A Christmas Melody for You

Christmas is so close you can practically touch it!! Are you ready?? I know that at least my Christmas card stash is complete. Cards mailed out and family cards in their envies, all snug and ready to be torn open in the heat of the moment. Now I'm onto January cards and the whole winter scene for the Outlawz Monday Greetings challenge just starting today. We want to see what a holiday movie inspires you to create. I was inspired by the new Mariah Carey movie "A Christmas Melody."
I used a digi image from Art by Miran, who happens to be this week's sponsor at the Outlawz Greetings challenge. The image is called "Pop Star Diva" and can be found at her Etsy Store. It doesn't photograph well, but the background is embossed with glittery shimmery powders in blue and silver, just like the snow that falls outside my house in winter.
What is your favorite holiday movie? Rudolph? Deck the Halls? O Christmas Tree? Whatever it is, let it spark that muse in you to create. Then link back with us at the Outlawz Monday Greetings challenge for a chance to win prizes from Art by Miran!!

Tagging an Anything Goes Challenge

I made a tag today using my two fave products--Tim Holtz and an image from Art by Mi Ran. The challenge is again Anything Goes, and there's plenty of inspiration at her blog!!
I started with an embossed tag and piled on the distressed ink, then stamped a line of music. Bits of leftover lace and part of a broken necklace went on next.
After I colored Mi Ran's image, called "Patsy," I adhered her onto my tag with dimensional tape. I finished it all off with a flower with a tiny pearl spray and some organza ribbon tied in a pretty bow.
This scene I created reminds me of the old black and white classic movie "Casablanca." There goes Humphrey Bogart off in the distance while Lauren Bacall has to pick up the pieces in a classy way.
Or then again, it could be a movie starring Mae West. An interested gentleman pausing in the doorway, while Patsy asks him if that were a pickle in his pocket or if he were just glad to see her.
So many scenes play in my mind just from this one tag showcasing this gorgeous image. What does it do for you??
Art by Miran is sponsoring a challenge at "Love to Create Challenges" blog, where the theme is Fussy and Fancy  OR  Clean and Layered Challenge. I THINK MINE WOULD FALL UNDER THE fUSSY AND fANCY THEME, DON'T YOU?!

 

Anything Goes is the Challenge

Got some time to craft over the weekend and colored up this pretty image from Art by MiRan.
I used up some paper pieces from my stash to make a background, then framed my Copic-colored image, called "Catching Hearts."
I embellished simply with a few candy heart brads and a charm I placed in the middle of a paper flower.
I'm entering my card in the Anything Goes challenge at Art by Miran. And as soon as payday comes along, I will be adding to my Art by Miran inventory.  I LOVE these cute images.

Teal is my Go-To Color

Teal is my go-to color, and that's what I used to create this card for the new Anything Goes challenge over at Art by Miran challenge blog. I found some gorgeous patterned papers while cleaning out my closet and used a piece as my card base. Using Copics, I colored this pretty image called "A Rainy Day" and framed it with black cardstock. I then framed it again with embossed Coredinations paperand popped it on my card.
I used an adhesive flourish border, a line of pearls a flower and a ribbon bow to complete my card.
This is one of my favorite images from Art by MiRan. I think I'll give this to hubby for a Father's Day card!

Anything Goes at Art by Miran Challenge Blog

Time for another challenge at Art by Miran. Today I used a digi image called Spring Blossom. After coloring her with Copics, I used my Epic Six to "frame" her. I added a bit of leftover pink lace to the bottom of the image before popping it onto my card face.
I embellished with a large handmade flower, some assorted fibers, twine ribbon,a Pebble and a Tim Holtz Idea-ology charm that reads: "live in the moment." Oops, did I forget to mention the jeweled flowers I tossed into her hair?!
I had a lot of fun with this image and am already planning another card using her. Come back later in the week and I hope to have something to show you! While you wait, check out the new challenge at Art By Miran!

New Album Card

While at a weekend crop, I learned a new (to me) card design. The front looks like any old notecard. I colored an imaged by Art by Miran called "Catching Hearts" with my trusty Copics. After matting the image, I used a vellum sentiment stickers and punched hearts to embellish.

When opened, the card sports several pages on which I can put photos, stickers, journaling or other images. Right now the pages are just covered with patterned paper, except for one.

I fell in love with this sticker collection from Creative Memories. I would have used up all the stickers but it was a make-&-take and I had to leave a few for the rest of the crafters there (sigh). Since Creative Memories is defunct, I'll just have to comb EBay for more of the same!
So now I have time to decide what I want to place on my card pages, but in the meantime, I'm entering my card in the Anything Goes challenge at Art by Miran.

Anything Goes with Art by Miran

I was at an all-day crop this weekend and spent some time in between scrapbook layouts making a few cards. Here's one of them using an image from Art by Miran called "Bubbly Betty."
I very seldom use purples in my card-making, so I thought I would crawl out of my comfort zone and use up some leftover paper and experiment with my purple Copics. I like what I created.
I matted the image with black cardstock, and then carried the black into my embellishments. The background is actually patterned paper and a piece of white cardstock overlay. You can't see it but I used Liquid Glass to give the bubbles some sparkle.
Have you checked out Art by Miran yet? I am totally hooked on her images!
For some fun and inspiration, check out the challenge blog.

A Mother's Day Card

It's about that time of the year to start thinking about mothers in general, and my mom in particular. I am lucky to have my mother (age 81), my grandmother (age 103) and my mother-in-law (age 87) still kicking around. While I don't get to see my MIL often as she lives out of state, my gram lives in her own house in the neighboring town, and my mom lives a few blocks away. In fact, my sisters, mom and I just returned from a weekend getaway last weekend! Besides my own mothers, my kids have godmothers to whom they give cards.  Then there are my DIL and my youngest granddaughter's mommy. So this is another busy holiday for which I make cards.
So today I have started my "stash" of cards for next month by coloring up a pretty little image from Art By Miran called "A Rainy Day." I started with an embossed card face, then colored the image. I made a mistake with her hair, adding too much black ink. Try as I might I couldn't get it to face the way I wanted, so I covered my mistake with Stickles, creating a headband for her hair. I again highlighted my coloring with white gel pen. I used Stickles to make the raindrops shimmer.
The sequin flowers are from my stash of leftovers, as well as the stamped sentiment, diecut border and flower. I adhered white card stock to the inside of the card so that I could write a nice note of love to one of the mothers on my list. One down...LOL
Meanwhile, I'm going to add this card to my entries for the Art By Miran Challenge blog. Their theme is Anything Goes, so Go check them out!

Doing What She Loves

My grand daughter is in her second year of ice skating lessons. She loves them, and what ever she loves she excels in. She grew up learning to love books, and her reading surpasses her grade level expectations (skipping right past kindergarten). She loves to hula hoop and she can twist with the best of them.
She sees what she wants and works at getting it. I hope she never loses that zest for life and learning new things. She's one of my favorite crafting buddies, too!
So, I made a card today for my Bella. I used an image from Art By Miran called Skating Girl and colored her with my trusty Copics, adding some added dimension with white gel pen. I fussy-cut her out (one of my signature techniques), leaving the ice on which she skates.
The background is actually a watercolor painting my granddaughter created a couple weeks ago. I hope she recognizes it and gets a kick out of my use of her art with my own!
The patterned paper is CTMH and I used leftover lace and ribbon. I finished off my card witha Tim Holtz Idea-ology metal tag that reads: "The journey awakens the soul."
The Art By Miran challenge blog has an Anything Goes theme this month, so you have no excuses to get on over there and play. And as always, crafters, have FUN!

Anything Goes at Art By Miran

I discovered a new challenge blog called Art By Miran and I am in love with her digital images. The card I made today uses "A Rainy Day." Isn't she gorgeous?!
I colored her with my trusty Copics, then added dimension with white gel pen and CTMH Liquid Glass. I embellished with sequins, handmade flowers and tucked a paper doily behind my framed image.
The patterned paper is double sided from CTMH.
Check out the inspiration cards over at Art By Miran challenge blog. If you fall in love with her images like I did, you can purchase them at her Etsy Shop!
And as always, happy crafting!