Look, Up in the Sky-It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Super Dad!

I made a card for my dad today, to celebrate all that he was when he was still with us. He's been gone for over 20 years, but I still like to give him his due on this June holiday. My dad is my hero, teaching me by example to love words and reading, to keep going especially when things were difficult, and to enjoy the little things in life.
Craft Your Passion has a new Anything Goes challenge starting today, and Bugaboo is the sponsor. I love the images from Jodie at Bugaboo-there's something for everyone, and her new shop looks fabulous!

I colored Super Dad and used up more of my re-discovered papers. I keep them in a box on my desk so that I don't go crazy and pull out the big guns--the 12x12 papers--when I'm creating cards. Besides, they are the papers that time (well, me) forgot, and I have a duty (since I bought them) to use them up before I have my way in any paper aisle at Hobby Lobby or Michael's. (Amen)
So, I used some glossy cardstock for the card base, some checked blue & white paper, and some glitter cardstock to pull the colors together with those I used on my image. I hand-printed my sentiment and tore the Copic-colored background to fit my card, adding a heart brad and a paper clip to embellish.

Happy Father's Day!

Today I want to wish fathers everywhere a wonderful, relaxing day, especially my hubby and my son. My hubby and I are with my granddaughter in Missouri, to be together for a memorial service for his oldest brother, Joe Allen, who passed away last week. He gave up his "day" to be home with his mom and sisters and younger brother to honor the brother he lost. While we're here, we'll go visit Dad's grave site, clean it up and put new flowers there.
My son is working his butt off to prepare for his newest child, scheduled to arrive sometime in August. Besides his full time job, he is an Army Reservist, up for re-enlistment in a few short months.
Meanwhile, I am burning the midnight oil to get this digital card up on my blog so they can each see it, as I type in our hotel room, next to my poor Bella who ended up losing her lunch and dinner and is now sleeping it off. Hope it was just a bad mix of food and she's not getting sick!!
Meanwhile, my card uses a couple fabulous images from Sandy of Scribbles Designs, Carl's Pad and Firefly (Firefly was a freebie on her blog!). I used papers, the frame and the gorgeous bubbly baubles from Decosse's Dynamite Doodles. Sandy has a fun challenge with a theme of "Fins, Feathers & Frog Legs" (yum). Go check out her blog, where there are freebies to be snagged, inspiration to be shared and a challenge to enter!

Other Challenges I am Entering:

Digi Galore challenges - Father's Day

Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers - D is for Dude

Moving Along with the Times - Inspired by a Song (Unforgettable by Nat King Cole)

Quoting the POEt

When I was in college, I spent one semester on studying the master of Horror fiction and poetry, Edgar Allen Poe. My whole grade centered around my 30 page paper on his life, his loves, his writing and his insane take on an insane world.
There is a challenge blog out there called Quoth the Raven, devoted to the macabre master of frights. This month their theme is photo-inspired:

I chose to pull the colors and use the man himself as inspiration for my canvas. My image comes from the master of macabre herself, Sue from Ike's Art. It's called Poe Bust. I colored it and then popped it onto one of my new background papers from Mischief Circus from the Dead or Alive Collection by Rucola Designs. To give it some shimmer, I used a glitter overlay from Krysty, also available from Mischief Circus.

I added some splatters of red to give it dark undertones, and allowed the raven to utter his infamous line. The quote is one of my favorites from Mr. Poe. I hope you like my canvas today!

Other challenges I am entering:

As You Like It challenges - Favorite Book (the Complete Works of Edgar Allen Poe, 

a treasury of terror on which I grew up)

Your Scrapbook Place Midway Challenge Reminder

Today marks the halfway point in Your Scrapbook Place June challenge. Our sponsor this month is DeeDee's Digis, and I got to play with a sheet of images called Coffee Cup Greetings.
Today I mixed digital and paper crafting together to create this card. In Photoshop, I used three pre-colored coffee cup images, adding parts of my sentiment onto each cup. My patterned paper is a digi delight from Decosse's Dynamite Doodles. Once I had the background paper and the cups sized right, I printed and cut them out.
In order to stack my cups, I used an Exacto knife to cut slits in the tops of my two bottom cups, slipping each into the slits. The rest was just a matter of finding the right embellishments. I am meeting my girlfriend for lunch on Friday. I haven't seen her in months. Since our kids have grown up, we seem to be busier than we ever were before! Both her son and my daughter are in college now, and we have full-time jobs, so there are no more free days when we'd get together for a play date, or spend the morning at the local thrift store together.
So I wanted a card to give her this week that would let her know that, while we may not see each other often, her presence is very much known to me, and I appreciate her being there.
Now it's time for you to join in the fun at Your Scrapbook Place challenge blog. If you need some inspiration, head on over to DeeDee's Digis blog. And as always, crafters, have fun!

Other Challenges I am Entering:

Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes

Fairy Tale Stampers - Anything Goes

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes

Simply Papercrafts - Anything Goes

Sister Act card challenges - Anything Goes

Stempelsonnen challenges - Alles geht (Anything Goes)

Christmas is Coming - Are You Ready?

Well, it only took two days and a lot of sweat but my first 100% digital Christmas card is ready to print up. The 12 Months of Christmas Link-Up has a new challenge this month, and I created a card for the midway reminder. The theme is always Christmas, with an optional twist of VINTAGE.
The sponsor is Luna Girl and they have the most beautiful collages and images! The one I played with is called Blue Christmas Collage sheet and comes with 8 Christmas scenes.

I used Adobe Photoshop to work with my card, and when i say work, I mean it! I am still learning the software and make the simplest mistakes! I used digital papers from Decosse's Dynamite Doodles, as well as those sharp-looking icicles and flourishes. My sentiment is from within Photoshop. Don't you just love that little angel lighting the tree for the holiday?
The way the Link-Up works is this:
As long as you link up two handmade Christmas cards, you will receive a holiday-inspired digital paper each month. If you follow the monthly theme (which is Vintage this month), you will be in the running for prizes. Make sure you type in the letters FT after your name so it will be easy to place your name in the draw! And remember, the theme is optional!
Sponsor and Prize Info for this challenge:

• Guest Sponsor:  Lunagirl
• Prize being offered:  A $15.00 gift certificate for one random winner chosen from those who participate in the optional theme
• Additional Sponsor: Décosse's Dynamite Doodles
• Prize being offered: One free digital paper to everyone who links up a minimum of two cards to the challenge.  Cards can be anything goes for this prize, they only have to follow the theme if they want a chance at the sponsor's prize.  The mini set of six digital papers called A Grungy Christmas, will also be offered up as a prize to one random winner.

Other Challenges I am Entering:

Christmas Card challenges - ANything Goes
A Gem of a Challenge - Something Blue
CASE-ing Christmas - Inspiration card

C.R.A.F.T. Challenge - Christmas

ABC Christmas challenges - L s for Lyrics (Angels We Have Heard on High)

Happiness is Making Cards

Happiness is a new challenge, and today I am brimming with happiness because the new Outlawz Greetings challenge starts! The theme is to create something that completes the phrase, "Happiness is..." I find happiness wherever I go, but mostly I find it at home. My family, my cozy bed, my craft room--I am surrounded by people and things that generate happiness.
So I made a card to reflect the good feels I get from being home. Of course, my recent family vacation to the beaches of Florida inspired my design, but who says you can't call a sand castle your home? LOL This cute digi image is from MelonHeadz Illustrations and is called Sand Castle.
I popped my image onto some dreamy background paper from the Summertime Collection by Rucola Designs, found over at Mischief Circus. I used Photoshop to type in the sentiment, then popped it into a frame from Sweetly Scrapped, adding a bow and flowers from Decosse's Dynamite Doodles.
Then I put in my crafty thumb and pulled out a plum of a background paper for my card face, from that pesky box of papers I re-discovered last month. A bit of ribbon and some pearls for a border, and a charm to give it some charm, and my card is complete.

Other Challenges I am Entering:

4 Crafty Chicks - Polka Dots

Cute Card Thursday - Beside the Seaside
Crafting Musketeers - Shades of Summer

Joining the Outlawz Groups is free, fun and inspirational. Each day of the week offers a different type of challenge, and there's even a Progressive Freebie monthly challenge. Besides the challenges, there are tutorials, free digital images and inspiration. Did I forget to mention the prizes?! Each challenge group has their own sponsors, and there is no limit to the number of challenge groups you can join. Each of your entries has a chance to win a weekly prize and a monthly prize.
Did you know that there's a group on the Outlawz with tons of FREEBIES for you to play with?! This week MelonHeadz AND the Outlawz Freebies group is sponsoring our challenge. Melonheadz prize will be as usual for the weekly winner and a Gina K Designs stamp set will be an instant prize (as in you don't have to wait for the monthly list) if you use an Outlawz freebie and follow the Happiness theme. This does NOT affect the weekly winner prize.  
So, my second project today uses a freebie from Mayzy Arts. Like I said, I can find happiness in so many things, and music is one of them. That's why I made this card. Can you believe this cute cute image is a FREEBIE?!

As pastel and clean as my first card is, my second card is bold bright colors and I threw on pretty much everything that was lying on my desk today, including a die-cut frame, some banners and wings, and a handful of jeweled flowers!

Challenges I am entering this card into:

Creative Knockouts - Use Your Stash

Crafter's Cafe - Anything Goes

Inspiration Destination - Always Anything Goes

Wonderful Wednesday challenges - Anything Goes

Fan-tastic Tuesday challenges - Anything Goes w/a twist: Bling

CMD challenges - Inspired by Movie or TV Show 

(Ich war von dem Film inspiriert Katie Perry: Part of Me)

Progressive Freebie Challenge at DeeDee's Digis

DeeDee's Digis Challenge Blog offers a free stamp set to all crafters who create with this month's Featured set, "Diver Daniel."

If you don't have this set, it is on sale for $1.25 this month only. All you have to do is create something with Diver Daniel and post it on your blog, linking your post to their challenge blog. You'll receive next month's Digi Set for free!! Now, who doesn't like FREE?!

I went away over the weekend, to a place that time forgot (well, at least there was no wifi anywhere to be seen). So, I played with Diver Daniel in Photoshop, and created this digital card. In addition to DeeDee's Digis images, I used the following:

Decosse's Dynamite Doodles - Patterned paper #11, Frame #1

Rucola Designs - Seashells

The rest was accomplished in Adobe Photoshop Elements 12: grass and speech bubble stamps, sentiments and coloring/shading. I am learning more and more with each project I attempt, but have a lot more to learn! 

So, what about you? Do you have any crafting machine that you haven't used yet? I also have a Bind-It-All that is still in its bag, and I was REALLY excited to purchase it when I did, about six months ago?! I really need to retire so that I have more time to craft!!

Other Challenges I am Entering:

Cute Card Thursday - Beside the Seaside

Creative Moments challenges - A/G; Man inn Your Life; Father's Day

Crafty Gals Corner - the Great Outdoors

Crazy for Challenges - Masculine