Happy Birdie!

Have you ever had half your post disappear? My computer is really finicky and I wrote a whole lot of stuff that is now gone and I don't think I can recreate it, it was some silly stuff about an old card that read "Hoppy Birdie to You" and that reminded me of the waiters in the Japanese restaurant, when they sang Happy Birthday it came out "Hoppy Birdie", and that reminded of Joanne Basile's blog Just a Little Something . She's the very generous donor of the stamp set I used for this card. Joanne mentioned her husband just got home from Japan. I have a Japanese sister-in-law, and because she's a good sport we can bust her chops about her accent, which is stereotypical and when she says happy Birt...well you get the picture. Actually I am in awe of her. I don't think I could ever have done what she did, can you imagine travelling halfway across the world, knowing that you will hardly ever see your family again. Moving to a culture so very different from your own. I am also taken aback by the bravery that my grandparents and the immigrants of their generation had. When they came to this country they got on a boat and were certain they'd probably never see their family again and back then there were no phones. I feel frightened just thinking about it.

But I digress. I should be talking about this card. I was so excited to be able to come home and make this card. I knew I'd finally have time to play with something from the big bag 'o booty I got from Joanne and since today is the Cat's Pajama challenge day I visited Alma's blog to find out who was today's hostess with the mostess and low and behold it was Joanne so I scramble over there to find a color challenge. So I knew what colors I'd be using. Then I visited a site I was excited to find the Crafty Ho Challenge Blog. It's amazing the places you end up when you just keep clicking on the links. I was visiting Michelle's Enchanted Stamper blog and from there I went to the Ho challenge blog and the reason I'm excited is I found an old junkie buddy there. this week she made the sketch challenge so I immediately decided that would be my layout. It's so good to find out someone you haven't heard from in awhile is doing well.

I'm sorry I just keep going off on tangents and it's late so I really need to get back on track and give you the deets:

Stamp - The Cat's Pajamas (thank you, thank you, thank you to Joanne)

Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black to stamp, Close to My Heart Olive pounced on the edges of the white cs

Paper - Cosmo Cricket Boyfriend pack, Colorbok yellow cs, white Georgia Pacific cs

Misc - Doodlebug Confection brads, Mays ribbon, TCP button, TCP Glitzy Glitter, SU bright beads, copics, nestibilities, DMC floss, EK Success border punch, Marvy and EK Success circle punches

the challenges:

The Cat's Pajama's TCPTUES102 color challenge - poppy red, olive green, summer yellow, black

Rosie D's #67 color challenge - green, yellow, white

Crafty Ho Challenge - sketch

Saturday Spotlight SSHP23 - Birthday in your color - use your birth stone color (August - peridot/green)

Charisma Card Challenge #11- for the kids.

Again, I have to thank Joanne, the prize for her blogaversary was tremendous, (lots of stamps and glitter and ribbon oh my) and I will be playing with that stuff for a long time and there's a couple stamps in the package that I already have so I am going to make my girlfriends very happy this weekend when I share the love with them. I'm gonna be making some neat little baggies for them to pick from. And Eileen, I know you're reading this, so try to act surprised when you see me on Saturday, that goes for Edna and Maddy if you've popped by too. I guess you all can see I can't keep a secret.

And thanks to everyone who stops by and actually reads what I write and a great big thanks you to everyone who takes the time to comment.