By way of this post, I am happy to report that I lived through yesterday’s zip lining adventure. What a rush! What an exciting experience! I must admit that I loved every single second of it. The first course was a hands-on study of zip lining basics, and the second course was a canopy tour – zip lining hundreds of feet in the air over tops of trees, rivers and other zip liners. I’ve got pictures to prove it, but first I want to share today’s card, inspired by this week’s Freshly Made Sketches. Here’s my card: 
And here’s the sketch by Linda Suarez:
I am going to keep my commentary short and sweet today because I want to share photos from my adventure.
Tips, Tricks and Reminders
- Make your own chevron. I created this chevron banner by trimming this diagonally striped page from I Am Me Designer Series Paper twice – 1/2″ horizontally and 1/2″ vertically. I pieced the lines together and trimmed the bottom along the naturally created pattern. Couldn’t be easier!
- Removing the heart of it. This sentiment comes with a little heart on the “o” in “you.” Because I already had two So Saffron elements on my card and wanted to bring in another, I decided to cover the little heart with a So Saffron candy dot. This adds my third color element but also makes my card appropriate for almost anyone – you can’t give your heart cards to just anyone…
- Gray base. When I held auditions for the base of this card, I tried each of the colors available in the DSP. Basic Gray was by far the best option as it allowed the colors in the DSP stripes to really pop. The darker color really frames this card nicely.
Stamp sets: Really Good Greetings, Around the World Inks: Pool Party, Real Red Papers: Basic Gray, Real Red, Whisper White, I Am Me Designer Series Paper Accessories: Subtles Candy Dots
Justin Krieger, my stampin’ buddy from New York and Convention roomie, flew into Atlanta Thursday night. This zip line and canopy tour quickly became an event for us. I spent my week visualizing jumping off of platforms into a tree-filled abyss – it seems to work for Olympians who visualize the perfect dive or the perfect pummel horse dismount, so why wouldn’t it work for me? While I would normally have expected to endure stress dreams about jumping the night before the event, I avoided them. Instead, I dreamed that I was challenged to design the nametags for the tour and tossed and turned about the tags all night. I would say I successfully avoided the stress that could have crippled me the next day.
Justin and I got all suited up early Friday morning for our training. I am the tall, extremely handsome one:
This is me, flying through the air on one of our first courses:
Safe on the platform:
The start of the second course. This line goes deep into the woods (you can see the opening in the center of woods).
This is where we landed from the above photo. We launched off the top building in the picture. If you look very close, you can see Justin about half way along the line – OK, so it’s a tiny blur in the picture, but it’s Justin. Promise.
I tell you every day how much I love a challenge. This was amazing. I wouldn’t consider myself an “athletic type,” but I made it through unscathed. I have zero desire to bungee jump or sky dive, so there’s no need to encourage that. I’m 100% comfortable saying I’m not interested. 🙂 This was about as extreme as I get, and I’m happy with the experience. If you are going to be in Atlanta anytime soon, look me up – I’ll go zipping with you now that I have zipping in my blood.
Thanks for stopping by my blog today!
Brian
Good for you..that looks like so much fun…I would do it in a heartbeat! Thanks for sharing your and Justin’s adventure…oh and the card rocks too… lol
so glad you made it through with no problems. love the card. and mr. sneaky justin going to see you and not saying a word, glad you guys had a good time. he said you were sneaky brian and now we know he is too. lol enjoy your weekend.
I looked at the card and thought “what in the heck is that candy dot doing in the middle of the “o”…that’s not like Brian!” Glad I kept reading, now I know. : ) Happy you had a good adventure, and a good friend to do it with. Life is good!
P.S. Seeing how well you treated Justin for his birthday, I have to tell you that my birthday is coming up on October 3rd. I didn’t room with you at Convention, or even meet you, but I remember seeing you. That has to count for something! : ) Cheers, Dawn in Maine : )
Wow I love this sketch and your wide boarder card! And the diagonal plane reminds me of yesterday’s zip line card you rocked! Nice of Justin to come down for the weekend and hang! Pics of you too in the fungeon would be kodak moments too! Thanks for sharing your adventure that looks like a Great time!
Oh Brian, how amazingly awesome!! What a grand adventure you had with Justin!! I am so glad you not only survived it, but also liked it so much, you’d do it again!! 🙂 thank you for sharing the great pictures!! 😉
I couldn’t agree with you more about the Basic Grey card base!! It works the best to show off this DSP!! Nice DIY chevron too!!!
You should give this nice card to Justin before he leaves !! What a day for you two !!! So proud of you flying through the air with the greatest of ease !! (gee, that would make a great song ) Have a wonderful rest of your weekend and a big HI to Justin ….Welcome to the south !!
Oh and by the way Brian ….we talked about you on Patti Willey`s blog yesterday !!
You go, Brian! Glad you and Justin had a good time. It’s looks beautiful, but too scary for me! Love your card and your do-it-yourself chevron paper, too!
WOW!! Brian, this pictures totally convey how much fun you guys had zip lining!!! Thank you for sharing this wonderful and exciting experience with us. Your card is wonderful too, I love how you made that Chevron banner and the Basic Gray base really makes the rest of the card pop.
Great close up of the two of you! The smiles on your faces tells it all. What a great start to the day and weekend. Love the chevron tip. Awesome card and just love the colors! I also think pics of the fungeon with two very talented people putting their creativity into action would be awesome.
Way cool! You and Justin ziplining!
Brian, first, you are a creative genius! I love the diagonal paper. Second, so glad that none of your pictures resembled Tarzan hitting a tree! Thanks for sharing the pictures… Loved reading about and seeing pictures from your adventure.
How cute are you two?! And that card is pretty cute too! love the make your own chevron tecnique!
Wish I was there to share that experience with you guys! I just knew you would love it Brian! So, how did it feel to “fly like an eagle”? Today’s card is super duper! Now I have to add the Around The World stamp set to my wish list. Hope you guys have something else exciting planned for today!
I’m so glad yall returned safe and sound. I love the card and technique. I especially love that you, “held auditions for the base of the card”. I never thought of holding try-outs before but that is exacutally what happens in the card making process. You are so amazing!
What fun! And, love your card too. Have a great weekend.
When I first looked at your card, I wondered what DSP had that great chevron design. After I read your instructions, I was immediately reminded again of how creative you are. (I think you’ve done that before.) *Love* that chevron and the matting around it that really shows off the chevron design! And you really know how to tie color combinations together to perfection, Brian!!!
Great pics of your zip-lining adventures with Justin! Across the miles, Stampin’ Up! really brings people together sharing what we love. Hope you and Justin get to have more fun adventures together, but being the older lady that I am, I’d go for something that’s closer to the ground. Thanks so much for sharing, Brian.
Oh, my!!! Thanks so much for sharing your photos of your zip line adventure with Justin! I’ve never zip lined and not sure that I want to! But, so glad that you took the plunge and enjoyed it! Your card is fab with banner and air plane! Love the gray card base to help the other colors to pop!
I love the card Brian, how clever to use the dp to make a chevron flag. You have a very creative mind! I figured Justin was flying to Atlanta, you both gave subtle hints, ziplining looked scary, way too high for this birdie;-/. Enjoy the w/e and have fun in the fungeon (are you allowing Justin to bring in glitter??)
I admire your courage to step outside of your comfort zone and go zip-lining. I think you had the perfect companion to go with. It seems that you two feed off each other. I bet your fungeon was glowing with creative radiation when you two made your cards. I like the thought of “auditioning” colors and you ended up with the right cast member in the base role. Enjoy the rest of your visit with Justin. Hi Justin! Nancy B
You both have great teeth.
Two thumbs up!
First of all, HOW FUN for you and Justin to do all that zip-lining in such a beautiful location!
Way to go, guys! I googled the place you went and saw something I would have loved … the SPA 😉
And your card is Super Cute! I LOVE the colors … I LOVE the design!
My daughter did this zipline while in Atlanta over Easter break last year. It was a highlight of her trip.
Hey Brian, the zip line tour company at Lake Lanier often has Groupons. A great friend of mine is a Guide for those tours. Sandi Savarese. Ask for her if you ever take one of their tours!
Bravo to you and Justin, Brian!
Love your card and the chevron pattern, very cool!
Oh my gosh…as if the card wasn’t fabby enough, seeing you & Justin ziplining was the icing on the cake!
Good for you! I’m so glad you had fun (and survived)! Beautiful card, too. 🙂
Great card. Love those chevrons too. So glad you had a good time with your buddy Justin.
and oh… like stampingpeace, did not room with you at Convention but was on the same bus going to Riverton…. that must count too…. BD is October 25 (I was in a hurry and could not wait until Xmas to come out and who wants to share a BD with Xmas? one present for 2 occasions?! Hum not me. So 7 months was enough. LOL
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Another fabulous card, Brian! I love how you created the chevron banner and the way you made the sentiment more versatile by covering the heart. Great ideas! Love the pictures of the adventure, too! Thanks for sharing with us at Freshly Made Sketches!
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I’m loving your cards and way too chicken to zip line. But, my kids are trying to talk me into it. I live north of ATL, did you go to Banning Mills?