Thank You cards and a chimney fire!

Ok, when I started writing this post, we developed a chimney fire in the wood stove just 15 feet from where all on my stamping stuff is and I had to actually call the fire department! I had shut all the dampers, dowsed the logs with water, took the wood out of the stove and put it in the snowbank outside. It looked like it was going to be ok, but then the stove pipe got cherry red near the ceiling and started to warp. Oh, !@#* This is beyond my capabilities and the capabilities of my little fire extinguisher. So I called the county dispatch number (didn't want to use 911 as the house wasn't on fire yet, I know, how dumb! But they answered on the second ring anyway) and then had the kids get all of the pets out of the house (6 dogs, 3 cats, a rabbit, and a rat-can we say Noah's ark here!) It's a good thing I called. By the time the 1st fire rig got here, the stove pipe was cherry red all the way down to the stove and it was 1300 degrees Fahrenheit. No fire anywhere but the chimney though, so that's good. But I had 2 fire rigs, an ambulance, and a state trooper in my yard! I called Jamie, my hubby, to let him know what was going on as he is working 100 miles from here tonight. I'm sure that made him feel real good not being able to be here. But I kept him informed. The firefighters crawled into the attic (the only access is about 15 feet up from our deck on the front of the house) and crawled on our steep tin roof, with a ladder thank goodness, and blew a fire extinguisher into the stove up into the chimney. Then watched it until the stove pipe wasn't red anymore and the temp came down to 150 degrees. We are going to have to replace the stove pipes inside the house before we use it again, but we still have the big wood stove downstairs that is doing just fine, so we will be warm enough downstairs, or under the blankets.


This is a "before". It was actually taken about 18 months ago. See how nice an uniformly black the stove pipe is? It was this morning, just like this. But not anymore!


This is the wood stove after the fire was extinguished. Kinda messy huh. But I keep thinking it could have been so much worse! All of the discoloration on the stove pipe is from it getting too hot and warping. NOT cool.
Close up of the damage to the pipe where it joins the stove. This is where it was 1300 degrees when the firemen got here.

This is the top of the stove pipe in the house, where it first turned cherry red and started to warp in. The lighter parts are the parts that seemed to sink in a bit.

And this is a close up of all of the fire extinguisher stuff. I'll clean that up tomorrow.

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming!

Tis the Season...for thank you cards! I am horrible for remembering to make these, let alone sending them, as any of my family and friends can attest to! But this year I am trying to be better at it. This first one is an attempt on my part to use some of the More Mustard paper that I accidentally ordered too much of recently, oops!

Stamps: Pocket Silhouettes

Paper: More Mustard, Not Quite Navy, Old Olive, Very Vanilla

Ink: Old Olive, More Mustard, Not Quite Navy

Accessories: distressing tool from Cutter Kit, gold brads, Old Olive poly twill ribbon

1. Stamp a Silhouette image repeatedly in More Mustard on the card base.
2. Distress edges of all layers, then ink edges with matching ink.
3. Stamp one image repeatedly in Old Olive on the Very Vanilla square, then stamp a different Silhouette image in More mustard.
4. Attach ribbon. Adhere all layers together.
5. Stamp "thanks so much" in Not Quite Navy .
6. Use paper piercer and Mat Pack to punch holes for the 3 gold brads, then attach the brads.
   

This is one is my attempt to CASE a card I found on SCS, but I had to and more stamping. I don't know if I like it though. I used some really bright colors on this one, colors I don't usually use, so it will have to grow on me, I guess.

• Stamps: Pocket Silhouettes
• Paper: Whisper White, Pink Passion
• Ink: Brilliant Blue, Pink Passion, Gable Green, Orchid Opulence
• Accessories: Top Note die, die cut machine, Curly Label punch, dimensionals, sponge

1. Cut a Top Note die with the Pink Passion cs, then randomly stamp a Silhouette image repeatedly on it. Sponge to edges with Pink Passion ink. Adhere to the white card base.
2. Stamp one Silhouette in each of the 4 colors on white cs, then punch out with the Curly Label punch. Sponge edges with matching ink, then mount on card with dimensionals.
3. Stamp thanks so much in Brilliant blue around edges of card.

Ok, this post is getting really long, and I think the card is pretty self explanatory, so I will just list the supplies I used.

• Stamps: Party Hearty
• Paper: Tangerine Tango, Pacific Point, Old Olive, Very Vanilla
• Ink: Tangerine Tango, Pacific Point, Old Olive
• Accessories: paper piercer with mat pack, gold brads

I hope you like the cards! I think I need to go shower to get rid of this smokey smell on me and my clothes, ugh!