September/October [be inspired] challenge by Unity

I really love the challenges that are hosted and sponsored by Unity Stamp Co.  The way that people use the stamps often blows my mind.  Unfortunately, I usually don't get a chance to play along myself, but this month I had a whole morning to myself and decided to treat myself to hours of creating!!!!  

In fact, I decided to use both the card sketch and the layout sketch. If you want to play along, you can find the sketches, along with a colour challenge here. 

For the card, I used the Phyllis Harris set called GO TO your HAPPY Place.  It's so great ... all three sentiments make me happy, so just getting to play with them brought me to a very happy place!  

  

For the layout, I used a couple of stamps.  I created the patterned paper behind the photo using Christy Tomlinson's cooped up notes.  Then, I used the Give Thanks set created by Joslyn Nielson.  I've used this set a lot since I got it.  The images are just perfect for autumn projects.  Add some distress paint, water, a spray bottle and some old lace and voila ... 

Thanks for looking.
~ Esther T.

Welcome in our Home

This month's challenge from Tracy Weinzapfel's Mixed Media Monday group was to represent what we allow into our homes.  I am very cautious about what and who I grant access to my residence ... it's where I keep my treasures, namely my family!  While there are things that I refuse to allow, I prefer to concentrate on what is permitted ... that way the space is filled and there is no room for the negative.  

I have faith at the top, because it is of utmost importance in our lives.  If I could have figured out haw to add a basement, I might have put it there as symbolic of being the foundation of our family.  

The rest of the things that fill our home are in no particular order.  I grew up in a family that believed in telling each other that each was (and still is) loved.  We've continued that in our home, and I am so happy that my children live with the confidence that is instilled by knowing that they are loved unconditionally!  

I could go on and on, but it's late and as usual I've left this post till the last minute.  

Thanks ...
~Esther

August 2013 MMM Challenge ... Let It Go

This post has been a while in the making ... I did the art work weeks ago, but forgot about sharing it all!  

This was made for the Mixed Media Monday group run by Tracy Weinzapfel.  The requirements are that it contain a favourite quote, and the 'letting it go' part is that it was to take 90 minutes or less.  No over-thinking!  It was a lot of fun, including the interruptions from my munchkins who wanted to paint with me.  

I chose a quote from Mother Theresa that says, "Do small things with great love.".  It's something I try to live by, and think that if it took hold, it could change the world.  

This month's challenge is being sponsored by Viewtainer.  I have three of these containers and I love them!  It is so sweet and generous of them to offer a prize!

~  Esther 

The Book Of Tea - July Challenge

I was thrilled by this month's challenge.  The journal page that Tracy created with the teapot and cup has been one of my favourite's and this was just the impetus I needed to haul out the art supplies.  (I keep some of my stuff out of reach or my daughter would use it all up ... she's a prolific artist at 7 years old and keeps my refrigerator looking quite splendid indeed!)  

Because I knew that this month would be crazy busy with two weeks of Vacation Bible School, a trip to New Brunswick and other summer activities, I decided to get creative right away.  Unfortunately, I procrastinated about doing the actual blog post and my laptop decided that it needed a visit to the repair shop and took my camera card along with it.  LOL  So, here I am using my hubby's laptop, my son's SD card has been formatted for my camera and I'm good to go.  I guess I just need the incentive of an 11th hour deadline to get my butt in gear!

This is the photo of the journal page that made me so happy.

In a world of coffee drinkers, I am a lover of tea.  Hot, iced, chai, sweet, black, green ... you get the idea.  I love waking up in the morning knowing that my husband has a freshly steeped pot of tea waiting for me!  I cut a teapot and teacup from my "Once Upon a Princess" cricut cartridge to use as a stencil and went from there.

I used a butterfly stencil cut from the "Paper Lace 2" cartridge for the background and played with polka dots for the dishware.  

The quote by Kakuzo Okakura is one that I found on the internet and I loved it!  Did you know that someone wrote "The Book Of Tea"?  I'm totally intrigued, and will be looking for a copy!

There is a sponsor for this challenge, and I don't want to forget to thank them.  It's May Arts ... a ribbon company that has beautiful products.  

Thanks for looking at my pictures.  I'll try to be a better blogger!

Five Words - April Dare

The April dare from Tracy Weinzapfel Studios was to come up with five words describing what your life means.  They are to be words that represent how I want to be remembered.  I wanted to use words that describe how I see myself; how I hope people see me.  

I started the journal page by writing on the blank page with my Versamarker, and using it with my Crafter's Workshop template "Dots all Around".  They, by the way, are one of the sponsors for this month's challenge!  I then embossed what I'd written so that it would resist the rest of what I was doing.  

The other sponsor for April is Beacon Adhesives.  I used their 3in1 Craft Glue to attach the flowers and buttons to the page.  

I have totally enjoyed seeing the words that others have chosen.  The similarities and diversities are what make this group so wonderful.

~ Esther

Dreams ... February Dare

This month's challenge  from Tracy Weinzapfel Studios Mixed Media Monday was to create something that included a life list, or a dream from that list.  At first I thought that it was going to be difficult ... after all, having a life with my husband and kids is the answer to my girlhood prayers.  I always wanted to be a wife and mother, and God has graciously given me those blessings.  

However, once I got started, it was really easy to come up with a list of 15 things that I would love to have come true during my life.  Some of them are doable in the near future and I am going to own it and work towards fulfilling those dreams.  

Anyone with a little girl is going to recognize the quote I use as coming from the Disney movie "Cinderella".  It is rare for me to hear a word or phrase and NOT think of a song, and many of those musical references are Disney.  After all, they have a lot of music on many topics and I think I've watched just about everything they've produced. (Even before I had kids of my own, truth be told!) 

I wrote the list in my own handwriting, and most of it is obscured by the stuff over top.  Some of my dreams are:
1. celebrate my 60th anniversary
2. dance at my children's weddings
3. rock my grandchildren to sleep
4. go to Scotland with Chuck (my wonderful husband)
5. pay off our mortgage
6. take piano lessons
7. visit Australia
8. enjoy a clean house very day
9. make friends with an elephant
10. meet Elizabeth Elliot 
11. go to CHA
12. learn to like gardening
13. attend Wimbledon
14. have a crafting budget
15. see the Grand Canyon

As I thought of these things, I realized that this could be just the tip of an iceberg of travel wishes and dreams for my kids.

This challenge is being sponsored by:
DecoArt (I used their line of paint that is sold in our local dollar store)
The Rubber Cafe - I haven't had a chance to use their stuff, but I've drooled over their website. 

Thanks for reading, 
Esther

Unity (be inspired) Challenge for February

Today was the perfect day to craft so Anika and I put a Barbie movie on and then got our supplies out and started to create.  

She pulled out an old calendar and started cutting out flowers and adhering them to her page.  Then she started colouring and adding her title.  Here is what she made.

I found out about the Unity challenge on Facebook.  There are three ways to play along - using colurs, a card sketch or a layout sketch.  The layout sketch appealed to me, so I decided to try some of the techniques that I learned on various Ustream classes.  I truly love my Unity stamps ... they are created for all styles of artistic expression. 

The stamps I used are: Your Wings Exist , and Cooped Up Notes.    

This is what I came up with.

 

                                                                      

I used products by the following companies ... Unity Stamp Co., K&Company, Recollections, Scrappy Cat and Prima.

Thanks for looking.  

I Love Stuck On U Sketches

It's been a while since I have done any scrapbooking, but then the other day I was reminded about one on my favourite blogs.  The StuckOnUSketches blog puts up new challenges all the time - cards, layout sketches and die cut challenges.  It was exactly what I needed.

I can't believe that this is my second blog post in one day,and since I'm not going to do three ... I'll post the card picture and the scrapbook page together.  I actually used their card sketch for two cards, but I forgot to take a picture of one of them before I gave it to my friend.  This is the second one ...

I used a beautiful Unity stamp created by Phyllis Harris.  It's called Your Wings Exist  and I'm totally in love with it.  

The scrapbook layout I made used pictures I took of my daughter over a year ago.   She is my little princess, and when I found the Fancy Nancy die cuts I knew they were perfect.  I titled the page "Oh So Fancy" since she was all dressed up and had her hair and nails done.  

She loves reading the books about her and recently found chapter books featuring her favourite fancy heroine!  She loves this page, and really that's all that matters.  You can find the sketch here. 

Thanks for having a look.
~Esther

January 2013 Creative Dare

I had to think for a while before I decided what I would like to use as my "word to live by" so to speak for 2013.  I thought about how I wanted to experience life, and decided on the word LUXURIATE!  Indulging my senses so that life is truly all it can be rather than wishing for time to go by.  I am fully aware that this can be interpreted as being selfish, but it's not how I see it.  

God has blessed me beyond measure in this life ... I have three beautiful children who deserve my attention, as well as a husband who goes above and beyond in his efforts to make my life as wonderful as possible.  

My aim this year is to cherish every moment with them, listen to their sweet voices as they tell me their stories, breathe in the yummy smell of clean kid as we cuddle after a bath, enjoy their anticipation as we get to a good place in a story.  There is so much to embrace when it comes to the people we love.  

I created a canvas with the word on it so that it is before me, reminding myself to take in each experience this year and see the truth of myself in it.  I will not apologize for crying while watching a sad movie, or laughing when my 7 year old tells a silly joke - I enjoy them and to pretend otherwise is to deny who I am.  

Tracy Weinzapfel  made a canvas with her word of the year at the first of January and challenged us to do the same.  Mine has been finished for weeks, but I finally remembered to take some photos so that I could share.    

It is so freeing to paint with no idea of what the end result is going to be.  Adding a bit of this and a little of that is so fun.  My daughter gave me a good giggle when I figured I was finished.  She is my biggest fan, and when she was checking out the canvas after I was done she looked at the modelling paste on the corner and looked horrified.   I asked her what was wrong, and she  told me that someone had scraped off parts of some of the diamonds.  When I told her that it was that way because of how I had put it on the surface she just nodded with lifted eyebrows like she was humouring me!   

Thanks for looking, and I hope you have a great 2013.
~ Esther