The Last of my Christmas Decorations Being Packed Away

I'm putting the last of my Christmas decorations away and came across this notebook I had made.  I used the QKD stamp called Christmas Elf & Bauble by Joanna Bromley.  You can find it here on clearance through January 31.  Don’t miss this fantastic deal!

I covered a composition book with patterned paper and then stamped the image three times, coloring each with Copics and framing them with red card stock.  I used Basic Grey chipboard alphas for the sentiment.

Each year I'm going to keep Christmas lists, card designs, poetry and other writings that I created and collected.  It's a form of journaling that I will only see once a year, but will hold many precious memories.

Embossed Thank You! Challenge from Squigglefly

Happy New Year!  The first Squigglefly challenge of the new year is to make an embossed Thank You card using a Squigglefly digi image.  I used a January new release from Cheryl Grant Alger called "A Good Read Maddie."

I adhered an embossed card front onto the base of my card, turning up the top right corner for a bit of a twist.  Once I colored my image with Copics, I used a design scissors to cut it out and framed it with pieces of pink and blue cardstock.  A few sequins and a butterfly embellish my card and I can write inside the card to send off to a generous friend who remembered me this Christmas.

One of my resolutions this new year is to participate in more challenges.  You can do the same by playing in this week's Squigglefly Challenge Blog for your chance to win a free digi!  Start the new year off with some inspiration and creativity!

If You Can't Feed the World, Just Feed One

Happy New Year, crafters!  I am starting the year with a wonderful gift.  I am now a DT member for the Path of Positivity Challenge Blog, a place where you can go to see projects or posts that provide help, hope, courage, love, forgiveness, peace, motivation, encouragement, etc. It is a place to come especially on those days when the woes of the world just seem too much to bear. 
This is my first post as a POP team member and and I want to introduce this month's theme of Generosity with a story.

When my kids were small, I used to take them to the local grocery store and give them $5 to spend on food to be donated to a local food pantry. I warned them that I had the option to trade out their choices with something I thought would be nicer, and they would have to eat whatever they had chosen but been traded (I know, I'm sneaky that way). So they would spend twice the time I planned at the store choosing their food donations, but we all left happier for knowing that families somewhere would enjoy the goodies we gave.
I (secretly) was also giving my kids a lesson in generosity. Generosity is not a quality that people are born with but that must be learned.  What better teachers than parents to give children their lessons in generosity?  So when you give, whether it be money, time, even a smile, do it in front of your children so they will pick up on your good habits, kind of like that saying "Do what I do, not just what I say."  Or did I misquote?! LOL
For my easel card, I used a digi image called "Cupcakes Galore" from this month's POP sponsor, Digi Stamps 4 Joy.  I printed the image three times, twice at one size and once at a slightly larger size. (There was something wrong with my printer and the image kept spitting out in red, so I just went with it)  I colored my images with my trusty Copics, then fussy-cut the first in its entirety,and the second just the cupcakes that appeared closet to the eye, which ended up being the top cupcake, and the middle three on the next two steps.  I used dimensional tape to adhere my layers.  I colored just the top cupcake from my largest image to use on the bottom/inside base of my card.
The patterned paper is from DCWV "The Colorful Life" Stack.  I embellished with jewels from The Paper Studio.

When the card is closed, you can see the bit of lace, ribbon roses and washi tape that I used for embellishments as well.
I used a quote from Decosse's Dynamite Doodles.  It defines generosity so well, because often people think that to be generous you have to have a lot to be able to give it away. But just think: If you gave just enough to feed one person, you've made a positive difference in that one person's life.  Now what if we all made that small but significant gesture of generosity? Can you see the domino effect building from it? Wouldn't the world be a better place for your one small act?
I bet you're wondering about the challenge, huh? 
Anything that you'd like to share of a positive and inspirational nature that follows the monthly theme, is acceptable!  The challenge runs from January 6 for about a month.  A top seven will be chosen by the entire Design Team (DT) and will be posted in a separate post. 

The sponsors and prizes for this challenge are:

 ·   Ten digital images from Creative Bug Digitals for the person out of the top seven who receives the most votes during voting week.

·     Three digital images from Ike's World for the post or project that the DT deems most inspiring of the bunch.

·     Five digital images from Digi Stamps 4 Joy, our guest sponsors this month, for a person chosen in a random draw based on all entrants.

·     One digital designer paper from Décosse's Dynamite Doodles for one lucky voter who leaves a comment.

·     One digital sentiment for every single person who enters the challenge from Décosse's Dynamite Doodles as well.

I Hope you will play along this month, so link your GENEROSITY creations to Path of Positivity Challenge #10. 

First WOYWW Post of 2014

Well, I got some time off during the holidays to clean off my desk, but then last night the mixed media muse struck again and I created a canvas for a January challenge.  So while my desk is definitely NOT clean and orderly, it is better than it has been in weeks!!

Besides, everyone knows that a cluttered desk is the sign of a creative crafter!! LOL

Happy House Mouse Holidays!

I belong to a group on .Ning that posted a challenge to use a House Mouse image on a commercial Christmas card.  We could use any HM image and embellishments of our choice.  Here is the card I made.  I used a card I received this year (thanks, cousin Art) and an image called "Silent Night."

After coloring my image with Copics, I cut out two of the four mice on the stamp, singing in front of one of the snowmen.  I placed them where I think the snowman on my commercial card is looking.  These merry mice are singing sweet carols to their snowy friend, and he seems very happy with their songs.

I kept the embellishments simple--some jewels and a holly leaf on the snowman's hat, a few jeweled notes to carry their tune, and a sentiment sticker.

Hmm, I wonder if I can get away with sending it back to cousin Art next year with my artistic changes.  Do you think they'll remember that they sent it to me this year???  Maybe I better send it out to somebody else.

Do you re-gift your cards and/or presents?  I do.  I cherish the people who send me cards, but some of them are too cute to just throw away at the end of the season.  I like to re-fashion these cards for others, like the one I did today.  This one might just go out in the mail today!!

Figure Eight Style Skates into Town

Roses are red,
and so is my card.
If you like the same color
Squigglefly's challenge is not hard...

Not my best rhyme, but the sentiment is true!  If you love to create with RED, then this is your lucky week.  At Squigglefly, their newest challenge is to use RED on your card-with paper, embellishments or coloring-and a Squigglefly digi image.

I got to play with a new Squigglefly release from the always amazing Cheryl Alger.  This cutie pie is called "Figure Eight Style."  I started my path down REDville by framing my Copic-colored image with RED cardstock.  I finished off my tiny "canvas" with a few RED sequins.

My card base is RED cardstock whose bottom border I punched with tiny snowflakes.  I added a piece of white cardstock on the inside of the card so that the "flakes" would show up nicely.   Speaking of snowflakes, a sprinkled a few beside my image, and finished off my card with a metal word charm.

Now glide on over to the Squigglefly Challenge Blog so you can enter your card in this week's contest.  One random winner will win a free digi!!

My Very First WOYWW Post

Yeesh, I write some very personal posts, but there's nothing like a photograph to really lay it all on the line.  What am I talking about?  WOYWW is short for "What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday."  Workdesk stands for craft table, as you can see below.

It has been a hectic week--pulling extra shifts, Christmas shopping, being sick--and my goal to "clean as I craft" has crept quietly away, dragging its tale behind it.
The only good thing about admitting to this tornadic upheaval is that all those crafters out there who are too embarassed to admit they're messy crafters can come out of the closet now.  After seeing my table, they have nothing to be ashamed of!
I have a couple Christmas projects in the works, an Advent calendar that I finished but haven't hung yet, and a few envelopes to unpack.  You can't see it all now, but I am proud of my "new" storage system for my acrylic and EZ-mounted stamps.  Maybe next week it will all be visible, but for now you'll just have to trust me. LOL
Are you part of the WOYWW blog hop? If you don't know what it's about, head over to the Stamping Ground, Julia provides links to everyone's blog...What are you waiting for? Go check it out!