Stanley Scarecrow Has Stamina

Now that the weather has finally turned chilly, I'm really looking forward to the upcoming holidays of Halloween and Thanksgiving.  So I was in the mood to make an autumn card.  I used a Squigglefly digi image called "Stanley Scarecrow" by artist Fawn Palmer. 

I colored the image with Copics and set him off with a little green at his feet.  My card base was made using leftover cardstock which had a negative cut of a pumpkin, in which I framed my card's message.

I used a shiny yellow button for the sun, and added some jeweled flourishes, butterflies, a bow and some freehand doodles to embellish my card.  Even the adhesive stitches at the top were found in my leftover stash container.  

As for my message, who has the most stamina in the Fall?  A scarecrow, of course!  All day and night in the fields with no complaints!! LOL

I'm entering my card in the Outlawz Monday Greeting Card Challenge this week,  The requirement is to use a pumpkin!!  If you haven't discovered the crafting social network yet, you should check it out for inspiration, resources and challenges!!

Falling for Carmen Gamble's Images from Squigglefly

Fall, finally!!  Today was partly cloudy, raining lightly, and a definite chill in the air, finally!!  It's the middle of October, and up until yesterday, we were wearing short sleeves and running our air conditioner at work, and today I wore long sleeves, finally!!

So in celebration of cooler days, falling leaves and apple cider, I made a tag for the Squigglefly Challenge blog.  The image is a Squigglefly digi by artist Carmen Gamble.  It's called Christmas Mouse, and she originally had a tail to which mistletoe was tied, and two little birds were kissing under it. However, her Christmas look didn't match my Fall tag, so I snipped her tail and the birds out of the scene.  Easy peasy with digi's!  Doesn't she look ready for Fall on my tag?

Check out the new releases for October at the STORE, and come play in the new challenge.  It's to make a card that uses leaves or trees and leaves, autumn or fall theme in the image or embellishments OR create a card that shows travel as in LEAVING home and going on a trip like camping, travel, vacation!

My Heart is in My Art

Ink colors my fingers,

And glitter coats my hair.

My craft room’s like a crime scene

With Copics everywhere.

I seem to’ve lost my scissors

I should clean, but where to start?

It really doesn’t bother me

‘cause my heart is in my art.

For Aunt Sandy and Too Many of My Friends

We Walk with Hope     by Pat Martin

In early morning we gather.

We smile.

We stretch.

We pray.

We walk.

A thousand hearts pounding in our chests.

A thousand bodies sweating in the sunshine.

Two thousand feet kicking up dust and gravel.

We walk.

As the day wears on, we hear stories.

Her Aunt Ginny, her sister Pat,

We tell our own.

My best friend Sandy, our neighbor Edith.

We pray some more.

We walk.

Cars honk in support as they pass us.

Pedestrians wave and cheer us on.

Mostly it's quiet.

Evening is drawing near.

We walk.

Two days,

40 miles,

We pray.

We hope.

We walk.

Never let health take a back seat in your life.

Never let bad news freeze you in your tracks.

Keep walking with Hope in your heart.

Challenges I Entered:

Path of Positivity Challenge Blog - HOPE

Outlawz Saturday Paper ala Mode Color Challenge - (Pink for Pat)

The Craft Place Challenge Blog - Think Pink

Trick or Treat with Squigglefly Digi's

This week's challenge is to make a Halloween card.  Very appropriate for the season, but I wanted to use a new October release from Squigglefly.  The one I chose is called Candy Jar by artist Pammie Lehto.  The image is meant for the Christmas season, but I thought it would work well for Halloween, too.  After all, Halloween is all about the candy, right?!

I printed my image three times, cutting out the first colored image in its entirety.  The second colored image I cut out the rim of the candy jar along with the candy, while the third colored image I cut only the front-most candy cane.

The original image has a beautiful bit of holly on the front of the candy jar.  I used a circle-punched piece of candy corn patterned paper framed with some black cardstock to cover this obvious Christmas design.

I embellished my card with foam stars and 3D stickers.  The patterned paper on the card face is from Creative Memories.  I hope you like my Halloween card.  There are lots of seasonal digis at the Squigglefly store.  Open your mind to the possibility of using specifically themed designs in a new and different way, like I used      .

And as always, happy crafting!

Crunch the Numbers

Ever have one of those days (weeks, months, years, lives) when anything that could go bad, does go bad?
when you dig yourself out of the hole, only to step into another, bigger one?  When you feel that one more failure, one more loss, one more door slammed in your face will break you?
My advice to you is to CRUNCH THE NUMBERS!  After all, your success rate for surviving loss, triumphing over failure and changing your luck is 100%  You're here reading this blog post, so you made it through tough times intact--changed, of course, possibly scarred, but a survivor, nonetheless.
And knowing this, HOPE will see you through the next time, and the next, because you're building strength every time you survive a setback and you keep HOPE in your heart.

HOPE is the theme of my project today.  More specifically, my project was inspired by a verse from Emily Dickinson's poem, "Hope Is the Thing with Feathers."

“Hope” is the thing with feathers -

That perches in the soul -

And sings the tune without the words -

And never stops - at all …

When we first married, my husband and I wanted a big family.  We teased each other about how many daughters (a Girl Scout troop's worth) or sons (a football team's worth) we'd have.  I kept my Nancy Drew book collection and started collecting Hardy Boys mysteries for our future readers.
After our son was born, I never went back to taking birth control.  We thrived as proud parents, but were disappointed as months and then years went by and I never got pregnant again.
We had given up HOPE that it would ever come about, so much so that I sold all my baby furniture, clothes and blankets. But even if your logical brain gives up, there is a tiny seed of HOPE still lingering in your heart, singing softly in your sleep.  It wasn't until ten years later when I lost my dad that I discovered I was pregnant again. I got my football player and my Girl Scout and we couldn't be happier.
HOPE is the reason we wake every morning, and it is the reason we dream at night. Here's my own bit of poetry to add to this challenge:

 The door slammed loudly. 

I climbed through a window,

    Never losing hope.

-Pat Martin, 2013

Hope happens to be this month's theme over at The Path of Positivity Challenge blog.  Got a story of HOPE, or a piece of artwork, a card or a canvas, that embodies the idea of HOPE?  Please share it, if not for the challenge, then for inspiration for others.

Need more inspiring stories of HOPE yourself?  Try reading the stories at GIVESMEHOPE.COM  

They always make me feel good!

Whatever you do, remember to hold onto HOPE and keep crafting!!

Feelin' a Little Witchy

...at least in my card making!

 Here's another project using the September QKD release from Kathy Cyr called Witchy.

This time I used her on a Halloween card.  I used several layers of leftover patterned papers to create the backdrop for my image.  Coloring her with Copics, I fussy-cut her and placed her in a frame with a few circular stickers and a tree-shaped button.  The tree almost makes her larger-than-life, doesn't it?

Have you started making your Halloween cards yet?  I have a tidy little collection started.  I just can't seem to stop!!  I must be under a spell, a crafting spell!!

Welcome Halloween!

I am loving this holiday this year!!  I can't find enough time to create all the wonderful ideas brewing in my head.  Here's a little Welcome sign I made using something from the Dollar Store.

The black wooden box originally held sand and a rake, and sold as a "Zen Garden."  After almost a year of the granddaughter playing with it and getting sand all over the table and floor, I threw out the sand and tiny rocks and sea shells I had added to it, and was about to throw away the box and thought, "wait a minute, this would be perfect for..."

So I added a patterned paper background and bent (and snapped) a Dollar store skeleton to his present seated state, keeping him in pace with hot glue (the woman's duct tape).  Some moss on the bottom and I was ready to embellish.

After placing a skull under (I have no shame when it comes to skeletons) my sitting skellie's knee, I thought of my young grandchildren and decided to "cute-ify" my welcome sign just a tad.  By adding the smiling pumpkins, ghost and white flower, the spider hiding in the moss who spun her web around the skeleton was taken down a notch on the scare-o-meter.

I'm not quite satisfied with the actual sentiment WELCOME, as it doesn't show up well.  What do you think, black Stickles??  Maybe some thin black outlining around each letter??  Help me out here, crafting peeps!!

Full Moon Tonight

At least it's a full moon on my card.  I used a Queen Kat Designs image from artist Nora Blansett called "Jessamine."  I can picture her walking the hallways and corridors of her lonely castle, waiting for--what?--she doesn't know.  So she walks, waiting for something, that special something, to come to her.

I made a Z-fold card and used some patterned paper from 7 Gypsies "Off the Wall" collection.  After coloring Jessamine with Copics, I die-cut her out along with a frame.  I embellished with a pebble sticker, a cardstock key, a string of pearls and part of a wheel cog or gear.

You can find Jessamine and all the lovely new September releases from Queen Kat Designs at their Shoppe.  And for more inspiration this month, check out the QKD Facebook page!!

You Are Just My Type!

I made an easel card today with a Squigglefly digi image called Just My Type! by artist Judith Hart.
I loved using my typewriter key alpha stickers to make the sentiment on the second half of my card.
After coloring the image with Copics, I fussy-cut it out and popped it on the first half of the easel card.  Some alpha stickers and symbols add to the scene, as well as a few coordinating stars and orange Stickles.
  I made this card with this week's Squigglefly challenge in mind.  It is to use the volor ORANGE in your project and of course a Squigglefly digi image.
  There are so many images to choose from becasue new and talented artists keep being added on to the creative list!!  They are welcoming TWO new artists in October - a husband and wife team - Carmen and Graham Gamble.  You can see one of Carmen's images later in October since I am one of the lucky ones to have an image from her to play with!!

Argh, Matey!

Avast, ye crafters!  I have a treasure to share with ye!  My card features a September new release.

This cute little guy is called Pirate by the lovely Sarah Waterfield.  I colored him with Copics and fussy-cut him out.
Using leftover patterned papers, I set a scene for him to walk into.  The doorway is made with part of an acrylic stamped and glittered frame.
It's getting close to Halloween time.  Have you ever dressed up as a pirate?  What's your favorite Halloween costume?  I still love to dress up, if only just to make my grandkids laugh!
I also love to make cards and treat holders for them, using QKD images.  There are plenty to choose from in the Shoppe-go check them out!