Vintage postcards

I am selling some of my beautiful 1900's original vintage postcards at my Creative Call Studios shop.

Click here to see them and while you are there don't forget to click on some of the other wonderful artists shops and take a look at what they are offering as well.

Gothic arch challenge- Gypsy

This is my first attempt at a Gothic Arch :0) I know you are saying "Where has she been?"...but up until now I have resisted the urge because I knew I would really like to work with this shape...Yep, I was right---what fun!

The challenge group GOTHIC ARCHES had the theme Gypsy and I thought it was the perfect time to jump right in and get my feet wet!

PW banner project...Work in progress

Before the end of the year I wanted to create some vintage banners with inspirational words and suggested it to the Paper Whimsy mods...they agreed that it would be a fun swap and set it up...I signed up for the "y" in JOY with a pastel color theme!
I have two other swap partners and we were asked to make a third for charity...( I will post a link when I have it for the auction)

Here are some W.I.P. photos...I have been working on the last of the details and should have these finished by this evening!

These are the basic banners: Home Decor/upholstery banner shapes in light green...satin swags and pom-pom trim...hand-made paper background...Paper Whimsy images that have been embellished with chalks...hand-drawn "Y" letter, covered in tissue...and pencil embellishments... Starting to assemble: added lace and flower trim at bottom tip...pink paint dots around frame...embossed the letter Y in gold and clear...added a few other details and will show you the finished product soon...

Creative Call Studios:
A gathering of Christian Artisans
Creative Call Studios has brought together a diverse group of independent artisans whose work reflects their Christian beliefs and offered that work for sale to the public in a unique virtual market setting.
At Creative Call Studios, you will find the best work of juried artists in a variety of genres, including mixed media, collage, altered art, dolls, bears, primitives, folk art, contemporary art, wearable art, jewelry, paintings, sculpture, and pottery.
http://www.creativecallsstudios.com/ The artisans at Creative Call can’t wait to share their goodies with you!

Stop in and see some of my art at An Altered Life http://www.creativecallstudios.com/analteredlife.html

two-4-one challenges...hand made paper background

hand made paper background
Originally uploaded by createdbyamber

This background paper was made for a yahoo group challenge
called Designer Paper Challenge and this is how mine turned out :0) (photo at right)
I stumbled across a new challenge blog http://ismaki.wordpress.com/
They had such a fun template to work with I just couldn't resist!
the photos below are a result of that challenge...
I guess I should have moved them to a different area to snap these photos but my camera batteries were dying and I was lucky to get these...The photo below (left) is a work in progress using my hand made paper (above) for the larger tag and the smaller tag some hand made paper that I recently made for a PW group project...
...and finally the finished product all put together in the center photo!

The weather outside is frightful...

My daughter got back to college just in the nick of time before this new snow storm hit...
Jack frost has deposited more snow since I took this photo this morning.

I hope you are all nice and cozy and creating art this afternoon!!!

...the rule of thumb at our house is if we get more than an inch of snow, the boys get hot cocoa! I have some happy little boys at my house today!)

...hot cocoa hugs to all!!

*****UPDATED

I just got back in from a wonderful snowball fight with my two boys and the two neighbor boys...we built up snow forts for protection and got busy forming snowballs, then the countdown and KAPOW! Let them fly!!!

Way too much fun had by a 40 something yr. old LOL!

I felt like a kid again, catching snowflakes on my tongue and tasting fresh snow...hearing the scrunch-squeak-whoosh of my footsteps and throwing snowballs!!!! Ahhh what a fun day!

Happy new Year!!!

Just a quick greeting to wish you a Very Happy New Year!!!

I wish you all the best in the New Year...health, happiness and a year full of creative art and smiles!!!

blessings,

Amber

A very busy December...

Boy, I bet you wondered if I fell off the edge of the planet or something LOL!!!

Some of the highlights of what kept me too busy to post much this December:

Remodeling our 2 bathrooms...

Celebrated 20 yr. anniversary with hubby...

Hubby on a 2 week vacation from work...

Daughter back for a 3 week Christmas vacation from college...

Smallest son celebrated 7th birthday...

These are all good things but kept me very busy :0) I do hope January brings me a more quiet schedule...so I can spend more time creating!!!

...more to come soon...in the mean time enjoy the vintage image freebie from my collection!

I hope you all had a Blessed Christmas and a wonderful December!

Santa Claus Fest...image freebie

I found a wonderful blog dedicated to St. Nicholas Day, Dec. 6th and to participate we are to share something...

I found this lovely vintage image in my special Holiday file...I hope you can use it and enjoy St. Nicholas Day and the coming Christmas Season!!!

Visit the blog here ...scroll down and check out the links on the left hand side...enjoy!

Also over on Tim Holtz's blog he is demo'ing the 12 days of Christmas tags, with all kinds of wonderful ways to alter the tags...Don't miss this great free resource!

A week of Thanks and Giving Challenge...

Dont' you just LOVE it when things come together for a greater good??!!!

...Last night while listening to one of my favorite radio stations, they had a call in called "Thanks and Giving" and I thought How cute is that???

...so this morning over my cup-O-joe, I was looking over this card I made from Crafty Secrets products "Grateful"...and it all fell into place!

I would like to start off this challenge with a Thanks and a Giving for the next 7 days...and extend it to all my blog friends to do the same...then post a link here to your blog...

Doesn't that sound like a great way to begin the Thanksgiving countdown week???

International bloggers, please feel welcome to participate also :0)

...I'll go first...

My Thanks is: ...that God is the center of my life, I will be married for 20 yrs. in Dec. to a loving husband...I have the most talented and beautiful 3 kids any Mom could ask for...and that my Melanoma was discovered early and removed completely!!!

and my Giving will be: these free images for you to use from my collection!

To the best of my knowledge these images are free from copyright and can be downloaded and used in your art :0

Now, it's your turn! What are you thankful for and what to you want to give/share with us??? The giving can be anything...if you have been inspired by this challenge and made something for a friend or family member or you can also share a recipe...anything! Kind of like a Pay-It-Forward :0)
To participate, just post a link below :0) Looking forward to seeing all your links!

When Fairies go bad...

Fluffy Fatbottoms Twisted Tuesday challenge this week had such a fun theme I couldn't help but sit myself down and create...

This little fairy has mischievously stolen a feather, when no one was looking...and she couldn't be more proud of herself! Someone really ought to explain to her that that's not a very nice thing to do!

You Are 9: The Peacemaker

You are emotionally stable and willing to find common ground with others. Your friends and family often look to you to be the mediator when there is conflict. You are easy going and accepting. You take things as they come. Avoiding conflict at all costs, you're content when things are calm. At Your Best: You feel connected, trusting, and fulfilled. You feel at peace with your place in the world. At Your Worst: You compromise your values to make sure peace is maintained. You give in to bullies. Your Fixation: Harmony Your Primary Fear: Causing conflict Your Primary Desire: To preserve things as they are Other Number 9's: Marge Simpson, Ronald Reagan, Audrey Hepburn, Jerry Seinfeld, and Abraham Lincoln.

What Number Are You?

Pumpkin Brownie recipe and newest cards...for Fall

I had wanted to post these cards earlier but, better late than never as they say!

These cards are made on a blank notecard base with some fabulous vintage images from CRAFTY SECRETS...

These brownies are "to DIE for" waawahhwaawahh!!!

Seriously they are absolutely delicious!!! Try them and let me know if you like them as much as my family does :0)

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Brownies

Cream until Fluffy…
1 C. butter
1 C sugar
1 C brown sugar
1 egg
2 tsp. Vanilla

Combine separately…
2 C flour
1 tsp. Baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. nutmeg

15 oz. canned or freshly cooked pumpkin
2 C chocolate chips

Alternately add dry ingredients and pumpkin to the butter mix. Stir in chocolate chips.
Spread dough into greased 9X13” pan. Bake at 350* about 40 minutes.
Slice when cool and sprinkle with powdered sugar to serve.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

A few artists over on the Paper Whimsy Yahoo group submitted some pink inspired art for breast cancer awareness...This IN THE PINK limited edition sheet will be available for a limited time, through December 31, 2007.
All profits from the sale of this sheet will be donated to promote breast cancer awareness. Purchasing this sheet will, not only give you amazing images to use in your art but also support the fight against breast cancer.

Click here to go to the Paper Whimsy website order page...

I have three featured pieces on this sheet :0)

...this sheet was electronically reproduced for my blog with Gale Blair's permission...

I won! Very exciting news...

I entered an Studio Challenge Design Contest (you know me, love those challenges) at Julia Andrus...the theme was Fall projects...and I won! Whoot Whoot!
Very exciting too because I get a wonderful gift certificate to spend on her website! I will show you what I ordered after it arrives...
Go here to see my featured art on the home page http://www.juliaandrus.com/
and of course I used a fabulous image from Paper Whimsy !

Altered tags...and Arty Girlz

These three tags were made for the Paper Whimsy Tag Book that I hosted this Summer, using Gale Blaire's fabulous images and art bits...(from the Left) Front Tag Book cover, (middle) Inside back cover, and (right) Outside back cover

It was so much fun and the Tag Book turned out spectacular if I do say so myslef!...

Arty Girlz is having a TAG challenge on their blog and since I had been wanting to post these anyway, the timing couldn't have been better!

WS...Inspiring Autumn

I just love Autumn!!...The crisp, cool air and the anticipation of the coming Holidays...
The colors of Autumn are what the Wednesday Stamper theme is for this week... I originally made this ATC for the Gallery but found that it fit in quite nicely in all its Autumn colors for Wednesday Stamper!

Background: acrylic and paper napkin cutout
Image: Paper Whimsy
Charm : Speckled Egg
Text and embellishments: Vintage and found

Courage...and flowers

This was made for a gal in one of my art groups that has just experienced a close family members tragic death...One of my dear friends is putting a 5X5 fatbook together for her...
It is always so hard losing a loved one and especially before their time...sending healing prayers!!!

Background: acrylic and watercolor
Image: Paper Whimsy
Found flowers and ephemera

This is also my entry in a new challenge group Arty Girlz
with the theme flowers...

The quote says "The only courage that matters is the kind that gets you from one minute to the next"

Freebie image ...

I have been fiddling and fussing with my blog template (as I am sure you have noticed) recently and just wasn't happy with one thing or another...I finally decided on this black one :0)

I will probably leave well enough alone for now...thanks for bearing with me as I have been trying on new colors and designs!

For your patience I am adding a FREEBIE image from my collection...for you to download.

Happy creating!!!

Smile...Think Monday Think ATC

This is another ATC I made for the Gallery...I am also entering this is this weeks Think Monday Think ATC challenge...the theme is smile :0)