TAG ALONG CHALLENGE BLOG #87: EGYPTIAN

A new challenge has been posted on the Tag Along Challenge Blog, and it is a doozie! Mandy Chilvers is the owner and author of the Tag Along Challenge Blog, and this week has invited Anne to post the challenge theme.  Anne has chosen "Egyptian!"

Having no Egyptian-themed stamps, the first thing I did was go shopping!  I came up empty at my local scrap store, at Michael's, at Jo-Ann's, even at Hobby Lobby.  I did manage to pick up a few things at each store, however, so the trips were not wasted!  Ha!  I was finally successful when I went to my stack of magazines and found the image I have used on the cover (and inside) of the National Geographic from October of 2002!

I used a Ranger #10 tag and adhered my image to it.  I also punched out circles from other patterned bits from the same article, then mounted them on scalloped black cardstock.  I cut these in half, then adhered them to the left side and bottom edge of my tag to create a border.  I was definitely still at a loss as to what to use for a sentiment or quote.  Everything I found was just way to serious--until I found one by Mark Twain.  Take a look:

Thanks, Anne, for what ended up being a super fun challenge this week!  

I hope you will find some time this week to join us at the Tag Along Challenge Blog.  Thanks for your visit and for your comments.  Both are important to me!

12 TAGS OF 2015: APRIL

I decided to play along with Tim Holtz again this month and have made my April tag.  I found it not nearly as exciting as the March tag, but I do like it and was able to use two of my neglected Stampotique stamps, Sunflower Large and Sunflower Medium.  I probably had about half of the recommended supplies from Tim's list and improvised on the second half.

I hope you like it:

Thanks for coming by today and for your comment!

TAG ALONG BLOG CHALLENGE #86: IT'S A GIRL THING!

This week's Tag Along Challenge Blog is hosted by Audrey, and her challenge is "It's a Girl Thing!"  You already know that I am not a frills and lace kind of girl, so, indeed, this was a challenge for me.  I had, however, recently purchased a stamp set by Unity called "Be Amazing," which is kind of "girly," so I decided to use that.

The background was created on Ranger specialty paper using re-inkers and alcohol.  You can see Wendy Vecci's tutorial using this technique here.  Both the image and the sentiment came from the same Unity stamp set (above).  The lace fringe is from Prima.  I used Sharpies to color the flowers and leaves of the young woman's tattoo.  A bit of ribbon from my stash and done!

I hope you will take some time this week to create a tag for this challenge.  You can interpret this challenge any way you like, as long as it's on a tag!

I appreciate both your visit and your comment.  Both are appreciated.

TAG ALONG BLOG CHALLENGE #85: CHARLIE CHAPLIN

The Tag Along Challenge Blog invites us to honor Charlie Chaplin this week!  Sir Charles Spencer "Charlie" Chaplin was an English comic actor and filmmaker who rose to fame in the silent film era, according to Wikipedia.  Since Charlie was born in 1889 and died in 1977, there will be some among us who do not recognize his name.  Here is a treat for you in the form of a film clip:

I have chosen to use a quote from Charlie Chaplin (garnered from Pinterest) along with a stamp from one of the Tim Holtz' Stampers Anonymous collections called "Umbrella Man." The background paper is also from a Tim Holtz paper collection.  The raindrops are compliments of Stampotique Originals and is called Raindrops, appropriately!  The washi tape is from my stash.  

I hope you can carve out some time this week to play along with the rest of us at the Tag Along Challenge Blog.  I appreciate both your visits and your comments--they inspire me!

FEELING SKETCHY CHALLENGE #119

The "Feeling Sketchy" sketch challenges are posted on the 1st and 15th of each month, even when it is April and "tax day" in the U.S.  While my husband had to struggle with all those numbers, I got to play with a new sketch:

You would think that all this color in the sketch would have drawn out my love of color, but I went the opposite way and created a monochromatic card with black, grey and white! Perhaps, it was the lure of a new stamp from Stampendous called "Cattus Librum."  Such a smart-looking, bespectacled cat must certainly, I thought, share something he learned from that book. Here's my card:

I hope you will find some time during the last half of April to create something (it's not just cards!) for the Feeling Sketchy challenge.  There is fun to be had and prizes to be won.  The sponsor for this challenge is Lacy Sunshine.  Please pay a visit!

Thanks for coming by today and for your thoughtful comments!  Both are appreciated!

TAG ALONG BLOG CHALLENGE #84: THEATER

I really had to stretch some to come up with a tag for this "theater" challenge from the Tag Along Challenge Blog!  But, then, I remembered an old stack of magazines I once rescued from a "swap shop" a few years back.  I was delighted to find a copy of the In Theater magazine, and further delighted to see it was from October 11, 1999!

I used a page from the magazine for my background, then scraped a bit of gesso (using an old gift card) here and there to create a bit of texture and to obscure some of the printing.  I then used Ranger distress inks--applied with a blending tool--in Wild Honey, Rusty Hinge, and Gathered Twigs to appropriately "age" my tag.  

Next came "Friend" from my Stampotique Originals stamp collection.  He seemed to be an appropriate character for the play "Voices in the Dark," which I chose from a list of plays I found in the magazine.  The words LISTINGS and OFF-OFF BROADWAY also came from the magazine.

I may have gone a bit too far when I added Ranger's film strip ribbon to my theater tag, but it was close enough for me.  I colored some crinkle ribbon with the same distress inks, and done!  I hope you like it!

I hope you will be able to find some time this week to play along with us at the Tag Along Challenge Blog.  Check it out, and thanks for visiting today!

TAG ALONG BLOG CHALLENGE #83: EASTER AND/OR EGGS

A great challenge for this week at the Tag Along Challenge Blog where Deborah is our host. Take your pick--Easter or Eggs!  I made a tag that is actually both!  At one time, it seems, I was a ribbon collector.  All ribbons are from my stash, but I do recognize at least two as being from Stampin' Up!  The "Easter" sentiment was created on my Cricut, as was the egg shape.  Check out my fun tag:

Take some time to play with your craft stash this week and join the fun at the Tag Along Challenge Blog!  

Thanks for stopping by again and for taking a moment to leave a comment!  Both are appreciated.

SO HAPPY TO SHARE . . . AND FEELING SKETCHY #118

I am thrilled to share with you that I have been invited to join the Design Team at the trendy sketch site of the Feeling Sketchy Challenge Blog!  This site shares inspirational sketches on the 1st and 15th of each month that can be used to create not only cards, but scrapbook layouts, journal pages, tags or whatever you wish!  I hope you will join my teammates and me and get crafty--at least twice a month!  There are prizes to be won and fun to be had by all!

Here's the sketch provided and my first project created for the BIG REVEAL today:

Following is a list of supplies used:

• Cougar White A-7 card blank and envelope
• Black card stock
• Graphic 45 "A Ladies' Diary" for floral background paper, polka dot paper and "fussy cut" flower element
• Coats & Clarke black thread
• Inkssentials #5 manila craft tag
• Recollections foam adhesive mini circles
• Ranger Jet Black Archival Ink
• "You're Strong Enough" stamp from Stampotique Originals 
• Tombo Mono Permanent Adhesive runner
• Carl 12" rotary trimmer

And here is a list of my Feeling Sketchy teammates along with their blog addresses:

• Margaret - http://granmargaret.blogspot.com.au/
• Sharyn - http://cardsbysharyn.blogspot.com.au/
• Michelle - http://michellesscrappingdelight.blogspot.com/
• Louise - http://madeatnumber27.blogspot.com.au/
• Valerie - http://bonjourscrap.blogspot.co.uk/
• Astrid - http://www.bearfamilysscraps.blogspot.nl/
• Cathy - www.cathysobsessions.blogspot.com/
• Elina - scrapbookscraftscards.blogspot.com/
• Val - http://valbellesramblings.blogspot.com/
• Bev - http://beeceecreativity.blogspot.com//
• Lisa- http://lisasscrappyhideaway.blogspot.com//
• Lori - http://loriannie670.blogspot.com/
• Jen L - jencraftsa.blogspot.com/
• Michelle Looi - http://scraposition.blogspot.sg//
• Andreja - http://ustvarja-anla.blogspot.com//
• Leslie - http://lrosecreations.blogspot.com//

So, come on over and get started!  Our generous sponsor for this challenge is Bugaboo Stamps (where you might win 7 free digi stamps).  I hope you will pay them a visit!