Here Comes the Sun (sing it with me)

I found a terracotta smiling sun the other day at Goodwill that needed a redo badly. It took me a while just to clean the thing, and then discovered that it just needed a paint job. I think I painted this piece three times, using different colors and combos of colors, but i didn't like any of them!

Then I remembered I had some acrylic paint that was "ready to pour". I decided to try my hand at fluid acrylic painting with this sun instead of a canvas, and I like the way it turned out. I added a border of tiny shaped sequins in a subtle color. Now all I have to do is put a final coat of varnish on him to seal the sequins and I'm satisfied with the outcome.

I paid almost a whole dollar for him and can't wait to hang him up in my house. I find some amazing items at thrift stores. In fact, I'm meeting my girlfriend next week to one that offers 50% off the whole store on Mondays. Wish me luck!

Challenges I am Entering:

Be your Own Version of Beautiful

 

Let me introduce you to my very fashionable friend, Lucy. She is her own woman female, uh, gastropod. She doesn't follow Fashion. She IS fashion. And she insists on standing out in a crowd.

Lucy is a digital image from Scribbles Designs (the image is not called Lucy, that's my pet name for her). After printing and coloring the image with my Copics, I dug through my stash of sequins. It's a good thing Lucy and I are friends, because adhering each tiny sequin to her fabulous ensemble was pain-staking work. I even gave her earrings with a few sequins. Her dress was created from paper doilies, and her necklace is a piece of leftover trim.

I wanted her to stand out as well, so I adhered her using dimensional tape. She is walking sliming (?) her way up the path of positivity, which I created with floral stuff and a couple roses. Speaking of the Path of Positivity, their challenge this month is to create something inspired by Fashion. I hope my canvas inspires you to enter their challenge. In the meantime, have fun crafting!

Challenges I am Entering:

Critter Crazy - AG/with a Critter

Arty Divas - Anything Goes

Classic Design - Anything Goes

Crafters' Cafe - Colors of the Rainbow

Your Scrapbook Place - Anything Goes

Emboss It at Ike's World Challenge Blog

Have you seen the movie TROLLS? I have, about 20 times (I have a young granddaughter). There's a song from this animated movie sung by Anna Kendricks and Justin Timberlake. It's called True Colors, a beautiful song. And the inspiration for my DT make for Ike's World Challenge Blog!
While the challenges are always Anything Goes, the optional theme this month is EMBOSSING. I embossed and inked my card face before popping my Ike's Art image onto the card. The image is called sitting Gnome from the Beach Gnomes Set at Ike's Art Store. I played around with it in Photoshop and ended up with this kaleidoscopic effect that went perfectly with my sentiment.
Crafters have all month to create a project and link it to the main challenge blog for their chance to win a gift certificate to Ike's Art Store. Good luck and happy crafting!

Finding Shades of Red on the Path of Positivity

February is a month known for many things - blustery, frigid temps in the northern hemisphere, Mardis Gras and the beginning of Lent for Catholics around the world, and showers of love in the form of candy, flowers, jewelry, dinners out, etc. to celebrate Valentine's Day.

I chose to create a Valentine's Day card for my DT make for the Path of Positivity challenge blog. The theme this month is "Shades of Red," which fits perfectly with the amount of attention thrown into affection (alliteration intended). I used a digi image from Ike's Art called "Little Miss Innocence."  She got into the spirit of the theme as well by dyeing part of her hair red. I think when she says "forever and always" she really really means it by that look in her eyes.

The Path of Positivity offers an optional challenge theme of "shades of RED" this month. Any kind of artwork is accepted, as long as it is positive, affirming or motivational. You don't need to follow the optional theme if you simply want to have a chance at the Random Draw prize of a $15 gift certificate from Ike's Art, one of the guest sponsors this month.

You only need to follow the theme if you want a chance to win an additional sponsored prize of three (3) images from Pattie's Creations, the second guest sponsor this month, for the project chosen as Most Inspiring.

Whatever you create, have fun - and don't forget to link it up with the Path of Positivity challenge blog for your chance to win great prizes!  Happy crafting!

Time to Emboss at Scribbles Designs Challenge Blog

It's that time of month for a new challenge at Scribbles Designs Challenge Blog. For the ext 30 days, you are challenged to let your embossing powers rule the craft table. Wet embossed, dry embossed, hand embossed, machine embossed - whatever your Muse tells you to create, Scribbles Designs wants to see it! 

I used a leftover piece of embossed cardstock to frame my paper-pieced image from the Scribbles Store. I love this image- it's called 952 Tea Cup Stack. I printed my image out on a few digital patterned papers, then fussy-cut each cup with a different paper. I think the stack turned out well, don't you?

After centering it onto my embossed "frame" I added the sequins, metal sentiment and silk ribbon flower to embellish. I have a new neighbor who I wave to when I walk our dog, Wilson. She loves to drink tea, so this card will be going to her this weekend. Although she might want to switch to iced tea. The temps in Chicago will be in the upper 80s!! Unseasonably high for this time of year, but at least my tomatoes have more time to ripen.

I hope to see your card or project at Scribbles Designs Challenge Blog! Good luck and happy crafting!

Digital image: Scribbles’ 952 Tea Cup Stack 

Pixel Scrapper Digital papers (printed, hand cut and paper pieced) from: ”Good Vibes” Blog Train (Merritt Bayes, Sunny Rush Ranch Designs, R Martin, Bits o’ Scrap, Little Monkey Shine Designs.

Challenges I am Entering:

Crafting with Friends - Anything Goes

Simply Papercraft - Anything Goes

Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge - Anything Goes

Anything Goes w/Optional Twist "In the Garden" at Ike's World Challenges

Welcome to the midway point of this fortnight's Ike's World Challenges Anything Goes challenge. The OPTIONAL twist this time is In the Garden. While Ike has some lovely flower images in her store, I am not a big fan of flowers. I love to look at them...from afar. I have allergies to most flowers, and I believe I might just have subconscious allergies to faux flowers.
So when I think Garden, I think lovely lettuce, rosy radishes, juicy tomatoes and plump pumpkins. I found the perfect sentiment to go with my Copic-colored image. It reads:

"One of the most delightful things a bout a garden

is the anticipation it provides."

My card paints a picture of the anticipation I feel when planting and taking care of my vegetable garden. This year I am expanding mine and can't wait to turn the earth to make ready for my dreams. But enough daydreaming! You have until Sunday evening to link up your creation, which can be ANYTHING, for your chance to win free digis from the Store!

Challenges I am Entering:

Allsorts - Food

Crafty Friends - B is for...(I chose Bounty, which is what I hope my garden will yield this year)

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

New Challenge at Scribbles Designs Challenge Blog

Mason jars are all the rage now where I live. You see them at restaurants, parties and stores. They're painted, be-ribboned and decorated.They hold flowers, candy, fireflies, jams and vegetables, and iced tea.
This month the challenge theme at Scribbles Designs Challenge Blog is to create with a mason jar. There are quite a few fun and whimsical images at Scribbles Designs store, but you aren't required to use a Scribbles image for the challenge.
I used two images, Mason Jar (which is empty) and Crayons, which was a freebie on the challenge bog a couple months ago. After coloring three sets of the Crayons digi, I "placed"them in my jar and fussy cut the filled jar. Everything on my card is from my stash--the good news is I haven't had to go to a craft store in months as I have owed to use up my stash. The bad news is I haven't been able to justify going to a craft store in months... LOL
What will you put into your mason jar? Or how will you decorate your jar? What will you create this month for Scribbles Designs Challenge blog??

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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Prosperity Fairy Promises a Good Year

Today I created a wall hanging for my house. It's a mixed media on wood that I call The Prosperity Fairy. She is my reminder to keep hope alive and believe in good things to come this year.
We ended 2015 very poorly, and yet we had a wonderful Christmas with family, my sister got married, my grandson started talking babbling to me online (he's only 4 months), and my boss made an offer which, while dropping hours, allowed me to keep the family insurance. On the down side, my husband came home and let me know that he had been let go!
So 2015 went out with a balance of good and bad, stress and the power of love. My artwork will be a constant reminder that life is a balancing act of good times and bad, pain and peace, sadness and joy. Without that bit of adversity in our lives, we could not appreciate the prosperity headed our way.
So I will hang my Prosperity Fairy in my bedroom, so that I can go to sleep under her watchful eye, as well as waken to her promise to come.
How do you balance your life between the good times and the bad? The Path of Positivity challenge blog offers the theme of Prosperity this month to all crafters. Carve out some time to create and then link up at the challenge blog for your chances to win prizes from the guest sponsors, The Stamping Boutique and Limited Runs. My artwork uses a digi image from the Stamping Boutique called I Love you This Much Cynthia Fairy.

Challenges I Am Entering:

Not Just Cards - Anything Goes

Sparkle n Sprinkle - Anything Goes w/loose glitter (around the edge of my wooden frame)

That Craft Place - Anything Goes

Crafty Time challenges - Make It Sparkly

Rhedd's Creative SPirit - Anything Goes

Creaine challenges - Bingo grid

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

Ringing in a New Challenge at Craft your Passion

Happy New Year, crafters! 2016 brings a new challenge to blog land at Craft your Passion challenge blog. Our sponsor this week is All Dressed Up.

I created a card using the digi image "A Cuddle Makes It All Better." Our family recently added a new member to our household. His name is Wilson. He is 7 years old and we got him from the Buddy Foundation, which rescues dogs from kill shelters. After his first vet visit, we were saddened to learn that he had Lyme Disease, but he's been on antibiotics for two weeks now and we can see a big difference.

Here he is enjoying a nap in his Christmas present, a new bed. He is a Silkie Terrier. He has been easy to train, and will sit, give us paw and stay pretty well. We're in the middle of training him to get in his crate, but we're still at the treat part of his training there. He doesn't often bark, but when he wants to get out for a walk, he lets us know!
Why am I going on about our new family member? My card was inspired by Wilson and I decided that since his cuddles make us all feel better, I would create a Get Well card. What inspires YOU to create? Let me know, as my muse has been spotty this new year, and I could use some new inspiration! In the meantime, have fun creating this week, and link up your project with Craft your Passion for your chance to win!!

Fall Into a New Challenge at Craft Your Passion Blog

Everyone loves an Anything Goes challenge, and when it's sponsored by the East Wind, it's a win-win week! I got to play with a gorgeous image called "Maple" for my DT card for Craft Your Passion challenge blog. It was awesome to pull out all my autumn-colored Copics and breathe life into her before fussy-cutting her out and framing her with falling leaves.
Fall is my favorite season of the year, for the sheer beauty of it. The trees shake off their richly emerald-hued summer dresses, leaving crunchy carpets of velvety browns, golden yellows and crimson. I find more wonder during the months of September and October than at any other time of the year.And my kids go crazy because they know Halloween is coming. They have the house decorated already and are planning their costumes--already!! Well, I have planned a trip to our local Goodwill store so that they can find the perfect (inexpensive) costumes for the long-awaited holiday But they want it all NOW! So I made this card and placed it on the kitchen table. Maybe it will keep them a little more patient?? Well, at least I was inspired by all that luscious color out there!
What inspires you? Whatever it is, I love seeing what other crafters share in each week's challenges at Craft Your Passion. I hope to see your card or project there this week! Until then, happy crafting!

Challenges I am Entering:

Cards in Envy - Fall Colors 

Summer's Blooms Leave Us Wanting More

I love Progressive Freebie challenges, and the Outlawz Freebie Challenges has a new challenge and a new sponsor. You know how it works- if you created a project using the August image, you will receive the image I used for my DT project today. If you didn't you can still join in. Just go to Nice Crane designs and purchase this cutie pie called Flower Child 4 and link your creation up with us and you will receive the next month's image for free (and so on and so an...).

I created a tag card, covering it with CTMH paper from my stash (who am I kidding, it's ALL from my stash LOL). After coloring her, I popped her out and framed her with a large flower. I found a quote I like for a Thank You card, then plunged into my bin of flowers and had my way with them. I finished off my card with a bit of wide ribbon and more flowers and it's ready to head out to a very generous woman who offered up a few weeks of her summer off by volunteering in several programs offered by my church. She'll be back in just a couple weeks to teach this Fall as well.
Meanwhile, check out all the lovely images at the Nice Crane store, and soak up some inspiration at the Outlawz Progressive Freebie this month. Then join us for some fun!!
Challenges I am Entering:
Crafting with an Attitude - Anything Goes
Creative Knockouts - Flower Power
Southern Girls challenges - Flower Power
Digi Galore - Anything Goes
World Wide Open Design challenges - Anything Goes
Cheerful Stamp Pad - Remembering Summer
That Craft Place - Mixed Media
The Shabby Tea Room - ABC-1 2 3/Inspiration from Photo

Cupcake Inspiration challenges - photo-inspired

What Happens in Germany, Stays in Germany

Today brings a card for my sister, who has spent the last ten days with her German national boyfriend in Berlin. My sentiment is a take on the American TV ads regarding Las Vegas, where whatever goes on there, stays there. She will love this card, and can share it with her love.
The new challenge at Ike's World Challenges is to create "anything but a square." I don't do many square cards (too much postage when mailing), so this was an easy one for me. I feel I am still getting my feet wet as a new DT member at Ike's blog.
Anywho, did you know that the colors of the German flag are Red, GOLD and Black (I missed that question on Trivia Crack). I used the national colors to design the background of my card, and to frame this cute image, called Leiderhosen, from the Germany Bundle over at Ike's Art Store. The bundle comes with seven images!!
You still have time to link up your project in this challenge for your chance to win free digis of your choice. You don't have to use an Ike's Art image, but you get your name in the draw twice each time you do! I like those odds, don't you?! And if you join the Ike's Art Fan Page on Facebook, there are several freebies with which to play to your heart's content. So snag them and come on over! And as always, crafters, have fun!

Challenges I am Entering:

Your Wish Is My Command on Father's Day

Another Monday means another challenge at the Outlawz Greetings challenges. This week's theme is Father's Day. Make something for your dad, the father of your children, or dads in general. I made this card for my hubby, who helped raise two children, each with their unique challenges, and survived (although he went totally grey in the process).
At the Outlawz Greetings, this week's sponsor is Rick St Dennis. Rick's images run the gamut from funny to vintage to freaky. There's always something for everyone!

I got to play with a digi image called Tim BukTu. I colored her with Copics, shimmered it up with Sakura Gel pen, and popped it onto a tag I created earlier in the year and never used. I used a rainbow of colors to create my card, but I like the combination (and that white feather doesn't hurt, either).
In line with the Father's Day theme, I added the sentiment "It's Your Day!" to my card. One requirement of all challenges is to have a sentiment or greeting on the front of your project. Inside my card is a standard Happy Father's Day sentiment, with a little love note from me.
Now it's your turn. Check out the inspiration at the Outlawz Greetings and then create and link up your project for a chance to win free digis from Rick St Dennis.

Other Challenges I am Entering:

Crafty Cardmakers challenges - For Man or Boy

Get Creative challenges - For the Boys or Father's Day

Not Just Cards - Always Anything Goes

Ooh La La challenges - Happy Birthday

Card Mania - Use a Metal Embellishment (my heart on a chain)

Love to Create challenges - Anything Mixed media

The Eyes Have It!

No matter how many books I read on my phone or Kindle, I still prefer the weight and smell of a

good book in my hands, paperback or hard cover! So today I made a bookmark using a digi from Bugaboo Stamps. This little fella is called Frog and is colored with Copics. I fussy-cut him out and made a "flap-over" bookmark out of a paint strip. I had to keep the embellishments down to a minimum in order to lie flat in a book, so I added a few sequins and hand-wrote the sentiment, " This book is absolutely Ribbit-ing."      When the bookmark is placed in my book, my frog's "bug eyes" peep out over the top of the book, like in my photo.

I'm entering him in this month's Catch the Bug's Anything Goes challenge. 

Other Challenges I am Entering:

Crazy for Challenges - related to vision or eyes

Less is More - Opposites on the color wheel (green & purple)

Book Your Next Challenge with Your Scrapbook Place

Today I am going to let my Dreams Take Flight. After work, I will sit down and tally up all the winners of my Birthday Blowout celebration. I wished to increase my Blog Following, which I did, and Lisa from Decosse's Dynamite Doodles has made a badge for me to display in my sidebar. Thank you Lisa!
Everyone who joined me in my Birthday Blowout is getting something, so please send me your email, either in the comnents section or by emailing me at: patacake1956@yahoo.com
Now, on to my project. I design for Your Scrapbook Place with other talented crafters. The blog's challenges are always Anything Goes, so today, as a midway reminder of our April challenge, I made a bookmark. It features an image from our sponsor, Angie's Digital Stamps. I used Butterfly on a Toadstool, which can be found along with many others on her Etsy Shop.
After coloring it with my trusty Copics, I shimmered it a bit with Stickles and then fussy-cut the image out. I prepared a base of cardstock and patterned paper which I border punched. I embossed my sentiment. A piece of trim and some sequins and all I needed to finish it off was a ribbon. BUT, I promised myself that today I would look no further than the top of my craft table to create, and there was no ribbon to be had. There was, however, a strip of that black cardstock that happened to be red on the other side as well as the core, so I stapled it to look like a ribbon, added a punched circle to each end.
I still have so much on my craft table, including images. I could probably make another 10 projects without touching anything except what's on my table. And that is the promise I am making today. If it's not put away immediately, I MUST use what's leftover before rooting around for more. The madness has to stop somewhere, and I alone have the power!!
Meanwhile, back to reality. Please carve some time out this month to play, and then join Your Scrapbook Place for its April Anything Goes challenge.

BTW, I will post this week once I have made my birthday goodies lists. Keep checking back!! Everyone is a winner!

Other Challenges I am Entering:

City Crafter challenges - CASE the card

All Crafts - Anything Goes no Cards

Not Just Cards - Anything Goes

Sparkle n Sprinkle - Anything Goes w/loose glitter,emb powder,flocking

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

April brings many things, like longer days, crocuses blooming, birdsong in the early morning, and rain showers. Along with showers come rainbows. I have been very lucky to witness many rainbows where I live. When I see them I turn into a kid again, standing with my mouth open in wonder and awe at the beauty imprinted on the sky.
I created my card using two digital papers from Decosse's Dynamite Doodles. Lisa has a delicious assortment of papers, embellishments and sentiments, and I used a couple to create my card today for the Outlawz Greetings challenge. The theme this week is April Showers and/or Rainbows.
I chose a textured cardstock and a patterned paper for my project. After printing my sentiment (inspired by the movie Wizard of Oz, the song Somewhere Over the Rainbow) straight onto the papers in Photoshop, I colored up a couple cute birds from the Fred She Said set called Emma the Caroler. I fussy-cut them and popped them onto my scene. Then I had my way with the embellishments I had left on my desk from a previous project. Here are the papers I chose for this card:
DDD Colors of the Rainbow Collection,
From the Textured Paper Pack: Wine
From the Patterned Paper Pack: Sea
I hope you get a chance to visit Lisa's blog to see the wonderful papers and products she creates, as well as the Outlawz Greetings challenge this week. Follow the theme of April Showers or Rainbows and remember to put a sentiment on the frontt of your project, and you'll be in the running for some awesome prizes!

Other Challenges I am Entering:

Crafting When We Can - Based on a Song (Somewhere Over the Rainbow)
Ike's Art World Challenges - Something with Wings
Krafty Hands - Nature's Work
Not Just Cards - Anything Goes
Shabby Tea Room challenges - Rainbow of Colors
Sisterhood of Crafters - April Showers
Scribble & Scrap - Anything Goes

FALLing for new Squigglefly Challenge

My card today is brimming full of Fall, which happens to be the new Squigglefly challenge this week! Make a project about Fall or Halloween.
I used Angela Charles' cute image "Pocket Girl." First I layered my card base with patterned papers from my stash drawer. Then I colored my girl with Copics. The sentiment is from a SU set, which I framed with a die cut paper I decorated with homemade shimmer mists.
Since I'll be mailing this card out, I needed flat embellishments, so I sprinkled sequins on the page, and the card was complete!
Squigglefly Designs has come out with some amazing digis this month, so if you haven't checked them out yet, click HERE.
Now for some fun--make a card or tag or altered art piece or canvas or scrapbooking layout with a Fall or Halloween theme AND a Squigglefly image, and you'll be in the running for free digis.