Well, here I am, finally!

Hello everyone! I have been absent from my blog for awhile.  Things have been hectic and chaotic.  My husband was diagnosed with a serious illness and I've been kept busy caring for him.  Things are starting to settle down some and I've found a little time to craft and relieve some stress.

I took inspiration from the Inspiration Challenge at the Altenew blog.  I've used some of the colors from their inspiration photo, but mostly I used the feeling of a "relaxing vacation," that I took from the inspiration photo.  My husband keeps telling me I need a vacation getaway to recoup from all that's been going on.  I agree, but, with me having been out of work to care for him, we cant afford a vacation right now, and I've exhausted all my vacation time and FMLA time, while I was off caring for him.  So, for now, my Spring Like vacation getaway will be in my mind, and depicted in this card. Any place tranquil and quiet would do just fine!

Along with the photo inspiration, I've used the Birch Land stamp set from Altenew, to create this tranquil vacation scene.  I fell in love with this stamp set as soon as I seen it, but I admit, once it arrived, I felt a little intimidated by it and all the elements.  I  am very happy with how it turned out though, for a first attempt.  The tree was stamped with Versafine Black Onyx ink and has been colored with Arteza watercolor brush markers.  (My first time using them - There is a learning curve, which I'm still riding! LOL!) I stamped the lovely array of leaves in various gorgeous colors of Altenew crisp dye inks.  (LOVE thier inks! So awesome!)  I sponged the bottom with green ink to create a hillside.  I drew the birds by hand with a Versafine black marker. The clouds were done with a stencil and Altenew crisp dye ink. .This was my first time using the cloud stencil and I struggled with figuring out the positioning of the stencil.  All in all, I think it turned out decently and is the perfect getaway vacation in my mind.

I'm still deciding if I'm going to turn this into a card, or frame it.  What do you all think would be the best choice?

This is my first time entering challenges this year! I have just been so consumed with RL, that crafting got away from me! It's so good to be back into crafting again!

I am entering this card in the following challenges:

March 2018 Inspiration Challenge at Altenew

Challenge #136 Use Green at Simply Create Too

Anything Goes at Whoopsi Daisy Challenge

Challenge #3 Anything Goes at Corrosive Challenge

Challenge at Crafts Galore Encore

Challenge #135 Anything Goes at Creatalicious

Challenge #102 Spring Is In The Air at Sparkles Forum Challenge

Challenge #276 Spring at Brown Sugar Challenge

Challenge #363 Anything Goes at Crafty Creations Challenge

Challenge #162 Anything Goes at Crafty Gals Corner

Challenge #147 Anything Goes at Inspiration Destination

Ready For Spring at Mod Squad Challenge

Challenge #373 Anything Goes at Penny's Paper Crafty

Challenge #48 Anything Goes at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge

Any Occasion at Creative Inspirations Challenge

Challenge #22 Photo Inspiration at PINspirational Challenges

Challenge #137 Anything Goes at Scrapbook Stamp Society

Challenge #64 Anything Goes at lemon Shortbread Challenge

Challenge #292 Spring at Hanna and Friends Challenge

Challenge #80 Anything Goes at Crafty Friends Challenge

CARDZ TV Challenge #40 Anything Goes 

4CC #396 Anything Goes/Crazy Egg at 4 Crafty Chicks

Thinking Good Thoughts Growing in Unity - Day 4

Hello! Welcome back to my blog for Day 4 of my week as a GIU girl for Unity Stamp Company!  As you know, I've decided to try a different project type, technique or product type this week.

For today's project, I decided to try my hand at watercoloring with Tim Holtz distress crayons.  I had seen these crayons in the store many times but never really knew what to do with them or how they worked.  Of course, each time, I had to resist the urge to buy them.  I have so many other things I've bought out of curiosity or impulse and never used, so I really am making an effort to try and buy only things I need.  Unfortunately for my pocketbook, all these fun products keep jumping into my cart and the next thing I know, they are coming home with me! What's a crafty girl to do?!

For my GIU Day 4 project, I'm actually breaking out the Tim Holtz distress crayons and trying them out.  Yay for using projects that have just been lying around. right?! I was inspired to try this technique, from watching the quick tip video on Unity Stamp Company's website. (They have tons of quick, fun videos! If you haven't checked them out already, you really need to! Link at the top of thier website at Unity Stamp Company).

I've used the set, Rosey Thoughts, from Unity Stamp Company, for this card.  Both the image and sentiment were stamped with Momento Ink. I used a water brush to color the stamp, as well as to put a light wash of color over the sentiment - One word of advice - Do NOT use this ink for watercoloring! I found that it bled and dulled my colors when watercoloring. This one turned out fine, but I found, later, when working on another project, that Momento Ink tends to bleed with watercoloring - Especially on the more detailed image.  (I could have sworn I read, somewhere, that Momento was the ink to use - Apparantly, I was wrong) Anyway, I since tried Versafine Onyx black ink and It has worked great so far! Lesson learned! Three cheers for experimenting and trying new things!

All papers used are from my stash. I used some green leaves, cut from a swag bought at hobby lobby, to add that extra touch to my card. (The swag - yet another thing that jumped into my cart while there, during a sale - And it begged to come home with me - So I gave in.  Couldn't let the poor thing be homeless, now, could I? Isn't it funny how we, as crafters, hear these voices from all these fun products, and they convince us to buy them and bring them home?  Well, that's my story, anyway, and I'm sticking to it! LOL!  Are any of the rest of you willing to admit that it happens to you, too? =)

Anyway, enough babbling from me.  If you haven't yet, you should really check out Unity Stamp Company, if you love good quality rubber stamps, empowering words and great sentiments! Oh and they even have monthly kit subscriptions, too, if your pocketbook allows for it! You won's be disappointed in any of their products!

I'd love it if you could leave me a comment while you are here.   If I can inspire just one person, with each post, it's such a good feeling. Oh and if you leave a comment on my post today, as well as my other Unity posts this week, you'll have a chance to win a grab bag of stamps from Unity Stamp Company! Two winners will be selected from everyone who comments on all my Unity posts this week!

Now, hope on over and visit this week's other Growing In Unity Girl,Teresa, at Purple Bunny Paper Crafts. She'll be giving away two grab bags of Unity stamps, this week, too!  She will be picking two winners, from her comments as well! 

I am entering this card in the following challenges:

Challenge #276-277 Anything Goes at Word Art Wednesday
Challenge # 187 Photo Inspiration at PINspirational Challenge
Challenge #38 Anything Goes at Lemon Shortbread Challenge
Challenge #338 Anything Goes at Crafty Creations Challenge
Challenge #125 Anything Goes at Inspiration Destination

Let's Take A Full Moon Flight

Welcome to another Thursday and another challenge at Shelly's Images!  We so appreciate all of you who play along with us! Today we have a new challenge for you.  Our theme is "Show Us Your Shape!"  That's right, we want to see your shaped cards, tags, etc!  Anything, really, as long as its shaped! You have two weeks to play along with us for your chance to win a goodie from the Shelly's Images Store!

My card today is shaped like a scalloped circle.  I wanted to challenge myself to use a sketch with a shaped card, and boy was it it a challenge! I do think I succeeded, though, and am happy with how it turned out!  I used the Sketch at Sketches By Carly.  I used a fun orange and black halloween paper with bats on it.  The ribbons are all from my stash.  I used black gemstones and green glittered ribbon to add sparkle and shine. The flowers are glittered as well.  The leaves beneath the flowers are punched with a punch by martha Stewart, and the bat paper is punched with a 3 1/2" circle punch.  I used the image, Full Moon Flight, by Shelly's Images, colored with Promarkers, to create my card.


I am entering this card in the following challenges:


Challenge #65 Sketch at Sketches By Carly
Challenge #18 Find Your Inner Phoenix at Can you Digi It
Anything Goes at Stamp and Create
Challenge #8 Stitching at Crafter's Cafe Challenge Blog
Challenge #3 Make It Sparkle at Avadares Challenge Blog
Choose A Theme: Holiday Bliss (Halloween)at Mema's Crafts
Sentimental Journey at Great Impressions
Challenge #6 Sparkle at Oozak
Anything Goes at Natalie And Amy's Challenge
Challenge #91 Halloween at Alota Rubber Stamps
Challenge #90 Break Out Your Punch (Leaves and Scalloped Circle) at Lollipop Crafts
CIC59 Leaves at Clearly I Stamp
PPMC57 Ribbon at Paper Pretties
Challenge #128 Bingo (Ribbon, Yellow, Flowers) at Craft Your Passion
Challenge #33 Things With Wings at Love To Create
Linky Party #107 at Make It Monday

Fall Friends

Are you ready for another Terrifically Thrilling Thursday?! I hope so, because it's time for a new challenge, today, at Shelly's Images?! This time, it's all about layers! We want you to pile them on and show them off! That's right, lots of layers! We want to see at least 4 layers on your card or project.

There's a prize to be won, as well as our highly sought after Gold, Silver and Bronze medals!

These medals are selected from the DT's Top 3. Each medal winner receives a buy one image get one free coupon for the Shelly's Images Store!

Our random winner, called our Top Hat winner, wins an image of their choice from the Shelly's Images Store!

There are several chances to win, so come on over and play along!

My card today, features today's featured image and sentiment are from the Fall Friends set, from Shelly's Images. (Available today, only, for a special price, in the Shelly's Images Store.) The image is colored with Promarkers, with the exception of the Jack O' Lantern's Face - I colored that with a yellow highlighter so the Jack O' Lantern would look like it's lit up. His face is popped up with foam mounting tape for dimension and 3D effect. I used a scrap of this fun leaf print paper, a scrap of striped ribbon and some buttons, all in fall colors, from my stash. I recycled the buttons from old clothing I threw away.


I am entering this card in the following challenges:


Challenge #83 Anything Goes at One Stitch At A Time
Challenge #131 Photo Inspiration (Halloween) at Cupcake Inspirations
Challenge #76 Anything Goes at I Did It Creations
Royal Digi Challenge #1 (Halloween) at The Scrapbooking Queen
Challenge #26 Anything Goes at Creatalicious
Challenge #67 Pumpkins at Fresh Brewed Designs
Halloween at Clear It Out
Challenge #29 Slugs, Snails and Puppydog Tails at Southern Girls
Challenge #87 Animals at Totally Papercrafts
Halloween or Fall at Fussy and Fancy
Challenge #152 Anything Goes at One Stop Crafts
Halloween at Two Sisters
Challenge #76 Anything Goes at Sentimental Sundays
Challenge #41 Just Because at Pile It On
GL26 The Color Orange at Gingerloft
Challenge #22 Halloween at The Sparkles Forum
Challenge #35 Mother Nature at Mami Doodles
Challenge #76 Anything Goes at I Did It Creations
TPE 120 Photo Inspiration (Pumpkin) at The Pink Elephant
Challenge #163 Halloween at Cupcake Crafts
Challenge #114 Boys, Boys, Boys at Pollycraft
Challenge #52 Critters at Lollipop Crafts
Challenge #67 Pumpkins at Fresh Brewed Designs
Challenge #55 Use DP's at Top Tip Tuesday
Fall Into Color at Stamping With The Dragon
Spooky Fun at Creative Card Crew
Challenge #163 Halloween at Everybody-Art
Halloween at Simon Says Stamp
Challenge #56 Orange at Crafts And Me
Challenge #91 Dark and Spooky at The Pixie Cottage
Challenge #87 Autumnal Colors at I Love Promarkers
Repeat Impressions DCC1012 Designer’s Choice Challenge
PWC175 Halloween Inspiration at Paper Pretties
Challenge #27 Remind You Of A Song (Jack O’ Lantern Dreams) at My Mum's Craft Shop
Challenge #35 We Love Animals (Cat) at The Paper Shelter
Challenge #115 Halloween at Hanna and Friends
Challenge #41 Use Your Scraps at Do You Stack Up
Challenge #41 Falling Leaves (on DP) at Crop Stop
Challenge #174 Falling Leaves at Rainbow Lady's Challenges
Challenge #80 Use A Ribbon at Meljen's Designs
Fall at Making It With Meslyn
Challenge #10 Fall Colors at Deep Ocean

It's Fall, Y'all!

Happy Monday, everyone! Wow, we had some fabulous weather here, yesterday! Sunny and 75 degrees! Unusual for late September, but I'll take what I can get! I'm looking forward to fall, but unfortunately not to the Winter weather. I absolutely hate snow!

Anywhoo, it's time for another challenge at Daisy's Doodles. This time, we are asking you to use fall colors and/or show us projects about giving thanks, to celebrate Canada's Thanksgiving. Our challenge runs for two weeks, so you have plenty of time to play along with us for your chance to win.



I used colors from the Rajasthani Hues color palette from Design Seeds. You can see the wonderful color palette, below.




My card layout today follows the sketch at Sketches By Carly. I just love Carly's sketches! They're so fun! This one, I admit, was a bit tricky for me, though. I used a piece of cardstock embossed with the Cuttlebug distressed stripes folder, then sponged Chocolate Chip ink over it, to enhance the embossed stripes and make them stand out. My leaves and pumpkins are all images from Daisy's Doodles. They've been colored with Promarkers. I found this fun fall colored paper in my stash and it seemed perfect for a fall creation. The leaf shaped gems came from Michael's in the dollar bin.


I am entering this card in the following challenges:


Challenge #40 Sketch at Sketches By Carly
Challenge #67 Fall at Tuesday Throwdown
Challenge #26 Anything Goes at Creatalicious
To Die For at Simon Says Stamp
Challenge #62 Fall at Penny's Paper-Crafty
Challenge #53 Stripes (Embossed Stripes) at Crafts And Me
Challenge #66 Clean and Simple at Truly Scrumptious
PWC172 Fall at Paper Pretties
Challenge #53 Autumn Colors at Scrapbook Sisters
Challenge #24 For Boys and Girls at My Mum's Craft Shop
Challenge #32 Anything Goes at The Paper Shelter
Challenge #10 Fall Colors at Crafting For All Seasons
Fall Y'all at Delightful Challenges
PDCC Photo Inspiration (Colors) at Play Date Cafe
Challenge #38 Autumn Leaves at Paper Play
Fall Into Fall (Halloween) at The Crafty Purple Frog
Challenge #101 Autumn at Crafty Catz
Challenge #122 Keep It Simple at Allsorts
Autumn Colors (Deep Red/Maroon, Brown, Orange at Squiggle Stamps
It's Fall, Y'all at Just Some Lines
Challenge #21 Something That Sparkles at Sparkles Forum
Challenge #84 Anything Goes at Critter Challenge
Challenge #50 Anything Goes at Lollipop Crafts
Challenge #45 Happy Fall Y'all at Woodware USA
Welcome to Fall at House of Gilli
Challenge #28 Anything Goes at Digistamps4Joy
Finding Inspiration at Design Seeds at Jellypark Friends

Come Play In The Duck Pond

Yay! It's Monday! We have a new featured image for you, today, at Shelly's Images! Just look at this gorgeous image, called "Duck Pond," from Shelly's Images! Perfect for a male card. I used this one for a quick Father's Day card. The image is so easy to color. I had a blast creating with it!

Hop on over and check out the wonderful creations by the design team.


Remember, "Duck Pond" is available for a special price, today only, in the Shelly's Images Store. Hurry over and pick it up for yourself, while its at the special price!


Today, I've created a simple masculine card. The image is colored with Promarkers. I've used the sketch at Dude Time Doodles, for my card layout. Both designer papers are from my stash. I've used these cool skeleton leaves, from Pizzazz Aplenty, behind the two corners of the image. I made faux flower soft and used it to add texture to some of the feathers on the duck, as well as the cattails and some of the grass. (Check out the tutorial on making your own flower soft tomorrow at Shelly's Images, for Tutorial Tuesday!) The sentiment is from Sentiments 4 You and is punched with oval and scalloped oval punches by Stampin Up. I attached the sentiment with foam mounting tape, for dimension.



I'm entering this card in the following challenges:


Sketch at Dude Time Doodles
Challenge #41 Inspired By A Song (The River) at Lollipop Crafts
Week #22 Summer Citrus Splash at Paper Play
Challenge #29 Card For A Male at Aud Sentiments
Challenge #21 Special Man at Craft your Days Away
Father's Day/For A Male at Simon Says Stamp
Challenge #54 Here Comes Summer at Penny's Paper-Crafty
Take A Dip at Whimsie Doodles
Challenge #38 Man's World at Scrapbook Sisters
Challenge #16 Glad for Dad at The Paper Shelter
Manly at Some Odd Girl
Things of Beauty at The Crafty Purple Frog
Challenge #11 It's All About The Boys at Do It With Digi's
Challenge #11 Anything Goes at Paper Crafting Journey
Card For A Man Or Boy at Fussy and Fancy
Challenge #39 For Dad at Easy Craft Projects
Challenge #28 Texture at Delicious Doodles
Challenge #45 It's All About You, Dad at Simply Create
Challenge # Father's Day at Here Come The Boys
Challenge #42 Summer at Sarah Hurley
June Digi Day at Stamp Something
Challenge #134 Texture at One stop Crafts
Anything Goes at Catch The Bug
What's On Your Desk at Stamp, Scrap, & Doodle
Challenge #119 Summer Colors at Corrosive
Challenge #61 Father's Day or Card For Dad at Creative Inspirations
Challenge #54 Summer Fun at Prairie Fairy
Masculine at Magical Monday
Challenge #30 Masculine Cards at Woodware USA
Challenge #7 Masculine at Bows and Berries