Saturday, June 29, 2013

(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,

Sunday, June 9, 2013

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
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,

Friday, June 7, 2013

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...


Saturday, June 1, 2013

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,