CHAPTER 44: `Curiouser and curiouser!'

`Curiouser and curiouser!' cried Alice (she was so much surprised, that for the moment she quite forgot how to speak good English); `now I'm opening out like the largest telescope that ever was! Good-bye, feet!' (for when she looked down at her feet, they seemed to be almost out of sight, they were getting so far off). `Oh, my poor little feet, I wonder who will put on your shoes and stockings for you now, dears? I'm sure _I_ shan't be able! I shall be a great deal too far off to trouble myself about you: you must manage the best way you can; --but I must be kind to them,' thought Alice, `or perhaps they won't walk the way I want to go! Let me see: I'll give them a new pair of boots every Christmas.'

Hello from all of us here in Wonderland! This week we are Curiouser and curiouser to see if you are willing to play along with our weekly challenge. The challenge is a simple one, and one that most of us should be able to play along with, we would like to take Wonderland and turn it into a Winter Wonderland! Yes, that's right.....put your boots on, hats, mittens and lets play in the snow! Alice with a hat on? Rabbit in the snow? Anything that reflects a Winter Wonderland. Have fun with it!

This week we are being sponsored by SUGAR NELLIE! The winner's prize will be an awesome set of 6 Leanne Ellis Alice In Wonderland stamps!! Woohoo!!

Here is what I made to inspire you!

{click to enlarge - sorry for the poor quality, I'm on the road!}

These art journal pages were created using acrylic paint, SnoTex, Glitter, Pixie Dust Studios images (LOVE), Copic markers, and Gelly Roll stardust pens. 

I really appreciate Kathy sponsoring us last week, and was so sad that my schedule and preparations for this family trip got in the way of my project work. So - feel free to go visit Pixie Dust Studio and check them out!!

As usual, you'll have until midnight Christmas eve (Friday, December 24th) to show us your work. Just link a picture of it (or your blog post, etc.) to the Oh Alice! Challenge Blog. Take some creative time for yourself this week during all the hustle and bustle. Best wishes!!

~ky

NOTE ~ We will be taking a short time away to play in our Wonderlands through the holidays. We will resume January 8th, 2011 with more challenges and fun giveaways!

Reverb 10 - Wonder - Land and Alice!

December 4 – Wonder. How did you cultivate a sense of wonder in your life this year? (Author: Jeffrey Davis)

This post is dual-purposed: Reverb10 and the Oh Alice challenge! 

Today we awaken to fresh snow - half a foot. The neighborhood has transcended into a quiet, magical land. How appropriate that today's prompt is Wonder! 


My art focus helps me see things from that most magical perspective - child-level. I'm not afraid to ask those questions that we, as adults, are frowned upon broaching. I ask myself "What if..." a lot. I purposely stop and pick a random item, then imagine what else it might be, or if components can be put to a different use. I love doing that! 


I've been struggling lately with life - just getting things done, making sure priorities were met, and finally, I'm close to seeing the end of the tunnel! I rewarded myself by exploring a medium I know little about - encaustics. I spent some time on YouTube watching videos. I spent some time looking at materials and considering how I could try this medium without a lot of investment. I set off shopping and came back with some definite maybe products.


I will do a little video soon to tell you about the products I used, and the mess I made. [Insert very silly childlike grin here!] Here is one view of my Encaustic mixed media ATC:

{click to enlarge and see all the wonderful details!}

This ATC features a wonderful image from Some Odd Girl stamps. I just LOVE this image - it's me and Tinker! The background is all melted, colored wax, and I made my own adhesive tape with a text background stamp, Paula, the Journal Artista's glimmer glam paint formula, and medical tape. Fun! I colored Kaylee Cuddle (the image) with my Copic markers. This ATC will be included in an art journaling page describing how I love to enjoy days filled with wonder!


Now - you notice I had "And Alice" in the title? Well, I wasn't able to get my project completed yesterday, in time for the challenge blog to post. So - this is a reminder that YOU can play along with the Oh Alice Twisted Thirteen for a chance at winning your own Some Odd Girl stamps! Hop on over to the Oh Alice challenge blog for all the sweet details! You don't need to do encaustics to play - just use a handmade flower in your project! What are you waiting for? You have until midnight Friday, December 10th!


See you soon!
~ky

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 30: Hey there, Nice Stems...

Just as Alice said this, she noticed that one of the trees had a door leading right into it. `That's very curious!' she thought. `But everything's curious today. I think I may as well go in at once.' And in she went.

Once more she found herself in the long hall, and close to the little glass table. `Now, I'll manage better this time,' she said to herself, and began by taking the little golden key, and unlocking the door that led into the garden.

Then she went to work nibbling at the mushroom (she had kept a piece of it in her pocked) till she was about a foot high: then she walked down the little passage: and THEN--she found herself at last in the beautiful garden, among the bright flower-beds and the cool fountains..."

Hello out there! It's a lovely day here in Wonderland and we are celebrating the summer with a nature theme today! Well, TREES and FLOWERS to be more exact! We scored a GREAT sketch sponsored by PAGEMAPS today that is just perfect for today's theme:

Just take a look at how much fun I had with this amazing sketch:

I made this paper using alcohol inks on glossy paper. I drew on Cheshire's smile and eyes...thanks to my posse for the idea!

I made these textural pieces using modeling paste, various distress inks, and homemade glimmermist. I stamped Tim Holtz' rabbit in cocoa memento, embossed with copper powder and colored with copics and distress inks.

I reinforced the time theme using Tim Holtz' clockface mask with walnut distress ink. I put two Graphic 45 images of the Red Queen under acrylic frames and hung them on twill ribbon.

I hope you enjoy this project. It's an 8x10 page in my art journal, and I completed this page online with input from several of my friends through Ustream. We really had a great time configuring this page together.

There's no time limit for you to play along this week, but be sure to link your project on the Oh Alice! blog so we can come share some love!

Ta for now! ~ky

CHAPTER 26: Sizin' up a Sketch...

"The Caterpillar was the first to speak.

`What size do you want to be?' it asked.

`Oh, I'm not particular as to size,' Alice hastily replied; `only one doesn't like changing so often, you know.'

`I DON'T know,' said the Caterpillar.

Alice said nothing: she had never been so much contradicted in her life before, and she felt that she was losing her temper.

`Are you content now?' said the Caterpillar.

`Well, I should like to be a LITTLE larger, sir, if you wouldn't mind,' said Alice: `three inches is such a wretched height to be.'

`It is a very good height indeed!' said the Caterpillar angrily, rearing itself upright as it spoke (it was exactly three inches high).

`But I'm not used to it!' pleaded poor Alice in a piteous tone. And she thought of herself, `I wish the creatures wouldn't be so easily offended!'

`You'll get used to it in time,' said the Caterpillar; and it put the hookah into its mouth and began smoking again..."

Hello! How is everyone here in Wonderland today?

We are sizing up a GREAT sketch by JEN and the main panel just HAPPENS to be THREE. INCHES. TALL. :) Now, of course you don't have to stick to this if your image won't fit, but we didn't want to anger Mr. Caterpillar by saying that Three inches wasn't a respectable height, so here's the sketch:

And here is my sample:

{click to enlarge}

{click to enlarge}

Background pieces were colored using distress inks by Ranger, perfect pearls, Liquitex modeling paste, and watercolors. Center piece includes Ching-Chou Kuik's Full Moon image colored with Copic markers and shaded with distress inks, highlighted with distress and regular Stickles.

And, hey, thanks so much for stopping by today and since we won't have a sponsor this week (but WAIT til you see who we have later in the month and in September! WOOT!) so you have no time limit to play!

Ta for now! ~ky

CHAPTER 22: Dancing under the Sea...

"Will you walk a little faster?" said the whiting to the snail;
"There's a porpoise right behind us and he's treading on my tail!
See how eagerly the lobsters and the turtles all advance!
They are waiting on the shingle, will you come and join the dance?
Will you, won't you, will you, won't you-WILL you join the dance?"

Hello everyone! Greetings from here in Wonderland...or maybe today it's UNDERland? As in Under the Sea, perhaps ;)So, today's challenge involves all things sea-worthy and we at Oh, Alice are challenging YOU to create a card or project using sea life! Turtles, whales, dolphins are fabulous as are other sea creatures as in merfolk and those deep, dark creatures you sometimes hear about but seldom see.... the possibilities are as endless as the ocean itself!

We also have a FUN prize for you this week! One lucky winner will receive a Sweet Pea Rubber Stamp courtesy of Oh, Alice! These stamps are large and BEAUTIFULLY detailed and we just happened to have one 'swimmin' around!' Will YOU be the lucky winner? ;)


Here is my sample. She's comprised of a lot of technical work, bundled into a very small size. I really used my gem-viewing glasses for this:

I used Ching-Chou Kuik's Silk Dance stamp. I started with Ranger Distress inks, and stamped my Silk Dance over it. Then I filled in the areas of the mermaid with titanium white acrylic paint. I highlighted areas with Smooch, gold. Here's a little different shot:

When you use Copic markers over acrylic paints, it takes a lot longer to dry. There's lots of time to "push" ink around, so it can look like watercolors when you wiggle markers or dot them along. I loved experimenting and learning with my adorable Sweet Pea stamps! This is an Artist Trading Card, 2.5 x 3.5 inches.

Be sure to upload your card or creation on the Oh Alice! challenge blog! You have until Friday, July 23rd at 8pm CST to enter the challenge, so have fun and we'll see you back next week! Enter your submission to be considered for the prize! If you are uploading to a public gallery, be sure to include keyword OAC22. Thanks and enjoy the summer, sun, and sea!

Ta for now! ~ky

CHAPTER 21: Breaking All the Rules...

"At this moment the King, who had been for some time busily writing in his note-book, cackled out 'Silence!' and read out from his book, 'Rule Forty-two. ALL PERSONS MORE THAN A MILE HIGH TO LEAVE THE COURT.'

Everybody looked at Alice.


'I'M not a mile high,' said Alice.


'You are,' said the King.


'Nearly two miles high,' added the Queen.


'Well, I shan't go, at any rate,' said Alice: `besides, that's not a regular rule: you invented it just now.'

'It's the oldest rule in the book,' said the King.

'Then it ought to be Number One,' said Alice. "

Hello everyone!

Today we have a fun and rather rebellious challenge for all of you out there in WONDERLAND! We start out with a lovely sketch by Sammi:

The catch? You must RE-CREATE this sketch somehow. Switch out a panel or two, flip it on its side, upside down, etc. There are no rules except to break them, meaning you can't follow the sketch exactly! Makes no sense right? GOOD. :)

Today we also are thrilled to announce another wonderful sponsorship from SPESCH DESIGNER STAMPS! Thank you so much to Tracey Feeger for allowing the DT to work with your adorable images! Tracey is offering a prize of a VERY generous $10 Gift Certificate to the Spesch Designer Stamps Store! Be sure to check out all of her cute designs and be sure to play along this week for your chance to WIN!

Go ahead...BREAK all the rules...you KNOW you want to!

Here is my sample for the amazingly Twisted Tea party:

{click to enlarge - it sparkles!}

I used Ranger distress inks to create the background for Cheshire to disappear into, and spritzed it with glimmermist to create that magical sparkle! A litte embossing, some Copic work, and a dusting of perfect pearls over the embossed sentiment completed the card. I put an evil TWIST on Sammi's sketch!

You have until Friday, July 16th at 8pm CST to enter to win! Post your project on the Oh Alice! challenge blog! Good luck and be sure to link your creation below! Ta-ta for now all you rebels out there!

Ta for now! ~ky

CHAPTER 19: Twinkle, Twinkle...

"Twinkle, twinkle, little bat!
How I wonder what you're at!"


You know the song, perhaps?'

`I've heard something like it,' said Alice.

`It goes on, you know,' the Hatter continued, `in this way:--

"Up above the world you fly,
Like a tea-tray in the sky.
Twinkle, twinkle--"'

Here the Dormouse shook itself, and began singing in its sleep `Twinkle, twinkle, twinkle, twinkle--' and went on so long that they had to pinch it to make it stop."

Hello out there! It's a beautiful day here in Wonderland and a twinkling one at that! We are wrapping up one FABULOUS month with a super fun, no-pressure challenge! We are going to ring out the month of June with a Twinkle!

That's right, just use something Twinkling, Glittery, or Sparkly on your card or creation this week and we'll put on our shades :D Before we get to this week's challenge though, Oh, Alice would like to thank Kellie at Tickled Pink for such a wonderful sponsorship and amazing prize! Congrats to Barbara Washington YOU are the winner of a Tickled Pink Lil' Lotita Rubber Stamp! Please email Jessica for details on how to claim your prize! We are so excited about our sponsorships here at Oh, Alice! and thank all of our wonderful contributors thus far!

Here's my "Manly" Twinkle-riffic sample:

A VERY special thanks to Lynne Phelps, our June Guest Designer! It has been a pleasure having you at our twisted little table and we will miss you! Next week we will be back to announce our July Guest DT and have more tricks and treats up our sleeves....'til then, there's no time limit to play this week, so get your twinkle on and be sure to come back to the Oh Alice! blog and let us know what you did!

Have a very twinkling week!

~ky (and da bunz!)

CHAPTER 12: Curiosity is Key...

"Suddenly Alice came upon a little three-legged table, all made of solid glass; there was nothing on it except a tiny golden key, and Alice's first thought was that it might belong to one of the doors of the hall; but, alas! either the locks were too large, or the key was too small, but at any rate it would not open any of them. However, on the second time round, she came upon a low curtain she had not noticed before, and behind it was a little door about fifteen inches high: she tried the little golden key in the lock, and to her great delight it fitted!"

Hello again! Welcome back to our Oh, Alice challenge! This week your curiosity is KEY to this week's challenge.

Rather, the Key IS the challenge! Yep! Let's see how YOU open the door to your creativity this week using a KEY as your inspiration. You can use embellishments, DP, stamps, whatever KEY elements you have to play is fine with us!

Ok. Despite my age, I am still a little school girl head over heels in love with my darling. He's away right now, as some of you know, so this is a card for him:

{click to enlarge}

Do you like it? I think it's gorgeous! The image is Ching-Chou Kuik's Purple Comfort, and I used 7 Gypsy's 90% complete ATC card with it. I distressed the ATC with Ranger Ink's distress inks and added some images from Gina K's Timeless Treasures, added a Tim Holtz word key, then put it all together over Basic Grey patterned paper, and Gina K Pure Luxury Turquoise Sea papers.

{click to enlarge}

These are two of our rescued babies. The black one is my namesake - Scrap - a cat! and the other is Dyna (dynamite) the bitty kitty Maine coon! They simply hover over me, letting me know that they know someone is missing and it disturbs them. They love their daddy almost as much as I do.

We hope you get a chance to play along. Despite life's stressors, art must persist. So - give yourself a few minutes this week with your creative muse. Afterall - she's a Mother too! Happy Mother's Day weekend everyone!

There's no time limit to play this week, however, entries are always appreciated by everyone here at Oh, Alice and we'd love to stop by your blogs to see your beautiful creations. Your participation is KEY to all of this and to show you just how much we thank you, we have a fantastic prize next week along with a fun few announcements too!

Have a Curious week, everyone!

Ta for now, ~ky

Chapter 11: Little People...Big Wonderland

`Tweedledum and Tweedledee

Agreed to have a battle;

For Tweedledum said Tweedledee

Had spoiled his nice new rattle.

Just then flew down a monstrous crow,

As black as a tar-barrel;

Which frightened both the heroes so,

They quite forgot their quarrel.'

Hello and welcome back! This week, we are SUPER excited to tell you that we are being sponsored by the fabulous BUGABOO Stamps! The owner, Jodie, was just as sweet as can be and when she offered to sponsor Oh, Alice we were thrilled!

http://www.bugaboostamps.com/

Since we are talking about those two curious little Tweedles, Dee and Dum today, let's get right down to your mission this week, should you choose to accept it! CREATE a card, layout, or project for a CHILD. This can mean using children's images, making a layout of a child, creating a kid's bday card or room decor, you name it! The possibilities are endless!

The PRIZE this week is a GREAT one, too, thanks to Bugaboo! ONE lucky winner will receive 7 digi images of their choice! That's over a $21.00 value at mininum, wow! Thanks so much to Jodie and the Bugaboo Crew!

You have until Friday, May 7th at 8pm CST to link your creation to Mr. Linky on the Oh Alice! blog, and the winner will be announced next Saturday! Please use keyword OAC11 when linking to a public gallery, thanks and have a great week!


Here's my sample, I call it "You're a Good Egg":

{click to enlarge}

The decorations on the egg, the kids' hair, and the girls top are called Zentangles. Does this sound 'scary?' It shouldn't. Remember when you were in school, and you were B. O. R. E. D? You doodled. When you're waiting on hold for customer service? You still doodle. Zentangling is a limitless and addicting form of pen art that you can do anywhere, anytime. All it takes is a pen, some paper, and a little imagination. It's named a combination of Zen (highly relaxed state) and tangle (strings/ribbons entangled), so if you think about it, it's a relaxing method of letting your mind deal with life's tangles.

You can learn this craft from Zentangle - the 'official' home of Zentangles. I can teach this to you in a matter of minutes.

Draw or cut a piece of quality paper (or start with copy paper if you're unsure). Take a deep breath and relax into your art. Use your pen to start a loose line or ribbon across the small area you have established. It may look like this:

{Click here for more information}

Then you just start doodling. If you want ideas, google "zentangle," and you will see quite a list of helpful websites. Don't forget to check out Flickr - there's a whole library of Zentangles. Think about creating a card for a child that would allow you to teach them the fabulous art of Zentangles! Kids are great at this because it's so simple for their minds to grasp.

I love to use my stamp library as a starting point, a string or ribbon, for the beginning of my Zentangle. You can then turn these precious pieces of art into cards or other things to share with your friends and loved ones. You can even use these as a technique on any page of Wreck This Journal!

So - get busy and see if you have some stamps that might work with Zentangling. I want to see them!! Link your project to the Oh Alice! blog and we'll take a look. Who knows? You could win! {please note, zentangles are NOT required for the Oh Alice! challenge - only kid themed cards/images are}

Ta for now, ~ky

CHAPTER 10: QUEEN of TARTS...

"On this the White Rabbit blew three blasts on the trumpet, and then unrolled the parchment scroll, and read as follows:

`The Queen of Hearts,

she made some tarts,

All on a summer day:

The Knave of Hearts,

he stole those tarts,

And took them quite away!'

Uh ohhhhhhh...someone has stolen the Queen's Tarts! That's a no-no! We need to restore the sweetness back to Wonderland, don't you agree? That means it's time for a sweet treat here...or maybe a mushroom or two? I think I saw one floating around here that said "Eat Me"

 

Clear and Simple Stamps is this week's sponsor with a VERY generous gift certificate of $25 to ONE lucky winner!

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to incorporate FOOD into this week's project! Everyone loves a little treat, right? We can't wait to see what delectable delights YOU come up with! So get those fabulous calorie-free projects ready by Friday, April 30th, at 8 p.m. Central Time, for your chance to win the $25 gift certificate up for grabs from Clear and Simple Stamps! Please use keyword OAC10 when uploading the a public gallery, and link your project to the Oh Alice! blog using Mr. Linky...enjoy!

Here's my project for this week. I love lots of foods (most of you have endured many recipes and orations from this personal chef), and I used to make lots of sweets. However, I realize that the best treats in life are friends and family that decorate my life! That led me to make this card for this week's challenge!

{click to enlarge}

The central image is Ching-Chou Kuik's Cheshire Cat Illusion stamp from Sweet Pea stamps, and it's currently ON SALE!

{click to enlarge}

Here's a close-up of my Copic marker coloring, and the gleam in their eyes is Ranger Glossy Accents. These images are so beautiful, and spark the imagination in so many ways. I absolutely adore them!! You will see more of her images in my future work.

{click to enlarge}

I paired the image with Jillibean and Cosmo Cricket papers, and a sentiment from Unity Stamp Company's December 2009 Kit of the Month. I also used some Ranger distress ink to distress the card, and a bit of Offray ribbon to add a splash of whimsy. The layout is Card Positioning System (CPS) #163.

I hope you've enjoyed stopping by today. Please be sure to visit the other members of the Oh Alice! team and leave them some love. We really love doing these projects to inspire you so we love to know you enjoy them. Have a wonderful weekend!!

Ta for now, ~ky

CHAPTER 9: Somewhere in the Sunny, Sketchy, Afternoon...

Alice in Wonderland, how do you get to Wonderland?

Over the hill or underland, or just behind the tree?

When clouds go rolling by, they roll away and leave the sky.

Where is the land beyond the eye, that people can not see, where can it be?

Where do stars go, where is the crescent moon?

They must be somewhere in the sunny afternoon.

Alice in Wonderland, where is the path to Wonderland?

Over the hill or here or there, I wonder where.

Hello! Hopefully it's a Sunny, Golden afternoon in your neck of this Wonderland! We have a Sketch Challenge for you today brought to you by our very own TASHA! Here's the sketch:

Didn't the Twisted Thirteen have just the most deliciously wild project samples for you? Here's mine:

{click to enlarge}

The stamps, leather paper and ribbons are Gina K Designs, and the papers are Basic Grey (Origins). I love love love my distress inks (used on the yellow grid paper)!! And everyone loves a little bling, right? Perfect colors for a woodland escapade to find Wonderland!

We hope you'll join us this week down the Rabbit Hole for this fun sketch. What's more? There is a VERY generous prize offering this week from The BEARY SCRAP! The Beary Scrap is a sweet one-stop shop for all of your papercrafting needs and are offering an AMAZING $20 Gift Voucher for one lucky winner this week!


So let's get started! Finish that tea and get crafting! There's no time limit to use this FABULOUS sketch, but if you want to throw your MAD HAT into the ring for the $20 Gift Voucher, please link your entry by Friday, April 23rd at 8pm CST! The winner will be announced on Saturday, April 24th with our next Challenge! Good luck!

Ta for now! ~ky

CHAPTER 8: You can learn a lot of things from the FLOWERS...

`Never mind!' Alice said in a soothing tone, and stooping down to the daisies, who were just beginning again, she whispered, `If you don't hold your tongues, I'll pick you!'


There was silence in a moment, and several of the pink daisies turned white.


`That's right!' said the Tiger-lily. `The daisies are worst of all. When one speaks, they all begin together, and it's enough to make one wither to hear the way they go on!'


`How is it you can all talk so nicely?' Alice said, hoping to get it into a better temper by a compliment. `I've been in many gardens before, but none of the flowers could talk.'

Hello everyone! What a sweet, sunny sign of Spring it is when all of our floral friends come out to play! The Twisted Thirteen, Doormouse and Guest Croquet Player Kim all definitely agree with Alice that you can learn a lot of things from the flowers! This week's challenge? See if you can pick up on it...

{click to enlarge}

I love these newspaper flowers. You see them everywhere these days. I used a simple scalloped punch and an old newspaper plus a brad to make this one. Fun!!

{click to enlarge}

And I adore this image! She really appeals to my inner tomboy! I colored her using my Copic markers, then cut her out and whetted her eyes and lips with some glossy accents. I accented her buttons and the edge of the Labels Nine background with Patina stickles. She's also popped up with dimensional foam to dramatize her position near the flower.

{click to enlarge}

And here she is all together. I call this project "Old News" - partly for the newspaper (collected on my recent trip to visit my husband). I also call it this because "a little birdie told me" was a code for "and everyone already knows..." LOL! I had so much fun with this project. I do hope you will join in our challenge to - did you guess it already? USE FLOWERS on your card or project!


We have ANOTHER generous prize to give away this week! We at Oh, Alice are just floored at the outpouring of generosity from these wonderful companies and are thrilled to announce that this week's prize is being donated by STAMPOTIQUE!

That's right! ONE RANDOM WINNER will be chosen to WIN a $15 GC to the STAMPOTIQUE store! (they sell rubber stamps and other goodies :) Good luck, and we'll announce the winner during next week's challenge, so get those entries in by Friday, April 16th at 8pm CST! Make sure you link your creation to Mr. Linky on the Oh Alice! Challenge Blog and use OAC8 as your keyword when uploading to a gallery.  Thanks and good luck!!


Happy Stamping and Happy Spring!
Ta for now, ~ky

CHAPTER 7: We're ALL M.A.D Here...

CHAPTER 7: We're ALL M.A.D Here...

"But I don't want to go among mad people," Alice remarked.


"Oh, you can't help that," said the Cat: "we're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad."

"How do you know I'm mad?" said Alice.

"You must be," said the Cat, "or you wouldn't have come here..."

This week, we are gettin' our M.A.D on with THE GREETING FARM!! The sweet and generous Marie has generously offered her new line of Alice-inspired stamps, The Creepy Cakes to the DT and a FABULOUS prize of THREE FREE Creepy Cakes Digital Images OR ONE Rubber Single to ONE LUCKY WINNER! Thanks Marie!

Our Design Team has some wonderfully M.A.D (Monochromatic and Distressed!) examples using the CREEPY CAKES digital images and we're M.A.D about them! In fact, we liked them SO much that we hope you'll get M.A.D. with us, too! Here's my sample:

{click to enlarge}

We're also MAD about our APRIL TEA PARTY GUEST! Please join us in welcoming Kim Howard, a.k.a. BASEMENT STAMPER to our Twisted Tea party this month! She's been curiouser and curiouser to get started and we're happy to have her at our twisted little table :)

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to come up with your OWN M.A.D. creation: Monochromatic and Distressed! And remember, one lucky winner will be randomly drawn at the end of this week to win the THREE CREEPY CAKES OR their choice of single (in-stock!) RUBBER STAMP! You have until Friday, April 9th at 8pm CST to enter using Mr. Linky on the Oh Alice! challenge blog. The winner will be chosen and announced during next week's challenge right here on the blog! If you upload to a public gallery please link back here using keyword OAC7 (using the letter O rather than the number).

Thanks, good luck, and GO M.A.D.!

Ta for now, ~ky

Ingredients: Gina K pure luxury vibrant violet and lovely lilac cardstock, Basic Grey and We R Memory Keepers patterned papers, Gina K ribbon and eyelets. Ranger distressing inks.

Chapter 6: The Red Queen's Fine Print

CHAPTER 6: The Red Queen's FINE PRINT...

"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!"

This week we're getting down to business and reading the "fine print" here in Wonderland.

We're also SO excited to be welcoming Digital Delights by Louby Loo as our sponsor this week! WOW! What a lucky group we are! Wendy from Digital Delights has not only graced the DT with some super fun Alice-inspired images to use, but is giving away a TEN DOLLAR GIFT CERTIFICATE to one lucky winner who will be randomly drawn from all the entries this week! THANKS Wendy!

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to create a card using some form of TEXT/Printed DP, Old Book pages, Newspaper print, Old dictionary, etc. We just need to see SOME form of printed text on your card or project!

Need some inspiration WRITTEN out for you? Here's my sample!

{click to enlarge}

I used Gina K's pure luxury base paper for the card base, and the foundation for my little scene. I stamped some text from my Unity stash using Victorian Velvet distress ink, sewed around the piece, embossed it and distressed the edges. Wendy was gracious enough to let me play with Mad Hatter Peyton and the Toadstool House. I colored them up with Copic markers and gussied them up a bit!

Please play along, and post your creation including some fine print by Friday, April 2 in order to be eligible for our prize! Be sure to check back again next Saturday for another Sponsored event with a PRIZE up for grabs! If you upload your creation to a public gallery this week, please use keyword OAC6 (use the letter O not the number).

Mr. Linky is waiting for you at the Oh Alice! blog! Have a WONDERFUL week in Wonderland, all!

Ta for now! ~ky

CHAPTER 5: WHOOOOOOOO RRRRRRRRRRR YOUUUUUUUU?

CHAPTER 5: WHOOOOOOOO RRRRRRRRRRR YOUUUUUUUU?

"Who are YOU?" said the Caterpillar.

This was not an encouraging opening for a conversation.

Alice replied, rather shyly, "I--I hardly know, sir, just at present-- at least I know who I WAS when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then."

This week we are celebrating SPRING here in Wonderland! And, we have some WONDERFUL winged-things to show off courtesy of this week's sponsor, our very own Jen Shults! Jen's stamp company, Wild Flower Kids, has grown to be a favorite of mine and we are SO honored that she's agreed to sponsor the Oh, Alice! Blog by showcasing one of her new lines "All-A-Flutter"! Jen was gracious enough to provide the DT with some of these wonderfully cute and whimsical images as well... I chose Miss Willow to work with for this project:

I colored Willow with copic markers, cut her out and popped her up with dimensionals over a Basic Grey pieced background. I added shimmer to her wings (invisible when photographed - just like faeries!) with iridescent ice embossing powder. I cut out the sentiment with my Spellbinders tags die, added Doodlebug eyelets, Gina K ribbon, button and base cardstock (all spruced up), and Michael's rhinestones.

I ADORE Jen's images!! They are so full of attitude, and the sentiments that go with them are great. I hope you'll take a minute to check out her shop - Wild Flower Patch.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it is to create a card using a CATERPILLAR or BUTTERFLY on your projects this week! You have until Friday, March 26th at 8 p.m. CST to submit your entries using Mr. Linky on the Oh Alice! challenge blog. Winner will be announced on Saturday 3/27 during our next challenge and the WINNER will receive the "All-A-Flutter" digital images from Jen! This week's keyword is OAC5.

We'll stop by to see your amazing creations! HAPPY SPRING, everyone! See you next week! OH - and don't forget, I have BLOG CANDY!!!

Ta for now! ~ky

Chapter 4: Picturing Wonderland

CHAPTER 4: Picturing Wonderland

"Thus grew the tale of Wonderland:

Thus slowly, one by one,

Its quaint events were hammered out

And now the tale is done,

And home we steer, a merry crew,

Beneath the setting sun.

Alice! a childish story take,

And with gentle hand lay it were

Childhood's dreams are twined.

In Memory's mystic band,

Like pilgrim's wither'd wreath of flowers

Pluck'd in a far-off land..."

We have another sketch Challenge today, this time brought to us by our very own Pam Varnell! Pam created this sketch JUST for the Oh, Alice! DT blog and it just reminds me of Wonderland itself!

Here's the sketch:

I spent some time working up a beautiful and unique project for you...only to have it shatter at the last minute. Sigh... So, I made you something else, which I think is just as special! I hope you enjoy it:

{click to enlarge}

I took an old guilded frame I had, and removed the boring old photo. I created a new background from Gina K pure luxury pumpkin spice paper, embossed with a cuttlebug folder, then I coated it with a mixture of gesso, apricot reinker and antique brown alcohol ink. Before it could dry completely, I took a damp cloth and removed much of the gesso mixture. I love the antique feel it gave!

I used a rose and a single petal flower both cut from Grungepaper and covered with old print, inked up with Ranger's distress inks. I put an old metal button on the single petal flower, and wired both flowers through the base paper.

I used an old print of the white rabbit, distressed the background and shaded his coat and fur with antique white and dark green. I put him under a piece of memory glass, edged with metal tape, and topped with an Ideology corner. With the basepaper ready and elements in place, I gently guided the piece into the frame.

Now it's your turn! We'd LOVE for you to plunge Down the Rabbit hole with us again this week! All you have to do is upload your creation and link it using Mr. Linky on the Oh Alice! blog. The keyword this week for public galleries is OAC4 (using the letter O not the number).

There's no time limit for this week's sketch, so take your time here in Wonderland and ENJOY! See you next Saturday, everyone!

Ta for now! ~ky

CHAPTER 3: Painting the Roses Red

CHAPTER 3: Painting the Roses Red

"Would you tell me please," said Alice a little timidly, "Why are you painting those roses?"


Five and Seven said nothing, but looked at Two. Two began in a low voice, "Why the fact is, you see, Miss, this here ought to have been a Red rose tree, and we put a white one in by mistake"...

Welcome back! We're painting the Roses RED...and blue...and purple....and hey, we're painting our NAILS too! Check out this AWESOMELY ALICE inspiration picture featuring this SUPER cool new O.P.I. Polish collection, "Wonderland".

Isn't this a wicked inspiration? We can't wait! Here's my project:

{click to enlarge}

Yes - this is another page in my Art Journal! I loved working on this one! I'm so excited - the movie is here, and I'm going to get to see it soon. Yippie! I used a lot of custom mixed perfect pearl and distress reinker colors for the background, distress and regular stickles for the texture on the Red Queen's dress and roses, and smooch for soft metallic shimmer. It's a little hard to see, but the Queen is popped up with dimensional adhesive that really gives her a 'natural' appearance.

Before we get started, the Oh,Alice! Blog has a SPECIAL Tea Party Guest joining us for the month of March! Please welcome ERIN LEVEILLE as our March Tea Party Guest! Erin BLEW US AWAY with this card she submitted for the 1st Oh, Alice challenge and we are thrilled to have her at our Mad Tea party this month :) WELCOME ERIN!

What's more? We have a FABULOUS sponsor for this challenge-KRAFTIN' KIMMIE STAMPS! It just so happens that Kim is releasing some AWESOME Tea Party images this month and was gracious enough to donate a PRIZE pack including some of the new rubber stamp collection featuring these awesome new images! The DT is THRILLED To have been able to work with them, too!

You can play along with us! Just create a project based on the inspiration piece. Include the colors red, purple and blue in your project and link it up to the Oh Alice! blog by uploading your card or creation to Mr. Linky and by using keyword OAC3 (remember, use the letter O, not the number!) if you upload to a public forum such as SCS :)

You will have until FRIDAY, MARCH 12th, 2010 to enter this challenge and the winner will be chosen via Random.org and announced during our next challenge on Saturday, March 13th! Good luck and have an AWESOMELY ALICE kind of week!
 
Ta for now! ~ky

A Sketchy Circle!

CHAPTER TWO: Running in a SKETCHY circle...

"Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?"
"That depends a good deal on where you want to get to," said the Cat.
"I don’t much care where--" said Alice.
"Then it doesn’t matter which way you go," said the Cat.


We have a fabulous sketch challenge today designed by our own TWISTED Tea Party member, Mary Giles! Here is the sketch:

We are VERY honored to be introducing our first sponsor to you today. Kathy from Pixie Dust Studios has VERY generously let us work with her new Digis from her "Down the Rabbit Hole" collection debuting March 1st! What's more? ONE LUCKY WINNER will be chosen at random from this week's participants to choose THREE FREE DIGIS of their choice from Pixie Dust Studios! Thank you Kathy!

{click to enlarge}

What did you expect? It's a curious challenge! I had to turn it! I colored this cute image (I love critters!!) with my prismacolors because they've been sitting in their basket whimpering. They were worried they'd be given to the bunnies for sharpening! Oy!

Such sweet images Kathy has shared with us. You simply *MUST* play along! If you don't, what can I say - "You're late for TEEEEEEEEA!" {and yes, I will throw teacups at you!}

You have until FRIDAY, March 5, 2010 at 10pm CST to upload your card or project using the above sketch as your muse! Upload to your blog or public gallery (please use keyword OAC2, use the letter not the number) and LINK your name on the Oh Alice Blog using Mr. Linky! We can't WAIT to see your creations!

Cool runnings ~ peace be the journey! ~ky

Alice Gets Glammed!

CHAPTER ONE: DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE: THE BEGINNING...

The White Rabbit put on his spectacles. "Where shall I begin, please your Majesty?" he asked.

"Begin at the beginning," the King said gravely, "and go on till you come to the end: then stop."

ALICE GETS GLAM: INSPIRATION CHALLENGE

In anticipation of the upcoming Tim Burton remake, let's GET GLAM with Alice! Jessica recently scored this UBER fab makeup palette by Urban Decay and fell in love with the awesome colors, the NAMES of the eyeshadows (all after Alice, of course ;) and the pop-up mushroom mirror!

We wanna see how YOU get Glam using this amazing little piece as your inspiration! Show us your style, put on the glitz, and GET GLAM!

And WHAT would our first Challenge be without a PRIZE?! Now, normally we'll be (hopefully) sponsored on the 1st Sat. of each month, but for today's FIRST Fall Down the Rabbit Hole, we thought we'd give away a little something! ONE LUCKY WINNER will be chosen at Random to WIN a stamp single of their choice from THE GREETING FARM (in stock items only). So, GOOD LUCK and here's how to play:

You have until FRIDAY, February 26, 2010 at 10pm CST to upload your card or project using the above inspiration photo as your muse! Upload to your blog or public gallery (please use keyword OAC1, using the letter 'O', not the number) and LINK your name Mr. Linky on the Oh Alice blog! We can't WAIT to see your creations and THANK YOU for your support of this CURIOUS new venture!

{click to enlarge}

I used the polished stone technique to create the metallic/marble background, and paper pieced Ms. Alice sitting on her toadstool. Stickles add some bling to the glamorous setting along with the rhinestones, rich gold embossing and fabulous May Arts fabric ribbon fit for the queen {OFF WITH HER HEAD!}. I hung a charm and a marble polished stone from a charm pin for a little more interest.

On a side note, I have brand new ippity stamps for sale, and 5 new ribbons from May Arts!

I cannot WAIT to see what you find down the rabbit hole! Be sure to head back to Oh Alice's blog and check out the other projects we've created just for you!

Cool runnings ~ peace be the journey. Ta for now ~ky