Challenge #8 - In Reach

Use what is visible at this moment. Don’t reach into any drawers or cabinets. Just turn and look around you at this moment in time. Reach out and grab what you see. Use it in this week’s project.

Jana here. I have a freakishly cluttered craft space. And as such, I have LOTS of "stuff" just laying about. I looked up and "found" a little wooden bird house. Hmmmm. I'll take that. AND I was just making cards and had some paper on my table. So, I'll use that too. And I won't even make a dent in my eyelets and the new Skittle thingies I just got. I think I ordered somewhere around a million.

Here's that birdhouse that I altered. I like the way it turned out. Makes me smile.

(I have a confession. I had my middle daughter bring me the chick. They were an after Easter purchase that she took possesion of and had stashed in her room. But, that is the only thing I had to get off my lazy butt to get. Oh wait, I didn't even get up for that. L-A-Z-Y. My middle name. Today anyway.)

Hi! It's Rosemary and I too have a cluttered work area - let's call it my inspiration area shall we? Well, I had an idea to use a wooden frame and make a Mother's day gift for my Mom from it, but that didn't work out so she got a gardenia and a Netflix subscription (I'd say she scored wouldn't you?)

I got inspired by this challenge to take the frame and the stack of retina-scorching pink papers of all types that I'd been stacking (yet ANOTHER project) and some paint, some decoupage, lots of punching butterfly shapes, gluing, and VOILA! A frame that (to me) screams happy and fun! I don't know if I'll put an inspirational word in the frame, a quote, or maybe a photo that I'll change out. But it makes ME happy and I like it! And I actually used stuff I could reach from where I was perched.

Amazingly, no carpal tunnel from punching all of these little butterflies!
My other project, using items nearby is my "Love Cat" ATC. I had the stamp sitting there since the Cinema Saturday challenge for "To Catch a Thief" and I'd put the stamp aside - it just wasn't inspiring me for the challenge. But with all the hot pink scraps and the ribbon and punches there, it was easy to put together a cute little ATC.

Now, show us what you are surrounded by.

What can you reach out and grab?

(Keep it clean, ladies, we're a generally

PG-13 blog here - hee hee)

Remember, make whatever you like - a card, inchie, twinchie, ATC, photo, fresco, sculpture, bronze, postcard, fabric piece, fireworks, light display, etc.

You know, things you can reach!

You're only limitations are your imagination!

Thank you for your projects from last week - they were great (you are all so talented and we get inspired by your creations!)

We had items from the following ladies, and we have a little treat for each of you to say thank you for playing!

So please email us at opusglueipoobahs@live.com with your mailing address information and we'll get a little something special in the mail to you immediately!

Now, let's see what you submitted last week:

FIA - a beautiful card in with some of my favorite colors! Love this!

Elizabeth - one of our newest participants and get a look at her pretty card!

Kathy (that Crafty Craftola) - a beautiful and happy card that just sings Spring!

Ivolina - you always make beautiful cards full of texture and color!

Kristin - this made us laugh out loud! A fun, sassy card and now that you've participated in one of our themes - you're just gonna have to keep playing over here!

Challenge #7 - Mothers

Mother, Mom, Mama, Ma, Mommy, Oma, Muti, Grandmommy, Godmommy, Mum, Mummy....you get the drift. Here's a quote to get us started!


The sweetest sounds to mortals given
Are heard in Mother, Home, and Heaven.
---William Goldsmith Brown




This week's theme is Mothers and we would like you to use this theme to make something artistic - it can take any form - we leave THAT up to you. Blog entry, card, ATC, photo, inchie, twinchie, mini, moo, video, song, poem, etc. These are just a few media for you to consider.

Rosemary here - here's my Mother's day card for my Mom - orange is her favorite color and it is a happy color isn't it? The quote is



Hundreds of dewdrops to meet the dawn, hundreds of bees
in the purple clover, hundreds of butterflies on the lawn, but only one mother the wide world over. -----George Cooper

Wanted to show this open to show that I did finish the inside with a hint of the front repeating itself.

Jana


I made a card this week too. I made it bright and cheery. Which is how I always think of my mother. She was down at times, but mostly she is cheery and happy. She doesn't really have a favorite color. She likes bright and happy things. So this is just her style.



My skills as a photographer are still in the works. This card is much brighter in person.


The ribbon is green and matches the cardstock, but is showing up a blue-ish color. Hmmm.


When we get to a certain age, it is hard to find things to get for your Mother. Handmade means more to them than a store bought item. My mother has everything she needs and is in a great position to get herself anything she wants. So, I made her a card. I will enclose pictures of me, Danny and the girls. I will probably add one of Rosemary's wonderful quotes to the inside.


Recap of last week's Challenge:

We loved seeing your projects for our May Day Challenge and hope you keep playing along - invite your friends - for fun, for prizes (not JUST the big blog candy giveaway), and for inspiration from everyone!

Ivolina made a gorgeous card - bright, happy, and intricate!


Our buddy Kathy (aka Craftola) made a witty and beautiful April Showers bring May Flowers card!




Fia made a lovely Happy Birthday card with color and fun embellishments!

and Chat Noir made a gorgeous card also with lots of textural interest and colors that just say SPRING is here!

If I have missed an entry, please let us know in the comments!

Also, here's what our witty greenhorn Craftola-ing Kathy made for Words of Wisdom! She's got the whole Opus-Gluei humor down pat!