Marriage a la TV

Does anyone else watch "The Marriage Ref"?  I watch already aired shows on demand and find it both fascinating and funny.  I don't watch all the much reality television with the exception of cooking shows, decorating shows, craft shows (when  I can find them--they have gotten scarce) and marathons of "Project Runway" (I guess I watch more than I thought!).  I suppose I like the absurdity of this show.  Three disparate celebrities (as we all know celebrities are well known for their solid and healthy relationships) discussing and judging quirky issues married couples have (like a wife keeping the prosthetic leg of her deceased husband in the closet she shares with her current husband or a husband stuffing his beloved dog and placing him in a shrine built in their house to his wife's horror) whilst sparks fly between the couples, celebrities and ref.  Good wholesome fun! 

Now onto something completely unrelated!  Here is a birthday card I made for a cousin of mine.  The butterfly by Unity Stamp Company (from one of the kit of the months--great deal) I had left over from ATC's I made that month and was the beginning piece of the card. 

Bright Butterfly Card
Supplies:
Stamps: Butterfly (from KOM-9: Friendship. Love. Miracles set), Unity Stamp Company and Flower (from Botanical Blooms set), Stampin' Up!
Cardstock: White, Georgia-Pacific; Crushed Curry, Stampin' Up!
Ink: Black, Marvy Matchables; Walnut Stain, Tim Holtz Distress Ink by Ranger Industries
Sprays/Color Washes; Mango Lemonade, Memory Mists; Terra Cotta, Tim Holtz Color Wash by Ranger Industries
Border Punch: Postage Stamp, EK Success
Paint: Metallic Pearl White, Folk Art by Plaid

Other: Clear Embossing Powder, Ranger Industries; Notch Decorative Scissor, Fiskars; Ribbon; Manilla Tag; Seguin Remnant

Happy Friday

Happy, happy Friday!  Fridays are a favorite day of mine having been born on a Friday and since it marks the end of the work week and the beginning of the weekend.  Who doesn't love their days off work though?   I adore being able to sleep in (or at least linger in bed for a while), stay in my pajamas (Isn't "pajamas" an intriguing word?  Where did it originate?  I like the sound of it) longer than I should, watching morning cooking shows, reading a book if I like, blog-jumping...just having the freedom to use my time how I decide.  What are your favorite bits of the weekend or the days you have off?

Anyway, I thought I would continue on with the Kenner Road stamp theme (by the way, make sure to check out Kenner Road's gallery and blog as the design team is excellent).  I love this sweet polka dot bird.  I decided to paper piece the wing.  In all I was pleased with how this card turned out. 

I don't think the luscious metallic green color comes across very well in the picture.  I have been painting cardstock for ages now.  When on a budget (or even not) there is nothing better than being able to easily and inexpensively alter that plain white cardstock we all have easily.  I have found that the metallic craft acrylic paints have the best feel on paper...they feel smooth and the paper is still very flexible while other craft acrylic paints can make the paper feel almost chalky and brittle.  Perhaps a coat of gesso before the craft acrylic paint would alleviate this issue.  I also believe that higher quality acrylic paints like Golden would make the paper feel more like the metallic variety than the craft acrylic paint.

The other stamps I used were from Unity Stamp Company.  I have many of their Kits of the Month which are great deals and full of really cute stamps.  The frame stamp is fantastic and comes from the November 2008 Kit of the Month.

Happy creating!

Happy Bird Birthday Card

Supplies:

Stamps: Bird, Kenner Road; Frame (from the enjoy YOUR STORY...laugh set) and Happy Days Are Here Again Happy Birthday (from the Fresh Beginnings set), Unity Stamp Company

Inks: Dark Chocolate and Raspberry Fizz, Papertrey Ink

Cardstock: White, Georgia-Pacific; Kraft, Papertrey Ink

Patterned Paper: Spring Silhouettes Designer Series Paper, Stampin' Up!

Acrylic Paint: Metallic Peridot, Folk Art (Plaid)

Embossing Folder: Swirls, Cuttlebug

Border Punch: Scallop Dot, Martha Stewart

Other: Crop-A-Dile Corner Chomper, We R Memory Keepers; Pink Colored Pencil; Foam Dimensional Mounts