**MAGICAL MONSTERS** Fantasy IG Hop!

Good morning, everyone!!  Today is the first Sunday of the month, and that means it's time for the Fantasy Inspired Instagram Hop!  I'm sharing my card here as well as on my IG, @royalpumpkinart.

Our theme for March is Magical Monsters!!  When I think about a magical monster, I instantly thought about Ursula in The Little Mermaid!  Not only is she one of the best villains, she has a FABULOUS song!

Just a few challenges:

• DLArt Linky Party
• A Perfect Time To Craft - Anything Goes
• Classic Design Challenge - #02-2025 Anything Goes
• The Crafter's Cafe - #316 Anything Goes
• Fab N Funky - #611 Fantasy
• Paper Rocks Scissors - #2 Anything Goes using Paper or Scissors (used lots of papers, fussy cut Ariel and Ursula) 1/5
• Gem of a Challenge - #3 Anything Goes 4/4
• Digi Chooseday - #2 Anything Goes 4/4
• Polkadoodles - #3 Anything Goes 4/4

Be sure to hop through everyone's cards on Instagram!  Thanks so much for looking and happy hopping!  Laters!!

**STASHBUSTERS IG CARD HOP** Week 17 - Card Four

Welcome to the Stashbusters 2024 Paper Crafting Hop hosted by Armen @armenscraftroom and @hilarygreek.  Stashbusters post 3-6 creative paper projects every other Tuesday.  Our goal is to use the items we already own to create between 81-162 projects in 2024.

This week our theme is Pirates or Ocean themed cards!  I don't have anything pirate (which is surprising considering how much my niece loves pirates) so I went with ocean, all the way.  I love all things oceana.

This is my favorite of all the cards I made.  It was soooo much fun.  These Crafters Companion die and folder sets are amazing.

Just a few challenges:

• DL Art Linky Party
• A Perfect Time To Craft - #8 Anything Goes
• Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends - #235 Anything Goes 2/3

Thanks so much for looking and happy hopping!  Laters!!

**STASHBUSTERS IG CARD HOP** Week 17 - Card Three

Welcome to the Stashbusters 2024 Paper Crafting Hop hosted by Armen @armenscraftroom and @hilarygreek.  Stashbusters post 3-6 creative paper projects every other Tuesday.  Our goal is to use the items we already own to create between 81-162 projects in 2024.

This week our theme is Pirates or Ocean themed cards!  I don't have anything pirate (which is surprising considering how much my niece loves pirates) so I went with ocean, all the way.  I love all things oceana.

I think this card is so cute for a kid, but anyone could use some encouragement and appreciation!

Just a few challenges:

• DL Art Linky Party
• A Perfect Time To Craft - #8 Anything Goes

Thanks so much for looking and happy hopping!  Laters!!

**STASHBUSTERS IG CARD HOP** Week 17 - Card Two

Welcome to the Stashbusters 2024 Paper Crafting Hop hosted by Armen @armenscraftroom and @hilarygreek.  Stashbusters post 3-6 creative paper projects every other Tuesday.  Our goal is to use the items we already own to create between 81-162 projects in 2024.

This week our theme is Pirates or Ocean themed cards!  I don't have anything pirate (which is surprising considering how much my niece loves pirates) so I went with ocean, all the way.  I love all things oceana.

I really like this sentiment, even though truthfully, it's kind of depressing.  Everything and everyone has ups and downs.

Just a few challenges:

• DL Art Linky Party
• A Perfect Time To Craft - #8 Anything Goes
• Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends - #235 Anything Goes 1/3

Thanks so much for looking and happy hopping!  Laters!!

**STASHBUSTERS IG CARD HOP** Week 17 - Card One

Welcome to the Stashbusters 2024 Paper Crafting Hop hosted by Armen @armenscraftroom and @hilarygreek.  Stashbusters post 3-6 creative paper projects every other Tuesday.  Our goal is to use the items we already own to create between 81-162 projects in 2024.

This week our theme is Pirates or Ocean themed cards!  I don't have anything pirate (which is surprising considering how much my niece loves pirates) so I went with ocean, all the way.  I love all things oceana.

This little whale just makes me smile.

Just a few challenges:

• DL Art Linky Party
• A Perfect Time To Craft - #8 Anything Goes
• Classic Design Challenge - #7 Anything Goes

Thanks so much for looking and happy hopping!  Laters!!

**MER-MAY** Fantasy Inspired IG Hop!!

Good morning, everyone!!  Today is the first Sunday of the month, and that means it's time for the Fantasy Inspired Instagram Hop!  I'm sharing my card here as well as on my IG, @royalpumpkinart.

Our theme this month is Mermay, and you know I love me some mermaids!  I hadn't used this die from Lawn Fawn yet, so I got to die cutting and made this layered scene.  I absolutely love how those waves look!

Just a few challenges:

• A Perfect Time To Craft - #5 Anything Goes
• DL Art Linky Party
• A Gem of a Challenge - #9 Anything Goes 1/4

Be sure to visit Instagram to follow along with the rest of the hop and see how everyone else was inspired.  Thanks so much for looking and happy stamping!!  Laters!!

Man Plans......

In preparation for National Craft Month, which begins tomorrow, I've decided that I'm going to plan EVERYTHING out this year.  I have themes and dates picked out ahead of time.  I have stacks of patterned paper selected.  I've tested ink pads.  I've got ideas.

Wonder how this is gonna go?

I did a little digging in my blog history.  I've been doing this every March since 2015.  Boy, has my style changed over the years, and I'm not entirely sure it's for the better.  It is what it is though, right?

I sometimes hate that term, btw.

The past few years I've hit a few creative snags.  My hope is that everything goes smoothly this year.

Semi-smoothly.

I just wanna make and post at least 31 cards.

Is that too much to ask??

I guess we'll see tomorrow.

In the meantime, here's a card to get my mojo kicked off!

I've also planned a few goals for this month.  Techniques I want to do/try, products I wanna use.  Posting the list here for accountability :D

1. Flat Shaker card
2. Hot Foiling (Already done this year here and here)
3. Adhesive foiling
4. Simon Hurley Lunar Paste
5. Use faux leather
6. Use printed transparency
7. Use character resins
8. Use brads/eyelets
9. Funky Fold Card
10. Shaped Card
11. At least one Christmas card

Just a few challenges:

• INKspirational - #284 Real or Faux Stitching
• Can You Handle The Pressure - Embossing 1/3
• Sketch Saturday - #720 Sketch 1/3

Thanks so much for looking and happy crafting.  Laters!!

STAMPtember - Day Twenty - This Too Shell Pass

I love love love love love anything with seashells or mermaids or water or sand or seagulls, they're one of my favorite kinds of cards to make.  I really needed to make something happy and distracting so I made this.  I'm worried that it WON'T pass, but I have to believe that it WILL so I can get to tomorrow and the next day and the next without screaming myself hoarse and throwing things out the window. (side note: you know how on TV someone always throws clothing out of the a second-story window? I've always lived in a ranch but I've always wanted to do that!)

Just a few challenges:

DL Art Linky Party

A Perfect Time To Craft - #9 Anything Goes

Classic Design Team Challenge - #9 Anything Goes

Leann's World - #54 Anything Goes

Mirtillamente - Anything Goes

Happy Little Stampers - Anything Goes with Dies

Digi Tuesday - #37 Anything Goes 1/2

Star Stampz - #38 Only BLUE 1/3

Path of Positivity - #104 Anything Goes POSITIVE 2/7

Digi Doodle - #53 Use Metal/Sparkle 3/3

Word Art Wednesday - #561 Anything Goes 5/5

Thanks so much for looking and happy stamping!  Laters!!

STAMPtember - Day Fourteen - Tis The Season To Be Jelly!!

This card was SO. MUCH. FUN. to make!!

Just a few challenges:

• DL Art Linky Party
• A Perfect Time To Craft - #9 Anything Goes
• Classic Design Team Challenge - #9 Anything Goes
• Leann's World - #54 Anything Goes
• Mirtillamente - Anything Goes
• Try It On Tuesday - Animals Real or Imaginary
• Crafty Animals - #65 Anything Goes with an Animal
• Arty Divas - Anything Goes 1/3
• My Besties International - Anything Goes 1/3
• Word Art Wednesday - #561 Anything Goes 1/5
• Simon Says Stamp Monday - Die Cuts 1/5
• NBUS - #42 Anything Goes 2/3
• Sheepski Designs - #66 Feature a Creature 2/3
• Dare 2B Artzy - Animals 2/3
• Critter Crazy - #66 Anything Goes with a Critter 2/5
• Everybody Art Challenge - #519 Anything Goes 3/3
• The Holly & The Ivy - #123 Anything Christmas Goes 3/3

Thanks so much for looking and happy stamping!  Laters!!

**TWO BY TWO** New Challenge with A Place To Start!

Happy March!  It's a new challenge at A Place To Start and our theme this month is Two By Two!  This does NOT actually mean to make a Noah's Ark card, it means use two of SOMETHING, ANYTHING on your project.

My card is a bit busy.  It has two mermaids, two layers of the frame, two pieces of seaweed, I couldn't stop myself.  There's things stamped on the background too but you can't really tell.

Just a few challenges:

• DLArt Linky Party
• A Bit More Time To Craft - #148 Anything Goes
• A Perfect Time To Craft - #3-2022 Anything Goes
• Classic Design Challenge - #3 Anything Goes
• We Love 2 Create - Anything Mixed Media Goes 1/2
• Creative Fingers - #226 Anything Goes 1/3
• Scrapping4Fun - #210 Something Watercolored 1/4
• Incy Wincy Designs - Nature/Scenery 1/5
• Mix It Up - #58 Anything Mixed Media Goes 1/8
• Love to Craft - #66 Anything Goes 2/8
• Love to Scrap - #154 Anything Goes 2/8
• Word Art Wednesday - #533 Anything Goes 3/5

Be sure to visit the blog, play along and check out all the other DT's awesome projects!  Thanks so much for looking and happy crafting!  Laters!!

**SHAPED CARDS** New Challenge with Simply Create Too!!

Happy Friday!  It's a new challenge at Simply Create Too and our theme this month is Shaped Cards!!!  No squares or rectangles, please!  I wanted to make a pop-up box card and the first theme I thought of was mermaids!

Just a few challenges:

• DL Art Linky Party
• A Bit More Time To Craft - #111 Anything Goes
• A Perfect Time to Craft - Anything Goes
• Creatalicious - #182 Anything Goes
• Digi Tuesday - #9 Anything Goes 1/2
• Crafty Catz - #496 Anything Goes 1/3
• QKR Stampede - #388 Anything Goes 1/3
• Penny's Paper Crafting Challenge - #466 Anything Goes 1/3
• Aud Sentiments - #246 Feminine and a Sentiment 1/5
• Die Cut Divas - Anything Goes 2/4
• Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes 3/3

Be sure to visit the blog to see what the rest of the DT created!  Thanks so much for looking and happy crafting.  Laters!!

**ANIMALS/ANYTHING GOES** New Challenge with Creative Moments

Happy Hump Day!!  It's a new challenge at Creative Moments and our theme is ANIMALS!  Of course you can always play Anything Goes, but summer makes me think of all kinds of animals, from sea life to puppies so it's the perfect time to embrace these creatures!

Be sure to visit the blog to see what the rest of the DT have created.  Thanks so much for looking and happy crafting.  Laters!!

Ocean Explorer - Brea Reese Brand Ambassador Post

Happy Tuesday!  I've got another Brea Reese brand ambassador post today, and it's all about mermaids!!  This week I'm experimenting with the Brea Reese Glitter Inks and a faux alcohol ink look.  I really wanted to achieve that because my chemical allergies keep me from playing with alcohol inks.  That's another thing I love about the entire Brea Reese line.  It's low or no odor so nothing sets off my allergies!!  I used felt to apply just one color, Ultramarine Blue, diluted with water.  By sliding the ink and the water back and forth and then dabbing the ink on, it dried with this awesome finish that looks like moving water. 

Wanna know how I got the color on the glitter die cuts?  Brea Reese Alcohol Markers!  I used the Brights and Pastels sets.  They blended over the glitter beautifully and it didn't damage the tip.

Be sure to check out the Glitter Inks and all the other Brea Reese products!!  Thanks so much for looking and happy crafting.  Laters!!