More JB challenges

August 10 Friday night challenge: nice and simple: '
Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2007 7:12 pm Post subject: AUGUST 10th - Friday Night Challenge - Nice and Simple!

OK folks I think you deserve something REALLY simple. A little open play time! OK maybe it is because I am simple! SO I am challenging you to use something that you have not used before on a card! EASY PEASY! It can be a technique, new papers, Die Cuts that are gathering dust, a Stamp that has never been used .......... Ribbons that have only ever been stroked and not cut ........ You really have free license with this one.'

I used new papers from the English Paper Company 'airy fairy' and a big brad and rub on from HOTP (hadn't used these before):


August 17 Friday nigh challenge: not a square: 'we want you to create a LO with a shaped photo - NOT a square or a rectangle.' I tried to do this on the robo, but it wouldn't recognise the registration marks - perhaps I need to walk before I can run - so in the end I cut out the jigsaw pieces by hand:

July challenge 9: just for laffs!!: 'With all this strange weather lately, lets have a challenge that make us all giggle. Lets all make either a Layout or a Card that makes you laugh.' I hope this one raises a bit of a laff!!

Inside:

Friday night challenge 6 July: letters: 'Think of a word...maybe your name or initials..then either use wooden blanks from somewhere like http://www.woodenletters.co.uk/ or chipboard letters maybe you can cut some out or robo them you decide and then TART them up.'

This is for my mum (her name is Vicky):

August challenge 15: all stitched up: 'Your Challenge should you chose to accept it is to create a card or a layout using stitching...this can either be hand or machine but NO doodles!'

I used my new little sewing machine from Superdrug - only cost £5.99 - wasn't too adventurous though with the stitching:

A close up, just to prove there is stitching there:

July challenge 10: how charming: 'Here's a nice straightforward challenge for you - make a card of any kind, using a charm.' It's only a little charm, but it's there!:

July challenge 13: when we were very young: 'This challenge is to scrap yourself as a young child or baby - yep, we want to see those cute photos of you when you woz ickle! Any style, any size, just scrap away and have fun.' This is me a long time ago (so long ago that it wasn't really a coloured photo but painted somehow over the black and white - not sure what they did):


August challenge 10: pick a card: 'any card............ and then make a card with it'. The picture seemed to lend itself to this:

HS:MS chew

To bite and grind with the teeth. Find 'chew' in your space today.

As a John's guide dog, Josey isn't allowed treats, but she has the occasional rawhide chew (which has no calorific value and helps keep her teeth healthy). So she was allowed to have one this morning so I could get some photos! I found it quite difficult though because she tends to want to devour it without an audience. But here she is:

Today's challenge cards

Some more cards for JB challenges - also adding to stock.

August challenge 8: I love my ...: 'For this challenge just simply tell us what you love...cards or LO's please.' For this I did one of my Papermania decoupage cards and added the 'I' and 'love' on the heart on the jeans, with 'Crafting buddies' so that it says 'I love crafting buddies' - and inside: 'and I'm glad you're one of them':

August challenge 18: traditional twist: 'We all know that the traditional Christmas colours are red and green...your challenge is to funk up the traditional, giving it a modern look.' I'll make a few of these ready for the packs for my sale. The main paper used is from an English Paper Company pack:

August challenge 14: word play: 'Your challenge is to play around with a word and to incorporate into a card or scrapbook layout...for example here I have change "Unique" into "You-nique".' I've had this stamped image ages (did loads of them when the stamp was circulated as part of a stamping project) and have now found a use for it:

Another JB challenge card

August challenge 11: labelz: 'I love Labels, you can find some really nice ones attached to clothes these days. Bright colours, fabric ones, ones with ribbons, some with mini safety pins, buttons.......I collect mine and thought it would be a fun challenge to see what labels we can all find and use. This challenge can be LO's or cards. I've used a label of a pair off next jeans for mine...Yours doesn't have to be off an item of clothing, but it's not to be a handmade tag or label.'

I have to admit that I usually throw labels away (will look at them differently from now on), so the only one I could find was on a new pair of trousers got for John - a small tag that says 'tailoring' (I'm sorry that you can't really see it on the photo - its done with a raised embossing that shows up well irl - honestly!) The tie is a brad. So here's the card I made last night.

New Salt Challenge: Water

The new challenge launched this morning on Salt is 'Water, Water, Everywhere'.

It was Esther's turn to set the challenge. This is what she wrote:

'Thank you to all once again who joined in the last challenge of 'Life to the Full'. We do our best to visit your blogs and look at your wonderful creations.
This is a little daunting setting a challenge, but indeed very exciting too! Without further ado the challenge for the next 2 weeks is simply...

'WATER'

Water is such an important element in our lives, we can't live without it, just like our Lord and Saviour! It appears in so many places in the Bible, more than I realised. Here are a few examples to get you thinking, Noah and the flood, Jesus' 1st miracle; water into wine, calming of the sea, walking on water, baptisms, fishing, washing/cleansing, rivers, pools etc. Use this inspiration in your next project, and don't forget to leave us with details so we can take a peak. Thanks.'

Please take a look at Salt

and see what others in the team have done.

We'd love to see your contribution too.

HS:MS dish

A shallow bowl or radio antenna. Find 'dish' in your space.

I couldn't choose between the two. The first one is used for grapes (but is usually tucked at the back of the cabinet - rarely used).


The second dish is one of a pair (sadly the other got broken), given to me years ago by a dear friend.

JB challenges

Today I've been making cards to improve my stock levels ready for having my sale for TEAR Fund. So I've tackled quite a few of the challenges on Just Bex.

August challenge 19: slip 'n' slide: 'Your challenge is to make a card featuring a slide mount - any colour, any size, decorated in any way you wish.'

This card is cut away on the top right corner:

Open:

August challenge 16: tropical turquoise and pretty pink: 'Your challenge is to create a card or a layout using a turquoise and pink colour scheme.' This is another card cut on the right top corner:

Open:

August challenge 20: fun with felt: 'Felt is a big trend in papercrafting at the moment, and felt flowers are very popular - so this challenge is to make a card using felt for something other than flowers!'. Well, I used a flower on each of the next two cards, but I also used another felt embellie on each:

August challenge 17: gorgeous gingham: 'Your challenge should you choose to accept it is to produce a card incorporating gingham this can be card, paper or ribbon...it`s up to you.' These are two quick children's cards:

August challenge 12: easy as 1, 2, 3: 'we need you to make a CARD or a LO with BIG NUMBERS.' I hope the '60' is big enough!

August template 1: three squares: 'a template for the card makers you know you can do WHAT YOU LIKE!! have fun.' This is a sample for some of my Christmas card packs. I rubber stamped quite a few of these squares a week or so ago, but until now hadn't started to actually use them on cards. This is the template:
And here is my card:

August challenge 9: 'button it': 'Cards, LO's or whatever you want for this challenge as long as you use buttons.' I've had these two yellow buttons for quite a long time and thought it was about time to find a use for them:

August challenge 13: 'carry on corrugating': 'Your challenge is to make a card using...............corrigated card.' I enjoyed doing this card - it's a bit different:

Friday night challenge 24 August: monogram madness: 'Your challenge is to make a card and include a monogram of any size.'

HS:MS cloud - evening ones

Having taken photos of clouds this morning for HS:MS, I couldn't resist taking these this evening:

HS:MS cloud

A mass of water vapour. Show us 'cloud' in your space today.

There are a few clouds in my space today - taken from the garden:

Some more ATCs

These are my 'transport' ATCs for this month's swap on Tanda Stamps:

ATCs

I've done a little bit of crafting - managed to do my ATCs for the monthly swap on Crafts by Carolyn. The subject is 'knights of old' and I used from stamps from Rubbadubbadoo - stamped with Versafine black and embossed with fine detail black and silver. The second one has a patch of silver mirror card beneath the knight, which doesn't photograph well - looks better irl.

HS:MS apple

A red or green fruit from a tree. Show us 'apple' in your space today.

Yesterday a neighbour came round with another lot of apples from her garden, so I certainly had plenty to photo. Mind you, John is such a keen apple eater that we are never without them.

HS:MS sun

An object that gives light and warmth. Find 'sun' in your space today.

The battery has now been charged, so I can play! The sun is shining (what a change for a Bank Holiday!). This is a view from the room where I do my crafting (and blog hop etc) - with my flowers in the foreground, looking out up the garden - I love it when the awnings come out because it means the sun has his hat on!

I'm a blog candy winner!!!

What a surprise to log on this morning and find the comment from Chris

This is what Chris wrote:

"Okay this is what you all waited for... I had intended there to be one winner, however DG picked out two names that were stuck together so the prize will be shared between Tassycrafty and Hazel. Congratulations ladies!!! and thank you for entering.!

Thank you so much, Chris!

HS:MS Show off Sunday

This is the day when Kirsty and i take a little rest and you can post any photo (past or present) that you are particularly pleased with. It could be that you are pleased with the composition of the photo, a technical aspect, or it is just a moment that you are glad that you captured. It doesn't have to fit any theme, so you are completely free to choose and tell why.

I've chosen this photo of John's former guide dog (he was early retired and has been adopted by a friend). It's not a great photo but it's a favourite. It was very unusual to get a shot of him with his mouth closed!

Christmas cards

I decided today that I ought to seriously get down to making Christmas cards ready for the sale I'm hoping to have at the end of September. I do this to raise money for TEAR Fund - I give a percentage of the money taken. I usually do well and raise quite a bit of money.

However, I've found that people don't want to pay too much for Christmas cards even if it's in a good cause (I don't blame them when you can get packs cheap in the shops). I therefore make some 'special' individual ones that are higher priced, but have found over the last couple of years that it's best to sell packs of 5 at a realistically low price. To make these cost effective (and I actually lose on these - but consider it part of my giving to TEAR Fund) I keep them quite simple - less is more kind of style.

So today I've almost completed 100 of these cards. One day a while ago I'd already cut out some base mats, so it was a question of sticking them on the card blanks and adding an embellishment. They've all got inserts in with a greeting (ready done from PDA - cuts down on the work, but is still quite tedious sticking in).

Last year I made a lot of packs of A6 cards, but also cut white card to make cards about 120 x 120 mm. Because of my health problems I knew that it would be wiser this year to get ready cut so I got some brilliant white card blanks 120 x 120 mm from PDA and the quality is superb.

Although the cards I've made today are simple, they have an air of quality about them because the card blanks are so good - I'm pleased with them.

Decoupage cards

Well, here they are. I took the photos first thing this morning, thinking there was enough light as the sun is out but it hasn't really reached in here yet. I took the flash off because I didn't want rebounded light, so I'm afraid even with trying to make balance adjustments, the white background is still looking decidedly blue - nevermind!

Build up of layers:

A closer look:

HS:MS Self Portrait Saturday

This weekend we are introducing two new features to HSMS, just to keep ou on your photograpgy toes! The first of these will be a new regular 'Self Portrait Saturday'. Take the opportunity once a week to practise your portrait skills and make a record of your changing self.

Well, I'm either totally mad or brave!! Having played along everyday for a while now with the HS:MS photo challenge, I was almost horrified to find today's prompt! For a start, I don't like having my photo taken by others, let alone by myself! And as my camera is relatively new I hadn't yet discovered how to use the self-timer - but actually it was very easy (so I've learned something this morning).



I've just realised that one of my earrings has come out - must go and look for it! The photo will have to do as it is - I'm not repeating the performance just for another earring!

As this is going to be a regularly Saturday task, it just adds to the trauma of the day!! It's the day when I take my once-weekly tablet for osteoporosis - 30 minutes before any food or drink (so no cup of tea first) and keep upright - this morning the sun is shining - yay!! - so walked around the garden.