CCC #13 - A Tisket, A Tasket...Grunge Paper Flowers

So many projects so little time! I've actually finished two today so I'm feeling pretty good. Love my baskets - just wish they were a little more organized instead just a bunch of stuff that you have to dig thru. They kind of remind me of the bag style purses that are on the market today - oh, idea....perhaps I should purchase some of those bag organizers to organize my baskets...hmmmm might have to look into that. Wow, that started to be a rabbit hole!

My offering today is a basket - you saw this coming right? I have baskets hanging on several doors around here including one that had completed cards, little things I didn't want to lose and things I just didn't know what to do with. So I decided to decorate one of them. I used gesso on the grunge paper, stamped with with various backgrounds with embossing ink, and added distress powder, some of which peeled off when I was shaping the flowers. Buttons and leaves finished it up. Overall I like the look - reminds me of Alice in Wonderland for some reason even though the flowers didn't look like that in the cartoon or movie. Oh well, thats where my mind goes anyway and I'm staying!

Enjoy the weekend!

CCC - 12 Something Fall

I love fall!!! Its most favorite time of year and in celebration of our cruise I created some fall leaves. Used some metal leaves that Linda had given me (she's like a drug dealer passing out the candy for free just to hook you on it!!) and I did a mix of Concord Grape, Peeled Paint, Fired Brick, and Spiced Marmalade to create the layered color.

I really liked the result but I didn't quite know what to do with them. After much thought and messing around I finally decided that I would make a charm. So I got out my Tim link chains and played with that for awhile. I ended up making something that I just love. Its very simple but then the best tools are and when those tools are pretty to boot - well you've got the best of both worlds. So my final project came out to be a bookmark for my Bible. Its long enough that I can use it it mark two pages at once so that when I'm studying I can easily reference back and forth, or I can just use it so mark my favorite passage in Psalm 46:10 that say "Be still and know that I am God." Can't tell you how many times in my life I have leaned on that scripture to calm myself in the midst of upheaval or every sort.

Anyway, thanks for looking & have a blessed week!

CCC #11 - Blended Batik and Friends

Where do these weeks go? Already Challenge #11 over at Studio L3 - click on the Compendium of Curiosities pix to go take a peek!! You will see some absolutely stunning art and be drawn to creating some art of your own - what could be better?

On a card kick - so here's another one for a sweet lady I know. I used shiny card stock to do the technique and a stamp I picked up years ago from the Dollar Store and finished it off with Peeled Paint Distressed Ink. I framed the flower using Spellbinders Nestabilities Classic Scalloped Circles Large (& the largest one). The stamps, both the flower bouquet and the verse, are from Sweet and Sassy Stamps and are digi. Wanna know a secret? I gave up this paper scrapping and playing a couple of years ago and went all digital - now I'm using both and having an absolute blast. I've also been playing with my new Promarkers - feel as though I'm still in Kindergarten but I'm getting better. (used Rose Pink, Sunflower, Petrol Blue, Pastel Blue, Coral, Spice, and Cool Grey 2) I didn't have the right color greens to match the Peeled Paint so I had to improvise but it turned out just fine.

Anyway, busy week next week with my oldest, and her husband and two cats, moving back in for a couple of weeks before her apartment is ready but will try to stop by and see what everyone is up to. Have a great week!

CCC #7 - Peeking

I think the cutest pictures sometimes are the ones where people or animals are peeking out from behind something. This weeks challenge over at Studio L3 http://studiol3.blogspot.com/ was all about peeking. Well, really it was called Tinted Vision Fragments but there was definately some peeking going on. So go over and take a peek yourself. These challenges are fun and I'm learning a lot - and they are perfectly suited to the novice or the experienced.

My little peekers were created using Tim's Fragment Charms and a section of his Lost and Found Collection papers (ATC size) with little animals. There is a frog playing a cello, a boxing kangaroo, a very fancy piggy, and much more. I absolutely loved it. So using the techniques found in the Compendium of Curiosities book I created several charms with the animals peeking out thru the alcohol ink colors, I backed them all with dictionary paper and sealed them with glossy accents.

Thanks again Linda H. for sharing and Linda L. for sponsoring all this fun!

CCC #6 - Collage - Transformed

This was a rush job for me. Only two days to complete the challenge - but it was fun while it lasted!

For this challenge I started with a rather large 'C' that I was going to do something with but after I got it home it just wasn't flowing the way I wanted it to. I finally gave up and went to bed. But once again the late night attack came and I found myself up at between 1:30 & 4 a.m. I'm starting to think that's when I'm the most creative because I was able to put this card together fairly quickly. Its either that or I need to stop doing these challenges because its waking me up at night and I can't sleep until I finish! ;o) My ingredients included K & Company Studio K paper, a metal butterfly that Linda gave me in a package with other stuff, an old dictionary page, a couple of prima flowers with snap brads for the centers, and tumbled glass and tea dye distressed inks.

CCC #3 - ATCs

For some reason this challenge was just that for me - challenging!! Both in effort and in thought. I messed around with so many different ideas and colors that I was exhausted but couldn't stop after 8 hours of effort. The fact that I only produced three ATCs is a bit frustrating. Now I remember why paper scrapping was so difficult and why I switched to digital. Its so much easier to create, toss, and rearrange in digi - those "well, that looks like crap", "what was I thinking", "now I've wasted that element", moments are easily fixed but with paper they all come rushing back like a bad dream. One nice thing was using some of this stash I've had for years - Colorbok 3-D alpha, Studio K framed words, and a foot clip from Staples on the "Journey" ATC; Mark Richards Crystal Alpha, "See" sticker from Simple Scrapbooks, The Paper Co. quilling papers that I then colored with distressed inks blending Rusty Hinge, Vintage Photo, Black Soot, and Gold Mixatives for my shell in "See Shells" ATC ; some rhinestone flowers that I picked up in the $1 bin at JoAnns with Scribbles 3-D iridescent gold paint centers, Sentimens Rub-ons, a butterfly stamp (a find at the Dollar Tree) and some metallic ribbon on "Inspire" ATC. So I have three ATCs plus maybe six other background pieces I can use. Deep breath... what will Monday' challenge bring?

I did do some digi scrap too and created two cow cards - well really in the mood cards. So heres the one problem I have with digi - my printer!! It has a mind of its own when it comes to color so my pink and brown cow cards came out purple and pink. Buying a new printer this week that can manage all these colors. I put the cards together anyway practiced using my new Ranger alcohol inks on my Heidi Swap letters and I'm satisfied with the result.