That's a Fact, Jack (o-Lantern)!

I love Halloween, don't you?! This week Squigglefly Challenge Blog offers a perfect challenge for the season--Use pumpkin(s) on your project.
My image is a very mysterious jack-o-lantern, a Squigglefly October new release from the very lovely Sandra Caldwell. The image is called "Peeking Jacko" and he looks too cool for that cat!
I colored him with my trusty Copics, adding a little shimmer to his shades, which gave the whole image a lot more dimension. Then I ripped the image's edges, distressed and inked the edges and popped him onto my card face, which is two diagonally-cut patterned papers adhered to black cardstock.
A couple Halloween stickers finish off my card and I'm ready to send to one of the grandkids!
Got some extra pumpkin paper, stickers or images lying around, waiting for a challenge? Try out the Squigglefly Challenge blog this week. If you use a Squigglefly image, you could win free digis!!

Outlawz Embossing Challenge

Today brings another challenge from the Outlawz Monday Greetings group.

The challenge is to use embossing on your project. I chose to use VersaMark ink and white embossing powder to decorate my card and print my sentiment.
I got to play with an adorable digi image from one of the Outlawz sponsors this month, Lacy Sunshine. She is called Rory Princess Gwendolyn. Besides being too cute for words, I also chose it because my daughter, whose nickname is Wendy, is named Gwendylyn!
After coloring my princess with Copics, I adhered her to my card front and then cut her out as seen. Above is the card as it looks coming out of the envelope.

Next is a view of the card standing up. I love the presentation it makes upright. I embellished simply with a spray of flowers befitting her little royal highness.
Check out all of the lovely image offered by Lacy Sunshine, then pullout your embossing powders or plates and come play in the Outlawz Greetings Challenge this week! For some lovely inspiration, check out what the DT have created for you!!

Challenges Entered:
Craft Your Passion -  hope/love/encouragement theme

I LoveSpooky Challenges

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays, at least when it comes to crafting. Not only do I have massive amounts of Halloween-themed images and stamps (and embellishments and papers), but I like to use every day images and turn them to the dark side (Luke, I am your father...).
Anyway, I wanted to show you a cards and a sweet project for some of this week's blog challenges. 
I love Edgar Allan Poe and his writing, so here's a card I made using a digi image of which I've only left the "bare bones" from which my scary verses peek through.

I decided to print out Edgar's deliciously twisted poem, The Raven, as my starting point, highlighting some words and phrases to spotlight the mood of my card.

  Then, to show off that background, I fussy-cut the image so that all you get is his outline, and you can see the poetry through his body (yes, i know I could have printed him onto the words, but I didn't think of doing that until both were already printed out and I'm not one to waste paper and printer ink).  I filled in the white around the image edges with Spectrum Noir marker in grey.

Not your average color-in-the-lines-of-a-digi-image card, but I like the look of it, and I hope you do too!

Next, I mixed up non-traditional colors on an Ike's Art digi image called an Ike's Art digi image called Vaguely Goth.Whoever thought to use punky pink with gothic black to say Happy Halloween, right? But as you can see, it works (at least for me). This card is going into the SBP Halloween Challenge blog post. Ike's Art is the guest sponsor, and she has generously offered five digital images to a random participant!

Finally, I created a Candy favor for the upcoming holiday candy free-for-all at my house. I colored a Bugaboo digi image called Halloween Skelekins - Sitter with my Copics, cut her out after giving her a little magical shimmer and framed her with black card stock. I popped her onto Halloween patterned paper, added a few freaky embellies and then filled a long tall bag with candy and put her on top to guard it.

I'm entering her into this week's Bugaboo Anything Goes challenge cause she's so adorable.

I hope you get some time to craft, and whatever you craft, have some (spooky) fun!!

Take Courage while on the Path of Positivity

This month, the Path of Positivity challenge blog takes you down the path of courage. Are you a courageous person? I don't think of myself as particularly brave. However, I have been known to do some things that make me appear courageous. I'll tell you a little secret...
Half the things I do that seem courageous are because I'm totally clueless as to what I'm getting myself into!
Leaving home at 18 and joining the Army to make $328 a month, 2000 miles from my family and committing myself to three years to the U.S. government? Not courageous, clueless! Sometimes it's better to be clueless about what lies ahead than to know every little thing that could and probably would go wrong. I don't know that I'd even get out of bed if I had to deal with all my fears, known and unknown, each morning!
But my canvas reflects the inspiration I get from nature. Who am I to fear what's ahead when the trees offer such courage in the face of a long cold winter? If they can put their fears aside and face the coming change with a burst of brilliant colors, waiting courageously for new life in Spring, then who am I to hesitate. That's why my favorite color is October, and October is my hero!
I created a 12x12 mixed media canvas using "Wisps of Autumn," a lovely image from the Path of Positivity's guest sponsor, Sparkle & Sprinkle.
Sparkle N Sprinkle is the sole sponsor for this challenge:  They are offering up three prizes for this challenge, which will be:

• Three digital images for the post or project that the DT deems most inspiring of the bunch.
• Three digital images for a person chosen in a random draw based on all entrants.
• Three digital images for a project or post that best displays the concept of courage in a creation meant for a breast cancer survivor (since it is breast cancer awareness month).

There will also  be:

• One digital image from Creative Bug Digital Stamps for each person chosen as a DT Delight.
• One digital designer paper (made to order in a few different ways) from Décosse's Dynamite Doodles for one lucky voter who leaves a comment.
• One digital sentiment for every single person who enters the challenge.

Have you stepped along the Path of positivity? It is a unique challenge blog designed to inspire, nurture and provide support for the soul by creating a positive path to follow, one project or post at a time! This month's guest designer is Julie O. from http://muddypawsinkyfingers.blogspot.com. Go check out the wonderful project she made for this month's theme of COURAGE!

It's Party Time at the Outlawz Greetings CHallenge This Week

And I am ready to party hearty with a pretty little steampunk image from The Stamping Chef  called Cogsley Copperpot.

I had so much fun! making this card. First I colored her with my trusty Copics, then distressed the edges of the image and backed it with cardstock. I found some Tim Holtz patterned paper that I paired with handmade patterned paper I sprayed with my own homemade shimmer mists. Then I embossed the handmade paper with a gears embossing plate (I've been dying to use it for a while now). I also distressed another embossed paper and as I was doing so, the corner pulled apart from the rest! So I used it in the top right corner.
After adding die cut and sticker gears, I finished off my challenge card with a catchy sentiment. All cards entered into the Greetings Challenge at the Outlawz needs to have a sentiment on the front. Hope to see your card there this week!

LEAF It Up to Squigglefly to Offer a Great Challenge

The challenge theme this week is Leaves, and Squigglefly offers some great new releases this month! I got to play with Cheryl Grant's The All American digi for my card today. I colored her with Copics, then rubbed some sky blue ink into the background.
I placed a beautiful piece of leaf-decorated vellum over my white cardstock, then highlighted a die cut chipboard leaf to hang over both my image and my hand-written sentiment.
Now it's time to leaf you with this bit of advice: Use a Squigglefly image and use leaves somewhere on your project and you could win free digis!!
In the meantime, happy crafting!

Time to Get Your Spooky On

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays, at least when it comes to crafting. That's why I love SBP's Challenge blog theme this month - Halloween!!  Ike's Art is sponsoring the challenge, and she's offering five free digis to a random winner. Woo hoo!
I played with an image from Ike's Art called Genie.

Isn't she adorable? I colored her with Copics, framed her with gold paper, and popped her onto DCWV Once Upon a Time patterned paper. My sentiment is a two-parter. Here's the inside

LOL! One year my sister wore a genie costume to a Girl Scout Halloween party at which I was the leader. I saw some disapproving looks from some of the moms, but I think they were just jealous that she could wear it "so well."

Anyway, I hope you get a chance to check out Ike's Art amazing images, and to play along at SBP's Halloween challenge. Ike's Art Challenge blog has a freebie for crafters to play with. PLUS, their theme is Ike's Art Around the World. I'm entering this card as my "Ike's Art in the Middle East" (Turkey maybe?) LOL One lucky winner will receive a free digi of her choice.