QKD Card Today

Hey, crafters!  I have a fun card to show you today.  I stamped up a Queen Kat Designs image called Frog Queen by the lovely and talented Sandra Caldwell.   I love this image and have used it often.

After coloring it with Copics, I framed it with cardstock first and then with another square piece of cardstock whose corners I punched (with my favorite punch).  I popped it onto a base of stitched cardstock and embossed paper.

I embellished with an acrylic sentiment, a couple stray beads and some sequins.  I like the look of the card.  the scene almost looks like an alien queen from another planet selfie!!  I have a friend who loves frogs so this card is going straight to her mail box via snail mail.

Do you still mail out cards or letters?  I do.  There's nothing more satisfying than getting mail out of the mailbox to open and read.  I try to send my grandkids mail, even if it's just a card.  The youngest, Bella, loves getting mail addressed to her (she's 6).

Just Chillin'

Hello, crafters!  I have a pretty little card for you today.  It features a stamped image by the amazing artist Terra Bidlespacher.  I decided to be frugal and decorate my card's background with leftover pieces of papers that I had been working with this month.  I placed them on a diagonal and then took up a black marker and had my way with the patterns in the papers.
I also added some sparkle by embellishing with tiny beads and Skittles.  A long chain with a cylindrical porcelain bead lies across one of the paper strips.
The inside of the card reads:  "Just Chillin'."
What do you do with your paper scraps?  I keep a file drawer full of them, placed in folders by color or seasonal theme.  They come in mighty handy at times, like today! LOL

WOYWW Equals WOW!

Almost forgot to post a pic of my work table today!  Can't do that, it's the cleanest it's been in months!  I can actually see the wood in my wooden table (gasp).  When my table is clean, I can actually work at my computer there.  otherwise, it's laptop balanced on my knees in the living room time.

Got a post-Christmas present made tonight and wrapped it up for my bff (Hey, Janie).  I'm thinking about blogging a month's worth of adventures of my amazing alligator, Arnold.  He's perched on the corner of my laptop, contemplating starting a blog of his own (or maybe he's just getting ready to play Candy Crush Saga).  You'll see more of him in the coming months.  Don't worry, bloggers, that's a Ty tag hanging off him. No real alligators will be harmed in the writing of those blog posts!

I got a root canal on Monday and am on some pain medication and I have this feeling that I am writing absolute nonsense, but I'm going to publish this now anyway.  Happy, crafting, all!

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