CHAPTER 36: CHESS - CHESSBOARD - CHESSMEN

"They don't keep this room so tidy as the other,' Alice thought to herself, as she noticed several of the chessmen down in the hearth among the cinders: but in another moment, with a little `Oh!' of surprise, she was down on her hands and knees watching them. The chessmen were walking about, two and two!

`Here are the Red King and the Red Queen,' Alice said (in a whisper, for fear of frightening them), `and there are the White King and the White Queen sitting on the edge of the shovel -- and here are two castles walking arm in arm..."

--Ch. 1: Through the Looking Glass

The challenge this week is again the brainchild of DT member Lynne-to use some aspect of the game of chess! You might want to use a checkerboard pattern, or feature a King, Queen, Knight or Castle (Rook), or some other aspect of the game we haven't thought of - we just need to be able to clearly see CHESS in your creation!

We are THRILLED to announce that there's a prize this week, too! Thanks to our generous sponsor, PAPER MANIAC, this week, they are giving away a set of Artistic Outpost Alice in Wonderland mini-stamps AND a sheet of E.A.D. Designs Stickerz! How awesome is that?

Here's some inspiration from me before I 'pawn' you off on your own to create this week:

{click to enlarge}

I created a chessboard piece by weaving cardstock together, and using Ranger distress inks to age it. The chessboard is adhered only on three sides so it's perfect for a journaling pocket, ephemera, etc. The image of Alice and the March Hare are Ching-Chou Kuiks' stamps. I used Stampers Anonymous images for the sentiments on the card and page.

This project mirrors my earlier "I'm Late" page. Frabjous day saw the death of the Jabberwocky, so I have him "trapped" under glass on the chessboard. The red and white floral crowns denote which side of the chessboard each queen challenged from, along with the champion. This was such a fun page to work up - I hope you enjoy it!

Checkmate! Have YOU met your match? You have until FRIDAY, October 29th to enter your creation and throw your hat (or should I say, crown?) in the ring for this awesome PAPER MANIAC prize this week! We'll announce the winner here in Wonderland during our next challenge!

See you soon!
~ky

Chapter 34: A Mad Tea-Party

`And ever since that,' the Hatter went on in a mournful tone, `he won't do a thing I ask! It's always six o'clock now.'

A bright idea came into Alice's head. `Is that the reason so many tea-things are put out here?' she asked.

`Yes, that's it,' said the Hatter with a sigh: `it's always tea-time, and we've no time to wash the things between whiles.'

`Then you keep moving round, I suppose?' said Alice.

`Exactly so,' said the Hatter: `as the things get used up.'

`But what happens when you come to the beginning again?' Alice ventured to ask.

~Chapter 7, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Awesome Wonderland greetings to all! First of all, let's congratulate our WINNER from last week's text challenge. Congrats to Laurel! Send a note to the Mad Hatter, Jessica, for details on how to claim your Greeting Farm single!

Can you believe summer is fairly over? It's time to change from iced teas over to hot teas. I love autumn and all the wonderful warm drinks, wonderful sweaters and gorgeous colors it brings. In Wonderland, it was perpetually tea time and I could live that life for a long, long time!

Your challenge this week is to explore things that could make up your tea-time activity. Use tea bag folding in the construction of your project. This is a great resource: Tea Bag Folding. Anything relating to time would pair perfectly with this challenge, but isn't a requirement! Show us your fab folding abilities, doing it Alice-style!

Here's my project for this week:

This is a custom art journal cover that I made. A friend of mine is opening a brand new teaching studio in Oklahoma. So this will be given to him to auction to help with expenses. 

Here's a close up of the tulip tea folding that I used as flowers to carry gorgeous beads for the Greeting Farm Chibi girl. I just LOVE this image! There are 6 tea folded bead flowers. Can you find them all? I put Flower Soft around the flower bases to 'anchor' them.

And again, from a different angle. I love using distress inks coupled with strategic tearings to mimic a wall in a very old house with multiple layers of wallpaper showing. It just makes me happy!

You have until midnight Central time on Friday, October 15th to complete your project and link it up to the Oh Alice Challenge blog. You don't want to miss out on your chance of wining a 6x6 pad of Basic Grey papers! The clock is ticking - don't be Late for TEA!

Ta for now! ~ky

Dreaming of Mermaids

I love Ching-Chou Kuik's mermaids. Just love them to bits! I love to color them. It feels like I'm breathing life into them with my Copics or Prismacolor pencils.

What do you think? Aren't they just gorgeous? I love all the detail she includes in her rubber renditions. So sweet! The emotions are perfectly visible, and draw you in for a closer look. Did I mention I love her art?

Just a little something to brighten your day.
~ky

CHAPTER 33:DICTIONARY of Nonsense

Alice didn't dare to argue the point, but went on: `-- and I thought I'd try and find my way to the top of that hill -- ' 

`When you say "hill,"' the Queen interrupted, `I could show you hills, in comparison with which you'd call that a valley.' 

`No, I shouldn't,' said Alice, surprised into contradicting her at last: `a hill can't be a valley, you know. That would be nonsense -- ' 

The Red Queen shook her head, `You may call it "nonsense" if you like,' she said, ` but I've heard nonsense, compared with which that would be as sensible as a dictionary!' 

--Ch. 2: Through the Looking Glass

Greetings from Wonderland!  Before we commence this week's challenge, LOTS of tea-toasting to our FABULOUS new October Guest at Tea:  DONNA BUDZYNSKI!   Donna's amazing work caught our eye a while back and we are thrilled to have her joining us!   A VERY MERRY unbirthday to you, Donna!  WELCOME!

The challenge this week is to use TEXT in a NONSENSE way - not to read, but as a pattern in your card. Use a page from an old dictionary or other book, stamp a background text stamp or use a text-patterned paper in your creation.  Link up your creations and the design team will stop by to do some CREATIVE READING as we look at your entries this week!

Here is my sample (I messed up and didn't put the text in, sorry!):

And here is the Chibi beauty, ready for her close-up!

The Greeting Farm is our SPONSOR this week, and not only are we thrilled to have them again, the prize just got sweeter!  There is a RUBBER SINGLE OF CHOICE up for  grabs for this challenge AS WELL as the highly-sought after"Wonderland" digital stamp set!

Nonsense you say?   Believe it!  You have through Friday, October 8th at 8pm CST to enter to WIN the above prizes!  We'll announce our lucky winner on Saturday, October 9th with the next challenge here at Oh, Alice!

Good luck to all who enter our little Challenge here in Wonderland!