We have a grass carp. Well, probably more than one. But, in our back pond – there’s just one. It’s a pretty new pond, you see. Not a lot of vegetation. And kind of seasonal. So we only put one grass carp back there.
Tonight, while the horses were eating, we took a ride down to the back pond. To check on the grass carp’s welfare. Please note – we haven’t named the grass carp. That would be weird.
We noticed a significant lack of….well….grass! Which immediately caused us consternation and concern. What to do? We’re not really sure what a grass carp might eat other than grass. Maybe some hay? Some chaff? Chaff is chopped up hay and a little molasses (our old guy gets that to supplement his other feed). Perhaps some ragweed? We gathered up some of each and carefully threw it into the pond.
We don’t want our un-named grass carp to starve. Obviously. He’s the only one in the pond. Do you think he thinks he’s on some barren planet somewhere at the end of a portal (yes, I’ve been watching Marvel – Agents of Shield!)? Do grass carp think?
It’s not weird to worry about your grass carp. Right?
Right??
Anywho – on to why you stopped by!
I deviated from my normal A2 size card for today’s share. This one is 5″ x 7″ overall. I needed that much room to execute the design. Which was inspired by the Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge #292. Head over there to see what everyone has made, okay?
I used the pretty Every Blessing stamp set – from the Annual Catalog – some flurries of snow from Flurry of Wishes, and a few Lucky Stars! Take a look-see:
I started by inking up the double-snowflake stamp from Flurry of Wishes with Soft Sky ink. I stamped the flakes all over a Whisper White card stock panel. Then I laid the panel in my Lucky Stars TIEF and, pressing with my fingers on the stars – embossed some stars onto the panel. I didn’t want the full TIEF’s worth of stars – just some around the snowflakes. Then I SNAILd the panel to a mat of Soft Sky card stock.
The smaller middle panel is another piece of Whisper White. I used my Stamp-A-Ma-Jig to determine where to place the Every Blessing sentiment – and then stamped it in Tuxedo Black Memento Ink. I first taped off the “Luke 2:11” – planning to put the Bible citation below the ribbon.
After I stamped the sentiment, I made some more “finger press” stars on the panel – avoiding the sentiment. Once I had as many as I wanted, I SNAILd the panel to another Soft Sky mat. I then wrapped a length of White 3/8″ Glitter Ribbon (which I found with the utmost of ease since it was sitting right in front of me in my new ribbon holder – and not in the hoo-rah’s-nest that is was my ribbon and embellishment drawer!!) around the panel – adhering it with some Multi-Purpose Liquid Glue. I hand-wrote the Biblical citation under the ribbon – avoiding an embossed star or two – with my Basic Black Stampin’ Write Marker. Finally, I SNAILd the panel to the card front.
The art work is a 3 1/2″ circle – cut from the Circles Collection Framelits. Before I stamped the image, I cut a smaller circle from Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer Paper, and then cut the Delicate Ornament out of the center of it as the frame.
Then I taped off the part of the Every Blessing image that wasn’t going to be visible in the ornament frame (I didn’t want it to stamp outside the frame), inked it up with Tuxedo Black Memento Ink, and stamped it in the center of the Soft Sky Circle. I used my Basic Black Stampin’ Write Marker to touch it up – wanted it completely black – and to add a little bit more of the little sheep, that I’d inadvertently left out! Baaaaaaahhhhhh-d card maker!
Get it?
Never mind.
With the image stamped, I used Multi-Purpose Liquid Glue to adhere the Delicate Ornament frame over the sentiment. I used a couple of Glue Dots and a little Multi-Purpose Liquid Glue to adhere a Winter Wonderland Embellishment over the star in the image. I also used the Liquid Glue to add several silver stars from the Metallics Sequin Assortment. And each star got a Rhinestone Basic Jewel.
I popped the art circle onto the card front with Stampin’ Dimensionals and then used more Dimensionals to adhere the card front to a Whisper White Thick card base.
For the inside, I stamped a couple of Flurry of Wishes snowflakes in the center of the card in Soft Sky. Then I added the second sentiment from Every Blessing with Tuxedo Black over the top of the flakes. I didn’t need any additional “weight” due to the nice solid heft afforded by the new Whisper White Thick card stock card base!
I made a custom envelope – using the directions in my Tutorial – and a custom liner. I added 1/8″ to the size of the square of White Envelope Paper that I started with and then used my Envelope Punch Board to make the envelope.
I added some snowflakes to the front – in Pool Party….
….and my Soft Sky custom liner also had some Pool Party snowflakes scattered upon it!
Et Voila! A soft, lovely card to wish you Every Blessing as Christmas approaches! Hope you like!
Yes – I know that I’ve been neglecting a certain upcoming holiday! I know there are TWO holidays before Christmas. I’ll get back there, I promise! 🙂
Thanks to all who stopped by yesterday for our Blog Hop – hope that you got some great ideas from the talented Happy Stampers!
I’ll be back tomorrow…..HALLOWEEN!!
TTFN
Mary
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STAMPIN’ UP PRODUCTS USED IN TODAY’S PROJECT:
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Card Cuts Used in Today’s Project
Whisper White Thick Card Stock: 7″ x 10″ (card base, scored and folded at 5″)
Whisper White Card Stock: 4 3/4″ x 6 3/4″ (card front – with Snow Flakes); 3 3/8″ x 6 1/8″ (middle sentiment panel)
Soft Sky Card Stock: 4 7/8″ x 6 7/8″ (card front mat); 3 1/2″ x 6 1/4″ (sentiment panel mat); 3 1/2″ circle (art piece); envelope liner
White Envelope Paper: 9 5/8″ square (envelope)
Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer Paper: 3 1/4″ circle (with Delicate Ornament cut out)
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BACKORDER LIST AS OF 29 OCT 15
30 October
138281: Lots of Labels Framelits Dies (218 backordered; 336 expected. 336 more expected 6 November)
138288: Brick Wall Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (2,046 backordered; 4,680 expected)
139670: Sleigh Ride Edgelits Dies (3,931 backordered; 1,536 expected. 6,912 more expected 6 November)
139673: Woodland Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (16,237 backordered; 9,792 expected. 6,048 more expected 15 November; 4,248 more expected 1 December)
2 November
139639: Home for Christmas Designer Buttons (924 backordered; 2,016 expected)
9 November
139647: To You and Yours Shaker Cards Project Kit (570 backordered; 4,000 expected)
139615: Real Red and Garden Green 1/8″ Striped Ribbon (912 backordered; 12,000 expected)
139622: Spider Web Paper Doilies (2,446 backordered; 6,930 expected)
139683: Curvy Corner Trio Punch (2,591 backordered; 4,200 expected)
139666: Hearth & Home Thinlits Dies (7,755 backordered; 16,948 expected)
15 November
138283: Leaflets Framelits Dies (2,567 backordered; 912 expected. 5,040 more expected 1 December)
138309: Fine-Tip Glue Pen (4,173 backordered; 2,700 expected. 4,050 more expected 23 November)
17 November
139643: Reindeer Paper Clips (512 backordered; 10,368 expected)
23 November
138401: Gold Metallic Thread (219 backordered; 2,560 expected)
25 November
139638: Snowflake Elements (3,149 backordered; 15,120 expected)
14 December
138317: Corrugated Paper (94 backordered; 2,000 expected)
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So pretty Mary! I love the soft blue and white color combination and the pretty glimmer paper and ribbon. Perfect for the holidays! 🙂
I forgot to add that I hope that your grass carp survived the night…I’m sure that he found something to eat with all of the stuff that you threw at him! 😉
Thanks, Amy! 🙂
It is truly amazing that you created this beautiful card…what with the worry over the welfare of the …need I say, solitary?…grass carp and all. Perhaps solitary is the problem? You know how eating increases in solitude. So, with such a tiny brain, and relying solely on low level instinct, ole carp scarfed up what he would normally had to share. You know…if he were in a meaningful relationship with a like minded grass eater or eatie as the situation might require. ‘Course it will be hard to know which to provide. Kind of a carp shoot.
ROFL!! A “carp shoot”! Ha ha ha! It’s not an easy kind of pet, no doubt!
Thanks, Mom! 🙂
Absolutely stunning. I love all of the colors and the glimmer paper, wow!
Thanks so much, Jari! 🙂