The March Hare

How about a March hare for the end of the month?  I tried to keep the style light and playful to go with Becca's bunny.

Materials
A2 draft card (4.25x5.5 inches)
STAMPlorations Bunnies and Blooms stamp set
Memento tuxedo black ink
Copic markers
Yoobi glitter pen on cup
Twinklette gold glitter marker on flower centers and green glitter marker on my hand drawn grass.
Washi tape

Entering these challenges:
STAMPlorations Never Ending Challenge--must use their stamps HERE  I'm #789


STAMPlorations March CAS Card Challenge:  clean and simple stamping with some added washi tape.  HERE  And of course a few yellow flowers.  I'm #90  closes in 1 day

Where Am I?

I feel like Alice who fell down the rabbit hole.  The Wanderlust challenge is to use an alternative color palette, using acrylic paints to paint something that is not its normal color.

I did a journal page.  Green sky, blue sun, pink grass and purple rabbit.

I used a STAMPlorations ARTplorations Just Squares stencil to create square green clouds.  The rabbit is a die cut from The Paper Cut card set.

I'm entering this in the STAMPlorations ARTplorations Mixed Media March challenge HERE

Springtime Coffee and Coffee Hop Blog Winner

Thank you to the 43 bloggers who stopped by to leave comments for a chance to win my blog candy during the Coffee Lovers Spring Blog Hop. Scroll down to the end of this post to see who won.

Enjoying time with family, I was unable to participate in the hop as much as I normally do.  Now that I'm an empty nester again, here's another coffee themed card, post-hop.

Texture with the layered doily and (Stampin' Up) tags, baker's twine and sequins.
All stamps are STAMPlorations:  Blossum Overture, Dee's Blooming Buds, Shery's digital freebie cup (popped up with dimensionals), and sentiment from Becca's Bunnies and Blooms set.
Copics in muted yellows, beige, and greens.

Entering the following STAMPlorations challenges:


March theme and sketch challenge: HERE  I'm #46



CASEplorations challenge HERE I'm #12


(I liked Betsy's circular design.)

Winner!!!!  CASEplorations runner up--$5 gift certificate


CAS card challenge HERE  (I liked the Blooming Bud on Loll's card; and Lisa's die cut layer and sequins.) I'm #84



Never Ending Anything Goes Challenge HERE (must use STAMPlorations on this one) I'm #787


Also Entering at these Other Challenge Sites :
Artistic Inspirations Challenge #153 Anything Goes #13 and closes in 13 days!!!x
Avenue 613 Challenge #169 Anything Goes #59 closes in 5 days x
Crafting From the Heart Challenge #105 Always Anything Goes #24 closes in 6 days x
Craft  Your Passion Challenge #305 Always Anything Goes #28 closes in 5 days x
Creative Fingers Challenge #105 Always Anything Goes #198 closes in 2 days x
Fussy and Fancy Challenge #160 Pastel Colours #45 closes in 10 days x
Robyn's Fetish: Challenge #309 Add a Doily #3 closes in 5 days x
The Sisters of Craft Monthly Challenge: March 2016 Always Anything Goes  #194 closes in 3 days x
Time Out Challenge #52 (Marjan's flowers) #36 closes in 2 days x

The winner of the $25 Etsy gift card is: Ann from the Antique Wardrobe blog.

 Ann said...

Super cute stacked cups.

March 19, 2016 at 8:26 AM

 

Ann, please be sure to email me your email address and your last name.  The Etsy gift card will be sent to your email.   You have until April 2 to respond .  If I don't hear from you, then I will redraw.  But since you were such an active blog hop participant, I'm sure I'll be hearing from you!

Tea With Alice and Blog Candy

I'm sending off to Germany these three ATCs for the All Things Alice ATC swap. Swap details are HERE. There is still time to join in.

These are totally digital compositions except for the added teapot charm (my one tactile element).
All papers and images are from Gecko Galz (Etsy shop HERE) except for the lace scrap from the Bits o Scrap England kit (blog train) and Marissa Lerin's adventure sentiment in cursive, both found at Pixel Scrapper.

Entering these ATCs here:

Gecko Galz Papercrafting FaceBook Challenge:  March:  Fashion.  I'm fascinated by the various artists' interpretions of Alice and her dress.  All Alices are in the Gecko Galz Wonderland collection. x

Spring 2016 Coffee Lovers Blog Hop:  my tea theme; inspired by the spring release of the movie Through the Looking Glass.  
This is a week long hop ending March 25, 2016.  There are lots of prizes to be had at this blog hop so feel free to join in the fun.  You do not need to give blog candy in order to participate. I'm giving blog candy because I love belonging to this Coffee Lovers group, always participate in the blog hops, and have won several prizes.  My turn to give back. x

My blog candy is a $25 (USD) gift certificate to the on-line Etsy store to be used at the shop of your choice.  If you are not familiar with Etsy, I'm linking to it HERE. (To get out of my personal page, I just searched "coffee" before linking to Etsy.  Once you go there, refine your search to your preferences.) (In the past I've given Starbucks gift cards but promised that for this hop I'd try something that could be given internationally and Etsy seems to ship worldwide.) 
Just comment below to be in the drawing.  Please comment only once on each post.  
I will be posting several times this week.  Commenting once on each post gives you more chances in the drawing.  
I will use random.org to choose a winner.  
On Monday March 28 I will post the winner on my blog and at the Coffee Lovers Papercrafting FaceBook page.  Winner will have until April 2, 2016 to contact me.  If no contact, I will draw a new name on April 3 with a new deadline.

Thanks for visiting my blog.  If you like what you see, I welcome new followers.  However, this is not a requirement for my blog candy.

Spring Tag

Here is the tag I made for the Spring Has Sprung swap at Vera Lane Studio Digi Stamps Facebook Page.

Janet had given us two digi freebies:  the background and the bonnet.  In my PhotoShop Elements software, I layered Apple ( found in Janet Klein's Etsy Shop, Vera Lane Studio, HERE) on top of the background, then added the bonnet.  I digitally colored Apple and the bonnet before printing onto Stampin' Up Whisper White cardstock.  I printed Apple and the bonnet several more times.  I fussy cut Apple once.  I fussy cut the bird's wing and the bonnet a second time.  Ranger Distress Markers in broken china, spun sugar, and wild honey were used on the bonnet and flowers.  Using dimensional pop dots, I layered the images onto the tag. Once assembled, I added ribbon, buttons, and flowers (from my stash) with Finnabair 3D Matte Gel.  Black Sharpie marker for edging.

Entering this here:
Crafting With An Attitude Challenge 13 March Anything Goes x
Sparkles Monthly Challenge: #78 Make it Girlie
Crafty Creations Challenge # 311 Spring Fever x
Use Your Stuff Challenge #214 Flowers and More Flowers x

Lavender Digital Composition

I'm trying something new.  Since I work with so many digital images, I found a site called Digital Whisper which has a weekly prompt for digital creations.  This week's theme:  Lavender

I use PhotoShop Elements as my software to manipulate digital images.

The main image is from Vintage Just For You--the layout which I did NOT alter.  It includes all the layers inside the scallop: woman, scroll, chair and flora.  I changed the hue a bit to make it more lavender.

The actual lavender plant is from the Graphics Fairy.  I removed the background and converted jpg to png.

Background digital papers and butterfly are listed below.

Entering this here:

Digitally Sweet Challenge #148 Spring Is in the Air
Featured mid-challenge HERE

How exciting!  This made the Top 3!!!

Eclectic Ellapu  March challenge is Flora and Fauna

Gecko Galz FaceBook Papercrafting Group:  March Challenge Spring Has Sprung.  I used their two digital papers (stripe, and floral) as backgrounds.  Winner of collage sheet of my choice

Luna Girl:  March Challenge: Spring Flowers and Birds   I used their butterfly to anchor the corner.
However, I don't think my entry should count twice since it's such a small percentage of the total composition.  x

Birthday Bash at Imagine That!

I love Kris' Imagine That! images and have purchased quite a few.  I especially like her pre-colored images for a quick card.  Usually I layer several of her images from one or more of her sets to create a themed card.

This month her Creative Playground Challenge #2 is Birthday.  That's because Kris is celebrating her third Imagine That birthday.  You can read all about her BIRTHDAY BASH here.

Not only am I doing a post about it, but also I'm posting her badge on my sidebar to help spread the word.  (I'm looking forward to receiving my Leesa's Tulip outline image!!!)



Here is the card I made for my grandson who loves trains which I posted to the challenge HERE. This challenge runs March 5 to April 1.

The pre-colored images and sentiment are from Imagine That's Li'l Train Conductor digital set.  I printed a second RR sign, cut it with a circle die, and placed it on top of the sign with one of those squiggle wiggles. BONGGGGG!  I matted the printed card on blue cardstock, then placed it on a red card.

ATC Swaps

Kinda fell off the craft wagon.  Been busy with family stuff.

However, I'm working on my kids' collections of pics, newspaper clippings, certificates and awards--putting them in binders.  I'll be adding a few scrappy pages and Project Life cards after everything gets put in order.  I could just hand each of them a tub full of stuff, but I'm enjoying reliving the memories as I organize it all.

I'm sticking to ATCs at the moment because they are small pieces of art that seem time manageable. Plus I just got my markers refilled with ink so I can color.

I made this ATC for the Vera Lane Studio (digital images) Mix It Swap.  Some of the hearts are glittery.

Today I got in the mail these two Mix-It ATCs from Nikki Woodward.  Yup--a bonus--traveling companions!  They are even more amazing in person. Very 3-D. Here's a link to Nikki's blog where you can find more of her fabulous artwork: betwixthisandthat.blogspot.com




And I just signed up for this All Things Alice ATC swap due in April.  You know I love everything Alice!  ( I can't wait for the movie, Through the Looking Glass, to come out later this spring. )

http://bockel24.blogspot.com/2016/02/announcing-my-10th-annual-blog-swap-all.html

More Journal Pages

The Wanderlust 2016 year-long on-line class from Everything Art is absolutely amazing!  I'm learning so much!

Right now I'm working on composition, balance, repetition, and focal point.  I'm also trying to be better at layering with paint, stencils, stamping, etc.

Here's a two pager using acrylic paint.  I also die cut circles and ran them through various embossing folders.

I'm going to enter my Believe the Sky is the Limit double journal page in the ARTplorations challenge over at STAMPlorations.  You must use a stencil.  I used several, including the ARTplorations Retro Circles and Bubbles stencils.  The mixed media challenge is due January 31 HERE.

http://stamplorations.blogspot.com/2016/01/stencil-sunday-january-3.html


Here's one incorporating paper collage, a Gecko Galz digital image, and liquid watercolors:

I've entered this one in the Wanderlust 2016 January challenge, open to those taking the class.

2016 Goals and Wanderlust Journal Entry #1

2015 was a bizarre craft year for me. 

My design teams vanished, but I must admit I was ready for the break.  Ever since I started crafting, I have been on at least one design team.  I was working full time and still had one child at home.  I just knew that when I retired, I'd want design team work to be my "new job".  Retirement afforded me freedom from responsibility and deadlines, and I soon realized I wanted that in crafting too.  I decided to stop being on design teams when 2016 rolled around.  Little did I know the stars were aligned because the design teams also were disbanding in 2016.  (Admittedly, two pretty much had disbanded in 2015.)

My craft room became a disaster.  Definition of "room": the entire basement.  Everywhere I have piles of unfinished projects.  My goal for 2016 is to finish those projects.  They are personal projects which is why they always were on the back burner while design team projects met their deadlines.

My artistic style floundered.  With many family commitments, I found myself creating in comfort--mostly papercrafting that was familiar and therefore easy to get done.  I did try a couple new things. I took a Finnebair class to learn her techniques and style.  I watched some Carolyn Dube You Tube videos while experimenting with the Gelli Plate.  Other than that, I bought products but didn't try them out.

2016 is my break out year.  I'm breaking out those half-done projects.  I'm breaking out those unopened products.  I'm refilling the Copic markers that dried out from years of unuse.  I'm breaking away from craft crap that has collected over the years but never gets used. I'm participating in a year-long mixed media class to help me break out from my comfort zone.

Free from Design Team Deadlines, here's what I'm attempting in 2016 (all of these being in the no pressure, if nothing else going on category):
Wanderlust year-long on-line mixed media class
Vera Lane Studios FaceBook group- (playing with her digital images)
Complete the unfinished personal projects
Coffee Loving Papercrafters Blog Hops
40 Bags in 40 Days (decrapifying the craft room)
Digital scrapbooking

We're in Week One of Wanderlust.  
We're encouraged to keep an art journal.  We'll be provided 2 prompts per month.  Here is my first attempt.  I think it would have been easier to do one page instead of a 2 page spread.  I need to get away from thinking I need to "make a scene".  I will work on abstract backgrounds.  I did enjoy the doodling and scribbling so maybe there's hope for me yet.

The word "free" denotes my freedom from design team deadlines in order to pursue my craft. I found it ironic that when I finished, it looked like a "flower child" from the 60's/70's when the word "free" had another meaning.  A fluke because I was experimenting with gesso and sprays on textured flowers which also seemed like a good place for the fairy to stand.

The fairy is a digital stamp from Vera Lane Studio (which I digitally colored before placing on the page).

I'm going to enter this in the STAMPlorations ARTplorations Mixed Media January challenge HERE.  You must use a stencil.  I used one from the Crafter's Workshop to make those black rectangles with texture paste and the Dylusions stencil for the trees.  I also used several of the background stamps from the STAMPlorations Mixed Media Grunge set.