Count your rainbows........

Hello all!
Back with a reminder that the very first challenge over at Time Out still has another week for you to get those entries in!  The theme is your own inspiration from the phrase 'Dancing in the rain' and you could win a fab prize too so please do take some time out to join us :)
         I haven't played with an Octopode Factory image for a while so I decided to do something with one of the new releases from Lily - you can check out her shop here.
         I used my Copics to colour the image and then fussy cut her and stuck her onto a copy of an old postcard from Venice, adding a stamped sentiment and some flowers and gems to the brolly.   I need to keep reminding myself of this sentiment over the next few weeks - over the last 25 years, I've moved house 14 times!!  You'd think I'd have the whole thing fine tuned but nope, still finding it difficult to declutter and let go of things - must have a hoarding gene in my DNA, a craft hoarding gene!
                              Anyway, enough of the whining, I need to get on so I'll finish up here with the usual photo and enter this into the challenges at -

Crafting from the heart, 

Paper Makeup,

Fitztown

Fan-tastic Tuesday

Through the Craft room door

Sweet Stamps

         Thanks for stopping by today!

Cupcake love.

Hello all,
it's been a while since I made a card with an image from The Octopode Factory so to make up for that here's one now!  Lily has released several new "love' themed digis in her shop, all available for instant download so you don't have to wait to start creating.
       I'm still keeping on the CAS track so I simply coloured the images with Copics and added a computer printed sentiment.  A perfect card for the upcoming Valentine's Day or an anniversary......

        Entering this into the challenges at Addicted to Stamps and More, Through the Craft Room Door , Fan-tastic Tuesday , Everybody Art Challenge , City Crafter and The Pink Elephant. 

Thanks for stopping by!

The night before Halloween.

Hello all!
        Just popping in with a quick post about my latest project for The Octopode Factory Friday challenge , the theme this week being PUMPKINS.   Obviously appropriate for the time of year :)
                      I decided to do another page in my mini art journal and made a background using up some scraps of designer paper and a continuous border of an "Eeeek!" stamp.  For the main image, I used Lily's Gloomsville Pumpkin Stack digi and grabbed some paints to set to!  The background behind the pumpkins was painted, stamped and splattered with acrylic paints, Distress paints and inks, after I had masked the pumpkin stack.  I painted the pumpkins with an orange acrylic paint, adding details with Faber Castell Big pens and a Sharpie.  I'm really enjoying playing around with paints and having my own little art journal to play in, makes the whole process so enjoyable - no rules!!

          I would like to enter this into the challenges at SSS Monday , Through the Craftroom Door , Clear it Out , Cuttin' and Stampin' and Digi Galore.

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Halloween tomorrow!

Eeeeeeeek!!!

Hello all!
      Back from a very Autumnal trip to Vermont where you can definitely tell that the seasons are changing.  Here in Northern New Jersey the leaves have just started to turn and fall so hopefully we'll get some gorgeous colour here too!
           Anyway, with Autumn comes Halloween and this week over at The Octopode Factory Friday challenge , we're asking you to get witchy with us.  Lily has some fabulous digis in her shop that are perfect for this challenge but you don't have to use an Octopode image (even though we love it when you do!)
                        I tried something a bit different this time and painted the image using a mixture of watercolours, acrylics and gelatos.  The only drawback to painting is that you sometimes 'lose' the definition lines of the image - it's easy enough to go back over them with a fine marker pen afterwards. The background for this page in my art journal was done by splattering some Distress paints and using a couple of rubber stamps from my stash.

I would like to enter this into the challenges at Simply Create Too , Punk You Girl , Left of Center , 

Digi Haven , Paper Crafting Journey and CRAFT .

Thanks for popping in!

Make a card with The Octopode Factory.

Hello all!
It's a drizzly morning here in New Jersey so what better time to do some crafting?  I really should start doing some of the many Pins I have pinned for inspiration but before I do, I'd like to invite you to join us for the latest challenge over at The Octopode Factory.  Nice and easy this week - we're asking you to make a card!  You don't even have to use an Octopode Factory image but we'd love it if you do :)

                    I was still feeling very patriotic after the recent birth of our future King in the UK so I used the Queen Elizabeth II digi with some Union Jack bunting and a castle as a backdrop.  I then decided to have a Union Jack background which I cut from basic cardstock and distressed and inked the edges of each piece before sticking down.  It is one of the most complicated flags to recreate and as my card base is square, then it obviously wasn't going to be mathematically correct!

      I would like to enter this into the challenges at Through the Craftroom Door , Oozak , Simon Says Stamp , Delicious Doodles , Digitally Sweet and Scribbles Designs.

Thanks for stopping to take a look!

Pumpkins!!

Hello all!
             Firstly let me apologise for not visiting your blogs for a while but we were away for the 4th July and the weekend and the internet was very sketchy in the Adirondacks where we were staying.  I have to admit that it was kinda nice to take a break from the computer for a little while.  I do follow a lot of blogs and like to comment as much as possible but some of you bloggers post so much great stuff that I find it difficult to keep up with it all!

                   Anyway I also missed posting for the latest Octopode Factory challenge which is "Halloween in July".  Lily currently has 15% discount off all her Halloween images which you can check out here.   I used one of the new Gloomsville digis and created another page in my art journal, playing around with the Dylusions ink sprays, embossing powders, rubber stamps and stencils.  The sentiment just came to me in a flash of madness inspiration :)

             Just a quick posting this time as I need to get cracking on visiting your lovely blogs!  I would like to enter this into the challenges at One Stop Craft , 613 Avenue Create , Challenges 4 Everybody , Robyn's Fetish and Crafts and Me.

Thanks for popping in :)

"In the summertime....

.....when the weather is high, you can stretch right up and touch the sky"

Now that you've got that song stuck in your head (if you're a certain age, that is!), I shall move on to tell you that there is a new challenge over at The Octopode Factory and it's 'Summer' - hence the reason for the song :)   I love the summer and today is the official first day of summer, for those of us north of the Equator anyway.
 
          Those of you regularly visit me here will know that I've been on a fairly long CAS kick and this card is following along those lines.  I used the buzzy bee digi from The Octopode Factory, coloured with Copics and computer printed the sentiment, adding a few paper pennants and some line doodling.
I used the Copics colourless blender on the bee's body to give a bit of texture and some white gel pen spots on it's wings just for fun!

I would like to enter this into the challenges at Crafting By Designs , Paper Pretties , Cute Card Thursday , Dutch Dare and My Heart Pieces.

Thanks for popping in!

That's what little boys are made of.....

Hello all!
                 I'm back with my second posting of the day and this one is for the current challenge over at The Octopode Factory which this week is all about the boys - just in time for Father's Day.  I chose to make my own background by randomly printing the words "slugs and snails and puppy dog tails" in a variety of texts and adding a few grungy digital brushes for interest, using Adobe Photoshop Elements. I then printed the Octopode digi The Kid over the top of the text, coloured him with my Copics and added some grunge with ink splats and smudging around the edges, tearing a couple of the corners as well.

           I would like to enter this on to the challenges at Copic Marker Europe , Milk, Coffee , Paper Crafting Journey, Crafty Creations and Simon Says Stamp.

We all scream for ice cream.

Hello all!
Friday once again and a new challenge starts at The Outlawz alcohol markers DT and today the theme is "Ice Cream".  I have to admit that this is definitely one of my guilty pleasures :)  I love, love, love it all - the Mr Whippy soft serve you get from the ice cream vans (always with a Cadbury's Flake!), the gorgeous smooth sophisticated Haagen Dazs flavours, the yummy Arctic Roll (for those of you from the UK, do you remember those?) and anything and everything in between!
                   Anyway, now I've got that off my chest, on to the project.  I've been meaning to start scrapping again for ages now so I jumped back in with this layout, using my Copics to colour in the embellishments.  The ice cream digi is from The Octopode Factory and I also coloured the chipboard heart, the letters and the ticket.

The little cutie is on of my nieces enjoying her ice cream cornet :)

I would like to enter this into the challenges at C.R.A.F.T , Craftroom challenge , Crafting by Designs , In the Pink  .

Thanks for stopping by today!

Lovely ladies at TOFF.

Hello all!
   I'm back with another posting for the new challenge over at the fab and funky TOFF - the Octopode Factory Friday challenge.  This week we are celebrating the new releases from Lily of the gorgeous Edwardian Ladies digis - they're so very Downton Abbey :)

               I used 2 of the lovely ladies to make cards with and tapped into my slightly snarky side with the sentiments.  I kept the cards simple, yet again - just colouring the images with Copics and using computer generated sentiments.

I think the snarkiness may have come from Mary in Downton Abbey - sorry if you don't watch it and don't know what I'm talking about but you should get watching it, it's such a great series!!

I would like to enter the top one of these into the challenges at - Addicted to CAS , The Perfect Sentiment,  My Heart Pieces , Through the Craftroom Door and Paper Makeup Stamps.

Thanks so much for popping in :)

Captain Hook / key hook

Hello all!
     This is a very quick posting as the internet connection is a bit dodgy where we are at the moment.  I must also apologise for not commenting on your blogs as I'm on holiday at the moment :)  Normal service will be resumed next week!

                 Anyway, this post is for the latest challenge over at Eclectic Ellapu which is another 'Anything Goes' one so we're expecting plenty of entries!!  We also have some fabulous new DT members so please go check out their blogs from the links shown.

              I wanted to try and work with a digi on a wooden surface so after I paint primed the wooden board, I transferred the The Octopode Factory Captain Hook digi using the mod podge method - see here for a tutorial.  I then painted Captain Hook with acrylic paints and added the quote using Cameo cut vinyl letters.  I screwed in a vintage coat hook where his hook is on his arm and sealed the whole thing with more mod podge.

I would like to enter this into the challenges at Through the Craftroom Door, One Stop Craft , Inspire me Fridays and Crafting Musketeers. 

Sorry it's a quick one but I'm exploring Virginia so we've got a lot to get through :)

Thanks for popping in and I will get to your blogs when I'm back.

Always dance to your own music.

Hello all!
          Back with my second posting of the day and this time it's for the latest challenge over at TOFF ,(The Octopode Factory Friday challenge), with the theme of music.  We'd love to see you join in with us - you don't even have to use an Octopode image but you do get the chance to win some !!

         For my card I used Sophie , she's a quirky kinda gal who definitely dances to her own beat!  I coloured her with Copics and fussy cut her, placing her on a background of sheet music - the sentiment was computer generated using my latest fave font (Tattoo) and then the words were cut out and inked to match the inky edge of the card base.

I would like to enter this into the challenges at Love to Create, One Stitch at a Time, Corrosive Challenges, Joanna Sheen and 613 Avenue Create.

thanks so much for popping in again!

Tagged it!

Hello all!
         Back with my 2nd posting of the day - you can find my Outlawz DT post here.  This time I'm posting for the current challenge over at The Octopode Factory which is tags.  I decided to use one of Lily's silhouette digis for mine - the cat from Animal Fair Collection and I cut it using my Silhouette Cameo which works perfectly for this!
                    The tag itself was cut from thick watercolour paper which I sprayed with Dylusions Inks and then stamped some random patterns and images and added more colour with a few Faber Castell Gelatos.

One cool cat!

Why not come and join us over at TOFF. ?

         I would like to enter this into the following challenges - Through the Craftroom Door, Inspired by Stamping, Penny's Paper Crafty, Simon Says Stamp, and Simon Says Stamp and Show.

Thanks for popping in !

Hippity Hoppity Easter!

Hello all!
              Hope you're all enjoying your Easter weekend - it's a cold one here where I am in the UK but we did get to see some sun today at least!
                    My card today is for the current challenge over at The Octopode Factory which is Easter.  Take a trip over and check out the rest of the DT's fabulous inspirational creations!
      I used the Easter Bunny Marigold , coloured with Copics and fussy cut onto a background of designer paper (free from a magazine) which I embossed to add interest.  The sentiment is a stamp from the dollar bin at Michaels.

            Isn't she cute?  I would like to enter this into the challenges at  Glitter n Sparkle , That Craft Place , The Corrosive Challenge , Addicted to CAS and Dilly Beans .

 

Thanks for popping by :)