Pink & Blue are Colors of Joy

Especially when those colors involve a new baby boy or girl.  Using PINK or BLUE on your card with a Squigglefly digi-image is this week's newest challenge at the Squigglefly Challenge Blog.  And I have the perfect image from artist Deena Perreault called "Mother's Bundle of Joy". 
This image as well as so many other cute, funny and beautiful images are newly available this month from Squigglefly.  So, what are you waiting for???  Get yourself some new digi's to play with--you deserve it!!  And when you color them up, go to the Challenge Blog and enter to win more digi's!!

Congrats to the Grad!

It's that time of year again.  My calendar is slowly but surely filling up with backyard parties and invitations to graduations.  So I thought I'd better start making my congratulations cards now and get ahead of the game!

Today's Squigglefly new release from Fawn Palmer, called Sunflower Graduate, is the perfect image for my Spring-colored card.
I dipped into my stash of leftover pieces of pink-patterned papers and came up with this ripped paper background.  I framed the Copic and Spectrum Noir-colored image with the same cardstock with which I framed the background.
Now I bet you're wondering why it's called Sunflower Graduate when there is no sunflower to be seen.  Well, I had the papers all picked out and realized that my plan had been to use a handmade pink flower.  THEN I realized that the NAME of the image was SUNFLOWER Graduate.  Oy!  But my card just shows that you can color the image as is, or play with embellishments on top of parts of it,  like I did with my handmade flower.
Anyway, inside my card the sentiment reads:  "Congrats to the Grad!"  You can find this image and more by Fawn Palmer and other great artists at Squigglefly.  And their best sale ever is going on right now on their  Facebook page:  If you pre-order for $30 "One a Day in May", (which means you'll get one digi image from Squigglefly every day in May), then you will receive an extra digi, making your price less than $1 each for 31 digi images, from artists like Fawn Palmer, Suzanne Urban, Chesney Young, Lynne Stansbery, and so many more.  It is an amazing deal!!

Just Be You

The only person you need to satisfy, to meet expectations, to challenge, is yourself.  Don't dress the way otehrs tell you to dress, don't keep quiet when you have aneed to spak, don't CONFORM.  Don't lose yourself in others.
Okay, rant over, time to show my card.  I really love this Queen Kat Designs image by artist Ady Almanza.  I keep coloring her and have started a little pile of BLUE HAIR DOLLIE images in all different colors.

Here is an easel card, and I threw some rescued jewelry onto CTMH patterned paper I found.  I thought the butterfly finished off the front very well. 

A little bit of bling on her wings and in her hair lends some shimmer.

When the card is opened, the sentiment "Just Be You" explains my post title.  I added the flower to keep the card propped up.  Twp beads from that rescued jewelry are hanging from the flower.

Hope you like hy Blue Hair Dollie card as much as I like coloring the image!  You can find her and the rest of the QKD April releases HERE.

I'm Baa-aak!!

No, today is not all about sheep--it's about goats!  Specifically, Goat digi image from Hambo Stamps!  There's a new challenge this week, but before I get to it, I have to brag that I was last week's random winner in their challenge.  I have a wish list thi-i-i-i-i-i-iss long, from which I chose Wee Henry Fishing.  I have a crush on Wee Henry, and love the line from Hambo.

Meanwhile, back to my challenge entry.  Their challenge is to recycle, reduce, reuse- (which is my crafting goal for 2012)!  My card uses all leftover papers from previous projects (reduce), a swirl clip from another project (reuse) AND part of a manilla file folder as a frame around my Copic-colored image (recycle). 

Goat digi image comes with three sentiments.  I chose: "Happy Birthday!" and on the inside: "From one old goat to another..."

I had fun coloring and shining up the birthday boy, and as you can see, I love to ink!  I inked the edges of each piece of paper, as well as the edges of my card base. 

I also love the color combo of brown and blue.  What's your fave color combo?  Tell me in the comments section below and I will send one random person this card.

Here are the materials I used to make it:
Copic markers, CTMH Ink, Cat's Eye Inks, Duck Tape Runner, leftover manilla folder, Creative memories self-healing pad and my paper trimmer.  Oh, plus a clip from the clearance table at Staples!!

Now get your dancin' shoes on and come join the fun at the Hambo Hoedown!!

Fairy Tale Love

I just made an anniversary card for a friend and her hubby,  24 years and still going strong.  I had thought of creating in a different direction, which I'll tell you about later.  For now, I needed a Love Conquers All kind of card, so I made a Z-fold card using Queen Kat Designs' Queen of Frogs by artist Sandra Caldwell.  The frog king in the right-hand corner is another QKD stamp I received as a prize in a blog contest.
I colored the images with my Copics, adding some shine with Stickles.  I framed the queen with a Holy card my pastor gave me from his "excess" christian items--I just cut out the middle and framed her, then added some jewels around it for that "royal" look. 
The patterned paper was the last of some clearance papers from HobbyLobby, leftover from Valentine's day and an earlier project.  The roses were on clearance at my Michael's when they closed down last Fall.
So, since this is an anniversary card, the sentiment reads, "...and they lived happily erver after".  Want to know what I had originally planned for the sentiment??
I printed another sentiment for the inside that reads,
"Thinking at first that it was True Love, she quickly realized it was just a craving for Frog Legs"
Yes, I do have a warped sense of humor!! 
I also love to color this April release from QKD, and you can too!  Check out all the stamp releases this month at the SHOPPE.
Challenges Entered:
Your Scrapbook Place - Going Green/recycle

I love My Mom

I'm inspired to make lots of cards for the moms in my life.  That would be my mom, my MIL, my sisters, who are godmothers to my children, Terri, the mother of my granddaughter, and my grandma, 101 years old and still living in her own home.  So I know the cards won't gather dust!!

This first Mother's Day card of the year is an easel card using Squigglefly's new release by Cheryl Alger called "Sassy Sally Loves Birds".  I made it for this week's new challenge at the Squigglefly Challenge Blog that starts today!  Everyone can play for a chance to win a free digi image!!  their new challenge is to make a card for a mom in your life.

I thought Cheryl's image portrays the young mother in most little girls.  I know my granddaughter is a little mom to all her stuffies. 
SO I used a round-shaped card as my base, and then covered the fold on the front with an embossed piece of white cardstock, framing it with pink cardstock.  The inside or bottom part of the card is covered with a piece of leftover embossed cardstock that has been inked with yellow and green ink.
I colored the image with my trusty Copics, and dabbed the background of my ciedut-framed image with Cat's Eye chalk inks.  Flowers and butterflies embellish the card, as well as a couple jewels.  The sentiment (from thequotegarden.com) reads: "A mom's hug lasts long after she lets go"
This one is going to my daughter-in-law, Terri.  With Bella growing up so fast, and a new one on his way, she is going to need a cute card like this!!  So now it's your turn to play in this new Squigglefly challenge!!  Remember to use a Squigglefly image in order for a chance to win a prize.
PLUS, until April 30, Squigglefly is offering their One a Day in May!!  For $30, you will receive a free digi every day in the month of May.  That's less than a dollar each!!  PLUS if you go through their Facebook page to buy into this offer, they will give you one extra image, for a total of 32 digi images by some fantastic artists for only $30!!  Check it out HERE!!

Spoils of a Blog Contest

Have you checked out Crafter's Companion Challenge Blog lately?  They have been offering some great giveaways!  Each week you can comment on the inspiration projects offered there, and at the end of the week they pull a random winner for a cool prize. 
I won a free CC stamp from the new "A Little Bit Different" collection from artist Sheena Douglass.  It's called "Oh Duck" and looks great when used with embossing powder.
I stamped white pigment ink on deep purple cardstock and then embossed with white powder.
Since the duck in the title is in search of dinner, I thought I would tease him by using Versamark and Gold PearlEx to stamp a few tiny fish under the image from the Popcorn the Bear Fishing Line stamp set.  A few tiny jewels in dark purple finish off the card.
I don't have my dad any more to give him this card for Father's Day in June, but I can see this as a get well card for a guy, can't you?
While my card doesn't follow the guidelines of this month's challenge, another way you can win from Crafter's Companion is to play in their monthly challenges.  This month the theme is Mothers.  So play in the challenge for some great prizes, and as always, keep crafting!

You Can Count on Me

When it comes to the Hambo Hoedown, you can count on me to enter their challenge every week.  Not only do players get a chance to win a free dig, but each player gets a free digi just for entering!!
So the sentiment on my card that came with the Hambo Stamps digi image "Candles" works for both the card and my attitude toward blog challenges, especially the Hambo Hoedown.

The challenge there is to have FOUR of something on your card, besides the four candles in their image.  I have four blocks of patterned paper on the background of my card front.  I used patterned paper from DCWV adhesive-backed paper stack, placing it onto Paper Trey cardstock.  I framed the sentiment and the image in the same cardstock.

On the inside, I again colored my image, printed on a smaller scale except for the candle on the left, and merged the rest of the sentiment with the image.  More of the same DCWV patterned paper frames my image and sentiment.
I put five candles on the inside because I'm taking my granddaughter to her cousin's 5th birthday party.  She's 6 months older than my Bella (and she's actually MY cousin's daughter).
Have you danced in the Hoedown yet?  It's a great challenge with some of the funniest digi's around.  Go and have some fun, and as always, keep crafting!!

Cat Scratch Fever

I  am a girl of the 70's.  Well, I was.  Those were my teenage years, the years of flower power, CCR and Blood, Sweat & Tears, sizzler suits, hot pants, bell-bottom jeans, and suede fringe jackets.  Boys who were cute were foxy, and their hair was longer than ours.  In high school, we were big, we were bad and we were burnt...
But all good things must come to an end...THANK GOD!!! 
Now it's spin classes, annual physicals and Weight Watchers for health, the "oldies" radio station and reruns of Saturday Night Live for entertainment, and a night out usually means going out to dinner and ends around ten pm!!  Not that I'm complaining.  I get kinda cranky if I'm not in my pajamas, getting ready to go to bed by 10!  But still, those years were good to me...

Forgive my little rant of nostalgia, it was inspired by the tie-dye patterned paper I used for my new card, along with the title of my post (thank you, Stray Cats).  The Queen Kat Designs image, called Flutter Cat by artist Terrell Dorfeo, gave me such a flashback to my teen years that I had to make it, if not "vintage" (I'm not my 101 year old grandma), then a little "psychodelic".
The "Flutter Cat" image will soon be released this month, so if you like it, check QKD for when it goes on sale!  I loved coloring him with my Copics, and the way he's curled around that flower made me cut the image in the shape of a circle.
Decorating the card fron are the tiny Prima flowers, in whose centers I placed tiny pearls, and two colors of raffia.  I added more parls to the iamge for a little bling.
I hope you like my kitty.  Happy crafting!!

I'm Aging Like a Fine Milk

Well, maybe I'm in a little better shape than that! LOL But up until last Saturday, I could say I was two years younger than my hubby of 35 years.  Now he is only one year older than I am (love the math).  But I had a wonderful birthday with my family.

We went out for breakfast at IHOP, I was showered with gifts and handmade cards, and both Bella and my son's girlfriend were with us. 
I got flowers and the amazing Tape Gun Extreme (my name for it), as well as an Army hoodie I had been longing for since my son went to Basic.  My teen daughter wrote out a booklet of inspirational and grateful comments, with her unique artwork and outlook on life (made me sniffle).  My boss gave me a bag of (YES!) Garrett's cheese popcorn (the best on the planet).  Bella, my 4 yo granddaughter, even made me a card!  And so did Cami, my son's girlfriend (I love her already)!
My Facebook fans left beautiful messages for me, and my crafting buds on Scrapbook Place and Squigglefly sent me a card and lovely greetings and wishes.
I am truly blessed to have everything that I do, and grateful to all the people in my life for remembering me.

I'll be back here tomorrow with a new card, using an April new release from Queen Kat Designs.  I just wanted to acknowledge my blessings and remind everyone that "friendship isn't a big thing - it's a million little things".  That, and that "Old age isn't so bad when you consider the alternative!"
Happy crafting!

Working in the Dark

Did you check out the challenge over at Squigglefly Challenge Blog?  It's kind of an Anything Goes challenge, but with a twist.
They will pick several items that earn points.  The team will add up the points on each entry and the crafter with the most points will win the challenge.

So I made a card for Administrative Assistant day using digi images from Lynne Stansbery.  I am a fan of Murphy's Law, and found one for this special day.  On my card, I cut circles, colored my digi images with Copics, framed with both cardstock and petterned papers, added a flower and embellished with jewels.
On the inside I printed Murphy's Law, which is:
"As soon as you sit down with a cup of hot coffee, your boss will ask you to do something which will last until the coffee is cold"

Go on to the Squigglefly Challenge Blog and have with this Anything Goes with a Mystery Twist challenge!  One random winner who uses a Squigglefly image will win a prize!!  And as always, keep crafting!!

Brown is the New Blue

At least it is when coloring QKD's Blue Hair Dollie by artist Ady Almanza!  This time my dollie has brown hair and is surrounded by flowers.  I love the colors on this card, so bright and Sprintime-y!!
I framed her with circle shapes, and used leftover patterned paper for the background.  A piece of lace and the flowers with pearl centers finish off my card---well, that and a wired sentiment, "Imagine!"
Blue Hair Dollie is one of the new April releases offered by Queen Kat Designs.  You can see all their cute, funky, fantastical images HERE.

Pink is Spring!

Spring is here---finally!!  The weather has been so crazy this year, so it's nice to finally have real Spring days and nights.  And with Spring comes all the lovely colors of the season!

I put my blakcs and browns and dark colors away (but not too far away) in order to play with some PINK cards.  Recently I purchased an assorted lot of High Hopes rubber stamps.  They were too darn cute to pass up, so today my granddaughter and I made cards.  The first is a brand new design (to me, anyway) called a box card. 

You can catch the YouTube tutorial HERE, but it only uses an 8.5x11 piece of card stock and minimal cuts to make a card in which to place a nice RAK (Random Act of Kindness) of crafting items and a nice sentiment.  It would be prefect for a birthday card with a gift card enclosed, because the gift card won't fall out!  Here it is closed, with a playful duck image and the sentiment "Silly Goose".  Looks like a Gate-Fold card, doesn't it?  The ribbon is holding the card closed, because when you take it off and open the card, you discover the goodies inside, and you don't
even expect them!!

My next card again uses a stamped image from High Hopes.  I used an embossed card front and some green jewels.  The embellishments are minimal, just a very small piece of paper doily at the top of the image, a small pink heart-shaped brad and a ribbon tied in a bow.  I left the inside blank, because this card is being added to my priority box of cards going to deployed men and women to send to their own loved ones throughout the year.

Whether or not you supoort the US involvement in the mideast, please keep those stationed there in your heart and your prayers.  And as always, keep crafting!

p.s.  My granddaughter told me to take a picture of her own card and put it on the blog, too, but I must have erased it. So here's a pic of her.  She is my hearts' delight! She is four years old and today she counted to one hundred on her own three times!!!  She also made four cards, one each for her daddy, papa, her aunt and a birthday card for me!  And no, I didn't make that flower, but I wish I knew how to!!!  LOL  Enjoy the week!!!

My Crafting Zen

Zentangles, that is!  Have you discovered zentangles yet?  Thye're addicting, they're fun, they're relaxing, and they make you look like a real artist!


Spring by Pat Martin

 What is a Zentangle? "In a word, a doodle. A structured, contained doodle. The term 'Zentangle' was coined by Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas when, one day, Maria described her experience, as she created her art, as "feeling timeless, free and engendering a sense of deep well-being". Rick recognised that she was in a meditative state and so Zentangles were born."

So, I started with a rainbow, decided to give it a Spring theme, and took off from there!  I doodle all the time, with no rhyme or reason, so I fell into Zentangles and haven't even looked up and away!!

They are so very addicting, but don't do them close to bed time!  If you're like me, you'll see black lines over white spaces when you close your eyes!! LOL



Love Letters by Pat Martin

 I hope you'll try your hand at Zentangles!  Here's a very basic one if you want to snag it to color:

And as always, my peeps, keep crafting!!

Color Me Blue

well, color my Blue Hair Dollie blue!  That's the name of this Queen Kat Designs April release stamp, Blue Hair Dollie, by artist Ady Almanza.
I love this image.  She looks like she's staring up at something, and as far as cards go, the sky's the limit as to embellishments.  I placed stars above her head for her to look toward, but a sentiment, flowers, butterflies, anything at all would work here!
I had fun using my Epic Six and the Dahlia die to frame out my image, andf colored her with my trusty Copics.  I'm leaving the inside blank until I have a need for this card, so it could be anything, from a birthday card to a handwritten note from me to you!
Check out all the April releases at QKD's Shoppe!!  Happy crafting!!

Smitten

Today I made a Z-Fold card, using a Hambo Stamps digital image called NERD.  Their challenge this week at the Hoedown is to use a Hambo image like my nice little NERD and plaid patterned paper in your project. 

Besides the two different plaid papers, I used my Epic Six to frame the image as well as the inside sentiment.  The plain patterns were so busy that I decided to minimalize the embellishments, placing a nice blue swirl on the front, and a few heart brads on the inside.  The sentiment I used is one of three that you get when you purchase the NERD digi image from Hambo Stamps.  I also covered the flowers on the image with tiny Prima flowers of my own for extra dimension.

Now it's time for YOU to put on your dancing shoes and play in the Hambo Hoedown!

Squigglefly is Looking a Little Punny This Week

It's a new week and a new challenge, and it's time to craft a card using a play on words, or everyone's favorite reason to groan, the pun!
Dictionary.com describes a pun as "the humorous use of a word or phrase so as to emphasize or suggest its different meanings. 
Fair enough.  Here is my humorous use of a phrase, with a lovely Squigglefly image from artist Marlene Shaw called "Worry Warts". 
Okay, stop the groaning!  And hurry down to the Squigglefly Blog for more reasons to groan, guffaw and perhaps to giggle.  You may even want to offer up your own punny card for a chance to win a free digi of your choice!!
And as always, keep crafting!

Flutter Kitty

I am having so much fun coloring Flutter Kitty, an April release stamp from QKD by artist Terrel Dorfeo.  And I had a blast! 
I also got to try out my new punch system from Creative Memories.  I cut the scallop border with it.  I also used my Epic Six to diecut the frame around the image.  I don't usually use a lot of punches on a card, but I just had to try it out, and I like it, so you may see more cards with punches and diecuts.
Meanwhile, I used Copics to color my image, and dipped into my stash of leftovers papers to pull it altogether.  A bit of leftover ribbon pulled through two holes to fake a bow finishes off my card.
Flutter Kitty is one of many April releases from QKD that you're going to want to check out.

Swimsuits and Butterfly Tattoos

I bet you're wondering what butterfly tattoos and swimsuits have in common. 
Nothing, unless they're part of the new Squigglefly challenge!!  This week players are asked to "bring on the punny", or use a fruit-theme, or a color combo of orange and yellow.
Since a pun is its own reword, I have taken it a pun myself to find a good pun for my first card.

Here's a card using a Squigglefly digi image called Beach Babies by artist Alecia Blake.  The image is framed by some adorable fish, but I couldn't use it on my card, so I tore the border off for a distressed look, colored the image, added a few teeny tiny seashells, some fiber and the kicker, a pair of flip flops. 
My pun reads, "It happened 24 hours ago, but it felt just like yesterday."
 
Remember, puns are supposed to make you groan, not laugh, and I heard you...
Next up is one of my favorite new releases, a digi image from Fawn Palmer called Swallowtail.  I had to look up what a Swallowtail butterfly looked like, because even though a crafter is allowed poetic license, at least once it should be colored the way it's supposed to be.  Right?  Or wrong?  What do you think?

Meanwhile, let me show you the front of my card.  I wanted my image to pop, so I used minimal color for the background. I found this with a sheet of computer paper, the kind that's decorated and you could send out, let's say, a summer newsletter to relatives on it.  You can see some faint flowers, pansies and roses, in the background.  I placed it onto yellow cardstock to coordinate with the small blotches of yellow on my butterfly's wings.  I adhered only the butterfly's body onto the card so that I could bend its wings up for some dimension.

No pun for this one, but I found this funny sentiment: "WARNING: That butterfly tattoo looks great on your breast when you're twenty..."

and now for the punchline and the inside of the card:

"...but when you reach your 70's, it stretches into an eagle."

I'm giving it to a very good friend for her birthday with the added caption, "Hell getting old, isn't it?!"

Hope you liked my punnies, as well as the new April releases from Squigglefly.  Go check out the blog for more inspiration, and play in the challenge for a chance to win a free image!!

For My Mom

I am lucky to have my mom still with me, and living close enough to go out to lunch every so often, or go shopping together, or drive her to the doctor's office when needed.  Not too long after I got married, we started the serious business of becoming friends, and are still that close today.

I try to remember to tell her OFTEN how much I appreciate the things she's done for me, the memories we share, the relationship we have.  But there are times when I think to myself, when was the last time I called my mom???  Days slip by so fast, and as I've learned from others my age, changes can happen in a snap and life come crashing down onto the bond between a mom and daughter.

So when Crafter's Companion Challenge Blog asked for projects for mothers, I knew it was a wake up call.  I've given her handmade cards, but I've given everyone cards I've made.  So what to make her for Mother's Day that would be a special, unique, handcrafted gift from me!

 

I got my inspiration from my daughter's love for tea, whose packets came in a small rectangularly-shaped box.  I thought, I could make one and put her fave treats iside it!!  Out came the CC Ultimate Tool with Boxer Board and my cardstock, and after a couple attempts, I got the dimensions down and looked for a Crafter's Companion stamped image to use in the challenge.

I ended up with a SWALK image from the Little Princess stamp set.   Since I only have the Pinks and Reds from the new Spectrum noir alcohol ink markers, I colored my image with a combination of Spectrum Noir and Copic markers.

I had fun embellishing each panel on my box, even to the point of using faux stitches on each tp pull them together (I don't like to sew, even faux sewing; I guess it must be a mental block).  I topped the lid with a paper rose (my last one, but moms are worth the last of anything) from my Michael's, and spelled out her title.

Now to fill it with the candy she loves, and give it to her with a handmade card this May.

I hope you like my April project, and hope you can join me in the Crafter's Companion challenge this month!

Extra!! Extra!! Read All About It!!

Hambo Hoedown is at it again!  There newest challenge asks for an extra fold and the use of a Hambo Stamps image.  Last week I played in their challenge, and I received the digi I'm using this week FOR FREE.  That's right, every time you play and follow the guidelines, you receive a free digi image!!  It's a WIN-WIN deal.

The image is called Paperboy digi image, and it comes with three different sentiments.  I colored the image with my trusty Copics, and decided to make an easel card as my "card with an extra fold".
All my papers are from my stash, and I made a CAS card--that's Clean And Simple, so I can pop it in the mail for Operation Write Home, an organization that sends handmade cards and personal items to deployed servicemenn and women on a monthly basis.  Two requirements are that the cards lay flat and that no glitter is used.
It's your turn to dance in the Hoedown, so get out your markers and...what, you don't have a Hambo image?  Get your FREEBIE now and play!!

Gimme a Little Kiss, Will ya Hon?

Sometimes we need a little encouragement or a reminder to tell our partners that we love them.  Here is my humorous way of reminding my girlfriend to let her hubby know that she loves him, while poking fun at the whole thing at the same time.  His birthday is later this month, and I love both of them dearly.

I am using another colored rendition of Queen Kat Design's Queen of Frogs by artist Sandra Caldwell.  I love this image and have more in store for you!
Meanwhile, this card features her highness amid a background of flowers.  I received an assortment of diecut cards and love the look of them.  This one reminded me of latticework in a garden, so I had to use something with flowers on it.  The caption reads: "Have You Kissed Your Frog Today?"
Queen of Frogs is being released this month, along with a number of gorgeous, funny and bold new stamps from many different artists.  Come have a peek at them HERE.
And as always, keep crafting!

CASE-ing the Squigglefly Challenge Blog

That's what the new challenge is at Squigglefly Challenge Blog- to CASE a DT card, meaning to copy it yet change it up enough to make it your own.  So I CASE'd Rhonda's Card because I liked the use of her photo corners and simple design. 

I made it mine by using a FREEBIE digi image from Squigglefly called Turtle Express.  I colored the paughing pair with my trusty Copics, giving the snail's shell a little shimmer with Liquid Pearls in Peacock.
The sentiment, "A good time to laugh is any time you can", by Linda Ellerbee, and I got it from thequotegarden.com.  The patterned paper was leftover from another project, a piece of WeRMemoryKeepers White Out collection. 
I cut my photo corners from the smallest strip of orange cardstock I could find in my stash file, which is slowly but surely dwindling down to a more manageable amount.  It's killing me but I haven't bought paper for MONTHS now.
That's it!  I didn't have to angst over design because I CASE'd it, thanks to Rhonda, who CASE'd it from a card made by another DT, Charlene.  Now it's your turn to CASE a card and play in the Squigglefly Challenge this week.  If you use a Squigglefly image, you can win a prize!!
Other challenges:
Your Scrapbook Place - "going green for Earth Day"

Bunny Hugs

I just got the nicest compliment from one of the artists whose stamp, QUEEN OF FROGS, I used on a card I made for Queen Kat Designs.  The artist's name is Sandra Caldwell, and she has her own blog, and every now and then a challenge.  Her most recent challenge is an Easter challenge, and she even offered a free digi to use for it!  Here's her blog link: Babycakes Doodle This and That She has some lovely, funny, and poignant images for sale.

I used this month's freebie from Sandra to make this Easter bunny Knock Knock joke card.
So the joke reads:
   Knock, knock.
     Who's there?
  Ivan.
     Ivan who?

Inside, the card reads:

  "Ivan to give you a bunny hug!"

Okay, I know it's corny, but aren't ALL Knock, knock jokes??? 

Anyway, Sandra has a couple of great blogs, so visit her and leave her some love, and just maybe enter her challenge.  She's giving away a free dig to one lucky winner!

Beauty is in the Eyes of the Beholder

...and aren't some of us lucky?  I still marvel that my husband thought I was beautiful when we first met.  Sometimes we are also our own harshest judges of beauty, talent, intelligence and worth.  We need to cut oiurselves as much slack as we cut our friends, family, sometimes complete strangers!

So saying, let me introduce you to the Queen of Frogs, a Queen Kat Designs stamp by artist Sandra Caldwell.  This image is just released this month.  I knew there'd be something special this month from QKD.  After all, it's my birthday month!
I colored my Queenly Frog with my trusty Copics, and then very carefully fussy-cut her out, then framed her against some basic grey patterned paper that was in my stash drawer.
In fact, all papers used on this card are from previous projects, as I am extending my "going green project through Earth Day, April 22.
I printed the quote from thequotegarden.com
It reads. "Beauty, to me, is about being comfortable in your own skin.  That, and a kick-ass red lipstick."  I love Gwynneth Paltrow, don't you?!
I colored six Queen of Frogs and can't wait to show you the cards and projects I'm making with them.  So check back here often.  And if you want to color your own, she is available at the QKD SHOPPE.

Open Your Heart

Everyone has differing opinions about the "war" in Afghanistan, but everyone cares about the men and women who are deployed to the Mideast.  One of the ways crafters can help support these young servicemen and women is by sending handmade cards to Operation Write Home.  There's not a lot of things they can buy over there, so a handmade card either from a crafter to send a hello and thank you to them is nice, but even nicer are handmade cards that They can send home to loved ones for birthdays, anniversaries, and just plain thinking of you cards.

That's what the Hambo Hoedown is all about this week.  And what makes this project and challenge extra special is the new line of images they are introducing:

If you read carefully, you will see in the logo to the right, that it says "benefitting Operation Write Home." Well, OWH has a special place in our hearts and also in the heart of Hop Art Designs' illustrator, Asela Hopkins!

Asela has designed some sweet images and ALL proceeds from the sale of these images will go directly to benefit Operation Write Home!

Isn't that COOL?

How can you help?

Spread the word! Talk about it on your blog, on your Facebook page, in your online gallery -- anywhere you like! We want to let everyone know that purchasing one of Asela's images benefits this great organization.

The challenge this week is to COLOR your image.  I used Copics: E00,08,15; R29;YR02;G02, AND B93. n  It's a CAS (CLean And Simple) card that will ship overseas and back again with the standard postage, and NO glitter.

Here's your chance to dance in the Hoedown and do some good for someone!!  And, as always, keep crafting!!

Who's The BIGGEST Fool Today???

I know it's not me, and it's not YOU, because you're here for the Scrapbook Place April Fools' Day BLOG HOP!!! If you are coming from Pammie  then you're hopping along the right path.  If not, start at Your Scrapbook Place
This month's Blog Hop is sponsored by Floppy Latte's Digital Designs:

Hi, My name is Jessica aka Floppy Latte.  I am a digital stamp designer and have Floppy Latte’s Digital Designs.  I’ve been designing stamps for almost 2 years but drawing and creating as long as I have been able to hold a crayon!  At FLDD, I offer papers, digi stamps, and digital die cut files for crafters!  I love to draw and this seemed the perfect venue for that passion.  I have an active blog and the store always has a freebie on line for you!  I do hope that you visit Floppy Latte’s Digital Designs.  I am sure there is something there that you will love!

And what makes this HOP so special is that one random winner will receive a $10.00 Gift coupon toward your purchase in the FLDD catalog!! 
Check out the cards made using her images.  Leave a comment on each blog along the hop.  It's that easy!  One lucky person who leaves a comment on all the blogs will get their name in the draw for this awesome prize!!

Ship II digi image



Toy Train digi image

 The theme is FUNNY or Surprise me, so here are my cards to tickle your funny bone today.  the card above reads, "Someday my ship will come in..."
The inside (punchline) reads, "And with my luck I'll be at the airport."
The second card reads, "I never worry about losing my train of thought..." and the inside reads, "Sometimes it doesn't even leave the station!"



Here's the complete list of Blogs in the Hop.  If you get lost, come back here.

Mel

Karissa

Susan

Linda

Carolyn

Pammie 

Pat M

Your Scrapbook Place