Barb's Fabulous Flowers

I was doing so well earlier in the year with getting my swaps in on time, that I signed up for not one, but two spots in Barb's Fabulous Flowers before my cards were finished. Here we are at the last minute and I just finished the second set. Technically set #2 was finished over the weekend, but since I was making extras for another occasion, I did not consider the entire set finished until just now. 

The first card I made, featured Tuesday Morning Sketches (#203) and was actually finished on that same Tuesday. Sadly I did not have time to scan it until this morning so I missed the entry deadline  

Can I just mention how much I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Cover-a-Card stamps by Impression Obsession? I may never buy designer paper again!

Card Details:

Image: PSX, Impression Obsession Cover-a-Card, Denami Design

Sentiment: N/A

Cardstock: GP, SU

Ink: Memento, SU

Tools: Embossing Folder, Nestabilities, IO Mega Mount

Coloring: SU Watercolor Crayons, Aqua Painter

Embellies: Unknown ribbon












Card #2 features Sweet Sketch Wednesday (#211). Unfortunately, there is not title on that particular blog post so I cannot link directly to it. If they should fix this, I will adjust the link accordingly. 

Card Details:

Image: Riley

Sentiment: SU

Cardstock: GP, SU

Ink: Memento

Tools: N/A

Coloring: Copic Sketch Markers

Embellies: Unknown rhinestones

5K Diary - Week Five

W5D1 - First five = gravy. Second five, a little harder, but I made it through with some energy to spare. Last five, I swear, that which was a cooling breeze during the first two runs felt like a blustery wind that was trying to push me backwards. Reality check: was in fact a cooling breeze the entire time. 

W5D2 - I misread the plan for today. I saw that the first run was eight minutes, but then thought the second was less. Imagine my surprise when it did not tell me to walk, and I looked and there was still four minutes to go! But I did it; I finished two 8-minute blocks of running. Phew! 

W5D3 - Twenty Minutes. In a row. Without a walk break (and without peeking). On the Road - Translation: Hills!

5K Diary - Week Four

W4D1 - You may remember that I was questioning my abilities to graduate to Week 4 since there was such a huge gap in Week Three, but today I went for it. The first three-minute run was gravy, but that first five-minute, OMG! I knew I should not, but I did - I checked the timer; 1:45 left, UGH. About 20 seconds later a dog came barking across a yard (don't worry, I have walked this route with my dogs many times and he never leaves the yard; I think they have an invisible fence), which gave me something else to focus on. Before I knew it, the leg was over! I think it was knowing that after this five section, I had to do the series again that made it so difficult. The final five, where finishing meant the workout was done, was no problem at all.

W4D2 - Back to the track this morning. I went on the road near home for Day One, but today is a weekday (therefore commuters), and the first day of finals to boot. Running on the road while sleep-deprived, anxious college students are getting a late start to their first exam and driving faster and riskier than usual did not seem like a smart idea. It went pretty well today, with occasionally reminding myself that I did it on Saturday so I can do it again.

W4D3 - Overcast today, which is good for me. Sun did not come out at all until I was on my cool down. Hopefully that will mean no new rashes today. Was rather warm and humid though, so I had my jacket sleeves rolled up. I need to start using some other sort of pocket for my phone cuz it is getting too hot for an extra layer. My knee started hurting on the cool down so I am spending a little extra time under Peas before I start my day.

Hooray For The Winners

As I mentioned in my last post, I volunteered to make cards for my friend Yoda to send to the winning choruses and quartets from our recent regional competition. As usual, my first stop was Tuesday Morning Sketches. I stared at this weeks design (196) for a few minutes, then went looking for an image. 

Originally, I was thinking of a congratulations stamp along the bottom, but since the image I decided upon already has a sentiment, I had to use something else. Sweet Adelines are all about the bling (after the singing, of course), so rhinestones were the obvious choice. Pink in this case (believe it or not).

A scan of the cards have been sent to Yoda for approval. If, for whatever reason, she does not like them, I will be back with my next design.




Card Details:

Image: Stampin Up!

Sentiment: (SU)

Cardstock: SU, GP

Ink: Memento

Tools: Nestabilities

Coloring: Prismacolor Markers

Embellies: Unknown ribbon, unknown rhinestones

Thank You to Yoda

When Princess A was just barely three, she liked to sing into the microphone on my computer and have me play it back for her. I decided to use this opportunity to my advantage and had her sing Happy Birthday to various people and then I would email them the track. One of them was to Laura, but Princess A, being just three did not pronounce Ls or Rs very well. The resulting line was, "Happy Birthday Dear Yoda". Laura has been Yoda ever since.

Fast forward to 2013. Yoda is now on the Management Team of my Chorus; her position being Corresponding Secretary or Communications Manager or something like that. Anyway, she was talking after Contest about needing to send cards, and I jumped in and said, "What kind of cards do you need? I will make them for you".
She said she needed three congratulations and one thank you and that she would need more in a few weeks to send a "love gift" to the chorus and quartet competing in Hawaii. When I got home, I remembered this as she needed multiple thank yous and one of something else, whose theme I could not recall. Oops! What can I say it was a long, busy weekend and I was tired. (But I won some pretty medals )

As soon as I realized that the thank you image was flowers, I decided to make lots (16 to be exact) so I could send them for a swap as well. (Soon after I had signed up for two spots in Barb's Fabulous Flowers swap, the hostess for May/June in the Sisterhood of the Traveling Cards picked flowers as her theme as well. That is a lot of flowers!) It is hard to tell in the scan, but the center of eight of the falling flowers is a pearl. Without further ado, here are the cards that Yoda will be sending and will also go to the SOTC swap: 

Card Details:

Image: Stampin Up!

Sentiment: (SU)

Cardstock: SU, GP

Ink: SU

Tools: Martha Stewart Punch Around the Page (Corner)

Coloring: N/A

Embellies: Viva Pearl Pen











On a related note, I posted this to Yoda's Facebook Wall this morning:

 

5K Diary - Week Three

W3D1: Late start today, but that was more due to the fact that my mother called, than lack of motivation on my part. The first jog started rough and uncomfortable; I was just getting into my stride when it was time to walk. Everything was much smoother after that. I even got a small chuckle when Pandora started playing I Ran by Flock of Seagulls. Finished this day feeling like Day Three and it is only Day One!

I realized last night and then again when talking to my mother this morning, that I need to give kudos to my sister. She, who can break a leg stepping off a welcome mat, and was never a fan of such activity, started running last year; she got the flu (the real diagnosed influenza not a bad cold which people often refer to as the flu - 'tis a pet peeve, sorry) in December which knocked her for six, but she started right back up again once she was well. If she can do it, I can do it. Thanks Mb for the inspiration!

W3D2: Greetings from Vermont; though by the time you read this I will be home again. This morning was a bit earlier than usual. (I do not sleep well at home; I sleep even less well at others'.) I brought the wrong gloves, but I should have worn them anyway, despite their heaviness. Instead I ended up wrapping my sleeves around my hands. It kept the wind off anyway. All in all a successful outing.

The view on my run in VT

W3D3: After more than a week off, I finally got out this morning. Between school vacation, chorus contest weekend and recovering from chorus contest weekend, I have not had a morning. (Have to do morning cuz of that whole Lupus-can-not-be-out-in-the-sun thing). Despite the long stretch of nothing, today's run was not too bad; though I am wondering if I should repeat Week Three just to be safe.

Rosetta Stone For Fish?