Challenge #217 - Star Light, Star Bright!

Our challenge for this last fortnight of our crafting year is:

Star Light, Star Bright

which seems to suggest a vintage Christmas wish.  But even if you don't celebrate Christmas you surely could be inspired to create and put a star (or many more) into whatever you make!

Chat Noir here, coming out of left field and beginning with "vintage" before getting to the starry part!  I just spent a lovely day making all sorts of things out of second-hand rubbishy paperback books (I did have to read a bit here and there to be SURE they were rubbishy) and Christmas decorations were part of the fun.  Wait for the stars til the end......

The first is a lovely easy bird, which is just two 2D shapes joined by lining up a scissor cut in each and threading them together.  Its a bit easier to see in the second photograph, and I have to say that card stock has more strength so makes better birds, but you could glue two sheets of print together if you prefer.

The second is the beginning of a collection of paper baubles made with the help of paper punches, glue and a loop of thread to hang each.  Make sure you choose symmetrical shapes, but anything would look great....butterflies, snowflakes, hearts.....as well as the circle and square I used (which also tells you a lot about my paper punch collection!!).

You need at least 6 cut-outs for each bauble, and each is folded in half before being glued together and enclosing the loop of thread.

....and finally, the stars!  These decorations are two sizes of wood stars, each covered in a different paper, and just glued one on top the other.  I can think of lots of other ways to jazz them up a bit, but hey, its a beginning....

 

 

Deena here:  I took my projects on a different path as I needed some much needed birthday cards this month...

 

 

We would love to see what you make, so comment below and link us to your starry creation!

NOTE:  We will be taking off until January 3rd so that we can enjoy the holidays with those we hold near and dear.

FROM ALL THE POOBAHS  - HAPPY HOLIDAYS, MERRY CHRISTMAS, AND BEST WISHES FOR A FANTASTIC 2016!!!

Challenge #215 - Celebrate Families

This week's challenge is to celebrate FAMILIES.  You can do a photo layout, vintage cross stitches, a gift for someone you made for a family member, or whatever leads to a family member.

Deena Here:


This layout is of my girls and their best peeps on vacation in Florida.  Everywhere we went they did the Charlie's Angels pose.  The peeps are our next door neighbours and they are not really family but have been adopted into our lives as if they were. 

Play along with us.  You have 2 weeks to link up in the comments section.

Challenge #214 - Take a Coffee Break

We are asking you to be inspired by JAVA, COFFEE, A CUP OF JOE, whatever you prefer to call it.

You might want to make a holder for a coffee store gift card, or use the colors of a coffee label to make something arty, whatever you make inspired by this theme we want to see!!!!

Deena here:

I recently gave up my favorite coffee at Starbucks as we booked a European cruise and I decided that the money I spend at the coffee shops could be much better used on a vacation, so this card is making me kind of jealous....

Chat Noir here with some additions to my ATC collection to give you some inspiration.  There are a few more details on my blog, but I think you can see they are a variation on a theme.  I really love using a limited palette of colours and of course my basic black!

Why dont you make yourself a cup of coffee, and sit down to dream up something wonderful to share.  Play along with us - you have 2 weeks to link up your fabulous projects with us in the comment area.

Challenge #213 - Halloween

We here at Opus Gluei love a holiday as much as the next person so let's get into Halloween!

Deena here:  we have had the most gorgeous fall here in our neck of the woods and I hope it can keep up for all the little ghosties and goblins to take advantage of it for trick or treating...we usually have miserable weather by now requiring snow boots and big parkas and it takes the costumes to a whole new level of puffiness...fingers crossed this year will be as nice as today and maybe just light jackets will be necessary...but who knows, it is still almost 2 weeks away and things can change so fast here.  I made several of these little candles to light our path in front of our house....now if the winds will just stay calm enough to keep them lit, they could look super cute....

LOVE those candles Deena.  Chat Noir here, from the Great Southern Land where Halloween is only slowly making its presence felt........BUT, witches and broomsticks and bats are natural companions for black cats, my very favourite animals, so here's my small contribution to our display to motivate you.  Its a tag on a chain, to hang from my real-life broomstick.

....and to finish, here's a reminder of what witches just might look like (LOL)

Show us your projects - you have 2 weeks to link up.

Challenge #212 - Thanksgiving in Canada!

Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving about six weeks ahead of their southern neighbors, the U.S. of A.  So, in honor of the people of Canada, the Opus Gluei is going to have a theme of:

Canadian Thanksgiving 

and/or Red/White

If you are a Canadian, feel free to show us your ideas for the table, invites, cards, decorations, whatever you do to show your pride.   

American?  Well, get a jump start on your Thanksgiving plans. 

 Neither or not interested in creating with Thanksgiving in mind?  

Well then, be inspired by the colors RED/WHITE and show it to us!!!!!  Or how about using the MAPLE LEAF in your design?

Deena here:  we have our Thanksgiving next weekend and we will be attending and hosting a few dinners...one Saturday, Sunday and on Thanksgiving Monday...crazy...but delicious...I felt these projects represent the harvest and the bounty on our tables and they will also be thank you cards for the hostesses and guests for our dinners...enjoy!

 

 

 

 

Chat Noir here, sneaking into the theme with some red and white because Australia doesn't celebrate Thanksgiving.......... but I have some lovely Canadian friends so I had no trouble using their national colours for my work this week.  I made some cards and added to my ATC collection too.

 

 

You have until October 18th to show us your creations by linking to your post in the comments below.

Challenge #211 - Birthdays, Birthdays, Birthdays

So let's start off the new season with a birthday...........and its a special birthday wish for our Poobah Deena, whose birthday is so very soon.  Wish we could all be there to celebrate with you!

Chat Noir here with two birthday cards for special events coming up....  It was my own private challenge to use colour instead of the usual black and white which characterises most of my work (what does that say about me I wonder??).

The darker card is a sort of gate-fold one turned on its side to flip down, and the whole thing came together around the ribbon which I love but find hard to match up.  The red card is much cheerier and owes its life to the Kaisercraft garland that I found on the desk.

Rosemary here - Happy birthday to Deena!  
I made a birthday card that also has a pocket inside perfect for tucking in a little money or a gift card.  I need to get proficient at these for Christmas as my nieces and nephews are getting to the ages where they really want gift cards. (sigh, now who will I pretend to be shopping for when I play at the toy store?)

Deena here:
Today is my birthday and that is why I chose this theme for our first project challenge back to the blog...we are having the best fall here and I can even wear capris on the last day of summer for my birthday....it is like the mother nature just knew I needed a nice warm day for my birthday.
Now it's your chance to show us what birthdays inspire you to make.  Leave your link in the comments box and we'll drop by and see what you've been up to.  You have until October 4th officially, but late entrants are always welcome.  We Poobahs are like that!

We're back!

Hello there!  The Opus Gluei Poobahs have returned from their much needed break with renewed energy for crafty goodness!

So, whether it is winter going into springtime where you are or summer entering into autumn, let's see what you've been working on!  Our theme is 

This is what I did over my Summer/Winter vacation!

In the comments below please share what you worked on or have finished during this summer/winter.

Here's some of what we've been doing:

Chat Noir here and I put away the paper and glitter for a while and took to the kitchen.  Its been wintery in Melbourne, and the lemon trees have been laden, mine being no exception (though I had to cut it right back, but that's a whole other story).  So I've been preserving lemons....

Copious quantities of lemons and salt later, several more jars are in the dark of the pantry.

Also on the to-do list were a set of aprons for the other cooking people in my family (Christmas is coming), and I've made a start.  Its just a simple butcher's apron pattern with long ties so you can wrap them around and tie in the front.

Rosemary here and I worked on some stitching.  My favorite piece was this pattern I purchased from Satsuma Street on Etsy.  I love the whimsy and wonderful color that this designer uses for her patterns.  This one is Garden Cat and my cat Arya supervised to make sure I did everything right!

Deena here. We have been super busy in our household this summer. I took 5 weeks off work and we went to the lake. We went to the United States with our next door neighbours. We had VIP passes for folklarama and used them to their fullest extent. We went the Canadian museum for human rights. We canned beans, beets, pickles, zucchini and made several batches of salsa. We bought 2 new vehicles. We got one teen ready for driver's education. We got the other teen ready to start high school. We held an ice cream party for all of our friends and neighbourhood kids. That was a blast. And we are back to work and school on Wednesday. In there I got a bit of cleaning and crafting in too.  All in all it was a fabulous summer and I am sad to see it end. 

We have missed you and hope you'll come back for fun challenges with us!

Remember, link below and we'll drop by your blog to see what you've been working on!  You have until September 20th to link up.

On vacation until September 2015

Challenge #209 - Garden inspiration

vacation all I ever wanted, vacation had to get away

This is for all of our friends here at the Order of the Opus Gluei:

On March 25, 2009, Jana and Rosemary started the Order of the Opus Gluei, a challenge blog dedicated to themes that were open to the interpretation of the crafter.  At one time we had weekly challenges but realized that was a bit taxing so we went to biweekly challenges and that worked really well.

Along the way we "met" wonderful friends who stayed to become Opus Gluei Poobahs along with us - people like Electra, Chat Noir, Deena, Gini, and Kristen.  Their creativity encouraged our own and they are very dear to us.

That's the beauty of Opus Gluei - themes intended to inspire and challenge you to be freely creative and not bound by IT MUST BE MADE WITH FOUR SHEETS OF 12 x 12 PAPER, NO MORE THAN TWO COLORS, SIX PATTERNS, four intricate die cuts, and a dazzling diamond in the center.  Nope, we wanted you to take a theme like Birds and make it yours.  Through paint, digital studio items, cardstock, fabric, whatever and enjoy the process.

It's a success - we grew to now having 276 followers.  Not too shabby for not having sponsors and all that...

So, now at over 200 challenge themes we aren't shuttering the Order of the Opus Gluei but we need to close down temporarily for a break.  Just a chance to recharge the batteries in our Viking helmet horns and get our mojo or sew-jo or digi-jo back. 

So, from now until September we're going to be on holidays of sorts.  We've always been upfront and honest with you so we're doing that now, we just need a little vacation to rest up.

So, until then may your adhesive be sticky, your stamps tidy, your computer running virus free, your cardstock crisp, your fabric pressed, and your needles sharp.  Because the Order of the Opus Gluei will be back in sparkling splendor when the leaves are getting ready to turn....

We will post in early September what the future holds for the Order and until then, create and enjoy the process!

With love and hugs - The Order of the Opus Gluei Poobahs

Challenge #208 - Feathers

Electra here with a new challenge!

This time we invite you to create something with a feather or Feathers.

What do feathers bring to mind for you?

Birds, or wings or a pillow fight?

Whatever you are inspired to share with us, that's what we want to see.

'Cos we are all about creativity, not rules here.

Here is some inspiration for you:

and

Deets can be found on my blog.

Chat Noir here, with something completely different, just to show you how versatile is the humble feather!  You only need an egg-shape, paint, paper, varnish......and heaps of patience.

Deena here: I chose to make my feathers with pretty little dies and polkadot paper...I love playing with the dies and using non-traditional items to make embellishments to match my cards.

 

You have until May 17th to link up below in the comment,
so that we can come and leave you some love,

We look forward to seeing what you create!
Thanks for joining us!

Challenge #207 - Then and now....

For this challenge we're asking you to look at a previous project and reimagine it.  You can either use the actual project or be inspired to update it.  Really it is however you want to take this challenge.  We would like to see how you are inspired.

THEN AND NOW

(or now and then)

Electra here.
I took a clipboard that I'd made many moons ago off the bathroom wall
and made it fit my new bohemian bathroom colours.
Before:

After:

All the deets can be found on my blog!

Deena here: As I was going through my blog looking at old projects, I came across these cards that I made for my friends in 2009. The retro lady on the card front inspired me to pull out a retro stamp and get to work. This is what I ended up with....thanks for looking!