Sunday, February 23, 2014

In The Spotlight + Mini Challenge with Margaret Fleming

Hello! I am so happy to be here today! I am Margaret and it's my turn to host In the Spotlight and the mini challenge! I live in a rural community in southern Indiana with my husband, two girls, Shadow (my black Lab), and several farm cats. I recently 'retired' from a seventeen year career as a preschool teacher and now work as a special needs assistant at a local middle school. In my spare time, I love to scrapbook and play with paper. It's a great way to unwind after a stressful week!

Artistically, I began a little later than most, and I don't have an art background unless you count the two years of Art History I took in college! I always loved to do crafts when I was younger and that slowly sprouted into some artistic endeavors with paper crafting. I have been a part of the Anything But a Card Challenges team since it started, and have my own blog, Black Shadow Creations. You can find it here.

I am so blessed to be a part of such a wonderfully talented team. My fellow DT members have so many amazing talents and their creativity knows no bounds. They're also a pretty awesome group of ladies that never fail to inspire me to reach higher. I also have to admit that they sometimes intimidate the crap out of me... Like today when I am in the spotlight sharing something significant about my artistic talents. Now, if my job was to point out what I think their special strengths are, I could rest easy. But instead, I found myself trying to decide just what is it that I do best? I don't really have any one artform where I excel; I'm more of a work in progress. I actually stressed out a bit about this and then I realized that while I'm not the master of fabric, flowers, mold putty, recycled art, or Steampunk (not even close!), I am pretty good at telling stories.

My first introduction into paper crafting was creating a scrapbook for my first baby. Little did I know how this little project would spiral into a quest to document my family's lives and preserve our stories for future generations. I started out making cute pages for a few baby pictures, but didn't have a lot of details and next to no personal stories. Over the years I have learned that while those may be fresh in my mind, they will not be there for future family members, and if I'm going to spend the time to make a scrapbook, it better become a family heirloom!!

Here are some tips for preserving your family history:

1. Document the names of the people in the photos, even if it seems silly to put your name on your picture. 100 years from now, they won't know it was you! I often do this on the back so it is inconspicuous.

2. Tell the stories. Write about your family traditions for holidays; tell a funny story about Aunt Mary; share interesting details about your relationship with other family members.

3. Don't crop too much! I was the queen of cutting off everything in the background in the early years. Now I want to have Grandma's house in the background. Cars and other vehicles are also a great way to inform future generations about your daily life.

4. Record the bad with the good. Illnesses and injuries are a part of our lives and need to be a part of our history. I have temper tantrum pages for both of my girls too! I think they will make great 'first date' show and tell!

My scrapbooking style tends to lean toward Clean and Simple since I like for the photos to be the focal point of my project, but scrapbooking can also be quite fancy and decorated as well. Here are a few of my favorite projects...

A Mini Album of Christmas Traditions





 
Family Reunion
(all of the names are on the back)

http://www.blackshadowcreations.blogspot.com/

Christmas Ornament with four sisters
(photo taken annually)

http://www.blackshadowcreations.blogspot.com/   http://www.blackshadowcreations.blogspot.com/

Pictures of toiletries and towels
from our Disney vacation

http://www.blackshadowcreations.blogspot.com/

Adding personal stories of our past
to a visit to "Germany" at Epcot

http://www.blackshadowcreations.blogspot.com/

So my Spotlight project and your CHALLENGE is
"Sharing a Story Through Scrapbooking"

Even if you've never scrapbooked anything before, I hope you will join me! I would love to see your mini albums, pages, and any other way you find to share a photo and a story! ~ Margaret

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Please join us next Sunday for a brand new Challenge - No. 33. Have a great week!

Sunday, February 16, 2014

LOVE is a Creative Game for Week 3 of Anything But a Card Challenges No. 32

Good Morning Everyone! It week number three {the final week} of our current challenge here at Anything But a Card Challenges... so get ready to play and have some fun! The challenge is Tic...Tac...LOVE a fun game where you get to choose your own creative adventure.


The Challenge... Anything But a Card Challenge #32 - Tic...Tac...LOVE!! Our fabulous team of creatives put our heads together to put a visual twist on a Tic-Tac-Toe challenge. The concept is the same... take your pick of three in a row! Don't forget our three little rules {listed on the sidebar or tab at top}.



Please choose your Tic-Tac-Toe row
 to use as your creative mojo!
{either straight across, down or diagonal}


Choose your direction and follow
the key below for square descriptions:

1.) Red
2.) Recycling
3.) Glitter {can be loose or liquid type like Stickles}
4.) Bling it ON! {beads, gems, buttons, sequins and baubles - the sparkly bits}
5.) Heart
6.) Sprays and Mists
7.) Ribbons, Fibers and Trims... oh MY!
8.) Black
9.) Lace

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 February 22nd giving you 1 week to play along and ENJOY the creative process! We will share more of our Design Team's creations next 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!




I chose the top row {red, recycled, glitter} for my gift box - although I have to admit that I fudged a little on the red. My 'red' is a rose red, but it still has red in the name!! I did follow the rules a little better on the other two squares! The container is my recycled piece. It once held wedges of spreadable cheese and has been given a new purpose as a little box. I used both glass glitter and dazzling details (glitter glue) to complete the top row. Please visit my blog for more details.
 



While thinking of what I wanted to create and how I wanted to incorporate the challenge into my project, I was actually leaning toward an “un-valentine” theme of some sort – like maybe a wall hanging to celebrate someone’s divorce, but the closer it got to Valentine’s Day the more I wanted to stretch myself and make something happy. While digging through my stash I spied my glass square candle holder the idea just clicked in place! I used the middle line, vertical, for this; Recycled the tin can, my faux velvet heart and the black is the ink. Please visit my blog for more details.


For the 'Tic Tac Toe' challenge I chose the center line, horizontally, which is bling, heart, and mists or inks.  I had a heart shaped candy box hanging around, so I decided it would be perfect for the heart part of the challenge!  The mists came into play on top where I cut up a misted paper doily and used it to decoupage the top of the box.  And of course the bling is very evident on the top.  I decorated the box further with tulle trim, seam binding, and a pretty heart shaped button.  Have you noticed anything familiar about any part of this project?  Come over to my blog to find out what it is!


I used the bottom row: ribbons/trims, black, and lace. The photo was one taken at our wedding (40 & 1/2 years ago)  and the background is predominantly fabric based, with some pearls and blingy bits.  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 and read about how you've come about your creations. We hope that you will join in and share them with us! Stop back next Sunday to a new Spotlight Artist + Mini Challenge.

Sunday, February 9, 2014

These HEART's Don't Lie! Week two of Anything But a Card Challenges No. 32

Good Morning Everyone! It week number two of our current challenge here at Anything But a Card Challenges... so get ready to play and have some fun! Our February challenge is Tic...Tac...LOVE a fun game where you get to choose your own creative adventure.


The Challenge... Anything But a Card Challenge #32 - Tic...Tac...LOVE!! Our fabulous team of creatives put our heads together to put a visual twist on a Tic-Tac-Toe challenge. The concept is the same... take your pick of three in a row! Don't forget our three little rules {listed on the sidebar or tab at top}.


Please choose your Tic-Tac-Toe row
 to use as your creative mojo!
{either straight across, down or diagonal}


Choose your direction and follow
the key below for square descriptions:

1.) Red
2.) Recycling
3.) Glitter {can be loose or liquid type like Stickles}
4.) Bling it ON! {beads, gems, buttons, sequins and baubles - the sparkly bits}
5.) Heart
6.) Sprays and Mists
7.) Ribbons, Fibers and Trims... oh MY!
8.) Black
9.) Lace

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 February 22nd giving you 2 weeks to play along and ENJOY the creative process! We will share more of our Design Team's creations next 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!

Welcome to new a brand new addition
to the ABAC Team - Laura Bomber!


I used the diagonal line (Red, Heart and Lace) and created this Valentine house. Full of lots of my favourite crackle, frantage and grungey torn cardboard - this was so much fun to make! Please visit my blog for more details.
 


I did 2 hearts. Top is down – Recycle, Heart and Black. The bottom I did on the diagonal... Red, Heart and Lace. Please visit my blog for more details.


I've gone for the diagonal with my altered spool (or cotton reel as we Brits would say!) - glitter, heart and ribbons/fibers. But I can also make the top line with red, recycle and glitter as the spool was originally painted black for a Halloween project I never finished. :) Check out my blog for more details!




 

I took the line of Recycled/Red Heart/Black and made this small box from a tube from one of my husbands workshop paper rolls.  It was great to use up some very small (and loved) pieces of Maja Design papers too.  Please visit my blog for more details!

http://www.sbartist.com


I went right down the middle and chose the center line of Recycled - Heart - Black! I can't resist any greencrafting project and this one I upcycled an Altoid tin into a mini trinket box and enjoyed trying out some new supplies and techniques. 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!

Featured Artists for Challenge No. 31 "Balance"

Good Morning!!! Thanks to all who put your thinking caps on and created out of the box our "Balance" challenge #31! This was a bit of a challenge to really stretch and get those creative muscles burning – and we were completely "WOW"ed! BRAVO! If you missed out on seeing all the fantastic submissions... please CLICK HERE.


Presenting the Featured Artists
Congratulations! 
Feel free to snag our NEW badge for your blog!

We hope you join us later today with week two of Anything But a Card Challenges No. 32! Have a fabulous Sunday :)

Sunday, February 2, 2014

TIC...TAC...LOVE! You'll Love to Play Along with Anything But a Card Challenges No. 32

Good Morning Everyone and Happy Groundhog Day! Can you see your shadow this AM??? Thanks so much for all of the wonderful comments and those that created art journal pages for Diana's mini-challenge. Stay tuned for a new "Spotlight and Mini-Challenge" at the bottom of the month at the end of Challenge No. 32.

It's time for a new challenge today here at Anything But a Card Challenges... so get ready to play and have some fun! Congratulations to all of you who started off the new year and put your thinking caps on for Challenge #31 "Balance". 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 #32 - Tic...Tac...LOVE!! Our fabulous team of creatives put our heads together to put a visual twist on a Tic-Tac-Toe challenge. The concept is the same... take your pick of three in a row! Don't forget our three little rules {listed on the sidebar or tab at top}.


Please choose your Tic-Tac-Toe row
 to use as your creative mojo!
{either straight across, down or diagonal}


Choose your direction and follow
the key below for square descriptions:

1.) Red
2.) Recycling
3.) Glitter {can be loose or liquid type like Stickles}
4.) Bling it ON! {beads, gems, buttons, sequins and baubles - the sparkly bits}
5.) Heart
6.) Sprays and Mists
7.) Ribbons, Fibers and Trims... oh MY!
8.) Black
9.) Lace

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 February 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!


The recycled item that began my make was truly waste - wasted glue - from an upturned bottle, which reminded me of tears.
The loss of my brother at this time 6 years ago was like a hammer blow to my heart. Now, there are no tears, just sweet and beautiful memories of our Gentle Giant who left so suddenly. Please visit my blog for more details!


http://creationsforastar.blogspot.com/
I've been on an art journaling kick this week, and figured I would stick with it for the challenge this week. I used the line that includes red, recycle, and glitter. I did however also include sequins, black, and sprays or mists as well. Just in case you can't see the recycle part, it's the corrugated cardboard (a dunkin donut sleeve) and the glitter is the middle of the feathers! Check out my blog for more details!


I've made a Valentine matchbook which can be used for romantic notes, gift cards or the promise of a treat such as a meal for two or even a trip to somewhere exotic! I used the vertical centre line: Recycling; Heart and Black. The matchbook is made from Amazon packaging and the glass wired beads are from Christmas crackers. (I chose to make my heart black and silver rather than red - hope that's ok??!)  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!