Challenge #88 - Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner

Okay, just looking at that title you are probably thinking - uh oh, their meds ran out, the liquor cabinet is empty, and the Poobahs have lost it entirely this time. 

Nope, your Poobahs require neither prescribed nor grain or vine inducement to be silly. 

It comes naturally to us, c'mon, you must know THAT from reading our posts!

This week we are asking you to use a chicken in your project.  Yes, a chicken.  One of those things that rushes about talking about falling skies, a fluffy creature who likes nothing more than being broody and clucking about pecking up feed.  Your creation can be just about anything - a blog post about your favorite chicken dish (oops, we'll have to cover dear Chicky's ears for that), a Spring or Easter card (no time like Winter to start thinking springtime), comic, retro, vintage, clean and simple, etc. etc. 

You know us, we're oddball, funky, and don't mind stretching the idea of a challenge.

But you are probably also saying to yourself - hey, what's with part about

WINNER WINNER? 

You got us there, dear Groupei, we are having a giveaway. 
A wonderful giveaway for our faithful. 
You can win something big or small, because there will be bunches of prizes to spread around. 
Because really, just one prize wouldn't be enough for the Poobahs! 
We're going to be giving lots of goodies away. 

All you have to do is become a follower to this challenge blog 
AND
then enter a project into this week's challenge.

That's pretty simple and we'll make the winner winners smile with goodies from the Poobahs!

***Okay, now what inspired US this week?***

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Rosemary here and I decided to make a cheery little chick to send out to a friend who's been going through a tough time with her teenage daughter's health.  I think a little something cheerful might brighten her day and remind her that she's got friends who love and care about her.

The card is 5x5 and has a sweet chick cut from the Cricut Create a Critter cartridge, a little patterned paper, a Threading Water punch border, and some pretty ribbon all tied up in a bow!

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Jana here: I made a recipe card. I have been slowly (very slowly) making 4x6 recipe cards for a 7 gypsies photo stand that I have decided will be my recipe holder. It holds the recipe's up high, they are covered in plastic and they can easily be flipped. I love it.

I picked this recipe to pay a little tribute to Chinese New Year. My recipe is adapted from Jennie Low's in her cookbook "Chopsticks, Cleaver and Wok". I used to live in a little town in Northern California where she had a restaurant. It's closed now and I don't live there any longer. I miss them both.

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Now it's your turn to get clucking!





Challenge #87 - Key to My Heart

YUP, corny as the title is, we are asking for the

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Key to your Heart.

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Use keys or hearts, or something you (heart) in your project this week. 
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Because we're corny, and mushy and sentimental even when we're being cheeky.

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Rosemary here - I love Valentine's Day and I have always loved it - even when I didn't have a Valentine or the prospect of one in the near future.  Why, you ask?  There is always a need for more love and affection in the world.  If you knew me in person, you'd know that I'm kind of exuberant and affectionate to those I care about (think of a big blonde Tigger) and so the idea of expressing my affection in a little gift and card is not a big stretch for me.  (I know, you're still picturing Tigger with a blonde wig on, I'll give you a moment to laugh at me - I'm actually quite fine with that!)

Okay, my projects are multiple.  I had a wonderful crafty and creative day with Casii and Kim entitled "My Funny Valentine" and we each brought a project to share and make together.  (please note up front that I'm not posting Casii's because I want her to participate in this theme and she deserves HUGE hugs and kudos for beautiful projects)

Now, onto the photos!

This was my project - I'm nothing if not the type to become OBSESSED with a particular craft and when it isn't banners it is now matchboxes (HUGE ones - go big or don't go at all)

My True Love couple is clip art inserted into a 5" matchbox (Cricut cut) with a Cuttlebug embossed background, little punched hearts glued and hung like dancehall decorations, rubons, a doily, and some sweet little ribbon flowers.  A ribbon was inserted on the box to allow for hanging on a wreath or garland.  (maybe with a banner....oooohhhh, a banner...)

This is a clean and simple (okay, as CAS as I can get) Valentine I made this morning for MY sweetheart.

Kim demonstrated and taught us how to make this beautiful card - the blossoms on the wire branch were easy but I think they add such a pretty accent!

This beautiful card (my lousy photography doesn't do it justice) was also taught to us by Kim and it came out so pretty!

I can't wait for Casii to post hers in the link below because they were gorgeous and fun to make - very vintage and very wonderful!

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Jana here: My first thought was Valentines. But, if you know me at all, you know that Valentines is one of those holidays that doesn't exactly "speak" to me. So, I found this birdhouse on a trip to one of those national craft stores. I knew right away what I was going to do with it. Paint it. I have been wanting to make something in the style of the Crafty Chica, and this was it.

I used the wooden birdhouse, acrylic paints, gel medium and glitter. My first thought was to paint all of the basic shapes and then use a Sharpie or paint pen to draw the details. But when I started painting, I decided to give paint a try. I'm glad I did. 

The glitter isn't what I had envisioned, but I think this works.

I'm happy with my little Crafty Chica style birdhouse.

I have a couple more pictures and a little more detail about how I did this on my blog HERE.

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Okay, now here's the part where you add YOUR project for the week:



Challenge #86 - Make a Scene

Hello, this week we want you to MAKE A SCENE.

Not the argue loudly with your boyfriend in the middle of a restaurant scene. We want you to MAKE A SCENE in your art project.

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Rosemary here - At first I was going to make a collage but then realized I wanted to do something more dimensional sooooo....

The scene I made is a 4" matchbox made with my Cricut using Bags, Tags, and More cartridge.  My little guy is sitting in his nursery enjoying a snack while kitty plays with a yarn ball at his feet!

Actually, I found that cutting the matchbox "lid" (the piece with the window) out at 4-1/4" while the sliding part was cut at 4" allowed for more ease in adjusting.

The other details are: 

• a wee piece of DCWV Nana's Nursery - Boy was used as wallpaper,
• Count Your Blessings is Mary Engelbreit chipboard from one of those Michael's $1 boxes of chipboard,
• the little fella was a piece of free vintage clip art that I adhered to cardstock and fussy cut, (when he was glued at the base it seemed flimsy and so I also added a little bit of cardstock on the back of the image for stability)
• the kitten is a K&Co chipboard piece from a long ago box of vintage looking chipboard,
• and the yarn ball is a little red pompom,
• a piece of plastic to cover the window,
• buttons from the bottomless pit of buttons I have,
• and a hint o' baby blue Stickles.
  

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  Jana here: This week I MADE A SCENE in my art journal. It's a work in progress. I still have to add shading. And journaling, of course, but, I want to "feel it" when I work on my art journal, so I don't want to force it. I might finish it today. Or tomorrow. Or the next. I don't know when. But it will happen.
  
  
  Imagination Knight

  
  

  

  
  

  
  

  I wrote a little bit more about how I got to this SCENE on my blog HERE. If you're interested.

  
  

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  Now get out there and MAKE A SCENE.
  
  (As always, it's a blog hop, so you are welcome to add the code to your post.)
  
  

  
  

Challenge #85 - Needing a Tropical Getaway

Here in North America we're having real blasts of winter and the occasional blip of warm weather thrown in just to taunt us. 

So, we felt the need for a tropical theme and without further ado - the challenge this week is to be inspired by TROPICAL colors, ideas, etc. 

(I am cracking myself up imagining this is like Iron Chef on the Food Network and I'm unveling the secret ingredients)

CUE THE DRAMATIC MUSIC

TROPICAL

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Rosemary here and I had a completely different project originally in mind for this theme - we like to plan ahead - and then the opportunity came up to help my friend Janet with preparations for her daugher's 5th birthday.  Most little girls are into Dora or My Pretty Pony, pink, purple, and glitter.  But no, Joy is very into the ocean and wanted a beach party...in January...in Maryland. 

So, here we go - the Cricut was smoking to crank out invitations and a party banner (yeah, I know, another party banner - I really like making them...hee hee)

Since they are little kids I stuck with bright happy colors and motifs.  A bit of bling and a ribbony/netting that I think adds a cute touch (the white on the invitations is supposed to suggest snow)

If you want some specifics, stop by my island hut over at freeadvicewortheverypenny.blogspot.com.

Aloha

Jana will be posting arty goodness a little later

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So, crank up the furnace (if necessary), get out the blender and whip up a tropical drink with an umbrella in it and be inspired to create something TROPICAL with us!

Challenge #84 - It's a New Year, Baby

It's a NEW YEAR, BABY.

So show us what's NEW, or something to do with a YEAR, or something to do with a BABY. You know us, we aren't too demanding. Those are the only rules for this week.

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Rosemary here:

Best wishes to you and yours for a wonderful, happy and healthy 2011!


It was so wonderful to see all the creations from each of you during the end of December - I still have several to visit and I apologize for the delay.


My project for this theme is going to focus on BABY -  namely, the beautiful baby girl that my friend had back at the end of last year.  I used DCWV Nana's Nursery (the pink pack), Martha Stewart glittering glue and white glitter, Recollections pearls, button from my stash, and the Cricut Wild Card cartridge.    The envelope cuts a pretty scallop at the flap but it needed a little zing so I added pearls (and yes, this one will be hand delivered, I don't want to end up on the Postal Service naughty list)

 

The card was cut at 4-1/2" and it's a great cartridge for all the unique designs it has and because you can cut every element (envelope, frame, liners, and icons) from it, making it virtually foolproof.  (yes, I'm the one they test foolproof on, lol)

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Jana here:

Happy New Year to you and yours.

Wishing that this year brings you more happiness and creativity.

I always have a pen and a little notebook in my purse. This year I decided to decorate my own Moleskin. I love those little notebooks, and thought that I would try one out.

 

I used 6 different stamps (and one alphabet set) and as many different colors of ink. Then I used watercolor crayons and a waterbrush (???) to add some much needed color. When I was done, I used workable fixative to seal it all in. I really like the way it ended up. With the exception of the smudged script stamps. But I can live with it. I experimented on the back with blue distress ink. Don't like that at all.  

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Now show us what's NEW, or something YEAR-ish, or something to do with a BABY that you've created. And just to throw a little wrench into this challenge, we'd like it to be a NEW project. Usually we don't care, but since the theme is NEW YEARS, BABY, well, you know....