lost in cardland

Take a Word - Umbrella

2011-11-21T10:38:00.000-08:00

Take A Word challenge this week is 'Umbrella.' Living in Vancouver you have an appreciation for the umbrella! It is bucketing rain outside my window as we speak and I know I am going to be hunting for one of my umbrellas today. Enjoy your day and don't let a little rain get in the way! Cheers

Think Monday, Think ATC

2011-11-21T10:19:00.000-08:00

The theme for TMTA this week is 'Children.'

There is nothing as wonderful as the imagination of children. They truly believe their dreams and unlike adults, they don't put roadblocks in front of themselves. Of course this can have some disastrous results at times, as in my daughter who believed she could fly if she could only get up high enough. Upon launching herself from atop a bureau this little bird ended up with a broken wing (arm)! Not quite how it happened in her dream. The wonderful thing about children is their resilience, they dust themselves off and enjoy the new experience of getting a cast on and off they go to experiment some more.

Our dreams can take us to incredible places. Imagine You Can...Cheers!

Inspiration Avenue Challenge

2011-11-14T09:43:00.000-08:00

The Inspiration Monday challenge at Inspiration Avenue is 'Harlequin.' I glued some dictionary onto cardstock, stamped and embossed this fabulous Bird Diva stamp (it belongs to my friend, Donna) from Lost Coast Design over it and added some colour with TH distress inks. Thanks for looking. Hope you have some fun creating today - cheers!

Colour Theme - Black and Grey

2011-11-14T09:00:00.000-08:00

The colour challenge at Gingersnap Creations this month is 'Black and Grey.' I have used some grey and cream papers from SU, the bird stamp and the speckles are also from Stampin'Up; the tissue tape is Tim Holtz. Thanks for looking - cheers!

Take a Word

2011-10-17T11:11:00.000-07:00

Remember when you first learned to whisper? I remember how it tickled my ear and I would always giggle! This is my entry today for the Take a Word challenge - "Childhood." I hope you have lots of sweet memories about your childhood - cheers!

Blackbird

2011-10-10T17:16:00.000-07:00

The challenge this week for Take A Word is 'Blackbird.' This crow is a Tim Holtz die cut, the papers are My Minds Eye and the stamps are Tim Holtz and Martha Stewart. Thanks for looking - cheers!

Spider Web Marie

2011-10-09T13:00:00.000-07:00

It seems that Marie has been caught in a web! This is my entry for Kris's Gothic Arch Challenge.

Tag It On Challenge

2011-10-05T12:55:00.000-07:00

This week the challenge for Tag It On is another song title, The Whole of the Moon, by the Waterboys. This was a quick and fun tag, some stamping, some embossing a little glue and there you have it! Thanks for looking and do check out all the great artistry over on the Dragon's Dream blog. Cheers!

Laugh Out Loud!

2011-10-04T16:26:00.000-07:00

The challenge this week for Crazy Amigo is 'Animal.' When I saw this zebra in a magazine ad I had to chuckle! He totally looks like he is laughing to me, it reminds me of Mr Ed with stripes! Hope you get a chuckle or two today along the way...cheers!

Gothic Arch - Pumpkins

2011-10-03T08:28:00.000-07:00

Kris Dickinson is hosting another Gothic Arch challenge and this time the challenge is 'Pumpkins.' Perfect for the month of Halloween! I received this image in a RAK so not sure where it came from. The picket fence and ticket are Tim Holtz die cuts and the other bits from the Halloween stash. I love October! Hope all your surprises today are Treats! Cheers!

Anything Goes

2011-09-29T10:26:00.000-07:00

Well, it is the end of a five week month and Just For Fun has an Anything Goes challenge but there is a twist, anything goes except a card and no cute!

I love this witch image, she is one of my favourites although I don't own the stamp, it belongs to my friend, Donna and I have no idea which stamp company it is from. I made the background of the tag with distress inks and some Tim Holtz stamps. The picket fence is one of his dies and the ticket and bat are as well. The crow is a Quietfire stamp.

Love this season! Have a good one - cheers!

Steampunk Autumn Postcard

2011-09-26T13:02:00.000-07:00

The challenge for Sunday Postcard Art is 'Autumn Leaves.' The leaves on this Graphic 45 paper have not turned yet but the oranges and golds give this a definite autumn feel. This was a new technique I was practicing using a grid die, Be Creative tape (double-sided) and embossing powder. It is a two stage process where you uncover the grid and emboss it with gold EP; then you uncover the squares and emboss them in clear EP. I got a bit of the gold powder onto my lower squares but I didn't mind the effect. Thanks for looking - cheers!

Arch Play

2011-09-17T22:54:00.000-07:00

Kris Dickinson, Nostalgic Collage, has posted a Gothic Arch challenge - a vintage photo. We have lost a lot of good challenges, it would be great if this one got going. Cheers!

Tag It On - Fashion

2011-09-14T15:54:00.000-07:00

The theme this week for Tag It On is 'Dedicated Follower of Fashion!' What a fun theme.

Ms Estelle is certainly trying to do just that, why I think she is wearing quite a fashionable 'Fascinater!' I think it looks much better than the ones I saw on a couple of princesses a few months ago...

Most of the tag was some Tim Holtz product - my kitchen looked like I had dragged everything with his name on it out of the stash room!

Do check the Tag It On blog to see more fascinating fashion examples - cheers!

3 Muses - Autumn!

2011-09-14T13:55:00.000-07:00

The Three Muses challenge this week is 'Autumn.' Well, as you can see from my last three posts, I have had a creative spurt with the G45 papers! This is another card I created from the Steampunk Debutante paper. The teal paper went so well with the harvest colours, I love this combination. I used glossy accent on the butterfly and rose and a bit of stickles on the earring. Have a great day and thanks for looking - cheers!

Inspiration Avenue - Autumn Splendor

2011-09-13T23:04:00.000-07:00

This week the challenge for Inspiration Avenue is 'Autumn Splendor.' I love the rich colours in this Graphic 45 Steampunk Debutante paper; it reminded me of an autumn harvest. I made another side step card with some of the lovely images. Its a little bit steampunk and a little bit 1890's Parisian ad poster and the woman with the crow is a bit Halloween, she's a bit scarey! Thanks for looking - cheers!

Take A Word - Music

2011-09-11T22:44:00.000-07:00

Another great challenge this week from Take A Word , this week it is "Music." I was playing with some Graphic 45 paper and made a side step card from the Curtain Call collection. These cards are a bit tricky to photograph; a white box would have been better than my kitchen table, I think. The little ticket on the second step says "All That Jazz." Thanks for looking, have a wonderful day - Cheers!

Going My Way?

2011-09-07T07:13:00.000-07:00

I just love this image from Crafty Secrets. Can you imagine going for a ride on this motorcycle - in a hat and dress no less! This is a very brave woman who will try anything, I'd say. I put the card together with some G45 background paper and some SU cardstock. Today on The Three Muses the challenge is 'Words.' My tag has been stamped with a great Tim Holtz expression. I sure hope this lovely lady got to her destination in one piece! Have a great day and thanks for looking - cheers!

Take a Word - Butterflies!

2011-09-05T09:38:00.000-07:00

Wow, two posts in one day - don't go into shock now!! Sometimes I just don't connect to the challenges and some of my favourite ones have closed, but today I am definitely connecting.

The challenge from Take A Word this week is Butterflies! Don't we all love the gentle butterfly? This ATC uses a winged woman from ArtChix and some random things from that stash; don't you love the Canadian postage stamp of the dragonfly?. The background was tissue paper and watercolour crayon glued onto some TH paper.

Have a wonderful day, I hope you see a butterfly! Cheers!

TMTA - Nostalgia

2011-09-05T09:22:00.000-07:00

The challenge for Think Monday, Think ATC is 'Nostalgia.' The stamp is from Paper Artsy, paper from my TH stash and some bits from my pile of stuff...somehow that pile never seems to decrease...This dapper duo fit the bill I'd say - cheers!

Fishy News!

2011-09-01T11:25:00.000-07:00

Well, fish did get wrapped up in newspaper at one time and you can still get terrific fish and chips wrapped in newspaper, they are the best! The Three Muses challenge this week is NEWSPAPER.

I was playing with Lumiere paints on newspaper and then used black soot distress ink to stamp the great fishprint image from Scrollswork and a couple of SU stamps. I glued it onto a piece of music background, added some faux stitching and highlighted with the white pen.

This was fun, it certainly brightens up the news! Hope all of your news today is good news - Cheers!

Take a Word : Old-fashioned

2011-08-22T07:11:00.000-07:00

Old-fashioned is the Take a Word challenge this week and I have chosen this bathing beauty, from Artchix, in her old-fashioned bathing costume. These suits were made of wool, it is hard to imagine what this must have felt like after it got wet! I am glad we no longer have to endure a wool outfit to take a dip! Have a wonderful day, cheers!

Bird Woman

2011-07-07T09:31:00.000-07:00

'Wings' is the challenge for Theme Thursday this week. Have a wonderful day - cheers!

Lazy Days

2011-07-05T19:04:00.000-07:00

The theme this week for the Crazy Amigo challenge is 'Lazy Days.' I cut out this Graphics 45 image and layered it onto one of my backgrounds with some silk vine and flowers. Don't you long for those lazy days of summer when you can just sit and contemplate, imagine and dream; for the sweet scent of flowers and the thoughts of love? OK, I'm being a bit too sappy....oh, well, I can imagine that I would have time for this! Hope you have some lazy days this summer - cheers!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DONNA!

2011-06-21T07:22:00.000-07:00

Today is my very good friend's birthday! Sadly, we have a postal strike in Canada and we are unable to send birthday greetings by mail, so Donna suggested that I post her card so she could at least get to see it.
Donna is my most creative friend and she has a wonderful blog: paper crows and dragonflies. A wonderful friend that I share so much with. We live a couple of hours and a ferry ride away from each other and don't get together to play and create often enough.
Happy Birthday, Donna!! This card is waiting for you and my wishes are for a wonderful birthday full of all things that make you happy. Love you lots - Rhonda

All That Jazz!

2011-06-09T10:28:00.000-07:00

The current Spicy Supply challenge at Gingersnap Creations involves packaging materials. I made this ATC for my June ATC club using a recycled free ITunes song of the week card, featuring Charles Bradley. I sanded some embossed black coredinations paper for the background and added a strip of corrugated cardboard from some packaging; a ticket and stamp from Graphic 45 and voila - my ATC was complete! Love it when everything just seems to jump onto the page and works. Have a terrific day! Cheers!

Exposed!

2011-05-02T22:09:00.000-07:00

Take a Word challenge - Exposed

Spring Garden

2011-04-14T09:59:00.000-07:00

First off, I made a master board by stamping with some distress inks, sponging on some distress inks and finally embossing. Then, I cut it up into ATC size and created the springtime ATC and added butterfly fragment. I used a couple of pieces of Stampin'Up! botanical paper for the background of the card; a bit of Glossy Accents to the bee and some ribbon and my card was complete. I love using the ATC format for my focal point of a card and with the master board I have nine more little backgrounds to build upon. Have a great day and thanks for looking. Cheers!

Simon Says Stamp and Show - Distressing
Rainbow Lady's Challenge - Springtime
One Powerful Hour - Spring Into Autumn

Spring!

2011-04-06T07:21:00.000-07:00

These delightful daffodils are growing in our neighbours' tree! Even though it is unseasonably cold here this year, the daffs know it is springtime and are happily blooming. The first year we saw this, there was only one spindly flower that we never thought it would make another year, but each spring brings more blooms and the daffodils are flourishing. We figure that one of our pesky, bulb-eating squirrels had stashed the bulb in the tree for a later snack, forgot about it and there was enough bits of soil to get it going. I always look forward to spring and to the beauty that it brings. Have a wonderful day!

'I can't know, only you can,
What makes my heart laugh,
This branch of flowers
Shaking in your wind.' Rumi

Mother

2011-04-04T10:06:00.000-07:00

In North America, Mother's Day is on May 8th but it is Mother's Day in the UK this week and the challenge for Sunday Postcard Art is "Mothers." I made a very simple postcard using an image from enchanted mercantile, outlined it with a gold crylon pen and added a simple sentiment from Stampin'Up! Happy Mother's Day to all moms who are celebrating this week! Cheers!

Lost and Found!

2011-04-02T00:04:00.000-07:00

I bought this stamp before Christmas and stamped it twice when I got it and just loved it. I decided to make some special Christmas cards with it and couldn't find it anywhere! After Christmas I organized my stamp drawers and got my husband to pull out the bottom drawer thinking maybe it had slipped over the back of the drawer - nothing. Several times I have lifted up this wastebasket and vacuumed, pulled out the plastic bag full of paper bits and replaced it with a new one, but the other day I decided to wash the wastebasket and look what I found! A little late for Christmas but a fun surprise! Cheers!

Happy Birthday!

2011-04-01T23:18:00.000-07:00

Well, after a bit of a break from blogging, I finally have something to post. My father has just turned 85 years old and a party is taking place tomorrow. He also just bought himself a new car! I hope I still feel like buying a new car at that age. This is a picture of him as a young man and the little boy in the upper left corner is him at about 5 years. I used some papers from a Tim Holtz stack and the car of course is one of his stamps. A bit of weathered distress ink, some 7 Gypsies stamps and a couple of expressions and the card is ready. Hey Dad - blow your horn and celebrate! Cheers!

StampMan Challenge - Anything Tim
One Powerful Hour - Birthday Wishes
Simon Says Stamp and Show - Hat

The Last One!

2011-03-12T12:39:00.000-08:00

It is hard to believe that we have come to the end of the Compendium of Curiosities Challenge, CCC#35! There have been 35 Tim Holtz technique challenges; we have been working our way through his Compendium of Curiosities book since June. Amazing! The final challenge is Design Details and I have loaded lots of ephemera onto the cover page of my technique book.

Linda Ledbetter has been the fabulous hostess for this challenge on her blog, Studio L3. Thank you, Linda, for keeping the challenges going all of these weeks and for all of your inspiration - it has been great! Thanks for looking and do hop over to Studio L3 to check out all of the wonderful submissions. Cheers!

CCC #34 Dimensional Collage Fragments

2011-03-06T18:50:00.000-08:00

Dimensional Collage Fragments is the Compendium of Curiosities Challenge this week. Well, I had my fragment made about six days ago and have just had some time this afternoon to put it onto a page. Where does time go? I built the collage on some thin newsprint paper and made it into a fragment. Then I used alcohol inks to make the background, add some stamps and there you have it. This is challenge #34, hard to believe we started this last June! Do hop over to Linda's blog, Studio L3, and check out all of the fabulous entries. Thanks for looking - cheers!

Take A Word - Birdlife

2011-03-06T15:19:00.000-08:00

This week the challenge for Take A Word is 'Birdlife.' I had just finished my March calendar for my fridge (6 days late, but who is counting?) when I saw the challenge posted for this week - Yeah, I will actually be ready for a challenge on time! I pieced together some leftover strips of paper, added some spring stamps and my little calendar. We are having a glorious spring-like day here on the Pacific West Coast; there is lots of bird action in our backyard today. Enjoy - Thanks for looking!

Sunday Postcard Art - Double Take

2011-02-27T09:57:00.000-08:00

'Double Take' is the challenge this week for Sunday Postcard Art, repeat of an image. Thanks for looking, and looking again! : ) - cheers!

I Can Fly

2011-02-26T20:04:00.000-08:00

The challenge for Wednesday Stampers this week is, "I Can Fly!" All stamps are Stampin'Up! Thanks for looking - cheers!

CCC #32

2011-02-20T15:48:00.000-08:00

Page 59 in the Tim Holtz book, A Compendium of Curiosities, and this week it is 'Inking and Stamping Masks.' We are on week #32 of this challenge on the amazing Linda's blog, Studio L3. I used Tim stamps for the birds and the city, Scrollswork for the moon and Stampin'Up for the flourish. Picked up the little expression somewhere along the way. There are lots of fabulous examples of this CCC#32 technique on Linda's blog - check it out.
We live in the city and every night at dusk the crows fill the sky as they make their way back to their night time resting place. Have a good night! Cheers!

Sunday Postcard Art - Hearts

2011-02-13T22:52:00.000-08:00

The theme this week for Sunday Postcard Art is 'Hearts.' I made the ATC on this postcard for my good friend, Donna. We are doing an ATC mail art exchange. We each have a shrine where we will display the other person's art. This is the first one, I sent it to her in time for Valentine's Day. Donna is a great friend, she shares my creative journey and is a true source of inspiration for me. You can see some of her lovely art on her blog, Paper, Crows and Dragonflies. I hope you have many good friends in your life, they are a blessing. Happy Valentine's Day!

Valentine

2011-02-12T23:56:00.000-08:00

This is a Valentine card that I made for my husband. This is my entry for 4x4 Friday. It is a 4x4 card and it is quite a simple design. It is also my entry for Simon Says Stamp and Show Some Embossing; I embossed the black heart and mounted it, stamped always under it and Voila! Have a Happy Valentine's Day - xoxo

CCC #31 - Rusted Enamel

2011-02-12T22:03:00.000-08:00

I can hardly believe that it is week thirty-one of the Compendium of Curiosities Challenge! Linda at Studio L3 has been hosting this Tim Holtz technique and it has been just fabulous! This week we were making fabulous backgrounds using the Rusted Enamel technique, it makes the paper feel quite leathery. My mind was definitely on the rain today, we had a downpour. I hope if you have a rainy day that you feel like dancing...kick up your heels and put on a funny hat, it won't make the rain go away but it might make you laugh! Thanks for looking - cheers!

Take A Word - Blackbird

2011-02-07T22:06:00.000-08:00

This little blackbird is singing his heart out! : ) This is my entry for Take A Word. Thanks for looking - I hope you have something wonderful in your life to sing about - Cheers!

Cafe au Lait

2011-02-07T20:55:00.000-08:00

This is my entry for Gingersnap Creations Coffee and Cream colour challenge. The base paper for this tag was a giftcard envelope from Starbucks. The dark cream parts are flocked and fuzzy. I used some stamps from Stampington using Espresso ink. I made a flower using sheet music, tissue and organza; I stamped it and distressed it with same ink. I put a vintage button from my mother's button box in the centre and left the bit of greenish thread that was in it - just because. The cotton lace on the bottom was soaked in some coffee, no cream.

Yum, I love coffee, as I have said before and in my previous life when I didn't know I was allergic to milk and soy I used to love a cappuccino in the afternoon. Wouldn't it be lovely to have one in Paris, the City of Love? We can dream.... Cheers!

Hearts and Wings

2011-02-06T20:26:00.000-08:00

A new challenge blog, Just For Fun, has started and week one finds us creating something with 'Hearts and Wings.' My friend, Donna, gave me this great set of zetti stamps and a set of faces that will correspond to the zetti faces - love it! Cheers!

Lots of Love!

2011-02-06T13:09:00.000-08:00

First off I must apologize for my terrible photos in the last two shots - I killed the battery in my camera, I keep downloading my camera into iphoto and then I cannot find them to download them in here, so I have ended up with some inferior pics - sigh, I am just not a techno!

This tag is for a couple of challenges; I don't usually do this, but I am at the deadline for the Compendium of Curiosities and they are both Tim Holtz challenges after all! I have used my painted metal bits on it. Therefore... this is my entry for Altered Metal with Paint. I have used white paint on my metal pieces for the CCC Challenge #30 on the lovely Linda's blog, Studio L3.

Believe it or Not...this tag is also from the Tim Holtz 12 Tags of Christmas 2007 challenge. Tag #6 is all about misting with perfect pearls and ink, it turns out so shimmery and this is where Tim first introduced this technique to the masses. You can see all of his here on his blog: 2007 Tags. Now mine is not Christmas, and that is OK, the idea was to go back and revisit the techniques. You can see more examples on Kathy's blog: Inkin' It Up!

And Simon Says Stamp and Show have a challenge - Show Us the Love! This is my entry for that one as well.

Well, that should be enough TH for a few days! Until the next time - cheers!

ATC Shrine

2011-02-05T22:49:00.000-08:00

The challenge for Alter It Monthly is to alter a shrine, altar, nichos or dreambox. I got this shrine and a matching one for my friend, Donna, from ArtChix Studio. I used alcohol inks on the metal shrine and waited forever for it dry, like days turned into weeks and still I can smudge some of it off.

I made a background insert that I will mount my ATCs onto for display. Donna and I have decided that our ATC shrines will be for our mail art; Donna will send random ATCs to me to display in my shrine and I will mail ones to her to do the same. Donna has started the exchange, she has posted the first one she is mailing me onto her blog, Paper Crows and Dragonflies, and it is stunning. Her shrine is gorgeous as well, the embellishments are perfection. I am not sure if my mail offerings will be as wonderful as hers, but the exchange will be fun.

I am excited that we are getting our project off and running. We will keep you posted! Cheers!

Family Portrait

2011-02-05T09:07:00.000-08:00

How photography has changed over the centuries but the family photo is still the same, memories from the past, moments caught in time. This week the Theme Thursday challenge is 'Family.' I used Tim Holtz stamps and a piece of film strip ribbon for this card.

As a little girl, I used to love going through my parents' albums, all the photos mounted with little silver corners on black paper were a treasure. The most fascinating part was looking at the faces and finding something familiar, someone I was related to but had never met, someone from another time and recognizing that there were likenesses to myself or my sisters or parents; the family I belonged to. Thanks for looking - cheers!

Take A Word - Vintage

2011-01-30T22:17:00.000-08:00

This is my entry for 'Take A Word.' The word this week is 'Vintage.' Thanks for looking - cheers!

Weathered Love

2011-01-30T17:56:00.000-08:00

Well, as we enter the month of LOVE, let's get into the mood! I covered a diecut in Spun Sugar and Worn Lipstick distress inks. Then I sprayed it with some pink perfect pearls mist concoction created by mixing perfect pearls, ink refill and water in a misting bottle; it gives a nice glimmer. I stamped some background script with Worn Lipstick, then overstamped the Love definition and some swirls and scrolls with Fired Brick. I used all of the same distress inks on my texture embossed grunge paper, but you get quite a different look.. Add a couple of turtle doves - being romantic here - and there you have it!

This is my entry for Compendium of Curiosities #29, Weathered Wood Grunge, on the lovely Linda's blog, Studio L3. Not sure that I got the wood part of this, but I sure did get grungy!

This is also my entry for Wednesday Stamper, Inky Backgrounds. Judging by the ink on my hands, this qualifies!

Do hop over to these fabulous blogs and check out all of the inspiring artwork, there are a lot of talented people out there! Cheers.

HOME SWEET HOME

2011-01-30T08:32:00.000-08:00

This is my entry for the Sunday Postcard Art challenge. This week the theme is 'Home Sweet Home.' As Dorothy would say...'there's no place like home!' Enjoy the day - cheers!

BABY LOVE

2011-01-29T12:46:00.000-08:00

Verve Stamps are having a challenge and it is called 'Baby Love." I don't own any of this stamp line, but they sure are sweet. I made this card for my daughter and her husband when they told us they were expecting. I used papers from Websters Corners and the verse stamp from Quietfire Design. Our little baby love was born in November and she is as cute as a button. Thanks for looking!

Tim Holtz 12 Tags of Christmas 2007

2011-01-29T10:56:00.000-08:00

Kathy Eddy from blog "Inkin' It Up," is hosting a Tim Holtz 'Start To Finish' challenge. The idea is to go back to 2007, the first year that TH started his tags and to go through them again, picking up ideas and overlooked techniques as you go along. This is tag #5 from 2007 and is the first of this challenge I have completed. I have used The Old Island Stamp Company for my stamps and some sticker snowflakes. Not exactly TH but I did alcohol ink the background and the ribbon and OMG, I have a Christmas tag ready for next year! Tim's complete instructions are on his blog. Join the fun, everyone should have blue fingers for the weekend! Cheers!

Flower Head

2011-01-28T11:31:00.000-08:00

A photo of flowers in our garden last summer made a splendid head dress for this lady.

This is my entry for Theme Thursday - Red and Black.

Thanks for Looking - Cheers!

Enigma

2011-01-28T11:20:00.000-08:00

Ahh, Mona - who was she really? There are so many stories about who she could possibly have been, but no doubt about it, she has achieved the height of royalty.
This is my entry for Gingersnap Creations Spicy Supply: Coffee Filters. I have stamped Mona onto a natural No.4 cone coffee filter. Mona stamp from I Brake For Stamps.
Enjoy the day - cheers!

Botanical Postcard

2011-01-23T15:53:00.000-08:00

This is my entry for Take a Word, the word this week is 'Botanical.'
This is also my entry for Sunday Postcard Art, the theme is 'Pens and Pencils.'

Gothic Arches - Queen

2011-01-23T12:51:00.000-08:00

HRH Queen Grumpy Pants...her wish is your command! Let's hope it is a fun one - cheers!

The theme for Gothic Arches is 'Queen.' My queen is from Lisa's Altered Art.

CCC - Layered Fragments

2011-01-22T23:25:00.000-08:00

Challenge #28 of the Compendium of Curiosities and we are playing with our fragments again. I had a little difficulty getting my fragments to dry after I had painted them, but of course I did not read the directions properly!! I really must learn to follow directions, step by step. Thanks to Linda, our lovely host of this Tim Holtz challenge; do hop over to Studio L3 and see all of the fabulous entries, done by people who carefully follow directions! Having fun with creative challenges - cheers!

Theme Thursday - Love!

2011-01-22T22:41:00.000-08:00

"Love!" is the challenge for Theme Thursday this week. This steamy couple, as seen through the keyhole, are from Divas D'Este. She may hold the key to his heart?! Cheers!

4x4 Friday - Winged Men

2011-01-21T10:43:00.000-08:00

'Winged Men' is the 4x4 Friday challenge. Have a great day, and remember, when in doubt - wing it! Cheers!

Sunday Stampers - Feelings/Texture

2011-01-16T14:41:00.000-08:00

The challenge for Sunday Stampers is either Feelings or Textures. I stamped my image onto textured, printed paper; the texture mottles the image a bit, making it a bit softer. I can only imagine how magical it would be to discover a hummingbird nest. That magic and the thought of soft leaves and bark making up the tiniest of nests is the feeling part of this piece. Cheers!

Altered Mona

2011-01-16T14:10:00.000-08:00

The Sunday Postcard Art challenge is a fun one - Altered Mona! Cut, tear, stamp, paste, give Mona a little haircut and there you have it. The fun image, sans head, is from Divas D'Este. Have a great day - Ciao!

CCC #27 Distress Misting Mask

2011-01-13T23:36:00.000-08:00

Week 27, hard to believe that the Compendium of Curiosities Challenge has been going that long! This week we are to mask and mist and distress. I used a big flourish and a little flourish mask on this piece. Unfortunately, by the time I stamped it, you can't see the masked areas, which is entirely the point of the exercise! Sheesh! I tried to leave more showing, but it looked NEKKID! It really did...oh well, I tried and I do love the shimmer. Make sure you jump over to our lovely host, Linda's blog, Studio L3, and see all the wonderful examples of what this technique should look like! Thanks for looking - cheers!

CCC - Rusted Grunge

2011-01-09T18:16:00.000-08:00

Week 26 of the Compendium of Curiosities Challenge, hosted by Linda, on her blog, Studio L3. This week the challenge is rusted grunge. I rusted up some grungeboard pieces, used some distress ink and some Tim stamps, and there you have it! Cheers!

Gothic Arch Challenge - Faeries

2011-01-09T10:49:00.000-08:00

The first Gothic Arch challenge of the year - 'Faeries.' My fairy is from Divas D'Este. Keep an eye out today, there could be a fairy watching over you! Cheers!

GC 85 - Hot Beverages

2011-01-08T23:05:00.000-08:00

'Angelina liked her men like her coffee - strong and dark!'

The Gingersnap Challenge was to create something about your favourite hot beverage - there was no doubt what mine is. Now, don't get me wrong, I like tea and drink lots of it, but there is no contest when coffee is involved - I LOVE COFFEE! And, I am a coffee snob; I like dark roast, strong coffee. I have my favourite coffee place in Vancouver, The Continental, an Italian cafe that really only sells coffee. It was in Vancouver long before Starbucks and has its own following. I get my Suprema or Peruvian Organic beans from them. My morning ritual is to grind my beans and I think I go into a Zen-like state as I pour boiling water through my cone filter...ahh, is it morning yet?

One of my Christmas gifts from Randy was a selection of Continental beans - the perfect gift for me!

Everything I used on this tag was from coffee bags or cup sleeves or coffee brochures. Have a great day and enjoy your favourite hot beverage - you know I will be! Cheers!

By The Sea

2011-01-07T00:00:00.000-08:00

The Three Muses challenge this week is 'Old Fashioned.' These delightful bathing beauties are enjoying their day by the sea - can't imagine trying to swim in these outfits though!. Cheers!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2010-12-31T08:23:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to all my friends! Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to peek at my blog, to all of my fabulous followers and to everyone who has taken the time to post a comment - I treasure you all! Cheers!

CCC #25

2010-12-31T00:06:00.000-08:00

SCRIBBLE, STAIN, DISTRESS! Challenge #25 for the Compendium of Curiosities Challenge being hosted by Linda on her Studio L3 blog.

OK, I have a pair of gloves right in my ink box, but do I think to put them on before I start? Judging by the bright blue fingers and nails - not!

Another fun challenge, there are lots of Tim inspired people out there - do check Linda's blog for all of the terrific entries - Cheers!

Pattern

2010-12-30T23:54:00.000-08:00

Theme Thursday challenge - Pattern. It is fun to see how different the results can be when stamping onto patterned paper. Cheers!

Christmas Leftovers!

2010-12-29T19:48:00.000-08:00

The challenge for Tag Tuesday this week is 'Christmas Leftovers.' It also fits the bill for the latest challenge or Ginspiration, on Ginger Snap Creations, too - using your scraps! I pleated and stapled some crepe tissue to the bottom of the tag, this was the tissue from one of my gifts. The background paper was still on my desk from some cards I had made and the ribbon and baubles at the top of the tag were from our Christmas crackers! This was a fun challenge and the best part was that it went together in less than an hour - love it when that happens - Cheers!

Pete the Snowman

2010-12-26T09:11:00.000-08:00

The GingersnapCreations GC81 challenge is 'Snowpeople!' This is one of my Tim-esque tags. I just had to try putting some plastic through my bigshot! I used the top of a spinach container and if you look very closely at the bottom of the tag you can see the Pete symbol - so I am calling this tag "Pete the Snowman!" Have fun today!

Which Santa Fits You?

2010-12-21T11:40:00.000-08:00

We got a very cute card designed by a 10 year old the other day and the verse inside just cracked me up:

The Four Phases of Life according to Santa:

1/ You believe in Santa
2/ You don't believe in Santa
3/ You are Santa
4/ You look like Santa!

Cheers!

SANTA TAG

2010-12-21T11:20:00.000-08:00

This tag is a Tim Holtz inspiration. I followed his blog and ogled every tag; I even went so far as to attempt some of the techniques - I have two tissue tape flowers but haven't made a tag for them to adorn yet! Anyway, in the end I came up with a couple of tags using bits of his style. I loved how he put the white paint into the token to make the word pop on Tag#11 and then his Santa on Tag 5 was fabulous.

This is my entry for TAG TUESDAY, the challenge is to use Silver or Gold - my tag has some vintage ribbon on it in deep red and gold and the sticker at the bottom is outlined in gold glitter.

This tag also fits the challenge on Inspiration Avenue Weekly - Believe!

Trying to stay Jolly - Cheers!

Christmas Past, Christmas Present!

2010-12-21T10:53:00.000-08:00

This is my entry for One Powerful Hour - Christmas Past, Christmas Present!

I have been less than inspired this Christmas to accomplish all the usual tasks, including coming up with our Christmas card; but when I saw this vintage postcard on Cora's blog, Clearly Vintage, everything clicked. A little cut, a little paste and voila, our 2010 card.

Hope your Christmas is the Merriest! Cheers!

Compendium of Curiosities Challenge #24

2010-12-12T19:58:00.000-08:00

CCC #24 - Rock Candy Distress Stickles! Thanks again to Linda on her Studio L3 blog for hosting this challenge. This made me think of all things sparkly. I embossed the snowman with Kaleidoscope ep and used my stickles on this vintage ad for artificial snow - I think Frosty is scratching his head at this concept! Have a great week - Cheers!

Glitzy Snow People!

2010-12-11T08:59:00.000-08:00

Wouldn't it be wonderful to be playing with friends in the snow today? My entry for One Powerful Hour - 'Snow People' and Lots To Do - 'Glitz.' Have a wonderful day!

TMTA - Round

2010-12-06T22:35:00.000-08:00

Think Monday Think ATC - the theme is 'Round.' Cheers!

Take A Word - Mail

2010-12-06T22:22:00.000-08:00

This week's theme for Take A Word is - Mail. I used some favourite stamps on a bit of alcohol ink background. I hope you get some interesting mail this week - cheers!

Sunday Stampers - Christmastime

2010-12-05T13:12:00.000-08:00

The theme this week for Sunday Stampers is "Wonderful Christmastime." I love the colours of cranberry and kraft together. This bird was a punch out from a piece of designer paper that I was totally going to give credit to, but cannot find! How can one lose a 12x12 piece of paper in a 10x10' room?

Well, considering there is probably 1,000 sheets of paper in this little room and that my dear husband has taken over about half of the room with ham radios, tools, computer equipment, books, maps and various other gizmos, it is probably not surprising at all! I have rifled through stacks of paper and stashes of clipart to no avail - I know it has to be here someplace! Amazing anything comes out of this chaos!

Have a great day - Cheers!

CCC #23 - Double Distress

2010-12-04T11:30:00.000-08:00

'Double Distress' is #23 for the Compendium of Curiosities challenge, being hosted by Linda Ledbetter, on her blog, Studio L3. To create my snowy night village, I used grungepaper for the background, ran it through an embossing folder and inked it with faded jeans and aged mahogany distress inks. Two of Tim's on the edge dies were used to make the houses and the snowflakes. Liquid Pearls highlight the rooftops.

On this closeup you can see the sweet 'let it snow' stamp from Quietfire Designs and the sparkly effect of the Frosted Lace Stickles.
Another fun challenge! Hop over to the CCC #23 Challenge on Linda's blog to see all of the fabulous artwork using this technique. Cheers!

Take A Word - MEN

2010-11-24T23:04:00.000-08:00

This week's Take a Word challenge is - Men!

CCC #22

2010-11-21T09:23:00.000-08:00

Hard to believe that it is week number 22 for the Compendium of Curiosities Challenge, hosted by the lovely Linda on her blog, Studio L3. This week the challenge was the alcohol ink splatter technique - SPLATTER?? Yes, splatter! And splatter we did - especially when my dear hubby decided to get in on the fun; we had splatters of red and pink ink on our otherwise green countertop! He got a little carried away blowing through the straw and its a darn good thing the blending solution was at hand to quickly get the splats off! The result is a very bright background which makes the black ink stand out. Fun, fun, fun! I can hardly wait to see what next week (tomorrow actually) will bring! Not sure if my kitchen will survive...Cheers!

Wednesday Stamper - Stars

2010-11-19T09:18:00.000-08:00

My ATC is from a masterboard using Crushed Olive, Dried Marigold and Dusty Concord Distress Inks; and some Tim Holtz mini stamps. This is my entry for the Wednesday Stamper challenge, 'STARS.' I will be trying to keep 'it all' in perspective today - Cheers!

Take A Word - MOON

2010-11-18T12:07:00.000-08:00

The 'Take A Word' challenge this week is 'Moon!' These two are definitely enchanted with each other! The moon stamp is from Scrollswork and the little heart from Quietfire Designs.Cheers!

CCC#21 Perfect Distress

2010-11-13T21:27:00.000-08:00

This week The Compendium of Curiosities challenge is Perfect Distress. This was a really fun technique. I have applied Blue Russet Perfect Pearls to the bird and he is now very shimmery. The distress inks used were Rusty Hinge, Broken China & Tumbled Glass. Tim stamps of course. Check out all of the wonderful pieces on Linda's blog, Studio L3.

Lots To Do - Friends

2010-11-13T10:05:00.000-08:00

The Lots To Do challenge today is "Friends!" I hope you get some time with friends today - cheers!

Three Muses - Blackbirds

2010-11-12T17:44:00.000-08:00

This week's theme on The Three Muses challenge blog is 'Blackbirds.'

The definition of sanctuary is "a place of refuge and protection." Sometimes we need to seek sanctuary to replenish our soul.

I used Stampington and Tim Holtz stamps; Black soot and Tumbled Glass distress ink and Versafine black.

Welcome, Sophie Maxine

2010-11-04T17:27:00.000-07:00

Our sweet granddaughter has a name! Her parents have chosen Sophie Maxine. Sophie is of Greek origin and means wisdom. Maxine was my mother's middle name, she would have adored this little girl. I feel so blessed to have this new person in our lives. Thanks for all of the good wishes!

She's Here!

2010-11-02T15:44:00.000-07:00

Our first grandchild was born at 12:46 this morning!! She is my daughter's daughter - I find this an amazing fact. Born at 12:46 to Sara & Kevin, she weighs 7lbs 7oz and is 20" long. She was less than an hour old in this picture. We are still waiting to hear what name they will choose. She is precious and gorgeous and adored - WooHoo! I am a grandma!!

Gingersnap Creations - Gothic Elements

2010-10-30T12:09:00.000-07:00

These witchy sisters are my entry for the Gingersnap Creations 'Gothic Elements' challenge. Cheers!

Something Completely Different - Colour Combo

2010-10-30T11:47:00.000-07:00

The challenge on Something Completely Different is a colour combo challenge, 'Claret and Blue.' Thanks for looking - cheers!

Lots To Do - Halloween!

2010-10-30T11:36:00.000-07:00

The challenge for Saturday Lots To Do is Halloween! It is the eve of the Spookiest Night of the Year so we are all thinking about witches and goblins and black cats. I hope you get lots of treats and not too many tricks - Happy Halloween! The birds are Tim Holtz and the main stamp is Red Lead. Cheers!

CCC #19 - Extreme Masking

2010-10-30T11:25:00.000-07:00

The Compendium of Curiosities Challenge #19 is 'Extreme Masking.' This was really fun, but I had to get it organized in my head first and that took a bit of pondering. Basically, it was masking and reverse masking, so a more solid type of mask worked the best. I then used my 'masks' to create my flower embellishment. I used Dusty Concord, Worn Lipstick and Crushed Olive distress inks. Many thanks to Linda for hosting this challenge, do check out her fabulous blog, Studio L3, and see some terrific examples of this challenge. Have a wonderful day - cheers!

CCC #18 - Dabber Resist

2010-10-24T13:23:00.000-07:00

Another challenge from the Compendium of Curiosities being hosted by the fabulous Linda, on her blog - Studio L3. We have been working our way through the techniques in book from Tim Holtz and this week it is 'Dabber Resist," on page 37.

I only had two dabbers, one black and one turquoise; I chose the black to use on my spider web stamp for this piece. Unfortunately, the paint had gotten very thick and wouldn't come out so I watched Tim's youtube video on the product and went to work creating a huge black paint disaster in my kitchen! It ended up coming out too thick and blobby and looked more like crackle paint! Anyway, I decided to persevere and worked with what I had - after I had thrown away the black dabber, my only other option was turquoise and I was really not warming up to another mess! I decided to resist the urge to pitch this piece into the garbage and to work with it!

I added this clipart from Collagevision and some spiders from a Martha Stewart Halloween stamp set and decided the blobby black paint gave it an interesting texture. Looking at some of the incredible pieces of art that have been submitted for this challenge, I can see that the technique certainly has its merits. Make sure you check out Linda's blog to see some great pieces. Cheers!

Sunday Postcard Art - Witches

2010-10-24T12:58:00.000-07:00

This week's theme on Sunday Postcard Art is 'Witches!' I would not like to bump into this little witch in the pumpkin patch - she has attitude! This image is from ArtChix; spider & web from Martha Stewart. Thanks for looking - cheers!

Wednesday Stamper - Hearts

2010-10-22T12:42:00.000-07:00

The theme on Wednesday Stamper this week is 'Hearts.' I created the background using Distress Inks and bubble wrap, stamped the bird in Archival brown and added a sentiment from a new Tim Holtz mini set. I found this piece of rickrack that matched the background ink and then cut our a cardboard heart from a drink sleeve - I often forget to take my personal coffee cup to Starbucks and I have ended up with a collection of cardboard sleeves that I cannot make myself put into the recycling bin - I knew I would find a use for them at some point! This is my entry for Wednesday Stamper, thanks for looking and do hop over to their blog and check out some of the fabulous entries. Have a terrific day and remember to pause....Cheers!

Three Muses - Say It With Music

2010-10-05T23:00:00.000-07:00

The Three Muses challenge this week is "Say It With Music." Include music somehow into your creation. I use my music stamp on my backgrounds often, it is one of my favourites. I hope all of your songs today are happy ones! Cheers!

Art on the Dark Side - Black & Orange

2010-10-03T20:42:00.000-07:00

I have been wishing someone would cast a spell on my Muse...for the past three months I have found it to be a struggle to find time and space to create. Actually, it feels like anything creative I had up and went on vacation and hasn't decided if its coming back or not.- maybe the result of a spell? Anyway, it has been a dry spell to say the least and I am hoping it will turn around.

The Month of Darkness is always one that I enjoy, so I managed to dig this out of my stash; this is my entry for Challenge #63 Black & Orange for Art On The Darkside. Hopefully all of your spells are pleasant ones with positive results! Cheers!

CCC#16 - Wrinkle Free Distress

2010-10-02T08:29:00.000-07:00

Compendium of Curiosities Challenge #16 is 'Wrinkle Free Distress.' Another fun technique from The Mighty Tim's amazing book; the lovely Linda Ledbetter has been leading us through it, week by week on her blog, Studio L3. This challenge will be running for an extra week, so there is lots of time to join in.

I love the backgrounds you end up with using this technique, they are quite random. I used Rusty Hinge, Tumbled Glass and Worn Lipstick distress inks for mine. Then I went to town stamping some TH stamps in the same colours to complete the background. The birds are Shabby Green Door, the feathers Clear Art Stamps and the birdcage is a new score from the $1.50 bin at Michaels.

Have an amazing day! Go ahead, open the cage door and fly free...cheers!

CCC #15 Alcohol Ink Agate on Grunge

2010-09-24T09:35:00.000-07:00

Week 15 for the Compendium of Curiosities Challenge and this week it is Alcohol Ink Agate on Grunge. I used a Pearl Ink Dabber on grungeboard, Stream and Wild Plum inks with Pearl Mixative. I really like the result of this technique, it is one of my favourites so far. Because I am making a technique book, I did not want to put too much onto this, so I stamped a couple of times with StazOn Midnight Blue and added a vellum piece and this lovely quote from Mother Theresa.

Many thanks to Linda Ledbetter at Studio L3 who is hosting the challenge - it is certainly getting me to reach into my cupboards and pull out things that are collecting dust! Hop over to Linda's blog, Studio L3, to see some amazing art and dust off your inks and join in, its not too late! Have a great day - Cheers!