New Beginnings at Ike's World Challenge Blog

Every day is a new beginning, and this is especially true at Ike's World Challenge Blog, where a new challenge inaugurates a New year. New Beginnings is the challenge theme, and my inspiration came from this Ike's Art digi image called Crystal Ball, and the fact that most of us would like a tiny peek at what's ahead for us this year.
While 2015 ended on a sour note for me and my family, I am learning that the future is what you make of it. You need an optimistic outlook, a positive attitude, a keen eye for opportunities that pop up, courage to snatch those opportunities, and a grateful heart. With these as my weapons, I can just let go and Believe that Good things are on their Way, as my crystal ball shows us all.
I am also back to mixed media canvas. I haven't pulled out all the bells and whistles for a while, but it's a new year and I'm ready to begin again. My canvas is 7x7 inches, covered in patterned papers from my stash. The top layer is chalked,while the image is colored with Copics. I printed the sentiment onto transparency paper after chalking the misty innards of my future forecaster, and the year is created with stickers.
The rest is tchochki that I've collected throughout 2015. Broken jewelry, miscellaneous charms, leftover buttons and brads, even parts of a patterned card stock border. I love the freedom of mixed media, don't you? Have you ever tried it? You don't have to paint or Mod Podge a canvas - try making a card and throwing on embellishments that aren't standard crafting supplies.
Pinterest and YouTube are great places to inspire your new adventures. And link up with Ike's World Challenge blog this week with whatever card or project you decide to create. We'd love to see your art!

Challenges I am Entering:

Love to Scrap- New Beginnings

Our Crafty Corner - Anything Goes

2 Creative Chicks - ANything Goes

Rhedd's Creative Spirit - Anything Mixed Media Goes

SANTA's COMING to Ike's World Challenges!!

The theme this fortnight at Ike's World Challenge blog is "Santa's Coming" and I made a card for all those naughty women out there (and you know who you are). Sometimes Santa likes to visit the naughty girls to tell them just how badly they've behaved this year. Are you one of them?

I created this unusually-cut card with two of Ike's images, Hot Santa and Another Birthday, both found in Ike's STORE. I like pairing up two digis on one card to create a little story or a punchline. What's your favorite technique or design? Let's see it on the challenge at Ike's blog-you have one more week to link up for your chance to win free digis in her store.
Happy Craftmas, bloggers!!

Challenges I am Entering:

ICE & SNOW Is the Theme at Ike's World Challenge Blog

Ike's World Challenge blog has reached the midpoint in its newest challenge of Ice & Snow. Here's my DT make using Ike's Art Christmas Pixie. This card is 100% digital, something that I am playing around with. I like to blend the art of digital card-making with good old-fashioned paper crafting to come up with a hybrid card, too.
Here are the ingredients I used to cook up this card of mine:

From Mischief Circus, Eena’s Creation, Winter Scenery Overlays, Element 5

Marta Van Eck Winter Scene papers, pp02

Pink Lotty Designs, Human Skeletons, #3 & 5

Do you play around with digital creations? Or are the only digital elements to your cards the images you can color with all the lovely markers out there? Whatever your choice, be sure to link up your project at Ike's World Challenge Blog for a chance to win a gift certificate to Ike's Art store.

Goldilocks and the Three Bears

Once upon a time, there were three bears-papa bear, mama bear and baby bear. They wanted a larger family, but mama bear couldn't have any more babies. They decided to adopt a little blond-haired, blue-eyed girl. They loved her and she was very happy with her new family, but there were many who didn't think it was proper to adopt outside of one's own species. Luckily, the Bear family, as well as their newest member, Goldilocks Bear, were thankful for the chance to be a happy family, which is all that mattered. The world needs more love and happiness, after all, don't you think?

I was inspired today to create another page in my acrylic album. This time I used a digital image from Ike's Art called Goldilocks. I used it for my DT project over at Ike's World Challenge blog, where the theme is Childhood.
I colored and fussy-cut my image, then framed it onto my page, ever mindful that the pages are clear. Whatever I place on this page will be seen from the back on the next page. Besides all my  lovely embellishments, my sentiment reads: "There are no seven wonders of the world in the eyes of a child. There are seven million." It's a quote by Walt Streightiff.
You have another week to join in the Childhood challenge at Ike's World challenge blog. Remember, you don't have to use an Ike's Art image, but you'll get double the chances if you do, and there are always freebies on the blog as well as on the Ike's Art Fan Page. See you there, and have fun crafting!

Challenges I am Entering:

Daring Cardmakers - Anything but a Card (acrylic album page)

Fussy & Fancy - Thankful (for Family)

All Hallows Eve

We've reached the midway point in the Halloween challenge over at Ike's World Challenge blog. My DT project is a piece of Halloween decoration using Skellie Gossip, one of my favorite images from Ike's Art.
The base is a 7x10 inch piece of wood. I stained it before adhering patterned papers to "set" the scene, followed by my fussy-cut image (very time-consuming but worth it, I think). I pictured them in a bar setting, relaxing after a long night of spooking kids and adults alike, yet playing it safe since it is, after all, Halloween night.
I added some moss and string stuff I snagged at the Dollar Store last year, allowing a few creepy crawly spiders to hang with the boys. I love decorating for Halloween, and have posted this as well as other projects on my Facebook Page, Patacake's Paper Play.
Like Halloween as much as I do? Be sure to create and link up your project at Ike's World Challenge Blog for your chance to win!!

Challenges I am Entering:

City Crafters - Creatures of the Night

Fan-tastic Tuesday challenges - Anything Goes w/a twist: Halloween

Inky Chicks - Halloween

Crafty Boots challenges - Autumn/Halloween

Fantastical Challenge at Ike's World Challenge Blog

One of the things I like about playing with images from Ike's Art is the fantastical drawings she comes up with. Take the Hatter, for example, whose image I colored and popped onto a card. Until I saw the most recent version of Alice in Wonderland with Johnny Depp playing the same role as this guy, I thought of the Hatter as this funny, lovable character (kind of like in the Disney animated movie).
But Ike has brought to life a newer, sad, deranged but still lovable character...and we all get to color him and play with him and create with him. It is a mad, mad, world, and if you're playing with the Hatter, you're in very good company!
So today marks the midpoint of the Fantasy challenge over at Ike's World Challenge blog. You have one more week to let your imagination fly and link it up with us!!

Conflicted

Second shift today so I had a free morning to create several cards today! This one is for Ike's World Challenges Blog, whose NEW CHALLENGE is to create a project using the sketch located in this post.
I used an image called Cognitive Thoughts, one of my fave images from Ike's Art. After coloring her with Copics, I popped her onto a frame of patterned paper. The sketch called for a strip of papers behind the image, as well as a set of three embellishments in the left upper corner.
I wanted to reach out to all those who feel conflicted with their identity or their responsibilities. The girly part of personalities may conflict with the sporty, edgy side of them. The pink and blue contrast brings out the conflicting thoughts that can war in a young adult's mind.
I'm conflicted right now. My gram is 104 years old. I love her, and she has been the matriarch of my family, and a role model to me while growing up. She taught me how to sew, crochet, needle craft, play cards, bake bread, and other worthwhile hobbies and habits. She took care of me and my sisters and cousins at times throughout our lives.
It's our turn now. A nursing home is not an option. She'll receive the care I know she deserves, but from previous experience, we know it will cause her dementia to take over her personality.
The conflict lies with time. The unrelenting schedule of evenings and weekends to visit her, feed her and take care of her needs is wearing down on all three of us. I share a dose of self-pity and self-loathing. I am a granddaughter, but I am also a mom and wife. We are now doing the things she did for us when we were babies. I cry out my stress on the way to her house, yet her smile upon seeing me lights up the room.
But...It's getting to the point where I almost resent the time taken up to care for her.
So, I am conflicted.

Other Challenges I am Entering:

Aud Sentiments Challenge blog - Anything Goes

Scrap & Craft Inspiration - Anything Goes