just a hundred or so....

There I am, teeny tiny hair and all, making up Christmas cards and talking up a storm.
I spent an entire week at my daughters house over Thanksgiving weekend and enjoyed every moment. Will never forget this time together.

My daughter designed these Christmas cards last year. Her inspiration came from Tim Holtz's 12 days of Christmas tags. We have been planning this out for basically the whole year. We forgot to plan in that I would be unable to lift my arms up and that she would have her gall bladder removed the Tuesday before...great planning.
Ahhh, it all worked out in the end and we really had a marvelous time. Nothing better than wearing jammies and making girly jokes while creating. Life is marvelous!!

as always, ENJOY! Linda aka Oz

Wow is it dusty in here.....

Oh my goodness, I can't believe it has been so long since I posted anything on here. I know I have been a little busy and a few things in my life have been distracting to say the least.. but shame on me for not keeping this little bit of fun up and going.
Whata ya say we give it the old college try and pump some life back into it.

Enjoy, the Oz

Beastly Butterfly

Well Barb has done it again..... how the heck do you make a butterfly Dark, dangerous and beastly? My answer was to have him threaten somebody. That is a beastly thing to do, don't ya think!
My high flying female, who is about to be dropped in this field of deadly shrink-ray violets, is from Scroll Works Rubber Stamps. If you haven't visited this site yet, you too may find yourself dangling above a dangerous situation!

I do hope you find a little beastyness to my butterfly and I hope you check out all the other fantastically beasty flutters at Haunted Design House.

till next time, ENJOY! Linda

that voodoo that yoodoo so well.....

My sister Paula and I worked side by side in my little shrinky dink craft space and whipped up this creation for the current Haunted Design House challenge. Barb is testing our voodoo knowledge this week. Her instructions were as follows: Images and/or sentiments of the voodoo persuasion. Witch doctors, medicine men, deep south voodoo...

The first thing I thought about was women all dressed in white dancing and gyrating the night away. Stimulating and stirring up the blood. The second thing was a small table in the corner of the room covered in bottles, bowls, candles and chicken bones. Dried ingredients mixed to conger up the perfect spirits to protect your home. A blessing or two mixed in among a spell cast on that darling man who passes out the hymnals on Sunday. Nothing bad, just a nudge my direction.

My sister, Paula, had also thought of the shrine(although after I did) and so suggested me make it together. What fun!! I love crafting together! We will labor and work away making "MY" entry into Barb's weekly challenge.... whoo HOOo!
Now remember this is MY craft room, MY paper, ink, stamps, scissors and most tools!! Basically even MY idea!!!! So do you agree it should be my entry??
I even have the law on my side... Possession is 9/10th of the law...RIGHT!!

So when you stop by Haunted Design House to check out all the marvelous entries this week just remember, that one that looks like my card.... IS MY CARD!!

till next time, ENJOY! the Oz

oh UP-DATE UP-DATE!! go here and see what Paula is saying about MY card now!

cheer up!

Hello everyone! Hugs from the Oz. A quick up-date: I am still struggling with energy levels and clarity of thought. I tend to get very foggy and forgetful when the oxygen levels are low..... go figure! All these years of being an air head are not paying off.... hehe. Thank you so much for the continued love and support that I keep receiving. I know I am not around much but I will be as soon as I can. I PROMISE! I miss you all way to much not to be.
I also have a "beg for understanding" to ask. At first I was trying to send back thank you notes and such for all the lovely cards but I find myself strapped for funds. With the missing work and mounting doctor's bills. PLEASE, do not send me money, I am not asking for that. I do ask that you understand I really appreciate the cards, letters, emails and hugs, I just can't mail a lot of stuff right now. This is my problem with pride more than anything and I now that I have faced it, I will send more thank yous with email.

I started this project with blank cs and stamped tons of HA stamps on them to decorate them up. I used chalk ink for tone on tone colors. I have been wanting to make one of the little pennant banners for a couple of weeks now but I didn't envision making one quite this small...hehe

Please enjoy! Linda aka Oz

I found the work of illustrator Travis Louis and just had to share. Some amazing work here.

till next time, Enjoy the Oz

divas and zombies and paperdolls ... OH MY!

Once again the High Priestess Barbella (I bet that brings out a comment!)at Haunted Design House has tossed down her gauntlet like black lace glove. Those of us who could bend over (toss it on a table next time... please), rose to the challenge of creating a:

Walking Dead Divas

You are to create a dark, Gothic, or Halloween page, project or card using images/sentiments of o-so-girly zombies!! Blingy, pink, flowery (or not)... let's see those ladies of the day & night...
uh... I meant that in a totally non-hooker type of way ;)

So let me introduce you to my Zombie Zelda paper drool, I mean paper doll. She comes with 2 extra outfits and tons of accessorized body parts.

till next time, ENJOY the Oz

whirlwind...

that is how my life is going right now, completely out of focus.

I am like this great big momma hen trying to get all my chicks back under my wings and just about the time I think I have them all tucked and filed away neatly I find that 2 or 3 have escaped and another is ready to pop out! Arrrgghhhh!! I am so not a chaos person. I like my schedules. I like my boring little life to be practically the same week after week! I like knowing what I am going to be doing in two weeks so that I can plan a little about how it will happen.

Please dear goddess all of things right and whole, put my life back on it little rusty track and let me ramble on.

My life now includes emphysema. What this appears at the moment to mean, is that I will never again not be short of breath. Ok, I can deal with that right. I now have a good excuse for not training for a 20k marathon. simple... right. No, apparently it means more than that. I don't have all the facts yet, but I will. I hope.

What I really need now is to know that this is it. This is wear it stops. This needs to be what I have and no more, "well we thought it was.........but now we think it is...." What has happened to me is I have gone from allergies, to worse than usual allergies... ummm.. to bronchial inflammation to congestive heart failure to ... (please be the last) emphysema. This has been in the last 6 weeks.

If anyone out there in blogland has the magical ability to make this dervish I currently am calling my life stop spinning... I beg of you.. please. Pretty please.

I know deep down in the dusty logical parts of my brain that I am still extremely lucky and should just be thankful I wake up above ground. Look at me for heavens sake.. I have and am typing on a computer and having it go out over the entire planet! I do know this ... somewhere, deep down there..... I just need a a tiny bit of focus to bring it back to the forefront.

Ramble, ramble... vent. Ok... done.

On with the show!

till next time, the Oz

photo credit: Églantine on flickr

Journey box

Last weeks challenge at Haunted Design House was titled "Freakin Free For All!". Now doesn't that sound fun? And I am sure it would have been had I played along. But nooooo !!! I choose to lay around the house, gasp for air and whine about being tired. I tell ya it is all about the choices we make.
This week the challenge is Grim gift boxes that had a least one flower. Although this is not to terribly dark or grim, IT IS FINISHED!!!!
I am very please with this flower. This is made from 3 different dollar store flowers that I have torn apart. The flowers started out as red, pink and bright white. I used walnut ink antiquing spray, Color box chalk ink and Perfect pearls in water to accomplish this. Each layer is stamped, sprayed, inked, mussed and fussed to perfection.

I am now going to head off to lay down again, sorry but I am just so darn weak these days.

till next time, the Oz

funny bunny

What do you call a desk full of bunny cards? According to Barb at Stamp It Crazy, that would be "challenge".

I have made these fun bunny shaped cards several times over that last few years and enjoyed them every time. They just come to life while you are working on them. Before you know it, you have cards hopping all over the place! .... but then there is those little unexplained raisins.....


Enjoy! till next time, the Oz

Somber Shakespeare

Do you realize how often we use a Shakespearean quote without realizing it? Neither do I, but it is often!
This week on Haunted Design House, Barb challenged us to use a quote from the Bard in a dark and mysterious way. I believe abuse of power is the darkest of the dark arts.
The background was achieved by spritzing water on Ranger's Distress ink. The trick is that the cs has a glossy surface.

till next time, Enjoy! the Oz

Yes, she is sinister!

If you don't think that sweet tiny little cat with those beautiful piercing blue eyes is not sinister, try living with her! I dare ya! Oh sure she looks all lovely dovey and cute. Oh sure she rubs her body and wraps her soft little tail around your leg while uttering those soft sweet sounding little meows. Sure she will even suck you in with her soft little purr while she nudges her face under your chin. Sure she does all these wonderful little things... while she is plotting her next attack on your ankle! OR WORSE!

Just how sweet would you think she is when she jumps up on your lap and drops a HALF dead mouse in your hand? Uh.. you still going "ahwwww isn't she cute"?

Well let me tell you, I love her and don't wanna be without her in my life right now but she is not the princess that she professes to be. But maybe part of her preciousness is the fact that she does profess to be a princess(a princess of the highest order in fact). So yes she is sinister and very precoioucs but so damn darling!!!

Haunted Design House

Till next time, the Oz

hold still dolly....

or spanky spanky....

I do have a soft gooey center. I just could not make this any darker...

I will have another go at it. Maybe watch a scary movie first.

till next time, ENJOY! the Oz

to little.... too late....

I was admiring (translates to pilfering) my mom's rubber stamp stash and came across this tiny little naked doll. I do so love dolls. And if you were ever a doll person you know that most dolls do spend a lot of naked time between outfits. Some dolls seem to spend most of their life naked.
I was so drawn to this lovely little image of this bisque type doll, I just knew I had to use it.

so that is the "to little..." part. Now on to "the so darn late on everything" part.....

Barb at Stamp It Crazy chose Favorite Song for her challenge last week. I was going to put this card up for "Sweet Child of Mine" by Guns and Roses but between work and that boring old need of sleep did not get it posted in time. Miss #1.

Barb at Haunted Design House did the theme of Devilish or little devil... not an exact quote... but close. I wanted to finish this card and thought I could change her up just a bit to fit the theme. It turns out that today is Spring Ahead day and Barb lives in some other time zone... Miss #2.

Like a brilliant flash of an old friend... memory... I thought of another challenge it would fit and while it would have fit perfectly.... that challenge closed last Thursday... Strike OUT!


So while I love this little card, even with the smudgy dolly arm, she will not be out there in Challenge world for all to peruse. She will stay here in my little blogland planet answering the life long question.... "What in the devil are you up to child?"

"Nothing Mommy, just playing dolly."

till next time, Enjoy. the Oz

stuck inside ...

but not pouting about it! And why you say? Well because I have a ton of product just waiting to get used up in the best possible way. Ahhhhh my kind of heaven! Time and craft crap!!!!!

Yesterday was a beautifully sunny day, I know that because I could see it through the window. Today is a beautifully hazy gray day and once again I know because I can see it through a window... but this is my craft room window and that makes all the difference in the world!

That little quivery shaking feeling that had you a bit worried that perhaps it was an earthquake... no need to worry. Is just me Happy Dancing !!!

till next time, ENJOY!! I am.. the Oz

do you remember...

a time when all of life seemed to be a series of unanswered questions. Teen angst is the challenge theme on Haunted Design House.

All I could think of was confusion, anger, pain and more confusion. I don't think that was the best decade of my life.

till next time, ENJOY! the Oz

pat on the back

My blogland friend Barb from Haunted Design House also sells "The Angel Company" products. She was just promoted to a Team Leader! To celebrate this awesome promotion, she is offering up some blog candy. All you have to do is leave a comment! Easy peasy!

Check out what we call her normal blog here: fosterdesignhouse

I am on the CASE

Anne's blog is inspiring as-is, what an amazing photographer! But now she challenges us to C.A.S.E. one of her cards. CASE stands for “Copy And Selectively Edit” or “Copy And Steal Everything”. I prefer the old standard... "make it your own!"

I went over Anne's photostream, what a pleasure, I encourage you to spend a little time there too. Anyway, while I was there I noticed that Anne likes to make up the backgrounds with Distress ink as much as I do. Ah Ha!! Inspiration hits .... this will be a easy peasy one!

So I sat down to "whip" out a card for this challenge. Did my email. Wrote up my grocery list. Played with the cat. She always knows when to do a "rub by". Well, what's for lunch?

So that didn't work out very well. But when I did sit down later and I picked up this new butterfly stamp to put it away and remembered that my last card for Anne had butterflies on it. I brought that pic up and next thing I knew I was stamping and clipping and sponcing away.

Inspiration is a funny thing. It comes in waves, sometimes tidal, some times lapping at your toes. It recedes away but it comes back. You just have to remember to enjoy the times in between too.

Thank you Anne, for inspiring me, for sharing your marvelous photographs... for being you.

till next time, ENJOY! the Oz

well some of us have to look the same...

or there would never be a crowd to "Stand Out" of.

Grandma Barb, at Stamp It Crazy, challenge this week is... wait for it... wait.... COWS!

What do you mean you guessed it already?

Well anyway, I made up this card with what turns out to be the only cow stamp I own. But as luck would have it, that is about to change. Grandma Barb is giving out a cow stamp to everyone that enters. Yep you heard it here first... that is unless you already knew. So then you heard it here again!

So I ask you, what is more fun that cow tippin?... why that would be COW STAMPIN!! Break out your COWs ladies, get a card made and entered! You have until the 6th of March to enter.

I double cow dare ya!

till next time, ENJOY! the Oz

Olá Blogland Friends and Family

Now you know how to greet people in Portuguese!

If you have a Flickr photostream you will recognize this opening. Everyday a new greeting in a different language. My fave is OH HAI! that is hello in lolcat speak... hehe

If you are not familiar with that language, you are missing out on some of the most precious pet pictures ever! Go to http://www.icanhascheezburger.com/ and take some tissue as you will laugh till you have tears running down your checks. I promise!

Now for what I really came to talk about. Flickr. I joined Flickr as a way to share photos with my Oregon Country Fair family. I never imagined I would be using it on a daily basis. Just a once a year post of some pics I took so that others could grab them easily.

Oh silly me!

Then Jennifer McGuire came into my life. Most of you reading this know who she is, in fact I would bet all of you reading this do! When I became a fan of hers, she introduced me to the "lovely ladies on Flickr" I believe that to be a direct quote. After about the third or so time she linked to them, I decided to check it out closer.

Just what was this group all about. OMG!!!! Not only did they post pictures of the cards and projects they made but... and this is the biggest BUT of all... they left comments and supported each other.

They were like little mini "I UNDERSTAND" from all over the world!

I had to be a part of this. My heart, my head, even my stomach ached to be part of this network of fellow crafters that not only understood why we do what we do but wanted to encourage others to share and understand too. So many places were limited to just one style of crafting. Some, actually most, were limited to a very "advanced" group. Alot of places I had seen were only welcoming "ARTists". Crafters were ... well lets just leave it at ... unwelcome.

Now I know this is just one group of many on Flickr. In fact, this is the Hero Arts group on Flickr and Hero Arts is a wonderful company on it own. But there is something magical about this particular group. Some little spark that I have not found in any other group.

I was made to feel welcome the very first day and still feel that way every time I go there. I have not once witnessed anyone being anything but encouraged and praised for their work, time and effort.

I am proud to be a "Crafter" and I am so very proud to be part of this Flickr group.

Thank you to my Flickr friends and family. You make my life better, easier and so much more ENJOYable!

See ya round the pool, Linda aka Oz

Winner winner chicken salad..

or something like that... I don't pay enough attention to somethings. What I did pay attention to was the names that said they would like to have the embellishments I made last weekend. And the name pulled out of the hat (well actually a cereal bowl) was.... BLACKDRAGON! whoo hoo!

This is what she won....


and all I need now to make this happen is a address. Congrats Lynx.

till next time! Enjoy, the Oz

my little home

and me are such good buddies. I have managed to get my shrinky dink craft space organized enough that I can work in it anytime day or night. My kitchen is actually set up enough to make a meal. And I don't just mean the microwave is plugged in... although it is.
My bed is so comfy cozy and the morning light shines on my face just enough to wake me.
My bunny likes his new blankie I made for him and my cat loves to cuddle with me at night.
Ya know... life is good.

till next time, ENJOY! the Oz

CLOWN ALERT

I know that some of you are not exactly what you would call a "HUGE" fan of the clowns. So I am letting you know right now... DON'T GO ANY FURTHER INTO THIS POST! THERE WILL BE CLOWNS!

Ok, now for the rest of us... Send In The Clowns!!

These forlorn looking funny guys have been around for awhile. Just hanging out, doing two shows a day and eating popcorn. Waiting for their chance at the Big Top. Well their shot at the center ring is here! Barb at Stamp It Crazy has issued a clown challenge.

I used the Build A Clown set from Basic Grey Cupcake collection. I always felt that these boys were a little "MUCH" for a childrens birthday card. I had that "what were they thinking" look on my face when I first picked them up, but then I fell in love. After all my dark side is not that far under the surface.

I do hope you ENJOY, and sleep well tonite... hehehe
till next time, the Oz

may I buy you a drink?

if I had a nickle for everytime a handsome fellow asked me that question, I would be ... ummm 25 cents richer? LOL The guys in my neighborhood were more likey to say... "hey, get me a beer while you are up".



That brings me to this handsome dude. All decked out in his evening wear, slicked up, bright eyed and ready to PaaR-Ty!

This happens to be a sticker from a Miss Elizabeth collection called "Cats & Vats". I picked it up at the Dollar Store a hundred years ago and stashed it away with the rest of my hoard! Oh if you could see my filing system, shudder! But lucky for me, I do have a couple of brain cells left in the "where did I put that" section of my grey matter.

I am putting this handsome fellow up for the challenge of becoming the most "Victorious Vampire" in Barb's Haunted Design House Vampy Vampyress challenge. Know I now you are saying to yourself, "that Oz has slipped a cog, doesn't she know that Vampyress means female!" Well yes I do know that, but my Vamp and I feel that is a bit sexist on Barb's part. We hatched a plan to crash this little prissy party in protest! We stand before you and declare that we plan to show you that men can put the "VAMP" back in "VAMPIRE"!

So BRING IT ON all you VAMPRISSES! SNAP!

I am feeling a little drained now, I think I will take a nap.

till next time, the Oz

to my Valentine

I hope everyone in blogland is having exactly the kind of Valentine day they dreamed of.

till next time, ENJOY! the Oz

eerie inspiration

Using this photo of the entrance to a corn maze as inspiration, Barb at Haunted Design House challenged us devoted followers to dazzle her with our brilliance. Well she may have not said that but I am sure she really feels that way about us.... or should anyway.
After a shudder or two from examining this marvelous photo, I realized that what truly inspired me the most was the rich luscious colors. I prowled through my patterned paper stash and found this gorgeous rich deep brown that I then sent through a Cuttlebug embossing folder for a little more texture.
After stamping the Hero Arts Scroll Tree on pieces of Papertrey Ink vanilla cream card stock (highly recommend trying some), I tried my best to recreate the warm but vibrant golden oranges of the photograph using several colors of Ranger's Distress Ink.

I have a tradition of sorts when ever I use distress inks. As part of the clean up, I like to use scraps and bits for possible future use. I have a flimsy cutting board that works great as a craft sheet for the inks. So before I wipe off what ever left over ink, I spritz it with water and drag a tag, scrap or what ever bit I have laying around. I usually just set these aside to dry and then use them up later as backgrounds or punch stock. This time I futzed a little more than usual and made up 3 embellishments and a small note card.

If anyone out there in blog land is interested in having these in their home to use on cards or projects, please let me know in your comment and I will let Mr. Random Number Guy pick next Sunday Feb 21st who they go home with.

till next time, ENJOY! the Oz

double duty

I don't often combine challenges but this time they kind of fell in together. Everything But The Kitchen Sink's challenge was to use box tops. Box tops to me just scream KRAFT!! and I love working with kraft. So I knew I wanted to play along with this one.

The current Card Positioning System's sketch #152 was a real puzzle to me.
When I look at it, I see a hour glass shape. This shaped seems to be the top layer of the card. Then I checked out what the DT had made so far and they seem to be wrapping triangles around the sides of the card and having that be the top layer. So curious that I see the opposite.

Soooooo, being me, I decide to go with what I saw first and made a great big X to represent Hugs. I put this as a top layer and added a wee bit of Kisses off to the side.

Since I needed something to make my big ole hour glass shaped X out of... I ripped up a crackerbox and viola.... 2 challenges in one.

till next time, ENJOY! the Oz

sweetheart challenge

Barb and Dale, at Stamp It Crazy, came up with a romantic challenge for February that includes hearts and candles. Ok so the candles stumped me a bit. Hearts and romance I can do but candles...

I thought about picking up a candle at the Dollar store and decorating it, but I didn't get to town this week so that was out.

Then I remembered that I had a chandelier stamp. Dug it out but it is so tiny.

Then one more memory happened... (and that is a big deal at my age) I have a die cut for my Sizzix that is a chandelier... ahhh haa!

I hope this is romantic and candle-riffic enough for you Barb and Dale... cause after all that I forgot the hearts. oops.

till next time, ENJOY! the Oz

U turn

It has been a long time since I had played along with Card Patterns sketch challenge, but I thought I would give it a go again.
I had this card all set in my head using these bright bold colored flowers to go along with the new monthly theme at Hero Arts blog.

I have no idea what happened... don't ask.
yeah, I am with you.. I don't see any big bright bold flowers either... oops U turn!!

I was just working away and this is what happens all the time in my little Shrinky Dink craft room. I tell ya I am not the talented one at all. I am channeling some crafter from another dimension that just takes over and makes whatever she dang well pleases.

I was going to bring in a medium and see if we could exercise the demon but she makes such cool cards. I am kinda afraid of what I would make without her.

Anyway, this is my submission for the Card Patterns sketch #49. Maybe she will be in the mood for bold flowers next time. I wish she would clean up after herself...

till next time, ENJOY! the Oz

fun with purple

this week at Haunted Design House, Barb is making us abuse the color purple. Well maybe she didn't say abuse.. I might have added that in... but she did "suggest" we use tons of it in all shades.


I didn't really get in to tons of it, but I did get to playing around a bit. The first thing I did, which is unusual for me, is pull out purple ribbon. I am a patterned paper girl. When I need inspiration I go for the paper first. Not sure why I grabbed the ribbon but it is way to late in the process now to question my brain waves.



I came up with about six different cards using purple ribbon and trim. A few don't have anything to do with Halloween at all. Interesting turn of events there since I was suppose to be working on my challenge project. But I am way to old and slow to stop the flow ......




This one incorporates some trims that I have picked up here and there. The cord with the spiders has been hanging out at my place for several years now. The sequins trim is not quite as old but close. I also used my spidey embossing folder. Love that one.

This next card fostered a whole line of cards. Once I got started with the legs... well I don't want to give away all my secrets.

It doesn't seem to show up as well as I thought. Dagnabit. The legs are purple and black striped. You will just have to take my word for it.

Funny thing is, the project that I decided to entry into the challenge doesn't have any ribbon on it at all. Things that make you go .... mmmmhhh?

till next time, enjoy the Oz

purple haze

and there it sat,
that purple box.
tied up with chains
and locked with locks,
and labeled
"Kindly Do NOT Touch, it's WAR" my entry for this weeks challenge at Haunted Design House

till next time, enjoy. the Oz

just me

I kinda threatened to break out a picture of me in my wedding dress but couldn't find one. But in the process of looking, ran into a couple of others that I am convinced you don't wanna see...LOL


It all started here..I am the little one on the right.

I think that is a bit of ink on my fingers....yep I believe so.

At six months I was already starting to ham it up a bit.

At 5 years old... gosh I am so darn cute....

Can you believe I am only 12 in this one.. My older sister did my makeup and the guy taking the photos flirted with me and ask me how I liked high school. I am sure he was just doing his job but I was walking on air when I left the studio.

First day of high school. I remember that dress so well. The same day that I bought it, one of the stars on Laugh-In was wearing the same dress. I was so thrilled. I think it was Ruth Buzzy. Many years out of high school but still got the legs. My friend Dee is now gone, boy was she a cut-up in her day!

This is pretty close to present... but none of that color left on this head..

And this my blogland friends, is my Robert.

I love you Mr. Hanks and I miss you every day.

Thanks for letting me share a little of myself. Sometimes ya just need to let your grey hair down...

till next time, ENJOY, the Oz

dark bride

a friend just told me that I fall on "the lighter side of dark". After thinking it over, I think that could be just about the sweetest thing anyone has ever said about me.



This weeks challenge on Haunted Design House was titled "Bridal Couture from the Darkside". I am the sponsor again this week, so my entry doesn't qualify but I wanted to play along anyway. I mean really... where's the fun in sitting it out... geeze louiseeee


I wanted it to look like the back of a wedding dress. Low back with pearl buttons and a bustle just where a good tramp stamp would sit...

After running the paper through a Cuttlebug embossing folder (sidebar.. can't wait to get see t!m's new embossing folders from Sizzix... love that man's products!) I spritzed it with water and perfect pearls. I spritzed the white layer also. This really gives it a beautiful shimmer.

I made the bustle with several different ribbons and a black satin ribbon rose for the very center. Applied some of my old hair bow techniques to layer the bows. I still have some hair bows if anyone is interest in purchasing one... or 20!

Although it is not my all time favorite card I have ever or "ever to" make, I think it turned out pretty good. And definitely on the lighter side of dark...LOL

till next time, ENJOY! the Oz

Big Big BIG news

One year ago I discovered the Hero Arts Flickr group. It seemed to be a delightfully fun group of extremely talented women who wanted to share their work, ideas and love of the process with each other. I was thrilled to discover that my first impression was correct. A year later and it has practically tripled in size and yet still has the same goals and beliefs that were and are being practiced on a daily basis. I consider myself very lucky to be an active part of this group.

Several months ago the Hero Arts company saw the need for a hostess program to aid in the daily functions of their ever rapidly growing flickr group. They named several very deserving members to be their first group of Hero Hostess'. These members pioneered the program and helped set some of the guidelines and obligations for the current hostess'.

This week Hero Arts is announcing the names of their current Hostess and today it is my name on their blog. My name will be added to the list of 20 other crafters, all of which I admire greatly. I am touched deeply by this honor. Terribly proud to know my name will forever be part of that list.

We all know that soon I will be cracking jokes about this, because that is what I do. But for today, I am a teary eyed and a bit speechless.
Thank you to Hero Arts. I wear my apron proudly.

ok ladies ...

I know that all of you are sitting around saying to yourself "ummh? What should I buy for my friend Linda this week?"

Ok, ok... stop laughing now, you could soil yourself laughing that hard.

But just in case you haven't heard and did want to know what to get for your darling friend...

OMG... can you believe this. 12 more delicious colors of that most marvelous ink product. I am in heaven!!! I can not wait to get my hands on these...

Oh and ladies, since you are all whipping out your credit cards as we speak... make sure that t!m himself delivers them...ok... pretty please...

till next time, ENJOY! the Oz

so much missed...

As some of you have already learned, my computer became very ill and spent some time in the intensive care unit at the Puter hospital. I almost lost it. My puter I mean. Although, I did come very very close to losing my mind completely while it was away.

My computer is more than just a fancy solitaire game. It is my TV, radio, personal shopper, birthday reminder, phone book, recipe book, mail box, ego stroker, photo album, telephone, bulletin board, bill payer, tax accountant, and so much moreeee!!!

I was lost in a very sad, grey existence. I had to resort to washing dishes and scrubbing floors to keep myself busy! Ladies this must never happen again, EVER!

I did manage to make some cards up and I am sure I will post those too, but first I wanted to post some challenges that I missed out on.

Why you ask? I am not sure, I just want to.

Stamp It Crazy has a brand new blog and her first challenge was to make a Pepsi card. This was my inspiration.

And this is the card I created from it. I wiped the blue card base with white ink on a makeup sponge. With every wipe the sponge turned more blue. I guess that paper is not exactly "set". I was really surprised how easily the color came off. I liked the end results but it sure did make me wonder about the paper.

Haunted Design House had "Fallen Angels" as the theme last week. Inspired by my cat Baby Girl, who can go from angelic to demonic in 2 seconds flat, I created this card.

Lucy's super sweet blog had a monochromatic challenge. This was to be my entry.

Everyone has current challenges going and I so encourage you to check them out and play along. I for one will be jumping right back in and posting away.... as soon as I catch up on my 206 emails....

till next time, ENJOY! the Oz