Be your Own Version of Beautiful

 

Let me introduce you to my very fashionable friend, Lucy. She is her own woman female, uh, gastropod. She doesn't follow Fashion. She IS fashion. And she insists on standing out in a crowd.

Lucy is a digital image from Scribbles Designs (the image is not called Lucy, that's my pet name for her). After printing and coloring the image with my Copics, I dug through my stash of sequins. It's a good thing Lucy and I are friends, because adhering each tiny sequin to her fabulous ensemble was pain-staking work. I even gave her earrings with a few sequins. Her dress was created from paper doilies, and her necklace is a piece of leftover trim.

I wanted her to stand out as well, so I adhered her using dimensional tape. She is walking sliming (?) her way up the path of positivity, which I created with floral stuff and a couple roses. Speaking of the Path of Positivity, their challenge this month is to create something inspired by Fashion. I hope my canvas inspires you to enter their challenge. In the meantime, have fun crafting!

Challenges I am Entering:

Critter Crazy - AG/with a Critter

Arty Divas - Anything Goes

Classic Design - Anything Goes

Crafters' Cafe - Colors of the Rainbow

Your Scrapbook Place - Anything Goes

Be Brave on the Path of Positivity

 Thinking about my experience of caring for my husband throughout his run with ALS, I realize how many emotions and challenges I went through -  fear, strength, humility, patience, hope, faith, loss. But in the end, I discovered a reserve of Courage that helped me stay beside him until his passing away. Being a caretaker for a dying loved one is extremely heart-breaking and difficult. Because this post is for the Path of Positivity, you can click on my personal blog, "Living with ALS", for a closer look at the everyday saints who take care of their spouses, siblings, parents, children, until the very end.

You may not know that the Sunflower is the national symbol for ALS Awareness: 

"The Sunflower," (Shirley Hoffman Schmezle) explained

“stands tall and strong, ever hopeful and ever reaching higher.

Sunflowers grow in clusters and support each other

as they grow, just as family, friends and

community offer support to those who live with ALS"

  https://livingwithlougerhrigsdisease.blogspot.com/2019/06/courage-under-fire.html

My card today is for all those courageous caretakers who choose to love those with ALS until the very end, forced to watch them slowly leave their lives. I used a free digi image from Beccy's Place, one of the guest sponsors at the Path of Positivity challenge blog this month along with Scribbles Designs.

After coloring it with Copics, I framed it with a paper doily, then used a piece of leftover patterned paper that lets the colors of my image pop. I embellished simply with a sticker sentiment, a dir-cut butterfly and 2 tiny flower jewels. Inside the card, it reads: Be gentle with yourself. You're doing the best you can.

This month's optional Twist is Courage. The challenge runs until the end of the month. Crafters don't have to use the Twist, but I hope I have inspired you to create something that will help others' find their own courage. Here are the prize details:

• A $10.00AU gift certificate to Beccy's Place for the person chosen in a random draw based on all qualifying entrants.
• ONE image (value of $5 or less) from Scribbles Designs, for the post or project that the team deems most inspiring of the bunch based on all qualifying entrants.
• One digital image from Creative Bug Digital SnapShots for each person chosen as a DT Delight.

Happy crafting!

Sheepski Designs Sponsors the 12 Months of Christmas blog

I don't know about you, but this last Christmas depleted my stash of Christmas cards. So once again I need to build it up starting NOW, so I don't have to rush toward the end of the year. My first holiday card of 2019 features a digi image from Sheepski Designs called Snowboardin'.

Sheepski Designs is the guest sponsor at the 12 Months of Christmas Blog,

 where the theme is Anything Goes and the optional TWIST this month is"Anything but a Rectangle". I don't normally like making a circular card, but this cute snowman inspired me to create my DT card today. After coloring him with Copics, I used dimensional tape to pop him onto my paper and framed it all with a paper doily.

My embellishments are simple. I used a border die to get the tiny snowflakes that I placed around my snowman. Then I used some Stickles to give them and the background some shimmer. Finally,  I used white flocking powder to circle around the edge of my paper circle.

At the 12 Months of Christmas Link-Up Blog, you don't need to follow the twist to link up your cards and earn a free paper each month or for a chance to win THREE images from this month's sponsor, Sheepski Designs. BUT if you DO follow the twist you'll have a chance to win this month's featured digital paper pack, Candy Cane Flavors Mini Kit. So start that stash for Christmas 2019 and don't forget to link up at the 12 Months of Christmas Blog.

Challenges I am Entering:

Crafty Gals - Snow Much Fun

Cute & Crafty Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes

The Sisterhood of Crafters - Make it Sparkle

Card Mania - Baby It's Cold Outside

Christmas Crafts All Tear 'round - Let It Snow

Merry Little Christmas - Anything Goes

Sparkle n Sprinkle - Anything Goes w/loose glitter, embossing powder or flocking

The Ghost of Christmas Past Visits the 12 Months of Christmas Challenge Blog

The best part of Christmas is the memories of Christmases past. Charles Dickens hit it spot-on when he wrote A Christmas Carol, pulling Ebenezer Scrooge and his readers into the heart of Christmas with his spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Future. Around my dinner table at Christmas, we a single place setting  for all those who can no longer celebrate with us. Memories of their laughter and love keep them alive every year.
This spirit of Christmas Past inspires April’s Optional theme of The Ghost of Christmas Past (a Vintage Theme) at the 12 Months of Christmas Challenge Blog. The guest sponsor is Luna Girl, a perfect match for this theme as you will see from the offerings of our DT.

I used an image from Luna Girl's Pink Christmas 2 Collage Sheet, along with the following papers from Decosse's Dynamite Doodles': Vintage Damask 1: Rich Colors Paper Kit in Green, Pink Glitterati Textured Paper and Brown Paper from A Grungy Christmas Paper Kit
The rest of the embellishments are from Carolyn's Scrap Creations and various crafters at Pixel Scrapper. 
The challenges are always ANYTHING GOES but there's always an optional theme. 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 $15.00 gift certificate from Lunagirl. Please add the letters FT after your name when you link your cards so that we know you're interested in that $15 Luna Girl prize and let the spirits inspire you to create a vintage Christmas card this month!