CCEE1405 ~ U is for Umbrellas

Well - January has 5 Thursdays this year, so I get to set one last challenge before passing the baton on. This week I've chosen the theme of "umbrellas". Over here January is a pretty wet month - and except on the days when it's too windy, an umbrella is an essential accessory. However, if you wish to look forward to the summer and bring a beach umbrella, or take a trip to the Orient and bring an elegant Chinese or Japanese-style umbrella, that's fine too. All that I'm looking for is any sort of umbrella on your card, whatever the weather.

I hope you've enjoyed the challenges this month - there are some great ones lined up for February too.  Thanks for playing along in January.

As always, if you're inspired to create your own umbrella card after seeing what fab cards the team have made, remember you can share using the InLinkz tool here or with the keyword if you upload to the SCS gallery.

Anne Harmon - Inkinginred

Vicky Gould - Village Stamper Ramblings

Lois Bak - Clownmom Creations

Sabrina Friel ~ SCS Gallery

Joanne Grzelak -- The Inky Ocean Gazer

Amber Hillman - Amber's Antics

Frances Byrne - StampOwl's Studio

Shirley-My Pinkie is Inkie in Boxertown

CCEE1404 ~ Bright Flowers

Sabrina here again with a fresh challenge, and this week I have a really easy challenge for you - one that will bring some colour to the short winter days for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere. And wherever we are, bright flowers are always a sight to cheer the heart and lift the soul. All I'm asking from you this week is to add some colour to your cards with bright flowers. As always the team have made some gorgeous cards - don't forget to check them out before you go off and make your own bright flowers!!

And if you are inspired to make a card featuring bright flowers, you can share it with us using the InLinkz tool at the bottom of the page, or by using the keyword if you upload to your SCS gallery.

Until next time...

Anne Harmon - Inkinginred

Vicky Gould -
Village Stamper Ramblings

Lois Bak - Clownmom Creations

Frances Byrne - StampOwl's Studio

Sabrina Friel ~ SCS Gallery

Joanne Grzelak -- The Inky Ocean Gazer

Shirley-My Pinkie is Inkie in Boxertown

Amber Hillman - Amber's Antics

A Tribute To Charlene

Charlene Merrick 
22nd January 1958 - 2nd January 2014

Hi everyone,

As many of you may have already heard by now, our friend and fellow Design Team member lost her fight with cancer earlier this month passing away on the 2nd January 2014. Charlene has been battling liver and brain cancer for approx the last 12 months,

Charlene was one of the founding members of the CCEE Stampers which was formed in 2007 with our first challenge posted to SCS on the 2nd July 2007. In those days the challenges we did were just between eight stamping friends who had meet on SCS. 

Charlene was loved in the stamping community and was very active on SCS and also had her own blog WhereMMsGather and My Creations. Charlene will be greatly missed by all of us here at CCEE Stampers as well as in the stamping community.

Today would have been Charlene's birthday so we have invited the past CCEE stampers to join us in this special tribute to our stamping friend by either.

1. Creating a card depicting one of the things she loved which included:

 M & M's

Penguins

Purple

2. CASEing a card Charlene created from either her blog or her SCS Gallery

If you would like to join us in this special tribute to Charlene please add your link to your card using inlinkz at the bottom of this blog post. For those of you uploading to SCS you can also add the code CCEECharlene.

Lois - Clownmom Creations

I CASEd a card of Charlene's that I had put into my favorites on SCS.  Here is my card (in her favorite color of purple) in her honor:

Anne Harmon - Inkinginred

I cased a card of Charlene's in her favorite purple as well.  You can see her original on my blog.

Frances Byrne - StampOwl's Studio

Remembering Charlene, I am so honored to have known her. She was always a sweet fun person.  Every time I see M & M's I will be thinking of you. 

I CASEd a card Charlene created and used her favorite color purple and a penguin.

Cindy Haffner (Alumni)

In honor of Charlene, you will be missed!

My background paper includes Charlene's favorite color purple.

Brenda O'Rear /Benzi Stamps

I remember she posted her favorite colors are purple, red, and blue so that's what I went with.

Of course, I had to do penguins. 

Vicky Gould - Village Stamper Ramblings

I cased this card which I have had in My Favorites for quite some time.  Charlene was a very loving person, so I thought this conveyed her personality.

Cindy Motherway (Mothermark) - Alumni

In honor of Charlene's birthday, I chose to make a card combining her favorite things.  Penguins, Purple and M&M's.  I am so very sad that Charlene is not celebrating her birthday with family and friends, but her birthday party this year will be heavenly and speaks to the way she lived her life on Earth!  Happy Birthday Charlene! Thank you for being a part of my life!  Love you!  Miss you already!

Sabrina Friel ~ SCS Gallery

I was tempted to CASE one of the cards Charlene sent me - she was always so sweet and generous; but so that I could link to the original I chose this card from Charlene's blog, which she created for one of the CCEE challenges last year. I loved the way she'd popped up the bloom on the stamp - one of my favourite florals, and something I'd never have thought to do with that particular stamp. 

Joanne Grzelak -- The Inky Ocean Gazer

My intentions were to make a card with M & M's.  It is because of Charlene that I have several M & M related stamps.  However, as I went into my cardstock drawer my eyes were drawn to my folder of Vintage Violet cardstock, and I changed directions completely.  You see, Charlene LOVED the color purple, AND she particularly LOVED Vintage Violet.  I decided to go feminine and frilly and used this fabulous sentiment that is so true of my feelings for my dear friend......a friend who will always live in my memories and in my heart.  Hugs to you, BBB!!!

Carolyn King - Alumni

"In memory of our friend Charlene. I am so blessed to have known Charlene and I will never look at m&ms or the color purple without thinking of her. Xoxo ....until we meet again.

Cammie has created two cards for Charlene which are both inspired by her love of the color purple.

Tosh Leyendekker - Alumni

In honor of my dear friend Charlene, who was generous in spirit, and quick with humor! She is missed beyond words.

Shirley-My Pinkie is Inkie in Boxertown

In honor of Charlene's birthday, I just had to make a card with a penguin on it because that was  one of her favorite things.  Charlene was one of the sweetest ladies one could ever meet (although I never got the chance to meet her in real life)  and she had a wonderful sense of humor.    We did a lot of giggling over the years, here on SCS.     Love and miss you, my friend.

Dawn Lusk - Alumni

In memory of our dear friend, Charlene, I was privileged to have known her
and share in her love of stamping.

Amber Hillman - Amber's Antics

I used as much purple as I could while focusing on one of Charlene's favorites.... a Penguin.

CCEE1403 ~ Poetry Inspiration

It's Sabrina here again, and this time I have an inspiration challenge with a difference for you. Most inspiration challenges are photos  - but I have chosen a poem which is full of visual imagery.

So my challenge to you is to make a card inspired by any of the images in the poem - mossy window sills, a flight of birds, the moon, trees, maple leaf, grasses in the wind...any other picture you take from the poem. I must say that the team have come up with some really wonderful cards (because I did say that if anyone thought it was a stinker of a challenge I'd set something else but they were game to take it on) - and we'd love you to share how you were inspired by the poem. You can either use the InLinkz tool at the bottom of the page, or use the keyword if you're sharing in the SCS gallery.

Ars Poetica by Archibald MacLeish 

A poem should be palpable and mute
As a globed fruit,

Dumb
As old medallions to the thumb,

Silent as the sleeve-worn stone
Of casement ledges where the moss has grown—

A poem should be wordless
As the flight of birds.
*
A poem should be motionless in time
As the moon climbs,

Leaving, as the moon releases
Twig by twig the night-entangled trees,

Leaving, as the moon behind the winter leaves,
Memory by memory the mind—

A poem should be motionless in time
As the moon climbs.
*
A poem should be equal to:
Not true.

For all the history of grief
An empty doorway and a maple leaf.

For love
The leaning grasses and two lights above the sea—

A poem should not mean
But be.





Anne Harmon - Inkinginred

Lois Bak - Clownmom Creations

Vicky Gould - Village Stamper Ramblings

Frances Byrne - StampOwl's Studio

Joanne Grzelak -- The Inky Ocean Gazer

Sabrina Friel ~ SCS Gallery

Amber Hillman - Amber's Antics

Shirley-My Pinkie is Inkie in Boxertown

CCEE1402 ~ Bordered Sentiments

It's Sabrina here again, continuing on with the January challenges.

This week I have a technique challenge for you - Bordered Sentiments. 

You can find the tutorial on SplitcoastStampers by clicking THIS LINK. It's a fun and easy masking technique, and I know that at least one of my team-mates has already made some gorgeous cards using this technique.

Have fun creating your "Bordered Sentiment" card, and then be sure to come back and share it with us using the InLinkz tool, or using the keyword if you upload to the SCS gallery.

I made a birthday card - great for a flat one-layer card for easy mailing, but I'm also planning to use this to make sure I have a couple of sympathy cards in stock for next time I need one.

And to all those in the cold zone - stay warm and safe!!

Till next week...

Anne Harmon - Inkinginred

Lois Bak - Clownmom Creations

Vicky Gould - Village Stamper Ramblings

Frances Byrne - StampOwl's Studio

Amber Hillman - Amber's Antics

Sabrina Friel ~ SCS Gallery

Shirley-My Pinkie is Inkie in Boxertown

Joanne Grzelak--The Inky Ocean Gazer