The Creativity Project

So, I spent a quiet Sunday putting together pictures for a Shutterfly photo book.

I have SO many photos of birds (ALL my own) that I thought that it would be fun to gather them all together in one place.

I also did a little blurfing (blog-surfing) and realized that I hadn't been to Stacy Julian's blog since I'd moved, so.......

I found this post with a challenge to do something creative for 31 days in March.  Since this is also my birthday month, I'm feeling a challenge need, so.......

March 1: worked on Shutterfly project

March 2: watched the CREATE video (that Stacy posted about) here 

I've decided NOT to post the photos from the Buckeye birding field trip here; they're at Facebook & Flickr.  If someone who reads this blog would like to see them, just follow the link.

New life in the new year

I haven't abandoned this blog. I've just had a challenging couple of months.

No gory details here, just to say that I have moved to Arizona to take a new job.

I am unpacking my crafting tools and getting ready to take part in challenges, etc again.

I am posting the cover of the latest Take Ten magazine. One of the highlights of the month of February for me was getting my copy in the mail and slowly realizing that one of my challenge cards had been published!!! Woo hoo!! Go me!!

Next post will be some photos that I took today while on a hike with a local nature hikes/birding group.

More card posts this coming week. I promise.

Monday Lunchtime Sketch #45 -- Happy Christmas

November may go down as one of the worstest months for me. Enough said.

But I do need Christmas cards and used Mary Jo's sketch challenge design for this card.

I have more things to post, but not enough time tonight. So, I'll hopefully post again tomorrow with another Christmas card and a fun project.

Materials: papers, colored cardstock, rub-on (American Crafts); white cardstock (Georgia Pacific); stamp (Studio G); inks (Colorbox, Tsukineko); stickles (Ranger).

Edited: forgot to mention the pop-dots and the Nestibilities used to cut the ovals!! :)

Boy, it's been too long since I last posted. :)

Thanks for taking a look.

MLSC #41 - Merry Christmas

It's probably NOT too early to be working on Christmas cards. It's NEVER too early to use up some of the stash that's been accumulating. It's ALWAYS fun to put one of MaryJo's sketch challenges to good use. So without further ado......

A fast, fun little card using some of the Basic Grey stash and a Making Memories rub-on. (I actually feel like I cheated on this card, since there's NO stamping.)

Materials: cardstock (Bazzill); designer paper & chipboard (Basic Grey); paint & rub-on (Making Memories); adhesives (Pioneer mounting tape & pop-dots).

Thanks for looking.

Monday Lunchtime Sketch Challenge #37

Another of my September projects which I didn't get a chance to post was (yet) another birthday card for work. Ronda's birthday snuck under the radar; she's new in the office this year and we didn't KNOW that she had the pleasure(pain) of another birthday until the happy date had passed.

So with my usual (about 1 night) notice I had the pleasure of making another birthday card. And, hey, since MaryJo makes such great sketches, it just seemed serendipitous to use her sketch for the needed birthday card.

I thought that I would post the sketch along with my interpretation of it, because of MaryJo's watermark. Many of her sketches not only have her name on them, but also the butterfly image. (I have to confess the first time that I saw one of her sketches, I thought that the butterfly was PART of the sketch!!)

So, for this card, I decided to VERY faithfully follow the sketch, and I INCLUDED the butterfly as well.

I die cut and embossed the butterfly shape with a new Cuttlebug die set that I had purchased at Roberts in Ogden, when we were out in Utah on vacation in August. The shape is cut out of an Amaco Artemboss sheet of metal. The black circle below the butterfly is also cut out of Artemboss, then run through the Cuttlebug script embossing folder to give it some character.

Here's the whole/completed card. The oval for the sentiment is the first design item that I cut using the (then, new to me) oval Nesties.

Materials: cardstock (Bazzill); designer paper (Basic Grey); metal (Amaco); stamp (Studio G); ink (Colorbox); embossing powder (Stampendous); dies/embossing (Nestabilities, Cuttlebug).

I'm grateful to the online community for all the wonderful inspiration that is made available to share. I'm always so happy when I find a sketch that inspires me to make something that I can share with the people in my life. I know that my friends & co-workers enjoy these cards and I know that I owe a big thanks to the many sketch designers out there in the blogosphere who share so graciously of their talents. Thanks MaryJo specifically for this design.

Thanks to all who take the time to look here.

Bandanna Technique

The challenge at the RangerInkLink group at Yahoo in September was the Bandanna technique. When I first read about it, I wasn't quite sure that this was a challenge in which I would take part.

I didn't think that I had any stamps (NO cute paisley stamps) that would work for the challenge, but as the month went by and as I looked at the various cards that were posted, I decided that I could probably give it a go.

I'm very pleased with the cardstock background that the technique produced. I didn't think that the "free-style" of doodling would appeal to me, but as I played more and more with the products, I found that I REALLY enjoyed making this piece.

Since I made this card almost a month ago, my poor pitiful brain is struggling to remember what products were used!!

I think the background has broken china and weathered wood distress inks. I then stamped the Autumn Leaves flourishes with black ink. After that I doodled with the Signo white pen.

Since I got my first set of Nesties (the ovals), I've been trying to use them as often as I can!!! The sentiment is a Studio G clear stamp.

Materials: cardstock (black - Bazzill; white - Georgia Pacific); inks (distress ink - Ranger; black - Colorbox); stamps (Autumn Leaves & Studio G); white pen (Signo); die (Nestabilities); adhesive (Pioneer mounting tape).

Thanks for taking a look.

Monday Lunchtime Sketch Challenge #39

As I am prone to type in some of my emails :::emerging from lurk mode:::

I've been AWOL for the better part of the last month. I'm having some health issues and I seem to spend all my energy each day just working and getting the minimal done around the house. I have been crafting, but just get too tired at night to post to the blog. :(

But today is a new day and if nothing else I can at least post this. Hopefully with the next couple of days I can post some of the other projects which I've completed in the last month.

So, having said that, I'd like to post my attempt at Mary-Jo's challenge for this week.

I knew when I saw this sketch that I really wanted to make a card for it. I've been wanting to get some Thanksgiving/Fall cards stockpiled as well, so that's where this card started.

The circle element in Mary-Jo's original sketch kinda got oversized!!! I love the new Cuttlebug die/embossing folder sets and have been wanting to use this fall leaf on something.

I distressed the edges of the orange paper block with the Making Memories distressing tool, then inked the edges with the Tea Dye ink. Otherwise, it's a pretty simple and straightforward card.

Materials: cardstock (Bazzill); designer paper (Basic Grey Mellow); stamp (Inkadinkadoo); ink (Tea Dye distress ink); metal (Amaco Artemboss); die/embossing (Cuttlebug); ribbon (Michaels); adhesives (Pioneer mounting tape & Pop-dots).

As always, thanks for looking.