Last Chance to Join the Christmas in July Celebration at Bugaboo

Day 7 of the Bugaboo Stamps Christmas in July challenge is finally here, which means this is the last challenge of the celebration. I have had loads of fun this last week, been inspired to stretch my comfort zone, added to my Christmas card stash, and have a chance at winning some awesome prizes!

The challenge today is photo inspiration, shown below, AND using the Friday Freebie at the Catch the Bug challenge blog  The movie offered to inspire crafters is "Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer."

I created a pop-up card, with the pop-up inside it. The Friday Freebie is called Reindeer Trio" and can be found on the main blog. I think that I used all the colors offered in the inspiration photo! LOL  The image is colored with Copics and I had my way with the embellishments. AND everything came from my stash. Besides adhesives and Copic ink refills, I haven't bought anything new this year. Oh, wait! I just placed an order with Scrapbooking Made Simple during their annual The Shop That Did Not Hop clearance sale!! Oh well, I haven't got that order in yet, and not likely to for another couple months!
Anyway, after building up my card front with patterned  papers, I colored up my image, adding a geometric background behind Rudolph and his cohorts. I cut several large Christmas light bulbs, 2 of which are on the front with a bow at their tops. I added sparkly snowflakes to the flakes already printed on my paper.

Inside my card, I created pop-ups, using the rest of my die-cut Christmas lights and (because I cut too few) a small Christmas tree. If you see a tiny pink behind the bulb on the very right, I had to stick a Copic markers behind the bulbs to keep it open so I could take a picture of the inside of my card. I gave my bulbs some dimension by drawing a curved line (of light) on each. I mention this because I re-discovered a fat white alcohol marker in my stash. I absolutely love it and am glad I found it!
Making pop-up cards are fun, but very time-consuming without a template (which I don't have). I am well on my way to reaching my Christmas card goal, thanks to Bugaboo Stamps Christmas in July Challenge. I hope you've joined in the fun. Good luck ad happy crafting!

Challenges I am Entering:

Catch the Bug - Day 7
Crafting by Designs - Getting Ready for Christmas
AS You Like It - Favorite Bird or Beast (I chose the reindeer, as it is a symbol of Christmas, and I do love Christmas!)
Cute & Crafty - Anything Christmas/Winter Goes
CraftyHazelnut's Patterned Paper - Anything pp  Goes
Merry Little Christmas - Anything Goes

Photo Inspiration from Ike's World Challenge Blog

This month's challenge theme at Ike's World Challenge Blog is a photo inspiration, pictured below. Now how open is that?! It took me forever to choose the image I wanted to play with, but I decided on "Shhhh" It is probably one of my favorite images to play with from Ike's Store (her colored hair alone pulls in most of the colors in the inspiration photo LOL).

If you can't read the sentiment, the first speech bubble says: "Bad News - I forgot your Birthday" The second bubble reads: "Good News - I forgot how old you are"

I always have fun coloring her hair, and finding just the right words to put with her look. I think I got it spot on for my birthday card. So for November, the optional challenge theme is to pull whatever inspiration you get from the photo offered. Hopefully your Muse will be abuzz with creative energy. And hopefully, you will link up your project or card with Ike's World Challenge Bog for your chance to win a gift certificate to Ike's Store.

Good luck and happy crafting!

Challenges I am Entering:

Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes
Crafty Cardmakers - Explosion of Colour
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Papers - Anything using Patterned Paper Goes
Digi Stamps 4 Joy - AG w/optional ribbon or lace

Photo Inspiration at Scribbles Designs

 I am loving these cute word art images from Scribbles Designs. They make the most awesome note cards, and who doesn't need a few dozen note cards to say Hi, Thinking of You, Let's Do Lunch or even Thank You?
Scribbles Designs Challenge Blog offers a photo for inspiration this month, and I have pulled the colors from it for my set of cards. The Scribbles image I used is called Fab Friend, and the designer papers are from Decosse's Dynamite Doodles Bokeh Paper Kit. I think they're a perfect match, don't you?

You have until November 14th to find inspiration from the photo below and link your card or project up at Scribbles Designs Challenge Blog for your chance to win free digis from the Scribbles Store. See you there!

Challenges I am Entering"
Crafting by Design - Anything Goes
Little Red Wagon - Owl about Me
Crafty Friends - Cute

Scribbles Designs Challenge Gets Inspired by a Photo

This month's challenge theme at Scribbles Designs is Photo Inspired 

(photo courtesy Jill Wellington, Pixabay.) 

I was inspired by the non-traditional colors in the photo, using Copics, colored pencils and a white gel pen to give life to my image, a Scribbles digi called Maple Leaf Doodle. After coloring a rainbow across the leaf, I used the colored pencils to blend the colors more subtly. It looked flat to me, so I started highlighting different sections of my leaf, and ended up highlighting all of them (I never knew when to stop even as a kid).
Since color is my inspiration, I thought this sentiment would be perfect for my card. I splashed a couple black jewels for embellishment after adding a washi tape border and canvas bow. A nice simple card for the loveliest season of the year!
What inspires YOU when you look at the photo from Scribbles Designs Challenge Blog? Whatever catches your creativity, go for it, then link it up for your chance to win some free digis from the Scribbles Store.
Good luck and happy crafting!

Challenges I am Entering:

Colour Crazy Craft challenge - Anything Goes

Creative Fingers - Anything Goes

4 Crafty Chicks - Fall

Mod Squad - Fall Fest

Ike's World Challenge Blog Offers a Photo Inspiration

How is your month going? Besides the usual scurry to get gifts made and cards out, our house is still under construction. When I talked to the head contractor about a finish date, he said it "should be" finished by next week's end. Doesn't he realize that that is Christmas weekend? And I have a dinner for 12 to get ready and serve, as well as overnight guests?
We are already sleeping in the basement and have the one bathroom, so I can't even offer my son and his family (of six) that space to sleep in. So as you can read, my month is a little stressful! I sure hope yours is going more smoothly than mine.
Meanwhile, life goes on, especially in the crafting world. The challenge theme over at Ike's World Challenge Blog is a photo inspiration:

Choose a color, an element, or the general feel of the photo and create your holiday heart out (although it does NOT have to be a holiday project). I chose to be inspired by the colors, pulling the red, gold and green from it to create with Ike's Art images: My Teddy, The Cat-Mouse Tree, Jar with Holly & Peppermints & I Bopz U. I do like to use multiple images in my projects - do you think I overdid it?
Because of the house situation, my craft room is closed, so I created this 100% digital card which I have printed up on glossy cardstock and mailed to a few friends this month.
If you have time this week, be sure to link up your photo-inspired project to Ike's World Challenge Blog for your chance to win digital images from Ike's Art Store!! And have a wonderful rest of the month, and a merry Christmas!