Runway Inspired Challenge #86 and Simon Says Stamp "Anything Goes" Wednesday Challenge

I am attempting to get back into the swing of things after being away for a week. All vacation I had tons of ideas and was itching to create SOMETHING but when I actually have the time to sit at my desk, my mind goes blank. I decided to attempt some challenges to see if that would jump start my creative juices.

Before I crafted, I ate my favorite lunch of rice cakes, peanut butter and bananas. It is so filling and yummy!! I tend to eat a lot of the same things in the summer and eat less of it. My meals are usually easy to make too because I am lazy and I HATE to cook!! That means a lot of grilling for Chris because I am afraid of lighting the grill.

Today I am sharing a card that I used Runway Inspired Challenge #86 as my inspiration. Here is the image that was posted on the blog to use as a starting point.

(photo source)

Here is what I came up with:

I chose to play with the colors in a fun way for the background. I dabbed distress ink in Wild Honey, Mowed Lawn and Dusty Concord on an acrylic block, using each color separately, misted the block with water and then "stamped" it onto a piece of damp watercolor paper in random places. I then would pick the card up and let the colors "run" into each other. The green I used is not as blue as the photo but I liked it better with the other colors.

When the background was dry, I then used the Hero Arts stamp "Highline Chalkboard Background" inked up in black ink and stamped it over the colors. I LOVE how it came out. It looks so cool with the different colors peeking through. I then die cut the paper and adhered it to a white A-2 top folding card. 

I looked at the photo again for the embellishments that I chose to use for this card. I die cut flowers out of purple and gold glitter paper using the "shiny" material as inspiration. I also used a foil paper for the green because I did not have a green glitter paper that matched the colors I used. (or foil paper in the other colors.) I chose to use white leaves and a black banner to break up the bright colors and give your eyes a rest. 

The final additions were sequins from Pretty Pink Posh. I thought I was done and then I noticed the rose colored waistband on the model. I decided to use Stickles in Thistle to make glitter dots inside the sequins. It is not an exact match to the photo but I think that is okay.

As I was making this, I noticed that the colors are a bit Halloween but I like it anyway. I am sending it to my cousin whose house we stayed with for part of our vacation.

Speaking of vacation, here is Char posing for me at The Biltmore in front of a tree on the grounds.

Can you tell her smile is fake? She was so mad at me and did not want to pose for ANYTHING on this trip!!

Here is a flashback Friday photo of her when she didn't mind smiling for the camera. Those were the days!!

I am also entering this into Simon Says Stamp's Wednesday Challenge "Anything Goes."

I thank you for stopping by my blog and viewing my creations. I also want to thank everyone who left such lovely comments on the post that I wrote about saying good bye to my childhood home. I appreciate all your kindness and taking the time to read, as well as comment, on something that does not involve crafting. 

Have a Wonderful Day!!

Supplies:

InLinkz.com

A Sad Goodbye

Hello blogger friends. I have been away on vacation so I have not had any projects to share.

This post is about something different today. Last Monday, the day before we left for vacation, I had to say goodbye to my childhood home. I lived in this home from age 7 until I moved out at age 25. It was a very traumatic experience for me going through for the last time. It was the last tangible thread of my mother to me and very hard to let go. I know I have the memories but just knowing that my father still lived here was a physical presence of my mother. As I walked through the rooms, I relived little pockets of time and I thought I would share a few of those memories. I decided to post some photos I took that day too. All  are unedited and far from perfect. Life in this house was not perfect but it was a place that I will always consider home.

Here is the house as it is now. When I was growing up it had cedar shingles and was an ugly brown color just like the house I presently live in. My father has cut down a ton of trees so even the front and the side of the house has changed since I last lived here. We sledded down the hill in this yard in the winter, prom and wedding photos were taken and parties thrown.

This is the lilac tree that my mother LOVED and my father cut down one time when she had bumped into it with her car one too many times. (She had her eye taken out due to cancer and had not depth perception about five years before she passed away.) I took three cuttings from this tree that are sitting in a vase. I am trying to figure out a) how to replant them and b) if I do replant them, where should they go?

Here is the kitchen. Again, it is not how it was but it was the heart of our house. The cabinets were a pale color, with green trim. The walls had wall paper with green and yellow butterflies-my mother's favorite. We ate family dinners here almost every night, made cut out cookies every Christmas, and played many a game on the table with family and friends. My mother used to give up her dinner last minute to have enough for whatever friend was hanging around at the time. Sometimes when we had the music cranked up, she would grab us and try to have us jitterbug with her around the kitchen.

If the walls of this living room could talk!! The walls have been white the whole time my father has lived here. It also remained unfurnished for most of my childhood and had a bright green carpet. Two lonely gold covered chairs used to sit sadly by the fireplace. My sister Jen and I used to tumble down the hall into the living room-just enough to give us a running start to do acrobatics!! We would perform "shows" for my mother to watch. Later when my parents bought furniture, we were only allowed to go in it when there was company. Sometimes it was a nice place to sit in and look out the window when it was dark.

My sister and I shared this room when we first moved here in 1977. My mother decorated it with bright yellow and orange wall paper. On the floor was a matching yellow and orange shag rug-the beautiful colors of the 1970's. Poor Jen had a very messy roommate in me. My mother was always dumping my drawers or emptying my closet into the center of the room to make me pick up. Even then I was a "collector!"  Many hours of Barbies were played on that floor and games like "houseboat" were played on our bunk beds. You would get bit by a shark if your foot touched the floor.

As I got older, I wanted a room of my own. Since I was the oldest, my mother had my youngest sister switch with me. This room was blue until I moved out at 25. I carved the name of my 5th grade crush in the window sill (Wes) and put my fist through a window pane when I was angry at 17. My father made me fix it and I wished I had never done that!! Many books have been read, music played, tears shed, things crafted and secrets shared in this room.

In my childhood room, the lone window to the right was a glimpse into the comings and goings of the neighborhood. I used to spy on the boys next door because I thought they were so cute!!

My room was the room to the right when you got to the top of these stairs. These stairs entered into our kitchen and these were a place of lounging when we were talking on the phone. The cord could reach almost to the top of the stairs. You could also here everything when people were talking. Did I tell you I was nosy? I listened to a lot of conversations I shouldn't have while I was growing up. I also used to sneak down these stairs and try to watch TV when I was supposed to be in bed. I thought I was so sneaky but my mother always caught me.

There are some spaces I have not shared because they really were not all that important to me. I have saved my parents room for last though. We were never really able to go in here without permission. Again, it was mostly white while we were growing up and had a wall paper border around the top. Mauve colored carpeting covered the floor and dark heavy, sturdy furniture took up much of the room. On the left, a trunk sat were my mother used to hide things. When we had baby sitters, I would take everything off and open it to see if there were any Christmas presents in it. My mother died in this room and even though my father re-married a wonderful woman whom I love dearly, this room always remained my mother's room to me. At the end I took care of her here. We had said things that needed to be said and she forgave me for all the things I ever did-and there were a lot. This room was the hardest for me to say goodbye.

The closing was June 19th and the house is no longer my dad's. Another family will be making memories here. I hope they are as happy as the ones that I have had.

If you have gotten all the way to the bottom of this, thank you. I don't post personal stuff on here that much but some things need to be remembered. I am working on some projects that I will be sharing in a couple days. Have a wonderful night.

Happy Sunday, another Simon Says "Superhero" Entry and 30 Day Color Challenge

Hello everyone!! This weekend FLEW by and I did not get as far as I wanted in my chores. This week is swamped so I know they won't get done either so I am thinking next week is when I start the summer projects.

Instead of chores, I did quite a lot of shopping. I took Charlotte shopping for bathing suits. This is the second time we have gone out and thank goodness Target had some that she liked. Shopping for bikini's with a 14 year old IS NOT FUN!!!! I have to admit that I don't love bikini's either but it is what all the girls are wearing and I fight my battles where I can. I also could not wear a bikini at her age-I was too fat. I am trying to have Char feel good about her body so I would never say she couldn't wear one.

I also bought a baby present for my cousin. Now that is something I can sink my teeth into. Gymboree used to be my favorite store when Char was little so I went there to buy a couple outfits for a future cousin. I bought these two one pieces with matching socks for each.

You may disagree but buying something for a boy is not as fun as a girl. They had some cute stuff but my eye kept turning to the adorable girl outfits. I need someone to have a baby girl so I can shop for her. (Chris does not-I used to spend A LOT at Gymboree because I had to buy all the matching accessories too. He was quite glad when Char grew out of that store!!)

I did have time in my craft room while some of my twelve loads of laundry were being done. (I offered to do Charlotte's this weekend as she has not done any for three weeks. She usually does her own.) I decided something this weekend as I was coloring. I HATE making one layer cards. I was using this adorable stamp from Penny Black "Fragrant," had it almost all colored in and splash!, my green Copic started to leak. I was SO MAD. I hate almost being done with something and having my card ruined. There was no way I could save it either.

I did complete one last Super Hero card for Simon Says Stamps "Wednesday" Challenge and the 30 Day Coloring Challenge.

Again, I used the Mama Elephant set "Tiny Heroes." The color scheme is similar to my last post but instead of the boy, I used one of the girls.

Isn't she cute? I used the blue diamond dust paper from Paper Adventures again as the background. I couldn't resist!! I also used the negatives from the boy card I created and posted the other day.

My embossing was not so hot on this card but that is okay. I used white pigment ink and I did not use my static guard brush before I stamped. I am always in such a hurry and forget that step but it is an important step. I was too lazy to go back and do it again. The card is hand made and I like the imperfection.

Here is a close up of the little girl. I should say that I highlighted both of these little images with Wink of Stella. Hard to tell, I know.

Anyway, that is all for today. Until next time... (which will probably be next week at the rate I am going!!)

Supplies:

Diamond Dust Paper from Paper Adventures

InLinkz.com