Merry Christmas

I'm looking forward to spending Christmas and New Year's with my sons, daughter-in-law and granddaughters in South Carolina. To all who drop by here, I wish you joy now and throughout the New Year.

This is one of the cards I sent to friends and family. The stamp is by Inkadinkado, the ink is SU Night of Navy, cs is SU Night of Navy and Whisper White. Image outlined with silver pen.

Hope in the midst of sorrow

"An Expressive and Innovative Mixed Media Ezine for Paper Crafters, Collage and Assemblage Artists". This is part of the masthead for the first issue of the new e-zine, Art With No Boundaries, which was a blog until Chris Stern, its creator, decided to expand its possibilities. Follow the link http://artwithnoboundaries.blogspot.ca/ to see the creative digital and other art on the site, created by Chris and guest designers.

I know many of you, as am I, are still shaken and saddened by the massacre at the Newtown, Connecticut elementary school last Friday. Prayer can soothe and give hope to our hearts, and so can beautiful, cheerful art. I hope a visit to Art With No Boundaries will give a lift to your heart.

Loss of Innocents

I have heard about the tragedy in Connecticut yesterday, watched the reports this morning, and find it difficult to express my feelings.  Tragedies like this leave us numb.  In thinking of the parents who've lost little ones, I remember that my grandmother and grandfather never got over the loss of my mother, who died of cancer at the age of 35. I still feel her loss, too.

I also remember friends whose first child was a son the same age as my younger son. They lived in a high rise near Ottawa, Ontario, on the 11th floor, and lost their son, barely a year old, when a badly installed floor-to-ceiling screen detached while he was looking down at the traffic. I still feel horror and sorrow at the thought of his mom racing down to his broken little body. The couple visited us when Marc was 15, and by the way they talked to him, questioned him about his life, I could tell they were thinking, "Our son would be doing similar things..."

In an interview, the priest of the Catholic Church in New Town said that some parents had told him they were comforted just by his being with them. From my personal experience, I know that the mere presence of loving friends and family can be more comforting than words.

In such times, it also comforts me to know that God always brings good out of evil, and never allows us to endure more than we can bear, even though at the time it might not seem like it. One good thing I can think of now is that thousands, probably millions, of people all over the world are praying for the families, which will benefit not only the families, but those who pray as well.

This tragedy, coming at Christmas time, also makes me think of the Holy Innocents, who died in place of Christ, when Herod sent soldiers to seek and kill him. I heard several people on TV express regret at the possibilities never to be fulfilled by those 20 little ones. This is a thought I always have when thinking of the victims of abortion, especially survivors of abortion, often then left alone until they die, without sustenance or comfort.

I also thought this morning of my high school-aged granddaughters, and of my son  who teaches in a Montréal CEGEP--roughly equivalent to a US Junior College. We've had tragic shootings in schools in Québec, and this morning, I realized that he, too, is vulnerable.

My prayers and thoughts are with all those who will find joy difficult this Christmas season.

Witchery!

The top card was made for the October challenge on Art With No Boundaries http://artwithnoboundaries.blogspot.ca/
The images were made with the digital stamp "Haunting Apparition I, Psychosis" by CS Designs. The ghost bats are PSX, the sentiment from Inkadinkadoo. "Psychosis" was printed on coloured paper. I hope she likes the three different looks this gives her, I don't want to think of her reaction if she's not pleased!
The second card was entered in a challenge from a new Paper Craft Planet group, Graphic 45. http://www.papercraftplanet.com/group/graphics-45-fans The challenge is to make something using--surprise--paper from Graphic 45. The background uses double-sided card stock from Halloween in Wonderland. The witch and sentiment are from Inkadinkadoo, the houses are from SU Home is Where the Haunt is. The bats were made with the SU Itty Bitty Bat punch. I CASED Michelle Zindorf's wonderful tutorial #125, A Witchy Night. http://zindorf.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/2008/09/29/a-witchie-night-tutorial-125/ I used a house instead of trees. 

Fall and other delights

I haven't blogged in awhile, but I have been stamping.  I find Autumn an inspiring time, with its joyful colors, it's mix of cold mornings and evenings and summer in between the two. It's a season to celebrate--but then, every season is worth celebrating.

The first card was inspired by a Gina K tutorial http://stamptv.ning.com/video/versamark-resist-background

I didn't have the stamp, ink--except the Versamark used on the background--or the sentiment Gina K used on her card, but I enjoyed the challenge of finding substitutes. The flower stamp is a freebie from the British magazine, Craft Stamper, the sentiment is from the SU set, Wonderful Words. I've done Versamark backgrounds, but learned something new in Gina's tutorial; pigment ink can erase the Versamark! I used chalk, since the ink I was going to use, SU Creamy Caramel, is the Craft (pigment) version.

I used my House Mouse stamps for the next four cards. I just love these mischievous little mice!
The background on the Trick or Treat card is patterned paper, and I used SU Watercolor Wonder crayons with my SU Aqua Painter. The sentiment is from the Inkadinkado "All Hallow's Eve" set. The bats were made with the SU Itty Bitty Bat punch.

The leaves on the Flying by card were cut from a vellum page, the geese are PSX, the mice are HM, and I Cuttlebugged the strip of cs on the left of the card.

The third HM card was done for a layout challenge--stamps are HM, SU and PSX.

I used SU Fresh Fruit and House Mouse stamps on the last card. I hope Monica doesn't mind that I substituted a lime slice for her perfume atomizer. I'm sure she'll find something to do with the slice.

Argonauta

 I run to the beach at dawn
To discover what prize
The sea’s given up.
Just beyond reach of galloping waves
Lies a slim, white, riffled case,
It’s mariner gone.
Waves tease my toes,
A breeze fingers my hair,
I think of my own
Brave Argonauts.
       Kathleen Chabot
       17/04/1990

 I was thinking of my two sons when I wrote this poem. The older one was married later that year, and I'm happy to report that he, his wife and two daughters are thriving. Son #2 is also doing well. Both sons are doing work they love.


I got so carried away with making waves on this card that I didn't notice I had the lady writing in the water. I suspect she's the type who will hope even if the waves wash her writing away. The clouds are bigger than I wanted them, and my photograph of the card is not very good, but then, life is often less than perfect. That's why we need hope.

Details of the card:

Card stock;  SU Brilliant Blue, Shimmery White,
Ink; SU Basic Black, Blue Spectrum pad, Color Box Cocoa
Stamps; SU Seaside Sketches, Wonderful Words II, Itty BittyBackgrounds
Image watercolored with Watercolor Wonder Crayons and was masked while I sponged the ocean waves, stamped and sponged the sand, and put clouds in the sky.

Tales from the Sea

Seashell, seashell, whisper to me,
What lies beneath
The tight-lipped sea?

Seashell, seashell, sing to me,
What kingdoms hide
In the depths below?

             Kathleen Chabot
             23 Nov. 1956

My entry in the Art With No Boundaries challenge, Rhythm of the Sea, has got me in the mood for sea themed cards. Not that I need much encouragement.

Follow the link in my previous post to see what the AWNB team and other artists have done with this challenge; it might inspire you, too. The challenge ends 17 August, so don't wait to check it out.

As the poem above indicates, my fascination with the sea is not recent.  The sea is challenging, mysterious fiercely beautiful, and hardly explored. The shadows and colours of the sea are mine.
Details of the card:
Cardstock, SU (Stampin' Up)
Sentiment, SU Seaside Sketches (retired)
Little crabs, SU On the Beach (retired)
Focal image, Stamps Happen, #50031 Collecting Sea Shells
Background uses two Cuttlebug embossing folders; Tiny Bubbles and D'vine Swirls
Used SU Framelits Labels Collection, 3rd largest
I know, I know, the crabs should be red. My crabs were bored with red, so I let them be blue.