Reach for the Stars
even if you have to stand on a cactus.
~ Songwriter Susan Longacre
This weekend I was reaching for the stars – and landed in a cactus.
After hobbling for weeks I was beginning to believe the knee surgery in December to repair my torn meniscus was actually worth it. I was feeling really great. Thanks to my physical therapists I had no limp. No pain.
So, when Mr. Catered Crop needed help moving a couch, for a brief moment I thought it was probably not wise to test my knee so soon. That moment of hesitation passed quickly and was replaced with defiance! I Am Not a Cripple. I Can Do This. I will Defy old age. I am Strong. Watch me Roar!
Hesitation yielded to defiance . . . and my knee yielded to a miscalculated step.
Dag Nab It! Per doctor's orders, I'm in a new knee brace and laying around with my leg elevated on ice.
For now, my new motto . . . instead of climbing for the stars, I'm just gonna hang on.
Sometimes, just hanging on is good, too.
It's day three of the My Favorite Things (MFT) Teasers – our peaks at the newest stamps and dies. Today, we're featuring a new Inspired By set, Inspired By the Wild Wild West, along with two new Clearly Sentimental sets, You Make My Day and Western Sentiments.
Here are the details about the upcoming My Favorite Things release:
- You can attend the New Release Party on February 4 from 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM EST HERE in the MFT forum, where you can WIN PRIZES! At the conclusion of the party you find you'll find all the newest products HERE ready to put in your shopping cart.
- Click on over to the MFT Blog now to see all the teasers for today. Be sure to leave comments as you go for the chance to win one of two $10.00 gift certificates given away daily. The winners will be posted on February 4 just before the release party on the MFT blog.
- It's not too late to join the Guest Designer challenge. Check out the forum for details on how you can win over $200 in stamp sets and Die-namics.
I get to show off the new Western Sentiments set, which I partnered with the new Barbed Wire Fence Die-namic.
I stamped the sentiment from this set onto tea-stained cardstock and added just a subtle shadow to the sentiment so it would appear to be carved out of wood.
- I stamped it first in the My Favorite Things Black Licorice ink – so perfect for solid images.
- Then, I cleaned the stamp and inked it up with My Favorite Things Kraft ink.
- I stamped it off onto a separate piece of paper to get some, but not all of the ink off the stamp.
- And then, I stamped it again right on top of but just slightly left to where I stamped it with black ink.
It's subtle, but if you look closely, you can see it here.
I love making clusters of bows and buttons and twine. I call them ribbon bouquets. But, in this case, since this is a manly card, I think we'll call this a ribbon boutonnière.
Here's how I constructed the boutonnière.
- I ran a page out of a Western novel through the Loopy Bloom Die-namic. (Yes, I thrive for authenticity – it really is an old Western.)
- I used the Country Charms Die-namics to make the Sheriff-Star-Badge. I don't have sheet metal around the house, but I do have lots and lots of Diet Coke cans (my addiction). I just used my craft scissors to cut open a Coke can and ran it effortlessly through my Big Shot die-cut machine. I think it's actually thinner than cardstock – so it works like a charm. (Oops, bad pun.)
- I added a layer of distressed paper and a star-shaped rhinestone to the top of my Diet-Coke Sheriff's badge.
And, finally, I rehashed one of the fabulous My Favorite Things sketches for the top of my card, MFTWSC103.
Here are the rest of the ingredients available in the My Favorite Things Boutique today.
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Finished Size 5-1/2" by 5-1/2". Other ingredients include October Afternoon Sasparilla 8" x 8" Paper Pad and Miscellany pack; My Mind's Eye Funday Twine, Stampin' Up! Jumbo Eyelets and Cardstock; tea-stained paper, Little Yellow Bicycle Twig Collection Stick Pins, Darice Stick-on Star Rhinestones. The metal horse and globe n the pictures are my Mom's childhood piggy banks.
Gorgeous card, Linda! I love the papers you chose for this card…so sorry to hear about your knee!! Rest, ice and maybe leave the furniture moving to Mr. Catered Crop….maybe?!? lol…heal fast!
Love your card for today!!
These are so super cute!!!
Holly AKA KopyKat recently posted . . . Valentine Treats
Linda …your card it the button for me today.Loved the barbed wire deatil and the sentiments in this set are fabulous.
I hope you are up and on your feet in no time!! Take care of yourself!!
Gorgeous card today!! I love it!!
Tracey recently posted . . . Do you want fries with that?
Great cards. Love how you stamped the sentiment and then shadowed it. Great new stamps & dies. Love the barbed wrie.
So sorry about your knee. I had the same surgery a year ago and did not have any problems, thank the Lord. Sure hope yours heals real fast. Take care.
Spectacular!
Great cards. All all the embellishments.
Gorgeous! I love the boutonniere. So creative!
Cindi Flass recently posted . . . MFT Challenge Late
faboublous LInda!. loooove your papers and embellies. hehehe! your diet coke in the Inlinkz list made me giggle. It’s my drink of choice, too!
Lisa Henke recently posted . . . MFT Teasers….day 3 {stay AWHILE}
Gorgeous cards, love the diet coke can idea
Oh Linda! I hope you’re back on your feet again soon! The cards you created are gorgeous!
Karen Motz recently posted . . . MFTeaser – Howdy, Reach for the Stars
amazing card love all the fun added elements…hope your knee feels better soon
So sorry about your knee!! Your cards are fantastic, though! Great color scheme and details!
Tricia T recently posted . . . You Brighten My Day
Lots of work here shows so much derail. Awesome card
Great card, Linda! And who among us has not “pushed it”, so to speak? Hope you feel better soon!
I LOVE it!! I LOVE You put the diet coke can and book in supplies!!
and I do HOPE your feeling better SOON! and I agree.. hanging on works too!!! 
Have a GREAT day!
BethieJ recently posted . . . Card and Recipe Share!
Oh I am so sorry! I bet you were in tears and then the frustration of not listening to the first voice!!! (((hugs))) Your card is awesome!!!! Love the little grouping of embellishments!!!
AngieB recently posted . . . Thinking of You
I love your use of papers. Perfect for this design.
I’m quickly falling in love with the cowboy themed items!!! So many great ideas!!
AMY ELY recently posted . . . Love Ewe
Awesome card! Love the paper you used! Ouch for your knee, though!!! Feel better!
Paula Laird recently posted . . . Thinking of You
Just beautiful!!!
Just beautiful!!! You have such fantastic talent!!! I love them!
Gorgeous cards. Your attention to detail is amazing!
Diana Soling recently posted . . . SPRING AND SALE-A-BRATION SUDSOL Blog Tour #11!
Yikes – hope you are on the mend and back to full speed soon!!
Rx
Your card is so fun
Ruth S recently posted . . . CAS butterfly card
Wonderful masculine card. As I gazed from top to bottom, side to side, I was thrilled with all the western detail. I especially like the horizontal strip of paper with the words, “there’s a new sheriff in town” right behind your ribbon boutonnière – it was a great way to tie your ground from sky on this piece. Your details are amazing and your photograph sets the stage perfectly. There are to few great masculine cards in the blogosphere but this one is a shinning star over the prairie! I love it.
Susie recently posted . . . Happy Valentine’s Day