Traveling by MY own glittering star...

Please click on the picture to really see the detail of this intricate image.  The Moxie Fab World Challenge is for glitter and glam! It's the perfect season, don't you think?   I love glitter, but not the mess.  My sparkle of choice is  Stickles or Spica glitter pens...well maybe a tiny little bit of Vintage German Glass Glitter.  

I've been waiting to use this Starlight Angel from Stampland.  I thought it would work perfectly into the glitter challenge. And the Swahili quote:  No one can travel by someone else's star.  Just look at all those beautiful stars floating in the night sky...all that creativity. 


City Crafter's Challenge # 37 is Stamp it Out to use real stamps this week.   In addition to the large starlight angel from Stampland, the quote is from A Stamp in the Hand.  It is a wood mounted two line stamp that I inked on another piece of white card stock and then cut out the quote to fit my design. 

I used a card stock from Making Memories called dusk.  The image was inked with VersaFine Majestic Blue and a tiny bit of Tim Holtz Walnut stain at the bottom for the landscape.  The saying was inked with Adirondack Latte.   I used a brass star in place of the word, dipping it into the vintage Glass Glitter.  A tiny hand dyed navy silk ribbon finishes the top.

Thank you for stopping by my home today.  I hope you will be inspired to go star gazing!

counting down...

We're on the downhill slide into 2011, gurls!  Ready or not that big ball in Times Square is gonna drop.
I thought I would get a jump on the festivities by wishing you a Happy New Year and Peace.

The Sketch Challenge on SCS today inspired my layout.  I used an vintage image from a local artist whose work was inspired by illustrations done pre-1900.  The clock was stamped with VersaColor Black.  I applied Crystal Effects to the face and stamped the Happy New Year with Adirondack's 'Pool'.  An optimistic color wouldn't you say?  The peace ticket is Invoke Art's.  Number paper, Cosmo Cricket.

I am reminded of this wonderful Mercy Me song when I think about imaging.  Have a listen.

And thank you for your support as I found my artful way back this past year.  My prayer  is that
the New Year would bring peace, time, and creativity in that special balance that is uniquely yours.

stolen moments

No, this is not a self portrait!  I do wish for you moments to catch your breath amid all the hustle and bustle of the season.  And find joy in what comes your way!

Blessings and Merry Christmas

The digital nativity

Such is the age we live it...have a look, I would love to know what you think!  I am amazed at the creativity...reaching peeps my simple card never would.

Paper from wood, ink from plant material, a sentiment:  Simply Grateful for the priceless gift of Jesus.

Blessings to you, 

Pause...

in the hurried frenzy of last minute "to do's"... I've been sitting in my chair and pausing.  I highly recommend it for health and sanity!  This week I found a couple of challenges that tied in nicely with

the direction I took with this tag.

Louise over at Kard Krazy selected a color challenge to use green, yellow, and brown in your tag.  Well, the first two colors are  beloved in our home as they are our University of Oregon hues.  And we are National Championship Bowl bound (see yesterdays' post).  I must say the addition of earth tone kicked it up a notch.  I love how the brown grounded the green and yellow.  

I was also inspired by Louise's two page spread in Stamper's Sampler to use sentiment stamps in other ways.  Congratulations, Louise!  My Stampers Anonymous sentiment is oriented horizontally.  I decided to use it with the Dynamo label maker and an unknown alpha set inked with Tim Holtz DI walnut stain.   The wonderfully cozy wing chair is from Hot Potatoes.     

  

The foundation of my tag is rich kraft.  A call was issued this week to  make kraft creations at City Crafter Challenge Blog Week #35.  I admit I don't use this versatile color enough.  Thanks for putting it in the spotlight this week, Ladies!

And here's a pic of where I pause frequently!
May you have time in your day to pause...and
thanks so much for stopping by.

                                                                                                         

Go Ducks...

We are so excited in our home town for the University of Oregon Ducks to be playing for the National Championship in Glendale, Arizona on January 10, 2011.  I must confess I am not really a football fan, but to experience the excitement and thrill of my youngest son...he has infected me with a whoop and holler.  And seeing all the designer 'outfits'...err uniforms each week's not bad either.  In honor of the game,  I created a road trip card for the Inspiration Challenge  over on Splitcoast Stampers today.  We were to select from a wide assortment of Don Cherry's Jackets. Of course, when I spied a green and yellow checked jacket, I knew I was in business.  Rubber Soul's VW van and sentiment was perfect to show our school colors. I colored the VWand billboard sign with Copics.

The mountains were created with printer paper that I torn, used glitter glue and Martha Stewart Coarse and Snow glitters.  It has quite alot of dimension and texture.  The beautiful sky is a long hoarded piece of Basic Grey's Mellow paper group.  My dear  'across the street neighbor' gifted me with her stash of this cloud paper.  Thanks neighbor!

Thanks for stopping by today.  Blessing today and always.

Trimming the Tree

 

Good day, my bloggy friends!  It's T-9 and counting, down, that is.  For those of you that celebrate Christmas is your tree up?  Tomorrow's the day for my family...my DH and I will get the decorations down from the attic and set about creating a wonderland before our sons arrive back home.  What a surprise that will greet them when they swing

open the door! 

I have to admit I was inspired by the lovely Martha Stewart

inspiration room that is challenge this week over on PaperCraft Star Challenge 25.  This Oxford Impressions image is perfect for the tree, don't you think?  I stamped it on a very pale blue with VersaFine Olympic Green and then fussy cut.  The room was roughly created with 'moulding' and flooring (cut from a piece of wood wallpaper).  The window, Stamp Francisco, inked on velum with Adirondack Snow Cap and embossed with clear ep.  The gifts under the tree are from the long retired Basic Grey Figgy Pudding sheet that was all presents. The Ways to Use it Challenge on SCS today was to used Glitter.   I added Stickles in three shades to the ornaments on the tree and a brass charm for the star at the very top.  The Merry Christmas is inked with ChalkBox Warm Red. And a bit of twill in robins' egg blue.  


Thanks so much for the gift of your comments...if you would leave a comment, let me know what is on YOUR wish list this season. I'll tell you my #1 wish is to live a less harried life!

Possibilities...

 

What do you see in the Moxie Fab Tuesday Trigger 'All that Glitters' this week?  I see my favorite color in the whole world...since I was 5...a very long time ago.   It's my Daddy's and my oldest son's too.  I think of it mentioned in the Bible, the color of royalty.  The hue made from plant material.

                                                         

It's the beauty berry outside my kitchen window that feeds the birds all winter.  And as spring arrives the berries hue fades and it's time for the crocus to burst from the frozen ground...I am surrounded. And I love it!  Just in case you can't read the plaque among all those luscious berries, it 'tis:  TODAY is a gift, that is why they call it the Present.  So creating a card was joyful play for me this week.

 

I loved the varying shades of the photograph and decided to bring those in with papers from various Basic Grey groups.  The ribbon is a silk striated trim.  My sentiment from Wordsworth was inked with VersaMark and then Nick Bantock's Damson Plum, embossing with clear.  I stamped it on a shimmery silver and then cut another mat from a more opaque silver paper.  Vintage German scrap was placed under the circle and then along the edge of the two purples. The card base is Brazzill linen.

Thanks so much for stopping by to visit, please tell me what your favorite color is.

Blessings for today and the 'morrow.

...ripped from the pages of the latest fAsHioN mag

I've been saving this fAsHiOn maven for just the right occasion.  Tonight's the night!  The Inspiration Challenge 262 over on Splitcoast Stampers is a chic clothing website called Shabby Apple.  They have vintage inspired garments.  Gorgeous dresses, swimsuits, jewelry...enough to make a fashion diva want to defrost that credit card she froze (to make it hard to use)!!!

 You get my point, right...so to honor glamour, I've inked up Stamps Happen's delightful image on glossy paper.  Embossed with super fine detail embossing powder and colored with Copics.  I STITCHED too.  The animal print strip is from Basic Grey's Urban Paririe...and the tiny pure silk
bow is from a local store that has the most amazing ribbons and trims.  I used PaperTrey Ink's Razzle-berry for the mat.

I hope you love my Diva  as much as I do.  I am working on another card celebrating fashion.  Back later...I going to peruse the swimming garments next.  Have a wonderfully creative weekend...whether decorating the house for Christmas or shopping for your Holiday dress...let me know!

Listen...stories are gifts

I am sounding the sentiment again, from this years Starbucks 'sleeve'.  Isn't it a fabulous thought?
At no cost but your time to share and listen.  I can't think of a better gift for these times.

This card fits the requirements for several challenges.  Over on the Moxie Fab World

it is all about the All Occasion Card.   Stories are good anytime 
of the year, don't you think?  And one size fits all.  Right now, memories of Christmas past or listening to a beloved elder an how New Years was celebrated.   My youngest son will have stories  to tell after Winter Camp in January.  Entries until Dec 13th.


PaperCraft Star Blog Challenge 24 Green Holidays call was to create a card with a recycled or repurposed item.   The Starbucks sleeve (not my first nor last gingerbread latte of the season, I tell you!!!) was upcycled to an mug of cheer.  I used a scalloped
circle left over from another project to make the handle.  Open    
                                                      until  December 11th.

City Crafter Challenge Blog Week 34~Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

was to use snowflakes.  My Brenda Walton Holiday Paper had mod flakes scattered around the stripes and I used the Cuttlebug Embossing Folder Snowflake to emboss the upper left edge of my paper. The circles inside the cup are the snowflakes from the Starbucks sleeve.  Closes Dec 13th.


Thanks for stopping by this December day.  And thank you for the gift of your comments.  It's those lil' bits of stories that make me smile.

Be blessed this day and always.

Snowy greetings...

this December day!  It is foggy where I live, but I can feel that snow in the air.  The City Crafter Challenge Blog Week 34 is 'Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow'.  I've been 'saving' this Memory Box paper from their Dewdrop collection and it 'feels' right to use it now.  The 'snowflakes' are delicate peonies drifting down and the branch has a few leaves with tips of fragile chartreuse reminding me that winter will not last forever.  I used a country scene stamped in Brilliance Moonlight white onto Stampin Up Basic Grey.  The sentiment was inked again with Versafine Onyx Black onto Whisper White.  I had cut mats around both.  The tiniest bit of white/silver netting is tied to the branch of the tree...you can see the shadow from the camera angle.

This card also qualifies for the Splitcoast Stampers Color Challenge #300 which was to pick from one of the other 299 challenges.  I selected CC159 (Soft Sky, Basic Grey, Whisper White).

Hope your weather is just the way you like it....flurries, fog, liquid sunshine, or gentle island breezes...

Be Blessed this day and always

Blue Christmas

I've been thinking since City Crafters Challenge Blog issued the CCCB Week 33 Blue Christmas.  Of course, I had to hop over to Youtube to have a listen to the Elvis Classic to set the mood.  This was also the first chance I've had to play with this Flourish set, called 'All that Glitters'.  

I stamped the branches directly to paper with various Tim Holtz Distress Inks.  The ornaments were inked with Nick Bantock, colored with Copics and glittered with Seaside embossing powder.  The glitterd bird's tail was cut multiple times as the shadow on the paper shows.  I had several glass ones that I will use to decorate the mantel.   I used jeweled brads to attach the ornaments to the 'tree'.  The sentiment is Paper Artsy.

Hope you've had a great weekend...is your tree decorated and sparkling?
I am decorating cards much better than the real thing....



Be blessed~~~

run away...

Pam over on the 365 Card Blog Day 278 issued a Keep it Simple challenge.  You were to use 1 ribbon, 1 sentiment, 1 blossom, and 1 button.  A perfect CAS opportunity!  And these Stampland images were just what I needed to keep it Simple.  I love their peony blossom  paired with the Art sentiment, a vintage glass button from my Grandmother's Button Box, and sea glass twill upcycled from a new throw I got recently at the MAXX.  Oh, I purposely left the trim ends ragged...an artful imperfection.

I'd would love to hear your thoughts on Art as a vacation right in your own home.  For me, I just have to open the doors to my art studio and I am transferred to a world of unlimited creativity.  And time stands still and flies...but that's another subject!

Be blessed.

Make a Wish...

You gotta love sensitive sons.  You know young men that will make great husbands one day...like my son who has 'learned' from his Dad.  My 15 year old asked last night if I would make a birthday card for one of his friends at school.  I asked, 'well, when is her birthday?"  And of course it was yesterday!  But he says, "that's okay, Mom. Today will be fine."   Needless to say, I was in high gear, as I am not a speedy artist...as I mentioned in my Stories are Gifts post, I need time for something to percolate.

So Make a Wish  is for a 17 year old girl, I haven't had the pleasure of meeting~~~yet.  I love slider cards and thought it would be fun to use that format.  My son requested blue and gold colors.  I headed right to Basic Grey's Cupcake papers, using 5 different ones.  The stamps are quite the variety. From the balloons (See D's) to Purple Onion's Postage Set and party hat, MaVinci's  Playful Heart Alpha, to Stampin Up Birthday sentiment and Making Memories Magnetic tiny words.  Tim Holtz '17' sticker and a very old K&co charm.  The trim is vintage ric rak and pompoms.

The challenge over at PaperCraft Star this week is to create a holiday gift tag using a recipe the team posted.  With the Surprise Slider Card,  the tag appears as you pull from the top, revealing your message.  We'll tuck a gift card to the 'round the corner' coffee stand all the kids love to frequent.
                                                      
So, thanks for stopping by my corner of the world today.  I would love to hear what you think...
         

Stories are gifts....

with thanks to my Starbucks sleeve, I couldn't resist using it as the focal for my card today.  Thank you, graphic designer!  I've had this idea percolating in my brain since DH treated me to a gingerbread latte last Sunday.  And it all came together nicely for the 365 Card Blog Day 275 A Novel Idea, SplitcoastStampers CC 299, and Card Patterns Sketch 92.



 The Day 275 Challenge was a picture of the novel, The Secret Garden with the girl dressed in red  stopped to pass a note through the garden wall.  Perhaps a story about her life. 


 The Color Challenge on SCS this week was Real Red, Old Olive and River Rock.

  Neutral of your choice and for the Dessert Option, Christmas theme.






                                                                                    And  last, but certainly not least as this is the foundation of my card,
the Sketch from Card Patterns 92.  I did reverse the layout to make it work for my graphic paper and the cup sleeve.  I used the back side for the vertical panels...corrugated cardboard.






Being a homeschooling family, we read all the classics, including The Secret Garden.  And our rule is no movie version if the book hasn't been read.  I can remember taking my oldest son to see The Indian in the Cupboard when he was 5.  During the show, he kept saying. "Mom, they are leaving this or that out...it's not as good as the book!"  And even today, with them up and grown...we still read the book before the movie...


Thanks so much for stopping over to visit today, I'd love it if you would leave the gift of a story before you go.


Be blessed

Paris...meet me

tonight at the Opera house...

I am just getting to the 365 Card Day 272 Card Recipe challenge.  After a week of luscious vintage goodness, it's time to combine all the elements for one I'll have the  'works' creation.  With the blog visits and reading each DT members blog through the week, I gathered a list of elements that would need to be part of my design.  10 things...

Pam:       Piercing
Amy:      Stitching real or faux
Sophia:   Favorite vintage thing to use.  For me, vintage buttons or snippets of vintage trim
Tesa:      Die Cuts
Rose:      5x5 size
Gloria:    Stickpin
Audrey:  What type of stamp tickles your fancy?   For me elegant women
Kim:       Distressing
Hannah:  Dimensional Sticker
Heidi:     Lace

My stamp of choice had to be this fantastic B Line Designs 'Dressing Table'.  I stamped it with VersaColor Black and embossed with Super Fine Detail.  I did the embossing for make it a bit sturdier for cutting (using it also for Tesa's die cut element).  For the drawer pulls, I used tiny black gemstones.  You can see in much better detail if you click on the photo.   The beauty's dress is paper pieced with a bit of Basic Grey aqua paper.  I beaded the shoes with Martha's Feldspar color microbeads.   Around her shoulders is a real vintage lace 'shawl' (did I mention I like to use SNIPPETS of trim????).  The stickpin has tiny pearl vintage buttons from my Grandmothers' button box, along with a bit of hand dyed silk trim. And I suppose I could use the memo note as a die cut also.  I stamped the message with Making Memories Magnetic Alphabet letters in VersaFine Olympic Green.  The dimensional sticker is the U~nique wall art.  I put the word embrace along side. I distressed the edges of the lovely Basic Grey Curio damask 'wall'paper.   And last but certainly not least is the REAL stitchin' per Amy in black along two sides of my 5x5 card.

I have not made a vintage card in quite a long time, I'd love to know how you think I did using the Day272 recipe! Thanks to all the gals on the 365 Card Blog for your inspiration and creativity this week. Thank you so much for stopping over...

Be blessed in all that comes your way today,


I am editing to add, I read Pams' challenge wrong and thought it was paper piecing...so I am posting a closeup pic of my card after paper PIERCING!  There is the Stampin Up piercer template as evidence!

falalala Latte...

Eggnog lattes, peppermint mochas, gingerbread lattes, just take your pick!  I'll get the milk steaming.

My card today celebrates the best of the wintery season.  And the town where I learned to be a coffee snob. Over on The City Crafter Challenge Blog  this week is the city SEATTLE.  When we moved to Seattle in the early 1990's, Starbucks was just getting started and in their store you could go to 'Coffee College', a 3 night long get together where you learned the history of coffee, how it is grown, aged, produced, what is the best way to get a perfect 'shot' of espresso, the types of machines, well you get my drift, right???  After learning the ends and outs, I was on my way to being a coffee affectionné .


The very hip mug of holiday cheer is a stamp from I Brake for Stamps.  I used Liquid Applique for the foam on the top.  The sentiment  was masked and inked so I could place it along the bottom to fit the Sketch Challenge on SCS today. 

Thanks for the great city challenge, City Crafter.  I have just discovered your blog through my new, livin' in my city (actually less than 3 miles from my house) blogging friend, Jan, your guest designer this week!  It's my first time entering the challenge, but it most definitely won't be the last...I love traveling to new places or revisiting old favorites!

I hope everyone is mightily this Thanksgiving, reuniting with family and friends.  Stay warm.


Card Recipe:  Stamp: I Brake for Stamps
                             Paper:  Basic Grey Eskimo Kisses, Wassail, Figgy Pudding, Brazzill Brown Linen cs
                             Trim:    Vintage seam binding 
                             Misc:    Liquid Applique, Cuttlebug and Snowflake Embossing Folder, Spellbinders small rectangle
                                           UTEE and Tim Holtz Super Fine Embossing Powder

Chasing Fashion

Okay, I'll admit it, I lived through Saturday Night Fever and Flashdance! But I never had the BIG hair, thank goodness! I was a slave to fashion. I'll blame my Mother and Grandmother at whose knees, I learned my lessons well. Everything had to match, from my patent leather shoes to pocketbook to gloves and bonus points if my sis, who was 7 years younger than me, and I got matching dresses for Christmas and Easter.

After graduating from University and obtaining my first well paying job, I chased hard. I found designers that I loved, would go to trunk shows at local department stores, meeting them and of course, purchasing the latest must have. I was a bit late for hats, but with a revival in the '80's, acquired quite a collection of beautiful fashion forward hats. The Tuesday Trigger over at Moxie Fab World reminded me of a beautiful black polished one I still have! The model's clothes certainly take me back to my threads of the '80's.

So my card for the challenge is just a bit tongue in cheek...to pay homage to all the fashion memories I have, most good, but some DREADFUL! My fashion diva does have the big hair in praise of that lovely hat. The leg warmers, so '80's stand in for the runched felted jacket. My gal has the pink belt...though it's slipped down to her hips. But even more important is that fabulous quote from the elegant Sophia Loren: Mistakes are part of the dues one pays for a full life.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you had a chuckle and thought of a fashion story you can relate. I'd love to hear what came to mind!

Giving Thanks

Thanksgiving. A time to count your blessings and draw loved ones close. The Tuesday Trigger over on Moxie Fab World this week had the most wonderful inspiration photo

from Martha (who else???). It reminded me of a Norman Rockwell painting if he had done still life. The glow from the light in window, those amazing flowers, and the pumpkins. I can almost smell the turkey that must be cooking in the oven. And that got me to thinking about homecomings and family walking in the back door right into the kitchen.

So I made the door the focal of my design. It is from B Line Designs stamped onto PTI vintage cream cs. I stamped it again on acetate to minic glass panels. I wanted to use Martha's glass beads for the pumpkins for texture. The pumpkins are from Impression Obsession inked with Tim Holtz DI Walnut Stain. Painstakingly, I cut terrifically tacky tape to fill the pumpkins, leaving some gaps for depth. Those gaps were colored with Copics. The sentiment is Rubber Soul, again inked with the Walnut Stain, embossed with TH distress embossing powder. The wonderful leaves in the upper left corner and the stripes in the door panels are the last of a sheet of Memory Paper...I don't know the group. sorry.

Thanks very kindly for stopping by and having a look. I'd love to hear about some of your family food traditions at Thanksgiving. In our family we have mumble pie (so good all you can do is mumble)! It is a scrumptious recipe of apples, cranberries, walnuts, brown sugar, oats, butter...Yum!

a damask, zippered corset...

I am still digging the damask from the recent Moxie Fab World challenge. The latest call, All Zipped Up was issued to use zippers in your paper crafting. Did you know that the hookless fastener was patented in 1913, to a Swede named Gideon Sundback? Aren't you glad he did? I went scrounging for a recycled zipper in a pair of jeans my son had outgrown. Just a reminder to click on the picture to see the details.

It's been a long time since I have created a corset. Sara Sandberg has a fabulous template available here. I decided that I would 'modernize' this one and insert a zipper instead of eyelets. I used some fabulous felted damask paper that was a gift. And the other side is the purple paper from Basic Grey's Kioshi group. I stamped CHF's netting over the top. PASSION was stamped on the top right and a snippet of vintage lace dyed on the purple hues. The flowers on the lower bottom are from the CHF lace backgrounder. The brass heart and silk ribbons are attached to the zipper pull. The lovely Victorian lady is a tag that slides in and out. I stamped Emerson's quote at the top which says, "Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not". The Rouge bottle cap celebrates the Moxie in all of us.

This also qualifies for Gingersnap Creations GC78 Spicy Supply Challenge to use sewing notions on your work.

Thanks for stopping by.

Blessings,

Susan

Ornaments of home

Happy Day all, we are slipping into the weekend and that certainly is a good thing. I can't believe how fast this week has gone! Tomorrow is a whole family yard work day, so I thought I better get my card posted for PaperCraft Star's Challenge #21 before I am off to work. This is a newer blog that does things just a bit differently. The readers determine the winner of the challenges with each one getting two votes. This will be my first time playing in the challenge, which speaking of 'good things' was a Martha Stewart photo inspiration. Some of my readers know I just love to recreate rooms on cards. And so it goes with this one!

I love the ethereal colors used in the retreat room. I can almost smell the ocean air and feel the sand around my feet. The colors are just what one would expect to see while you were strolling down the beach. I used Stamp Francisco's table image, stamping it onto a putty colored linen textured paper and embossing with SeaFoam White ep. It was cut and popped on dimensionals. My floorboards were created with the Tim Holtz ledger folder that I embossed in both directions to get the squares of the original. For the amazing day bed, I punched a strip from the Fiskars Eyelet lace punch and then used a Martha tag punch to make the pillows (paper is Mistletoe and Pear paper group Basic Grey snowflake pattern)...in creating those pillows with the tag, I just punched the rounded bit, not the whole tag...if that makes sense. The very cool cabinets under the bookshelves are small rectangles from Spellbinders that I dry embossed to look like raised panels. I cut 4 'door's. I used two vintage buttons for the door pulls. The 'walls' are papers from Memory Box 'Dewdrop' collection. The right side is tiny snowflakes and the left, a sponged pattern. I added the 'window' to minic the light you can see in the original. In place of the shelves which has those wonderful shells, I chose to use a Rubber Soul quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson "The ornament of a house is the friends who frequent it." And those ornaments in the bowl on the table are cut from the overview sheet of the Basic Grey Mistletoe and Pear cover (never know when something might be useful!). I cased the 'shelves' in with white cs, used the Cuttlebug Textile embossing folder under the quote and a tiny bit of white lace at the top of my card.

I would love to hear what you think about "MY" room. And have a marvelous Autumn weekend.

Blessings,

Susan

Peace and Love

I love non traditional 'stuff', can you tell? These colors just sang out to me last night as I was working on the Sketch Challenge over on SCS. I sponged the angels with Tim's DI inks and used Spica glitter pen in gold for the wings. The papers are from Memory Box and Basic Grey. And the felt snowflakes are just the coolest with sticky on the back for ease of application. This card also qualifies for the 365 Card Blog Day 254 Challenge Wishes. Love the font on Rubber Soul's sentiment...Wishing You.

Well gurls, it's Wednesday, for those of us still out working too, it's one day closer to the weekend! Thanks for stopping by.

Wishing you...

Love. It's Tuesday, yeah! I don't often get to be creative on Tuesdays. However, this Tuesday the muse was 'clicking on all cylinders' to create a card that meets the requirements for 4 challenges! The Color Challenge on SCS was turquoise, red, and white. Over on the Gingersnap Creations Blog the call was for Haute Couture. The 365 Card Blog issue was a challenge about wishing. And finally at Flourishes Timeless Tuesday, Barbara called for glitter.

My mind is mostly one track, so to combine all this fabUlous challenges was definitely exercise for the grey matter.

I absolutely adore this lovely woman (Stamp Francisco) getting ready for an evening out, a play perhaps. I stamped her directly to paper with VersaColor Black ink and embossed with clear. She is colored with Copics and I used Martha's Turquoise Glitter for the hat. The wishing you is an image from Impress and the Love is part of a Technique Tuesday stamp that I masked the part I wanted to use...inking with Adirondack Red Pepper. I finished it off with a bit of tulle...seemed the perfect accent.

In retrospect, I should have created the lady in red. Have a listen, your ears will thank you!!! Hope you have a bit time in your day to let your muse play. I would love to know what inspired you!

Journeying

through damask as challenged by the Moxie Fab World "Diggin' on Damask". Did you know that damask has been around since the early middle ages. It is typically composed of only two colors and can be used on the reverse side. There are so many beautiful patterns, large and small.

I chose a large pattern (My Mind's Eye Lost & Found) to stamp the Stampotique background stamp, Spiritual Journey. The lovely small, red damask is from the Basic Grey Michael's only 'Mistletoe and Pear' 2008 (see, I confessed last post that I hoard paper!!!). I used it in half the paper doll (Limited Edition) also. The other half is the sky paper from Basic Grey's 'Mellow'.

The paper doll was put together with eyelets. I've found using them allows for lots of movement of the arms and legs. The "LOVE" necklace was constructed from a K & Co. Cut N Paste Bauble which I put on top of a Tim Holtz fragment. The chain was recycled from something my boy gave me to put in my stash bin. It came in handy today.

A bit more about the sentiment, it captured my imagination the moment I read the words.

We are not human beings on a spiritual journey. We are spiritual beings on a human journey.

Life here is limited, we are finite creatures and yet, I know in my heart, I was created to be so much more. My whole being yearns for the quest. Several of the design elements speak to my questions. I distressed the edges of the sentiment as a reminder of how journeying can wear on one's good nature. The half of the doll that is damask, meshes into the background damask, like how sometimes I feel just a part of a greater whole. That translucent golden ribbon reminding me of the need to be transparent, to relate to those people who come into my life. And perhaps most importantly, the half of the doll that is the cloud/sky paper. That I am a spiritual being trying to live 'fitted' into this world. With love, I can continue on my way.

If you've read all my musings today, I thank you. I would welcome your thoughts on the theme.

Blessings,

Susan

I hoard paper...

I confess. I just like to look at it, especially handmade paper. I've had this lovely Asian paper with gold highlights for at least 2 years. It caught my eye one day when I was perusing my local art supply store. I even shared half of it with my neighbor who loves Asian art...but until today, it's just been close by in my studio where I could take it out every now and then just to hold it in my hands and gaze upon it. I could not cut into it...

But I couldn't resist creating a card with it when I saw the 365 Card Blog Super Sketch Sunday challenge today. And the paper is truly the focal of my card...if you can resist the amazing face in this stamp from Lynn Perrella called Fuji Goddess. She is stamped on PTI vintage cream with Memento Tuxedo Black. I colored the blossoms in her hair with a couple of Copics and inked her face with VersaChalk cream. A shiny wrinkled bit of ribbon compliments the bits of gold threads woven into the paper.

I would love it if you tell me your hoarding stories! And thanks for stopping by.

under the golden gate...

I have found a new challenge that takes me back to my beginnings of paper crafting, thanks to Jean, who's blog is BlueBird Paperie It's called Tag Tuesday's Challenge sponsored by Kard Krazy (Louise) blog. My very first work was with tags and I thought I would never get the hang of creating cards!

The Inspiration Challenge today on SplitCoast was an amazing artist who uses a sewing machine as her tool. Myuki Sakai inspired me to dust off the Golden Gate image from Inkadinkadoo for my tag. I've long wanted to create something that I could use this photo of my DH, old long board surfer dude. I took the original into PhotoShop, resized the image, enhanced the 'oldish' picture and printed it for my tag. The wavy paper (October Afternoon) as the photo scene paper of hills and sky (WUBE) on the front and the vintage postcard on the back add to the '60's vibe, don't you think? Rubber Souls' hippy bus was a no brainer! I craved the windows out to take advantage of that gorgeous view over the 'gate.

I had a great time working out this creative challenge...I'll be looking for them on Tuesday's.

Beauty is...

This card was selected as a Trigger Target winner for 'A Study in Blue' on Moxie Fab World
Blue is a difficult color for me. But lately, I've found myself drawn to it in the clothes I wear. So when this weeks' Tuesday Trigger' over on Moxie Fab World was a Study in Blue color challenge, I just had to experiment with hues of blues. As most of the accessories were fashion, I thought this amazing 'Fountains of Women' image from B Line Designs would be perfect.

The image was stamped directly to the Brazzil linen paper with Memento Tuxedo Black. I colored the women with Copics. The boardwalk from Art Impressions, was inked with Tim Holtz DI Pumice Stone ink masking the women before I applied the image. I went back with several black pens of different widths to color the boards. Perhaps you can notice the top of the blue dress has a damask texture applied to it. (Basic Grey Vagabond papers). Her pumps are beaded with Martha's Lapis Lazuli glass beads. I cut and popped the dress to add dimension.

The undergarments were stamped on blue velum. And the nude's tattoo is part of the Beauty is soul deep sentiment from B Lines Design. I inked the tattoo with TH DI Pumice Stone and for the BEAUTY, I used Nick Bantock's Prussian Blue, embossing it with UTEE several times to give it some stability. I finished my card with a vintage garter that has hand dyed silk trim in the trigger colors.

This challenge took me way back to my paperdoll days as I loved playing with the ones you could find in the magazines. The Christmas I was 8, Santa brought me the Betsy McCall Fashion Designer. It had a light box that allowed you to trace patterns with colored pencils. A few years ago, I found one in the original box on the 'bay and asked if my husband would give that to me as a gift. It was pure joy when the box arrived and for the tiniest bit of time, I was right back there, Christmas 1961!!! And hopefully one day, I'll have granddaughters to share my love of paper dolls. I get the Fashion Designer out and maybe we'll do BLUE. How about you, did you like playing dress-up as a girl or have a favorite doll. I'd love to hear your stories.

typing, not texting...

Hey all you with it, hip(py) gurls. Remember when communicating meant hours on the phone...not cordless either! I decided to go old-school with a card for my tenderhearted son.

I did NOT learn to type on one of these beauties...we had electric Coronas. I must admit I love my cord free Mac keyboard and how it clicks every so daintly.

When I got up this morning, there was a hand written note on the counter right by my espresso machine...where I was sure to notice. words like 'stole' my heart, and looking forward to seeing you tonight, Mom (Thursdays are usually the night we catch up) and I love you, Mom. Now standing over the machine steaming milk, I realized it have been quite awhile since I had made him a special card. And just like that the muse came out to play!

I can't wait to catch up IRL.

Details for the elements can be found here in my gallery on Splitcoast Stampers.

...a second spring

I am not gonna let go of this glorious Autumn weather...nope, not gonna! Everywhere I walk and on my drive to work, the trees are dressed in magnificent color, an explosion really. Wednesday's over on Splitcoast Stampers is the Sketch Challenge. Today, I turned to Basic

Grey's Indian Summer paper group. There are 6 color variations of the same photograph of leaves and I managed to use each one.

The Albert Camus quote, Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a Flower, is an Impression Obsession image. The tiny leaves, a PSX long retired stamp. I used a Cuttlebug

Embossing Folder, Shells to give the pink leave panel some dimension. And the pretty card base is PTI Scarlet Jewel.

Our weather in the PNW is due to change soon and those glorious leaves will come down with the rain, but for now...for today, I am delighting in natures' show. Thanks so much for stopping by...