Just a LITTLE clowning around....and CPS125

It's a circus-like atmosphere here in Scrapland today: husband is on a little road trip with a buddy, kids are visiting Papa and I'm ALONE! Okay, so I have four dogs, two cats and 5 horses for company, but technically, I CAN HEAR MY OWN THOUGHTS, so that really means something! Hee Hee Earlier, I was "hearing" my to-do list talking. On my FUN to-do list, is this one item, extremely relevant to Blogland... A darling FRIEND who has appeared to me via posts and comments and HAPPY pictures of herself in her profiles on Flickr, etc. shared a uniquely KIND gesture with me, recently. I don't even know if I have permission to use her name, so I'll wait until she contacts me... But anywhooo, I owe here a THANK YOU and I thought I'd do it BLOG-style! AS WONDERFUL AS YOU ALL ARE, sometimes, for whatever reason, a connection is made that surpasses this blog-thing and all of a sudden the trueness of the title FRIEND is bestowed... I might not know her if she bumped into me on the street {oh, SURE I would...} YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN! Anyway, she's left me A LOT of love on my blog and I usually read it giggling or even snorting, but always SMILING, and I try to do the same to her on her stuff, although I don't even think she has an actual blog, but she has photo galleries (Linda ak Oz on flicker! Unfortunately I cannot make a link connect to her page!) here and there: you get the drill. Anyway, before I go ON and ON: this is for her!

So on the business end of things, I incorporated my THANK YOU with this sketch from Card Positioning Systems, flopped the image over a few times and added my own razzle-dazzle! I hope the fine folks from CPS approve! I'd missed the last few weeks of sketches and I'm trying to get back in the GAME! Wahoo!

NOW! Let me begin my little tale of inspiration...{begin imbibing COFFEE now!}

The other day I was walking down the YELLOW BRICK ROAD.... {that's a hint at MYSTERY {SEE BOTTOM OF POST} friend AND a quote I use frequently, as I was raised on "The Wizard of Oz..."} when I posted a comment on the gallery of this TALENTED card-maker who had posted an exceptionally cute card! I raved and raved and sited a family friend who adores FROGS... Low and behold, a short time later, this CRAFTY paper artist contacted me directly and OFFERED TO SEND ME THE VERY CARD I ADORED! {Just.. because... *sob!* Isn't that darling!}

A woman of her word, she sent me the card on the left AND added the card on the right! I'm supposed to send the "3 amigos" there off to this family friend, but I have been enjoying it too much to let it go just yet... THEN she added the OTHER darling frog and flower AND this guy!


I have absolutely no idea who makes this stamp, but mystery blog friend sent two of these stamped clowns, her current FAVE.. I just thought it was the sweetest THANG! The image, sure, but especially the gesture! No one, except a paper crafter would TRULY understand how dear that was, and I SWORE to myself that I'd do this little guy proud!




Is he singing? Is he juggling? Is he a Fellini clown? Is HE ITALIAN? Is he singing OPERA? Or is he pretending to sing, just before ANOTHER clown drops a bucket of streamers and balloons on his head...? I DON'T KNOW! SO...I just made him into my card for my CPS sketch! WOW! Did I know I was going to make this exact card when I woke up this morning!?! Nope! But I'm telling you, THIS WAS FUN! And now that I know "Clown MAN" a little better, I'm going to say that his IS singing! He's singing THANK YOU, in a big, bright spotlight! WHEW!

I've never much appreciated clowns, until recently... BEFORE I received this image, but not LONG before.. It was sometime in the last 6 months as THIS was happening.. LOOK:

We used to call this character, "Little Joe!" He WAS once little, see:

BRAND spanking new! In my hands the night he was born!

A few weeks into life and with the LITTLE girl child!

Starting to show his COLORS!

Christmas time and hanging with his sister, "Big Bertha!" (Her name is now Heidi!)

So, here's the boy, in his full grown splendor! You might be able to see why we don't call him Little Joe so much anymore. Now he's "Jo-Jo, Joseph or Joje"... Anyhoo, doesn't he look like a CLOWN! Seriously, the evolution of this boy's makings made me think of BOZO the clown! I don't have a picture, but hopefully, some of you knew BOZO? And if not, how 'bout the clown on the ice cream cone box? I'm wondering if the original clown make-up, with the DIAMOND shapes over the eyes and all.. WAS it inspired by some goofy German Shepherd PUP? Seriously: look at this face! I tried to catch his TRUE goofy face, but in order to do that AND have me take a picture, he has to stay still. When he's in clown mode, he'll try to lick the lens and that's a whole big mess. Anyway. THIS is Joe. Joseph, the CLOWN boy. Now you know why MYSTERY blog friend's stamped clown delighted me SO MUCH!



If you're still reading: YOU ARE ALL MY FRIENDS! Thanks for indulging me and my crazy story! I SO LOVE THAT YOU'D EVEN CONSIDER READING THIS MUCH AND ENJOYING MY FUNNY PICTURES! You're the best!


Supplies:

C/S - Stampin' Up!
D/P - Basic Grey
Stamp Image - Frogs on Stamped Cards by Linda aka Oz by Penny Black/ Clown - Unknown
Ink - Stampin' Up!
Watercolor Wonder Crayons - Stampin' Up!
Swiss Dots Embossing Folder - Cuttlebug
Sentiment - Quick Kuts
Stickles - Ranger

*MYSTERY FRIEND REVEALED! Linda aka OZ is the lovely, hilarious and talented friend who sent us on this wild goose chase! HER COMPUTER WAS DOWN, poor soul! But she's back and although I can't seem to provide a working link to her flickr page, perhaps you can look her up on the site so you can see her wide and wonderful range of cards, crafts, photos and fun! She's a TREASURE right out of the Emerald City! Thanks again, Linda, for making blogging even MORE fun!