Happy Belated Halloween!

 Good morning friends!  OMG it's been 2 months since I've posted, what a bad blogger.  My event is next weekend and I've just been OUT STRAIGHT preparing for it - if you'd like to check it out, you can see our website here:  www.theharvestcup.org  This is our (my husband and I) fifth year running a local cannabis competition and tradeshow at the convention center in Worcester, MA.  It's a ton of work but even more fun!  These are the stickers I had made for our event this year:

So anyway - today I'd like to share a few cards I made for Halloween and a Halloween birthday, and this first one (image by Sami Stamps) I'd like to enter into the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Any Holiday Occasion

Creative Fingers - Anything Goes

Digi Choosday Week 44 - Anything Goes

Love to Craft - Anything Goes

Thanks for visiting!

Peace.

Twisted Circus

I was SUPER excited to see a challenge with an actual THEME posted this week!  Thank you to The Sisterhood of Crafters for coming up with the fun Circus Theme challenge this week!  Having a theme helps spark my creativity.  Here's my take on it:

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

The Sisterhood of Crafters: Circus Theme

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Glimmer & Sparkle

Creative Fingers: Anything Goes

Digi Choosday: Anything Goes

Polka Doodles: Anything Goes

Gem of a Challenge: Anything Goes

I used some fun Oddball images, Hissy Howler #532 and Twisted Circus Extras paired with papers from Echo Park.  I added lots of Stickles and used a glitter gel pen for accents.  Hope you like it!  Peace.

LOVE Flamingo Baby

 Well hello there!  I can't believe it's been a month since my last blog post - what a busy Summer!  We are hard at work getting ready for our 5th anniversary of The Harvest Cup, the cannabis competition and tradeshow that my husband and I own/run in Worcester, Massachusetts!  Check it out, it's a lot of fun even if you're NOT into cannabis!  We have artists and non-profits, speakers, vendors, all kinds of cool stuff.

Anyway, today I have a cute card that I made for my grandbaby Raerae, who loves flamingos:

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

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

Paper FunDay - Anything Goes (Optional Cute Critters - Check!)

Gem of a Challenge - Anything Goes

PolkaDoodles - Anything Goes

Love to Craft - Anything Goes

Happy Little Stampers - Anything Goes with Dies

Digi ChoosDay - Anything Goes

The image came from AlexShopsArt on Etsy, I colored with Blick alcohol markers.   I love this LOVE die from scrapbook.com and I paired her with papers from Sunny Studio.  Thanks for stopping by!  Peace.

Just Say No to Cannabis Arrests!

Good morning everyone!  Today is my day to post on the Oddball Too Cute to Spook blog and I decided to play with this adorable image called Big Eye 420 Girl with Sentiments/Princess of Pot No. 388.  I love these papers from Jen Hatfield - they go perfectly with this image, don't they?

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

Creative Fingers: Anything Goes

Love to Craft: Anything Goes

Digi Choosday: Anything Goes

Mix It Up Challenge Blog: Anything Goes (optional Aperture)

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday: Out with the Old, In with the New

The Paper Fun Day Challenge: Anything Goes (optional Summer Fun)

PolkaDoodles Challenge: Anything Goes

Gem of a Challenge: Anything Goes #15

I colored my image with Prismacolor pencils & mineral spirits and some alcohol markers.  I fussy cut the images and then just used the images and papers to create the card, very simple but I love how this one came out.  Hope you are all having a great Summer!  Peace.

Get Over It!

 Well good morning and happy Saturday!  We're on, like, day 42 of rain or something ridiculous like that but at least it doesn't rain alllllll day.... just enough to make it impossible to make any plans at all!  LOL  Luckily, I have card-making to keep me busy when I'm stuck at home! Today is my day to post on the Oddball Too Cute to Spook blog.  I love this color combo - image is from the CCC #151 Life is Yummy set, colored with Blick alcohol markers then fussy-cut and adhered with some dimensional foam dots:

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges:

Love to Craft: July Anything Goes

PolkaDoodles: Anything Goes

Creative Fingers: Anything Goes

Digi ChoosDay: Anything Goes

Happy Little Stampers: Anything Goes with Dies

Addicted to Stamps: Any Occasion

Papers are from Doodlebug Designs and I added a sentiment sticker and a little skull die-cut (both from Tim Holtz).   I outlined the orange box with black Stickles and edged the entire card with black ink.  Peace.

Real Mermaids Smoke Seaweed!

 Hello friends!  I wanted to pop in quick with a card I made using a members exclusive image from Oddball Art Co., she's colored with Blick alcohol markers and paired with the 420 stamp set and a cannabis leaf die cut from Ink Road Stamps:

I hope you all had a happy & safe 4th of July weekend!  Peace.

Sunny Days!

I spoke too soon.  *sigh*  LOL   Looks like our 4th of July weekend is going to be full of clouds and rain!  That's OK though - we're still going to my mom's to celebrate and I'm sure we will have a fabulous time!

Today I'd like to share a pair of coordinating Summer themed cards I made using the scraps from my cardstock.  The digi images are from All That Scraps (no longer in business unfortunately!).  I colored with Prismacolor pencils and mineral spirits and some Blick markers. papers are from Doodlebug Designs (my favorite!) and then I added some random stickers and embellishments from my stash: 

I'd like to enter these (if I have to choose one, I'll enter the boy) into the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday: Anything Goes

Paper FunDay: Anything Goes (optional: Sparkle/Shine)

Love to Craft: Anything Goes

PolkaDoodles: Anything Goes

Creative Fingers: Anything Goes

Digi ChoosDay: Anything Goes

Thanks for visiting - hope you all have a happy and safe holiday weekend!  Peace. 

Oddball - You Are a Star!!!!

Hello friends - HAPPY SUMMER!  I have been battling anemia for a couple years now, which makes me have a hard time regulating my internal body temperature.  I'm almost always cold.  Unless I'm in the throes of night sweats, which is great fun (ha!).  I am not a huge fan of air conditioning, so I'm really loving the 75-degree weather we've been having the last couple of days! But I'll be ready for the HEAT next weekend, can't celebrate the 4th of July if it's not hot out! LOL   Well, I mean, you CAN, but it's not the same.  We are going to spend the holiday at my parents house, something we haven't done in a long time.  I am trying really hard to take care of myself and not overdo things (something I tend to do), so I'm not hosting a 4th of July party this Summer for the first time in a very long time.  I have mixed feelings about it but I know we'll have a great weekend anyway.

Today is my turn to post on the Oddball Too Cute To Spook blog, and I wanted to get everyone into the spirit for our 4th of July holiday here in the US so I decided to color up my images in red, white, and blue.  I used Big Eye Beauty Whimsical Dreams Sally's Stars #292 and Hand Drawn Stars and Bubbles #343:

I used some fun patriotic papers from Doodlebug Designs and I fussy-cut the image and applied it with dimensional squares so it would "pop".  I added some Rangers Stickles to the stars and bubbles, finished it off with a ribbon tag and a sentiment sticker "you are a star".   I'd like to enter this one into the following challenges:

The Sisterhood of Crafters: Anything Goes

Paper FunDay: Anything Goes

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday: Red, White, or Blue

Hope you are all enjoying some sunshine and fresh air! Peace. 

Always Room for S'more!

Hello friends!  Today is my day to post on the Oddball Too Cute To Spook blog, and our theme for this month is SUMMERTIME!  I decided to use the new Digital Creepy Cute S'Mores Collage Sheet #495:  

I wanted the focus to be on this pretty sentiment, so I fussy-cut the S'more image and colored it with Prismacolor pencils & mineral spirits and added some shimmery white Pops of Color liquid to the marshmallow.  Papers are from Doodlebug Designs Inc., along with the little chocolate chip stickers. Topped it off with a ribbon - I love this card!  Hope you are all having a lovely Summer and that you make lots of time for sunshine and S'mores!  Peace.

Alice Screws Up!

Good morning friends!  Well, today I have a card to share that I was super proud of.  I am on the Oddball Art Stamps Design Team and today we are sponsoring the C.R.A.F.T. Challenge blog - the theme is EASEL CARDS  but I misinterpreted it because they had requested the Alice image, so I mistakenly assumed the theme was Alice in Wonderland!  LOL  So anyway, here's my Alice card which SHOULD be an easel card but is not:

I would like to enter this into the following challenges:

Love to Craft: Anything Goes

PolkaDoodles: Anything Goes

Paper Funday: Anything Goes with Optional Twist Sparkle/Shine

Happy Little Stampers: Anything Goes with Dies

Papers are from Doodlebug Design, paired with a die cut potion bottle, viewfinder, and heart. I added some gemstone stickers and a ribbon tag to finish it off.  Alice is colored with Prismacolor pencils & mineral spirits with a bit of red marker. Peace.

Snarky ATCoins

 Hello friends!  I had a day last week where I was just ready to strangle someone... instead of doing that, I headed to my craft room for some art therapy.  LOL  I made a few snarky ATCoins and it cheered me right up!  ;)  

I would like to enter this mermaid ATCoin into the following challenges:

Love to Craft: Anything Goes

The Sisterhood of Crafters: Water

I used a cute little digi stamp mermaid from Tiddly Inks and combined it with some fun paper from Doodlebug Design.  Added some snarky text stickers and slapped a magnet on the back!  Thanks for checking out my creations today!  Peace.

Bears and Creepy vs Cute Flowers!

 Good morning!  We had some excitement at our house yesterday morning... I live smack dab in the geographical center of Massachusetts in a town called Rutland.  It's a rural town but has had a lot of new developments recently, leaving the wildlife struggling to find places where they can safely roam and live.  Anyway, yesterday morning this guy stopped by our neighbor's bird feeder and chicken coop looking for a snack and we all scared him off so he wouldn't get into trouble...

Pretty cool, huh?  The neighbor called the Mass Wildlife Association and was told we have 2 known bear dens in the woods behind our houses.  I won't be going for any strolls through the woods any time soon!

Today is my day to post on the Oddball Too Cute to Spook blog and I have a couple of projects to share with you using the fun May Members Exclusive Images Creepy vs Cute - first up is a card using my standard format of 5.25x5.25 inches:

And a couple of ATCoins (my new addiction - ha!):

I would like to enter my ATCoins into the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Anything Goes

The Sisterhood of Crafters: Flowers as the Focus

PolkaDoodles: Anything Goes

Paper Funday: Anything Goes with Optional Twist of Florals

Love to Craft: Anything Goes

I hope you are all enjoying some nice weather and spending some time in the fresh air and I hope you all have a safe and happy Memorial Day weekend coming up!  Peace.

Peace, Love, and Hippies!

 Hello friends! Today is my day to post on the Oddball Art Too Cute To Spook blog - tomorrow's theme for the Creepy Cute Chronicles is Wild & Free/Boho/Hippie Daze and that theme is right up my alley so I made a couple of fun cards using Whimsical Big Eye Flower Girl Noora Image #244.  For the first card, I printed out her whole body, colored her with a combination of Prismacolor pencils & mineral spirits and Blick alcohol markers.  I used a banner die cut, a frame die cut, and a peace sign die cut and added some gemstone stickers and alphabet stickers to spell out "peace" on the banner - all other embellies are from Doodlebug Designs coordinating paper pads & stickers (this one was a lot of fun to make!) and I'd like to enter this into the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge:  Use Dies and/or Punches

Love to Craft: Anything Goes

Addicted to Stamps: Die Cuts or Stencils

Happy Little Stampers: Anything Goes with Dies

For the card above, I printed out a tie dye background and then cropped the image close to get a nice big face to color.  I used a combination of Prismacolor pencils & mineral spirits with Blick alcohol markers and gave her some sparkly eye shadow with Ranger Stickles.  Threw some decorative tape on there along with a paper flower with a button center and some peace sign die cuts.  I hope you like! Peace.

No Desire to Fit In

 Good morning everyone!  Today is my day to post on the Oddball Too Cute To Spook blog.  I used 2 of the adorable Oddball images to create my little card today - I put Snail Pixie Pete #306 inside the Magic Glass Ball #476:

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

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Things with Wings

Love to Craft: Anything Goes

PolkaDoodles: Anything Goes

Creative Fingers: Anything Goes

Paper Fun Day: Anything Goes (optional twist: Floral/Flowers)

I colored with Prismacolor pencils & mineral spirits, my favorite coloring medium.  Added some purple Stickles to his wings and Diamond stickles to the skull and some purple gemstone stickers for eyes.  Lizzy has so many adorable images available at Oddball Art, I just love being on her design team and seeing what I can come up with each week!  Make sure you check out the store here for all of the deliciousness!  Peace.

Say Your Pwayers Wabbit!

 Hello crafty friends!  It's a beautiful day here in central Massachusetts - I hope you are enjoying sunshine wherever you are!  I'm really looking forward to nice weather, opening windows, playing with my grandbabies outside... but I digress.  Today is my day to post on the Oddball Too Cute To Spook blog so I'd like to share a card with you that I made using the kitty from CCC 149 Haunted Picnic and CCC  147 Bunny Butt:

I would like to enter this into the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Feminine

Show us Your Pussies - Furrything Goes

Love to Craft May Challenge - Anything Goes

Polkadoodles - Anything Goes

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge  - Feminine

Paper Funday - Florals

The Sisterhood of Crafters - How Does Your Garden Grow?

I colored with a combination of Blick markers and Prismacolor pencils with mineral spirits.  I like to keep my cards fairly clean and simple to keep the focus on the image and/or sentiment.  I also love combining images from different stamp sets to see what I can come up with - creativity is fun for me.  See you all next time - thank you for visiting!  Peace.

I Love My Cat!

 Good morning friends!  Today is my day to post on the Oddball Too Cute To Spook blog and I decided to make a cute little ATC.  This one uses the box from CCC #145: Spring Cleaning and the kitty from CCC #149: Haunted Picnic - I cut along the box edge and tucked the kitty inside to look like he was playing in the box, as my kitty Merlin loves to do:

This paper pad from Doodlebug Designs is called Smitten Kitten and was perfect to pair with the kitty stamp - I added some stickers from the same line and a little ribbon tag.  The images were colored with Prismacolor pencils & mineral spirits.

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

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

Creative Fingers: Anything Goes

Love to Craft- Anything Goes

Polka Doodles - Anything Goes

Show Us Your Pussycats - Cat Lovers

I'm off to spend the day crafting - I'm so looking forward to it. Hope you all have a wonderful day!  Peace.

Rainbows Follow Bad Weather!

 Hello friends!  I'm back today with a fun card I made for my DT spot at Oddball's Too Cute To Spook blog using Lizzy's new image CCC #148 Premium Rainbows:

I would like to enter this into the following challenges:

Polkadoodles: Anything Goes

C.R.A.F.T. Challenge - Inspired by a Book (Wizard of Oz)

Love to Craft: April Anything Goes

I colored using Blick markers and Ranger Stickles - I created the background paper with alcohol inks and a cloud stamp.  I absolutely love playing with alcohol inks - it's my new favorite technique.  I added a piece of decorative tape and a dragonfly charm.  I had fun coordinating rainbow colored mini clips and gemstones - I love how this came out and how the image is the focal point.  I hope you are all finding some rainbows in your life right now - it certainly is a strange time to be alive, isn't it?  

Here are a couple of new pics of my gorgeous granddaughters, who give me hope for the future:

We call this one Lisey Beans - hee hee - she's 10 months old and NEVER stops smiling, I swear.  She's the happiest, chubbiest, sweetest, most lovable baby that ever lived.

And this little princess is Miss Raerae - the one who made us grandparents.  <3 She's a little over 2 years old - she talks like a mini adult and cracks us up constantly.  She climbed out of her crib this morning for the 1st time - when her momma was a baby, SHE climbed out of her crib, fell on her face and knocked her 2 front teeth back up into her gums!!!  LOL  Believe it or not, they came back down on their own eventually but boy, was that traumatizing (for me!  LOL).  ;)

Keep your loved ones close - they are all we really have in the long run.  Take care of yourselves.  Peace.

Egg Hunt - Happy Hunting!

 Hello there!  Today I have another fun Easter card using Lizzy's new image CCC #146: Egg Hunt along with the eggs from the Members Exclusive April 2021 Bunny Kisses: 

I colored with Prismacolor pencils & mineral spirits and some markers.  Added some Ranger Stickles glitter glue, some gemstone stickers, and a little ribbon tag.  Papers & coordinating stickers are from Doodlebug Designs.   Peace.

Oddball Easter/Ostara

  Happy Saturday friends!  Jenn here today with a cute little Easter card for the Oddball Too Cute To Spook blog.  Tomorrow is Easter - if you celebrate it, I hope you have a wonderful holiday!  If you don't, I hope you have a wonderful Spring day full of happiness and sunshine!

For today, I have a card to share with you all that I made with the fun crystal ball Image #476: Fortune Teller's Circus Magic Glass Ball and Lizzy's new image CCC#145: Spring Cleaning:

I colored her with Blick markers & Prismacolor pencils blended with mineral spirits.  Added some Ranger Stickles glitter glue and paired her with this fun Hippity Hoppity paper and stickers from Doodlebug Designs.  I'd like to enter this into the following challenge:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Anything Goes

Enjoy your day, friends!  Peace.

Oddball Art - Treasure!

Hello friends!  Today I have a project to share for my DT spot on the Oddball Art Stamps Design Team.  I decided to create a little wall-hanging - I turned the cauldron from CCC #137 Cozy & Crafty digi into a Pot 'O Gold!  LOL  You can also check it out on the Too Cute To Spook blog!  I would also like to enter this into the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Recycle (wooden box cover)

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - A Bit of Green

Creative Fingers Challenge - Anything Goes

Just Add Ink - Shades of Green

Paper Funday - Anything Goes/Irish Luck

I created the background using my favorite technique of alcohol inks with blending solution on glossy cardstock.  The addition of the gold alloy inks really make it pop - I wish the pics could do it justice!  I added a clay skull that my buddy Glo made me and lots of gold Stickles glitter, a little silver cauldron charm, some green gemstones, a shamrock sticker, and a little "Treasure" definition.  I painted the wooden box cover black and sprayed it with Tim Holtz Distress Spray in Old Olive.  I hope you like it!  Peace.

Oddball Art - St. Patrick's Day

 Good morning!  Jenn here today with a fun St. Patrick's Day card for you using image Holding Pot of Gold Lassi Leprechaun #298.  You can see my post over on the Oddball Blog here!

I colored Lassi with Prismacolor pencils & blended with mineral spirits.  I added some Gold Stickles glue, some orange brads, random text stickers, a little tape, some gemstone stickers, and gold numbers. The background was created with Ranger Alcohol Inks and Alloys, my favorite technique. I tend to keep my cards pretty simple and I love to coordinate all of my colors and embellishments. Crafting is truly therapeutic to me -I have learned to schedule one day each week for crafting, I find it helps me to keep committed and guilt-free about spending my day in my craft room!  Peace.

My Life & Oddball Art DT

 Good morning!  I wanted to do a post about what I've been up to for the last few years, as I took a blogging break for a little over 4 years. I didn't do much crafting during that time but I sure did stay busy!

In February of 2016, we bought our first home!  Shortly after that, I was diagnosed with moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis.  I ended up quitting my job in Spring of 2017 and focusing on my health.  Massachusetts legalized the use of cannabis in the Fall of 2016, and my husband started working on his dream of running a cannabis competition immediately.  We launched The Harvest Cup in December of 2017, a cannabis competition and tradeshow held at the DCU Center in Worcester, Massachusetts.  The first year, I was really sick and helped out when/where I could - but by year 2, I was a full-blown partner running the event. It's been an amazing opportunity and I've learned a lot and made some really great friends!  This year will be our 5th year - although we had to cancel our actual event in 2020 due to Covid, we still held the competition and had a virtual awards ceremony.  Like everyone else, we're learning to adapt and deal with these crazy times.

BUT - even MORE exciting - I've got 2 new grandbabies!!!! My daughter Cassidy had her 1st daughter, RaeAna Jamie, in January of 2019.  She had another little baby girl, Analiz Rose, in June of 2020 - making Jeremy and I the grandparents of the 2 sweetest little girls in the universe:

These babies are the absolute loves of our lives.  RaeRae (as we all call her) is 2 years old and SUCH a sweetheart. She has the sweetest voice and she's a little peanut.  She hates to be dirty and wants to "wash hands" all the time (not a bad thing in Covid world...).  She also hates naps.  Lisey (we like nicknames) is now 8 months old and is the complete opposite of her sister!  LOL  She is a little meatball who loves to be messy and sticky and she LOVES to sleep!  hee hee  We get to babysit them at least twice a week, which is so nice during a time that there is just not much to feel happy about.  They truly bring joy to us - even on the darkest days! 

And last for today - I have re-joined the Design Team at the Oddball Stamps Blog!  For my first project, theme is Women's History Month:

This card uses image #279, Sometimes You Feel Like a Blunt.  This card is representative of all women in the cannabis industry including Chelsea Handler, who recently released an Inauguration Day-themed Cannabis Kit titled "America is Back". Proceeds of the kit will benefit the nonprofit Cage-Free Repair.  I colored this image with Blick Studio alcohol markers and paired it with some designer paper from Echo Park called Witches & Wizards.  I added a piece of tie-dye tape, some tear-drop gemstone stickies, a gold peace sign brad, and a cannabis leaf embellishment.  I kept this pretty simple - I hope you like it.  Peace!

7 ATC's in 7 Days/Oddball Art

  Hey there!  So I screwed up bigtime - I haven't participated in challenges in SO LONG that I totally forgot I was supposed to be using Oddball Art images!  LOL  So I redid all of my ATC's and figured I'd just share them all here in one post.  So the challenge was 7 ATC's in 7 Days with Oddball Art, and I really did have a blast playing along.  It's so nice to feel like I have my mojo back!

Day 1's theme was Gratitude (I am so grateful for cannabis in both my professional and personal life):

Day 2's theme was Smash Something so I did the same thing I had done earlier and used that little pad of paper I had from the Smash line of scrapbooking products:

The theme for Day 3 was Your Space (are you motivated by it or what could you change so that you are?):

Day 4 encouraged us to Do Something New so I tried this technique called Paper Pulling that I read about in a book I have called Artist Trading Card Workshop by Bernie Berlin:

Day 5's theme was Advice to Yourself (if you could go back in time 5 years, what would you say to yourself?).  Five years ago my husband and I were purchasing our home, I was diagnosed with severe ulcerative colitis and very sick, and we were just starting up our business, a cannabis competition and tradeshow event called The Harvest Cup.  I was torn between staying at my full-time "normal" job or quitting and focusing on my health and our new business. I did end up quitting the job in 2017 and if I could go back, I'd encourage myself to quit sooner and not feel guilty about taking care of myself and following my dreams:

The theme for Day 6 was Favorite Song - I chose "Witchy Woman" by the Eagles and had so much fun playing with alcohol inks for the background for this one and the one above:

And last, but not least, was Day 7 - Commitment.  How can you turn crafting into a commitment, what motivates you to craft every day, to grow as an artist?  Here's my take on that:

I hope you enjoyed these fun little works of art and that you are inspired to create your own!  Peace.