Let's Be Honest, Shall We?

I have seen the most amazingly organized craft areas on blogger and pinterest.  My heart aches every time I see something that would work so well in my own area of creativity. 
But I don't have the (financial) support of my hubby when it comes to my hobby.  Every single organizational piece that is in my craft room has been gleaned from clearance bins, rummage sales and hand-me-downs.
I think I have done an amazing job getting my craft supplies in order, concealed and catalogued.  But...
to be honest (and you can see the honesty in my photo), I am the sloppiest crafter in the known universe.  Believe me, I have tried to "clean as I craft" but honestly, when the muse strikes, it is like an electrical shock.  I can't stop until it leaves me, and when it does, I am exhausted.
I will do a cursory clean up--the tape in its container, the markers (my precious) in their bins--but as you can see, it is like one step forward, three steps back!  And who wants to spend all their precious creative time (freedom) cleaning when they could be crafting?  Don't we as women do the brunt of the cleaning anyway?
It has taken me a few years, but I am to the point that I don't care what my craft room looks like at most times.  I can craft with the best of them.  And my harshest critic is of course myself!
But I DO envy those crafters and artists who have the money to make their crafting space look like something out of a magazine (sigh).

Do you have anything to say when it comes to Honesty?  There is a very empowering blog called The Path of Positivity that tries to "inspire, nurture and provide support for the soul by creating a positive path to follow, one project or post at a time."  They have monthly challenges and crafters and writers are invited to post about the month's theme.  Each entrant has a chance to win some lovely prizes for their efforts to "spread the love."



Happy Halloween Crafting!

My newest passion this Halloween is crafting mussie tussies.  This one features a QKD September release called "Witchy" by artist Kathy Cyr.  Isn't she too cute??  Which makes her perfect for a Halloween Treat Holder.

I colored Witchy with my Copics and then fiussy-cut her out and put her aside to "rest" while I built my tussie.  I covered a toilet paper roll with Halloween patterned paper, then adhered the bottom closed.

After attaching some fun Halloween ribbon for the handle, I adhered this gorgeous black bat ribbon from fellow DT member Holley Barnhart to make a bottom and top border.

I decided to keep the embellishments simple so my image is the thing showcased on my project.  A jack-o-lantern sticker and a haunted house "woodie" set the scene.

Before adding the image, I used Copic YR02 to draw a "path" from the house to my little witch.  I adhered her with dimensional tape and my mussie tussie is ready to fill.

So what do you think:  candy for a co-worker, or embellies for a fellow crafter??  The possibilities are endless!!

If you need inspiration with your Halloween projects, check out the QKD store for new stamp and digi releases as well as some fun ideas.

Ride, Sally, Ride

All aboard for a sleepover!  That's the theme of my card today for this week's Squigglefly challenge.  Their requirement is to use a Squigglefly image and use the color PINK plus your favorite "go with" color--is it pink and brown?  pink and teal?


I like to use pink and GREEN together, and thought these September new releases from Cheryl Alger would be perfect.  The one on the front of my Z-fold card is one of two images called Pack Your Bag Sally.  Sally is one of my favorite character images from Cheryl (difficult to pin down to just one).  The second image is one of a suitcase, which I covered with words to make a kind of collage on its front.

I covered the faces of my card with green and pink patterned papers (you can't see the pink panel).  I colored Sally with Copics after paper-piecing her with yet more pink patterned paper.  I embellished simply with Skittles and a charm.

I plan to invite my granddaughters over for a sleepover this weekend, and made two cards for each of them as invitations.  I find that it's very easy to make two of each card at one time.

Gotta pop these in the mail so that they get them before Saturday, although mom and dad have been notified already and are keeping it a secret.  When we get together, just us girls, we craft to our hearts' delight!

So now it's your turn to craft to your heart's delight using a Squigglefly digi image and the colors PINK and ???  What, you don't have a Squigglefly digi image yet?!  Click HERE for freebies.  Then go to the Challenge Blog and enter to win free digis from the store!!  Good luck, and happy crafting!


Down on the (Pumpkin) Farm

This city girl is no stranger to urban settings, airplanes flying constantly overhead and stop and go traffic.  But when Squigglefly announced this week's challenge, I was kerflummoxed!  The only farm I have ever been on or seen is the pumpkin farm I took my kids to just before Halloween.  And how could I make a card with a Down on the Farm theme if I didn't have farm papers, stickers nor an image to play with?!

THEN I checked out the design team cards on the challenge blog, and besides oohing and ahhing at the beautiful cards there, I also found some inspiration, too!

So move over, my country bumpkins, I made a card with frost upon my pumpkins.  Yes, I am quoting a country song.  I used to date a guy who always took me to a bar that played country songs and offered the biggest fattest dill pickles in a big old jar that I have ever seen--right smack on the bartop!

Anyway, I digress!  I printed this Squigglefly digi image and colored it with Copics.  It's called "Stanley Scarecrow" by artist Fawn Palmer.  I used a leftover piece of patterned paper that shows the clouds and sun.  I tore green cardstock and layered it to look like fields, and adhered my scarecrow with dimensional tape.  I added a bow of raffia to my card-it kind of looks like straw, right? LOL

Your turn to step up to the challenge.  Enter a card or project with your version of a down-on-the-farm theme for your chance to win a free digi!  Don't forget to use a Squigglefly image.  Click HERE for a freebie!

All Dressed Up with Nowhere to Go

Today I made a card with a September-released digi image from Queen Kat Designs.  It's called "Princess" by artist Sarah Waterfield.

I colored her with Copics, inked the edge of the image and popped it onto a diecut frame of cardstock.  I added it to my CAS card and added a simple bow & flower embellishment.

I try to make a couple dozen CAS cards for Operation Write Home every month.  Seeing as my son is thinking of deploying next year, I guess I better up that count.  Wouldn't he get a kick out of seeing one of my cards in a package for his unit to use to send to his wife and kids?!

For more September releases, check out the QKD Shoppe today!

Anything Goes challenge at Bugaboo

Today's card is one of a dozen I created for Operation Write Home.  It is a CAS card, clean and simple.  I printed the Bugaboo digi image "Happy Birthday to Ewe Topper" and colored it with my trusty Copics.  The image comes with the sentiment seen on my card.

I framed the image and sentiment with cardstock before popping them onto a layer of patterned paper.  I made two of these cards, as well as other cards using another Bugaboo digi image and other images.

Bugaboo has a challenge blog where this month's theme is ANYTHING GOES.  You gotta love a challenge that lets you choose just about anything your little artist's heart desires!!

For your chance in their random drawing, check out the blog.  Pretty soon you will be hooked on all the cute images Bugaboo offers in their store!

And as always, keep crafting!

Halloween Treat Holder

Have you ever heard of a mussie tussie??  Neither did I until a Facebook group I am on discussed a swap for Halloween!  So of course the first place I went to was Pinterest, and there were a lot of examples! Here is what I came up with.

The treat holder is built up from a "toilet paper roll" base. The first one I made (careful, these are very addicting!)I covered with patterned paper, then adhered the bottom flat.

I added a gorgeous flower spray handmade by my crafting friend Shannon Leffew, to the bottom.  After attaching a string of pearls to the top for a handle, I added some wired organza ribbon and tied a bow front and back.

For embellishments, I added tiny pumpkin buttons to the branches of my spooky tree, and a sticker sentiment "treats."


I started the next mussie tussie the same way, covering a toilet paper roll with patterned paper and closing the bottom flat.  You can't see it in the photo but I used a corrugating tool to emboss some lines into the bottom.

I decided to go with a Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead theme, using the skull patterned paper as well as some cool skull 3D stickers.  Purple and pink are the main colors here, so I inked the edges of my container with purple ink.

I adhered a crown to my skull, inking it first with the coordinating pink color. I also used black lace tied into a bow at the top of my cone, attaching a tag that reads "Dia de los Muertos.  A few sequins and coordinating sticker flourishes finish off my mussie tussie.  I used Tim Holtz Idea-ology tinsel ribbon for the handle here.

You might see more mussie tussies on my blog, as these are SO addicting and fun to make.  While these two are for the swap, I'll be making more for my co-workers and sisters and neighbors and...

Now I have to think of what to fill it up with!  Candy?  Crafting supplies? Hmmm, I think this might take more time than it did to make my mussie tussies!!