The TSA Touched my Owls (& a sneak peek!!)

Yeah, for the 856,432th time, my luggage was "randomly selected for hand inspection." Just like I get "randomly selected" for the biblical knowledge sessions in the glass box at the end of the conveyor belt.

I know you know I have owls. I know you want to paw them.

I feel thoroughly violated. Everything in my suitcase was randomly tossed around, in a totally different order, not safely stowed, blocked and protected as I had it. I'M A VIRGO DANG IT.

Why do they x-ray what goes on with us, but paw what goes underneath? Why don't they just x-ray all of it? Or if pawing is safer than x-raying, or x-raying is safer than pawing, how bout we do one or the other? I don't like the pawing, but I don't like the surprise of THE NOTE (play dramatic music in your head when you read that) in my suitcase either. And I don't typically let people who don't know me touch my owls!!!

I have thought about what I could do with the large stack of these TSA love notes. I'll have to do a Project Reanimate ditty about them.

Anyway, I think I have everything. And my Make & Takes are safe!

And I told you Maddie would like that Memento Mall Flamingo! She didn't even let me take the tag off!

Now, in all the excitement, I forgot to tell you about two very special people I met, in addition to Naomi (Sassy Laptop Girl). The first, at lunch on Day One - Janet Baker. If her name doesn't sound familiar to you, would it mean something if I told you she is DEMONSTRATOR #2!?!?!

That's right, the second demo ever, and also Shelli's aunt. She is a lovely woman, very successful, and obviously, she stamps for a living - she has a thriving business, and after twenty years, the same passion and enthusiasm the rest of us have. That was really cool.

Now, if you know anything about me, you know that I love a good laugh. I love people who make me laugh, and I especially love people who have infectious and frequent laughs.

Waiting in the lobby for my buds, I plopped down in a chair across from two stampers I didn't really get a good look at. But I kept hearing one of them laughing this bubbly, warm laugh and so I looked. And dang it if it wasn't Patty Bennett! I love her, and I'm sure you do too - she is the woman who does magical things with her Big Shot and shares the most incredible tutorials. Well, she is just as charming and sweet in real life, and is so patient and generous with her time answering my frequently stupid policy questions :). So it was a real pleasure to meet her.

Of course, it's a pleasure to meet everyone at these things. What nice people they are.

Okay - you've waited long enough for your peek. This is the new Rustic Rooster Level 2 Hostess Set. I love this style of set and always miss my roosters when they retire!This is a Basic Grey card base, cut the long way. I stamped the French background stamp in the set in White Craft ink.

I stamped the Rooster in black on Basic Grey and then colored it with red, orange, mustard, green and white Stampin' Up! Watercolor pencils. I did the white as an afterthought, and I think it really makes the colored section pop a little more. It also gives it a chalkboard look which I think is cool.

Then I took the Candy Lane DSP from the Love You Much bundle and here's what I did. I put the cut piece with the rooster on it down onto the DSP until it was framed with the dots the way I wanted it. If I'd cut the DSP first, the dots wouldn't have symmetrically surrounded it. Then I put it in the trimmer and carefully cut it where I wanted the patterns to be.
I love that rope from the holiday mini, so I tied that on. It's very thick though, so I doubled up on my dimensionals to mount the focal piece. To do this, just adhere your first dimensional, take the paper off, stick the second one down and you're all set. You could do three - however many you need. I just used two so that I could clear the rope on the front of the card.

I hope you're having a great lazy Sunday. I need to get organized, get my toes done, go to the gym and hopefully sleep. I'd settle for getting just two of those crossed off the list!!


Have you signed up for the UBlue Cyber Club? Attended one of my Webinars?? Come on - get your geek on! :)