Ismaki Challenge

Well, here's this week's Ismaki Challenge. Did you ever have an idea in your head, but it didn't quite translate to paper the way you thought it would? Well, here's my offering for this week. You can see the sketch itself on the Ismaki blog. Stamps are from Quietfire Design.

Thanks for stopping by!

Daring Cardmakers Challenge

Over at Daring Cardmakers, Mel's mid-week dare is all about favourite things.
We're challenged to use one of Mel's favourite things, and one of our own.
Mel's current favourites are embroidery cotton/thread, buttons, felt or fabric.
One of my current favourites is beading! So here's my offering for the altar of the daring!



Thanks for the challenge ladies! I'll be back next week.

Arty Girlz Challenge

The Arty Girlz challenge this week is...STARS! This is serendipitous, because I finished this
little piece of stitching yesterday, done specifically to use this new calligraphy sentiment
stamp from Quietfire Design. I always enjoy combining different techniques
with stamping. This one uses paper piercing as well.

Thanks for another great challenge, Crissi and Julie.
I always enjoy my Tuesday morning coffee with you.

Thank you for visiting my blog.

Created by Hand Challenge

This week's Created by Hand challenge...use buttons!

The base for this card was created by using Ecoline Watercolour Inks (# 390 Pastel Rose and # 580 Pastel Blue) with the shaving cream marbling technique. I stamped the sentiment with Ancient Page Coal Black Ink. The stamp and the Ecoline Inks are available at Quietfire Design here in Canada. These sentiment stamps are produced from Suzanne Canon's wonderful hand calligraphy.

Then I printed the image from my computer as shown. This image is a scanned and reduced copy of a sketch I had commissioned from a photo of my now three-year-old grandson. I was so blessed to be there with my daughter when he was born. The sketch was done from a photo I snapped when he was one hour old.

Thanks so much for visiting my blog again.

Ismaki Challenge # 10

The Ismaki Challenge sketch for this week is posted just below my card. You can find a larger one over there. I do several challenges a week, and this has become my favourite one. It's the first thing I tackle on Monday mornings. It's always stimulating, always difficult, and always such a pleasure to do!

Cardstock is Basic Grey, aged with distress ink. Image stamp produced by Heather’s Stamping Haven here in Canada, stamped on glossy cardstock with Ancient Page Coal Black ink, parts were shaded with distress inks. The sentiment stamp (from Quietfire Design, also here in Canada!) was stamped with Ancient Page Coal Black, then punched with a Creative Memories heart punch. Cuttlebug embossing. Heidi Swapp rhinestone semi circle. American Crafts rub-ons. Inks: Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Broken China and Vintage Photo). Martha Stewart border punch.

I appreciate your visit!

Challenge...4 X 4 Friday!

The challenge at 4 X 4 Friday this week is pets! This is a card I created for one of my grandsons. I'm going there to spend several weeks with them in a few days, so this will be in the post to him Monday morning...just to heighten the anticipation (lol). I used a "Gruffies" stamp by Stampabilities, and a new fold I learned from a GREAT local Stampin' Up rep (thanks Yvonne!) The whole card is 4 X 4, but all the little bits and pieces make it look very different. I posted the card opened as well, just so you can see the way it's put together.

Now for a reflective moment (lol).

Today is INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY!

Aren't we simply so BLESSED to live where we do?

I wanted to share some of Maya Angelou's writing with you.
I hope you'll have a little time time to read it. Her writing is so inspirational.

I LIKE WOMEN!

I like them as much or more than I like almost anybody. But the women I like best aren't
always strong, and they're certainly not invincible.

They're creative, they're idiosyncratic, and they're around if you need them.

They complain, they console,and they can shop their way through virtually any crisis.
They know how to raise hell and they know how to raise children.

They can spot a scam, a lousy doctor, and a crummy boyfriend in under ten seconds.

They've perfected the withering stare that makes a nasty sales person,
flight attendant, or coworker fold like an origami swan.

My favourite women may feel bad about their necks, but they feel pretty damn good about their legs.

They do not trash their ex-husband's new squeeze monkey even if she happens to be
eight months younger than their eldest daughter; they limit the amount of money spent
sucking up to stepchildren; they try really hard to wish everyone well.

They've never met a carbohydrate they didn't want to have
a close personal relationship with.

They brake for sex, sleep, and solitude, cashmere, caffeine, and Joan Didion.

They've got nerves of steel, the courage of their convictions, and excellent footwear.
They're sugar and spice and everything I aspire to.

They remain cautiously optomistic.

We are strong, and when one of us isn't feeling all that invincible,
the other will take the wheel.

WE ARE WOMEN!

I hope you're doing something special to celebrate your SELF today.

Me...I made cards all day long...and I feel so lucky to be able to do that!

Thank you so much for stopping by!

Hand sewing

The Daring Cardmakers' challenge this week is to use hand sewing on your cards. Here are some of mine, hand stitched and beaded. This is one of my newest obsessions (lol). I really enjoy combining different techniques with stamping.

This card uses a sentiment stamp from Quietfire Design, where the stamps are made from Suzanne Canon's beautiful hand calligraphy. I sewed with gold and metallic variegated thread, and added a few seed bead pearls.

This card uses a Hero Arts stamp, and more variegated metallic thread.

Thank you for visiting my blog!

Spring!

The Arty Girlz challenge this week is SPRING! It was fun working with these nice bright colours, and they work so well with Just Johanna stamps. I needed to create a few grandkiddie cards, so thanks for the challenge ladies!

Imagine

This week's Wednesday Stamper challenge is...GLASSES! I knew what I wanted to do right away. Stamps used are from Quietfire Design. Flourishes and aging done with Ancient Page Chocolate Brown ink, sentiment stamped with Versafine Vintage Brown and clear-embossed. Little hearts were punched out of some old Magic Mesh scraps.

This word, Imagine, has been my license plate for many years.
I get some interesting reactions. (lol)

Thanks for stopping by my blog again.
I so appreciate reading your comments.

Ismaki Challenge

This week's Ismaki Challenge has a LOT of layering, which I love to do! The image and the stamp are from Quietfire Design. I used Bazzill olive green and frosted blue cardstocks, and pieces of Ziage Calcutta paper. I altered the brads with
Krylon 18 Kt Gold Leafing ink.

This was the posted sketch. You can see a much larger one at Ismaki.
Thank you for stopping by my blog!

Two cards: Starshine and Impression Obsession

This card, created for the Arty Girlz challenge ("circles" this week), and the Created by Hand Challenge (splatter/spritz/spray paints inks, etc!) is done with the faux batik technique. I filled Ranger Mini Misters with three colours of Ecoline inks (available in the calligraphy section of Quietfire Design). I added a couple of drops of Winsor and Newton Iridescent Medium, and sprayed on glossy cardstock over a Versamarked/clear embossed Impression Obsession stamp, designed by Leigh Hannan. Then I used a centre fold Cuttlebug-embossed background. The ribbon flower in the centre is actually a bridal shoe embellishment I bought years ago. This one represents my very first "official" piece as a new designer for Impression Obsession. I feel SO lucky to be designing for Mitra, with the fabulous Impression Obsession stamps!!

This is for the Wednesday Stamper and Arty Girlz challenges this week. At Arty Girlz, the challenge is to use circles. At Wednesday Stamper, the challenge is to "let your star shine this week." How perfect! I stitched the stars with metallic thread, stamped and gold embossed the sentiment stamp (from Quietfire Design) Thank goodness for my Stampamajig! The stamp wouldn't actually fit inside the circle properly, so I had to stamp the last two lines separately from the rest of the sentiment. But it worked! That lovely Florentine paper is from Quietfire too. The teal paper is velvet. It was difficult to get a good scan because of all the black, I think. The metallic thread is much brighter than it shows here.

Thanks so much for visiting my blog today. This card is for my twelve year old grandson,
whose "Grammie name" happens to be "Starshine!"