21st Century Pillow Book

Under the Sea with Dilly Beans, and DICC with Bombshell Stamps

2013-06-15T05:00:00.000-04:00

My goodness! What a crazy couple of weeks I have had! Board meetings, chairing committees, Moving Up Day, last day of preschool, 10 washer keychain orders, 4 Pampered Chef shows, and I don't even remember what else. Needless to say, I. Am. Tired. And, I forgot to post my Dilly Beans project, so I am posting it today. Also, since it is the 15th, there is a new Desert Islands Crafters Challenge, and this time, we are being sponsored by Bombshell Stamps!

The Dilly Beans challenge this week is "Under the Sea." I used Kiki the Mermaid for my tag.

I colored her with watercolor markers and alcohol markers. My background was made by using the Web stencil from Stencil Girl, and buffing Peeled Paint and Broken China Distress Ink on to the tag in a random way. Super easy, but I think it alludes to reflecting water. I also created a border with teal stencil glitter.

On to DICC! Here's the itinerary.....

1. Die Cut/ Punch

2. Oriental Item

3. Patterned Paper

4. Gemstones

5. Ribbon/Cording

6. Something Glittery

7. Dry Embossing

8. Spray Mists

9. Teal

10. Sentiment

For my card, I used #'s 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 9, and 10. I started off by coloring Bombshell's beautiful Peek-A-Boo Geisha (which is the prize for the next DICC winner!). Then I used a new (for me) Spellbinders die (obsessed with these lately!) and 2 awesome stencils from Dreamweaver Stencils. I used my beloved Houndstooth, and Dragon.

I colored the Geisha with my Spectrum Noir markers. I love how her parasol came out. I also used a banner from Bombshell's Banner Sayings.

This month, over at Dreamweaver's Blog, their challenge is to create a project with something that you found on Pinterest that inspired you. I found THIS beautiful color palette from Design Seeds there.

Please be sure to visit the Dilly Beans Blog and the DICC blog, for more projects by the awesome DTs. Thanks for stopping by. Have an inspiring day!

Romeo and Juliet vs. Moulin Rouge: Movie Magic Monthly

2013-06-10T05:00:00.000-04:00

Hello! Can you believe it's already June 10th? Seriously, May has flown by faster than any other month this year. Well, since it's the 10th, I have a new Movie Magic Monthly challenge to share with you. This time around it's Romeo and Juliet vs. Moulin Rouge. I went with the former.

I decorated a Travertine tile using Bombshell Stamps' Till Death. Hey! It's on sale...so why not snag it for yourself? It's a great set. Anywho...I thought this image was rather appropriate for Romeo and Juliet.

Have I mentioned lately how much I enjoy making these tiles? This baby may just end up in my Etsy Shop.... Now you should pop on over to the Movie Magic Monthly blog to see what the rest of the team has created. Thanks for stopping by. Have an inspiring day!

Name Your Poison with Bombshell Stamps

2013-06-08T05:00:00.000-04:00

Hello again! Today over at the Bombshell Blog, we are celebrating our June Wacky Holiday. This month, it's Name Your Poison Day. What's that, you ask? Allow me to share the following info, courtesy of Holiday Insights.
"Name Your Poison Day is a day to make a choice. The term "Name Your Poison" is commonly used to suggest that you select among a number of options.This term has a negative connotation. The origin of this term is unknown. But, at the time, it probably referred to some unhappy choice. It is commonly used when asking someone what type of alcoholic drink they want. But, it is also used to refer to any choice of options, good or bad. For example, "Name Your Poison" may refer to selecting an ice cream flavor, a dessert choice, etc. Celebrate today by making a decision..... Name Your Poison.

I used Calaveras Fiesta and Tiki Party from Bombshell for this card. I also used this month's Bombshell Sketch as inspiration for the card.

This dud is having a good time. I think I'd like to join him after the hectic week I've had! My "Name Your Poison" background was done with a JustRite alpha stamp.

So why not go ahead and visit the Bombshell Blog to see what some of my fellow Design Team members have created? Thanks for stopping by. Have an inspiring day!

Skull Appreciation Day Blog Hop!!!

2013-06-04T05:00:00.000-04:00

Greetings! This is a HUGE day for fans of gothic, dark, and alternative art. It's Skull Appreciation Day! I have participated in this hop since it's inception, and I have really been looking forward to it. You should be coming to me from Domino Art. If not, why not hop over to Terra's Blog, where this creep-tastic hop begins. I made 2 projects for this exciting, yet unusual celebration.

The first is a Step Card. I had a lot of fun with this. The card features images from Rick St. Dennis. I used a LOT of Rick's images for this Step Card. Here's the list: Pirate Nayja, Going, Going, Gone, SkuLl with Roses (sans the roses), Treason, Monument, and I Have My Eye on You from the Smeared & Smudged Rubber Club. All images except for I Have My Eye on You are available in Rick's Etsy Shop.

This was quite a time consuming piece...but well worth it! How beautiful is Nayja? She is a stunning pirate!

I have her holding the skull of one of her many victims. All images were colored with Spectrum Noir and Copic markers. You can click on any of my pictures to see it bigger.

Rick's skulls are amazing. I love the detail. All of the cracks and shadows..the expressions. There aren't better skulls out there!

I used an alphabet set from Martha Stewart for my title, and a stencil called Web from Stencil Girl.

This trio looks pretty damn miserable, huh? On to a project that is a bit...well...cheerier. It features Calaveras Fiesta from Bombshell Stamps.

I made a pair of earrings! I stamped my happy skeletons on Shrinky Dink paper, and used a few alcohol based markers to color them in. I punched a hole in the hands, and shrunk those babies down! It sure is fun to watch them dance while they are shrinking!

I think they are adorable. And they were so simple to make! Now it is time for you to hop along! Your next stop is my friend Donna, who is incredibly talented and sure to wow you! In case you get lost along the way, the entire hop list is posted below. Thank you so much for stopping by. Have a creep-tatsic day!

Kay

Ike

Movie Magic Monthly Blog

June Bombshell Stamps Muse Monday: Mermaid Anchor

2013-06-03T00:00:00.000-04:00

Greetings! It's the first Monday of the month, so that means it's time for me to share the newest Muse Monday for Bombshell Stamps with you. Are you familiar with Muse Monday? Each month, I choose a set of Bombshell Stamps that I want the fabulous Design Team to work with. Each Monday, at least 2 team members will share projects with you using that featured set. Plus, that set will be on sale for the entire month! For June, I wanted to work with Mermaid Anchor. It's a fairly new set for me in my collection, but since I have gotten it...I have used it quite a number of times. I am really enjoying working with it.

I made a mini page (6x6 layout). I am quickly falling in love with making these babies. I colored my images with my Green, Pale Hues and Cool Gray sets from Spectrum Noir.

I was in a green mood today.....wasn't planning on doing a monochromatic page...but it worked out that way. Seems like I am working with unusual colors (or the lack there of) lately.

I used some of the icons and one of the dolphins on my background paper. I clear embossed them for a watermarked effect. I hope you enjoyed my page! Please be sure to visit the Bombshell Blog every Monday for more rad projects featuring Mermaid Anchor. And don't forget to buy your own set this month, while it's on sale! Thanks for stopping by. Have an inspiring day!

June Bombshell Pin-Up Challenge

2013-06-02T05:00:00.000-04:00

Hello! Today, I am sharing the June Bombshell Stamps Pin-Up challenge with you. Sharon Rogers (who I am on DICC with) is our lucky lady, and she decided that we need to use either vellum or transparencies for our project. I made a tag using Butterfly Queen.

Now you see her wings..........................................................

Now you don't!

I used watercolors on a tag, and I cut out 2 pieces of transparency to fit the tag. On the first, I stamped the wings with Staz-On. On the second, I attached my cut and colored Queen. I colored her up with my Spectrum Noirs.

I put all 3 parts together with a simple brad. It's a simple project, but it has a fun element little surprise. How would you like to see more? Or even play along with this cool challenge? Then please visit the Bombshell Blog! Thanks for stopping by. Have an inspiring day!

Rick St. Dennis x2

2013-06-01T05:00:00.000-04:00

Happy June! I have 2 Rick St. Dennis projects to share with you today. The first is for the new Desert Islands Crafters Challenge that Rick happens to be sponsoring. The second is with a brand new freebie that is up on Rick's blog today! First, DICC. Here's the new itinerary.

1. All White

2. Add a circle

3. Lots of Layers

4. Jewels

5. Make an Easel Card

6. Quirky or Humorous Sentiment or Quote

7. Silver

8. Winged Thing

9. Based on a Fairy Tale Book or Movie

10. Use the Sketch (you can see it on the DICC Blog)

I used #'s 1, 2, 4, 6, and 10 for my project. I made another mini page, as I did for the Bombshell Hump Day Hop on Wednesday.

I don't think I have ever done an all white project. Like, ever. But I tell ya...it was fun!

I used Rick's Parum de Morte for this mini page. I shaded it with a few Cool Gray markers from Spectrum Noir. It's tough to see, but the printed paper has the definition of spring repeated on it. I thought it was perfect with this skull.

My sentiment reads "bone appetite" which I thought was funny. It really was fun to work with only white. Who knew I would enjoy a total lack of color? Especially after yesterday's post...with only black and white! But don't worry....there's lots of bold colors in my next piece!

This is Desdemona. She is really sultry. This was a fun card for me because I used one of my favorite color combinations. Teal, purple, and hot pink. With a twist of lime! Hahaha.

Check out those earrings! I wish I had a pair! I don't know what it is about her....but I think Desdemona is in my Top 5 of favorite images from Rick. And you can snag her for free!!!

My banner is from Bombshell Stamps. Please be sure to visit Rick's Blog, plus the DICC Blog, Airless Chambers and Sparkle and Glitter for all things Rick. Thanks for stopping by. Have an inspiring day!

Black and White with Dilly Beans

2013-05-31T05:00:00.000-04:00

Hello! It's Friday (hooray!), so I have a new Dilly Beans challenge to share with you. This week's theme is Black and White. We have a new rule, starting this week. You MUST use a Dilly Beans image to play along. Full details will be on the Dilly Beans challenge blog. Now...here' my card.

I was a little worried about this challenge, as I really do love to use color. But this was a lot of fun!!! I want to make more projects that are just black and white!

I used one of Megan's fabulous Big Eye Girls for this card. I used only black and 2 shades of gray (from Spectrum Noir) to color her in. Oh. And I used a white pen from Sakura here and there too.

I used a Crafter's Workshop stencil and a sentiment from Inkadinkado. The rest was just scraps I had laying around. All in all, this card came together very quickly, which I was thrilled about. What do you think of the lack of color? How about playing along with us this week? Just visit the Dilly Beans challenge blog to play, and you will get to see lots more inspiration from the amazing DT. And, in honor of the new "Dilly Beans Only" rule, Megan has decided to have a BOGO sale on all digis Saturday and Sunday. Again, check out the blog for all of the deets. Thanks for stopping by. Have an inspiring day!

May Hump Day Hop: Banners

2013-05-29T00:00:00.000-04:00

Greetings, bloggy friends! It's the last Wednesday in May, so that means it's time for the Bombshell Stamps Hump Day Hop! This month, I chose "Banners" for the theme. I thought this was a pretty simple one, as so many of the Bombshell sets come with really rad banners. The participants could also make their own banners...or if they really felt like being creative, to make a banner as their project. I decided to try something kind of new. Instead of making a card, or a scrapbook page...I made a mini 6x6 layout, with no photos. I think that I will make a whole book of these mini pages. It's not really art journaling, and not exactly scrapbooking...but it's fun, and I like it...so there ya go!

Let me start iff by saying that the yellows look rather garish in my photos, but I promise, they look much better in real life. And the tones of my background paper are a bit brighter in real life too. For my mini page, I used Mermaid Treasure, Homeward Bound, and Ahoy Sailor (the little ship wheel).

I colored all of my elements with Spectrum Noir and Copic markers. I just love putting the ship with that mermaid. They go so well together. I have 2 banners on my mini page. The "Homeward Bound" banner, and one that I made with a Spellbinders die. I spelled out "sail" with a clear stamp set I have.

I used one of my favorite Dreamweaver Stencils, the Houndstooth background. I am entering this mini page into their current challenge, which is "Tiny Treats." You can get all of the deets about that challenge HERE. I also used a fabulous bead/sequins mixture that Kathi gave me, for added texture...along with some corrugated cardstock. That's it for me! Below is the full hop list. Happy hopping!

Bombshell Blog: http://bombshellstamps.blogspot.com/

Alison: http://alisonsrandomthoughts.blogspot.com/ (that's me!)

Jodi: http://www.elamdesign33.blogspot.com/

Marnie: http://www.papertivity.blogspot.com

Glittery Katie: http://ferrishyn-frontier.blogspot.com

Kim: http://www.craftypinkanchor.blogspot.com

Michelle: http://twisted-chick.blogspot.com/

Alaine: http://missalaineousmosaics.blogspot.com/

Monika: http://paperchrome.blogspot.com/

Teresa: http://www.thetamarisk.blogspot.com

Sharon: http://sharonshowcase.blogspot.com/

Kelli: http://www.cajunstampingqueen.blogspot.com

Kathi: http://kathstales.blogspot.com

Muse Monday: Week 4- Ahoy Sailor

2013-05-27T05:00:00.000-04:00

Hello! It's Week 4 for Muse Monday over at Bombshell Stamps. I have been enjoying this month's featured set, which is Ahoy Sailor, so much, that I wanted to play again. Did you know, that you could snag the featured set on sale??? You better hurry! The month is almost up...which means a new set will be on sale in June!

I decided to make a tag. I also decided to play along with Ms. May's Pin-up challenge! You can check out that post HERE.

I used a faaaaaabulous embossing folder on my tag, and then some gold rubby stuff to highlight the embossed areas. I used 2 Spellbinders dies for the anchor and mat. The rest is pretty obvious. :) I hope you've liked my tag. Please be sure to stop by the Bombshell Blog to see what else has been created for Muse Monday. Thanks for stopping by. Have an inspiring day!

Sunscreen Protection Day: Bombshell Wacky Holidays

2013-05-26T05:00:00.000-04:00

Greetings! At Bombshell Stamps, we like to enjoy the sillier side of things from time to time. Which is why we started celebrating wacky holidays. I get all of my info from Holiday Insights. And boy, do they have a lot of information when it come to out of the ordinary celebrations. This month, e are celebrating Sunscreen Protection Day. Because really, those bombshells need to keep their skin looking beautiful! Here's what I learned about the day.

Sunscreen Protection Day is always celebrated on May 27th, but since we have Muse Monday tomorrow, we decided to get the festivities underway a day early. The day is said to bring awareness about how important it is to protect you and your loved one's skin from the harmful rays of the sun. This is even important on cloudy days. So always use SPF 15 or more, people!

I used several Bombshell Stamps sets for this card. I used Hula Girl, and new to me, Hawaiian Girl and Tiki Party. Please take note of the fact that my girls are nice an fair. They are wearing like SPF 75!

Everything was colored with alcohol inks. Mostly Spectrum Noirs with a few Copics thrown in.

I've got to say, it's a lot of fun piecing together little scenes with my Bombshells. Have you ever given it a try? I hope you will be wearing your sunscreen today, and everyday! Would you like to see more projects that celebrate this wacky holiday? Then please go visit the Bombshell Blog to see what some of the other DT members have created. Thanks for stopping by. Have an inspiring day!

Dots with Dilly Beans

2013-05-24T09:59:00.000-04:00

Greetings and salutations! Today I have a new Dilly Beans challenge to share with you. This week, our challenge is "Dots." When Megan first told us about the challenge, I immediately knew which image i wanted to work with.

I used one of Megan's adorable bug girls. Isn't she cute? I love all of the Dilly Beans' Big Eye Girls.

I colored her with alcohol markers, and glittered up her wings with Stickles. I also used some black cardstock that I had sprayed with Memory Mists Iridescent spray from Dreamweaver Stencils.

You can really see the sparkle and glimmer here. Love that spray! It changes color depending on the angle. I hope you will play along with this week's challenge. Please be sure to stop by the Dilly Beans Challenge Blog to see what the rest of the team has come up with. Thanks for stopping by. Have an inspiring day!

Till Death...

2013-05-20T10:20:00.003-04:00

Greetings! Happy Monday! I have a Bombshell Stamps card to share with you today. And I made it, just to make it. No challenges, no requirements. Just somethin' I felt like doing. And boy, sometimes that feels so good.

I worked with Till Death, which is a fabulous set. And, it's on sale! The set has some really great elements. I especially love the swallow holding the banner that says "True Love" Hey, did you know that this month's hop theme is Banners? How about you join us? Most of the Bombshell sets come with some type of banner, so making a project for this theme is easy! And even if you don't have any of our sets, you can still play! How? Sign up for the newsletter, and then you will have access to FREE digis! At least one of those sets have a banner, so you have no excuse to not play! Just visit THIS link to sign up.

I colored the image with alcohol markers, after stamping it with Memento ink. I enjoyed coloring the skull a lot. I like to experiment with different colors to make bone look like...well...bone.

I used a Stencil Girl "Web" stencil for my background. Inked up with Pumice Stone Distress Ink. And several fun paper scraps that I had. I am so loving the black glitter paper.

Thanks for stopping by. Have an inspiring day!

Anything Goes with Dilly Beans!

2013-05-17T13:47:00.001-04:00

Greetings! Today I have a new Dilly Beans challenge to share with you. This week, it's Anything Goes, but you MUST use a Dilly Beans image. Here's my project.

I used Megan's Happy Day Framed #542. I colored this pretty flower with alcohol and watercolor markers.

Yeesh...this picture is washed out! I kept the card pretty clean and simple. Sometimes you just don't need a ton of layers and distressing.

As a side note, I am very excited to say that I was one of the lucky winners of a $10 gift certificate for a Sweet Pea Stamps layout that I did. It's called Look Alikes, and you can check it out HERE. I am super stoked that I was one of the chosen winners.
Now, it's time for you to create a fabulous project with Dilly Beans! Have fun with it! And be sure to visit the Dilly Beans blog to see what the rest of the DT has come up with for this week. Thanks for stopping by. Have an inspiring day!

DICC #54: Mad for Markers

2013-05-15T19:08:00.002-04:00

Greetings! I have a short post for you today, as the time has been simply flying by. The latest Desert Islands Crafters Challenge is up and awaiting your entries. This time around, we are sponsored by Mad for Markers by Sammi. Here is the itinerary.

1. The color blue

2. Distressing

3. Doodling

4. Washi Tape

5. Texture

6. Bling

7. Dots

8. A critter or 2

9. Fabric

10. White Accents

Remember, you need to use at least 3 things from the itinerary. I used #'s 1, 2, 3, and 8.

The cute little crab is one of a few digis Sammi created specifically for DICC. I paired the little guy up with a palm tree from the Bombshell Stamps set, Hawaiian Girl. Everything was colored with alcohol markers, and I used Distress Inks, and a brown pen for my doodling.

I hope you will play along with us! Please be sure to visit the DICC blog to check out the rest of the great DT creations. Thanks for stopping by. Have an inspiring day!

Ace of Swords and Playing Catch Up

2013-05-12T05:00:00.000-04:00

Greetings, and Happy Mother's Day!I have 2 projects to share with you today. The first is an ATC for the latest Wicked Wednesday challenge, and the other is a card for the new Movie Magic Monthly challenge. Yeah...I am a couple of days late with posting that one. Sorry! Life really got in the way this week.

I am making more and more ATC's lately, as I sometimes only have time to make something teeny. And I think I am getting better at them! The Wicked Wednesday challenge this week is Tarot Symbols. I thought this Rick St. Dennis image, called Monument was just perfect for the Ace of Swords.

The Ace of Swords symbolizes the beginning of a conquest that will eventually be successful. Obviously,the bearer of this sword was successful. I thought that this card was a good one for me to make, as i am looking to be more successful in some of my conquests. Hopefully, the energy I put into it will help me. The image is colored with alcohol inks, and I used a Stencil Girl stencil for my background.

The newest Movie Magic Monthly challenge is Star Wars vs. Star Trek. What a fabulous challenge, right? Hopefully, if things go my way...I will have several projects to share with you this month, as I love both Star Wars and Star Trek. I used this image from Mayzy Art. Isn't it great?

I used alcohol markers for this image as well. And look! I managed to find Star Wars paper!

I will be giving this card to my Mom today, as she is a H-U-G-E Star Wars fan. Well, anything Sci-Fi in general....but the Wars and the Trek especially. I have something else to share with you....but it's a creation by my littlest sister, Monica.

Monica has a company called Subtle Nerd. If you love geekery-ware from video games, movies, and TV shows....but you don't want it to scream...then my sister's creations are for you. She makes amazing jewelry, and is starting to create sick dresses. Show off your inner geek....subtly. So this is one of her newest creations, and I freaking love it. Check out the beautiful Blue Goldstone beads she used! Check out her stuff. You'll love it. She does custom work s well. HERE is her main website.
I hope you like the offerings I have shared with you today. Thanks for stopping by. Have an inspiring day!

Pirates! In the Nick of Time!

2013-05-06T21:30:00.002-04:00

Talk about working until the last moment! Holy cow....I have been planning on making this project for a while now...but was only able to create it literally 3 hours before the submissions closed. Ok..I guess I need to back up and explain myself. This is what happens when I have a migraine. Sweet Pea Stamps was having a call for layouts using their beautiful images. And I had to participate! So I did.....but once wasn't enough! You were actually allowed to submit up to 3 layouts. But, as time would have it...I only am going to be able to do 2. I'll make the 3rd eventually...I even printed out the photos. But it will have to wait.

My family and I threw my mom a surprise party a few years back. Looking at the age of my kidlings in these photos, it was almost 4 years ago! My mom is just plain nuts about pirates. And we have actually thrown her a couple of pirate parties. So this was one of them.

Look at how teeny my babies are!!! To set off these photos, I used ching-chou kuik's Unregrettable Pirate Life. I colored her with alcohol and watercolor markers.

She's so pretty. I have used this stamp a number of times. She's a favorite of mine.

Check out that treasure chest cake that my sister Pam made! Isn't it amazing?! And it was SO yummy!

Thanks for checking out my page. Sorry this post is all kinds of wacky. I feel awful, but I wanted to get this page made and submitted to the contest. Now that it's done, I feel a bit better. :) Thanks for stopping by!

Bombshell's May Sketch and Muse Monday

2013-05-06T08:47:00.003-04:00

Greetings! I have 2 Bombshell projects to share with you today. The first is the Sketch Challenge for May. I used one of the newest (for me) sets, Growing Hearts.

I had a good time coloring this image. Isn't it fun to get new stamp sets? I colored the woman and my banner with my watercolor markers.

She looks so serene. I also used one of the banners from Banner Sayings and the sentiment if from Rose's Portrait. Did you know that Banner Sayings is on sale right now? It is a wonderful set...for more than just Bombshells!

On to Muse Monday. This month, I chose to have the Design Team work with Ahoy Sailor. Another new to me set. I decided to make a tag.

My mom loves this set, so I think I will give her this tag, and make her a few more things for her.

She is colored with watercolor and alcohol markers, and I inked a bit of blue and Pumice Stone (Distress Ink) on top of the image. For the tag itself, I stamped the small icons from the Ahoy Sailor set with embossing ink, embossed the images with clear powder, and then inked on top of the tag with Distress Ink. Then, I spritzed it with some Stormy Weather Memory Mist.

I added a star button, and some eyelash yarn, and then I was finished. It's a pretty simple tag, but I like it. Be sure to visit the Bombshell Blog to see more interpretations of this month's Sketch Challenge and Muse Monday. Thanks for stopping by. Have an inspiring day!

For Mom: with Dilly Beans

2013-05-03T06:00:00.000-04:00

Hello hello! I have a new Dilly Beans challenge to share with you. This week, the challenge is "For Mom." So I chose to work with one of Megan's Big Eye Girl images.

This is "Girl and Butterfly #336." I used only shades of blue, and of course skin tones for her. And it was fun to do the monochromatic thing.

I used only alcohol markers for this image. I loved coloring her big eye.

I used a simple die-cut font for the "mom" and layered 2 flowers. Pretty simple, but pretty. What would you make for your mom? I know that my mom loves the Big Eye Girls, so she is going to love this card! Would you like to see what the rest of the DT made? Then head over to the Dilly Beans challenge Blog to see! Thanks for stopping by. Have an inspiring day!

An Undead Scottsman with DICC

2013-05-01T12:53:00.003-04:00

Happy May 1st! I have a new Desert Islands Crafters Challenge to share with you. This time, we are sponsored by Rick St. Dennis. Here's the itinerary.

1. Skulls

2. Snakes

3. Roses

4. Gingham/Plaid

5. Emboss it

6. Recycle it

7. Glitter it

8. Black and White + 1 Color

9. Fibers

10. Angels

When I first saw this itinerary, I pictured an undead Sctottsman playing bagpipes, that were turning into snakes. I don't know...I guess I was having residual thoughts of the amazing St. Patty's Day parade we went to. LOTS of Irishman in kilts playin' those amazing pipes. So why did I think of a Scottsman? Probably because our very own Suzi is from Scotland! I know...my mind works in strange ways... Anyway. Since Rick is sponsoring this challenge, I decided to ask him if he would draw my odd character. Well, and hour and a half after I sent the request, I got EXACTLY what I had imagined! Actually, he is even better than I imagined!

Isn't he AMAZING?! I saw him and wondered how Rick got into my brain and pulled out what I envisioned!

I colored him with alcohol markers. And I had a lot of fun doing it! My journaling is simply about the itinerary, and the story behind this creep-tastic fella. I used a couple of stencils on my background. The rose is from Dreamweaver and the web is from Stencil Girl.

Now it's time for you to head off into the sunset. But please be sure to visit the DICC blog to see what the rest of the team came up with. Thanks for stopping by. Have an inspiring day!

Look Alikes

2013-04-30T16:04:00.004-04:00

Hello! If you frequent my blog, then you know that I love scrapbooking. I don't often have a lot of time to do it, but it is one of my biggest passions. Well, when I saw that Sweet Pea Stamps was having a contest to incorporate their beautiful stamps into layouts. I quickly went through all of my Sweet Pea images (I have quite a number of them), and thought about which ones would work best in the photos I had. Here's what I came up with.

I LOVE ching-chou kuik's Aloha stamp. It's beautiful. But I wasn't sure if I could get a Mother/Daughter mermaid stamp to work....But, I think I did! I remembered that I had taken these photos of us a couple of month's ago during one of Rhiannon's Special Days at school (she goes to a co-op nursery school, so the parents get to participate on a rotation). I thought it would be fun to match the colors we were wearing. So, I colored the Aloha stamp to coordinate with us.

I colored the image with watercolor markers and alcohol markers. Isn't this image precious? I love it.

I'm really happy with how the page turned out. And I think it really shows how you can incorporate beautiful Sweet Pea images into everyday photos. I hope to have a couple more layouts made for this contest (you can have up to 3 entries). Fingers crossed that I will have time! Thanks for stopping by. Have an inspiring day!

Your Smile is my Paradise, and Sit

2013-04-28T06:00:00.000-04:00

Greetings! Today I have two projects to share with you, both featuring digis from A Day for Daisies. I LOVE their digis. I have said it before, and I'll say it again. They are by far, one of my most favorite stamp companies ever. I adore these images. And, since I was the very lucky winner of their last challenge (YAY!!!), I won a few images.
The first project is a card that is for the newest ADFD challenge. The challenge is to "Use Newsprint." I used the new Aloha Blooms image, and paired it with a sentiment from Ginger's House.

Oh, I just love her. I had a fun time coloring her...I experimented with some new combinations of skin tones. I worked with alcohol markers and watercolor markers, plus, the background was done in watercolors.

I also played with a brand new stencil that I got from Stencil Girl. It's called "Web" and I love it. I used 3 colors of ink (applied via stencil brush), ad then embossed it with clear powder.

Sorry that the color is way off in this photo. For my "newsprint" element, I found this page in a parcel I had gotten from a friend a long time ago. I thought the words were pretty great with this image. I am entering this card in the Sweet Stampin' Challenge. Their challenge is "Anything but Birthday." Also, in the Crafty Calendar Challenge "Sunshine and Showers).

This week at Wicked Wednesday, the challenge is "Things with Wings." Well, with my winnings from the ADFD challenge, I got several fairies....fairies are a bit of an obsession of mine. The fairy I used on this ATC is my favorite A Day for Daisies image. It just...speaks to me. I can't tell you how happy just looking at this sweet little fairy makes me. I have big plans for this sweetie, so be prepared to see this Little Nymph (so aptly named) a lot.

I colored the image with my 2 types of markers, and again, I watercolored the background. I used a beautiful woodgrained stamp that I have had in my stash for years. It's a favorite of mine.

The "sit" I added was made with a Just Rite alpha stamp. Seriously, I just love this image. I am also going to enter this ATC in the new Pumpkin Spice challenge, which is "Nature." Well, I am off to create something else! Thank you for stopping by. Have an inspiring day!

Think Pink! with Dilly Beans

2013-04-26T11:56:00.002-04:00

Hello hello! I have another layout to share with you today! 2 layouts in one week??? You have no idea how happy I am to be scrapping again! This week, the challenge over at Dilly Beans is to "Think Pink." And I immediately thought of some recent photos I had taken of Rhiannon while she was playing dress up.

I used Amalia Princess #394 for my layout. She very much reminded me of what Rhiannon dressed herself in. Lots and lots of pink layers of tulle.

I used watercolor markers and alcohol markers (plus a wee bit of Tiara Stickles) to color Amalia in.

I used my Slice machine (while it felt like working) to cut out the same flower in different patterned papers and sizes. Here are tho photos of Rhiannon so you can see them a little better...and see how adorable she is!

My girl loves to play dress up. And I love helping her get into all of those layers, and shoes, and jewelry! Please be sure to visit the Dilly Beans challenge blog to see what the rest of the team came up with for this Think Pink challenge. Thanks for stopping by. Have an inspiring day!

Putting on Socks: Week 4 with Dreamweaver Stencils

2013-04-25T05:00:00.000-04:00

Hello friends! I am sad to say, that this is my last post as a Guest Designer for Dreamweaver Stencils. I have had such a wonderful time posting with this extremely talented Design Team. It has been a real pleasure, and I want to thank the entire team for being so welcoming. And an extra special thank you to Lynell and Pam. You ladies are so wonderful. Thank you for having me.

So, if you have been following me throughout the month, you will know that the Dreamweaver challenge for the month is Rain/Showers/Drizzles/Mists, etc. My past 3 projects featured rain, but this time I wanted to go more along the line of "mists." I went to town with Memory Mists from Dreamweaver. And I got to make a layout! Yay!!!

Look at how teeny my Phoenix is! This photo was taken in my old scrapbooking store. Phoenix was about a year old here. Gosh, that seems like forever ago! He's 6 now, by the way. So here's what I did. I took the Fleur de Lis and the Damask stencil and put them on a crafting mat and sprayed the heck out of them with Diet Cola Memory Mist. Then I flipped them onto my cardstock and lightly pressed the stencil down. With the Houndstooth stencil, I sprayed directly onto my cardstock- but of course I flipped the stencil over on to another piece of stock so that I didn't waste any mist.

I then sprayed my main piece of cardstock with Stormy Weather Memory Mist and let it dry. Now, take a look at my letters. See how they sparkle? I sprayed Iridescent Memory Mist all over a sheet of black cardstock and then used my Slice machine to cut out my title. I also used some White Embossing Paste with the Celtic Hexagon stencil in random spots on my page. The color is a little washed out in this photo, but I wanted you to be able to see the glimmer.

Again, I had a fantastic time not only making this page, but spending time with the Dreamweaver gals. Thank you again to everyone. It was a pleasure. Below is the full list of ladies that have projects to share with you. Thanks for stopping by. Have an inspiring day!

Dream It Up!

Lea Kimmel

Alison Heikkila (that's me!)

April Bombshell Stamps Hump Day Hop: Color Challenge

2013-04-24T00:00:00.000-04:00

Hello! It's the last Wednesday of the month (and my husband's birthday!), so it's time for the Bombshell Stamps Hump Day Hop. This month, I gave us a color challenge. I love doing those! Here's the palette, from Design Seeds.

I challenged the participants to use at least 3 of these lovely colors...though more is always better. The only shade that I didn't use is the gray.

I used Bombshell Angel and the Fun 'N Flirty digi clothes. I also used 2 stamps from the Cherry Bomb set, and the zebra print from Bombshell Patterns.

I colored my images using a mix of watercolor markers and alcohol markers. I love this outfit. It's sassy.

It's hard to tell, but the main card is cream. I thought white would have been too stark. But, I think it should have been a smaller card. Though, I do love that dotted paper. It's nice to see so much of it. Now it's time for you to keep hopping. And, if you have some Bombshells of your own to play with (you can get some free digis by signing up for the newsletter!), perhaps you will join us next month! Below is the full hop list. Thanks for stopping by. Have an inspiring day!

Bombshell Blog: http://bombshellstamps.blogspot.com/

Alison: http://alisonsrandomthoughts.blogspot.com/ (that's me!)

Kim: www.craftypinkanchor.blogspot.com

Kelli: http://www.cajunstampingqueen.blogspot.com

Jodi: http://www.elamdesign33.blogspot.com/

Marnie: http://www.papertivity.blogspot.com

Kapree: http://kc-consultant.blogspot.com/

Monika: http://paperchrome.blogspot.com/

Alaine: http://missalaineousmosaics.blogspot.com/

Glittery Katie: http://ferrishyn-frontier.blogspot.com/

Kathi: http://kathstales.blogspot.com

Susie: http://whiteribboncards.blogspot.co.uk/