Remember me?!

Long time no see, huh?

The last couple of years have really screwed up my crafting and creating.

And then it seems like the more I want to get back to creating, the more

shit life throws at me.

But,

I received an invite from Lizzy at Oddball Art Stamps to play along 

this week using the new Poison Posies image she created using 

my idea from a past facebook poll on her fb page.

This was just the kick in the tush I needed to get my Copics out and start

coloring my life again!!

This image is so much more than I had hoped for!!

So pretty, and wonderfully weird, and creepy, all at the same time.

Win, win, win!

I used the image with the blank banner so I could add my own

words. Which I instantly regretted after seeing my finished scribblings.

I was hoping for some beautiful script to fall out of my pen, but that 

takes practice, which I haven't been doing. 

Ultimately, I am thrilled with this card and how it turned out.

Considering I haven't been crafting much, this doesn't suck at all.

Well, except for the hand lettering...
I added a die cut I have had for years, but never used until now. 

I think it works, along with some black Nuvo drops.

Luckily, my niece is a creeper just like her Aunt, 

and she will love this card for her birthday.   

FYI: This image is for tonight's Creepy Cute Chronicles freebie image.

Have you signed up yet? 

If you haven't, you are really missing out!!

Aurora Wings Challenge #42: Asian Inspired

Wow! Here it is 2017, and my very first post in months.

I have missed sharing my art, but since I started working 

last September, I wasn't able to create much, so there really

wasn't much to share.

I quit my shitty job, and am getting ready to embark on a new 

career path very soon. In the mean time, I have located my mojo,

and am creating like a mad woman. I even finished some older

projects that have been collecting dust for months, if not a year or more.

The new challenge over at the Aurora Wings challenge blog is 

'Asian Inspired'.   

I have loved this image since I first saw it, but when my incredibly talented

DT sisters have created with it they do such an amazing job I was afraid I

couldn't do it justice. I gave it a go anyway...

I have used the beautiful, Chrysanthemum Festival image,

available in the Aurora Wings etsy shop.

As is my usual style, I have chosen to work with very non traditional colors.

I'm in the mood for some bright, springtime colors. 

I used pinks to give a nice contrast to the heavily saturated purple and blue green.

After coloring, I used some stitched rectangle dies and a complimentary

designer paper to finish it all off.

I have such a hard time embellishing these gorgeous images. 

I think they stand alone as a stunning focal point to any project.

And besides, I don't have any cool Asian themed dies or embellies, anyway...

Thanks for stopping by today.

Be sure to drop by the Aurora Wings challenge blog to see more

eye candy and samples for the new theme of 2017!!     

  

April Showers Bring Many Flowers

Now that California has finally gotten a considerable amount of rain

my garden is in full bloom! Sadly, this is the only Iris plant of mine to 

produce flowers so far, but I'll gladly take what I can get.

In keeping with the flowery theme, the new challenge at Aurora Wings is

Say it with Flowers.

You really can't go wrong there. Mitzi's artwork is full of delicious

flowers of all kinds. Take your pick!    

Since I am still working on the wedding album for my Aunt and Uncle, 

I decided to go with the new hibiscus set available in the Aurora Wings Etsy shop. 

It's almost like Mitzi created these gorgeous flowers especially for this Hawaiian wedding.

They are perfect!  

This border design is probably my favorite of the four images

offered in this set.  

How cool to have a ukulele player and a conch blowing officiant

presiding over your wedding! Can't get much more Hawaiian than that. 

This cluster of three hibiscus is just what this page needed.

Honestly, the hardest part of coloring these flowers was choosing

the color scheme. There were so many options, but I tried to stay true

to the Hawaiian Hibiscus colors. I started off with a hot pink flower with a bright

yellow edge, but was unable to get the blend to work. I'm kind of glad now,

as I'm not sure that combo would have worked well with these photos.

Everything happens for a reason, right?    

Thanks for stopping by today.

I hope you'll take a moment to drop by the Aurora Wings challenge blog

and check out the flowery feast the DT have created featuring various

flower inspired projects showcasing Mitzi's gorgeous images. 

Mahalo!

Short and Sweet

Today is the start of the new challenge theme at the

Aurora Wings Challenge blog.

The new theme is Flowers.

Pretty easy to be inspired, as spring is in full bloom everywhere you look,

and there are a ton of beautiful, flowery images available at

the Aurora Wings Etsy shop. 

I picked up a bunch of 4" x 4" canvas boards on sale at Mike's

last week, and wanted to use one for this project. I get tired of

making cards all of the time.

  

I decided to work with an image that I haven't colored up before.

This is 'Bunnirina'.

She's adorable, right?

The canvas was a nice gray color already, but it didn't

go with my color scheme. I painted it using Deco Art's chalk paint

in the color, 'Timeless'. This is my first time using this paint,

and I love the coverage and the quick drying time. Oh, and no prep

is a big plus, too. This chalk paint gave me a perfect base for the 

pearlized crackle paste put through a fancy stencil. I love that stuff!

First though, I edged the entire canvas using some distress inks.

They bled through the crackle paste beautifully.

Didn't someone say something about flowers?

I dug out a bunch of paper roses, some of which I colored

using Copics, some that I left natural, and a few were already

dyed. I managed to pop in a few pearl dew drops, too. 

I also worked in a pretty floral spray I picked up in the 

wedding section at Mike's. I really like the height and 

interest those types of embellishments add to a project.

As a last added element, I broke out with a new pot of

Rock Candy Distress dry glitter. It added just the right amount of

sugary sparkle the outer perimeter of the canvas. And then while I was

in a glittering mood I used some Stickles on the roses, too. 

Someone is going to make me cash in my creepy card for this project.

But I don't care. This is was so fun to make.

So sweet! 

I hope you'll stop by the AW challenge blog and see all of the other

fabulously flowery projects the DT have created for this theme.

Thanks for stopping by today.

I'd like to enter this in the following challenges:

Artistic Inspirations - Anything Goes with a twist of Spring

All Crafts Challenge - Anything Goes but No cards

Not Just Cards - Anything Goes

Kit and Clowder - flowers

Sweet Stamping Challenge - Anything But a Card

Fussy and Fancy - Spring Flowers

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

I guess I have succumbed to the fact that spring is

in full bloom. Early, but blooming none the less.

I seem to keep reaching for bright, girly colors to

use on my projects. It's like Mother Nature is sending

me subliminal messages or something. I wish she'd quit

doing that.

I do have to admit that when I saw the freebie image for

the Smeared and Smudged Freaky Freebie facebook challenge,

I was hit right away with this idea.  

I immediately knew I wanted to make her gas mask

into a watering can to water the blooms of the apocalypse.

I dotted the background  using Copics to look like falling ash, 

ala Silent Hill.  

This ended up way prettier than I had imagined, 

but it is nice to see what's in my head come to

fruition.

I'd like to enter this in the following challenges:

Left of Center - LOC Anything Goes

Shopping Our Stash - I Made This - make your own background

Marker Pop - Anything Goes #64

Monday Morning Challenge - Think Spring

Smeared Ink Facebook challenge - Freaky Freebie

Wicked Wednesday ATC challenge - Spring is in the Air 

Thanks for stopping by today.

Fleurs at The Greeting Farm

Not sure if it's the sudden heat wave we're having here in California, 

or if I'm going soft in my old age, but I had the urge to 

make something adorable using Glimmer Bean from TGF.

The current challenge for Farm Fresh Friday is May Flowers.

I have a ton of paper flowers. I rarely use them, so this is a perfect

opportunity to break out the petals and get all flowery!!  

I have had this clear stamp from The Greeting Farm for so long, 

that they no longer even sell it. They do have a new line of  Alice in Wonderland Beans that are TDF!  

I fussy cut her out after coloring her with Copics.

I attached some flowers in her hair to go with the theme.  

Once the sentiment (from Dilly Beans) had been added, it was time for

the bling and more flowers.

I had a lot of fun playing with flowers and bling and Glimmer Bean.

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

Splendid Stamping with The Greeting Farm: May Flowers

The Cheerful Stamp Pad : April Showers/May Flowers

There She Goes challenge: April Showers/May Flowers 

   

  

Screamin' Me Me in chains!!!

This week the challenge theme at HDH is

"Chain me up, Chain me down".

Incorporate chains into your project .

Simple.

 

I chose to work with a favorite image from

Rick St. Dennis (Uncle Rick) called,

"Screaming Me Me".  

I made an ATC using chains to imprison my little fiend, here.

I fussy cut MeMe, and then added him to a Stickled and embossed spider web.

I opened the links of the chain and put his little wrists in to make it official.

I added a little inspirational saying to convey hope.

I'm nice like that.

 

Drop by Haunted Design House and see what else the Minions have

chained up (or down) for this week's challenge.

 

And now for something completely different.

I love to garden. I hate to pull weeds, but I love sit out back on the patio

and enjoy the blooms and hummingbirds that fly in for a quick drink at the feeder. 

 

This is an asparagus fern. I have had it for quite a few years,

and never knew it could flower.

I think the coolest part is that it flowers off the tips of the leaves/needles.

So cool!

What kind of a Gloria would I be, if I didn't have some Morning Glories?

I used an old wire etagere (over the toilet shelf) from the bathroom and sunk it into the

flower bed for a homemade trellis for the glories. I think they like it. 

Our fruit trees were so overloaded with fruit this year. We still have some

pluots (Pluots= plum/apricot hybrids) on the limbs that will serve as varmint food.

Our orange tree is covered in oranges, too! Looks like I'll be stuffing the turkey with

citrus fruit this year.

  

Lastly, this photo marks my triumph over those damned web worms!!

I hate those little effers!!!!!  They were eating my blooms before the flowers ever had

a chance to unfurl their striped beauty!

Die worms! Die!!!

 

Thanks for dropping by today and taking a look at my garden and my ATC.