Diving Into Art Challenges

 How have you been? Has the weather been OK in your parts? Our heat wave has finally ended and it is now quite delightful-even a bit cool in the early AM! Sadly the next season is sneaking in- leaves are falling, and the sun is setting a good 20 minutes earlier now:(. I'm still hanging on to summer though.

 Today (Monday) is Kyra's birthday so Sunday we had her, Todd and my Mom over for dinner. Her request was a steak and rice stir fry. We also had a salad and fresh baked Tuscan garlic bread before having the chocolate cake for dessert. A few pics:

 Kyra loves her dry red wine (that's my girl!) so we got her a nice bottle and a bottle aerator.

 She adores "Baby Groot" (it's a character from a movie but I don't recall what movie as I hadn't seen it-maybe some of you know) and was thrilled I found a Baby Groot online that she can use as a planter or pencil holder!!

 and besides wine, this girl loves her chocolate! So I made her a dark chocolate cake with mini chocolate chips, and a chocolate glaze. Happy birthday Kyra!!

 I'll share our drinks with the gals over at T Stands For Tuesday :)

 Finally getting back into the swing of things by entering some of my favorite blog art challenges. First up this card is for the Simon Wednesday Challenge (CAS) which I made for Kyra:

 Products: large white notecard; Neenah Classic Solar White #110 card stock; Tim Holtz Plaid Layering stencil; Altenew Peony Bouquet stamp and die set, Label Love set; Inks: Archival - Rose Madder, Sky Blue, Leaf Green. Distress ink - Mowed Lawn; Colorbox Fluid Chalk ink - Prussian Blue; Versafine Onyx Black ink; Simon Says Stamp Moonshine Sequins.

 For the Simon Monday Challenge ("S" is for...) and Tag Tuesday (Purple) I made a Halloween tag:

"S" is for my Sassy witch! Manila tag sponged with Inkadinkado Pearlescent Purple spray ink. The witch collage ATC is one I designed for ARTchix Studio some time ago. Other products: Marabu Black Art Spray; Archival Jet Black ink; spider ribbon (Celebrate It!); sentiment (Tim Holtz Small Talk Occasions Stickers); bat sticker, and black enamel dot (Recollections).

 And a journal page meant for Art Journal Journey (theme is Anything With Eyes), and Paint Party Friday:

     These were just the beginning layers to my page-lol

 The finished page in my 8" x 10" Dina Wakley Media journal. Other products: Dina Wakley Collage Tissue Words and washi tape; acrylic paints; gesso; stencils; music sheet and dictionary papers; Posca Pens; Stabilo All black pencil. The face is one I've painted before and made a photocopy of the outlines to trace and to recreate on this page.

 Enjoy the last of our August days my friends!

"In the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasures. 

For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed”.

- Khalil Gibran 

Back From The Beach

 Hello peeps! I know it's been awhile since my last post but we spent a full week away in Fenwick Island, DE with our usual group of friends as we have been doing for some years now. And it was great as always!

  We had a super fun night when one of the couples gifted us each with bags of goodies! The girls all got similar cover ups like the one I'm wearing along with a hat, flip flops with a gold starfish charm, and a starfish lavender sachet. The guys all got a shirt with little sharks on them, fun sea themed socks, and hats too. Too bad I can't share other pics as some didn't want themselves posted...

 We had our traditional lobster and champagne dinner -yum. Cheers to the T gang over at Bleubeard and Elizabeth's blog where we gather each Tuesday and share a drink related post- I've missed you guys! We went across to the bay side one evening to catch a lovely sunset:

 When we returned home from our vacation I found a most lovely bit of mail from Eileen from our 6 year T Stands for Tuesday anniversary ATC swap:

 She made an ATC triptych with beautiful teacup images, and the Eiffel Tower :). And what wonderful, generous bits to play with too! Thanks so very much Eileen- and sorry for the long delay in posting!

 For this month's theme at Art Journal Journey (anything with eyes) hosted by Gill I have this journal page from my Dylusions Creative Dyary Journal:

 The background was an under paper I used from other projects but I liked all the colors so I glued it onto my page. I then added the Dina Wakley collage face from the Dina Wakley Collage Collective book and added some pencil markings to extend some of the lines of her drawing. Faux stitches(Whimsy Stamps) were stamped with Versafine Onyx Black ink, and the quote is Dina Wakley Collage Words tissue papers.

 Finally I'll share the last of the index cards I made for the Index Card a Day Challenge held June 1- July 31:

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I'll also share this with Moo Mania and More (theme is butterflies).

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 It was a fun challenge and certainly kept me on my creative toes for sure!

 That's it for me for now. I'll also share this post with Paint Party Friday. Really looking forward to catching up with you all again!

"Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you."  Frank Lloyd Wright

It's Summer, and Anything Goes!

   Couldn't resist beginning with the title and this poster:) Is it cooling off yet where you are in the Northern hemisphere? We had a day or so of more tolerable weather but now the heat and humidity are back on! No wonder I just don't have my usual energy...

 Anyway, we had a most enjoyable music filled weekend including seeing "Anything Goes" at Muhlenberg College's theater on Saturday evening which is under a 10 mile drive to the next town. We had never seen anything here and I've always wanted to as they have such a great reputation for their shows as does DeSales University where we do frequent. This is a fabulous intimate theater and this show was FANTASTIC!! The acting, singing, and dancing was top notch, and well, it is Cole Porter music after all:)

 Then on Sunday we went downtown to again see Craig Thatcher and Nyke Van Wyk perform together:

 It was a FUN night as it always is with Craig (guitar) and Nyke's (violin) powerful playing!

For T stands for Tuesday I want to share the ATCs I made for the special celebration swap Bleubeard and Elizabeth hosted recently. I sent one to Erika, and I also made one for our wonderful T Stands for Tuesday host:

 I made paper tea bags from cardstock and glued on some actual recycled tea bag paper over top -although unfortunately it's not visible outside of the fact that it muted/aged the cardstock colors a bit.
Eileen has let me know that her ATC for me is in the mail and I will be sure to post it in my next post:)

 One last page for this month's theme (We're All/Going) at Art Journal Journey:

 Going to the beach! Background is a deli paper gelli plate print.

 Here are another set of index cards for the Index Card a Day Challenge as I have been posting them daily on Instagram. In my next post I'll share the last of them.

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 For all of July's I have used Tim Holtz Collage Papers in either Symphony or Typography for the backgrounds and have kept with a vintage theme. If you have any questions about anything else just ask in the comments or send me an email:) 

 I will join Moo Mania and More (music) with the cards that have the musical notes on them, and Paint Party Friday later in the week. After that I will be taking a little blogging break to enjoy more of summer. Be happy, and be well. 

"Sometimes taking a break from routine is the best therapy."    Amirtha Keerthi

A Special Celebration This Past Week!

 Hello Peeps! Anyone else practically melting from a nasty HOT,HUMID HEATWAVE the past few days??? Even I have my limits- when the air is so heavy you feel like you can't breathe, and the heat index gets to 116 F- I stay in! Thankfully it is almost over and will be much more pleasant the remainder of the week.

 Above is #43 of 61 for the Index Card a Day Challenge and there's a special reason I began the post with this one in particular...

 Our son Todd proposed to his girlfriend Kyra of almost 5 years while they were away with her family on a two week camping trip. He asked her to marry him during their visit to Banff Alberta Canada to Lake Louise- the most beautiful and photographed lake! Yes, he totally surprised her:) My hubby was SURE Todd was going to propose and I was just thinking "yeah, it could happen, maybe".  They told us just after they got home by showing us their photos of the trip- and when they got to this first pic Kyra put her ring on(she had it in her pocket cuz she knew I would notice it right away:)
 Of course we are OVER THE MOON with joy!! We always said she is the girl we didn't have and now it will be official! And yes, I cried like a baby.
 This past Sunday I had a celebration dinner for my Mom's birthday and Todd and Kyra's engagement, and of course, nothing but champagne to toast with would do:

 Cheers to the T Stands For Tuesday gang! (Not sure of this posting if my ATC mail was received so I will post that pic next week).

 This tag is meant for several challenges- the Simon Wednesday Challenge (make your own background), Tag Tuesday (circles), Moo Mania and More (summer holidays), and the Simon Monday Challenge (not a card):

The background was done by smooshing alcohol inks from a craft mat onto heavy cardstock. I then stamped circles over it using white gesso and bottle caps. Vintage image, word, and Gold German Seashell border are from ARTchix Studio. Other supplies: blue Posca pen; black gel pen; sand; found seashells; mica flakes; blue multi eyelash yarn. Thinking about my upcoming beach vacation:)

 And now here is another week's worth of index cards I've posted on Instagram for the challenge:

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#44/61 I made this one on July 14th in honor of Bastille Day

 Also joining Paint Party Friday. Have a super week!

" One learns first of all in beach living the art of shedding, how little one can get along with, not how much."     Anne Morrow Lindbergh

An Art Filled Post

 Hello Peeps! Hope the weather everywhere is getting better- not too hot, not too cold, not too much rain. Because it has been so very hot here I have been able to spend more time making art in my art room, and I've lots to share so....let's begin with this:

 This tag is meant for several challenges. The Simon Wednesday Challenge (add a number), the Simon Monday Challenge (animal magic), and Tag Tuesday (circles).

Products: manila tag (Ranger); patterned paper (Stampington); typewriter key number sticker (Sticko); Tim Holtz Paper Dolls, washi tape, and Small Talk Occasions Stickers; Archival Jet Black ink; Bokeh Dots clear stamp set (Ellen Hutson).

 For T stands For Tuesday hosted by Bleubeard and Elizabeth at Altered Book Lover I have this journal page:

 The tea setting was cut and pasted in my Dylusions Creative Dyary Journal and came from an old calendar. I found the quote online. Please do pop in and congratulate dear Elizabeth for 6 years now hosting T Day on her blog!! And if you have any kind of beverage to share whether it's part of a photo, art, poem, recipe, coffee mug, etc. etc. please do link up so we can visit each other. Thank you Elizabeth for being such a wonderful hostess all these years!!

 Of course I am continuing to diligently follow the Tour de France so I made this journal page also in the Creative Dyary Journal:

 I am joining Art Journal Journey hosted this month by Chris for the theme of "We're All / Going...". And here we are all going on an armchair cycling tour of France:)

 And, here is my first week of July index cards for the Index Card a Day Challenge (which runs June 1 - July 31). I chose for this whole month to go vintage, and use minimal color as an added challenge for me since I am not following the daily prompts. The vintage part is quite easy as I love vintage and have amassed LOTS of vintage ephemera over the years. The hard part is going minimal with color!

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 Joining Paint Party Friday also. Have a super week everyone!

"There is no such thing as creative and non-creative people, only people who use their creativity and people who don't."     Brené Brown