Love Is A Camera Full Of Memories...

It's no surprise that I am the fan of metaphor.  Mixed ones, dead ones, burlesque ones, conceptual ones,  submerged ones, catachrestic ones (my most fave), any ones really.  I just love 'em, love 'em to death.  my love of metaphors is probably one of the strongest, most steady influences in my papercrafting modus operandi. I hesitate to say that I have a "style" per se, as it tends to veer in such varied directions, mainly at whim.   I kind of like that sort of "box of chocolate" approach to crafting.  Having said that, I do seem to steer toward and hang out in a few familiar haunts though.  I do adore anything with that vintage, shabby, olden days, retro sort of vibe.  So when I saw the Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous collection of stamps that included that sweet little girl, I was sunk.  Furthermore, when I saw the vintage chocolate stamp (also Tim Holtz's) I was just busting to create a fun old background that captured (to me) the charm, comfort, simplicity and warmth existing in an era that really enchants me.  Pair these sorts of images with the rustic appeal of jute, Kraft cardstock, doilies, vintage text and ledgers and I'm a goner.  *thud*

This week's CR84FN challenge colors absolutely did spark my creativite spirit,  and my favorite type of creativity at that, because the color combination of Red, Aqua, and White instantly transported me to a time remeniscent of so many of my favorite things.  Bliss.

A Mantra Of Sorts...

*Cue Burt Bacharach/Hal David's "What The World Needs Now Is Love" song*  Can you hear it?  Feel it? Cool.  I now proclaim this anthem as the honorary theme song for cardmakers around the globe!  Because what the world really needs now is more crafty, cleverly handmade, heartfelt cards, right? Afterall, aren't cards just hugs with a fold in the middle?  Everyone, please be upstanding.  Now,  just picture me donning and reverently adjusting my Scor-Buddy crown (which has slid a bit to the side) and dubbing the sheet music with my Tonic Studios Tim Holtz Retractable Craft Pick.  Got the image?  Awesome.   I, now,  dub thee..."What The World Needs Now Is Love" the (Un)Official Cardmakers Anthem of the entire cardmaking realm.  The room roars with wild applause and fills with rather dignified air punches.   Ladies and gents, please be seated.  Thank you.  

*Official portion of this post has now concluded* 

Okay.  Okay.  I've come back to my senses (sort of).  The following card is my offering for the April 2011 Papertrey Ink Blog Hop.  The challenge was to create a card for the fellas.  So I whipped up this card that I like to call (read: shout) Feel Better Man!  This card is an hommage to all those who have suffered through (but don't actually have it but are in close proximity to those with it) the dreaded "Man Flu" and any other similar afflictions that women get too with much aplomb, but when men get it...Watch Out!  You know the ones:  When the common cold turns into Ebola, etc.. Yep.  Yep.  That would be the type of illness I am referring to.  *wink*

So Feel Better Man!  And that's an order! (Because you are making me sick.)  Dagnamit.

**Please click on photo for a (slightly) clearer image.

Thanks for hopping by.  It means so much to me when you do.  And don't forget to keep humming!  Hugs.

Supplies:

• Stamps:  Papertrey Ink Button Boutique, Distressed Stripes, and Papertrey Ink Sentiments
• Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black and Ladybug, VersaMagic White Cloud, and Distress Ink in Old Paper and Brushed Corduroy
• Paper:  Papertrey Ink Black, Pure Poppy, SS White, and Soft Stone
• Accessories:  Tim Holtz Baroque Alterations Bigz Die, Papertrey Ink Linen and Canvas Impression Plate and Button Boutique Die, Fiskars Small Tag Punch, WRMK Corner Punch in Deco, Bakers Twine, White Cotton Embroidery Thread, and Black Vintage Buttons

Thinking of Momma's Day and More.

Thank you so much for your amazingly warm and considerate comments.  You have no idea how much I appreciated each and every one of them...just tremendously.  I was so comforted by your kind words that I was able to gently continue to quietly craft this week, which was nice and incredibly nurturing.   I was inspired by being a mom and by those I care about and who have generously extended a hand up when I was feeling  a bit down. Yes, that would be all of you gorgeous and stupendous folks who come by for a welcomed visit too. xx

This is a card I made this morning that is a Mother's Day card, but really an everyday card that speaks to the magnificent ties that bind us to those we love.  Most of all, I just really wanted to share it with you as I bet for sure you can absolutely relate.  It is so lovely and such a blessing to simply craft and reflect on those we love...wherever they may be.

I have decided to gingerly enter this card into the Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge for this week as the sketch was certainly the structural inspiration for this card and the impetus for the few introspective hours I enjoyed this morning.  Thanks so much for stopping by and for being such a cherished part of my life's journey in papercrafting.

Edited to add:  I have no idea why the two pastel green leaves look a different color.  They were cut from the same piece of handmade paper.  The mind boggles.

Supplies:

• Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps' Roses In Bloom and Very Vintage Christmas, & Tattered Angels Screen Prints Rockin' Renaissance.
• Papers:  Papertrey Ink Spring Moss and Vintage Cream C/S, Basic Grey Basics Manilla DP, Handmade Japanese Silk Paper and Metalic Copper Handmade Paper (all from stash)
• Accessories:  Sizzix 3D Flower Die, Teardrop Shaped Pearl Pin,  Tim Holtz Tattered Leaves, Spellbinders Basic Labels Large, Papertrey Ink's Rustic Cream Jute, Misc. Glitter Paint (yellow and copper), and WRMK Corner Chomper in Stub. 

What Do You Do When Your Hand Is A Foot?

I have to confess that this last week has been particularly hard on the old crafting confidence.  Even though I craft most days and on those odd days that I don't, well I just feel plain odd.   But this has been a real dog of a week or two as I have been feeling odd crafting as well as not.   I am not entirely sure what has delt my cardmaking confidence this near fatal blow, but I have torn up and or turfed more of my latest crafty offerings than I think was actually very good for me.  I know it's only paper, but binning my cards made during this weird time hasn't ended up making me feel any better but kind of has added insult to injury I think now with the benefit of hindsight.  Luckily though, I have a few earth angels in my house that have been scurrying around mounting clandestine rescue missions to save my cards from the old circular file (the garbage). The card below is one of the cards that got hurled and was later presented to me with a box of chocolates, a glass of fabulous claret, and the sweetest chorus of "we love you and your work mom" that I think I have ever heard.   Awww.

Other cards and cards-in-waiting were also successfully rescued over the last few days, thankfully, as I realize now that I was just, hopefully, having what I understand to be a normal reaction to what can happen from time to time when your mojo goes a bit AWOL and your mixing amongst other sublimely talented crafters.  I am not saying my mojo is back, because it certainly doesn't feel like it is, but I am now just not focused on questioning if I ever had any mojo at all to begin with, which is what I think I have been most acutely grappling with over the last little while.    Having come to this realization,  I have decided that I will not craft for challenges this week or so until I get my confidence back a bit.  Hopefully this will help some.  So until then, I just thought I'd share with you a few of the rescued cards and a few other bits and bobs that I have made recently as I work on gently getting my confidence back a bit.

This is a Sweet 16 birthday card I made last week for my eldest daughter. The thought behind the playing cards was to try something a bit quirky, a weeny bit arty, and left of center...bit like my gorgeous now 16 year old, inner city skater girl who creates the most amazing street art, is totally funny as, so compassionate, and loves a hand or two of cards.  Plus, I am sure she'd cringe if I gave her your typical "sweet as pie" birthday card in any case.  Yes, she's my fabulous girl, but she's still a teenager after all.  *wink*  Enough said.  Bless.  As this card was binned, I did make another which she (politely) liked, but when she saw this one she was thrilled.  Go figure?

Anyways...but most importantly, thank you so much for stopping by and for allowing me to share with you not only the joys, but some of the pitfalls along the way on my adventures in papercrafting.  Hugs.

Just Starting To Get My Hop On...

True to my Last Minute Larrena leanings, up until a few hours ago, I had yet to get a hop on my Easter cards.  Funnily enough, I have had a fair swag of Easter themed stamps and other requisite spring goodies for some time now, but just haven't been able to kick things into gear.  It wasn't until I had a look at this week's inspiration photo in The Shabby Tea Room that I felt inspired to get a wriggle on.  Here's the image below that spurred me on.  Pretty fab, hey?

Apologies in advance for the rather poorly photograph of my first Easter card of the season.  I've yet to make the leap into a proper grown-up lightbox, but it is so on my wishlist.  Seeing that it is nearly 9 pm (why couldn't the spirit move me earlier in the day?), I had to rely on incandescent lighting which we all know does rather "interesting" things to an image.  The picture could be so much better, but in this case (and from past experiences) it could have been so much worse. Nonetheless, I am thankful (and grateful to a tiny bit of tweeking with iPhoto) to be able to share it with you.  Thanks so much for swinging by.  It's been my pleasure, as always!

Edited to add:  Just woke up to a little bit of workable daylight and I wanted to try and better capture the overall soft wash of this card.  I didn't think the flash (used the night before) did this card any favors.  It's a little bit better now in all its natural glory (crafty warts and all) me thinks.  

Supplies:

• Stamps:  Waltzingmouse Stamps Off Beat Backgrounds (Plaid) and Papertrey Ink Egg Hunt and Friendship Jar Spring Fillers
• Paper:  Bazzill Kraft, Misc. Pink and Green C/S, Papertrey Ink Blueberry Sky Apricot and Rustic Cream C/S, Basic Grey Porcelain DP 
• Ink:  Memento Sweet Plum, Brilliance Pearlescent Lavender, Papertrey Ink White and Tea Dye Duo, VersaMagic Pink Petunia and Cloud White, Distress Ink in Dusty Concord, Walnut Stain, and Vintage Photo
• Accessories:  Distress Stickles in Crystal, Pink and Cream Acrylic Paint, Fiskars Texture Plates, Sullivan's Tag Punch, Papertrey Ink Favor It Box 2, Picnic Plaid Impression Plate, Egg Die and Spring Rain Bakers Twine, Prisma Glitter, My Favorite Things Grass Die, Pinking Shears, Vintage Lace and Peachy/Gold Trim

I Swear It Was Green A Minute Ago!

Holding true to the promise I made to myself to enter in at least one challenge per week, I'd love to share with you my card entry for this week's CR84FN Color Challenge featuring the colors Kraft, Green, and Brown.     The funny thing is that I have only just finished this card moments ago as sunset was close upon us for the day and the limited natural light did me no favors whatsoever (Dang it!), so my card's colors look rather different in the photograph than they do in the real.  Case and point being that it looks as if there is a hearty dose of teal in the card, but there is none, I promise you.  I was so proud of myself too for choosing only the requisite challenge colors saving the small yet welcomed injection of the weeny white planes which I thought to be considered as a cheeky bit of neutral.  But, as I live and breathe, the once larger green plane shadows appear to have morphed into teal.  Sigh.  It's green though...I swear.  Nevermind.  I give up. Must Jet.

Supplies:

• Stamps:  Stampers Anonymous for Tim Holtz "Air Travel" and Papertrey Ink's Up, Up, and Away!
• Paper:  Bazzill Kraft and Basic Grey "Wander" DP
• Ink:  SU Chocolate Chip, Versafine Olympia Green, Distress Ink in Walnut Stain, Pine Needles, and Tea Dye
• Accessories:  Papertrey Ink's (new) New Leaf Bakers Twine, Labels Die, Tim Holtz Alterations On The Edge in Townscape

My Three Amigos.

I can't remember ever having tried to make a set of cards before.  So needless to say that when I saw this week's Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge my left eye started to twitch and I felt slightly ill.  Whoa Nelly!  Talk about being taken out of my comfort zone.  So despite the urge to flee from this week's challenge and take a challenge hiatus, I had to give it a go.  Bit like the allure of a cliff top when you'd swear black and blue that you were swaying  what seems to be perilously towards the edge.  You know just what I mean?  So seeing that my latest order of Waltzingmouse stamping gorgeousness just arrived yesterday, I knew exactly which sets were going to be my stamps of choice to use as I attempted to conquer my fears of creating more than a singleton at a go.  *Deep breath, deep breath*

So my inspiration came from the outrageously talented Laurie Schmidlin.  I was moved and inspired by the tag she created in her Yee*Haw post of the 3rd of April as part of the Waltzingmouse Stamp Of Approval Parade (SOAP).   I CASED the cork focal point detail.  I realize that I may not have done her the justice she duly deserves, but Ding Dang! I had a hoot trying.  I reckon thanks and (quite possibly) my apologies may be due.  Fingers crossed she's a forgiving soul and doesn't ban me from CASE-ing her in the future.  *prays*

So without further ado...Ladies and Gents, may I introduce you to my Three Amigos:

Supplies:

• Stamps:  Waltzingmouse Stamps Back In The Saddle and Way Out West
• Paper:  Papertrey Ink Scarlet Jewel and Vintage Cream Cardstock, Bazzill Kraft C/S
• Ink:  Memento Rich Cocao, Versacolor Evergreen, Papertrey Ink Vintage Cream, Adirondak Cranberry, Distress Ink in Aged Mahogany, Walnut Stain and Black Soot
• Accessories:  Spellbinders Grand Nestabilities Labels One and Standard Nestabilities Labels One, Nestabilities Long Rectangles and Squares, WRMK Corner Chomper in Scallop, Cork, Tim Holtz Woodgrain Embossing Folder, Cream Acrylic Paint, Cork, Jute, and Star brad from Jasart.

Crafting Therapy.

It's been one of those weeks.  You know the ones.   The one that is seemingly filled to the brim with all that "stuff"  you'd rather it not be?  Well, I have been trudging my way through slowly but surely.  But today, I decided to stop trudging and just get on with it and be firm in my belief that there are blessings in every situation, even if they aren't immediately apparent.  So I decided to buck up and get crafty!  I nearly gave this week's CR84FN Color Challenge a miss due to loss of mojo and any semblance of energy today (but really, I think I was too entranced in my little pity party I had going on).  Then I realized that missing this challenge would only instil a bit more gray into my day, because what I really needed was to have a play with color.   To miss this week's challenge would have been a shame.   Hence this super quick Stamp & Go was born.  I think it mildly funny that even though I did manage to get my craft on, it did serve as a slight attitude adjuster, despite my odd choice of a less than chirpy sentiment.  I guess I wasn't fully ready to let go of the irrits, but I did try.  A mild buck up is better than no buck up at all, right?  Goodness, I sound like that sentiment.  Ack!  Enough of that.

So, before I get all maudlin here's my gorgeous geisha girl that got me going again..sort of,  *wink* for this week's CR84FN Color Challenge featuring Garnet, Chartreuse, and Cream:

Thanks for stopping by and brightening my day! x

Supplies:

• Stamps:  Waltzingmouse Stamps Asian Garden and Asian Garden Additions, Art Stamps Cherry Blossoms
• Paper:  Papertrey Ink Scarlet Jewel and Rustic Cream, Bazzill Cream Textured Cardstock
• Ink:  Versafine Black Onyx, Memento Sahara Sand, Distress Ink in Vicorian Velvet, Pumice Stone, Walnut Stain, and Aged Mahogany
• Accessories:  Provocraft Cuttlebug Geisha Embossing Folder, Chartreuse Burlap, Spellbinders Fancy Labels Nestabilities, Tonic Distressing Tool, and Resin Orchids