Sites of the week

It’s been awhile since I did a sketch challenge on SCS. I usually get my blog entry written the night before and have it post first thing in the morning. As you might have been able to tell, that isn’t how it’s been working for me for the past several days. Anywhooo…I got to do the sketch challenge today while Ellie was watching a movie {she’s got a little cold **again!!** and she is in quite a mood to go along with it!}. I am usually a slow stamper, but I had to move quickly to get this done and posted. I immediately knew that I wanted to use some of my Verve stamps. This uses the sets Serenity and Happy Thoughts. I like doing wedding cards in low key colors. Many might think that this would be more fitting for a sympathy card, but I like the elegance that grays and blacks have together. What do you think?

The patio is almost done. We have a few more steps to complete the process and the rain over the past couple of days has not helped. I hope that we will get to work on it this evening and throughout the rest of the week so that it is done by the end of the weekend. Tony’s grandparents are coming in town next week, so it would be nice to show them something other than a work in progress…aka a hole filled with dirt. My mom has another surgery scheduled for next week to completely remove a lymph node that is showing further cancer cells. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you!!!

If you didn’t see the thread in the MFT Member Company Forum on SCS, you’ll wanna keep reading this note from Kim {the MFT Lady}…

How about a little *promo* that offers a discount on all orders, including Intl orders! Enter the code MFTDay0308 and receive a discount of $4.60 on your order! This is like offering free shipping on US orders under $40, but the discount will work on all orders, and those US orders over $40 get both free shipping (as usual) AND the discount! This offer extends of course to our valued Intl customers and there is no restriction on what is purchased!
Here are the deets:
*During your oder process, use the coupon code MFTDay0308 and receive a $4.60 discount on your order total
*This coupon is only valid until midnight March 20th in honor of Celebrate MFT Day and National Craft month
*There are no product restrictions, but note that some items are currently out of stock and the coupon can’t be used on those items
*Orders will ship within 2-3 business days as usual! Most often more quickly, but sometimes the pesky family beckons…

Have you ever wanted to say “Thank You” with a little more than a card? Many times I find myself searching for “just a little something;” however, I don’t want that “little” something to take up all afternoon to make. I want to be able to make something in about the same amount of time it would take me to make a nice card. I found the perfect solution with my Cricut and the Verve Visual set, Thankful Blossoms.

This is the nut cup from the Tags, Bags and Boxes cartridge. I made it as large as possible, 5.5″ inches. To achieve the scalloped edges at the top, I cut a second nut cup with the Cricut and then cut the top portion off and scalloped the edges with my corner rounder punch. The main image/sentiment panel was stamped with the sentiment “Thanks For Your Kindness” and the small flower is colored with Copics and mounted on a dimensional glue dot. I attached the handle with a little bit of glue and brads. I don’t have any one particular to give this to at this time, but I imagine that when I do, I will fill it with some sort of candy or maybe some small bath items.

You can see more great projects using these stamps on the Verve Blog.

Have a happy St. Patrick’s Day! Are you doing anything special? Nothing exciting going on here, besides recalling the horror of green milk and noodles from preschool…ewww! I can’t believe I still remember that! LOL!

Happy Saturday! It’s time for another SKETCH FOR YOU TO TRY!

***I’m gonna do a goodie bag this week, too. So, everyone that participates and links to this post will be entered to win a little something from me. I will pick a random winner on Friday morning! I am looking forward to seeing all of your outstanding creations!***

You can see more samples on the blogs of Amy, Carole, Shannan and Susan.

I’m short winded again today because it’s back to work on the patio for us. We are about 95% done with all of the digging. That will get done today and we hope to lay all the paver sand, too. That way will be to the point of “just” laying the brick! YAY!

Here’s the sketch…

My sample… I could not get good lighting, so it’s not the best pic. I hope to switch this pic out for a better one later. {crossing fingers!}

Here’s a sample March’s Guest Designer, Joanne Basile…

{isn’t her card just darling!!??!!}

ETA…Stamps are from PaperTreyInk

1. You don’t want to be thinking about jellybeans all day
2. You don’t want to be singing a cheesy one hit wonder

So, now that I got that lil’ disclosure out of the way I can move on to the business end of this post. Well, it’s Friday. TGIF! All that means for me is that yesterday was Thursday and tomorrow is Saturday and that I have a lot of work in the yard to do today. Building the patio is proving to be a little bit more difficult than originally anticipated {thank for that, Dad!}. I don’t mind getting down and dirty, but Texas soil is a beast to work with. We have to dig down, just so we can build up…nice, huh? Here is a pic of the “progress.”

By the end of today, we would like to be much closer to actually laying the brick. Wish us luck!!

Being that it is Friday, I have a little something that is not a card, hence ABC (anything but a card} Friday, to show you. I decided to make one of the little treat holders that Beate did a tutorial on this week on SCS. It was super easy and you can do several using a fairly minimal amount of paper. There are a plethora of stamp companies that are used on this little thing. On the So Saffron base, I stamped the butterflies from the SU! Sprinkles set. The cute little bunny is from MFT and the eggs are from Verve Visual. How about that sentiment!?!? LOL!! I snagged this one up real quick at the stamp fest thingy that Susan and I went to in January. It is from Rubber Cottage. I am not entirely familiar with their line, but if you recall from the pics from that event, they also have a stamp that says “What The Hell Were You Thinking?” LOL!! I didn’t get that one, but I can think of a million and one uses for it, as I am sure you can, too!! Anyways, here is the {in my oh so humble opinion} cutie patootie treat holder. BTw- The Jelly Bellies are in a mini cello bag that is attached with red line tape.

Now for the part that my itty bitty disclosure refers to…
So, I was making this project last night and, of course, I had to have some JBs to snack on. I learned my lesson to not just grab any 2 and pop them in your mouth. Red and blue are not necessarily both berries!! In fact, I think I ended up eating cinnamon and blueberry together. Blech!!! Gag!! Gross!! So, that got me to thinking… {uh-oh} What would be the worst combination of flavors. Here are my top three {in no particular order}:
1. Popcorn and Grape {really, you could insert just about any thing after popcorn and it would work…or not work, I should say}
2. Coffee and Banana
3. Mint and Pina Colada…

…which brings me to part 2 of the disclosure. I got to thinking about the gross-ness of the Pina Colada combo and then the song, “If You Like Pina Coladas…” gets in my head. Needless to say, I have been humming it all night in my head. It’s still there and I am pretty sure that you are either humming it or just singing it out loud right this moment!…and if you are not, just wait…it will come!
So what do you think is the most nasty flavor combo? I only chose 2 at a time, but I imagine you could get real creative with this!

Finally…

And the winner of the goodie bag from me is…

VICKY GOULD!! You can see her creation HERE.

Yay for Vicky!! Vicky, email me your addy and I will have some goodies in the mail to you soon!! {email link is under my pic}