i had *COMMENTS*!!!

how EXCITING!!! thanks, you guys! what a super-nice surprise! if you haven't figured out yet, i am new to CAARDVARKS and new to blogging......fairly new to the whole online creating/interacting community, really (aside from lurking...does that count?) so i'm psyched to have visitors and am looking forward (post-10k!) to surfing around more and seeing the amazing creations that are out there! boy oh boy did i ever land in a BIIIIIIIIG pool of astonishing talent, i can't believe how cool this is!

10-day, 10-k: FOUR SQUARE!

wow, this 10-day, 10-k challenge at CAARDVARKS is just whooshing by like......ummmm......well, like a thing that whooshes by very very quickly, i guess. :) i feel like i have not looked up from the table in front of me all week! but i'm sure gonna have me a nice stack of cards at the end of this, that's for sure.

anyway, today's brief was to use four squares on the card front. i realized afterwards that mine aren't exactly *SQUARE*, but i guess they were considered close enough. (phew!) personally, i'm putting that one on heidi swapp, for making her letters slightly taller than they are wide. so there.

in the midst of checking out the galleries and other ppl's cards, i cannot help but notice that many of my fellow cardmakers have FABULOUS blogs! can't wait to get a little more time after the 10-k to wander around on those!

10-day, 10-k: TRI THIS!

i don't think i've ever made so many cards so quickly! it's definitely a challenge (i'm generally pretty slow!) but i'm enjoying it. you should see how many sets got made for CAARDVARKS' DOUBLE TAKE challenge! i counted more than 50 pairs--wow! ok, so today's assignment is to make a tri-fold card. here's mine:

(closed)

(open)

(in between)

10-day, 10-k: DOUBLE TAKE

it's the second day of the CAARDVARKS 10 day micro-challenge marathon, and today's assignment: make TWO cards using the same supplies! i realized midway through mine that this is probably not what they meant, but part of the challenge is to work FAST, so i just went with it! i really like how they turned out, though; the idea popped into my head fully formed...all i had to do was put it on paper! (don'tcha love when that happens?!) plus i think they're very *me*, what with being black & white & hot pink...not to mention covered in rhinestones! :)

while you're over there, scoping out the rules and the prizes take a look at the UNO gallery from day one--they got 40 entries!!! and there's not a single one i wouldn't loooooove to find in my mailbox, i can tell ya that! WOW!

10-day, 10-k: UNO

so here's my card for the first day of the micro-challenge-athon at CAARDVARKS. the challenge, which is called "UNO" is to make a card using only one rubberstamp...but they didn't say you can't use it a bunch of times, right? ;) upon reflection, i wish that my flowers were spaced slightly better (so that the stamped flourishes were either all on or all off the edge) but considering that this is the fastest card i have ever made (between work & chiropractor on tuesday) i'm pretty happy with it!

what's your favorite stamp? how would you use it on a card? you have till midnight to submit it! if you need inspiration, go look at the CAARDVARKS designers' cards (they're *awesome*!) and check out those prize packs again!

can you say, "10-DAY, 10-K"?!!

just in case i was feeling a bit letdown with those post-vacation blues, the girls at CAARDVARKS have stepped in to help out in a big way! starting tomorrow (7-5-07) they will be hosting ten (count 'em, TEN) straight days of micro-challenges! as an "over-planning/over-thinking" type of gal, i love these, b/c the 24 hour time limit means that i have to work fast & really tap into the rather neglected instinctive part of my creative brain! it's like a sprint for the imagination!

but if the whole inspiration/challenge thing isn't quite enough to motivate you, i s'pose i could mention that there's a FREE KIT from club scrap as a prize for the winner of each and every challenge, plus special prizes for completing all ten challenges!

ready......set.....GO!!!

she's baaAAAAAaack!

...yes, sadly, my magical californian adventure is finally at an end. but not to worry, i shall continue to regale you obnoxiously with the stories (and the photos, oh boy, do i have photos!) of said glorious vacation for weeks and months to come!

what's that? you've just remembered some really important summer humidity statistics you need to look up on weather.com? oh, ok. bye bye, then. don't worry, i'll still be here when you...ummm...hello???!

well, anyway, for now, lemme just say that of all the hosts and hostesses of the world--and i know some really, really GOOD ONES--my friends barb, tc, tim & cassie are unsupassed for their amazing friendship & hospitality!!! if you want to be spoiled rotten for a couple of weeks, i'm not sure there's better team anywhere in the world than at their house!

thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!

...oh yeah, if you happen to be located on the east coast, and you hear a THUD an hour or so from now...don't worry, that'll just be me, coming back down to earth in earnest...and back to work. wahey.