HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Wishing you all a very Happy New Year. For some it has already arrived for others we are still waiting for it. Whichever you are I wish you all health, happiness and many wonderful new experiences in 2009.

We are having a very quiet family evening at home. Tomorrow we will celelebrate the #1 son's 27th birthday, so you know where I spent my New Year's Eve 26 years ago. Missed out on my girlfriend's anniversary party and all the yummy food and celebrating and then he diddn't make an appearance until 7:29 in the pm. of New Years day. Oh well I have forgiven him and will make his choice of dinner for his Birthday (this year it is Prime Rib with all the trimmings).

Made for a Friend

Just trying to play catch up here so I thought I would share the last card I made. I have a friend who celebrates Chanukah rather than Christmas so I always try to make a special card to celebrate her beliefs. This was the card I created for her this year. Other than this card I haven't been creative at all so no other art to post.

A Friend Needs Your Help

Hope you all have had a wonderful holiday whatever you celebrate.

I thought I would try my bit to make the holiday a little brighter for an online friend who needs our help in finding her missing daughter. Tina's daughter went missing on Christmas day one year ago (you can view details at Tina's blog link above). With the help of her online friends and visitors maybe we can all play a part in bringing Tina's loved one home to her family. Many thanks to all my visitors for their help in this and mayb you enjoy Health and Happiness in 2009.

A New Award

My friend Edna was so nice and sent me this award a week or so ago and I have just been so swamped I couldn't deal with it then. So now I'm trying to catch up and this is how it goes.

"This blog invests and believes the PROXIMITY -nearness in space, time and relationships! These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers, who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award."

I always find it hard to list bloggers because there are so many wonderful people out there in blog land. So I will start the list for now with the following blogs.

Gayle of Stampers Touch - who is just a wonderful lady with incredible art.

Dianne - Passion for Stamping - who has been my friend for a few years now

Jodi - Artfromthehart - who has some incredible coaster ornaments and lots of other wonderful art

Elizabeth - The last Door Down The Hall - She not only shares her wonderful art but provides you with recipies and gives you free images to use in your art.

Lynn at A Dreams Eye View - who has been a lovely online friend and has wonderful art pieces to see on her blog.

Some Christmas Art

This card was done for the colour challenge on one of my Yahoo groups. The colours we had to use were white and light blue. I'm pleased with how this one turned out.

This card was done just for my dear mother. It is all glittery but the scan doesn't show it off very well. I'm sure she will be pleased when she receives it.

This is the inside of the card for my mother. I thought the verse was so nice, maybe not your usual Christmas verse but I like it.

This is the design that I did the bulk of my cards for giving to family and family friends. I used my Cuttlebug folders and then highlighted with Sakura Gelly Roll pen in Crystal topping off the tree with a bow.

This one was done for the Card Lottery on one of my groups. The theme was anything Christmas or winter.

It's been Awhile & Something to Share

It seems ages since I've posted anything here. Time just keeps trucking on by and I get caught up in all the things to do at this time of the year. I have most of my Christmas cards done and out in the mail, just a few left to do for the stamping friends. Which brings me to the Share part of this post, Lisa over at Ten Two Studio is having her holiday countdown once again so you might want to pop on over and collect some of these wonderful images that might be suitable for one of your holiday projects. Don't forget you'll have to post her countdown giveaway to your group, your blog or web page to share it around. Have a great day all.

Chek it Out!! Blog Candy Alert

Hello Friends & fellow bloggers. I was alerted by another Canadian blogger about some wonderfully generous blog candy being given away by Debbie at Passion for Crafts . She has a lovely site with really great cards and other altered stuff. Some images I haven't seen on this side of the big pond that are just so sweet, even I love them and I don't do cute and sweet normally. So check it out, you won't want to miss out. Also a big thanks to Julie for the ALert. Have a great day aeveryone.

Hear them Sing

Well another week has gone by and I'm just under the wire again for the TGIF ATC on Altered Designs group. This weeks theme was music and I just loved this image of the line of birds that looks like the middle one is leading the others.

The image was supplied by Dawn E. over at The Feathered Nest She has a lovely blog and some lovely images that she has graciously shared so stop on over and check it out. Enjoy and as always comments are welcome.

Sisters of the Heart

The theme this week for TGIF at Altered Designs was Sisters and since I don't have a sister it seemed to take me a long time to come up with something I liked. So Sisters of the Heart is my ATC for this week. The image is from Lisa's altered arts and the heart button in the bottom corner is really purple not red. Sorry if it is a bit blurry but my scanner doesn't like 3D very much. Enjoy

If you like Victorian Paper Dolls!!!!

Check out Sweet Abigail and Sweet Sophia at Abbie's blog. She is giving everyone not just one but two chances to win these incredibly sweet paper dolls. I just love them so much that I would like to keep it a secret but I promised I would share the opportunity. So stop on over and enjoy.

It's a Start

Well I had to start somewhere to get into the spirit of doing my Christmas cards so this is one one I've done for a swap. It took a fair bit of time so don't think this will be my end design but it does have shimmer and shine which doesn't show up so well in the scan. Enjoy and comments are always appreciated.

Autumn's Splendour

This month's ATC lottery theme over at ALtered Designs is Leaf/Leaves. So here I have posted my version using a PSX stamp that I have had for a long time but haven't used much. It does have shimmer when seen in person but it doesn't show up well on the scan. Enjoy and comments always welcome.

TGIF Blue is my World

Altered Designs TGIF theme for this week is Shades of Blue.

My ATC came about from two things, an image which was compliments of Cora at Paper Flowers who posts images on Saturdays for our personal use and from a song (Love is Blue)that was running through my head when I thought of Shades of Blue. I hope you like it and comments are always welcome. Hope everyone is having a great weekend.

It's all about the...Hat

It has taken me all month to come up with an idea for the Altered Designs Octobery ATC Lottery. This month the theme was Woman/Women. The scan is not so great and a bit blurry because of the 3D on this piece but at least it gives you an idea of what it looks like. The person who receives it will be able to see the difference.

TGIF Witchy Woman ATC

This is my Altered Designs TGIF for this week. The theme was "Witchy Woman". The picture I used for the witchy woman is one I've dowloaded from somewhere called RCS Creations but can't remember who they are or where to find them right now. The two little girls image is from Lisa's Altered Art and the verse is something I made up on the computer (the font is called Chiller). The flourish stamp is from Basic Gray and the witchy hat is something I made up. Comments welcome

House ATCs

House shaped ATCs done for a yahoo group swap.

Think Pink

I joined a swap of altered Rolodex cards on the Byhand Artist yahoo group. The theme was Think Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness and we had to do ten of them. So this is what I have been busy with this week. The top card is my gift to the hostess so it has a different saying on it, the ten cards for the swap are all like the bottom one in the picture. All stamps used are from Quietfire Designs and the flowers are stickers. The ribbon embelishment I made and the dragonfly is a purchased brad.

Another Bandana Piece

The TGIF theme at Altered Designs this week is Bandana Technique so I've done this simple ATC using a CuttleBug folder for the background and highlighted with the Rangers Inksentials white pen. The stamp is from Club Stamp

Google Eyes

TGIF theme at Altered Designs for this week was EYES but rather than take the more realistic or serious direction I thought I would lighten things up a bit. Don't normally do cute (well I buy them, just don't use them) so although I bought this stamp about 10 years ago I have to say it was a virgin stamp until this ATC. Funny thing is I have the Cheerleader mate to this one and you guessed it .... still a virgin. (Well what did you expect she is only 10 years old). LOL

Sharing the Possibilities "Blog Candy

Just couldn't keep this to myself had to share. Kristin Hubick över at Retro Cafe Art Gallery has posted a Blog Candy Giveaway. Can you imagine 1200 eyelets and eyelet setter!!!! That's not all, there are THREE leather punches in this giveaway as well. Can't imagine having to ever buy more eyelets.......well unless they were the latest and greatest gotta haves. So be sure and stop over at Kristins blog and see if your number is the one the lucky number generator picks. Good luck everyone.

Weighing in on Books

My ATC for the monthly lottery on one of my groups. The theme was books and I've used images from a magazine and one from my rubber stamp collection along with a piece of suede to make what appears to be a table..

Sugar Fairy

My Sugar Fairy for TGIF at Altered Designs this week. The theme was think Pink.

Autumn

Well as much as I hate to see summer go I have to admit that Autumn is here. All the leaves changing colour an falling from the trees. Here we have mostly yellow but a few reds on the ornamental trees. If we have more wind like yesterday I'm sure the last of them will be on the ground. So I've made this card with the season in mind.

She's so Kind

I've received another award recently from the very lovely Ed in Wales at http://wwwedsplace.blogspot.com/ . She has some awsome art on her bog. It is so inspirational to visit. So if you have a minute stop on over and have a look.

So I will name 7 blogs I love to visit and they just copy and paste the I luv Your Blog logo, and put it on their blog, and name 7 blogs they love to visit, giving links to their blogs and leaving a comment on theirs.

1. Jill at http://elinorscloset.blogspot.com/

2. Heather R at http://creativesolace.blogspot.com/

3. Vintage Wil at http://vintagewil.blogspot.com/

4. Lisa G at http://anotefromthequeen.blogspot.com/

5. Wand H at http://artbywanda.blogspot.com/

6. Jodi V at http://www.artfromthehart.blogspot.com/

7. Kelly B at http://artsyvisions.blogspot.com/

There are many blogs I love to visit but I will save them for another time.

Please help fund Mammograms

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month so won't you please help out by clicking the link I've provided in my sidebar. Thanks for your time

Something beautiful to share

A friend sent me a power point presentation of Bruno Torf's Art and Sculpture Garden and it was beautiful and very interesting to see. It is set in a rain forest, so the colours are so vibrant and green, in the small Victorian village of Marysville Australia. However since I couldn't figure out how to post a PPpresentation here it lead me to google the name. So I thought I would share the site that I found telling abuot Bruno Torf and how the garden came to be http://www.brunosart.com/about.htm .
The slide show on the site moves very fast so it is hard to see details so if anyone would like to see the power point presentation leave me a post requesting it and your e-mail and I will forward it to you. It is truly beautiful.

TGIF Door

Altered Designs TGIF theme this week was doors. This one caught my eye as I was leafing through a magazine before throwing it out. I love the bright red colour.

A Blog Award!!

I received this wonderful blog award from the lovely Michi from http://michirhymeswithpeachy.blogspot.com/ and I'm honoured. Thanks so much for thinking of me Michi. Now for my part I must:

1. Display the logo and link to the one who award it.
2. Nominate at least 7 blogs to receive the award.
3. Add links to those 7 blogs to my blog.
4. Leave the nominees a message that they have been nominated to receive the award.

So although there are a great many lovely and inspirational blogs out there, some I visit often but post not so often and others I subscribe to so I don't miss anything, this is my list for now.

1. Gabrielle Madsen http://gabrielleinspiration.blogspot.com/ who's art never fails to delight and is so calming.
2. Sandy at http://stempelchaotin.wordpress.com/ Always has wonderful treats to look at.
3. Elizabeth Golden at http://thelastdoordownthehall.blogspot.com/ A lovely blog with lots of fun and quirky art and some terrific sounding recipies.
4. Ellen at http://artandellen.blogspot.com/ who just keeps thing interesting and has such a descriptive way of telling stories.
5. Ed at http://wwwedsplace.blogspot.com/ who is just a lovely lady and who unbeknownst to her has sent me checking out the next blog.
6. Patty S at Magpie's Nest http://bitze.wordpress.com/ you have such and interesting blog but when I saw the Love Bug Art Car, how wonderful.
7. Anneke's blog at http://lasize.blogspot.com/ she has wonderful art pieces that provide lovely inpiration to help me think outside my comfort zone.

I hope you'll stop by and visit their blogs, I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

CBH Tuesday Challenge

The Tuesday challenge on the Created Byhand site http://createdbyhandchallenge.wordpress.com/ is to use a coffin shape in your art. So this is the ATC I came up with.

Roam Free ATC

My September Lottery ATC for one of my Yahoo group. The theme for this month was anything representing Africa.

Winter Fantasy

The card lottery theme on one of my groups this month is anything depicting house or home. I think this is the first piece of art I have created in almost two weeks.

The stamp is from PSX and I have had it for a very long time but only used it once or twice. Seems that applies to a lot of my stamps.

Altered Mirror

These are pictures of an altered chipboard mirror that I did at the end of August just before I went on vacation. I couldn't post it then as it was a swap with an online friend and I wanted her to be the first to see hers. I was going to be good and remember who's image I used but the mind fails me (must write things down). When I started this project I had the thought in my mind "Mirror Mirror on the Wall" which is what prompted the image in the mirror.

This was a fun project to do and I thank my friend for suggesting it.

Sweet N Sassy

ATC for the TGIF challenge this week at Altered Designs. The theme was Sassy and I think this little girl looks just that. The image used was from Lisa's Altered Art ( http://www.lisasalteredart.com/index.htm ). I've used stamps from www.InkaStamps.com , Stampourri and A Stamp In the Hand. The rub-ons are from Basic Grey - flourish corners, and they now have a clear stamp set just like them (just waiting for mine to arrive)

Follow My Blog

If you like what you see here in my sanctuary and want to see more when it is added you can sign up to follow my blog using the feature in the right hand column. Hope to see a at least a few following what I post.

Javablu Award

My on-line friend Lynn of http://adreamseyeview.blogspot.com/ sent me this award for which I thank her. I'm glad my blog provides her with some inspiration. Now the way I understand this is I have to pass this award on to 5 other deserving people who I visit and who provide inspiration to me. Althought there are many who fit this criteria this is the 5 that I have chosen for now.

Dianne of - http://passionforstamping.blogspot.com/

Gayle of - http://gaylepage-robak.blogspot.com/

Cora of - http://paperflowers1.blogspot.com/

Gail of - http://www.shabbycottagestudio.blogspot.com/

Annette of - http://goannafive.blogspot.com/

Stop by and have peek at some of their work. They all do such lovely stuff and they are all so different in their style but I love them all. Don't forget to visit the lovely lady that sent me this award, she does some awsome stuff herself. Hope I've got this right as it is a first try at this sort of thing.

More Bandana Technique

This is my interpretation of a sketch for one of my yahoo groups. The background was an experiment using the bandana technique but this time I heat embossed in red on black cardstock then used the white Inkssentials gel pen from Ranger to do the highlighting. The red embossing doesn't show up as well as I would like so it will be back to the drawing board for this one.

Bandana Technique

Was playing with the Bandana Technique today and made up some bookmarks. The quote in the centre is what I have put on the back of them. All stamps are Qietfire Designs (http://www.quietfiredesign.ca/) . The inks used for the base colour is Rangers Distress Inks which can also be bought from Quietfire Designs.

Card For Folded ATC

This is the first art I have done since Sunday so thought I would share, as little as it is. Seems my creative muse just wasn't up to it.

The Folded ATC that I posted earlier is for a Lottery on one of my groups so thought I would do a card to hold it when I mail it off. So I played with the same papers, added a couple of different embellishes by way of a Fiskars border punch along with my deckle edge scissors, and I used a different butterfly stamp. Back to the art room and see if my muse is still there or MIA again.

Have a great weekend everyone.

Escape

Was just taking some me time in my studio with nothing planned other than I challenged myself to use this old photo image which was generously posted by Cora at http://paperflowers1.blogspot.com/2008/04/saturday-image-bonus-33.html The wings and bird are images from Lisa's Altered Arts http://www.lisasalteredart.com/index.htm. Babies with wings riding birds is still outside my comfort zone but I'm trying to stretch myself.

Folded ATC

This is an ATC done for one of my groups where the challenge was to do a folded ATC. So I came up with this idea as a change from some of the more typical folds. The piece of waxed linen tied is what holds the folded section down. The flourish stamps and the quote stamp can be found at www.quietfiredesign.ca along with waxed linen string (although I'm not sure if Suzanne is carrying the light blue). To stamp the first part of the quote I inked only that part of the stamp and using a stamp positioner managed to get it pretty much lined up on the lines. Then I inked only the last part to stamp on the right lower corner. Not sure who makes the little caterpillar stamp but the large butterfly is from PSX some years ago now. I created my own double sided paper by gluing two pieces of scrapbook paper together so this made it heavy enough for the ATC. Not sure just double sided paper alone would be heavy enough for ATCs.

Peace

This is a card done for another yahoo group monthly card lottery and the theme for the month of August is anything Asian. I love playing with my coloured pencil crayons.

World Travel

Have been home from vacation for a week now and today is my first day making art. This ATC is done for a TGIF Travel themed swap on one of my yahoo groups

Just thought I'd Share

Just thought I would share the news about my costume from the previous post. After all my fussing with getthing it made I guess it turned out better than I thought it had. I placed first in the Ladies Day Wear catagory of our Cowboy Action Shooting Promenade. Also placed 5th for shooting in my catagory as well. Hopefully I'll have better times and less misses in the next one. Off to create paper art now.

A Different Kind of Art

This is art created with my sewing machine. I'd like to say that the stitched and beaded blouse was my creation but honesty won't let me. For the last week or so I have been creating with my sewing machine instead of paper and ink. I designed and made the waist cinch which is held together in the back with snaps, made from black Duchess Satin. The skirt is made from a commercial pattern with a fairly heavy upholstery type fabric in a soft sage green and cream. It is a full 360 degree circle and it was difficult to get the gathers to stay in so I could stitch them permanently because it is so heavy. I tried to take the picture with my wig on the wig head but it didn't want to stay on the top of the dress form so you only get to see the hat that will go on my head after the wig.

This is only part of the final costume for my other hobby (Cowboy Action Shooting) that I share with my hubby. For anyone interested you can check it out at http://www.sassnet.com/ I will add other pieces to this over the rest of the summer and hopefully have the full costume finished for the last shoot of the season wich is Labour Day weekend.

We are off for two weeks as of Friday heading to two different shoots on two different weekends in two different provinces. Catch you all when I return.

Trees

ATC done for a lottery on one of my groups. Stamps are from various companies.

Delightful Butterfly

This is a card done for a lottery on one of my groups. The theme for the month was anything with wings. The size of the card is 7 1/4 x 3 3/4 inches. I like working with this size because it allows me to use a bit larger image than what I would use on a 5 1/2 x 4 1/4 card and be able to add extra embellishment.

TGIF Bathing Beauty

This is my bathing beauty for the Altered Designs July 11th TGIF mingle.

It's been a while since I've created anything in my studio because summer is the season of sharing my time with hubby persuing our shared "Cowboy Action Shooting" hobby. We get to revisit our childhood playing cowboys/cowgirls, strapping on our six guns and foiling the train robbers by day and dressing up for dinner by night. All this is done in period costume (1858 - 1898) so some of my creative time is spent in my sewing room.

It's A Beautiful Day

I was playing around in my studio, going through containers that I've just been throwing half done stuff into and came across a piece of cardstock that had this stitched pinwheel on it. So had to stop and play. So here is another card for me to add to my stash of emergency don't have time to play cards. The verse on this one comes from the Stampendous set "Beautifully Said" from about 1996. There are 6 different stamps to finish off this saying from I'm Thinking of You to Happy Birthday. The flourish on the bottom is a rub-on.

ATC/QTC from a Friend

My friend who is an artist in a different medium made me this lovely hand stitched and quilted trading card in exchange for a manniquin tag that I made especially for her about a month or so ago. This lady does just awsome quilts and her hand stitching is just so neat and evenly spaced. Not something I have ever been able to master. If I didn't have a sewing machine then most anything I made would probably fall apart.

Look For The Dream

This is my ATC for the Patterned Paper Challenge on the http://createdbyhandchallenge.wordpress.com/ . The challenge was to use patterned or fancy paper and all stamps are by www.quietfiredesign.ca Looks busy here but better in person.

Vintage Hollywood

This is a lottery ATC done for one of my groups. The theme was Vintage Hollywood.

While looking for clip art to fit the theme I came across some vintage lobby cards (pre 1940) which gave me the idea for the style of the ATC. The base is a piece of patterened paper reinforced with cardstock. The frame around the miniature lobby card was inked with Dried Marigold Distress ink, stamped with Spiced Marmalade and then inked with Versamark and embossed. I then glued acetate behind it to simulate glass. The lobby card is done as a tag which slips in behind the window frame. The title "Now Playing" is done with stick on letters that were originally gold with pink as the fill and I changed that with my gel pen. The stamps used are from www.quietfiredesign.ca .

Garden Blooms

Not much is blooming in my garden right now and I was waiting for my large Bronze Bearded Iris to bloom for a photograph but couldn't wait. I needed a photograph for a card challenge on one of my groups so this is a photograph of one of my lesser/least liked Iris. I have some lovely purple ones as well but they hadn't bloomed yet either (that was a couple of days ago). Just looked out my studio window and now the purple has bloomed, hopefully the sun will shine this afternoon so I can get some nice pictures and the sun will bring out the bronze ones as well.