Challenge #99 - The Crown Jewels

Hope that this week finds you well and contented, wherever you happen to be.

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Your Poobahs wanted to be possibly the first to tell you this, because you may not have heard.  It's been really kept kind of quiet and low key, but there is this madcap couple planning to get married, you may have heard of them...

William and KATE (I know, they want her to be Catherine, and that's all well and good but Kate sounds lovely too)

(aren't they cute together?)

Yeah, they are tying the knot.

We know, when was anyone going to tell us? 

Apparently our invites were lost in the Royal Post. 

Harumph.

So, now you know too. 

In honor of this, the Opus Gluei Poobahs hereby decree the latest theme to be

THE CROWN JEWELS

You may draw inspiration to make something in jewel-tones, with lots of lovely blingy-ness, something regarding this low profile wedding, perhaps a wedding card for someone you know (maybe even these crazy kids), a scrapbook layout about your wedding, or whatever your heart and mind take from this theme...you just have to share with all the rest of us. 

Fair's fair.

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Jana here: I decided to make a couple of postcard sized pieces. The first one is of the official guardian of the Family Jewels.

She isn't very good at her job. She keeps dropping them, unless they find their way around her neck and on her ears. But she's cute so we keep her around.

Of course you can't forget about the Princesses when speaking of Crown Jewels. I happen to have 3 princesses of my very own, AND I happen to have this adorable stamp set. Now I realize that they aren't wearing crowns, but they are princesses just the same. And quite happy about it too. (You can get more details on my blog HERE.)

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Hello!  Rosemary here and yes, all the shiny jewels have mesmerized me.  Actually, I'm transfixed to the television watching the 1,000 hours of programming this week all about the royals.  I need to free up the DVR so I can tape all the festivities to watch like an addict on Friday night after work.  Is there a 12-step program for someone like me?

I wanted to make Royal ATCs, like baseball cards for closeted Anglophiles like me.  With a cheeky sense of humor.  (Unlike Queen Victoria)

So I chose three of the best known historical British monarchs and had a bit of fun.  Forgive me for the awful and crookedy photography.  I'll never make it as a paparrazzo...thank goodness.

Queen Elizabeth I

King Henry VIII

Queen Victoria

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So, crack open a bottle of the good stuff and have a stiff drink, brew a piping hot pot of tea, make some scones, get some clotted cream and strawberries, glue yourself to telly, and drink in all the glorious pageantry and pomp of a royal wedding.  Although these kids may just get wild(er) and elope, you never know.

(Let's all just hope that between the inner workings of the monarchy and the British press that this young woman doesn't get mad into a nervous wreck with eating disorders and self esteem issues.  She seems like a nice girl and he seems a nice fella. And it doesn't hurt that they are a couple of cuties too.)

Show us your CROWN JEWELS.

Happy Easter

Have a wonderful day.

We'll be back tomorrow with a whole new challenge for you.

Challenge #98 - What's in your wallet? (AKA It's in the Bag)

This week we are asking for you to take a look inside.


Deep inside.


Your purse that is.

Take your purse, dump the contents onto your bed/table/couch,

snap a photo and then see what inspires you. 

Make something wonderful from your inspiration and share it with us!

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Jana here: I used my tote for my inspiration source. I had a template for a paper doll in there that I had printed out in January. How sad, huh?!?!

Anyway, here is the tote and its contents:

You can tell that I carry a lot of papers. I LOVE papers. Some are recipes, instructions, lists, puzzles, etc. I also usually have a magazine or two. I can't remember why the nail polish or the MM embellies are there. The tin houses my Zentangle kit. And you can see many bookmarks. I have a "thing" for them. Anyway, one of the papers was a template for a paper doll that I had been carrying around since January. It just never seemed like the right time to make her. Until now.

And here is the paper doll. Rose is her name.

I have posted more details as to the why and how on my blog HERE.

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Rosemary here and this the outside of my purse and the insides (not much fits in there - some aspirin, wallet, work id, brush, allergy meds, lip balm, and an old school calendar/planner plus pens)

The contents do not so much inspire me as convince me I'm a spring hypochondriac (LOL)

However, undaunted, I was inspired me to make the following:

First, since Easter is around the corner and my sister and I are both trying to moderate our candy intake, I thought it would be nicer to give her a gift card in a pretty purse box instead of lots of chocolate.  I can still put a little egg into the smaller purse.  The purse shape is not unlike my real life purse (including the handles) and I took the tag motif from the D&B bag to make a tag for both cardstock purses

My second project is a card for a friend that has a 3-D shopping bag on the front.  The inspiration for this is from the blue and leather (which has an orange-ish tinge to it) and the logo design on the bag (think embossing)

My card carries through these colors and the 3-D bag with a tag is again drawn from my purse

More info is available (papers used, etc.) on my blog

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So, now it is up to you to take a look at your bag, inside and out and get inspired!

Spring Break and a Make-Up

Hello there faithful Groupei's and Newbies -

This week we are taking a SPRING BREAK. We have both had some family issues come up and rather than stress ourselves out, we decided to offer up a chance for you to MAKE-UP any of the older challenges that you may have missed out on, missed the deadline, or just plain didn't have time to do.

And we are offering Double Credit for those assignments which you complete this week. If you HAVE done all the challenges, you can get Quadruple Credit by doing another challenge again. (The credit doesn't really count for anything, but it does sound rather rewarding, don't you think. LOL)

And just so you have a little bit of eye candy, here are some of the entries from our April 11th challenge of last year. (See we don't just forget about all of your hard work. We LOVE everything you have ever submitted to our humble little challenge blog.)

Digital layout that cracks us up everytime we look at it. A classic for sure.

Electra

A beautiful card. We love the elegant simplicity here.

Chat Noir

Adorable felt birds. Who would not smile at these!

Deb

A gorgeous photograph and a lovely poem.

Divya

These are but a few of the wonderful entries we have received. It's a wonderful mix of media and talent. We adore each and every one. And hope that these will help to inspire you too.

So, this week, go ahead and MAKE-UP a challenge, create your own challenge, or just take a SPRING BREAK.

We'll be back next week with another NEW challenge for you.

Challenge #97 - Find your Zen

We've been playing with zentangles; an easy, addictive, and fun way of combining a love of doodling with getting into the zone/zen moment of almost meditative contemplation.  

Aren't we often there already?  Perhaps not with dooding...but art, whether with paper and pen, glue, stamps, ink, glitter, and frippery, etc. has the ability to soothe and take us outside of ourselves as well.  The cares and stresses of the day soothed with artistic expression.

This week, we are showing our Zentangles (and we highly encourage you to play along), we want you to share your zentangles.  You don't have to be perfect. Lord knows we aren't. Just doodle. Get a pen and make an ATC, or an inchie, or a bookmark. OR just decorate the notepad next to your phone. It's very relaxing. Yours won't be like ours. Heck, ours aren't like ours.

While there are websites that have pretty good directions on what to do, the best thing to do, is just start doodling.

Who knows, you might just become addicted. Like we did.

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Rosemary here and who knew doodling could be so fun?

I've been filling a small watercolor journal with at least one zentangle a day.  My little book and pens reside in my purse where they help me pass the time; at the doctor's office, waiting at the store, or sitting around at lunchtime.

Like this - I think there is supposed to be rules on size and shape but I apparently don't follow them, I like filling in lots of shapes.  Hands, circles, squares, loop de loops....

I cut up a couple of my zentangle pages to cover a chipboard box I painted with a glossy black acrylic. 

Top

Bottom

Side view

Here's a couple of ATCs, one on white cardstock and the other two on the watercolor paper. 

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JANA HERE:  I made some ATC's that I really like. I do like the way they look, but more than that, I like the way I am relaxed while and after I am doodling. It's a time in which your mind doesn't worry about anything. Just doodling. Anyway, I had a couple of frames lying around that were supposed to be for another project, so I framed my amateur Zentangles.

They reside in our family room. It was hubby's idea. He even hung them up.
He must think they're pretty cool too.

I also just sent off a couple of ATC's and a bookmark for a swap I was in over at Swap-Bot.

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Now it's your turn.

Grab a pen and a piece of paper, AND start doodling.

And don't forget to show us what you did...