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. 

Silver & Gold & Metallics Line the Path of Positivity Challenge Blog

Finishing this year's theme collection of COLORS, the Path of Positivity challenge blog asks for projects using any kind of METALLICS - gold, silver, copper, aluminum, metallic gel gen, glitter, charms - whatever media your Muse inspires you to create with. It's an optional theme, but if your project follows this theme with a healthy amount of metal featured, your entry will be eligible for the Most Inspirational prize from Sparkle n Sprinkle, the guest sponsor this month.

I used a digi image from Sparkle n Sprinkle called Flower Silhouette with a gold and silver color combo. This combo runs through my background papers as well as in my flower blossoms. Then I spritzed on some Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist for an overall shimmer.
I dug into my jewelry and metal stash and was able to embellish each flower as well as a few butterflies and even the Happy Birthday greeting. To enhance the jewelry bits, I adhered a little fine crystal glitter from Stampin Up.

As I draw near to the end of the year, I am seeing a difference in my crafting stash. My paper has been reduced by about 20%, and my holiday stash is half what it used to be! This has been an ongoing goal, one which has kept me from having the time of my life in stores like Michael's and Hobby Lobby. Sigh! But I am seeing a light at the end of the paper crafting tunnel.

I really like the way my birthday card turned out. The inside's sentiment reads: "May your birthday bloom with wonderful surprises" I know so many people whose birthdays fall in December, this card is completed just in time for a special friend.

Back to the challenge at the Path of Positivity. while the theme is optional, ALL projects must be positive, encouraging or affirming in some way. Lord knows we need all the support from each other that we can get - am I right? So you have until the end of the year (boy, that sounds so weird to write out) to create and get your projects linked up to the Path of Positivity challenge blog for your chance to win some awesome prizes from Sparkle n Sprinkle. I can't wait to see what you come up with!! See you on the Path!!

Challenges I am Entering:

CAS-ual Fridays - Shades of Gold

Pattie's Creation Designs - Birthday

Classic Design Team - Anything Goes

Oddball Art - AG w/optional Holiday Haunts & Silly Stripes

Sparkle n Sprinkle - AG w/loose glitter, emb powder, etc

World Wide Open Design Team - AG/must be on DT

Ready for Some Christmas BINGO at the 12 Months of Christmas Link-Up

We're playing BINGO at the 12 Months of Christmas Link-Up this month!

Take a look at your BINGO card below and choose a line (up, down, across or diagonal). Then create with the elements in that line. Too much for you? This is an optional challenge, and it's always Anything Christmas Goes. BUT...
...if you want a chance at winning some awesome digital kits from Decosse's Dynamite Doodles, you must create with the BINGO theme. That's right, crafty peeps, Lisa Decosse is sponsoring this month's challenge.
Here are the details of how and what you can win:

My card uses background paper from Decosse's Dynamite Doodles' Bokeh Multicolor Patterned Paper Set1 Mini Set, framed by A Grungy Christmas Purple Textured Paper. My sentiment is also from Lisa, her Holiday Hoopla Word Art Collection, framed with Frame 1 from the same set.
The image is from DeeDee's Digis' Happy Owlidays.
Do you believe? I believe you have until the last day of November to create following the BINGO theme for your chance to win prizes!

Handmade Backgrounds

I had a spare moment or 20 and decided to check out what all the hubbub was about making your own backgrounds with alcohol inks. I used some palette paper and squeezed a coupe drops of different colored inks on. After spraying lightly with water, I started pressing some pieces of glossy paper from my stash onto the palette paper.

Look at all the pretty papers I created! I especially like the large piece-so many possibilities there. I took one of the smaller pieces and created a card (shown above) using a freebie from Miss Rach. After coloring with Copics, I fussy-cut this little cutie. Before placing him on the card, I used a white gel pen and helped define some of the coral reef areas. After I set my tortoise to swimming, it was an easy matter to embellish with fibers, lace, charms and a spray of pearls. I think the sentiment is perfect for my card, don't you?

I try and stretch my comfort zone often enough to keep me on my toes. How about you? If you haven't already, I hope you get to try to make your own backgrounds, whether from alcohol inks, photography or other media.

Challenges I am Entering:

Alphabet challenges - Z is for Zoo Animals 

Through the Purple Haze - Make a Scene

Mod Squad challenges - Animals

The Paper Shelter challenges - Animal Magic

Fan-tastic Tuesday challenges - Anything Goes w a Twist: Animals

Tuesday Throwdown challenges - Create Your Own Background

Crafting When We Can - Use a Digital stamp

Cre8tive Hands Friends challenges - Use a digital image

New Beginnings at Ike's World Challenge Blog

Every day is a new beginning, and this is especially true at Ike's World Challenge Blog, where a new challenge inaugurates a New year. New Beginnings is the challenge theme, and my inspiration came from this Ike's Art digi image called Crystal Ball, and the fact that most of us would like a tiny peek at what's ahead for us this year.
While 2015 ended on a sour note for me and my family, I am learning that the future is what you make of it. You need an optimistic outlook, a positive attitude, a keen eye for opportunities that pop up, courage to snatch those opportunities, and a grateful heart. With these as my weapons, I can just let go and Believe that Good things are on their Way, as my crystal ball shows us all.
I am also back to mixed media canvas. I haven't pulled out all the bells and whistles for a while, but it's a new year and I'm ready to begin again. My canvas is 7x7 inches, covered in patterned papers from my stash. The top layer is chalked,while the image is colored with Copics. I printed the sentiment onto transparency paper after chalking the misty innards of my future forecaster, and the year is created with stickers.
The rest is tchochki that I've collected throughout 2015. Broken jewelry, miscellaneous charms, leftover buttons and brads, even parts of a patterned card stock border. I love the freedom of mixed media, don't you? Have you ever tried it? You don't have to paint or Mod Podge a canvas - try making a card and throwing on embellishments that aren't standard crafting supplies.
Pinterest and YouTube are great places to inspire your new adventures. And link up with Ike's World Challenge blog this week with whatever card or project you decide to create. We'd love to see your art!

Challenges I am Entering:

Love to Scrap- New Beginnings

Our Crafty Corner - Anything Goes

2 Creative Chicks - ANything Goes

Rhedd's Creative Spirit - Anything Mixed Media Goes

Dedicated to the One I Love

Are you a dedicated person? Do you have goals that you work hard to achieve? This month's theme at the Path of Positivity is Dedication. I am dedicated to my family. I am dedicated to the families in the educational program in which I work. I know many others who are dedicated to people, to causes, to lifestyles.
And then there is the spirit of Christmas! Santa is dedicated to bringing joy to children worldwide, and speaking from one dedicated person to another, our willingness to focus our dedication toward something specific requires some major downtime. 
So today my DT project is a funny "after the holidays" card that showcases  Santa's dedication to children. you may only see him once a year, but he works the entire year to make Christmas morning the delight that it is to children everywhere--except the day after Christmas. That's when Santa can unwind, and dedicate a few days toward relaxation and simple pleasures, like wiggling his toes in the warm sand and not worrying that all his reindeer are flight-ready!
You have from today through October 4th to create a card that showcases in some way the theme of dedication. If the theme isn't obvious in your card or project, please write in your post or comment on the challenge blog the reason how dedication plays into your project. We love to read about the themes, it inspires us in our own creativity.
Our guest sponsor this month is Sparkle N Sprinkle, who is offering two prizes for this challenge, which will be:

• $15.00 worth of digital images for the post or project that the DT deems most inspiring of the bunch.
• $15.00 worth of digital images for a person chosen in a random draw based on all entrants.

There will also be:

• One digital designer paper (made to order in a couple different ways) from Décosse's Dynamite Doodles for one lucky person who leaves a comment on posts published during the challenge time frame.
• One digital sentiment for every single person who enters the challenge

My project today showcases an image called Southern Santa from Sparkle N Sprinkle. He is definitely on down time. I colored Santa with Copics, "sprinkling" some "sparkle" on the scene by making a few waves. I used a couple papers from my "de-stash" box of leftovers, and played around with the last of my lovely teal webbing, a broken bracelet of starfish charms and beads, a few beach-y buttons and a couple sentiment labels. I do believe someone should warn Santa that it's time for him to turn over or he may be mistaken for a lobster!! I am willing to fly out to the beach and join warn him. LOL

Challenges I am Entering:

Christmas Stampin' All Year Long - Anything Goes

Crafting with Friends - Anything Goes

Digitally Sweet challenges - Anything with wings (seagulls & flamingos)

Simply Papercraft challenges - Anything Goes

Stempelsonnen challenges - Alles Geht (anything Goes)

Sparkle & Sprinkle challenges - Anything Goes w/loose glitter, powders, etc

The Game is Afoot at Ike's World Challenge Blog

March is my month for experimentation, and I enjoyed my paper piecing adventure last week so much that I decided to try one more time.
Today's card features a digi image from Ike's Art called Sherlock. Since he's all about deduction, I used a typography patterned paper to use for his clothing. After coloring the parts not pieced with paper, I added a quote from one of the books in his series, reading "I cannot live without brain work. What else is there to live for?"
Why, it's elementary, my dear Sherlock! Life and living is all about discovering yourself, your talents, your passion, your creativity. What else is there to live for?! LOL
ow about trying paper piecing in your projects this week, then join in on the challenge at Ike's World Challenge Blog.

Other Challenges I am Entering:

Imagination Crafts - Anything Goes

MarkerPOP Blog - Anything Goes

Not Just Cards - Anything Goes

Through the Purple Haze - Anything Goes

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes

Stamping Sensations - One for the Guys

Challenge Up Your Life - Masculine

Hiding in My Craft Room - Freestyle

Just Us Girls - Masculine

 Sister Act Challenges - Anything Goes

Crafty Gals Corner - Movie Madness (Sherlock Holmes starring Robert (sigh) Downey Jr)

A Love of Lists

I am a list maker.  I LOVE making lists.  

Not just your hum drum to-do lists, but lists that tell a person’s life story.  Lists like “the many ways my husband shows he loves me.”  Or “all the things I have for which to be thankful.”

One that really helps me pull my wretched self out of a deep pit of depression is “how many people whose lives I have touched (and who have touched mine).”

One year I kept a journal of lists and wrote in it at least once a week.  Luckily I am just enough of a hoarder to have buried the journal for a couple years.  I just re-discovered it while cleaning out my dresser drawers.  And upon reading my lists, I re-discovered myself. 

I remembered the things that made me happy not so long ago.

I re-discovered my passion for art and painting.

I renewed my dreams.

I re-evaluated my bucket list.

And most importantly, I reminded myself how much I LOVE making lists!!

I created the project above for the Path of Positivity's February Challenge on the theme of LOVE.  Since I LOVE making lists, I decided to make a journal cover for all my 2014 lists.

I started with a 4x6 index card notebook.  It has an acrylic cover, which works perfectly for setting the background of heart-themed patterned paper from DCWV.

Next I chose my image.  Since journaling is really just a conversation with yourself, I used a digi image called "Skellie Gossip" from one of our monthly sponsors, Ike's Art.  I used very little color (Copic E000) for my pair of bony companions, then fussy-cut them out.  I adhered a leftover diecut of patterned paper on the front cover of my notebook, placing a border of washi tape from Recollections on which my pair could rest their weary bones (pun intended).

I embellished the patterns on the tape with black Skittles.

A few adhesive-backed jewels and a large heart charm almost finish off my project.  I just needed to bring out the edges of where the two front flaps join together to keep all my lists from spilling out.  I used black and Diamond Stickles for that and my altered notebook is complete.

What's going to be my first list of the year?  The people I love to LOVE-that would make a very good start to the new year.  Judging from my project, 2014 will be another banner year for my list-making love.  

Will you share something you LOVE with us?  Go to the Path of Positivity to play in this month's challenge.  The fabulous sponsors and prizes are:

   Ten digital images from Creative Bug Digitals for the person out of the top seven who receives the most votes during voting week.

    Three digital images from Ike's World for the post or project that the DT deems most inspiring of the bunch.

    Three digital images from Scribbles Designs, our guest sponsor this month, for a person chosen in a random draw based on all entrants.

    One digital designer paper from Décosse's Dynamite Doodles for one lucky voter who leaves a comment.

     One digital sentiment for every single person who enters the challenge from Décosse's Dynamite Doodles as well.