Sweet Scent

OK so there's a story to this one.

Last month I bought a car. It's a blue 2004 VW Golf and I LOVE it!! We still have the van (you have to, really, with three kids!) but this is MY car. I commute to work every day (almost an hour each way) and I do a lot of driving for my job, and the van is not very good on gas. So I got a sweet lil' VW to zoom around in. However, it's a used car. It's in fantastic shape and has very low mileage, but I have discovered that when it rains, it smells like wet dog... I am guessing that the previous owner was also a dog owner.

So I decided to put my creative fingers and mind to work and made an air freshener. I pulled out my Beautiful Butterflies Big Shot die, some cardboard and some Parisian Breeze designer paper (retired). I die-cut two layers of cardboard and stuck them together with two-way glue (to make it stiffer - it's a technique also known as faux chipboard) and then cut a third layer out of the DP to make it pretty. I intend to put some essential oil on the back (so as to not ruin the DP) and hang it in my car.

When I was finished, I thought the butterfly was so pretty, I needed to make another one and make a card out of it, and this is it:

Isn't that butterfly adorable? One of my kids at work is turning 18 on the 21st, so I think I will send it to her.

Oh, and BIG BIG day today!! I am auditioning again, this time for Sweeney Todd! I had such a fantastic time last year, I couldn't not do it again. I have no idea whether I stand a chance in heck, but I can tell you that I nailed my song as I practiced in my basement last night ;o) (I am doing Send in the Clowns, which is also a Sondheim song - Sweeney Todd is a Sondheim musical).

So wish me luck!

And Happy Stampin'!

A-M

And thus I CASE again

Can't get enough of this lady. This card isn't so much a CASE of this card by Cindy Beach, as it is just inspired from it. I loved the simple Eiffel tower (I embossed mine with black embossing powder), and the red and black together. This is also a card for the Diva Coffee Break Designs' weekly challenge, which this week is a sketch challenge. I used some of last year's Halloween-theme DP (it was called Ghostly Greetings), and a Riding Hood Red button (also retired). Oh and because I know some of you will wonder (LOL) I did not use the "merci" stamp that comes with this set because I did not find it bold enough to hold its own with the rest of the card (it also did not stand out well at all on the textured c/s, especially when trying to read it sideways like that). So I went with a greeting from Trendy Trees instead :o)

And here is my tale of woe for today: as fate would have it, I came home today to my SU! order, including six (yes SIX!!) new stamp sets, the fun treat cups (CHECK THEM OUT!!!), two punches (including the new ornament punch!) and some platinum shimmer paint - all from the new Holiday Mini-catalog. Let it be said that I have NEVER received an order so quickly!!! (I placed the order on Saturday!) However this weekend we are going camping at a local folk festival, so tonight I need to finish packing and making snacks and stuff - NO TIME TO STAMP!! Nor will I be able to do so until Sunday night at the earliest!! WAAAH!! All those great new goodies waiting for me at home... *sigh* Ah well, I can design in my head all weekend (am I the only one who does that?...)

Happy Stampin'! And don't forget to contact me if you want to order any of the fabulous goodies from the new Holiday Mini Catalog!

A-M

I'm in love!

I discovered the blog of a fellow stamper tonight and I L-O-V-E her style!! Her splitcoast nickname is Cindybstamping and her RL name is Cindy Beach. Her cards are fresh and bold and clean and TOTALLY up my alley! I had already decided I would CASE this little number and then lo and behold, today's SCS Colour Challenge is EXACTLY the colours that she used in her card, so I'm sure that was a sign! LOL!

My card is pretty much identical to hers, except for a couple of minor adjustments... I did not have the lovely DP that she used for her patterned Curry layer, so I broke out the cuttlebug and the textiles folder, inked the folder with Crushed Curry ink, and embossed some WW paper. I also do not own the "Lots of Tags" sizzlet die, so I used my wide oval punch for the butterfly. I love how bold yet simple this card is! And I love these colours together. Dangit, now I think I will have to buy the Crushed Curry inkpad and some c/s...

Here is a close-up of the butterfly panel:

Happy Stampin'!

A-M