Good morning! Have you ever had one of those days, or weeks, that you just couldn’t get anything done? I’ve had a week like that in a way. I have gotten outside and worked in the yard. The flower bed needed a good weeding, hostas needed replanting and the back needed some trimming. Wednesday afternoon I had some errands to attend to and it was late when I finally settled down. I did get some new rubber. However, I’m not at liberty to upload any of the cards that I’ve made with it. You’ll have to wait to see those. Yesterday morning my phone started ringing at 8:30 a.m., and didn’t quit until noon. That’s when it started raining and my mother called wanting to know if I was going to Home Depot. Now this was the second call from her that morning about Home Depot and flowers in their Wednesday advertisement. Being the good daughter that I am, I got dressed and went to pick up mom. We did go to Home Depot where I bought all the baskets I needed for the year and mom picked up only one. Of course, it was now 1:00 and time for breakfast/lunch/dinner. I say that, because when you have lunch with mom, it’s always breakfast and most times it’s the only meal you eat for the day. Needless to say, I got home at 3:00 and proceeded to answer more emails and more phone calls. What a day – I finally got into the stamp room around 8:00 last night and did manage to get this week’s SCS Sketch Challenge done and another new image colored.

To change the subject a bit, some of you have emailed me about my trigger finger. It’s still acting up and actually getting a little worse. I noticed this past week that my little finger on the same hand is actually numb now. I at first thought it was caused by the way I do some of my distressing techniques, which is why you haven’t seen any heavily distressed designs from me lately. I’m now thinking that it is something else. A number of years ago, I separated my right shoulder. Yes, I was acting goofy but it wasn’t intentional. I was in charge of a Fall Festival at my girls’ elementary school, and I was sitting on the uneven bars while we were discussing the haunted house. When I swung off, my body went forward but my right arm stayed behind me and I heard a pop. I ended up the emergency room, while my husband went up to school and handled last minute details for me. I finally made it back to the school at the end of the festival but wasn’t able to help with much. Anyhoo, my right shoulder always pops. When I do a swimmer’s arm to loosen up, my shoulder pops. It isn’t popping and I have a knot on the top. I’m beginning to think that I might have a pinched nerve in my shoulder that is causing the trouble with my hand. I will be making phone calls today to the various doctors to make some appointments.

Well now that I’ve babbled a blue streak and some info I’m sure you truly aren’t interested in, let’s talk stamping. This is the card that I have finally gotten done for this week’s SCS Sketch Challenge.

I colored the pirate image with Copic Markers, and then cut it out using Circle Nestabilities. The main background panel is Basic Gray that I stamped the Big Paisley on using black ink. The card needed a little pop so to bring in more of the red from the pirate, I stamped the same Big Paisley in red on red. I drew a few doodles, and used the Inkssentials White Opaque Pen to make the white dots.

Stamps: Simply Single Pirate, Ahoy Matey and Big Paisley from Lizzie Anne Designs

Paper: Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, SU Real Red, Basic Gray and Basic Black

Ink: Ranger Adirondack Pitch Black and Archival Jet Black; SU Real Red

Accessories: Copic Markers, Spellbinders Circle Nestabilities; Ranger Inkssentials White Opaque Pen; Pilot Black Gel Pen; Ribbon; Mounting Tape

I hope y’all have a great day and I’ll catch ya later!