I'm Sponsoring...Show Us Your Pussies Cat Lover's Challenge Blog

Oh dear! I have another sponsorship that I should have told you about at the beginning of July. My good friend Ike has opened a new challenge blog and I am fortunate enough to have been asked to sponsor this month's challenge over at the Show Us Your Pussies Cat Lover's Challenge Blog.   

The current challenge started on July 5th and will run until midnight on August 1st (EET).  The theme for this month is Flowers. You can make any project you like (i.e., cards, mixed media, scrapbook pages, etc.) but it must have a CAT as the main feature and include some FLOWERS. There is no restriction to the number of times you can enter and you can use any image company that you like.

The prize for the winner is the following Floral Cats Kit that I created especially for this challenge...
 

 

To help provide some incentive, I'm offering up one of the paper pieced floral cat silhouettes as a freebie...

 

This paper pieced floral cat silhouette is 1396 x 1920 pixels in png format and published at 300 dpi.  Credits include: Lohrelei (Pixabay), and Trine Secher. To grab it, click the download button to be taken to a download location.  In the zip folder you will find a copy of the image, its preview sheet, the credit information and my terms of use which are standard to all my folders.

You can find out all the details you need to enter the challenge over at Show Us Your Pussies Cat Lover's Challenge Blog.  To head to the challenge, click HERE.  I hope to see some of you there! 

Until next time,

Digital Design: Christmas in July with DDDoodles & Imagine That! DbK

Hello everyone!  For all of my American friends and readers, Happy Independence Day!  Be sure to come back a little bit later as I'm going to be posting a freebie in honour of this special day.

Right now, it is time for some Christmas in July fun to begin!  As promised at the end of May, I'm back with a special collaborative give-a-way between Imagine That! Digis by Kris and myself.

I have created a set of 50 digital brads, taking five different images from Kris' Gingerbread Scene set, along with some papers from the Gingerbread Digital Papers set, and a couple papers from the Christmas Snowflakes Digital Papers and putting each of them into five different shapes and then ten different metal casings (courtesy of Marisa Lerin, Pixel Scrapper), to create a set of digital brads.  

Here are the previews and links to the fabulous IT! DbK sets I worked with.  Just click on any of the watermarks below to find the sets in the store...

Kris has given me permission to offer up these brads to three people!  Check them out...

Three lucky winners will have the chance to win a set of these brads and use them on their own holiday cards and layouts! Of course, you're going to have to do a little work to have your chance to earn them, but don't worry, it won't be anything too strenuous.  

There are three different tasks.  Complete a task and earn a chance to win the set of brads.  The more tasks you complete the more your chances increase.

TASK #1

• Leave a comment on this post or the same one announcing the draw on the Imagine That! blog, letting me know the name of your favourite set from the Christmas & Winter section of Imagine That! Digis by Kris.

 

TASK #2

• Head to the Christmas & Winter section of Imagine That! Digis by Kris.
• Send an e-mail to decossesdynamitedoodles [at] yahoo [dot] ca with the following subject heading, "Christmas in July Brad Giveaway", with the following info:  List the names of all the sets that have at least one MOUSE in them. 

 

TASK #3

• Create a card with ANY Christmas or Winter themed, Imagine That! Digis by Kris image.
• Add it to the link up below between now and July 31st.  No backlinking please.  Also, please add a link to this challenge on your post.
• If you don't own any digis, you can find a penguin image in the free section of Kris' store right now.
• Also note that if you join in the Imagine That! Digis by Kris digi stamp of the month progressive challenge, you won't have any extra work to do as the card you create for July's digi stamp of the month, can be linked up here as well since the set this month is Christmas related. 
• Then of course be sure to also add your Christmas card to The 12 Months of Christmas Link Up for your chance to earn a free digi paper if you link up two cards during the month of July, and also have a chance at our sponsor's prize if you follow the theme of adding an ornament somewhere on your card.  Click HERE for all the details you need!

If anything is unclear, be sure to ask!

For each task you complete, your name will be entered into the draw. Complete all three tasks, earn three chances to win! All tasks must be completed by July 31st, 2015, at 11:59 p.m. 

If you'd prefer, you can simply purchase two sets from anywhere in the Imagine That! Digis by Kris store and you'll receive the brad set for free.  Offer expires on Aug. 1, 2015. Proof of purchase must be sent to the email address listed above in Task #2 with the subject heading "Christmas in July IT Purchase".  Please be sure to cover up or delete any personal info that you do not want me to see--i.e. address, phone number, account info, credit card info, etc.

So, are you up for some Christmas in July fun?! 

Join in now for your chance to win!!!

Until next time,

Link Up Below:

An InLinkz Link-up

Card Design: Pattie's Creations Challenge #103...Colours of Hallowe'en

Happy Friday everyone and more importantly Happy Hallowe'en!  It is time to announce the next challenge over at Pattie's Creations Design Challenge.  This time around for Challenge #103, the theme for the next two weeks is Colours of Hallowe'en.
   
Here is my card, I hope that I haven't forgotten any important details:

General Information: 

• While I love this time of year, I don't really have the need for too many actual Hallowe'en cards.  That is why for this challenge I've chosen to create a fall themed birthday card using the colours of Hallowe'en.
• I have chosen to create most of the card digitally and then just printed out the front and inside panels, coloured the main image by hand and then assembled the panels onto a base.  I'm using a sketch from the latest challenge over at Crazy 4 Challenges.

FRONT

Digital Image Details: 

• Pumpkin Watering Can & Mums:  This unique image was perfect for my card.  You can find the image in Pattie's Etsy shop by clicking on the name or watermark linked below.

Digital Sentiment Details: 

• This great circle sentiment is from Netty's Cards.  You can find it and more fabulous freebies by clicking HERE and clicking on the freebies tab at the top of the page.  If you grab any of them, be sure to leave Netty some love.

Digital Embellishments: 

• The flower and button are from my Trick or Treat kit.

INSIDE

Digital Sentiment:

• This great versatile sentiment was created by Paulette from Create with TLC.  Click HERE to go to Paulette's blog and HERE to go to the store.

OVERALL
Paper Products: 

• Card base:  Michael's Recollection's cardstock, white. 

Digital Paper Products:

• The designer papers are also from the Trick or Treat kit.  I used the striped one from the patterned paper set and two different textured ones from the textured set.

Challenges I am hoping to enter...  

• Crazy 4 Challenges -- Sketch Challenge
• Avenue 613 -- Anything Goes with optional twist
• http://www.wordartwednesday.blogspot.ca/ (5E)-- Anything Goes
• http://craftingfromtheheartchallengeblog.blogspot.ca/ -- Anything Goes
• http://treasuredtimesrubberstampschallenges.blogspot.ca/-- Anything Goes
• http://seizethebirthday.blogspot.ca/ -- Anything Goes Birthday
• http://deepoceanchallengeblog.blogspot.ca/ -- Just One Layer
• http://partytimetuesdays.blogspot.ca/ -- Anything Goes (unfortunately the service to allow me to join as a follower isn't allowing me to.  I will keep trying.)
• http://papermakeupstamps.blogspot.ca/ --Pumpkins (Okay so it isn't traditionally what you would think of for a pumpkin card; however, the watering can is made out of a pumpkin, so if nothing else it will definitely be a unique entry)

I really hope that you will join us sometime during the next two weeks. Don't forget that along with all the typical rules that apply to the majority of challenges out there (please click HERE to become familiar with all the rules), you MUST USE A DIGITAL OR STAMPED IMAGE to qualify for the drawing (unless stated otherwise). We would absolutely love to see you use a Pattie's Creations (PC) image on your card, but you are allowed to use other images. If you do use a PC image, you will gain an extra entry in the draw and will have a better chance to WIN! You can enter twice per challenge and of course MUST follow all the challenge requirements that are posted for each challenge. Easy Peasy right! 

As always, I hope that you will also check out what my fabulous teammates have offered up for inspiration and pop over in two weeks time for the next challenge brought to you by Team Pattieboop. Oh and don't forget...Pattie offers up a new freebie the first Friday of the month; so, be sure to pop over next week and check it out! 

Until next time, 

Card Design: Digi Darla's Challenge #93--Don We Now Our Gay Apparel

Happy Monday to you!  I am so pleased that you were able to pop by, as I'm sure you are busy this week with all those last minute holiday preparations.  As usual, my week starts off with the latest challenge over at the Digi Darla's Challenges Blog. This week for Challenge #93 the theme is "Don We Now Our Gay Apparel".  Laura, who is in charge of the December challenges, wants you all to use felt or wool on your creation this week.  It can even be digital felt if you don't have any of the real kind like me, but make sure you let us know what you used felt or wool for.

One person will be the lucky winner of FIVE Digi Darla (DD) images!  AND any entries using a DD image get entered into a SECOND drawing for THREE images. So, you could technically win eight images!  If you do use one of Kim's wonderful images make sure you let us know by writing DD after your name when you enter. 
 
I've used the following Digi Darla image in my project this week:

• Balloons N Bow

Here is my project and the details, I hope I haven't forgotten anything... 

General Comments:

• Oh boy, I've made a bit of a mess of things this week.  First, I mixed everything up regarding the actual challenge.  Somehow I got things all screwed up and took part of next week's challenge parameters and part of this week's parameters and put them together to come up with my creation.  Not sure where my head was at.  It is obvious that I need a break and thankfully one is coming very soon.  However, since the challenge didn't technically say it had to be a Christmas card, I've managed to slip through yet another loophole because I definitely followed the 'use felt' directions at least.  You'll read about my next blunder below.

FRONT

Digital Image:

• Balloons N Bow: You can find this image in the DD store by clicking on the image name or watermark linked above. 
• The image was brought into Photoshop Essentials 12 (YaY, I got the new software a couple weeks ago during an awesome Black Friday sale--got it for under $60.00!).  I then added a felt layer to the balloons and bows, courtesy of Scrappin' Cop.  It is really amazing how real the felt looks.  This layer style was also used on the number three, along with some beveling and a drop shadow.

Digital Paper:

• For the paper, I took one of my existing solid papers that I made for the Celebration kit that I made for the World Card Making Day draw, then took the image of the balloons n bow that I had altered, reduced their size and created a digital paper for this card.

Digital Embellishments:

• The felt ribbons at the bottom were created using a template from Sheila Reid, a designer with Pixel Scrapper.

Lessons Learned:

• Now, some of you may know that I have balance issues in real life.  I can be standing there and suddenly topple over.  Well, apparently I had balance issues with this particular card as well.  It wasn't until I had everything all printed out and was downstairs that I realized just how off centre the front of the card was.  It wasn't that way when I created it--here I can prove it...

• See?!  All nice and evened up on each side.  However when you look at the card itself you can see that the printing cut off a good 1/4 to 1/2 inch on the right side; so now, it looks ridiculous.  The only saving grace is that the card is going to a set of twins who will be turning three at the beginning of January.  I don't imaging they'll notice anything about the card at all, much less that it is way off centre.  Note to self:  check printed copy before cutting out and affixing to front of card.  At least if I had noticed, I could have cut off a chunk on the left hand side to match!  Of course some of the issue might have been that I had basically worked twelve hours straight on the computer, then had a bite to eat at 11:15 pm and then put the card together.  Yeah...that might have had something to do with it.

INSIDE

Digital Sentiment:

• This is one of my own.  I just played around with the colours to match the rest of the card.

Digital Paper:

• The paper is that original solid paper I used for the front, only used on its own this time.

Digital Embellishments:

• The candles are from a kit I got over at Starry Nights Studio.  They have lots of great freebies still available and lots of free digistamps that have been added since the last time I was there.  Another item to add to my 'to do' list, it would seem.

OVERALL
 Paper Products:

• Card base: Crafts Brand card kit, silver-- purchased at Dollarama.

Digital Frames: 

• The frame was created using elements from Shelby Kate Schmitz of graphicssoft.about.com.

Challenges I am hoping to enter...

• Avenue 613 -- Anything Goes with optional twist 
• http://www.creativeinspirationspaint.blogspot.ca/ -- Anything Goes
• http://www.wordartwednesday.blogspot.ca/ -- Anything Goes
• http://onestitchatatimechallenge.blogspot.ca/ -- Anything Goes
• http://sirstampalotchallenge.blogspot.ca/ -- Free and Easy
• http://polkadoodle.blogspot.ca/ -- Anything Goes
• (I might add to this list later today)

So, how about you come on over and show us YOUR wonderful talents by entering in our current challenge this week over at Digi Darla's Challenges?  While you are there please check out the great projects from the rest of the design team.  We always look forward to seeing the delightful creations you come up with. 

Until next time,