Witch's Broom Treat Bag

Sorry I haven't been blogging all that much but I have been coloring, just not a lot of finished projects to show yet.  I did just finish this adorable Halloween Witch's Broom Treat Bag for the Summerween competition in the Markers! Papers! Digis! (that ends tomorrow) using the adorable Sabrina Witch from Scrapper's Delights.  She and a whole slew of her Halloween Friends are available or only $1, as part of Thrifty Thursday, but only through TOMORROW, so act quickly, if you want to take advantage of the great deals.

The broom is made from paper lunch bags, the first intact, and then I cut the next two (I decided a double layer covered the base better) along each folded edge down to the base, and then each section in strips (again to the base) and layered them over the center bag.  Gathered the whole bunch at the top around a stick, tied and trimmed, et voila!  I've added a sticker sentiment (2 cute 2 spook) a die cut kitty, an epoxy bat and pretty halloween ribbons, along with the adorable Sabrina.

Here's a close up of this cutie.  She's colored with Copics with a smidge of shading from Prismacolor pencils, and was eventually fussy cut and popped on the bag.

I'm also adding this to the Scrapper's Delights ATG Challenge, the DL.Art August Linky Challenge, Left of Center Altered Images or LOC and the Outlawz Twisted Thursday ATG.

An ATC for Summerween

I'm playing in the contests in the Markers! Papers! Digis! FB Group where 10 different artists are offering $1 digis to color and create with.  Besides the #710 Zombie Witch that Sandra Caldwell offered the first week, she's also added THREE MORE, all for $1 that are available 'til the end of the month.  WooHoo! Love, love, LOVE this cutie #1017 Blind as a Cat and couldn't resist adding some googly eyes and a spider brad to this little ATC I made.  I've colored with Copics with a Distress Ink background and a bit of shading with Prismacolor pencils.

I'm adding this to the DL.Art August Linky Challenge, and the SUYP (Cats only) Furrything Goes Challenge #9.

Although I've yet to put #710Zombie Witch on a project, Here she is in all her spooky glory.  EEEEKKK!!!!!  There is both a Coloring contest and Treat Bag contest for each of the initial 10 digis offered.

You can also find #1028 Bearly a Zombie and #1048 Cute Spider Witch for $1 through the end of the month.  Grab 'em before they're gone at this bargain price and come play along at Markers! Paper's Digi's.

The New East Wind FB Contest

Our new FB contest for TheEastWind Group starts today with the theme of R U Kidding Me? We want to see projects for or about a child.  The stamp is an older one called 'girl with cat' (actually little girl with her adorable cat wearing bear hoodie which she made, LOL).  It made me think of all the plans I had when I got my first kitty for my 4th birthday.  Twinkle was not a'mews'ed, however. She's colored with Copics.  The fab crinkle ribbon is from DL.Art and I've added an epoxy sentiment.

I've used the sketch from the Outlawz Wednesday Sketch challenge.

I'm also entering it in the Outlawz Monday Greetings Friendship Challenge and Festive Friday's Friendship Day Theme (OOOH, a threefer!), Left of Center Friends, the DL.Art August Linky Challenge, Jo's Scrap Shack ATG, Cute Card Thursday Kiddies/Babies, and Cards in Envy Hip to be Square (that bow squashes down, big time).

Hope to see you join us for this new East Wind FB Contest, and also for the current TEW Blog Challenge, Paper Piecing, which runs through August 25th.  Always lots happening at The East Wind.

Here are of all the important links you need.

Challenge Blog

Unky's Coloring Therapy

FB Group

FB Fan Page

Etsy Shop

New Double Showcase Release for Aurora Wings

I'm joining the Aurora Wings Showcase Team again for a double release of fabulous new digis.  As you know, there is something for everyone at Aurora Wings, from the cute and whimsical, to the elegant and opulent and even some dramatically dark and mysterious images, all springing from Mitzi's wonderful imagination and amazing artistic talent.  Today you'll be seeing two totally different subject matters and styles.  I'm sure you're going to love them both, so be sure to visit the Showcase Blog and be inspired.

I have the pleasure of introducing the full version of 'Jellyfish Adventure', an adorable addition to the ever popular Mermaids and Mer-kids. I've
used the png version which allows you to print over digital paper and then color the image with your choice of medium.  Here I've used Copics in colors inspired by actual photos of jellyfish (gotta love Google).  The stamp is also available as a jpg HERE.

'Jellyfish Adventure' is also available in a simple version with no additional jellyfish.  It is also available in both jpg and png versions as well.

Now you may have noticed that my project pic looks a little murkier than the first coloring version above.  I really wanted the illusion of an underwater scene, so I lightened another digital paper in my Printmaster Platinum program from Gecko Galz and printed it on transparency for an overlay.  Bubbles, bubbles EVERYWHERE.  LOL

Finally, I printed the same bubble paper in a darker version to frame the piece and trimmed some fab ribbon from May Arts into seaweed strands.  The starfish and shell are from JoLee's and the sentiment is a strip from Voyage Beneath the sea from Graphic 45.

I'm keeping the second release a total surprise, (okay, one hint, she's called 'Lady of Compassion') but I will tell you she's a limited edition, available for one month only and previously an exclusive to the Gardens & Goddesses coloring book.  Be sure to visit the Showcase Blog and see this gorgeous new stamp.  Thanks so much to the fabulous Showcase Team for letting me join them again.

WooHoo!  Look what Mitzi has for us!

BTW, 'Jellyfish Adventure' would be fab for our "Mermaid Magic" FB contest that runs through August 31st (don'tcha think?) and don't forget our current Blog Challenge, "Theatrical" that ends Saturday, September 3rd.

Here's how to keep up with all that's happening at Aurora Wings.

Aurora Wings Challenge Blog

Aurora Wings Showcase Blog

Aurora Wings Etsy Shop

Aurora Wings Digi Shop

Aurora Wings FB Group

Aurora Wings FB Fan Page

I'm entering this is the Bubbles Challenge at Left of Center, Crafting with an Attitude ATG,  If you Give a Crafter a Cookie (Photo challenge), Crafting by Designs August ATG, Simon Says Monday Summer Fun, Sisterhood of Crafters Close to Nature, Wonderful Wednesday ATG, the Outlawz Twisted Thursday ATG, the Deep Ocean challenge Seaside/Beach, Digi Choosday Week 33 ATG, TTRCD ATG, Craft Your Passion #325 ATG, A Bit More Time to Craft #26 ATG, Fantasy Crafters ATG, August Not Just Cards ATG, Sweet Stampin' Use Your Favorite Stamp (my newest one is always my favorite), Jo's Scrap Shack ATG FFC #152,  Love to Scrap ATG, 613 Avenue Create August ATG and DL.Art August Linky Challenge.

Trick or Treat Bag

We're celebrating Summerween in the FB Group Markers! Papers! Digis! and this is one of the 10 stamps you can purchase for only $1.00 and enter the challenges.  This cutie is Josie Zombie Witch from Scrap N' Dipity.  She's colored with Copics in the colors prescribed by the Summerween challenge and I've distressed the edges a bit.  She's attached to a tag with Washi Tape so I could enter the current ATG plus Washi tape challenge on the Scrap N' Challenge Blog which ends in a few hours.  I've added a sentiment sticker and some candy corn and mounted her on a Halloween treat bag.  

Here's a closeup of Josie.  There's still time to enter the fab Summerween challenges so be sure to grab your digis and play along.

I'm also adding this to the DL.Art August Linky challenge, the OSAAT ATG with Boxes and Bags, the Outlawz Paper a la Mode Anything but a Card, TTRCD ATG and SLS Lines 3 or More Layers.

New Release at The East Wind

This fab new release from The East Wind, is called Aurora 'Helena' and there was something about her expression that made me wanna go "dark" with her.  I missed the "quirky/weird" challenge at Left of Center and didn't want to miss this week's too, with the theme "Hip to be Square", so I made a square card using some freebie skull and bone digi paper from Delicious Darkness, which is unfortunately no longer available.

Here's a closeup of Aurora 'Helena'.  She's colored with Copics with some additional shading with Prismacolor pencils.  I often do "red" hair but use a Combo of YR14, YR18 and E09, but this time I went really RED. (You might say "BLOOD red")  using R22,R27 and R29.  Wish I had enough nerve to do mine that bright.

The sentiment is from Ginger's House, my "go to" place for fabulous freebies. I've over stamped the blood spatter with Barn Door Distress ink using rubber from the Smeared Ink "Inky Dreams" set and cut and embossed with a Spellbinders Labels Two die.

Here's a pic of the Aurora 'Helena' as she appears in The East Wind shop.  As you can see, she's quite versatile, so if "dark" doesn't float your boat, you can color her up all sweetness and light.  A little reminder that you have through tomorrow to enter our "Outta this World" challenge on the Challenge Blog our current FB challenge, "Hot Colors" runs through August 17th.  Always lots going on at The East Wind.

 Here are of all the important links you need.

Challenge Blog

Unky's Coloring Therapy

FB Group

FB Fan Page

Etsy Shop

I'll also be entering this in the DL.Art August Linky Challenge, TTRCD ATG, Dream in Darkness ATG, Mausoleum of the Damned (ATG dark), 

Let's Celebrate!

We're spending the day in Monterey today with friends we haven't seen in quite awhile.  Today we're celebrating with the birthday girl and several other couples from our old Gourmet Club.  Haven't seen the Dragons since they moved to AZ over 10 years ago.  Should be a blast.  Joanie's is quite the party girl so I couldn't resist a quirky image from Bloobel Stamps for her card.  Meet Carmen.

Here's a closeup of the fabulous Carmen.  She's colored with Copics, fussy cut (no mean feat) and popped.  Isn't she FUN!?!  You gotta LOVE those Bloobel stamps.  Can't help but smile when coloring.

Amd inside.  the DP is MME and I was lucky to find the perfect colors.  Yea!  The sentiment is computer generated.  Now I'm off to PARTY!

I'm entering this in the DL.Art August Linky Challenge and Simon Says Monday Celebrate.

The Outlawz Progressive and Sketch Challenges

I love playing in the Outlawz Challenges and just signed up for the Progressive Challenge and received this gorgeous image called "August", by Andrea Norris, at Sheepski Designs.  You have all month to complete a project in for this challenge but I couldn't wait to color her up.  I've used Copics and another of the gals used her in combination with the Wednesday Sketch challenge and I thought I do the same.  How about that?  A Twofer!  I've used Spellbinders Circles and Scalloped Circles to cut and emboss the image and mat and the beautiful crinkle ribbon is Caribbean Coral from Tropical Summer Bundle at DL.Art. 

I'll also be entering this in the DL.Art August Linky Challenge, the DL.Art Thankful Thursday ATG Challenge, and the Scrapy Land ATG (plus brand of die that Scrapy Land sells-Spellbinders) challenge.

Challenge 34 at Aurora Wings - Theatrical

It's time for another new challenge at Aurora Wings with the theme of Theatrical.  This will be a month long challenge, as the Aurora Team is taking a break in August, so I'm joining the fabulous Stella team again.  Mitzi has quite an array of masks and masked figures in the AuroraWings Etsy Shop, so my decision was a tough one, but I finally decided upon the gorgeous Peacock Masquerade.  

Here's a closeup of the gorgeous Peacock Masquerade.  She's also available HERE in the AW Digi Shop.  She's colored with Copics with a bit of feather detail from Prismacolor pencils. I used colors from the actual peacock feather embellie and the digital paper from Quite Possibly Perfect.  It's not quite evident in the picture, but the background of the digi paper is not white, but cream, with quite a yellowish cast, so I printed the digi on Neenah 80 lb ivory.  This posed a bit of a problem when deciding what to do with the pearls.  There were a ton, and I had no perfect pearls that looked right with the paper colors (all white was WAY too white) so I resorted to applying flat backs individually in 7 different colors and 3 sizes (actually 4 if you count the 3 large ones on the side). If I were obsessive I could give you an actual count (there are 267, LOL).  

I had a hard time catching the sparkle and shine, so here's another pic highlighting the Glossy Accents on her eyes and lips and the gold Stickles on her mask. The Stickles were sort of an afterthought and I spent a lot of time trying to fill in the gaps between the pearls with the tip of a stickpin so as not to cover them over.  Labor of love, what can I say? You can better see the lovely iridescence of the tiny bit of feather on her mask.  I'm not sure why the feathers photographed so dark. 

I was inspired by Stella DT Julie's fabulous staging of her project this time, so I played around a little with it myself. I'd bought a number of peacock decorations at an after Christmas sale a number of years ago, thinking they would work well for a themed party.  (Yeah, I'm one of those types.)  The beads are from a previous Mardi Gras bash.  Please visit the Aurora Wings Challenge Blog for more inspiration.  This will be a month long challenge so I hope you will have ample time, what with vacations and back to school preparations, to come join in.

Here's how to keep up with all that's happening at Aurora Wings.

Aurora Wings Challenge Blog

Aurora Wings Showcase Blog

Aurora Wings Etsy Shop

Aurora Wings Digi Shop

Aurora Wings FB Group

Aurora Wings FB Fan Page

I'm entering this in the DL.Art Thankful Thursday ATG Challenge, the DL.Art August Linky Challenge, the Outlawz Paper a la Mode ATG Challenge, Crafty Friends Favorite Embellishment (Pearls!  Ya think!?!), Inspiration Destination ATG, Simon Says Wednesday ATG, Lil Patch of Crafty Friends ATG , Crafting-With-Friends ATG, Crafting with Dragonflies ATG, Scrapping 4 Fun ATG, Jo's Scrap Shack ATG, Creative Fingers #113 ATG, Simply Papercraft ATG, Creative Moments ATG and 613 Avenue Create ATG. 

(Top 3 from Jo's Scrap Shack)