Happy Mother's Day (a wee bit early)

Blogger has thrown me for a loop. I'm still getting used to the re-design of posting, but this too shall pass.
Below are my Mother's Day Cards for my Mom and my SO's Mom. Hopefully neither will peek at my blog before Sunday.
For both cards, i've used paper from Graphic 45 & Club Scrap Celestial & Concrete Jungle Kits. 
The Silhouette was (oddly enough) cut on my Silhouette from an image I found online and traced as was the oval cut out and oval frame.

 

I'm submitting this first one for the following challenges:
PP94 (The Paper Players Challenge Blog) - In Celebration of Mother's
MMSC 138 (Midnight Madness Sketch Challenge Blog) - Sketch
PPA134 (Pals Paper Arts Blog) - colors: Calypso Coral, Baha Breeze & So Saffron
   

          

Here's the 2nd one...similar but different and using the same papers and shapes, etc.

  

A Brand New Challenge

Linda has conceived a new challenge over at Studio L3. We've finished all of the Compendium of Curiosities and have moved on to any and all of T!m's techniques. For the inaugural week, she has chose this lovely creation from 2008 to inspire us:

Along with this challenge, my sister Jennifer and I have decided to challenge ourselves by theming our submissions using Songs as inspiration. She is choosing to limit her choices to the solo and collective works of the Beatles. I'll be placing no such limits on myself, but I will be trying to use songs that mean something to me (altho i may have a random odd choice here and there :) )

My song choice this week is Elusive Butterfly by Bob Lind. It's been done by Dolly Parton & Cher, and I'm sure a number of other artists as well. I was fortunate to be raised with a great appreciation of all kinds of music. My mom and dad always seemed to have music playing and they had varied tastes, so I am thankful that I do as well. This is one i remember quite well, but i won't be surprised if you don't!

Across my Dreams with nets of wonder;

I chase the bright, elusive butterfly of love.

I am also submitting this for:

-The Flutter by Wednesday challenge #48 (use a button and a bow)

-Pals Paper Arts PPA#86 challenge (embossing) - correction: I'm 2 late for that one! maybe next time!

paper: graphic 45 and Club Scrap (Poetry & Adobe)

stamps: butterfly/magenta

Sil cuts: inspired by Tim's gears

distress inks: broken china

other: copper shimmer memories mist,

club scrap copper foil embossing powder,

pearlescent watercolors

netting (bath puff!)

Compendium of Curiosities Challenge Week 35

My submission for the final Compendium of Curiosities Challenge (#35) over at Studio L3 is a cover for my Letterboxing journal. What is letterboxing, you ask? I'll tell you more about that below! It's very addicting. Anyway, I've used papers from Club Scrap's To You With Love collection, Tim Holtz Lost and Found pack, Graphic 45 Steampunk Debutante, and finally DCWV Travel stack. I've also added some grungeboard hinges and flourish which i've painted with bronze metallic paint. The other elements were done using T!m's design ruler. The center area is 4x6 and will serve as a mat for whatever photo I want to feature.

As I said in my post last week, the end of these challenges is bittersweet for me. I've learned so much and really pushed my boundaries which is awesome for any artist. The downside has been finding the time to do it and maybe not prioritizing what I should over it since i enjoy it so!

A HUGE thank you to Linda for being such a marvelous hostess and always finding something wonderful to say in her comments. In addition, thank you to all who have commented on my submissions; I truly appreciate it. Thanks also to all who have played along...you've given me so many great ideas for these techniques. Lastly, but definitely not at all least,

THANK YOU T!M.

You are an amazingly talented man and your art provides endless inspiration.

Hugs to all.

WHAT IS LETTERBOXING?

Letterboxing is an intriguing mix of treasure hunting, rubber stamp artistry, navigation, and exploring interesting, scenic, and sometimes remote places.

Here's the basic idea: Someone hides a waterproof container (box or zip baggie) somewhere (in a beautiful, interesting, or remote location) containing at least a logbook and a handcarved rubber stamp, and perhaps other goodies. The hider then usually writes directions or "clues", which can be straightforward, cryptic, or any degree in between. Often the clues involve map coordinates or compass bearings from landmarks, but they don't have to. Selecting a location and writing the clues is one aspect of the art.

Once the clues are written, hunters in possession of the clues attempt to find the box. In addition to the clue and any maps or tools needed to solve it, the hunter should carry at least a pencil, their personal rubber stamp, an inkpad, and his personal logbook. When the hunter successfully deciphers the clue and finds the box, they stamp the logbook in the box with their personal stamp, and stamps their personal logbook or journal with the box's stamp. The box's logbook keeps a record of all its visitors, and the hunters keep a record of all the boxes they have found, in their personal logbook or journal

Check it all out at:

http://www.letterboxing.org/

http://www.atlasquest.com/