PagesPat's Ponderings

Friday, March 23, 2018

From the Whole Flock

This month I am focusing on birthday cards, and when I saw the sentiment offered at the Scribbles Design Store, I knew I had to use it on my next card. It's called #0168 WP HBFlock ($1.50) and you can find it HERE. I found the cute little bird image, called #F 74 Spring Bird, as a FREEBIE on the Scribbles Designs Challenge Blog! 
After coloring my little birdie, I took a photo of her and then used Photoshop to digitally multiply her into a whole flock of little birdies bathing in the sunshine along the beach. The beach is actually at Clearwater, Florida. My son and his family live in Florida now and my DIL takes the loveliest photos, so I made it into background scenery for my card.
I cut this out and placed it onto some rainbow patterned paper from Decosse's Dynamite Doodles (Sea patterned paper from “Chasing Rainbows” Paper Kit), I  framed each of these with Decosse's Textured Paper #2 from “Mommie Dearest” Paper Kit and Gold paper from “A Grungy Christmas” paper kit.
I embellished simply with some shimmery ric rac and a few tear-shaped jewels. I thought the waves could use a little shine as well, so I used Diamond Stickles to "catch" the sun's light.Of course, I couldn't help but ink the edges of most of my papers, too. I love ink...

Challenges I am Entering:
2 Crafty Critter Crazies - Anything w/a critter goes
Always Happy Birthday - Anything Birthday Goes w/optional pp
Animal Friends - Spring (must have animal)
Crafty Animals - Anything Goes

  



Thursday, March 15, 2018

Every-bunny Hop on Over to Scribbles Designs Challenge Blog

Time again for a new challenge at Scribbles Designs Challenge Blog. The theme this month is "BUNNY HOP." There are several cute and whimsical images at the Scribbles Store that tickle my tail, but the one  I chose to create with is probably my favorite. It's called Bunny Joy
After printing and coloring my bunny, I kept a large portion of the white cardstock with which to frame him. I almost always fussy-cut my images; honestly, this is as far as my CAS style goes. I placed him on patterned paper, added a border of  glittery ric rac, and topped it with a bow.
My eyes hurt to see all that white space, so I tossed a few jeweled flowers on to break it up.
So as far ass the challenge at Scribbles Designs goes, every-bunny should have a BUNNY featured on their cards. Let's HOP to it, because I can't wait to see your projects!
HOPPY crafting - I'll see you there!

Wednesday, March 7, 2018

Laughter is the Best Medicine

After many months being unable to leave the house for a long period of time, I have rejoined my card swapping group. The theme for the month was "Get Well" cards, so I created 20 of them with one of my favorite images from Bugaboo, Chicken Soup.
I adore the chicken sitting in its own pot of soup, ready to minister to the sick. I think she's one feather short of a working brain. If you can't read my sentiment, it's:
"Heard you weren't feeling well.
It's never a good idea to self-medicate.
Just saying."
I feel that laughter is the best medicine, and besides, I love to create a funny/punny card. Evidently, so do a lot of people. Everyone at the club meeting adored them! It feels good to say, "I'm ba-ack!"
So, every thing on my card was pulled from my stash. Those tiny red flowers actually came from my girlfriend's mom, who moved into an assisted living residence and gifted me with her craft supplies  last year. I had bought the jeweled flowers in bulk who knows when, and am still working on that stash.And I guess I have a fear of running out of paper, because if I never buy another piece of paper for the next two years, it would not affect my crafting at all (pitiful, isn't it?). I need to join Paperholics Anonymous!

Challenges I am Entering:
Catch the Bug - Anything Goes
Use Your Stuff - Anything Goes
2 Crafty Critter Crazies - Anything Goes with a Critter
Crafting Circle - Anything Bugaboo Goes

That's all for today.  Happy crafting!


Tuesday, March 6, 2018

Your Scrapbook Place Marches on with Paper Nest Dolls

Welcome to a new month and a new challenge at Your Scrapbook Place challenge blog. It's always Anything Goes, and this month the guest sponsor is Paper Nest Dolls. I got to create with a pretty image called Amara with Lily. 
After digitally coloring her, I popped her onto a photograph I took in my backyard. A monarch butterfly decided to "hang out" for a little snack in our flower garden, so I grabbed my camera and got a few nice photos.
The bow is from Pixel Scrappers,and the font I use is called Papyrus.
What will you create this month? Whatever you do, have fun! And don't forget to link it  up at Your Scrapbook Place!!

Shades of Yellow on the Path of Positivity Challenge Blog This Month

What kinds of thoughts and feelings do you have of when you think about the color yellow? For some, the different colors of yellow bring thoughts of warmth, light, happiness, remembrance and hope. Did you know that the sunflower is the official symbol of ALS? After my husband passed away, my daughter got a sunflower tattoo on her ankle in her dad's memory.

For others, the color yellow can evoke thoughts of sickness, weakness or jealousy. Too much yellow disturbs calmness in others, especially babies. Infants cry more in rooms painted yellow (weird but true).

Yellow gemstones are believed to boost confidence and clarity in making decisions. I'll have to remember that the next time someone wants to buy me a diamond ring (make it a yellow one, honey).

Today I get to show how shades of yellow inspire me by creating a birthday card. I think yellow is a bright and cheerful color to celebrate a birthday. I've used a pre-colored image from Imagine That's "Giraffe with Butterflies" set. The background is a photo my gf's daughter took while doing missionary work in Cambodia. See that bridge behind my image? She helped build that! 

Imagine That is one of two sponsors for the Path of Positivity challenge blog, whose optional theme this month is SHADES OF YELLOW. If you follow this theme, be sure to add FT after your name so that you are included in the draw for the prize for Most Inspirational. They'd also love to find out how this month's color makes you feel. What kinds of feelings does the color YELLOW evoke in you? Simply leave a comment on the challenge post at the Path of Positivity, or mention it in your own post.

Of course, in order to be considered eligible for any prizes, ALL creations must be positive, inspirational, motivational or encouraging in some nature. You don't need to follow the optional theme if you simply want to have a chance at the Random Draw prize of a $10 gift certificate from Limited Runs, the other guest sponsor this month. You only need to follow the theme if you want a chance to win a $10 gift certificate to Imagine That Store for the project chosen as Most Inspiring.

And Mercy Maud, don't forget to link up your fabulous creation with the main blog! I want to see what you created! Happy crafting!

It's Movie Madness at Ike's World Challenge Blog


Hello, crafters! It's a new month and a new challenge at Ike's World Challenge Blog! The optional theme is MOVIE MADNESS. What's your favorite movie? My favorite grown-up movie is Groundhog Day, with Hidden Figures and the Harry Potter series coming in second and third. My favorite children's movies are Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (I just love the chocolate room) and Peter Pan. Since I seem to gain weight just looking at chocolate, I thought it was safer to be inspired by the "boy who never grew up." Besides, Ike has a really great image of him, as well as Tink and Wendy. I can't wait to see if she'll add Captain Hook to her collection!
I have been using photographs as backgrounds in quite a few of my cards lately. This is a Nightscape of Puerto Rico taken by my daughter-in-law (CamiT Photography). When I printed out the photograph, my printer heads were acting up, but as a crafter, I can use a  mistake to my advantage (sometimes). So when I saw these pinkish lines in my sky, I decided to use Diamond Stickles lightly over them to add a little sparkle to the magic of the night.
I could have stopped with the first part of the sentiment, but I like to leave them laughing. That's why I added the "just Google it" sign on the bottom. Hey, if Google can direct you to swim from London to New York City, I'm sure flying to Neverland should be no problem for them...
While this is an optional theme at Ike's World Challenge Blog,I would love to see what movie inspires your crafting this month. Will it be a romantic comedy, an action film or a thriller? I'll keep an eye out for your project! Just don't forget to link it up at the main blog!!
Challenges I am Entering:
Creates & Makes - Anything Goes
Cards in Envy - Green Things
Get Creative - Fantasy or Mythical
Crafters' Castle -Anything Goes w/ optional Fave Technique (torn paper)
Createful Heart Design - Anything Family-friendly Goes w/optional Green or Shamrock


Thursday, March 1, 2018

Have a Beary Sweet Christmas at the 12 Months of Christmas Challenge Blog

I remember my first teddy bear. It was cinnamon-colored, and half my height (at the time). I was four, and I promptly named her Cinnamon, Cindy for short (very original, huh?). My bear and I had many adventures together, sharing secrets and laughing and sometimes crying, but always hugging each other. And one day, she was just another stuffed animal, and I had grown on to other things, other friends, other adventures. But I still have the fondest memories of my Cindy bear, which inspired me to create my DT card today for the 12 Months of Christmas Challenge blog..

My card features images from an Imagine That! DigiStamps Set called Beary Merry Christmas. One of my images is Copic-colored, and the other two are pre-colored. Can you tell which one? LOL

I used some lovely papers from Decosse's Dynamite Designs, including the set of papers made especially for this month's challenge: A Beary Sweet Christmas Paper Kit, Christmas Bear w/sock; It's Ornamental Paper Kit, Green Balls patterned paper; Glitterati Paper Kit in Gold; Heartland Paper Kit, Green Hearts; December Delights Paper Kit, Deck the Halls 1

I added the following element from Decosse's as well: Mommie Dearest Mini Kit, Bow 3 and Red Brad (?).
Both are sponsors for this challenge:

Sponsor and Prize Info for this challenge:  
  • Guest Sponsor:  Imagine That Digistamp (ITD)
  • Guest Sponsor bio: 
Imagine That Digistamp is a 'family-friendly' shop that caters to card-makers and scrapbookers alike! All stamp sets that include an outline for you to color also include a digitally pre-colored version for quick & easy crafting. We also offer many digital paper packs, kits/bundles, Word Art, Alphabets, Chalkboard Art, and free Blogwear. What will YOU imagine?

We also invite you to join in our monthly Creative Link-Up! If you use an image from Imagine That Digistamp on your project (and follow the other rules), you earn a featured set for the month. All entries following the rules* earn a chance at a $10 gift certificate to the store! We'd love for you to come over and join us!    
Picture

*In order to have a chance to win the prize from our guest sponsor, we want you to create a card that has a BEAR as the focal point. You can choose to use any kind of bear image--whether real, cartooned or of the teddy bear variety. If you do follow the optional theme, be sure to add FT after your name so that we include you in the draw for the prize.
BUT, that you don't need to follow the theme to link up your cards and earn a free paper each month or for a chance to win the featured paper set. You only need to follow the theme if you want a chance to win this month's sponsored prize of...

 a $10 gift certificate to the Imagine That Digistamp store.

  • Additional Sponsor: Décosse's Dynamite Doodles
  • Prize being offered: One free digital paper to everyone who links up a minimum of two cards to the challenge. Cards can be anything goes for this prize, they only have to follow the theme if they want a chance at the sponsor's prize. The mini set of six digital papers called A Beary Sweet Christmas, will also be offered up as a prize to one random winner.
  • Link:  As I don't have a store, you can simply link to my personal blog--http://decossesdynamitedoodles.blogspot.ca
http://decossesdynamitedoodles.blogspot.ca/

That's all for now! I can't wait to see what you've created when I check out the links at the 12 Months of Christmas Challenge blog! Have a beary crafty time!

Challenges I am Entering:

Scribbles Goes for Green This Month

We're at the midway point of Scribbles Designs challenge this month. The theme is Go for Green, so I chose the brightest piece of cardstock I could pull out of my stash.
I colored up a gorgeous doodle image from the Scribbles Store. It's called Peekaboo. I colored it with Copics, coloring past the edges so I could highlight them with white gel pen dots before cutting my image out and popping it on the cardstock.
I liked the white  dots so much I went around the edges of the green cardstock as well. Of course, then I had to do the same with my sentiment but in blue.
I framed it all with blue cardstock and popped it onto a DCWV card from my stash. A few adhesive=backed pearls and a chipboard button and my card is complete. The inside of my card reads: "I hopes it's a purr-fect one"
There are two weeks left to create something green and link it up with Scribbles Designs challenge blog for your chance to win digis from the Scribbles Store. Good luck and happy crafting!

Paper Nest Dolls Sponsors Your Scrapbook Place Challenge Blog

This month Paper Nest Dolls is sponsoring the challenge at Your Scrapbook  Place and the theme is always ANYTHING GOES.  You will receive an extra entry if you use any Paper Nest Doll's images on your creation. You can check out all of their beautiful images, both stamps and digi stamps, by clicking below.    

As a DT member, I got to play with this cutie of a digi,  Amara with Lily. Right now, we are enjoying an early Spring day - temps reached 62 degrees F - in Chicago!  Three days ago the high was in the 30's. Go figure. But I'm not complaining. In fact, the weather inspired me to create this card. The background is a photo I took in my front yard last summer.

Hope you have time to link up your card at Your Scrapbook Place Challenge Blog this month! Happy crafting and good luck!