(cue music) If it weren't for BAD LUCK I'd have no luck at all...

I have not abandoned my blog.

Here's the "rest of " that story as Paul Harvey would say...

Two weeks ago

I spent Friday morning preparing the guest room

for my stepson and daughter-in-law.

Down to removing, washing, drying, and stuffing

two twin long mattresses

into their dust mite covers

all-my-byself as my baby brother used to say.

Then

since my friend Theresa couldn't go shopping on Sat.

we headed to town

and spent all afternoon/early evening shopping.

Darling Hubby

had a sandwich supper ready for me...

but

he should have had a double rum drink fixed too

before he told that

the cat

the BAD CAT in fact

had thrown up

all over my open laptop.

It was dead.

My computer guru

got the info off

but the 1- 1 1/2 year old laptop

will have to be replaced.

Then last week-end

DH and I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary

at the zoo in Asheboro, NC.

He couldn't get reservations at the Hampton Inn

so he made reservations at

the VALUE INN.

The parking lot

would have been softer to sleep on!

Two paper-thin towels and one washcloth,

toilet paper roll roller missing

so the tp was stuck on the prong for the roller

and the bathroom light had a bare bulb sticking out

which building inspector DH said don't touch no matter what!

Oh--

and the water in the shower

was a beautiful terracotta color for at least 10 minutes!

But we laughed!

The zoo was AWESOME

and I only took 1,200 pictures.

So this week

was spent catching up from "vacation"

and last night we went for a ride on our tandem bike.

Hubby is in front, I am in the back.

I cannot see around him.

One minute we were pedaling down the road

and the next minute we were toppling toward the pavement.

THANK GOD

we had helmets on

as both of us hit our heads pretty hard.

I saw DH head hit and was sure he had broken his neck when I saw it

snap back.

He had more abrasions than I did

but I have plenty of body aches on my entire left side.

So much so

today is a do nothing more than I have to day.

He's sharing his laptop

and I hate the keyboard---

there are spaces inbetween the keys

and my little short fingers don't reach

and the cursor has a mind of it's own

and jumps all over the place.

So...

not posting much until I can replace mine.

And I can recover.

Oh

and I am STILL WAITING

for Provocraft/Cricut to get me a replacement machine

that actually works.

This will only be # 4.

I think I may need to see my attorney friend

to get this straightened out

as I don't seem to be getting anywhere.

Until next time,

happy stamping and scrapping.

Blessings,

What? I won?!

Note to self:

Self--please note

that if you ENTER something

it's important to remember

to check back in

and see if you've won!

Lol.

I usually take some time

after church and breakfast

on Sunday morning's to blog hop.

I am wayyyy behind today

(see post below-I have a good excuse!)

and I just saw

that I won

the Mellow Yellow Challenge

at

Linda McLain's Catered Crop blog

WOW!

Thanks, Linda!

I am stunned!

Pleasantly so!

Until next time--

I'd better go check the rest of the blogs!

Lol!

Blessings,

Thank you's x Three!

Hubby sent me an e-mail on Friday

saying that one of his co-workers was wondering

if I could make her some thank you cards.

I said of course.

I do not know this person

so I have no clue as to her likes, dislikes,

personality.

All she told me was

they were for girlfriends and a professional

"butterflies? Something girly.

So I went to work.

Here are her choices:

First up...

This is a Cricut cut card from the Close to My Heart

Artiste cartridge.

The dp is unknown origin (it is a softer version of Chantilly-

been in my stash FOREV-AH!)

The solids are blush and lagoon CTMH paper

The blush is embossed with the Cuttlebug Swiss Dot die

and sanded-

the nice part of CMTH paper-two for one--

solid--and yet you can expose the white core

for added dimension/distressing.

I added doilies

and some cut dragonflies 

(the Art Philosophy cartridge and I ware having issues-

but I cut these out after numerous attempts...)

The inside is lined so she can add her note.

I like that this card cuts a little "tab" at the top

to keep it closed

and that THANKS can go across the top

or along the side...

So when I couldn't sleep last night...at 10:30--

here's what I came up with for Choice # 2...

I cased this card from Dawn at Dawn's Stamping Studio

It's cut using Stampin' Ups Framelets

and I love the fact that that whole center panel actually rotates!

Papers are CTMH--

the shell stamp is from Inkadinkadoo

and the Thank You sentiment is from CTMH as well.

It is, of course, fussy cut and popped up.

I've had the shell stamp forevah---

and I think last night was the first time

it touched ink.

It is soooo beautiful and for a larger stamp 

stamps crisp and clean.

Ok.

So today

I was avoiding housework and laundry

wanted to add one more choice.

Here's what I came up with for it:

Again using the Framelets

and the Apothecary Art stamp set

coupled with the CTMH "Thank You" again

along with our dyeable/inkable seam binding

that I chose to use as is...

I colored the flowers and leaves

with my Copics

and again embossed the background paper.

There is a small stamped flower and greenery image 

on the inside.

Following my mentor's mantra

of
"no naked mail"

all the enveys got stamped as well.

So--there you have it.

Which would YOU choose?!

She asked for 5

and is getting 6

I always like to do a little extra something

AND

more often than not

after all is done and put away

I've had customers say

"Oh-I forgot-I need another card for so-and so"

and I am hard pressed

to recreate what I just did!

Time for some Popsicles

(hubby and I just took a ride on our bicycle built for 2--

it's hot and humid outside-

threatening rain)

and to sit and blog hop a bit.

Tomorrow

it's back to my real job

and it's going to be a busy, crazy week.

Until next time,

happy stamping and scrapping!
Blessings,

Third time is still a screw up --- Provocraft and my Cricut Saga...Episode Three...

This is the THIRD CRICUT I have received...

Provocraft would like me to believe

that this is a brand new Cricut that was supposedly

tried out and updated before I was sent to me.

When I opened the machine to install  the blade

this is what I saw...

Now is it my imagination or are you seeing the same

"tear" in that white strip that I am?

And...

Is it my imagination or is that same strip

not bowed up (and coming unglued) in this picture?

I am sooooo not happy right now!

Stay tuned for the next episode...

Pencils and polka dots...

Well

here I sit another week-end

without my Cricut.

I think Provocraft should be giving me

some AWESOME GIFTS

since it's now JUNE

and I AM STILL WAITING

for my Christmas Cricut!

Two have died...

I won't go there right now...!

The little red-head is getting hot....very, very hot!

Anyway-

back to yet another itty bitty artsy-fartsy piece

and a card!

I am not sure who this dp paper is from--it was in my stash-

the yellow polka dot is CTMH

the ribbons are both SU...

the stamp is from All Night Media/e-bay purchase.

The little pencils are the small ones they give you

to keep score with at Putt-Putt or golf courses.

I got a whole box at WM YEARS ago!

I really like the doilies that are popping up on just about everything!

So clean, retro and dainty!

I had a few flowers cut and rolled from the short time that the Cricut(S) did work...

so I used them to fill in on the itty bitty piece.

And of course...I cannot create without Pop-Dots!

Until next time, 

happy stamping and scrapping!
Blessings,