CBHC Easter/Eggs

This is my Created Byhand Challenge for this week, though I expect I'll do several more to put on my blog later. I love eggs, but have been having fun with this little chick and a fence border punch, so went with an Easter theme instead. Patterned paper, chick stamp (PSX), branch and flower stamp (Impress), fence border punch (Martha Stewart), inks are Colobox Pink and Archival Ink Sepia. I filled the flower centers with my Glaze pen in yellow.

CBHC-Flowers

Here is my challenge atc for Created Byhand Challenge for this week! The theme is flowers. I used a background done with twinkling H2Os. The stamps are from Stampin'Up done with Distress Ink, Peeled Paint and Fired Brick. The quote was also stamped with Colorbox Black.

and then there are these

Inchies!

What some became

This is what some of the air alcohol atcs became. I thought the blue and green one looked like sunflowers so I used the Van Gogh quote. Quote stamps are from Quietfire Design, Stampin'Up, and PSX and the little birdie from Impress. The shell is unmarked. I stamped the shell with Adirondack Pitch Black so it would be lighter. The quotes, heart and birdie are stamped with Archival Ink- the only one I've found to give it that deep black color. StazOn might do it, too.

More fun with air alcohol ink

Well, clearly I am obsessed with this technique because it is full of the element of surprise. I love the different colors combos and the shapes. Consider yourself warned that this is highly addictive and you will use a lot of canned air!
The color combos are:
Cranberry,Eggplant and Red Pepper
Oregano,Lettuce and Stream
Denim and Eggplant
with a little overlap splash here and there.
I like them just plain. Who know what they will become?

Giveaway winners!

I used the random number picker to choose the winners! The numbers that came up were 1-Yogi, 9-Sue, and 10-Wanda! Wanda, I believe your address is correct in the byhand RAK list, if not, shoot me an email. You'll receive them in order left to right.
I didn't return to work today, I am taking another two weeks off. I won't know how to act when I return after 9 weeks off from dental hygiene. My hand is still somewhat painful and swollen and the office was closed next week for Spring break anyway, so my employer suggested I just return after that and give the hand more rest. So, it is.
ATCs will head out in the mail tomorrow. Thanks for playing and reading my blog!

More air alcohol ink

I made these atcs at the same time as the others but because they had such a different feel, I didn't post at the same time. I thought the green background ones were perfect for my animal stamps.
More for the March swap.
Remember to comment on the previous "giveaway" post to win an atc. I'll give three away on Monday. Your chances are really good to win one so far!

CBHC- doors and windows

Here is my atc for the Created Byhand Challenge for this week. The image is from a color copy swap. I cut the door so it would open and stamped the image (Stampers Anonymous block #25) on white textured card stock that I placed behind the door image.
Photo corners to mount. The word is a self inking stamp that I have.

ATC

This is an atc I did today using the background I made previously. I love this little poem. I used it for the last mingle page I did. Now I need to work on the CBHC for this week, using windows or doors. The color of the butterfly is really green not yellow. I popped up the butterfly so the background is blurry. I'm still figuring out how to adjust things in Picasa.

More wee things

My friend Sue is just the coolest. Every Wednesday she blogs Link Love, which is always an interesting assortment of finds on the internet. This week I was captivated by these.
I'm crazy about the little Easter Eggs.
Don't forget there is a blog giveaway posted last week, if you want to be in the draw for an atc, leave a comment on that post.

CBHC green and blue challenge

This week's challenge is to use blue and green, a favorite of mine! I found all kinds of old stuff I did in blue and green, but instead, whipped out some ink and images and made this atc. It'll work for the swap as well.
I popped the little girl so the stamp of "imagine" isn't sharp.

I love wee things

How cute is this? and this?
I'm ready for spring and some blooming things! I did see the first forsythia blooming today.

Giveaway!

Inspired by the generosity of friends' blogs and in the spirit of Lent, I am giving away these three purple/blue alcohol ink atcs to three visitors to my blog! I have posted 105 times since 2007. Joanne's 100th post had me going back to see.
Just leave a comment on this post to be eligible for the drawing. I'll give it away on March 23rd, my first day back at work!

Free at last!

My splint is off! Small bandage for added support but hey, how sweet! It feels a little vulnerable out there and I still don't think to use it all of the time. I can do just about anything I am able except twist and untwist things. It is still painful, which he expect for another 7 weeks, with a full recover in about 5 months. Sounds good to me. It really looks better than before the surgery because there is no big lump on the back of my hand. It will be nice to be able to drive unencumbered when I head to Georgia tomorrow!
Looking at that picture, I need some Polmolive dishsoap. Remember the commercials with Madge, the manicurist, saying it would give you "younger looking hands, you're soaking in it."?

CBHC and a new technique

Today I was surfing Tim Holtz website and came upon this easy technique for a one-armed artist.
I love alcohol ink and think the result is fresh looking. Just what I needed on the sunny but cold day. There are lots of cool demos on the site.
"Believe" is the challenge this week on the Created Byhand Challenge and
it seemed perfect for one of these atcs.

Photo Meme

My friends Sue and Donna did this photo meme where you go to your 5th photo album and the 5th photo to see what you find. I thought I would check out mine.
It is a photo I took in NYC the day after Thanksgiving 2006, reflecting the skyline in Christmas ornament, in a decorated Macy's window. I loved it then and love it now. It just say NYC decorated for Christmas. It was the first time I had been to NYC that time of year. Jim and I visited his sister and BIL in Allentown, PA for the holiday and took a trip to the city the day after. Thanks for the memory!

Back to some art

I finished up atcs for the byhandartists monthly swap I am hosting. Nothing too elaborate as my hand is still stuck in the blue torture device for another few days.
I posted about most of these previously, but I like how the one with the two gold hearts in the corner came out especially. I used a nice red paper with some metallic sheen to it and stamped a little open-centered heart with embossing ink and used Pirate gold EP for the background. I covered it with this great sheer woven paper (that probably has a name I don't know)stamped with my favorite quote this month from Suzanne and fastened the two brads to hold the two together. I like the way you see the background through the sheer paper. I probably should have scanned it separately for detail.
The other red one with the rose stamp from StampinUp is on patterned paper and uses Elizabeth Craft Designs peel off calligraphy by Yogi.

Pictures and the final meal

I've added pictures to the previous Seattle posts if you want to go back for a look.

I awakened a little after 7 AM and knew I'd better head out for the 6 block walk to Cafe Besalu, for their wonderful pastry offerings. The last time I went, the line was way out the door and the wait 45 minutes or more. It's a tiny little place with maybe 4 tables, another 4 outside in good weather. I got there by around 7:45. A line, but I did get inside the door. Probably 7 people in front of me. I like to ask the patrons in line with me what they like, I'd hate to miss out on something wonderful that I wouldn't think of. The woman behind me added the pain au chocolat to my order. I like to say it is her fault that I have another pastry addiction now.
I love the Gruyere onion tart and got one for each of us. A savory morsel of flaky crust with the above flavors inside and barely peeking out. See it in the middle? Yum. One each of the pain au chocolat, apple tart and orange pastry to add to the bag for a balance of sweet and savory, a small latte and I was headed back to pack and shower before the rest of the household got up. Every bit worth the cold walk early on a Seattle Sunday.
We enjoyed every bite and played one last round of Scrabble. I had to bow to Rachel on this one. Off to the airport for an uneventful flight home filled with great memories to pull out from time to time when I long for a visit with Amy and Rachel or to savor the cuisine of Seattle.