Stampin! with Jaydee

 Hi Everyone.  Happy Monday.  Hope you are all managing to stay warm! 

Before I share my card with you tonight, I wanted to say a huge thank you to the design team at Unscripted Sketches or choosing this card as one of the three favorites last week.  It was a very pleasant surprise when I went to get the sketch for this week and saw my card highlighted.  What a great way to start my stamping day!

Well, the sketch this week at Unscripted was another great sketch!  I sat with it for a little while deciding what I was going to do.  I then turned the sketch on it's head and immediately knew what I was going to do with it - and it was an entirely different direction than my initial thought :-)

Here's the sketch:

I had this idea to use Gorgeous Grunge, but then totally changed my mind and went with Rev Up the Fun instead.  I don't make anywhere near enough masculine cards, consequently this set doesn't quite get the love that it deserves!

I used the tire track stamp for the two horizontal images with some Soft Suede Ink and then stamped the bike and the sentiment in Archival Jet Black Ink.   I needed to find something instead of the flower elements in the sketch, so I took the mud stream stamp and used that with some Early Espresso Ink.  To add a little more dimension and interest, I took a cardboard arrow that had come in my latest SSS card kit and colored it using Early Espresso and added the around the beginning of the sentiment.

All that was left to do was add a little bit of gel pen to what would be the metal elements of the bike.  I'm sorry that my photo doesn't really show you that.  But, here's my take on the sketch:

Of course, I had to do something with the base layer, right? :-)  So, I took a Tim Holtz embossing folder and ran some Early Espresso card stock through my Big Shot.  Voila - instant metal plating underneath the focal image!   I adhered the whole top image to the card base using double sided tape.  Easy to put through the post and adds just a little dimension, without needing extra postage!

Now, you might see some specks on the card stock... that's because I used the Naturals Ivory card stock.  I love the fact that it has the little flecks in there, I thought it was the right thing to do with the focal image :-)

Don't forget to pop along to Unscripted Sketches and check out the fabulous design team cards and I know they would love it if you played along, too :-)

On a personal note:

Another freezing cold day here.  We are under a wind chill advisory - AGAIN.  It's getting down to about -18 air temp with wind chills down at around -35.  I know that many of you in the South are looking at snow, freezing rain and a terrible commute tomorrow.  So, stay safe everyone - and stay warm.

Firstly, thanks to Linda, Colleen and Rach for their prayers/positive thoughts on the issues at my work!  I really do appreciate it.

Chris - Yellow and black do go together like peanut butter and jelly.  I think Rach would agree with you, too!

Jeanne - you must have been reading my mind!  I had just left a message on Rach's blog about the fact that I was ready for Spring, when I saw your comment on my blog post last night!  You know that I love winter as much as you, but, right now, I can't wait for warmer temps!

I wanted to share a photo I took with my iphone today.   There were three woodpeckers all in a row on the tree - trying to avoid the wind.  Check this out:

If you look at the birds nest, you will see the first woodpecker just above that... then go a little higher and you will see the second.... a little higher.. you will see the third!   They are smart little things, that's for sure.

Then, I thought I would share a couple of photos of Charlie cat.  I still don't know why a 9# cat needs a nearly 10 foot couch all to himself!  But he defends that space as thought it was his castle!

And, if it wasn't enough that he "owns" the cushion.... he owns the entire couch, too

He is a cutie though :-)

And on that note, I will be back tomorrow with another card.  In the meantime, stay warm, keep safe and warm hugs and prayers for those of you who need a little lift tonight.

Hugs

Jaydee

Card recipe - all ingredients Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted:

• card stock:  Early Espresso, Naturals Ivory
• Stamps:  Rev Up the Fun
• Inks:  Soft Suede, Early Espresso.   Archival deep black (Ranger)
• Tools:  Big Shot.  Tim Holtz embossing folder