giftbags are my bag, baby!

custom-decorated giftbags, that is.

with dragonflies...or possibly monstas?

you know, like THESE:

(yes, you guessed it, there was a great $1 sale on paperchase stuff at borders, including these cool cloud bags that i decorated for my parents-in-law!)

(paperchase giftbags & giftwrap from which monstas were cut, dragonfly cut from a magazine, rhinestones from michaels, letter stickers: sei, chatterbox, miss elizabeth, zig pen, 3m foam tape)

happy sunday, darlings!

52Q: 9

hooray for being officially caught up on 52Q! now i can read emily falconbridge's prompt each week, make my card, and post it with everyone else. you know...until i get BEHIND AGAIN... (which i will at some point!) but for now, i am enjoying one of my rare but coveted visits to the lovely and magical

kingdom of

caughtuptonia!!!!!!!

question 9: what was the last brave thing i did?

(page from a vintage children's book, gin-x rub-on letters, colorbox ink; reverse: basic grey paper, heidi swapp chip arrow, uniball pen)

text reads, "it only counts if we define BRAVE as, "really REALLY scared, but doing it anyway"...and even then it's totally lame: i am brave twice a year when me and my giant phobia (& a whole lotta xanax!) go to the (waaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!) DENTIST!)

pigs & geese & ducks better scurry...

...on over to CAARDVARKS!!!

are you ready for a new challenge?? well, i am...especially *this* particular challenge, because it's super-FUN...with an unbelievably fabulous prize! so let's get right to it, shall we?

the challenge: make a card with a CRITTER on it!!
(how cool is that?!)

the prize: awesomeness from label tulip

(told ya it was fabulous!)

the deadline: midnight, march 18th

(there's nothing i can add to this one, is there?)

the place: CAARDVARKS!!!
(where you can find all the details, a place to load your creation, pics of the prize, and a gallery of amazing DT cards!)

and now all that's left is to show you MY cards...yepper, two of 'em...because this challenge was just too much fun to fit on ONE CARD!!! :)

(transparency: hambly; iridescent lace cardstock: ki memories; diecut frame: bam pop; amazingly cool & versatile frankie the flamingo stamp: tyggereye art (thanks, gina!!!) flowers: prima; epoxies: love elsie, susan branch, michaels; plastic swirl stickers: sandylion; metallic lines of bling: michaels; other: ranger ink, tombow markers, 3m foam tape

(patterned paper: american crafts, creative imaginations, we r memory keepers, current; self-dahesive fabric: decor art; chipboard deer & frame: sassafrass lass; letter stickers: making memories, doodlebug; rickrack from debb (thank you!) lines of adhesive studs: michaels; other: martha stewart butterflies punch, colorbox inks, 3m foam tape)

judging by the design team's many awesome, gorgeous, hilarious cards, i think this challenge is going to be A BLAST! (and i just cannot wait to see what you will make!!!)

52Q: 6, 7, 8

ok, this is the last day of 52Q catch-up pages; tomorrow there will be pretty greeting cards, honest! oh yeah, and a new CAARDVARKS challenge.

question 6: if i could do it all again, would i change anything?

(photo from my sophmore year in high school, mrs. grossman's photo corners, manual typewriter; reverse: notebook paper, uniball pen, unknown woodstock sticker)

text below reads, "my do-overs would be practical: i'd've taken calcium in my 20's & been religious about eyecream...i'd've saved more money & spent more time with my grandparents...i wouldn't have sunbathed... (or smoked!) ...and i would never, ever, have gotten *THIS* haircut!!!"

question 7: what would you do if you knew you could not fail?

(vintage tally sheet, illustration & cut out words from an old children's book, provocraft roller stamp, scrapworks rub-on letters)

text below reads, "i have been pondering this for days and i still have NO IDEA! if it was, 'given unlimited funds'...OR...'with a perfectly reliable back' i could probably come up with a scheme or two. i guess i worry more about logistics than i do about failure. i suspect i will keep thinking about this question for a while."

question 8: what was the last thing that made you laugh out loud?

(making memories & bam pop papers, making memories rub-ons, provocraft roller stamp; reverse: pic from "i can has cheezburger" printed on kodak premium photo paper)

52Q: 3, 4 & 5

hooray for more 52Q questions and answers!!!

question 3: do you believe in fairies?

(anahata katkin clipart, mrs. grossman's wand sticker, k&co alphas, manual typewriter; reverse: notebook paper, colorbox ink)

text below reads, "i believe in all the things fairies represent: magic, imagination, random acts of kindness (or mischief!) the way that good and bad fortune arrives or departs with no rhyme or reason, and especially the very human desire to believe in something we cannot see which is more powerful than we are."

question 4: when i look into my eyes, i see _________.

(picture from a magazine, dymo label, folk art paint; reverse: scrapbook wizard paper, colorbox ink)

text below reads, "hmmmmmmmmm...i don't really spend all that much time gazing into my own eyes, but hopefully others see an honest, kind person who laughs a lot."

question 5: how do i feel today?

(picture from a calendar, manual typewriter; reverse: picture from a bulb catalog)

text above reads, "today was a cold, grey day in the middle of a cold, grey, lonnnnnnnnnng winter... (& i have had a rotten cold for two weeks!) ...so today i feel..."

text below reads, "really, *REALLY* ready for spring!!!"

a couple more questions tomorrow, and then on thursday there will be a brand new CAARDVARKS challenge!!!

52Q: 1 & 2

so now that my deck of cards is ready to go and my cover art has made its grand debut, it's time to embark properly on emily falconbridge's year long mini-journal challenge. and so without further ado, let the 52 questions begin!!!

oh wait a second, actually there IS gonna bit a bit more ado, afterall; i meant to say something about the overall design scheme, which is slightly different than my usual style. you'll notice these are pretty pared down...so far, anyway! for one thing, i'd really like this to be about the questions and answers. also, part of the point of challenges--for me, anyhow--is to tap into the creative bits with which i'm not already super-comfortable. so...since my natural inclinations are to work A) big, B) slowly, C) well-planned-out, and D) quite bulky...i've decided to try to be a bit more instinctual...more minimal...and flattish with products; plus the ATC/playing card size is quite a bit smaller than i'm used to. of course it's easy to SAY that...we shall see how long it lasts; but as of now...that's the plan! :) on a sheer logistical level, i'm planning to put the question or theme on the front and answer on the back.

question 1: what do i wish for this year to bring?

(supplies: page from a vintage children's dictionary; hero arts heart butterfly stamp (used as a mask); making memories rub-ons; glimmer mist; colorbox inks; zig pen; reverse: vintage journal page; uniball pen)

text below reads, "continued/restored good health...friendship...fun...art/creative fulfillment...buy a house...figure out how to be my own boss (& get paid!)...read/write/learn stuff"


question 2: am i afraid of change?


(supplies: page from an investment prospectus; dymo labels--that look black, but are actually a really nice dark green; mrs. grossmans sticker; reverse: vintage journal page; uniball pen)

text below reads, "the REAL answer: well, of course it depends on the change... positive or negative? permanent or temporary? my choice or forced upon me? ...but for the most part, i would say i fear stagnation and routine more than change. gotta keep trying THE NEW!"

what's new? (52Q)

having finally finished paper adventure 'o8, i guess i'm gonna be needing a "big project" for 2009, right?! i saw 52Q on emily falconbridge's blog at the beginning of january, and have been planning to participate...at last i am up to speed and ready to begin!

starting new stuff is always fun, isn't it? especially if the preparations include one of my very favorite things: making a little book! seeing as i had so much fun making ATC's last summer... (i'd really like to make--and swap--more of those) ...i thought it'd be nice to practice using that size for this project. i've converted a standard deck of playing cards by punching holes, stringing them onto a bookring, and making a front and back cover. i've given some of the cards a "basecoat" of paint or ink or paper as a headstart do making one per week for the year. wanna see my book so far?

here's the front cover:

here's the back cover:

and here's the whole thing, ready for action:

(supplies for covers: bengali newspaper; anahata katkin clipart lotuses; fancy pants acryllic letters; basic grey rub-ons; making memories glitter alphas; colorbox inks; zig pen)

i've already started making my "catch up" cards from january and february, so this week i will be showing those as i get them photo-ed and uploaded.

HOORAY for starting new projects!!!