Post-Surgical Smiles

I love all these adorable elephant sets that are around now! I miraculously managed to only pick up one. Come to think of it, it was a birthday gift, so you should be even more impressed with my will power.

The bass in my quartet had shoulder surgery yesterday; this card is for her.

I kinda feel it needs a little something more, but I cannot think of what or where, so it will go out in today's mail as is.





















Card Details:

Image: WPlus9

Sentiment: WPlus9

Cardstock: Hammermill, Tim Holtz Distress Watercolor, SU

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Tim Holtz Distress Ink
Coloring: Copic markers, Tim Holtz Distress Ink

Tools: WPlus9 dies, Paper Smooches dies

Embellies: KaiserCraft rhinestone flowers

Adding Spice to Quartet Contest Package

My quartet recently coached with Lynda Keever, Lead of International Championship Quartet, The Four Bettys. She is awesome! It was our second time coaching with her and she was just as wonderful as the first time. Plus I got to have breakfast with my good friend in Providence, whom I see much too rarely. Win win!

Lynda worked with us to "spice up" our Contest package. 
With that in mind, and a sketch from Tuesday Morning Sketches (#340), this card came together fairly easily.
















Card Details:

Image: Inky Antics, Cover-a-Card

Sentiment: Inky Antics

Cardstock: Hammermill, SU, unknown dp

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Color Box Chalk
Coloring: Copic markers

Tools: LuminArte Icicles, Gelly Roll glitter pen

Embellies: Unknown pop dots, unknown Bakers Twine, unknown brads

Favorite Things Birthday

Though I have completed at least one challenge per week, I have not had the time to blog them before the challenge expires. But I have a couple more hours today to get this one entered. (I think)

The bass in my quartet recently posted a pic on Facebook similar to this:

Who knows? It may have even been this one; I cannot remember exactly.










For her birthday last week, I remembered her post and made this card:

Tuesday Morning Sketches (#297) provided the inspiration. The scraps on my desk from a recent project provided everything else. (Except the image, of course)














Card Details:

Image: Stampendous

Sentiment: N/A

Cardstock: Hammermill, SU, unknown dp

Ink: Memento
Coloring: Copics

Tools: Fiskars Paper Crimper

Embellies: N/A

Quartet Coaching Part II - The Coach

A mentioned in a previous post, my quartet was privileged to be coached by one of the best known names in Sweet Adelines, Kim Vaughn! She was informative; She was funny; She was helpful; She was interesting; She was fabulous!

I wanted to make her a thank you card. Took me nearly a week to come up with anything more than the image I wanted to use. Sketch Saturday (#271) helped in this regard. 

Internet has been off and on for a couple weeks, so here I am at the last minute finishing this post. Sadly, I missed the deadline for The Pink Elephant (#211), using texture. I think, perhaps, I need a new router. Darn thing keeps forgetting how to communicate with the modem. I am getting very tired of fixing it every day, some days more than once.

Anywho, back to my card. I stamped the background first with "Weathered" from SU. Next, I stamped the cover-a-card music notes. I crumpled it and crushed it, unfolded it, then crumpled and crushed it again. I used my distressing tool on the edges (all the while wishing I had done this step before the crumpling, etc) then inked the edges and the ridges. My goal was a look of old parchment. I think it came out pretty well. 

Card Details:

Image: Copper Leaf Creations, Cover-a-Card, SU

Sentiment: Computer generated

Cardstock: SU

Ink: SU, Memento
Coloring: Copics, Prismacolor markers

Tools: Nestabilities, Tim Holtz Distressing Tool

Embellies: unknown sequins, unknown rhinestone, Stickles

And here we are with Kim

Quartet Coaching Part I - The Outfit

This past Saturday, my quartet had the honor of coaching with Kim Vaughn (formerly Hulbert), Sweet Adelines International Faculty, International quartet champion (several times over), International Chorus Champion director and all around amazing singer and teacher. Though shaky in the week leading up to it, I had a blast on stage. Oh right, did I mention our coaching took place in front of many of the regions quartets?

During our weekly rehearsal we discussed what to wear. Our chorus director (who happened to be there) said she was going shopping that afternoon and would keep her eye out for some tops. The following night at chorus rehearsal, she had a bag full! (Not to mention a perfect pair of earrings) We chose two sets (everything must be bought times four, remember) and sent one back. We wore the more casual (and slightly cooler; it is summer, all) top for our big day.

The lead and tenor went shopping later in the week and found necklaces, bracelets and bangles to match




Kim complimented us on our appearance and talked to the other attendees about how your impression on stage sets the judges to expect good (or not so good) things from you. 

On Sunday while blurfing (I have been trying to do a better job with keeping up with everyone's blogs), I came upon The Deconstructed Sketch (#112). Immediately my "All Dressed Up" dies came to mind, and a card was born. This one will go to Marion (SONE director), our personal shopper.

Card Details:

Image: N/A

Sentiment: SU

Cardstock: GP, SU

Ink: SU
Coloring: N/A

Tools: SU Framelits die

Embellies: SU button, SU Bakers twine, SU Dimensionals