Welcome to 31 Days of Halloween - DAY10

 This happens to be one of my favorite projects this Halloween. I bought these yard flamingoes way back in May or June from the Dollar store and kept them tucked away for this month. I sprayed each with black chalk paint. I loved using my Posca markers to draw the birds' skeletons on both sides. Then made sure to seal them with gloss varnish so they would last more than the first year.

They came with small metal rods to stick in the yard. 

While I was at the Dollar Store last month, I heard 2 moms talking about how most of the Halloween decorations were scary and grotesque and they weren't buying them. I thought about all the younger kids who love to trick-or-treat in my neighborhood, and decided to put on these over-sized googly eyes to lessen the grotesqueness of them. Personally, I think the eyes make them look like naked chickens now, but that's just me and my overactive imagination (or do you see the chickens, too?).

Only 21 days left before Halloween! Did you buy enough candy to go around? If you like this idea, mark your 2025 calendars to buy the flamingoes in Spring!! I have three more to add to my flock if I have the time...'

Challenges I am Entering:

Craft Rocket - Autumn/Halloween

Crafty Gals Corner - AG w/optional Make It Spooky

Shopping our Stash - Halloween

Crafters' Cafe - Include a Critter

Crafty Animals - Must include animal

 

From the Whole Flock

This month I am focusing on birthday cards, and when I saw the sentiment offered at the Scribbles Design Store, I knew I had to use it on my next card. It's called #0168 WP HBFlock ($1.50) and you can find it HERE. I found the cute little bird image, called #F 74 Spring Bird, as a FREEBIE on the Scribbles Designs Challenge Blog! 

After coloring my little birdie, I took a photo of her and then used Photoshop to digitally multiply her into a whole flock of little birdies bathing in the sunshine along the beach. The beach is actually at Clearwater, Florida. My son and his family live in Florida now and my DIL takes the loveliest photos, so I made it into background scenery for my card.
I cut this out and placed it onto some rainbow patterned paper from Decosse's Dynamite Doodles (Sea patterned paper from “Chasing Rainbows” Paper Kit), I  framed each of these with Decosse's Textured Paper #2 from “Mommie Dearest” Paper Kit and Gold paper from “A Grungy Christmas” paper kit.
I embellished simply with some shimmery ric rac and a few tear-shaped jewels. I thought the waves could use a little shine as well, so I used Diamond Stickles to "catch" the sun's light.Of course, I couldn't help but ink the edges of most of my papers, too. I love ink...

Challenges I am Entering:

2 Crafty Critter Crazies - Anything w/a critter goes

Always Happy Birthday - Anything Birthday Goes w/optional pp

Animal Friends - Spring (must have animal)

Crafty Animals - Anything Goes

  

Rainy days and Mondays Always Get Me Painting...

Keeping my hand in watercolors is easier than mixed media, due to time constraints, and my time is definitely constrained. So here's a pretty 5x7 piece I created and matted.
I've seen so many projects with "birds on a wire" that I had to try it myself. I like the colors I used, and the sentiment is perfect. But I think I should have waited for the paint to dry before doing my birds, as they are no longer black. What do you think?
No digi images, no DT project today, just my simple water color. I'm still in the crafting game, as time allows! Hope you get some too!

Challenges I am Entering:

Connie Can Crop - Water colors
Make My Monday - Lazy Days of Summer
Creative Fingers - Anything Goes
As You Like It - Fur or Feathers? (feathers)
I chose feathers because every day as I drive from place to place, I see the black birds sitting on wires, exactly like countless projects I see online. I had to try it once, so I created this water color)

Guest Designer for 4 Crafty Chicks This Month!

Hey, crafters! During the month of July, I will be a GDT for 4 Crafty Chicks Challenge Blog! My first GDT project is a watercolor I created for their #306 Summer Challenge, which starts today.
While on vacation in May, I pulled my water color supplies and let myself be inspired by the view out our hotel window. The Muse hit me hard, so along with my painting, I also wrote a Haiku poem that describes my attitude during that sunny, sandy week. Haiku are difficult to write, as you only get 17 syllables with which to relay the message you wish readers to have. Most Haiku are about nature serious, but I like to slip in a little humor here and there.
I matted my canvas on the Paper Studio’s solid goldenrod cardstock. My poem  (copyright 2016 Pat Martin) was printed with LD Handwritten Greetings Font, matted with the Paper Studio’s teal cardstock. What's really cool is that I printed this up on glossy cardstock and made my friend a set of notecards for her summer birthday!
Now it's your turn to create with the theme of SUMMER. Don't forget to link up your card or project at 4 Crafty Chicks challenge blog by end of week. And tell them Pat sent you! LOL

Challenges I am Entering:

Sasayuki Glitter - CAS Cards

Craft Rocket Challenges - Anything Goes

Crafty Girls Creations - 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

Christmas Robin Decorates Another Challenge Card

Today I'm showing off my Christmas card for the month of April. I'm playing in the Digi Stamps 4 Joy monthly Christmas Card Challenge. Every time you play in the challenge, you get a free digi for the next month!!  It's a win-win partnership--you win a free dgii and you win at beating the clock to get all your cards made for next Christmas!
For this month's card, I used the DS4J digi called Christmas Robin and colored it with Copics. I colored it blue, thinking of the bluebird of happiness.  Christmas makes me happy, seeing the family gathered around the table together, laughing and sharing food, and watching the grandkids squirm with anticipation of presents to unwrap and sopngs to sing.
The patterned paper is from DCWV, the border from K & Co and the JOY sticker from the Dollar Tree. And that makes two cards to add to my collection for the holidays!!
Come play with your holiday craft supplies and link it up with the DS4J Christmas Card Monthly Challenge!

Just a couple of Love Birds

That describes me and my hubby of over 30 years, so what better to show him how much I love him by making a card featuring a Queen Kat Designs stamped image called Love Birds.  the stamp is from artist Laura Macy, and I love to color this pair over and over!

Here I colored the birds with Copics and cut it out with my Nestabilities Die.  I edged my card with my Creative Memories Border punch system (Lacy Scallops).  Embellishments include a ribbon bow and some adhesive-backed pearls.
There are lots of stamps for sale at the Queen's Shoppe!

QKD February Releases

It's so hard to keep warm in the winter time, especially if you live in the Northern half of the world (or southern half if you're below the equator).  When I saw these new Queen Kat Designs February releases from Laura Macy, I thought that they would be perfect to use on treat cards that would warm up anyone's afternoon.  I colored Love Birds with my trusty Copics.

Since Valentine's Day is coming up and I'm a busy little crafter before each holiday, I decided to make a treat box with it.  This one is called a "Pull Treat Card" and I first made one a long time ago at a stamp party.

I cut a piece of cardstock 8.5x5.75" and scored and folded at 2-1/2" and 6-1/2".  I popped my colored image onto a piece of patterned paper after punching the corners.  I did a little distressing with my blender tool and some distress ink.  I added lace on the top and bottom and placed it on the center part of my folded cardstock.'Then I adhered the back flaps together and punched a hole at the top through it all.

If you thread a piece of ribbon (or lace like I used) from the front to the back, you can then add a treat, like a pack of gum, a candy bar, or a packet of hot cocoa on top of the ribbon inside the card.  Push it down until it meets the bottom edge of the card, then tie it at the top.

When you pull on the bow at the top, the treat comes up out of its card:
So my treat card with the Love Birds stamped image (as well as the hot cocoa) will warm anyone's Valentine's Day!!

Now that I have a full complement of grandkids, I can once more plunge into the realm of Easter crafting, too, especially when it comes to treats!  I used Laura's Vintage Bunny stamp to make an Easter treat pull card, again coloring the image with Copics.

I made the card a bit bigger to hold not cocoa, but a packet of microwave popcorn.  I used a piece of Bright Rainbow colored ribbon for the pull part.  I also added my granddaughter's name to the front.

QKD has a lot of new releases for February, including Laura's Love Birds and Vintage Bunny, so check out the Shop for some inspiration!!