Valentine Purgitation and Ephie Tag/Card

Hello, Stampers and Scrappers and Friends!

I hope you're having an excellent week!

I'm hamstering away in the Playhouse and making slooooow progress. The emphasis the last few days has been on Valentines.

Let's just be Frank, shall we? Or I'll be Frank and you can be Melody. Over the years I have gathered a million sheets of heart patterned paper and so much paraphafemeril in the shape of stickers and geegaws and whatnots for making Valentines that I have a huge 12 x 12 container dedicated to the holiday.

This is what I'm talking about:

It's hard to get a scale of how much is in that mess.

The thing is, after making Christmas cards by the dozens for weeks on end just a month ago, I can't get all becited about repeating the process so soon! Here in America a lot of us continue the grade school tradition of sending Valentines to all our friends, but I know my friends in other countries only make Valentines for their sweethearts, so they are somewhat surprised to receive a Valentine. 

Last year I just said fahgett about it, other than making a couple three Valentines. Well, that's all fine and dandy and it's a decision I'll make again this year, but that means my VD stash will never go down!

So seeing as how we at the Playhouse have declared this to be the year we stop the repetitive madness, I sorted, and purged, and got creative:

Most of these will be used for February birthday cards or anniversary cards. They are QACAS designs, but it felt great to go through and clean out that container! I obviously used very little of the pp, but I cut what I wanted to keep into 6x12 sheets and incorporated them into my pp drawers. I'm sorry that sounds wrong, but I mean what else would you call it?

Now what can I put in this beautiful empty container?

Aacckk, NO! Stop it! The Hamettes can use it for their make-believe Playschool and that's it!

ETA: Michele reminded me about Winter's annual Valentine Cards from the Heart Card Drive. Winter collects and distributes Valentine cards to children's hospitals every year. If you would like to help, she needs your cards by the end of January. You can find all the details and rules via the link!

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I also took a little time to make this tag:

Tracey has an adorable ephielant tag up on Tag You're It and I had the WPlus9 sweet "Bubble Talk" stamp set and dies up on Mt. NBUS, so this worked out perfectly. The tag was made with a "Stitched Main Street Tag" by Poppystamps. The background was smooched using DIs and acetate.

I'm also entering Addicted to Stamps and More, where the theme is "Anything Goes" and Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge, where the theme is "New" and they are featuring WPlus9 products.

 

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After wards I turned it into a card:

Embossed border is "Stately" by Craft Concepts.

I am entering the Happy Little Stampers challenges: CASE the Designer (Kylie Purtell) and CAS Challenge (Smooshing).

I'm also entering the photo inspiration part of the Fusion Card Challenge. Congratulations to Fusion on their 2nd anniversary and cheers to many more years!! If you haven't been over to see this anniversary post, you need to take the time to do so. There is a hit parade of some of Blogland's most talented card artists joining the DT as guests providing TONS of gorgeous inspiration for this celebration!!

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Keyboard

Do you have trouble with the letters wearing off your keyboard? Haha, that sounded like the beginning of a commercial, but, really, do you? It's so frustrating. I type a lot so I seem to need a new one every year. They are inexpensive, but still. And who knew that a person uses the "r" and "t" more often than any other keys? Or is that just me because there is an r and a t in hamster? And craft, create, and dessert?

Anywaffle, I understand that you can get permanent laser engraved keyboards, but the Mister tells me to be cautious because he thinks the letters will wear off those, too. Have any of you purchased such a keyboard? If so, can you please share the name of the manufacturer and whether you would recommend it or not recommend it. Thank you!

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