Favoring the Feminine at Scribbles Designs Challenge Blog

For my DT make today, I am following both this month's challenge theme at Scribbles Designs, which is to feature or create for, a feminine, as well as my own mission to build up my stash of Thank You cards.
I love this cute digi image from the Scribbles Store. It's called Bunny Bum, and goes perfectly with my grateful sentiment of "Thanks for having my back." My life has been turned upside down these last few months, and if it weren't for a load of wonderful caring people, I would be lost. I have had quite a need for thank you cards lately. I want to make sure I always have extra on hand.

While surfing through my stash of craft supplies, I came across an envelope that was beautifully decorated but oddly shaped. So I cut out some of the decoration and used it to set the garden scene on my card. After that, it was just a matter of finding the right colored cardstock and tearing some for texture. I paper-pieced my image, using Copics to give it dimension before popping it into my "garden". I kept my card simple with some faux stitches along the edges and my die-cut sentiment.

The challenge at Scribbles Designs goes through the 14th of May, so don't forget to link up your card or project to the main blog for you chance to win free digis at the Scribbles Store!! Good luck and happy crafting!

Challenges I am Entering:

Cardz for Guys - World Book Day (The Velveteen Rabbit)

Tuesday throwdown - critter crazy

Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes

Your Scrapbook Place Marches on with Paper Nest Dolls

Welcome to a new month and a new challenge at Your Scrapbook Place challenge blog. It's always Anything Goes, and this month the guest sponsor is Paper Nest Dolls. I got to create with a pretty image called Amara with Lily. 
After digitally coloring her, I popped her onto a photograph I took in my backyard. A monarch butterfly decided to "hang out" for a little snack in our flower garden, so I grabbed my camera and got a few nice photos.
The bow is from Pixel Scrappers,and the font I use is called Papyrus.
What will you create this month? Whatever you do, have fun! And don't forget to link it  up at Your Scrapbook Place!!

Spring Has Sprung at Scribbles Designs Challenge Blog

Happy May Day! Here in the US, while not the most popular holiday, we celebrate May Day and the true blossoming of Spring. And at Scribbles Designs Challenge Blog, the challenge continues to be Shades of Spring.
I created a step-card using two cute digi images from the Scribbles store, #408 B Bunny Joy and #648 Heart Tulips. I wanted to show Spring exploding, so I printed Heart Tulips several times before fussy-cutting the images and adding them to the first two "steps" of my card. Between the bees and my Bunny Joy, the card looks like the bunny is jumping for joy over the Spring blooms. Of course, I had to use a sentiment to go with my theme. The sentiment in the back reads: "Ka-Bloom!"

I get so inspired by the digi images at Scribbles Designs. Check out the store and then add your own creation to the challenge for your chance to win free digis!

Challenges I am Entering:

Always Fun Challenges - Flowers

Crafting with Friends - Anything Goes

Creative Fingers - Anything Goes

Ike's World Challenges Celebrates Easter and Spring

It looks like Mother Nature has finally settled down into a new season, Spring. Nature is always a great inspiration for art in any form, so it makes sense for Ike's World Challenge Blog to offer an optional twist of Spring or Easter to its Anything Goes theme.
Everyone in my family knows I am a comic, so I created an easel card featuring flowers and bunnies, but...I had to twist it into a punny card. I think easel cards make the best riddle cards to deliver that punchline, don't you? So, do you know how many rabbits it takes to change a light bulb? 

One! If it hops right to it! (If you groaned, then my pun was successful) I used two images from Ike's Art, Bunny on Shelf and Smashing Idea. Instead of trying to color in the light bulb, I decided to keep the image uncolored but print it on white copy paper.

You have until Sunday to link up your card or project at Ike's World Challenge Blog. The theme is optional and you may use any images you like to play along, but if you use an IKEsART image, you will be entered twice into the voting for a gift certificate to the store. Happy crafting!  

See the Shades of Spring at Scribbles Designs Challenge Blog

Can it be that Spring has finally arrived? Yes! although it has been known to snow in April and even May in Chicago (I never put up my mittens and boots until Memorial Day). Taking advantage of some very nice weather lately, I created a card for my DT make at Scribbles Designs Challenge Blog. Their challenge asks crafters to create in Shades of Spring. Here's a little photo inspiration for you:

As you can see, my colors show up more vividly than the photo, but my lilacs and greens are there, along with the butter yellow. Anyway, I photographed and then printed out one of my water colors for the card's background. I fussy-cut the Scribbles image, called Hatch in Egg, then used dimensional dots to adhere to my background. I finished off my card with a few jeweled butterflies as well as a 3D one.
Scribbles Designs has a huge variety of whimsical images plus quite a few freebies for you to play with. So color up a Scribbles image (or any image) and come join in the challenge for your chance to win free digis from the store!

Challenges I am Entering:

Moving along with the Times - Birds/Feathers

If You Give a Crafter a Cookie - Photo inspiration

Creative Moments - Anything Goes/optional Easter

Stampavie and More - Watercolor background

Chocolate Baroque - Color Inspiration

Craft Your Passion with Sasayuki Glitter This Week

When this post publishes, I will be sipping MaiTais on the beach, soaking up the sun and listening to the waves lap gently at the shore. You can call it a late Spring Break or an early summer vacation, but my family is on it!
I worked ahead and played with an image from Sasayaki Glitter, this week's sponsor over at Craft Your Passion challenge blog. It's called "Smile" and I can see why she's smiling. After a long, cold winter and a bipolar Spring, we finally entered Spring with a capital S. LOL
After coloring her with Copics, I colored a bit of a scene to let her sit in the grass. Patterned papers, flowers, stick pins, ribbon and a button embellish my card. I finished off my card with some faux stitches.
For lots more inspiration, visit Sasayaki Glitter on Etsy, and join us at Craft Your Passion challenge blog for your chance to win free digis! Happy crafting!

Challenges I am Entering:
Sasayaki Glitter Challenge Blog - Mother's Day (I wouldn't be here if it weren't for my mom, so I gave this card is to her on Mother's Day)

Scribbles Challenge Blog Asks "What BUGS You"

Hello, crafters! We are midway into the Scribbles "A Little Note to BUG You" May Challenge, as well as firmly into Spring, and with the season comes lovely things like flowers and sweet-smelling grass and warmer weather. Spring also brings out all those tiny bugs, the crawling and flying ones. My favorite (practically my only) flying bug is the butterfly, so I created for my DT make this step card featuring a butterfly image from Scribbles Designs. It is called Butterfly 1 and is a Friday Freebie from Scribbles Designs.
I created a Step Card so that I had multiple surfaces on which to place my Copic-colored and Stickle-brushed Butterfly and lots of flowers and flourishes. A butterfly is, after all, a flying flower, don't you think? My sentiment is one I've thought about often, especially on stressful days. I think a nice go-round on the back of a butterfly would be peaceful and fun.
But, back to the challenge...you have until the end of the month to create and link up your card or project at Scribbles Designs Challenge blog for your chance to win prizes (use a Scribbles Designs image and you'll double your chances).
Happy crafting!

Challenges I am Entering:

Crafting When We Can - Add Flowers

Dragonfly Dreams - Summertime

Pile It On - Garden Creatures

Sunny Day Crafting - Photo Inspiration

Just Us Girls - Favorite Shaped or Folded card (I love making step cards-so many card faces on which to showcase images, words & embellishments)

Jumping in Puddles

Did you ever jump smack into a puddle on purpose, not even avoiding it? Probably not since you were a child. Well, I'm telling you to LET THAT CHILD COME OUT AND PLAY! Life is stressful and everyone needs some down time, some relaxation, some PLAY! Jump in puddles, stay in your pajamas all day, eat dinner for breakfast and breakfast for dinner. Better yet,  spend the whole day crafting! You deserve it.
To highlight my advice, I created this card for the challenge over at Ike's World Challenge blog. It's the midway point and crafters have one more week to create with the theme of RAIN and link up for their chances for prizes. I used a digi image from Ike's Art called "New Shoes."
After coloring my girl with Copics, I sketched and colored in the puddle and surrounding grass and flowers, then used my Epic Six and Nestabilities die to frame her. Another cut and I had my sentiment framed as well. I thought the blue trim looked like water so I went for it, adding a couple more embellishments before declaring my card complete.
Whatever you do, make sure you enjoy doing it. You know what they say, "Love what you do, and Do what you love."

Challenges I am Entering:

Crafting Musketeers - Spring is in the Air

Card Mania - Spring

Die-Cut Divas challenge blog - pertaining to April (daffodils, April showers, puddles in which to play)

Creative Loops challenges - Water

Crafty Enjoyments challenges - BINGO grid (I used  sentiment, chipboard (cloud), and flowers (hand-drawn and colored: middle vertical line)

Scribbles Designs Wants to Bug You

As the weather warms up in the northern hemisphere, the bugs start to wake up. So, Scribbles Designs challenge blog wants you to BUG them. Create with the theme of BUGS on your project (p.s. there are a couple of free images on the blog you can use).
I created my DT card using two digi images from Scribbles Designs - Mason Jar - Fireflies, and a freebie called Firefly! After coloring my Mason jar with Copics, I fussy-cut it and put it aside. Then I used Copics to create a backyard scene. I popped my jar onto the grass and extended a few strands of grass onto the jar. I added the border on top and a metal star, along with a few strips of jewels.
Then I went to Photoshop where I added the freebie Firefly, creating a couple free-flying flies escaping the jar. I remember spending weekends with my grandmother. Her son, my uncle, was just four years older than I. Between the two of us and my sister, we spent many a summer evening catching fireflies (we called them lightning bugs) and naming each one before putting them in jars. Of course, we released them all before going in to bed. Back then, the front yard was SO BIG, with evergreen trees and bushes creating our own personal forest. After we all grew up and the house was sold, I revisited the house. That "forest" was no bigger nor smaller than everyone else's front yards on the block! Still, lots of carefree memories were made there at Gram's house. She's been gone a year now, rejoining her husband at the ripe old age of 104 (and a half, she'd always remind us). God bless her for giving me the kind of childhood I can cherish and look back on with love.
The Bug Us challenge at Scribbles Designs lasts a month, so have fun and craft your heart out! Then link up for your chance to win prizes. Happy crafting!

Challenges I am Entering:

Crafting with an Attitude - Anything Goes

Digital Delights by Louby Loo - Anything Goes

Inspiration Destination - Anything Goes

Color Throwdown - Inspiration photo

Let's Color Linky Party - Anything Goes w/something colored

Your Scrapbook Place Running with Limited Runs Sponsorship

We've reached the midway point of this month's challenge at Your Scrapbook Place challenge blog. Our sponsor, Limited Runs, is offering a prize to one lucky winner, and if you use an image from our sponsor, you will get an extra entry!

I used one of my favorite images from Limited Runs.

It's called Over a Puddle and I created a Z-fold card for her. I was commissioned to make a few personalized birthday cards for someone at work, and this is the first of them. Since April Showers bring May flowers, and the person's birthday is in May, the sentiment I used inside my card reads, "May your Birthday bloom with wonderful surprises"
Come join us at Your Scrapbook Place, where the theme is Anything Goes.

Challenges I am Entering:

                    Digitally Sweet challenges - Spring Is in the Air
Simply Papercraft challenges - Anything Goes
                

Anything Goes with Limited Runs at Your Scrapbook Place

Welcome to a new challenge over at Your Scrapbook Place challenge blog. Our sponsor is Limited Runs, and I colored up this digital image called Birdhouses 5. After fussy-cutting my bird houses, I framed it with a paper doily. I did the same for my sentiment, using bits of leftover doily. Since the patterned paper I used is a tad busy, I embellished simply with a jeweled flourish, as well as a leftover felt-and-jeweled flower. Just a simple card with a simple wish--for Spring!

What will you create this month? Whatever you make, link it up at Your Scrapbook Place for your chance to win awesome prizes from Limited Runs.

Challenges I am Entering:

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes

Crazy 4 Challenges - Spring

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

Get Well Theme This Week at Outlawz Greetings Challenges

I need to get busy making several Get Well cards for the many friends who seem to be feeling off this week. Besides a couple girlfriends with long term illnesses, I have a friend who came down with the flu and could use some cheering up. So I pulled out a lovely image from All Dressed Up called "Little Dreamer."
All Dressed Up has the most delectable images to color and create with, and the Outlawz Greetings challenges is so lucky to have them as one of this month's sponsors. This week, the challenge is to create a Get Well card, and I thought this little dreamer would be perfect to do so.
I cut up a piece of leftover patterned paper from my stash into several smaller pieces, then framed them with dark card stock and moved them around my card front until I liked the arrangement. After coloring her with Copics, I popped Little Dreamer onto the same card stock and adhered her to my card. The sentiment is from a vellum sticker stack from K&Co (also on same card stock.
There wasn't much room to embellish, but I found a space for a couple paper flowers, as well as my butterfly. That should definitely cheer her up, don't you think?
I hope you have some time to create this week. If so, come join us at the Outlawz Greetings Challenges. 

Other Challenges I am Entering:

All Dressed Up _ Anything Goes
Card Mania challenges - #66 Spring

Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes

Crafty Boots - Spring

Crafty Cardmakers -  Spring Has Sprung
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes

Love to Scrap - Anything Goes
Mema's Crafts - Anything Goes
Ooh La La challenges - Fashion
Through the Purple Haze - Anything Goes
the Sisters of Craft - Anything Goes

Show Off Those Ribbons & Bows at the Outlawz Greetings This Week

Today brings a new challenge from the Outlawz Greetings challenges: make a card with Ribbons & Bows (and as always, a sentiment must be on the front). I colored up an image from All Dressed Up, our sponsor this week. She's called Sweetie Pie, so I had to make a sweet card with which to showcase her.
Now, I don't know about your neck of the woods, but here in Chicago, we still have lumpy hills of snow and ice in our yards. So when I saw this little sweetie, I thought she looked like I have been looking for the last week, thinking that Spring would never come!

My card is actually a gate fold card, and the photo above shows off one of the "gates." Here's a photo of the card open. The quote is from a poem/song by Gertrude Tooley Buckingham and reads, "Gentle Spring's around the corner, Waiting just to show her face
And to bring us flowers and sunshine; Winter's almost run its race!"
Like her, I have hope that Winter will soon disappear until next year, and Spring is already working its magic under that frozen blanket.
Got some time to create a card this week? Come play in the Outlawz Greetings challenge, where all you need is a sentiment and some ribbon & bows!
Don't forget to check out all the lovely images over at All Dressed Up! There are some freebies as well, which you can use on their challenge blog.

Midway Challenge Post for Your Scrapbook Place

Time to remind all you crafters out there that you have only two weeks left to join in the fun at Your Scrapbook Place challenge blog. The theme is Anything Goes, and the guest sponsor for March is FRED SHE SAID. They have so many fun images to choose from--I got to play with "I Love You This Much."

After coloring her with Copics, I fussy-cut her and popped her onto a DCWV patterned card using dimensional tape. Last summer, I scored a huge roll of the tape at our church's rummage sale for $5, and am just about out. I need to find another roll, as it is so much easier than using those little pop dots or squares.
The image comes with a sentiment that reads, "I love you this much," curving in an arc you can place above her outstretched arms. I decided to celebrate the coming of Spring by letting her juggle a rainbow of jeweled flowers, and used alpha stickers to say "Welcome Spring."
A lonely leftover piece of ric-rac adorns the bottom of my card, and it is finished.
Now it's your turn. One lucky random winner will receive images from Fred She Said. What are you waiting for? You have until the end of the month to join in the Your Scrapbook Place Anything Goes challenge.

Other Challenges I am Entering:

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends- Anything Goes
Aud Sentiments challenges - Use a 2 word sentiment "Welcome Spring"
Crafting with an Attitude - Freestyle
Dream It Up - Marching into Spring

Another New release from QKD

Today my card showcases another new release, this time from artist  Jacquelynne Steves.  It's called Spring Chick.
  

I made a card using color blocking, as I don't make many that way and I need to stretch my crafting occasionally so I don't get stuck in a rut.  The patterned papers are a mix of leftover and my own hand-painted background using watercolors.

After decorating the top with various pieces of lace and trim, I added a few jewels and a nice sparkly button to denote the longer days and warmer Spring temps.  A tiny bouquet finishes off my card.

I colored my chick with Copics, then distressed the edges using Tim Holtz Faded Jeans distress ink. My chick looks so happy, waving her banner to announce that Spring is (finally) here!  I'm happy, too!

You can find Jacquelynne's Spring Chick at the QKD Shop.  For more inspiration, check out the Queen Kat Designs Facebook page.  And as always, happy crafting!

Impatient for the Bright Colors of Spring

I am so impatient for Spring to arrive. Last month we went to Seatlle to check out the university there with our daughter.  When we landed, our eyes were dazzled by all the GREEN on the ground and in the trees.  Flowers were blooming in a riot of color. It was awesome.
When we returned to the Chicago area, we were happy that almost all of the snow had melted, but it was so BROWN and dull and blahh...
So in anticipation of my location getting a much needed change of season, I have used a Squigglefly digi image by artist Pamela Lehto called Dogwood Angel and Spring's brightest colors.  In fact, the challenge on the Squigglefly Blog is to make a card using a Squigglefly image and bright Spring colors.
I embossed yellow cardstock and popped it onto green cardstock base. My image is colored with Copics I used part of the image, which comes with wings and extra dogwood flowers.
I went a little crazy with embellishments, but I am so sick of winter, I just had to jazz my card up with jewel flourishes and flowers and a butterfly.  I even highlighted my card and the angel's wings with white gel pen!
I think I achieved my goal of using bright Springtime colors, don't you?!  So, get out your inks and papers and markers, grab a Squigglefly image and brighten up your day with a new card.  Show it off at the Squigglefly Challenge blog for your chance to win free digis.

Spring is Getting Ready to Bloom!

Today I used a Queen Kat Designs April release.  It's called Bloomin Basket by artist Jacquelynne Steves and it is just loaded with colorful blooms in anticipation of Spring!

I made a specially-folded card that was inspired by an image on Pinterest. I like it because it has a pocket in which to put surprises for the recipient.  In this case, it looks like a flower pot, so behind Jacquelynne's image, I plan to put a seed packet and send this card to somebody special!
After cutting and folding my "flower pot," (see instructions here) I added patterned papers from Basic Grey and the Paper Studio. I colored my basket with Copics, giving them sparkle and shine with smooch and Liquid Glass. The basket seemed to get lost on the patterned paper, so I colored a small paper doily with ink to frame it and then attached it to the front of my card.  I embellished simply with flower sequins, as the patterned paper was enough eye candy.
You can find Bloomin' Basket by Jacquelynne Steves in the QKD Shop. Happy crafting!

I am entering this challenge in Your Scrapbook Place challenge blog, which requires you to be inspired by a Pinterest project in order to play for prizes.

Finally, Spring (Almost)

At Last! Spring is just around the corner!  I have been waiting all winter for Spring! LOL
And to celebrate a new season I have made a new card today.  I used "Sketched Bunny" again-I love the look of it and it is so easy to color up!
I have been sneaking a little Spring cleaning in before the actual day, so my card showcases some pastel paint chips I've been hoarding all winter.  I cut them and then adhered them at a diagonal, then popped my bunny image on them.
After inking the edges of my card, I added the Spring sentiment (printed on my computer from Word) as well as a line of pearls.  A nice simple card that heralds the new season!
For more Spring-themed images, check out the QKD Shop.

Welcome Spring!

Welcome, Spring! And Welcome to the Spring Blossoms Blog Hop!  I don’t know where you are located, but in Chicago, Spring has stalled, and needs a mighty PUSH to get it rolling.

So hop along with us as we inspire Spring to get its butt in gear and to get your creativity going!  If you’ve come here from Robin’s Blog, you are hopping on the right trail.  If not, no worries, start at Lori's Blog so you don’t miss all the festive flowers and Spring projects along the way.

Today I was really missing my robins and crocuses and fat little squirrels scurrying about.  The robins are shivering in their nests, the crocuses are just clear of a thin layer of ice, and the squirrels, well, they’re sitting pretty in their tree holes, popping those nuts in their mouths and getting fatter.

So I really needed to push the Spring envelope and came up with a Spring Blossoms candle.  I used a combination of Prima flowers and some feathers.  It's easy to alter a candle.  You just need the items you want to embed into your candle, a heat gun and some wax paper.

Arrange your items (tissue paper, stamped images, flowers, sequins, etc) onto the face of your candle and place a sheet of wax paper much longer than the diameter of your candle (so you can grab the ends of the paper) tightly against it all.  Then use your heat gun to warm up the paper.  The side of the paper up against the candle will heat so much that the wax will melt and form a layer on top of the items you placed there.  You can do this several times to build up the layer, but once you're done you will have a personalized candle, either for yourself or as a gift.

Mine is going to my new daughter-in-law, who LOVES the color purple!!  Her birthday is later this month, she's a crafter, and she is going to flip when she sees this.  

Speaking of daughters, my own teen-aged daughter, Wendy, a crafter in her own right, helped me make the beautiful mirror you see below.  We pulled the blooms off a couple bushes of silk flowers, along with a few leaves.  We had an oval mirror that she was ready to give to Goodwill, but I rescued!  She hot glued the leaves, blooms and buds to the edges of the mirror, and she now has a beautiful Spring mirror to hang on her wall!  She loves it, and so do I!  The photo has a bit of lighting blur from the flash, but I think you get the idea.

I hope you like our Spring Projects.  Now it's time to hop along to Cicily's Blog.  Don't forget to leave a little love before you go!!  And for one lucky random commenter, I have a goody bag of prizes to send your way.

Here's the list of blogs if you get lost:

Lori  - http://www.scrappinmystressaway.blogspot.com/
Lucy  ~ http://love2createitall.com
Teresa ~http://freshandrenewed.blogspot.com/
Melissa -http://pinkpolkadotscrapping.blogspot.com
Robin - http://cutonedesignsbyrobin.blogspot.com/
ME   - http://patacakespages.blogspot.com
Cicily - http://pinkdalmationscrapper.blogspot.com
Sarah - http://itswhatkeepsmesane.blogspot.com
Christine ~ http://hotberrydesigns.blogspot.com/