Brave Girls

Way back in January of this year I found out that there was a contest at GCD Studios.

It was the Brave Girls Camp contest and

the winners get to go to Melody Ross's Brave Girl Camp (all expenses paid).

there were a few hoops to jump through so I jumped.

Planned and shopped, planned and found that I was going to Melbourne so  I 

bought my Melody Ross Chipart supplies while I was there visiting my Aunt Jane/godmother.

Bought two tools, some metal stamps and a bunch of Chipart chip board.

And then I procrastinated....what to design, what stamps to use, which pieces would work with what project.

I did not want to scrap book or make a card. i felt that it needed to be over the top. something that no one else would do. I had a chip board book of MR's, but thought that idea would be taken, too!

In my craft room, I had a bug cage...and that was IT!!!

I  sprayed and painted, and hammered, and glazed, and hammered, and stamped the metal into ink and paint, and hammered some more. I mixed paints with more paint and some with ink, some with alcohol inks.

I hammered into the wood, into the chip board. I hammered into foil and metal.

I cut into soda cans and bottles. I punched and die cut and hammered even more.

I tried hanging butterflies inside and out, front and back.

I took it all outside and took pictures under the tree, in the tree, on the bricks, in front of dead weeds.

Pictures that had too much sun, too little sun, way too may dead weeds and grass. 

Some with more green than you can imagine!

some photos landed in the trash bin as some elements ended up in the recycle bin.

papers were used and abused.

BUT it got done with hours to spare.

I must say that there was one person that helped me find the way through the hoops,

through the rules, over hill and dale, and where to find the list of stores that carried the product and that was

my blogging friend, Laura.

This was a ton of fun and work, but I loved playing and painting, planning and plotting.

No butterflies were harmed in the making of this cage.

Thanks for coming by!

Did i leave you with a question to be answered? check it out here at GCD studios for your answer.

Verve...and the last hours

Here for your viewing enjoyment will be two Verve cards on one post. Week three and week four are due by midnight tonight so I have to get cracking.
The power went out Thursday night at 6:30. Lightning hit the transformer. the company said it may be back on by 11 pm and then another automated call said Friday, 1 am. forget the heat, forget the rotting food in the fridge, forget that it will be dark at 9 pm and...forget that I wanted to watch Big Brother!!! I wasn't going to get my last two cards uploaded on SCS and I struggled at 4:30 this morning to get them done before Mimi's Summer Camp started at 7:30am. I watched out the window while the line men were doing their thing. i watched them pull away at 9:45 and no power, yet. The antiquated phone that I keep for these purposes rang and the automated voice told me the power would be restored by Friday......Forget the Verve!!!! Then I hear a series of beeps.....but no light...nothing. I head over to the bedroom where I see light ...and lo and behold the power is on!!!! Ran down here and got the cards uploaded to SCS got the champion thread done and then sat to do the blog.
Now it is 11:24 pm and the eyes are heavy......so here's the quickie you have always waited for....

Week three---

And the card........the rectangle is behind rather than in front of the main image. (It's a piece of vellum.)

Week four......

And the card...again something behind not in front, and no room for a tag.

Two hearts...one black and embossed and the other gold and ran through the wavy crimper. This paper is from one sheet....love the front and back from SU..the name escapes me. All sentiments are from Verve, 'Blessings' and a Plain Jane, 'Nature'
Thanks for coming by!!!!

Christmas in July 2

 

Combined two challenges again today! Kraft Journal's challenge is Christmas in July which is perfect for the Delightful Inspiration Designer's challenge with the Joyful Snowman. His real name is Christmas Snowman, but since I chose the image with the word JOY, I like Joyful snowman. I outlined him with a clear glitter pen and popped up the two snowball gifts. Tried a little creative layering with the Spellbinders and even cut my

twill ribbon from SU with the same Spellbinder to get the perfect edge.

    Haven't used an outline sticker is ages and this was the perfect time to get the box of them 

out with "Seasons Greetings".

I love kraft card stock, don't you?

The snowflake was in my stash of small die cuts that didn't get used.

Thanks for coming by!

Christmas in July

 One more snowman which means another Christmas in July. 

(first one I did gets posted on Thursday)

This one is for a brand spanking new

challenge blog called Jellypark Friends Friday challenge.

I found Jellypark at one of my SBS29 sis's blog. Tracey is on the design team and she makes awesome cards and projects. This little guy was a freebie and how could I resist the challenge? I know right off the bat that I was going to put him with the Trees from the SU set 'Lovely as a Tree' and when it was time to select the paper the idea came to me..dark blue and starry skies. silver paper and dazzling diamonds provide the starry skies and cover the torn edge of the very vanilla paper. I printed out two fellas so I could pop up the scarf and the top hat. I love how half the sky is lit up! (thank you error of the photographer) thanks for coming by!

Had to get this posted...quick...the last day to submit is Thursday. So, two posts in one day..woohooo!!!
Posting this to Delightful Inspirations Christmas in July, no red or green (except on image)!!

Mojo Monday

For today's card I used the sketch from Mojo Monday and a sentiment as the focal point for Sentimental Sundays.

This creation measures 5 1/2'' by 5 1/2''. The papers are Stampin Up DSP, Soft Suede, Very Vanilla and the inks are Baja Breeze and Tea Dye from Ranger. I did not emboss the Spellbinders, but did sponge them while the dies were still on the paper. did not want to hide all those buttons so made my under layer a frame to show them off. The sentiment is from Verve's set, 'Blessings'. This card also works it's way right into the Verve Diva Dare for another chance at some lovely Verve stamps.
Thanks for coming by!

P.S. Could not get Megan interested in finishing her photo album with the mandala on the front, perhaps sometime this week.

Mandelas?

I still have no clue as to what a mandela is! However, when I head on over to the Daisy Doodles store, it shows me a mandela. It shows me three sets of three and they look like doilies in the digital arena. But what is a mandela? My dictionary doesn't even have mandela in it. it must be an English thing. It really doesn't matter because Jules at Daisy Doodles has created some gorgeous ones. You can find them in the $1 basket.
I printed out a few and Megan colored one while Lily was sleeping. Here's mine and scroll down for Megan's

 

I am very much into these little fan folded embellishments. I find that the thinner paper works best and will stay put better than the card stock which is heavier.

Megan is working on a photo album and this image will be on the front cover.

She should be finishing it up tomorrow so until then this is what you get!!!

thanks for coming by!

Supplies for my mandela: Spellbinders circle set and tag set. Waltzingmouse sentiment from Teeny Trees.

DSP from a SU pack, ribbon and a button.

Happiness

Mojo Monday hits 200!!! and there are prizes to be won.

There is also the great DIVA Dare going on at VERVE.

The challenge on day one is to highlight a sentiment and use some papers that are being hoarded.

The dp and brown are from the same paper Daisy D's - double sided, then I added some Pale Plum for an accent color.

I used the All Purpose Ink from SU in Champagne Mist and my index finger to smear it all over the embossed areas of the Spellbinders Lattice Pendant. While the stenciling is not perfect it adds to the shabby!

Dark gray thread on the sewing machine matches the writing on the DP.

The sponging was done with some Vintage Photo

The Verve sentiment is from the Blessings stamp set.

Thanks for coming by!