Sometimes ya just gotta....

No, April, the answer is not SHOP, though sometimes it is!

Sometimes ya just gotta drop everything else and use the brand new stamp that came in the mail yesterday!

Ingredients: Stamps - Penny Black "Spinning Yarn", The Cats Pajamas "So Much Yarn"; Paper - Papertrey Stamper's Select White, SU! Blue Bayou, Ruby Red, More Mustard, Autumn Leaves Adhesive Mat Paper; Ink - Adirondack Pitch Black; Other - Large Oval Punch (SU!), Fancy Fibers Earth Elements Assortment (SU! retired), flower brads (Making Memories), Basic Black Marker (SU!), Watercolor Wonder Crayons (SU!), Fiskars Mini Pinking Decorative Scissors, dimensionals (SU!)

Most of you know my other pash is ka-nitting...so when I saw this stinkin' cute stamp at Eclectic Paperie I just had to have it. Well, stupid me, when I put my order in, I ordered the wrong stamp!!! Instead of ordering "Spinning Yarn" I ordered "Chick Night" instead. Well, that stamp is also stinkin' cute, so I decided to keep it, but of course, I had to place an order for the one I really wanted and...some other stamps I won't talk about right now (shhh, April!), but ANYWAY, it came yesterday and I just HAD to make something with it right away! Of course, "right away" turned out to be after I had made and eaten dinner and after I got done taking a nap in the chair (crud still trying to take over, but I'm fighting it off!)

I've done a lot with the Prismacolors lately and some with my Tria markers, but for this stamp I wanted a looser watercolor look, so I pulled out my Watercolor Wonder crayons (sadly neglected lately) and picked up the color with my Aquapainter right off the crayon, since this stamp has tiny details that would make it hard to take the crayons right to the paper. I found that the Papertrey Stamper's Select does a beautfiul job of taking watercolor...the ink wanted to run a bit, but with care and keeping my brush fairly dry and not oversaturating the paper, I managed to avoid it.

The designer paper is actually an Autumn Leaves adhesive mat stack I bought at Target. I flipped through it looking for a paper that just said CHICKEN to me, and I think this one definitely does! The mini pinking on the edge of the Ruby Red mat adds to the homespun flavor. Then, in search of the perfect greeting, I ran across the "So Much Yarn, So Little Time" stamp I had gotten from The Cats Pajamas and BING! I had a winner!

Originally, I had cut the paper after stamping it so the ball of yarn would hang below the focal piece mat, but in my quest to perfectly cut it out, I broke it off! So I went with my other idea,which was to put a real ball of yarn on there. I knew just where to go, the drawer where I toss things I wish I'd never bought but can't throw away. In this case, that was my SU! Fancy Fibers, very few of which I actually liked, but I thought I should have them. I was very happy when they all retired, but have hung onto them regardless (can you say "hoarder"? I knew you could!) The bit of red yarn coordinates nicely with the Ruby Red cardstock. I wound it into a tiny ball, getting a horrible cramp in my hand in the process (oh, what I suffer for my art! MORE CHOCOLATE!!!) and sewed it shut so that it wouldn't come unraveled, then ran the yarn right into the image with one of those big honkin' needles in the Crafter's Toolkit.

It makes it a bit lumpy, so I would probably have to hand deliver this card or put it in a padded envelope, but I think it turned out STINKIN' CUTE! I'm now trying to decide who deserves this card...either my mom (who deserves the best of everything and who also knits), the ladies in the Tuesday night knitting class that I used to attend or another knitting friend. Hey, maybe I will just frame it and hang it above my yarn stash in the basement...now you wanna talk hoarding....heheheheh!

Comments

[Rose Kerry]

Oh my ever lovin' goodness, that card is just too dang cute!!!! Knitting chickens, now I've seen it all.

[`liz]

These are so cute. Your schtuff is good.

[MeredithC]

Very cute card!

[Danielle]

This card is way tooo cute! Yet another stamp that I need to put on my wish list after seeing it on your blog! :)

[Karen]

A-DOR-able! Cramps and chocolate?! You betcha! You deserve it! LOVE the card!

[Christine Hom]

Hi Jan,
I work PT at my local Michaels store and I'm in charge of all the yarn that comes in. Each week we get a huge truck and I have to put it all out on the floor. Whatever doesn't fit in the bin, I have to pack up in boxes and put them on the top shelf. This is what I say each week when the truck come in...So much yarn, so little time. I don't even knit or crochet but I can tell you exactly where to find every kind of yarn we sell. I keep saying "put me in the stamping/scrapping section. I will be of better help there." lol
Your card is awesome!. TFS.
Christine

[Lynn]

This chicken card is so stinkin cute, I absolutely love how you added the real yarn on this!

[Vicki]

This is my all-time favorite stamp -- you could send this card to me if you can't think of anyone else ... ;o)

[stampinhappy]

Jan....this card is ADORABLE! I love everything about it.

[Shelly Schmidt]

Oh- I have this stamp! I just love your idea with the yarm falling down- that chicken does not look too happy, does he/she???

[Kim L.]

What an adorable stamp!! I don't knit, but I (try to) crochet. Love how you did the ball of yarn!

[Marissa]

That ball of yarn is a great touch!

[Rose Ann]

OMgosh! This is just too cute!