Fluff or Feathers

This month the Path of Positivity challenge blog offers an optional theme of Furry and/or Feathered friends. I was inspired to make this card for my granddaughter.  She lives in Florida, and when I went down to visit her and the rest of the family earlier this year, I discovered she had a hedgehog for a pet! My daughter is envious. She would love one, but we already have a senior dog who needs lots of love and attention, so she’s had to shelve that dream for now. And, to be fair, the llama is there because it is my spirit animal...

I used Copics to color an image from Oddball Art Company. It’s from their (free) newsletter subscription. Every month you get a Creepy Cute Chronicles free digital image in your email, along with access to inspiration and tutorials. This digi is from CCC#42.
So, my card is a hybrid, mixing the hand-colored image with the tools in Photoshop to pop him onto a photo I took last summer at my trailer. Then I printed it out and embellished it. I think my card really ties in with how we're all feeling at this time. Social distancing means less physical hugs, and my hedgehog has enough problems with hugs as it is! 
It also is a reminder that many people are scared or "prickly" due to the pressures brought on by these historic times. Just because someone is cranky, doesn't mean they are always cranky. Give them something to lift their spirits, or  at least wish their families good health.
Meanwhile, you can visit the Path of Positivity challenge blog for a bit of acknowledgment, encouragement, inspiration, or maybe just something pretty to look at. The theme of Feathery or Furry Friends is an optional one, but here are the rules:

In order to be considered eligible for this month's prizes, your projects/posts must be positive, inspirational, motivational or encouraging in some nature. Prizes this month include:

• A $10 gift certificate from Oddball Art, our guest sponsor for this month, for a person chosen in a random draw based on all qualifying entrants.
• ONE image (value of $5 or less) from Scribbles Designs, for the post or project that the team deems most inspiring of the bunch based on all qualifying entrants.
• One digital image from Creative Bug Digital SnapShots for each person chosen as a DT Delight.

Stay healthy, and happy crafting!

Oddball Art Sponsors the 12 Months of Christmas

Hello, crafters! It's time for more inspiration for your growing Christmas card stash. My DT make for the 12 Months of Christmas uses a digi image from Oddball Art Stamps by Lizzie Love. It's called #392 Whimsical Christmas Wendy from Oddball Art Stamps by Lizzie Love, the guest sponsor for the month.
After coloring the image with Copics, I framed her with coordinating squares of Decosse's Dynamite Doodles papers from A Touch of Frost Paper Kit and  An Eclectic Christmas - Gold & Silver Paper Kit. I popped it all onto a piece of Kraft paper and started adding bling - rows of jewels, glittery snowflakes and Stickles here, there and everywhere.
The optional twist at the 12 Months of Christmas is Sparkle, Glitter & Bling. The twist is optional, so you don't need to follow the twist to link up your cards and earn a free paper each month or for a chance to win a $10.00 gift certificate to the Oddball Art Stamps Store. However, if you would  like to win the Christmas Paper Kit offered at the main blog, you need to follow the theme.
So, whether you pour on the glitter, Sparkle or Bling, or create without them, don't forget to join in the fun at the 12 Months of Christmas Blog. Challenge runs until the end of the month.

Challenges I am Entering:

Classic Design Team Open - Anything Goes

Country View - Textures 

Fabrika Fantasy - Anything Goes

Merry Little Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes

Sparkles Christmas Forum - It's Snow time!

I'm a Little Odd Myself...

At one point in our lives, everyone goes through an awkward period. Whether true or not, one feels odd, different from "everyone else". Well, you should know by now that everyone is a little bit odd, because everyone is unique. And that's what makes one special, talented, free-thinking. Just think of the world if everyone came from the same old. Where would growth, authenticity, genius, creativity come from? Everyone and everything would be the same, and the human race would become stagnant!
Luckily, we are all odd in some way, and I decided to create a card using my uniquely odd creativity with an image from Oddball Art by Lizzie Love. I adore her uniquely cute and/or creepy images. This one is called Image 467 Mummy Mermaid & Octopus. I used Photoshop to position it onto another image called #470 Dead Sea Bed. Then I printed it twice!
I colored my mermaid, her tiny mummy friend and the sea bed with Copics on both images, then fussy-cut one to place on the other with dimensional dots. I used glitter gel pen for the bubbles. To create a more underwater feel to my card, I crunched up aqua-colored tissue paper and glued it all onto a card base, then framed my image before popping it on.
Besides the sentiment (my own), I added some trim at the bottom of my image and my card is finished. The font I used for the sentiment is called "Be Perky."

Challenges I am Entering:

Oddball Art - Anything Goes w/optional Dusty Diamonds/Twisted Circus

Crafty Creations - Anything Goes

Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

That's it for now, crafters! As always, happy crafting!

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

Never Pass by an Opportunity to Pamper Yourself

We've reached the midway point of the Path of Positivity Challenge this month. The theme is Opportunity, and you don't want to miss out on the Opportunity to link your challenge project for your chance to win prizes!
I created a card using one of this month's sponsors, Oddball Art. The image is called Frazzled Fran, and she looks like she is in desperate need of some pampering by way of a large COFFEE to perk her up (it IS Monday, after all).
After coloring her with Copics, I framed her before popping her on my card. I embellished simply with the sentiment and some pearl flourishes.

This month's challenge at the Path of Positivity offers several ways to win prizes:

• 3 images from Oddball Art Co., one of our guest sponsors this month, for the post or project that the DT deems most inspiring of the bunch.
• A $25 gift certificate from Deedee's Digis, one of our guest sponsors this month, for a person chosen in a random draw based on all entrants.
• One digital image from Creative Bug Digital SnapShots for each person chosen as a DT Delight.

There will also be:

One digital designer paper (made to order in a couple different ways) from Décosse's Dynamite Doodles for one lucky person who leaves a comment on posts published during the challenge timeframe.
One digital sentiment for every single person who enters the challenge.

Challenges I am Entering:

2 Creative Chicks - Anything Goes

Card & Scrap - Anything Goes/Love (Love my Cocoa)

Crafty Time Challenges - Movie, Book, Song (I love to watch the movie Chocolat with Johnny Depp and who cares, it's got Johnny Depp in it-LOL)

Stempelgarten challenges - Hmm, Yummy (Chocolate)

Sisters of Craft - Anything Goes

Anything Goes in my Acrylic Album for Craft Your Passion

I got to play in my acrylic album again. This is my first album, second page. It's trickier than I thought as I always have to be mindful of the back side of each page I create. Today I used a large circle of cardstock and kept most of my project within the circle.
Craft Your Passion challenge blog begins a new challenge today. Their challenges are always Anything Goes. The sponsor this week is Oddball Art, and this little cutie is called Tasha. My arylic album is all about nature and its furry animals. Today I was inspired by one of my favorite books, Secret Garden. It is a very old one, and I have a first edition in print, as well as the book in my Kindle library. After coloring my image with a  mix of Copics and Spectrum Noir, I fussy-cut her and her little friend before adhering her onto my page.
Then the fun began. I used a Sharpie oil-based white paint marker to give both my page and my frame a border of tiny dots. After stamping the sentiment on a cardstock journal sticker, I used a mix of tiny white flowers along with silver shimmery enamel dots. I like the way the page turned out, especially as the album will be a present for a special friend.
Oddball Art has a bunch of cute and whimsical images. Check out the STORE and then come join us at Craft Your Passion challenge blog this week!

Other Challenges I am Entering:

2 Creative Chicks - Anything Goes (no cards)

Altered Eclectics - Anything Goes (no cards, ATCs)

Die Traumfabric - Secret Garden

Oddball Art challenges - Add a Butterfly or Dragonfly

Our Creative Corner - April Showers Bring May Flowers

Sisters of Craft - Anything Goes

(Pin)spirational challenges - Inspired by Pinterest (I used a lighter blue but I love using blue, green & yellow together)

USA Patriotic Colors at the Outlawz Greetings challenge today

Welcome to another challenge from the Outlawz Greetings! Today finds us creating with a Red, White AND Blue color theme. This week's sponsor is Oddball Art, and I have colored up a digi image called  "Penelope".
My card is full of different elements. I used three different patterned papers, punched the corners of my image, added jeweled flowers, and tossed in a couple feathers for fun, all within the red, white and blue color scheme.
Come join us at the Outlawz Greetings challenge this week. Follow the color theme, and make sure you have a greeting on the front of your project. See you there!
Other Challenges I am Entering:
 Simply Create Too - Favorite Color Combo (red, white & blue)
Simply Papercraft - Anything Goes
Sister Act Card challenges - Anything Goes
Stempelsonne challenges - Anything Goes
Crafter's Cafe - Feminine
Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes