Happy Colors

Happy Memorial Day!

Thank you so much for all the nice comments yesterday regarding my "mood" and Super Sketch Sunday! The general consensus about continuing Super Sketch Sundays was for me to basically do what I needed to do to make myself happy (that was NOT much help peeps!) Don't you know my job is to make all of YOU guys happy? Kidding. I don't know what I'll end up doing....I'll think it through this week and if a sketch comes, I'll post it, if it doesn't, I'll take the week off. Sound good?

Today's card is the card I originally made yesterday morning for the sketch challenge....I love how it turned out (mostly I love the colors), but I was worried it was a bit much for the sketch challenge. It's sort of "out there" if you know what I mean! I think maybe I was stiffling my creative juices too much yesterday morning, which caused my "mood"!

This whole card revolves around the awesome Scenic Route paper I used on it. I had found some of this paper a few months ago, and recently ran across it again. I had to snatch some up again! These are "my" kinda colors! The next thing I wanted to use on the card are these mini chipboard monograms that I won from Julee's blog (Poetic Artistry). The black paper is actually the back of the bird paper. It really is the strangest thing, IMHO. Such beautiful, colorful paper on one side, and stark black and white on the other. I'm not sure I've ever seen anything like it. I love it, don't get me wrong. I ended up using it to cover the letters. I love black with bright colors, it just makes everything POP!

The colorful bird paper is matted with a piece of Pumpkin Pie cardstock. I used my wavy decorative scissors to cut the border and a Uni-ball Signo white pen to make dots around the border. The sentiment is from SU's "So Very" set. I wanted everything to be bold on the card except the "missed" at the bottom. My goal , or hope, was to emit strong emotion through the bold black and white chipboard and black and white "so very" sentiment, but for the "missed" part of the card to evoke a vulnerability and a sense of affection. Don't know if I accomplished that, but that was my goal!

I decided to share this little card this morning too. I made it yesterday morning while trying to come up with an acceptable sketch challenge. This too was an option for the sketch challenge, but I was unsure of it as well. Now, are you starting to see how my squashing my creative juices yesterday contributed to my crabby mood? I was creatin'...I just didn't think what I was creatin' was good enough! Oh well. I learned a lesson from yesterday morning...go with your heart. Don't create something (or not create something) just because you're worried or concerned about someone else. I was worried these were too "out there" for you guys, but my gut (or heart) instinct was to use them. Dumb on my part. You still might not have participated in the sketch (and that's COOL!), but I would have followed my heart and stayed true to myself. Consider it a lesson learned.

The base of this card is actually a 4 in chipboard coaster that I covered with the bird paper. I then cut a card to lay on top of the chipboard that will open up for you to write something inside. I don't have an 4x4 envelope for it, but I could just put it in a slightly larger square envelope, which would work. The sentiment is from my Paper Tray set. Flower is Doodle This. It took all of like 5 minutes to make! Gotta love that!

One last picture to share with you today. This is me and the other birthday boy from our birthday dinner last night! He turned 44 on Saturday, I turn 44 tomorrow. His name is Mike, and he's a big, huggable teddy bear!

We went over to their house last night for a BBQ! We never fail to eat well whenever we get together, and last night was no exception. I brought bruchetta for an appetizer. Last night was my first batch of the season. I will make it ALL summer long for one gathering or another! Do you want me to share the recipe? I'm warning you, you'll become addicted! For dinner we had chicken, beef and veggie kebobs! Delish! For desert we had strawberry/blueberry cheesecake! It was unbelievably yummy! After a quick dip in the hot tub to relax a bit, we were happily on our way home for the night!

Today my folks are coming over for a birthday BBQ. My brother and his wife who live right near us will probably come too. I think we've settled on a beef tenderloin on the grill. I'll make another batch of bruchetta for an appetizer! My mouth is watering just thinking about it!

A heartfelt thanks to all the men and women of the armed forces who've lost their lives fighting for our FREEDOM!

A heartfelt thanks to all the men and women of the armed forces who CURRENTLY risk their lives fighting for our freedom!

We salute you today! God Bless America!!!!!