Thanks for everything, you all.

Like many other people, I am home, hiding from other people. I go out once every 2 weeks for groceries, and once this last week I ordered a take-out meal from an actual restaurant.  I'll admit it, I was tired of my own cooking.

I am so grateful to everyone who is making social distancing possible. Personally, I'm glad I can work from home, and still order stuff online and have it delivered to my home.  So, yay US Postal service.  They are being threatened, so everyone do your bit and buy stamps!

This week I made 2 thank you cards using newly acquired dies. 

I wasn't going to get the Spellbinders' Truckin Through the Seasons die because I already have the Queen & Co truck die.  But I'm a subscriber to Spellbinders' Small Die of the Month kit, and this month's die set are add-ons to their truck die.  Sure, they can be used alone, but what's the fun in that?

So, with the new truck die (and additional tailgate sentiments), I made a thank you card.  I embossed the tree background with a Darice embossing folder, added flowers to the bed of the truck, and, my specialty, rhinestone tail lights.

Then, I made a quickie card using the patterned paper that was lying around on my table.  The birds are unbranded, and the "thanks" word is from Lawn Fawn.  The birds have the tiniest rhinestone eyes!  

Funny thing, I watch a lot of YouTube videos, and several of them are about assembling trucks. There are videos on both the Queen & Co. trucks and the Spellbinders truck.  For some reason, no one is using the words "tailgate" or "fender" .  Several of the crafters have called the tailgate a license plate, and more than one have referred to fenders as wheel covers. I can't wait to hear what they are going to call the trailer hitch on the bumper.

My dad used to yell at the TV, now I'm yelling at YouTube. Ok, so maybe I have been home alone too long. I'm not going anywhere and YouTube can't hear me.

Have a tweet birthday!

Today I'm back with the outline that was cut of the 2 birds I had painted last week. This die, from Concord and 9th, cuts 2 birds on a branch and their outline. Love it!

I put the bird outlines, top and bottom, on a piece of dark brown card-stock that I had stamped with the Romantic Script background stamp from MFT. I added a white zigzag border and an abstract orange print on the bottom, then die cut some sprigs of greenery (Paper Smooches Foliage 2). The sentiment is from MFT's Birds of Paradise stamp set.

Hello, birds!

I recently won a gift certificate to Concord and 9th, for participation in the Summer Coffee Lover's Blog Hop. I was SO excited, because I have had my eye on this bird die for a bit. This is "By Your Side". I also got another die and set of card bases which I haven't used yet.

You can't tell by looking at this picture, but the die not only cuts the 2 birds on the branch, but it also cuts a thin outline of paper above and below the birds. I can use the thin outlines to create another "picture", and you will see the results of that, soon!

I cut the birds from water color paper and quickly colored them with my Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers. I then tried to figure out which color to mount them to. I probably should have picked the paper and then the bird colors, but live and learn, right?

I used the Romantic Script background stamp from My Favorite Things, then cut the "Hello" from a MFT word die (Hello There). That panel was mounted on a very old piece of patterned paper, then the whole thing was attached to the front of a top folding card base. I popped their little wings up with a tiny bit of clear foam tape.

Now, back to nonstop mayhem on the news. I'm shaking my head.

Oops, get the Windex!

Ok, I might just be reaching with this one, but really.

In my quest to use all my stamp sets before approximately July 15, I had to stop and scratch my head when I got this set called Oh Splat! from The Alley Way Stamps. It's all splats, drops and liquid-looking  oopsies.

I can't be the only one who immediately thought of bird poop when I saw it. No, this won't be the last bird poop card because I have, thanks to TAWS, a large collection of bird stamps.

I used 2 previously unused sets, both from TAWS -- Tree's Company and Oh, Splat! The bird, branch, and blue sky "glow" are water-colored with Distress inks. The splats and star sprinkles are stamped with Distress inks.

I am entering this into the current "Naughty or Nice" challenge, so that's why there are stars stamped in the upper right corner. They don't really work but I really wanted to get in on the "naughty" action.

I don't usually do inside sentiments, but this one will have one that says either "Get the Windex" or "Time for a big rain storm!"

True story: My ex-husband made the entire extended family wait an extra half hour one Thanksgiving while he meticulously polished all the car's windows until you couldn't see them. 10 minutes into the 2 hour drive we got the biggest, grossest bird poop EVER in the exact center of the driver's side windshield. I thought he might pop a blood vessel; he was so mad. Yes, we had to find a place to stop and repair the damage.