Christmas Blooms All Year Long

Flowers always seem to perk up a living space and Christmas flowers are no exception.  Christmas just doesn't feel like Christmas if there isn't a poinsettia, a wreath, some holly leaves and berries, or some pine boughs and pine cones scattered about. That's why this month the 12 Months of Christmas Link-Up offers the theme of CHRISTMAS BLOOMS in their challenge.

I decided to go CAS with this acrylic Christmas card.

I colored a digital image from Robyn's Fetish called Prissy Poinsettia. Robyn's Fetish is the guest sponsor for this month's challenge.

In order to have a chance to win the prize from our wonderful guest sponsor this month, make sure that your card has a Christmas plant or flower somewhere in the design. Examples include: Holly and berries, laurel, poinsettia, Christmas cactus, wreath, etc. Whether you choose to feature the bloom as part of your image, within the papers or as part of your embellishments, it is completely up to you. However you display the blooms, please keep in mind though, that they should feature prominently. 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.

My card background is a patterned paper called Garlands from the Paper Kit Christmas Blooms from Decosse's Dynamite Doodles. 

Remember, you don't need to follow the theme to link up your cards and earn a free paper from Decosse's Dynamite Doodles 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 three images from Robyn’s Fetish Digital Stamps. 

Robyn's Fetish Digital Stamps And More, a division of I Did It Creations, was created and is owned by Robyn Weinrib. Robyn offers a wonderful variety of digital stamps and digital papers, designed to meet the needs of all digital paper crafting addicts for every occasion.

Robyn’s Fetish Digital Stamps And More is happy to award 3 digital stamps of the winner’s choice to the winner of this challenge. If that isn't enough incentive to create a couple Christmas cards and link up at the 12 Months of Christmas blog, I don't know what is! Here's one last look at my acrylic Christmas card using Prissy Poinsettia:

Challenges I am Entering:

Crimbo Crackers - Anything Christmas Goes

ABC Christmas challenge - N is for No Rules

Crafty Creations - Clean & Simple

Cardz for Guys - Christmas in July

Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Crafty Boots - Christmas in July

Christmas Cards All Year Round - Anything Christmas Goes

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenges - Anything Christmas Goes

Congratulations Are in Order

I created a Congratulations card for the midway challenge reminder at the Path of Positivity challenge blog. This month we have been exploring the positive elements of Achievement. Since graduation comes to mind during June, I created a care for my daughter's friend who has graduated from Culinary Cooking School. I used a digital image called Bakendayz from Robyn's Fetish, one of two guest sponsors this month.

 After coloring my image with Copics, I fussy-cut it and popped it onto a scalloped oval die-cut and scalloped ribbon border. My background paper is homemade using glossy cardstock and alcohol inks. I stamped my sentiment and added it with an assortment of coordinating embellishments.
I am so proud of Margaret, whose life has been a bit bumpy. She persevered and achieved her life goal of landing a job in the field for which she dreamed. I am as proud of her as I would be were she my own daughter, and wish her good luck. I hope she gets to eat her cake AND frosting for years to come!
The challenge runs until July 3rd, and is also sponsored by Kitten Scraps.

SPONSOR & PRIZE INFORMATION: 

• 3 Digital Stamps from Robyn's Fetish, one of our guest sponsors this month, for the post or project that deems most inspiring of the bunch.
• A $20 gift certificate from Kitten Scraps, one of our guest sponsors this month, for a person chosen in a random draw based on all entrants.

There will also be:

• A small selection of digital designer papers from Décosse's Dynamite Doodles for one lucky person who leaves a comment on posts published during the challenge time frame.
• One digital sentiment for every single person who enters the challenge.

Five Little Froggies

Five little froggies sitting at the well,

One hopped off ‘cause he heard a bell.

The second one croaked “My mama’s calling me”

The next leaped after a buzzing bumble bee.

Another caught a fly and he left grinning

and the last frog sang, "Brr, I wish it were Spring!"

~Pat Martin, 2016

Five little froggies sitting at the well,

One got excited and down he fell.

The second one said, “Our brother’s in the drink!”

They all croaked loudly and started to think.

“I’ll get a ladder” and one hopped away

While the others jumped off to find another way.

The first one cried, “What’s all the fuss about?”

And he gave a mighty leap and hopped on out!

~Pat Martin, 2016

Good morning, crafters! Monday brings us a new challenge from the Outlawz Monday Greetings challenge. The theme this week is Springtime! I created my card with leftover papers and embellishments to frame a Robyn's Fetish digi image called Five Little Froggies. Robyn's Fetish is this week's Guest Sponsor.

As soon as I laid eyes on this image, my mind started playing with rhymes and came up with the two ditties above. Which do you like better? Tell me in your comment and I'll pick one to mail this card to!
Sometimes an image inspires me, but most often words do. What inspires you? Whatever your muse, have fun creating, then link up with the Outlawz Monday Greetings challenge this week!

Challenges I am Entering:

Alphabet Challenge blog - Y is for You Choose
Craft for the Craic challenges - Something to Make You Smile (please read the poems that go with the card)
Creative Fingers - Anything Goes
Simply Papercraft - Anything Goes

Midway through Your Scrapbook Place January Challenge

My hubby's birthday is this month, so I created a birthday card for him.One of several I always make for him. He's turning 61 this year but he can still make my legs feel like jelly when he gives me that look. Not bad for an old guy, as he would say! LOL
Your Scrapbook Place blog has reached the midway point of its first challenge of 2016. Have you linked up your project yet? Robyn's Fetish is the guest sponsor, and she is offering a great prize for one lucky random winner. I colored my image from Robyn's Fetish with Copics. The image is called "Be Kind to Your Web-footed Friends." He reminds me of Ducky from the old cartoon show "Little Bear." My son used to be glued to that show. You can find episodes at Toonova.

Now that I've taken you down memory lane (or turned your kids onto a family values-based cartoon series), I hope you get some time to play along with the challenge. And as always, crafters, have fun!

Challenges I  am Entering:

Creative Corner challenges - Feathers

Cute Card Thursday - Have a Bit of Fun

Inspiration Destination - ANything Goes

25 Weeks Until Summer...if you're counting

Happy New Year, and welcome to a new challenge at Your Scrapbook Place blog. This month, Robyn's Fetish sponsors our challenge, offering prizes to one random winner at the end of January.
I played with a digital image from Robyn's Fetish called It's a Dragonfly Day.
Not that I'm counting or anything, but did you know there are only 25 weeks until summer?? Not that it has necessarily been a standard winter this year in the midwest. More like a roller coaster ride with Mother Nature handling the controls. Fifty degree temps one week and eleven inches of snow the next.
This realization inspired me to create a New Year greetings card with a mix of wintery background paper and summery yellow color scheme. I often send out New Year cards to my friends instead of Christmas cards. The rush of the holidays is over and I have more time to send out a cheery wish for the coming year while updating friends on how the old year has treated me and my family.
The challenge at Your Scrapbook Place is always Anything Goes, so link up your card or project before January 31st for your chance to win!!

Challenges I am Entering:

Inspiration Destination - Anything Goes

Creative Card Crew - Anything Goes

Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

2 Crafty Girls - Winter Blues

Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes

Our Crafty Corner - Anything Goes

Decorating for the Holidays, Card Style

Happy Holidays, crafters! I am well on my way toward a massive Christmas card stash, thanks to the 12 Months of Christmas Link-Up blog. Every month you can win awesome digi paper and prizes just by creating and linking up at least two Christmas cards. 
Today I created a square card. BTW, one of the things I like about my new-found experiments with digital card making is that when I print up my cards to send out to family and friends. they have the look of dimension without adding the cost of extra postage to the envelopes! LOL
Here, I used some delicious patterned paper, called "Green Balls" from "It's Ornamental" kit from Decosse's Dynamite Doodles, framing it with Emerald-colored paper from Decosse's' set, "Christmas Grunge" textured digital paper. 
Since the sponsor this month at the 12 Months of Christmas blog is Robyn's Fetish, I got to play with this cute digital image. It's called "Putting Up the Tree" and after I colored it up, I framed it with two different colored papers from the Grunge set before popping it onto my background. Decosse's has some awesome Christmas embellishments and papers. I used a mistletoe border for my card, as well as a few snowflake brads and a couple gingham ribbons.
Let's see, this is the 7th month of 2015, so I have a hefty stockpile of cards going. Yep, I will be ready this year to send them out nice and early. How about you--have you started yet? It's a win-win situation if you create a couple cards AND link them up! You will also have your own little stockpile, and you'll be in the running for prizes!
In order to be in the running for prizes from Robyn's Fetish (3 free digis of your choice to a random participant), you must create following the optional theme of "It's Ornamental."
You don't need to follow the theme to link up your cards, 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 3 digital stamps from Robyn’s Fetish Digital Stamps.

Challenges I am Entering:
Simply Create Too - Christmas in July
Sister Act Card challenges - Anything Goes
Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra - Anything Goes/Christmas
Paper Creator's Crafts challenges - Christmas in July
Crafting by Designs - Christmas

Anything Goes at the Outlawz Greetings Challenges

Time for another challenge from the Outlawz Greetings, and it's my favorite kind - ANYTHING GOES!! I love the freedom that is enjoyed in an Anything Goes challenge. How About you? Do you get inspired by having requirements for your projects, or does it matter? In fact, where do you find your inspiration? I love Pinterest and other crafters' blogs, but if I'm not near my computer, then I pull out all my lovely papers (my precioussss) and get inspired by their colors and designs.
Today it was a feather sticking out of my painting drawer. I thought it would look pretty with a pale flower, which led to my papers, and then I wanted a silly image.
My silly image is from Robyn's Fetish and is called "Be Kind to Your Web-footed Friends". Robyn's Fetish is one of this month's sponsors, and I like to surf their store for inspiration (and shopping).
I colored my image gently, with just a few Copics. Doesn't it remind you of Jack & the Beanstalk? Wish it would lay me a couple golden eggs.
Leftover pieces of patterned papers help to decorate my background, along with a stray piece of ribbon. The sentiment (a necessity for the Outlawz Greetings challenges) was in a file of leftover punchies as well. I am serious this year about not buying more stash. Finally, I tossed on a few jeweled flowers to embellish and my card is complete.
I hope you get a chance to play in the Outlawz Greetings challenge this week. Below are a few other challenges I am entering:

Sisters of Craft - Anything Goes
613 Avenue Create - Anything Goes w/optional twist birthday
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
That Craft Place - film inspired Father Goose w/Cary Grant & Leslie Caron

The Corrosive Challenge - Things with Wings
Open-Minded Crafting - Up in the Air