I'm back ... again!

for now .. until the nest slump. I so envy those artists who can create all the time.

I took advantage of a closing sale on Friday and although I felt like a vulture, I couldn't pass up the deals!! Got some more gorgeous paper, 2 punches I've been wanting, a bottle of Crystal Lacquer (think I'd go crazy if I ever ran out of it), a gorgeous embellie and 3 gel pens all for $25 CAD! Like I said, you can't pass up a deal!!

I used some of the paper and the 2 punches for these cards. I have to redo the smaller one as the gel pen smudged. I'll have to crop and resize these tomorrow. I'm too darn tired to do it tonight! LOL

It's SPRING!!!!

gothic arches and more

Some of my favorite paper artists are doing these marvelous Gothic arches using a template from Belinda's blog which I found through Nancy Maxwell James' blog and I wanted to try one too. While I really like this I think it's missing something in the space over the woman's head. I stamped a sun but I think it should be something dimensional. Any ideas, feel free to leave them! LOL




This I did for a past dmc dare to do something new or something you haven't done in a long time. This was using my alcohol inks in a way other than polished stone. Put a few drops between 2 pieces of plastic, insert 2 pieces of glossy c/s in between these 2 pieces of plastic and smoosh the ink around.

got something done

finally! This is a mingle that I take part in on one of the Yahoo groups to which I belong. It a This and That Mingle and you do a 4 x 4.5 'card' with the theme of whatever is happening in that month, holiday, important dates, horoscopic (word?) stuff, etc. I did this one for Women's History Month.

Felt good to get something done after a 3 week dry spell!

jeez!

My muse seems to have deserted me, again! Hopefully she'll come back for a visit tomorrow cuz I have things that I have to get done. Maybe I'll start and see iff she'll come out of hiding. LOL

I've been visiting blogs and everyone's making such lovely art, I'm drooling!

My DH has changed me over from a desktop to laptop and from Windows to the open Suse distro of Linux. It's quite a steep learning curve right now but seems so much easier. Only thing is, my scanner's gone kaput!! The light bar won't come back up so luckily I have my camera to take the pics I need til we decide if we really need a scanner. One thing we found out was the Photo Management app is a lot easier than in Windows! I like that!! LOL

this weeks challenge on ink-stain

last week actually. The challenge was to take a pic of yourself as a toddler and make a card of it. Me at 21/2 and the card I made with it! Thank goodness for the paper I received from Gillian otherwise there's no way this card would have worked! LOL

Not much doing for me this weekend. I hope to get some creative stuff done today but.....

Oh I did paint up a shadow box frame to put all my little samples and RAKs in but I have to figure out how to do it so everything stays upright! LOL

another challenge card

it seems to be all I'm doing lately! This was for the weekly challenge/mingle on ink-stains to do a card with a spring/summer theme. I used more of that gorgeous paper I receive from Gillian. This stuff is sooo hard to resist! Wish it was a better scan but I think I'll take a pic now that I seem to have gotten the hang of the camera. LOL I took off the scan and put the pics up. Shows the details better!

for this weeks dcm dare

In The Fold

Welcome everyone to another daring Friday! It was my turn to set the dare this week (Jane) and I'm daring you to make a card that has to have more than one fold - so it can be a gate fold card, or a 3 panel card with an aperture or a card with multiple folds OR you can incorporate paper folding on the actual card itself. It can be on any theme. Easy eh ?! Aren't I nice to you all! LOL!

Thank you once again to all those who have been joining in the dares, we have really enjoyed seeing your creations. We'll announce the winner of our draw on Tuesday's Little Extra, so don't forget to pop back and see which of our Media theme Darer's name comes out of the hat!

Jane



Well, I have never done a card with more than one fold, I'm not 'level' so it wouldn't come out right, I have tried, and I think this one's no different. LOL

I used some of that scrummy paper that I won during Gillian's RAK giveaway, love this paper!

I'm trying to get caught up this weekend. Wish me luck!! Ü

Oh and check out the cards on DCM, link in the side bar, they are all fantastic!

This is the fantastic RAK I received from Gillian in OZ for winning her giveaway last month, along with another lady. This paper is GORGEOUS, nice weight, lovely feel and the colours and patterns are just what I'm needing right now! I can't wait to cut into this so I thought I'd better hurry up and take a pic to share. Please forgive the blurries. I do not have steady hands! LOL

Thank you Gillian from the bottom of my heart for your generosity and to Mr. Lachlan for pulling my name!

This weeks DMC dare

This week at DCMs You are being Dared to make a card that is inspired by 'All Things Media'. The dare has been set by our Gillian:

It's around us no matter which way we turn, and all designed to get our attention. Ads designed by graphic designers who know all the tricks & techniques to draw our eyes to the product in question. You only have to glance at a Newspaper quickly to read headings with 'Shock' titles & 'Clever' puns all designed to make you want to read what the article is all about!
Maybe you have been inspired by an Ad in a magazine, the colours or design that has been used. Or incorporate actual magazines & newspapers onto your card; maybe chop up letters (ransom note style) to create the sentiment
So grab that latest edition of your favourite Mag, or pick up your newspaper, because there is so much inspiration there, Just waiting for you to discover!

Oh! and just one more thing - the name of everyone who makes a card for this week's Dare will be entered into a little draw and the winner will find some goodies winging their way to them with love from the DCM - Good Luck Everyone!

Gillian

This was a good one Gillian and this is what I came up with, a Travel ad for Europe. Had fun with it! Hope you like it!!!

TFL

DCM challenges

I've missed the last 2 challenges put out by Daring Cardmakers and I miss doing them. I'll not do the Romantic Journalling one but this is Weather Report. Inside it says, Baby it's cold outside!

Got 2 more challengs to do and I'll be caught up! LOL

I just remembered

Pat B. whose lovely card met with an accident involving some tape

Nancy F.

Kerrie P.

Gillian H.

Darla C.

Jacqueline, who was so sweet and sent me the mini cards that she had posted on her blog and I had admired along with a lovely matching card

Yogi G.

Val B.
Sharon G.
Sandie R.

and I'm so ashamed of myself. I wanted to post the wonderful RAKs I received when my fil passed away. I want to thank each and everyone of you who sent me cards and emails of condolences. Each of you helped to ease a painful time. Thank you so very much!

mini cd book

I joined a Valentine Mingle on byhandartists yahoo group whereby each person was to send a card or atc or something, in the valentine theme to another person and receive something from yet another person. I had no idea what I was going to do. I'm not in the atc mood right now and not into making jewelery either. I wanted to do something different. But what???!!!!

Then I checked out one of my fave blogs, Vicki Bridges, in my links list, and she had done this gorgeous cd book! AH HA! The light bulb went on! LOL I had these wonderful mini cds that my DH had given me, he knows what I like, LOL so I sat for a day or 2 and thought about it. This is what I came up with! Enjoy and please let me know what you think.




I got together some paper that I liked, printed out some images that I have collected, mostly from Dover Sampler, pulled out some wonderful charms I've had for a while, and pulled out the hearts!! LOL The text is cg printed on some CP Watercolour paper that I had 'aged' with walnut ink. I adhered almost everything with UHU glue stick, love that stuff, but I used silicone to put the charms on. I drilled 3 holes in each cd, made DH laugh while he was watching me, 2 for the ribbon hinge and one on the opposite side for the 'tab' ribbon.

I had a lot of fun with this and I'm pretty sure I'm going to do some more with the regular size cd. .... as soon as I get caught up on everything! (sigh)

Thanks for looking!

It's been ages

Well not really but a week without art is too long. I got called into work Sunday night, one of my weekend nights and it threw me off. LOL

I did get a few things done yesterday. And today, I have to try to finish a valentine mingle gift for someone on one of the groups I'm on. Can't wait to show you this one. I'm really happy with it! Just have to put it together, then I'll post.

I did these 2 4.5 x 4" pages for an Accordion Holiday Mingle that is an ongoing 'swap' on the same group as above. We do more mingles than swaps, hmmm, wonder why.

I have a few cards to do for challenges and I really hope I can get at least 1 done today.

Thanks for looking!

Yippee I got the card done. This is a challenge on ink-stains for a card with things in nature. And of course there are fairies!

DMC dare of the week!

This weeks dare is entitled:

HEAVY METAL

..no I don't mean rock music! I would like you to make a card on any theme you like with the rule that it must include something metallic...thats all!You could use wire, charms, foil or even metallic pens.


I love this image and I rarely use it as I have a hard time deciding to crop it close or give it a border or what. But I think as long as i have something to fill the 'awkward' spaces, it's O.K. with the border?

Love purple and yellow together. ANYWAY onto the hard bits!
Stamps - Stampendous Petit Points Sun and Magenta dragonfly
Paper - BG and unknown
Ribbon - Walmart
heart clip, dragonfly and butterfly - all gifted to me (love my friends LOL)

Love these challenges, thanks so much ladies for giving me an excuse to actually do something creative!!!

stamping on patterned paper

I love stamping on patterned paper but when this challenge came up on ink-stains.com, it took me a week to come up with something (that and the fact that I'm STILL sick). I actually had to go through my stash to come up with an idea.

Plus I've developed, with DH's help (thanks honey! LOL), my own watermark. A little small right now so I'm going to have to tweak it some more but I'm really happy with it!

a little extra dare

It's a good thing for challenges, otherwise I'd not be doing anything right now! LOL

DCM's dare for today

We have a recipe for you this time; your challenge is to make a card using the following ingredients:

7 brads or eyelets

6 flowers

5 letters

Now this was a toughie for me and I think it's a bit silly but there ya go!
Bits used
7 large brads
6 small silk flowers, scavenged when I didn't like the arrangement any more
5 letters in the label
My colour choices aren't quite me and I can't get that stamp to give me a good image at any time, don't know why. Maybe I'll try another one later.

Still have the cold and still very little voice. Should be interesting at work tonight! LOL

Thanks for looking!

aperture challenge for dcm

This didn't turn out anything like I wanted and thought out, but I'm creating with a heck of a cold so I get what I get. LOL

Paper - Bazill and unknown although I'm pretty sure it's BG
Stamps - Stampendous Clear Acrylic Flower Power (I think is the name)
Inks - Colour Box Hordes of Gourds, Merlot (love this colour)
Ribbon - Offray satin

I really have thank you guys for the great challenges you post. It's really gotten me to get off my duff and get things done. I have a little stash of cards now to send out as RAKs!!

Looks a bit wonky now I see it up! Oh well! LOL

dmc little extra for Jan 16

That's your Little Extra challenge for this week - make a card inspired by this one little word

IMAGINE

How you do it and what you use is up to you. From Daring Cardmakers

This is what I came up with. When I was a kid, I always imagined what it would be like to travel and swore I would, Well unfortunately I never have been able to travel outside my province so I still IMAGINE. I screwed up the pen but that was the last thing and after 5 tries to get this right, forget it! LOL Hope you like it!! (I've become seriously addicted to bling!)

2 posts in 1 day!!

This is another 'bling' challenge card for another forum I'm on, http://ink-stains.com. I think she deserves the crown!




And this is a very late Thank You card for my mil for Christmas gifts. Like she should have worried! I used the same scanned paper that I used for the DCM challenge. I wanted to show off the gorgeous blue rose but ended up cutting it off a bit. I still like the card. LOL

raid my wardrobe for dcm

I raided my wardrobe for DCM!!! LOL I took an idea from Jane and another art friend and scanned in my favourite piece of clothing. It's a jacket and mini skirt set in a gorgeous flowered denim. The bottom pic is the skirt.

I can no longer fit in the skirt and even if I could I'd not wear it (the legs aren't fit for human viewing LOL) . I printed out the scan, stamped my favourite stamp, My Mother's Dress by Inkadinkado with black Versafine, cut it out and adhered it to a med Papaya Puree by Prism papers, free sample, mounted that onto Dark Papaya Puree.

Other stamps by H.A. and Quietfire Designs http://www.quietfiredesign.com/byhandproducts.html

She has great stuff and fantastic service. Her Yahoo group Is fun too!!!
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/byhandartists/
Not affiliated, just happy!!! LOL

my 1st card for Daring Cardmakers

This was a real challenge as I don't do Valentines well. I kinda like it tho'!

Bling - tiny HA crystal gems
Beads - 2 'ruby' hearts and 1 flower
Paper - 7 Gypsies, Bazzill, B.G.
Fibres - unknown
Alpha stamps - PSX pixie lower case Celtic alpha
Black pen for scribble

thank you card

Made this card to give to the staff of the CCU at Met Hospital to thank them for the fantastic care they gave my fil during his brief illness. Apparently they were incredible with him and the family that got to visit.

I got the idea from a gorgeous collage by Carolyn Quartermaine that I saw in Jan/Feb Somerset Studio. Just gorgeous!! Not so much the card. LOL Didn't quite turn out the way I wanted but I still like it.

And I'm checking out all the blogs I've been missing the last day or 2. My, my friends are prolific and talented too!!!!

I want a cuttlebug!!!! All my friends are getting one!! Please!!!! LOL
I'll have to get me some of those Mike's coupons.

I'm stamping

1 rak and another sympathy. I hope I don't have to make any more of them for a long time!!!!

Now I have a mess to clean up and Christmas decorations to take down. If I don't do it today, it'll probably be another week. LOL hate it tho'. The place looks so bare without all the stuff.

Happy New Year

Here's to a brand new Year!!!!! 2007!!!! Wow where has the time gone?

Hope this is the happiest, safest, most prosperous year ever!!!

{{{{Hugs}}}}

I had this drafted to post before my fil passed and I was debating whether to post it or not. It doesn't matter what's going on in my life, everyone else's goes on and I do wish everyone a very Happy New Year!!!!

Here wishing for a better one for this family!! sheesh