Carl Sings His Way into My Heart

My sister gave me a planner this weekend. Not that I'm going to  use it as a planner. I just can't get enough journals - gratitude, travel, spiritual, creative, art - I even have a journal just for  random lists! Today's project is going to be an art journal. I was inspired by Carl, a digital character from Scribbles Designs. I love Carl, and have many of his images in all sorts of moods and actions. It's like he's my favorite model.
Right now he's singing me a song of inspiration. I have a bucket of Washi tape, and haven't used some in a long time, so his song stirred my need to put the tape to good use. First, I covered the cover with diagonal strips. Then I followed a tutorial to create feathers from Washi tape, which I placed at the top of my cover, and added a button to the trio which reads, "Be the change you want to see in the world." (Really, it's a wonder what I can find now that I've organized and labeled my craft supplies!)
I finished off the  cover with my name, my Muse (Carl, of course, colored with Copics and colored pencils), and then added some lace, leather beads and baubles to the spine. I couldn't wait to dig into the journal and have filled two pages already!

A Place to Start- Create your own Background

Use Your Stuff- Patterns

More than Words - Funny & Stripes

It's a Guy Thing at Scribbles Designs

Today's DT project is inspired by the theme at Scribbles Designs Challenge Blog. Crafters are asked to create something "FOR THE BOYS." I've had this piece of metal forever, it seems, and was inspired to create a sign for the backyard grill. We have a natural gas grill, so we've been known to grill throughout the winter (except when it's buried under a foot of snow). LOL

My sign is a little bit bigger than a US car license plate. I colored a cute digi image from the Scribbles Store called #920 BBQ Apron. The words are made from black glitter letters and I used Washi tape to make a border on each side. I dug deep to find some BBQ-themed buttons, using tiny gears from Tim Holtz. The rope came from my garage and adhered with a glue gun.

Whatever you are inspired to create, don't forget to link it up with Scribbles Designs Challenge Blog for your chance to win digis from the Scribbles Store.

A Coffee Addiction with Oddball Art Stamps

I love creating cards that can bring a smile (or if it's punny, a groan). When I saw this digi image from Oddball Arts Stamps by Lizzie Love, I knew exactly what I wanted for my sentiment! And I hope it brings even the tiniest smile to you.
The image is called #46 Creepy Cute Mummy and I got it FREE!! In fact, I get a free image every week. All I had to do is sign up for the Oddball Art weekly newsletter: Creepy Cute Chronicles.
Anyway, I've been playing around with hybrid cards for a while now. A hybrid card is one which mixes digital and handmade elements/supplies to create your art.
For today's card, I positioned my thirsty mummy image onto a digital paper and printed it twice. Then I colored the images, fussy cutting the Copic-colored mummy and popping it onto my card base with dimensional dots. All credits for the items I used to create my card are below.

Oddball Art #46 Creepy Cute Mummy

Marta van Eck Creepy Element 64

Marta van Eck Creepy Paper 3

Font: Crazy Killer

Ink: Copics

Meanwhile, I framed my scene with metallic washi tape, added a small moth/butterfly, and added a line of bling. I printed my sentiment onto the entire scene and it's complete. AND I know just the coffee junkie to gift it to!

Challenges I am Entering: 

Oddball Art - AG w/optional Dusty Diamonds/Twisted Circus

Get Creative - Anything Goes

Mod Squad - Tea or Coffee

Crafty Addicts - Anything Goes

Shopping our Stash - Get Your Drink On (coffee)

Pave your Path with Happiness

This month's challenge at the Path of Positivity has the optional Twist of Happiness. Make someone smile or laugh; create a card to remind them they are special; send your mom a handcrafted layout of the two of you enjoying life together. In other words, make someone HAPPY!
My card asks for the best thing a person can give or receive that will spread happiness - a HUG. Of course, I had to put a Twist on my card by using a Cactus asking for a hug, but sometimes it can be difficult to hug a grumpy person. Give them two; they must need them!!
Of course, the Twist is just for fun. As long as your project is positive, encouraging or inspirational, it will qualify for prizes (see below).
I used a digi image from Limited Runs, one of the guest sponsors at the Path of Positivity this month.

The image is aptly named "Cactus" and can be found in the Flower section of the STORE.  Limited Runs is also on Facebook with a Freebie for every 50 Followers, AND also a Monthly Progressive Challenge Blog.  

Prizes this month include:

A $10 gift certificate from Limited Runs, our guest sponsor for this month, for a 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.

Don't forget to link up your project!!

It's a well-documented fact that everyone needs at least five hugs a day to stay happy. So don't be surprised if, when we meet on the Path, I stop to give you a HUG. Everyone can stand to add a little happiness to their lives, and the lives of others. See you there!

Challenges I am Entering:

Make My Monday - Something Humorous

Stamps + Fun = Creativity - Washi Tape

Not Just Cards - Anything Goes

Creative Crafters - Anything Goes

Feelin' Blue at Ike's World Challenge Blog

Why do we say we're feeling BLUE when Blue is such a pretty, calming color? My bedroom is blue. It is the color of the sky on a cloudless day, giving off a feeling of openness and freedom. It is a primary color and, mixed with other colors, produces an almost endless rainbow of shades and tints.
So when I saw that the optional theme at Ike's World Challenge blog was BLUE, I was feelin' it, and I was definitely NOT sad. So I opted to create a page in my art journal. I used my growing stash of colored pencils and colored up an image called Long Tall Latex Sally -   BLUE, of course. I used washi tape to divide my page into sections so I could get a good variety of words and artwork going on. I doodled and collaged and colored my heart a happy BLUE.
And I feel GREAT!
So go on, get into the Blues and create something to link up to Ike's Art Challenge Blog for your chance to win a gift certificate to Ike's Store. You can even pick up a couple FREEBIES there. Although you don't have to use Ike's images, I LOVE to use them. On my Bucket  List is the wish to own ALL her images - mwahahahaha! I'm never going to reach that goal, however. Ike just keeps on drawing and drawing. It's difficult to catch up to her! LOL
Have fun, crafters!

Challenges I am Entering:

Crafts Dreamy - Anything Goes

Kleurin met  Potloden -Anything Goes w/colored pencils

Scribbles Designs Challenge Gets Inspired by a Photo

This month's challenge theme at Scribbles Designs is Photo Inspired 

(photo courtesy Jill Wellington, Pixabay.) 

I was inspired by the non-traditional colors in the photo, using Copics, colored pencils and a white gel pen to give life to my image, a Scribbles digi called Maple Leaf Doodle. After coloring a rainbow across the leaf, I used the colored pencils to blend the colors more subtly. It looked flat to me, so I started highlighting different sections of my leaf, and ended up highlighting all of them (I never knew when to stop even as a kid).
Since color is my inspiration, I thought this sentiment would be perfect for my card. I splashed a couple black jewels for embellishment after adding a washi tape border and canvas bow. A nice simple card for the loveliest season of the year!
What inspires YOU when you look at the photo from Scribbles Designs Challenge Blog? Whatever catches your creativity, go for it, then link it up for your chance to win some free digis from the Scribbles Store.
Good luck and happy crafting!

Challenges I am Entering:

Colour Crazy Craft challenge - Anything Goes

Creative Fingers - Anything Goes

4 Crafty Chicks - Fall

Mod Squad - Fall Fest

Watering My Crafting World

I added two more pages to my water color art journal today, and wanted to share them with you.

I created a blue green background and experimented with the paint while it was wet by pressing my finger numerous times onto the page. Since my journal is around 6x9, I cut my dry painting in half.

I used versamark ink and embossing powders and stamped a QKD image of a headphone-wearing fairy in the corner, embellishing with another stamp of musical notes. Some Washi tape, a sticker, and a floral stick complete the embellishments, while alpha stickers complete my sentiment, "Music Lifts my Soul."

For my second page, I decorated my pages completely with stamping and embossing. The stamps are from IndigoBlue, the ink is the VersaMark Dazzle ink, and I used Stampin Up Clear Glitter, white and purple embossing powders. I used green flocking powder on the flora at the bottom of the page.

I usually don't use powders often in my crafting, but I really like the way it looks on the heavyweight watercolor paper. The sentiment reads, "Live every moment, Laugh every day, Love beyond words."

I am really enjoying experimenting in water colors, and just won a certificate for free tuition for a non-credit class at the community college in town. Maybe I'll take an art class!!

Meanwhile, it's ANYTHING GOES at Art by Miran.See you there!