(ahem) LA LA LA LA LA!!

My friend Mina of

Green Witch With Sprinkles

is the guest artist today at

Take A Word

Isn't that great?

She has the PRETTIEST blog.

Her theme is

SONG

and as far as I'm concerned, there must be a bazillion ways to interpret that! 

You have no excuse not to play.

Really.

Elements used are by Dezinaworld, Laurie Anderson, Amanda Sok and The Gilded Bee.

OK, you.

Start singing.

Take A Word

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words.

The Challenge today at

The Order of The Opus Gluei is

"A Picture is Worth 1000 Words"

courtesy of Poobah Kristen.

We all know I like to babble, whether with my mouth or my art, so this was a real

CHALLENGE

for me. 

(get it?  Challenge?)

I think you should go over there and see what's the Poobahs have put together for this one, or maybe you don't need that inspiration and you've stopped reading this and are making your piece right now.........................................

Fun Friday

Join in Fun Friday at

Dezinaworld

See more Fun Fridays at

Friday Fill Ins

1. Summer is _finally here_.

2. My belief system_ is unchanged _about this_.

3. Aargh! _Why do I have to go to work???_.

4. _I love my strong black coffee _ in the morning.

5. Seven: _brothers and seven wives_. (who knows where that came from?!?!)

6. _It's a wonderful world_ don't you think?

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to _driving to BC with my daughter and her DH_, tomorrow my plans include _the lake, maybe Idaho_ and Sunday, I want to _have a leisurely drive home, stopping to take as many photos as I can_!

 

Have a funny weekend, all!

Nothing to do with Anything

That's what my post is for today.

Just two LO's I made for no reason at all, other than I felt like it.

Images used are by Cajoline, Deviant Art, Amanda Sok and the Land of Nod.

Wordless Wednesday

Images by Dezinaworld

Wordless Wednesday

I love WOYWWED!

Don't you?

I have some in-progress journal pages to show you, that I am working on through a class with Pam Carricker, through Artful Gathering.

They are not exaxtly ON my workdesk, but they were before I took them off the workdesk and propped them on a chair to photograph.

I just decided I am too tired after a late workday to stand up and take photos there.

So please pretend.

Almost done.

Now take a picture of YOUR workdesk and get on over to Julia's

The Stamping Ground

to show the rest of us.

There.

I've shown you mine.

Now you show us yours!

Spicy Foto Gears

I combined two challenges this week

HAH!!

I'm so proud of myself!

1. Friday Foto Collage

and

2. Gingersnap Creations Spicy Supply Challenge

The challenge at GC is Gears, Cogs and watch bits.

I used gears.

Maybe the gears I used for the wagon wheels are really cogs. 

I need to go find a dictionary...

Elements used are all by Tim Holtz, with the exception of the child in the wagon and his top hat.

The hat is by Dezinaworld and the wagon, child and rooster are courtesy of Peggy Gatto at

Friday Foto Collage

Thanks for visiting!

Look What I won!!

from

Just Jingle and

Unity Stamps!

Isn't it wondeful!!

I'm so excited to start using it.

Thanks Jingle and Unity!

Sepia

Elements used are by Erica Hite,

Dezinaworld, Digikeepsakes

and Laurie Anderson

Take A Word

Grungeboard or Grungepaper

OK, I'll admit it.

I don't know the difference between grungeboard and grungepaper.

For Grungy Monday 16 we get to use either one.

So I did, with whichever one I used.

You know of course that both

Grungepaper and Grungeboard

are created by the talented

Tim Holtz.
You can find his blog here

And where do you find Grungy Monday?

Well, that's here

Linda Ledbetter's StudioL3

Isn't blogland wonderful?

Oh Hole-y Night

This  week at

Jingle Belles 

we have been challenged to make something with an opening in it.

I had all this terrific idea about covered the back of plastic soup spoons with coloured foil and decorating each spoon as an elaborate Christmas ornament...

yeah right.

And when I stopped drinking....

I made THIS instead.

My daughter thinks it's boring.

I think SHE should cover some plastic soup spoons with foil and....

Jingle Belles

"taking back December...one holiday card at a time"

Lord Byron

Jeanette of

Soartful Challenges

has this weeek introduced us to Lord Byron. 

Handsome devil, isn't he?

I wouldn't kick him out of bed for eating crackers.

(oops, did I say that out loud?  I didn't mean to.)

LOOK:

Now what do you suppose the young lady is thinking?  I'll be it's not twenty pounds of laundry every day, nor all those mouths to feed.  NO...SHE is thinking how soulful his eyes are.

RUN FOR YOUR LIFE, GIRL!!!

(ok,  I ADMIT, I MAY BE A TAD CYNICAL.

 JUST A TAD.)

New MySpace 2.0 Layouts

Elements used are by Dezinaworld, Amanda Sok and The Gilded Bee

Fun Friday

Did I ever tell you I had an afro when I was in my early twenties?

Well, this is not me, but I did.

Why don't you play along with

Fun Friday

at Dezinaworld!

Friday Fill Ins

1. I hold _you dear_.

2. _Kaitlin_ is someone I like to travel with because _she calms me when I have a meltdown_.

3. That day, _that never should have happened_.

4. _I'd like to grow up a little bit_ this year.

5. Trust _your intuition_.

6. _Fishin'____ in the dark.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to _visiting friends_, tomorrow my plans include _seeing my girl_ and Sunday, I want to _go to a Pow Wow_!

Friday Fill Ins

If it were later in the year, you could...

Elements used are by Dezinaworld and Laurie Anderson

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Reindeer Games

Have you visited Jingle Belles yet?

Have you played along?

If not, you really should, it's a blast.

PLUS, come December, you'll have a bunch of Christmas cards all ready to address and mail.

How cool is that?

This week's prompt is to use a reindeer or any other holiday animal in your card design.

Penguin?  Ostrich?  Maybe a Yak?

I used a reindeer.

(so boring)

Go to

Jingle Belles

for all the deets.

Not Ladylike

I know I've been blogging a lot this weekend.

Maybe I'm manic.

Maybe I won't blog for a month how.

Maybe I will.

See this picture?

I took it sitting in traffic this evening.

I love our skies.

Which brings me to the REAL reason I am posting...

THIS is my good friend Lisa

This week I did a guest post for  Lisa of

Not Ladylike

all about the province in which we both live.

I like Lisa.

A lot

And I like her blog.

A lot.

And you would too.

EVEN THOUGH I know how busy we all are...you would.  Really.

Anyhoo, if ya like, mosey on over thar and take a gander at

some rootin-tootin redneck photos I took of our homeland.

And say Hi to Lisa.

It'll make her day.

That's what Lisa would say, if she were here

 instead of gallivanting around the country having fun.

Flight

Take A Word

All elements by Valerie Brincheck

with the exception of the "window" overlay which is by

Durin Eberhart

Soartful Bees

What do you create with a Bee?

(Honey, of course)

That's what Jeanette gave us to work with this week at

Soartful Challenges

So I pulled out this image of a flock/herd/gaggle of bees from High Street Vintage....

("swarm" is such an aggressive word)

and made a card.

The bee on the upper right

(who stands out from the crowd)

is by Graphics Fairy

TTFN

Beat The Heat!

Time for a new challenge at

The Order of the Opus Gluei!!

This week we are asking you to create something to show us the ways you beat the heat!

Those who know me, know that we've had winter here for the last,

 oh, let's see, about,

maybe 8 months.

And today it's going to be in the 90's.

I am riding an inner tube down the river as we speak (in my mind)

and am not getting out of the water (in my mind)

until the sun goes down.

Apparently back in 1915 my grandmother also found

water was the best way to cool off in the summer time.

These photos are of her in her "bathing suit" relaxing at the beach with a friend.

At first I had quite a laugh about the "bathing suit" she is wearing.

I wouldn't want to get it wet and then try to swim in it,

I suspect the weight would pull a person down to the bottom of the lake.

BUT,

the other day I caught a glimpse of myself in my own bathing suit.

Maybe I should get one like she had.  :-(

Show us how YOU beat the heat and link up with

The Order of the Opus Gluei

You have lots of time, this challenge runs until July 31st!

See you there!

(PS-See that little outhouse button at the top left of the page? 
That was sent to me by my buddy Chat Noir from Australia
and was handmade by Aussie Woodcraft.
Isn't it precious?
I added it to the LO, 'cus Grandma had an outhouse when I was a little girl
and it made me think of her.
I guess an outhouse isn't what we would all want to be remembered by,
but hey, I loved the moon on the door.)

Friday Foto Collage

I'm posting stuff cus I have it to post and I don't feel like going to bed yet.  This will likely be the last tonight.  Maybe.

Peggy Gatto has given us another wonderful piece to base a project on , this time it's a scan of some morning glories from her garden.  How sweet is that?

Here is how those innocent morning glories ended up:

The lady is by Lisa's Altered Art.

And she WOULD sit down if she could.

That chair looks comfy.

Friday Foto Collage

She's been thinkin about US inkin

Yes she has.  My friend Lori

invited anyone who is into Wendy Vecchi Studio 490 stamps to join in and create something with (this week) stripes and a rectangular frame.

And of course a Studio 490 stamp.

So I did

OK, the background paper is striped, from where, I do not know. I raised the stripes with my scor-pal to make it a bit funkier. The lady is by Octopede Factory. Her hair, my ribbon jar. The corners are Lost Treasures ( I think) and the frame was K&Company about 6 years ago.

The sentiment is Studio 490 and I think it says it all.

When crafting

Always wear safety goggles!!

To see the deets on this Studio 490 thing go see Lori at

I been thinkin bout inking

Grungy Monday 15

This week at

Studio L3

we are trying out Tim Holtz' technique from his

12 Tags of Christmas 2007, Day 7.

You can find his tutorial

here

It's the coolest background technique!

I had such a good time making this tag, and such a hard time photographing it. 

(Did you notice that sequin on the left?  Where the heck did THAT come from??)

Plus, I can't give credit where credit is due for all the elements, except to say it's all from my Christmas Box.

Please forgive me.

Big Shout Out to Linda Ledbetter for all her hard work in giving us such amazing inspiration each and every week!

You should join us, y'know.

Really.

I mean it.

You should.

Grungy Monday

Friday Fill-ins

1. I hold _my daughter close to my heart_.

2. _Kaitlin_ is someone I like to travel with because _she's as crazy as I am and we have so much fun!_.

3. That day, _I never should have said what I did__.

4. _I think I may be in trouble financially_ this year.

5. Trust _your intuition.  Deep down in every man woman and child is the fundamental idea of a Creator._.

6. _Try not to lay awake and worry_ in the dark.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to _a restful sleep_, tomorrow my plans include _some self-reflection, talking to friends and making some important decisions_ and Sunday, I want to _have more clarity and faith than I do now.____!

 

  http://www.fridayfillins.blogspot.com/

Enjoy your weekend!

Fun Friday

see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!

I've had a horrible, no good, bad, awful day. 

God bless June and her Fun Friday

I Love Dezinaworld!

I do too so.

Dezinaworld Gallery Creations

WOYWDWED?

I only know what's on mine.  And  people have been asking to see the finsihed project, as you have seen it in various stages on my workdesk.

My compendium is done, except for one thing.  I need a minature sewing maching.  I found some on E-Bay, but not being E-Bay friendly  l had no idea what to do next.

I'll find one though.  Somewhere.

So here it is, in honour of my mother, sans sewing machine:

My dear mom had the habit of writing everything down in her tiny perfect handwriting.  Whe she passed, I inherited all sorts of tiny journals filled with records of day-to-day activities. 

 It was some of those pages that I used to cover the boxes. 

 Then I sprayed it with Tattered Angels Cadillac Pink glimmer mist.

Tim Holtz supplied the legs.

The brooch was one of mom's and the little vase is part of her Limoges Collection.  "M" for "Mother" and the frozen charlotte doll (which is what I THINK they are called) was my great-grandmother's. A bottle of glitter just because she loved pink. I used a few pieces of her jewelry, she felt if you left the house without jewelry, you weren't really dressed.
Oh!  There is pink (of course) German scrap on the top, cus my mom's family started in Germany.

a dangly earring from her jewelry box, a couple of buttons from her button box, a cutlery brad to signify that cooking and being a housewife was what was did/was, and a gold locket that belonged to her mother.

She, her sisiter and her mother all had Boston Terriers.  Ours was named Smudgy.  Behind Smudgy is a gold coin honouring the 100th anniversary of the little town in Saskchewan where she was born.  Mom, not Smudgy.

See the word "secrets" in the back there?  That's cus we had a lot.

And finally, a picture of her and her only granddaughter. 

Being a grandma was the highlight of her life.

And of course the empty spot where the sewing machine will go.

But I will fill it.

Thanks for stopping by.

See lots more wonderful Workdesks at

The Stamping Ground

I am submitting this project for

My Mojo

Monthly

an inspirational blog I discovered not too long ago.  Why do I want to share this piece?

Because, unlike most of my work, I really think this is wonderful. 

We're all our own worst critics right? 

And I never see what other people seem to see in my own work. 

THIS one though has special meaning for me. 

It sat on my workdesk for a long time, because I just thought it would be too emotional,

but I'm glad I got it done.

It's my heart. 

***added later***

Look what arrive in the mail today!

Woo Hoo!

My friend Chris Arlington of

My Arty Attempts

sent me this precious little sewing machine that fits perfectly in the empty spot.  Not only that, but I remember that my mom had one just like it when I was little.

Am I blessed or what!

Thank you dear Chris!

Wordless Wednesday!

(notice the "for sale" sign.  Would YOU buy this house????

There are more...

\lots more.

Blue Moon Holiday Leftovers

I'm combining two challenges again.  Yup.

How do folks combine 237 challenges each week and put it all together in a lovely package?  Do they work outside the home?

Do they have pets?

Children?

Do they eat?

Oh, never mind.

I am combining two.

1.  Holiday Leftovers at

Jingle Belles

who I've found through my OG buddies and I really like!...

2. Blue Moon Challenge: 3 papers, 3 buttons, 3 words- at

Gingersnap Creations

who I've also loved ever since I found them!

I'll bet you can't tell which challenge is which.

That's cus I COMBINED em!

Hah!

See you later!

Weddings

Take A Word theme this week is

Weddings

I made some ATC's for some swaps and

thought this would be a perfect opportunity to show you them.

I found this gorgeous big hard cover book on weddings in the castoff bin at the public library one day and just KNEW I would have the chance to use it for something.

So I cut out some pictures and used some pages for the background text of these.

A little glitter, distress ink, micro beads, some words, a rose, and my Cuttlebug

(oh, how I love my Cuttlebug) and there you have it.

While we're on the subject of Weddings,

I've taken part in a couple of Wedding ATC swaps recently.  And received a couple of really wonderful ATC's that I would like to show you.

From my friend Fran of The Bag Lady

And from my buddy Chelle who lives in Southern California

Aren't they both wonderful?

I am such a lucky girl.