more challenges done

i've been doing some challenges this week, and i'm enjoying the creativity and productivity. very therapeutic. very fun. and i'm using up a lot in my stash, and playing with some newer purchases. how pleasing.

anyway, the theme this week on 4x4 Friday is "My Favourite Colour." now, i know what you're thinking, and yes, orange was, until recently, my favourite colour. but lately, in the last month or so, i have discovered the serenity inherent in those cooler hues, and have made a dramatic shift in my tastes. my favourite colours now are green and purple, with blue thrown in as a close runner-up. so, having been inspired not only by the theme itself, but also by my new 4x4 album (so cute!), i have decided to work a lot in that format for the time being. (ok, also skinnies and ATCs and gothic arches. i really just want to become more prolific in my papercrafting. anyhoo...) so, i did a little number in basic grey Two Scoops with some Heidi Swapp bling thrown in for fun. oh, and the Stampin' Up! stamps. i've been using them so much more lately, now that i'm working in mini. delightful!

now, on to project #2: the theme last week on Gothic Arches was "flourishes." i was inspired by the sample, so simple, yet so beautiful. so, here's my gothic arch o' the week (and yes, it was done in time to qualify, although i'm posting it too late). i'm really quite fond of it. again, lots of basic grey: two scoops paper, lotsa rub-ons (i finished off my favourite pack). also a Making Memories rub-on, and i don't remember who makes the blingy butterfly brad. i'll check and update later, but i know i picked them up at CNP.

well, there you have it. my challenges for the last week. i love midnight crops. must have more (hint, hint, pam! lol). anyway, thanks for looking. have a great day! :)

My Soccer Star!

last night was blithe's first ever soccer game, and my first night as a "soccer mom." yikes! when did she (and i) grow up?! how did that happen without my noticing? ah, well, these things happen, i suppose. anyway, here are some photos from the game.

look at blithe (on the far left). she looks like such a pro, eh? :)

look at her, right in the mix!

i described her like this: she is totally the right in there throwing elbows to get at the ball win at all costs running with her tongue sticking out kinda kid! hilarious! and of course, between plays, she chatted with the coach. too cute! she had so much fun, although she was disappointed that she didn't score a goal herself. but she can't wait till next week; she keeps asking "when is thursday, mommy?"

We Dare You! - "Moments"

the challenge this week over on We Dare You! is Moments. i'll admit, at first, i had no clue what to do with this one. then i found my coffee stamp, and you know, i like how it all turned out. it's a fun little 4x4 (fatbook page). i've decided to do more of these little guys. i just bought an adorable album over at CNP, and i'm delighting in the simple, small format. oversized images on small pages - too much fun! anyway, here's my 4x4. hope you like it! :)

i'm trying something new... Zentangle! :)

... so please don't judge me too harshly.

ok, so a couple months ago, a challenge blog (was it TMTA?) presented a challenge that i was reluctant to try at the time, but i have been sort of obsessing over it, wanting to try it, but afraid. that's right, folks, i was afraid to try something. anyway... the challenge was something called "Zentangle" - basically, funky doodling. not the pretty, swirly, girly, free kind of doodling. that, i cannot do. but this, i can do. have been doing for years, in fact, in corners of pages in my notebooks. i think i've even done it on the inside cover of one of my Bibles.

anyway, i decided, in a (somewhat successful) attempt to distract myself from all my anxiety, to listen to cheesy mid-90s christian rock (echelon, anyone? if you weren't there, you won't laugh, but i was quite enjoying the trip down memory lane) and try my hand at something new. and here's the result.

i don't think i like the theme with the Zentangle, but i learned from this, and i will try it again. much fun to be had with this Zentangle stuff. and so i challenge you, gentle paper-crafty reader/friend, try it! and please share with us all: include a link to your blog in the comments section here. i'd love to see what you come up with. and i'll be playing more with this stuff in the days to come, and hopefully i'll get better! :) have fun! :)

UPDATE (5/26/08): ok, the more i look at this, the more i don't like the result. but the technique is fun, so i might give it another whirl this week. i need a distraction from the current crap in my life, and i think this just might do the trick. i'll post the result. meanwhile, please don't look at this ATC. it's crap. thank-you. h

midnight croppin' last night

last night i went a-croppin' with some friends at CNP. we had a wonderful time. very therapeutic; i know a couple of us left in much better spirits than we arrived in. so thank-you, pam, for hosting yet another delightful, escapeful, scraptacular evening.

anyway... i seem to have put scrapbooking itself on "pause" lately, and am instead focussing on smaller projects. i like the artistry involved in paper crafting, not necessarily the whole "chronicling my family" thing. so, i'm really enjoying tags, ATCs and skinnies. these are my favourites (although i really enjoyed the gothic arch i did a while back. it's nice working with a more unconventional format like that).

above are the 2 projects i got done last night. that's right, in 4.5 hours, i only completed 2 small projects. that's ok, though. i take my time, and i don't mind. the whole process is enjoyable for me, and i'm a little over-zealous, perhaps, when it comes to design and detail. anyway, i hope you like them, because i sure do.

i'm going to see if the tag fulfills a challenge from another blog, and the skinny was inspired by pam's "Treat of the Week" sketch, so i got a lovely silver gel pen. i really enjoy her TOTW sketches/challenges. if you're in the St Thomas area, you should check it out. so much fun, and a wee prize to boot! :)

the poem on the boy skinny says:

Nobody knows what a boy is worth,

And the world must wait and see;

For every man in honoured place,

Is a boy that used to be.

- Phillips Brooks

We Dare You! - week 4 - Patchwork challenge

this week on "We Dare You!" the challenge is to be inspired by my purse. it's a snazzy little number i picked up in toronto while i was there (there's a Roots store in SickKids). anyway, i did a little ATC for the challenge - here it is!

i don't really do patchwork or sewing on paper, so i was a bit limited. but, i copied the colours and doodled around the inside of the paper squares. i thought the girl was too cute for words, so i added her. as for the fiber, well, i was inspired by a purse, so naturally, i had to add a handle! :)

anyway, there's my ATC. i kinda like how it turned out. maybe i'll do another project tonight. i need the therapy.