I'M BACK...

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY! I haven't blog in such a long time. It feels like a lifetime since I have blogged. I lost my battery recharger on my camera, so I can't even use my camera now. Maybe I can ask for a new camera. Anyways, I am still making handmade cards, but I have been donating them to the cat shelter (Hope for Cats) for donations. This is why I am so behind to doing my cards for families and friends. I ususally do my crafting on Sundays, but I feel that it is taking me forever to make one card. Some weeks I just don't feel like creating, but I should as I continue to buy new stamping/crafting products. I have so much supplies I haven't use it. I need to stop buying and start using what I have in my stash, but I can't help it. A girl got to spend money. I don't know when I will ever have my cards on the blog as I still need to get a battery charger for my camera otherwise I need a new camera. This is it for now.

Meet STINKER!

Meet Stinker! I don't even know where to begin. Last Thursday, we had a skunk in our garage. He barracked himself underneath our car with various car wash products, mainly sponges because that is what he can grab with his mouth. On Wednesday, we notice that things were moved in our garage. We thought it might be the wind or something, but we didn't think much about it. On Thursday., I went out to do errands with my car and when I came back, I saw car wash products underneath our other car. Good thing I didn't take the other car out to do errands otherwise I may be in trouble. I called DH and told him that something stanger is going in our garage. Luckily, DH's cousin was around, so I told him that I was going to pull out the other car, so he can pick up the things under the car. I told him to check underneath the car before I pull out the car, just in case there was a cat or something underneath it. Long and behold, out of all things, the skunk was underneath the car. Good thing the skunk was not scare or felt in danger to spray our garage. I was so nervous that he might spray our garage. We tried to lure him out with the dry cat food, but he won't come out. Finally, he came out by himself after nightfall to eat. He was scared to come out during the daylight. Nothing happened to our garage, but he did left poo and pee. We think he has been in our garage since Tuesday night. I think the skunk came in when DH's cousin came home on Tuesday, late night and the skunk fall him in. Poor thing didn't eat for a whole day.

Anyways, I decided to name him Stinker after this experience as he is now considered my outside pet, which we can look, but can't touch. We first spotted Stinker the night of Titan's vet emergency which is a month ago. I went outside to put more dry cat food for the feral cats when I saw Stinker lodging around the pond area, sleep. I quickly got back into the house without putting the cat food down. Stinker has been eating the cat dry food every night since, but lately he hasn't been sleeping around the pond area. The feral cats would sometimes stay and wait until Stinker is done with his turn before coming to eat. Stinker comes around at least 2 or 3 times a night. He is so cute, if he isn't so dangerous. Stinker hasn't spray our front porch and I am wondering if he knows its because he knows we feed him as well as the other feral cats and he felt no danger as we always looks at him when he eats and he isn't scare and continues to eat and drink until he is already to leave. Stinker doesn't look that old. We currently have at least 4 regular feral cats eatting on our front porch.

I am finally playing with my stamps again. I have nothing to show, but I have started on my Christmas cards. DH keeps wanting me to do CATS (dancing cats) for Christmas cards. I told him that I will for a few of them, but not for every cards.

Sorry, been MIA

I have been too lazy and feeling down to blog for awhile. I'm still alive. I haven't been making any cards or creating anything though I have been buying things. I wish I am a shopaholic, but I am not. I hate to see money go, but I like to spend if I can. Hopefully, I will start to creat some Halloween cards/gifts. Last Saturday 10/4, was World Card Making Day and I didn't make any card. I really need to push myself to create. While on a happier note, I have been reading all the "Confessions of a Shopaholic" books by Sophie Kinsella. There's a couple more of them I need to find and rent from the library. This books are lighthearted and entertaining novels.

Here's an update - my cat, Rusty (now know as Titan) got an allergic reaction 3 weeks ago. We had to sent him to emergency vet hospital as he was vomitting blood as well as bloody diarrhea. Doctor doesn't know what was wrong with him as cats can't speak for themselves, but they think it was an allergic reaction... maybe something he ate which he shouldn't have, like plant or bug/insects. Anyways, it started the night before as I heard vomitting in my bedroom when we were sleeping. All the vomit was underneath the bed which I didn't see at first. There was vomit on the kitchen floor and family room. I didn't think anything about it as my cats vomit all the time because of hairball and etc. Anyways, I haven't seen Titan the whole day and didn't realize it until at night when I ask DH, "Where is Rusty (Titan) as I haven't seen him all day". They found him downstairs, in the basement and got him to come up to the family room. He laid near the fireplace for a little while I took some pictures, then he left to the foyer area. He started to vomit and I saw blood in his vomit, thus I called DH and said something is wrong with him. We were going to confirm him for the night to see if he is going to get better, but he went and had diarrhea in the basement bathroom instead of the litter box. This was a sign that he was tell us that something is wrong, thus we took him to emergency vet around midnight. We stayed until they ran all the blood test on him. They said he was dehydrated which we know and that his blood level count was too high. We left Titan for overnight monitor and to hydrate him. We got home to find a skunk in front of our porch... sleep next to the pond. I was putting dry cat food in front of our porch when I saw the skunk and ran back into the house without giving food to the feral cats.
Titan looked better the next day when we went to pick him up as he no longer had any vomit or diarrhea. No too heavy favor food which meant no cat food or cat treats. We confirmed him for 2 days and then let him out to be with the rest of the cats, but the other cats had to make a sacrifice they cat food and treats for Titan. Lay was obviously annoyed that we didn't give him can food. Well, Titan is alright now.... but Kutsu hasn't been feeling well the last few days. I need to get pet insurance on Kutsu and Titan, they are the weaker two. Anyway, we change Rusty's name to Titan becasue Rusty mean to rusty and broken down which isn't good, thus we change it to Titan, short for Titanium.

We are still doing our weekly Saturday "Hope for Cats" donation and play with the cats. There are so many kitten and cats that needed to be adopted. DH and I was planning to adopt another cat, but with what is going to our cats and in our lives we don't know if we should take on another one.

Yesterday, DH came home and said the grey cat has been ran over. There is a grey cat that comes to eat on our front porch. He is one of the first ones eating in our porch and he has been netured. He had an eye injury/scabies awhile back, he was fine. We went to see if he was still alive. He was in the middle of the road at the main road outside our community. The cat was dead by the time we got to him. The pool of blood was all dry up around his head. We were sad to see him died. DH took it and buried him in our backyard next to the tree and set him off to heaven. He was taken away by the death god. He is in heaven now. His body is rotten away as bugs/insects are feeding on it. It sounds gross, but this is what happens to all bodies when it is not cremated. Both DH and I shred some tears for this cat even though it was a feral, but we did know it. He had such a short life. He will be remembered each time I look through the foyer blinds/window to watch the cats and skunk eat in the porch area. This is also the reason we don't let our cats outside as we don't know what can happen to them. "A house is not a home without a cat."
Sometimes, we loose touch of what is important to us. I know I haven't been appreciating with what I do have with everything that is going on, but the death of a cat put things back to perspective for me and things that are important to me.

Sick Kitty & Holly Berry stamp

As I was saying from my last post. I purchased these Holly Berry stamps from Stamp Works, my local stamping store. I got this because those talented design team did a wonderful and beautiful job with these stamps. I tried it myself and the outcome isn't the same as the samples I saw. I thought I will share it anyways as I haven't have time the last couple of days. This week is payroll and month end, so I am a little busy these few days. Hopefully, I will have some time later this week to play with some of the challenges out there.
Recipe: Holly Berry stamps, gamsol technique (prismacolor pencils and blend with baby oil), stickles, embossed the basketweave frame, black cs.
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I have a sick kitty this week. Kutsu has diarrhea since last Wednesday. We got some antibiotics (pill forms) for him. This is bad news for us as we aren't good at feeding our cats medications nevertheless in pills (first time feeding my cats solids as it is usually liquid forms). We had such a difficult time feeding him the first day, DH clamped him down while I shoved the pill into his mouth. After 3 tries I thought I had it as we didn't see the pill anywhere. We thought Kutsu swallowed it. The next morning, I had to give Kutsu the antibiotic myself. I had to climb on top of him to restrain him, so I could put the pill into his mouth. Kutsu kept spitting it out and ran away. I ran after him (upstairs & downstairs) to give him his pill. After 5 or 6 times, I finally got him to swallow his pill before I let him go. During this chase, I notice yesterday's antibiotic (pill) was underneath the coffe table. He didn't take it, he spitted it out. Today, Kutsu was actually pretty good, he swallowed the pill the second time. I realized I have to really put the pill into the inside of this mouth and close this mouth, so he had to swallow or let the pill melt inside his mouth. I think Kutsu finally realize he will have to cooperate. I have 4 more days to go. I hate giving my cats their medication, they are just like little children... struggles with you.

Hope everybody is having a nice week, can't believe this week is coming to an end and summer is over as most children are going back to school after Labor Day or are already in school.

TECC30 - Seize the Cupcake

I came back last week from California. I enjoyed my time with my family. I didn't haven't time to play, so I didn't blog for 2 weeks now. This week I was able to play with my stamps. This week's Hero Arts blog challenge is "birthday", so I went out and purchase some Hero Arts stamps including this cupcake set. I started to do Hero Arts birthday challenge when I saw Taylor's weekly sketch challenge. I decided to combine the two challenges together. This is a birthday card done with Taylor's card sketch. I enjoy reading Taylor's blog (Taylored Expressions). This week's sketch is TECC30.

I finally play with my House Mouse stamp. I replaced the flower with the Hero Arts cupcake stamp. I added buttons and stickles on the cupcake. I love how this card turned out.

This is the second Hero Arts "birthday" project I made. The Acetate Treat Box is Monday's SCS new technique challenge, TLC182. I was having some problems with the box measurements. It didn't turn out as good as I would have liked, but this is a nice try. I will definitely do this box again. It was so easy to make, but time consuming to put everything together. The camera shot of this box isn't great. I can't seem to capture all the details like the pearls on the roses and the little blings on the cupcake. This cupcake stamp is from Hero Arts. The dp is SEI and the scalloped edge is from Martha Stewart edge punch.

I made couple more cards which I will show later this week. I purchased those stamps for a while now, but haven't used it. I don't think I like these stamps that much now. I was inspired by the sample cards made by these stamps, but mines didn't turn out as beautiful as the samples. I guess this is what marketing and advertising does...makes people like me buy the product.

Purse Card for Audrey's Birthday

I found this designer pattern paper (dp) months ago. This is from Basic Grey called "Sultry". It is so pretty and vibrant.... look at the colors, so so pretty. I made this today for Audrey's 3rd birthday. She is turn 3 this month and her birtday party is this Sunday. I thought this will be so fun for her as she is starting to like all things "girlie" as I have been told by grandmother (my mom). She can actually carry this around her arm like a real purse, but can't put anything in it. The closureof made by having 2 magnets which are adhered under the light pink paper, invisible to the eye but it helps to close the card.

After finding this dp, I thought it will look so nice for the Hero Arts color challenge. I pick the hot pink, lime green, and soft pink color combo. These dp just have all those colors. I added the "A" which is from Hero Arts clear Alphabet stamp set and that is also Audrey's initial. The stamps inside the cards are all from Hero Arts.

Recipe:
Stamps: Hero Arts alphabets, happy birthday, flower
Ink: Color box: pink & lime green; Onxy Versafine
Paper: Basic Grey sultry pattern pattern, light pink, sparkling lime green, white
Embellishments: Prima flower, Memories brad, cuttlebug swiss dots embossed folder, ribbons, and Basic Grey magnets

I got "Honorable Mention" on Hero Art Challenge

Remember this card from last week. I got tons of comments last week on SCS, the most I have even got since I joined SCS. This morning I went on the Hero Arts blog like I usually do to learn new techniques and card inspirations from them. This is a fabulous site. I entered in last week's challenge with my butterfly card and I got "Honorable Mention", check my card out on the Hero Arts' blog! I can't believe it when I saw my card displayed on their blog. Wow, I never won a contest (technically I didn't win, but I felt like I won). I don't know anything about art designs, let alone the basic such as color scheme which is this week's challenge, but I am consistly learning.

I have a few things to do before going to California for a whole week of fun and relaxation time with my family. I am visiting my family and see my parents retired as they are getting ready to move out of their store, V&W Liquors, which they own for over 24 years now. This store will no longer be called V&W Liquors after the change of ownership. How sad I feel that this is the end of a legacy for this store. It had the same name over 3 ownerships (my parents being the last owners) and now no more V&W Liquors. It will be my last time seeing the place from the inside and packing up and going through all the memories as I sort through all my things (things to keep, throw away, or donate). This is going to be a bitter-sweet week as there were so many memories of this place as I have lived there most of my life, 20 years, before moving to Arizona. All my childhood memories is from that place. I will be taking my camera back home to get lot of photos. This will be a very memorable week for me and I am glad everything turn out this way where I am going home to see my parents retired and last time to see my childhood place.

So much has happened to me and DH this past 6 months since. DH was kind enough to let me to take a little break from this stress while he has to go to work and to take care of our cats next week while I am gone.