Sunday, April 27, 2014

In the Spotlight + Mini Challenge... Christi Conley

Hi all! My name is Christi Conley and it’s my turn for the “In the Spotlight” feature and mini-challenge. I adore my Anything but a Card team mates and I could wax poetic about them and their talents for ages, however, this is supposed to be about me. Who knew it would be SO hard to talk about themselves? I feel like this is an assignment for a speech class! I’ll just picture all of you in your underwear and get started.

I am a mom to 4 cats, love to make all kinds of art, read (thank goodness for Kindle!), laugh and have fun. I am 47 years old and I moved from the East Coast to wonderful Aurora, Colorado about 3 years ago with my fur family and my man, Tom, to join my mom and my brother. I enjoy up cycling, recycling, tag sales, garage sales and sales in general. I love to share my art & inspiration on my blog, Art Without Anxiety (why the name? Well, I know new things can intimidate people – myself included - and I wanted to make a place where people could go and learn how to create things in a fun, relaxed atmosphere). I have a quirky sense of humor, which would be very evident if you’ve ever had a conversation with me.

I have a Masters’ Degree in Counseling Psychology but, due to some health issues I am unable to work at this time and I am on Social Security Disability. When I was able to work I have had some interesting jobs, including being a “roadette” for a popular New England band and working on a suicide prevention hotline. I have been playing with crafts since I was a young child – I remember making puppets out of lunch bags, complete with paper napkin hair and clothes, making dollhouses and concocting outrageous games with my best friend.

I found paper crafts back in the late 90’s and took to them like a cat to catnip. I am always amazed at what people can make out of paper and I am working on making more 3D items. There have been a few times where I was unable to make things and when I got all my goodies out of storage this time I joined the many, many talented folks and started a blog and that is truly when my world opened up. I am thrilled to be part of the Anything but a Card Challenges design team and to be able to share all my projects with you!

I have been altering books since they became the rage some years ago. I loved playing in Round Robins and I learned great techniques from books, classes and online groups. I want to share with you a project I made quite a few months ago, when I first started blogging. I plan on making more of these niche books (I have SO many books in my stash to be altered!) and I thoroughly enjoyed making this one. This is my Shell Book and I documented, step by step, how I made it on my blog post HERE.


For my Spotlight Challenge I would like you to make something either with a book (could be a mini book, a stamp of a book, etc), or with actual book pages. Please follow all of the rules set for our regular challenges and have fun! I look forward to seeing your creations. ~ Christi
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Please join us next Sunday for a brand new Challenge.
Have a great week!

Sunday, April 20, 2014

Butterflies all A-Flutter and Flowers in Full Bloom for Week 3 of Anything But a Card Challenges No. 34

Good Morning and Happy Easter Sunday Everyone! Welcome to week three of Anything But a Card Challenges No. 34... our "Spring Forward" open theme challenge. We hope you enjoyed meeting and getting to know our special Guest Designer Danie May last week {click here to view her beautiful spring creations}.


The current Challenge... Anything But a Card Challenge #34 - "SPRING Forward"!! We know Spring is dragging it's feet in arriving as ol' man winter keeps his heels dug in the snow and ice... so we are celebrating the new season with an OPEN THEME!!! Feel free to break out the bright colors and create along with Spring and Easter, or create whatever your muse desires... as long as it's anything but a card!

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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 April 26th giving you one more week to play along and ENJOY the creative process! We will have a new Artist Spotlight + Mini Challenge next Sunday.

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!

In case you missed the announcement on our Fifth Sunday Challenge - we have a new addition to the ABAC Design Team. Please give a warm welcome to our newest addition Brenda Burfeind!

 

Since today is Easter I thought I'd share a cute mini basket with flying butterflies for our Easter Table.  I cut my basket using my Cricut with scraps of butterfly paper.  Using my Amazing Crafting Products, I created a butterfly mold and colored with Sakura Mixers and Alumidust – now I have a cute centerpiece for the Easter dinner table. Please visit my blog for more details.
Incorporating both the "Spring Forward" and "Anything Goes" themes, I thought a nice pendant made out of a watch case would be a nice project! Please visit my blog for more details.
 


I've made a mini-album of inspirational quotes and poems about spring, using the Sizzix Accordian Flip 3D Album die. Background papers included some that were gessoed and colored with acrylics and Dylusions inks. Pop over to my blog to see all the details.


Since the flowers are blooming and the robins have returned, I created a page in my quotes journal featuring both of these. Check out my blog for more details!



I thought I would celebrate the "non" arrival of spring here in the North with a couple of ATCs with these lovely stamped flowers which I have layered over a Fresco Paints/Grunge Paste background.  If I could I would have white flowers and greenery all over the garden! but I just have to  be thankful for whatever grows! Please see the details on my blog.



Renovating is giving us many opportunities to jazz up and change our decor. The fresh colours are going to make me happy each time I see this bargain find. See what I did and learn the details on my blog.

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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 Easter Sunday!

Featured Artists for Anything But a Card Challenges No. 33 "SPARKLE"

Good Morning!!! Thanks to all who brought out their bling in celebrating our "SPARKLE" challenge #33! This challenge gleamed a variety of submissions – and many sharing the sparkle and wonder of Springtime. If you missed out on seeing all the fantastic submissions... please CLICK HERE.


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

We hope you join us later today with week three of Anything But a Card Challenges No. 34! Have a fabulous Sunday :)

Sunday, April 13, 2014

Spring has SPRUNG for Week 2 of Anything But a Card Challenges No. 34 with Guest Designer Danie May

Good Morning Everyone! It's week two of our current challenge and we are so excited to introduce that we will be inviting a Guest Designer to join us for here at ABAC. Danie May is our Guest Designer this month and joining us for our current Spring Forward Challenge... you are in for a treat!


The new Challenge... Anything But a Card Challenge #34 - "SPRING Forward"!! We know Spring is dragging it's feet in arriving as ol' man winter keeps his heels dug in the snow and ice... so we are celebrating the new season with an OPEN THEME!!! Feel free to break out the bright colors and create along with Spring and Easter, or create whatever your muse desires... as long as it's anything but a card!

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

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 April 26th 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.

Danie May created this lovely a Easter Tag
for the Spring Forward Challenge.

We hope you enjoy getting to know our Guest Designer...
please click on the images to visit her blog –
and give her a warm welcome!

"I just love everything about Spring but alas we are heading into Autumn but the colors of Spring are perfect for Easter Creating also. So this one is a tag embracing my more messy side. My background is a mix of Distress Stains and Gelatos, while I have used a punched flower border strip and a striped paper to add further interest before layering on my main Easter Collage Images, my sentiment and finishing with a bunny brad. Please visit my BLOG for more details."
Danie May shares a little more seasonal inspiration...

http://www.d-dazzledscraps.com

a Mixed Media Canvas



Spring Inspired Tag


A little about our Guest Designer Danie May...


I am a stay at home foster mum and part time carer for my mother with Alzheimer's who lives with hubby and the rest on the family including 3 fur babies residing on acreage in the beautiful Northern Rivers Area of NSW Australia. I have always been arty crafty following in my father's footsteps and partaking in everything from flower arranging to wood turning. When I discovered paper-crafting about 12 years ago I found something that would become a passion. Starting out as a stamper/card maker I now dabble in all things mixed media, and have more recently started to paint/draw in a number of mediums as well as finding a enjoyment for photography particularly of birds.

I also love to share what I do and am grateful for the wonderful people I have met along the way of my creative journey. In October 2013 I took over the running and editoral of Unruly PaperArts which is a collaborative blogozine featuring articles on all things mixed media and papercrafting and I am honored to currently be a Design Team Member for Altered Pages and Cards in Envy.

To see more of my work please pop over to my blog http://www.d-dazzledscraps.com

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We hope our Guest Designer Danie May has INSPIRED you 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!


Sunday, April 6, 2014

It's time to "SPRING Forward" with Anything But a Card Challenges No. 34

Good Morning Everyone! It's a brand new month and time for a brand new ABAC Challenge. Did you enjoy our little "April's Fools" 5th Sunday Challenge last week where we dared you to "USE FIVE"??! To keep the calendar of challenges balanced... keep a lookout for a few more fifth Sunday's smattered throughout 2014. KUDOS and much applause to those who played along on our first FIVE challenge. If you missed the challenge,  please CLICK HERE and show the players some blog love. Stay tuned for a new "Spotlight and Mini-Challenge" at the bottom of the month at the end of Challenge No. 34.

Now we get down to business... it's time for a new challenge today here at Anything But a Card Challenges... let's get ready to play and have some fun! Thanks to all who's creative stars aligned and played along with our Challenge #33 "SPARKLE". If you missed out on seeing all the glittered and glam submissions... please CLICK HERE to check them out.


The new Challenge... Anything But a Card Challenge #34 - "SPRING Forward"!! We know Spring is dragging it's feet in arriving as ol' man winter keeps his heels dug in the snow and ice... so we are celebrating the new season with an OPEN THEME!!! Feel free to break out the bright colors and create along with Spring and Easter, or create whatever your muse desires... as long as it's anything but a card!

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

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 April 26th 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!


Oh Yes! Sparkle for me is all about the Bling!
As a child, it was always a tradition to make a little Easter garden which is probably why, many, many years later I still can't resist the urge! The added bonus in this one is that those eggs are real chocolate. But be warned - I've counted them!!! Check out my BLOG for more details.


I have a large blank wall that needed something. I had a very old piece of canvas so I painted, inked, stenciled and misted the background, then added this line from a Mumford and Sons song. Check out my BLOG for more details!



Today I'm sharing a 5" x 7" canvas board I've created following one of the lessons from the "Soul Food" class I'm taking.  Please visit my BLOG for more details!



I am totally Cuckoo for all things "Steampunk" and I also have an extreme sweet tooth of the marshmallow Peeps® variety. I have created an amazing whimsical timepiece combining both... and I managed to include an unused glitter tray too!  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!