Popcorn, Bagels, and Ink

The countdown continues. RAGBRAI, the 500 mile trek across the state of Iowa, festivities start tomorrow. My 'stranger' guests, from Colorado and Arizona, arrive tomorrow afternoon. Nine people I've never met. All staying at my home. I ask again...What Was I THINKING when I volunteered for this gig?

The house is clean! Don't tell anyone but I cleaned more for these 9 cycling strangers than I do when family is coming to visit! At least I don't have to cook for them...that would be a very UN-welcoming thing to do. I did buy two LARGE bags of pre-popped popcorn from the local popper - Jolly Time Popcorn. And I have bagel's ordered from Panera's for pick-up tomorrow. Nothing like loading up cyclists on carbs and fiber!

My son verbalized some concerns about having total strangers spending the night. I said, "Eric, I don't think serial killers travel on bicycles and if they are here to "burgle" they will be sadly disappointed. I don't think daughter Amy was all that surprised that I volunteered our home. She understands my OCV (obsessive compulsive volunteering) 'syndrome'. My husband takes it in stride knowing all too well that when I say, "sure, WE can do that" it will somehow involve toil and patience on his part.

Last year I volunteered to let the new football coach live in our downstairs bedroom for 5 months as he awaited the move of his family from out of state. I don't know why...I just VOLUNTEER. Trust me, it's not that I'm all that NICE...I have a snarky streak. Volunteering is just something that I do. I actually remember my first time volunteering. I was in grade school and told the nuns I would volunteer to iron altar clothes for them. Again I say...WHAT was I THINKING????? (There is more to this story...but I must get on to the card and then off to bed at a reasonable time.)

Even with my hands crackly dry from all the Clorax products I've used and the Swiss cheese holes in my cerebrum from all the cleaning fumes I've inhaled I managed to get one card created. As I was cleaning and fantasizing about spending time in my Bubble I was thinking that the two classes I would most like to take would be on the subjects of Copics and creating shabby chic/vintage cards. I love shabby chic and vintage cards. I just don't have what it takes to pull it off...maybe I need more 'stuff'...hmmmmmmmmm. Maybe THAT's it...

Inked Greetings~Base card - PaperTrey Ink classic white
~Layer of grey cardstock
~Layer of BasicGrey Manila Paper Pad - stamped over using Stampin' Up Weathered bacground stamp and Versa Color Sand Beige , I smudge the edges of the design paper - which looks like lined school paper - using Memento London Fog~Grey paper frame with black eyelets in corners
~Note card front (image of ink bottle and quill)
~Doily (smudged) with center removed
~Three paper punch flowers (one white, two cream) with chipboard painted flower centers
~Crinkled Cardstock Flowers (tutorial on SplitcoastStampers) using Core'dinations Hocus Pocus for the outer layer and the second layer was the center of the doily that I cut out and distressed and flecked with India Ink, then stacked one white button, one black button, and tied using cream color DMC floss
~All distressing and smudging using Distress Inks Antique Linen and Memento London Fog, I added titanium white acrylic in some areas of the doily.
ChallengePlay Date Cafe - use black, white, cream, and grey
Stampin' B - use a background stamp
Setting my alarm early for final preparations. Also have a wedding to squeeze into the day. Busy, busy, busy.
All good wishes,
Nancy