Going Dotty Over at Squigglefly

Today's card features a September release from Squigglefly Designs. It's called "Hurt Bunny Sling" by artist Fawn Palmer. It is too cute!!
Squigglefly's newest challenge is to use dots on your card. I cleverly framed my Copic-colored image with dotty patterned paper and tore the bottom edge before adhering to the patterned paper background. A couple butterflies and a whimsical snail embellish my card.
Have you played in Squigglefly's challenges yet? You could win free digis every time you enter the weekly challenges when you use a Squigglefly image and follow the challenge guidelines. If you don't yet have a Squigglefly digital image to play with, check out their FREEBIES.
Meanwhile, have fun crafting!

Anything Goes at the Outlawz Greetings Challenge

It's Anything Goes at the Outlawz Greetings Challenge this week. The gorgeous image I used on my easel card is from guest sponsor Lacy Sunshine. It's called WIX Moonlight Bay.
I used a border punch to cut out my card faces, then circle-cut my Copic-colored image, framing it with a paper doily. I used a hole punch to cut tiny holes in each of the scallops of my card faces. I gave a little shimmer to my teal cardstock with Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist, then glitzed tiny stars on the image with Stickles. Sequins give my card that last bit of shine, and my Birthday sentiment is embossed.
Ever taken the challenge at the Outlawz Greetings? The last Monday of every month is Anything Goes, and it doesn't get any easier!! I am proud to announce that I now design for the Outlawz on the Greetings challenges! Yee haw, it's party time in the old corral today!!
Don't forget to check out those lovely digital images at Lacy Sunshine, too!

Falling for Fall Colors at the Oulawz Challenges

Today my card brings out the subtle colors of fall. I didn't go overboard with the browns and reds and ranges, but you can definitely tell it's a Fall card. And that's exactly what this week's Monday Greetings challenge is at the Outlawz Challenge Blog.
My card uses an image from this week's guest sponsor, Limited Runs, called Owl and Pumpkin. The image I used had an empty box to place your own sentiment, and since gratitude knows no season, I stamped a Thanks in it.
The image is colored with Copics. I used Creative Memories patterned paper, and embellished with a ribbon bow, a few well-placed Stickles and a spider sticker.  I fringed a strip of orange cardstock and placed a rub-on in the center. Now, I know the Jack-o-lantern looks a bit worried at that spider crawling near him, but the owl doesn't exactly look comfortable himself, does he? LOL
I am so ready for Autumn, and my Fall-themed craft supplies are close at hand. How about you? Ready to "Fall" into a new challenge? Check out the cool images at Limited Runs, and play in the Outlawz Monday Greetings challenge today!

A Passion for Purple

Squigglefly's new challenge is for projects to show off their passion for PURPLE, BLACK or ORANGE. I chose PURPLE to showcase this September new release from artist Sandra Caldwell. It's called "Bearly A Nurse" and it is so stinkin' cute.

After coloring her with Copics, I diecut black card stock to frame her and popped her onto a leftover piece of patterned paper. The sentiment is also from Squigglefly. I embellished simply with a few purple flowers and some sequins.

One of the teachers with whom I work during the school year took a bad fall and broke a few ribs. He is still in the hospital and will have to do a long round of rehab, so this card should cheer him up some.

Got some PURPLE, BLACK or ORANGE paper to create with? Use a Squigglefly digi image and link up at the Squigglefly Challenge Blog for your chance to win free digis!!

Thank You Theme at Outlawz Greetings Challenge

Have you entered the Outlawz Monday Greetings challenge this week? It's all about gratitude, and everyone always needs a few extra Thank You cards! I made mine in my fave color combo of teal and pink, using a Meljen's digi image called Bunny Cupcake. Meljen's just happens to be this week's guest sponsor!!
I used an embossed card front that I distressed to bring out the white core of my card stock. I also used Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist in Patina to color a paper doily. My image is colored with Copics (V000,G000,Y11,YG03,R29) and Spectrum Noir (PL1).
At some point in my crafting life I stamped a whole lotta Thank You's and circle-punched them. Well, the last time I cleaned my craft room I found my stash of these little gems, and popped one on my card after framing it with scallop circle-punched cardstock. A few punched pink hearts finish my card.
I printed up a whole sheet of Meljen's Bunny Cupcake so I think I'll get a headstart on my stash of Thank you cards this week.  How about you? Create a card and enter to win at Outlawz Monday Greetings Challenge this week!

New CAS Challenge on SBP Challenge Blog

There's a new challenge at SBP. At first I thought, CAS-Clean and Simple--how simple can that be? BUT the guidelines are to start (and finish) with a white cardstock base, using the image, ink, no embellishments, no layers!!
Hmm, tying my crafting hands behind my back? I accept that challenge! First, I printed this too-cute digital image from Creative Bug Designs. It's called "Twinkle Toes" and I can't tell you how much I wanted to put glitter on those shoes, but "challenge on!"
Once I colored my image with Copics, I used Tim Holtz Bundled Sage Distress ink on the edges. Then I used a Halloween-themed border punch, coloring behind the bats with my black Copic for contrast.
And that's my CAS card for the SBP Challenge. Creative Bug Designs is the guest sponsor, and they are offering a prize package of five digital images from their store.
Here are the challenge guidelines:

• Create a Basic CAS card in any theme. No layering, no matting, embellishments, no heat embossing or dry embossing allowed on this card. You will create a Card only using White Card Front Base, Ink Pads and Rubber Stamps or digital stamps.  
• You are welcome to combine your entry with other challenges.
• New projects only - no back linking. Limit three submissions per person.
• Link your project post to the challenge blog, not your entire blog link. If your project is not linked, it will not be counted in the random drawing
• Include a link back to this blog in your entry post. If it is not linked back, it will not be counted in the drawing.
• One random participant will win five digital images from CBD of their choice.

And just to show you how easy this really is, I also made a totally digital card using the same CBD image, Twinkle Toes. Using PhotoShop, I used a water color painting I had created a few weeks ago as the background for my card.
Then I copied Twinkle Toes onto my "scene" and printed it out. I colored her with my trusty Copics, and used a white gel pen to highlight my witch's "take off."
Just one layer, but what a layer, huh?! So now it's your turn. Whether traditional or digital, have fun with your project and then link it up with the SBP Challenge post for your chance to win some excellent Creative Bug Designs images!!
Good luck!!

Path of Positivity Determination Challenge

Today's canvas showcases a fabulous digi from Ike's Art. It's called "Cognitive Thoughts" and I thought it would be perfect for this month's theme of Determination at the Path of Positivity challenge blog.
de·ter·mi·na·tion

(diˌtərməˈnāSHən) 

There are quite a few definitions of the word Determination. I like mine best - "an attitude that keeps you going until you achieve your goal." 

It all boils down to attitude -- how you approach your goal, how you blast through (and sometimes stumble through), obstacles in your path, and how you continue to put one foot in front of the other until you reach your journey's end.

I read something from Energy 103.5  posted on Facebook that gave credence to my thoughts: If you assign each letter a number, from A=1, B=2, etc. through Z=26), then spelled the words (and counted the numbers) KNOWLEDGE and HARD WORK, they would each add up to 96% and 98%.
Now do the same with the word ATTITUDE; you'll add up to 100%.
Determination is all about your attitude...toward your day, your goals, your life. If you give 100% attitude to whatever you want, you can reach those goals.
Have you tripped down the Path of Positivity this month? There are some awesome prizes from their guest sponsor, Pickled Potpourri, as well as their regular sponsors!! Even if you don't play in their challenge, you'll leave with a more positive spin on life.

Bling'd Out Composition Book

I love it when the kids go back to school. It gives me the chance to create awesome notebooks, binder covers and composition books, like this one featuring a Squigglefly new September release! The digital image, called Dragon Tamer, is by artist Niina Niskanen. Here is a close-up of my Copic-colored image.

After covering a 50 cent composition notebook (don't you just love back to school sales?) with DCWV Once Upon a Time patterned paper, I used Frog Tape, which is like blue painters' tape, but green (duh).

I covered the bound edge with flowers, added a Smash Book element (clasp & lock) after coloring it black with a sharpie, and adhered the sentiment and pearls.

Since Squigglefly offers a new challenge this week, Add Some Bling, I Stickled my dragon tamer's wings as well as parts of the dragon and the sun-sparkled roofs of my renaissance town's buildings. Here's the back of the notebook.

How will you add some bling to your challenge for Squigglefly this week? Don't forget to use a Squigglefly image to play for free digis!! 

Whatever you do, have fun!!

Get Well Cards Make Everyone Feel Better

When I am sick or in hospital, it always makes me feel better to receive a card from a friend. I have two friends in need of some cheering up. Both of them are volunteers who teach religion at the church where I work. One had a bad fall, and is on the road to recovery (and rehab). The other is a dear friend who suffered a heart attack. Luckily, he knew the signs and symptoms and called 911 immediately, and did not go into cardiac arrest, but he has a lot of recovering to do.

I made this card for my friend who is still in hospital. I love the image and sentiment, but I pulled them from my excess images folder and there was no ID on them, so if anyone can tell me the company who designed this image, I would love to give credit where credit is due.
I decided to make a card with color blocking, adding a few small solid colored circles to the mix. I kept

my embellishments simple, as I will be mailing this card.  A few small adhesive-backed pearls and it's complete. It is a large card, with white cardstock lining the inside of it for greetings and signatures of volunteers who teach with him in our RE program. Our first meeting is tonight, and they'll all get to sign the card and wish him well.
The second card uses a Squigglefly September release called "Hurt Bunny Sling" by artist Fawn Palmer. I took the card front from the original A2-sized card I made in order to create a large enough card for all the people who will be signing it and wishing him well. The sentiment comes with the Squigglefly image.
Inside both cards is the sentiment, "Feel Better!"
And that's what I wish both of my friends--feel better quickly, we miss you, Gregg and Mickey!

Seeing Stripes at Squigglefly Challenge Blog

Another week, another challenge at Squigglefly Challenge Blog. This week, crafters are asked to show off their STRIPES!  I used this winsome digital image from artist James Horvath. It's called "Tongue-Tied" and is just released this month!
My stripes are featured on my patterned paper as well as the staples I used to "adhere" my image and sentiment to my card. I used word stickers and a foil star from a leftover who table decoration from Independence Day.
Don't you just love this image? James Horvath has some awesomely funny images from which to choose besides "Tongue-Tied." Snag yours at the store so you can play for free digis in this new challenge!!

Don't Just Survive the Day, Triumph Over It

I decided to step up my sketching. In my art journal, I printed out and pasted some sketching tutorials (eyes, mouths, hands, etc.). The opposite pages I left blank so that I could try my hand at them.
So this page started out as an exercise in eyes, but I decided to flip through the tutorials to finish a full face. Daughter says it looks vaguely like the character from the TV show Medium. Hubby says it looks somewhat like Suzanne Sommers. I didn't try to make it look like anyone, just placing some lines on a page with watercolor pencils and adding a wet brush to it all.
Either way, it was my first drawing with the pencils, and except for a few issues with proportions, I say it looks good. LOL

Port Washington in Water Colors

I found myself with a block of time to craft and decided to create a water color from another photo in my library. This one is from a girls' weekend away with my mom and sisters to Port Washington, Wisconsin. It is a quaint, historic harbor town about 20 minutes north of Milwaukee, and one of our favorite getaways.
If we're lucky, we book rooms with a lake view (Lake Michigan). There's a "wall" of rocks to break the waves surrounding the harbor. Many adventurous souls walk this "path" to get to the historic lighthouse. It can be seen from the hotel room window, but this particular view is directly from the path leading to the lighthouse.
The rocky path was very difficult to give definition to, but I think I managed it. I could use some more work on water and its movement, so I'll scope out some YouTube videos to guide me. I'm still thinking of taking a basic class at the community college to learn all the tips and techniques that everyone but I seem to know.
There were more boats in my photo, but I kept only two on my canvas. And of course I had to add a lonely water bird circling overhead, shopping for his dinner.
If I had the time off of work, I think I'd spend a month painting from my photos. I haven't even looked at my Hawaii album, and I'd love to do a couple sunsets over the water.
Have you ever taken a photo and created a piece of art from it? While I do like this realistic portrayal of my photo memory, I think I prefer the randomness of my other water colors where the wet paper takes hold of my paint and has her way with it, leaving me to find form where she has left lovely chaos! What's your preference?
Well, whatever it is, have fun doing it!!  Happy crafting, peeps!

Love Me Some Shimmer

There are two things I love above all else when it comes to crafting--getting the best deals and putting some shimmer on my projects. The card above satisfies my craving for both!
I made the background paper with homemade red and gold shimmer misting sprays (commercially known as glimmer mists if you buy Tattered Angels). I had made several different colors of my own sprays by draining "dried out" markers in alcohol and adding Pearl-X when I had the shade I wanted. I LOVE that I now own so many sprays in so many different colors. More are on their way--I just need to snag some more spray bottles from the Dollar Store (working at a school during the summer helped with the markers inventory).
After cutting and adhering the shimmery paper onto my card front, I colored a paper doily with my red shimmer misting spray to frame my Copic-colored Squigglefly digi image. It's called Cheerleader from artist James Horvath. As if there wasn't enough shine to my card, I added the strip of black jewels wrapping behind my sentiment (SU) and my card, my shimmery, shiny card, is complete.
I am in a back-to-school mood, and what is best about the first couple weeks of school is a holiday right off the bat - Labor Day!! Can I get three cheers for a sleep-in, time-to-craft, BBQ kind of holiday?!
Challenges entered with my card:
Outlawz Monday Greetings Card challenge - Labor Day theme

Determined to Lead You All Down the Path of Positivity

There's a new challenge at the Path of Positivity Challenge blog this month - Determination. I absolutely love this image from the guest sponsor, Pickled Potpourri. It's called "Make Things Beautiful."
I used to be a Girl Scout, and later became a Girl Scout (as well as Cub Scout Den) Leader. As scouts, we are taught to leave things in better shape than when we arrived. I grew up determined to make the world a better place, and since I'm a crafty type of person, to me that means making beautiful things, even if nobody cares.
So this Pickled Potpourri digi image with its awesome sentiment fit perfectly with, well, anything I could create.
So I altered a bedside tray. I snagged the tray at the thrift store for a buck and painted the top with acrylic paints. I scanned a water color painting I did last month before I printed the image onto it. After that, I Mod-Podged it onto my tray. Then the fun began!
I added flowers and sequins, a cool border on each side and some Washi tape across the bottom. I left the rest of the tray as is, which was gently distressed.
So here's my project, an altered tray, and I had a blast making it with acrylics, water colors, Mod Podge, flowers, sequins, and Washi tape. Here's the watermarked image from Pickled Potpourri:

Do you like to make beautiful things? Make something, photograph something, write something, with a theme of determination, and link it to the Path of Positivity Challenge blog for your chance for some awesome prizes from our guest sponsor, Pickled Potpourri, as well as monthly sponsors Ike's Art, Creative Bug Designs and Decosse's Dynamite Doodles.
The sponsors and prizes for this challenge are:

• A prize package of a $7 gift certificate to the Pickled Potpourri Designs store (good for any digital product), from our guest sponsors this month, for the post or project that the DT deems most inspiring of the bunch.
• Three digital images from Ike's Art for a person chosen in a random draw based on all entrants.
• One digital image from Creative Bug Digital Stamps for each person chosen as a DT Delight.

There will also  be:

• One digital designer paper (made to order in a few different ways) from Décosse's Dynamite Doodles for one lucky voter who leaves a comment.
• One digital sentiment for every single person who enters the challenge. 

Now that's a LOT of prizes you could win, so craft, paint, photograph or write about your take on the theme of DETERMINATION and LINK UP for your chance to win!!

Guess Who's Gone Digital with SBP's Newest Challenge?!

Hello, lovely crafters!  It's time again for a new challenge at SBP Challenge blog. The theme is TAGS and the sky's the limit. You can create a tag, or create with tags! You can ink them, paint them, fold them, create a tag-shaped card, alter a tag, use tags on layouts, altered art, mixed media canvas...well, you get the picture!
Our guest sponsor this month is Lisa from Decosse's Dynamite Doodles, and with her help and the help of my daughter-in-law, I have been brought into the 21st century with digital crafting! I had not yet jumped onto the digital bandwagon. 
First, I had to purchase Photoshop, which I finally did last Christmas by using a couple Amazon gift cards. But every stinking time I tried to do anything in it, I was left with disappointment, frustration and anger. I knew nothing about layers, and couldn't figure out how to get them, how to have fun with them, and how to put everything together. There were no You Tube videos out there on my Elements 12. Finally, I had my daughter-in-law over and we were able to mix it up and save things. I am still a newbie, and I need to practice and experiment every day, but I am finally having fun. And to prove it, here's my very first ALL DIGITAL layout, using elements from Lisa's fabulous Tag Grab Bag 1 Cotton Candy Collection. I used Flower 6 from the Floral Accessories, Button 2 from General Accessories, "With Love" from Sentiments, and of course Tag 11 from Patterned Tags to qualify my layout for the challenge. I made them into a continuous border. Once I got the arrangement finished, I popped in a photo and added text.

Okay, while I am over the top with my layout, I know that it is very basic and could use some tweaking, but the last time I created with Lisa's digis, I printed them up and fussy cut out everything on my project. And you can still do that!! That's what's great with digis--you can create with them no matter your tech level!!Meanwhile, this is it (nudge)--TAG< YOU"RE IT!!  Your turn to create or craft with a TAG for some awesome prizes. The challenge rules have changed so best read up on them before you link up.And as always, happy crafting!