It's Coming...

 

I created another "two-fer" today. That's what I call it when I create two cards i/o one with pretty much the same supplies. The papers are both from a DCWV paper stack, as well as the greetings. On the featured in the forefront, I used a brand-new-in-the-package set of acrylic stamps that I bought years ago (!) from Michael's. It's one of their own Recollections stamp sets. 

I also changed the orientation of the two cards, but not much more than that, besides the focus of each. Like I always say, It's just as easy to make two cards as it is to make one...

Are you filling up your stash of Halloween cards? There are only two months left before we get our scary on! See you at the Halloween & Other Occasions Challenge Blog this month!

CHALLENGES I AM ENTERING:

On the 16th Day of Christmas Crafting...

 

Welcome back, crafters! Today I have a Christmas wreath for you. The wreath base is made of faux tree branches on which I adhered several stars, snowflakes and white pinecones. I added some colorful mini gifts as well as a reindeer. To fill in the center I "parked" my trailer between two snow-covered trees, with the brightest star shining above it.

I sold this at the last craft fair, as well as a few other wreaths and holiday decor items. I didn't sell out my table, but I did leave with two empty storage bins and some cash, so I'm happy!

Spilling Things onto Canvas

 Today I felt like drawing, so I took out my trusty gel pen, opened my art journal and drew a tree- a naked tree. Instead of filling in its leaves, I decided to break out the watercolors and gave the tree trunk and its branches a bit of life. It wasn't until I saw the paint dry that whimsy took over and I opened the kitchen cabinets, looking to find some "leaves".

My first find was a container of dried parsley. I tossed some onto my page and fell in love with my new canvas! I was going to move my journal but the way the sun shone through the open blinds onto the pages caught my eye and I was happy to take the photo before sweeping the oregano off the page..

And then I was off on a hunt to find more leaves...my next find came out of a drawer of baking decorations. I thought the stars would be interesting, so...

I love the way it looks. I just wish I could figure out a way to frame each canvas. While walking Honey, my terrier mix rescue, I spied several tiny branches that were similar to full-grown trees. I picked them up for inspiration. Now I will broaden my search for more entertaining ways to create "leaves" for my trees. I'll feature them in another post. Until then, keep crafting!

Challenges I am Entering:

  A Place to Start - Anything but a Card

Art*Journal*Journey - What Makes You Happy

DL.Art - Anything Goes

  Four Seasons - Anything Summer Goes

WeLove2Create - Anything Mixed Media Goes

24 Days of Christmas - Day 2 - Stitched and Painted Canvas

 

Today I have another wall decor project. This one combines stitching and paint. I received a couple framed cross stitch canvases from a storefront called Help Heal Veterans. Any veteran can come in and browse shelves of craft kits and supplies once a week. I served in the US Army a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away (well, it was a long time ago LOL). I was actually the first female mechanic in the 54th M.P. Company at Fort Ord, CA. Like I said, a long time ago...

Anyway, I picked up these free framed canvases and took them home just in time for my Christmas crat series here. I started with acrylic paint, setting the background for a forest of pines around a frozen lake. Once I had colored in the sky, trees and lake, I added a some snow on the trees, but it was very abstract.

Enter the needle and embroidery thread...I sewed the stars first, lighting up the night sky. My trees definitely needed some definition, so I went in with two different shades of green to give the trees some support. The sky needed a little more lightening, so I took a toothbrush and sprinkled on some distant stars, and my project is finished.

I just recently started to use both paint and thread on the cross stitch canvas material, and I like it! Have you tried it yet? Careful, it's addicting! LOL

 

Exercise?!! Not Me

How is everybody dealing with Covid-19 and its demands on society? My daughter just got back from road trip, passing though states where NO ONE wore masks, inside nor out. She is isolating in the basement for another week before she shares her breathing with me. The basement is made up for her to be comfortable - TV, fridge, microwave, bathroom - but it gets lonely, for both of us. Can't wait until she "returns" to me.
Meanwhile, I've started creating cards again. It looks like the repercussions from this virus will continue for months. So I need to revamp my outlook and plan a couple more months ahead. I'll be sharing my goals and expectations with you in a later post, but for now I colored up an image I had already printed to make today's card.
It's one of those unusual fold, slanted cards. I actually created 2 different cards with the same paper that I cut on the diagonal. My image is a digi from Ike's Art called "Basket Case". I thought this kitty's expression worked perfectly with my sentiment. On the inside, another sentiment asks "Meow's it going?"

 It will go into my box saved for neighbors and friends, to keep their spirits up. Every other week I deliver handmade cards to a few neighbors, since we can't really socialize. In fact, it's time to pass out a few more...

CHALLENGES I AM ENTERING:

2 Crafty Critter Crazies - ANything w/a Critter Goes

Classic Design - Anything Goes

Cute Card Thursday - NOT Square!

Crafty Creations - ANything Goes

Crafty Animals - Anything w/an Animal Goes

Creative Moments - ANything Goes

Show Us Your Pussy Cats - Furrything Goes

It's Cool to be Square at Scribbles Designs Challenge Blog

Today marks the halfway point of the challenge at Scribbles Designs Challenge Blog. The theme is to Make It Square. Since America's Independence Day is literally a few days away, I created this card to celebrate the holiday.
I used #a87 Peek-a-boo digi image from the Scribbles Store. After selectively coloring my kitty with gold glitter pen, I used my Copic marker to draw the red stripes on a piece of white cardstock to frame him. The sentiment is from a Stampin Up rubber stamp set I've had for almost 20 years!
Scribbles Designs has a lot of adorable images, and when you link up your card or project to the main blog, you'll have a chance at winning free digis from the store. Good luck and happy crafting!

Challenges I am Entering

Always Fun - Patriotic
Classic Design Team - Anything DT Goes
Crafty Animals - Anything Goes
2 Crafty Critter Crazies - Anything Goes
Creatalicious - Anything Goes w/optional Spots or Stripes
Worldwide Open Design Team - Anything Goes
Corrosive Challenge- Anything Goes

Give Peace a Chance

I was inspired today to  create a Christmas card for  my 2019 stash, which was depleted last month. I absolutely adore this digi image from A Day for Daisies. It's called Placing the Stars
http://adayfordaisies.com/stamps/fairies-nymphs/placing-the-stars and I've used it before.
Today I colored my image with Copics, adding some shading with colored pencil. I've been doing this often now, using both markers and pencils to get a deeper depth tp my images. I used 2 patterned papers from Decosse's Dynamite Doodles for my background from these Paper Sets:

I printed out my image (with its blue background) twice, cutting out the image and the patterned paper bow and adhering them to the first layer with dimensional tape.

Then I popped it  all on a piece of cardstock with stitched edges. To finish off my card, I gave the ribbon, angel wings and edges of the blue frame some shine with Stickles. I had some extra tiny stars die-cut from a border die. My sentiment goes (I think) perfectly with the image: Star light, Star bright, A wish for Peace on Earth tonight. If only...

Challenges I am Entering

ABC Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes

Cute & Crafty Christmas - Anything Christmas

the Sisterhood of Crafters - Make It Sparkle (gold & Stickles)

City Crafters - Give Peace a Chance (paper-pieced bow)

New Series of Challenges at the Path of Positivity

Today I offer a card inspired by one of the greatest sculptors in the world, Michelangelo. You may think it strange to pair the famous statue of David with the infamous character from Bugaboo Stamps, an image of Stella. But this fall at the Path of Positivity we are asked to "Surround Yourself with Positivity" in the form of the ARTS! Each month for the next three months we're asked to explore the positive influence of three different artistic concepts: Art, Literature and Music!

September will kick off this new series of challenges with Art! One of the best parts of having computers is having access to the works of the artistic masters at our fingertips! Anyone can Google famous artists from 'sandro Botticelli and Claude Monet to Pablo Picasso and Frida Kahlo, and see their works! Open the newspaper and check out political cartoons and comic strips. Ride the subway and discover artistic graffiti. The world is full of sand painting, wood carving, sculptures, pottery, glass work, metalwork, quilts, etc,

Michelangelo's statues are very realistic and very detailed. It is a measure of his talent to discover each fine detail on each part of his statues. My image's character, Stella, is a feisty broad who tells it like it is. She enjoys going to the Art Museum (we have a great one in Chicago). I thought she would be the perfect match between David and my sentiment. I know a few women who have felt something similar when strolling through the museum. Not judging!! I think ALL art should move a person, but each person should be moved uniquely. My card details are further down this post.

While this challenge is Anything Goes, if you would like a chance to win the prize for the Most Inspirational Creation, use ART as your inspiration and share your project with "how ART inspired you to create it" by linking it up at the Path of Positivity challenge blog. 

Keep in mind, you are thinking about how different kinds of art affects us as individuals.  It’s not really about doing something “visually" art-related. For example, any positive image that reminds us of any piece of art, or creating in the style of a famous artist on your project.

If you do follow the optional theme, be sure to add FT after your name so you will be included in the draw for the prize for Most Inspirational. Also please leave a comment describing how your creation relates to the concept of art and what you learned about yourself along the way, if it isn't clearly written somewhere in your post.

In order to be considered eligible for this month's prizes, ALL creations must be positive, inspirational, motivational or encouraging in some nature. You don't need to follow the optional theme if you simply want to have a chance at the Random Draw prize of a $12 gift certificate from Bugaboo Stamps, one of our guest sponsors this month.

 You only need to follow the theme if you want a chance to win this month's sponsored prize of a $15 gift certificate from Lunagirl, provided by the second of our guest sponsors this month.

Card Details:

Core-dinations Teal Cardstock

Core-dinations  (Lavender) Cardstock

DCWV Abstract Paper Stack, teal mix

Neenah Teal cardstock
Various leftover embellishmets

Digital details:

Bugaboo Image- Stella Still Hot

Michelangelo's David photo from Google free clipart

Pixel Scrapper Jan Clark's ITP Paper 23

Pixel Scrapper Sharon Dewi Stolp's Paint Spray Stars

Decosse's Dynamite Doodles Button 04

Yellow-Gold Metallic Gel Pen

Challenges I am Entering:
Bugaboo - Anything Goes
Fabrika Fantasy - Add Pearls or Gems
Love to Craft - Anything Goes
World-Wide Open Design Team - Anything Goes (must be a DT make)

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

Going Digital!

I have been playing in Photoshop and am slowly but surely getting my photos off the computer and onto layouts (yay, me). Here is my latest page, featuring my newest grandson, Jonathan.

For this layout, I used the Never Forget Kit from Studio Basic Designs, as well as elements from Pixel Scrappers Pauline Thompson and Janet Scott.

Challenges I am Entering:

Lasting Memories Scrapbook Challenges - Squares 

The Outlawz Monday Greetings Challenges Us to Brighten Someone's Day

There's not a week that goes by that I can't think of someone who needs a pick-me-up, something that will brighten their day. So I was very happy to see the newest challenge at the Outlawz Monday Greetings challenge this week. To brighten someone's day is to share with them your happiness, to lend them your smile, to give them hope.
My DT make this week is a Thank You card for one of the many caring and supportive staff at the VA Hines Hospital. My husband and I are veterans, and with me getting laid off, and my husband being handicapped now, we are spending one to two days a week at one appointment or another. We have yet to experience a "bad day" or discourteous staff member.
My card features a digital image from Sheepski Designs, this week's sponsor over at the Outlawz Greetings challenge. They are offering a prize of a $10 gift card toward a purchase at their Etsy Shop.

The image I used is called Annabell.  I colored her with Copics and colored up a little scene for her before framing and then placing her on my card. I embellished simply with Skittles and a K&Co sticker. My sentiment is on the acrylic heart I tied onto my card with some organza ribbon.

What will you create to brighten someone's day? A birthday card, a Thank You note, a funny note  card  that will  make him or her laugh out  loud? Whatever you create, remember to link up with the Outlawz Monday Greetings  challenge for your chance to win that Sheepski Designs gift card!

Happy crafting!

Challenges I am Entering:

Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes

Crafty Cardmakers - Lots of Layers

Ooh La La Creations - Anything Goes

Left of Center challenges - Butterfly

Anything Goes at the Outlawz Monday Greetings Challenge

Good morning, crafters! It's Anything Goes at the Outlawz Monday Greetings challenge and this week Rick St Dennis is our very generous sponsor, offering 2 digi images to a winner. I colored up an image called Sister Jubilata, then inked the edges of my image and let it sit on my craft desk for a couple days.
Time did its trick and when I came back to my Copic-colored image, I knew I wanted to use it on a recyclable container headed out the door. I rescued it and covered it with patterned paper and sprayed the cover with gloss Black spray paint.

I pulled out boxes and drawers of embellishments for this Blessings Jar featuring Sister Jubilata. Leftover die-cut, flowers, jeweled flourishes and trim went onto my jar. Then I added glue and glitter to make it shimmer and sparkle.

I finished off my project with a leftover flower on top of my lid. Any guesses as to what my Blessings Jar started out as? (I'm really proud of this upcycle project)
Meanwhile, grab your craft supplies and join us in our monthly Anything Goes challenge that starts today! And as always, crafters, have fun!

Where in the World at Ike's World Challenge Blog

Hallo, meine Freunde!

We've reached the midway point of the newest challenge at Ike's World Challenge blog, and the theme is Travel. If I could go anywhere in the world right now, it would be GERMANY. That's where my sister lives now, with her new husband. So as inspiration today I offer a card using images from the Germany Bundle offered at Ike's Art Store. The images used are Stein and Lederhosen Bear. I even ripped a page from a German-language magazine to create my background.

In hopes of getting to Germany some day, I am learning German, so that I can sling the lingo when I get there. I already know how to greet someone, tell them where I'm from, ask after their health, and find out where the bathroom is (very important LOL).
Join us at Ike's World Challenge Blog as the DT inspire us with their dreams of travel and adventure!!
Und wie immer , Bastler , Spaß haben!!

Challenges I am Entering:

Cardz4Guys - Include a Furry Friend

Critters & Creatures - must include a furry  critter

Stamps + Fun = Creativity - Holidays, Travel, Summer

The Crazy Challenge bog - Birthday

Having Pun at Ike's World Challenge Blog

I couldn't resist one more time! The theme is "Pun Intended" over at Ike's World Challenge blog, and I created not one, not two, but three cards for this challenge. For this card, I used two images from Ike's Art: "Shhh: and "Spring Fairy".I love puns (I think you can tell by now). This one is a little wordy, bu by splitting my pun in two, I was able to fit the following:

"A hole was discovered in the Nudist Camp wall..."

"The police are looking into it."

You have just two more days to make us groan over the puns you use to create your projects. Bring them on!!

Challenges I am Entering:

Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers - I is for Inappropriate

Through the Purple Haze - Anything Goes

Make It Punny at Ike's World Challenge Blog

 Due to my obsessive love for PUNS, I created several cards for the newest challenge over at Ike's World Challenge Blog. This is my second DT make, using an Ike's Art image called YAY!!

I created an easel card because I think its design gives the best presentation of a punchline. I've thrown a little bit of everything onto my card today, including eleven cents! If you can't read my joke, here it is:

A woman called the hospital where a child was taken after swallowing some coins.

When she asked how the child was doing, the nurse replied,

"No change yet!"

The first time I heard this pun I groaned so loud I almost woke my husband. That's how I rate puns, by the size of the groans I make. A good pun should do that to you. Have you seen the TV show "The Glades"? The main character tosses off quite a few puns each episode.

I hope you join in the "Pun Intended challenge over at Ike's! Winner gets credit toward purchases from Ike's Art Shoppe!

Show Us Your Favorite Designer at 4 Crafty Chicks

Well, crafters, this was one difficult project. When I learned that the theme this week at 4 Crafty Chicks was going to be to choose your favorite designer, I thought, "Who can choose just ONE designer from all the fantastic artists and companies in blog land?! I finally went with a designer who has pushed me out of my comfort zone and into broader and more creative outlets. That designer is Sue Eisenhauer from Ike's Art.

Today I created a mixed media canvas and popped it into a wooden frame that I spray-painted in gold and white. My background is patterned paper that I sprayed with homemade blue shimmer spray. I used an American flag from Oriental Trading Company, then used a strip of leftover star-patterned paper at the bottom on which to adhere part of my sentiment.
I colored my image, called Libby, with Copics before attaching her against the front of the frame, giving my canvas some dimension. I added glitter to my image's hair, crown and nylon-ed leg as well as adding a strip of die-cut glitter paper to give my canvas even more dimension (and a little shimmer). My last bit of embellishing is the silver spray behind my image.

I chose my sentiment carefully. It reads: "May we think of freedom not as the right to do as we please but as the opportunity to do what's right"
Which designer is YOUR favorite? Choose one and create something and link it up to 4 Crafty Chicks this week!

Challenges I am Entering:

Craft Rocket challenges - Spots and/or Stripes

Southern Girls challenges - Anything Goes w/Team Trace

Crafty Gals Corner - Anything Goes

Moo Mania & More - Summer (I was inspired by my country's Independence Day summer holiday)

Everybody Art challenges - Summer/Holiday

Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Artistic Inspirations - Anything Goes

Not Just Cards - Anything Goes
Rhedd's Creative Spirit - Anything Mixed Media/Altered Art Goes

Ike's World Challenge Blog Getting a Little Sketchy

It's a SKETCH challenge over at Ike's World Challenge Blog!

I'll tell you a little secret- - - I don't really like sketch challenges. So saying, I challenged myself to create a card for my DT make using the sketch offered at Ike's World Challenge blog. That is the nature of challenges, isn't it?!

I think I did fairly well following the sketch. A crafter can position the sketch anyway he or she wants, so I flipped it, also flipping my oval-shaped image. It's called New baby and I have used it several times since getting it. I've created cards and canvases with this image.
I also added some embellishments not in the sketch, but the main focal points are obvious. So now I don't "not" like sketch challenges, but I prefer ones that give a person free rein on the placement of elements on her cards.  How do you feel about sketch challenges?
My card is for my BFF, who has become a grandma for the first time. Her grandson, Brady, is the cutest, blondest baby! When I see my friend holding him, she sparkles with unconditional love for this new member of her family. Now we have one more thing in common!
Whether you like or dislike Sketch challenges, let's see what YOU come up with for this fortnight's challenge over at Ike's World Challenge blog!

4 Crafty Chicks Challenges Has All That Glitters

Today brings a new GDT make for 4 Crafty Chicks challenge blog. The theme is "All that Glitters" and I created a hybrid card. A hybrid card is the merging of digital and paper crafting. My paper crafting uses a digital image from Bugaboo called Dottie 2-Step, coloring her with Copics. I also printed out my sentiment. After adhering my image onto digital paper, I used Photoshop to complete my card. The details are below:

Copic-colored Image: Bugaboo’s Dottie 2-Step

Papers: Decosse’s Dynamite Doodles Grungy Christmas Textured Paper Kit, Red, & Glitterati Paper Kit, Gold; Bokeh Solid Color Set 1, Blue; Pixel Scrapper Marisa Lerin’s “Yesteryear” Paper 02

Sentiment: My Mind’s Eye Lil Cowpoke cardstock quote

Font: Rosewood Standard

Digital Elements: DeeDee’s Digis’”Happy Trails” stamp set- Wagon Wheel & Hat on Cactus; Pixel Scrapper Melo Vrijhof’s “Thankful Harvest Elements- Rope 2; Pixel Scrapper Pauline Thompson’s Star Brad 7 & Bright & Beautiful Glitter Scatter 1

Do you "do" digital? Or 100% paper-crafting? Or like me, creating hybrid canvases and cards? Whatever you create, link up to 4 Crafty Chicks to show off your art! Happy crafting!

The Outlawz Challenges Are Out of this World

Today is the last Monday of the month---do you know what that means at the Outlawz Monday Greetings challenges?? It's ANYTHING GOES, my favorite kind of challenge.
One of this week's sponsors is Creative Hands and I created my boy's birthday card with one of their digi images called Spaceship Boy.
To exaggerate my outer space look, I used a punch on the corners. My image is colored with Copics and embellished with stars and alien-looking buttons (I even cut the Earth from a map and pasted it on the card). My greeting is Photo-shopped.

Challenges I am entering:

Crafting when We Can - Add Stars
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Challenge #34 Anything Goes
Digi Designs Challenge blog - For the Boys

My next card uses an image from our other sponsor, Crafty Sentiments. The image is called "Tess Summer Fun," and I think it's safe to (pretend to) feel secure in Mother Nature, in that she won't go all bipolar on us for the rest of the Spring season - heat on at night and air conditioner on during the day! LOL

I created a swing card using leftover papers and my circle cutter from Creative Memories.

Challenges I am Entering:

A Gem of a Challenge - Weather (I chose Summer with flowers blooming everywhere)
Crafty Challenges - Summer Time
Avenue 613 Create - Anything Goes
Alphabet Challenge blog - G is for Girlie
Simply Papercraft challenges - Anything Goes

What do you think of when someone says Anything Goes? Create it and link up with us this week for your chance to win some awesome prizes. Happy crafting!

Christmas Card Stash Keeps Growing

One more Christmas card goes in my Christmas stash. I have a nice pile of holiday cards, thanks to the 12 Months of Christmas Link-Up challenge blog. My DT card today features a digital image from The Stamping Boutique called Natalie. The optional theme this month is Non-Traditional colors, and I used pink and blue Bokeh papers from Decosse's Dynamite Doodles for my non-traditional colors. I also used gold paper from the Glitterati glitter paper kit from DDD as well.
This is a hybrid card. I printed and colored my cards with my trusty Copics, then popped the image onto the card face. I then used Photoshop to add my sentiment, a little lace edging on my image and those stars. The nice thing about my card is that when I print the finished card, it can go into the envelope and no extra postage will be needed as my embellishments are flat. I can also print this up several times to send out to lots of friends. It's a win-win.
You have until the end of the month to link up your Christmas cards at the 12 Months of Christmas blog. Create with the optional theme and you could win a prize package from The Stamping Boutique! Good luck and happy crafting!