Sweating with Dignity

I'm trying to think positive thoughts about this heat, so my positive thought for today is that I'm grateful that all the rooms in our house have ceiling fans. My other positive thought is that I'm starting to learn how to (as one of my sidelines put it) "sweat with dignity." She is from Houston originally and finds the weather around here to be a definite step up from that soggy mess! I've also given up on wearing shirts with sleeves; I made a pact with myself to try to get away from sleeveless shirts/dresses because a) my upper arms aren't so pretty (esp. when pregnant) and b) because I do try to dress modestly. But this summer has cracked that one right out of me! So I'm sweating with dignity in tank tops and spaghetti strap dresses. I can get back to my ideals when it is cooler and I'm not 8 months pregnant. :)


I was so energized to work today--I made a ton of cards. (My craft area is a total disaster at the moment, which has to be evidence of creative genius, right???) I recently rediscovered Nancy Leedy's blog, and was seriously inspired by her work. I CASEd a bunch of her cards, and then found I had generated enough creative energy to try an original sketch! I pulled out this week's Mojo Monday sketch, some dsp scraps, and had a go. I'm loving these 3D flowers! They are so easy to make and look so cool on a card. (I'm still trying to work out how to mail it, but maybe it will have to be one of those special delivery-type cards...) I had enough dsp scraps to make five of them! The top card is my Mojo Monday entry, and the card below is one I CASEd from Nancy that gave me the flower inspiration.

Some of the distressing and details didn't come through on the photo, but I inked all the scallop circles for the flowers with the Vintage Vogue jumbo wheel in Early Espresso before I spritzed them with water and scrunched them to make the flower. Gave it extra dimension (Nancy used a color spritzer on hers, which works just as well) and I like the extra texture it adds. I also sponged the leaves on the edges with Crumb Cake, as well as around the oval at the top. Looking at it now, I should have punched one more hole in the scallop border, but oh well. Sometimes it is hard to know where to stop on those borders...

Mojo Monday Card Supplies:

Marina Mist, Chocolate Chip, Old Olive, Whisper White cs, Paisley Prints dsp
Occasional Quotes (hostess level three set, retired)
Old Olive ink
mini brads
2 3/8 scallop circle punch, water mister bottle, 1/16th handheld punch
Bird punch
dimensionals
Chocolate chip satin ribbon (retired), Marina Mist 3/8" satin ribbon

CASEd Vintage Card Supplies:

Crumb Cake, Night of Navy, Marina Mist, Very Vanilla cs
Because I Care (hostess level one, retired), Charming stamp sets, En Francais background stamp, Vintage Vogue jumbo wheel
Crumb Cake, Night of Navy, Early Espresso inks
Victoria crochet trim
Pearls
Scallop edge punch
pewter brad
Victorian wallpaper emboss folder
Extra large oval, small scallop circle, bird punch, decorative label punch, handheld punch
sponge wedge