Copic Markers | Catered Crop

I stopped believing in Santa Claus when I was six.
Mother took me to see him in a department store
and he asked for my autograph.
~ Shirley Temple

Well, I don't know about you, but I for one, still believe in Santa Claus.

I even saw a package he had delivered to the house yesterday with my name on it. Apparently, he's planning ahead to spare the reindeer on Christmas eve.

I told Santa I really just wanted crafting toys this Christmas. He told me his elves didn't know the first thing about paper craft toys. So, he asked me to go online, fill up a shopping cart at one of my favorite shops, and then send him the link to the shopping cart. He said he'd pick and choose from the things in my shopping cart so I could still be surprised.

So I did. I even filled in a special promotion code so Santa could get a good deal.

Apparently I was on Santa's "Nice List," because the jolly man sent off my order.

Then, he changed my password on the site so I wouldn't be able to see the pending order and its status. And then, he got really maniacal. He changed the e-mail address I previously assigned to the site so I couldn't ask for a password reset.

Of course, you know why I know all this. Because I tried to steal a peek at the order!

That Santa is one sneaky dude!

Recipe

That adorable stamp is from Eat Cake Graphics, called Amanda Saw Santa Claus. Freakin' cute, right? Amanda and her bear are colored with Copic Markers. Her pajamas are paper pieced from Cosmo Cricket paper, and her cheeks are blushed with Sampin' Up! Stampin Pastels.

Here's the rest of the recipe.

InLinkz.com

December 15, 2011 | Filed Under: Card Gallery, Christmas, Copic Markers, Eat Cake Graphics Tagged With: Christmas, Copic Markers, Eat Cake Graphics | 8 Comments

Nothing's as mean as giving a little child
something useful for Christmas.
~ Kin Hubbard

This new Jellypark digital stamp makes me think of my very gracious brother with a giggle. His birthday falls right around Christmas, so for years and years I bought him a shirt for his birthday and a coordinating sweater for Christmas. Poor guy must have felt like he was getting socks every year. He never complained, but, I mean, really, can you imagine anything worse than wearing clothes picked out by your kid sister?

Hee Hee! I know how I can make it up to him. Maybe this year I'll get my bro a Christmas sweater with embroidered cats on it. I know he likes cats.

To avoid any family discord, I should tell you that was NOT a picture of my brother. Can you imagine? He's so much more handsome, but, you know, he might just be crazy enough to wear a sweater like that on a dare.

Okay, besides just wanting to humiliate my brother (you're welcome, Greg), I made this card for this week's Jellypark Friends Friday Challenge. The fun ladies over there invited me to hang out with them this month, and I'm having such a blast! This week we're making cards to say thank you. And, you know, who wouldn't want to write a thank you card for such a lovely gift.

Here are all the toys I played with to make this tribute to my brother's sweater marathons.

InLinkz.com

I'd love to hear your crazy Christmas gift stories. What's the worst present you either gave or received? Oh, I know there are some good chuckles out there.

Thank you everyone who has already voted for Catered Crop to be the next Blog Guidebook, Top Blog 2011. You Rock! I think I'm falling behind, but that's okay, I love that you all have my back. If you haven't voted, oh, do go vote. But hurry! Voting closes Friday, November 18th. Go here to cast your vote. While you're there, the Blog Guidebook is a great resource for bloggers and fabulous blog hopping.

November 17, 2011 | Filed Under: Card Gallery, Christmas, Claire Keay, Copic Markers, October Afternoon Tagged With: Christmas, Claire Keay, Copic Markers, Jellypark | 13 Comments

Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the future of the human race.
~ H.G. Wells, novelist

Did I ever tell you how Mr. Catered Crop and I met? It's quite romantic, really.

Back in the early 1980s Mr. Catered Crop was managing a bicycle shop and I was secretary of the local bicycle club. He was sitting under a tree with his plate of food at one of our big club sponsored picnics/rides when some mutual friends introduced us. He gave me a polite smile, we made small talk and then we just went our separate ways to join the rest of the riders.

About mid-way through the ride I got a flat tire and found myself stranded at the bottom of a big hill. Mr. Catered Crop pedaled by and gallantly fixed my tire with very impressive finesse. I was immediately touched by how sweet and unassuming he was – one of those "still waters run deep" kind of guys. And, I'm telling you, not many guys look good in bicycle shorts, but honeys, he did.

I was wishing I'd paid more attention back at the tree.

Flat tire fixed, we got back on our bikes, climbed the hill and chatted some more. I tried to keep up with him, but he could ride a lot faster than I could, and he disappeared again over the next hill.

After that I found more occasions to come into the bicycle shop, usually under the guise of soliciting advertising for the bicycle club newsletter. Mr "still water runs deep" seemed unaffected by my blatant flirting.

Finally, one day, I dressed in high heels and a great pencil-shape skirt with a slit up to here. If small talk didn't do the trick, maybe my long legs would. Of course, I couldn't walk in heels then any more than I can now, and I tripped as I crossed the road into the shop. I hobbled on in, hoping he wasn't watching and didn't noticed my skinned knee.

Finally, he asked me out.

Mr. Catered Crop says he wanted to ask me out all along but he was too shy.

I say slow and steady wins the race.

Catered Crop Follow the Recipe

Once again, you guys are knockin' my socks off with your entries for our Catered Crop FTR24 party. There's still time to enter, and you definitely want to because Lawn Fawn is in the house! I followed Cheryl's FTR24 recipe with a banner, the color pink, markers, polka dots, kraft paper, sewing, circle punches, and glitter.

I've been saving this stamp set from Lawn Fawn for four months waiting for this week. The Lawn Fawn blog has a fantastic video, here, to show all the fun things you can do with this set – it's an amazingly versatile set.