Thursday, July 28, 2016

Sneak Peek at August's Collection at Dragons Lair Designs

Summer is fast retreating....not fast enough for South Mississippi but retreating none the less and I have a sneaky peek for you.  As you know I can't talk anymore or I might spill the beans so here it is...a tribute to my mom and dad.


Please drop by on the first for all the wonderful details!

Saturday, July 23, 2016

Kit and Clowder Lessons are Working!

I love my Create and Learn classes each month and the mermaid pencil coloring one was so awesome! I even got brave enough to post her at Kit and Clowder ....nerve shattering event..but really such nice people there!


Her name is Floating Pearls and she is by Ching-Chou Kuik from her Etsy store .  She is colored with Prisma colored pencils and layered with some dies and designer paper.  A ribbon finishes off my card.

I would like to enter here in the following challenges:



Friday, July 22, 2016

Rustic Culture Mini Kit 30% 22nd - 29th July at Dragons Lair Designs Store!

Love this mini kit it can be so useful for a man's page or to scrapbook a camping/outdoor event.  I did not have any pics here at mom's so I used a black cat :) from Dra...   You can get this mini kit for 30% off from July 22 - 29 so grab it and get started saving those memories!


Lots of papers and elements with this mini kit...makes it seem like a big kit to me!

Hope to see you at our monthly challenge for this month the theme is "It's a Zoo Out There!"  so my kitty fits the challenge theme...goodie!


We'd love to have you join us in our Fan Group and post up some pictures of any creations you make using any DLD items.

Thursday, July 21, 2016

New Stamp Release Event at Lost Coast Designs

Welcome to the party!  It is with much anticipation and much fun play that we would like to share with you some of the fantastic new stamps we have at Lost Coast Designs!  I just swooned at the sight of this stamp "Winged Girl".  It takes me back to a vintage, fantasy type period of time when a lovely girl with wings could absolutely exist and flit from flower to flower spreading joy and happiness to all she met.


I made this while staying with my mom in the Intensive Care Unit and although I had some basic goodies in my rolling craft bag, it was not like being able to dig through my stash at home where my cheesecloth was or my ribbons.  I did think about swiping a pack of gauze for this one but remembered my raisings and did not do it :)  So hand rolled flowers, some Gelato colored leaf shapes and a cute paper pad had to suffice. I will definitely do this one again with the right materials but I am pretty happy with her as she is right now.

Our event will be running on the  Lost Coast Portal to Creativity  until     and we do hope you will play with us and enter your make at the Portal linky HERE.  And all of our fun challenges and events will be listed there for you to see and join in the fun with us.  Still time to get your entry in for this month's challenge which is "Anything Goes" and we know we all love that one so jump HERE and pop in your link.


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                                         AND our brand new Fan Page LIKE us and join us in the fun!


ENTERING:
http://asyoulikeitchallenge.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/your-trademark-style-and-why.html 
My trademark or style runs toward simple no fuss or frill types of projects.  I use just enough to enhance the image and let the image do the rest. The rest of the time I spend getting painty, inky, and really messy with paints making my own backgrounds and canvases.

Wednesday, July 20, 2016

July Monthly Fan Group Challenge "Gentle Waves"

Come by the Dragons Lair Designs Fan Group and join us in playing with a mini kit called "Gentle Waves" and get a chance to win a mini kit from Dragons Lair Designs Store .  I made a digital layout with the words for the Butterfly Collection to put in the frame which I love that cardboard look!


Hope to see your inspiration in the album HERE.  All of our links are below and you will finds lots of goodies to look at and don't forget the Sunday Showcase where a freebie is always given!


We'd love to have you join us in our Fan Group and post up some pictures of any creations you make using any DLD items.


Tuesday, July 19, 2016

Two More for the Lost Coast Designs New Stamp Release Event

I am just having too much fun with these new stamps from Lost Coast Designs !  And I finally am back at my mom's apartment out the back door of my house so I can pop in and out to grab my goodies instead of trying to make do with my carry all of craft things that does not hold nearly enough goodies!  I have two to share with you this time.  The first is the fabulous ZENTANGLE FEATHER 1 stamped 3 times on white cardstock and because of no spray bottle at the hospital, I patted the paper down with a wet paper napkin then sprinkled my Nuance Powders and patted them around.  Those powders are so fantastic that they looked fab even doing it the weird way :) I glued them to some designer paper and glued that to yellow cardstock dabbed with the leftover green Nuance Powder napkin. The senti is from a freebie kit in a magazine that I managed to grab as I had none of my wonderful Misc. Words with me. I snagged some gauze and used Distress Ink to color it before layering the sentiment stamped on a bit of paper from the feather coloring paper...always keep a paper under your project to soak up those luscious colors!


 This next one had me drooling..again! when I saw it in the store.  It is the CALLIGRAPHY SHRINE layered on some more designer paper and some portions from two of Carmen's Veranda squares stamps. I used ARCHITECTURE SQUARE and PARADISE SQUARE. We had made it home in time for me to add the word from the MISC. WORDS set which I absolutely love and use over and over again.


 Thanks for stopping by again and please check out all the details of the event at the  Lost Coast Portal to Creativity where lots of cool things are going on and lots of chances to win awesome stamps!  And remember our challenge this month!  The theme is ATC'S...we all love to make those so get busy and toss that entry in the linky!

   Like our Facebook pages
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                                         AND our brand new Fan Page LIKE us and join us in the fun!


ENTERING:
My trademark or style runs toward simple no fuss or frill types of projects.  I use just enough to enhance the image and let the image do the rest. The rest of the time I spend getting painty, inky, and really messy with paints making my own backgrounds and canvases.

Monday, July 18, 2016

Under the Sea with DecoArt

We all know how I love the beach, the sea, etc....you are fed up with hearing that I know :)  But when DecoArt gave the challenge "Under the Sea" could I pass that one up?  Of course not!  I began with a lovely mermaid themed underwater cardboard canvas..when thinking of keeping the cardboard out of the landfill gave me a whole new direction.  We have failed our Mother Ocean (yep, a Jimmy Buffett fan, too) and I heard her call.  Her beauty is being destroyed by our own needs for toss away stuff and a turning of our heads at what happens with this junk.  A good friend of mine does assemblage work that is so meaningful....some people take it the wrong way unfortunately, but she points our through her art the things we do that destruct our world around us.  So enough chatter here is my canvas "Father, alter us through love".


DecoArt gesso, modeling paste, blue fluid acrylics, and other colors which will be pictured below were used. 

A crucifix was given me by my friend mentioned above so I thought it fitting to add it. The words are from Tim Holtz's Chitchat Pack.

The broken heart is from a handle of a mug one of my children gave me but sadly I found broken just last week so now I can keep it.  The die cuts are from Cricut, a flower making cartridge but the leaves bundle reminded me of coral for some reason as did the flower coil.  All had some DecoArt metallic gold rubbed across and some glass beads along the bottom for maximum shimmer along with DecoArt's fabulous shimmer spray....yummy!

Thanks for stopping by and please check out the link about to DecoArt's challenge and also the products listed below :)





I am a messy crafter so sorry about the messy bottles!  I get all painty and into it!  Also use all my DecoArt products until the last drop of goodness!

Entering DecoArt's Challenge Under the Sea
http://asyoulikeitchallenge.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/your-trademark-style-and-why.html 
My trademark or style runs toward simple no fuss or frill types of projects.  I use just enough to enhance the image and let the image do the rest. The rest of the time I spend getting painty, inky, and really messy with paints making my own backgrounds and canvases.
 

Thinking of You at the Lost Coast Designs New Stamp Release Event

Wow, what awesome showcasing of the new releases from Lost Coast Designs at the  Lost Coast Portal to Creativity !  I hope you are being as inspired as I am to create up something and join in the fun!  All the details and rules cam be found at the  Lost Coast Portal to Creativity so hop by, give them a peek, and make a little checklist to make sure you get the rules down so you can walk away with some serious shopping at Lost .


I just love these little birds!  I think the eyes get me; they are so expressive.  And I wanted some blue birds of happiness to nest on this Heidi Swapp paper  and they just feel right at home sitting on the lovely flowers!  I used Whimsical Sylvie and Whimsical Amelia and colored with Spectrum Noir markers; then they gently flew onto the paper and made themselves comfy.  The sentiment is stamped onto another paper from Heidi's pad and some gauze (yep, still in the hospital with mom at the time of writing this) so, yes, gauze under the sentiment. This sentiment is from a freebie kit in a magazine but Lost Coast Designs has some great sentiments in their "Party Words" set but alas it is at home sitting all alone.  

See ya at the  Lost Coast Portal to Creativity with your fun makes and inspirations!

   Like our Facebook pages
and 
                                                                              here!

                                         AND our brand new Fan Page LIKE us and join us in the fun!



ENTERING:
http://asyoulikeitchallenge.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/your-trademark-style-and-why.html 
My trademark or style runs toward simple no fuss or frill types of projects.  I use just enough to enhance the image and let the image do the rest. The rest of the time I spend getting painty, inky, and really messy with paints making my own backgrounds and canvases.

Saturday, July 16, 2016

Celebrating Summer at Dragons Lair Designs


Love the "Seaside Retreat" collection from Dragons Lair Designs Store!  So pretty and so many elements to use in mixed media projects, too!  This is another digital layout using another of my dad's pictures from Alabama.  The colors are so gorgeous; the sea breeze is blowing through my hair :)  This kit is perfect for saving all those fun summer memories of the kids while they swim and slip and slide through summer.  Busy moms can go completely digital and pop the pics right into the elements; then type up the details of the day.  Or you can print out all or some of the elements and go hybrid or traditional scrapbooking.  We have something for everyone to fit everyone's schedule!



We'd love to have you join us in our Fan Group and post up some pictures of any creations you make using any DLD items.

http://stampingwithdragon.blogspot.co.uk/Check out our challenge blog and play along!

ENTERING:


Monday, July 11, 2016

Go Tag Thursday with Some Hearts

I thought I had made it last week but forgot the time difference across the pond and missed it!  So here is my tag for the challenge theme "Have a Heart".


                    Google went completely insane on me just now so new format time!   The stamp is from Lost Coast Designs and is called Winged Girl, Holtz paper, chitchat words, and some fab hearts and lock and key from Tangled Blue Rose colored with Gelatos.
                                                                         I am entering this in Go Tag Thursday "Have a Heart".

Sunday, July 10, 2016

Reach for the Stars at Mixed Media Monthly

From the minute I heard this song about being a Lost Boy and playing with Peter Pan I have had journal pages and canvases dancing in my head and along comes the challenge "Reach for the Stars"!  Mixed Media Monthly Challenge has Seth Apter as a GDT and he has a fabulous project for you to see!  I just went with a journal spread with some words from the song ( need to Google it and see who sings it but kudos to them!) and added my own drawing of a Peter Panish character and some stamps from Lost Coast Designs that went with my idea.  I took the wings off of Butterfly Face and put them on the little guy even though he only needs some pixie dust a little backup plan just in case :)


Of course some die cut stars to meet the challenge theme!  One even got some wired and beads wrapped to make my floating head a body!
 

Dylusions blue, purple, and some green with some ink sprays through some stencils made up my background. And here is my little guy all colored up with Spectrum Noir markers.  Lots of blingy hearts because all Lost Boys love their fearless leader...including this Lost Boy!


  White lettering that sometimes wants to fade into the background...... The fabulous moon is from Sun and Moon;
 Those Lost Coast Designs stamps really got me started with this one!

I would like to enter this at Mixed Media Monthly Challenge "Reach for the Stars" and I have commented on at least 3 dt members blogs....loving the one with the second star from the right quote of course!

Friday, July 8, 2016

More Seaside Retreat Fun

This is a special make for me because my Daddy took this pic at his favorite spot in Fairhope, Alabama, they didn't like the main beach at Gulfshores.  But they always went to the pier every time they were down there at our place.  Bitter sweet for me.  This collection "Seaside Retreat" was perfect for this and perfect for me because the beach is where my heart is and down there is my very happy place.  You can have some fun creating with this fab kit so visit the Dragons Lair Designs Store and take it home with you.  


Don't forget our challenge at Dragons Lair Designs Challenge Blog this month; come and play with us!  And every Sunday we have the Showcase Sunday with fun things and a FREEBIE!  We all love freebies and also a chance to win a voucher at the store :)



Wednesday, July 6, 2016

A Beachy Christmas in July

My favorite theme is of course anything to do with the beach!  And the brand new Go Tag Thursday Challenge #3 is "Going Dotty" and the theme at the Rubber Dance Blog Challenge is a palette of beach colors for Christmas in July so color me dotty and happy :)  


My waves along the shore are some designer paper with dots! and some yummy Gelato shimmer.  The lucky duck, I mean, REINDEER DOLL who is wadding almost to the edge of her dress, oh my!, is    from Carmen's Veranda Stamps.  Some snowflake die cuts embossed and a die cut doilly with some seashells collected from my beach heaven combine for that Christmas/beach feeling.  The top stamp is from Dylusions and had a lot of fab dots which I boosted a bit.  The sentiment floating in the water is from Lost Coast Designs , a set called PARTY WORDS.

I hope you will check out the Go Tag Thursday challenge blog and also have a look see at the Rubber Dance Blog challenge (and pssst! Rubber Dance Stamps is sponsoring us at Dream in Darkness this month again!) ...so much fun making this I am still grinning!

Entering Go Tag Thursday #3 Going Dotty
              Rubber Dance Blog Challenge Christmas in July

Monday, July 4, 2016

Lost Coast Designs Xmas in July Event

Well, we got all excited about Halloween with Half-of-ween and Skellie Fest, now it's time to get excited about Christmas!  And I need to start in July to be ready for December so good idea and now feeling all hot and muggy and Christmasy :)  So to get a jump on the tree thing I made a tag ornament with the friendly Waving Santa from Carmen's Veranda, check one thing off the list!  I used a wooden tag from the dollar store and covered with some Dylusions paints and brick stencil and added some "25's" then added some red paper at the bottom for the sentiment from Party Words found at Lost Coast Designs.  I stamped  Christmas Lights  on top of the bricks, the lights are also Carmen's Veranda.. Colored the lights and Santa with markers, fussy cut Santa out and glued to the tag. Some bling and lots of glitter bead paste with some snowflakes with a gel pen and the string for him to hang on the tree and greet folks.


I hope you will join us at the  Lost Coast Portal to Creativity for all the news about Lost Coast Designs and Carmen's Veranda!  Plus our monthly challenge and all the events and information and rules for your chance to win at the Portal so give yourself an early Christmas present and win with us!

   Like our Facebook pages
and 
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                                         AND our brand new Fan Page LIKE us and join us in the fun!


July Challenge at the Lost Coast Portal to Creativity and It is ATC's!

July already and in south Mississippi it has been soooo hot and muggy for soooo long now I am ready for some cool weather!  But alas that will not come for months so not being able to visit my beloved beach and snorkel with my son this entire summer due to mom's illness is making it a very long summer!  The one good thing about it being July is our new challenge at the  Lost Coast Portal to Creativity and the theme is "ATC's" a good an easy one to play along with us!

I wanted a themed set and the lovely faces of women and images of women that Lost Coast Designs has is staggering so lots to choose from.  And you know me, I love to show the versatility of rubber stamps so I did some editing to two of my stamped images.  That is the beauty part of rubber stamps; you can use just what you want, even stamp it and then copy it smaller or larger, even roll up unmounted ones to stamp portions right on to mixed media work.  I used Franco Face (the eyes), Mucha on Pillows (sans some pillows and a part of her legs), and Butterfly Face Girl.  I was inspired by a video and blog on how to make these at Artful Flight .  I needed some chippies but had none so cardboard from packaging to the rescue and a circle punch :)  Use what you have.  My gold flakes photographed quiet bright like little light bulbs and you know my photography skills so.....


Homemade enamel dots, white glitter, all substituted for some awesome products used in the video but I really like how these turned out.
We hope to see your entry this month at the Portal for our challenge; just look to the left and click on the challenge box and it will take you right to us!  And keep an eye on the Portal as this summer we have a lot going on with events and chances to win shopping sprees at the stores!  Always fun to get free shopping so start a wishlist at both stores and play, play, play so you can start checking that wishlist off :)
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and 
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                                         AND our brand new Fan Page LIKE us and join in the fun!



Friday, July 1, 2016

It's a Zoo Out There!

Our July challenge starts today at Dragons Lair Designs Challenge Blog and the theme is "It's a Zoo Out There".  This little Yorkie, Yorkshire Terrier digital image from Dragons Lair Designs Store, won't even go out without her shades..she can't believe what a zoo it is!  But she did stumble into the butterfly habitat by mistake looking for her pal (to see her pal, check out Susan's make) and all those wings and crawling caterpillars are freaking her out just a bit.  She does know how much like a movie star the sunglasses make her look, too!  

I colored her up with Spectrum Noir markers and then had her magically or digitally jump onto a sheet of paper from the Butterfly Collection.  I made the sentiment in Photoshop and ditto for making it jump on the paper, too.


Come out and play with us again this month, please?  We have enjoyed seeing your fabulous creations and want you to keep them coming!

Buy your Dragons Lair Designs digital downloads here -

 Other Dragons Lair Designs sites you might like to



Some Scraping by for July at Rhedd's Creative Spirit

Question:  What do you do when you have an almost so almost completed project for your design team make at Rhedd's Creative Spirit and your mom goes into the hospital? Why you start finding bits and bobs that the nurses take off of things they use that will make a design and that they are going to toss and you grab it!  You will get some very odd looks but just explain you are creating on the cheap at the moment :)  

I had kept a bag with some images, markers and pencils, watercolors, gelatos, stamp block and stamp pad. Oh, and just by luck my daughter found my glue and scissors to bring to me.  So I went from a notebook made from a cereal box (watch next month) to a mixed media journal/canvas page.  


Background focal point is from Dragons Lair Designs "Summer Retreat" collection torn around the edges and glued to the mixed media paper. Gelatos to the rescue to edge it and color the rest. A plastic cap for mom's feeding tube that was being thrown away (it was a protective piece on new tubing trust me no gross stuff) made some great circles with one end and some larger solid circles for the big Zentangle Checker Fish from Lost Coast Designs to show he is breathing and to place all about on the page.  The circle tool that came with the gelatos that I have never used made some purple perfect circles, too.  Next after coloring the Zentangle Checker Fish with Gelatos, fussy cutting, and attaching, I cut out 5 seahorses (also from "Summer Retreat") that I had miraculously copied out at the same time as the mixed media background piece were cut out, edged with Gelatos, and glued to lead the parade of fun!  A wonderful square stamp from Carmen's Veranda called  "Paradise Square"  with most of the word "PARADISE" was stamped right onto the paper before adding the seahorses. A swell find was these little star shaped sponge mouth swabs, again this one came straight out of the plastic packaging as it was leftover, made a great tool to dip in blue watercolor paint and stamp around on the page. Some white dots to outline that cute Zentangle Checker Fish finished off my limited supply journal page that may become a canvas.

I was challenged at first as to what to alter or create mixed media because all of my ideas lacked certain supplies but I was pleased to find out there are things around us that if we think about it make awesome tools.  I hope you will try this at home one day.  Just limit yourself to certain absolutely necessary things and then go on a hunt and be inspired by what you find!

I do look forward to visiting your blog and being inspired by your creations this month!  You all took our breath away last month with the fabulous and unique makes we saw and it was my turn to choose the winner....sigh and eek!  But congrats to all of you on jobs well done and please come stun us again for July at Rhedd's Creative Spirit.

More Rubber Dance Fun at Dream in Darkness!

I just love Rubber Dance Stamps!  Awesome to work with and sooo many that I want...of course that is all of themThis is the second month in a row that Dream in Darkness is being sponsored by the lovely Bibi and I did a "to be continued" project so I am recapping a bit to catch a up.  I started last month with a house box that gave the appearance of a happy home.


 Until....you opened up the box. That black and red paint looks totally opposite from the pretty colors and glitter beads on the outside.


When she found a little box that was worn from being held and opened by him over the many years of their what seemed, happy marriage, her heart was in her throat she slowly opened it to find the worn hotel receipt (Vintage Hotel Receipt), the treasured picture of him and HER (Nostalgia Love)....someone she had never seen nor known, but lovingly leaning on him in the picture, receipts (Collage Elements 1) from trips, little love notes with hearts (Nostalgic Couples set).  It flooded over her that he had not been hers for a very, very long time; her love for him had been an illusion that he had allowed her to have all the time thinking of the one he really loved.


Quietly sobbing, she closed the box and replaced it where she had found it.  She knew in her heart even though it was breaking to pieces at the moment that the anger would come.  And it did.  She never let him know she knew.  Although he would look at her curiously as she would retreat to a place in her mind and that same look would come over her face, she just went about their now lie in sadness and determination knowing that one day....one day......  She knew she would never have to do a thing.  Life would take from him all that he cared for just as he had taken all from her all that had caused her joy.  Karma......she never had to say a word or do a thing.  It took care of it for her in time.


On the side of the house I used one of the "Sarcastic Superpowers" sentiments from the whole set of quirky senties and a watch from the "Collage Elements 1".  I also made an ATC with another fab watch from the "Travel" set and background stamp called "Marble" along with the "Candle" which is on sale for the Yule in July Special (good time to get a great deal on your Christmas stamps! Also used the word "discover" from the set "ATC Backgrounds 1".

I hope you will join us this month at Dream in Darkness where the theme is always "Anything Goes" and win the fantastic prize from Rubber Dance Stamps!

http://www.rubberdance.com/all-stamps-s/116.htm
CT Nan, glad to be back with the bestest teamies at DID after a long leave due to all the issues going on with my families health. Thanks for taking time to stop by :)

 

Altered Eclectics July Purple Team - Life is a Beach (holidays, day trips, sand, umbrellas, cocktails, beach games)

I am so excited to be part of the Altered Eclectics design team and I am able to post my first make this month!  I am a Purple Team member and we are celebrating holidays. Perfect and the theme name     is just perfect for me because I love, love the beach!  I totally went out of my comfort zone and painted a children's art kit canvas with a beach scene.  Alyce, at Kit and Clowder, must be credited with my even trying it as her Create and Learn classes are amazing!  She taught us how to do a beach scene in one lesson and a palm tree in another and sadly my first watercolor canvas doesn't have the wonderful details she taught me but I enjoyed doing it :)  Cheap watercolor set in tubes, canvas, gesso, and shells picked up on a lovely day at my happy place beach in Alabama.  So a low cost project that will hang in my home to remind me of my home by the beach!


I added a chippie anchor and the word "Lovely" colored with Gelatos for a lovely shimmer.  I hope you will visit the Altered Eclectics Challenge Blog this month and leave us a look at your make of such a happy theme!  See you there :)

Seaside Retreat Collection at Dragons Lair Designs

I am so thrilled with this collection of course because it is beach related!  I miss my beach this very hot summer but this kit makes me feel the breeze and smell the salt air.  I printed the elements out and made a canvas with  them on a piece of cardboard.  See if you can feel that seaside feeling :)


This collection is available at Dragons Lair Designs Store this month; please check out the store and see it up close!  I love this little seahorse...he is adorable!  The mixed media element in this kit works fabulous on a canvas and saved me so much time and work.  

Dragons Lair Designs supply an eclectic assortment of digital downloads.  These include whole collections of items that work well together, digital stamps, etc.

Buy, download, then either work with the items digitally, start digitally then print out and complete your crafting as a hybrid project, or print straight out and do your usual papercrafting.

Buy your Dragons Lair Designs digital downloads here -

 Other Dragons Lair Designs sites you might like to