Altered State of Mind when It Comes to Crafting

Today I created my DT project for the Outlawz Progressive Freebie group. As always, the theme is Anything Goes, and this month's sponsor is Blueberry bear Digi Stamps.

I chose to alter this gigantic clothes pin that I snagged at Hobby Lobby on clearance for a dollar. Can you believe that?! If there had been more than one, you bet I would have bought them all! LOL I love a good deal.

I colored my Blueberry Bear digi with Copics and fussy-cut him, framing him first with a paper doily and then with a few layers of freehand-cut stars. The gold stars are cut from patterned paper, and the poem at the bottom is from a kit from K & Co.

I finished off my project with assorted ribbons and fibers, and my altered clothespin stands almost a foot high!!

When we at the Outlawz Progressive Freebie say it's Anything Goes, we mean it!! LOL Cards, ATCs, mixed media, altered art--the sky's the limit. And to play, all you have to do this month is create with this little image. If you created last month for the challenge, you will receive this guy free. If you're new to the challenge, check out the rules HERE.

And whatever your plans this holiday weekend, have fun!!

Happy crafting!

Challenges I am Entering:

2 Creative Chicks - Anything Goes (no cards)

Naughty or Nice challenges - Seeing Stars

Crafts Galore Encore - Use stamp or digi

Crafting with an Attitude - Anything Goes

Digitally Sweet - Anything Goes

Anything Goes at the Outlawz Greetings

My favorite Monday challenge is up and running on the Outlawz Greetings challenge this week. It's Anything Goes, always the last Monday of each month. I love the freedom of no restrictions nor special requirements.
So I created a card using a digi image from Lacy Sunshine, one of the guest sponsors for June. Lacy Sunshine is offering three images for one lucky winner, so get your cards or projects created and linked up to the challenge.

What Does It Take To Win A Prize?

1. The sentiment must appear on the front of your card or project to be eligible to win.
2. YOU DO NOT have to use an image on your card. Also, non-card entries are acceptable as long as they have sentiments that are visible on the outside. 
3. Please only one entry per week per challenge.
4. No back linking. Any projects posted on your blog/online gallery before the start date of a challenge should not be entered and will not be eligible for prizes. 
5. Please post your own creations only to the challenges.

How Do I Enter My Project?

Click Reply to this post. On the tool bar, next to the link square, you will see a light blue square. Click the light blue square and add your photo. Please set the width to 400. If you are using a link or would like to have comments on your blog, enter the photo here within the challenge and the link. Click Add Reply. After you place your card in the challenge, you can add it to the gallery and tag it GCC062915. The winners for the prizes within the group challenges are chosen by the photos that are uploaded to the challenge.

Other Challenges I am Entering:

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes

Inkspirational - Wild

Simply Papercraft - Anything Goes
Lacy Sunshine - Anything Goes

It's Elemental, My Dear...

The ELEMENTS challenge is in its second week over at Ike's World Challenges. I made a digital canvas for my first DT posting, using Zombie Pig digi image and Fire word art image. Think FIRE, WATER, EARTH and AIR when you create this week!
My background is from the Cabinet of Curiosity scenic papers from Marta Vaneck. I framed my canvas with a digi from Decosse's Dynamite Doodles. I used the Fire word art image twice, once coloring it so that the word all but disappeared in flames, and a second time so that the letters "fed" the campfire. I drew the spit by hand, and that sassy sentiment came to me while coloring my supper...er, I mean the pig.
Have you done much grilling this summer? We have a natural gas grill, so we grill year round until the snow covers the grill, like it did last winter.

No use trying to brush off the snow, eh?! We had a tad more snow than usual last winter. Now we are having a tad more rain than usual this summer. Seems like the weather is acting crazy all over the world this year!
If weather is keeping you indoors this week, craft a project for this fortnight's Elements challenge over at Ike's World Challenge blog for your chance to win free digis. And as always, crafters, have fun!

Your Wish Is My Command on Father's Day

Another Monday means another challenge at the Outlawz Greetings challenges. This week's theme is Father's Day. Make something for your dad, the father of your children, or dads in general. I made this card for my hubby, who helped raise two children, each with their unique challenges, and survived (although he went totally grey in the process).
At the Outlawz Greetings, this week's sponsor is Rick St Dennis. Rick's images run the gamut from funny to vintage to freaky. There's always something for everyone!

I got to play with a digi image called Tim BukTu. I colored her with Copics, shimmered it up with Sakura Gel pen, and popped it onto a tag I created earlier in the year and never used. I used a rainbow of colors to create my card, but I like the combination (and that white feather doesn't hurt, either).
In line with the Father's Day theme, I added the sentiment "It's Your Day!" to my card. One requirement of all challenges is to have a sentiment or greeting on the front of your project. Inside my card is a standard Happy Father's Day sentiment, with a little love note from me.
Now it's your turn. Check out the inspiration at the Outlawz Greetings and then create and link up your project for a chance to win free digis from Rick St Dennis.

Other Challenges I am Entering:

Crafty Cardmakers challenges - For Man or Boy

Get Creative challenges - For the Boys or Father's Day

Not Just Cards - Always Anything Goes

Ooh La La challenges - Happy Birthday

Card Mania - Use a Metal Embellishment (my heart on a chain)

Love to Create challenges - Anything Mixed media

Look, Up in the Sky-It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Super Dad!

I made a card for my dad today, to celebrate all that he was when he was still with us. He's been gone for over 20 years, but I still like to give him his due on this June holiday. My dad is my hero, teaching me by example to love words and reading, to keep going especially when things were difficult, and to enjoy the little things in life.
Craft Your Passion has a new Anything Goes challenge starting today, and Bugaboo is the sponsor. I love the images from Jodie at Bugaboo-there's something for everyone, and her new shop looks fabulous!

I colored Super Dad and used up more of my re-discovered papers. I keep them in a box on my desk so that I don't go crazy and pull out the big guns--the 12x12 papers--when I'm creating cards. Besides, they are the papers that time (well, me) forgot, and I have a duty (since I bought them) to use them up before I have my way in any paper aisle at Hobby Lobby or Michael's. (Amen)
So, I used some glossy cardstock for the card base, some checked blue & white paper, and some glitter cardstock to pull the colors together with those I used on my image. I hand-printed my sentiment and tore the Copic-colored background to fit my card, adding a heart brad and a paper clip to embellish.

Happy Father's Day!

Today I want to wish fathers everywhere a wonderful, relaxing day, especially my hubby and my son. My hubby and I are with my granddaughter in Missouri, to be together for a memorial service for his oldest brother, Joe Allen, who passed away last week. He gave up his "day" to be home with his mom and sisters and younger brother to honor the brother he lost. While we're here, we'll go visit Dad's grave site, clean it up and put new flowers there.
My son is working his butt off to prepare for his newest child, scheduled to arrive sometime in August. Besides his full time job, he is an Army Reservist, up for re-enlistment in a few short months.
Meanwhile, I am burning the midnight oil to get this digital card up on my blog so they can each see it, as I type in our hotel room, next to my poor Bella who ended up losing her lunch and dinner and is now sleeping it off. Hope it was just a bad mix of food and she's not getting sick!!
Meanwhile, my card uses a couple fabulous images from Sandy of Scribbles Designs, Carl's Pad and Firefly (Firefly was a freebie on her blog!). I used papers, the frame and the gorgeous bubbly baubles from Decosse's Dynamite Doodles. Sandy has a fun challenge with a theme of "Fins, Feathers & Frog Legs" (yum). Go check out her blog, where there are freebies to be snagged, inspiration to be shared and a challenge to enter!

Other Challenges I am Entering:

Digi Galore challenges - Father's Day

Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers - D is for Dude

Moving Along with the Times - Inspired by a Song (Unforgettable by Nat King Cole)

Quoting the POEt

When I was in college, I spent one semester on studying the master of Horror fiction and poetry, Edgar Allen Poe. My whole grade centered around my 30 page paper on his life, his loves, his writing and his insane take on an insane world.
There is a challenge blog out there called Quoth the Raven, devoted to the macabre master of frights. This month their theme is photo-inspired:

I chose to pull the colors and use the man himself as inspiration for my canvas. My image comes from the master of macabre herself, Sue from Ike's Art. It's called Poe Bust. I colored it and then popped it onto one of my new background papers from Mischief Circus from the Dead or Alive Collection by Rucola Designs. To give it some shimmer, I used a glitter overlay from Krysty, also available from Mischief Circus.

I added some splatters of red to give it dark undertones, and allowed the raven to utter his infamous line. The quote is one of my favorites from Mr. Poe. I hope you like my canvas today!

Other challenges I am entering:

As You Like It challenges - Favorite Book (the Complete Works of Edgar Allen Poe, 

a treasury of terror on which I grew up)