Brenda's Photo Challenge, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder

This week TheBrenda's Photo Challenge is hosted by Karen M. Thank You Karen. I don't have any difficulty in seeing the beauty around me, often things that I find beautiful no one else does, hence "beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.





I must admit I'm a basket junkie. When we were first married I went out and bought baskets, my husband had a fit, he said he wasn't working to pay for baskets, well he got over it. As a matter of fact when my beloved niece didn't have a bread basket, I just couldn't believe it, she's been married for 5years. I'll be fixing that.
I also need to draw your attention to the navy blue table cover, that's a tree skirt, a Christmas Tree skirt, it's a huge painting project that I've set my time for as Christmas in July, I love the blue of it I believe its a Catherine Holman Design I'm doing on it, Love Catherine Holman designs.


There are many other things I love to look at, and sometimes buy, when the price is right. I bought this little teacup when I was 12, yes 12, it cost 10cents at Pan Daca's store. I had used my snack money or bus money after polish school. I don't have the saucer for it, but I keep looking and look what I find in the process.
I always figure if I find a saucer for this teacup, I'll have to look for a cake plate to match, because no one has tea without a piece of delicious cake.






This is a figurine I picked up in Poland, about 30 years ago, again a real steal, the lace on the dress is damaged, but at the time I was designing dresses so your petticoat would show and thought that was quite cool.



Just a couple of finds whilst looking for a saucer.












I wasn't looking for the saucer on this adventure, I had gone in to a local florist to get flowers for a friend who's husband had passed away and the florist had a box of dishes on the floor label free to good home. When I checked it out on E Bay it's probably 100 years old and worth somewhere in the $185.00 range. Now that's if I've entered all the info correctly. Antiques Road Show here I come. (along with my $5,000 penny, but that's another blog.)









And then there are the beauties that are closer to my heart. My yard is a mess, as is my house, with all these car parts. My brother in law has nervous twitches every time he sees this. But, if you're a mom, and you've experienced your child moving away, you'll understand why I keep these around. It must mean he'll at least come back for his car.

Here's what the card making friends did this week...

Just because I care simple shadow stamping on upper portion of card. gross grain ribbon accent.













Blue pportion of this card is hole punch using an awl and the grid/pad. simple stamp on inset, blue satin ribbon accent.







scallop punch strip, inset with small hole punch to tie ribbon.










Pattern paper background scallop circle and round circle, simple stamp satin ribbon behind.








All packaged up in this designer paper gift bag.


designs by Michelle Leishman

Cards, cards, and more cards...

I get a card just randomly from my friend Janice, so I think after making all these cards I need to send her one, she's the only person I know who just writes to tell me she loves being my friend. Watch your mail Janice.

Here's what the card making friends made this week.



Coloured with water colour crayons, on watercolour paper.
Sentiment reads, Joy is not in things, it is in us. Richard Wagner











This is a pot of violets, coloured with inkpads using daubers. Then a vellum overlay with sentiment stamped. torn spine with punch holes for ribbon.










Just stamped images on layers of pink and brown paper, ( a little boring after the adventures with velum and water colour., but cute)









This was a kinda fun image, you stamp the solid coloured part colouring the image with markers, then using your lining up tool you stamp the skeleton with black on top, kinda challenging to line things up.











Stamped image in black, with coloured in with stamp pads, using water colour brush. a little glitter and viola.











Same process as above but certainly more tasty.









A new adventure we used resist ink to stamp the background cars, then a briar rolled in two ink pads, on gloss card stock. then a layer of brown car. Now that I've scanned this one, I see my back end needs alignment. Cool.

Card Design by Michelle Leishman

Here's what the card making friends made this week

Card Design by Michelle Leishman

check it out

I'm not sure how to post with out doing a whole new post so I'm linking my layout from Tuesday here as well.

Good times, good friends, good scrapping...

My sister Barb is a Creative Memories Consultant. She use to host a National Scrapbooking Day each year around this time. It was a big to do!

We'd always do a lovely presentaion to welcome our group to the day's activities, with many suggestions and prizes and giveaways, with a great lunch and a lot of comaradery. And even if you didn't get a million pages done, you most certainly got a jump start and "in the mood" again.

Remember "A Page a Day in the month of May" is at least one book complete. Happy Scrapping.

Friday card adventures

Most of the cards I make have no sentiment inside, just because I like to write a lot of "feeling" but, I think I might try a few next adventure with sentiment inside. It them becomes far more a planned thing, than "Oh I'll just make a card".


This one was embossed, I like embossing but it's a lot more work than you think.

I always think I want to make flowery cards with pink and blue and then when I do, I'm not so thrilled, but I do like the stitching on this one.


The center of this card is a bookmark, with magnets on the ends.





Some of this grouping is still a stampin up class, some are adventures with Irene creations, see if you can see which ones. I didn't have my glass of sherry until after card making so I'm not sure why this last one is askew, quite possibly the scanning. Card designs by various designers. I. Makarewicz, M. Leishman, and Lynda Yamamoto.