Some people feel the rain... OR, how I create a card

First, I did not create the umbrella card with the orange center border. It is on a blog someplace and I thought it was cute and since these creative people post their ideas for slow people like me, I thought I'd try to duplicate it in some fashion. Sometimes I get in a card-rut and can't figure out any ideas. During these times I search the web and splitcoasterstampers.com for inspiration. I pulled out a smilar border punch to make the center strip and started looking around for an umbrella. I couldn't believe it but NONE of my cricut cartridges have an umbrella. Oh my. I went thru my stash of dies. Again, nothing. So, what does any self-respecting stamper do? They go to the online shop of the stamp company and just buy whatever is needed.

As I spent (way too much) time looking through all of the cool die-namics on the My Favorite Things http://www.mftstamps.com/ site it dawned on me that I have this huge Tim Holtz die of a man holding an umbrella. I pulled it out and cut one and thought well, I could just cut off the umbrella. Problem solved. Next, the sentiment. I have drawers of wood mounted stamps and piles of cling stamps and just couldn't find something suitable. Remember, my pea brain is trying to DUPLICATE this card and my pea brain hasn't yet zeroed in on the fact that I DON'T DUPLICATE cards! My pea brain does not work that way... Back to the sentiment... I have a set with this great Bob Dylan sentiment and decided to use it.
As I started going through my small supply (ha ha) of patterened paper an idea just dawned on me. Yes, this is how it usually happens, I go down one path, find the fork, and change directions. No fancy paper. No punched center border. Do not cut the umbrella off the man - he's very cool with it.... So, here is my finished product. I'm sure you can totally see how the top card inspired my finished product, right? Perhaps you don't find this post as amusing as me but I just had this on my mind and wanted to get it down for future reading.p.s. Inside sentiment: others just get wet (I stamped the umbrella man inside) YES YES YES, I have this man in BOTH the die and the stamp. Two stamps actually. One is just a little larger than the other - - he was included as part of a set so what could I do??? I admit, I have way too much stamping stuff. That's the first step, correct?


Anyone want to come over and make cards with me?