Friday, November 28, 2014

Black Friday {Favorites} Christmas Greetings

It's Black Friday....are you out shopping today or are you avoiding the crowds?  I am AVOIDING the crowds and spending the morning in my jammies shopping online :-)  I just can't bring myself to join in all the madness and fight my way through the crowds!
If you are like me and like to do your shopping online, don't forget about the Online EXTRAVAGANZA happening NOW through December 2nd!
I'm using my favorite Christmas stamp set today...Bright and Beautiful.  I have used this stamp set for so many different and beautiful cards....I love it!  Today's cards are simple, yet stunning cards.

Supplies Used:
Paper ~ Naturals White and Ivory Card Stock, Basic Black, Typeset Specialty DSP
Ink ~ Memento, Versa Mark
Stamp Sets ~ Bright and Beautiful, Watercolor Winter Too Photopolymer
Other , Dictionary
Other Supplies ~ Gold and Silver Embossing Powder, Pearls and Rhinestone Basics
The Star Framelits are on sale for $21.56 (20% off) during the EXTRAVAGANZA...get yours before they are gone!  They coordinate with the Bright and Beautiful Stamp set, as well as Be the Star and Many Merry Stars Photopolymer Stamp set. 
Don't forget...anyone who places an Online Order using Hostess Code E6KQ7CCR by November 30th will receive a FREE gift from me.  Anyone who places an order of $50 will be entered to win $25 in FREE Stampin' Up! product.
 
Happy {Black} Friday and Happy Stamping!!!
 


Thursday, November 27, 2014

Thankful for YOU

Happy Thanksgiving!!!
Are you all ready for the day?  I am so happy to be surrounded by my family and sharing today with them.  I am so very thankful for so many things in my life...my husband, my babies, my job, my health...and YOU!!  I love sharing my creations with all of you and so grateful for all of your kind words and sharing of my work.
 
Today over at Stylin' Stampin' INKspiration, we are sharing just how thankful we are for all of our blog followers...THANK YOU!!!
Supplies Used:
Paper ~ Very Vanilla, Hello Honey, Tangelo Twist, Cherry Cobbler
Ink ~ Hello Honey, Tangelo Twist, Cherry Cobbler, Cajun Craze
Stamp Set ~ Four Feathers
Other Supplies ~ March 2014 Paper Pumpkin Kit (Thank You), Gold Embossing Powder, Linen Thread, Gold Sequin Trim, Feather Framelits
 
I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!  Enjoy your day, no matter what you may be doing and think of all you have to be thankful for.
 
Happy Stamping!!
 
 


Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Ahoy, Birthday Boy


Being on vacation is allowing me a little time to catch up sharing some of my MDS creations and this is one of my favorite pages I've made recently.
This page was made during the last MDS Virtual Digi Crop I participated in.  Cindy had a fun sketch for us and I was happy to finish up a page from my son's 3rd Birthday photo shoot.
I used the Ahoy, Matey Kit for this page....the colors and DSP's are prefect for a little boy...bright, bold and FUN!!!
I added a few splatters because, well, boys are messy!!!
I used a Whisper White background, so it kind of looks like the images are popping right off the page...I love it!
 
I'm off to get in a run on the beach before the rain comes this afternoon.  I've been waiting to hit the sand since we rolled in to town yesterday!  You can bet I will have some more MDS pages to share soon with pictures from this trip.
 
Hope you all have a great day preparing for Thanksgiving tomorrow!!
 
Happy Stamping!!

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Rootin' Tootin' Birthday

Happy Tuesday friends!!!  Just a quick post from me today as we are trying to get out the door and head out for a few days of rest and relaxation with our family at the Oregon Coast...I am SO READY!!!
As I've said, I have a TON of birthday's this month and early December, so I a sharing another fun Birthday card with you today.
Supplies Used:
Paper ~ Whisper White, Crumb Cake
Ink ~ Smoky Slate, Crumb Cake, Blushing Bride
Stamp Sets ~ Yee-Haw, Endless Birthday Wishes
Other Supplies ~ Chalk Talk Framelits, Triangles Embossing Folder, Naturals Chevron Ribbon, Blushing Bride Bakers Twine, Rhinestone Basics
**Please forgive me if some of these supply names are incorrect...I'm going from my head as my catalog is packed up!**
 
This is going out to a long time friend of mine...She's a true cowgirl and I hope she loves it!
 
Hope you all have a fantastic day!!!
 
Happy Stamping!!


Monday, November 24, 2014

Four Feathers Birthday ~ Masculine Monday

Have  you ever wanted to be a part of a fun design team?  Stylin' Stampin' INKspiration is holding a  Design Team Search and we would love to have  you join our team!  Check out the link for all the details!
 
Today it's Masculine Monday over at Stylin' Stampin' INKspiration and we have some great masculine card ideas to share with you today!  Masculine cards seem to be the ones I struggle with the most, so it's always a good day when I manage to come up with something!
Supplies Used:
Paper ~ Soft Suede, Whisper White, Flash Back DSP
Ink ~ Soft Suede, Pool Party, VersaMark
Stamp Sets ~ Four Feathers, Label Love, Truly Grateful
Other Supplies ~ Feather Framelits, Label Bracket Punch, Hexagon Punch, Burlap Ribbon, Linen Thread, Antique Brads, Pool Party Embossing Powder
 
Thanks for stopping by today!  I hope I've INKspired you to CREATE something fabulous today!
 
Happy Stamping!


Sunday, November 23, 2014

Celebrating Birthday's ~ Monday Montage





Welcome to another marvelous Monday Montage Blog Hop!  Sit back and enjoy all 9 blogs as you make your way through the hop today...you are sure to be blown away by all of the amazing talent from this group!
I am sure you will see some fun Thanksgiving and Christmas creations with this hop...I can't wait to be inspired!  I had to take a little break from my holiday creations and work on some birthday cards for all of the birthdays I have coming up over the next few weeks.
Supplies Used:
Paper ~ Whisper White, Crushed Curry, Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer Paper, Watercolor Paper
Ink ~ Crush Curry, Pool Party, Smoky Slate, Versa Mark
Stamp Set ~ Endless Birthday Wishes
Other Supplies ~ Chalk Talk Framelits, Starburst Framlits, Decorative Dots Embossing Folder, Crushed Curry Bakers Twine, Build a Banner Stencils, Pool Party Embossing Powder, Handheld Stapler
 
I had so much fun making the first card that I CASE'd myself and made a second!  (I was treated to a whole afternoon in my craftroom on Saturday, so I created my little heart out!)
I used the same supplies for this card, just switched the colors out using Blackberry Bliss, Calypso Coral and Smoky Slate.   Oh, I and I used the Silver Glimmer Paper instead of the Dazzling Diamonds. 

Next stop in the hop is Cathy...you don't want to miss out on her post today...love her stuff!  Or if you want to hop backwards, you can hop on back to the amazing Amy...love her style!!
 
  Thanks for hopping along with us today!
 
Happy Stamping!
 



Saturday, November 22, 2014

Cozy Coffee Cafe

Whew!  We made it to the weekend!!  And it's not just any weekend for me...it's the start of a 9 day vacation for me....YES!!!  I have big plans to spend the afternoon in my craft room doing nothing but creating!  I'm sneaking in a little early morning creating too before the rest of my family gets up, although the tiniest human in my family decided he needed to be up at 5:30, so he's keeping me company!
I'm playing along with two of my favorite Friday challenge sites...Fab Friday and The Friday Mashup.   Fab Friday has a fun sketch this week...perfect for the weather mashup over at The Friday Mashup!  The challenge this week is to let our weather inspire us in our creation and to mash it up, we are to add in a metal embellishment.  So...here's what I came up with!
Supplies ~
Paper ~ Watercolor Winter Simply Created Card Kit Card Base and Background Pieces, Whisper White, Regals DSP
Ink ~ Memento, Smoky Slate Blendabilities, Bermuda Bay
Stamp Set ~ Perfect Blend, Good Greetings
Other Supplies ~ Bermuda Bay Bakers Twine, Basic Hodgepodge Clips, Watercolor Winter Simply Created Card Kit Die-Cut Accents, Frosted Sequins
Everyday Adventure Project Life Accessory Pack Washi Tape
 
We've had some super cold temps this past week with a little bit of snow, so that is what inspired my creation for today.  I'm not a fan of the cold, but if it's going to be this cold, I'd be happy if it would just snow like crazy!  That would be the perfect excuse to warm up in my favorite coffee shop with a good friend and catch up.  Sounds amazing, doesn't it?  And do you spy the little bit of metal?  That teeny tiny little  paper clip is so much fun, right?!?!? 
 
The Friday Mashup still has an open Design Team call going on, so I'm giving it my best shot...wish me luck!
 
I'm hoping to crank out another crafty creation before the rest of my people wake up and we battle the weekend-before-Thanksgiving-grocery-store madness!
 
Wishing you all a Happy Saturday and I hope you get some stamping time in too!
 
Happy Stamping!
 




Friday, November 21, 2014

So Long Cowboy

Hi friends and Happy Friday!!!  I've been waiting all week for this day!!!  I just need to make it through today and then I get to enjoy 9 wonderful days off...just what this momma needs!
A friend and fellow co-worker lost her husband unexpectedly this week...so heartbreaking :-(  I never like making sympathy cards, but my hope is that they will bring a little smile to the face of the recipient.
Supplies Used:
Paper ~ Whisper White, Kraft
Ink ~ Memento, Crumb Cake and Night of Navy Blendabilities, Marina Mist
Stamp Sets ~ Yee-Haw, Bootiful Occasions, A Dozen Thoughts
Other Supplies ~ Linen Thread
 
Simple, yet thoughtful...
 
Time to bust through my work day so I can kick off my vacation!!!
 
Happy Friday and Happy Stamping!!!
 
 


Thursday, November 20, 2014

Celebrate!

Looking at my birthday calendar for the next few weeks reminded me that a LOT of my friends and family members have birthdays coming up!  I'm not gonna lie...it was fun to take a break from all of my Christmas creating to work on this card and a few others.
I visited Freshly Made Sketches for a little inspiration...those talented design team members never let me down! 
Supplies Used:
Paper ~ Rich Razzleberry, Old Olive, Confetti Celebreation DSP
Ink ~ VersaMark
Stamp Set ~ Endless Birthday Wishes
Other Supplies ~ Old Olive Bakers Twine, Square Framelits, Corner Punch, Wonderful Wreath Framelits (bow), Brights Candy Dots
 
Not only do I look forward to celebrating a few birthdays this weekend, but I also look forward to celebrating my husbands homecoming.  He's been gone for over a week on his Idaho hunting trip and this momma is ready to have his helping hand back!
 
Wishing you all a happy day and Happy Stamping!!
 
 


Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Krafty Christmas Star

It may only be Wednesday, but I live for Friday...two more days!  While I patiently wait for Friday to get here, I figured why not play along with The Friday Mashup and pretend it's Friday!  This is one of my favorite challenge sites and being that they are doing a Design Team Call, I'm gonna give it a shot.  Wish me luck!
Tara has a fun sketch for everyone to play along with this week!
I had to switch out the DSP I used a few times with this sketch!  Let's just say DSP with stripes got the best of me :-)
Supplies Used:
Paper ~ Garden Green, Whisper White, Nordic Noel DSP, Under the Tree Specialty DSP
Ink ~ Real Red
Stamp Set ~ Christmas Bliss
Other Supplies ~ Star Framelits, Basic Hodgepodge Clips, Linen Thread, Whisper White Bakers Twine
 
I know, I know...another creation with the Nordic Noel and Under the Tree DSP.  I can't help myself...I love it!!! 
 
Time to get to work...I have a boat load of stuff to catch up on before I enjoy a week off next week!
 
Happy Stamping!!
 

To You From Me

 It's that gift giving time of year and if you are anything like me, you give LOTS of gift cards!  They make the perfect gift for those hard-to-buy-for-people in your life :-)  (Be sure to read to the bottom of the post to find out about a gift from ME to YOU!)
Some of the girls, including myself, over at Stylin' Stampin' INKspiration have created some super cute gift card holders for you today.  I had some fun hand stitching this gift card holder...this is the kind of sewing I can handle ;-)  And once again, I used my favorite Festival of Trees stamp set!
Supplies Used:
Paper ~ Under the Tree Specialty DSP, Nordic Noel DSP, Whisper White
Ink ~ Real Red, Garden Green
Stamp Sets ~ Festival of Trees
Other Supplies ~ Nordic Noel Buttons, Tree Punch, Real Red Satin Ribbon, Old Olive Bakers Twine
 
Now here's my gift to you! 
I have a sales goal that I am trying to meet for the month of November and I am about $400 shy of meeting that goal.  I need your help in meeting this goal!!  I have an online workshop that is open beginning today through November 30th.  Anyone who places an online order using hostess code E6KQ7CCR will receive a small gift from me.  Anyone who places an order of $50 or more will be entered to win $25 in FREE Stampin' Up! products from me!  Thanks in advance for helping me meet my goal for the month!
 
Happy Stamping!!

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Grateful for Fall

It's Tuesday and that means its time for a new Hand Stamped Sentiments challenge.  This week we have a new sketch for you to play along with!
The girls over at Stylin' Stampin' INKspiraiton are focusing on the Truly Grateful stamp set today, so I'm joining all of those fabulous stampers too!
Supplies Used:
Paper ~ Early Espresso, Very Vanilla, Cajun Craze, Gold Glimmer Paper
Ink ~ Cajun Craze, Crushed Curry, VersaMark
Stamp Set ~ Truly Grateful
Other Supplies ~ Autumn Accents Bigz, Burlap Ribbon, Natural Chevron Ribbon, Gold Sequin Trim, Clear Embossing Powder
 
After a week and a half of below freezing temps and snow, fall is making a come back this week and for that, I am Truly Grateful!  This girl is NOT cut out for winter! 
 
I hope you are all staying warm and are having a great week so far!
 
Happy Stamping!

Monday, November 17, 2014

November Layout

 Happy Monday friends!  I hope you all had a great weekend!  It is still super, SUPER cold here, so we spent most of the weekend inside trying to keep warm.  While I have a ton of yard work that needs to be done, the snow and below freezing temps gave me a good excuse to spend the weekend stamping and MDS-ing away :)
It's time for a new scrapbook layout over at Stylin' Stampin' INKspiration and I am LOVING this sketch! 
I'm still having fun putting all of our family photos into different layouts and this sketch was perfect for the pictures of my twins.  Below I have one page of my son, Hunter. 
I wanted to have a two page layout of both boys, so I mirrored the layout of Hunter's page and made a second one for Aidan.
And here is what it will look like in our Family Yearbook...love it!  It's hard to believe these boys are one month away from being 9...where does the time go?!?!?
Be sure to head on over to SSINK and check out the rest of the scrapbook layouts AND cards using this fun layout!

Happy Stamping!!


Friday, November 14, 2014

Baby, It's Cold Outside

Well, Mother Nature has decided to skip fall and head right on in to winter!  Just last week we had beautiful sun-shiny 70+ degree weather and now we are hovering right above freezing with snow on the ground...crazy!  Most of you know I am NOT a fan of the cold winter months, but it does give me a good excuse to stay nice and warm inside and stamp away :-)   It's almost a fair trade!
The girls over at SSINK are sharing some Christmas Cards today and I have a fun little shaker card to contribute.  This is actually a card I made for a SSINK swap we did a while back...I had so much fun making these!
Supplies Used:
Paper ~ Lost Lagoon, Whisper White, Old Olive, Red Glimmer Paper, All is Calm Specialty DSP
Ink ~ Memento, Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive and Night of Navy Blendabilities, White StazOn
Stamp Sets ~ White Christmas, Project Life Holiday Cheer
Other Supplies ~ Oval Framelits, Circle Punches, Decorative Dots Embossing Folder, Window Sheet, Frosted Sequins
 
It's really hard to see in the picture, but I stamped little snowflakes on the Window Sheet...it looks like it's snowing!
 
I hope the snow holds off and just sticks to the mountains for now!  Let us get through Thanksgiving travels and THEN it can snow!
 
Thanks for stopping by today! 
 
Happy Stamping!
 


Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Gratitude Blog Hop


Hello and welcome to the November edition of Stylin' Stampin' INKspiration Blog Hop!  This month we are showing our gratitude...whether it be for our family and friends, or our childrens teachers, our neighbors or even our local law enforcement officers and fire fighter/paramedics...they all deserve our thanks!
 
As you hop along, please be sure to comment and show some love on every blog! We are always excited to hear from our followers! You should have just left stop number THREE on the Stylin' Stampin' INKspiration Blog Hop -  Diana at Stampin' Fun with Diana If so, you are in the right spot. If a link doesn't work or you get off track, you will find the full blog hop lineup below.

Between the Marines celebrating their birthday on Monday and Veterans Day on Tuesday, there was lots of talk in my family about the sacrifices all of the service men and women make for all of us. It was heartwarming to hear my 9 year old boys talk about it and know that they really understood what Veterans Day is really about.  With those feelings fresh in my mind, I decided to show my gratitude for these amazing men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country and for those who continue to do so today!

 
Supplies Used:
Paper ~ Night of Navy, Old Olive, Crushed Curry, Whisper White
Ink ~ Night of Navy, Old Olive, Crumb Cake, Crushed Curry
Stamp Sets ~ Words of Courage (MDS), Be the Star, Truly Grateful
Other Supplies ~ Star Framelits

Another group of individuals I am always thankful are our local firefighters and paramedics.  Not only because my husband is part of this group of people, but because they too put their life on the line each and every day to make sure others are safe.
On September 11th this year, the department stood guard in front of a statue that was put up to honor those firefighter and paramedics who lost their life on 9/11.  This is something they do every year and it touches my heart every single time!
This page was created in MDS and will be added to our Family Yearbook...my favorite way to preserve our memories!
 

Thanks for hopping along with all of us today!  Be sure to hop along to all of the stops so you don't miss any of our INKspiring creations! 
 
http://sudonna112244.blogspot.com/2014/11/ssink-blog-hop-gratitude-for-you.html
 
 
Bree at Craft-Somnia
Donna at Organized Chaos




Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Oh Christmas Tree...

Are you singing the song now too?!?!?  I've been singing it the past two days as I've worked on these cute little Christmas trees...
I was going to hold a burlap Christmas Wreath class this year but after all of the feedback I got from my customers, we'll be making these instead!
 
Class info:
Date:  Sunday, November 30th 2014
Time: 1:00PM
Place: Bree's House (message for address)
Cost: $35.00 pre-payment required by 11/16/2014
 
Head on over to Stylin' Stampin' INKspiration for full details on how these are made.
 
Happy Stamping!


Monday, November 10, 2014

'Tis the Season...

....to put on your fancy pants!
Say what?!?!?  Continue reading and you'll see just what I'm taking about!
It's the second Monday of the month and that means it's time for a new sketch challenge over at Stylin' Stampin' INKspiration.  We hope you join in the fun and play along!
I had some fun with washi tape again with this sketch...love me some washi tape!  And that moose in the fun PJ's...or Fancy Pants as my son calls them! Be sure to scroll down the bottom of my post to see his matching fancy pants! 
Supplies Used:
Paper ~ Marina Mist, Smoky Slate, Real Red, Whisper White
Ink ~ Memento, Cherry Cobbler and Crumb Cake Blendabilities
Stamp Set ~ Visions of Santa
Other Supplies ~ Angled Tag Topper, Old Olive Bakers Twine, Santa & Co. Washi Tape, Confetti Stars Punch
 
My bother in law and his wife live in Canada and sent my youngest this PJ's for his birthday. As soon as he saw this card, he said "Hey!  That moose has fancy pants just like mine!!"  Gave me a pretty good giggle :-D

 
Now head on over and check out the rest of the Design Team creations and don't forget to play along!
 
Happy Stamping!

Sunday, November 9, 2014

Truly Grateful for...





....the Monday Montage girls!  I love seeing all of the talent of these girls with each and every hop!  And the friendships that have formed from this group...Truly Grateful!

Be sure to make a stop at each spot on the hop...you're sure to be inspired!

I've been working away on Christmas projects, but with snow in our forecast this week, I decided it was time to put a hold on Christmas in hopes of keeping the snow away!  (I hope it works!)
This is, by far, one of my favorite Fall/Thanksgiving stamp sets and I hope it sticks around for a long, long time!
Supplies Used:
Paper ~ Early Espresso, Very Vanilla, Vellum, Color Me Autumn DSP
Ink ~ Early Espresso, VersaMark
Stamp Set ~ Truly Grateful
Other Supplies ~ Natural Chevron Ribbon, Venitian Crochet Trim, Gold Sequin Trim, Early Espresso Bakers Twine, 2013-2015 In Color Sequins, Crushed Curry, Gold and Clear Embossing Powder
It's pretty hard to see in the picture, but I stamped the wheat in Early Espresso then heat embossed in Crushed Curry...this gave the wheat a little bit of a grainy look...get it?!?!?  Grainy!  (Sorry....it's been a long day and I'm feeling a little silly!)
 
Next stop in the hop is Cathy...you don't want to miss out on her post today!  Or if you want to hop backwards, you can hop on back to the amazing Amy...love her style!!
 
  Thanks for hopping along with us today!
 
Happy Stamping!
 



Friday, November 7, 2014

Grateful For....

...Washi Tape!!
Happy Friday friends!!!  Some of the girls over at SSINKspiration are playing with washi tape today and we sure are having fun!  There are so many fun things that can be done with washi...creating your own DSP (as I did), punching out a shape of washi covered cardstock or just using it as a fancy piece of tape!  Any way you use it, it's always gonna be FUN!!
Supplies Used:
Paper ~ Blackberry Bliss, Very Vanilla, Color Me Autumn DSP
Ink ~ Blackberry Bliss
Stamp Set ~ Merry Everything
Other Supplies ~ Color Me Autumn Washi Tape, Autumn Wood Elements, Blackberry Bliss Satin Ribbon, Gold Sequin Trim, Gold Bakers Twine

What will you Washi today?
 
Happy Stamping!!


Wednesday, November 5, 2014

A Trip To Roloff Farm

How many of you watch and love TLC's Little People, Big World?  It is one of our family favorites and this year we were FINALLY able to go visit the Roloff Farm Pumpkin Patch.  Ever since I ran my first Helvatia Half Marathon and ran right past the entrance to the farm I have wanted to take my family to visit.
It was pouring rain when we got to the farm, but when the gates opened, we had a little break, just in time for a tractor tour of the farm.  We even got to have a brief visit with Matt Roloff...he's such a fun guy!  It was so cool to see so much of what we see on the show in real life!  Shortly after our tractor ride was over, the skies opened up again, but we kept on having fun!  As we were getting ready to head home, we spotted Amy...so exciting!!  She was so sweet and was happy to let us get a quick picture with her :-)
My boys were amazed by the HUGE pumpkins that the Roloff family had grown...I was too!  Some of them were over 125lbs!!!  That would make one big ol' pumpkin pie :-)
 
This awesome sketch comes from my new favorite challenge site, MDS Monday.  This weeks sketch is by Anita...I love the stripes!!!
 


Tuesday, November 4, 2014

A Merry Little {Colorful} Wish....

It's Tuesday and we all know what that means...it's time for a new Hand Stamped Sentiments challenge!  This time we have a festive color challenge for you to play with!
These colors say Christmas to me!
Supplies Used:
Paper ~ Kraft, Whisper White, Real Red, Soft Sky, Nordic Noel
Ink ~ Garden Green, Real Red
Stamp Set ~ Festival of Trees
Other Supplies ~ Tree Punch, Itty Bitty Accents Star Punch
 
I'm also playing along with Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge 243...I love this sketch!

Be sure to check out the rest of the awesome creations from our design team and don't forget to join in the fun!

Happy Stamping!

Monday, November 3, 2014

Green Christmas

Happy Monday and Happy November!  It's the first Monday of the month and that means it's time for a new color challenge over at Stylin' Stampin' INKspiration. 
I'm not gonna lie...it took me a while to wrap my head around all these shades of green and figure out what I was going to do with them.  I finally settled on Partidge & Pears with for these shades of green...for a green, green Christmas!
Supplies Used:
Paper ~ Pear Pizzazz, Garden Green, Whisper White, Gold Foil, Santa & Co. DSP, Nordic Noel DSP
Ink ~ Memento, Old Olive and Crumb Cake Blendabilities, Garden Green, Pear Pizzazz, Gold Marker
Stamp Set ~ Partidge & Pears
Other Supplies ~ Stylish Stripes Embossing Folder
 
Are you ready to take on this challenge and join in the fun?  We sure hope you do!  Head on over to see the rest of the Design Team's creations and play along with us!
 
Happy Stamping!