Challenge #24 - Now I know my A-B-C's

The kiddos are back in school. And they are learning new things.

But enough about them.

What do YOU want to learn ? What ARE you learning?

This week we challenge you to show us what you want to learn.

How to operate your VCR? Your new camera?

How to speak a different language?

Become a chef? Gardener? Belly Dancer? Pole dancer?

Maybe there is a new techinique you have been wanting to learn so you could use it in your art creations?

Jana here: I am learning, or re-learning, to make time for me. As part of that I need to discover or re-learn what I am all about. I have sort of lost my identity in the last 16 years. I have become a wife, mother and employee. (not to mention daughter, sister and friend - but those last 3 don't drain me like the first 3 do. ) I am making an entire album dedicated to my likes, desires, and memories. It's all about ME. Here is the first page. You can see more at my crafty blog icardwanna. This is an all digital project. I started out with papers and got frustrated and impatient. Hard to believe that I was impatient, I know. (hehehehehehehehe)

I also want to learn to belly dance. I took a class a couple of years ago, but I let other things take precident, and didn't continue. It is a dance form that is strickly for women. Danced by women and the origins were for women. It is very empowering and feminine, no matter what your size, age or talent. I love that it is something that I am doing for ME. I am not doing it to dance for my husband. I am not doing it to dance in public. (insert hysterical laughter at that thought). I am doing it to feel free and express myself. I will spare you a video of me trying to learn on my own with a DVD. But trust me, I am learning and dancing like no one is watching me, because no one is.

I am also re-learning Spanish with my oldest daughter. She decided to take Spanish in high school. (Yikes! I have a daughter in high school.) So I am learning Spanish too. Cool isn't it! I mean I get the same lessons without having the tests or get graded. Yay me. (nevermind the fact that I used to speak Spanish and have a perfect accent. I have forgotten more than I care to admit.)

Rosemary stopped by and wants to say she is still working on her submittal but wanted to post this so that you can get started on yours!

Well, what are you waiting for?

Get out there and learn. Do a search on the internet.

There are tons of sites ( and You Tube) out there with free information.

Then get out there and learn how to do it.

Show us what you want to learn about this week.

(We will have a participant showcase on Monday for all the wonderful works of art submitted for our Flowers challenge. They were GREAT!!!!!)

Challenge #23 - Say it in Flowers

Well, here in North America we are enjoying the last bits of summer. Children are returning to school, stores are full of pencils, new copybooks, and reams of paper. There are even plenty of plastic pumpkins, Halloween socks, and Thanksgiving turkeys. Nothing like rushing all the holidays and seasons together at once!


Before we succumb to the marketing pressure and start talking about cooler weather, shorter days, the crunch of leaves beneath our feet (and the subsequent raking), let's

Say it in Flowers!

Our theme this week is asking you to create with a focus on Flowers! Intepret this as you will, we love to see your creativity!

Rosemary here - I have a simple but vibrant thank-you card to share using our motif (and I've not only got the Prima in the foreground but the background card is flowered - so out of my comfort zone with this). I love that I have something new (this lush patterned paper from Fia), something old (a leftover scrap of embossed hot pink cardstock that I used for Gimme 5's lettering-Swiss Dots folder), bling, Prima flowers, buttons, and a new set of QuicKutz (the Flirt set from this past spring). I am loving this font and kicking myself that I haven't used it sooner!

Jana's just coming off of the fun of a Disney trip, so I'm going to let her add her submittal in her own time. She's entitled, although I missed her very very much while she was gone and need to have long chat to catch up on our usual talk time!

Edited: Jana is in the house. Woot woot. I was able to drag myself out of bed and get right to work. Unfortunately, I got sidetracked, so I am very late posting. I managed to make this card. I put a bit more of an explanation on my blog: icardwanna, so you can read the long version there. I love fall and I love flowers, so mine sorta combines them. This is one of six. I made a set of them. I used the September 08 Sheetload of Cards recipe. I just found the site and am in LURVE.

------------------------------------Gallery of Submittals------------------------------------------------
So, who gave us 5 last week in our challenge - Gimme 5?


Well, here's Melisa, one of our newest Opus-Gluei participants and she's made a great journal page of the 5 things she loves and who doesn't immediately smile at the expression on the Boston Terrier's face!?! So clever, colorful, and a great interpretation!

Here's Electra's submittal - five great ATCs. You can't help but smile at these! So fun and clever! Love that you are participating on our blog.

and here's a beautiful altered book project for Gimme 5 from our greenhorn, Kathy, and it is great! All kinds of new techniques she used for it and at least one page has five embellishments, a very cool gypsy journal. We've missed her playing along in our challenges and are delighted that she is back!

Oh my gosh, you have to go over to Gini's blog to read her entire entry and see some more of her gorgeous ATCs and you will have a laugh as well! She's great and look at how cool her ATCs came out!

If you have a project for a previous challenge, including "Gimme 5," we want to share it! So, just link in the comments and we'll be sure to include it in the roundup of submittals! Because I'm thinking that there are some of you who just haven't had a chance to get things caught up with the whirl of end of summer, school starting, etc. So, don't be shy - send us your links and we'll give you the credit you deserve!

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So, don't forget, the theme this week is Say it In Flowers!