Out of the Box CAS

Today's Splitcoast Clean & Simple challenge is to have part of your image "out of the box".  I looked through my stack of unused stamps and found this darling owl.  He's made by Savvy Stamps and I got him at Impress Rubber Stamps.  It's a set that includes the owl, the branch, the balloon and a variety of sentiments all of which fit into the balloon.  Even if you don't get the stamp, you should check out the site.  Their gallery (called "Impressive Ideas") is full of fantastic clean and simple cards. 

Doing things "out of the box" is really quite simple (at least in the cardmaking world!)  So many of us have cutters such as shown below.  That raised part isn't just for hanging on to - it shows you precisely where the blade is.  So you can cut from one side until that raised part is even with the edge of the balloon and then lift the bar and cut the other side.

You end up with straight lines up to the balloon and you just have to cut around it.

To make his blue eyes, I simply inked him up in Suede, then used a Qtip to clean off his eyes and colored them in with a Marina marker.

I had an unusually busy weekend - but FULL of music.  My 11-year old brand new trumpet player played in a trumpet quartet for a solo and ensemble contest.  Even though his piece was only 2 minutes, the poor guy had to hang out with me for 5 hours as I accompanied all his other little friends in the beginner band.  My oldest played sax in the pit band for the high school musical - he had a matinee and an evening show which was the closing performance after 8 performances so I HAD to go see it again.  Then Sunday morning (bright and early after the time change), my bell choir played at both services and I did the piano for the service.  So....I was home and napping by Sunday afternoon!!

My little guy is in the light green shirt.  After this, he
changed clothes in the car and played two lacrosse games!!

Funny story (or completely inappropriate) - after eight performances and two months of rehearsals, I think a number of the kids in the pit orchestra were a little bored.  It turns out that about a dozen of them had their iPods/iPhones out and were playing "Words with Friends" with each other.  I didn't know whether to be really, really upset at him - or somewhat impressed that these teens were playing what is basically online Scrabble??!!  In the above picture, Andrew is getting his saxophone reed wet but by the intense expression on his face, I would guess he is figuring out his next Scrabble move!

• Stamps: Savvy Stamps
• Ink: Stampin' Up Espresso, Wasabi and Marina markers, Suede and Guava pads
• Paper: Stampin' Up Whisper White, Early Espresso
• Accessories: Sizzix embossing folder, glitter glue, Stampin' Up Espresso ribbon