Cross Stitched Roses

One of the themes for the Outlawz Festive Fridays is roses and while checking my images I came across this digi from Ike's Art called Rose Stitch.  I used to do loads of cross stitch back in the 80's and this image brought back happy memories, so I played with it in my Printmaster Platinum program, cropping each section, recoloring and reassembling them into a colored version and here's the result.  I sized the image to fit in the Cuttlebug Grace's Frame embossing folder to fit in with the "optional twist" for the current Ike's World Challenge and matted it with a vintage rose print.  

I'm also entering this in the DL.Art Thankful Thursday Challenge, and Lil Patch of Crafty Friends#63 AG.

You Are What you Eat

The August Progressive challenge is in full swing in the Bloobel FB Group and this month's theme is all about ice cream.  Lisa has a choice of SEVEN quirky ice cream cone digis for this challenge and if you played last month you get your choice FREE.  She also has a coupon code for 50% off all the rest of the images which runs though the end of the month.  That code is also available in the Bloobel FB Group so if you haven't joined, why the heck not?  You can see them all HERE.  So how could I resist a bargain like that?  I didn't, of course, and bought them all and decided for my first project to use Ice Cream Moustache because I love combing Bloobel images and thought it was hilarious with a Heart Moustache.  They're colored with Copics and I've used Nuvo Crystal Drops on the ice cream (and his goatee and moustache) for sparkle and shine. I also wanted to play in the Outlawz Twisted Thursday this week and although using the "twist" isn't mandatory, I chose DP with faux stitching and a stitched die cut frame as well.

I'm also adding this to the DL.Art August Linky challenge,  Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #63 AG, TTRCD week beginning 8/08 AG, Your Scrapbook Place August AG,  Jo's Scrap Shack #200 AG and Dream Valley Challenge #160 AG.

The Elements for Aurora Wings

The new challenge for Aurora Wings has begun and this one will last all month long.  The theme is The Elements.  We want to see projects inspired by Air, Fire, Water or Earth.

I've been wanting to do a project with the beautiful Sakura Fubuki Urei available HERE on AW.com and HERE on Etsy and thought this would be the perfect time.  I also had the perfect cherry blossom paper from the Graphic 45 Once Upon a Springtime collection.

Here's a closeup of Sakura Fubuki Urei.  I've colored her with Copics and cut and matted her with a die from Yvonne Creations.  The added cherry blossoms and petals from Recollections and wispy cheesecloth to enhance to the feeling of the gentle breeze in the image.  I've attached the image at the bottom and sides to create a pocket for a journaling card.

  

In Japan, the cherry blossom (sakura) is a symbol of the brilliance, fragility and fleeting nature of life. Each Spring they burst forth with an explosion of beauty, a glorious renewal, a symbol of rebirth, yet their splendor is tragically short lived.   Tied to the Buddhist themes of mortality, mindfulness and living in the present, the cherry blossom is a visual reminder to pay attention and celebrate life while you have it.  

This blizzard (fubuki) of petals in the wind is the end of their very short, but sweet life and the woman's wistful, melancholy or perhaps mournful (urei) expression evokes reflection, perhaps upon a life lost.  My thought was that this could be sent in sympathy, with the journaling card as a place to write fond memories by either the sender or recipient.  

Carpe diem.

My DT sisters have done amazing work for this new challenge so I hope you visit the Aurora Wings Challenge Blog, leave them some love, and come play along. We have a fun new FB Challenge on our Group page, too.  Check it out HERE.

Here's how to keep up with what'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 adding this to the DL.Art August Linky Challenge,  Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #62 AG, Emerald City Crafts #2 AG, TTRCD AG Aug 1-7, Jo's Scrap Shack #200! AG, Morgan's ArtWorld #15 AG, Simply Create Too Use Flowers, Simply Papercraft #49 AG, TTPH #130 AG, the Outlawz Monday Greetings Celebrate (celebration of life), the August Classic Open Design Team Challenge, the Crafty Addicts AG/Girly, and Create and Inspire #64 AG.

Still Smokin' HOT!

Doing a quickie post for a card I just finished for a 70th birthday celebration tomorrow.  Yup, on a Monday...it's good to be retired.  LOL  Cute image is called Flamin' Dragon, from EricraftShop, that I bought specifically for this card because the recipients last name is DRAGON!  She's colored with Copics and I've added a birthday crown to her head and die cut and embossed balloon from an old Cuttlebug set.  I tried to keep is primarily monochromatic to enter in the Outlawz Tuesday Color challenge since I won't have time to do another. Hope it's okay and I don't think the inside counts, to you?

I'm also adding this to the Outlawz Monday Greetings AG challenge, Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #62 AG, the DL.Art Thankful Thursday Birthday Challenge, TTRCD August 1-7 AG, Create and Inspire #64 AG and the DL.Art August Linky Challenge.

All Brights CAS for The Outlawz

As a winner of a previous challenge, I'm guesting for Sunday CAS  on the Outlawz Forum.  Our mission was to use only bright colors.  I checked my stash and found some forgotten papers from DCWV that definitely fit the bill. Although I actually planned to use some new dies and a die cut background, I thought I was pushing the CAS theme a bit too far and started subtracting until I came up with this.  The die cut sentiment here is from an old Cuttlebug set. Pretty simple and quick, but that's the point.

I'm also adding this to the DL.Art Thankful Thursday (Birthday or Thank you), Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #63 AG, CAS on Friday Exotic, Little C's Aloha Friday Yellow Flowers... 

EEEK! Is that Santa Paws?

Gonna be a quicky post to enter some challenges using just ONE of the fab selection of Christmas stamps Sandra Caldwell has on sale through August 10th. Here we have #1228 Hide and Jingle Kitty. Is he really hiding, or did those mice get the better of him?  In any case he's colored with Copics with silver gel pen on his bell.  I've just finished this for the Outlawz Saturday Paper ala Mode Christmas in July challenge tweaking the Outlawz Wednesday Sketch for the design.  Yay, me!  The mice are from a Martha Stewart punch and DP from the DCWV Christmas & Winter combo mat stack.  Check out all the Sandra's sale Christmas digis HERE.

Here's the Sketch.  Tweaked quite a bit, but still recognizable, I think.

I'm also adding this to the DL.Art August Linky Challenge, SUYP #21 August (cats only EEK! How did those mice get in there?) challenge, 2 Crafty Critter Crazies #5, and Craft Rocket Animal Kingdom, Crafty Friends Christmas in July, the Merry Christmas Challenge #28 Animals,  Christmas at Sweet Stampin' AG Christmas, ABC Christmas P,Q, R(is for Red)...

Outlawz Wednesday Sketch

Took some more time off from coloring to play with the Outlawz Wednesday Sketch.  Had a fun time with kitty dies from The Frantic Stamper and Spellbinders Wonky Squares.  Scored my background (unfortunately not very visible in the pic) and added paw print ribbon and Prima flowers and called it done.  Yay, me!

Here's the sketch.

I'm also adding this to the SUYP (Cats Only) #21 August Furrything Goes, 2 Crafty Critter Crazies August #5, Simon Says Wednesday AG, the DL.Art August Linky Challenge and Crafty Animals #5 AG.

Bloobel Progressive (I Scream... You Scream...)

Nothing like waiting until the last day to get a Progressive challenge posted, eh? In my defense, I have been working on it for a couple of weeks but have been very ADD and indecisive about almost every aspect of this card.   I adore Bloobel Stamps and do especially love to use multiple images together to tell a story.  The prescribed Progressive image is Swimming Diver that I received for free by signing up on the Bloobel FB Group Page to participate and creating each month.  In some cases Lisa also has some coordinating images that you may purchase with a discount code (included in your Progressive challenge email) while the challenge is still going on, in this case Angry Shark and Scaredy Crab, but I couldn't resist also adding Ice Cream Octopus for a fun summer twist on the underwater theme.

They're all colored with Copics and fussy cut and I added ice cream cones to the Diver's hand and Crab's claw by printing an additional Octopus and cutting from there.  My original plan was to do a stop card but it wasn't working for me so I again used my new Waves Die from Avery Elle and added a circle embossed with a Waves folder by Darice to the top backed by a Double Stitched Circle die from Kat Scrappiness.  The additional fish was added to balance the colors a bit and the sand to ground it all.  Both are stickers from JoLee's.  Sentiment was computer generated.

I'm adding this to the DL.Art July Linky Challenge, Simon Says Wednesday AG, Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #62 AG, the Outlawz Twisted Thursday AG, Dream Valley #60 AG, Cupcake Inspirations #416 Beachy, and C.R.A.FT. #426 Summer.

Outlawz Tuesday Color

I'm struggling a bit with crafting, posting and internet demands so I pretty much took the weekend off.  I'm experiencing some stress tension in my shoulder, forearm and hand thought a bit of a rest was needed.  I did want to join in the Outlawz Tuesday Color challenge though and fortunately  had this cutie from Bugaboo already colored.  It conveniently worked with the Top Row of the Tic Tac Toe board but I wanted to use the word prompts as well.  The circles and embossing is from a Cuttlebug Folder and the sentiment is die cut with a Kat Scrappiness die.  Yay!

I'm adding this to the Simon Says Wednesday AG,  Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #62 AG, Winter Wonderland Use a Digi Image, CHNC #344 Anything Christmas/Optional Gingerbread, Dream Valley #60 AG, Crafty Friends Christmas in July and Star Stampz Christmas in July.

Christmas in July/August

Today is Sandra Caldwell's Birthday and she's on on a trip enjoying time with hubby.  While she is gone, there are 27 (WOW!) Christmas stamps on sale for only $1.50.  WooHoo!  I nabbed a bunch (you can see them all HERE) and decided to color this cutie called #59 Biggest Little Elf first.  He's colored with Copics and I've used DP and stickers from Echo Park.  Santa's List was already cut and in my stash from ??  Sale ends August 10th, so hurry!

I'm adding this to the Outlawz Festive Fridays Christmas theme, the DL.Art July Linky challenge, Simon Stays Wednesday AG, Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #62 AG, Craft Rocket #39 AG, If You Give a Crafter a Cookie #74 Happy Holidays in July, Winter Wonderland Use a Digi Image, CHNC Christmas Extra July AG, A Gem of a Challenge #199 Christmas in July and Star Stampz Christmas in July.

The Outlawz Freebie Progressive and Wednesday Sketch

I'm doing double duty here today for the Outlawz challenges combining this month's adorable Progressive Freebie from Anne Fenton and the Wednesday Sketch Challenge.  "Dog" was colored with Copics and cut and matted with Spellbinder's  Circles.  The cool paw print embossing folder is from Darice.  I've used a ribbon from my stash for the diagonal line on the sketch and a sentiment from the very old Pet Mat Stack from DCWV.  You know I'm primarily a kitty lover, but this guy is pretty darn cute.  Here's the sketch.

I'm also adding this to the DL.Art July Linky Challenge, Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #62 AG, Crafty Animals #4 AG and Craft Rocket #39 AG.

Summer Fun for The Outlawz Color Challenge

I blew off crafting this weekend, partly because it was deathly hot and also because my forearm and hand is sort of bothering me.  I'm not usually a hypochondriac, but ever since my friend described her symptoms of carpal tunnel, I've wondered whether my twinges could be leading in that direction.  I certainly hope not!  Anyway, now it's Monday and I realized I hadn't done a card for the Outlawz Tuesday Color Challenge yet (and I do love playing there) so I grabbed the new Avery Elle waves die I'd been waiting for and colored up a cutie from Bloobel Stamps called Floating with my Copics.  The sun die is from Verve and I've cut the sentiment from the back cover of a 6x6 paper pack by Carta Bella (of the same name).  Here's the inspiration pic.  I wish I were there.

I'm also adding this to the DL.Art July Linky Challenge, Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #62 AG, Glitter 'n' Sparkle #249 Summer Sunshine, Scrapping4Fun Bon Voyage/Vacation and Craft Rocket #39 AG.