More Washi and a Punch

Today's card combines some of my new washi tape and an old punch.

I noticed several cards in old magazines (and maybe a new one, but I don't remember) that used die cut labels hanging off the card like this, and I wanted to give it a try. Since I don't have a die cut machines, I checked out my punches. The curviest label punch is pretty small, so that allowed me to leave lots of white space. Yay!

Speaking of magazines, I cancelled my subscription for Paper Crafts magazine today. The devastating news that they were no longer printing the magazine made me sad, and after I spent about 45 minutes trying to access the new online issue without success (and sent an email to customer service without response), I gave up.

My hope is that the rest of you have had more success than I had. I have enjoyed that magazine for such a long time, and now, it's gone, except for special issues. Change stinks.

On the other hand, two more cards came in for Jonah today, and that made me very happy!!!

Supplies
stamps: Papertrey Mega Mixed Messages
ink: Memento
paper: Papertrey Ink white
accessories: washi tape, EK Success label punch, rhinestone, dimensionals

A Hello That Works, and Jonah

Today's card says howdy in patriotic colors, so I'm sending it to Operation Write Home. It's always fun to use a large sentiment so very simply and still have it be punchy with color and a bit of heart-shaped bling!

The use of red horizontally on the bottom right and diagonally on the top left creates a nice balance, doesn't it? I did that on purpose. And it worked!

I'm always surprised when it does work, you know. Because sometimes, it doesn't.

Several people have asked about Jonah. He's doing okay as of last report, and has switched from weekly chemo to once every three weeks. He still has considerable belly pain at times, and they're working on getting his meds straightened out to help with that, as well as play therapy to help with the inevitable emotional issues from dealing with so much at such a young and vulnerable age. I cannot even imagine what he's going through...or his family.

I will continue to deliver cards to Jonah and his family as long as you send them. It's no trouble for me at all, and he's such a sweetie I'm happy to do whatever I can to help cheer him and his family through this difficult time. It might be fun for him to receive some Valentine's Day cards....

Just a thought!

Supplies
stamps: Papertrey Ink
ink: VersaColor
paper: Papertrey Ink white
accessories: heart rhinestones

Pretty Flourish-y Birthday for OLS1

Here's another card with a flourish, but this one doesn't look flatulent at all. *wink*

That fabulous big sentiment is from Think Big Favorites #12, one of Papertrey's $5 sets. Love it! The flourish is from Clearly Besotted's With a Flourish. Love it, too! The soft pool ink from Hero Arts looks so pretty under the very solid black sentiment stamped with VersaColor black ink.

The bling matches better in real life, and I like how it sort of anchors the flourish on the left and lets it flow to the right...just as you read.

I'm going to enter this in the One-Layer Simplicity #1 Challenge! If you haven't had a chance to play along yet, click over and check out the details. For those who missed the announcement, the One-Layer Wednesday Challenge has now been replaced with One-Layer Simplicity...a monthly challenge where you can enter cards from the 1st through the 24th of the month.

I'm so excited to see 66 entries already for our first challenge! Can't wait to spend some time catching up on all the entries and commenting on those I haven't gotten to yet. So much beauty over there!!!

Have a wonderful, inky weekend, everyone.

Supplies
stamps: Papertrey Ink Think Big Favorites #12, Clearly Besotted With a Flourish
ink: Hero Arts, VersaColor
paper: Papertrey Ink white
accessories: rhinestones

Sentiment Collage...the CAS Way (ETA)

I like words.

You probably suspected that little personal factoid, given how many words I've shared on my four blogs...because one blog just isn't enough.

Anyway, I played around with various Thinking of You sentiments, most of them from the Thinking of You limited edition set from Clear and Simple Stamps. If you take time to read the words, you'll see "today" and "always" included for a little added effect.

ETA: Inspired by Hazel

And bling. Because it's always a good thing. Especially when it moves your eye around a card.

These types of collages are great when your stamp collection has grown big enough that you have so many sentiments you don't know what to do with them all.

Which doesn't at all explain why I still have times when I don't have the perfect sentiment...but that's such a first-world problem, don't you think? I'm not complaining. Just commenting.

I like the calm peacefulness of this word collage. The sentiments are all fairly smallish, and they balance out nicely. You can also play with combining a larger range of sizes in your word collage, turn words sideways, mix things up more. Don't be afraid to make mistakes (you will)...just play around until it comes out right.

And yes, this is my second attempt at a Thinking of You word collage. The first fell completely flat (so to speak) when I stamped a huge sentiment that unbalanced the whole card. I recommend you start with the largest word or sentiment first, and then fill in around it.

Thanks for sharing your wishes and favorites with me and the world in the last post's comments. Must check out a few new companies!


Supplies
stamps: various, mostly Clear and Simple Stamps
ink: VersaColor and VersaMagic
paper: Papertrey Ink white
accessories: gridded acrylic block, rhinestones

New Stuff and Some Questions

I'm excited to share a picture of some of my Christmas bounty! Here's my first order of new stamps in the new year...

It's quite a diverse selection of goodness, including Ruby Reprise, apparently a freebee offered by Papertrey in December that I wasn't expecting. It's an adorable set.

I also have an order coming from Waltzingmouse that appears to have been taken hostage by the USPS or perhaps customs. Not sure which.

It's been a long and trying week, so instead of talking about stamping, I'd like to ask you a couple of questions.

What happy stampy goodness did you receive this holiday season?

What happy stampy goodness do you want in the new year?

Because I still have money burning a hole in my pocket and am waffling in indecision over what to order next.

On Butterfly Farts and Snow Days

Before I tackle the subjects of the title of tonight's post, allow me to thank all of you who have sent cards and packages to Jonah! To date, 94 people have sent items, and I will be delivering 17 pieces of mail tomorrow. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!

And now for butterfly farts.

The stamper's dilemma is showing movement on a two-dimensional surface. How do you indicate that a creature, let's say a butterfly, is flitting about? One way is to have a trail of dots or a flourish coming out of its butt to show where it has been.

But this looks for all the world like a butterfly fart.

Perhaps it's simply better for the butterfly to sit on a branch or something. I'm really not sure I can send these cards to anyone except as a joke. As one of my husband's flight instructors said, "It was a good idea that shouldn't have seen the light of day."

And now for snow days.

Our children had yesterday and today off school for dangerously low temperatures. Our icy roads were bad enough (especially yesterday), but having children wait outside for a bus in the dark at -8 degrees F with a wind chill of -30 and wind gusts to 35 miles per hour is, well, not entirely safe. Tomorrow morning's forecast is 7 degrees above zero, so we fully expected them to be back at school.

Turns out frigid temperatures caused pipes in the sprinkler systems in two of our district buildings to burst. Damage in the high school appears to be minimal, but Jack's elementary school, which is attended by about 1,200 students, had more extensive damage and will be closed tomorrow.

This means Nick, who attends the junior high, will have school, but Jack will have yet another day off.

I give you one guess as to Nick's feelings on this subject.

Alas, life is not fair.

But what a blessing that we can all laugh about butterfly farts.

Supplies
stamps: Papertrey Ink Beautiful Butterflies, Clearly Besotted With a Flourish
ink: Memento
paper: Papertrey Ink white
accessories: Corner Chomper

Winter Thank You

We're freezing here in Ohio. The low tonight is supposed to be -8. It's -6 right now.

Brrrr.

And here's a question for you. Why does it feel colder in my house when the thermostat setting hasn't changed? My hubs keeps it at 64 degrees Fahrenheit all winter long, but right now my feet are much more frozen than usual and I want a hot beverage STAT.

All my Canadian friends are laughing at me right now, just like I laughed at my North Carolinian cousin who called to complain that their wind chill will be zero tonight.

Wimp.

Anyway, here's a card that can give you a chill in a good way.

Stay warm, my friends. Stay warm.

Supplies
stamps: Papertrey Ink Snowflake Serenade, Clear and Simple Stamps Thank You limited edition set
ink: Memento
paper: Papertrey Ink white
accessories: blue Stickles