Halloween is coming soon!

Sorry I've been MIA this past week. I really didn't do much in terms of stamping. My new job has me drinking from the firehose again, and it's been a long time since I've had to learn so much so fast. I'm finally enjoying it, though, and starting to feel useful. I was also getting a migraine, and I was basically brainless. I got home each night and just wanted to drool on myself. I didn't feel like doing anything, and trying to put cards together was too much for my tired brain. So I didn't force it.

I taught at a technique night on Friday night. That got me back in the mood to stamp. I pulled out my Perfect Pearls, something I've never actually used on a card. Oh wow, are these things funky. They are supposed to work better on dark cardstock, but we tried some on lighter paper and some of the colors are great on even just vanilla paper. So that's what I decided to do at home - light colors with Perfect Pearls.

Perfect Pearls are a powder much like Pearl Ex, but with built in binder, so there isn't a need to use a fixative. They come with a Perfect Medium pad, but my pads weren't wet enough, so I used Versamark. I plan to do something different with them later today, and if it works out, I'll show what I've done. This bird stamp is from TAC and is stamped on Opal paper (Stardream Metallics) then dusted with Kiwi Perfect Pearls. I used a different TAC set to make the background paper. The other papers are Bazzill (the green) and SU! (Creamy Caramel and So Saffron). I added some brads and SU! velvet ribbon.

I also carved my jack o' lantern last week. I haven't done that for many years, and I was so unused to the work it takes to saw out the intricate patterns. I have a second pumpkin to carve, but I'm inclined to not worry about it. My neck and arm muscles were worn out. I think it was worth it, but it took me an entire day to recover.

This is what the pumpkin looks like when it's lit up at night. Pretty cool, no? Those pumpkin carving kits make it so simple to carve really detailed jack o' lanterns. Just punch holes and saw the pieces out and voila - scary spider pumpkin glowing in the dark!

For those of you following my mother in law's condition (Hi Uncle Glenn and Aunt Joyce!), she had a partial hip replacement yesterday to repair a broken hip. She was doing very well last night when we saw her. She was full of color and was talking and joking. Everyone at the hospital loves her. The woman who came to get blood knew her by name, and knew all the details of how to get a vein without hurting her too much. The IV nurses knew her by name, too, and they came in to joke with her. She's been in there so much, she probably seems like family. But so far, she's doing well and hopefully she'll be moved from ICU to PCU today, and then to a regular floor tomorrow.

Okay, I've got something to try with the Perfect Pearls. I'll let you know how it goes!