Stretch Your Stamps day 1

OK my posts are going to be a little crazy for the next couple of days as I've got a couple of scheduled posts, but I also started the new "Stretch Your Stamps" course at Online Card Classes. Today was stretching your background stamps. I didn't get as much stamping done as I would have liked, and I still have a few ideas germinating in my head, but here's my first two!

100.81:

This one came together in a flash. I used the "Pot Pourri" stamp set from the supplies list for the "flowers" then kissed them with a Hero Arts background cling stamp. Then I used a Technique Tuesday sentiment. Easy! The colours are Crumb Cake/Chocolate Chip and Baja Breeze/Not Quite Navy.

100.82:

On this one, I used SU!'s Woodgrain background on Crumb Cake cardstock. I first of all stamped it in Soft Suede then shifted it over about a quarter inch and stamped it again in Early Espresso. Then I distressed it a bit because it looked a bit stark and geometric. I wanted to do the owl in neon but couldn't figure out how to make it bright enough. Perhaps I should have done that colouring in on white ink think from the other day. Anyway! I wrote my own sentiment, which wasn't very successful somehow. I just don't have nice handwriting! Then I messed up the twine/linen thread. So, from a promising start I managed to completely mess it up! Oh well. I can always try again another day, hopefully at some point I will get to catch up with myself!

In other news, I think Jacob, Leo and I will have to trek up to the doctor's tomorrow. J managed to get a tick on Friday and we had a "wait and see" on it - well, today apparently it started itching. Poor Jacob. We are not very clued up on ticks and suchlike as I'm not sure they're all that common at all in the UK, however St. Mary's County appears to be the bug capital of the world. Eugh.We were supposed to be having a fun day with Heather and her gorgeous kids, but we shall see whether I manage to get an appointment or not.