Blogger's Challenge AND Techno Lunchtime Challenge

Whew! I'm here....very under the weather, but I'm here! So sorry I've been missing....I would rather have been here than in bed...which is basically where I've been since a week ago Friday. YUK! That awful winter cold that's been floating around here got me....thanks to my daughter. (We do teach them to share, right?!!) And I also have a sinus infection. OMG....never had one of those before and really, really hope I never get one again. (My face feels like it wants to fall off.) Anyway, that's where I've been....I'm now on antibiotics, so hopefully, I'm on the mend. I do feel ever so slightly better.....I hope you'll forgive me for not posting. (I did get a few things done....like laundry and dinner and food shopping.....but, I'd get something done and crawl right back into bed.) The really good news is that I have lost all those Christmas pounds!!

So...you are here for a card. I created this today, but honestly, it took me ALL day to come up with this! I was following MaryJo's sketch from last Monday and realized that it also fits the Bloggers' Challenge from Friday, which was a color challenge: Red, White & Black. Two birds with one stone! HA! My card here was inspired by this card. Julie's was a much more simple version, but I just loved it. Everything used on my sample is SU (almost), however, there are a couple of items that have retired, like the DSP is from a retired Hostess Paper Pack; and the felt flower is non-SU from my stash.

About the card....can you tell that the bird cage was cut out and raised? It's on a Dimensional. And there's a tiny little rhinestone at the very top. "True Friend" is part of one of the images from the Sale-a-Bration set, Punch Pals.....it was punched out using the now-retired 1/2" Round Punch.

Stamps: Aviary, Teeny Tiny Wishes, Punch Bunch
Inks: Basic Black, Real Red
CS: Basic Black, Whisper White, Real Red
Misc: 1/2" Round Punch*, Scallop Border Punch, Basic Rhinestone, Dimensional, DSP/Hostess Paper Pack*, Felt Flower (non-SU), Perfect Polka Dots EF, Big Shot, Mini Glue Dots

*Retired
Thanks so much for hanging in there with me...and thanks for stopping by today. See you again soon! Oh, and don't forget to check out the others who participated in either of these Challenges....in fact, if you'd like to play along, please feel free. Just don't forget to link back to the Blogger's Challenge and MaryJo's Lunchtime Challenge.