PagesPat's Ponderings

Monday, April 23, 2018

Thanks from the Heart

I do not like to create round cards. Most of the time they just don't look good. However, this time, I think I have a winner. LOL  Anyway, my printer has been acting up lately. It printed an extra copy of this cute bunny image from Scribbles Designs, so I grabbed whatever leftovers were on my desk and created this for my stash of Thank You cards.  The image is called B Bunny Joy and the sentiment is from Stampin Up.
Challenges I am Entering:
Card Mania - Spring
Crafty Animals - Anything Goes w/an animal
Delicious Doodles - Anything but a Square
Fabrika Fantasy - Any Shape but Square or Rectangle
Sheepski Designs - AnimalMagic

Sunday, April 15, 2018

!2 Months of Christmas Feature the Festive Feline this Month


Ah, the beloved cat! Those curious, sweet, four-legged furry creatures that sit innocently watching the Christmas tree and all those beautiful baubles shining in it. Until those tempting balls of fun drive our lovable but mischievous fur-balls into the heart of the tree to wreak a bit of holiday havoc! And yet, the holidays wouldn't be the same without this family tradition of cat vs. tree. So this month, cats rule and dogs drool.

As you can read from the intro above, the 12 Months of Christmas Challenge Blog is midway through its newest holiday theme of Festive Feline. I've got a new holiday card for you. I got to play with a digi image from my favorite artist, Sue Eisenhower, owner and artist of Ike's Art. My image is called Basket Case, and a picture formed in my head of a cat trying to wait up for Santa but not being very successful. But like a dog who can hear the refrigerator open from across the street, my kitten hears a jingle and peeks its sleepy head up to see where the noise is coming from.

My card is a hybrid mix of hand-colored image and digital papers with one digital element (the cat's cap). How I do this is to print and color my image and take a photo of it. Then I can digitally "fussy-cut" my image onto the digital papers, adding a sentiment. Once I like what I've created, I print my card, backing it onto cardstock (this time with glitter paper as well). Then I can add other embellishments from my stash.


Back to the challenge at the 12 Months of Christmas. In order to have a chance to win the prize from their guest sponsor, Ike's Artyou are asked to create a card that has a CAT as the focal point. You can choose any kind of cat image--wild, domestic, cartooned or something in-between. Whether you want to wish someone Fleas Navidad or hope they have a Pawsome Christmas, it is time to get into a furry mood. 
If you do follow the optional theme, be sure to add FT after your name so that you are included in the draw for the prize.
Of course you don't need to follow the theme to 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 $15 gift certificate to the Ike's Art store.


Challenges I am Entering:
  Show Us Your Pussies Cats Only - Anything Purry Goes
  2 Crafty Critter Crazies - Anything Goes w/a Critter
  Crafty Animals - Anything Goes
  Sheepski Designs - Animal Magic
  Creative Crafters - Anything Goes

Favoring the Feminine Is The Theme at Scribbles Designs

Tropical greetings to you all, crafters! I am building up my stash of Thank You cards and found the perfect image at the Scribbles Store. She's called Carrie Summer Diva and can be found HERE.

This month, the challenge theme over at Scribbles Designs is "Femme Fatale" so if you want a chance to win your choice of free digis at the Scribbles Store, create and link up a card featuring or geared toward women. I went with Carrie Summer Diva because I've been wishing I could hop on a plane and go south (way south). I need to feel sand between my toes and hear waves lapping at the shore. And now that I've finished my card, the call of the tropics is louder and much more clear. (sigh)

In the meantime, enjoy the Spring weather for those of you in the Northern hemisphere. For those of you down under, enjoy the Autumn in all its glory!
Challenges I am Entering:
 Crafts Galore Encore - Always Anything Goes
Crafty Girls Creations - Anything Goes
Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenges - Anything Goes w/patterned paper
DigiStamps4Joy - Bright Colors
Love to Craft - Anything Goes
Naughty or Nice-  Choose a past challenge (Nice #15 Friend)

Sunday, April 8, 2018

Thank You Fairy Much

One of my favorite designers hosts a Progressive Freebie Challenge on Facebook. This month is the second challenge, so in order to start receiving your free digital images, if you haven't already, you'll need to buy April's image from Ike's Art Store, and it's ONLY $1!
I was worried because my printer is on the fritz. I just may have to put him out to pasture, and I am not happy about it. Meanwhile, I can't print out my images to color and craft with, so I am resorting to digital and hybrid cards. The card above is a hybrid. It mixes a watercolor I painted of a toadstool I came across while walking through the woods, with this digitally-colored fairy. Since I can't print out my card to embellish it, I resorted to digital elements to finish off my card.
The nice thing about my hybrid card is that once I get my printer working (or replace him), I can print out several copies of my card, so I'll have a nice little stash of Thank You cards on hand.
Here is what went into my card:
Original watercolor by Pat Martin
Ike's Art Cute Fairy Digital Image
Pixel Scrappers:  A Janner's Leather Strap 003; Janet Scott's Tag Template 002; Sheila Reid's Shine Teal & Gold Butterfly; Tina Shaw's Puffy Paint Tiny Butterflies Scatter, and MLD's Hollister String.
Font: LD Handwritten Greetings

Tuesday, April 3, 2018

Friends Outshine a Dreary Day

I am well on my way to building a healthy stash of Thank You cards. My latest features an image from Lizzie Love, creator and owner of Oddball Art. I have a handful of images from her store and plan on adding to my "inventory." as I love Lizzy Love and her  girls!
I just discovered her challenge blog, and while my card doesn't conform to this month's challenge,it is optional, so I just had to show this one off. My image is called Image 12 (I think I may need to talk to Lizzie about giving her girls real names - don't you think this one would be nice if called "Sitting Pretty?).
Anyway, I plunged my hands into my stash, and came upon this embossed flower frame, which I gently swiped with a burnt orange stamp pad. I had in mind the metallic orange paper for the background, so then I colored my girl with Copics, placed her onto the metallic paper and framed her with the die-cut.
The color of the framed paper didn't go well with my other vivid color, so I used adhesive-backed jewels to give her a shiny showcase. Since she's looking off to the side, I gave her something to focus on, my butterfly, and then adhered to entire scene to yellow glitter paper for the background.
My sentiment came from a card kit (long pulled apart) and colored up to go with my color scheme. I don't normally like to use orange and yellow, especially together, but I like the pairing on my card. How about you?
Challenges I am Entering:
Oddball Stamps - optional Messy & Sketchy
Artistic Inspirations - Anything Goes
Dream Valley - Dry Embossing
Get Creative - No Patterned Papers
Addicted to Stamps - Thank You

Ike's World Challenge Blog Springs Forward with a Photo Inspiration Theme

This month Ike's World Challenge blog is offering a photo inspiration theme. It is beautifully Springtime colored, which, after over another three inches of snow a few weeks ago in Chicago, is a sight for sore eyes.
I have pulled those welcoming colors from the photo into my own card, using one of Ike's FREEBIES on her cat-themed "Show Us Your Pussies" challenge blog. It's called "Smiling Cat", and I think it's adorable.
I colored her with Copics, then used a gel pen to draw some designs on her body. The background paper is from my stash, which means I have no idea where it came from, but it seems the perfect embodiment of Spring. A few well-placed embellishments and a bow finishes off my Springtime birthday card.
Now that I have a nice stash of get well cards, thanks to my card-swapping club, I'm trying to build up my birthday card pile. The next theme for the club is shaker cards. Don't be surprised if you see them on the blog soon...
Meanwhile, you have the whole month to create a Springtime card inspired by the photo above. Don't forget to link up what you created with Ike's World Challenge Blog. One lucky winner will receive a gift certificate to Ike's Art Shop. Good luck and happy crafting!

Challenges I am Entering:
Always Fun Challenges - Happy Birthday
Angie's Digital Stamps -Optional Buttons and/or Bows (I used both)
Creative Fingers - Anything Goes
A Gem of a Challenge - Female Birthday
Show Us Your Pussies - Anything CAT Goes

Monday, April 2, 2018

Sparkle n Sprinkle Sponsors the Path of Positivity

This month on the Path of Positivity the theme calls for PASTELS as far as color scheme goes. Now, I'm sure you are wondering what could be positive about the death of a furry family member. I think the sentiment tells it all. 
Pets are heaven-sent, a gift for us to cherish and to be cherished. Our family has only offered a home to our Wilson for almost three years now, but even to think of losing him sends tears to my eyes. And yet, since the death of my husband last year, my daughter and I have a new appreciation of the cycle of life and death.
We have learned to live in the moment, savoring each happy memory and continuing to make new ones, regardless of the stress and strife of every day life. There will always be loss along the path, but we must continue on until we each come to the end of our own. How much happier that path is to have known, loved, been loved and made memories with companions throughout it all.
My neighbor has had a rough year. She lost her oldest pup, Posie, at the start of the New Year. Just last month, her dear Rocky lost his battle with diabetes. I wanted to show her that we are praying for her in her time of loss, and she can count on us whenever she needs anything.
SPARKLE N SPRINKLE is this month's guest sponsor, and I used Pet Sympathy digi Set to create my card. The set comes with a few sentiments, as well as black-line and pre-colored cat and dog images.  I colored my own image with Copics, using one of the offered sentiments.
Of course, PASTELS is an OPTIONAL theme. But...
If you do follow the optional theme, be sure to add FT after your name so you are included in the draw for the prize for Most Inspirational. We'd also love to find out how this month's color palette makes you feel, if you'd like to share that with us. What kinds of feelings do PASTEL colors bring out in you? You can write a sentence or two in the body of your post, write a sentence at the bottom of your post next to the link up for this challenge, or simply leave a comment on the challenge post of the main blog if you'd like. 

Remember, in order to be considered eligible for this month's 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 $15 gift certificate from Sparkle N Sprinkle, our guest sponsor this month. You only need to follow the theme if you want a chance to win an additionally-sponsored prize of a $15 gift certificate also from Sparkle N Sprinkle, for the project chosen as Most Inspiring.



  Whether you choose to create with the theme of PASTELS or not, don't forget to link your art to the Path of Positivity Challenge Blog before the end of April for your chance to win a gift certificate to the Sparkle n Sprinkle Store! Good luck and happy crafting!
Challenges I am Entering:
Crafting with Friends - ANything Goes



Sunday, April 1, 2018

Bunnies Are Hopping at Scribbles Designs Challenge Blog

Hoppy Easter, crafters! I have a fun Easter card for my granddaughter today. I used a couple digital images from Scribbles Designs for my card, which fits perfectly with their challenge this month - "Bunny Hop."
The images are #F 113 Bunny (free) and #F111 Easter Egg 3, both offered at the Scribbles Store for FREE, and #648 Heart Tulips. The background paper is from Krysty Scrap Designs, Boring Evening Paper 02, which I printed twice, and cut a bit smaller for the top layer. I embellished simply with a scattering of stars from Pixel Scrapper Pauline Thompson's Glitter Scatter 2.
Each Scribbles Designs Challenge starts on the 15th of every month and goes until the 14th of the next month, so you have another two weeks to create a card featuring a bunny with your image, your paper or your embellishments, and link it to the Challenge Blog for your chance to win free digis from the Scribbles Store.
Meanwhile, enjoy the day!

Challenges I am Entering:
 Brown Sugar - Spring or Easter

Sasayaki Glitter Sponsoring Your Scrapbook Place - No Fooling!

Happy Easter, crafters! And for those of you with a touch of the devil in them, Happy April Fools' Day! Today starts a new challenge at Your Scrapbook Place Challenge Blog. One of my favorite Designers is sponsoring this month's challenge - Sasayaki Glitter!
I got to play with this cute image called Ellie the Dancing Elephant. As I am trying to build up my stash of thank you cards, I thought this would make the grade. After coloring Ellie with Copics, I popped her onto a wooden scalloped frame painted with olive green acrylic paint. A scallop die-cut circle frames that, and both go onto patterned papers. I found  my sentiment in my stash (along with everything else this card was created with), and finished the card off with a couple jewels and a sweet butterfly so ellie wouldn't get lonely.
You have all month to create and link up your project at Your Scrapbook Place Challenge Blog, where one lucky winner will receive a prize from this month's sponsor, Sasayaki Glitter.

Good luck and enjoy the day!
Challenges I am Entering:
Brown Sugar - Spring or Easter (Spring)
QKR Stampede - Anything Goes
SumMoreFun - Mood Board (I was inspired by the delicious pastels in the photos)