Happy Birthday to EVERYONE :)

Well - the fact of the matter is that today is my birthday.

I'm 30.

I'm also a liar.

I definitely am 30 multiplied by X, which you will not be able to solve for because I refuse to give you Y. Take that, algebra!

ANYWAY, because it's my birthday, I am celebrating with some friends who are also having a birthday this month - Greg & Angie at Concord & 9th.

Greg and Angie are unbelievably great people, which is the first thing you need to know about them before we even talk about crafting. They are just sweet, fun, nice, hardworking, funny and kind people. Those are the kind of people I like spending my hard-earned dollars with.

Crafting is a complete luxury, and I don't know anyone with an unlimited craft budget, so HOW we spend our crafty dollars is important. And the nice factor influences me heavily, and it's why I'm a huge fan of these two people and their business.

They are celebrating a super important birthday this month - August 9th is their first birthday.

In some ways I can't believe it's only been a year, because they have been so successful and it seems like such a mature company.

In others, it seems like it's flown by in a blur since their first release.

I'm very happy they are part of the crafty industry and I'm grateful to call them friends.


I had a hard time picking what to use for their birthday card today, but a Dare to Get Dirty Challenge on Splitcoast inspired me, and so I chose the Blossom Bundle, because I feel like it best represents their style.

What's funny about what I did though is that this because a sort of never-ending card, because I was doing die-cut inlay with two different materials - one was white cardstock, and the other was watercolor paper I did washes on with my Mijello Mission Gold watercolor.

So what that means, is that on the first pass through the Big Shot, you already have two cards' worth of stuff - an outline and the insides. But then you have to cut a second set so that you can replace either the innards or the outards. Well now you have the stuff to make FOUR cards with.

And on and on like die-cut inlay is the papercrafting equivalent of sourdough starter!

However I had to stop after three cards because I saw a squirrel or something. But here are the first three.

On this first one, I built a background with their Stripe Builder set and Smoky Slate Ink - just overlapping it in my MISTI. I thought the grey would be a nice contrast to me eye-popping Opera Pink watercolor. Then I put the white die-cut outline down, and pieced the watercolor pieces back in with the help of Press-n-Seal. Then I added some clear mini dewdrops - I don't remember where I got them! (Note - as you age, remember to write notes. You'll thank me when YOU turn 30.)

So here's how card #1 came out. I really loved the warm vs. cool.

Then, to use up the inside pieces from the white die cut, I pieced them back into the piece I'd cut the watercolor bits from.

But because I just put the white inside pieces back in, that meant I still had a watercolor outline to use. So that birthed card #3. But now I had to cut a second white one, because the watercolor outline looked better with white pieces pieced back into the outline!

Blossom Bundle	Stripe Builder Set	Mijello Mission Gold	Silver Brush - Black Velvet #2	Smoky Slate Ink	Whisper White Thick Cardstock	Basic Gray Cardstock
Versafine Onyx Black	Versafine Onyx Black Refill	MISTI Stamping Tool	Big Shot Die Cutting & Embossing Machine	Press 'n Seal

InLinkz.com

But at some point you have to stop and get dressed and do your laundry and all those adulting things that don't care if you've created a never-ending card process. Jerky adulting things! Funsquashers!

So anyway - happy birthday to my friends at Concord & 9th! And for MY birthday, they are nice enough to let me give away a $20 gift certificate to their store. And since it's MY giveaway, I get to ask you to do something.

So since I am constantly walking and listen to several books a week on Audible, I'm always running out of good audiobook selections. So in order to be entered in my giveaway, I want you to comment with a book that you just love. Please let me know when you comment if it's an audiobook and if you recommend the recording, but paper book recommendations are welcome too!

One lucky winner will get the shopping spree and I'll announce the winner next week!

And if you want to see the rest of their birthday hoppers, each one has a gift certificate to give away too, so enjoy the list here!


I look forward to seeing your books! I'm off to have bacon and see the new Star Trek movie!

Loveyameanitbye.