Tall Dark Handsome and British...

This post is completely frivolous, so if you come here for serious stuff, better skip this one. If you're all in, read on!

I'm happy to report that I'm starting to feel better for the first time in almost a week. I guess that 12 hours of sleep last night did some good. I'm still a bit wobbly and woozy (I took a short walk this morning that did me in!) but I can feel my energy returning, and I'm grateful. I even got some work done this afternoon (including the sympathy card I mentioned in the earlier post from today) instead of swooning over Richard Armitage in Sparkhouse all afternoon in a sickness-induced stupor. (ha!)

I became acquainted with his work in the BBC series Robin Hood, and loved him in it, and have spent some time scrounging up all the other things he has been in, which is difficult given many have British-only releases! I was so glad when he was cast in series seven of Spooks, which I love. I admit it, I'm a sucker for British television series. And tall dark handsome British blokes. :) Oh, and if you are tempted to try out Spooks (also known as MI:5), start with series one, which stars Matthew MacFadyen of Pride and Prejudice fame. The later series have Rupert Penry-Jones (also lovely) and a wonderful cast of supporting actors and actresses. You can stream it on Netflix.

So, on to the card stuff. I haven't participated in a blog challenge in ages, and when I noticed Mary Jo's challenge this week was to use Nature's Walk, and realized I had several cards in the hopper that used that fabulous set, I had to post them right away! I also realized while in the process of trying to find and edit said cards, I didn't photograph a few of the cards I've made with this set. In my own defense, one of them was a swap that I was literally finishing as I ran out the door and I didn't have any left when I got home! I'll try to recreate it as a full card sometime soon and share it with you.


The first card is CASEd from a splitcoast stamper, and I can't find the original card on splitcoast to provide a link, so if this looks like your card, please leave a comment with a link to your card so I can give proper credit! I've been through the Nature Walk gallery twice looking for it and just can't find it now! I made it as one of my swaps for Spring Fling. Sadly, it didn't win any of the swap contest awards. (sniff, sniff) I really like this card, though. I did have to simplify the ribbon treatment, however, since I had to make 12 of these! The sponging and coloring was quite enough, thank you. :)



The second card is adapted from a swap I received from Sue Astheimer, another Philly Inker, a few months ago. The original idea came from a Stampin' Success article last fall. First, ink up your clear block with Crumb Cake or something light, and stamp it directly on your cardstock to create a background, then stamp over it with another stamp. I rather like the effect! I think Sue's card used masking and sponging instead of the clear block stamping, but I thought that would make for a nice adaptation of her design. I made 10 of these for a silent auction that I was asked to donate to.

In Sympathy

One of our friends from Iowa just lost her dad to cancer. I have followed my friend's journey on her blog, and ached for her as she watched her father die by inches. At the end, it was peaceful and fast, and he is now at rest, but my friend and her family are now grieving the huge void in their lives. It is times like these that I dislike being so far away from friends and family, for I wish we could be there to support them.


This sympathy card was part of a pack of cards I gave to my husband's grandmother as a Christmas gift. I used a design from Jen Sannes--I loved the oval and the basic layout with the pops of Marina Mist against the green. While this is not the card I am going to send my friend, it is on my to-do list for this week to make her a nice sympathy card. I'm a bit under the weather with some kind of respiratory bug, but I need to do this for my friend. Please keep the Johnson family in your prayers.

Supplies:
Old Olive cs/dp, Whisper white cs
Thoughts and Prayers stamp set
Old Olive, Marina Mist markers
Marina mist taffeta ribbon
pearls
ovals die

One down...

Today, my husband argued his first case before the Supreme Court, Turner v. Rogers. He asked me to be there, so my mother-in-law and I took a very early train to Washington DC this morning and went to the Supreme Court to sit in on the session. After hearing so much about the case after all these months, it was fun to watch both sides argue their case, and to see the whole process up close. (Plus, since my husband clerked for Justice Kennedy many years ago, I knew a bit of behind-the-scenes stuff about the Court and some of the Justices). I will say, in my totally unbiased opinion, that my husband did better than lawyer for the Turner side. But that is just me. Now they have to wait a few months to see what the Justices actually decide as a verdict in the case. And my husband can focus his attention on the next case he is due to argue in less than a month. Suffice to say that it has been a busy few months in our household, with my husband working 70 hours a week since the beginning of January. But the end is in sight! I was very proud of him today. I wanted to point and say to the room, "That one, he's mine!" Ha!

The Justices (I couldn't find a current photo that included newly-appointed Justice Kagan)

Our return train was VERY late (we were stopping every 15 minutes or so for some sort of engine trouble) and limped back into Philadelphia two hours late, which wasn't ideal, but at least we made it home! I deemed it a good night for (Middle Eastern) take out to celebrate the day, and my husband and I went out to a local coffee shop after dinner for a nice celebratory (vegan) dessert.


Today's card is another one I made for my display board on Saturday using another of Michelle Zindorf's tutorials. (She's the real talent in the room, I just pretend...) She made her original card with non-SU! stamps and a few retired colors, so I modified the card to use the palm tree from Plant Hope and current blues. I like the line of palm trees in the different blues--I think it quite striking. I wish I had a little bird stamp like her original card used; it would have made a nice accent in the foreground. So many stamps, so little money! le sigh. :) I also substituted rhinestones for the brads because quite frankly, I'm slightly lazy when it comes to putting in brads. So now you know one of my dirty stamping secrets!

Supplies:

Baja Breeze, Marina Mist, Not Quite Navy, Basic Black inks
Plant Hope stamp set
sponges
Whisper White, Marina Mist, Not Quite Navy cardstock
white gel pen, basic black marker
rhinestones

Demonstrating for Renoir

Today was our big Philly Inker Spring Fling--what a blast! We spent the day socializing, eating, hearing a great two-part presentation from Stampin' Up! employee and demonstrator, Maxine Conrad, and, of course, stamping! I demonstrated some brayer and direct to paper projects at the beginning of the day, which was a lot of fun. But, as I said to several people throughout the day, since Michelle Zindorf was actually there, it was a little like demonstrating Impressionism with Renoir looking over your shoulder. Ha!


I had a lot of favorites from the day, and I'll show you more of what I did for my demonstration in the coming days/weeks, depending on how often I'm able to get a post together, but will leave you with one of the cards I made for the display board. I used Michelle's excellent tutorial, but changed it from a direct to paper card to a sponged card, which I think is just as striking. This card is also a good "think outside the box" kind of card, because the cowboy stamp is actually a line-image that is meant to be watercolored. Michelle had the idea to turn him into a silhouette stamp and I think it worked great! I am going to have lots of fun with this little guy now. :)

Supplies:

Ink: Not Quite Navy, Marina Mist, Rich Razzleberry, Early Espresso, Melon Mambo, Daffodil Delight, More Mustard, Pumpkin Pie, Basic Black ink and marker
Stamps: Out West
Paper: More Mustard (grunged up with Early Espresso); Basic Black, Whisper White
Accessories: small star punch (retired); hemp twine (recycled from some packaging), antique brass brads, dimensionals, paper piercer, sponges

So it Begins...

Today is Forgiveness Sunday, the last day before the start of Great Lent. This is the last day to eat dairy until Pascha (Easter) on April 24, the day to put one's house in order before the trials of the Fast. We participate in a service called Forgiveness Vespers, where we ask one another's forgiveness not only for past wrongs, to start the work of the soul with a fresh start. In our family, we ask forgiveness of one another every evening as part of our evening prayers.




I always find it is a day to take a breath and wait with anticipation for the weeks ahead. Lent is a struggle, to be sure, but it is one I anticipate and look forward to every year. There is something about the excesses of the winter holiday season that makes one long for the privations and soul- searching of Lent. It is a quiet time of year for us, with many extra services, penitential melodies and texts, prostrations, and the realization that one must cling to the grace of God to get through this life. It is a time to work out one's salvation with fear and trembling always keeping the coming joy of the Resurrection in the background.



I wish you all a blessed Lent and beg your forgiveness for all wherein I have offended in thought, word, deed, and in all my feelings.

(Today's card is CASEd from my fellow Philly Inker, Kristin Kortonick, who in turn modified a card from Ilina Crouse. I loved it so much I had to make it right away. Thanks for all the inspiration, ladies!)

Supplies:
Baja Breeze, Very Vanilla, Crumb Cake, Springtime Vintage dp
Easter Blossoms stamp set
Vanilla rosettes (colored with a marker)
Pretty in Pink, Marina Mist, Early Espresso markers, Crumb Cake, Pear Pizazz ink pads
Pear Pizazz seam binding ribbon
sticky strip
glue dot
large and scallop oval punches
dimensionals