No, not that kind of kissing! Even though it was just Valentine's Day. And my sweetie is in Kalamazoo visiting his dad, so I didn't get no kiss from NOBODY. Sniff. No, nor chocolate neither! I am feeling neglected!
Actually, my chocolate consumption has dropped dramatically because I finally did something this past December that I thought I would NEVER do. I kicked my Diet Coke addiction. I have been drinking DC ever since college. Suddenly, it just didn't taste good anymore. I had a cold, I was chewing sugar free gum that didn't taste too good with Diet Coke, so when I ran out, I just didn't buy anymore.
Now, I can manage with just one bottle a week, usually when I am eating popcorn at home. And once I stopped drinking the 4+ cans per day I had been drinking, all of a sudden my craving for sweets went WAY down. Though chocolate still tastes just FINE, thank you! So if you were planning on sending some..
I almost forgot I had this card waiting in the project hopper! This is one of the cards from last year's convention presentation and features one of the techniques I was demonstrating at my booth, kissing! Lookie:
Ingredients: Stamps - Inspired by Nature, Perfect Punches, Netting; Paper - Blushing Bride, Early Espresso, Calypso Coral, Lucky Limeade, Whisper White; Ink - Blushing Bride, Early Espresso, Calypso Coral, Lucky Limeade; Other - Calypso Coral ruffled ribbon, Large Oval punch, Basics Jewels Pearls, sponge wedges,dimensionals, markers.
GOJUS!! (YILM!) This uses two different kissing techniques! In the first one, the Netting background stamp is inked up, then the clean and dry Inspired by Nature flower was "kissed" to the Netting stamp, picking up the pattern of the Netting stamp, then stamped on the Blushing Bride cardstock. The second one is called "kissing off". The Inspired by Nature flower stamp was inked with markers, and then the clean and dry Netting stamp was kissed to the flower stamp and pulled off ink, leaving a pattern behind on the flower stamp, which was then stamped on the Whisper White cardstock. I was having problems with this at my booth because my Netting stamp may have been clean, but getting it dry enough to really do a good job I could not. But people got the idea of what to do and that is what counts.
Ta!
So happy you've kicked the DC habit! Love your blog but never comment about your creativity. Sorry. Just know that I love your artistic efforts but support your new attitude...
Posted by: Alene | February 15, 2012 at 09:01 PM
Lovely card!
I too found that once I quit drinking 5-6 diet cokes a day that it was easier to cut back on the snacking and sweets. AND my blood pressure finally dropped to normal ranges with my medication. I think the manufacturers of diet coke put something in it to make us want to eat, eat, eat :-)
Unfortunately I bounce back and forth - give me a couple nights with very little sleep and I am back on the diet coke - then weaning myself off again.
Posted by: Mary Cavalier | February 16, 2012 at 07:05 AM
Yeah, good for you to kick the dc habit....way to go. Love the card and the technique...thanks
Posted by: tammy fletcher | February 16, 2012 at 07:31 AM
Hi Jan! A good friend of mine has just quit dc too and is finding the same results. Keep it up! Your card is beautiful and looks like a watercoloring. So soft and delicate. I forget about adding texture with my stamps, so thank you for sharing your technique here. It is just gorgeous!
Posted by: Kelly Wentling | February 16, 2012 at 07:48 AM
Thanks for sharing the kissing off technique - I've never seen that before and will definitely try it! And way to go with the DC...
Posted by: vicki - rochester NY | February 16, 2012 at 08:15 AM
Jan, this is gorgeous! I will definitely give this a try! Congrats on kicking your DC habit. I did the same last summer and starting drinking more water. Less caffeine and a lot cheaper!
Posted by: Barbara | February 16, 2012 at 08:30 AM
I agree that this is definitely gorgeous! TFS this great technique.
Posted by: Pat S. | February 16, 2012 at 10:06 AM
Gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "I told them to kiss off!" I like your way better, LOL.
Posted by: Theresa | February 16, 2012 at 07:42 PM
I too am a DC fan--have tried quitting several times but only last a short time except when I was pregnant. So I know it can be done!
What is a "netting" stamp? Thanks!
Posted by: Diane | February 17, 2012 at 12:34 AM
WOW, that is a gorgeous technique! I want to buy the netting background stamp now, just to try it. :D Thank you for teaching both techniques; I had not seen them before. GORGEOUS!
Posted by: Naomi | February 18, 2012 at 09:45 AM
I love the colors very pretty!!!! Congrats on the DC. I stopped my DC & artificial sweetners addiction Nov 2010 and I too stopped craving sweets and carbs. I have lost 27# since then. My doctor said that some research says that your body craves what it is missing and if you never give it sugar then it will crave it. Who knows there is research out there to prove or disprove anything but it has helped me. Keep up the good work!!!
Posted by: Tammy T | February 18, 2012 at 09:57 PM
Jan that is absolutely beautiful but then that's why I come to your blog - you are very inspiring and quite an artist.
Posted by: Sue Begger | February 19, 2012 at 02:17 PM