Happy New Year from the Outlawz

Getting ready to start a new art journal for the New Year. It's out with the old and in with the new! I'll be trying new techniques, using new media and generally learning and soaking up inspiration wherever and whenever it appears.
So of course I had to embellish my new journal to start the inspirational juices flowing. I adhered a strip of metallic ribbon down the center before adding a Copic-colored digi image from one of my new fave companies, Aurora Wings. Isn't she adorable? She's called Mistletoe Fairy and I had fun playing with the shades of green I used for her hair.
I added some flourishes and pearls to the cover after adhering a spray of flowers and a clock sticker (time flies when you're creating). Of course, my sentiment bows its hat to the coming new year: "Out with the Old, In with the New." Every project entered into the Outlawz Greetings Challenge needs to have a sentiment.
Speaking of which, the new challenge this week is Happy New Year! So my project fits in perfectly! You don't have to make cards for the Greeetings challenge at the Outlawz, but your project does need a sentiment. This week our sponsor is Aurora Wings--I just might have to go to her store before the old year winds down!
Kick off 2015 with a fun challenge at the Outlawz!! Other challenges I am entering:
Craft My Life - Anything Goes but NOT a Card
The Cutie Pie Challenge - Anything CUTE and NOT a Card
My Creative Moments - New Somethings
Not Just Cards Challenge Blog - Anything Goes

Friendships Are Golden

I'm meeting a very dear friend I met while in college. We have kept in touch through the years. Her son is one year older than my daughter. We live within twenty minutes of each other.
Lately it seems our lives have become busier, with less time to spend together. So this New Year's eve, we'll meet up, share some memories and laughs, vent our frustrations, cry on each others' shoulders, and then go to our separate homes, each knowing that no matter how much time goes by, our friendship will survive.
I made this card for my friend Janie. Although we didn't grow up together, we matured together, and this image, a Squigglefly December new release from artist James Horvath, pretty much says it all to her. Her friendship warms my heart, and I am so blessed to have it.
After coloring my image, called "Girl Scouts," with Copics, I fussy-cut the girls out and popped them onto a K&Co frame. after embellishing the front, I decided to cut around the edge of the frame, giving my card an interesting edge.
I hope everyone has a good friend in their lives.
You can find "Girl Scouts and more images from James Horvath HERE. Have fun and Happy Holidays!

Outlawz Are Going Non-Traditional this Christmas

Hello my holiday peeps! Time for the last few cards to show off before the big day! This one showcases a lovely image from Digital Delights called Holiday Flippity Felicia and non-traditional Christmas colors. That's the new theme at the Outlawz Greetings challenge. nd Digital Delights is this week's sponsor!
After coloring Felicia, I fussy-cut her and popped her onto a royal blue piece of cardstock. I added lace, ribbon, pearls and snowflake buttons, along with some burgundy colored branches to embellish the heck out of my card.
I think it turned out well!
She's going to my blue-eyed blonde haired granddaughter, whose presents are lying under the Christmas tree as I write. She is he youngest of my five grandkids and they are all the loves of my life.
Need some "me time" during the hectic holiday preparations? I find peace and balance in my craft room. If you like to craft to keep your sanity, play along with the Outlawz Greetings challenge this week. Remember, make a Christmas card with non-traditional colors! See you there!

Kiss Me It's Christmas (almost)!

A while back, Betty of Simply Betty had a birthday bash and offered up a couple freebies on her Facebook page. I managed to snag this lovely and finally got a chance to give her some life.
Her name is "Kiss Me Betty" and I've used her on one of the last Christmas cards of the year. She looked like the type of girl who would like green hair-I think she looks good in green, don't you?
This card is a Z-fold card, with a holiday sentiment inside. I'm finished (I hope) with all my shopping and my cards and groceries (I'm hosting dinner). I just need to get my turkey for the big day!
How about you? Are you exhausted or full of excited energy? Are you finished shopping or just starting?

Have Faith in Your Dreams while on the Path of Positivity

'tis the month for making Christmas gifts, and I created this mixed media canvas for a friend's daughter who has always dreamed of being a musician. Not a music teacher, but a member of an orchestra. She is in her senior year of college, and has been working hard, playing violin and flute, entering contests, winning scholarships, and just this year sending out her portfolio all over the country.
But times, they are difficult, and there isn't a lot of call for violinists or flautists just out of college. She is, of course, taking education courses so that she'll be able to teach, but she still has faith in her dreams.
I do, too. I have watched her grow from a spirited child struggling with the bow to a mature and caring young woman, pouring her heart and soul into her music. I have faith that wherever her path will lead her in life, music will be the biggest part of her journey.
Today's canvas showcases the theme of FAITH, an important part of my life, and the theme for this month's Path of Positivity challenge blog. I used a digital image from Fresh Brewed Designs called Daydreaming. I also used a sentiment from Decosse's Dynamite Doodles, my go-to place for sentiments!

The sponsors and prizes for this challenge are:

• A prize package of a $7 gift certificate to the Pickled Potpourri Designs store (good for any digital product) for the post or project that the DT deems most inspiring of the bunch.
• Three digital images from Fresh Brewed Designs for a person chosen in a random draw based on all entrants.
• One digital image from Creative Bug Digital Stamps for each person chosen as a DT Delight.

There will also be:

• One digital designer paper (made to order in a few different ways) from Décosse's Dynamite Doodles for one lucky voter who leaves a comment.
• One digital sentiment for every single person who enters the challenge.

So, what's your creative take on the theme of Faith? Come show us at the Path of Positivity challenge blog. Everyone can use a boost during this holiday season. Whether you come to share some positivity or to find some, all are welcome!

Happy Holidays to You from Squigglefly

Squigglefly offers this December new release digi image from artist Sandra Caldwell, and I am one lucky duck for getting to play with it!!
He's called "Santa and His Birdie." He is so stinkin' cute.
I colored him with Copics and framed him with a window card. Patterned paper is a piece of leftover from my stash files, along with that sentiment and flower. ut with the old, and in with the new!
Making holiday cards this week? Use a Squigglefly image and enter it in their challenge for your chance to win free digis! Get a freebie HERE.

Sing Along with the Outlawz Greetings challenge This week

Here's my card for this week's newest challenge from the Outlawz Greetings.

The challenge is to use music on your project. I used musical patterned paper to frame my image. It's called Emma the Caroler by this week's sponsor, Fred She Said.
After coloring her with Copics, I fussy-cut her before popping her on my musical patterned paper. I added beautifully-foiled reindeer stickers to my card, along with die-cut snowflakes. I stamped my sentiment, which is required on the Greetings challenges.
There's a lot of inspiration over at the Outlawz-come check us out!
Other Challenges I am Entering:
A Gem of a Challenge - Anything Christmas
The Corrosive Challenge blog - Anything Goes
I Love to Create Challenge blog - Create a Scene
Come & Get It Challenges - Merry Christmas
That Craft Place Challenge blog - Christmas
Imagination Crafts Challenge blog - Anything Goes

Here's Another Card for Bugaboo!

I am in my glory, relaxing and crafting in my favorite room of the house, where all my papers and embellishments are at my fingertips. So I decided to make another card featuring a Bugaboo digi image. This one is called "Reindeer Silhouette Snow Globe."
I colored the image very minimally and fussy-cut the image out, framing it with a homemade red shimmer spray. Bugaboo's Catch the Bug Challenge blog offers another challenge called Stella Says Sketch Challenge. Here's the sketch for this one:

 As you can see, I took a little poetic license with the sketch, but the framed image, framed patterned strip, and sentiment are all there, just skewed a bit. LOL
So, crafters, get your Bugaboo images colored, make a card and join me in the Stella Says Stamp Sketch Challenge #221.

Challenges I am Entering
Come & Get It Challenge - Merry Christmas

Bugaboo Wants to Know if You've Been Naughty or Nice

My card today is for a fabulous friend with a fiendish sense of humor. The image is a digi from Bugaboo called "JJ Christmas Box." I fussy-cut her out after coloring her with Copics, then popped her onto my embellished card. She comes with the sentiment, "I asked Santa for the Sexiest person EVER for Christmas...I woke up in a box!"

I'm almost finished with my Christmas card-making. How about you? If you need to make a few more, head over to the Bugaboo Store for some great images. Then enter your card into their Naughty or Nice Themed Challenge!

Other Challenges I am Entering:
The Corrosive Challenge - Anything Goes
Open-Minded Crafting - Unusual Christmas
Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers - Naughty Christmas
A Gem of a Challenge - Anything Christmas

Emboss or Diecut Your Way toward the new Squigglefly Challenge

Deck the halls with dry embossing, fa-la-la-la-la, la-la, la-la!

You can use any of your diecuts,

Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la, la-la!

Squigglefly is offering prizes,

Fa-la-la, la-la-la, la, la, la!

Post a card and use their digi,

Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la, la-la!

Today I made a card using both embossing and diecuts, although the new challenge only asks you to use one or the other. I also used a Squigglefly image from Cheryl Grant Alger called "Punkin Pick-up." I colored it up with Copics and fussy-cut it. I made my "scene" using an embossed card front of snowflakes, then added a diecut border of pine trees.

I added a Santa hat to the little girl, and finished off my card with a small sentiment sticker. 

Time to play in this week's Squigglefly challenge. Just use a Squigglefly image and embossing or diecuts for your chance to win!

Patterns and Bling Are the Thing at Outlawz Greetings Challenge

Another Monday, another fun challenge at the Outlawz Greetings Challenge! This week crafters are asked to "USE THREE PATTERNED PAPERS AND SOME BLING." My three patterned papers are the background/base layer, the (roller coaster) border of Christmas lights, and the strip of fun colored dots. I blinged my image with a pink Sakura gel pen.
After adding the sentiment, I had this somewhat large "pink space" that begged for embellishments, but not too much or the card would tip into the gaudy awards section. So I used a small pink feather. I have a box of them in all colors that I love finding ways to incorporate on cards.
My image is from this month's Outlawz Greetings sponsor, Lacy Sunshine. The image is called "Coco's Holiday Ornament." I rummaged in my stash of stamped sentiments and found just the right one, I think.
If your patterned paper stash is overflowing, take it down a notch by using three pieces on a card with some bling. Then you can play in the Outlawz Greetings challenge this week!
Challenges I am entering:
The Corrosive Challenge Blog - Anything Goes
Craft Your Passion blog - Non-Traditional Christmas
The 12 Months of Christmas Card Link Up - Christmas cards
lOVE TO cREATE cHALLENGE bLOG - nON-tRADITIONAL hOLIDAY cOLORS

Fave Project Month at SBP!

Have you checked out the new challenge at Your Scrapbook Place? It runs for a month and it started on Monday.

"This challenge is about reminiscing. We have all made cards, scrapbook pages and other crafting items. This isn’t just about paper crafting, anything project you have made. 

The challenge is to pick your favorite crafted item that you made and post a picture of it along with why it’s your favorite. If you posted about your item, then feel free to link that post"

I think my favorite projects are those I made for my son's wedding. From invitations to favors, menus to boutonnieres, ring pillow to wedding card treasure box, I put a lot of time, sweat and love into each  item. 
The wedding was beach-themed and my now daughter-in-law lived and breathed Pinterest and YouTube. I am blessed that my son married a fellow crafter!
One of the wedding gifts I gave her was a Martha Stewart 18x18 Scrapbook with refill pages. She is still filling that puppy up! LOL

 

After the wedding I scored a shadow box frame on clearance and made a montage of wedding photos and memorabilia.

So, these are my fave projects, the things that mark my fave memories. I hope you have some great memories and some favorite projects to share with SBP Challenge blog this month.

Brand New Challenge at the Outlawz Starts Today - Freebie Progressive!

Today I made a card for the grand opening of a new challenge at the Outlawz. It's the new monthly Freebie Progressive Challenge, running from December 1st through the last day of the month, and repeating each month of 2015.
Their first sponsor is Simply Betty Stamps, and does she have a lot of great images to choose from. We all got to use the image above, called Tangled Wednesday, to kick off the new challenge. And guess what? You can too!
The rules are very simple: join the challenge, send them an email to outlawzprogressivechallenge@gmx.com and then enter a project made with the image supplied before 6:00pm Outlawz Time on the last day of the month and you will automatically get the next image free. Now, who doesn't like FREE?!
So, on to my card. The image is, as I wrote, called Tangled Wednesday. I colored her with my trusty Copics, adding a little shine to her image. As she's tangled with Christmas tree lights, I added an over-sized Christmas bulb to the end of her card. My colors didn't photograph well, but they really are all shades of teal.

Having Faith in the Path of Positivity Challenge this month

Today we trip lightly along the Path of Faith. Faith isn't something we can see or touch. It's not something  we can wrap our minds around. Faith is something that you feel in your heart and soul. It is taking that first step without seeing the path. It's trusting that a higher power will see you through. It's letting go of control.
Faith is something I sometimes have difficulty keeping. It's easy to keep when things are going swell. But who in the world has a life without strife? Who hasn't thrown up their hands in anxiety, fear, longing, despair?
That's when it is most difficult but most rewarding to keep the faith-to trust that you will survive, you will thrive, you will triumph.
So when life creates a stumbling block on your path, have faith that you won't trip-and if you do, you will come out on top and reach your journey's end!
Today I made a Christmas card that to me features faith, which is the theme of the Path of Positivity's challenge this month. I used a lovely digi image from Pickled Potpourri called Christmas Candle. I printed and colored the image twice, cutting out the candle and circular sentiment from one so I could add some dimensional tape and give my card depth.
I love the image in its rich simplicity, so I didn't want to overwhelm it with lots of embellishments. I only added a border of sparkly white poinsettias from K&Co. My patterned paper was from DCWV. Of course, I inked the edges of the image and the sentiment with Tim Holtz Distress Ink.
This month's sponsors at the Path of Positivity Challenge blog are Pickled Potpourri and Fresh Brewed Designs.

The sponsors and prizes for this challenge are:

• A prize package of a $7 gift certificate to the Pickled Potpourri Designs store (good for any digital product), from our guest sponsors this month, for the post or project that the DT deems most inspiring of the bunch.
• Three digital images from Fresh Brewed Designs for a person chosen in a random draw based on all entrants.
• One digital image from Creative Bug Digital Stamps for each person chosen as a DT Delight.

There will also be:

• One digital designer paper (made to order in a few different ways) from Décosse's Dynamite Doodles for one lucky voter who leaves a comment.
• One digital sentiment for every single person who enters the challenge.

The blog has featured a guest designer to showcase our sponsors' images. Her name is Sue. Please check out Sue K. from Sue's Paper Crafts and leave her a little love. 

Challenges I am entering:

Corrosive Challenge Blog - Happy Everything
The 12 Months of Christmas card Link Up - Christmas cards

Skipping Tradition with the New Squigglefly Challenge

Today brings a new challenge from Squigglefly, and they want us to show them holiday and seasonal cards that have not one dot of RED or GREEN on them! Gasp! Use non-traditional colors only on your cards and a Squigglefly image and you can play for free digis!

I made a winter card using Squigglefly's "Smooth Sailing"  a digital image from Cheryl Grant Alger. I tried a new design, with an extra fold and a "sloping" top edge. I love the way it looks, both open and closed!
I used Stickles on the edges of my snow hills. The card fits into a standard business envie for easy mailing, too!

Tired of the old red & green color scheme? Try your hand a t a holiday card and have your way with other colors. Use a Squigglefly image and come play in this week's challenge for your chance to win!

Challenges I am Entering:
Imagination Crafts Challenge Blog - Anything Goes

New Challenge at the Outlawz Greetings This Week

Copics dried up? No sharpener for your colored pencils? No worries! Outlawz Greetings challenge this week is for Black-and-White, no coloring on your card!
I thought it was going to be difficult, but it's easy because you don't have to pull out all your papers and inks and embellies to make sure they match or coordinate with each other. Just black and white for a simple yet elegant look!
I used a digi image called "Chubby Snowman" from the Outlawz Greetings Challenge sponsor this week, The Stamping Boutique.
 
I printed my image and colored a few spots with black Copic markers and gave it sparkle with white diamond Stickles. Then I framed it and my sentiment with black cardstock. My patterned papers are from the Paper Studio. I added a few musical notes, snowflakes and a pretty organza bow and mt card is finished. It literally only took about two minutes!
If you haven't tried to create a black-and-white only card yet, try your hand at it. Don't forget to post it on the Outlawz Greetings challenge for your chance to win prizes from our monthly sponsors!

Challenges I am Entering:
Corrosive Challenge Blog - Happy Everything