So You Think You're an Artist

 

After a super busy start  to Spring, I am finally able to catch my breath and create something new, This piece is a collage I created with mixed media from my water color journal. The background was water colored with a cheap box of water color tubes which, after finishing it, I promptly threw away. Most were dried up, but it only cost me a dollar at a garage sale.

After drying I tore (literally) threw a few magazines that my sister gives me when she and her neighbor read first (because I cut and tear whatever I want from them when they're done with them). I found the most delicious words to flavor my collage that pertained to being or becoming an artist, as you can see.

Some words were given dimension with dimensional tape, while others were glues directly onto the page. I found the very colorful woman's face in another magazine for my canvas' centerpiece. After choosing the right words to their most descriptive matches, I highlighted their importance by using arrow-shaped sticky notes and outlining them with white a Posca marker. 

For a little extra oomph, I cut out a penned Zen drawing, drawing in the shadowed edges with colored pencils to match the water-colored background. All that was left was to fill up a few empty spots with colorful items from other mags. I did use the white marker to create musical notes, my copyrighted logo under the woman's face, as well as a few tiny flowers above the paper vase on the left. The circle on her hat is a button I inherited and the butterfly is a leftover die-cut  I created at a scrap meet (a long time ago in another galaxy...)

There you have it. Enough media for the pickiest of artists. I think my message conveys what all artists need to be and do, don't you?

CHALLENGES I AM ENTERING:

AAA Colourful - Colourboard #17

 CSI: Color, Stories Inspiration - Case File #458

Mix It Up- AG/optional  Mixed Media

Morgan's Art World - AG

We Love 2 Create - Anything Mixed Media Goes

On the 15th Day of Christmas Crafting...

 Hello, crafters! Today I offer you a hybrid canvas. It's a cross stitch canvas stretched onto a wooden frame, with a painted background and stitches using embroidery thread. I also embellished my canvas with a felt wiener dog, a sticker (bells) and small sequins for tree ornaments. The branches and the ribbons and bows on the presents showcase my stitching. I guess you can call it a mixed media project!

Spilling Things onto Canvas

 Today I felt like drawing, so I took out my trusty gel pen, opened my art journal and drew a tree- a naked tree. Instead of filling in its leaves, I decided to break out the watercolors and gave the tree trunk and its branches a bit of life. It wasn't until I saw the paint dry that whimsy took over and I opened the kitchen cabinets, looking to find some "leaves".

My first find was a container of dried parsley. I tossed some onto my page and fell in love with my new canvas! I was going to move my journal but the way the sun shone through the open blinds onto the pages caught my eye and I was happy to take the photo before sweeping the oregano off the page..

And then I was off on a hunt to find more leaves...my next find came out of a drawer of baking decorations. I thought the stars would be interesting, so...

I love the way it looks. I just wish I could figure out a way to frame each canvas. While walking Honey, my terrier mix rescue, I spied several tiny branches that were similar to full-grown trees. I picked them up for inspiration. Now I will broaden my search for more entertaining ways to create "leaves" for my trees. I'll feature them in another post. Until then, keep crafting!

Challenges I am Entering:

  A Place to Start - Anything but a Card

Art*Journal*Journey - What Makes You Happy

DL.Art - Anything Goes

  Four Seasons - Anything Summer Goes

WeLove2Create - Anything Mixed Media Goes

Something Fun and Different

 

After spending a short time decluttering (again), I uncovered a small wooden box with a cut-out top. Just a plain old unfinished wood box measuring about 7"x9". I still had a small pile of designer papers from which to choose my framed cover, and cut out small pieces from another paper (bird, heart, thing in right bottom corner) before covering it with glass.

I painted the sides with Posca markers, but left the top unfinished wood. I added a line of small pearls around the top border, and added a line of adhesive dots to the inside top of the frame. I could have stopped there, but...I had a packet of flowers and a glue gun plugged in. So I created a spray of sunshine and added a set of charms with the theme of Wanderlust.

My box now has a place in my bedroom for trinkets and stuff.  It was totally worth taking the time off from decluttering my stash or creating cards from the leftovers. Tomorrow I'll be back to work creating an organized craft area. 

24 Days of Christmas - Day 6 - Alternative Tree

'tis the season to figure out where your Christmas tree is going! If you have a small living room like I do, space is tight. Last year's tree was just the top of a pre-lit tree I inherited from my mom. It lasted through last Christmas, then met its demise due to old age and improper storage.

I also have a habit of rearranging my living room furniture often...like twice in 2023! So when my neighbor's daughter came over with a jewelry ring holder, I figured this might be a good way to think outside the box. The first thing I did was to color the hand from PURPLE to white. I used spray paint.

I painted her nails gold and pulled out my box of holiday crafting supplies. I found some felt border in the shape of holly leaves that I ran up down her arm and added my own take on holly berries (adhesive-backed red gems).The bottom needed something, so I added a cuff of lace. I just might have gone overboard with the gold bows all around the cuff, but by the time I changed my mind about them, the hot glue was dry and those ribbons ain't coming off without a fight, I gave up.

I then hung  a few assorted tiny ornaments onto each hand. They kept slipping around on her fingers, so I used a tiny dab of glue to each finger. I just couldn't get a background up and better lighting, so I used Photoshop to "spray paint" the background to match the sign I had put my Christmas Hand Tree against. 

It looks kind of funky, but I just came back from 2 weeks in the Caribbean and got a shock of cold weather and instant holiday lights, decorations and a countdown until the big day. I am crafting these goodies day by day instead of having most of them ready and scheduled like I did for Halloween. 

FYI: Never go on a trip over Thanksgiving for 2 weeks. My body had acclimated to the heat and humidity and lack of anything Christmas-y. It's like jet lag but instead of my sleep being off, my calendar for the holidays is off and I am freezing!!

Time to root around for another make for tomorrow. I'm already missing two days out of my 24 days of Christmas celebration!! Happy crafting, y'all! 

Mixed media - Sewing project or canvas?

 

When I was growing up as a kid, my gram taught me how to sew. She started with cross stitching, moving onto other stitches as I improved. Today I went back to my childhood and spent my craft time in awesome memories of Gram and me. 

The canvas is wrapped in Aida cloth, which is woven and produces tiny holes that needles can easily go through. I didn't cross stitch on it. I first drew my mushrooms with pencil. After using acrylic paint to color my scene, I used a plain stitch to outline the fungi. 

After covering up the painted parts, I used glimmer mists to spray the sky blue and the earth green. I hot glued my two gnome buttons to finish off my project. So, sewing project or mixed media? I think I can safely say BOTH!

Challenges I am Entering:

Everybody Art - Anything Goes

Crafting Happiness - Anything Goes

613 Avenue Create - Anything Goes

Corrosive Challenges - Anything Goes

We Love to Create - Anything mixed media goes

The Birthday Girls' Getaway Reveal

 

My sister turns 60 in May. My youngest sister; I'm the oldest. We lost mom almost three years ago. Mom lived with my sister for 6 years and the loss has been harder for my sister than I and my other sister. I miss Mom just as much as my sister, but I am coping with her loss better than she is.

Anyway, for her 60th birthday, my other sister  and I, have planned an overnight trip to a tourist/historic place in Illinois. She doesn't want to know ANYTHING about the overnight, until we reach our destination. So we sent her 2 verses each of poetry (mine is on a previous post). Today I am featuring the "reveal" that I created for her.

I stumbled upon some Lemon Head tins in my stash- cute little things that have handles and look like mini-suitcases. I covered one with acrylic paint first. Then I created and printed out details of our trip and accordian-folded and adhered the pages into the suitcase.

I printed my favorite Bugaboo images of three girls and three women to cover the front and back of the mini-suitcase. I also wrapped the edges with washi tape and made a mini-luggage tag that I attached to the handle. I can't wait until the trip to put it in her hands. 

Besides the trip being her birthday present, I filled a pop-up photo album of Dee from the time she was a small child through present day. It has pics of us together, her growing up, and with family. I bought the album at a thrift store for an awesome price of $1.50!! It's pictured below...

I hope she feels loved and supported, and special for her landmark birthday year...

Challenges I am Entering:

  Creative Artiste - Anything Mixed media Goes

  Secrets to Stamping - Anything Goes w/a Fun Fold (Accordion for me)

  

 

My Muse

My journal page today features my magic ribbon. I drew it from top to bottom with a black ink gel pen, then filled in the "pockets" with doodles. I used Copics to color the page, then I started adding sequins, adhesive pearls and gems and a patch I found at the bottom of one of my craft drawers. I added coordinating colors of Stickles to bring out my ribbon. And I finished off my page with a Washi tape border.

I call it my magic ribbon because after I drew its lines, I was inspired to "go all out" with my page. Usually I use ink, marker and magazine cuttings and that's it. But I look at my finished page and it makes me so happy. I wanted to share it with you today... 

I am glad I finally got out of my slump. I've been sick for the past 2 weeks, and my healthy eating and cardio workouts have suffered. evidently, so has my confidence and my inspiration. As I get over my bronchitis and sinus infection, I feel creativity returning. Thank goodness!!

Challenges I am Entering:

Outlawz Twisted Thursday - Anything Goes w/Twist (I bought the patch years ago from Hobby Lobby, my Copics are several years old, the sequins came from my mom's house where she kept ALL her old Girl Scout craft supplies, and I haven't bought ne washi tape in eons)

We Love 2 Create - Anything Mixed Media Goes

Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers - I is for Ink

Beautiful Blossoms - Anything w/flowers Goes

 

A day at the Beach

I decided to try my hand at another shadow box,and surprise, surprise, it isn't a Halloween or Christmas one. After spending a week with my son and his family in Florida last January, I was inspired to create a beach-themed shadow box.

I first painted a glass-covered shadow box a warm sea green, inside and out. Instead of using images or a poster, I painted the background with acrylic paints. It was my first attempt at painting waves, and I think I did a band-up job. I used a photo of a sailboat, cutting its shape out about 4 times to give it dimension (out of dimensional tape). With the sky and the sea done, I used a mix of sand and white glue to create the beach, both on the back and bottom of the box.

Then the real fun began. I had a collection of seashells, some aquarium gravel and bits and pieces of leaves and flowers.

The palm tree is made out of a piece of paper grocery bag that I twisted and then painted before placing  in one corner. The palms are from a dollar store bunch of greenery.

I used shells to create a small sea creature.  I was going for crab, but he looks more like a shy turtle.  I lucked out on finding a skeleton of a crab, pictured above the shells at the water line.

On the other side, I made a small oyster with a pearl hiding inside. adding flowers and an engraved polished stone.

Here's the finished shadow box with the glass cover closed. I'm very happy with it, and sent it down to my daughter-in-law for a keepsake of  my visit.

Challenges I am entering:

Bleeding Art- AG with mixed  media, assemblage etc.

Your Scrapbook Place - Anything goes

Kill Them with Kindness at Ike's World Challenge Blog

Today I have two projects to inspire you to always stretch your comfort zone. I've used the lovely digi, Spanish Dancer, from Ike's Art. It's one of my favorite images; maybe because my cousin dances and teaches Flamenco. I admire her for that.
Anyway, I was trolling YouTube videos and came across an artist who used all manner of items, food and supplies in his project, so I thought I'd have a go at it. First, I colored the top half of my image with Copics. Then I emptied my supply of flowers and chose these white ones with the colored jewel centers.
I then played with each flower like a piece of a jigsaw puzzle, slowly putting them together to form my dancer's flowing skirt. I love how it came out. So I tried another medium.

This time I used red lace. This was more difficult as I had to fold it over and back for the different layers of the image's dress. It was also harder to get the lace to sit right at my dancer's waist. I love the dimension of this one more, but I'll need to iron the lace next time so it lies on the canvas more accurately.

So which one do you like better? I'm definitely revisiting this type of mixed media canvas. The challenge at Ike's World Challenge Blog this month runs to the end of November, so you should have plenty of time to experiment and try new techniques or materials. Just remember, treat yourself with kindness as you stretch out of your comfort zone. Whether you succeed with your attempts, or it ends up in the trash, you are trying to grow in your art and that makes you a winner!

Don't forget you could also be a winner of free digis from Ike's Art Store, so make sure you link your project to the main blog!

Shadow Boxing, Holiday Style

Getting ready for a Holiday craft workshop at the end of this week. Here's my Christmas Shadow Box, to be used as a sample. My craft bag is packed and I'm lucky the store supplies the scissors and glue guns. I had fun shopping antique and thrift stores for holiday tchotchke and figurines. I got some great deals as you can see from my box above.
The pocket backgrounds are from leftover patterned papers. I first used Ranger Inks Stain to give my natural wood box some holiday color. The white "dots" you see on the joints of my box's pockets are from the felt ribbon I used to go around the outside of my box.

I love how the altered shadow box turned out and look forward to  Christmas day when my guests will come for dinner and see it. You can check out my Facebook page for all the unique creations made at the workshop: https://www.facebook.com/PatacakesPaperPlay/

Challenges I am Entering:

Love2Create -Anything Mixed Media Goes

Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers - W is for Winter

Craftyhazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes

A Inky Mess - Anything Mixed Media Goes

Altered Eclectics -Anything Mixed Media/Altered Goes

Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper - Anything w/patterned paper Goe

Eclectic Elapu - Anything Festive Goes

Rhedd's Creative Spirit - ANything Altered Art Goes

Anything Goes at Scribbles Designs Challenge Blog

Two weeks left for the Anything Goes challenge at Scribbles Designs Challenge Blog, and I'm here today with a DT make to inspire you to create and link up for your chance to win free digis of your choice at the Scribbles Store.

My project today combines fluid acrylic painting with a Copic-colored image on a small metal serving tray. I first altered the look of the tray, using various shades of blue and purple, with some white and black mixed in for contrast. Once the paint had dried, I printed and colored a Scribbles Designs image called #833 Blue Police Booth. You should check out the Scribbles Store for some endearing and also hilarious images.

I adhered my image to the tray, then varnished over the whole thing with Liquitex Gloss Varnish. I added the key charm/chain and the bow tie to bring my piece closer to the Doctor, then added stars and jewels to make it shimmer. Although it is definitely showcasing Doctor Who, I couldn't resist the pun in multi-colored letters. For those of you unfamiliar with Dr. Who and/or Spanish, a Tardis is the phone booth "spaceship" the Doctor travels in, and Buenas Tardes translates to Good Afternoon.

Don't you just love puns?? I do!! So the sky's the limit at Scribbles Designs Challenge Blog where the theme for the next two weeks is ANYTHING GOES. That means any type of project, so open your heart to your muse and create art. Just don't forget to link up with the main Scribbles blog for your chance to WIN digi images of your choice from the Store. Good luck and have fun!

Unearth Hidden Treasures at Ike's World Challenge Blog

Time for a new challenge at Ike's World Challenge Blog.  Everyone loves to find treasure, am I right? Scratch off a lottery ticket and win $5, find a couple bills in your the pocket of a pair of jeans you haven't worn in  while, etc.
What about the hidden treasures that are right in front of you, but you haven't discovered them yet? I just realized that I depend A LOT on Pinterest for recipes, crafty inspiration, quotes for cards, ideas for canvases,etc. In fact, I could spend hours (and I have) on Pinterest, adding to my (already bulging) boards. They really should put a limit to how many pins you can put in a board. Maybe that would lessen the addiction.
That's right, I said it. I am addicted to Pinterest. How many are with me? Anyone willing to admit they spend way too much time looking and not enough time doing??
So today for my DT make, I created a card that not only shows the hidden treasure that I crave, but the action I need to set me free. I truly need a Pintervention...
My card fits perfectly in with the optional theme at Ike's World Challenge Blog of Hidden Treasures and Desires. Of course, mine is not quite hidden. The digital image I used is one of my favorites. It's called Shhh and you can find it in Ike's Store. I love her hair. Every time I color her up, her hair is totally different. I have fun with it.
Anyway, the challenge runs for four weeks from today, and the winner receives an Ike's Art store certificate. So if you like her, you can buy the image Shhh with that certificate. Of course, you can't win it unless you're in it, So go create something, and have fun!

What's NEW with You and Ike's Art

Welcome to a New year, and a New challenge at Ike's World Challenge Blog. The first theme of the year is "What's NEW with YOU?"  This optional theme can be interpreted by creating with the New Year in mind, or using New supplies, trying a New technique, or, like me, thinking about a New ME.

And why not? 2017 was a tough year for me, and I say good riddance to it. I lost my husband and my best friend, Sue. My financial future is a little shaky, and I'm looking at a lonely future without hubby. But...

As the New Year begins, I can not only count my blessings, but make a plan for the days and weeks ahead. Creativity is one of the biggest pleasures I have in life, so it's a major part of my planning. That's why I colored (with Copics) an Ike's Art image, called Plotting, and popped her onto a journal page. I like to mix writing with collaging and add some mixed media. So there's a little of everything on my page.

My plans? I want to relax, to focus on what I really want to accomplish this year. I want to be brave and try new things, have adventures and travel. I want to be more forgiving and more thankful, and to give back with my time and my talent. I especially want to become healthier and to heal, working through my grief, taking the bad days with the good.

And I want YOU to join in this new challenge for your chance to win a gift certificate to Ike's Art Store. AND, if you use an Ike's Art image, you get 2 entries for your 1 creation - cards, ATCs, mixed media, altered art - just create!!  And Link it up at Ike's World Challenge Blog.

Good luck and Happy Crafting!

Challenges I am Entering:

Art*Journal*Journey - New Year, New Adventures

Time to Relax at Ike's World Challenge Blog

 What do you do to relax? Besides, craft, that is?! I like to lose myself in a book. I like to read science fiction/fantasy, as well as themed mysteries like Joanne Fluke's Hannah Swenson mysteries.

One of my favorite authors is Charlaine Harris, whose Sookie Stackhouse series spawned the TV show True Blood. Her new series, about the people in the town of Midnight, will be a summer TV show in the States, premiering later this month.

Relaxation is the theme for this fortnight's challenge at Ike's World Challenge Blog, and I ran with my love of reading to create the book bag above using a digi image called Book of Dreams. Ike's Store is celebrating a summer blowout sale and you can get this image for just $1.50 US! The sale lasts through July and there are LOADS of images for 50% off.

Here's a close-up of my colored image on my book bag. I used colored pencils, gel pens and Copics, as well as Stickles for a little sparkle.

You have one more week to create something that shows how you relax and link it up to the IWC challenge post for your chance to win free digis from the new store. While I Keep Calm and Read, you  Keep Calm and Craft On!

Challenges I am Entering:

Allsorts - Magical & Mythical

Crafty Calendar - Anything Goes

Masculine Theme at Quirky Crafts This Month

Here we are at the midway point of this month's Masculine challenge over at Quirky Crafts challenge blog. Our sponsors this month are Bugaboo and SLS Lines. I got to play with a Bugaboo digi image from the Har Pot collection called The Chosen One.
I love the Harry Potter series, both the books and the movies! I decided to embellish with odds and ends found in my crafting catch-all drawer. The effect reminds me of spells and potions classes from the movies.

Challenges I am Entering:

The Paper Shelter challenges - Birthday Boy

My next project is a bookmark I created for my husband. He laughs every time he sees it peeking out of his book. He says it reminds him of all the "old librarians" in his youth who always shushed him in the stacks.

I like to color my girls' hair with non-standard colors. Besides the quirkiness of doing so, I just don't have a good range of hair colors in my Copics. My sentiment is the perfect one for the way I feel about reading (and being stranded).

Below you can see my Book Lover peeking over the top of the closed book. I love those pencils stuck into her bun, don't you?!

Challenges I am Entering:

Our Creative Corner - Trip Down Memory Lane/use a past challenge (What Makes you smile challenge - to create something that will make us smile. It could be a scrapbook or journal page, a canvas, a tag, whatever your imagination dictates  What makes me smile is having the time to read! My sentiment is one I take to heart: If I'm ever stranded, I hope it's in a Book Store. That would be pure heaven for me)

Know a guy with a birthday coming up? Or any occasion for that matter? Create something with a masculine theme and link it up with Quirky Crafts challenge blog this month. Awesome pries from:

Bugaboo Digi Stamps

and SLS Lines

My Guardian Angel

When I was young, I was a daredevil. I ran away from home once, went water skiing before I learned how to swim, went spelunking without a partner, and dated a few dangerous guys. I believe I had a guardian angel who kept me from losing my life a couple of times...and I believe I wore her ragged with my "adventures."
When I saw this digital image in Ike's Store, I knew I had to create something with her. She looks like my guardian angel might have looked after a particularly rough patch, needing some downtime far, far away from earthly noises.
The image is called Angel 2, and this is my DT make for Ike's World Challenge Blog. The theme is Vintage, which I don't do very often. After I printed and fussy-cut my angel, I covered her clothing with very fine white glitter. I used a little flocking along with some glitter on her wings, too.
I dug out an oval unfinished wooden plaque I had kept through the last three moves (one of them across two states!). Wiping gold metallic paint across the wood gave it more of a stained look than a painted one. Then I sprayed paper doilies with homemade shimmer mist, tore them and Mod-Podged them onto my wood canvas.
Next came my angel using dimensional tape. I didn't think her wings looked feathery enough, so I added a couple white feathers to frame her, hiding their stems with the single rose. I glued both white fuzzy fiber and a string of palest pink pearls to the edges to give my art a more solid frame. To finish off my mixed media piece, I cut up lace flourishes and flowers I snagged off a vintage collar fond at a rummage sale. A few assorted pearls and jewels decorate the rest of my canvas and I am very happy with my Vintage Art.
Ike's World Challenges run every two weeks, and today is the midpoint of the most recent challenge. You have a few more days to gather your Vintage mojo to you and create for your chance to win a gift certificate to Ike's Store. Yu don't have to use an Ike's Art image to play, but you get double points in the drawing if you do. AND she gives away freebies often!!
If you would like to own this altered art piece, please visit my Facebook Page, Patacake's Paper Play.

Challenges I am Entering:

Come & Get It challenges - Lots of Sparkle

Quirky Crafts challenges - Light as a Quirky Feather

Clear It Out challenges - White + One/must use stash item(the oval wood frame)
Creative Card Crew - Sprinkle!
Going Grey with Scrap Creations - Make It Sparkle
Through the Craft Room Door - Always Anything Goes

Dancing with Serendipity on the Path of Positivity

When a person takes the dance floor of life, she is at the whim of the music, the tempo, even the partners that she may dance with. When the music stops, whatever the outcome, it is at the whim of serendipity.

This month's theme at the Path of Positivity challenge blog takes us down the path of Serendipity, that unexpected good fortune that we have all experienced at one time or another. One of this month's sponsors is Luna Girl, heavenly website of gorgeous, whimsical, and vintage image sheets. I got to play with Music Sheet.

I tore into the images--literally tearing individual images to form a collage on an 8x8 canvas. Sheet music (found at a rummage sale) and patterned papers formed a base of sorts. I adhered images, and a die-cut sentiment that reads: "Everything has a rhythm. Everything dances" by Maya Angelou. 

To embellish, I used ribbon bows, paper flowers and doilies, lace and pearls, then sprayed everything with homemade shimmer mist. I love the look of my project, and can't wait to hang it in my room. Or should I give Serendipity a helping hand and send it to someone as a surprise?

Come join me on the Path of Positivity as we explore serendipity together in the way of cards, mixed media, and writing. The challenge is open through the month of March, and I would love to bump into you there!

The sponsors and prizes for this challenge are:

A $12 gift certificate from Sami Stamps, one of our guest sponsors this month, for the post or project that the DT deems most inspiring of the bunch.

• A $15 gift certificate from Lunagirl, one of our guest sponsors this month, for a person chosen in a random draw based on all entrants.
• One digital image from Creative Bug Digital SnapShots for each person chosen as a DT Delight.

There will also be:

• One digital designer paper (made to order in a couple 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.

Other Challenges I am Entering:

Luna Girl Challenge blog - Fruit &/or Flowers 

Craft My Life - All crafts 

 Frilly & Funky challenges - Bring on the Bling

2 Creative Chicks - Anything Goes (no cards-mine is an 8x8 canvas)

Crafting Musketeers - Ribbons & Pearls
Altered Eclectics - Mixed media only 

Celebrate the YOU-niqueness of YOU

Following your own path is sometimes very difficult to do. There's peer pressure, family pressure, unpopularity, fear, indecision.
At other times, that path is lit with bright lights, helping you every step of the way to achieve inner peace, happiness, self-respect, and pride.
And sometimes, there is no path. You are forced to push obstacles aside, dig up unpleasant growth and smooth the way for others.
Every time you step out, you have a choice. Will you trudge along as others have? Will you skip lightly along the path? Or will you blaze your own path, allowing others to follow if they wish?
Obviously, the challenge this month at the Path of Positivity is Uniqueness. I have created a mixed media canvas with an image from Ike's Art called "Shhh!" I colored her with Copics, and placed her onto a washed out background of peoples' images. My sentiment is from Decosse's Dynamite Doodles and is perfect for the feel of my canvas.
This month our sponsors and prizes are:

• A prize package worth $10 of digi images (digital papers not applicable) from Scribbles Designs, one of our guest sponsors this month, for the post or project that the DT deems most inspiring of the bunch.
• A $10 gift certificate from Ike's Art, one of our guest sponsors this month, for a person chosen in a random draw based on all entrants.
• One digital image from Creative Bug Digital SnapShots for each person chosen as a DT Delight.

There will also be:

• One digital designer paper (made to order in a couple 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.

The Uniqueness Challenge runs from January 5 through February 1. As always crafters, have fun!

 http://buyscribblesdesigns.blogspot.ca/

 http://suzy-ikesworld.blogspot.ca/

Happy New Year from the Outlawz

Getting ready to start a new art journal for the New Year. It's out with the old and in with the new! I'll be trying new techniques, using new media and generally learning and soaking up inspiration wherever and whenever it appears.
So of course I had to embellish my new journal to start the inspirational juices flowing. I adhered a strip of metallic ribbon down the center before adding a Copic-colored digi image from one of my new fave companies, Aurora Wings. Isn't she adorable? She's called Mistletoe Fairy and I had fun playing with the shades of green I used for her hair.
I added some flourishes and pearls to the cover after adhering a spray of flowers and a clock sticker (time flies when you're creating). Of course, my sentiment bows its hat to the coming new year: "Out with the Old, In with the New." Every project entered into the Outlawz Greetings Challenge needs to have a sentiment.
Speaking of which, the new challenge this week is Happy New Year! So my project fits in perfectly! You don't have to make cards for the Greeetings challenge at the Outlawz, but your project does need a sentiment. This week our sponsor is Aurora Wings--I just might have to go to her store before the old year winds down!
Kick off 2015 with a fun challenge at the Outlawz!! Other challenges I am entering:
Craft My Life - Anything Goes but NOT a Card
The Cutie Pie Challenge - Anything CUTE and NOT a Card
My Creative Moments - New Somethings
Not Just Cards Challenge Blog - Anything Goes