What??!! Five Sundays... * * NEW * * Fifth Sunday Challenge at Anything But a Card Challenges

Good Morning Everyone! It's the last weekend in March... and Spring should be making an appearance soon. Thanks so much for all of the wonderful comments and those that "Used Stencils" for Julia's mini-challenge. If you missed out on seeing all the bright and colorful stenciled submissions... please CLICK HERE to check them out. Stay tuned for a new "Spotlight and Mini-Challenge" at the bottom of the month at the end of Challenge No. 34.

The moon and stars have aligned to give us an EXTRA Sunday this month which messes up our 3 +1 system of challenges. Today is a FIFTH SUNDAY! This is an oddity in the calendar that will be happening numerous times this year... SO we are adding a NEW MINI-Challenge today here at Anything But a Card Challenges!!! Are you ready to play and have some fun??!

For our first Fifth Sunday Challenge... "USE FIVE"!! Use the number 5 or five items, five colors, five words... what ever FIVE represents to you. For those who want to go a little more literal - here's the definition, too! Loads of inspiration could be had over at Wikipedia's page for 5 (number).

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five (faɪv)
n.

1. a cardinal number, four plus one.

2. a symbol for this number, as 5 or V.

3. a set of this many persons or things.

4. a five-dollar bill.

adj.

5. amounting to five in number.

[before 1000; Middle English; Old English fīf; c. Old Frisian, Old Saxon fīf, Old High German fimf, finf, Old Norse fimm, Gothic fimf, Latin quīnque, Greek pénte, Skt pancha]

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Please share any current project you have created and JUST REMEMBER... create anything EXCEPT a card for this challenge. Please mention and LINK BACK to this challenge. ALSO - Please new projects only {no-backlinking}. :)

**A REMINDER** This Mini-Challenge will go through midnight April 5th giving you 7 days to play along and ENJOY the creative process! Next Sunday will start a brand new 3 week challenge.

Let's see what our DT has created!!

Please click on the designers' name to visit their blog. We hope you’ll take a minute to go see their work up close... and as long as you’re there – please leave them a little love!

Please help us in welcoming a new Designer

to our group of creatives here at ABAC!

Welcome to Brenda Burfeind!

 

Brenda

It's a Birthday favor fit for a Princess.
She will be turning 5 and I've used the number 5
and 5 rhinestones to capture the full affect.
Please visit my BLOG for more details.

Julie

Sitting on the desk - leftover from another project was this gorgeous piece of Graphic 45 Couture paper. You guessed it! There are 5 glamorous images! The result ... a reverse canvas! Come on over to my BLOG for more details.

Diana

I used a fun picture from my recent trip to make this scrapbook page. Check out my blog for more details and to join my birthday giveaway!

Sheri

I did 5 Rolodex cards – each card using 5 things. :)
Please visit my blog for more details!

Di

I have 2 different '5's' here – paper, beads, stamping, glitter, chipboard being one group. The other is 5 silver nautilus shells holding the photo. The nautilus shell frame has been stamped using the Inkadinkadoo gears and cogs kit. Please visit my blog for more details!

Lisette

Aside from the little bee, what I love best about this little altered domino is that I've made it for me. "What's this got to do with 5", I hear you ask? You can probably guess – but if not... please visit my blog for more details and the answer!

Becky

This will be my last week, and last post for Anything But a Card Challenges ... somehow life is just too busy right now and I needed to step back and take a good look at what was important, and my 'real' life won out!  My wish for all of you is exactly what this art journal page says ... Faith, Hope, Charity, Love and Peace!  Please visit my blog to get all the details!  And thanks!

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We hope our designers have you INSPIRED to take some time to be creative!! We can't wait to see your creations and we hope that you will join in and share them with us! Stop back next Sunday to for a brand new Challenge No. 34 and perhaps more surprises, too!

An InLinkz Link-up

In the Spotlight + Mini Challenge... Julia Stratford-Wright

Hi everyone, my turn to tell you a little more about myself this month. I'm Julia Stratford-Wright – I'm in my mid 50's (that's as close as I'll go!) and I can't believe I'm that age. I'm also determined to forget the age and just enjoy life!

That's me waving to the camera with
my sister-in-law in Cyprus where she lives.
Yes, that's SNOW in the background in April!!

I was a Textiles teacher from 1979 - 2010 when my health had a wobbly so I retired. My husband and I recently moved to the countryside and the air here is much cleaner than south London (where we used to live) so I'm very happy! I feel so lucky to live in a beautiful village surrounded by miles of paths to walk, right on the doorstep. I have a daughter who's nearly 22 and she's going for a degree in Illustration - out into the big wide world soon!

I have loved working with fabric for as long as I can remember and teaching children aged 11-18 was my passion. No two days were ever the same and whilst it wasn't always the easiest job, it truly was rewarding.

I studied art and textiles to degree level and now I'm back playing with paints, inks, fabrics, stamps, rusty objects and anything else that takes my fancy! I still sew from time to time and I have developed a love for making hand knitted socks! It was something I was determined to learn and I often have a pair on the needles just waiting to fill any idle time.

These are some of the socks I've knitted. I've also made them for my daughter and now my husband. It really has become an obsession! Never had a go? Get to a class and learn, it's so much fun.

I started blogging in 2012 so I could enter challenges and I haven't looked back since. I found a whole new world full of talented, caring people and I love it. My style has evolved from paper arts and stamping to a love of mixed media projects. I have three very talented crafty sisters but it was sister Sandie who really opened my eyes to the world of papercraft and stamping. Thank you!! My blog entitled "Julia's Stuff" can be found HERE.

I have been lucky enough to have a year of workshops with the super talented Andy Skinner and the skills I've learned from him have enabled me to take my work in a different direction. For my mixed media pieces, I love to browse in charity shops for objects to alter. I'd like to share a project that I've made especially for this spotlight - hope you like it:

My sister showed me this candle burner in a charity shop.
It looks like stone but is made from plaster.

I gave the piece two coats of gesso followed by a coat of mixed colours from the Americana range by DecoArt. Looks very odd at this stage!

Here's what the piece looked like after lots of work with washes, crackling and general grunging! I just love how you can change something just by using a few products and some clever techniques.

Here's some close up shots for you to see the details - if you need a break from photos, go and get a coffee to keep yourself awake!

I love how the paws have turned out - they have an antique look and even appear to be missing little pieces here and there.

The space to put a small candle or night light.

The eyes with their rusty, aged look making it appear

as if the object has a metal content.

The wings with their crackled edges.

• • • • • • • • •

Mini Challenge:

Use Two Or More Stencils On Your Project

For my mini challenge I'd like you to use two or more stencils on your project to create depth and layers on the surface. You can do this with paint, ink, sprays, texture mediums or a combination of all of those plus anything else you fancy!

Here's what I made for your inspiration:

Tag made using paint, ink, metallic lustre spray, shimmer powder on stamped ink and modeling paste. If you want to know how I made the background CLICK HERE.

Now for some close-ups to show you the details:

Die cut letters, stamped with versamark, brushed with perfect
pearls and coated with Triple Thick Glaze from DecoArt.

If you've managed to get this far then thank you so much for sticking with me. It's over to you now - I'd really love to see how you use those stencils to create depth and layers on your project! ~ Julia 

* * * * * * * * *

Please join us next Sunday for a brand new Challenge.
Have a great week!

An InLinkz Link-up

Stars SPARKLE in the Sky for Week Three of Anything But a Card Challenges No. 33

Good Morning Everyone! Welcome to Anything But a Card Challenges... are you ready for some "SPARKLY" and new inspiration from our designers for week 3 of Challenge No. 33.

The Challenge... Anything But a Card Challenge #33 - the word "SPARKLE"!! What does the word sparkle represent to you? Sparkle can be a personality trait, or a physical appearance, or an attitude. You could be inspired with the written definition; go with a passage from a book or poem - or even quote a song... and of course we include going crazy with bling!

* * * * * * * * * * * * 

sparkle
ˈspɑːk(ə)l/
verb
verb: sparkle; 3rd person present: sparkles; past tense: sparkled; past participle: sparkled; gerund or present participle: sparkling

1. shine brightly with flashes of light.
"her earrings sparkled as she turned her head"
synonyms: glitter, glint, glisten, twinkle, flicker, flash, blink, wink, shimmer, dance, shine, gleam, glow;

2. be vivacious and witty.
"after a glass of wine, she began to sparkle"
synonyms: be lively, be vivacious, be animated, be ebullient, be exuberant, be bubbly, be effervescent, be sparkling, be witty, be brilliant, be enthusiastic, be full of life, brilliant, dazzling, scintillating, coruscating, exciting, exhilarating, stimulating, invigorating, vivacious, effervescent, lively, vibrant, animated, ebullient, bright, witty, clever
"a sparkling performance"
antonyms: boring, dull, pedestrian { these don't sound too sparkly ;) }

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Please share any current project you have created and JUST REMEMBER... create anything EXCEPT a card for this challenge. Please mention and LINK BACK to this challenge. ALSO - Please new projects only {no-backlinking}. :)

**A REMINDER** This Challenge will go through midnight March 22nd giving you one more week to play along and ENJOY the creative process! Next Sunday we will have a new Artist Spotlight + Mini Challenge.

Let's see what part of our DT has created!!

Please click on the designers' name to visit their blog. We hope you’ll take a minute to go see their work up close... and as long as you’re there – please leave them a little love!

Christi

I decided to make a sign that I can hang up in my studio and since I adore quotes it seemed to be a perfect idea to use one on the sign. After a few weeks of upset... I needed to make this sign. I have it where I can see it every day! Please visit my blog for more details.

 

Di

Rhais will certainly sparkle at her Charity Dinner / Dance, in her gown from her favourite Couture Salon: 'Roses". The gown, featuring the new vogue dropped waist is softly draped and held by her favourite flowers. The hemline, trimmed with the same flowers dips to a short train at the back. Thin staps sewn with rhinestones add to the glamorous appearance of this gorgeous gown. The gown will be enhanced further by the long string of diamonds being held by Rhais. Pop over to my blog to see what else has been done with this couture inspired hinged canvas.

Margaret

Sparkle took on a few different meanings in my project. There is the visual sparkle of the confetti, gold thread, and rhinestones used to embellish my page. My daughter is wearing a sparkly pink dress and glittery costume jewelry. Then there is the implied sparkle of the stars-for my daughter 'STAR'ring in her first musical!  Check out my blog for more details!

Becky

Well, this week's theme of 'Sparkle' was perfect for me, because I love sparkly things! I love adding jewels and Stickles and sequins and all kinds of things to my projects. For this set of 'greeting tags', I used several different colors of Stickles, including Cotton Candy, Waterfall, and Diamond to achieve lots of sparkle. I have been making tags like this for several years, and have envelopes that they fit inside. I have sold quite a few of them, both individually and in sets, at craft shows and a store in northwest Georgia where I take things to sell on consignment. I hope you enjoy my cheerful 'greeting tags' for this challenge!  Please visit my blog to see up close pics where you can see the sparkle, and hear a story about my husband surprising me with something sparkly!

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We hope our designers have you INSPIRED to take some time to be creative!! We can't wait to see your creations and we hope that you will join in and share them with us! Stop back next Sunday a brand new Artist Spotlight + Mini Challenge. Wishing you all a Happy St. Patrick's Day!

An InLinkz Link-up

Featured Artists for Challenge No. 32 "Tic...Tac...LOVE"

Good Morning! We hope you all are having a SPARKLING and creative morning. Thanks to all who played along with our "Tic...Tac...LOVE" Challenge #32... everyone really put their hearts into this fun creative game we created. If you missed this Challenge, please CLICK HERE to see all of the creations – you will "LOVE" all of the amazing inspiration!

Presenting the Featured Artists

for ABAC Challenge No. 32... 

sam21ski

 

Jen

Rupa at TOFA

Congratulations! 

Feel free to snag our NEW badge for your blog!

We hope you join us later today with new "SPARKLING" inspiration from our designers in our final week of Anything But a Card Challenges No. 33! Have a fabulous Sunday :)

All that Glitters is Gold for Week 2 of Anything But a Card Challenges No. 33

Good Morning Everyone! Welcome to Anything But a Card Challenges... and some fabulous new "SPARKLING" inspiration from our designers for week 2 of Challenge No. 33.

The Challenge... Anything But a Card Challenge #33 - the word "SPARKLE"!! What does the word sparkle represent to you? Sparkle can be a personality trait, or a physical appearance, or an attitude. You could be inspired with the written definition; go with a passage from a book or poem - or even quote a song... and of course we include going crazy with bling!

* * * * * * * * * * * * 

sparkle
ˈspɑːk(ə)l/
verb
verb: sparkle; 3rd person present: sparkles; past tense: sparkled; past participle: sparkled; gerund or present participle: sparkling

1. shine brightly with flashes of light.
"her earrings sparkled as she turned her head"
synonyms: glitter, glint, glisten, twinkle, flicker, flash, blink, wink, shimmer, dance, shine, gleam, glow;

2. be vivacious and witty.
"after a glass of wine, she began to sparkle"
synonyms: be lively, be vivacious, be animated, be ebullient, be exuberant, be bubbly, be effervescent, be sparkling, be witty, be brilliant, be enthusiastic, be full of life, brilliant, dazzling, scintillating, coruscating, exciting, exhilarating, stimulating, invigorating, vivacious, effervescent, lively, vibrant, animated, ebullient, bright, witty, clever
"a sparkling performance"
antonyms: boring, dull, pedestrian { these don't sound too sparkly ;) }

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Please share any current project you have created and JUST REMEMBER... create anything EXCEPT a card for this challenge. Please mention and LINK BACK to this challenge. ALSO - Please new projects only {no-backlinking}. :)

**A REMINDER** This Challenge will go through midnight March 22nd giving you 2 weeks to play along and ENJOY the creative process! We will share more of our Design Team's creations each Sunday to keep you inspired.

Let's see what part of our DT has created!!

Please click on the designers' name to visit their blog. We hope you’ll take a minute to go see their work up close... and as long as you’re there – please leave them a little love!

Laura

LOTS of Rock Candy Distress Glitter! I can't get enough of this gorgeous subtle sparkle! Add in my favourite colour combination and stamps – this was a tag that was a dream to make. Please visit my blog for more details.

 

Sheri

This journal page is very sparkly. :) I used glitter paints, stickles and paper that had glitter in it. Please visit my blog for more details.

Lisette

I am the proverbial magpie and glitter and bling are my kinda thing. However, I've tried to go for a more understated (!) vintagy look with this altered MDF crown. Check out my blog for more details!

Jennie

Sparkle in my stash extends to a couple of bottles of Distress Stickles! But I found this lovely quote and used a little sparkle on a flower made from the Tattered Pine Cone Die which I added to a mixed media ATC background. Please visit my blog for more details!

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We hope our designers have you INSPIRED to take some time to be creative!! We can't wait to see your creations and we hope that you will join in and share them with us! Stop back next Sunday to see more of our Design Team creations!

An InLinkz Link-up

SPARKLES so Bright... You Gotta Wear Shades for Anything But a Card Challenges No. 33

Good Morning Everyone! It's a SPARKLY brand new month and time for a brand new ABAC Challenge. Thanks so much for all of the wonderful comments and those that "shared a story through scrapbooking" for Margarets's mini-challenge. Stay tuned for a new "Spotlight and Mini-Challenge" at the bottom of the month at the end of Challenge No. 33.

It's time for a new challenge today here at Anything But a Card Challenges... so get ready to play and have some fun! Kudos to all of the creative gamers who played along with Challenge #32 "Tic...Tac...LOVE". If you missed out on seeing all the amazing submissions... please CLICK HERE to check them out.

The new Challenge... Anything But a Card Challenge #33 - the word "SPARKLE"!! What does the word sparkle represent to you? Sparkle can be a personality trait, or a physical appearance, or an attitude. You could be inspired with the written definition; go with a passage from a book or poem - or even quote a song... and of course we include going crazy with bling!

* * * * * * * * * * * * 

sparkle
ˈspɑːk(ə)l/
verb
verb: sparkle; 3rd person present: sparkles; past tense: sparkled; past participle: sparkled; gerund or present participle: sparkling

1. shine brightly with flashes of light.
"her earrings sparkled as she turned her head"
synonyms: glitter, glint, glisten, twinkle, flicker, flash, blink, wink, shimmer, dance, shine, gleam, glow;

2. be vivacious and witty.
"after a glass of wine, she began to sparkle"
synonyms: be lively, be vivacious, be animated, be ebullient, be exuberant, be bubbly, be effervescent, be sparkling, be witty, be brilliant, be enthusiastic, be full of life, brilliant, dazzling, scintillating, coruscating, exciting, exhilarating, stimulating, invigorating, vivacious, effervescent, lively, vibrant, animated, ebullient, bright, witty, clever
"a sparkling performance"
antonyms: boring, dull, pedestrian { these don't sound too sparkly ;) }

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Please share any current project you have created and JUST REMEMBER... create anything EXCEPT a card for this challenge. Please mention and LINK BACK to this challenge. ALSO - Please new projects only {no-backlinking}. :)

**A REMINDER** This Challenge will go through midnight March 22nd giving you 3 weeks to play along and ENJOY the creative process! We will share more of our Design Team's creations each Sunday to keep you inspired.

Let's see what part of our DT has created!!

Please click on the designers' name to visit their blog. We hope you’ll take a minute to go see their work up close... and as long as you’re there – please leave them a little love!

Julie

Oh Yes! Sparkle for me is all about the Bling!

There was a lot of work go into these. Come on over and check out what I did on my BLOG. But then I decided to create even more sparkle. If you are going to shine do it big time.

Diana

I wanted to get as much sparkle as possible into the little wooden word. So there's glitter, glitter, and more glitter. Then there are some mica pieces. And a little bit of rusty pieces to round it all out! Check out my blog for more details!

Julia

I promise there is some shimmer here - the closest I can get to sparkle! There's also a little sparkly gem on my Fimo heart. The close-ups on my blog show more.  Please visit my blog for more details!

Susan

I have a large stash of glittery Christmas papers and this floral background was one of them. It had the perfect amount of "sparkle" to accompany this amazing quote by Virginia Woolf. I love this sparkly new entry in my art journal. Please visit my blog for more details!

***********************

We hope our designers have you INSPIRED to take some time to be creative!! We can't wait to see your creations and we hope that you will join in and share them with us! Stop back next Sunday to see more of our Design Team creations!

An InLinkz Link-up