from the book Craft Activism by Joan Tapper and Gale Zucker

Joan Israel gives us a reminder to look around for surprise color in the leaves at this time of year. She mounts her own variety of polymer leaves onto a black canvas background for a dramatic effect. When we slow down and take the time to look, we discover Joan’s vision of jewel-tone foliage all around […] Read more

Ladies and gentlemen, it is my great pleasure to announce my most recent celebrity copy-cat dress; the Joan Holloway. I modelled it off this dress worn by the character Joan in Mad Men. This dress is in perfect theme of my latest (and well.., first) sewing group challenge: to re-create a mad men dress! If you missed my last post and want to join in on the fun you can check out the details here I can’t wait to see what everyone comes up with! I am going to need some serious massage therapy come April 1st; the muscles in my neck and back are all jammed up in anticipation and extreme excitement. I have created with considerable help from my husband Mr. Robin Bobbin (Robin input 99% - Julia input 01%) a shiny new blogger button for the Mad Men Dress challenge (note, I cannot guarantee shiny-ness). Isn’t it lovely? So for those of you who want to show on your blogs that you’re participating in the challenge, just copy the HTML in the grab box below and let’s make magic. (Disclaimer – I don’t know how to make actual magic; never got my Hogwarts letter). So … back to my latest copy-cat dress! When I first saw it on the screen the cogs in my brain (I like to pretend there’s more than one in there) started turning and I go into a state that can only be described as a ‘lust-over-a-dress-shock’ (L O A D S). This is where my brain starts feverishly working over time trying to deduce how it can re-create this visual delight. I try and get my head around the idea that no, at 1pm in the morning/night the fabric stores are not open and there is no point getting in your car and camping out in front of one of them till morning (and crying CERTAINLY won’t help). To anyone witnessing me going into LOADS it might appear that I have turned into stone or perhaps looked a Basilisk in the eye (nasty beasts), but if you look carefully you’ll notice the pools of drool start to trickle down the side of my face and that’s the sign that I am still alive. ish. There is something about the combination of blue and white together that delights my senses, and coincidentally also gives me the urge to sail a boat. Naturally I love the shape of this dress of Joanies. As all Joanie dresses do, they pull in at the waist and hug the curves in scandalous-disguised-as-conservative ways. These sorts of dresses make me feel good. Plain and simple. I guess it’s the most flattering shape for my figure and I’m always satisfied with the end result when I replicate this shape. You know, when I purchased this fabric and cut out the dress I got sidetracked with another project and almost didn’t continue with this dress - gee, I wonder if I'm the only sewer with this problem ... I’m so glad that I picked it up and got re-inspired again as I love how it turned out. Once again I pulled out a recent favourite, Butterick pattern #5603 which I used to aid me in re-creating my Peggy Olson dress. The bodice of this dress has such a lovely shape and mimics vintage beautifully. It has a lovely wide bateau neckline and a darling V shaped back neck. I love the high empire waist of this pattern, which emphasises the waist to contrast nicely again the width of the hips. As before with the Peggy dress I completely changed the skirt of this pattern for the pencil skirt instead of a full panelled skirt that goes with the pattern. Here's a picture from the Butterick website of how the dress looks when you completely follow the pattern. It's beautiful but quite different to my finished look! The skirt I used has four darts at the front and the darts on the pattern piece didn’t line up with the darts on the original skirt that comes with the pattern. This just won’t do! I used my re-drafted pattern from my Peggy dress where I took the time to slash and cut to move the darts in the bodice to line up perfectly with my skirt darts. You can see in more detail how I did this on my previous post here. I added white ribbon trim around the front and back neck. Just like the inspiration dress I added the white ribbon down the front of the dress starting from under the bust. The ribbon ran parallel with the centre front all the way down to the skirt hem. I then hand sewed 8 lovely buttons to the left of the trim to mimic the inspiration piece. What is it about buttons and bows that turn me on so much? I never thought I was a real girly-girl but I think I have just always been in denial. I’m probably as girly-girl as you can get. Wow, I feel so much better getting that out in the open. I added my own little sleeves to the bodice as the Butterick pattern doesn’t come with sleeves. And yes I do own an iron, I don't know what is going on with the sleeves here. Other changes: I fully lined the dress – the Butterick pattern only gets you to line the bodice. I moved the zipper to the centre back instead of the side seam and I used an invisible zipper to close I cut the bodice 12, waist in a 10 and used my own skirt with a size 14 from the hips down (sigh). I love how this dress turned out! When I wear this I really feel like I am wearing something that no one else has and it satisfies all my vintage urges. And there you have it! Looking forward to seeing all the Mad Men delights for the challenge. Any one started their Mad Men dress yet?

Stars & Blossoms Designed by Joan's Own Creation This charming rustic quilt pattern features stars surrounded by elegant flowers. The square version measures 24 1/2" and the rectangle one is 26 1/2 by 16". Material list is on final image above. Condition: Unused Note: The listing picture has been scanned.

Hello blogging friends! Have you heard? There are new challenges starting up over at "Joan's Touch". You remember Joan (previous owner of Joan's Gardens) ... well she's now retired BUT not retired from crafting, creating and sharing! This is going to be fun!! Here are the requirements for the 1st Joan's Touch challenge ... Use Pink and Black Use an image of a Lady Use a Bow You must use a product sold at Joan's Gardens. You will have a week to create & enter. Also, you can enter as many cards as you'd like. With this color combination, I'm sure I'll be doing more than just one card! But for today ... I'll show you the first card I came up with! (Sorry about the 'eye shadow' ... seems she got a little carried away! LOL) How about that hat ... doesn't she look dapper! I will list all the products used on this card at the bottom of this post ... after my sign off. I had a scrap of hot pink card stock laying on my work table so THAT was the start of this creation. Then of course I had to pick a LADY for my card and while a friend & I were talking she mentioned B-Line stamps. Well, I remembered I had a few in my 'vintage' stamp drawer so now I have the first two elements needed for this challenge. The rest just fell into place. Do you have the new Cheery Lynn Designs 'Pretty Pretty Bows (set of 2)' dies? OMG, you just have to purchase it ... it's a set of 2 dies, and they make it so easy to create a beautiful paper bow such as the one I have used on this card. The number is #B422 and Terri has them available in the store! Another FABULOUS die you'll want to have in your collection is this Memory Box butterfly die called 'Kensington Border #98743' ... also available at Terri's store. From tip to tip this die is about 6" long ... a little too long for today's card. So I simply cut what I needed and actually used one of the left over butterflies to adorn my ribbon knot. Added a little touch of sparkle to that butterfly also. A couple additional challenges to enter into: Fashionable Stamping Challenge #66 - Build it Up Lacy Sunshine Challenge #27 - Lots of Layers Quirky Crafts Challenge #4 - Pile it high, layer it up and try 3D Simon Says Stamps - Cameo Appearance Craft-Dee Bowz February Challenge - Anything Goes with homemade bow Oh La La Creations Challenge - Fashionista I hope you'll come join in the challenge! And for those of you in the path of the next storm, please be safe out there! They're calling for freezing rain, sleet & 1-3" of snow here in Ohio! You know where I'll be ... YEP ... right here safely crafting away in my cave! Recipe: Papers: Black cs, Hot Pink cs, White cs, the Paper Studio 'Harper's Boutique' dp Stamps: B-Line Designs #BA516D - Kathleen (focus image), #TM113E - Acme (used for background on hot pink cs), Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black Accessories: Spectrum Noir alcohol markers, Thistle Stickles, SU grosgrain ribbon, Pop Dots, Memory Box #98743 Kensington Border die, Cheery Lynn Designs #B422 Pretty, Pretty Bows die, Craft-Dee Bowz bow maker

Immerse yourself in the world of spiritual art! Explore transcendent creations, divine symbolism, and mystical inspiration to elevate your soul.

As some of you will know, I've been enjoying a few weeks vacation back in Britain. Primarily a family holiday we've been on a frantic schedule of traveling up and down the country visiting friends and family. I debated at great length whether or not to take my painting materials with such an aggressive schedule but in the end opted to simply pack a sketch book and my camera. Catterline Harbor (or Harbour, when in the UK) Despite this lack of art creation it's an impossibility for me not too sneak in a little art viewing here or there. As luck would have it my brother now lives in Catterline a small village just below Stonehaven, (south of Aberdeen). Catterline is an important location for the history of Scottish post war art scene, chiefly because my favorite Scottish artist Joan Eardley spent much of her life living and painting there. Beehives at Catterline J Eardley Children & Chalked Wall J Eardley Eardley, painted in the area for roughly 20 years and produced a great array of paintings, known in equal measure for her depiction of Glasgow children and the rugged seascapes and landscapes of the Catterline area. While in the village, my sister-in-law (Kathryn) was fantastically thoughtful, and arranged for me to visit a home of a collector who had two Eardley works, an oil and a lovely pastel. Later we dined in the lcoal pub, which houses the communities Eardley painting. But best of all was the village to 'the Watchie'. An artist painting the Watchie The Watchie is a beautiful, little cottage with very basic amenities stuck out above the harbor on a rocky bluff. The building is called the Watchie because it was originally used by the coastguard to keep watch for Smugglers. Eardley spent much of her time painting from there and the surrounding area. Since her death in 1963 a number of other artists have worked in the Watchie, and in recent times it has had a number of artist residencies. For the last 5 years the Scottish artist Stuart Buchanan has worked there, he also lives in a near by cottage that Eardley at one time also owned. Kathryn had again come to the rescue and arranged for me to visit Stuart and the Watchie. Stuart was fantastic and a great guy, he gave me hours of his time and we enjoyed talking about the history of the place and our own painting lives. Stuart was a graduate from Glasgow's school of art and he produces very thoughtful work often from his imagination, painting solitary or grouped figures in sparse environments, that convey a sense of atmosphere and solitude. Stuart in front of his easels in the Watchie The other view of the room. One thing you are struck with at the Watchie is that there are no distractions. There's power for lights and a wood burning stove for heat and that's about it. From the windows you can see the wild garden and the ocean and ever changing light on the cliffs and ocean. It must be a fantastic place to live and work and impossible not to change and be affected by such an atmospheric environment. It's a far cry from my kind of studio and views from my window! Stuart and I talked for hours and I would have loved to have stayed longer, but I was probably getting annoying! Stuart has a forthcoming solo show in Berkshire during October at the “Modern Artists Gallery” ( www.modernartistsgallery.com ), so if anyone is in the area his work is well worth a look or purchase? Poolside Stuart Buchanan oil on board 17 x 24 ins.

joan steiner in art to wear - julie schafler dale (1986)

'Andrew With a Comic' (1955) Joan Eardley

1930's All in One Dress - by Artist Russell Patterson - Well known stylist Russell Patterson designed this 'all in one' outfit for actress Joan Crawford. He is best remembered for his famous magazine covers

Joan Bankemper’s exhibition of Bee Mandala sculptures and raw canvas paintings at Nancy Hoffman Gallery includes art works from the past five years.

Happy Sunday my friends and I hope the sun is shining for you today! I've been so busy that I've not had the opportunity to play along in one of my favorite challenges and that is the challenge over at Joan's Gardens. But I intend to remedy that with my creation for this week's challenge which is to: Use a leaf design for the background (die cut, embossed or stamped) Add purple flowers Use White, Green and Purple Colors Use A Sentiment You must use a product sold at Joan's Gardens. I still need practice making this little roses but I didn't do too bad since it was my first time using these dies and it was 10:00 P.M. when I decided to make them! (Note to self ... try again after breakfast when you are fresh minded!) Either way ... I'm still very happy with the outcome of this card and hope you like it too! Selma & Joan are always coming up with fabulous challenge ideas and that is one of the reasons why I enjoy this particular challenge so much! I typically end up doing something I've never tried before and that is due to Selma's amazing talents and inspiration! If you don't know who Selma Stevenson is, well you'll have to pop over to her blog Selma's Stamping Corner and check out her work ... it's fabulous! Well I need to get moving ... we are headed over to Pennsylvania where we have our boat dry docked and have a gentleman interested in buying it. He is coming to take a closer look ... cross your fingers!! A few other challenges to share my creation in are: Di's Digi Designs - Winged Things Bloggers - To Die For Card Makin Mamas - Rubber Stamp Inspiration Daring Cardmakers - Make It Yourself (homemade flowers) Polkadoodles and Studio 12 - The Color Purple QKR Stampede - Any Winged Creature (butterflies) Aud Sentiments - Friends Creative Belli #170 - Flowers Flutter By Wednesday #242 - Flowers/Butterfly/ Die cut/Punch Word Art Wednesday - Anything Goes Thanks so much for taking the time out of your busy day to pop in and say Hello! As always . . . Recipe for this creation: Papers: White cs, Deep Purple cs, Lavender cs Stamps/ink: Viva Las Vegas Stamps, Memento 'Bamboo Leaves' ink, Tim Holtz Dusty Concord Distress ink Accessories: Cheery Lynn Designs DL112 Exotic butterfly dies, Sizzix 'Susan's Garden' Tool Kit, Sizzix 'Susan's Garden' Mini Petals dies, Spectrum Noir alcohol markers, Cuttlebug Embossing Folder Items in BOLD were purchased through Joan's Gardens.

Joan of Arc Writing Templates Have your children research Joan of Arc. Great for Women's History Month! This resource includes two ways for your children to share what they have learned about Joan of Arc in writing. Flap Book Printable (color and black and white) Fast Facts (color and black and white) Directions For Flap book: Instruct children to cut out the top panel along the outside edge with the questions on the front. Cut flaps on the top sheet only. They do not cut on the second page that says, “Glue here.” Glue the top sheet to the back sheet on the “Glue here spaces.” Children read instructions on the top of the flaps.. Open the flaps and write the answer. Directions for Fast Facts Research Joan of Arc Write six fast facts about her on the printable. Pick facts that you found most interesting about her! *************************************************************************** Women’s History Interactive Printables and Fast Facts Graphic Organizers Bundle of 28 Flapbooks! *************************************************************************** Amelia Earhart Writing Flap book and Fast Fact Printable Anne Frank Writing Flap book and Fast Fact Printable Bessie Coleman Writing Flap Book and Fast Fact Printable Effa Manley Writing Flap Book and Fast Fact Printable Mae Jemison Writing Flap Book and Fast Fact Printable Cleopatra Writing Flap Book and Fast Fact Printable Coretta Scott King Writing Flap Book and Fast Fact Printable Helen Keller Interactive Writing Printable and Fast Facts Eleanor Roosevelt Writing Flap Book and Fast Fact Printable Florence Nightingale Writing Flap Book and Fast Fact Printable Oprah Winfrey Interactive Writing Printable and Fast Facts Betsy Ross Interactive Writing Printable and Fast Facts Georgia O’Keeffe Interactive Printable and Fast Facts Joan of Arc Writing Flap Book and Fast Fact Printable Sandra Day O'Connor Interactive Writing Printable and Fast Facts Louisa May Alcott Interactive Writing Printable and Fast Facts Harriet Beecher Stowe Interactive Writing Printable and Fast Facts Emily Dickinson Interactive Writing Printable and Fast Facts Deborah Sampson. Interactive Writing Printable and Fast Facts Clara Barton Interactive Writing Printable and Fast Facts Harriet Tubman Interactive Writing Printable and Fast Facts Marie Antoinette Writing Flap Book and Fast Facts Printable Mary Jane McLeod Bethune Writing Flap Book and Fast Facts Printable Ruby Bridges Interactive Writing Printable and Fast Facts Rosa Parks Interactive Writing Printable and Fast Facts Sally Ride Writing Flap Book and Fast Facts Printable Sojourner Truth Interactive Writing Printable and Fast Facts Elizabeth Blackwell Writing Flap Book and Fast Facts Printable *************************************************************************** Buy a Bundle and save 25%! *************************************************************************** American Heroes Flap Book and Fast Facts Graphic Organizers Bundle! *************************************************************************** Individual Resource Links in American Heroes Bundle are Below! Franklin D Roosevelt Writing Flap Book! Eleanor Roosevelt Writing Flap Book! Sally Ride Writing Flap Book! Dr. Charles Drew Writing Flap Book! Neil Armstrong Writing Flap Book! Teddy Roosevelt Writing Flap Book! John F Kennedy Writing Flap Book! Lyndon B Johnson Writing Flap Book! Paul Revere Writing Flap Book! Dr. Daniel Hale Williams Writing Flap Book! Mary Jane McLeod Writing Flap Book! Elizabeth Blackwell Writing Flap Book! *************************************************************************** Buy a Bundle and save 25%! *************************************************************************** Black History Interactive Writing Bundle! *************************************************************************** Individual Product Links in Black History Bundle are Below! Sojourner Truth Interactive Writing Printable and Fast Facts! Ruby Bridges Interactive Writing Printable and Fast Facts! Jackie Robinson Interactive Writing Printable and Fast Facts! Booker T Washington Interactive Printable and Fast Facts! Rosa Parks Interactive Writing Printable and Fast Facts Frederick Douglass Interactive Writing Printable and Fast Facts! George Washington Carver Interactive Writing Printable and Fast Facts! Harriet Tubman Interactive Writing Printable and Fast Facts! Martin Luther King Jr. Interactive Writing Printable and Fast Facts! Thurgood Marshall Interactive Writing Printable and Fast Facts! Bessie Coleman Interactive Writing Printable and Fast Facts! *************************************************************************** Enjoy this Freebie! Freebie! Jesse Owens Interactive Printable and Fast Facts! Other Black History Products you May Enjoy! Black History Scavenger Hunt using OR Codes! Martin Luther King Jr. Emergent Reader *************************************************************************** Customer Tips: How to get TPT credit to use on future purchases: • Please go to your My Purchases page (you may need to login). Beside each purchase you'll see a Provide Feedback button. Simply click it and you will be taken to a page where you can give a quick rating and leave a short comment for the product. Each time you give feedback, TPT gives you feedback credits that you use to lower the cost of your future purchases. I value your feedback greatly as it helps me determine which products are most valuable for your classroom so I can create more for you. ☺ Be the first to know about my new discounts, freebies and product launches: • Look for the green star next to my store logo and click it to become a follower. Voila! You will now receive email updates about this store. ☺ ***************************************************************************

Kit de descarga digital: cree un vecindario acogedor de pequeñas casas de papel usando la plantilla de casa de coser y doblar combinada con textiles estampados fotocopiados de su propio alijo de telas. Sencillas y económicas de fabricar, sin necesidad de marcar líneas de pliegue, estas adorables casas brillantes se exhiben de manera tan dulce en un estante o debajo de una mesa, y se pueden colgar con clips y cordeles como adornos. Nivel de habilidad artesanal: Intermedio Tras la compra, recibirá un enlace para descargar un archivo PDF con instrucciones paso a paso de fotos y una plantilla de casa para coser y doblar. • Descargar archivo para imprimir, coser y ensamblar luminarias de casas de papel. • Requiere una máquina de coser para coser. • Puede modificar las formas de los recortes de las ventanas y embellecerlas como desee. • Tamaño aproximado del ensamblaje terminado: 2.5" x 2.5" x 4". • En cada casa ensamblada cabe una vela de té que funciona con pilas. • La plantilla se puede utilizar con tela fotocopiada o impresa/copiada en el reverso de cartulina decorativa para álbumes de recortes. • Úselo como iluminación de mesa, o cuélguelo individualmente o en múltiplos como un móvil. • Los techos de las casas no se sellan en la parte superior sino que se abren para la inserción de velas que funcionan con baterías y se cierran con un resorte por sí solos. • Las tapas se pueden asegurar para suspenderlas usando clips metálicos para cortinas, clips para carpetas o minipinzas para la ropa. • Las Luminarias de la Casa de Papel son hermosos recuerdos de bodas, adornos para regalos y obsequios para anfitrionas. Las casas se pueden llenar con golosinas en lugar de velas LED. • ADVERTENCIA: NO utilice velas de llama real con estas luminarias. UTILICE VELAS QUE FUNCIONEN CON BATERÍAS SOLAMENTE.

Shades of gray with red and yellow bring to mind armor, smoke, and flickering flames. This colorway can be highly variable, so feel free to give us a call for a current description of what we have, or if you have any questions about the color. This colorway is a Babette: every skein and every batch is a bit different, but Babs has a method of recreating these artistic colorways. The photograph is an example of representative skeins from this colorway; the skein you receive may differ somewhat. Yowza You'll be saying "Yowza! These skeins are BIG!" when you see this yarn. Plied from soft superwash Merino wool, Yowza is excellent for sweaters, accessories, and baby items. Yowza has a smooth hand that works well for textured stitching. Size: 560 yd / 8 oz (512m / 227g) skeins Content: 100% superwash Merino wool Gauge: DK weight. 5.25-6 stitches per inch knit on US 5-7, 3-4 stitches per inch crocheted on US 7-I. Care Instructions: Machine wash gentle. This yarn should be dried flat for best results.

Hello again my friends ... here is my 2nd post for the day. I hope you had time to check out the fun challenge going on at Shelly's Images (prior post) and here's another fun one for you. I'm telling you ... these challenges at Joan's Gardens REALLY MAKE ME THINK!!! Not always an easy task! LOL! Anyways ... the requirements this week are: Use some type of Fan - stamped, die cut, etc. Use colors Peach, Cream and Green Use Lace Use Pearls What a unique challenge idea and of course, Selma's samples are ALWAYS an inspiration! However, I also found inspiration today from a card I spotted over on Cheryl's (She Stamps) blog found HERE. I love Cheryl's designs and find inspiration from her work frequently. Inside View I didn't have any FAN dies like the beautiful one Selma used, so I had to go 'In Search Of" through my Vintage Stamps drawer to see what I could find. And Viola! I found this Hero Arts stamp which I've had for years and don't think I've ever inked up. It was also nice to be able to use up scraps for this creation ... other than the background panel and actually I used ONE sheet of 8x8 for both the front & inside of my card. All products used can be found at the bottom of this post. Here are a few other challenges I'd like to enter: As You Like It Challenge - Your favorite die or punch and WHY? (This Floral Ovals die set is relatively new but quickly became one of my favorites. I love VINTAGE and the edging on these dies gives me that vintage flair I'm looking for.) Happy Campers Craft Collective #16 - Use lace Little Miss Muffet - Paper Piecing MilkCoffee Challenge - Pearls and Lace Die Cuttin Divas - Anything Goes (must use a die cut) Everybody Art #234 - Pearls Inky Chicks - Shabby Chic LEJ Designs #51 - Anything Goes Through The Craftroom Door - Anything Goes (2nd entry) Well it's nearly dinner hour here and I was able to get the lawn mowed this afternoon but now that it's cooled off a little I think I'll do some weeding after dinner. Thanks so much for stopping by and as always . . . Recipe for my card: Papers: Graphic45 'Once Upon A Springtime' and 'Le' Romantique' Ink: Momento black Stamp: Hero Arts E2649 'Fan with Roses' Accessories: Spellbinder S4-356 'Floral Ovals', SU Victorian Lace, Kaiser pearls, PunchBunch 'big sky' punch, pop dots, Spectrum Noir Alcohol Markers Technique: Paper Piecing Items highlighted in RED were purchased at Joan's Gardens

Happy Saturday fellow bloggers & friends! I hope your weekend is off to a fabulous start! It's snowy & cold here in Ohio today so I think I'll just hide in my crafting cave and play! This morning I'd like to share a card I made for the current challenge at Joan's Gardens. Here are the requirements for the challenge this week . . . Use some kind of lattice - we want you to be creative Use a circle or oval die cut background Create a flower that have been painted. You can use Gesso on it, acrylic paints stains, etc. - be creative Include some dry embossing that has been inked AGAIN I have to commend Joan & Selma on having WONDERFUL challenge themes! This challenge ALWAYS makes me think outside the box and utilize products that are sitting on my shelf and I forget about!! Well done ladies! Here's the card I came up with and LOVED creating it! Products used on this card are: Paper: White cardstock, Hunter Green cardstock Accessories: Cheery Lynn Designs 'Build A Flower 2', Spellbinder 'Beaded Circle' die, Cheery Lynn Designs 'B117S Fanciful Flourish Sm', Cheery Lynn Designs 'DL112 Exotic Butterfly Sm', Memory Box 'Tessatina Border', Provo Craft Vines dies, Judi Kins MicaGloss Metallic Effects Ink (Aquamarine & Amethyst), Couture Creations 'Vintage Plumes' 5x7 embossing folder, Stickles 'Diamond', sponge daubers, Liquid Pearls 'White Opal', Punch Bunch Flower Making Kit, McGill black flower forming mat, Art Glitter adhesive (items identified in RED were purchased through Joan's Gardens) After die cutting the pieces for my flowers using the Cheery Lynn Designs Build A Flower 2, I sponged each petal using the Aquamarine on the one side and the Amethyst on the other side. In this close up I hope you can also see the touches of diamond Stickles around the edges of my flower ... it is SO MUCH PRETTIER IRL! So hard to get my photos to show that!! THIS is one of those products (I was referring to earlier) that I purchased for a workshop at Joan's then forgot I had until today! I must also tell you that I was inspired by my friend Diane's (Nellie's Nest) card creation for this same challenge where she showed the 'paint' of her choice for her flowers and it lead me back to these little bottles that have been sitting on my shelf! (Thanks Girlfriend!!) I also sponged the Aquamarine onto my background panel before running it through the Vagabond in my embossing folder. The metallic effect this paint has made for a beautiful background. I hope you like my creation and will come join in the fun challenges at Joan's Gardens! Here are a few other challenges this card qualifies for: Cheery Lynn Designs - Die Cut Flowers Heck of a Challenge - Spring/Butterflies and Pearls House of Gilli - Anything Goes + Pastels Natalie and Amy #7 - Die Cuts One Crazy Stamper - Anything Goes Nana Vic's Challenge #4 - Anything Goes QKR Stampede - 3 of Something (3 butterflies) C.R.A.F.T. Challenge - Use Embossing Time to get busy with other projects! Thanks SO MUCH for stopping by today and for always encouraging me to keep doing what I do! Till next time and as always . . .

Sorry everyone ... I know this is my 2nd post today but I just couldn't help myself !!! Check out the requirements for this week's challenge at Joan's Gardens . . . 3 flowers out of vellum (or you can use flowers you purchased) Colors - Golden Yellow and Violet Mesh or tulle Stencil on paper (if possible) You must use a product sold at Joan's Gardens So, of course I just had to get busy and jump on this. I spent most of my day toying around with flowers then had to decide what to do with them ... WELL ... I decided to alter an 8x10 canvas instead of making a card this time. Here's what I came up with! What do you think? FROM THIS: TO THIS: I am so excited about the outcome of this project {doing the happy dance!} Here's a quick run down on how I created this piece . . . Created my flowers using yellow and purple vellum, sparkly white tulle and Heartfelt Creations 'Sun Kissed Fleur' HCD734 die set. Leaves are from the Heartfelt Creations Classic Leaf HCD736 die set onto a scrap of light green paper which was painted with Tim Holtz 'Peeled Paint' Distress Stain. Cut a piece of design paper 7 1/2" x 9 1/2" for my background. Sprayed the top of my background paper with E6000 adhesive spray and attached pieces of scrap sparkly white tulle. Did some fussy cutting on my chosen focus design paper from the Kaiser Craft 'Sweet Nothings' 6 1/2" paper pack ... which was matted with a torn corner of design paper from the Prima 'Sweet Fairy' 6x6 paper pack. The other 'Sweet Fairy' corner is in the upper left corner under the flowers. Using the same E6000 adhesive spray, I adhered my design paper corners. Next I placed a little JudiKins Mica Gloss 'Amethyst' Metallic Effects Ink onto my craft sheet, then crumpled up some small bubble wrap and 'sponged' here and there over the tulle as well as the design paper image. Now it was time to position and adhere my flowers/leaves and add my Impression Obsession stamp. The sentiment reads: Let your soul take wings ... Resist the downward pull and sing ... Amy Carmichael Thought I'd share a close up of my flowers. I am very pleased with how they came together too! I actually die cut the tulle and vellum at the same time and layered the tulle in between some of the layers ... they are so soft looking IRL ... click on image to enlarge I just love getting involved in a challenge that really challenges me sometimes and today was that kind of day! I get so busy with other things that I don't take time to really be 'creative' but today I think I was successful and actually quite pleased with myself! LOL!! Anyways ... thanks for stopping by and I hope you'll give Joan's challenge a try! Now I'd like to share this creation with a few additional challenges: Altered Eclectics - Alter Something CardandScrap - Anything Goes Ladybug Crafts - Something Floral Crafting with Dragonflies - Alter Something Crafting By Designs - Anything Goes Digistamps4Joy - Make your own embellishments Word Art Wednesday - Anything Goes The Outlawz Twisted Thursday Challenge - Anything Goes + Twist=Mixed Media (must be a member) Thanks again and as always . . .

Joan Dumouchel

I had a handful of favorite artists at Houston’s Bayou City Art Festival this year. Joan Rasmussen was one of them. She creates sculptures out of found objects by adding correctly proportio…