Out with the Old/ Bubbles

Byhand Artists, a group sponsored by Suzanne Cannon who is also our challenge mom just finished the 12 days of Christmas mingle. There were 3 groups of up to 13 artists, who each made 12 gifts to send to twelve other artists, so everyone had a present to open for 12 days starting Dec 13. The hostess- shout out and Thank you M-B, makes the gift you open on your own day. The only rule is that it should be able to fit in a first class envelope to keep postage low- most people ignored that rule!
So i started the 12 days each morning opening up-the wrapping as creative as the gift-a hand made present-made just for me- from someone i have never met.
this gives me hope for the world.
i need the 12 days of January! and maybe February too!
Lots of heart, maybe not so much art in this card. Heat embossed the quote, used the foam applicator to make the rainbow background, sstamped the inside flourished heart in silver-and stardust pen, and used some gold acrylic paint for the stars.
Send out those smiles-check out the byhand Artist RAK list-
Oops-forgot the bubbles!
Please leave a comment.

Ho Ho Ho

Happy Birthday to the Prince of Peace.
I heat embossed this beautiful flourished holly and the Peace word. the background is distress fired brick and pine needles, smoosched around with a foam applicator.
I over stamped with gold with the flourished star and another flourish stamp. You can rub excess ink off of the heat embossed places.
I wanted to put on stickle berries and my inner glitter said enough! so i gently brushed on some iridescent pastel to bring it all together.
Please post an entry- i know y'all are busy making your cards, so why not share one with us here.
If you need help posting leave me a comment or send me an email and we'll bring you into the created byhand digital community-a tribe of friendly welcoming folks.
I'm actually not sure which is the top of the ATC and I kind of like that. anyway you look at it it says peace.
May you be happy, peaceful, safe , well and free.

Oh come, Desire of nations bind
In one the hearts of all mankind;
O bid our sad divisions cease,
And be for us our King of peace.

Om, Shanti, Shalom, Pax, Maluhi, Paix, Paz

Challenged

Layering and the more the better seems to be the current fashion in cards.
It's not the real me. I like simple. If I have a quote I want to share I want that to be what you see.
Suzanne's calligraphy quotes are enough to stand alone on a card with a beautiful background to enhance their meaning.
Take a look at the slide show on the Quietfire Creations site, to see the wonders created by the DT.(i'm just the shepherdess of the challenge) .
i thought I can do that.
Well, here is my challenge to myself. I did a few more that went straight into the circular file, and I have a nice pile of nestie diecuts to use for something else.
Blessed is the season just fits into the second largest of the spellbinders ornament die, and you can layer up one size. Shout out to my BSIL Diana for the foil. the corners are an older photo corners die, that I think is retired. I heat embossed the outer edges of a card with gold, then layered with a cuttlebug embossed red layer that I highlighted with silver.




Then i did some cards i like. i got these Tim Holtz Texture Fade embossing folders and I love them. The embossing is deep and crisp and i love the way there is room on the page to enter your text and other stuff.

The backgrounds are the insert paper from the texture fades. I embossed, then heat embossed the quotes, then colored with the cut and dry nibs- I love them for coloring with distress inks.

The here and there card I layered to the best of my ability with 2 deckled mats.
I really like the open space in this card.


The risk card was hard to leave alone. the edges are done with just the branches of a tree punch.
what are your personal art challenges?
leave me a comment.

Meditations

This weeks Created byhand Challenge- meditations and shades of blue. i did this background awhile ago. i taped the card to my scor-buddy and held an index card at 1/4" intervals and swiped with the foam blending tool using tea dye and broken china distress ink. then I scored on the lines and ran the blue ink over the score lines. heat embossed the quote- clear over a multi blue pad, I think, and heat embossed the flourished heart, and overstamped all the flourishes- I though the flourishes looked like breaths.
I meditate on peace and breath a lot.
Please post your own entry and leave a comment-share a meditation.

Mini knitting

maybe the cold weather shrunk my brain
maybe elf energy

the socks- shout out to Lorri-I copied -are inchies, I broke my 000 needles and the smallest I could get the sweater was 1 1/4inches.

the bigger sweater -some old handspun -was huge at 2 1/2 inches.

I formed the hangers out of what I call telephone wire. Make friends with those repair guys(gals?)

maybe I'll get down the mountain by Wednesday and you can come see them in the Black Mountain Yarn Shop

Thank you Sue

Shout out to my new friend Sue, who loaned me this new Tim Holtz texture fade embossing folder before she even used it! Sue introduced me to the good folks and stamp club at my LLS , A Stamp Artist Place , and never lets the conversation lag.
These folders emboss so deep you have to pop out the paper. even with heavy stock and chip board there is no need for paper glide. This makes it easy to ink up the top layer.
I brayered on perfect medium and heat embossed with clear, on white card stock. Then using the foam blending tool I used tumbled glass and stormy sky distress ink, and rubbed the excess off of the flakes. I glazed with metallic water colors for a shimmery look you can't see. I put perfect medium on the edge of a white card and embossed with silver and layered the flakes over that to get a metallic edge( I must have cropped off the left edge of the card in the photo, in real life the edges are symmetrical).I heat embossed the Let it Snow in black and distressed over that and inked the edge in silver.
Friends will get you through times of no embossing folders better than embossing folders will get you through times of no friends!
Thanks Sue.

Betty's BookClub Bookmarks

I made a set of these bookmarks for Betty,who graciously shares her Montreat home with me. Betty and her husband Dick are kind generous people I am blessed to know and I am grateful she asked me to create these for her book club. Betty has a Queens College Alumni gathering each summer and the ladies allowed me to be a 'Queen for a Day' at their book club gathering. The conversation was educational, intellectual and fun! I'm still working on that book reading list.
thank you Betty.
The top punch is a MS around the page corner punch. I heat embossed the quote and the rose. the Background is distress ink shmooshed around with a foam applicator. Then I overstamped with a backgound leaf stamp. the little books are Spellbinders Labels 7- they look like books to me- and the bottom punch is an old Fiscars- on it's way out.
I'm pretty sure there is some stardust pen on there somewhere
I couldn't decide what ribbon to use on the top, so i used two different ones. Each bookmark is personalized by name so they can't fight over them!
This set of bookmarks and the 12 days of Christmas Mingle have led me to believe I am a one of a kind girl- or maybe a related series -and not a production artist. When you get something from me, you can be sure it is one of a kind, for better or for worse.
Leave me a comment with your current reading list.

We are all worthy

December 6 is the National(Canada) day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. November 25 was the International Day for awareness of violence against women.
I want every woman to know that she is worthy of love, respect and safety. No women, no being on this earth needs to stay in an abusive or violent relationship because they don't deserve better. No woman deserves abuse or violence, no matter what any one tells you.
You are worthy. You are worthy.
It takes courage to leave a violent and abusive situation and you can do it.
Courage is fear that has said it's prayers. If you need help, if you can't pray for yourself contact me.
If you need help and don't know where to turn, leave me a comment , or email me and I will get you to the nearest support and help group in your area.
I pray with all my heart that the art in this weeks Created Byhand challenge with the theme
Fearless/White(the color of abuse and violence awareness) will lift up the importance of stopping acceptance of violence and abuse against women.
the quote speaks for itself. I stamped and heat embossed. I used some gesso on the background of the card to add texture.
Yes, life is a balancing act and times can be rough-
and you are not alone and you are worthy.
Please post your own entry and leave a comment.

Christmas Countdown

I'm writing this on the first Sunday of Advent. I decorated my house, sang the first verse of the Carol of the Advent, made a bunch more gifties for the 12 days of Christmas Mingle(mail fail) and got this card together.
I'm in love with this new rubber . The trees, I stamped and cut out, one embossed with glitter, one with distress ink and one I gessoed first then inked- bottom left- i like that one the best. Added some stickles ornaments. The star was stamped and embossed in gold.
The background was the resist technique Wanda taught us. The snowflake stamped with versamark on glossy paper, then distress ink added and wiped with a tissue.
Let's all remember the reason for the season and be gentle with ourselves as we count the days in awe and wonder and joy of the miracle of birth and rebirth.

Thanks where thanks is due

This weeks Created Byhand Challenge theme is Giving
Thanks/shades of brown.
I've been having so much fun lately playing with ink and stamps, I want to give thanks to Suzanne Cannon of Quietfire, everyone at Ranger and Maryella at A Stamp Artist Place, my LSS, for all they do to create and produce these amazing products for us to play and create with.
I love these new stamps from Suzanne and the oldly and goody grateful stamp
the background is linen and tea dye distress ink, and the stamps of many shades of browns are various ranger inks and a pearlex two tone stamp I found when I was cleaning ; and you can't see the doodles in stardust pen- better give thanks to
the Sakura folks also.

12 Days of Christmas-Byhand Artists

An unexpected day off put me into elf overdrive and here are my 12 Days of Christmas Gifties ready for the mail. Most are going to BC and Ontario so I'm excited to have them ready with lots of time to spare before the Dec 10 delivery date.
I'm not sure if this is a swap, a mingle or exchange and I can hardly wait to receive my 12 gifties.
I make 12 of the same- they had to be flat to fit in a first class envelope and mail them out to 12 Byhand artists- there is a 13th participant so we all get 12 to open, one each day, starting on December 13th.
My day is day 12, and no spoiling allowed, so this is all you will see till after Christmas.

S**W

I'm trying to simplify the Created Byhand Tuesday Challenge themes to get more participation. S**w in my life is a four letter word and I hope folks want to create around the theme of s**wmen-I would have made it s**wpeople to be more gender neutral, and that would have voided my simplicity factor.
The background is antique linen and tea dye distress ink.
First I stamped the snowmen with versa magic white and heat embossed clear. If you are even close to needing a new heat gun, get the Ranger heat it tool. you won't believe how quiet it is and it covers a wide area fast and doesn't blow off your powder.I applied the ink over the embossing, rubbing the snowmen with a tissue when it was dry.
I love the seasonal textured letters, snow, stamped here in white and doodled with stardust pens. I also doodled with the Ranger Inkssential white pen and stickles.
I think I would like s**w if it didn't have to be cold.
I hope you enjoy it and get some if you want it.
Please enter the challenge and leave a comment.

Byhand Artists Halloween Rolodex Swap

I've never been much of a halloween person and being a part of this swap made this one a lot of fun. These rolodex swaps are amazing. You can see pix of the other cards in the swap here.The artists of the Byhand Artists yahoo group-mentored by calligrapher Suzanne Cannon, are inspirational , educational and sharing, fun group of folks.
I bought these orange and black Ranger distress inks and stickles thinking i would never use them. Never say never.

I encourage you to join in the swaps and challenges. Leave me a comment if you need more encouragement and hand holding to get started.

Corners

I'm a bit discouraged about my Created Byhand weekly themes. We seem to get the most entries with the simplest(I find boring)themes. Like, a color, a shape.
so this weeks is corners. I had fun using some of the trillions of mini scraps i save to make a quilt-ish pattern with lots of corners. added some stickles to define the corners. the celtic stamp is from the mini images collection- i love this plate. I can't remember what stamp the word discover came from!
Good excuse to browse all of Suzannes amazing stamps.
I'm packing for this trip and trying to blog in advance- sheese!
Who knows what is around the next corner?
Please leave a comment.

Words of Love

This weeks entry in Created Byhand challenge.
Love and flourished heart heat embossed and I stamped these words of love from 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 over it.
I'm on my way to PA, to visit my house and ex- after two years. Please hold me in the Light that we both speak with kindness and love as we do what needs to be done. I'm also going to a wedding- i was determined to go back for something happy-not a funeral---of a long time friend and his long time partner. I look forward to being present for their vows and words of love to each other and our community.
Shout out to Mallory and Justin for their vows and words of love in their wedding last week.
After you read this turn to someone, or call someone and tell them you love them.
"Shower the people you love with love,
show them the way that you feel.
things are gonna get much better if you only will." James Taylor
thanks and leave a comment

Spooky Spiders

I am not a huge Halloween fan. so I picked Spooky spiders/monochromatic black, for this weeks Created Byhand Challenge theme.
I love this harlequin stamp. I'm thinking of doing my bathroom walls with it. After stamping I embossed with the cuttlebug folder and highlighted the embossing with metallic paste. Then before stamping weave, I rubbed out the embossing with a bone folder, then heat embossed
The little back dots are black stickles- when i bought it I thought, I'm never going to use that-never say never.
A bit spooky without being weenie.
Get in the spirit by posting your own entry and leave a comment.
Entries have been on the low side these past weeks- leave me some theme ideas in the comments and suggestions on ways to encourage you to post your own creative entries.

Music

This weeks Created Byhand Challenge theme is Music. I love to sing, so it was a no brainer to use this quote .
I stamped and heat embossed first, then stamped and heat embossed the bird- i colored it with markers and used clear powder, then overstamped with this sheet music stamp from the crows set. I got the crows set for this stamp, wondering what I would use the crows for, and the whole sheet has become one of my go tos- especially the flourished crow.
Shout out to Suzanne Cannon- our rubber stamp enabler and calligraphic muse.
i actually finished this card with out using my stardust pens.
"If you want to end war and injustice-you are going to have to sing loud"- Arlo Guthry

sing your song- post an entry- leave a comment

My Tribe/ Indigenous People's Day

I grew up in a tribe of crafty women. Thanks Mom, and Grandmoms, GGrandmoms, and Aunts and GAunts all.
I was really excited to find a Beadazzler stud setter in the Kiwanis Thrift shop for $1.50 including templates and studs.
I created this card for the Created Byhand Tuesday Challenge around the theme and the stud.( must find some rhinestones)
I thought the image of these paint splattered pants caught the essence of my tribal costume. I colored the background with alcohol inks. I started with putting drops of the inks i had on the felt applicator, and added some blending solution and pounced on the glossy card stock. I wasn't happy with my limitied colors so i pressed my Copic markers into the felt and that got me the colors I wanted.
The goddess was stamped in black and embossed with Goddess gold powder. The mini alphabet stamp, lower left, added using my new Cathy Allen stamp positioner, and the bigger tribe lettering embellished with my trusty stardust pens. All tribal members carry stardust pens at all times.
Join the tribe- post an entry. leave a comment.

Long Night Moon...Disgo:neh

Even at 59 I am still a creature of the moon. full and new find me wide awake, moon dancing and drawing. this weeks Created Byhand Challenge also has the theme of silver.
I stamped the quote and embossed in silver. this was glossy card stock so it was tricky to ink in the background. I used distress ink and some colorbox silver and kept trying to heat set everything and it kept rubbing off. I stamped the flourishes and inked them with my trusty stardust pens. Sprayed the whole thing with some pearl-ex mist- cloged up my misters- wrote to Ranger and they are going to replace them- they have the best customer service, and are currently looking for a new rep, so if you want to live at the Jersey shore- check out their blog.
I hope you will enter this challenge-
shameless Bribe-
All those who post their artwork at Quietfire Creations for this week's challenge will receive a free Quietfire Digital Collage Sheet.

Plant a Seed

I am so excited about the new to me rubber from Suzanne at Quietfire, I had to find a way to use some of it with this weeks Created Byhand theme-Plant a Seed- Johnny Appleseed Day/friendship.
Background is the dotted harlequin stamp
overstamped with tree from the mini images collection
and I colored in some apples with stardust pens. cut out a boarder with the branches of a tree punch and the quote is part of a stamp from the nature quotemarks collection.
Cool weather is just arriving and I am looking forward to planting lots of seed of friendship till I can plant in the spring.
Amen.

Peace in Our Day

*****Sept 24- this card was sent to good folks in Leicester, NC- targets of a hate crime**************

God(ess) is passionate Life
Strong and vibrant in us
As we seek peace in our day
For all beings.
September 21st is an international day of peace.
This weeks Created Byhand Tuesday challenge theme also includes ribbbons and bows.
Cuttlebug embossing made the frame. I chose the colors by using what was left in my pallet after I was done painting.
I stamped the Peace and them slid the stamp down for the smeared effect. the other peace stamps are by The peace Project. Hard to see and I wrote peace in stardust pen on the ribbon.
It's up to each one of us to be the peace we all want in this world. To be the peace that will see this world become a place in which our children- all children can run free and strong.
Art helps. making art makes peace. So be it, today and everyday.
Please leave a comment. Thanks for looking. Please post an entry.

Moving without leaving

Last week I got new floors in my apt. thanks you Dick and Betty! A wonderful improvement over the old musty carpet that was a bug hideout! Downside was I had to move everything but the heavy furniture out. Still haven't finished moving back in and I couldn't find my old standbys when it was time to create for Created Byhand Tuesday Challenge. This weeks theme is Sapphire- a birthstone for September.
I pulled this paper out of the recycling and inked it up with a faded jeans distress ink reinker. Then I put some bleach- that was in the laundry room- I knew where that was on a flourish stamp- hey I liked it. I stamped the dragonfly and nature in versa magic white and over stamped in silver and added some stickles. I wrote in with the inkssentials white pen-in wilderness is the preservation of the world. Added a few stars. Not too shabby for a studio in boxes covered in dust. And the fear in my heart when unplugging and moving electronic equipment. The joy when the scanner worked!
Thanks for looking and please leave a comment.
Please post your own entry- and maybe your good excuse as to why you don't.

Thanks

First thing in the morning when I open my eyes I say "Thanks".
I hope this quote expresses my deepest thanks to all friends everywhere.
The background is a piece of the paper I keep on my drawing table to wipe my pens , brushes and stamps on. The quote and flourished heart are heat embossed.
Thanks for all the wonderful cards, gifts and good wishes and songs I received on and around my birthday.

You can also express your thanks by adding your own entry into the Created Byhand Tuesday Challenge.
If you need any help send me an email or leave me a comment. It's easy and fun.
You have a friend in Montreat.

I Remember

This is the beginning of the new year in the Jewish calendar, a time of looking both forward and back, so i chose the theme, I remember for this weeks created byhand challenge.
Taken the week of Feb 11, 1952, I was 6 months old (almost)- no half birthday when you are born on August 31, I am pictured with my Mom Helen, Grandmother Pauline and Great Grandmothers Lena and Sarah.
All that I am I owe to the love and teachings of these wise women - including Grandmother Fanny- not pictured- and Aunt Gladys and so many others- never to be forgotten.
Mom died when my daughter was only 4 and I have tried to keep her memory alive so she will always be remembered.
Thursday, Faith(DD-23) goes off on an 8 month mission trip to Chile-working with orphaned girls and young women, victims of sexual abuse, in Santiago-"Entre Todas-among us all"- more on this in another post-
Remembrance of this lineage, with Divine assistance is my assurance of her safety.
We are called to remember- remember and honor our parents, remember the sabbath and keep it holy, remember and give thanks for all God has given to us through the way showers.
Remember, listen, be ready and willing....and creative and playful!
stamp

You say it's your Birthday!

I decided "Birthday" was an appropriate theme when the challenge fell on mine and somehow i messed up the dates and it is a week early. That gives everyone extra time to get my presents or you can wish me happy birthday twice!
this card is going out to my Godson Denis.
May the covenant of the rainbow be with him and I hope he enjoys his cupcakes!

I painted the rainbow with watercolors- if you are just getting started in watercolors you need good paper and you must spend money on good paint. My favorite is Daniel Smith. I ran it through the birthday cuttlebug folder when it was still slightly damp. When it was completely dry I heat embossed the quote and cupcakes . Then embellished with stickles and stardust pens.

Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to me
Everyday we are born, everyday we are free!
Jesse Palidofsky

Reward

Weeks of continuing to make- the process, the process-producing nothing that I like. Here is the reward. This weeks entry in Created Byhand Challenge- Take a Hike.

A simple watercolor and simple quote . I stamped the quote with perfect medium and tapped it with pan pastels. I wanted the stamp to look water colorey and not too glossy. I prayed a lot while doing it and it worked, thank you god(dess).

Yes, to mountains and hiking and gardens and books and painting.

Everywhere is within walking distance when you have time.

Please, if you haven't, look back at my previous post on Bansky

"All artists are prepared to suffer for their work, but why are so few prepared to learn to draw."

Every day, 15 minutes of drawing-just like brushing your teeth. No cavities and a healthy creative spirit.

More drawing less suffering.

Please leave a comment...and draw.

Bansky

"The people who run our cities don't understand graffiti because they think nothing has a right to exist unless it makes a profit."

I want to encourage y'all to take a look at the amazing -mostly stencil art by Bansky. If you click on photo at left it will get bigger. Click over to his site to see a lot more and check out his book Wall and Piece
aside from his use of profanity he is my urban art hero.

"The people who truly deface our neighborhoods are the companies that scrawl giant slogans across buildings and buses trying to make us feel inadequate unless we buy their stuff."

"All artists are prepared to suffer for their work, but why are so few prepared to learn to draw."

I couldn't say it better. check it out. Better yet- make art- public and private.

Welcome

The color yellow is added to the theme of Welcome of this weeks Created Byhand Tuesday Challenge. I love yellow and find it hard to use. distress ink is a big help.
Radical hospitality is very important to me. I want all my doors to be open-especially to my creative muse(s). You never know what might be behind a door and you cna't find out unless you open it.
Stamp and flourishes by Quietfire
backgound Ranger distress inks heat embossed message with Ranger superfine gold and glazed and glitter pened all around.
So come visit. You are welcome.

Fairy Romp/Beads,Pearls

This weeks card features stamps from Mary Lounsbury. If you love fairies, faces and folage, check out her stamps and her new book, Greenward Turn . The stamps are created from her digital photographic images. I'm looking forward to exploring using them in all kinds of work and play.
I've lost count and still this is in the series of cards I finally say, just scan it and post it and the next one will make you smile.
I used my stamp positioner a lot on this card and restamped the fairy image about 20 times.
I stamped and embossed the Leave room I'm getting into destress ink, even to i don't want to be destressed, and used a bunch for the background, inking up the foam applicator and moving the ink onto the card from the craft sheet. Added some stardust pen, spritzed with some water and ramdomly stamped fairy faces and foliage.
Many years ago I told my neighbor Melissa- she was about 3 years old at the time- it was important to leave wild places in the garden for the fairies. We went out looking for fairies and she was disappointed not to find any. Humans are loud and large to fairies, and i suggested they came out when we weren't around and we needed to be quiet and still to see them. Very early the next morning i found her crouching in the wild space, so still I thought she was sleeping, waiting to be with the fairies.She is a lovely young woman now, in college. I hope she still finds time to dance with the fairies.

Sheltering Trees/ Green

I love this Quotemarks stamp from Quietfire. So i chose Sheltering Trees, as this weeks theme. I had a hankering to do some coloring {Shout Out to BFF Chris DeGrado for sending me a new set of Plume markers} and drew overlapping lines with the brush end and sprayed the whole thing with a mist made of pearl-ex, gum arabic, dye ink and water. Let it drey really well, wipe with an anti-static pad and stamped and empossed the message and some trees. Added some stardust pens and punched out the corners with the branches of a small tree punch.
This is the third in a series of doldrums cards- I'm creatively in a stuck place and figure on just keep on making till I snap out of it. Maybe my brain has frozen from too much air conditioning.
Thanks to the trees for being the genuine air conditioners.

Looking In...Looking Out / Use Dies

A society in which material development co-exists with spiritual progress is one where true happiness is really possible. The Dalai Lama

What does this have to do with CBTC theme? nothing and everything. I like it so much I want to paste it everywhere.

Continuing in a space of not being happy with my own work and still enjoying doing it. Shout Out to Yogi Gunwald for my new fave background technique with crinkled wax paper. She calls it faux batik, I call it addicting.. I die cut the windows with a sizzix die, satmped with quitefire flourished heart and Joy, embossed, startdust penned,made a mess etc. the dragonfly is also a Quietfire stamp done with perfect medium and senelier iridescent pastels-Shout Out to BSIL Diana Montgomery who needs to start her own blog!

Freedom ....Stars

I've made a bunch of cards this week I didn't like. here is one of them that never the less is my entry for the Created Byhand Tuesday Challenge.
I used an old fiscars embossing plate- i have a hugh pile of them and even tho I don't like them I can't get rid of them.. Then over stamped with stars, and corner flourishes.
I cut out and embossed some stars and used my stamp positioner and the frendship stamp and turned the word 'tree' into 'free'. I used a lot of white pen
and stardust pens and ink and fussed and messed with it till I said STOP. this is how it is. Everyone should make art and stop being so judgmental- including me.
Check out my current post on Stillwaters Refuge.
Please inspire me by posting your entry in this weeks challenge. There are more Links there for Quietfire products.

Hot Hot Hot

I don't know where y'all are, and here in Montreat, near Asheville, NC it has been hot(for us).
I got my dermatological pathology back-and basically it said I have freckles. To reward myself-oh yes -I also got my tax refund(with interest) I stopped at the LSS-Shout Out to the Stamp Artist Place and got some new toys. I wanted to use them all in one card as I guess my brain has melted in this heat.
So for this weeks theme of Hot Hot Hot in the Created Byhand Tuesday Challenge, I thank the sheltering trees of Montreat for refuge from all of the elements.

The background is pigment ink stamped on the craft sheet and sprayed with water. Press the paper in, drying between presses till it looks good. I stamped with the Quietfire Friendship is stamp. I thought the floursh on that stamp looked like clouds. the lettering is embossed with Ranger Pearls embossing powder(new toy, I mean tool)-it's interference, so you need to stamp it on dark ink or paper. I used part of one of the flourishes for the bottom an used a lot of stardust glitter pen to highlight and make it hotter. The tree is punched out of a foil candy wrapper- Shout out to Elaine of Black Mountain Farmers Market for saving me foil candy wrappers- someone has to do it!

Red-The New Black

Here is this weeks entry in the Created Byhand Tuesday Challenge. You can post at the above link as usual and/or

Please feel free to add your artwork link in our new group on Quietfire Creations http://quietfire.ning.com/group/createdbyhandchallenge.

It is a challenge in itself to come up with a new theme each week. I'm always trying to come up with something catchy and edgy;Yogi likes me to include a color to get more participation;I overheard someone say this in a dress shop and i was wanting to use this paper scrap. Hence the theme.

Please go to the CBTC blog for the product links.

Stamps are Quitefire Art is.. and the flourished heart. I stamped in red and clear embossed and inked up the paper to make it blend in better with the background. I stamped the flourished heart in white and used glaze pens for some more red and shine. Stardust pens make the dots on the collage and also some Inkssential white pen.

Please enter the challenge and leave a comment.

Songs We Sing

This weeks entry in the
Created Byhand Tuesday Challenge is going out to my dear friend Jean, BFF , lover of Sensevieria, and fighter extraordinaire.
The background is embossed with a cuttlebug folder and inked up a bit. The label is a Spellbinders label 8 die. I heat embossed the lettering by quietfire
and the flourished heart. I stamped over with Versa Magic white, and drystamped over that to get the tree shadows. I wiped the embossing when dry to get off the ink.
I love to sing, and sometimes it is best to sing less and listen more. there is a difference between singing with people and singing together. Thanks to all my friends who are there to sing to me.

Gratitude

Here is this weeks entry in the Created Byhand Tuesday Challenge
There is so much to be grateful for. All the creativity that flows through and around me is an expressions of gratitude.
I've been extremely grateful f or this online arts community that supports me in a time of separation from long time family and friends and studio space.
I used my new Position-it stamp positioner-grateful thanks to Sunray-and the Quietfire stamp for the message, also Quitefire corner flourishes- can't get enough of them.
I'm still trying to use up this crummy black embossing powder. I'd be grateful if someone would encourage me to toss it.
Most of all I am grateful for mother earth and her animals, vegetables and minerals that continue to give us life and unconditional love regardless of what we give back to her.
Pray for our earth, our water, our air and our fire.

Graduation with Bling!

My computer was down with a virus for several weeks. More of an initiation than a graduation.
I'm glad to be back with my online art community and this week's Created Byhand Tuesday Challenge theme is Graduation and use bling. Scans don't do justice to bling.
The background is metallic watercolor. Stamped gold stars and some paper collage. Quietfire Best wishes stamp , corner flourish stamp and congratulations stamped and heat embossed. then I brushed the whole thing with acrylic glitter glaze.
Look out, here comes some free advice to graduates- be ready, willing and stay teachable.

X

This weeks theme honors the birthday of Malcolm X, AfroAmerican liberation leader.
What came to me are all the crosses and connections we weave in our lives and that somehow the more connected we are the freer we are.
Think about it, create art around it, journal about it and leave me a comment about it.
I wound rubberbands around a brayer and inked it up to get the background. I stamped and embossed the Quietfire quote
with a mix of back and gold embossing powder. I then stamped my X's with the stamp positioner and added Stardust pens.

The year of the Lupine

I've always wanted to grow lupines. They never did well for me in Pennsylvania.
Here in Montreat they seem really happy.
I go out and visit them several times a day and say thank you. Lupines symbolize imagination
Shout out to Painters Nursery for the great plants.And Miss Rumphius the lupine lady.

Are they native?
Surely this is fairy habitat.

I was wanting to put a lupine poem here and couldn't find one that I liked. leaave me a comment if you have a good one. leave me a comment anyway.

Mirror Mirror

This weeks theme asks us to use something reflective and/or purple.
this is a colab with my SIL Diana Montgomery- foil artist extraordinaire. I'm sorry how porely the foil shows up in this scan. Diana did the background card with digital drawing and Jones Tones foils and I added the Quietfire quote, heat embossed on vellum .
I love the reflection of the image and that the lily pond itself is reflective.
I often reflect on the things for which I am grateful, and Diana is at the top of the list.

Read All About It

I had fun with this card. May 3 is Freedom of the Press Day (shout out to brother Brett on his 55th birthday) hence the theme. I inked up the card with sage and wheat chalk ink, then altered (stamp positioner) the Quitefire, I write you letters stamp and embossed it with some cheap embossisng powder I got on sale years ago- it looks like distress. Collaged some inked up newsprint and then inked up the raised side of a cuttlebug print embossing folder, lay the card on it and brayered. I used the pilot parallel for the lettering, and added stardust glitter pen and white glaze pen.
Thank you thank you to all who share the written word and keep it free.

I've Been working

My calendar says the 28th is Workers Memorial Day, so the theme of this weeks Created Byhand Tuesday Challenge is I've been working. This card is to honor all the friends I have made through work and play- some on earth and some above.
Check out the challenge blog for links to Quietfire supplies.
I stamped and embossed the message, then sprayed my craft sheet with pearl-ex mixed with water and gum arabic.Press the card into the mist and dry with the heat gun. I wrote the words with the Sakura pen that outlines and stamped the flowers with markers misted with a bit of water. There is a flourish stamp on there too, in gold that doesn't show up well on the scan.
Friends will get you through times of no work better than work will get you through times of no friends.
I was really proud of my self. I managed to get through Obama visiting Montreat and got the next weeks challenge and sampler done in under an hour! I think I now know how to do one thing in PSE8!

For the Beauty of the Earth

Here is this weeks entry in the Created Byhand Tuesday Challenge. What if we celebrated Earth Day everyday?
The collage is from a Southern Exposure Seed Company Seed packet.
Stamp is ,Quietfire,a Rumi quote ; heat embossed with the jar i put mixed embossing powder into and add superfine glitter. I call it magic powder. I stamped some fairies and they are being shy.
Get outside and look for the magic that is everywhere!

#13

This weeks entry in the Created Byhand Tuesday Challenge.
I stamped with the Quitefire stamps flourished heart and
inscribed hand with versa magic white chalk ink. Stardust pens on the hearts and flourishes. Cut out the numbers with spelbinders wizard and painted them with a Ranger silver paint dabber. Then I dot doodled with the ranger white pen.
If you are not going to go electronic cut, I highly recommend the wizard. It does everything- cuts, embosses, sets brads, presses flowers, and uses all the dies available, and whatever you have around the house you can push through it.It has a beginner learning curve- leave me a comment if you need help.
I'm feeling this 13 is going to be lucky for me.

Fool Me Twice

I'm easy to fool. I take people at their word and sarcasm is lost on me.
This in my entry in this weeks CBTC. Follow the link for links to Quietfire products used.
the background is harlequin stamped-it was a freebe suzanne sent with one of my orders with versamagic chalk paints. I sprayed the paper when it was dry with a mist of pearlex. Stamped the message and heat embossed with black.
I like how you can stamp on top of embossing and it moves into the back
Added my goatish /devil/fool and some lettering with Sakura pens that outline themselves as they dry-metallic and fun-I don't know what they are called- they say jelly roll on them.
Looking at this ATC I wish it said..........and likes you anyway.
Thanks for looking and I'll like you anyway-even if you don't leave a comment.

A little says a lot

There are times when less said the better. This card is going off to my friend Phil, holding the light as wife and friend Jean is seriously ill.
Love and healing light to all family and friends and all the medical folks as well.
It's also my entry in Inspire17-fancy folding-at Stamp TV.
Embossed paper cut with a Sizzix gate fold die, stamps by Gina K and lots of glaze and stardust pens. The corner is a Fiscars cut and emboss punch.
and lots and lots of Love.

Don't Worry, Be Hoppy

This weeks entry in CBTC.
Shout out to A Stamp Artist Place in Swannanoa, NC, a wonderful LSS I just discovered. Lots of wood mounted and acrylic stamps, inks, embellishments- great ribbon, classes and new to me- Flower Soft Ultra fine- the first flock I have used that doesn't look like you put your sleeve in the wet glue by mistake. I used it around the corolla of the daffodil.
All our LSS deserve our support so please stop by if you are in the area and tell them you heard about them on my blog.
Lots of stamping, glaze pens, chalk ink for the bunnies and message from the Quietfire stamp-Art and flourished heart.
I use my stamp stamp-a -ma-jig a lot and am curious about the new stamp position-it from Scor-it, so please leave me a comment if you have used it and tell me what you think.