In the Good Old Summer Time at the Outlawz Greetings Challenges

Happy summer, crafters! For those in the northern hemisphere, that means sunny days and hot weather. This week at the Outlawz Monday greetings challenge, the theme is Summer Recreation. What do YOU do to keep cool and active?
This week's summer brings Lacy Sunshine to sponsor and inspire us. I colored up this pretty image called Sandy Boo - Collecting Seashells. Using Copics, I extended the beach from which she is gathering her shells. After popping her onto an embossed and inked card face, I embellished with twine and tiny colorful seashells. My sentiment says it all.
Do you play beach volleyball? Swim at the local pool? Play tennis or roller blade? Whatever you choose for recreation, let it inspire you to create something for this week's challenge at the Outlawz Greetings. Don't forget to keep hydrated as you craft! LOL

Challenges I am Entering:
Southern Ridge Trading Co. - Memories of Summer Mixed Media
Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes
Crafting when We Can - Based on a Movie (Teen Beach Movie)
Eclecctic Ellapu - Life's a Beach
Cupcake Inspiration - Tropical

Getting Edgy at the Outlawz Monday Greetings Challenge

Good morning, crafters! I thought I would create a card that embodies my feelings about Mondays. Or rather, how I used to feel about Mondays. Nowadays, I enjoy three-day weekends, AND I publish a couple DT projects on Mondays as well. So, this card is for all your crafters out there who still have to trudge to work on Mondays.
I used a digi image called Original Morning Goddess from Rick St Dennis, who, by the way, is sponsoring this week's challenge at the Outlawz Monday Greetings this week along with Bugaboo. The new theme for the this week's challenge is to use some edging on your project (along with a greeting or sentiment). I edged my CAS card with both real and faux stitching. I am not usually a lover of white space, so this card may seem "full"  to some, but it was definitely difficult to leave my card this clean and simple. I really like the vivid contrast of black and white on my card.

Challenges I am Entering:

CAS on Sunday - Real stitching  

Come & Get It - Card for a Woman

Since I have those lovely three-day weekends, I was able to create a second inspiration card using a digital image from Bugaboo called Ava Flowers.

For this card, I used adhesive-backed pearls to edge around my card. I colored my image with Copics, and punched a pretty border on my sentiment before backing it with cardstock. Isn't Ava so pretty? I love the Duncan and Ava collection of images that Bugaboo offers.
I hope you'll have time this week to drop in and join us at the Outlawz Monday Greetings challenge for your chance to win prizes. And have an awesome Monday!!

Challenges I am Entering:
Aud Sentiments - Animals & a Sentiment
Craft Rocket challenges - Pink & Pearlie
If You Give a Crafter a Cookie - Photo Inspiration

Crafting by Design - Anything Goes

Mod Squad - April Showers Bring May Flowers

Deep Ocean Challenge blog - Flowers Everywhere

Please Bee My Valentine

Love is in the air this month, and to celebrate Valentine's Day, the Outlawz Monday Greetings challenge this week is to create using wings or something with wings on your project. We have two awesome sponsors, Rick St Dennis 

Prize 3 images

and

Creative Bug

Prize – 5 images

I created a set of Valentine cards, two of which I am posting. The images I used are from Rick St Dennis and are called Busy Bee Kids. For my card base, I re-discovered a set of note cards snagged out of the dollar bin at Michael's Craft store a year or so ago.

As soon as I saw the images in Rick St Dennis' STORE, I knew I wanted to create a punny Valentine. The images were colored with Copics, but by the time I was ready to put my cards together, my printer was having a nervous breakdown, so I hand-wrote the sentiments. 

To finish off my CAS cards, I added simple embellishments - a bit of ribbon, a few punched hearts, and some inking with a gel pen on the edges. Each card is actually folded into three parts for a nice amount of white space for personalized messages from me.

Do you celebrate Valentine's Day with cards? The challenge doesn't restrict your projects this week to Valentine's cards, as there are plenty of ways to use WINGS on your cards. Remember to link in to the Outlawz Monday Greetings challenge post for your chance to win prizes. And as always, crafters, have fun!

Welcome, Winter!

This week brings another challenge to the Outlawz Monday Greetings group. Today the Dt is shooing off their stitching. Of course, if you're like me, and don't sew, you can still enter the challenge with "faux" stitches somewhere on your project. Where did those lovely REAL stitches come from on my card? I snagged a handful of card faces with stitching on it from another member of the DT, Linda Weber. She is sew talented! LOL
This week's sponsors are Bugaboo and A Day for Daisies. My image, called Blustery Day, is from A Day for Daisies. One of my favorite techniques is ripping paper. There's something about a torn edge that I love. So much so that I tore both the image and the patterned paper on my card!
The image looks vintage to me, so I went with a sentiment and font that looks the same. It reads: Winter arrives with bluster and snow, And brings to our cheeks a rosy glow
I hope you get a chance to join our challenge this week!

Happy Halloween from the Farm, Y'all!

Well, here in Chicago, we got a late start to Autumn, but it has arrived! And my cards have changed their colors as well as the leaves ion the trees. The Outlawz Monday Greetings challenge blog has a new challenge: make a Halloween card or invitation.
I created this digital card using images from our guest sponsor this week, DeeDee's Digis. The more I play in Photoshop, the more I love it. I am still learning what I can do, but am loving it all.
What about you? Do use use Photoshop to create cards and layouts? I like a blend of the two, what is called hybrid crafting.
Whatever you do, have fun. And link up your project with the Outlawz Monday Greetings this week!!

Images and sentiment from:

DeeDee’s Digis Happy Jacks set, Open Window set, Goody Jars set

Papers from:

Decosse’s Dynamite Doodles Christmas Grunge Brown; Nancy Baumiller Hello Autumn Collection

Elements from:

Nancy Baumiller Crowabout Studio: Hello Autumn Element 10 (star); RUCOLA DESIGNS  Dead or Alive Collection: Ornament 6 (flourish), Crow; Megan Mullins:  Because of You Collection (leaf sprig); Decosse’s Dynamite Doodles: Button 05
Challenges I am Entering:
Dragonfly journeys - It's the Great Pumpkin!
The Craft Garden - Autumn Colors

Anything Goes with SLS Lines and the Outlawz Greetings Challenge

It's my favorite theme time at the Outlawz Monday Greetings challenges--Anything Goes!! One of our sponsors is SLS Lines, and their Etsy Store is full of gorgeous images to color and create with.
My card features an image called Air Fairy. After I colored and fussy cut her out, I discovered a Tim Holtz Idealogy Cabinet card that I covered with shimmer paper (in teal, my fave color). I found a leftover piece of beach scene paper and embossed my sentiment onto the front, where my fairy is hovering in the clouds. To create the look of soft movement, I added  few pearl leftover flourishes around her. All that was left to do was add a shimmery border to the bottom of my card, and a soft dove for good measure.
What will your project be? The sky's the limit with just a few guidelines: make sure to use a sentiment or quote on the front of your project, and link up your project post (not your whole blog), making sure that you didn't post it before the start of the Outlawz Monday Greetings challenge.
Other than that, the world is your oyster, and the DT look forward to seeing what you create!

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!

Think Pink!

Today brings a new challenge at the Outlawz Monday Greetings challenges. The theme is to use PINK on your project. I love a funny card, so I created my project for our anniversary. I reached into my magical bag of craft supplies and pulled out a sticker sheet with funny speech bubbles. I thought this one was very appropriate!
After coloring my image, a Dr Digi called "Made for Each Other," I "pinked" the heck out of my card, first with a sewn-border piece of cardstock and then with pastel pink-embossed paper. That nice fat bow finishes off the color theme. I added a few jewels, and those hand-drawn stitches coordinate with this lovely couple's own stitches.
All in all, I think he'll like it!
Dr Digi is one of this week's sponsors, and he has some fun images with which to play. I always have a difficult time choosing an image--there are so many! I hope you'll check the store out and fine some inspiration there, as I always do.
And whatever you create this week, add pink and link up with the Outlawz Greetings challenges for your chance at some free digis. And as always, crafters, have FUN!

Challenges I am Entering:

Cards in Envy - Inspired by a Song (Hey, Good Lookin')

Card Mania - Pastel colors

Craft-Dee BowZ - Anything Goes w/a Handmade Bow

House of Cards - Stitching

One More Semester to Go for My Daughter

My daughter opted to get her associate's degree from the community college before going out into the world to finish her education or start her career. And this semester is her last--she is three classes away from graduating, and I am SO proud of her.
So my DT card for this week's challenge at the Outlawz Greetings is for her. The challenge is to use circles on your project. It doesn't have to be a card, it can be almost anything else, BUT it must have a sentiment or quote on the front of it. My image comes from Kenny K, our guest sponsor for this week.. The image is called Graduation girl and can be found HERE along with so many other fabulous images. And if you subscribe to their newsletter, you can receive free digis from him. Here's what I got for August:

I always have fun when playing with a Kenny K!!
My circles are die-cut from paint chips, as well as jeweled. My sentiment is embossed, and everything comes from my never-ending stash of supplies (sigh). I will use it all up, I know I will, but every time I think I'm making headway, I find a box I missed and there's more paper or flourishes or alterable materials. There's just so darn much of it! I have discovered what my super power is---I can clean out craft supplies one week before I need to use them on a project. ROFL
The DT at the Outlawz Greetings challenges have some lovely inspiration for you, so please check them out and leave a little love. If you link up your project using the theme, you have a chance to win free digis from Kenny K.
Good luck and happy crafting!

Challenges I am Entering:

Bloggers' challenges - Use Ovals or Circles

Brown Sugar challenges - Use Something Recycled (paint chips)

Creative Corner challenges - Back to School

Fussy & Fancy challenges - Back to School

Simply Create Too - It's a Special Occasion! (graduation)

Another Sublime Challenge at the Outlawz Greetings

The only thing more sublime than a conversation between a fairy and a ladybug is an Anything Goes challenge! That's the new challenge this week at the Outlawz Greetings. This week's sponsor is Crafty Sentiments, and this jewel of a digi image is called "JEWEL."
I still have a box of newly-rediscovered papers on my desk, and while every project created this month has used papers from that box, it still looks over-stuffed with the wages of paper sin! But I am trying, as you can see from the photo of my newest card. I used 3 patterned papers and 2 different pieces of colored cardstock.
I colored my Jewel with Copics, and embellished simply with flowers, jewels, a butterfly charm and a cardstock sentiment sticker to finish off a simply sublime card. Now if the weather here in Chicago would just make up its addle-pated mind, it would be truly sublime. May is holding onto Spring with a tenuous grasp of temperatures, see-sawing from the 40's to 70's and back again, like a test drive on a super roller coaster.
But back to the challenge! The Outlawz Greetings is a challenge group that posts new challenges weekly on Mondays, with the last Monday of each month being an Anything Goes theme. The only stipulation on any paper-crafted project is to use a greeting or sentiment on the front of your creation. Please visit us for inspiration, and leave a comment or enter the challenge to share your artwork with us.

Challenges I am Entering:

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
Opus Gluei - Garden Inspiration
Crafty Sentiments challenges - Anything Goes
Open-Minded Crafting - Inspired by a Song (Build Me Up, Buttercup
Hiding in My Craft Room - Any Holiday (May Day)
Brown Sugar challenges - Favorite Color Combo

Anything Goes with an Extra Fold

Today brings a new challenge to the Outlawz Greetings. This week you are asked to use an extra fold in your card or project. I made an easel card, so my card front folds down, resting on the card inside.

 One of this month's sponsors is Bugaboo, and as soon as I saw this funky chicken, I knew I had to play with it. The image is called Kitchen - Chicken Soup. While chicken soup may be the standard for making the sick feel better, I thought it a little odd that a chicken would be tasting, well, chicken soup!!  And so my sentiment was born..."Sick people should not self-medicate." Inspiration comes from the most unusual places, doesn't it?! LOL

SO, run, don't walk, to your craft area and make a card or project with a sentiment and an extra fold! Show us what you got!! Challenge runs until Sunday night--good luck, and have fun, crafters!

Other Challenges I am Entering:

Digitally Sweet Challenge - Anything Goes

Jo's Scrap Shack - Anything Goes

 Sister Act challenges - Anything Goes

C.R.A.F.T. challenges - Get Well

2015 Outlawz Challenges Off to a Great Start

Happy New Year, crafters!
The Outlawz Greetings challenge this first Monday of 2015 is to create a card or project using CHEVRONS, BLING and CIRCLES. You don't necessarily have to use a colored image, but your project must have a sentiment.
My first card uses an image from Dr. Digi called "Dunderton Decorators, Ltd."

As you can see, I combined a couple of circles with chevron washi tape for the challenge.

Next up is another birthday card:

I made this card using a couple images from one of our monthly sponsors, Dr.Digi. They are called "Paint Brush" which is showcased on the front of my card, and "Paint Can," showcased on the inside of my card.

Dr. Digi has a load of quirky and funny images with which you can play, too! They even have a few freebies to color up HERE. Of course, any image is good to go for the Greetings Challenge. All you have to do is add some CHEVRONS, BLING and CIRCLES. I didn't have any chevron patterned paper or any Washi tape to make my CHEVRONS, so I used coordinating card stock strips to make them on the side of my card. My BLING (red jewels) is found on the chevrons, as well as the handle of my brush (Stickles). My patterned paper is chock full of CIRCLES, and my sentiment was stamped onto a die-cut circle.
Jump into the New Year with both hands full of markers and play in the Outlawz Greetings challenge this week. Plenty of inspiration and fun there!

Patterns and Bling Are the Thing at Outlawz Greetings Challenge

Another Monday, another fun challenge at the Outlawz Greetings Challenge! This week crafters are asked to "USE THREE PATTERNED PAPERS AND SOME BLING." My three patterned papers are the background/base layer, the (roller coaster) border of Christmas lights, and the strip of fun colored dots. I blinged my image with a pink Sakura gel pen.
After adding the sentiment, I had this somewhat large "pink space" that begged for embellishments, but not too much or the card would tip into the gaudy awards section. So I used a small pink feather. I have a box of them in all colors that I love finding ways to incorporate on cards.
My image is from this month's Outlawz Greetings sponsor, Lacy Sunshine. The image is called "Coco's Holiday Ornament." I rummaged in my stash of stamped sentiments and found just the right one, I think.
If your patterned paper stash is overflowing, take it down a notch by using three pieces on a card with some bling. Then you can play in the Outlawz Greetings challenge this week!
Challenges I am entering:
The Corrosive Challenge Blog - Anything Goes
Craft Your Passion blog - Non-Traditional Christmas
The 12 Months of Christmas Card Link Up - Christmas cards
lOVE TO cREATE cHALLENGE bLOG - nON-tRADITIONAL hOLIDAY cOLORS

It's Party Time at the Outlawz Greetings CHallenge This Week

And I am ready to party hearty with a pretty little steampunk image from The Stamping Chef  called Cogsley Copperpot.

I had so much fun! making this card. First I colored her with my trusty Copics, then distressed the edges of the image and backed it with cardstock. I found some Tim Holtz patterned paper that I paired with handmade patterned paper I sprayed with my own homemade shimmer mists. Then I embossed the handmade paper with a gears embossing plate (I've been dying to use it for a while now). I also distressed another embossed paper and as I was doing so, the corner pulled apart from the rest! So I used it in the top right corner.
After adding die cut and sticker gears, I finished off my challenge card with a catchy sentiment. All cards entered into the Greetings Challenge at the Outlawz needs to have a sentiment on the front. Hope to see your card there this week!

Love Me Some Shimmer

There are two things I love above all else when it comes to crafting--getting the best deals and putting some shimmer on my projects. The card above satisfies my craving for both!
I made the background paper with homemade red and gold shimmer misting sprays (commercially known as glimmer mists if you buy Tattered Angels). I had made several different colors of my own sprays by draining "dried out" markers in alcohol and adding Pearl-X when I had the shade I wanted. I LOVE that I now own so many sprays in so many different colors. More are on their way--I just need to snag some more spray bottles from the Dollar Store (working at a school during the summer helped with the markers inventory).
After cutting and adhering the shimmery paper onto my card front, I colored a paper doily with my red shimmer misting spray to frame my Copic-colored Squigglefly digi image. It's called Cheerleader from artist James Horvath. As if there wasn't enough shine to my card, I added the strip of black jewels wrapping behind my sentiment (SU) and my card, my shimmery, shiny card, is complete.
I am in a back-to-school mood, and what is best about the first couple weeks of school is a holiday right off the bat - Labor Day!! Can I get three cheers for a sleep-in, time-to-craft, BBQ kind of holiday?!
Challenges entered with my card:
Outlawz Monday Greetings Card challenge - Labor Day theme