I’ll start with the Chit Chat tonight!!

The Ultimate Valentine Challenge: Do you remember a month or more ago I posted about Pat Adam (The Rubber Maid)needing to come up with 1,000 Valentines for Children’s Hospital in Detroit? The Ultimate Valentine Challenge was issued in the hopes of helping Pat achieve what seemed to be an almost impossible goal. Well, well, well – I could NOT believe when I read on Pat’s blog earlier that she not only met, but FAR exceeded that goal! I was totally blown away to read that she recieved a total of 5,682 Valentines!!! And you know where they all came from – FROM YOU — those of you who read blogs and were willing to pitch in and help — oh my goodness!!! It just brings me almost to tears to think of what can be done when everyone pitches in — this is just so, so amazing!!! Why don’t you pop on over to Pat’s Blog to check out the pictures she’s posted of the hospital and while you’rethere, thank her for coordinating this monumentous effort!!! GREAT JOB, PAT!!! What you have taken on and accomplished just warms my heart, inside and out!!!

6 x 6 Pad Storage: And next, just a few days ago I posed a question on my post, asking you all how you store your 6 x 6 Basic Grey pads, especially once they get torn apart with a lot of loose and small papers. Well, my friend, Michelle Woerner, Stop and Stamp the Roses, just did a post yesterday on her system for 6 x 6 paper storage. She has some nice little cubes and what she is doing looks much more functional than what I’ve been doing with my ziplock bag system. The next time I go shopping I’m going to look for some of these cubes and give it a try. You can check out Michelle’s post here. Thank you, Michelle, for sharing the info — MUCH appreciated!!! Oh, and check out her beautiful Mother’s Day cards once you’re there!!! Sooooo pretty!!

My card for today: After getting home very late from a basketball game tonight, I still needed to come up with a Valentine card for our Youth Group teens to make tomorrow morning, for delivery in the afternoon (nothing like doing these ahead of time!). I decided to check out theInspiration Challenge at SCS for inspiration and HOW FUN!!! The inspiration pieces are all heavily decorated bras (YES — to benefit Breast Cancer Awareness). You MUST pop over there to check them out — so fun!!! The bra I chose for my inspiration is on page 2, called Still in Bloom. It is mostly pink and white with texture, as is my card, butthe bra hassome green and purple added, which you will see popping up in my 2nd photo below!!! Anyway, here’s my Valentine that the Youth Group teens will make tomorrow — there’s only a few of the teens and they will make about 12 cards:

Simple for them to make, and I hope they like them! It won’t take long as I’ll have everything precut, embossed and stamped, so all they really need to do is adhere them together and add the heart/button/ribbon focal image. I hope they have fun putting them together!

Here are some of the other colors/patterns they will use. Personally, I think the purple heart/buttons with the Eva paper is going to be my favorite!!! All of my buttons are from Wal-Mart. They come in little bags on the spinny rack in the sewing section. They are SO cheap and I have had really great luck matching them to my SU and Prism cardstocks! I’ve been totally pleased with them!!!

Stamps: Verve Visual Plain Janes, Psalm 37:4

Paper: PTI White, SU Pretty in Pink, Pink Pirouette, Eggplant Envy, Prints DP; Basic Grey Euphoria and Eva

Ink: Versa Fine Onyx Black

Accessories: Heart Nestabilities, Martha Stewart Lace Punch, Cuttlebug and Swiss Dots Folder, Wal-Mart Buttons, Variety of Ribbons, Glue Glider, Mounting Squares.

Note: The Heart Nesties, Basic Grey Paper, Glue Glider and Mounting Squares are available at Joan’s Garden.

Thanks so much for stopping in this weekend! Remember, my Stamp Simply Challenge from yesterday is still there, waiting for you to play with a monogram!!! I so appreciate you taking the time to check in — thank you so much!!!

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY, EVERYONE!!!