Let the Sun In!

Don't you just love summer?  Especially after that freakish winter and bi-polar Spring? Squigglefly has a new challenge this week-Create a card using the shape of the sun: "add any type of embellishment that includes a sun shape on your card, this can be a die cut, a pattern on your cardstock, a button shape, an brad or eyelet, an embellishment, or part of your image."
I decided to go with a sun-shaped card. I played with two of Sandra Caldwell's images released by Squigglefly this month, Americana Beauty and Firecrackers, coloring them both with Copics. In keeping with the roundness of the sun (and my card base, I framed both images with red and blue cardstock, adding a little Stickles for shimmer and shine.
I embossed the words I love America and added a line of pearls and a couple ribbon bows for embellishments. I inked the edges of my card with coordinating ink and I have the perfect birthday card for my daughter, who turns 19 this 4th of July. Happy early bitthday, Wendy!!

Memories of Seattle Aquarium in Water Color

We took a trip to Seattle over Spring Break so that we could check out Seattle University for when she completes her A.A. at the community college. It was fantastic, so much so that I want to go back to college as well!!!
We also took in the sights, including the Aquarium. It was an awesome visit, and I took tons of photos. One of them inspired me to water color this today.
I am a novice to water colors, but the last couple I've completed, I've liked enough to sign my name to them. This is one of them. Although to be honest, I should have started the jelly fish higher on the paper, as its tentacles(?) should be longer.
I'm going to dig up more photos that I can possibly use to practice my water colors. Have you tried sketching or painting from photographs?Any tips you can give me??

Just Flying Through

Another day, another attempt at a landscape! Today I painted wet on wet and made a background of sorts and let it dry.
Then I painted what I hope looks to you like a tree. I think I did a pretty decent job. I even tried to get some dimension by painting thin lines into the trunk and up into the bushy leaves.
My scene looked pretty bare until I tried to let some high-flying birds float past my tree.
I guess I need a little more practice with letting the colors blend together in my sky. Doesn't matter, I'm having fun with my new "passion."
Have you started a new passion?

Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries

Got some time to play with water colors and ended up with a page full of brightly-colored circles. They reminded hubby of cherries so I added stems and a sentiment to my newest water color journal page.
I dipped my brush in water and then one corner went into a magenta paint and the other in yellow. Then I swirled circles with my brush.
Still learning what paint will do in water, and water will do to paint, but having fun during the learning process!
This week I was challenged to do something adventurous, something I fear. After thinking about it, I discovered that what I fear most is being embarrassed.
So to me, showing you my "experiments" in water colors is facing my fears. I know I'm no artist, but by showing visitors my attempts to improve on my technique, I might just help someone else face their own fears.

Squigglefly CAS Card Challenge

I love to throw on everything but the kitchen sink when I make cards, so a challenge like Squigglefly put forth using "Just one layer" was really difficult.
I decided to pull out the embossing gun and powders, dust them off, and create some dimension and design on my plain blue cardstock.
I used a Squigglefly June release called "Baseball" by James Horvath, coloring this enthusiastic boy with Copics before framing him with black cardstock. I inked the edges with black ink to finish off my card.
Ready to step out of your comfort zone? Try the Squigglefly challenge this week!

DS4J Progressive Christmas Card Challenge

Today I made a Christmas card for the Digi Stamps 4 Joy Christmas card challenge. I received a lovely image created by Margy called Snow Globe.
I decided to create an easel card. I colored the image with Copics and embellished with homemade SoftSnow (kind of like Flower Soft). I covered my card base with pine needle patterned paper from DCWV.
I added a sprig of Christmas flowers (it even has jingle bells) made by my talented friend Shannon. A metal charm holds the card front in place. You can't read it in the photo, but the round silver brad reads, "Santa Rocks!"
I really like this challenge, as it only requires one card a month. Also, if you participate in the challenge, you receive your next image free. So if you have a hankering to get some Christmas cards finished well in time for the holidays, go check out the DS4J Progressive Christmas card challenge.

Happiness Theme on the Path of Positivity

Come celebrate the theme of HAPPINESS on the Path of Positivity Challenge blog!!

Happiness isn’t a thing; it’s a state of mind. Just like Alice who could “…(believe) in as many as six impossible things before breakfast,” I can be happy with little things like a sunny day, a cool glass of iced tea and purple nail polish. I can also be happy with big things like my car, my laptop, my Cricut Expressions and my exercise bike. Then there are those things that I can take for granted until they’re gone if I let them, HUGE things, like my husband of 37 years, my brilliant teen daughter, my son and his new family, my sisters and mom and even my 103 year old grandma, my home, my health…I jump for joy even writing about all the happiness in my life—not because I go searching for it, but because I appreciate all that I have.

And that’s the true secret to happiness: don’t look for specific things you think will make you happy. Look around you and recognize what you already have!

Open your senses to the world around you. See how happy you are on a sunny day, a rainy day, the antics of a squirrel or the success of your favorite sports teams; smell how happy you are breathing in the scent of flowers, campfires and babies’ powdered butts make you feel; listen to how happy you are while hearing birds sing, kids laughing and waves lapping at the shore; taste how happy you are with a mouthful of chocolate chip cookies, ice cream or a juicy grilled steak makes you feel.

Feel happy when you paint, stamp, sculpt or write, hug a friend, or hold a child’s hand in yours; feel happy when you’re out on a walk, riding your bike or running with your dog.

Why? Because you can! 

My project today is a piece of altered art. I bought a framed cork board at the thrift store (all of 49 cents) and Mod Podged the frame with tie-dyed designer napkins to give it a surreal "Wonderland" look. Using a piece of Basic Grey patterned paper from the Serendipity stack, I distressed the edges with Tim Holtz inks (Spiced Marmalade, Barn Door, Faded Jeans & Bundled Sage).

The digi image is called Alice and is from Ike's Art, one of the Path of Positivity's regular sponsors. She has the best variety of images! If I had had the room on my project, I would have added the mad Hatter, the chesire KAT and the Rabbit as well!  All these characters are part of Ike's "Alice" series. I colored Alice with Copics and then fussy cut her out. 

Before adhering her to my scene, I cut out parts of some Basic Grey and CTMH papers, using those parts as embellishments to symbolize the red-painted roses for the Queen and a well-traveled world.  More embellishments play up the rabbit's pocket watch as well the key which symbolizes the key to happiness, which in Alice's case ended up being the way back home. I added some sequins and pearls to lend sparkle and shine to my project and it's ready to hang!

You need to think happy thoughts so you can fly high on the magic of happiness (hmm, sounds like I have more inspiration boiling away in my brain, somewhere around the second star to the right maybe?). 

Don’t search for happiness—let it fill you up in all the daily moments of your life.

Your smile will never leave your face!

Want to play with us? Have a positive spin on life and wish to share it? Show us your take on the theme of HAPPINESS at the Path of Positivity Challenge Blog.  It could be a poem, a layout, a canvas, a card, or a simple story you need to tell. This challenge ends July 6!