Challenge #173 - Leftovers

Everyone has left overs....whether they're things in the pantry, or the bits you just cant throw away because they'll come in handy!!  And they're SO handy that they stay as left-overs for the rest of their life...UNTIL TODAY.

Chat Noir here.....and I was going to really give my work bench a spring clean, but the kitchen needed it more.  I just had to do something to get my frig back from the Christmas bits and pieces, so I threw caution to the winds, ignored the scorching heat outside (this is Australia in the summer after all), and decided to turn the unused kilo of cherries into jam.

Here's the before....

...and I even got to use my very expensive but oh-so-wonderful new tool - a cherry stone remover!  And here's the after....

 
Pop over to my blog to find the recipe if you're interested.  Its easy and delicious (I know because I licked the spoon, and I think I'm having cherry jam on toast for tea).  This is one left over I'm glad I used up!!
 

mmmm.....

Deena Here:  I went more for the crafty leftovers, as we have been away on a wonderful vacation and I needed a birthday card right when we got home...this is what I came up with:

Electra here. 

I was going to make something from the leftovers in my fridge, but there aren't any, since I've been away from home for over a week.

So I decided to show you my leftover man...

I think he personifies the spirit of leftovers, don't you?

His name is Darryl.  

He has another brother Darryl, but he couldn't make in time for press.

What can I say?

I don't get out enough.

Obviously.

You have until the end of Saturday 11 January  to join in with your fabulous creation. Add your blog post address to Mr Linky below.

 

If you would like to join in with a previous challenge we've set (life happens and lateness is absolutely fine, we don't mind a bit) just add your blog post address to Mr Linky below. Please make sure your blog post refers to the previous challenge you are entering so we don't get confused.  

We look forward to visiting you! This is a Blog Hop!!!

Challenge #172 - Circles Circles Everywhere!

Use circles, but don't get dizzy!
Deena here:  I have been running in circles trying to get to this project...right now we are hopefully sunning ourselves in Tropical Hawaii...as long as there were no typhoons or hurricanes or tsunamis or sinking cruise ships....if there have been, please disregard this happy message :)  (what happens when you write stuff in the future and all)...I had a card kit that I just had to use up before we left and this is what I came up with:

Jana here: I decided that we need another ornament for our tree. Bwahahahaha. If you know me at all, you know that we could easily dress 3 or 4 trees for Christmas every year with all the ornaments we have. Anyhow, I did notice that we don't have many ball ornaments. So I made one. It's from a little kit I got with a quilting magazine. I changed it up a bit. Because that's what I tend to do. Can't follow a recipe to save my life. 

Chat Noir here...  I've wanted to make these paper pom-poms for ages but I always forget when I get home from wherever it is that I've seen them (and muttered under my breath that I could do that).  Deena's challenge gave me just the chance....and they really are easy.

All you need is a circle punch, doesn't matter what size, and some ribbon to match whatever card stock you choose. I made two with 5 circles, but the orange one has 7, and looks better I think.  More details on my blog.  Why not make them in Christmas colours and add them to your tree??

Electra here.


I completely forgot about our new challenge and so had to quickly put something together.  I told myself, I could only use circles.  I almost achieved my goal.

To be totally honest, I'm wishing Jana would come and decorate MY tree.
Since we will not be posting again before Christmas, please accept our heartfelt wishes for a Happy, Joyous holiday season for you all, no matter what you are celebrating!
Or even if it's just another day in Paradise for you!!
Merry Christmas!

You have until the end of Saturday 28 December  to join in with your fabulous creation. Add your blog post address to Mr Linky below.

 

If you would like to join in with a previous challenge we've set (life happens and lateness is absolutely fine, we don't mind a bit) just add your blog post address to Mr Linky below. Please make sure your blog post refers to the previous challenge you are entering so we don't get confused.  

We look forward to visiting you! This is a Blog Hop!!!

Challenge #171 - Brrrrring it on!

Brrrrrrring it on. 

Snow, ice, blizzards, polar bears, penguins... 

Winter is upon us. Let's see your chilly works. 

Jana here and boy, oh, boy has it been chillier than normal here. Too cold for me. I like warm weather. Give me a sunny beach and flip-flops any day. I am challenging you all to Brrrrrring on the chill in art form. 

I want you all to take a second and steady yourselves. I actually worked with paper and glue this time. I gathered my snowflake punches (2) and my Christmas scrapbook paper. I pulled out a frame that I was saving for the perfect project and a piece of kraft cardstock. Then I went to town punching and arranging and gluing. 

I love how it turned out.

Chat Noir here.........Oh what a challenge this is for me here on the other side of the world.  In Australia today there's probably every sort of weather imaginable, but in Melbourne its the first day of summer and we're celebrating with a 30 degree Celsius day, with more to follow.  



 However, I can embrace my inner winter.....I love winter nights best of all: clear skies, a very big chill in the air, glittering stars.....  I made some ATCs to go along with that mood....

...and I have to admit to being just a little bit contrary and photographing them against the background of sun and water at my favourite beach, just because its a beach sort of day today.

Electra  here

It's not cold here today.
But it was cold here yesterday.
And it will likely be cold here again sometime this week.
What can I say.  We dress in layers in Canada.

Rosemary here and I am sharing my art journal page.  I used Gelatos in blue and white (and it photographs smudgy and all but in person it looks like watercolors, odd) and cut and colored snowdrifts and then punched and jazzed up snowflakes.  The wording talks about how I don't hate winter, I see it as a time of regeneration ready to burst forth in spring - and this year more than others, I really do feel like I'm also undergoing something like that in myself.

Deena here:...not sure where my post went, but now it is back...just loving these projects...reminds me of here....I made a cozier type card to try and ward off the winter chills... (but really I am just looking forward to our cruise to Hawaii this week, where I will truly escape the cold for the first time ever)...giddy with excitement!

You have until the end of Saturday 14 December  to join in with your fabulous creation. Add your blog post address to Mr Linky below.

 

If you would like to join in with a previous challenge we've set (life happens and lateness is absolutely fine, we don't mind a bit) just add your blog post address to Mr Linky below. Please make sure your blog post refers to the previous challenge you are entering so we don't get confused.  

We look forward to visiting you! This is a Blog Hop!!!

Challenge # 170 - Shopping

Electra here.  Only 39 days left until Christmas.  

Have you finished your shopping yet?

Or do you shop?

Maybe you don't even celebrate Christmas?

But I'll bet you shop.

If just for food.

And clothes.

And maybe the odd DVD.  lol

Our theme for Challenge #170 is

SHOPPING

There are oodles of interpretations of this theme, doncha know.

Christmas.

Birthday (gifts)

A gift card holder

Gift tags

Heck, you can even give us your grocery list. (as long as it's artsy)

This will get you in the mood:

 

I was wandering around the 'Net

("blurfing", we call it in Opusville) 
and I was inspired to create this LO for no particular reason at all...

(Check out the ad in the lower left, it's a riot!)
Credits can be found on My Blog

Let's see what the other Poobahs have been up to... 
Deena here:  we spent the whole evening on Saturday shopping at our mall (there was an after hours fundraiser and we shopped along with thousands of other people to get a jump on the Christmas season...but didn't buy much as it was just too crazy busy)...but just thinking about Christmas brought this card to mind:

so I made a dozen of them....

Rosemary here and I admit that I am pretty good about picking things up along the entire year that I think would make good presents.  But my nieces and nephews are getting to the age where they don't want me to buy something - they want a gift card.

So, I made a Christmas card with a special stocking inside that holds a gift card treat! 

It isn't as much fun as wrapping a toy but does jazz it up a bit! 

You have until the end of Saturday 16 November to join in with your fabulous creation. Add your blog post address to Mr Linky below.

 

If you would like to join in with a previous challenge we've set (life happens and lateness is absolutely fine, we don't mind a bit) just add your blog post address to Mr Linky below. Please make sure your blog post refers to the previous challenge you are entering so we don't get confused.  

We look forward to visiting you! This is a Blog Hop!!!

  

Challenge # 169 - Thank you, Thank you very much

Rosemary here and I would like to introduce our latest theme

In the United States we are ever closer to Thanksgiving,

our friends in Canada celebrate in October, and most nations have some form of a day
to give thanks -  a time for being grateful for the blessings in our lives and to,

as the holiday's title suggests - give thanks. 

With the idea of thanks in mind, I would like you to take on our new challenge

Thank you, Thank you very much

(and thank you, Elvis, for this)

Create using gratitude, thanks, appreciation as part of your creation.  Thank you gift, cards, collage, etc.  Allow your creativity to be set free.

Let's see what the Poobahs are up to!


I am hosting Thanksgiving again this year and we will have a new guest at the table - my darling Dalton (great nephew extraordinaire) and I thought it would be fun to make turkey placecard holders that would not only have a guest's name but also a reason why I (we) treasure them and give thanks for them. 

Pinterest to the rescue, and Tim Holtz demonstrates...

With placecard and sans placecard

If you didn't want to make placecards with them, you could just have them around your centerpiece or atop a folded napkin on the plate.

I am also doing Thirty Days of Thankfulness over at my blog throughout November.

Electra  here.
I was thinking about making a card, but then I was also thinking about how wonderful my life is.
The LO won.

My grandson, the people with whom I work, my daughter and SIL, and my artsy friends.  (In this case,my crazy Art Journalling buddies up north)
Wonderful.  My life.

Deena here:

I made this card for one of the Chickies here on the Opus Gluei blog and it should arrive in the mail some time this week filled with little inchies...hoping they like it!  Tried to give it some Canadian touch with the maple leaf and played around with some different inks to get the effect. (Jana - it won't be for you...yours will have something to do with a cast... :(

You have until the end of Saturday 16 November to join in with your fabulous creation. Add your blog post address to Mr Linky below.

 

If you would like to join in with a previous challenge we've set (life happens and lateness is absolutely fine, we don't mind a bit) just add your blog post address to Mr Linky below. Please make sure your blog post refers to the previous challenge you are entering so we don't get confused.  

We look forward to visiting you! This is a Blog Hop!!!

Challenge # 168 - Something for the man in your life

Chat Noir here.....This is the time of year I have to rack my brains, thinking of things for the men in my life, and it would have been my husband's 60th on October 21 so it made me think of what I'd be making for him too.  This tag is what I came up with

Each drawer is named for something special in his life, his family, his cars, his football team and his school amongst others.........and of course his favourite movie, apart from The Blues Brothers.  See more details on my blog.

Take this opportunity to make something without the frills and flowers just this once........for the man in your life.

Electra here.  There is no man in my life.  Poor me.  (lol) Except for my little 18 mos grandson.  And I couldn't think of what to make for him, he'll just eat it.  Even if it's paper.  He'll eat it.  So...........
I tried to think what I would make if I had some kind of a sweeite waiting at home for me after a long hard day at work.

 

What can I say?  It's been a long time.

Credits are on my blog.

Rosemary here and I think men actually like color, not frills per se but color.  I've been making cards for Operation Write Home and most of them tend to look appropriate for kids or female adult recipients. But what about women serving in the Armed Forces who want to correspond with their male partners?  Hmmmm....so, with that in mind, I humbly submit two rather colorful but I think male-appropriate cards.

There is a manly plaid but a pop of color and texture (corduroy buttons).  CAS sort of...




and with this one - well, I had this awesome holographic cardstock and I thought - well, a birthday is festive and the circles just made it seem clean and modern and masculine to me.  I hope you think so.  The bling?  Well, confetti and firework-ey!  I ran it past my husband and he liked it (so with a control group of one, I'm good with it)

Deena Here: 


This is my most masculine attempt at a Christmas card...I am trying to get them done and mailed by around November 01 so I can include my new address before other people mail theirs out....it's not like we moved 6 months ago or anything...oh I am so bad when it comes to mailing things out...so Merry Christmas Deer it is...you can take it literal or not...however you like it!

You have until the end of Saturday 2 November to join in with your fabulous creation. Add your blog post address to Mr Linky below.

If you would like to join in with a previous challenge we've set (life happens and lateness is absolutely fine, we don't mind a bit) just add your blog post address to Mr Linky below. Please make sure your blog post refers to the previous challenge you are entering so we don't get confused.  

We look forward to visiting you! This is a Blog Hop!!!

Challenge # 167 - Halloween Apple

The lovely Deena has challenged us to use a fruit of the Autumn Harvest in our creations this time around. Pumpkins, apples, gourds, etc. are all fair game. I'm thinking you should probably have a glass of wine to get the proper mood going. After all grapes are an Autumn harvest too. 

Deena here:  my interpretation is with some pumpkins as our Thanksgiving holiday is next weekend...mmm turkey and stuffing and all the works...and a day off work is always great too!

Jana here: I interpreted Deena's theme using an embroidery piece I made a couple years back. I stitched it up and loved the way it looked in the oval hoop. I just didn't feel like it was finished. Until a few weeks ago. I started seeing these adorable crocheted hoops on Instagram. A proverbial light bulb went on in my head, and I KNEW. So I pulled out my little embroidery and crocheted the hoop into a perfect frame.

Rosemary here and my interpretation of our theme prompted me to go autumnal rather than Halloween and make a gatefold card with a cornucopia/horn of plenty with pomegranates, apples, grapes, and pumpkins.  Love all the rich colors of Fall, don't you?

You have until the end of Saturday 19 October to join in with your fabulous creation. Add your blog post address to Mr Linky below.

If you would like to join in with a previous challenge we've set (life happens and lateness is absolutely fine, we don't mind a bit) just add your blog post address to Mr Linky below. Please make sure your blog post refers to the previous challenge you are entering so we don't get confused.  

We look forward to visiting you! This is a Blog Hop!!!

Challenge #166 - BOO!!!

Ghoulies and Ghosties, Long Leggity Beasties, things that go Bump in the night...

Think Halloween, show us your ghost, goblins and ghouls. Your vampires, werewolves and zombies are all welcome here. The Bewitching Hour is close, so lets get into the 'spirit' of things and have some fun.

Jana here: I just knew I had the PERFECT project for this challenge. A cross stitch project in the form of a stitch along. (You know, where you are to stitch a certain amount along with everyone else and finish at the same time and then oooh and aaah over how well you've all done.) Well, it turns out that I miscalculated the time frame involved, so the piece is not quite done. There is one more week in the stitch along. SIGH. 

Anyhow, here's what I have done so far:

H is for Haunted House

A is for Apparition

L is for Lightening

L is for Lollipops

O is for Owls

W is for Witch

I'll get the 'EEN' on Monday. I'll post the finished piece on my blog when it's done. Hopefully not too much after the end of next week.

Now let's see what the other talented Poobah's have conjured up...

Electra   I have not participated in a stitch along.  I do not even know what a stitch along is.  One the other hand, I do know what ATC's are, and so that's what I made for Jana's Bootalicious theme this month.

I adore Halloween.  In fact, I hold my breath (figuratively speaking, of course) for months until we crawl closer to October.  If I held my breath REALLY, I would turn blue.  Or orange.  Or maybe I would be a real zombie.  Ahh, the places I could go.

Chat Noir here........and look at that Elextra, using my very favourite black cat!!   

We dont celebrate Halloween in Australia, except where there are lots of US expats in the street!!  But that doesn't stop the supermarkets filling the aisles with spiders and pumpkins and witches hats and broomsticks.  It always makes me think of Hocus Pocus, which is one of my very favourite movies, so here's my version from the lighter end of the dark side......

Rosemary here and I'm loving all the Poobah magic I'm seeing here.  My contribution to the things that go bump in the night is a little Halloween cross-stitch.  His name is Cinder and he a scaredy cat!   Love the retro feel of this pattern.  very easy to stitch up in just a couple of evenings.

Deena here: Time is flying by so fast that I can't even believe Hallowe'en is just around the corner!  I am making these little take out boxes for all the trick-or-treaters in the neighbourhood...I have about 198 more to go, but they will have to wait a bit to get finished...these two are just the prototypes...and then to fill them all up with candy...mmmm.

*****

Now it's your turn to show off your creations.

You have until the end of Saturday 5 October to join in with your fabulous creation. Add your blog post address to Mr Linky below.

If you would like to join in with a previous challenge we've set (life happens and lateness is absolutely fine, we don't mind a bit) just add your blog post address to Mr Linky below. Please make sure your blog post refers to the previous challenge you are entering so we don't get confused.  

We look forward to visiting you! This is a Blog Hop!

 

Challenge #165 - Cityscape

Electra here.  I love the city but I live in the country.  The city where I work is just over a million people and I know to many, that's just a village, but to me, although it's vibrant and full of exciting things to do, the traffic makes me want to poke my eyes out with a stick every time I go there.
So I created a couple of pieces, one which shows the chaos I feel inside when I am trapped in a line of cars as far as the eye can see, and the other which shows how I can rise over it and enjoy the view.  If you look closely you will see it's the same city.  It all depends on my mood.  lol

We are inviting you to create something which shows us a city you love, tells us now you feel about the city, compares the city to the country...anything that even remotely has something to do with the City Theme.

Rosemary here and I was so excited about this challenge, because I have a border punch of a city skyline! So, I made inchies and ATCs using it.  The fun thing is that I used this sparkling black cardstock and when you hit it with Glossy Accents, whoosh - the skyline looks like the buildings have lights in them.  You might not be able to read it but besides Bright Lights Big City I also used the Oscar Wilde quote about All of us are in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars...

and Chat Noir here,  just posting you a taste of my home town.  You need to hop over to my blog to see the rest of the photographs.  I took a series of pictures from the city centre out to my favourite places.  I couldn't think what to do with them so the most creative thing I've done is SHARE them!!

Bolte Bridge heading out of town

City laneway florist & chocolate shop



Blairgowrie beach at dusk.

Deena here:  I finally got a chance to put this cityscape die to some paper and love the scrap of starry night I had a chance to use for the background....after this challenge I will finally get to start creating in my brand spanking new craft room and I am sooooooooooooooo excited....I can't wait!

You have until the end of Saturday 21 September to join in with your fabulous creation. Add your blog post address to Mr Linky below.

If you would like to join in with a previous challenge we've set (life happens and lateness is absolutely fine, we don't mind a bit) just add your blog post address to Mr Linky below. Please make sure your blog post refers to the previous challenge you are entering so we don't get confused.  

We look forward to visiting you! This is a Blog Hop!

Challenge #164 - Dive Deep

Dive deep. Go to the bottom of the ocean and show up what you find.

I am asking for your sea monsters, mermaids, sharks, octopus, whales, seahorses, sea shells, well, you get the idea. 


Jana here and I found this little guy just lurking in the depths of my sewing basket. 

If she strikes your fancy, and you can thread a needle, she's very easy, and quick, to make. The directions are super easy. You can find the free pattern HERE.

Chat Noir here:  I got a little carried away with the idea of ATCs and created some little underwater scenes - a turtle at home, a merman feeding his pet fish, and the treasure chest I would love to find (if only I could swim and knew where to look).

More info on my blog, but I think you get the general idea........


Electra here
Of course mine is digital.  I seem to be stuck on that mendium right now.  Not sure that will ever change, but I'm ok with that...

You can find all the deets on my blog!


Rosemary here and late to the party but I had to get my mermaid finished and pretty enough to share.  Here she is, a vision under the waves with her pet seahorse...
How she came to be and a close up of her can be found at my personal blog.

So dive DEEP into those supplies you have

and show us YOUR creation!

You inspire us with your creativity and interpretation of our challenge themes!

You have until the end of Saturday 7 September to join in with your fabulous creation. Add your blog post address to Mr Linky below.

If you would like to join in with a previous challenge we've set (life happens and lateness is absolutely fine, we don't mind a bit) just add your blog post address to Mr Linky below. Please make sure your blog post refers to the previous challenge you are entering so we don't get confused.  

We look forward to visiting you! This is a Blog Hop!