Limited Runs Sponsors Your Scrapbook Place Challenge Blog

This month Limited Runs is guest sponsor at Your Scrapbook Place, and it's always ANYTHING GOES. I used this sweet digi called Birdhouses. I colored it with Copics and fussy-cut it, popping it onto some leftover Christmas paper. A diecut snowflake and bird and a few jewels for some bling and mt card is complete. Oh, the sentiment was part of another piece of Christmas paper.

I have to make lots of cards quickly, as the year is coming to an end. I resolved to deplete my paper stash as much as I could this year. I think I've done a fair job. My pile o' paper is just over a half of what I started with this year, which was easier to do once I stopped buying new papers! LOL

Crafters around the world have until the end of the month to create your cards and projects for a chance to win November's prize from Limited Runs. Just don't forget to link up at Your Scrapbook Place!

Challenge I am Entering:

4 Crafty Chicks - Snowflakes

Moving along with the Times- Winter Animals

Paper Shelter - Christmas is Coming

That's Crafty - Winter Wonderland
2 Crafty Critter Crazies - Anything w/a Critter Goes
Animal Friends - Winter (featuring an animal)

Out with the Old, In with the New at the 12 Months of Christmas Link-up Blog

Looking for the Scribbles Designs Birthday Bonanza Blog Hop? 

Please click HERE or scroll down to find it. 

What a year 2016 has been! Changes in my personal life, my work life, my family life...political drama and economic upheaval...

I am certainly glad to close the curtain on the last 12 months and focus on the new year. If you are, too, then the best place to start your year off is at the 12 Months of Christmas Blog. You can keep that fuzzy warm holiday feeling while starting on your Christmas cards for Christmas, 2017.

This month the optional theme is "Out with the Old, In with the New." I say optional, but IF you choose to create a holiday card with the theme in mind, don't forget to put the letters FT by your name and you'll have a chance to win a gift certificate to our January sponsor's Store, Ike's Art.

My craft room is still being held captive by the contractors, so I created this digital card using an image from Ike's Art called "  ".

My OLD in this card were all the papers & elements from Decosse's Dynamite Doodles & Pixel Scrappers.

My NEW in this card is the digital image from Ike's Art.

A lot of digital goodies went into my card.

Papers: Decosse's Dynamite Doodles- A Touch of Summer Sunburst & Waves; Grungy Christmas Burgundy Textured paper; Glitterati Gold Glitter paper; An Eclectic Christmas-Gold & Silver Diagonals patterned paper.

Elements: Decosse's Dynamite Doodles A Touch of Summer Bucket; Pixel Scrappers Sheila Reid's Santa Hat, Pauline Thompson's Wire Doodle 7, Sharon Dewi Stolp's Winter Wonderland Red Poinsettia, Brooke Gazarek's Blank Green Tag.

Font: Catfisch Script Pro.

Are you going to start the New Year with some creativity? I hope it's a Christmas card, and I hope you link it up at the 12 Months of Christmas blog for your chance to win prizes!

Anything Goes at the Outlawz Monday Greetings Challenge

It's time for my favorite type of challenge theme - Anything Goes - and the Outlawz Monday Greetings offers an Anything Goes challenge theme on the last Monday of every month. So today my Anything Goes card uses images from one of two sponsors for the week, Melonheadz

Melonheadz offers sets of cute and family-friendly images, like the one I used, Christmas Carolers. After choosing a photo I had taken from Chicago's last Snowmageddon, I placed all my little carolers facing my own house, along with their puppy, a friendly cardinal and, although my frame by Brooke Gazarek of PixelScrappers.com hides it, a holiday swag on my front tree. 

Now that Thanksgiving has come and gone, I am in double-time, trying to get handmade gifts finished and my cards mailed out. I can't do anything with my house and decorations, as it is in demolition mode, but the contractors think it will be finished by Christmas. Keeping my fingers crossed!

Meanwhile, the second sponsor for this challenge is Robyn's Fetish,

whose lovely image, Cabin in the Woods, I used to create one more Christmas card. So, what will you create for the Anything Goes challenge at the Outlawz Greetings challenge? I'll be looking for your card or project this week, so don't forget to link it up, and say HI, Pat!! LOL

Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays from Scribbles Challenge Blog!

It's that time of the year, crafters! Time to get going (or finishing) that stash of Christmas cards. With that in mind, the new theme at Scribbles Challenge Blog is "Happy Holidays." Whether you celebrate St Nick's Day, St Lucy, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Christmas or any other winter holiday, link up your card or project for your chance to win free digis from the Scribbles Store!
For my card, I used a FREEBIE from the store called Ornaments. Of course, all my papers and embellishments came out of my stash. I colored my ornaments in non-traditional colors and adhered them to my card with dimensional tape.
Do you put up a Christmas tree? How do you decorate it if you do have one? Not only do I have the store-bought globes, but some very precious handmade ornaments, created by my mom, my grandma, me (as a kid and an adult) and the kids and grandkids. They give my tree history and character. Of course, I also pile on the lights and garlands to finish it off, with an angel on the very top to watch over us.
However you celebrate the holidays, have fun! And don't forget to link up your Holiday project at Scribbles Challenge Blog!

Sketch Challenge Brings in the New Year at the 12 Months of Christmas Link-Up

Happy Winter, crafters! Well, it finally happened! After a warm, wet, unusual winter, we finally got the snow we had been hoping for Christmas. It was a scene right off of a post card, pretty shimmery flakes of frozen wet stuff silently falling, dusting the bushes and branches with a powder sugar-like coating. It was beautiful! But not so much fun to drive in!! Evidently, we cannot have our cake AND eat it too.
Speaking of cake,I have a sweet card for my DT make this month for the 12 Months of Christmas Link Up blog. This month's sponsor is Ike's Art,and I just can't get enough of her images. And she gives a freebie every month on her challenge blog!! Actually, I have two cards to show off for this midway challenge post. 
First, my Christmas card following the optional theme of the sketch below. As you can see, I turned the sketch 90 degrees to the left. The image I colored up is called Holly. After creating my card, I played with it in Photoshop, giving it a pop of glittery pink color in the sentiment and the strip with Pink paper from Decosse's Dynamite Doodles Glitterati pack.

In order to have a chance to win the prize from our wonderful guest sponsor this month, we want to see you use this sketch on your Christmas or other December holiday card.   Monica has provided the inspiration for the basis of your design, now you just have to run with it.  You can flip it on its head if you like but we must be able to see all the elements of the original sketch in your card in order to qualify for the prize.  If you do follow the optional theme, be sure to add FT after your name so that we include you in the draw.

Remember, you don't need to follow the theme to link up your cards and earn a free paper each month, and have your name thrown into the year end draw for some extra digital goodies.  You only need to follow the theme if you want a chance to win this month's sponsored prize of a $15 gift certificate to Ike's Art.

My second card doesn't follow the sketch. It uses one of my fave Ike's Art images, Santa Hunk. I colored him up with Copics before playing with him in Photoshop. Don't you love the papers I used?  They are all from Decosse's Dynamite Doodles. From the 2014 12 Days of Christmas Patterned Paper pack - December Tree & Checkered, and from the Grungy Christmas paper pack - Green. I even embellished using another paper from the 12 Days of Christmas pack - Stars.
Whether you create with paper and ink, digitally, or make a hybrid card using both techniques, you have until January 31 to link it up for your chance to win several different ways. 

 Don't forget to check out Ike's Art. There's a lot of eye candy there! LOL

 
Challenges I am Entering:

Come & Get It challenges - Baby It's Cold Outside

Eclectic Ellapu - 12 Days of Christmas

Card Mania - Winter Fun

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra - Anything Christmas Goes

Rockin Around the Christmas Tree with Rick St Dennis and the Outlawz Greetings Challenge

The days are counting down! Just eleven more days until Santa shows everyone if you've been nice or naughty. While Santa, I'm sure, is so very busy getting ready for the big night, he still takes a break now and then to "Rock around the Christmas Tree" with Mrs. Claus. LOL

Today starts a new challenge over at the Outlawz Monday Greetings blog. The theme is to put some music on your project, and this week's sponsor is Rick St Dennis. 

I played with this cute Christmas image called Christmas Couple. 
After coloring with my trusty Copics, I fussy-cut the couple out and placed them, well, not under the mistletoe, but close enough. Everything on my card is leftover from last year except for the image. I think I have enough stash supplies left for another year of crafting without buying anything new!! Yikes, I need to join a twelve-step program. Maybe I'll head a new chapter of Crafter's Anonymous. If not, I'll just have to enable some local crafters by giving my stuff away!
Meanwhile, back at the Outlawz, we'd really like to see your "musical" projects this week. Carve out some time to craft and join us as we head into Christmas. 

Challenges I am Entering:

A Gem of a Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes

Crafty Friends challenges - Christmas

Craft for the Craic challenges - Christmas Cheer

Fussy & Fancy challenges - Happy Holidays

Can't Wait for Christmas in 3 PP & a Die-cut

Christmas is coming!! I can hardly wait, can you? This little girl can hardly wait. in fact, that what the image is called "Can't Hardly Wait," from Creative Bug Digital Snapshots. The Outlawz Greetings blog has a new challenge starting today, and Creative Bug is this week's sponsor.
The new challenge theme is to "Use 3 patterns & at least 1 die-cut" on your card or project. My card is so full of patterns that I used a couple solid color die-cut scalloped circles to keep my image and Christmas tree from getting lost on it!!
I have a problem. I can't seem to throw away paper. Not even the smallest strips!! I need to get ruthless and toss them, but I can make tags with them or place them on cards along with their other-colored friends...well, you know how it goes.
But today my paper hoarding came in handy, and I hope you have your own stash of papers to use for the Outlawz Monday Greetings this week.

Challenges I am Entering:

Where the Heart Is - Christmas Colors

The Crazy Challenge blog - Christmas

Not Just Cards - Anything Goes

Crafty Cardmakers & More - 'twas the Night before Christmas

Bad Santa

Today I had fun in my craft room, making a Christmas card for a few challenges. I had a LOT of fun making this particular card, which is my take on a Naughty Christmas. I gleaned inspiration from Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers for their brilliant alphabetical challenge (I chose N for Naughty Christmas); Open-minded Crafting for their "Inspired by a Movie" challenge (Bad Santa) and The 12 Months of Christmas Cards Progressive Challenge blog, which has put me on the path toward a rich Christmas card stash by the time December 1 rolls around.
My Santa looks pretty good, huh? Makes me wish I were more naughty, so he would visit me next Christmas! LOL The image is from Ike's Art-I absolutely adore her images. I colored and framed him with Copics, popped him onto my 3-layered card front, and piled on holiday shimmer. I printed my sentiment on Microsoft Word and circle-punched it out.

Other challenges I am entering:

Sister Act - Anything Goes
Hiding in my Craft Room - Any Holiday
We Do Dobadoo - Romance Challenge #2 (wouldn't mind Santa's boots under MY bed)
Left of Center Challenges - Layer It Up

Outlawz Are Going Non-Traditional this Christmas

Hello my holiday peeps! Time for the last few cards to show off before the big day! This one showcases a lovely image from Digital Delights called Holiday Flippity Felicia and non-traditional Christmas colors. That's the new theme at the Outlawz Greetings challenge. nd Digital Delights is this week's sponsor!
After coloring Felicia, I fussy-cut her and popped her onto a royal blue piece of cardstock. I added lace, ribbon, pearls and snowflake buttons, along with some burgundy colored branches to embellish the heck out of my card.
I think it turned out well!
She's going to my blue-eyed blonde haired granddaughter, whose presents are lying under the Christmas tree as I write. She is he youngest of my five grandkids and they are all the loves of my life.
Need some "me time" during the hectic holiday preparations? I find peace and balance in my craft room. If you like to craft to keep your sanity, play along with the Outlawz Greetings challenge this week. Remember, make a Christmas card with non-traditional colors! See you there!

Kiss Me It's Christmas (almost)!

A while back, Betty of Simply Betty had a birthday bash and offered up a couple freebies on her Facebook page. I managed to snag this lovely and finally got a chance to give her some life.
Her name is "Kiss Me Betty" and I've used her on one of the last Christmas cards of the year. She looked like the type of girl who would like green hair-I think she looks good in green, don't you?
This card is a Z-fold card, with a holiday sentiment inside. I'm finished (I hope) with all my shopping and my cards and groceries (I'm hosting dinner). I just need to get my turkey for the big day!
How about you? Are you exhausted or full of excited energy? Are you finished shopping or just starting?

Here's Another Card for Bugaboo!

I am in my glory, relaxing and crafting in my favorite room of the house, where all my papers and embellishments are at my fingertips. So I decided to make another card featuring a Bugaboo digi image. This one is called "Reindeer Silhouette Snow Globe."
I colored the image very minimally and fussy-cut the image out, framing it with a homemade red shimmer spray. Bugaboo's Catch the Bug Challenge blog offers another challenge called Stella Says Sketch Challenge. Here's the sketch for this one:

 As you can see, I took a little poetic license with the sketch, but the framed image, framed patterned strip, and sentiment are all there, just skewed a bit. LOL
So, crafters, get your Bugaboo images colored, make a card and join me in the Stella Says Stamp Sketch Challenge #221.

Challenges I am Entering
Come & Get It Challenge - Merry Christmas

Anything Goes at the Outlawz Greetings Challenge

It's the last challenge of the month at the Outlawz Greetings challenge, and you know what that means!  ANYTHING GOES!!

Our sponsor this time around is the fabulous Rick St. Dennis.

 

I got to play with this awesome holiday image. It's called Starry Night Santa. I love the details in this image. I can just imagine Santa holding a star aloft and all the elves at the North pole oohing and aahing, and then cheering as he lets the star go and it rises high in the dark sky to light Santa's once a year sleigh ride (He's got to have more magic up his sleeves than a few flying reindeer).

After coloring my Red Man with Copics, I distressed with Tim Holtz Ink, matted it and popped him on some leftover patterned Christmas paper. A bit of K&Co Holiday border lines the bottom edge of my card, and I cut a few extra stars to frame Santa. 

I finished off my card with a DCWV cardstock sentiment sticker, and a leftover floral sticker. To add a little detail, I used my white gel pen to highlight some of Santa's cape, as well as put in some hand-sewn (faux) stitches to keep the stars in their places.

I hope you like my card, and I know you'll like the images that Rick St. Dennis offers at his shop. I hope my card inspires you to start your Christmas cards, entering the Outlawz Greetings Challenge in the meantime. Don't forget, you don't necessarily need a colored image, nor does it have to be a card, but it MUST have a sentiment on the front.

 

I'm entering my card using 2012 Starry Night Santa from Rick St Dennis to his Facebook page, where the theme is: ANYTHING GOES

 

I'm entering my card in the Corrosive Challenge blog where the theme is: HAPPY ANYTHING

 

 

 

 

 

 







Spice Up Your Christmas Colors

Today brings a new challenge from Squigglefly- a Christmas card! But there's an optional twist: Use non-traditional colors!
I replaced Pine tree green and Holly Red with Hot Pink and Neon Green and made this nifty card.
I got to use a November new release from artist Sandra Caldwell called "Pete & Pat Penguins." I used my trusty Copics to color this pair, then framed it with hot pink cardstock. My card face uses a piece of leftover Christmas patterned paper from last year.
To embellish, I found a hot pink Christmas ornament and adhered it so that it looks like Pat (hey, that's my name) is holding it in her, uh, flipper. My sentiment is stamped and embellished with sequins, and a pink feather finishes off my card.
Are you bored with the same old Christmas colors? Try using some non-traditional ones with a Squigglefly image and you will be in the running for free digis. If you don't have a Squigglefly image, check out the FREEBIES.

Challenges I am entering:
xCraft Your Passion - Beginning with B (Bells, buddies, Brrr)
Imagination Crafts Challenge Blog - Anything Goes
xLove to Create - Anything Goes

Another Christmas Card Today

Today I made a Christmas card for the Digi Stamps 4 Joy progressive Christmas card challenge. I received a lovely DS4J image called Santa's Helper. I colored the image with Copics, then fussy-cut her out and popped her onto DCWV patterned paper. She's waiting for her Christmas Eve ride with the red man, and has her bag packed and ready to roll. I added some Stickles to give my snow shimmer. I added some diecut snowmen and the sentiment, "Wishing you sacks of fun this holiday season."
I really like this challenge, as it only requires one card a month, and if you participate in the challenge, you receive your next image free. So if you want a headstart on getting your Christmas cards finished well in time for the holidays, go check out the DS4J Progressive Christmas card challenge.

Christmas in July

I have a very good start on my Christmas cards for December, and I owe it all to the DigiStamps4Joy Progressive Christmas Card Challenge and this month's Christmas in July challenge over at SBP Challenge Blog.
Today used FREEBIES (don't you love freebies?!). My image, called "Irresistable Bling"  was given to me by DS4J just for joining in their progressive challenge last month! You get a free image each month you link up your card with them using their last image given out.
My paper is another free giveaway from Decosse's Dynamite Doodles offered as incentive to create for the SBP challenge. DDD is this month's sponsor and she's giving away some great digital papers, sentiments and embellishments to FOUR lucky participants!
So after I printed out the paper and created my card base, I printed out my image and colored it with Copics. Aren't those mischievious cats cute?! My sentiment is vellum from Daisy D's and I used some leftover rub-ons to frame the words, then colored in just the holly berries to coordinate with the colors in my tree as well as the baker's twine I used to embellish my card.
Want to get a headstart with your Christmas cards? Join in the SBP Christmas in July challenge through July 14 for some great prizes! Don't forget to check out the DS4J progressive Christmas card challenge, too!

It's Christmas in July at SBP Challenge Blog

Get ready because it's Christmas in July at Your Scrapbook Place challenge blog. Don't let the name fool you! Cards, layouts, altered art, canvas, decor--the sky's the limit, peeps!! Get out your reds and greens and candy canes and jingle bells. Set your iPod to your Christmas playlist and let's get crafty!
This two-week-long challenge is sponsored by Decosse's Dynamite Doodles:

 

Lisa has generously donated the following prizes to up to FOUR lucky people:

• One random participant will receive the full mini kit.
• One random person who leaves a comment will receive both paper sets (patterned and textured).
• One random follower of the blog who leaves a comment will receive the word art set.
• One random player who uses the following FREEBIE digital paper (Click here for the link) from Decosse's Dynamite Doodles will receive three embellishment sets (frames, ribbons/lace, brads)

I got to play with CANDY CANES digi paper and the MERRY CHRISTMAS digi sentiment from Lisa. I absolutely adore all the digi papers in her Christmas Paper Set. Of course, I had to add some bling, and the snowman comes from a Christmas pin that was just too heavy to wear. 

DS4J Progressive Christmas Card Challenge

Today I made a Christmas card for the Digi Stamps 4 Joy Christmas card challenge. I received a lovely image created by Margy called Snow Globe.
I decided to create an easel card. I colored the image with Copics and embellished with homemade SoftSnow (kind of like Flower Soft). I covered my card base with pine needle patterned paper from DCWV.
I added a sprig of Christmas flowers (it even has jingle bells) made by my talented friend Shannon. A metal charm holds the card front in place. You can't read it in the photo, but the round silver brad reads, "Santa Rocks!"
I really like this challenge, as it only requires one card a month. Also, if you participate in the challenge, you receive your next image free. So if you have a hankering to get some Christmas cards finished well in time for the holidays, go check out the DS4J Progressive Christmas card challenge.

Only 199 Days Before Christmas

Squigglefly has a new artist creating images for them!! It's someone whose images I love to color. Her name is Sandra Caldwell and I made my card today using Americana Beauty.
The challenge this week is to make a Christmas card, and I love to take images from one holiday and use it for a different one. Here, I colored this Americana Beauty with greens and reds and pulled out my Christmas papers. I used white gel pen to draw faux stitches around her to coordinate with the stitches on the patterned paper, which is from the DCWV paper stack. along with the photo corners.
The red ad green bow with bells attached is from a set of Christmas earrings, one of which was lost sometime between Christmas and New Year's. I never throw away the matching earring, as I can always find a use for it in my craft room.
So, why don't you get a headstart on your Christmas cards by joining in this week's Squigglefly challenge? One random winner will receive free digis of their choice! What are you waiting for? Time's running out!!

Creating for Christmas

I love challenges that help you grow in your art, teach you new techniques, and help you build your stash of cards for the holidays. The Digi Stamps 4 Joy monthly Christmas Card does just that, and this is my third Christmas card for the upcoming holiday.
I received this image called "King 1-Time to Go" just for playing in last month's challenge. I colored it with Copics and placed it on a background of DCWV holiday patterned papers. The tree s were part of a diecut border I had cut, while the bow and start were leftovers in my Christmas stash. The sentiment is from a SU set.
There are less than 230 days until Christmas, so why not get a headstart on your card making by joining in the challenge at DS4J!

Christmas Robin Decorates Another Challenge Card

Today I'm showing off my Christmas card for the month of April. I'm playing in the Digi Stamps 4 Joy monthly Christmas Card Challenge. Every time you play in the challenge, you get a free digi for the next month!!  It's a win-win partnership--you win a free dgii and you win at beating the clock to get all your cards made for next Christmas!
For this month's card, I used the DS4J digi called Christmas Robin and colored it with Copics. I colored it blue, thinking of the bluebird of happiness.  Christmas makes me happy, seeing the family gathered around the table together, laughing and sharing food, and watching the grandkids squirm with anticipation of presents to unwrap and sopngs to sing.
The patterned paper is from DCWV, the border from K & Co and the JOY sticker from the Dollar Tree. And that makes two cards to add to my collection for the holidays!!
Come play with your holiday craft supplies and link it up with the DS4J Christmas Card Monthly Challenge!