Pixel Scrappers Winter Fun Freebie

Every year I choose a goal that will guide me throughout the months. This year I strive to EXPAND my knowledge, my experiences, my contributions, my creativity. While my craft room back has been out of bounds during construction on the house, I have been learning and practicing my digital creativity, with help from my creative friend Lisa of Decosse's Dynamite Doodles, as well as PixelScrapper.com.
Lisa owns several blogs besides her personal crafting blog. They are The Path of Positivity Challenge Blog and The 12 Months of Christmas Link-Up Blog.
Pixel Scrapper is a free website that offers registered guests free digital elements, papers, tutorials, etc. One of the amazing things they offer is a monthly BLOG TRAIN filled with tons of free digital mini-kits through a Blog Hop. This is offered EVERY MONTH!
This month the theme is Winter Fun, and I created a Mini Kit with four papers and four journal cards. You can download it by clicking the button below. To snag the rest of the kits, check out the Pixel Scrapper website and register. Every day you will receive credits for free elements, word art, papers, templates, etc. There are forums, challenges and tutorials. Specifically, look for the Blog Train forum conversation and my link as well as many many others will be there for the taking, absolutely free. Now who doesn't like FREE?
My credits for the resources used to create my papers, as well as my Terms of Use, are in the zip file. Please adhere to them when using my papers and journal cards. And as you an see in my sidebar, I LOVE comments, so let me know if you like the kit.
Happy Crafting!

Musically-Inclined at the Outlawz Monday Greetings Challenges

Greetings, crafters! A new challenge is starting today at the Outlawz Monday Greetings and the theme is Music. I  created a card for my true love--we'll be married 40 years in September, so I used the song Thousand Years sung by Christina Perri. You can listen to it HERE.
This week, Decosse's Dynamite Doodles sponsors the challenge, and I got to play with some patterned paper from Lisa's Familiar Refrain Patterned Paper Kit. I used a golden overlay from Krysty Designs before framing my card face with black cardstock. I used another Decosse paper from her A Grungy Christmas Textured Paper Kit to print out a couple lines from the song that inspired me, cutting it out and making it my focal point. A bit of lace and a charm were added as simple embellishments and mt card is finished.
I love plying with papers from Decosse's Dynamite Doodles so much that I made a second card.

This time I created a 100% digital canvas/card using the same patterned paper from Lisa Decosse along with images from Happy Trails, a digital set by Dee Anderson of Dee Dee's Digis and embellishments from the following Pixel Scrapper designers:

Melo Vrijhof’s Thankful Harvest Elements, Rope 2 and

 Pauline Thompson’s Star Brad 7

My sentiment includes a couple lines from an old camp song in Black Betty Font.

Another sponsor this week is Bloobel with its quirky and funny images. My card above showcases an image called Birdy in a Tree. Teal is my go-to color, so I tend to grab papers and embellishments that coordinate in the many shades of teal. This will go to one of the several young women who have been graduated this year.
Finally (yes, I have been busy!) I created a calendar page for my desktop calendar.

I colored up another Bloobel image, Flootiful, and paired her with 4th of July embellishments.

My daughter was born on the 4th of July, and for years she thought she was very special because there were parades, carnivals and fireworks for her birthday. She is very special, because she has grown up to be a caring, generous and intelligent young woman. Happy Birthday, Wendy!!

Challenges I am Entering:

Dream Valley Challenges - Colors of your flag (USA-red, white & blue)

Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes

Marker POP challenges - Let's Celebrate

What's on your playlist? What will inspire you to create with the theme of music in mind this week? Whatever you create, don't forget to link up at the Outlawz Monday Greetings challenge for your chance to win! And as always, have FUN!

Celebrate Independence at Ike's World Challenges Blog

Today I created a hybrid layout for my DT make at Ike's World Challenges Blog. Hybrid projects mix hand-crafting with digital design. I hand-colored images from Ike's Art, fussy-cut them, and added in a mix of photos to make a 21st birthday page of my daughter.I thought it was perfect for the theme of "Be Independent" as Wendy was born on the 4th of July, 1995. That's right, my baby girl is 21!!  

I tried to encompass her journey from little tyke to young woman, and I am proud that I am her mom. Happy Birthday, my love!

Here's what went into my layout:

Digital Images (colored with Copics): Ike’s Art New Baby, My Teddy, Teenager

Papers: Decosse’s Dynamite Doodles’ Glitterati Glitter Pink Paper; Pixel Scrapper Melo Vrijhof’s Painted Papers Flowers

Elements: (PixelScrappers) Sharon Grant’s It’s a Girl Thing Frame Cluster02; Pauline Thompson’s Masculine 2 Clock & Star Brad 7; Ania Archer Art of Every Day Heart Scatter; Janet Scott’s Toolbox Calendar Metal Fireworks Doodle; Elif Sahin’s Christmas Day Elements Washi Tape 1
Now it's your turn. You have another week for the Be Independent challenge over at Ike's World Challenges Blog. What are you waiting for?! LOL

Someone Stole My Heart

I am finally branching out in my digital crafting and creating scrapbook layouts in Photoshop. No more hundreds upon hundreds of photos on my laptop lying dormant and un-scrapped until I get "the time" to spend a few hours and crop!
This is my newest page, showcasing one of my newest grandchildren. Jonathan is now 8 months old, and I don't want to get too far behind! Now I can spend some time getting more proficient in Photoshop and get photos scrapped at the same time. It's a win-win situation!
Here's what went into my page:

Papers:

Pixel Scrapper Merisa Lerin Egyptian Quick Page 42

Decosse’s Dynamite Doodles Grungy Christmas Textured Paper Red

Elements:

Pixel Scrappers Janet Scott, Rustic Charm Heart Scatter; Marisa Lerin Birthday Flair 4

Font:

The Hungry JPeg, Leathery Soft Font

Anything Goes at Craft Your Passion

Another Monday, another new challenge from Craft Your Passion. The challenges are always Anything Goes, so the sky's the limit. For my DT make, I had fun playing in Adobe Photoshop, where I created this 100% digital card. Now that my sister lives overseas, the postage to send a handmade card, especially the chunky ones I so love to make, is exorbitant!
Enter the digital card, which can be attached to an email. Believe me, creating a digital card takes as much time as making a paper-crafted card. But now my sister gets a card a week, every time I email her.
My card uses a digital image from this week's sponsor, Lacy Sunshine. The image is called Marguerite Daisy Flower from the Pot Pretties Collection. Isn't she sweet? My granddaughter would be ecstatic if there were a whole world of flower fairies that she could visit with. I colored her in Photoshop, then placed her onto a background scenery paper from the Boring Evening Collection from Krysty Scrap Designs. After framing my card face with papers from Decosse's Dynamite Doodles, I added a few elements to embellish my card, then added my sentiment.
Come join us in our newest Anything Goes challenge at Craft Your Passion.

Challenges I am Entering:

2 Crafty Girls - Anything Goes

4 Crafty Chicks - Make a Scene

Cards 4 Galz - Springtime

Crafting with an Attitude - Anything Goes

Cre8tive Hand Friends challenges - Anything Goes

Digitally Sweet challenges - Fantasy (flower fairy)

Graceful Living

Welcome to a new challenge at the Path of Positivity challenge blog. This month we are celebrating GRACE. Grace is an attitude, a way you act, or react, to any given situation. Grace can be achieved with practice, with patience, and with compassion. Grace can lift spirits from a depressing day, a stressful event, even an overwhelming disappointment. It can turn a life around, as my sentiment reads. We should all practice to live gracefully-the world would be a much nicer, more peaceful place in which to live.
The challenge has two sponsors this month, Pickled Potpourri 

and Decosse's Dynamite Doodles

I used an assortment of papers and elements from Decosse's Dynamite Doodles:
 Acts That Can Change Lives set- sentiment 2
 Mommy Dearest Collection- Doilies Pack: Doily 1,2 & 3; Textured Paper Pack: Texture 9; Buttons,  Bows, Brads Pack: Button 5
 Cotton Candy Collection- Tag Grab Bag 1: Flower 6, Leaf Spray
 Glitterati Paper Pack- Purple glitter paper
...as well as elements from other digital resources:
from Pixel Scrapper Marisa Lerin- Pretty Things Elements Pack- Scatter, Butterfly 18; from Janet Scott- Christmas Day Glitter Dot Swirl; from  Elif Sahin- Ribbons #7 Templates, Ribbon template #6
All of these digital elements and papers came together to create my DT card for the new challenge. Some crafters do not appreciate the time and energy that goes into making a digital card or layout. I love hybrid and digital cards because I can store them easily, and I can print them to send out to family and friends. I can even email cards to my sister who now lives in Germany (postage across the world is SO expensive).
I hope soon that there will be more challenge blogs that accept hybrid and digital creations. Meanwhile, the Path of Positivity challenge blog accepts any and all creations of a positive nature, and this month the positive theme is GRACE. What can you create this month?

Loads of Laughs at Ike's World Challenge Blog

Avast, matie! Thar be a new challenge at Ike's World Challenge Blog, and we've hit the midway point. No, it's not Pirate week! The theme is to "Make Us Laugh." While my Lady Pirate from Ike's Art is not funny in and of herself, the sentiment I used should qualify.
My project is a hybrid canvas. I hand-drew and colored my background, colored my image with Copics, fussy cut her and placed her onto my background. Then I used my improving digital skills in Photoshop to add a few elements to give the scene more life, like the boat (element 25, Boring Evening Elements 1 Pack, Krysty Scrap Designs) and fence (Our House Elements 1 Pack, Rucola Designs by Ildi Geist). The treasure chest is an altered project I created for my son's beach-themed wedding almost 3 years ago.
I framed my canvas with blue textured paper from Grungy Christmas Paper Pack, Decosse's Dynamite Doodles, and Glitter Overlay 3 Kit and patterned paper 09, Dead or Alive Paper Pack,   Krysty Scrap Designs.
Now tickle your funny bone and join in the fun at Ike's World Challenge blog this week for your chance to win free digis! Whatever you create, have fun!

Challenges I am Entering:

A Beautiful Mess challenge blog - Anything Goes
Craft for the Craic - Anything but a Card (hybrid canvas)
Digitally Sweet challenges - Fantasy
Morgan's Artworld challenges - For the Men
The Stamping Boutique - Masculine
{Pin}spirational Challenges - Inspiration photo

When Holidays Collide

While shopping the clearance aisle for Easter supplies for next year, I was reminded of how stores put out their Christmas stock about the same time as Halloween. When I was growing up, we were appalled when the stores dared to sell Christmas items before Thanksgiving! So my imagination, always active, took the holiday mix and the movie Nightmare Before Christmas and created today's card. The image is from Sandra Caldwell, and the papers and elements are from Decosse's Dynamite Doodles.

Challenges I am Entering:

Fab & Funky challenges - Christmas
Try It On Tuesdays - Add a Quote

Keep the Christmas Spirit All Year Through

We;re coming into the home stretch now. How is your stash of Christmas cards piling up? Ready to mail out now? I have loads of cards, some I can mail out like this digital card, nice and flat and only needing one stamp. Others are a bit chunkier, and will be handed out to family, friends and co-workers. It's been a wonderful year, and I am so thankful to have been asked to join the DT at the 12 Months of Christmas Link Up challenge blog.
This month's theme is "Sparkle, Sparkle, Everywhere" and who better to sponsor the challenge than the glitterati of sparkle itself, Sparkle N Sprinkle. In order to have a chance to win the prize from our wonderful guest sponsor this month, we want to see a Christmas or other holiday card that has lots of sparkle and shine on it. Here is your chance to grab your glitter, sparkles and other forms of bling and get to it! 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.
Remember, you don't need to follow the theme to link up your cards and earn a free paper each month, and have your name thrown into the year end draw for some extra digital goodies. 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 Sparkle N Sprinkle store.

I decided to use a non-Christmas-themed image. I love mixing things up like that. I chose a darling little mermaid called Darien, and imagined how she would get ready for Christmas. Presents, of course, for her underwater besties and perhaps some ornament-laden coral as well. I love how she made her sandy floor sparkle (with a little help from Decosse's Dynamite Doodles' Gold patterned paper from the new Glitterati Paper Pack). There's as much shimmer and shine below the water as there is above it.
Along with my holiday-minded mermaid, I used the following:

Papers: Decosse’s Dynamite Doodles “Glitterati” Paper Kit, Gold & Blue; Marta Van Eck's “Winter Scene” Paper Kit

Elements: Sparkle n Sprinkle digital image “Southern Santa” (presents)

Rucola Designs “Dead or Alive” Collection: Stars

Decosse’s Dynamite Doodles “It’s Ornamental” Paper Kit, Green Balls (ornaments)
So let's see some shiny Christmas spirit on your cards this month as we get ready to send out all the cards we've created throughout the year. Happy crafting!

• 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 Glitteratti Set 1, 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-- 

Challenges I am Entering:
Crafty Calendar challenges - Sparkle, Bling & Embellish
Left of Center Creative challenges - Sparkle
If You Give a Crafter a Cookie - Photo Inspiration (I loved the subtle blues, greens and frosty shimmer of the photo. I added a little red to the mix, but the shimmer and colors make up the bulk of my project)

CraftyHazelnut's Extra Christmas challenge - Any Christmas card

Not Much Time Before Christmas

So, with Christmas closing in on us (especially at the stores), how is your pile of Christmas cards coming along? I just created this card and am well on my way to having all my cards ready to mail out before Thanksgiving (yay me).
The new theme at the Outlawz Greetings challenges will help you on your mission. The theme is to make a Christmas card. Our guest sponsor, Decosse's Dynamite Doodles, has a fantastic offering of digital papers, elements and sentiments. You don't have to create a digital card to use them--you can print them out and color, cut and paste, too.
I am learning how to create digital cards in Photoshop, so my card is 100% digital. I got to play with Decosse's lovely papers from the Familiar Refrains collection. I framed each panel with her textured cardstock from the Christmas Grunge paper pack.The bows came from her Mommie Dearest collection, and the green frame around my sentiment is called Holiday Hoopla Square Frame. I used a sentiment from Decosse's Holiday Hoopla Word Art collection.     .
Whether you create with paper and ink, or go the digital path, link up your card with us at the Outlawz Monday Greetings for your chance to win prizes. As an added bonus, Lisa Decosse co-owns the 12 Months of Christmas Link-Up blog, where sharing links to two Christmas cards a month nets you a free digital paper, and if you follow the optional theme, a chance to win sponsor prizes!
Enjoy a merry season of crafting!

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

April brings many things, like longer days, crocuses blooming, birdsong in the early morning, and rain showers. Along with showers come rainbows. I have been very lucky to witness many rainbows where I live. When I see them I turn into a kid again, standing with my mouth open in wonder and awe at the beauty imprinted on the sky.
I created my card using two digital papers from Decosse's Dynamite Doodles. Lisa has a delicious assortment of papers, embellishments and sentiments, and I used a couple to create my card today for the Outlawz Greetings challenge. The theme this week is April Showers and/or Rainbows.
I chose a textured cardstock and a patterned paper for my project. After printing my sentiment (inspired by the movie Wizard of Oz, the song Somewhere Over the Rainbow) straight onto the papers in Photoshop, I colored up a couple cute birds from the Fred She Said set called Emma the Caroler. I fussy-cut them and popped them onto my scene. Then I had my way with the embellishments I had left on my desk from a previous project. Here are the papers I chose for this card:
DDD Colors of the Rainbow Collection,
From the Textured Paper Pack: Wine
From the Patterned Paper Pack: Sea
I hope you get a chance to visit Lisa's blog to see the wonderful papers and products she creates, as well as the Outlawz Greetings challenge this week. Follow the theme of April Showers or Rainbows and remember to put a sentiment on the frontt of your project, and you'll be in the running for some awesome prizes!

Other Challenges I am Entering:

Crafting When We Can - Based on a Song (Somewhere Over the Rainbow)
Ike's Art World Challenges - Something with Wings
Krafty Hands - Nature's Work
Not Just Cards - Anything Goes
Shabby Tea Room challenges - Rainbow of Colors
Sisterhood of Crafters - April Showers
Scribble & Scrap - Anything Goes