No Worm for the Early Bird! For Path of Positivity

Happy October, crafty friends!  It's time for a new challenge at The Path of Positivity Challenge Blog. We're midway through our 3-month theme of exploring how the arts impact our lives and our crafting at the Path of Positivity.  This month, the optional theme is "Surround Yourself with Literature."

Our guest sponsor this month is Sparkle N Sprinkle. I used the very fun digital stamp, Wilson Birds to create this:

I printed the Wilson Birds digital stamp on Kraft paper, then colored the mirrored image with Faber-Castell colored pencils.  The sentiment, also part of the Wilson Birds set, is SO darn cute!

I chose this stamp set, and this particular theme because, after perusing my husband's bookshelf, I found 11(!) bird books.  He and I are what you could refer to as diehard "birders".  We even have our own life lists of birds we've seen and identified. 

I hope you can join us this month for our optional "surround yourself with literature" theme.  Tell us how your project connects to the theme in your post -- maybe it's a particular book that speaks to you, a poem, or a quote.  Our challenge will go until Nov 5.  

Let It Snow (Please not YET!) for the 12 Months of Christmas

It's a new month, and that means it's time for a new challenge at The 12 Months of Christmas Link Up.   This month's theme is Anything Goes, as long as it's Christmas!  Yea!

We have 2 wonderful sponsors this month:  Pattie's Creations, and Decosse's Dynamite Doodles. 

I used a sweet image by Pattie's Creations to make this shaped card for the challenge, and paper pieced some Christmas papers from Decosse's Dynamite Doodles.

This is Polar Bear Snow Globe.  I printed it first onto Kraft paper and colored it with Faber-Castell colored pencils.  Then, I printed it again on a piece of Decosse's Dynamite Doodles paper from the 12 Days of Christmas 2015 series and fussy cut the snow globe base, attaching it to the Kraft paper.  I then printed a 3rd copy of Polar Bear Snow Globe on copy paper, fussy cut that, and used it as a template to make the snow globe shaped card.  Once it was cut out, I glued the Polar Bear Snow Globe piece to the front, and Voila! my card was almost done!  All it needed was an appropriate sentiment. I found that at Decosse's Dynamite Doodles. The "Let it Snow" sentiment, complete with snow, tied the card all together.  I printed it on a piece of Decosse's Dynamite Doodles digital paper from Holiday Hoopla textured papers collection. 

I hope you join our "Anything Goes as long as it's Christmas" theme this month at The 12 Months of Christmas Link Up.  We have wonderful sponsors, great prizes, and I'd love to see what you create!  

Happy Haunting! for MHKDesigns October Challenge

October 1st!  The month of witches and ghosts and all things spooky!  It's time for a new challenge at MHKDesigns, and I wanted to feature an adorable witch and some super fun papers, all from MHKDesigns.  I made a home decor project, and use the 'Anything Goes' option at MHKDesigns (as long as you use an MHKDesigns image, it's always anything goes!!), and created this for the challenge:

This adorable witch silhouette is MHKDesigns Flight By Night.  I printed it on white card stock and inked the moon with several shades of Tim Holtz Distress inks, then fussy cut her out.   I found some old embroidery hoops, and wanted to mount my project on one of them.  I printed two papers from the MHKDesigns Trick or Treat patterned paper pack, and secured them on the hoop.  After adding some baker's twine, the home decor project was ready for Halloween!

MHKDesigns products used on this project:

Flight By Night

Trick or Treat

Below is the inspiration photo if you'd like to use it for the challenge, or if you choose NOT to use an MHKDesigns image, but why would you?  There are SO many fantastic ones in the MHKDesigns Etsy shop to choose from! 

The challenge runs all month, so I hope you have a chance to join in the fun.  I'd love to see what you make, and there are wonderful prizes to win!

Just for You -- and QKR Stampede

It's the last Friday of September.  Wow, did this month go fast!  It's also time for another challenge at QKR Stampede. This week, our optional theme is Cut It Up (cutting, punches or dies).  

I used 4 dies on this week's card, and 2 digital stamps, 1 from QKR Stampede and 1 from Eureka Stamps:

This cute mouse is called Flower digital stamp (Q-digi7004), and is from QKR Stampede.  I colored it with Copic markers, then used a variety of circle dies to create the card.  The sentiment, printed on a tag, is from Eureka Stamps, and is Just For You (ES-digi9003). 

I hope you can join us this week at QKR Stampede.  You can enter an Anything Goes project, or join our optional 'Cut it Up' theme.  I'd love to see what you make!   

Bloom Art Stamps Inspiration for September

I'm posting today for Bloom Art Stamps.  I have two cards to share -- one made with a clear stamp set, one made with a digital stamp.

I'll start with the card I made with the clear stamp set, Seasons: Tree with Fruit...

I inked up parts of the Seasons: Tree with Fruit stamp with different colors of ink, trying for a fall-like look to the tree.  Then, I inked up a squirrel and a bird from the set, fussy cut those, and added them to the tree.  I used a snowdrift die to make the grassy "hill". 

Card #2 uses the digital stamp, Coneflower Arrangement. 

I printed Coneflower Arrangement on Kraft paper, then colored it with Faber-Castell colored pencils.  I love using colored pencils on Kraft paper.  It's one of my favorite ways to use colored pencils!  

I used a couple dies from Lawn Fawn to cut out and back the Coneflower Arrangement digital stamp.  The designer paper in the background is from Snap Click Supply and is also digital.  The crinkle ribbon is from 3 Girl JAM. 

Bloom Art Stamps has some amazing stamps -- both clear and digital.  Please check out the store, then the blog for inspiration.  You'll also find us on Splitcoast Stampers. 

If Friends Were Flowers...for Imagine That! Digistamp

It's New Release time at Imagine That! Digistamp, and if you like elephants, you are gonna LOVE this new release!  It is a-m-a-z-ing!  

Check out the Imagine That! Digistamp blog throughout the day today and tomorrow to see all the Ellie releases. 

I am showing you a shaped card I made using Ellie's Flower Costume:

I colored Ellie with Copic markers, then used a variety of circle dies to create the card.  The designer paper, also from Imagine That! Digistamp, comes with the Ellie's flower Costume set.  Each of the Ellie's releases has digital papers with it to add to the fun!

Imagine That! Digistamp products used on this card:

Ellie's Flower Costume

Don't forget to check out what the other creative design team members have made for this new release.  The ideas are awesome!

Friends are Like Gardens -- for QKR Stampede

My favorite day of the week is here again! Fridaaaaaay!  Today, I am traveling 3 hours, returning from a conference.  It will be good t get back home, back to my hubby and puppy, and back to a routine.  

Today is also the start of a new challenge at QKR Stampede challenge blog.  This week's theme is 'Embossing'.  We want to see any kind of embossing -- either wet or dry.  

I don't know why, but I rarely emboss on a card.  I have a ton of embossing folders, but need a reason to use them, so this challenge was good motivation to get them out.  I needed a jump start!  Here's what I created, using dry embossing:

This card uses QKR Stampede digi stamps, Flower Border & Friendships and Gardens sentiment digi.  I colored the Flower  Border digi with Copic markers, then fussy cut it, mounting it on the embossed panel I ran through an embossing folder by Close To My Heart.   The papers on this card are digital, and were found at Snap Click Supply.  

I hope you can join us this week at QKR Stampede for our optional themed, "Embossing of Any Kind" challenge.  Or, you can always enter an Anything Goes project.  We have great digis you can win (like these 2!) and I'd love to see what you make!