Anything Goes at Craft Your Passion

Good morning, crafters! Today sees a new challenge at Craft Your Passion challenge blog, where it's always Anything Goes. This week the challenge is sponsored by Fabrika Fantasy. I got to play with this little Happy Mouse.
I colored my image with Copics, and die-cut him onto a tag. I grabbed a circular card front and added a few pieces of patterned paper before adding my sentiment and a few embellishments (I love feathers, don't you?)
Whatever you create this week, make sure you link up at Craft Your Passion for your chance to win 3 free digis from our sponsor, Fabrika Fantasy.

Challenges I am Entering:

Crafting with dragonflies - Animals

Golden Wedding Anniversary

 I was commissioned to create an anniversary card for a friend. Her friends are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary later this month. Wow! That's a log time being married to the same person. So I had to make a card worthy of their evidence of love for each other. I am not the best "florist", maybe because I have allergies and they sometimes "leak" into my crafting. But today I think I brazened past my subconscious barrier and created a nice spray on my card.

Of course, the sentiment is very important for this very special occasion. I found one on Pinterest and framed it before adding to the inside of my card. I embellished with gold, jeweled rings, and the tiny white box is for my client's signature.
So, a chunky card needs a box envelope, so I pulled out my Ultimate Crafter's Companion and Envelope Creator to make it. Below is the front of my card with a detachable tag.

 Here is the back of my box envelope. The flap has a small Velcro fastener to keep the box closed.

So there is my commissioned card for a 50th anniversary celebration. Everything I used came out of my stash, which follows my 2016 crafting resolution of using up my stuff. My favorite find is the gold button with chain swag that covers the Velcro fastening.
Now I hope my friend is as happy with the card as I am!

Challenges I am Entering:

613 Avenue Create - Anything Goes/Optional twist: pale, pastel
Crafting When We can - Inspired by a Song - Endless Love
Crafty Calendar - Anything Goes

The Outlawz Progressive Freebie Challenge

I can't believe that the Outlawz Progressive Freebie challenge group has finished off its first year! Just 12 months ago, this group wrangled twelve wonderful sponsors to give away a digital image to every crafter who participated the previous month. The group must have given away images to hundreds of crafters around the world!!
Are you one of them? All you have to do is join the Outlawz Network and sign up to join the Progressive Freebie challenge group. And wait until you see who this coming year's sponsors are!
This month, we get to play with a cutie from All Dressed Up called "Happy Christmas Little Star."
I wanted a card I could easily mail so, while I loaded up my card with elements and embellishments, it still remains relatively flat. I started with a handmade flower made with torn pieces of newspaper, then inked and shimmer sprayed it. The Christmas tree is a die-cut, and the star is "glitterized". My border is made up of ribbon and lace.
My dainty little girl is colored with Copics and her wings have been doused in very fine glitter so she is ready to dance with happiness and then fly off should anyone interrupt her.
If you linked up a project with last month's free image, you will receive this one very soon. We love to see what you create. There are so many different styles and designs from just one image. It's very inspiring!
If you're a new player, just go to the All Dressed Up Etsy Shop and purchase her, then create ad link up with us at the Outlawz Progressive Freebie challenge. You'll receive next month's digi for free, and will continue to receive free digis as long as you create and link up with us.
And as always, crafters, have fun!

Challenges I am Entering:

Pile It On #97 - Red & Green

Artistic Inspirations - Anything Goes w/Twist of Christmas

Get Creative challenges - Holidays

Not Just Cards - Anything Goes

A Snowflake's Promise - Christmas

Clear It Out challenges - Christmas and stash item (I have held onto some Christmas die-cuts forever, and decided it was time to set them free)

Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes 

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

Extra Fries?!

Well, I just booked our family vacation and we're headed to swim suit country. Which leads to spending what little free time I have on my spin bike. I'm up to 30 minutes, part (a very small part) of that time at 30 mph. So when I wanted a killer sentiment for my card, I was compelled to use the one I did. I think it's hilarious!
Today I colored up a Sweet Pea image called Spa-de-ha-ha by artist Lynne Stansbery. Don't those women look like they're having a fabulous time? The feel of this card is in sync with my Birthday Blowout celebration this month. If you haven't already, go to my original party post and read how you can be one of many winners of such prizes like digi goodies from Ike's Art, Creative Bug Designs, Decosse's Dynamite Doodles and Bugaboo. I also have crafting products from Stampin Up, Simpy Betty and much much more.
ALL my Followers who comment there will receive a special digi paper from Decosse's Dynamitr Doodles, and everyone who wishes me a Happy Birthday on that original post will receive the Ike's Art digi image I colored up for the card there. So you're already a winner just by Following my blog, wishing me Happy Birthday and placing my Birthday Blowout badge on your sidebar!! Woot, Woot!

Are you going on vacation this summer? Where are you going? If you have no plans, where would you go if you had the time and the money?? Comment today for your chance to win!!

Other Challenges I am Entering:

Sisterhood of the Snarky Stampers - J is for Just Kidding

Crafty Catz - 2 or More Patterned Papers

Sister Act - Anything Goes
Sweet Sketch - (I turned mine 90 degrees and tilted the image)

Tuesday Throwdown - Friendship

Time for Twine

It's time for another challenge at the Outlawz Greetings Challenge. This week it's all about the TWINE. Beansie Doodles is one of this month's sponsors, and I got to play with one of their images. It's called Sexy Bunny, and I know a certain husband who has been very nice lately and could use a little card to remind him how much he is loved.
After coloring my Bunny with Copics, I added Stickles to her shoes and bunny ears, punched the top corners and popped her onto cardstock. I also distressed the edges with ink, then added a few adhesive-backed pearls to the bottom.
After I had my image in place, I added bakers' twine to divide the two patterns, attaching an inked and sentiment-stamped tag. I finished off my card with a paper flower, and this is about as close to a CAS card as I can get. I usually don't stop embellishing my card until there's no room left! LOL
So now it's your turn to use some twine on your card or project and enter it into the Greetings challenge at the Outlaw. Don't forget, all cards or projects need a greeting or sentiment on the front to qualify. I hope to see you over there this week!

Other Challenges I am Entering:

Sister Act – Anything Goes

4 Crafty Chicks - Anything Goes

Tagging an Anything Goes Challenge

I made a tag today using my two fave products--Tim Holtz and an image from Art by Mi Ran. The challenge is again Anything Goes, and there's plenty of inspiration at her blog!!
I started with an embossed tag and piled on the distressed ink, then stamped a line of music. Bits of leftover lace and part of a broken necklace went on next.
After I colored Mi Ran's image, called "Patsy," I adhered her onto my tag with dimensional tape. I finished it all off with a flower with a tiny pearl spray and some organza ribbon tied in a pretty bow.
This scene I created reminds me of the old black and white classic movie "Casablanca." There goes Humphrey Bogart off in the distance while Lauren Bacall has to pick up the pieces in a classy way.
Or then again, it could be a movie starring Mae West. An interested gentleman pausing in the doorway, while Patsy asks him if that were a pickle in his pocket or if he were just glad to see her.
So many scenes play in my mind just from this one tag showcasing this gorgeous image. What does it do for you??
Art by Miran is sponsoring a challenge at "Love to Create Challenges" blog, where the theme is Fussy and Fancy  OR  Clean and Layered Challenge. I THINK MINE WOULD FALL UNDER THE fUSSY AND fANCY THEME, DON'T YOU?!

 

Falling for Carmen Gamble's Images from Squigglefly

Fall, finally!!  Today was partly cloudy, raining lightly, and a definite chill in the air, finally!!  It's the middle of October, and up until yesterday, we were wearing short sleeves and running our air conditioner at work, and today I wore long sleeves, finally!!

So in celebration of cooler days, falling leaves and apple cider, I made a tag for the Squigglefly Challenge blog.  The image is a Squigglefly digi by artist Carmen Gamble.  It's called Christmas Mouse, and she originally had a tail to which mistletoe was tied, and two little birds were kissing under it. However, her Christmas look didn't match my Fall tag, so I snipped her tail and the birds out of the scene.  Easy peasy with digi's!  Doesn't she look ready for Fall on my tag?

Check out the new releases for October at the STORE, and come play in the new challenge.  It's to make a card that uses leaves or trees and leaves, autumn or fall theme in the image or embellishments OR create a card that shows travel as in LEAVING home and going on a trip like camping, travel, vacation!

Setting a Scene with Several QKD Stamps

I have been buying up several QKD background stamps for the last year, and today I wanted to show you what you can do with them, besides using one as a standard background for a card or a tag.

For this Tim Holtz inspired tag, I used the following QKD stamps:
Just Batty background and Skulls background, along with the Chinese Temple, Briggitte, and Street Lamp stamps.

The base is covered with book page patterned paper, then distressed it with Tim's inks.  I stamped the Chinese Temple on the left in black ink. I used the Just Batty background stamp on cardstock, ink-distressed it, and tore the inside edge to blend into my scene.  After adhering it, I stamped more bats to give it some height.

The next layer is the Skulls background, which I distressed then used pop dots to give it dimension.  I made the top layer using the street ;amp and Briggitte stamps (she's colored with Copics).

Embellishments include washi tape around the edges, some fun, tiny "dingle balls" trim on the bottom, purple feathers and metal stars, and a cool epoxy pebble.

If I had to use a sentiment on this tag, I think it would be something like:
"Friends don't let friends walk home alone on a street paved with skulls" or some such nonsense! LOL

Anyway, what are your favorite stamp combinations?

QKD + Tim Holtz' Techniques = A Stunning Tag

I was playing with some new Tim Holtz supplies I received from crafting friends on my crafting Yahoo group,  Your Scrapbook Place.  I thought I could make something that would make a great venue for this QKD image by artist Kathy Cyr.  It's called "New Dress" and is so versatile for all kinds of cards!  As you can see, I used her to make a tag.

I colored her with my trusty Copics, in addition to a set of Black Spectrum Noir markers.  I Stickled her hair to put a little edge on her soft look.  She is available at the QKD Shoppe as a new May release, along with several other artists' images.  Did you hear?  QKD has expanded their line to include digi's as well as rubber!!  Now they offer the best of both worlds!  And do you know what's so great about Queen Kat Designs' stamps and digi's?  They are a perfect fit for crafters who love Tim Holtz' style!!  Go check out all the wonderful images at the Shoppe today!

The tag is full of Tim's amazing techniques--distress inks, collage design, embossed base, etc--and was so much fun to play with.  You can go to Pinterest and a lot of other sites to see how he makes all the amazing things he does.  I inked an embossed tag as a base, adding some ink-distressed pieces of stamped images from the Tim Holtz line and popping them onto the tag.  Besides the lace, twine and gold charm, I used a metal embellishment to attach a wired bead onto the clock face, and added an Ideaology that reads "live the life you've imagined."

And do you know what's so great about Queen Kat Designs' stamps and digi's?  They are a perfect fit for crafters who love sTom Holtz' style!!  Go check out all the wonderful images at the Shoppe today!