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Round 20 Alphabet Challenge - Dec 13, 2023 thru June 12, 2024 CHAT
Welcome to Round 20 of the Alphabet Challenges!
This round is all about LOCATIONS and brought to you by our fellow Alpha Sister, Annette!
Use the letter of each week for a location! Please provide in your write up an explanation of where your location is that has inspired your card. It is up to you each week to pick the location!
Examples: "A" might be for Alberta, Canada and I might paint the mountains I saw there.
Letter "M" could be my back yard and the birds I saw there this morning! You can be as specific or as general as you wish. Reminder there are no challenge police, the themes are to inspire you to make a card, project, or scrapbook page!
1. ABC20A1 December 13, 2023 - A
2. ABC20B2 December 20, 2023 - B
3. ABC20C3 December 27, 2023 - C
4 ABC20D4 January 03, 2024 - D
5. ABC20E5 January 10, 2024 - E
6. ABC20F6 January 17, 2024 - F
7. ABC20G7 January 31, 2024 - G
8. ABC20H8 February 07, 2024 - H
9. ABC20I9 February 14, 2024 - I
10. ABC20J10 February 21, 2024 - J
11. ABC20K11 February 28, 2024 - K
12. ABC20L12 March 06, 2024 - L
13. ABC20M13 March 13, 2024 - M
14. ABC20N14 March 20, 2024 - N
15. ABC20O15 March 27, 2024 - O
16. ABC20P16 April 03, 2024 - P
17. ABC20Q17 April 10, 2024 - Q
18. ABC20R18 April 17, 2024 - R
19. ABC20S19 April 24, 2024 - S
20. ABC20T20 May 01, 2024 - T
21. ABC20U21 May 08, 2024 - U
22. ABC20V22 May 15, 2024 - V
23. ABC20W23 May 22, 2024 - W
24. ABC20X24 May 29, 2024 - S
25. ABC20Y25 June 05, 2024 - Y
26. ABC20Z26 June 12, 2024 - Z
Notes: Please post your card on the Wednesday of each week. .
No other item is required on your card that starts with the letter of the week.
Use keyword of the week, plus ABC20, and your personal keyword, if you are using one to track your uploads.
Emailed out the challenge list but I see some of your emails are either full or not correct and are bouncing back to me. Please email me if you did not receive it so I may update my records and get the list to you.
Thanks Ann, I got mine alright. I like that you gave us examples and can be as specific or general as we like.
Yeah, Home Alone- the first one was the best one. Have not seen Home Alone 3. I liked the woman who played the Pigeon lady in the 2nd one. Her name is Brenda Fricker. I looked her up. She won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in My Left Foot. I have not seen that movie but I do like Daniel Day Lewis. Loved the movie Phantom Thread. I think he was going to retire after that movie.
Melody that is neat about how you are doing your Christmas cards.
Great to hear from you Shelly!
Catherine happy birthday to your dh. Sorry no suggestions for a card. Tools?
Yay, new round! Love Annette’s idea! Last time was great, too! I feel like it is a clean start with the chat! LOL
I plan on playing VSN, tonight, Melody.
Thanks, Ann, I received the email and have subscribed to the new Alpha Challenge Round! It sounds like fun. Thanks for the "location" theme for round 20, Annette! It may take me awhile to get going after my knee replacement, but you never know...
Hello all, busy time of year for everyone! Enjoy your families, travels and friends!
__________________ Judy aka Gracie "Be a rainbow in someone else's cloud." Maya Angelou
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Sorry for nor being around for a while.
My DH and I had a COVID Infection. I'm negative now, but my DH has it the third week now, he lost his taste. Today he told me he could taste that he is drinking Coffee. I hope that this is a good sign!!!
So good to hear from you Jan and Dagmar! Dagmar, so sorry to hear you've both had Covid. Hopefully, you are over the worst of it. Jan, welcome back home!
__________________ Judy aka Gracie "Be a rainbow in someone else's cloud." Maya Angelou
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Forgot to tell you that my husband got a 10-point buck yesterday. The rack was impressive and it was a nice size! He plans to cut it up himself next weekend and I will use my seal a meal to package it. He put it in the cooler at the cabin for now.
So sorry to hear that you and your dh both had covid, Dagmar......Yes, that is a good sign that he could taste his coffee. Some people have gone 8 months with no taste.
My dh and I had it at the same time too in 2021.
Another good movie to watch is One Magic Christmas. We have Disney channel and watched it on that tonight. Gets us every time. Harry Dean Stanton plays the angel Gideon. He was great in that role.
Jan are you warming up now?, lol...
We had a few inches of snow today but it is mostly gone now.
Shirl
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Morning everyone! Another morning waking up with a headache! I think it might be due to the heat running strong each morning! Dryness in the air!
So glad everyone likes the theme for the new round! Just remember that it's the theme and you find the source of inspiration which can be as simple as the color in the location!
Dagmar, so sorry to hear you both had Covid! Hope your DH heals soon!
Hi everyone, yes I got the email, excited for this very open alpha challenge series. Great idea, Annette!!
Dagmar, sorry about the Covid adventure. Sounds like your husband had it worse than you. I can't imagine losing my senses for as long as some people have. I always lose my sense of smell and taste when I have anything respiratory, even allergies. Very annoying. I haven't had Covid at all, thanks to the vaccines. I'm very grateful for them.
The weather here is bouncing around, fairly mild, we've gone from 50's a few days ago to 27 right now. Scott and friend Scott did some work on my house yesterday, about froze their hands off. Still a few shakes to put up and then the metal trim. This must be a world record for length of time to side a house.
Liz, Clare and I went to see The Nutcracker at Viterbo college. Very nice facility. The dance group is LaCrosse Dance Centre, ranging in ages from really little littles to high school age, some of the older kids were en pointe. It was very charming, the littles were darling. No orchestra, recorded music. Next year I want to go back to Milwaukee or maybe Minneapolis for a professional Nutcracker.
Today we're doing cookie baking. I mixed up some molasses cookie dough last night, needed to chill.
I'm heading to my old stomping grounds on Friday, see my son and some friends. And I got an invitation for Christmas from Scott's Mom so I won't be alone. So I'll barely get home from Menomonee Falls and head to western MN.
I'm frustrated with an issue with the mail. I ordered some stamps online, they say they've been delivered but didn't receive them. I did screw up the order, the shipping address is right but the billing address was wrong. I figured that maybe they would reach out and question the billing before they shipped. I've checked with my former landlord, new tenant didn't receive them. So I filled out a search, first time I did it, it wouldn't submit. Kept trying, ended up filling out a new one, that one submitted. I don't need the stamps that badly,. except for some international ones. I need to go to the PO for a package so I may just send the international cards right there. I have sent a few already but ran out of the international stamps and don't have enough Christmas stamps to use them for international. Oh well, everyone will receive a card from me sooner or later. Thanks to Dagmar and Annette for their cards, PMs were sent. I had already gotten cards from Ann and Kathy, so thanks for those.
__________________ Jean Bean the Dancing Queen "You can play a shoestring if you're sincere." -John Coltrane
Hello everyone! I am going to try this alpha challenge. I have never participated in this challenge before, so will do my best. I did begin a spreadsheet of the letters, possible locations and ideas for each location. That is how my mind works. Looking forward to getting to know you better.
I try to be organized if I can. Since I do not usually create anything based on locations, I thought it would be easier if I could think of a location by the letter and have an idea of what I could create. Then I know what I will be looking for and not be too stressed about it. I also like to plan ahead if I can.
Jean I got confused as to you ordering stamps. Ha, ha, we need to be more specific when we are talking stamps on SCS, lol. So those are postage stamps you ordered. What a pain that you did not get them.
I have been thinking of you being alone on Christmas Day so I am thrilled you got an invitation.
We have always got all our vaccinations but we still got covid!
At the moment I have zero ideas for this new challenge.
Shirl
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I am thinking Arizona. I have a friend who lives there and she shows photos of a blooming cactus. It blooms once a year and that is all. I am thinking of using cactus stamps as I have many. Another possibility would be a succulent image as they would grow well in the desert region. That is where my brain is going right now with an A.
Shirl, I kinda went through the list and just jotted down some possibilities
A - airport, airplane, air show, aviary, army, Arizona, apple orchard
and then from there, it could be something you'd see in one of those places, a color, a shape...
That's what I like about the alpha challenges - they are really more of an inspiration challenge rather than a literal challenge, although they can be that as well. If say, you went with apple orchard - could use a tree, an apple or basket of apples, the color red or red and green, or go further and use apple pie, or you could actually cut an apple in half horizontally and use it as a stamp with the pretty star design.
Melody, very funny! I saw a little girl open a present and the box was from Amazon. She laughed and said, "Oh my gosh, Santa got this from Amazon...he should have just had his elves make it!"
Welcome, Lisa! Yes, we are pretty carefree and flexible with the cards we design. Just have fun!
Jean, sorry about your stamp mix up! It's always something! I'm glad you can go to Scott's mom's for Christmas.
I've started writing out and addressing Christmas cards tonight. I may have to make some more.
If I run out of time before surgery, I may send out some cards that I bought on sale after Christmas last year. Of course, I'd never send them to an Alpha! LOL
__________________ Judy aka Gracie "Be a rainbow in someone else's cloud." Maya Angelou
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Dagmar so sorry you and DH have been unwell with Covid, hopefully you will both be fully fit for Christmas.
Shirl, it’s 21c here so yes we are warming up nicely, put all our winter coats away, I usually leave them in storage at our sons but we thought it would be freezing waiting in the car to board the ferry, as it happens it wasn’t too bad.
Jean pleased to hear you will have company for Christmas, we will be on our own this year but our DIL and Son asked us before we left if we will go to San Francisco for Christmas next year! We’ve only ever been once before as they always come to England or Spain.
we spent yesterday fixing things, the man who reads the water meter broke the lock,Steve had to find a piece of metal to make a lever, so many small jobs to do, why do things happen while we’re away and of course everything outside is dusty but that’s a job for another day.
Busy day today, Steve has to do his bloods, make doctors appointments, book Covid and flu jabs, the list keeps getting longer and I have a hair appointment tomorrow for the works so that’s a couple of hours gone out of the day .
Good morning! A new week! Also closer to Christmas. Dagmar, I was sorry to hear you and hubby have been ill. Jean, glad you have Christmas plans now. Oh, and Jean, I can’t wait to try that technique; you make it sound fun, too! 🤪
Jan, happy home coming! Lots to do, after all you were gone months!😀
so happy for you to be able to do that traveling. DH says we are done! 🙁
Melody, great funny, and ideas! You always have good ones.
Here is a personal funny. I woke up around three, and until 5 couldn’t go back to sleep, because I was thinking of ideas for the letters for this round!!!🤣. I finally got up and wrote them down because I was afraid I would forget them! I had lots of ideas, except for x. All I could come up with was X-Ray room, or x rated movie. 🤪. Oh, well, a long ways before we get there!
Everyone, have a great day. I want to go do my morning stuff so I can get to the craft room and do Jean’s technique challenge.
I did do all the VSN challenges. Fun!
Good morning! Wow, miss a few days and there is a lot of chatter to catch up on. This is the week we have been waiting for. This Friday evening, we get DD1 home from college. Yay! Can't wait...though we have to.
In the meantime, DD2 has been a super help to me at getting things done. My general Christmas card mailing is ready to be posted. I will take care of that on the way to work. DD2 put labels and postage on for me, folded my short letter etc while I stamped insides (I need to do that as I make the Christmas cards!) and signed them from the family. DD2 also helped DH get our outside lights up last night. DH was lamenting the fact that all the decorating is done before DD1 gets home so she won't get to help. I told him that she decorated her room at college so she has done some decorating.
Saturday, we had a friend over for lunch so that was a lot of cooking because DD2 wanted basically a Thanksgiving meal again.
Friday was DH's birthday and he promptly fell down our front porch steps on his way to work. Thankfully he didn't get hurt. It was icy out there.
Gracie, thinking of you especially this Friday. You are eager for this Friday too!
Dagmar, sorry to hear that you and your DH have been sick, glad you are doing better and he is getting his sense of taste back. Prayers for complete healing!
Jan, glad you are safely back home once again.
Wow, Kathy, a 10 point buck?! That rack must have been amazing.
Shirl, I don't think I've heard of One Magic Christmas. It looks like we can rest it from Amazon though.
Ann, sorry about the morning headaches. Perhaps a humidifier in your room if you think dry air is the problem?
Jean, as slow as the siding is going on, I'm sure that somewhere there is a siding job that has taken even longer. I wouldn't be surprised! At least progress is being made, if slowly. DD2 wanted to see The Nutcracker this year but I don't think we'll get it done. We needed to plan that some time again to make it happen, I think.
I'm glad you have Christmas plans now.
Welcome, Lisa! Good suggestions for the letter A.
Melody, great location suggestions and I love that funny. We should just let that be the wrapping! LOL (Can you tell that gift wrapping is not my favorite activity?!)
Gracie, love the funny you shared about the girl opening her gift from Amazon.
Sharon, good thinking getting up and writing down your ideas. As for X, though we used it as a color in the last round, Xanadu can also be considered a location whether real (there seems to be some discussion about whether it is in China or Mongolia) or fantasy from the movie Xanadu.
I have my A card finished and waiting to upload! I'm using my out of he box thinking this round. I don't travel so my locations will be close to home, maybe even inside my home! LOL
Yes, Catherine, the rack was beautiful. Very symmetrical for a change. Sometimes it's so weird with short on one side , etc. The deer itself was the biggest he ever got. He can still go out after Christmas with his muzzleloader. Right now he is using his chainsaw out back. Mom had a tree trimmer come in and cut down a huge tree. She was so afraid it would split down he middle and fall on her garage. The trunk is huge. He will have to cut it from both sides, but today he's just tackling the other ones. They are large but less than half the size of the huge one. He would like to haul the ones he's cut up to the pile where we have stacked for the garage furnace. He said maybe Wednesday I could help. I could drive the tractor after he fills the wagon.
we got a lot of rain yesterday, but I don't know how much because our rain gauge is broken. I think water must have Frozen in it at one point and cracked it. I know it's enough that we need to wear boots when I walk up to Mom's and through the backyard. I burned our trash this morning and filled the bird feeders. I knew it was supposed to get windy. It's windy now but they say it will die off in a couple hours. We have 39 degrees right now.
Saturday is our card class Christmas party. I will be glad because I've got all these gift bags in my bedroom taking up room that I don't have to spare! They were told they could do anything they wanted for the exchange. They could make handmade little items or whatever. I got each woman a plastic clear container perfect for holding cards, a big roll of Post-It note tape, an expandable magnet to pick up dropped dies and some candy! That post-it note tape is not cheap but I love it and I am hoping they will too. It comes in so handy when die cutting. And the expandable magnet I got because I know how handy it is! I've used mine many times to pick up dropped dies so I don't have to bend over.
Kathy, I love the post-it tape. I use it to label food containers going in the fridge or freezer. It holds well normally, AND it comes off when you want it to. I previously used mailing labels, but they didn't remove well and always left residue.
Melody, I found some labeling tape to use on containers or whatever. When you're finished it washes off without leaving a residue! It's called dissolvable labels and there's a website that says www.messbrands.com but I ordered it through Walmart. I'll take a picture and post it.
I'm thinking about doing some of my locations as being on my "bucket list!" Places I've not traveled to but would like to; then, if needed, I'll do a google about what is native to those locations for my card/project creations. I have location and images for A and B set aside to begin the Alpha adventure.
Anyone watch YouTube videos? It seems after I watch one, a recommended video shows up and I have to choose close or play. That wasn't there before and I'm just wondering if I changed the setting or if YouTube did something?
Round 20 Alphabet Challenge - Dec 13, 2023 thru June 12, 2024 CHAT
