Cowboys!

There's nothing cuter than a cowboy.....especially this guy from Bugaboo!  I think he is just adorable and too perfect for the Anything Goes Challenge over at The Outlawz Twisted Thursday Challenge.  

Our challenge this month is sponsored by Bugaboo Stamps and that means you have the opportunity to share your talents for a chance to win your own Bugaboo Images!  

No bells and whistles for this card...hey, that wouldn't be the 'cowboy way' of doing things!  It's just straight up Copic coloring with some ink sponging in the sky and around the edges.  

Now, for those of us who are cowboy/western fans, Bugaboo has LOTS of fun images for us!  You need to check that out!  If you're not into that theme, they have lots and lots of other themes to choose!  

Head on over to the The Outlawz and see what the DT has to offer and then come back again to show us what you've been creating......remember, it's anything goes!  

Material List:

Bugaboo Image:  Bugaboo Cowboy - Fence 2

Copic Markers

CTMH Cardstock/Paper:  Daisy White, Urban (retired)

CTMH Inks:  Glacier, Pacifica, Sapphire, Sweet Leaf

My cowboy is off to:
TTCRD:  AG
Catch the Bug Challenge:  Summer Theme, Bugaboo Image, Scoring
613 Avenue Create:  AG

Thanks for stopping in for a visit!  You are so welcome to peruse this site checking out other posts/pages, leave me a comment/question or an idea for a video, or check out my YouTube Channel for more inspiration.  

Flowers in Water!

I was playing with several different ideas with this card.  It's a collage/freestyle sort of piece including some different mediums, textures, and ideas.  I've been reading and studying different styles in art and wanted to give it a try.

I combined the style study with a video by Sandy Allnock about coloring water in vases/jars and wanted to give that a try.  So here is my attempt at coloring water, flowers, candlelight, and a glass jar!  

Yes, this entire card was a learning experience/experiment, but it was a lot of fun to play with the concepts!  

Material List:

CTMH Cardstock/Paper:  Colonial White, Seaside (retired)

CTMH Inks:  Hollyhock, Flaxen, Sorbet, Champagne

CTMH Embellishments:  Clear Sparkles, Bitty Sparkles, Brad from Mini-Medley Accents Antique Gold (retired)  

Other Embellishments:  Scraps of lace/ribbon and fabric, Darice Twine, Bo Bunny Copper Glitter Paste, Bo Bunny Bronze Shimmer Spray, Old Copy of Music

CTMH Stamp:  Candlelight Garden (SOTM now retired) colored with Copic markers

CTMH Cartridges:  Artiste and Art Philosophy

I'm sharing my experiment with:

Between the Folds:  Water (water in my jar)

Bitten by the Bug2:  Flowers

TTCRD:  AG

Pile it On:  Include Die Cuts as Embellishments

Thanks for stopping by to visit; I'm always happy you came!  Feel free to peruse other posts/pages, check out the current specials at CTMH, or click over to my YouTube Channel for some crafty videos!  

Bow Ties and Dies

Time for a challenge over at Cut It Up and this time our theme is bow ties.  Remember to include a die cut and come play along with us!

Today I have a really quick and easy card for you!  

My bow tie was cut in Cricut Design Space using the CTMH Artistry Cartridge.  The sentiment is from the CTMH Artbooking Cartridge; I used the Print and Cut for this.  After printing and cutting the front card panel, I embossed about 2/3 down with a Darice folder  and adhered my bow tie over the line.  The button is threaded with some Pixie Twine and adhered to the front.  The card base is Pixie CS.  

I told you this one was quick!  We are sponsored this time by Stinkin Cute; I know you'll want to head over to Cut It Up to see what the DT has created and check out the prize info!  

Material List:

CTMH Cardstock:  Hollyhock, White Daisy, Pixie

CTMH Cartridges:  Artbooking, Artistry

Pixie Twine

Button from stash

Darice Embossing Folder

Thanks for stopping by; feel free to leave me a message/question, peruse my other pages/posts, or see what is happening over at my YouTube Channel!  

Birthday Cupcake Search

What's more fun at a birthday than a game and some cupcakes?  Well, cupcakes is the twist this week over at The Outlawz Twisted Thursday Challenge!  

This sweet 6x6 Birthday Card comes with a little tag with the words located in the puzzle so the birthday girl will know what words to find.  The puzzle image is from Bugaboo Stamps and I have to say this is one I have used twice now; it's just too cute!  My first project with this image is HERE.  

Remember you don't have to play the cupcake twist to play along with us.  It's always anything goes with the twist being optional.  We look forward to seeing what you are creating every week!

Material List:

Bugaboo Image:  Word Search - Brat Birthday Girl

Copic Markers

CTMH CS and Paper:  White Daisy, Penelope (retired)

CTMH Embellishments: Calypso Sequins

Twine from Stash

My card is off to the following challenges:

TTCRD:  Anything Goes

613 Avenue Create:  Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by to visit; feel free to hang around awhile and peruse some other pages/posts, leave me a comment or question, or check out my YouTube Videos.  

Imperfection and Confidence

Time for a Path of Positivity post discussing confidence!

Allow me to begin this post with a disclaimer.......I'm relaying this story as it has been told to me by my family and friends.  I am not an expert in Native American History, Legends, or Folklore.  

Ok, now that's out of the way, I will share my story of how this canvas came to be and how it fits in with confidence for me.

It is told the Native American people when creating their beautiful beadwork would intentionally place a "wrong colored" bead in a pattern.  This was known as the Spirit Bead and it was to remind us that no human is perfect.  It also reminds us to strive for perfection above all else is wrong since we cannot begin to compare to our maker.

Being a musician by education/trade, we are expected to be perfect.  Wrong notes, slow rhythms, missed articulations, etc are unacceptable.  Even mis-haps that seem to be out of our control are judged very harshly and not easily forgiven.  Yeah, it's a tough world and I have to say, I'm ok with being retired from the performance part of it!  But I'll also admit, once I would make what I felt was a mistake, I felt relief and freedom.  I knew the mistake had happened and I could relax....it's like the chance for achieving perfection was the instigator of raw nerves.  Once that chance was gone, I was usually fine.  

That makes me think of the Legend.  Now, looking back, I wish I had never sought to achieve that perfect performance.  Instead, I wish I had been striving for a performance that would touch my listeners and bring them music they could enjoy.  I think I did achieve that, but at the time it was never good enough for me.  I just never seemed to have confidence in my performances.  

Ah, and there it is, Friends!  Confidence!  If only I had let go of my need for perfection, I might have felt the confidence I so lacked in performing.  If only I had taken to heart this quote ~  "Confidence is not 'they will like me'.  Confidence instead is 'I'll be fine if they don't'."  Christina Grimmie

I guess all of this brought me to my own quote, "One finds confidence when he is willing to embrace imperfection."  Me

*   *   *  

Thanks for hanging with me through that self exploration of confidence.  I have to say, this is what I love about Path of Positivity.  I truly believe I learn something with every project I do for PoP.   I encourage you to click over and check out what the DT has to share and read about their explorations, also.  Then share with us what you are inspired to create on the theme of confidence!  

About My Piece

I started by printing the TeePee image from Ikes Art and coloring it with Copics.  I laced black thread through the tent flap and adhered som gems from my stash.  

I colored my canvas with CTMH inks and Bo Bunny sprays.  Once it dried, I adhered the image and my quote.  

My stencil for the corner was made in Design Space from the CTMH Artbooking Cartridge.  I made the stencil and used Bo Bunny Copper Glitter Paste.  I added the gauze, arrowhead, button, and Kokopelli from my stash....yes, really, I had that in my stash!  The turquoise colored gems are from CTMH as well as the black twine.  You might have noticed Kokopelli is also very lightly stamped throughout the canvas.  This stamp was also from my stash.  The arrow stamps around the canvas are from CTMH.  

So now it's time for you to pop on over to Path of Positivity to see what the design team has to offer and check out the great prizes from Scribbles Designs, Ike's Art, Creative Bug Digis, and Decosses Dynamite Doodles!

Thanks for dropping by; I'm always happy you're here.

Summer at the Beach

It's time for another challenge over at The Outlawz Twisted Thursday!  As always, it's Anything Goes, but we usually include a twist and this week it's Fun In the Sun.  We are sponsored by Bugaboo Stamps and this adorable stamp is called Beach Chibi.  I love this digi; she reminds me of my new grandbaby.  So, I made the digi into a tag for a beach bag!

I imported the image in Cricut Design Space and adhered it to a beach ball cut from the Pack Your Bags cartridge.  I used the print and cut to color the beach ball.  The digi remained white so I could color that little cutie and the scene with Copics.  

I adhered the ball to a piece of round cardstock I had stamped with stamps from the CTMH Seaside Set.  I used Print and Cut to make the name tag for the back; the font is from CTMH Artistry.

Be sure to head on over to The Outlawz and check out what the design team has done and play along for the chance to win some images from Bugaboo!  

Material List:

Digi:  Beach Chibi from Bugaboo 

CTMH Cardstock:  Daisy White, Glacier

CTMH Cartridge:  Artistry

CTMH Inks:  Honey, Chocolate, Flaxen

Laminating sheets and laminator

Key rings

My bag tag is off to the following challenges:
Fantabulous Cricut Challenge:  Summer Activities

TTCRD:  Anything Goes

613 Avenue Create:  Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!  Please feel free to leave me a comment/question, peruse other pages/posts, or contact me.  

Here Comes the Sun

Time for a challege over at Cut It Up!  Our theme this time is Summertime Memories; remember to use a die cut in your project.  We are sponsored by Digital Delights.

My die cut this time is the front panel; this card front is from CTMH Artfully Sent.  It cuts the sentiment with that little sun.  Before cutting the panel, I uploaded Paddling Dorie Duck from Digital Delights into Design Space and added it.  I also cut a sand piece to use as a mask from Everyday Paper Dolls.  

After everything was cut I colored Dorie Duck with Copic markers and gel pens.  I masked out the image, and put down the sand mask before using an E-Brush to add the sky.  Then I picked up the sand mask and put down the negative piece from the sand die to E-Brush the sand.  There is an adapter for the E-Brush so different markers can fit into the system; I used my Copics.

Material List:

Paddling Dorie Duck from Digital Delignts

Copic Marker and Gel Pens

Cricut Cuts:  CTMH Artfully Sent, Everyday Paper Dolls
CTMH Cardstock:  Honey, Thistle, Daisy White

Sky and Sand Air brushed with E-brush
Bitty Gems from CTMH

Thanks for stopping by!  Be sure to visit Cut It Up to check out what the rest of the team created and enter your Summer Memories project.

Hey, Lady!

Time for another challenge over at Outlawz Twisted Thursday.  Our twist this week is Ladybugs, but remember the Twisted Thursday challenges are Anything Goes with the twist being optional; so, come on over and play!  

This adorable image is from Bugaboo who is sponsoring our challenge this week.

I started with a black card base.  The red overlay was cut using the CTMH Artistry cartridge in DS.  I couldn't resist using the circles to go with the ladybug!  I colored the image with Copics.  Twine and a yellow bow finish it off!

Material List:
Bugaboo Dollar Flower Bug Image
Copic Markers
CTMH Cardstock:  White Daisy, Black, Ruby
CTMH Embellishments:  Black Twine (retired), Yellow Ribbon (retired)
Sentiment font from CTMH Artfully Sent 

My little ladybug is flying off to these challenges:
TTCRD:  AG
613 Avenue Create:  CYOC from Senses board - I got sight ~flower

Thanks for stopping by today.  Feel free to check out my other pages/posts, view my YouTube videos, leave me a comment, or just hang around a while.  I'm always happy you came by to see me at ScrappyHorses!

Create Confidence!

We all enjoyed a little vacation over at Path of Positivity, but I'm sure I speak for the team in saying it's good to be back!  This month our theme is confidence. 

Hmm......confidence.  What do I think of when I hear that word?  

First off I think of the kids returning to school this month.  It takes confidence for those little ones to start school, or those in-betweeners to head off to Middle School/Jr. High, and those ridiculous pressures that go along with starting HS.......jeesh, you couldn't pay me to go back to HS!  Of course, it takes a boat load of confidence to head off to college/vocational school or start the new job.

Of course, I also think of the State Fairs this month.  Everyone heading off to show their best work in a competitive setting in everything from animals to culinary to arts.  That definitely takes confidence.

Then I think about all of us.  Yes, us!  All the crafters who put ourselves out there in every blogpost!  The artists/crafters/designers who put their work out there for everyone to judge.  Now, I realize most of us put our work out there in challenges where we are lifted by kind/positive comments and that feels great!

 Consider this, have you ever put a great deal of time and effort into a special piece and then received little to no praise?  Maybe you just have the one comment from the challenge you entered and maybe it was a generic sort of comment because that person was in a rush.  Maybe you had a piece you thought was so unique or special it was bound to take the craft world by storm, but no one else seemed to see it.  Have you ever been in a situation where you created something and no one seemed to appreciate it?  We've all been there!  

Hey, wait......this is Path of Positivity....the key word being positivity!  So, let's get this post back on the path, shall we?  That's where confidence comes in to play.  Ok, maybe others didn't/couldn't appreciate our work; that's ok!   We as artists need to know that truly is OK and we are OK!  

It takes a very unique sort of confidence to work/play in the arts.  We need to feel good about ourselves and our performance even when others aren't acknowledging it.  Our egos need to be cared for by us and not necessarily others.  

So, go out there with your own unique confidence and put yourself on the line knowing you have created what you were led to create!

*   *   *   

Material List

Image:  Artsy by Scribbles Designs

Copic Markers

Paint Splotches created with the CTMH Ink Blot Stamp Set

CTMH Inks:  Pear, Ruby, Canary, Glacier

CTMH Cardstock:  White Daisy, Ruby

Sentiment:  My own with CTMH Artbooking Font

So now it's time for you to pop on over to Path of Positivity to see what the design team has to offer and check out the great prizes from Scribbles Designs, Ike's Art, Creative Bug Digis, and Decosses Dynamite Doodles!