Have you ever had one of those occasions that you needed a card, but you knew there was NO WAY you’d be able to buy a card with just the right sentiment?  I have moments like that frequently; one of the reasons why I took up card making so many years ago!  I like the cards I give to feel personal and for some occasions, a generic card just won’t do.  I had one of those occasions very recently.

The Build-up…

I was curling my hair in our bathroom a couple mornings ago, the bathroom door was open, and I saw something dark-colored flutter by the doorway.  I was looking in the mirror and so saw it in the reflection.  “Huh,” I thought to myself, “Did I really see something or was it my imagination?”  I peeked out the door, looked around and didn’t see anything, so went back to curling my hair.  Almost immediately, I saw it again.  I looked out again and nope, nothing there.  We have vaulted ceilings, so I was looking up and all around, and whoosh, here it came again.  This time right in front of my face and landed on the trim around the doorway.  There he was, a little bat, clinging to the doorframe right next to me with all his might.  Well, I got a nice close look and then he was off again.  Just in case you’re wondering, no, I didn’t scream! 🙂

I’m not a scaredy-girl, but not crazy about a bat in the house either!  Dean was outside somewhere on the ranch, so I tried to call his cell phone…you know, just to inform him there was a bat in the house.  I wasn’t excited or anything… just felt this was news he should be aware of! 😉  No answer.  Hmmm…. Now what???  Well, I needed to get outside and plant some flowers I’d bought the day before, so now was a good time to do so.  I’m pretty sure the bat was wanting some “alone time” anyway!

I went outside and was working in my flowerbeds, all the while wondering where my little bat friend was going to end up in the house.

Would we be able to find him?

Would we be eating dinner, or in bed before he made his presence known again?

Bats come out at night after all… Why was he flying around in the daytime???

And HOW did he get in the house to begin with????

Oh me, oh my… WHERE is Dean???

Finally, Dean came riding up on the four-wheeler.  Very nonchalantly, I walked over to him and “mentioned” there was a bat in the house.  “Oh yeah?”, was his reply, “What kind?”  Ummm… I don’t know… A BAT!!!  (Does it matter what kind???)  It’s a BAT, in the HOUSE…. IT SHOULDN’T BE THERE!!!

Now, you must understand, Dean was an entomologist in the Air Force, and is a (retired) taxidermist.  He likes, and is highly intrigued, by what most would consider “creepy crawlies”.  Thanks to him, I’m no longer as jumpy and “freaked out” by same such “creepy crawlies” as I used to be.  However, I prefer a little more distance between myself and free-to-roam “creepy crawlies”.  

Dean went about putting his tools away, in no big hurry to check out the bat situation.  So, okay… I went back to planting my flowers sure that the bat was enjoying his “alone time” anyway!  Finally, Dean was ready to go inside.  I put down my gardening tools and followed him inside.  There in front of the glass door in our living room, sat the bat.  I quickly pointed him out to Dean, who simply walked across the living room and picked him up with bare hands and took him outside.  (Me if I’d have had to pick him up – gloves, face shield, fish net, box, or SOMETHING to contain  him until we got outside).  Nope, simply walked over and picked him up.  Bat was none too happy about it – squealed, bared his sharp little bat teeth, but Dean is totally good with all that. Me – “WAIT!  Let me get pictures!”

I’m not sure if the poor little guy’s “bat radar” had poor service in our house and he bonked his head on the door, or what happened while he was having his “alone time”, but he was none too quick to fly off when Dean put him ever so gently on the table on our deck.  He actually crawled over to the edge of the table and positioned himself into the classic bat pose, hanging upside down from the edge of the table.

He stayed there for quite some time, but later was gone.  Maybe he’ll be back to visit someday… a quick flutter by the door OUTSIDE would be fantastic!!!

You just can’t find an appropriate card for that!!!  So, I made one!!!

I soooo love my husband!!!!  Dean has “rescued” me from so many spiders, snakes, mice, and now a bat!!!  “Still Batty For You” doesn’t even begin to sum up the love I have for my man!

I used all Stampin’ Up! products with exception of the bat, which was cut with my Cricut; and the card front sentiment which was computer generated and printed. I then punched the sentiment out with the Stampin’ Up “Pretty Label Punch”.

The paper is Stampin’ Up “From My Heart” Specialty Designer Series Paper, and the large hearts on the card front were cut from the DSP with the coordinating “Heart Punch Pack”.  The pictures don’t show it very well, but the DSP is double-sided and one side of each piece features metallic accents.  The small hearts, stamped in Flirty Flamingo, and the inside sentiment, came from the stamp set “Heartfelt”.

I hope you have a fun, INKY and bat-free day!!!

Until next time,

Janet

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