Lighting Schmighting!!

It's a beautiful sunny day here in Southeastern Wisconsin. The sky is that perfect shade of blue. Big, white puffy clouds occasionally drift by. You'd think that on a day like today, I could get a really good photo...but nooooooooooo! The square card seemed to cooperate better than the A2 card. However, I managed, I think, to finally get it right.

So last week I started cleaning and tidying my craft room. decided to skip the tall cupboard, but move and clean all the rest of the surfaces, drawers, and counter/desk spaces. I've made it to the desk top. That's oh, mmm, about 1/2 way around the room. On my desk is an "in" basket. Full to overflowing. Decided I had to work with absolutely everything in there. Today I finally made it to the bottom. A 4" x 4" white card base. And I am now ready to move around to the next counter space, the armoire, and the 16 drawers of paper. But not today...this afternoon is get-to-the-rose-beds day. Blecchhhhh. It's past time...

I did take the morning hours to make a couple of cards though. The first one will go into CASology and also into Keep it simple, a new-to-me challenge. The second one will go over to Curtain Call. CC is celebrating their first anniversary, and so a big congratulations to you!!! They've got an awesome inspiration photo, and the DT has come up with some amazing cards. Be sure to celebrate along with them!! Oh!, and they've offered some very cool prizes too. Check it out!!

My first card goes along with the first two challenges. And who wouldn't want a hippo (or two) for a pet??

Looks crooked, doesn't it? Trust me, it's pretty darn straight...it's just the way I had to photograph it. Dagnabbit! There's that little recycled square base, onto which I laid my ME scalloped frame die. It fit on the long side, so I was able just to die cut the bottom edge. The inside has a piece of vellum that happens to match the circle of vellum over the little hippos. I used my WPlus9 circle die and cut the white cs circle and vellum circle at the same time. This sweet little hippo stamp cost me all of $.99 at The Scrapbook Store in Milwaukee. It's from Imaginisce. Inked the edges of the circle and the hippos with ME smoke ink, and used an old SU stamp with the same ink for the sentiment. A shimmery blue bow and done.

Next up is that A2 card. It's sooo pretty irl....

Remember yesterday's post where I blamed Tracey for enabling me? Well this die and sentiment stamp are part of that crumbled resolve purchase. How could I possibly resist???!!! Obviously I didn't. PTI is happy, I am happy, all's right with the world! I started with a Neenah white base, and used a heart from the other set I ordered from PTI and created my own background. I used varying pressures to get light and dark images. Some of the light ones have been brushed with a bit of Wink of Stella. Not sure where I got those sequins, but I do love the pastelly holographicky (new words Darnell!) shimmer they have. I layered the "happy" and like how that turned out. The pinkish beneath the 'happy' was done with a finger dauber and some Versacolor ink. Same ink for the sentiment. The hearts are inked in a pretty aquaish Colorbox. And I think that's it...Have a great weekend everyone.