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ATC fun to the max :)

This last month ran away from like none other! I hope Karla can forgive me for sending my ATC to her soooo late!!
Not sure about you stampers, but not only do I need to have time to be paper crafty, it also has to be the right time, or better, the right mind set for me. If I’m frazzled by something or nervous, forget it, all I produce is, well lets say a waste of ink!

Here is the gorgeous ATC that I received from Karla last month, so much texture! Love that big butterfly, so shiny and glitzy. The theme for the MWS swap was vacation destinations and/or embossing.

from Karla

In return, I played some with stamps from Marks Finest Papers and the Faux Washi technique from the last TJ newsletter:

black cat ATC

For this month’s swap the theme was fibers and/or cats. Well, those two themes really go well together, especially with that crazy cat from Inkastamps (then Scrollsworks Rubberstamps, now retired) and that ever so funny sentiment from Mark’s Finest Papers:

crazy cat ATC

hope Sharon likes this one, my cats did approve ;)

Some ATC fun

Tell you what, time flies when you’re having fun with kittens :)
and assorted “I can’t believe this is happening” life’s treasures…… mixed in with that.

Here are my ATCs for the May and June swap of MidWestStampers. May used DRS designs stamps and I think the theme was rhinestones:

butterfly ATC

It did look better IRL, not sure why I could not take a decent picture. Some raffia was used for the butterfly body, which is a ribbon tie stamp!

For June the theme was 3 layers and/or butterflies. I used two different designer papers, stamped on those and assembled, stamped sentiment across and clear embossed, and, of course… some raffia as a plant. These stamps are from Mark’s Finest Papers:

marks finest papers ATC

And I swear I didn’t mean to round corners on BOTH! That’s what you get when you don’t clean up your toys from one month to the next LOL….

babies have arrived, fasten your seat belts!

Benedict and Chloe, sitting in a tree….
For comparison, notice how huge Hamlet looks, and he is a rather small cat :)

Introductions went very well as long as everybody pretty much ignored the cats, didn’t TOUCH the cats, good time to shower the dog with love and cuddles!

Had some checking out the digs, a few little growls, no hisses, lots of sniffing, playing with new toys, checking out the litter boxes, finding the food station, all was well. And then?

OMG its a monster!! (the dog…)

SERIOUSLY!!!!

funny cats

This is totally exhausting. Benedict promptly passed out, Chloe has to stay awake to protect him…

invasion of the catnip mice :)

So easy to knit, so much fun for the felines!!

catnip mice

Knit from leftover wool, cotton and alpaca, these mice are filled with some fiberfill and catnip. The tail is securely braided, the eyes and whiskers are knotted firmly so that nothing can come off and get swallowed. Give this to your cat and in about 5 minutes the whole thing looks like something the dog barfed up, with a tail…. but the play factor stays the same for the cats, even if it looks yucky to us ;)

Want to make your own? Follow the fabulous pattern of Wendy D. Johnson.

quickie!

Yesterday I had to wait by the phone for a call, got the call many hours later, still failed the electrical inspection (water heater) for the old house, ugh….
But anyway, I had some good time to make these little earrings:

Yin Yang earrings

What a fun project. The super pattern is from my favorite bead designer “Dragon” of BeadPatterns.Com. Must make those dragons ;)

meet Thurlow :)

Here is the brother afghan to the ladybug sister afghan that I made a little while ago:

thurlow afghan

Not easy to photograph, he is bigger than the ladybug I think and it was way too windy outside to hang him up over the porch banister. The eyes are neat and 3-dimensional. A very fun crochet kit from Herrschners. Easy care too!
I hope the little boy will have fun with this, his sister sure loves her ladybug!

thurlow

What’s on your mantle? or .. so hop!

The MidWestStamper’s ATC Bunny swap (hosted by Lorian B.) has hopped into my mailbox. Oh so cute, what amazing cards :) Most everybody did a lot of cutting on these, well at least the cards that I received. Here they are in no particular sequence:

pauline

sandra

karla

joy

judi

barb

lorian

candy

I got an extra beauty from my friend Karla in the mail, adding this here as well :)

Karla

And these are the ones that I sent:

etha

Well Happy Easter to you! The sun is out and the yard is calling :)
I just hope that this year the bunnies and I can agree on WHO will be eating my green beans!