Playing Cat & Mouse

Today was a lazy day for me.I woke up late, got my laundry finished early, and got to craft while my dog napped and my daughter was at work. I lugged my box of stones and sea glass up from the basement (may I say that now that I've organized most of my  craft supplies it's been heavenly to be able to find the things I want almost immediately), pulled out my bag of watercolor supplies and grabbed my heat gun.
I planned on making a couple framed rock art pieces,and my project is one of them. I water colored the background, using the Quartz color scheme that is offered at Ike's World Challenge Blog

Then I poured out my bags of rocks and stones and was inspired by the shapes to create this cozy scene. I love that cat and mouse can enjoy a friendly nap together in peace. I don't know if you would call this an assemblage or mixed media. I call it finished and it's going on my wall.

Challenges I am Entering:

Ike's World Challenge Blog - see palette above

2 Crafty Critter Crazies - Anything w/a critter goes  

Bleeding Art - Anything Goes

Crafty Animals - Anything Goes

Show Us Your Pussycats - Furrything Goes 

It's All about the Gingham at Ike's World Challenge Blog

Tie again for a new challenge at Ike's World Challenge Blog, where the optional theme this month is Gingham! I found a sweet piece of gingham patterned paper that inspired me to create a new baby girl card. My daughter is at that age where many of her friends are getting married or having babies, so I know this card won't last long in my house.
I used New Baby digi image from Ike's Art Store, coloring it with Copics. I dug into my folder of baby stickers and found this adorable clothesline sticker that frames my image perfectly. I went over the top on the theme by adding a gingham bow to my card!
Whatever you create, be sure to link it to Ike's World Challenge Blog for your chance to win free digis from the store like the one with which I created!

Challenges I am Entering:

A Place to Start - Anything Goes

Crafty Friends - Beginning with B (Baby)

Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Papers - Anything PP Goes

Creations in Pink - Anything with mostly pink Goes

All Dressed Up at Your Scrapbook Place

A new month brings a new challenge at Your Scrapbook Place. The theme is always Anything Goes, and this month the guest sponsor is All Dressed Up. I used a digi image called Time to Celebrate. I think the sentiment is perfect, don't you? BTW, if you get a chance, try some Barefoot Bubbly. My fave cheap champagne to serve at girls' day in. Yum!
My card is filled with die-cuts and jewels. I found a baggie with them in it, as well as the gold and black paper, and ran with it. How about you? Do you have any mystery bags in your craft area? I'm doing a clean-out (again) and am finding all kinds of goodies. You never know what you might have forgotten...
Meanwhile, you have all month to create and link up your project at Your Scrapbook Place for your chance to win prizes from the Guest sponsor, All Dressed Up.

Gearing Up for Winter at the 12 Months of Christmas Link-Up

Autumn is finally here, although Mother Nature has thrown in a few days in the 80s (F) just to keep us on our toes here in Chicago. So who's to say she won't surprise us with a blizzard next week?!
Whether she does it next week or in a couple months, it's time to head to the back of your closet and dig out your long underwear and other winter gear. So I think you get the connection between that last sentence and this month's optional theme at the 12 Months of Christmas Challenge Blog, "Gear Up for Winter".

The guest sponsor is Pattie's Creations, and the image I used from her shop is called Penguin Igloo. I have the perfect sentiment on the inside of my card: May your home be warm with Christmas cheer, and Peace be yours the whole year through"  That is a rubber stamp from Stampin Up. I decided to lighten up my card by using alight pink/coral coloring and pretty much kept it monochromatic. I also played around with the placement of my image, finally deciding to keep it off-center of the frame layers I built up. For shimmer, I added Stickles to my penguin's hat and the cuffs of the mittens on my background paper; Liquid Pearls to the snowflakes and the snow on the ground; and Liquid Glass to my penguin's beak and feet. AND I am keeping my promise to make two cards instead of one each time so that I have a double stash going!

So, in order to have a chance at the prize from Pattie's Creations, you need to create a card that features warm winter clothing or other winter accessories (hats, mitts, muffs, scarves, sweaters, boots, etc.). The items MUST be attached to a person's body, like skates, skis, snowshoes, etc. AND  it must If you do follow the optional theme, be sure to add FT after your name so that we include you in the draw for 3 images from the Pattie's Creations store.

Of course, you don't need to follow the theme to link up your cards at the 12 Months of Christmas Challenge Blog and earn a free paper each month or for a chance to win the featured paper set from Decosse's Dynamite Doodles. Just if you want to try your chance at the 3 free images from Pattie's Creations.

Challenges I am Entering:

2 Crafty Critter Crazies - Anything w/a Critter Goes

Classic Design Team - Anything DT Make Goes

Crafty Animals - Anything w/an Animal Goes

Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper - Anything w/patterned Paper Goes

Creations in  Pink - Anything Mainly Pink Goes

Love to Craft- Anything Goes

Merry Little Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes

Mix It Up - Anything Goes w/optional Monochrome

Monochrome Magic - Monochrome or Monochrome w/a Ribbon

Sparkles Christmas - Christmas is for Kids

The Creative Crafters - Anything Goes

Anything Goes at Your Scrapbook Place Challenge Blog

Rick St. Dennis is one of my favorite artists, and I was so happy when I discovered that he was sponsoring August's challenge at Your Scrapbook Place. I chose to play with "Morning Goddess True Sexy." I have her in a few different poses as she is one of my favorite characters in Rick's Store. I love that Rick knows that sexy doesn't disappear with age, nor is it weighted down by shape.

As I promised at the beginning of the year, I am still attacking my craft stash. It doesn't look like I made a dent in it, but after using four layers of paper, I know that it is being reduced. I am also getting my supplies more organized, so that I can spend more time on designing and creating and less time looking for the supplies I need!

Your Scrapbook Place offers monthly challenges where the theme is always Anything Goes. So craft with love and link up your project for your chance to win a prize from our very special sponsor, Rick St. Dennis. Have fun!

Challenges I am Entering:

Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper  - Anything w/Patterned Paper Goes

Create and Inspire - Anything Goes

Sheepski Designs - Favorite Things (Fave things I love to  create w/include lace, pearls & gold; fave things in the world are friends & family)

World Wide Open Challenge Blog - Anything DT Goes

Create & Makes - Anything Goes

Photo Inspiration for Christmas Cards This Month

Hello there crafters! Welcome to another challenge at The 12 Months of Christmas Link Up. It is the first day of September and that means there are only four months left to add to the Holiday Card Pile, so let's continue with that goal in mind!
This month it's a holiday-photo inspiration challenge. The great thing about pictures is that one person can be moved by one aspect while another may see something totally different. So, whether you are inspired by the colors, the shapes or the objects themselves, it doesn't matter. 

For my card, I chose to pull the colors teal and red from the photo, along with the package's striped wrapping. They inspired me to create a non-traditionally colored but very modern greeting with Peace as the central theme. The image is from Sparkle n Sprinkle and it's called "70's Peace Sign." SNS is the guest sponsor this month at the 12 Months of Christmas Link-Up Blog. I also used papers from Decosse's Dynamite Doodles"

and

 In order to have a chance to win the prize from our wonderful guest sponsor this month, make sure that your Christmas card is inspired somehow by the above picture. The inspiration can be showcased in your image or your papers but they must be used 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. You will also need to let us know what inspiration you took from the picture. You can simply write a sentence at the bottom of your post next to the link up for this challenge if it would be easier.

Remember, you don't need to follow the theme to link up your cards and 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 a $15 gift certificate to the Sparkle N Sprinkle store.

Happy crafting!

Challenges I am Entering:

The Merry Christmas challenge - Anything Goes

The Sisterhood of Crafters - Anything Goes

A Snowflakes Promise- Anything Goes

Show Off Your Embossing at Ike's World Challenge Blog

MEOW'S IT GOING, CRAFTERS? Today I created a card with that phrase as my sentiment. It's the purr-fect fit for my digi image from Ike's Art. It's called Kat Woman, and I think it's become one of my favorites from Ike.
So, today marks the midway point of the Embossing challenge at Ike's World Challenge blog. As you can see, I framed my Copic-colored image with an embossed paper before adhering it to my card base. I was in a frivolous mood, so I sifted through my leftovers drawer and piled on whatever I could find - a ticket to frame out my sentiment, some black jewels, half a flower, pearls, even a feather!

Challenges I am Entering:
Show Us Your Pussies - Furry-thing Goes
Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes
the Outlawz Color Challenge - 

Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes

Use Your Noodle to Doodle Challenge is On

Okay, crafters, this is your midway reminder that the Scribbles "Use your Noodle to Doodle" challenge has reached its midway point. I created my DT make using a digi image called Sunflowers 1, which you can buy at the Scribbles Store if you like it.
I tried to "watercolor" with my Copics today. I like the way the leaves turned out, but the flower's petals are so-so. LOL My background is leftover patterned paper from my stash. I think it fits perfectly with my card design, don't you? The sentiment is an old rubber stamp I've had for ages - well-inked and well-loved. I doodled the border of my sentiment with gold gel pen, too.
I love sunflowers, but they always remind me of an old black and white sci-fi movie called "Day of the Triffids," where meteors cause alien, human-eating plants to roam Earth while rendering everyone who watched the meteor shower blind!! Honestly, this is a real movie, I swear.

Anyway, why don't you use your noodle to doodle and then link it up for your chance to win free digis from the Scribbles store? Good luck and happy crafting!

Challenges I am Entering:

Midway at Your Scrapbook Place Challenge Blog

Today I created a card using an image from Ike's Art called Husky. This month Ike's Art is sponsoring the anything goes challenge at Your Scrapbook place. Today is the midpoint of the challenge. 

Once I colored my Husky with my trusty Copics, I fussy-cut it and placed it onto my dry embossed cardstock. I used VersaMark ink and white embossing powder around the edges before adhering it all to my card base. Using a black marker to ink the edge of that base, I made an "oops" at the top - a nasty black "oops". So I cut out and added a few hearts, the topmost one covering my mistake.
Where will your Muse take you this month? Wherever you go, whatever you create, don't forget to link your project with your Scrapbook Place challenge Blog. And don't forget the double bonus at SBP: you get twice the chances of winning the random draw of prizes, AND you can also visit Ike's World Challenge Blog and enter there for a chance to win free digis. You can find Ike's Art Freebies HERE and on Facebook HERE.

Challenges I am Entering:

A Gem of a Challenge - Animals

Pause, Dream, Enjoy - Emboss It!

Simply Papercraft - Anything Goes

Friendship is the Theme at the Outlawz Monday Greetings this week

I like to send my friends a card out of the blue-- not for any occasion, just to let them know I am thinking of them. So I was really happy to choose this week's theme over at the Outlawz Monday Greetings challenge. Create with the theme of Friendship in your projects and link up for your chance to win digi images from two generous sponsors:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/theeastwind

and

https://www.etsy.com/shop/SLSLines

Today I created a card for my girlfriend and neighbor, Sue. I just went to see the movie "Florence Foster Jenkins." It was hilarious. Anyway, I colored up a digi image from The East Wind called "Untitled." Gathering up my leftover pieces of patterned papers, I used color blocking in my design. My sentiment was a rubber stamp I've had forever.

Although she lives just two blocks down the street, I'm mailing my card, because lt's face it, people like to get snail mail! LOL

Okay, you have the theme (friendship), the deadline (end of week) and the motivation (digi images from the sponsors' stores). Let's see what you create this week over at the Outlawz Monday Greetings Challenge.

Life is a Phantasi at the Outlawz Monday Greetings Challenges

Welcome to the Outlawz Monday Greetings new challenge. This week crafters are asked to create using a new technique. The guest sponsor this week is Digi Stamps 4 Joy, whose digital image, Phantasi 7 is showcased on my card today. Isn't she lovely?
My new technique is using some fancy die-cuts I colored with Copics to frame my card. Usually I stick to my Nestabilities dies that don't take twenty minutes to get out of the dies and trim them. But it does look nice on my card. LOL
Inspired by the feathers in her hair, I embellished my card with feathers, and added a line of pearls as well. I created this card for my granddaughter's graduation, and she loved it! Of course, it came with an altered container topped with a grad cap which, when pulled off the top of the container, was followed by a number of one dollar bills taped end to end. It presented an almost endless ticker tape of money, so who wouldn't like that?!
So what technique have you been wanting to try? Do it this week and show us your project. Just link  up with the Outlawz Monday Greetings challenge for your chance to win digi images from our sponsor, Digi Stamps 4 Joy.

Time Flies When You Have Grandkids

I am learning Photoshop in leaps and bounds, especially since my goal is to create a layout at least once a week. So today's page is for a layout challenge at Pixel Scrappers, the theme of which is Circles. I don't normally like to play with circles, in my scrapbooking nor in my card-making. So this was a true challenge for me.
I chose my title after cruising through photos of my first granddaughter. Here she is three years old; today she is eight years old; tomorrow she'll be twenty-something...at least that's how fast time seems to fly!
Which is the reason why we scrapbook moments in our lives, isn't it? Scrapbooking allows us to freeze time into moments we can revisit over and over. We can have the best of both worlds, enjoying the men and women they have become at the same time as enjoying the little rugrats that they were.
Here is what went into my layout today:

Fonts: Hotline Bling, Dobkin Script

Paper: PS Ania Archer, Art of every Day Paper 1

Elements:

Debra Anderson, Go Digital Scrapbooking Welcome Kit, Sweet Element Hanging 8

PS Sharon Grant, It’s a Girl Thing Flower Scatter

PS Janet Scott, Strawberry Fields Yellow Washi Tape

PS Melo Vrijhof, Love You Elements Stitched Heart

PS Kerry Dempsey, Ice Cream Social Bow 1

PS Pauline Thompson, Masculine 2 Clock

Monochromatic, Crafters

Monochromatic coloring is the theme this week at the Outlawz Monday Greetings challenge. The image I used is called Heart Banner and it's from My Stitch Back in Twine, who's sponsoring the Outlawz Greetings this week.
I decided to go with the color pink on my monochromatic DT card, using Copics: R85; RV00,34,95 to color it up. My card stock and patterned paper is from my never-ending stash, as well as the jeweled flowers I used to embellish. My sentiment is stamped using a Stampin Up stamp. I don't know about you, but I can always use Thank You cards.
Whatever you create, try a monochromatic approach and then link up with the Outlawz Monday Greetings challenge this week. You could win three digi images from our sponsor, My Stitch in Time!

Challenges I am Entering:

Crafting by Designs - Monochromatic
2 Crafty Girls challenges - Anything Goes/monochrome
Just Keep On Crafting - ANything Goes
Pink & Main challenges - Spring
Alphabet challenges - A is for Anything Pink

Don't Look Back

This week at Craft Your Passion challenge blog, Stitchy Bear Digital Stamps is sponsoring the Anything Goes challenge. I got to play with an image called Princess Natalya. I colored her with Copics, using metallic gel pens to give her dress the shimmer it deserves, although it doesn't show up very well in my photo.
Then I photographed her and used Photoshop to "fussy-cut" her to place on a card I created with Stitchy Bear digital papers that came with this image. I created the sentiment in Sonoma Script font.
You have a week to link up your crafty project in order to be eligible for prizes from Stitchy Bear Digital Stamps. Have fun, crafters!

Think Pink!

Today brings a new challenge at the Outlawz Monday Greetings challenges. The theme is to use PINK on your project. I love a funny card, so I created my project for our anniversary. I reached into my magical bag of craft supplies and pulled out a sticker sheet with funny speech bubbles. I thought this one was very appropriate!
After coloring my image, a Dr Digi called "Made for Each Other," I "pinked" the heck out of my card, first with a sewn-border piece of cardstock and then with pastel pink-embossed paper. That nice fat bow finishes off the color theme. I added a few jewels, and those hand-drawn stitches coordinate with this lovely couple's own stitches.
All in all, I think he'll like it!
Dr Digi is one of this week's sponsors, and he has some fun images with which to play. I always have a difficult time choosing an image--there are so many! I hope you'll check the store out and fine some inspiration there, as I always do.
And whatever you create this week, add pink and link up with the Outlawz Greetings challenges for your chance at some free digis. And as always, crafters, have FUN!

Challenges I am Entering:

Cards in Envy - Inspired by a Song (Hey, Good Lookin')

Card Mania - Pastel colors

Craft-Dee BowZ - Anything Goes w/a Handmade Bow

House of Cards - Stitching

A Sweet Image from Sweet Pea

This little sweetie from Sweet Pea Stamps is from artist Lynne Stansbery. She is free this month at the Progressive challenge over at the Sweet Pea Fan Page on Facebook.  Their challenges are progressive, in which you can create a project using any Sweet Pea stamp or image; participants will receive a Sweet Pea image for free for the second part.
Here is my project. I used the sentiment that came with the image, and left the inside blank. I will probably make it a Thank You card as I seem to need them often enough. The face of the image really draws me back time and time again. I just love the expression on my image's face! It's a sort of shy delight she's showing. Lynne's images are very realistic-she's always been a favorite artist of mine, and I hope you think so too! You can find more of her images at the Sweet Pea Store.

Challenges I am Entering:

Stamping Sensations - Pretty in Pink

Chocolate, Coffee & Cards - Use a Die

Crafty Catz - It's a Girl Thing
Polkadoodles challenges - Pink & Pretty

Pretty in Pink

I really am trying to push SPRING the last few weeks because in the Chicagoland area, it's just not happening.  Although the weather is finally shifting to a more normal pattern and the temps are s-l-o-w-l-y climbing up, so there is hope for us.

So, today I made a pretty Springtime card in shades of pink.  I used a brand spankin' new May DIGI release (that's right, a DIGI from QKD) called New Dress by Kathy Cyr.

I had a handful of leftover pieces of patterned papers in shades of pink, so I ran with it and ended up with this card.  I love the yellow butterfly playing peekaboo and adding just a pop of color.

You can find New Dress at the QKD Shoppe, along with lots of rubber and digi's!  Have fun!
And while you're having it, ask yourself if you've ever considered becoming a design team member for QKD.  There is a Royal DT call going on right now:

Queen Kat Designs Stamp Co. (www.katstamps.com) announces its latest search for loyal, dedicated and excited Royal Court members! You must be a STAMPER and card maker to apply. We are a stamp manufacturer that makes laser etched rubber stamps and digital stamps. We are looking for people who LOVE to stamp and can do so on a deadline with a smile!

Term Dates: June 1, 2013-Dec 31, 2013 (7 months)

*Must love to color!*

*Must be willing to try new techniques and use layers and embellishments in your projects.*

*Must be able to do a minimum of 5 projects a month*

*Must be able to blog 1 time a week on your own blog*

*Must be able to blog 1 time a week on our company blog*

Work Description:

*5-6 Hand stamped projects a month (photographs only, you keep your projects)

*1 Blog post a week on your personal blog (using 1 of the cards you made for your monthly quota)

*1 Blog post on the Queen Kat Designs Blog

*Participation on the QKD Facebook Fan page at least once a week (with a sample that you have made)

*Check in on the Court’s private message board at least 3 times a week to make sure you’re up to date

*Must be able to upload your monthly projects once a week to our gallery on Splitcoaststampers.com

Perks of the team:

+Worldwide exposure to your work through our blog and Fan Page

+Free Digital or rubber stamps each month of your term (mostly digital)

+A generous product discount on any stamps and digital stamps we carry

+The Coveted Royal Court Blog Badge

+And more…

Please see info below and take your time to prepare a well thought out application.

A.    Make 3 projects showcasing your best work and blog about them on your blog with a link to the Queen Kat Designs Royal Court Call.  (Cards must be new for this call and can use any stamps and products you want. Of course we are partial to QKD stamps but welcome submissions with any stamps.)

B.     Email us the link to your blog post to: royalcall@katstamps.com with the following (all in 1 email please!)

C.     Include the following information in the body of your email: Your full name, mailing address, phone number, blog or website address, email address.  Current bloggers only!  This call is open to anyone in the world.

    

General Questions…

1. Would you say you are primarily a stamper, altered artist, or a scrapbooker?

2. How long have you been stamping/ scrapbooking? What techniques do you like to play with? What are your favorite products? Ie: Distress Inks, Dylusions Sprays, Masks, etc.

3. Have you participated in any other design teams? If so, please explain (guest designer, regular designer, for store, for manufacturer), and if currently on other teams, please list those teams and your commitment. Please list the work load and the length of your commitments as well as names of companies.

4. What is your motivation for participating in our design team?

5. Do you currently own any Queen Kat Designs stamps? If not, why not? (Please be candid)

6. Are you able/ willing to make at least one post per week to promote our products?

7. Are you able/ willing to commit to a 7 month term with QKD at this time? (Yes! We do extend terms if all goes well)

Applications are due by May 17th at 10am MST!

New Royal Court members will be contacted by May 20th via email.

Send everything in 1 email to: royalcall@katstamps.com

Please put Royal Court Call in the Subject Line

Grateful to and for my Mom

Today I made a card for this week's challenge over at Squigglefly.  I used Diana Garrison's new April release digi, one called "Dove."  The image lends itself to so many different themes.  I made a couple Communion cards, a Birthday card and now a Mother's Day card, which is the theme of the challenge starting today!!
I rifled through my leftover pieces of paper, just so I could showcase how even the smallest pieces can be used on your projects.  After tearing strips of several shades of pink, i adhered them together and cut to fit my "mat".  All I had to do then was to adhere it onto my card base and give it a little embellishing love with the pearls and the sentiment "Grateful."  Inside, the sentiment reads "Happy Mother's Day from one very grateful daughter."
Not only am I grateful to my mom, but I am grateful for my mom.  She turned 80 last month and I'm glad she is still around for me.  then again, she has great genes.  HER mom is 102 years old and still kicking!  Hope I get some of those genes, too!
Do you like FREE?  Well, you can snag a couple FREE digis and enter the challenge at Squigglefly for your chance at free digis!!  It's a win-win situation, so go on over there and start crafting!!

Summer is Sizzling with Color

The season of summer is full of vibrant color.  The sky is a clear blue, the grass is a lush green, the sun burns white hot.  I love the pinks of summer flowers and slow sunsets.  

Squigglefly has a new challenge this week.  It's to use a Squigglefly digi image and your favorite summer color.  Not just use it, but make it the main color of your card, in all its shades and tints.

So I took my love for summer pink and made a card using a Squigglefly new release from artist Cheryl Alger called Sassy Sally Queen of Mean.  Isn't Sassy Sally too cute?  She looks a little disgruntled.  Maybe it's the heat.  We seem to be enjoying (?) a rather hot summer.  Or maybe her backyard pool sprung a little leak.  It could be a number of reasons, OR it could be nothing.  After all, she is the Queen of Mean!!

I came back from an all day crop on Saturday and knew that I had to do some cleaning, some cleaning out, and some organizing if I wanted to make this card.  So out came everything in my closet, which is the biggest craft catch-all in history!

While being totally ruthless, I found my stash of feathers.  And that humongous butterfly!  And a handful (okay, it was a stack about 2 inches thick) of patterned papers.

So after my closet was put to rights, after I threw out two trashcans full of garbage, after I placed the donation bag in the trunk of my car, after I set aside some items for my Yahoo Group members...I made this card!

Sassy Sally is featured in several other digi images at Squigglefly.  If you love her here, you're going to love all the others as well!!  Happy shopping, crafters!!
Other Blog challenges entered: 
Sassy Cheryl's Blog - Anything Goes