It's E-Newsletter Day!

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Blog Challenge Number 3

If you haven't participated in the previous blog challenges you've been missing out on some fun, so why not try this one.  It's easy and without many rules to worry about.  It can be a piece of jewellery, a craft such as a wreath, a painting if that's your expertise, or any type of papercraft such as a card, mini-album or scrapbook page.

So here are the rules for this challenge.  You have to follow the colour combo shown to the right here of teal, yellow, orange and white, (you don't have to use green).  Along with that you must use a border punch somewhere if you are working on a paper crafted item. 

You can submit up to three entries in each category.  

Now that's not so hard is it. 

Here's a sample I've put together that may help get your creative juices going.  Oh, and the deadline for this challenge is Monday July 11th at 5pm.  As always the winner will be chosen by a random drawing. 

Good luck and have some fun.

Lilian

Are You Ready?

Because ready or not, public school's out soon and you need to have a plan in place to keep those little hands busy or it will be a long summer!
I saw this on Scrapbook and Cards Today blog this morning and thought it was a great idea to keep focused on things you may like to achieve.

                                           

Click here to read more about it.

Have you tried the weaving wheels that we have at the store?  They were a very popular item last summer and are proving to be again this summer too.  Along with some embroidery floss you can create many different designs for friendship bracelets or cording for necklaces.

Lilian

Tuesday Newsletter Day!

     Lots to read in this week's E-Newsletter - products arriving, classes coming up, kits due in ... and lots more!  Click HERE for a read!

Printable Summer Poster to Frame

Here's a quick and easy craft for you.  All you have to do is right click on the picture below, put white cardstock in your printer and print. Frame it in an 8 x 10 black frame and this would make a quick and easy gift.  If you take the idea but changed the words it could easily become a teacher gift.

Here's a link to some Father's Day clipart...Enjoy

Have you clicked on the 3/50 icon on the right sidebar to read what it's about?

Lilian

Blog Candy, Inspiration and Laughter.

Bernice came into the store to pick up the blog candy that she won and not only was she thrilled with her bag of goodies, she was asking when's the next challenge.  Watch this space it will be coming along soon...LOL.  Here's what Bernice won. 

Linda and I have been busily putting together some new jewellery pieces recently.  Photos never do them justice, but if you're in the store take a look at them they may inspire you to get out your jewellery making supplies again.  These are really easy designs that even a novice jewellery maker could tackle.

This group's somewhat more challenging, but I'm a fan of chain maille and I fell in love with the design when I saw it here and knew that I had to make it.  This man is a really talented jewellery artisan.

I call this my..."isn't it gorgeous" bracelet, but then as I already said I love chain maille.

Last but not least I thought I'd share a little smile with you.  Linda and I were enjoying the beautiful weather on Tuesday by having the back door of the store open.  Not only was the sun shining in, but the public school district sports day was happening in the field behind us and  the sounds of the children were lovely too.  Anyway I thought  if it was nice with the back door open, how much nicer would it be with the front door open too and a lovely cross breeze coming through the store.  Linda is always so cold that the opportunities to have the doors open are few and far between.  However, here's the result of my not so brilliant idea........    and yes the front door was quickly closed!

Looking foward to seeing you in the store soon, but until then ....happy crafting.

Lilian

Your E-Newsletter Has Been Delivered

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And All the Entries Are In - Were You Quick Enough to See Them When I Posted Them a Day Early?

That was an oops moment when I published all the entries (except it wasn't all of them) a day early!  YIKES

It's so much fun to see how people interpret not only colours, but design.  We have such a mixed bag to inspire us, so here they are shown in no particular order and here too is the inspiration photo that everyone began with.

 Take time to look at all the little details in everyones entries. You can click on the thumbnails to make them larger.
And now scroll down to the bottom to see the name of the Random Winner.

1. Becky                                                                                          2. Madison

3. Evelyn                                                                            4. Bev                                

  

 5. Tara                                                                                6.  Carol                 

  7.  Bev                                          8.  Diane

9.  Madison                                                           10.    Bernice



11.  Bev                                                                                       12.  Jeanetta

13.  Diane                                                                                  14.  Bernice

15.  Madison                                                          16.  Becky

17.Christine                                                        18.  Madison                                     

 

19.  Cathie                                                              20.  Christine

                                                                      

21.  Lisa                                                        22.  Martha

23.  Deanne                                                       24.  Lynda

25.  Lisa

   

And the winner is............................

True Random Number Service

Random Integer Generator

 14

Timestamp: 2011-06-13 23:51:18 UTC

This is Bernice...

Drop into the store Bernice to pick up your prize.

Thanks to everyone for playing along with us

Lilian

And Here They Are, the Final Two Entries for the Second Blog Challenge

Not one, not two, but three entries to add for the final showing of this our second blog challenge.

 Lisa has brought us two entries
for the challenge and both very different intrepretations.  On the left we have a card that picks up the elegance of the challenge photo.We see the cushions sitting on the couch, and the ribbon clearly highlighting the drape on the left side.  With the lovely scrapbook page taken on their family trip to Mexico, we once again see the pictures hanging on the wall, the silver urns at the left side and the drapery on the left too.  Lovely interpretations Lisa, thanks for playing along with us in both a scrapbook and card entry.

Lynda created this card at our Friday night crop, so we got to see it grow from a seed of an idea into it's finished look.  Using flowers for the pictures on the wall and a Cuttlebug embossing folder for the back of the sofa, Lynda has put together a lovely card.  The stripes on the patterned paper bring to mind the legs of the sofa and table don't they.

And of course to each and everyone that played along with our blog challenge we say thank you.  Games are only fun if the players participate aren't they.  The random winner will be drawn tonight and will be posted tomorrow, so drop on by the random winner could be you!

Lilian

Still More to Come

Have you ever found that the technology you love can confound you too?   Well here I am today hoping to put four more entries on the blog, but only able to add two as the third and fourth are on a photo card that I don't have in my hot little hand.  Not to worry though, come back later because Lisa's and Lynda's will be on by the end of the day.

You can see her how Martha has picked up the three photos on the wall in her three embellishements.  Her choice of the heat embossed scrolls also draw your minds eye to the cushions that are on the couch in the picture.  Nice job Martha.





Deanne too has drawn your eye to the photos on the wall in the blocking of her card background. The blue greys again pick up the cushion colours and the flower makes me think of the silver urns.  Thanks for playing along with us Deanne.


Make sure you come back later now because I know there's at least one more entry to add here.

And last but by no means least.....Happy Birthday to my two sisters who are celebrating a monumental birthday today.  Though separated by thousands of miles, I know they will be thinking of one another.

Lilian

And We Are Up To...

     These latest cards bring the total entries for our Blog Challenge to TWENTY!

 

     Technology is a wonderful thing and truly closes the miles between us.  Via email these most recent submissions come to us from the U.K.

 

     It is interesting to me to see how everyone has interpreted the same picture differently.  Whether you focused on the pillows like Christine has, the frames above the sofa or the overall colour scheme ... it has certainly been a HOOT to play together again!

 

     I believe we're expecting rain this weekend which is great for crafters - we can enjoy our craft guilt free because we can't do yard work!  So get your thinking caps on and you too can enter our Blog Challenge by Monday at 5pm!

Linda                       

We Have Another Entry!

 

     This latest entry comes to us from across the pond - good thing we have email so we didn't have to rely on our postal service!

 

     Cathie is one of our U.K. card makers/scrapbookers.  Here's what she has to say about the techniques she used on her card ...

     "I thought I would have a go at the challenge this time so here it is.  I’ve used encaustic wax to try and pick up the colours, and the silver borders to get the silver of the vases.......   I’ve been doing this since Christmas, one of my presis (that's British for present! Cathie talks funny just like Lilian!) .....  so I’m still learning...... you can get so many different effects from it.  I’ve used a few of them to make cards with in this style and prettying them up a bit more.  Anyway hope you like it."  Cathie

     Don't forget that you have until this coming Monday at 5pm to email or drop in with your entry for this Blog Challege - every entry receives a chance to win our random draw on Tuesday!

                                                                     Linda

It's That Day Again!

     Your weekly E-Newletter has been published!  If it hasn't arrived in your inbox then Click HERE for a direct link.

Marykay's in Love.

At least that's what she told us here......I just LOVE my Silhouette!!

See what she was busy creating recently.  Our creative minds are only limited by our own lack of vision and Marykay certainly had lots of vision here as she created this beautiful book card for her friend.  

See how she cut her friends name out on the Sihouette and created a book from the elongated letters.  Embellished with bows, flowers and writing on the pages what a lovely gift she gave her friend on her retirement.  Have you  been busy using your Silhouette as creatively?  Lovely job Marykay.  Thanks for sharing.

Lilian

Thursday Technique Class.

A gathered double bow challenged the ladies on Thursday, but they persevered and were successful!  The beautiful stitched satin ribbon made a perfect embellishment to the card.  See the whole card here on our Flickr site  i'ts well worth the hop over there.

The fun technique we used to make the butterfly will cause the ladies to look at their flyers differently in the future.
This card was inspired by the card Liz entered into our first blog challenge.  You can see Liz's card here.
Hop over to Flickr to see the whole of the card made in class as well as the embellishments that were made.

If you'd like to learn some new techniques for your paper crafting, yes these techniques can be used on your scrapbook pages too, then join us every other Thursday for our Technique Class.  Though you may be challenged sometimes by the technique, everyone goes away from class pleased with their accomplishments. 

Why don't you try it and find out for yourself?

In the meantime...Happy Crafting

Lilian

See the Creativity!

Your eyes will be pleased with what they see from these entries to the blog challenge.  And judging from what we're hearing, there are more entries to come.  Are you working on yours?

Becky's made a lovely card focusing on some of the colours in the photo as well as the couch, only she has her little miss sitting on a stool here.  Nice interpretation Becky.

Bernice has picked up the legs of the couch with the use of the stripes at the bottom of the card.  See the three trees in place of the art on the wall in the photo.  Though it doesn't show well here, the clouds are siver which picks up the silver urns at the side of the challenge photo. 

Well look where we found Riley!  Sitting on a couch in the middle of the trees.  Madison has made a fun interpretaion of the challenge photo by focusing on the couch and using a new Riley stamp. See the dimension of the top left tree and the fact that there are three groupings to it.

Bernice entered a second card in the challenge and you can clearly see her focusing on the three pieces of artwork behind the couch in the photo.  Love the detail of the pearls in the corner that point your mind toward the silver urns.  Nicely interpreted Bernice.




Becky has  pulled out the colours well from the challenge photo in this card.  Lots of lovely fussy cutting here too.  I see the artwork in the three pearls at the left side.

Evelyn's card has clearly brought out not just the colours of the challenge photo but the artwork on the wall in the words of her card.  Can you see the cushions sitting on the couch, I can, those circles that rest on the horizontal trim make me think of the cushions.  Nice job of interpreting the design of the photo Evelyn.

Madison shows us a fun card here with all the flowers representing the cushions on the couch.  The colours pick up the challenge photo beautifully.

Jeanetta has picked up a few aspects of the challenge photo in this card.  I see the legs of the couch in the stripes at the bottom of the card and the horizontal lines of the couch in the use of the ribbon acrosss the middle.  Don't you love the paper too.  Nice job Jeanetta.

Carol has hit the colours well in this card.  Love the slightly oriental look of the blossoms on the branches that somehow pull out the patterns on the cushions in the challenge photo.  Notice the horizontal line of the fence that reminds you of the legs of the couch.  Pretty card don't you think?


 
Madison is an up and coming young cardmaker who isn't afraid to try something a little different.  She's chosen not to follow the colours in the challenge photo, but with this card to simply focus on the three pieces of artwork on the wall. An interesting take on the challenge photo.

This time we have a scrapbook page and Diane has nicely picked up the colours in the challenge photo here.  Do you see the three pieces of artwork from the wall too in the flourishes on the page?  Not only a nice layout, but a time in her daughter's life captured in these memories.

Madison's final entry into the blog challenge is this lovely musical card.  The colours have been captured perfectly and the flourish, though it doesn't show well here,  is bright silver focusing on the silver urns.  Keep up the good work Madison, nice to see young people sharing their creative talents. 

Well there are the entries that have come in in the last couple of days.  We were treated well to some lovely creative talent weren't we.  Can't wait to see some more, how about you? 

Don't forget to leave a comment on any of the entries that please your mind and eye, I'm sure the creative artists would love the encouragement

Lilian