The Girls' Night Out Invitation

 

Yesterday I posted a card for my sister's birthday. My other sister and I have been prepping her for a surprise overnight...somewhere where we've never been to. Kathy sent her a card she made with a 2-verse poem about the overnight, without adding a lot of detail.

Mine is going out next week and I took photos of the cover and the inside. I used more of the same paper from yesterday's birthday card along with the butterfly stickers. The font I used was Comic Sans Regular.

While the front of the card says, "On your mark, Get set..." you won't find the word GO anywhere. That's because our birthday girl wants to be completely surprised by our surprise, so she won't get into the GO portion of the trip until we arrive at our hotel! And don't worry, she doesn't use Blogger (her loss) so she won't get a sneak peek from me and mine!!

Another Trip Around the Sun

 

This is my birthday card for my youngest sister. Her birthday is early in May, and I wanted a playful tone to it. It's a milestone birthday so I think she'll love the humor. The actual greeting is one I found on Pinterest. I put it into my "Words" board, where I save the funniest, punniest, most affirmative, positive sayings, quotes and greetings.

This is a 6x6 inch easel card. I love making these because it gives impact when there is an opening line and a closing line. The first photo is with the card closed-what would be pulled out of the envelope. The 2nd photo is open and standing up. That's why you see the words "Did you know that" twice. I pulled out butterfly stickers from my folder to decorate the card and some designer paper I had left over from a previous project for the base. I used a Posca marker for the words. I have a stash of letter tiles and Scrabble tiles that I was able to use on the inside.  

I remember when my mom came home from the hospital with my new baby sister. I ran home once the dismissal bell rang. There she was, in my mom's arms, a little blondie. It's great that she and I have a supportive, meaningful relationship. We live in the same town and often get together for weekend grocery shopping.

My other sister lives in Germany. She's coming in to visit during the birthday weekend and we're surprising my youngest sister with an overnight to a location we've all never been to. I made homemade strawberry schnapps for us to toast to. It's going to be awesome...

Challenges I am Entering:

Beyond the Blue - Birthday card 

Crafty Catz - Anything Goes w/optional twist: Celebration

Seize the Birthday - Anything Goes w/option: Alcohol (markers or liquid)

Through the Purple Haze - Anything Goes

Looking forward to Rainbows and Butterflies

 

I am never far away from my art journal, so when it rained earlier this week and the sun suddenly burst out, I found a rainbow curving over my neighbor's house (no pot of gold, though). I've been want to create a rainbow in my journal, but all alone it wouldn't look "postable" (as in Blogger).

So I drew out a few butterflies randomly across the page before adding the rainbow. I didn't want the rainbow to take over the world the page, so I drew my favorite way to doodle - drawing lines close together and all in the same direction.

It was very relaxing, taking my mind off the little day-to-day worries and anxieties I may have had. It's one of the best therapies I've discovered so far!!

Happy crafting, y'all!

Challenges I am Entering:

Country View - Things with Wings

Triple B - A/G with Blossoms, Birds and/or Butterflies

Card, Craft & Art - Pastel

Pastels Are the Theme at Scribbles Designs

As we enter the last half of Scribbles Designs Challenge for this month, I wanted to feature one of the many awesome doodles in the Scribbles Store. This one is called A30  Flower Doodle 7. While the flowers themselves I colored white and violet (with some shimmer in their centers, I wanted more color for its background. So this has become the image of many colors. I love the combination of blue and yellow, so I used both these colors on which to place my image,as well as to frame it  - first with patterned papers, and then to in its cardstock and stitched  panels. Embellished simply with a couple punched butterflies and a few pearls, the sentiment on my card reads:

Earth laughs in flowers

Scribbles Designs offers an optional theme every month along with its Anything Goes. This month is all about the Pastels. I hope my card inspires you in some way to join in the challenge for your chance to win free digis at the Scribbles Store. Happy crafting!

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!  

Girl Power at Ike's World Challenge Blog

What an empowering month this is for women everywhere. To celebrate, the challenge this fortnight at Ike's World Challenge blog is Girl Power. Whether you are or know someone who fought breast cancer; whether you own your own business or work alongside others; whether you're married, single or in a relationship; we are women, hear us ROAR!
Empowering women, however, needs to start when girls are young. Now our daughters and granddaughters face cyber-bullying and body-shaming that, when done through the internet, reaches well past the school she attends or the community in which she lives. This issue was the inspiration for my mixed media canvas today. Each and every one of us is unique. We each have value in this world, and should not be judged by how we look.
I used an Ike's Art image called "Do Your Thing." Using patterned papers, acrylic pint and ink to build my background, I colored my image with Copics and chose the sentiment to make my point that everyone has faults. Nobody is perfect, and you know what they say, "People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones."
The challenge has one more week to it, so let's get crafty. And don't forget to link up your project at Ike's World Challenge blog for your chance to win free digis! See you there!

Challenges I am Entering:

Simply Papercraft - Anything Goes

Your Next Stamp - Sketch and/or color inspiration

Fussy & Fancy - Bingo Grid

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)

Graceful Living

Welcome to a new challenge at the Path of Positivity challenge blog. This month we are celebrating GRACE. Grace is an attitude, a way you act, or react, to any given situation. Grace can be achieved with practice, with patience, and with compassion. Grace can lift spirits from a depressing day, a stressful event, even an overwhelming disappointment. It can turn a life around, as my sentiment reads. We should all practice to live gracefully-the world would be a much nicer, more peaceful place in which to live.
The challenge has two sponsors this month, Pickled Potpourri 

and Decosse's Dynamite Doodles

I used an assortment of papers and elements from Decosse's Dynamite Doodles:
 Acts That Can Change Lives set- sentiment 2
 Mommy Dearest Collection- Doilies Pack: Doily 1,2 & 3; Textured Paper Pack: Texture 9; Buttons,  Bows, Brads Pack: Button 5
 Cotton Candy Collection- Tag Grab Bag 1: Flower 6, Leaf Spray
 Glitterati Paper Pack- Purple glitter paper
...as well as elements from other digital resources:
from Pixel Scrapper Marisa Lerin- Pretty Things Elements Pack- Scatter, Butterfly 18; from Janet Scott- Christmas Day Glitter Dot Swirl; from  Elif Sahin- Ribbons #7 Templates, Ribbon template #6
All of these digital elements and papers came together to create my DT card for the new challenge. Some crafters do not appreciate the time and energy that goes into making a digital card or layout. I love hybrid and digital cards because I can store them easily, and I can print them to send out to family and friends. I can even email cards to my sister who now lives in Germany (postage across the world is SO expensive).
I hope soon that there will be more challenge blogs that accept hybrid and digital creations. Meanwhile, the Path of Positivity challenge blog accepts any and all creations of a positive nature, and this month the positive theme is GRACE. What can you create this month?

Spring Has Sprung with Digi Stamps 4 Joy

Could it be Spring, finally?! I don't know about your neck of the woods, but Chicago has been on a roller coaster when it comes to temps and weather conditions. March come in like a lion,bearing snow and freezing temps, then flipped around and teased us with temps in the 60's. I would really like Mother Nature to make up her mind so I can plan out my wardrobe! LOL
Meanwhile, the Outlawz Monday Greetings offers a new challenge asking for cards with a Spring theme. The sponsor this week is Digi Stamps 4 Joy.

Doesn't the digi, Spring Has Sprung, showcase the new season's weather perfectly? I love the hedgehogs peeking out of the flowers with their smiles. They're not the only ones happy with the respite in cold weather! I rounded all my corners on my card and embellished with a spray of flowers and a few butterflies floating past my scene. My sentiment is on my printed ribbon.
Why don't you link up your Spring-themed card at the Outlawz Monday Greetings challenge this week. There are some fabulous prizes offered!

Going Green at the Outlawz Monday Greetings challenge blog

Hello, crafters! Welcome to a new challenge at the Outlawz Monday Greetings. This week's theme is Going Green - use something green on your project. Our generous sponsor this week is Moonflower Digistamps, whose image I used to create my card. She's called Gypsy Flower.

I decided to create an acrylic card. This is my second attempt. My first was just too "invisible." It was hard to photograph and brooked no embellishments at all. So I gave my card a cardstock base, adhering some leftover patterned paper to it. The pie e of acrylic is attached to a slight overlap of cardstock from the back, and I had to add a strip of the same to keep the front from sliding forward all the time it was open. I added a line of pearls to the strip.

I popped my image onto the acrylic face of my card, added a bow to her hair, and decided to place one butterfly onto this part of my card. I added a smaller butterfly to the inside, along with my sentiment. I finished off my card by adding a row of glittered brads and Gypsy Flower is ready for her close-up.

Now it's your turn to play with a "bit o' green." Create a project (don't forget a greeting or sentiment needs to be on the front of it) and ink up with the Outlawz Monday Greetings challenge for your chance to win digis from Moonflower Digistamps.

Challenges I am Entering:

ABC challenges - C is for Cute

Card and Scrap - Shabby Chic/Vintage 

Crafter's Cafe challenges - Inspired by a Song (Just the Way You Are-Bruno Mars)

Just Keep on Crafting - Anything Goes

Naughty or Nice challenges - At the Movies (nice-Romeo & Juliet)

Sisters of Craft - Anything Goes

Everything is Prrr-fect at Scribbles Designs Challenge blog

I created a Bendi card for this month's GDT project for Scribbles Designs Challenge blog. It is my new go-to card. I really love the presentation, and as long as I include instructions on how to reattach the sides, the card can lie flat in an A2 envelope for mailing. I used a template from The Cutting Cafe to make it.
I played with an image called Nimble Puss by Scribbles Designs. The sentiment is also from Scribbles. Reaching into my crafting bag of tricks (known as my stash), I pulled coordinating pieces of patterned papers, as well as the butterflies, sequins and jeweled flowers with which I embellished.
Check out all the inspiration at Scribbles Designs challenge blog this month. Don't forget to link up your card or project for your chance to win prizes from the Store! Tell them Pat sent you.

Challenges I am Entering:

The ABC challenge blog - A is for Animals

Animal Friends challenges - Katzen/Cats

Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Papers challenges - Anything Goes

Just Keep on Creating challenges - Anything Goes

Show Us Your Pussies/Cats Only challenges - Kitty Love
The Crafty Addicts - Anything Goes/Cute & Cuddly
If You Give a Crafter a Cookie - Inspiration photo

Creative Knockouts - Furry Friends
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New Beginnings at Ike's World Challenge Blog

Every day is a new beginning, and this is especially true at Ike's World Challenge Blog, where a new challenge inaugurates a New year. New Beginnings is the challenge theme, and my inspiration came from this Ike's Art digi image called Crystal Ball, and the fact that most of us would like a tiny peek at what's ahead for us this year.
While 2015 ended on a sour note for me and my family, I am learning that the future is what you make of it. You need an optimistic outlook, a positive attitude, a keen eye for opportunities that pop up, courage to snatch those opportunities, and a grateful heart. With these as my weapons, I can just let go and Believe that Good things are on their Way, as my crystal ball shows us all.
I am also back to mixed media canvas. I haven't pulled out all the bells and whistles for a while, but it's a new year and I'm ready to begin again. My canvas is 7x7 inches, covered in patterned papers from my stash. The top layer is chalked,while the image is colored with Copics. I printed the sentiment onto transparency paper after chalking the misty innards of my future forecaster, and the year is created with stickers.
The rest is tchochki that I've collected throughout 2015. Broken jewelry, miscellaneous charms, leftover buttons and brads, even parts of a patterned card stock border. I love the freedom of mixed media, don't you? Have you ever tried it? You don't have to paint or Mod Podge a canvas - try making a card and throwing on embellishments that aren't standard crafting supplies.
Pinterest and YouTube are great places to inspire your new adventures. And link up with Ike's World Challenge blog this week with whatever card or project you decide to create. We'd love to see your art!

Challenges I am Entering:

Love to Scrap- New Beginnings

Our Crafty Corner - Anything Goes

2 Creative Chicks - ANything Goes

Rhedd's Creative Spirit - Anything Mixed Media Goes

Take the Opportunity to Check Out the Path of Positivity

Another month means another awesome and thought-provoking challenge theme from the Path of Positivity challenge blog. This time the Path asks you to be inspired to show us your projects, thoughts and photos about Opportunity. I believe that each day is full of hidden opportunities; you just have to keep your eyes open and be aware. And remember that whether you take advantage of an opportunity or not, there is a lesson to be learned. You can grow with each encounter.

 The guest sponsors for this month are Deedee's Digis and Oddball Art Co. 
Today I created a Swing card to highlight the changes that this little creature goes through to get where he should be all along. The image sheet is from DeeDee's Digis and is called Caity Caterpillar and comes with  2 outline images, 2 pre-colored images, 2 white-filled layering images, and 5 sentiments, in JPG and PNG file formats.
I colored my caterpillar and butterfly with Copics before popping them onto the "swing" section of my swing card. I cut one of the sentiments in half and placed them apart. My card is covered with patterned paper from the DCWV All Boys paper pad, and I embellished it all with jeweled flowers and butterflies. Here's a topside view of the swing card-it makes a pretty presentation when open.

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:
Crafting with Dragonflies - Butterflies
Daring Cardmakers - New Beginnings
Fussy & Fancy Challenge 144 - Things with Wings
Sister Act challenges (cards only) - Anything Goes

Fantastical Challenge at Ike's World Challenge Blog

One of the things I like about playing with images from Ike's Art is the fantastical drawings she comes up with. Take the Hatter, for example, whose image I colored and popped onto a card. Until I saw the most recent version of Alice in Wonderland with Johnny Depp playing the same role as this guy, I thought of the Hatter as this funny, lovable character (kind of like in the Disney animated movie).
But Ike has brought to life a newer, sad, deranged but still lovable character...and we all get to color him and play with him and create with him. It is a mad, mad, world, and if you're playing with the Hatter, you're in very good company!
So today marks the midpoint of the Fantasy challenge over at Ike's World Challenge blog. You have one more week to let your imagination fly and link it up with us!!

Spring Puts Music in My Heart

I love to listen to  music, especially when I craft. I have an old 2nd generation iPod with pver 1200 songs and jam while I ink, sing while I stamp, and croon while I color! That's why I love this gorgeous digi image from The East Wind for my DT card for Craft Your Passion challenge blog.
The East Wind is this week's guest sponsor, and my image is called Spring Melody.
Craft Your Passion offers weekly challenges that are Anything Goes, and I took the theme to heart. I used leftover patterned paper from my stash, then popped my Copic-colored image onto my card front after framing it with a die-cut paper doily. The circles of musical notes have been punched out from more leftover papers, while I printed and punched out my sentiment. A sprinkling of "negative" die-cuts from the doily embellish my card, along with a few golden yellow pearls.
Now it's time to get your Anything Goes mojo to work and come play at Craft Your Passion's challenge this week!!

Challenges I am Entering:

Sister Act challenges - Anything Goes

Cute Card Thursday - Summer Colors

CMD challenge blog - Movie/TV show inspired (Ich mag den Film Pitch Perfect und nicht kann warten um die Fortsetzung zu sehen)

I Found My Wings

I thought it was about time to mix my new passion for water coloring with my steadfast passion for mixed media and create a page in my art journal.
I water-colored a background on homemade paper. After it dried, I cut it and attached it to my journal page.
Next I brought out my butterfly die and my folder of butterfly stickers and wings flew here, there and everywhere.
My sentiment says it all--I found my creative wings to merge two of my favorite techniques into a nice work of art.
Have you found your wings yet? I am constantly on the prowl to get up off the ground in new and exciting ways. Who knows what may come next--all I know is that my heart and eyes are open to every possibility out there.
Keep your eyes open and happy crafting!!

New Beginnings

I got a chance to play with my water colors today, and I had fun! I found a good deal on liquid water colors so my new painting has vibrant colors. I mixed my water colors with stickers, stamping and acrylic paint, so I guess you would call this a mixed media project, but I'm happy with how my girl turned out. Most of my water colors have been background pieces, or splotches on which I drew outlines with black ink to give the colors focus. This is the first time I painted "a picture" with water colors.
But like the title of my piece, every day is a new beginning, and I thi9nk I'll begin tomorrow with some more painting!!
Happy crafting, everyone!

Sneak Peek at New Squigglefly Images

Lucky me, lucky you! I got to play with an upcoming release from Squigglefly and I want you to see it NOW.  It is a cute image called "Say Cheese Please" by artist Cheryl Grant Alger and will be released in May.
This week's challenge over at the Squigglefly Challenge Blog asks for you Mother's Day cards using a Squigglefly image.  Since I make cards for my mom, MIL, gram, my kids' godmothers and the mothers of my grandchildren, I have plenty to make in the next two weeks! This is the perfect challenge for me to get them finished and sent out!
I found this fun patterned paper in my stash. It's from CTMH and is double-sided.  I love the bright colors and chevron stripes seem to be hot at this time. My images are colored with Copics and given a hint of highlighting with my white gel pen. I used this pen to handwrite my sentiment and doodle a few hearts to embellish.  A couple of butterfly charms complete my card.
Don't forget to use a Squigglefly image in this challenge so that you are in the running for free digis!  Can't wait for this new image?  Check out all kinds of images from Cheryl and other talented artists at the STORE.

Butterfly Takeover

This week the challenge over at Squigglefly is to use butterflies on your project--in the image, your papers, your shape--anywhere! I decided to make a purse prayer journal for my girlfriend. It measures about 3x4 inches, has a velcro closure and is perfect for those down times, those sometimes anxious times, like waiting at the doctor's office for test results, before or after Mass in church, or even running late for work but waiting on a long, l-o-n-g freight train.
I used Pamela Lehto's artwork entitled "Even Today," a Squigglefly April release. I die-cut the image with my Epic Six and Nestabilities die. I tried to fold in the middle and it mussed up a little, but I don't think she'll mind. I embellished with butterflies and jewels.
I love the versatility of Squigglefly digital images. I've used them on tiny 3x3 cards as well as on 12x12 layouts and canvas. I've printed in different sizes, flipped it to their mirror image, and printed on patterned papers and transparencies. All with using just Microsoft Picture Manager--no fancy photo editing software!
So now that you know how easy peasy it is to use digis, check out the Squigglefly store and pick out your favorites. Then come play with us at this week's butterfly challenge!!
Other challenges I am entering:
Open-Minded Crafting Challenge Blog - Easter or Pastels

Butterfly Cookie by Diane Carubia

I hope everyone enjoyed Mother's Day yesterday.  I had gone away with my  mom and sisters to a girls' overnight out and came back early afternoon to kisses, hugs and surprises.  Later I spent an hour ruthlessly cleaning out my craft room, putting aside a few treasures for crafting friends and filling a trash bag for the Goodwill store.  I felt empowered!

Once that was done, I sat down and played with a Squigglefly May digi release from artist Diane Carubia.  It's called "Butterfly Cookie".  I made a card with a pocket on the front,as that is this week's challenge over at the Squigglefly Challenge Blog.  I adhered my Copic-colored image to my pocket and into it I placed a small tag on which I stamped Happy Birthday!  Then I added the butterfly to grab the tag.  It's peeking out of the pocket.  I threw on some paper flowers and the Butterfly sentiment to embellish and my card is ready for the challenge.
Did you know that Squigglefly gives one lucky participant free digi images each week, as long as they use a Squigglefly image and follow the challenge guidelines.  What's more, they offer FREEBIES for you to start your collection!
It's a win-win situation, so run on over and play today!