Monday, October 1, 2018

Aurora Wings Mid-Challenge Inspiration for #71


Wow!  Happy October!  I'm back with my mid-challenge inspiration for our Aurora Wings Challenge #71, "Inspired by Music".


Music has always been a large part of my life and a large part of my relationships, especially since I'm a sucker for love songs.  My hubby is also a music lover and enjoys a wide range of genres, from stride and ragtime piano (he plays) to country, gospel, classic rock, Great American Songbook, Bluegrass and all forms of jazz, so he has broadened my horizons immensely.  But current music, not so much, and he's never really been a love song kind of guy.

 So it was kind of disappointing to me that I had love songs I associate with previous relationships, but for a long time David and I did not have an "Our Song".  We love going to live concerts, and are lucky enough to live close to the Wente Vineyard Restaurant with their very intimate outdoor concert series.  Several years back, we enjoyed Tony Bennett, up close and personal.  Such an amazing guy and he's still got it, for sure.  When he sang "Fly Me to the Moon", I got teary eyed and I daresay David did too (don't tell him I said that).  From then on, it became "Our Song".

 OOps, had to take a little break there.  Sorry, I've gotten a little off track. Although many, many people have sung this song throughout the years, often with a jazzy swing, Tony's version is much slower and more romantic.  For that reason I chose to make a "rocker card" using Mitzi's beautiful Mermaid on Crescent Moon available HERE on AuroraWings.com and HERE on Etsy.   Imagine lovers swaying to the music in each other's arms.  (YAY!  I finally remembered how to embed a YouTube video!)


The card was cut with Spellbinders Grand Circles and Grand Stately Circles.  The sky was printed from one of the Nebula digital paper from Digital Designs and Art, but I changed the colors in my printing program to get the effect I was going for.  The sentiment was digitally generated and I've added tiny adhesive stars from Recollections.

Here's a closeup of the gorgeous Mermaid on Crescent Moon prior to fussy cutting.  She's colored with Copics and the angle was intended to show the clear Wink of Stella shimmer on the moon, the sparkly Stickles on her tail, and the Nuvo Drop pearls and sparkle in her hair. Then after a little fussy cutting she was popped on my card to be rocked asleep with dreams of her love.

 Gosh, I got kinda carried away with this post and if you made it this far, kudos to you.  Be sure to visit the AW Challenge Blog to see the fab inspiration from my Aurora Team sisters and give them some love. 

 This cutie is now available exclusively HERE on AuroraWings.com.  WooHoo!



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Thursday, September 27, 2018

Halloween Sprite Gift With Purchase from Aurora Wings


You've seen my contribution to the Aurora Wings September Showcase in my other post HERE, and this little cutie is a Gift with Purchase now through Sunday, September 30th.  Meet Halloween Sprite!  I've used her to decorate a little witch's broom Halloween treat bag and decorated it with bits from my stash.  Had fun setting up a bit of a photo shoot with some fun candles.  The little ghost on the right was actually mine as a child which makes it vintage, for sure!
I've made a number of these broom bags using regular brown lunch bags.  You use two layers of bags, one for the treats and then a second that you cut all around from top to the bottom in strips.  The you fill the bag, stick in a stick for a handle, and pop the filled bag into the uncut base and gather up the strips with a ribbon.  Unfortunately, I didn't realize how large my bag was compared to my little Halloween Sprite.  She looked lost on that big broom, so off I went to Michael's and amazingly, I was able to find little 3.5 x 2 x 6.75" bags that did the trick.  Usually, I just leave the broom paper bag brown, but I also bought the small bags in black too and fancied this one up by cutting a black bag as well and removing a number of the strips and twirling them (they are brown on the inside) up to the top for some added texture. 

Here's a closeup of Halloween Sprite, yours as a Gift with Purchase of just $5.00 USD (after Coupon, if you choose to use one).  Isn't she precious with her little kitty? (Also know as a "familiar" in witch speak.  LOL) Of course she's a good witch, she's definitely too cute to spook.

Now I mentioned in my other Showcase post (the spooky one) that there was more to this Showcase than skulls.  How about another Sprite?  
WooHoo, you say?  That's for sure!  Also available today is the new Pumpkin Spice Sprite.  MMMmmm...!!!!  I can just smell the cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.  Be sure to check out the fab inspiration by the Showcase team HERE.



And there are two more new images that just got inked and added to the shops, but no one has has a chance to color her, (not even Mitzi!) the gorgeous Lady Luna and Lady Luna 2.  Could they be more exquisite?

  So I'd say a bit of shopping might be in order, so here's that Coupon, good at BOTH shops through the weekend on ANY of Mitzi's digital images. 


All customers who make a qualifying digital stamp purchase of $5 USD (before tax) will have this Halloween Sprite gift digi file sent to you via e-mail.  Please allow up to 24 hours for processing.  The gift-with-purchase offer can be combined with one of the saving codes during the special offer period (Sept. 27 through 30, 2018).  And if you have a preference between JPG and PNG, send Mitzi a note during checkout, indicating your choice.


And just a little reminder, our current Challenge Blog theme is "Inspired by Music" and runs through October 13th.  Check out the lovely inspiration HERE by the Stella team and stay tuned for our mid month reminder and more glorious projects by the Aurora team on Monday.  Come join us.  Hope to see you there.
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New images for September from Aurora Wings


Just in time for next month's spooky season we have some new skullie goodness from Aurora Wings on the Showcase Blog today and of course I couldn't miss these!  I happen to love me some skulls year 'round, but if they don't float your boat, stay tuned for some new Sprites and an amazing new Moth Fairies, as well.  This gorgeous image is called Necromantica and I've made a slightly, okay, well yeah, pretty dark home decor wreath I like to call "Eternally Yours".  I had some nifty black Spanish moss that conveniently had touches of red glitter that went perfectly with my color scheme and added some tulle and gorgeous red crinkle ribbon from DL.Art.  Nice for Valentine's Day, Anniversary, or even a wedding for the right couple, don'tcha think? (You know who you are.) 


 Here's a closeup of Necromantica prior to fussy cutting.  I've colored with Copics in my fave color scheme and tried to darken up the wings a bit using an almost full complement of Neutral Grays.  Of course the roses just had to be red.  Sooo romantic!  The leaves blend in a bit, but I was trying to minimize the green.  I generally don't write down my colors, but I believe I used YG99, YG63 and YG61, just enough colors to give a bit of contrast.

 Necromantica is available HERE on Aurora Wings.com and HERE on Etsy.


Here is the second gorgeous skull image premiering today, called Skull and Roses.  I'm afraid I only have a coloring for this image because I really wanted to color it on darker paper with pencils.  As I'm only a beginner with pencils, It takes me forever, but I do thoroughly enjoy the process thanks to the classes at Kit and Clowder.  This is the first time I've done a Design Team project using my Prismacolors and hopefully won't be my last.  Just gotta remember to start EARLY if I want to get it done in time.  You'll be seeing a project with this fabulous image sometime later next month, I promise.

Skull and Roses is available HERE on Aurora Wings.com and HERE on Etsy.

For those of you who are a bit squeamish about skull images,  There are several more new images on the Aurora Wings Showcase Blog that might be more to your liking.

And of course here's a COUPON good on ANY digital images through the weekend and this time, an adorable Gift with Purchase image, as well.  Find out more in my second Showcase post HERE.

And just a little reminder, our current Challenge Blog theme is "Inspired by Music" and runs through October 13th.  Check out the lovely inspiration HERE by the Stella team and stay tuned for our mid month reminder and more glorious projects by the Aurora team on Monday.  Come join us.  Hope to see you there.



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Wednesday, September 19, 2018

Wait Your Turn!


So this is the second leg of the Holiday Challenge on the Sandra Caldwell Stamps Fans FB Group and I've made an 8x8" fat page.  I've cut up some glitter DP from an old Debbie Mumm Stack from JoAnn's and added it to and 8x8" page from Graphic 45.  I've used #1955 Turkey Hunter (not in shop at the mo) and #1978 Santa Claus is Here.  I thought the sentiment was hilarious, as the Christmas season seems to begin earlier and earlier every year.

Here's a closeup of #1955 Turkey Hunter.  I've colored with Copics and added real feathers to his wings.  He's cut with a Penny Black Antique Frame and inked with Distress.

 And here's #1978 Santa Claus is Here.  He looks a bit startled, don'tcha think?  I've also colored him with Copics with some details in metallic gel pens and a white Posca paint pen.  Gotta say, I had a ball with this one.

 I'm also adding this to the DL.Art Thankful September Linky Challenge, the DL.Art Thankful Thursday #235 Always Thankful, The Outlawz Twisted Thursday AG (without the pearl twist),  Jo's Scrap Shack FFC #251 AG (3/3), Crafting by Designs Sept AG (2/3) and If You Give a Crafter a Cookie Challenge #102 4th Anniversary challenge AG (5/5).
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Tuesday, September 18, 2018

Dragons Fly


This cutie dragon, img144 Dragons Fly by SheepSki Designs was colored in monochrome blues for the Outlawz Tuesday Color Challenge using the sketch from the Outlawz Wednesday Sketch Challenge.  I took a few liberties with the sketch substituting clouds for the arrow like shapes, but I thought it turned out cute and would make a sweet baby card or birthday card for a little boy.  Don't you?
Here are the color shades.

and here's the sketch.


I just so happens I chose this particular cute image because is also fit the current SheepSki Designs FB challenge (AG/ with optional twist of wings) AND the SheepSki Designs Blog Challenge #18 For the Kidz.  Isn't it fun to multitask?

I'm also entering this in the DL.Art September Linky Challenge, Jo's Scrap Shack FFC #251 AG (2/3), If You Give a Crafter a Cookie Challenge #102 4th Anniversary challenge AG (4/5), and 2 Crafty Critter Crazies #18 (2/5).

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Monday, September 17, 2018

New Challenge at Aurora Wings


Our new challenge begins today on the Aurora Wings Challenge Blog with the exciting theme of 

Any music works here, a movie or TV series soundtrack, a nursery rhyme, classical or popular, with or without lyrics.  We're excited to see what inspires you.

 They say "Music speaks to the heart in ways words cannot express."  The beautiful thing is music is like a time machine.  One song... the music, the lyrics, the mood...can take you back to a moment like nothing else can.  My inspiration comes from Elton John, he definitely takes me back.  To be honest, my initial choice was "Your Song", which has special meaning, as it was a surprise gift (a 45 record) and Elton John's first hit, from my first serious boyfriend in 1970.  Unfortunately, I couldn't quite come up with an appropriate image, so I chose my next favorite by Elton, "Tiny Dancer".

No problem there, as Mitzi, a former ballerina and ballet teacher, has many beautiful images to choose from.  Star Dancer won out as it evokes the pure joy of the dance and looks like someone you could fall in love with completely.  She's colored in Copics, fussy cut, glued to a black background, and fussy cut again for stability and drama.  


Here's a closeup of the dimensional adhesive stars and Stardust Stickles I've used to bling Star Dancer up. She's pure magic, isn't she?!


I've used a piano die from Marianne Creatables to make the shaped card.  Elton's piano was such a love of mine that I bought sheet music of my favorites of his to learn myself.  Unfortunately, they were not piano solos and required sung lyrics which is certainly NOT my forte.  I cut the die with substantial matte card stock and again in glossy black like our grand piano at home. Star Dancer is attached to the intricate die cut music stand that came with the piano die, which I then glued to a Spellbinders Labels Two die, again for more stability.  

Although there was another die that was supposed to hold up the piano lid, I didn't need it, and to be honest, couldn't figure out how it was supposed to be attached.  No instructions included with the die, so I had to wing it. I decided to make this a birthday card and added curved silver sentiment stickers and a musical die by Tutti cut in silver metallic card stock.


I know I've mentioned this before, but when working with glossy or metallic card stock especially, I prefer to use my Xyron machine to apply the adhesive to avoid messing up the glossy finish.  My trick is to use a small stylus and go around all of the edges of the die, as well as the interior portions, before removing the top layer to avoid those icky "strings".  It helps that the weather is getting cooler, as well.


Inside, I cut down the right angle edges of the piano die to make a mat and printed the sentiment on my computer.  I added star corner stickers and additional stars to embellish.  From here you can see that I attached Star Dancer underneath the interior mat, and between two layers of the Labels Two, with a strip of acetate.  The back of the digi and the die cut music stand looks finished, as well.  Happy that I didn't have to use the mystery die to prop the lid because it popped right up automatically, as did the music stand with my "tiny dancer".  WooHoo!


The good news is, it folds flat for mailing, as well.  Well, thanks for hanging in there for this epic post (believe it or not, this was edited severely, but as they say, "One song... the music, the lyrics, the mood...can take you back to a moment like nothing else can.")  

 Be sure to visit our new Challenge and the fabulous musical inspiration from my Stella sisters.

I'm entering this in the DL.Art September Linky Challenge, Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #90 AG (1/3), Jo's Scrap Shack FFC #251 AG (1/3), the Outlawz Festive Fridays Birthday theme, 613 Avenue Create September AG, A Gem of a Challenge #227 One for the Girls/Ladies, the Colour Crazy Challenge wk 37 AG w/coloring (1/2), the Classic DT Open #9 AG (2/3), Creative Fingers #152 AG (1/3), Crafts Galore Encore Sept. AG (2/3), the Corrosive Challenge September #9 AG (1/3), A Perfect Time to Craft September #9 AG (1/3), Always Happy Birthday September (1/3), Crafty Girls Creations #50 AG (1/3), Create and Inspire September #77 AG/Inspired by a Song (1/3), CCC Digi Creations #96 Use Pearls/Gems (1/3 hope those stars count), Daisy Chain Challenges September #23 Birthday (U), If You Give a Crafter a Cookie Challenge #102 4th Anniversary challenge AG, Let's Craft and Create #141 AG/option Best Friends, the World Wide Open DT Challenge #09 (Sept/Oct) AG (1/3), Simon Says Wednesday Pop it Up (1/5)
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Tuesday, September 11, 2018

Playing on the Outlawz Forum (again!)


Okay, then.  Just finished this one up for the last day of the current Sketch Challenge on the Outlawz Forum using the lovely Winter Cardinal Image, from Anne's Digital Art, who happens to be the challenge sponsor.  I've colored the image with Copic markers and added some Copic Opaque White on the pine needles for snow.  In keeping with the rustic feel, I've added a dimensional sticker by Jp Lee's (I think) and tore the edges of the stripes like they are in the sketch to simulate washi. (Do you believe I have  NO Christmas washi tape?)


Here's the sketch which I've flipped left to right.

Conveniently, since I'm a little off my crafting game, this also works for the Outlawz Monday Greetings Christmas Comes Early, Twisted Thursday AG/opt. 3 of Something and Festive Friday Christmas.  

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Sunday, September 9, 2018

Guest Designing for the Outlawz Sunday Songs and Rhymes


As you know I play regularly on the Outlawz Forum, a fun and friendly craft forum with 7 challenges a week plus a monthly Progressive challenge, so there's always lots going on.  If you're not a member, why not check it out.  You'll be glad you did.  This week I'm Guest Designing for Sunday Songs and Rhymes and our song is: 
You know it doesn't make much sense
There ought to be a law against
Anyone who takes offense
At a day in your celebration
'Cause we all know in our minds, etc
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday
Who doesn't need more birthday cards in their stash?  As you may already know, I'm a monthly subscriber to the Kit and Clowder Coloring Classes for both Markers and, more recently, pencils as well.  As a subscriber, Alyce also sends out a free monthly bonus class, theme voted on by the current members and this  one was coloring dragons (still available if you subscribe before the next monthly class, but HURRY!).  The dragon here was provided in the class and this was my first "practice" shot at the class.  OMG!  I had soo much fun with this!  I purposely scaled it (ha, ha, I made a funny) to be card size and colored it with Copics, according to the class colors and set it aside.

The image was perfect for my birthday card for today as the colors also fit the current Outlawz Tuesday Color Challenge and birthday twist, so I fussy cut him out and added him to the fun striped paper by Queen and Co.  The birthday sentiment circle and cupcake are new to me from Simon Says Stamp.  The sentiment circle was cut in purple, but I cut the cupcake in white and colored it to match the scheme and give the "frosting a bit of dimension.
  
I've been making a lot of square cards lately, but the Outlawz Monday Greetings challenge called for a rectangle, so rectangle it is.  Yes, if your card fits more than one challenge on the Outlawz Forum, you may enter it wherever it fits.  Only once on the sitewide monthly Linky though, where you can win even more prizes.  WooHoo!  Don'tcha want to join in?

 I'm also entering this in the DL.Art September Linky Challenge, Jo's Scrap Shack FFC #250 AG (2/3), 2 Crafty Critter Crazies #18 (1/5) and If You Give a Crafter a Cookie Challenge #102 4th Anniversary challenge AG (2/5).
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Saturday, September 8, 2018

Sandra Caldwell Holiday Halloween Challenge


Sandra Caldwell is having a 3 part Holiday challenge in her Stamp Fans FB Group and this is for the Halloween leg that ends the 10th.  I've used #390 Eddie Cutz (one of my all time faves!) and the new #2381 Rose Bee Witch.  They're colored with Copics with silver gel pen on Eddie's scissor hand and buckles and I've added an iridescent epoxy sticker to the wart on Rose's nose.  The sentiment was computer generated and I've added 3 large faceted Halloween gems to embellish.

 I.m also entering this in the DL.Art September Linky Challenge, the Outlawz Twisted Thursday 3 of one item, Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #89 AG (3/3), Jo's Scrap Shack FFC #250 AG (1/3), The Crafter's Cafe 3 of something (2/3), If You Give a Crafter a Cookie Challenge #102 4th Anniversary challenge AG, ...
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Thursday, September 6, 2018

Naughty Gnomes


Today is our 43rd (YIKES!) Wedding Anniversary and I was a bit stumped for a card for hubby.  Thought I'd do something cutsie and funny in conjunction with the Oddball Art Stamps September "Naughty Gnomes" theme and this is what I came up with using img #463 Ol' Gnome Love.  (Fitting, eh?)  I used  the Heart Puzzle die by Elizabeth's Craft for the first time and assembled it in pieces so I could separate it and put the Gnomes in the center.  They're colored with Copics and attached to the center puzzle pieces and popped. Nice fit!  (Any symbolism was purely unintentional, LOL)  The sentiment on the front was computer generated.

 Inside I used the sentiment that came with Ol' Gnome Love, although I changed the "we" to "I" and added some epoxy hearts and xoxox's.  Papers are from the old DCWV Madly in Love Stack.  He got a kick out of it.



I'm also adding this to the DL.Art September Linky Challenge, the Outlawz Festive Friday Anniversary theme, Jo's Scrap Shack FFC #249 AG (3/3), Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #89 (2/3), Crafting by Design AG (1/3 sponsor image), A Gem of a Challenge #226 Wedding Anniversary, Wedding Day, Engagement...
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