Stained Klutz

Here I am keeping to my new year's resolution of being loyal to some of my favorite challenge blogs! I do admit got a little nervous when I saw it was technique week at JUGs!

So several attempts, a pile of used baby-wipes, seven stained fingers later I came up with this Valentine Day card. I rarely make a card that doesn't have a design paper background....note to self: work surface and finger tips MUST be clean to pull this off!!! About the technique...I still haven't mastered either version but I got LOTS of practice trying! I am a klutz when it comes to this die cut edge inking! So this was way out of my comfort bubble - no back ground paper, stamping the sentiment directly on the card, and inking the edge....it all put ME on the edge!

At least I had running water to clean up the ink mess and stained fingers. The university that I work at has been without water all day...imagine 500 residential students with no running water! Last report, after back hoes had dug 4 enormous holes with still no idea of where the water main leak is. No water also means no heat (steam heat). So with the kindness of neighboring stores allowing access to bathrooms, the YMCA opening up for showers...the 'kids' spent most of the day in the academic building - the only building on campus with heat. Outdoor port-a-potties were brought up to campus ....but REALLY...the temperature was not even in the double digits....can you imagine...??? Tonight students will be sleeping at a middle school on cots provided by the Red Cross. There are no classes tomorrow so students who went home for the weekend - have an extra day back home. I have four students at my house. They are downstairs laughing, giggling, watching movies, eating snacks and doing their laundry. The first thing they did was make fresh guacamole!

Me? I'm going to bed. I had a rough day with the finger staining card making do-over-mulligan-try-it-again-you-can-do-this valentine card!

Oh and a weather update from here in the midwestern tundra...tomorrow's high temperature is predicted to be a whopping  12 degrees ABOVE zero!! Double digits! Both of them above zero! Whoooooottt Whoooot!!!!!  Have a spare 23 seconds? Watch this video - this little guy cuts right to the chase!

Heart Hugs
~Base card - white card stock
~Sentiment Taylored Expressions (this is actually two sentiments "Big Hugs" and "Sending you love" I masked off the 'love'...ask long as my fingers were stained red anyway - what's a little more skin smudge!) I can't seem to pull off inked masking tape with out a mess on my fingers. As I share all this I realize what a KLUTZ I am!
~Image stamp by Taylored Expressions colored with Copics, highlighted with Smooch and Stickles
~Heart punch with red card stock
~Horizontal stripe of red card stock and Ki Wild Berry design paper
~Paper banner tab upper left corner with heart/flower sticker
~Spellbinders scallop circle - please note the INKED EDGE!!!
Challenges/Inspiration
Just Us Girls - technique
Ladybug Crafts Ink - the one I love
The Sweetest Thing - sketch
Addicted to Stamps - hearts
Gem of a Challenge - heart

Water, stained fingers, and avocados,
Nancy in Iowa