I'm still disappointed that there's people out there who would feel the need to steal his belongings. I received a call this morning, asking if I had gone into his car and taken his 3 pack of company golf balls and access card to his office. Once I assured him that I really didn't have any interest in either item, he pondered it a little more (before his phone died, which is commonplace for his company cell). He called back once he'd gotten to work and let me know that those items were indeed stolen, along with the cds that he'd had in his arm rest. Also, the letter he had from his company that confirmed his employment (for a city fitness facilities discount) that's been sitting in his car for months was shifted, having apparently been read. So now the thieves knew where he works and had an access card. Yay. Fingers crossed that it wasn't robbed during the night.

I created a card last night for the host of our evening's festivities tonight. I used the Jacksonbelle Embellishments Blog Challenge (a sketch - yay!) and the Color Challenge 226, which was Tempting Turquoise, Baja Breeze, Apricot Appeal and Creamy Caramel. Quite the combo, but I think it turned out alright (obviously, I'm more than a little biased). I tried the Rock n' Roll technique on the flowers, but I think it would've had better coverage if I had the Apricot pad instead of just trying to color with the markers. The card is 5.5 x 5.5" and I hope she likes it!

Oh yeah - and Up! was excellent! I think going when there were little rugrats in the theatre added to the ambiance. After the previews, Pixar had their trademark short, this one called Partly Cloudy, which featured clouds who make babies and the storks who carry them to the families. The one cloud who particularly was detailed made the less cutesy diaper rashes - rather than cuddley puppies, fluffy kittens & snuggly babies, it made more entertaining little blessings - crocodiles, porcupines and the like. While the kids weren't laughing as much as Swillsey and I, we were close to stitches with the slightly twisted little film....loved it! Then on to the feature film, where we heard little voices in quiet parts saying "I wish I'd worn shorts", "That was scary, Mom!" and "Is it done yet?" (which was possibly the funniest being that the movie finished about ten minutes later) The randomness of children's thoughts has got to be the funniest part of kids. And I love 3D movies =)

Bada Bing Cherry Pie & a cute Ewe

Well this is it....the Bada Bing Cherry Pie recipe that MrP made on July 1st!
However, instead of actually purchasing a cherry pitter, he used a paperclip. Good ol' Google. Bend it in half, push the out-turned end into the pit, twist & pull out. (Sounds easy, but I wasn't the one who pitted a little under six cups of cherries - gotta love deep dish pie pans!)

He also made the pie crust, a tried & true recipe from Alton Brown's I'm Only Here for The Food II Baking Book. Another fantastic showing for this recipe. He did modify the recipe for the pie a little, as our Pampered Chef pie plate is a deep dish and therefore uses a little more than the average recipe, but used the basis and it's delicious. Not that I stuck a spoon in and pulled out a cherry or something. That would be considered rude to the chef. And I'm just not like that. (But with a small bit of ice cream & a bit of pie, it's divine!)

And as a bonus for Canada Day, we met up for beer & wings with Chelsey & K-Dawg, who's rocking the arm sling! I whipped up a little card to wish him a speedy recovery using the Color Combination 225 challenge and Viva La Verve July week 1 sketch with a twist, which was distressing. Let me put this out there - I hate distressing. I'm far too clean & layer conscious to do much when it comes to distressing. This really was a challenge, but I was happy with how it turned out (and the dazzling diamonds on the liquid applique before heat setting for my puffy little ewe was perfect!)

Stamps: Farm Fever
Paper: Kraft, So Saffron, Night of Navy, Bella Birds
Ink: Versamark
Accessories: White Ribbon, Black Embossing Powder, Dazzling Diamonds, Liquid Applique
Techniques: Embossing, Liquid Applique