You're a hoot!

Hi guys,
Hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day. Mine was great and actually started early. After the workshop on Thursday, DD and I went out to dinner and got to spend some time catching up. We don't get to do that very often, just the two of us, so it was very enjoyable. Friday, DD, SIL, DS, DH and I went out for lunch to our favorite Chinese restaurant, where DD gave me a beautiful bouquet of roses! Saturday, I got to see two of my grandsons, who gave me cute little cards they had made, and for my desk, a flower pot with flower pens they had made. It was just adorable! They are quite crafty, just like their mother (DD). Sunday, DH and I went to DS and DIL for what could only be described as a feast! It was delicious and we had chocolate cake for dessert...YUM! DS and DIL know how I love coffee, so they gave me a Starbucks Via Ready Brew coffee mug. Now I can have my coffee anywhere I go. It was a great Mother's Day, and I'm truly blessed to have such a wonderful, caring family.
God is good!
Today I decided to try a technique I've been reading about called MCPT...Magic Colored Pencil Technique. I had read you needed Prismcolor pencils (very expensive), and a product called Gamsol (low odor mineral spirits), which I can't find locally. I have EK Success colored pencils, and I found low odor oil paint thinner in the art supplies at Walmart. I also couldn't find the paper pencil stumps the technique calls for, so I used a cotton swab (Q-tip). I stamped my little owls and colored around just the inside edges with my colored pencil, then dipped my swab slightly into the Walmart artist paint thinner, and started "pulling" the color from the edges to the rest of the owls bodies, and it worked! They look just like they've been shaded and watercolored. Amazing, and I didn't have any of the "required" supplies. It might look better using them, I don't know, but I'm quite happy with the results I got on my little owl card. I'll be trying this again with larger stamps and other colors, and if they turn out as well as the owls, I'll continue to use my "counterfeit" supplies...LOL. Let me know what you think, and if you've tried MCPT. Have a great day, everyone!
Blessings,
~M~