Worldy Sphere

Nearly every day I am reminded that the world is getting smaller. I think this is because of the amount of information we have available to us either thru newspapers (a dying entity), the news on TV (how partisan can it get?), and of course, the Internet and all it entails. I love the Internet because I can dig a little or a lot to get more information than maybe I even really want. Sometimes I get a big knot in my stomach from all that is available to me but I welcome having the choices. Some people don't have those choices.

"Meeting" all my blogging pals and "visiting" with them on a regular basis has been such a wonderful addition to my life. As I sit here frozen to death (okay, I exaggerate a bit but I am cold! And I am in my jammies at 3PM) I scroll thru my Reader and smile or cry. Some of you are already in a new year-I saw your celebrations on CNN or Bloomberg. We have 9 hours to go until 2009 here in Michigan and it commences another year to make it right or screw up even worse-take your pick and run with it. Just do it with gusto!

This card is kinda ugly-maybe Allison will start a new Uggos file for 2009. But this stamp struck me as looking like a globe or earth orb especially after I applied the glitter glue. (BTW-don't buy that cheapo glitter glue from Joann's for a buck-it's yucky and warps the card stock-stick to Stickles). The more I look at this stamped image, the more I see an earth planet in distress. The white glittered areas are the storms-don't they look like hurricanes or typhoons? I have NOT been drinking, I promise. Below is a little closer look.

This is a weird combination for colors but it's earthy. I do wish I had put Happy Solstice on it instead. Ya see, I am counting the days and the minutes as the time for spring gets closer (even if January seems like the longest time on earth). A minute here and there and soon it adds up to noticeably more daylight each day.

Well, the gym is closed today and I really need to go buy some rutabaga (end of year tradition from my Scot background). Then off to a late night movie as a Michigan tradition. Assuming there isn't crap at 9 bucks a ticket. Yeah, right-we will pick the least crappy of the crap as usual. No downer movies allowed. So have a safe transition to the new year. And a special good vibe is being sent to a reunited family in Calgary and a healthy 2009 for baby.

Free Bird??

Hey peeps! Long time no post. Did ya miss me??

Well a lot of stuff has been going on, not the least (but the most friggin' annoying) is that hubby retired. I was already diving into my normal fall/winter black hole when this came up. I had no say and still feel like a bystander thru the whole process. I have given some serious thought to just becoming a bird and off I go. Maybe like this blue bird? Time will tell-but I have to depend on the economy coming back a bit, too. All my personal savings are in the stock market.

Last week was the first time I bought something just for the heck of it in several months (yup, I tend to be paranoid when I don't know what is happening sometimes). I had two full punch cards to Pages In Time in Lansing and thought I might find something "new" since I had last been there in July. Let's just be nice and let me say,"if you have a punch card for this store",use it now! I have a vibe about scrap stores and I have it about this one with big spidey tingles. I used my two cards and a bit more pocket change, but I don't see myself going back unless I know something is coming into the store in new product.

This card is made with Lasting Impressions card stock run thru an embossing folder. The color is a bit off because it never sun shines anymore so I was using the light off my computer monitor. I am too lazy to go get the lights and backdrop out. And I wanted to see what the new computer would look like as a backdrop. Isn't that wonderful-a new computer? It wasn't a planned purchase by a long byte but the Dell up and died (sucky Dell) . There was a weekend special at Costco, so here I sit with Vista (hate it) but got a lovely wide screen monitor I wasn't planning on as part of the package. All my favorite websites look strangely......wide.

Just so you could see a little more of the detail on this, I tried to get a closeup. But not so great, is it? Why is that, I ask myself??? Because every time I save up to buy a macro lens, somebody needs something. When I had the money this past spring, hub wanted a table saw. It sits in the garage. So I saved up again. Hub needed a laptop (they retained the one from work, along with his cell phone and his car). You read that right, we had to buy him all three. And the bills associated with them, we now have-so how is it HE thinks we can live cheaper with him NOT working? This from a math whiz.

The stamp is from ...brain fart here...I got it at Joann's and Hobby Lobby has it, too. Altho with Christmas over, it might be out of stock. I will have more from this set in the next few days or so. Maybe I will remember it by then.

So I am one year older, not at all wiser and a new cyber Auntie. Welcome Avery ! See ya in a few.

Memory Lane Bay City-Closing

Another one bites it. This store was just purchased this past spring from the original owners. Last month was a blip that the store would no longer have loyalty points. Then an email came saying the store would be great for 3-4 women to purchase together. Never good news-but one BIG problem was no parking. It was slant parking on the main street downtown Bay City and I always had to drive around as Bay City has a decent downtown area with lots of shops.

I will be very surprised should it be sold and re-open. Here is the website.

Store Hours
Sunday-Monday~Tuesday - Closed
Wednesday - Saturday 10:00 AM - 5:30 PM

989-894-7973

The store is currently at 4o-60% off.

Sadly, this was one of my favs, pre-new owners. Lots of unusual items. Then I saw the drift. And the wider aisles with less and less product. I fear that Scrapbook Peddler in Saginaw is not far behind. They are doing the same re-arranging I see whenever a store is slowing to a crawl. There is also a rubber stamp store across the street (formally Rubber Wonderland now Di's Ink-which has no website, so is it still open?).

I believe the scrap/stamp hobby is just as big as it was but has radically changed. And the economy of course, is forcing us to decide how to shop. I always try to find local, but if I really need something and can't find it or the owners can't or won't order for me, I do shop the Internet. Especially for stamps. But I always give first crack at my local stores. There just aren't any close by anymore-even with gas cheap again, I still have to drive an hour.

I will update this if I hear anything else about the store.

Iowa Visits Frankenmuth

See, I didn't forget about you. I know it's been a month and not a whole lot has changed. Sofa slug is still slugging. Still retired. Still on my last nerve. Still with no pension checks-we are now due two. We are down to $16 bucks in my wallet and whatever he has stashed in his (probably lint). Holy crap, I forgot about the pop cans I have been toting around for weeks-that will give up maybe $3.20-enough to drive me to the funny farm!

I made a promise to myself not to touch our "oh my god!" fund. So unless something happens between now and the 2oth, I will have to stab myself and then hub can do whatever he wants. I paid all our bills up to date until Dec. 20th. That is when the credit card we are living on is due. I never pay just a bit-I always paid in full. So Santa, if you have an IN with those people at Fidelity, kick their butts into gear, will ya? And send a piece of coal to Slug Boy, who messed up first.

So look who showed up for Thanksgiving Dinner-Grizzly Adams and this woman he hypnotized and who was crazed enough, she married him. Yup, this is my baby boy. The last time I saw him, he was clean shaven and getting wedded. We were supposed to meet up last year for a weekend in Chicago, but that just didn't happen. So this year, the weather was decent and since the men folk ain't working much right now, Grizzly decided to come to see the "Old Country". Sadly, we never made the midnight trip to downtown Flint for a coney at Angelo's . Probably for the best, as the bullets were flying.

On Friday, as we tried to round everyone up for a trip to "Little Bavaria" (and only 4 of us made it), we hit up Mega Coney and then gassed up the new blue 5 seater, only to have the dippy woman next to us smack the crap out of the left front fender with her car door and not say a word. We sat there frozen. How rude. She looked right in our face, too. And sat behind us at the diner.

Frankenmuth , for the unsuspecting, is gorgeous this time of year. It was the annual candle walk and not too cold. We slubbed thru Bronner's . I never want to hear a call for photo ops with Santa again-I don't care if they are free.

Then we had to find a potty-and shop-and potty-and shop-and play checkers. When we had trolled up and down the street and found the lines had died down, we decided to eat. The Bavarian Inn had a Vegan/Vegetarian menu! Smack me with some lederhosen (preferably worn by Johnny Depp!-or maybe still wearing with nothing else.) So several hours later, we waddled out of the Inn and I took the above photo by a sleigh. We had enough leftovers for another meal-but we bought no fudge. How did that happen?

My 'puter may be on its last breath-acting up and I think the cd-rom drive burned out today because it would not shut off (there was no disc in it either).I will have to wait until the checks come or the stimulus comes from the "man". So it might be a while-should this piece of crap Dell not boot tomorrow. But I have my stuffs backed up. See ya later.

Uggos for Allison-AFSS43

Allison is having a "slam yourself" contest of sorts this week. To play the game, you have to post one or more of the ugliest cards you have ever made. Now I personally have a box full of them and don't usually photograph them either. I am just saving the uggos ones to use a parts of new uggos-an odd way to recycle, I guess but sometimes it works.

Or I give them to unsuspecting children (Hi Kayla!)

Anyways, these four actually made it to my blog sometime in the past two years. So here ya go, Allison. I am sending ya a barf bag by cyberspace if you need it. Like a pregnant woman needs an excuse to upchuck?

Just using the bits and pieces in a bin of paper. Could have been good.Could have.But wasn't.

My heart was in the right place-this was for Toby. He is now 4!

Using alcohol inks for the first time-it needs glitter or some gilding (which wasn't available at the time)

My first experience with Staz-On Ink. The stuff still makes me swoony and head achy. This is probably the worst ever. It was a demo we did at my first stamp convention.

Now I go back to trying to find the bottom of my desk and decide if I am game enough to get up Thanksgiving morning to do a Turkey Trot.

The Life of Blog Candy

I didn't want to say anything. It's not like me to publicly complain to strangers and have it go all over the blogiverse. I usually just crab to a select few until they physically or cyberly slap me. But I need to say this before I explode.

Earlier this year I took dozens of names in an attempt to send out fun filled packages of goodies. I had previously held a random selection of a name or names based on some silly question, trying to make things fun. I also at that time would post a photo. The new way was no photo, no random draw. I just took them in the order I got them and sent a few a week.

This was not cheap. Along with the items, which were new or leftovers from my stash, the postage ran anywhere from 6 to 12 bucks, depending on which country it went to. I made smaller envelopes for the most expensive destination because, honestly, I was running short of cash but wanted to make sure all who signed up got at least a small package.

I asked for an email confirmation that the giftees got them, and many of you did, so thank you so much. But a lot didn't either. I could not afford the extra for delivery confirmation unless I printed it at home for free, but I never could get the software from the post office to work right.

So where am I going with this??? On Wednesday, I got a slip in my mail box saying I had a package from a Scholl with postage due. Since only two possible people in my family might have sent something, I contacted them both and neither had sent anything to me. So I made the trek to see what was up, all the time starting to suspect that one of the packages I sent out 6 months ago came back from overseas. But it wasn't from another country gone awry. It was one I had sent to Missouri--I won't name names--who then moved to Tennessee--and said they would accept all forwarded items. Which was false. All these months later, the large stuffed envelope made its way back to me-with postage due.

I refused it. I don't want a gift back that I had sent to someone else to enjoy. Was the envelope worth what I had paid for inside and the postage worth it? To the other end, sure. But coming back to me-no. I might have broke even. But I didn't want it, and that was the reason I had carefully packaged it up to send to a blog reader. There might have been stamps, ink pads, pens, paper, ribbon, charms, Prima's, who knows? Each envelope was unique. I know those who got them, loved them. One person even got an extra set of Nestibilities I had dumbly order a duplicate of.

Since this person has visited my blog before and after the envelope and my name was clearly on it, I only wish I had been contacted about it . It is now in the dead letter department, where it will be auctioned off along with all the other individual packages no one claims.

I won't be doing blog candy again. I can no longer afford it. Sofa Slug retired today-October 31. I rarely enter other blog giveaways either. I don't have to be coerced into visiting blogs to enjoy them. I have 700+ in my Reader and love scrolling thru them and saving my favorites in special folders-like Card Lust and Cream of the Crop. When anything you post blog wise makes my special folders, you know I will be back to visit.

Maybe someday I will have art to post, but currently my head and heart are not in it. It's been a tough 6 months in so many ways, and I need to refocus my spirit and energy in proper order of what matters and what doesn't right now. Don't forget to vote Tuesday. And give your fur children an ear rub from me and your kidlets a smile from Michigan. Be good. Life goes on......

Tip Greed

Do you know that some restaurants charge the waiters a credit card fee if you put the tip on the bill when paying? There was an article in the paper about it Sunday. The owners of the establishment get charged 1.8% to 3.5 % of the total to accept your credit card as payment. They are now passing the percentage of the bill that is a tip onto the waiter by deducting from the total amount of tip. Nice, huh? And you don't know it unless the waiter happens to tell you.

The average a waiter makes including tips in the US was $8.93 an hour as of 2007 according to the Labor Statistics. It did not say how many establishments are doing this percentage thing, but now that its "out in the open" I am betting a lot more will do it now that it's "legal".

I think we should all now go out of our way to place the tip in the waiter's hand-don't leave on the table because you don't know who will get it. Give it to the waiter and say thanks. I used to do this because I wasn't sure if they actually got the tips-now I will make sure they do.

Doing A Little Blog Housekeeping (AKA-Editing)

Tonight I removed two blogs I had recently written from my other site "Eyeballs". I had included links to a quite interesting blog that for some reason, wants me to remain anonymous whenever I leave comments on his/her blog. I said no. I have a rule when commenting on blogs. I always use my real name. You can click my name if I leave a comment on your blog and it will take you back to either Eyeballs or Papertango-depending on the connection to your blog content. There is also a link to either/or on my sidebar. I removed the clickable link for the site in mention from my sidebar on PaperTango. I had not talked of this site in any way here on PaperTango to date.

I do not leave nasty, troll-like postings on any blog. I know there are lots out there who do and it makes me spit! If I have something to say and don't want anyone to know who I am, there are anonymous blogs out there that allow you to do that. If you go to the sidebar, there is a "bitch" logo. Click that and email the proprietor (it's not me) and ask to be added or just leave a complaint/response/drunken diatribe on any post listed. That is just one of many such blogs out there that allow this.

Again, if I visit your blog and have a comment, a snort, or even a giggle-I will always use my real name with a link to one of my blogs. If I don't feel comfortable having that link, I won't post anything and just close the page. I hope you will offer me the same consideration.

ETA:I am posting this blog to both Eyeballs and Papertango.

ETA 2 Look what I found! A Bill To Ban All Anonymous Blogging!

Pet Food Recall-Making Humans Sick Too!

Several brands of pet food-both cats and dogs-have been recalled in the US. They were produced in a factory in Pennsylvania and the plant was voluntarily shut down after two reported cases of Salmonella in HUMANS! The caregivers for the pets were possibly infected from dispensing the food to the pets.

Please go read the list of brands involved HERE. Be sure to pass the link on to all pet owners both cats and dogs.Lets all be safe.

Lusting---For Rubber!

I have a new blog featuring the stamps I have wanted and either can't afford or plain can't find anymore. Go take a look and give an answer to my poll. I have to play with the colors a bit but this gets all those bits of paper and saved files into one place where I can indulge the fantasy of someday owning them.

Rubber Lust

Dog Lovers-Please Read!!!

I came across a story this morning about a toy being sold at big box pet stores and dollar stores across the United States. Please click this link and read it including the embedded links in the story, which will take you to a blog and the manufacturing web site. Then I beg of you to go thru your pet toys to see if you have any like it and take them away from the fur children. Lastly, please send the link for this blog post to anyone who might have dogs, loves dogs or who can send it on to other who will benefit. Thanks from my crazy ass dogs. I had two of these potentially deadly things in my stash, having bought them on sale at Target.

Another Michigan Store-Going Going.....

Just to let any local readers know, Luv2Scrap in Owosso is gonna start a going out of business sale Sept 2 and will cease to exist come September 27. This one has been around a while but anyone who knows the town, there just isn't anything to draw to small towns much anymore. Being from Flushing, I see the empty store front where the book store was, the Ballet school strangely dark, only the motorcycles in front of the bars late at night.

Go visit your local stores once in a while. They are unique and the conversations are fun. I know Micheal's and Wal-mart have better prices and coupons but I know there are things I can't get at either. Like ideas, tutorials on the spot, and finding a smile once in a while.

If you are in mid Michigan, go visit Luella before she is gone. This is the 2nd small town store by me that has closed in less than 6 months. We need these type of store (and honestly when Star Bucks closes, what is that telling you??). It ain't a good time for independant proprietors in Michigan.

No Spidey Sense

My son, the very odd one, fell off a ladder today. He was doing something on the house he and his wife are building (and building and building for like going on three years now) and he felt the ladder shift. He immediately reached out as he felt it falling and grabbed on to something. He just doesn't know yet what it was he grabbed.

It swung him around and basically took his arm one way and his body the other. He landed on his feet. He was stunned but glad nothing was bloody or his face and brain wasn't smashed. Until the holy bee-jeebers started shooting daggers into his shoulder. He could not crawl out of the cement retaining wall where he fell (can we say blessed when you think about where he fell?). His wife happened to come around (she was working on the other side of the house) and she put a ladder down and called for help.

The rest of the afternoon was spent in the ER on Morphine while making sure nothing was broken (which would have meant surgery). His right arm was dislocated (he is a leftie) so out of commission for up to 4 weeks and probably some physical therapy. His finals papers are due this week coming up, so I guess he will be using one hand to type. Hopefully he can get disability while he is off.

This kid got thru childhood doing the Olympics track and field competition in the house, flipping over his handlebars off a ramp, running into barb wire fences while running away from a girl! and tossing rocks up in the air and letting them hit his head (so he could see what it felt like??). I guess he thought he was immune or his Spidey ability would kick in. Maybe he forgot to pay his superhero dues this month.

If he sends photos, I will post them later. His arm and my foot. We are certainly related by stupidity.

ETA-Ben's biggest concern when I talked to him on the phone was that his arms would not match after-one will be shrively and the other will be normal. So wear a long sleeve shirt dumbass!

A Cricut Giveaway!

OMG! Check it out NOW! Enter NOW! Ya know ya want one.

Click HERE .

Memories. Like The Corners Of My Mind....

(sang like josh baskin in big!)

A fun little memory game...please play along!

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses.

If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you.

Testing

Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.

Hanging Tough

It's been almost two months since I put up some art. I stamped a bit this weekend but haven't photographed it yet. I am dealing with a bunch of things including a sick kitty. We had originally decided on a euthanasia date but after a lot of reading, talking with the vets and a flood of tears, decided to wait and see . Loki is terminal with skin cancer but is not at the crossroad yet. It could be a week, a month or next year.

I have received many emails from my postings on Twitter sending hugs and good wishes. Thank you so much as those are almost as comforting as kittie purrs. Loki's cancer is mostly on his front legs and the back of his head. We tried steroids to rev up his immune system and antibiotics as some of the lesions seemed irritated. Of course he licks and grooms them. Nothing stops that.

He is eating well and drinking fine-he is missing the litter box but I am replacing the flooring in the winter, so I can live with that.He sleeps with me and keeps me company. But he LOVES his sun shine baking and that is the problem. He is almost entirely white and has light eyes. I never thought about sunscreen for a cat! Loki has always been an indoor cat but he would spend hours laying in the bay window-in fact he is sprawled there right now-happy and contented. He is over 16 so I am not being heroic with him-I am being loving and compassionate, knowing I will have to let him go soon (I prepaid so I can just walk in with him when I feel the time is right).

Go give your doggies, kitties, bunnies, goats, camels-whatever you call by name and love-a head rub. Fur babies are the most wonderful creatures-even when they grow old-as they never ask for your soul-only your heart.

An Errant Post

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Still On The Blink.

I am still off artsy blogging but wanted to thank some ladies for a couple of cards. Juliann my veggie blogging pal and Kathy W (her folder at SCS) sent me two oh so beautiful cards. One has a watercolor look and the other has sparkly things on it.

So why aren't there photos, you ask? Well Google is having a hissy fit today and it's going down for maintenance. Hopefully they will fix the problems we have been bitching about all last week and now, into another month. When it is fixed, I will post an update here and they will be on my Rak blog here .

Darth Leads The Imperial March

Do you think John Williams is a little put out by this?

Step Brothers Of Another Color

As if you didn't already know, I love basketball. I also LOVE Stevie Nash. So Check this out!

Cricut Software Giveaway

Own a Cricut? Wanting to purchase some great cartridges this week at 60% off? Head over to Micheal's and get any in stock for only $40 a cartridge and if you buy three, you will get this FREE! It works with both the original (small) and newer (large) machines.

You must make the purchases at Micheal's only and send in your UPC's and sales receipts. But this is a $90 value, so get there while the getting is good. You will need to follow the directions on the above link to get the form you need. So don't forget to click the highlighted word.

ETA--HERE is a link to how the software works in case you are interested.

The English Language-With Apologies to Dr. Seuss

We'll begin with a box, and the plural is "boxes",

But the plural of ox becomes oxen, not "oxes".

One fowl is a goose, but two are called geese,

Yet the plural of moose should never be meese.

You may find a lone mouse or a nest full of mice,

Yet the plural of house is houses, not hice.

If the plural of man is always called men,

Why shouldn't the plural of pan be called pen?

If I speak of my foot and show you my feet,

And I give you a boot, would a pair be called beet?

If one is a tooth and a whole set are teeth,

Why shouldn't the plural of booth be called beeth?

Then one may be that, and three would be those,

Yet hat in the plural would never be hose,

And the plural of cat is cats, not cose.

We speak of a brother and also of brethren,

But though we say mother, we never say "methren".

Then the masculine pronouns are he, his and him,

But imagine the feminine: she, shis and shim!

Let's face it - English is a crazy language.

There is no egg in eggplant nor ham in hamburger;

Neither apple nor pine in pineapple.

English muffins weren't invented in England.

We take English for granted,

But if we explore its paradoxes,

We find that quicksand can work slowly,

Boxing rings are square,

And a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.

And why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing,

Grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham?

Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend.

If you have a bunch of odds and ends

And get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it?

If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught?

If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?

Sometimes I think all the folks who grew up speaking English

Should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane.

In what other language do people recite at a play and play at a recital?

We ship by truck but send cargo by ship.

We have noses that run and feet that smell.

We park in a driveway and drive in a parkway.

And how can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same,

While a wise man and a wise guy are opposites?

You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language

In which your house can burn up as it burns down,

In which you fill in a form by filling it out,

And in which an alarm goes off by going on.

And, in closing, if Father is Pop, how come Mother's not Mop?

Ode For My Dad.

This is one of my dad's favorite pieces of music (along with Take Me Out To The Ballgame). It was played at his funeral 13 years ago. So dad, this may not be as regal but it made me think of you. Smile.

Update----STILL Taking A Break

Just letting you know I am still on a creating break. Working on the house and was hoping the sofa slug would go to Korea. I will be back as soon as the humidity goes down and my paper uncurls.

How I Will Be Defined In A Dictionary

Jan --

[noun]: A level headed person who always makes the wrong decision

'How will you be defined in the dictionary?' at QuizGalaxy.com

This Is Too Bizarre.

Allison had this up so I decided to try it. This is the result. Bizarre because I totally HATE bananas and it's the one fruit I will NEVER eat!

I Are a Banana

You are mellow, easy going, and a total softie on the inside. People find it really easy to get along with you. You suit most tastes. And while you're very sweet, you're not boring or ordinary. You have an attraction to the exotic, and you could show up anywhere... doing almost anything! You are spirited, energetic, and a total kick to be around. You're also quite funny. Your sense of humor is on the goofy side, and it fits you well.

What Type of Fruit Are You?

What Is Craziest Thing You Did With Scissors?

Free Greenies!

Now don't get your hopes up to getting high. This ain't the 60's anymore. This is for your dog or cat-especially if you have to give them meds or some daily nasty tasting thing. I have been giving my Loki a daily dose of antibiotics and guess what? He's worse than a kid-I have the scars to prove it. So click HERE and get your free samples-dog, cat or both. You will be glad you did and their breath will be so much nicer too--for all those fur kisses you will get.

Thank You Spammer Jerks

I just had to add word modification back on this blog. I had taken it off almost a year ago. All of a sudden, everyone is getting inundated with it. Even my spam addresses are laden more than usual. Just when it seems the scum are not as prolific.....someday, the tables will be turned.

AnyBody Who Signed Up For Random Blog CAndy???

Remember this back HERE? Well, I am sending out the last randomly chosen names-since there were only about 10 left, I just packaged up something for the last 10. I also did about a half dozen overseas, which had to be lightened a bit because I am not paying 50 bucks to send a small package-the US postal service is nuts!

But you will get a small prize, so I hope you enjoy it. Stupidly, I had a card to insert into each one and sealed and taped them all before I remembered, so maybe I will find some un-needed (WTF is that?) cash floating around after the house and dental work is finished and send them out on a whim. I am sorta addled right now. You all KNOW why!

So enjoy this nutty bumper sticker list I came across while waiting on the Internet to co-operate. I need to plaster my car!



My husband and I divorced over religious differences. He thought he was God and I didn't.

I don't suffer from insanity; I enjoy every minute of it.

I Work Hard Because Millions On Welfare Depend on Me!

Some people are alive only because it's illegal to kill them.

I used to have a handle on life, but it broke.

Don't take life too seriously; No one gets out alive.

You're just jealous because the voices only talk to me

Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder.

Earth is the insane asylum for the universe.

I'm not a complete idiot -- Some parts are missing.

Out of my mind. Back in five minutes.

NyQuil, the stuffy, sneezy, why-the-heck-is-the-room-spinning medicine.

God must love stupid people; He made so many.

The gene pool could use a little chlorine.

Consciousness: That annoying time between naps.

Ever stop to think, and forget to start again?

Being "over the hill" is much better than being under it!

Wrinkled Was Not One of the Things I Wanted to Be When I Grew up.

Procrastinate Now!

I Have a Degree in Liberal Arts; Do You Want Fries With That?

A hangover is the wrath of grapes.

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a cash advance

Stupidity is not a handicap. Park elsewhere!

They call it PMS because Mad Cow Disease was already taken.

He who dies with the most toys is nonetheless dead.

A picture is worth a thousand words, but it uses up three thousand times the memory.

Ham and eggs. A day's work for a chicken, a lifetime commitment for a pig.

The trouble with life is there's no background music.

The original point and click interface was a Smith and Wesson.

I smile because I don't know what the hell is going on.

Living Etch A Sketch

Go Draw Here

Magnolias Are Blooming Like Candy

Check them out here

High Hopes Giveaway!

Click Here!

Isn't it fun to see animals smiling??

A Salute To America

Stars & Stripes FOREVER!

John Mellencamp Fan?

John has a new album out on the 15th of July but you can get a couple of free downloads courtesy of Vanity Fair magazine . Mellencamp is often referred to as the "Poet of the Interstate" and is one of the best live concert entertainers out there.


So grab your freebies while you can. If the above link doesn't work, try this one. In both cases you MUST enter this code LDLF6.

Both sites have the same two songs.

Wordle

Wordle

This site will grab words off your blog and make a cool header. I just can't figure out how to resize it yet. But go play anyways.




Click photo to enlarge and see all the words!

My Mosaic

Thanks Allison for giving me something to do at midnight. Here are the deets on what to do.....

Answer each of the questions below.

Surf over to Flickr and type your answers into the search bar. From the choice of pictures shown only on the front page, click on the one that moves you. Once the page with your picture opens, copy the URL. Surf over to the Mosaic Maker, set up your mosaic, and paste your URLs. Click Create. Voila!

The Questions:

What is your first name?

What is your favorite food?

What high school did you attend?

What is your favorite color?

Who is your celebrity crush?

What is your favorite drink?

Where would you go on your dream vacation?

What is your favorite dessert?

What do you want to be when you grow up?

What do you love most in life?

What is the one word that describes you?

What is your Flickr name?

Below are the credits for each photo---they did not come out in the right order of the questions. Odd. The lower right is actually the first question and the middle is for the last. Then from upper left to right.

1. Witchy, 2. peanut butter and stuff sammich, 3. most precious blood, 4. End Of The Day, 5. "Captain" Jack Sparrow and The Fair Elizabeth, 6. "Captain" Jack Sparrow and The Fair Elizabeth, 7. Gingerbread House - Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh, 8. Thursday's Miffy Bento, 9. Taller in many other ways, 10. Each war is different, each war is the same, 11. A cozy chat., 12. Old scholl Tram, 13. 10 Jan 2008: Palma Old Town

Free Stamps? Doodle Me In!

I said I was gone but I ain't, at least for this minute or so. Blurfing away and I came across this giveaway for stamps that made me laugh (not a good thing to do while snorting hummus and olives). So get over there and check it out.

That pirate penguin is almost as hunky as Johnny Depp and there are two other plates with funnies on it also up for grabs. Do you pillage at the site a bit.

Hydrangea Blues

I wanted to save the best for last. Before I took the embossing paste class from Lynell Harlow at Dreamweaver Stencils, I had played a bit with the stencils and paste but was never happy with it. Guess I had to learn the finesse ideas. I was more open to dry embossing with the stencils and even that wasn't all that. I am a convert! If you can't take a class, buy the DVD. I saw it at Joann's. There are several quality brass stencil companies (and even some stainless steel) but Dreamweavers is, in my opinion, the most versatile and grown up of the ones I have used.

So here is the last one I made. I am taking a break from crafting and posting for a few weeks. Been reading a lot of computing and code books and perhaps will be doing my own website (I need to reserve the domain) so the possibility exists somewhere down the road, this blog will go and the actual domain will take its place. I haven't decided as it's a pretty big endeavour. But I do want to save the domain name anyways. Paper Tango is taken-it is owned by Gartner which you may have noticed is sold by Target in their card department. I often pick up clearance items to use such as plain card fronts and stickers. Never pay retail!! It isn't where I got the name tho. I imagined the ink pads and stamps dancing and put it together.

When I made this card front, I didn't know which way was up. So I photographed it both ways. It works either way. The hydrangea stencil is huge! So the resulting card is very large,too-it would definitely take extra postage to mail. I placed the stencil on the watercolor paper and oil colored the image after swirling the colors on wax paper as a palate.Use a small stiff stencil brush for this. When you have your "look" place the stencil back on, swipe the transparent paste across and remove excess and before it dries, add your transparent micro glitter to the flowers. I did not put glitter on the leaves and branches-not on purpose, only the blossom. You know how glitter is, right Allison? It was very easy to variegate the oil colors on the individual blossoms and I was even able to make leaf veins, using a curved edge.The oil crayons come in 5 packs and 20 packs that I know of. I bought seasonal-so this is spring. Before adding to the card front, I distressed the edge of the watercolor paper and added a bit of brown ink on the edges to bring out the color of the branch.

My card base color was pulled from the embossed flowers. The same went for the green of the leaves. All eventually was layered on a plain black card. When I did the green layers, I didn't have much paper left, so I did L's. It all gets covered up so no one knows. I am anal about not wasting paper. Maybe that isn't always a good thing but it's who I am-a heartfelt recycler and hoarder.

You can see the embossing paste better with this photo. When you look flat on, the paste can look flat and you won't see that it's quite substantial and this card is heavy. I didn't want to use ribbon or stamped words, so I dug a bit and found some mini brads that captured the colors of my oils and added sets of two in the same color on each corner except the middle one. I pop dotted the layers for more dimension using teeny poppers. I think these are from All Night Media and I have had them for forever.

I would like to thank all the independent stores I visit especially Stacey . I may not leave the ideas the way they started out but the ideas multiply and I usually get carried away, which is what happened with all this embossing samples recently. Who knows what may happen next?! Today I bought some metallic paper, so my head is full already. I just need a break and some extra arms or hands to do the crap stuff so I can do the craft stuff. See ya later peeps.

Hobby Lobby Coupon!

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A Warm Hello

So a question for all you stampers out there-how often do you buy used stamps such as SU and when you get them, they are a mess? Do they not give out those little brochures anymore that tell you how to mount them? I have also purchased several sets that are so inked up and dirty-and more and more the photos only show one side. I may get a good price on them, but the time I spend cleaning and remounting them is not fun. Hubby wanted to know why I was microwaving my stamps. Men are so so clueless.

This is a fun card. I used several punches to make my flowers and another to make the leaves. The corners were also a punch (there is also a die for Sizzix too that will do these). Many scraps went into this and you can change it all around to make whatever colors you have or like. ( I don't think a whole lot of explanation is needed for this card either).
Here is a close up on the flowers and you will see that I have used dotted buttons for the flower middles.To fake a stamen, I used some fibers that I looped thru the holes and tied in a knot. Just pop dot layers for more definition. If you only have plain buttons, use an alcohol based marker for the dots or stripes or whatever you make. These were in my button jar, so already done. But you can make your own.

Needed A Giggle

I am sorta sad today-raining and yucky and watching the sofa slug slug ain't fun. But this made me laugh. I can always get a giggle from LOL Cats. Today's were all pretty darned good-especially the drunk kitty.But this one-almost peed my pants!

Questions and Answers

Who's the last person you flipped off and why? I was in high school and someone was tooting his horn at me---little did I know it was a cop. And yes, he wanted my number. (didn't get it)

What's the worst job you ever had? doing pap smears for Planned Parenthood

What do you really think of GWB? I pity him.

What was the last argument you had with your spouse about? our whole life is one big argument-but it was about whether or not he was listening (he wasn't)

What did you do afterwards? same old, same old. I went about my stuff and he fell back asleep.

Dill or Sweet? Gerkins

Worst habit? Letting people take advantage of me-knowing I don't mean anything to them-unless my wallet is open and free flowing.

What do you watch on TV-for real? Sports, news, weather and Roseanne reruns.

What is the most embarrassing thing you ever did? had sex on a golf course during the Indy 500 (in Indianapolis)

How good are you on Jeopardy? very very good but too scared to go on TV.

Can you finish a Sudoku? I prefer logic problems or challenger crosswords. Hubby likes sudoku. a lot.

What about your face would you change? What's wrong with it? I have a weird brown spot on my lip-looks like a chocolate blob. It showed up while I was sick and never went away.

Do you hold doors for people? all the time-and few ever say thank you.

When you pout, what do you pout about? being ignored

What would people say about you if they thought you would never know? I don't know and really don't care.

What makes you laugh out loud? I Love Lucy. Babies giggling. People running into walls (myself included)

What do you most regret? Not going into the Peace Corp like I wanted (I met hubby a month before I was to leave)

What is the best thing you make in your kitchen? all sorts of hodge podge soups and cheese biscuits.

Do you believe in UFOs? I was brought to earth by one-waiting for the mother ship to return for me.

Do you kill bugs or take them outside? take them outside-except skeeters.

When was the last time you were drunk? drunk or tipsy??? drunk maybe mid 80's, tipsy hmmmmm. Courtney's open house in Clarkston.

Last book read-really? Veganomicon-cookbook and Leo LaPorte's computer book.

If you weren't what you are, what would you be? a giraffe.

Even if you don't believe in reincarnation, what were you in a previous live? a door mat

Why do you think that when people are asked that question, they never ever say some ordinary Joe? I wasn't even a person so don't ask me.

You have an afternoon all to yourself-what do you do? go to the gym, come home, watch the game, make dinner at midnight, play with my paper and ink. Nothing special.

What did you want to be when you were growing up? a nun, then left fielder for the Detroit Tigers.

Mayo or Miracle whip? eggless mayo

Favorite ice cream topping? nuts and fudge (without the ice cream)

When was the last time you drove a car by yourself and where did you go? Did you break any laws? Yesterday, drove to and from Fowlerville and talked on my cell phone (it's not against the law here but could be soon in Detroit)

What do you order on a pizza? eggplant, roasted tomatoes, red onions and garlic at Uno's. home town pizza is black olives and green peppers.

What is your greatest fear? pain as bad as what it was-and doctors didn't believed me.

When was the last time you operated a washing machine? I just put in a load now.

What's on your Ipod? John Williams soundtracks.

So I tag Courtney and Johanna and Allison and Jen.

The Autumn Leaves

I made myself leave the house today. Even tho my jaw felt like Rocky popped it and the Vicodin was making me toss my cookies (well, I hadn't eaten anything so I tossed the imaginary cookies I wish I had eaten), I got out into the sun for a while. I had to feed my rubbah addiction. It had been cold the last time I saw Stacey's place and she is in the middle of a massive redo of the store.

Stacey has three kids-boy girl boy and they are all beautiful but that little one Chase! OMG-I hope I am around to see him when he is in college. I told Stacey he is a mini Brad Pitt right now. I hope when I am in my 70's, I can still say hubba hubba!
Here is another embossed and gold leafed card. The same idea as before using a brass stencil and gold embossing paste. When the paste is dry, tamp on heat and stick glue, heat til tacky with a heat gun and then tamp on with a stiff stencil brush the gold sheets or pieces to your design. Round swirl the image to remove any extra flecks and save for later.

I then just added several layers to a plain card in colors of card stock I felt were pulled from the gold leaf. I used a small awl to punch tiny holes in the corners before attaching so the under layer color would show thru. It just didn't very well. That odd circle you see in the upper left-not an illusion. It's just my time honored tradition to spill something on at least one of the cards I make. I have a bad habit of not closing the pop topper on my water bottle.

You could add a rub on or stamped sentiment on the lower part under the tree or leave plain.

I have one more embossed card for you this weekend and then I am taking a long break. I need to refresh and get some actual work done in the next few weeks AND recover from this jaw surgery. I am only a third way thru it and it's been more than I bargained for-and the worst one is next time.

PC or CP?

Anybody reading here got those initials? Or are you married and your first names start with them? I have a weird stamp that says either CP or PC entwined and it's from a now defunct stamp company called Stamp Cabana.

It would be a cool signature stamp for the backs of cards. If you have those initials, let me know via an email or post. If more than one person posts, I will do a random draw. It's new as far as I can see and was in a lot off eBay I recently acquired. Oddly, that was my mom and dad's first name initials.

If no one does, I will have to find a boyfriend for daughter or grand daughter who's names starts with P and pay off the current buds to get lost. I cannot let a pristine never used stamp go to waste.

Shopping With Marley

Marley loves to go everywhere with me and I like taking him. He sits in the back seat looking out the window (he has his own seat belt harness, which he manages to wriggle out of when I go inside), When I come back out from shopping, he is usually sitting in the driver's seat patiently waiting for me. Sometimes I even have a treat for him if I have been dining. He likes toast a lot. So do I!

Last Friday after spending several days at home because of storm watches and warnings and the roofers blocking me in my driveway, I decided I HAD to use my 50% off coupon at Micheal's. I knew exactly what I wanted. So even after another storm watch was issued, and looking at radar and seeing nothing to worry about, I left. Jackson was left outside to chase the squirrels (he is obsessive compulsive about that). I wasn't gonna be gone long anyways. So Marley and I set off.

I even stopped for a tea at Speedway and got the mail. The sun was shining too. I left the windows cracked on my car (it was mid 80's) and I went inside Micheal's. The item I wanted was already on sale-phooey! I poked around a bit and found something else I thought I might never want-but after reading the package, I did. The Cropidile II. Half off ladies and only 20 bucks! Happy as a clam and armed with my tool and some dollar stamps (I am missing October and December), I went outside. It had started to cloud up.

Looking north toward my house 8 miles away.
Getting a bit more of the wide shot-but no rain yet.
A close up on the clouds-mind you to the south, the sun was still peaking out.

The rain starts to come down toward the south but dry where I am.
I just like these colors and am gonna try stamping landscapes or skyscapes on them.

It starts to get much darker to the south and I am thinking of leaving. I call hubby who is on I75 at the Oakland/Genesee County line and he says it's sunny yet and nothing going on, so he tells me to stay put and we will get dinner. I remind him I have the dog with me.

I keep snapping away and people walk in front of me. I am using hubby's small pocket digital as it fits in the same pocket with my Flip Video camera and we had used them both the day before and later at the art festival. It's just annoying sometimes to carry around a fully lensed-up D-SLR. So this works.

I feel rain drops finally and turn to climb back into my little Aveo ( I am parked north but photographing south) and oh shit! Look what is to the north!!

Wall cloud!
Wind!
Rotation!

I just stood there mesmerized! No sirens. No frantic movements by anyone. In fact, some stopped and watched me snap away. They said they paid no attention until they saw me photographing and then made a dash for the store. I wanted to dash too but if I left and drove north, I would have run right into this. I had Marley and surely the store would not have let us in-I had no leash for one. Marley was spazzing in the car-he hates the noises of storms just like me.

Then the rain started and I could not see out the window and certainly could not have driven with the rain intensity like this. So I waited and trembled and wondered what county or country my final resting place would be. At least I wasn't alone-my Marley was with me. It started to eventually let up but I spoke with hubby and he said wait instead of driving. No warning sirens ever went off for my location but they did in the Clio area and into Tuscola county where there was a touch down.

As the rain abated, I tried to amuse myself. I took photos of my shoes, my junk mail on the floor and Marley's hanging out tongue. Then I took the above photo. Sorta interesting but a bit cluttered. So I used the zoom which to me is just unstable at times. And I got this one below. I didn't know what I actually had until I downloaded the photo just a few minutes ago. I took only one. I just think this one is perfect. No photo shopping. Not cluttered. A lot of textures. And lonely.

This one is the keeper.

Raise The Red Lanterns

I almost forgot I promised one of my favorite cards ever. Well, I got distracted adding map links to Wikimapia. Sadly some of the items I wanted to add don't exist except in my memories. For the Flint area, the former site of Buick Motor Division AKA Buick City is noted on the map but is now gone to the great brick conservatory in the sky. Check out that Buick City link-a terrific blog and worth spending some time with.

I had a hard time deciding which one to show you-so I chose this one. Have any of you seen the wonderful movie Raise the Red Lantern? As soon as I started to make this card, I knew what my title for it would be. You have to see the movie to understand but it's so worth your time to do so. Most good rental shops have it as does Netflix.

I had already done the embossed piece. It used metallic embossing paste-silver in fact. If you go back to my other recent postings, you will find the directions for wet embossing-this is a Dreamweaver stencil and I used a variegated package of gold leaf flakes. I saw how the flakes took on the colors of orangy red and gold and knew I had some scraps left over that would go so well as mats. I almost just added that and matted to my card but I knew this card needed something special. I remembered having a textured 12 x 12 piece tucked away that I wanted to use with an Asian stamp set so I had to go digging. And I found it! The back is plain brown on this gorgeous sheet of blossoms.

The base card is simple black and when the layers were added, I tied some metallic Christmas ribbon (it has wire in it) into a flat bow and after using a Trio to lay a piece across the top, added it. I think this is my most goose bumpy card because of the reference to the movie. Sadly, there is an odd connection too. Just the fact that Buick is so popular in China (and not coming from here!) made me quite nostalgic tonight. Both my dad and hubby worked for Buick on opposing ends of the plant system (and polarizing sides of the picket line)-but I myself haven't owned one since 1980 (I am a Chevy girl now.)

I hope you will visit the history lessons above. And maybe just smile remembering your dad's old Buick.

Quote of the Day