Another Trip Around the Sun

 

This is my birthday card for my youngest sister. Her birthday is early in May, and I wanted a playful tone to it. It's a milestone birthday so I think she'll love the humor. The actual greeting is one I found on Pinterest. I put it into my "Words" board, where I save the funniest, punniest, most affirmative, positive sayings, quotes and greetings.

This is a 6x6 inch easel card. I love making these because it gives impact when there is an opening line and a closing line. The first photo is with the card closed-what would be pulled out of the envelope. The 2nd photo is open and standing up. That's why you see the words "Did you know that" twice. I pulled out butterfly stickers from my folder to decorate the card and some designer paper I had left over from a previous project for the base. I used a Posca marker for the words. I have a stash of letter tiles and Scrabble tiles that I was able to use on the inside.  

I remember when my mom came home from the hospital with my new baby sister. I ran home once the dismissal bell rang. There she was, in my mom's arms, a little blondie. It's great that she and I have a supportive, meaningful relationship. We live in the same town and often get together for weekend grocery shopping.

My other sister lives in Germany. She's coming in to visit during the birthday weekend and we're surprising my youngest sister with an overnight to a location we've all never been to. I made homemade strawberry schnapps for us to toast to. It's going to be awesome...

Challenges I am Entering:

Beyond the Blue - Birthday card 

Crafty Catz - Anything Goes w/optional twist: Celebration

Seize the Birthday - Anything Goes w/option: Alcohol (markers or liquid)

Through the Purple Haze - Anything Goes

Birthday Card for My Little Sister

I created a birthday card this month for my sister. She is the youngest of three (yes, I'm the oldest). In the last few years,we have grown so much closer. Between losing my husband, and mom moving in with her, we have reached out to each other for support, advice, help, hugs, shoulders to cry on and laughter breaks.
Although I have a shoe box full of cards already made, she deserves a brand new card. I colored an image from Scribbles Designs, actually, several images, that I've put together before. I just love the combination of the birthday greeting and the cake with my favorite characters from the Scribbles Store.
Since doing a MAJOR clean-out of my craft supplies, including papers, I still have a box or four of leftovers. I decided to make my card with just the supplies in the box. You may just see more cards using supplies that are "out of the box".  For example, the red paper framing my patterned paper has a big hole it it, which is covered up by my Scribbles image.
Anyway, enjoy the nicer weather!

Scribbles Designs Images used:

 #966 CP Layer Cake 2 , 

#F 61 Happy Birthday (Free),

#837 MoVember Boys 

Using Die-Cuts at Ike's World Challenge Blog

Hallo, mein Lieblings! I don't know if you've noticed that lately I've been creating some cards in German. My sister lives in Berlin with her husband and I thought it would be nice if she had some handmade cards to give to her new friends and neighbors.
That's why I created this children's birthday card using a digi image from Ike's Art Store called Teddy Bear from the Germany - World Tour Series Set. After coloring Sigmund (my name for him, nicknamed Ziggy) with Copics, I adhered him onto my card with dimensional tape, framing him with a die-cut circle of stars. In the corner I placed a die-cut tag on which I popped a flower. I also used a couple punches to get my heart and butterfly embellishments. Behind the watermark are the words  "Alles gute zum Geburtstag" which loosely translated mean Happy Birthday!!
Since this is my DT make for Ike's Art World Challenge Blog, you've probably guessed that the optional theme this month is DIE-CUTS. I think I have enough of them, don't you? LOL
I'm taking German classes at the local community college, and am now in German 102. We're spending almost the entire semester on present participle and simple past tense (both ways to say you did something). If you want a quick and easy language to learn, do NOT take German. LOL It is difficult and I have had to tell the professor when I enter the classroom that "Ich habe ein kopfschmerzen" many times (I have a headache!).
Back to the challenge: It's Anything Goes with the option to create with Die-cuts. It doesn't have to be cards but any kind of project. So poke your Muse and get crafty. The winner gets a gift certificate to Ike's Art Store!! Just don't forget to link up your project there before the end of the month!
Have fun and happy crafting!

Challenges I am Entering:
Tuesday Throwdown - Pastel Colors
Use Your Stuff - Fuzzy Wuzzy
Cupcake Inspirations - photo below
(I chose the animal/birthday celebration feeling of the photo)

Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper - Anything Goes w/pp
DigiDoodles Studios - Anything Goes
Happy Craft - Anything Goes

Photo Inspiration from Ike's World Challenge Blog

This month's challenge theme at Ike's World Challenge Blog is a photo inspiration, pictured below. Now how open is that?! It took me forever to choose the image I wanted to play with, but I decided on "Shhhh" It is probably one of my favorite images to play with from Ike's Store (her colored hair alone pulls in most of the colors in the inspiration photo LOL).

If you can't read the sentiment, the first speech bubble says: "Bad News - I forgot your Birthday" The second bubble reads: "Good News - I forgot how old you are"

I always have fun coloring her hair, and finding just the right words to put with her look. I think I got it spot on for my birthday card. So for November, the optional challenge theme is to pull whatever inspiration you get from the photo offered. Hopefully your Muse will be abuzz with creative energy. And hopefully, you will link up your project or card with Ike's World Challenge Bog for your chance to win a gift certificate to Ike's Store.

Good luck and happy crafting!

Challenges I am Entering:

Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes
Crafty Cardmakers - Explosion of Colour
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Papers - Anything using Patterned Paper Goes
Digi Stamps 4 Joy - AG w/optional ribbon or lace

Ike's World Challenge Blog Springs Forward with a Photo Inspiration Theme

This month Ike's World Challenge blog is offering a photo inspiration theme. It is beautifully Springtime colored, which, after over another three inches of snow a few weeks ago in Chicago, is a sight for sore eyes.

I have pulled those welcoming colors from the photo into my own card, using one of Ike's FREEBIES on her cat-themed "Show Us Your Pussies" challenge blog. It's called "Smiling Cat", and I think it's adorable.

I colored her with Copics, then used a gel pen to draw some designs on her body. The background paper is from my stash, which means I have no idea where it came from, but it seems the perfect embodiment of Spring. A few well-placed embellishments and a bow finishes off my Springtime birthday card.

Now that I have a nice stash of get well cards, thanks to my card-swapping club, I'm trying to build up my birthday card pile. The next theme for the club is shaker cards. Don't be surprised if you see them on the blog soon...

Meanwhile, you have the whole month to create a Springtime card inspired by the photo above. Don't forget to link up what you created with Ike's World Challenge Blog. One lucky winner will receive a gift certificate to Ike's Art Shop. Good luck and happy crafting!

Challenges I am Entering:

Always Fun Challenges - Happy Birthday

Angie's Digital Stamps -Optional Buttons and/or Bows (I used both)

Creative Fingers - Anything Goes

A Gem of a Challenge - Female Birthday

Show Us Your Pussies - Anything CAT Goes

From the Whole Flock

This month I am focusing on birthday cards, and when I saw the sentiment offered at the Scribbles Design Store, I knew I had to use it on my next card. It's called #0168 WP HBFlock ($1.50) and you can find it HERE. I found the cute little bird image, called #F 74 Spring Bird, as a FREEBIE on the Scribbles Designs Challenge Blog! 

After coloring my little birdie, I took a photo of her and then used Photoshop to digitally multiply her into a whole flock of little birdies bathing in the sunshine along the beach. The beach is actually at Clearwater, Florida. My son and his family live in Florida now and my DIL takes the loveliest photos, so I made it into background scenery for my card.
I cut this out and placed it onto some rainbow patterned paper from Decosse's Dynamite Doodles (Sea patterned paper from “Chasing Rainbows” Paper Kit), I  framed each of these with Decosse's Textured Paper #2 from “Mommie Dearest” Paper Kit and Gold paper from “A Grungy Christmas” paper kit.
I embellished simply with some shimmery ric rac and a few tear-shaped jewels. I thought the waves could use a little shine as well, so I used Diamond Stickles to "catch" the sun's light.Of course, I couldn't help but ink the edges of most of my papers, too. I love ink...

Challenges I am Entering:

2 Crafty Critter Crazies - Anything w/a critter goes

Always Happy Birthday - Anything Birthday Goes w/optional pp

Animal Friends - Spring (must have animal)

Crafty Animals - Anything Goes

  

Ring Out the Old, Ring in the New at Scribbles Challenge Blog

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Today at Scribbles Challenge blog, we are working at "Ringing OUT the Old and Ringing in the NEW." There is a great poem by Alfred Tennyson that reads,

“Ring out the old, ring in the new,

Ring, happy bells, across the snow:

The year is going, let him go;

Ring out the false, ring in the true.”

There are several key words in this poem that can help provide a starting point for your creation: ring, old, new, happy, bells, snow, year, false, true.  How you interpret them is up to you. For example, you might choose to use something old or something new in your project; or be literal and include bells or snow; maybe you'll focus on the word happy and take your creation in that direction; or maybe you will design a card that reflects something new like new year's or a new baby, a new home, etc.
My card is inspired by SNOW, so I used two images from Scribbles Designs: "Melting for You Sentiment" and "Snowflake." I made the sentiment the focal point of my card, placing it onto Pixel Scrapper Brooke Gazarek" Enchanted Dark Teal Patterned Paper decorated with a few Scribbles' Snowflakes.  I took a strip of Decosse's Dynamite Doodles Snowfest patterned paper to create a ribbon effect and that finishes the card.
My husband's birthday is later this month, so I made this card for him. Every year I tease him that from his birthday until mine, April 15th, he is TWO years older than I. So I guess that uses the "OLD" part of this month's theme LOL (but don't tell him I said that!)
Come join us at Scribbles as we Ring out the Old Year and Ring in the New. If you use a Scribbles image your chances of winning free digis doubles!!

The Outlawz Challenges Are Out of this World

Today is the last Monday of the month---do you know what that means at the Outlawz Monday Greetings challenges?? It's ANYTHING GOES, my favorite kind of challenge.
One of this week's sponsors is Creative Hands and I created my boy's birthday card with one of their digi images called Spaceship Boy.
To exaggerate my outer space look, I used a punch on the corners. My image is colored with Copics and embellished with stars and alien-looking buttons (I even cut the Earth from a map and pasted it on the card). My greeting is Photo-shopped.

Challenges I am entering:

Crafting when We Can - Add Stars
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Challenge #34 Anything Goes
Digi Designs Challenge blog - For the Boys

My next card uses an image from our other sponsor, Crafty Sentiments. The image is called "Tess Summer Fun," and I think it's safe to (pretend to) feel secure in Mother Nature, in that she won't go all bipolar on us for the rest of the Spring season - heat on at night and air conditioner on during the day! LOL

I created a swing card using leftover papers and my circle cutter from Creative Memories.

Challenges I am Entering:

A Gem of a Challenge - Weather (I chose Summer with flowers blooming everywhere)
Crafty Challenges - Summer Time
Avenue 613 Create - Anything Goes
Alphabet Challenge blog - G is for Girlie
Simply Papercraft challenges - Anything Goes

What do you think of when someone says Anything Goes? Create it and link up with us this week for your chance to win some awesome prizes. Happy crafting!

New Challenge at the Path of Positivity Tackles EMPATHY

Welcome to a new challenge at the Path of Positivity challenge blog. This month we explore EMPATHY. Instead of trying to wrap my words 'round that theme, I discovered the most beautiful and simple explanation:
When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives mean the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand. The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is a friend who cares. 
~Henri Nouwen

Our challenge this month is sponsored by Sparkle N Sprinkle, and today's card uses a digital image called Disco Girlfriends:

After coloring my image with Copics, I used some metallic gel pens to give a little shimmer here and there. I had a piece of tie-dye-patterned napkin that I used to set the scene, then I pulled out a few shaped buttons to embellish. My girlfriend's birthday is coming up and this is the perfect card for her. We met in college and at times have been hundreds of miles apart, yet here we are now, still the best of friends, kids finishing off college, sharing our joys and our sorrows, talking each other through loss and celebrating memories.

What is your take on the theme of Empathy? It could be a sympathy card for a good friend, a journal page or a canvas. Just remember to link up your creation for a chance to win this month's offering of prizes:

Sparkle N Sprinkle is the sole sponsor for the main prizes of this challenge.  They are offering up two prizes for this challenge, which will be:

• $15.00 worth of digital images for the post or project that the DT deems most inspiring of the bunch.
• $15.00 worth of digital images for a person chosen in a random draw based on all entrants.

There will also be:

• One digital designer paper (made to order in a couple different ways) from Décosse's Dynamite Doodles for one lucky person who leaves a comment on posts published during the challenge time-frame.
• One digital sentiment for every single person who enters the challenge.

Challenges I am Entering:
PDE Linky Party - Anything Goes
Hiding in My Craft Room - Freestyle

Miss Rach Sponsors New Challenge

Today starts a new challenge at Your Scrapbook Place Challenge blog. Our sponsor is Miss Rach, and she has some cuter-than-cute images at her store. There are also some freebies, so if you snag some and create with them, then link up with Your Scrapbook, you will get not one but TWO chances to win prizes.
I used a freebie from the store to make my birthday card today. Copi-colored I rubbed ink lightly to color in the white space before popping her onto my card face. I used punches to frame my sentiment and to give my card a "wavy" border.
Your Scrapbook Place is offering TWO challenges this month, so get your projects linked up by April 14 for your chance to win! Happy crafting!

A New Year Brings a New Challenge at Quirky Crafts

Oh what fun it is to Celebrate a birthday, especially when your cake is almost as big as you are! My girlfriend had a baby boy last year and it is coming up on his birthday, so this digital image from Stitchy Bear, called BBKakes Birthday Boy 1, is perfect for the child's personality. He's not afraid of getting a little messy, especially if the mess is made of sugar!!
Welcome to Quirky Crafts new challenge, the first in 2016. With the New Year comes changes, and I am one of them, being blessed to have been invited to create as a DT member. Another change is that Quirky challenges will now be monthly, starting on the first Sunday of each month.
So to start the new challenge, the theme is Celebrations! Make your card something to celebrate or to give in celebration of something-and don't forget to use the words celebrate or celebration on your card. I colored my Stitchy Bear digi with Copics, while the embossed sentiment on the left is from Stampin Up!
In keeping with my promise to use up my stash, everything on my card was a leftover piece of paper, ribbon, letters, even the feather was from a container I had stashed away in my craft closet! Do you have a New Year's Resolution that is "crafty"? Mine from 2015 was to use up my stash, and I'm going to have to extend it into 2016. I have a ROOM full of "stash" from which to create.
Here's wishing you a Happy New Year, filled with stamping, painting, altering, water coloring and all that fun stuff! Don't forget to link your card or project with Quirky Crafts challenge blog for your chance to win free digis:
 1st prize: 3 images of choice from the entire Stitchy Bear store
 2nd prize: any 3 images used by the DT
 3rd Prize: any 2 images used by the DT

Challenges I am Entering:

Fantasy Stampers challenges - Happy Birthday (sentiment on left is hand stamped and embossed)

Let's Color Saturday Linky Party - Anything Goes/optional celebrations theme

Stitchy Bear FB page - Anything Goes

Sisters of Craft - Anything Goes

ABCchallenges - Y is for Your Choice (anything goes)

2 Creative CHicks - Anything Goes

Burnishing with Bugaboo at the Outlawz Greetings challenge

Do you know what burnishing is? Neither did I until I read what the new challenge was at the Outlawz Greetings. I certainly cannot create a DT project if I don't know what I'm doing, right? So off to Google land I went, and found several techniques using different media.
Since my Bugaboo image is digital, I decided to burnish with my ink pads, and I really like the effect I produced.
Bugaboo is the guest sponsor this week, and I burnished an image called Scene It - Ladybugs. I framed my image against patterned papers (from my slowly dwindling stash) and added a simple little flourish of pearls to embellish and a sentiment (it is a greetings challenge group, after all).
You can burnish with ink and embossing powders, with colored pencils, and so much more. Here's the link I used for my card: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6yvhNMXsvk
I hope you try this technique. Without change, we cannot grow, and I love to stretch my comfort zone often. So, try this out and link up at the Outlawz Greetings challenge for your chance to win free Bugaboo images!!

Challenges I am Entering:

Crafty Friends challenge - CAS

Chocolate, Coffee & Cards - Use a Sentiment

Digitally Sweet challenges - Celebrations

Simply Create Too - Anything Goes

Stempelsonnen challenges - Alles geht  (Anything goes)
Colouring in Scrapland - Things with Wings (Mariquitas esconden sus alas cuando no están en el aire)

Use Your Stuff challenges - Anything Goes
Artistic Inspirations - Anything Goes

Cheers to You

Somebody just had a birthday, so I whipped  out my trusty Copics and found this cute House Mouse image and created her a card.
I love the vibrant color combo of lime green and purple and golden yellow. The cardstock and patterned paper is from my newly re-discovered stash of papers that was stuck in the deep dark recesses of my craft closet. I helped it escape and it's on my desk, scheduled for re-assignment, like on this card! LOL
I also found a huge bag of jeweled flowers and butterflies of various sizes that I released onto my card for a little embellishing.
I made this card lickety-split, as all my elements were at hands reach, including that pretty bow I tied with leftover ribbon!!
What's on your craft table today?

Challenges I am Entering:

Creative Card Crew challenges - Use a Sentiment
Party Time Tuesdays - April Anything Goes
Craft D BowZ - Anything Goes w/ a handmade bow
Scribble & Scrap - Anything Goes
Allsorts challenges - Quick & Easy
House Mouse & Friends - Anything Goes or April Showers
Stamping Ground - WOYWW - April 22

Here is my desk today I found a box on the floor of my craft closet stuffed with papers. I am ashamed! So it will remain on my desk until I have used a good chunk of its contents! I am also getting ready to make some Christmas cards for the 12 Months of Christmas Link-Up. By the time Thanksgiving rolls around, I will have a nice pile of handmade cards to send out to friends and family! Woohoo! Oh, and my camera needs charging, and I keep its cable on my desk, as that's where I try to keep my camera (key word here is TRY).

So, what's on YOUR work desk today?? 

Lisa's Birthday Card

Hello all!  My name is Lisa D. and I'm here to talk a little bit about the lady of the hour herself, Pat!  

I originally met Pat back in the fall of 2013 through my challenge blog, the Path of Positivity.  At that time she had been entering challenges for a couple months and had been chosen once by the Voters as a winner and once by the team as our Most Inspirational choice.  We started talking at that time and she let me know how much she enjoyed participating in our challenges.  We as a team were always thrilled to see not only her creations but also what she had to say on our theme each month.  Often during the month, I'd receive a message from one or more of our team members stating,  "oh you have to go and see what Pat has written" because she always had something so positive and incredible to share in her posts.  This is one of the things that drew me to her.  We were very fortunate to procure Pat as a full time team member in January of 2014.   Since joining she has added another role to her job description as she writes for a special column we have called, "Ponderings Along the Pathway".  If you haven't read any of her positive reflections then you are truly missing out on something incredible.  I was also lucky enough earlier this year to have Pat come on board the team for the 12 Months of Christmas Challenge that I co-coordinate with Monica Taylor.  It is great having her on both of my teams.  I can always count on a thoughtful project and post from her. 

Throughout the past year our 'work' relationship has blossomed into something more.  As time has passed I have come to learn more about Pat and I can honestly say that I am fortunate and blessed by the relationship we have developed.  While we have never met in person, I can truly call Pat my friend. You can count on her to cheer you up with something funny or just to listen if you're having a hard day.  When I found out that she was planning a birthday bash, I just had to jump on board as one of her sponsors and of course as a cheerleader!  My life has been truly enriched since Pat has come into it and I hope that yours has as well.

As those of you who've been following Pat for a while now know, she is a talented writer and also makes really wonderful projects with a focus in mixed media art. If you are new to her blog, it would behoove you to spend some time looking through past posts and creations.  I'm sure you'll find many things to inspire you. 

So before I go I just want to say "Happy Birthday Pat".  May you have a fabulous birthday on the 15th and continue to be blessed throughout the year to come!  Here is a special digital 'card' that I have made for you in honour of your special day!

Credits:    Images...Nicecrane Designs

               Sentiment...Create with TLC

               for all the details, check out the post on my personal blog, by clicking HERE.

Dearest Lisa,

You are one of a kind (in a good way). You truly inspire me and other to stretch their creativity, step out of their comfort zones, and relish in all the positivity in the world.

Thank you for the lovely write-up and for my special birthday card. It is gorgeous!!

Hear that, crafters, time is ticking away. There are only a few more days to go back to the initial post and comment there, Follow me, and place my Birthday Bash badge on your sidebar, in order to be guaranteed prizes for this celebration! 

Today, if you have time, click on the ponderings link and read my write-ups. Which one strikes a chord in your soul? Leave me a comment with your answer for today's prize, the Heartland mini set containing 12 items...
 .

Spread the love, please! Who doesn't like to win free stuff, especially free crafting stuff!! LOL

Have fun today!

When One Door Closes...

It's said that when one door closes, another door opens. In my case, it is so true. After a couple years designing for Squigglefly Designs, the company is about to close its doors. I learned so much from being on their team, and was lucky to play with so many images from very talented artists. I will miss my teammates as well, whose projects inspired me to go that extra step in my artistic work. Door softly closes...

Today, a new door to opportunity opens for me. Above is my first project as a Design Team member for Craft Your Passion challenge blog!! I am blessed to have been invited to design along with new teamies Agnieszka, Alethea, Helena, Kim, Lynn, Michelle and Tanvi. I hope to enjoy the same close relationship with my Craft Your Passion DT, as well as inspire/be inspired by them.
My first project is a birthday card using an image from this week's guest sponsor, Aurora Wings. They are offering a prize of $10 worth of digital stamps from store.
My image is called Cupcake Kitten, and she is a patient little thing, waiting for that creamy goodness atop her head. That's why I thought the sticker sentiment was perfect for this image: Time to Eat. After coloring my image with Copics, I dabbed a little Stickles on for shimmer. The border at the top is from K & Co, and I had a few leftover cupcake embellishments from a previous project. The sentiment inside reads: "...your Birthday Cake!! Have a sweet day!"
Craft Your Passion offers weekly challenges with an ALWAYS ANYTHING GOES theme. So come and play with us, and show us what you got!

Other Challenges I am Entering:

Creative Knockouts - Animal Antics

4 Crafty Chicks - Anything Goes
Aurora Wings - Valentines

Black & White Plus 1 Equals a New SBP Challenge

I made this card for a fun challenge that SBP Challenge Blog offers from today until the end of the month. Don't get me wrong, I love to use color! But sometimes it's fun to step out of your Crayola box and do something different. Where's my +1 color? If you look closely, you can see the very subtle nail polish my fingers are wearing!! It's Copic #V000.
I used zebra-print paper for my background. After die cutting my image, I framed it with a black Copic-colored paper doily before adhering it to my card front. The sentiment is two parts. The front reads, "Oh Snap!" and the inside reads "I forgot your birthday!"
Both image and two-part sentiment are from Lynne Stansbery of Squigglefly Designs. Squigglefly is our very generous sponsor for this new challenge. AND they sponsor their own challenges at their own Squigglefly challenge blog,
I hope you get a chance to play in the SBP Challenge this month. Show us what YOU can do with Black & white +1!!

Favorite Colors Challenge at Squigglefly

 Today I made a card for one of the priests at my parish.  He turns 80 this week, and is semi-retired.  Among his many passions is golfing, so I thought this Squigglefly digi set by artist Joy Hall was perfect.  It's called "Golf Day."  I paired the images with a set of Squigglefly sentiments from  Marlene S called "Golf Miracle."

Because I used a three part sentiment, I made a tri-fold card out of 5.5"x12" cardstock.  The patterned paper was leftover.  I colored my images (printing the golfer twice) with my trusty Copics, inked the edges and framed it in cardstock before popping it onto  the first and second faces of my card.

On the inside, I used white cardstock to print the last part of "Golf Miracle," which reads:
"If it goes Straight, It's a Miracle!"

Nice touch for a Catholic priest, wouldn't you say?

Squigglefly offers a challenge each week, with free digis to random winners.  Of course, in order to win a prize, you need to use a Squigglefly image, but have no fear, they offer a large amount of FREEBIES from which to choose!

This week's challenge is to use your two favorite colors in combination.  Mine are BROWN and (anything) GREEN or blue.  My card sports a mingling of shades of brown as well as green and blue (shh, that's three but who's counting).

What are your two favorite colors?  Put them to use with the Squigglefly challenge, now through Sunday!!

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!

80 Years Young

When my dad proposed to my mom, he said, "Marry me and you'll always be young."  It was a play on words, since his last name was young (the German spelling, Jung).  She accepted, and here I am, showing off a card I made for her birthday.  She is 80 years young this week!!

My mom has the best genes!  Her mom is still alive at 102!  She (her mom) is in her own home, has trouble with her eyes and hearing, but the doctor this month pronounced her "healthy as a horse." Hopefully I inherited some of those genes!

I know my mom did.  She looks fantastic for her age, so I decided to make a funny card for her.  She in no way looks anything like Gramma Knitting, a Squigglefly digi image from artist Gemma Mortlock.  In fact, she still bowls, takes cruises and bus trips, and leads an active life.  So imagine her surprise when she reads the front of my easel card!  The sentiment reads, "Mom, on your birthday I wanted to make a truly personal card, but you're just not at this point in your life..."

 Of course, when she opens it, she'll see the second image I used, a Squigglefly digi called Badonkadonk.  The sentiment here reads, "...then again, you're not exactly at this stage of your life anyway."

So, mom, have a wonderful birthday--you look awesome whatever your age!

Meanwhile, crafters, there's a new Squigglefly Challenge on the blog, and it's ANYTHING GOES!!  That's right, use a Squigglefly image and let your creativity soar.  One random winner will win free digi's!!

Another Medallion Card

I don't know about where you live, but here in Chicago, medallions are big -- very popular this year.  People are buying them in stained glass, as ornaments for Christmas trees...So I thought I would hop on the trend wagon and make a few medallion cards and give them to my Chicago friends while they're hot!

I made today's card for a friend whose birthday is on New Year's Eve.  I used a Queen Kat Designs stamp from the Chakra Collection by artist Crystal Moore.  It's called "Root".

I used a monochromatic color scheme, with bits of lace and a bow to embellish.  The sentiment is from another stamp company.  I like how, even though it will be given out after Christmas, my medallion almost looks like an ornament hanging in its frame.

Check out all of Crystal's medallions, as well as all the gorgeous stamps that QKD has to offer at the Shoppe.