Mother's Little Helper

Panda-monium

Hello, hello!  How are my friendlies today? Are you happy it's Friday? Do you have big plans for Superbowl weekend? Me? No. I could not care less which team wins the Superbowl. Maybe I need to make a bet on it with someone, just to make it a little more interesting?  If I were to do so, which team should I root for?  On the one hand, I could root for Seattle because I love that city, and because my wonderful stamping-and-real-life-friend Karolyn Loncon is a Seahawks fan.  On the other hand, I could root for the Patriots because I'll be spending a lot of time in Boston over the next few years¹ and Tom Brady is very cute. Decisions, decisions! 

Enough football talk.  Let's get back to today: Friday!  Or, as those of us on the Your Next Stamp design team call it, "FUN FRIDAY!"² Every other Friday, half of the design team plays in the current YNS Sketch and Color Challenge.  Here's the sketch and/or color challenge:

 

This week, I opted to use the color challenge.  Here's what I came up with, using the new LOVE AND SMILES stamp set and YNS CIRCLES die set:

Here's a closeup of the cute little panda:

In keeping with the color challenge, he's colored in with dark gray Copic markers (from the cool gray family).

Pandas are some of my favorite stamp images, as Truman, my 18 year old, has loved pandas ever since he was a little, little boy.  In fact, one of the first cards I ever made for Truman was a Valentine that featured pandas, using a trio of panda stamps I purchased on eBay³.  Here's the card I made for him, almost 8 years ago to the day⁴:

I think that's a pretty awesome card, especially when you consider that I really only began stamping three or four months before making that. It kind of depresses me, in a way. I prefer to look back at my old stuff and think "Whew! That's terrible! I've come a long way, baby!" and then light up a Virginia Slims (even though I don't smoke).

This card makes me think, "Huh. That's pretty good. I don't think I've improved that much in eight years..."

Anyway, all this talk about pandas and Truman -- let me get to the point I wanted to make before I went off on various tangents: I was messaging on Facebook with a stamping/blogging friend⁵ of mine, Joan B.  When her son was a freshman in college, she embarked on what she called a "100 Card Challenge" to make and send 100 cards to her son before he graduated. Thinking about Truman going away for college, I told her I was considering embarking on her challenge and asked whether it was sustainable. She recommended I get started now and build up a stash for him. Her son loved getting the cards, but getting to 100 is harder than it sounds, especially with a full-time job, etc.

Fortunately, I have a TON of cards just sitting there, collecting dust. (Why, I don't know. I have no excuse!) But most of them, I doubt Truman would really like. Too frou-frou or girly or cutesy. Today's card, though, I know he would appreciate.  And now I'm going to consciously start making cards with him in mind. I always find that if I make cards with someone in mind, I end up liking them better than if I just make them for the sake of making them. So, in advance, consider this 1/100.  Thanks for the inspiration and great advice, Joan!

With this challenge in mind, I made my card (almost) as flat as can be, for mailing purposes:   One other card note: I used the current Sweet Sunday Sketch, #253.

Alright, alright!  This is by far the longest post I've written in a while.  I'll let you go!  Don't forget to visit the YNS Blog and see what fun creations my fellow YNS designers have created with YNS Sketch and Color Challenge #6.  Have a wonderful weekend, and I hope your team wins on Sunday!

 

Footnotes:

1.  Um, is this a convenient time for me to mention the fact that Truman will be attending HARVARD?!  Is that obnoxious of me?  I swear, I very rarely drop that factoid except for here on the blog-io. After all, I live on a college campus, and it seems inappropriate to talk about a different college under such circumstances. But still. I'm proud of him and excited -- you'll indulge me every once in a while, won't you?

2.  You can call today "Fun Friday," too, if you want.  YNS doesn't have a copyright on that term.

3. I also used a sentiment and heart image from the SU! set, Loving Hearts, and a lower case 't' from CTMH's Solo T set.

4.  I know this fun fact because I had to look it up in my Splitcoaststampers gallery.  I made it several months before this blog came into existence. It was waaay back in the day when you could upload a card to the SCS gallery and get lots & lots of views (1,322!) and lots & lots of comments (28!).  Makes me feel like breaking into the theme from "All in the Family."  Those were the daaaaaays!

4.  I've actually met Joan in real life, but it was so briefly (at a CHA several years ago; I believe I was helping out with a Make-N-Take at the Splitcoast booth, and she waved hello), that I can't really say she's an IRL friend.  But she's one of those cyber/crafty friends that I KNOW I would love to hang out with in real life as we seem to have so much in common.  We're both lawyers & stampers (a weirdo combination if there ever was one) and the mother of son(s), we've had complicated relationships with mothers who were "characters," etc.  If you don't yet read Joan's blog, I highly recommend you start.  She's a really good stamper, and an even better writer. She's wise and witty and just a cool chick.  ("Cool chick" is about the highest praise I have for someone.)

11 Years Ago Today...

... I was sliced open and a squirmy, slimey 3 lb. 14 oz. baby was removed from my abdomen. My husband and I were petrified; the baby wasn't due until Christmas Eve. But he was in a hurry and didn't want to wait. He's still a lot like that. Plus, knowing him the way I do now, I'm pretty sure he thought he might score a lot of candy by being born on Halloween Eve. That tiny little hatchling has become a stringy burst of energy with a tuft of spikey blonde hair, gorgeous blue eyes, and a heartwarming smile. He's smart, funny, and athletic. And best of all, he's kind. He's a wonderful big brother and always tells me he loves me when he leaves the house or hangs up the phone. He's the last to let go of a hug. He's my #1 son (though when I tell him that, I always add that I saved the best for last. : ) ) And he's one of the great loves of my life. Happy Birthday, Truman.

Truman's card was made using the colors from today's Color Challenge: Tempting Turquoise, So Saffron, and Real Red. He was colored in with Copic Sketch markers, and the "Champ" sentiment was heat embossed with white detail embossing powder.

Supplies used -- Stamps: Sporting and Short Order numbers by SU!, Dude by Close to My Heart, Love You To Pieces by Gina K. Designs, Borderline: Family Ties by Technique Tuesday; Paper: So Saffron, Tempting Turquoise, Real Red, Nena Crest Solar White; Ink: Real Red, Tempting Turquoise, VersaMark, Brilliance Archival Graphite Black; Accessories: Ribbon, eyelets, paper piercing tool and Mat Pack, Tonic paper distresser, Huggerz (I think that's what that red thing is called), white detail embossing powder, metal T from Joann's, 3-D Dots, oval punches.

Happy Birthday to ... ME!

At 10:06 p.m. EST, I will turn 38. So technically, I'm still 37 as I type this. And on the inside? I still feel like I'm thirteen, with big ol' glasses, braces, and a bad perm. Can you relate? : )

I woke up early to work on today's autumnal Color Challenge, which is to use River Rock, Really Rust, and Chocolate Chip. I pulled out these cute scarecrows by Close to My Heart, and looked through my stash of patterned paper; this Simply Seasonable stripe by EK Success/Inspirables fit the bill perfectly. I used the sketch that Bad Sherry Cheever featured for her and Jeanne S's weekly Just Because We Wanna Challenge. The card base is a 5.5" square.

Supplies: Stamps -- CTMH Scarecrow Party, leaves from Holiday Blitz by Stampin Up!, sentiment from Faux Ribbon by PaperTrey Ink; Paper -- Really Rust, River Rock, Very Vanilla, Chocolate Chip, dp by EK Success/Inspirables; Ink -- Chocolate Chip, Staz-On Opague White, River Rock re-inker; Accessories -- SU! Stampin Write markers, ribbon, paper piercing tool and SU! Mat Pack, oval punches, 3-D Dots

Other Happy News...
You could have knocked me over with a feather when I looked in my email in box this past Sunday and found an email from the one and only Nichole Heady, world famous paper artist and co-founder of PaperTrey Ink, one of the most innovative and stylish stamp manufacturers in the industry! I had submitted my Altered Jack pumpkin for consideration to PaperTrey's guest star stamper contest. While Jack didn't win the big prize, he did earn an Honorable Mention and was featured on Nichole's blog! Nichole said that there were over 450 entries this month, so being one of the Honorable Mentions isn't half bad.

I'm trying to submit more and more of my stuff to various places to see where it might lead. A very important lesson I've learned from writing is not to take rejection personally. That was a really bitter pill that took a long time to swallow, but now that it's finally digested, I'm cured of thinking my worth as a writer, stamper, etc., is contingent upon whether or not a particular agent, editor, design team or what have you accepts or rejects a particular project. As my good friend, writer Will Clarke once told me, "Who cares if they don't like your stuff? They're just not you're tribe." The challenge is not necessarily to change your style, but rather it's to find your tribe: where your style fits the look and feel -- the 'vibe' if you will -- that company or publisher is going for. That being said, I do think that one always needs to be in the process of refining one's craft, and for those like me who are looking for their tribe in the paper crafting industry, Lisa Strahl (Mona Lisa) has some excellent advice on her blog.

Anyway, the email and blog feature from Nichole was a nice little boost and very encouraging. Are you ready for me to quit blabbing and tell you how to make an altered pumpkin of your very own? Okay then!

* Supplies needed: decorative pumpkin (you can get these on the cheap at WalMart); ModPodge; foam paint brush; patterned paper, cut into various sizes of square and rectangles -- don't worry at all about measuring; brown Staz-On; ribbon; optional: stamps -- Spooky Sweets by PaperTrey Ink
* Ink the edges of your patterned paper with Staz-On
* Adhere the pieces of paper to the pumpkin with ModPodge, slightly overlapping each piece to make sure the pumpkin is completely covered. After you've initially stuck the paper to the pumpkin, spread a light coat of ModPodge on top of the paper to give it sheen and help it stick. Smooth the paper as you go to avoid bubbles and wrinkles.
*Let the pumpkin dry for several hours or overnight. Meanwhile, stamp the face of the pumpkin on a coordinating color of cardstock.
* Adhere face to pumpkin with ModPodge.
*Tie ribbon on the stem.

Now you have a cute little pumpkin that won't rot and can be enjoyed for years to come!

Nobody (Nobody! Oh-ho)

During naptime this afternoon, I made a card for today's Technique Lovers' Challenge on SCS, which is to use Prismacolor pencils and then blend the colors with Gamsol (also known as odorless mineral spirits). This is one of my favorite ways to color images, though it has taken a backseat lately to my beloved Copic Sketch markers. Anyway, I wanted to use an image that would demand a lot of coloring, and this one surely does. In fact, I've never used it before even though I've had it over a year because it seemed a little labor intensive. I don't know about you, but once school starts, I'm ready to kiss summer goodbye. Autumn is my favorite time of year -- I love the decorations, the holidays, the crisp snap to the air, the changing color of the leaves, apple cider, pumpkins, etc. So while it may seem a little early to the average person to be working on a Thanksgiving card, well, I do so in serious anticipation. I'm sure by the time November rolls around, I'll be making Valentines and thinking about chocolate...

I don't know if you can read the sentiment, but it says "Give Thanks" and is heat embossed with Ranger's Enchanted Gold embossing powder.

Supplies used: Cardstock -- Old Olive, Very Vanilla, More Mustard, dp by KI Memories; Stamps -- Give Thanks by Close To My Heart; Ink -- Palette Hybrid Noir Black, VersaMark; Accessories -- Prismacolor pencils, odorless mineral spirits, blending stumps, ribbon, photo stays, gold embossing powder, 3-D Dots.

So are you wondering where the title of this post is coming from? Do you remember that song from the early eighties, "Nobody" by Sylvia? It was a country song that crossed-over to the pop charts. Anyway, for some reason I started thinking of this funny story that Sean (my DH) told me a long time ago. He and one of his buddies (Stever) were judges at some sort of 4-H talent show. "Share the Fun" is what I think he said it was called. So this girl gets on stage and starts singing "Nobody" a cappella, and she doesn't just sing the lead vocal; she also sings her own back-up vocals. So when she sang "...does she think she's being clever?" she'd raise her voice a couple of octaves and then sing "Clev-ah! Oh-ho!" For some reason I thought of that today, and since then, I haven't been able to get that annoying tune out of my head.