AQ Carve #26: Dragonfly Times Four. There's a dot of glitter on the very tips of the four wings, which matches the glittery ribbon. I really like how this one turned out...
AQ Carve # 27-28:
Raccoon 1 ; Raccoon 2. I volunteered to
carve a raccoon to be planted in the Catawba County, NC area for the
Scouts. The problem was that DH didn't want me to part with the stamp!
So I promised him I would carve another one, just for him. The
raccoon on the left will go into the wilds, so the LTCs are limited. When
they're gone, there will be no more. The raccoon on the right and the
footprints will stay with me. The footprints of a raccoon are
interesting. The small footprint belongs to the front foot, while the larger
footprint is the back foot.
AQ Carve # 29: Down by the Seashore. What fun this one was! The carvings were fairly simple. I carved the stamps a good while back, made some "shrinky dinks" and cut the ovals and background papers (I used 3 different backgrounds.) But we had an upcoming Beach trip planned, so I had to wait to collect the sands from the East Coast beaches of South Carolina.
The one glitch was that with the glue I first tried to use, the paper peeled off the transparency "window." I tried a different glue, and I believe it worked. Hope you like it!
AQ Carve #30: You Can Even Have First Pick! I'd love to share your birthday with you... (That's on the front of the card.) The inside says...
AQ Carve #30: You Can Even Have First Pick! I'd love to share your birthday with you... (That's on the front of the card.) The inside says...
AQ Carve #31-32: Just4Bees+1LittleHoney; Just4Bees+1Grasshopper;
RETIRED
AQ Carve #33: Fish Story - Tranquility. This carve is one of my all-time favorites. When DaResq added a Tracker called "Fish Story," I was intrigued. I didn't actually have a good fish "story", but I began to remember back to my childhood fishing experiences at my grandmother's pond.
Fishing tends to take you to another world, a world suspended in time. There, you can lose yourself in the moment. No past, no future, just a calm, tranquil moment of an unknown duration. I spent a lot of time at Grandmother's pond, talking to the L-rd and just enjoying His workmanship. The picture I carved expresses that feeling for me. So I had to sign up! I hope they forgive me for not having a "story" to tell...
...This story added later: When I created the LTC, I really didn't have a "Fish Story." Now, all that has changed! It began when my son invited me to go fishing with him, his wife, and her family. Of course, I was delighted! When we arrived at the country pond to go fishing, I noticed there were no cane poles at all. (This dates me, doesn't it?) I proceeded to advise my son that I didn't know how to use a rod and reel. He quickly remedied that by giving me a lesson on casting. Things went smoothly for a while. I had a few nibbles, moved on around the pond and settled down again. On my next cast, somehow my hand relaxed a little too much, and the entire rod flew into the pond! To make a long story short, I was at the deepest end of the pond (17 feet deep), and after about 20 minutes of dragging for it at the bottom of the pond, the rod was declared MIA. My son offered me the use of their second rod, but I hastily and vehemently declined. Enough damage done for one day. Next day I went to the store and bought my own rod. If he EVER invites me again, I'm ready! It'll be my loss, next time...
AQ Carve # 34 (RETIRED), #37: Wind Instrument: Shofar; Shofar #2
I created these two LTCs for the Instruments swap. Although I liked the layout and the information shared in the 1st LTC, I wasn't happy with the carve. It bugged me every time I looked at the card. Finally I could take it no longer and pulled out the PZKut again...
AQ Carve # 35: Ghost Horse was the result of a disappointing several days and several carves. I had tried to create a layered LTC, but it just didn't happen. Someday I'll get a one-on-one tutorial from somebody and then attempt layering again. But for now, no way! Ghost Horse was about the 5th carve, after I settled to abandon the layered stamps and create a simple one-layered look. I actually like it if I'm not thinking about layered stamps...
AQ Carve #36, 38 (Precious Moments): Sharing a Shake; Together Forever. Unlike the Shofarot, I intentionally planned to carve two images for these LTCs. I just liked both pictures too much to choose between them. One LTC was done with chalks, while the other I used Shimmering paints by Luminarte. (Check out their website--awesome colors and effects!) The scan just wouldn't pick up the shimmering colors, but it's still a pretty picture. I named them "Sharing a Shake" and "Together Forever." These both remind me of my husband of 34 years. We share everything, and we ARE together forever! *blissful smile*
AQ Carve #39: Shimmer and Sparkle. Having just received my order of Luminarte Shimmering H2O paints, I decided to utilize these for the "All That Glitters" swap. Unfortunately, my scanner didn't pick up the shimmer. A picture didn't do much better.
I used several scraps of PZKut to carve the swirls. Embossing the image onto black cardstock, I then painted the gold background and painted various colors around the design. This card was fun, but all the colors took a lot of time to add. It's pretty, though...
AQ Carve #40: Scarecrow-Wizard of Oz. I love it when an idea comes together well! I carved Scarecrow and two different crows, which I stamped in various positions in the background. The background paper reminds me of tilled rows of land. But I needed some straw for Scarecrow's arms and legs. Went to the fabric store and bought one (1) inch of material. Bet the cutter wondered what I wanted an INCH of material for! I cut that inch into 1/2" strips and then cut those into 1/2" squares, which I then pulled apart, thread by thread. I used marvy markers for the overalls and watercolor pencils for the plaid shirt and hat. Here's the result...
AQ Carve #41-42: Mandala - Magen David B/W; Stained Glass Mandala.
I had discovered Mandalas on the internet and decided to try a couple. Two totally different effects!!
AQ Carve #44: Treasure in an Earthen Vessel. Blooming Flowers was an amazing person, and all who knew her, loved her very much. This one was carved in memory of Blooming Flowers. I carved the vase, which is partially hidden by the flower. The flower itself is a petal from an artificial hydrangea bloom. The center of the flower is actually a paper punch of a snowflake, stamped twice and placed one on top of the other. We miss you, Blooming Flowers!
AQ Carve #45: US National Parks: Cape Hatteras National Seashore. Located on Ocracoke Island, Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is the tallest brick structure ever moved. It was built in 1870, but by 1999 the ocean was within 100 feet. It was moved 2900 feet over a 23-day period. It is the international symbol of the North Carolina coast. Lots more interesting facts included with the LTC!
AQ Carve #46: My Hometown Logo: Catawba, NC.
Hubby and I were driving through mainstreet one day, and we both noticed the banners hanging on the electric poles. We both spoke it out loud, "That would make a great LTC!" and then laughed that we were thinking along the same lines.
AQ Carve #48: The Key The next 2 pictures are the same carve, just different presentations.
I carved "The Key" for the "Tag: You're It" Swap. The requirements were that we could use any stamp image, but the LTC had to have a tag shape. I really like this one. The carve was fun, and I embossed with Ranger's Black Sparkle Powder (although you can't see the sparkles on the scan).
AQ Carve #49: Valentine: Key to My Heart2. The left picture is the one on front. It's the Key to My Heart...and the right picture is my Heart...Wish the pretty glitter embossing showed up better on the screen! This is an improved variation of one of the first LTCs I did (#3).
AQ Carve #50: Go Dog Go! This one was just fun to do! Everything is stamped except for the car. I colored the hat and lettering with a Marvy Marker, the dog with a water-color pencil, stamped the scarf, stamped and chalked the exhaust, and used a 3-D dot to add the car on top. A bit labor-intensive, but to me, it was worth the trouble!
AQ Carve # 34 (RETIRED), #37: Wind Instrument: Shofar; Shofar #2 
I created these two LTCs for the Instruments swap. Although I liked the layout and the information shared in the 1st LTC, I wasn't happy with the carve. It bugged me every time I looked at the card. Finally I could take it no longer and pulled out the PZKut again...
AQ Carve # 35: Ghost Horse was the result of a disappointing several days and several carves. I had tried to create a layered LTC, but it just didn't happen. Someday I'll get a one-on-one tutorial from somebody and then attempt layering again. But for now, no way! Ghost Horse was about the 5th carve, after I settled to abandon the layered stamps and create a simple one-layered look. I actually like it if I'm not thinking about layered stamps...
AQ Carve #36, 38 (Precious Moments): Sharing a Shake; Together Forever. Unlike the Shofarot, I intentionally planned to carve two images for these LTCs. I just liked both pictures too much to choose between them. One LTC was done with chalks, while the other I used Shimmering paints by Luminarte. (Check out their website--awesome colors and effects!) The scan just wouldn't pick up the shimmering colors, but it's still a pretty picture. I named them "Sharing a Shake" and "Together Forever." These both remind me of my husband of 34 years. We share everything, and we ARE together forever! *blissful smile*
AQ Carve #39: Shimmer and Sparkle. Having just received my order of Luminarte Shimmering H2O paints, I decided to utilize these for the "All That Glitters" swap. Unfortunately, my scanner didn't pick up the shimmer. A picture didn't do much better.
I used several scraps of PZKut to carve the swirls. Embossing the image onto black cardstock, I then painted the gold background and painted various colors around the design. This card was fun, but all the colors took a lot of time to add. It's pretty, though...
AQ Carve #40: Scarecrow-Wizard of Oz. I love it when an idea comes together well! I carved Scarecrow and two different crows, which I stamped in various positions in the background. The background paper reminds me of tilled rows of land. But I needed some straw for Scarecrow's arms and legs. Went to the fabric store and bought one (1) inch of material. Bet the cutter wondered what I wanted an INCH of material for! I cut that inch into 1/2" strips and then cut those into 1/2" squares, which I then pulled apart, thread by thread. I used marvy markers for the overalls and watercolor pencils for the plaid shirt and hat. Here's the result... 
AQ Carve #41-42: Mandala - Magen David B/W; Stained Glass Mandala. I had discovered Mandalas on the internet and decided to try a couple. Two totally different effects!!
AQ Carve #45: US National Parks: Cape Hatteras National Seashore. Located on Ocracoke Island, Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is the tallest brick structure ever moved. It was built in 1870, but by 1999 the ocean was within 100 feet. It was moved 2900 feet over a 23-day period. It is the international symbol of the North Carolina coast. Lots more interesting facts included with the LTC! 
AQ Carve #46: My Hometown Logo: Catawba, NC. Hubby and I were driving through mainstreet one day, and we both noticed the banners hanging on the electric poles. We both spoke it out loud, "That would make a great LTC!" and then laughed that we were thinking along the same lines.
The little town of Catawba (one stoplight) is one of the oldest towns between Salisbury and Asheville, NC. It had been selected as an early railroad station, and trains ran through here before the War Between the States, beginning about 1859. Its name was originally Catawba Station, named after the Catawba River. The name was shortened in 1893 when the US Postmaster ordered all small offices to have one-word names.
AQ Carve #48: The Key The next 2 pictures are the same carve, just different presentations.I carved "The Key" for the "Tag: You're It" Swap. The requirements were that we could use any stamp image, but the LTC had to have a tag shape. I really like this one. The carve was fun, and I embossed with Ranger's Black Sparkle Powder (although you can't see the sparkles on the scan).
AQ Carve #49: Valentine: Key to My Heart2. The left picture is the one on front. It's the Key to My Heart...and the right picture is my Heart...Wish the pretty glitter embossing showed up better on the screen! This is an improved variation of one of the first LTCs I did (#3).
AQ Carve #50: Go Dog Go! This one was just fun to do! Everything is stamped except for the car. I colored the hat and lettering with a Marvy Marker, the dog with a water-color pencil, stamped the scarf, stamped and chalked the exhaust, and used a 3-D dot to add the car on top. A bit labor-intensive, but to me, it was worth the trouble!
