THE WEDNESDAY EVENING POST FOR MAY 25, 2011

Hey All!

I hope you all are doing fine.  I've sure missed you, and hope you can forgive my absence from your blogs this past couple of weeks.  THANK YOU SO MUCH for all the heartfelt comments you left for my and Jay.  You honestly don't realize just how much they meant or how much they were really appreciated.  Jay has been transferred to a rehabilitation hospital and will be there for the next 10 to 14 days.  He is doing much better, so those thoughts and prayers you were sending sure did help!

I have forced myself to take some time and make a few cards.  I need to make a bunch more, but I'm not going to beat myself up over it.  I'll get them made as pressing issues allow.  So here are three I've completed this week:

I wish I had the time to take a picture of the painting I saw in a store front that inspired this card. I can't get over how close I came to it.  I'll post the painting on the next post so you can see.  The square card is my favorite shape card.  I have more room to create.  I created the colored panels by masking each panel and sponging distress inks.  But before I did that, I stamped the swirly image with Versamark then embossed it with clear ep.  I then stamped the script writing in walnut stain distress ink and also embossed it with clear ep.  Then I did the masking and sponging and wiped the ink off of the clear embossed images.  I then stamped the "weed" image with the same walnut stain ink and embossed it again with clear ep.   Stamped the sentiment with the same ink and popped it up with foam tape.  Add the ribbon and bow to complete it.


SUPPLIES: Inks: Distress inks (walnut stain, tea dye, old paper).  Stamps:  Swirl (unknown), script writing-Stampendous; Weed-Stampabilities; Sentiment-Studio G.


Here is my second card:

I made this card with the inspiration of the new punch I purchased from EK Success.  It reminds me of a trellis and this is the card I had in my head.  The flowers were made using two different punches, and the leaves were a punch as well.  I cut very narrow strips of green paper to use as the "vines" and wove them through the trellis.  I just realized looking up at the picture and describing it, that the only stamping is the sentiment.  I used an embossing tool to draw the lines in for each leaf.

Last card:

I've been looking for a good Eiffel Tower stamp and finally found this one at Michaels.  It is by Inkadinkado.  I added the flag by cutting it from a piece of card stock.  I created the diamond background with my Score Pal scoring lines every quarter inch then flipping the paper and repeating the scoring the other way.  I wanted the card to have a simple look, so I didn't add a lot.    I created the sentiment on my computer.  The stamp actually has a banner across the tower that says "Paris", but I covered it up with the sentiment panel.  I kept it as a monochrome look.  I wanted it to look like a vintage postcard.

I also received the nicest surprise from my very sweet blogging buddy Linda of Scrapcat Cards.  Thank you so much Linda!  It is so awesome!  Instead of showing it, I thought I would let you see the wonderful You Tube video she made:

Well, there you have it.  I'll start tomorrow making my rounds of your blogs.  Thanks again for your patience.  It took me forever to write this because I kept having to take the boys and go for cover because the tornado sirens keep going off.

I hope you have all been safe from these horrible storms that we have been having all over the country.  I actually teared up watching the coverage of the tornadoes in Joplin and Kansas.  I can't imagine that kind of destruction and loss.  I don't know how those poor people get through it.  My heart breaks for them.

Again, thanks so much for your support.  You have been wonderful and I am so appreciative of all of you.


PIC OF THE WEEK:

BIG SNAPPING TURTLE

I took this a couple of weeks ago.  He didn't think I could see him!


Don't forget the new poll for this week!  I can't recap the last one because of the stupid blogger issues that we all experienced last week.


Hugs to all of you!


Curt O'Brien


"God, please help me be the person that my dogs think I am."

A BRIEF MESSAGE TO MY BLOGGING FRIENDS

Hey All. . .

I'm sorry that there will be no post this evening.  Jay was hospitalized last Saturday for some complications and still remains in the hospital as of tonight.  I just got home from visiting with him this evening.  He is doing much better, but he is going to require some physical therapy and will be transferred to a facility in the next couple of days.  Hopefully, the PT will only take 7 to 10 days and he can come home.  Between the trips to the hospital, consulting with doctors, taking care of "the boys", and just dealing with the stress of it all, I've just not had the time, desire or energy to craft.  I'm also very sorry that I have not gotten around to all of your blogs.  I hope you'll forgive that.


Thanks very much for your support.  It has, does, and always will mean so much to me.  Thanks for thinking about me.  It's comforting to know you are all out there pulling for us.


Hugs,


Curt