Bigger Than Normal! @ Little Red Wagon

This week at

it's Chrissy's turn to choose the challenge and she's saying, "Bigger Than Normal!" which means she wants to see those large projects.

I don't wanna seem like I'm bragging but I think I've got this one in the bag....

Well, I've certainly made it too big to get a good photo of, that's for sure!  It's an 80th birthday card, with 80 candles and it measures 4" x 82ish".  It's got a verse inside of an alternate "happy birthday" song.  I saw a TikTok of a man on his 80th birthday leading his family in this version and thought it was pretty fitting for a card like this....especially since it works out that there's one word for each panel.  It goes....

May you live a thousand years,

May you drink a thousand beers, 

Get plastered, you bastard, 

Happy Birthday to you!

And here it is stretched out.....

A little tip....the flames on birthday candle dies I have were too small for these candles (which are just rectangular cut scraps of patterned paper) so I used the inside of a plant/leaf die for them.  Bonus of doing that meant cutting 10 flames at once rather than just one.  This is one of those cards that impresses the non-cardmaking folk.  Making them is fairly simple, and can get a bit boring after the first couple of squares.  And, let me tell you, it doesn't even remotely close up into a nice neat square when folded up.  More like a layered rectangle.  But, I knew when I was making it there wouldn't be any chance of that, even though I was being studious when attaching the cardstock together, so I wasn't annoyed in the least.

Why not give our challenge a go this week and join us?  And, if you'd like more inspiration, be sure to check out what the Girlfriends have made.

Also for:

Krafty Chicks:  all occasions

Double D:  polka dots

A Place to Start: anything goes

Double Trouble:  birthday

613 Avenue Create:  anything goes

Crafty Catz:  dots

Creative Creases:  anything goes with a creative fold

Creative Fingers:  anything goes

Simon Says:  anything goes

Just One Layer! @ Little Red Wagon

This week at

it's Imke's turn to chose the challenge and she's saying, "Just One Layer!".  I don't think that needs any explanation.  

I thought I was going to have an impossible time of this but I actually didn't struggle with it.  Here it is....

I did, however, struggle with getting a good photo of this.  But, I think you get the picture.  (Haha, see what I did there.  (: )  Stamps are from Ellen Hutson.

Why not give our challenge a go this week and join us?  And, if you'd like more inspiration, be sure to check out what the Girlfriends have made.

Also for:

Allsorts:  anything goes

Crafty Catz:  anything goes

Creative Fingers:  anything goes

Jingle Belles:  cardstock Christmas

Through the Purple Haze:  anything goes

CRAFT:  anything goes

Krafty Chicks:  cas

613 Avenue Create:  anything goes

Peace on Earth:  anything Christmas goes

The Holly & Ivy:  anything Christmas goes

Merry Little Christmas:  anything Christmas goes

12 Months of Christmas Link Up:  anything Christmas goes

A Place to Start:  anything goes

Let's Get Rocked! @ Little Red Wagon

This week at

it's Kate's turn to choose the challenge and she's continuing to be inspired by Def Leppard and this week she's saying, "Let's Get Rocked!" which means she wants to see projects inspired by rock songs.

I went with one of my favourite songs, a tune from Pearl Jam.....

...which, in case you haven't guessed it is called "Just Breathe".  Here's a link to the song's video if you'd like to hear it.  It's one of my all-time favourites.  I think it was very nice of Eddie Vedder to sing it in a fairly even and midrange key so I could have a hope to sing along without wanting to plug my own ears.

Sentiment was made in Silhouette Design Studio.  

Why not give our challenge a go this week and join us?  And, if you'd like more inspiration, be sure to check out what the Girlfriends have made.

Also for:

613 Avenue Create:  anything goes

Craft Calendar:  anything goes

Crafty Catz:  anything goes

Cut It Up:  add a sentiment + die cuts

Creative Fingers:  anything goes

Craft Rocket:  flowers

Moving Along With the Times:  flowers

Through the Purple Haze:  anything goes

Ellibelle's:  anything goes

The Sisterhood of Crafters:  for the ladies

Unicorn Challenge:  for the girls

A Place to Start:  for a lady

Get Creative:  ladies only

Make My Monday:  florals

Beautiful Blooms:  florals

{PIN}spirational:  inspirational photo

Create Your Own Background! @ Little Red Wagon

This week at

it's Brenda's turn to choose the challenge and she's saying, "Create Your Own Background!" which had me saying, "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!".  Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying it's a bad challenge, not at all.  I'm saying it's a challenging challenge for me because I don't think I can claim I created my own background because I took a piece of patterned paper, cut it to size, and adhered it to a folded piece of cardstock.  I'm almost certain that doesn't count.  (:

Since stencilling and inking are both my kryptonite, I went with.....

.....an embossed image with added pencil colouring.  I think that counts.  (:  

This is my second attempt at taking a good photo of this card, and I'm still not pleased with it.  For the record, the cardstock is actual green, and not that dark of a green really, so I'm not sure why it's deciding to look black.  

I feel like it's been a while since I've expounded here on my blog, so I think I'll do just that.  Do you know what RBF means?  In case you don't....RBF stands for Resting B%^ch Face.  And I've got one.  An absolutely epic one according to reports.  And nobody told me about this UNTIL I WAS IN MY THIRTIES.  I've had people tell me that when they first met me they thought I wanted to "straight up murder them".  Yes, that is a direct quote.  It's so bad that when we get a new player on our ball team someone gives them a heads up that my face and my personality don't really match, and to just ignore my face.  

Now, you might wonder if having an RBF bothers me.  Not overly.  There are advantages to having an RBF.  I generally don't get asked to do anything/volunteer because people think I'm a raging b%^ch.  I don't get approached by people who are selling stuff coz my face has warned them off.  My fantastic boss (who is also a very close friend now too) and I make funny jokes about it.  Honestly, it's not something I really think about too much, so, for the most part, it's all good.

So, why am I going into such detail about my RBF?  Well, I'll tell you.  Lately, there have been times where I consciously try to have my face not be my face.  I put on a different face.  A more welcoming face.  A more serene face.  A face more fitting the situation it's currently in.  And, I thought I was successful at this....until......

My passport is expiring at the end of this year, so I set about renewing it.  Went to Walmart today to get a new passport photo, as is required.  Stood in front of the white screen, arranged my head at a slight angle that I thought would be flattering, and put a pleasant expression on my face.  You can't smile, of course, but I wanted to appear congenial, affable, and dare I say, approachable.....

.....and this was the result.  Let's set aside the whole passport part because what's actually relevant is....THIS IS WHAT MY FACE DOES WHEN I'M TRYING TO LOOK MY FRIENDLIEST.  I look like I just watched someone put ketchup on a cupcake.  I look like I disapprove of your last three to four life choices even though I just met you.  No, wait.  What I really look like is that someone asked me to show them what my RBF looks like, and this is me showing them.  Yikes.  Begs the question, what in the frickity flippity flap does my face look like when it's actually RBFing?  I don't think I ever want to know.

I realize it's definitely not part of their job description but I wish the Walmart Associate would've just said, "Um, is that the look you're going with?"  But of course she didn't.  She took one look at my face and said to herself, "Pffft...I don't get paid enough for that."

Why not give our challenge a go this week and join us?  And, if you'd like more inspiration, be sure to check out what the Girlfriends have made.

Also for:

Can You Handle the Pressure?: feminine + embossing

Crafty Calendar:  anything goes

Inkspirational:  seasonal

Creative Fingers:  anything goes

Crafty Gals:  anything goes

Ellibelle's:  anything goes

A Place to Start:  anything goes

Christmas [or not] Bingo:  I - stripes, monochrome, free

Merry Little Christmas:  anything Christmas goes

12 Months of Christmas Link Up:  Christmas

613 Avenue Create:  anything goes

Peace on Earth:  anything Christmas

Shapely! @ Little Red Wagon

This week at

it's my turn to choose the challenge and I'm saying, "Shapely!" which means I want to see those makes that aren't square or rectangle.

This is what I did....

I made a Christmas tree ornament in the shape of a pennant.  And it's a shaker too!  Which, you would think I was active shaking when I took the photo given how blurry the bottom of it looks.  I think my phone was having a hard time focusing on the glitter die cut and that's why it's so fuzzy.

Why not give our challenge a go this week and join us?  And, if you'd like more inspiration, be sure to check out what the Girlfriends have made.

Also for:

613 Avenue Create:  anything goes

Dragonfly Dreams:  use a die

Peace on Earth:  anything Christmas goes

Creative Fingers:  anything goes

Cut It Up:  starts with a B - the word be, bling

My Time to Craft:  everything dies

Krafty Chicks:  all occasions

Tic Tac Toe:  gem, patterned paper, die cuts

Crafty Gals:  anything goes

Ellibelle's: anything goes

Merry Little Christmas:  anything Christmas goes

A Place to Start:  anything goes

Double Trouble:  something, anything, everything