What a Fun June Challenge

**This post will show at the top through the month of June**

Submit as many entries as you want for this challenge. 

The Challenge:
Make a card using any of my summer (if you are outside the USA) or Patriotic (if you are from the USA) digis.

A ScrapHappy Paper Crafter RCK pack will be sent to one winner within the continental USA.  A free digi drawn with the theme of your choice will be awarded to the first 5 participants.  Only one free digi awarded to each person. 


Here are a few to get you started.

RULES: 

You may enter as many projects as you want throughout the month of May.

I only ship the RCK pack to a USA resident due to shipping costs.

You must be a follower of the ScrapHappy Paper Crafter blog to win.

Anyone can enter the challenge from outside the USA to win the digi drawing with the theme of your choice, that way everyone can play along.

Get a friend to follow my blog and have them leave a comment on this post that you sent them here, for another chance to win.

FOLLOW ME ON FACEBOOK AND NOTE THAT YOU DID BELOW FOR ANOTHER CHANCE TO WIN

Free Digis For Saturday - Oldies Weekend

Hello digital stamp lovers.  I'm going on a mini vacation, so you'll have some old digis for the weekend.  Hope to post some new ones next week.  If you also love to use a Cricut you can check out my new Cricut challenge blog HERE

 Have a great weekend!!!

A Saturday Poem

The Great Highland Pipes

By Julie McElhinney

Oh instrument of sadness

You play for the mourning,

Washing away the tears

In the hearts of the grieving.

Oh instrument of battle

Marching men into the fight,

Signaling across the distance

Playing in the darkness of night.

Oh instrument of love

Guiding the bride to her groom,

Your sound spreads their joy

All around the wedding room.

Oh instrument of the Ceilidh

Of dancing and jubilation,

Your jigs, reals and hornpipes

Are the joy of God’s creation.

But still your distinct melody

Is only for the chosen sum,

Of music loving laborers

That won’t give up what they’ve begun.

Free Digi For Friday - Sweet Treats

Don't these look yummy!!!!

Please check out the Operation Write Home Challenge
And if you are a Cricut lover check out my new Cricut challenge blog HERE

A Friday Poem

The Messy Crafter

By Julie McElhinney

I am the messy crafter

Glue and glitter everywhere,

Little bits of scattered paper

Fling through the cluttered air.

I clean up my space

Every once in a while,

Once the mound of scraps

Becomes a high and wobbly pile.

Some may wonder

How I could work in that mess,

How you can find anything

Doesn’t it give you stress.

I answer simply like this

I know where everything hides,

Where the scissors are stores

And where the glue resides.

The embellishments are simply

Five piles to the right,

Buried under two paper stacks

Just slightly out of sight.

The ribbon is in a basket

Under the table on the floor,

You just have to move one box

To find this hidden store.

I know where everything is

In this jumbled mangled heap,

As I craft among these treasures

That I decide to keep.

Cricut Chirp Challenge Blog

As much as I REALLY love doing digital images, I still LOVE to make things with my Cricut.  So, I decided to make another challenge blog that is solely based on making items with your Cricut.  For any of my followers that love to Cricut too, please stop on by to The Cricut Chirp Challenge Blog to check out the latest challenge or apply for the design team.

Free Digis For Thursday - A Guy Thing

Everyone always seems to say that they don't have enough "guy digis" to use.  I've been trying to think of some good "guy digis" to go with, so here's what I came up with so far.

Please check out the Operation Write Home Challenge
And if you are also a Cricut lover check out my new Cricut challenge blog HERE

A Thursday Poem

Foreboding Silence

By Julie McElhinney

Noise and clanging everywhere

Miniature me without a care,

Suddenly I realize it is far too quiet

As a contrast to the previous riot.

I know that girl is up to no good

Is crayon on the wall or scratches in the wood,

What are you doing oh silent one

I think you might be having too much fun.

I put down the laundry and cleaning bags

I turn away from that pile of rags,

To search for that hiding girl

With big blue eyes and blond bobbing curls.

I expect to find chaos with toys all a skew

I’ll try to stay calm oh yes that’s what I’ll do,

So you wouldn’t imagine my great surprise

To find you sleeping with closed princess eyes.

A Fun Challenge To Do List

Here’s a great “To Do” list of challenges that look like fun this week.

ScrapHappy Paper Crafter - Operation Write Home

Sisterhood of Crafters – Seeing Stars

CardzTV – Summer Fun

Cooking It Up With Katie – Lace a Sunny Flower

The Queen’s Royal Digi Challenge – Anything Goes

Free digis For Wednesday - Pretty Princess

Here are a couple new princess digis and some of my favorites from awhile ago.  Please check out the Operation Write Home Challenge.

A Wednesday Poem

A Good Book

By Julie McElhinney

Soft musty pages

Slightly worn by age,

Words flow along

As I turn each page.

Time to myself

Huddled in my chair,

Reading this book

Without a single care.

Reveling in the silence

Blocking out the noise,

Browsing through this fiction

That gives me so much joy.

Living in this moment

Finding sweet relaxation,

Going through this world

In my imagination.

Die Cuttin' Divas Challenge Card

Contirubuting this card to Operation Write Home challenge for this month.

I made this card for the Die Cuttin Divas "fruit" themed challenge and the Cooking With Cricut challenge for this week. I just got an 8"x8" DCWV Citrus mat stack of paper and I thought it would go great with this Peach from the Cricut Everyday Cards cartridge.  I used Dusty Rose and Tea Die Tim Holtz Distress Inks to ink the edges of all the papers.  The great twine is from The Twinery and the sentiment is from Mary at CardzTV. I drew the cute little face on the peach.  You can see a basic tutorial on how to draw these faces on the following video.

Craft Wars

So is anyone going to watch Craft Wars tonight on TLC?  I know I want to.  It's at 10pm EST.

Free Digis For Tuesday - MP3 Player

So I'm slippin on posting new digis this week, so I'll post some favorites again today.  I'm still focusing my energy on the craft room clean out and reorganization that was WAY OVER DUE. 

A Tuesday Poem

Brave

By Julie McElhinney

If you had the choice

To change your fate,

Would you make the decision

To do it or wait?

Would you carry on

The same as before,

Or take the chance

And even up the score?

Do you have the courage

To take the leap,

And bear to the world

All the secrets you keep?

It’s ok to fight back

And be different than the rest,

As long as you continue

To do your very best.

Craft room reorganization

Ug...this craft room reorganization is wearing me out. Thankfully I get to look forward to a fun three day weekend away with my little family.

So after going through my stash of ribbon and organizing it tonight I realized....I have a LOT of ribbon. I got all my paper organized and two more garbage bags of stuff to throw away. I have a large hamper to drop off at Goodwill. I'll be putting some great prize packs together too, so make sure you are participating in the monthly challenge. I may throw in an extra giveaway next month just for fun.

Free Digis For Monday

Wow I'm slackin on posting new freebies.  Here are a bunch of oldies but goodies for your crafting pleasure.  :o)

A Monday Poem

Stress Less

By Julie McElhinney

How do you deal with stress

As you go through your life today,

Do you need a little quiet time

Or do you jump around and play?

Do you scream into a pillow

Or quietly sit and meditate,

I’m sincerely wondering

Which action you choose to take.

Perhaps it all depends

On the stress of the hour,

As to which reaction

Has the most healing power.

I know I love my crafts

They help me drift away,

And it’s important for me

To take the time to pray.

Sometimes I forget

To deal with the struggles

For stress is always there

Giving me more troubles.

Maybe I’ll go outside

For a slow and easy walk,

Or call up an old friend

For a long and detailed talk.

It’s important to take the time

To slow down for a rest,

And find the stress relief

That works for you best.

DCWV Design Team Post

I made this shadow box for the DCWV Design Team call. I used their Whimsy mat stack and the neutral DCWV self adhesive stack. I used the Cricut Country Life and Wall Decor and More cartridges. I printed the measuring tape on some white cardstock and inked around everything with Tim Holtz Tea Die Distress Ink.

The messy crafter

Are you messy or neat when you craft? I'm one of those crafters that let's the paper bits fall where they may and eventually works in a mound of scraps. I spent most of the afternoon cleaning and organizing mt daughter's room and the craft room/office.

It's kind of sad that the craft room still looks like a mess, but I have four garbage bags full of stuff to throw out and a laundry basket full to go to Goodwill. Oh well, at least I made a good dent.

Free Digi For Sunday - Palm tree and surfer

Make sure to check out this months challlenge HERE.

A Sunday Poem

Oh For The Love Of Sleep

By Julie McElhinney

Sleep oh how I miss you

Drooping heavy eyes,

Staying in bed until morning

When daylight brightens the skies.

Oh for the days

When there was no alarm,

When summer time came

I could sleep well past dawn.

But we all have to grow up

And face responsibility,

And then it is the end of sleep

For you and for me.

Crying babies at two AM

Oh sleep where are you,

Time to get up again

What’s a parent to do?

Four O’clock meeting

And a five minute nap,

Your head hits the table

With a loud telling slap.

Oh for the love of sleep

How I miss you so,

You were a friend that I had lost

So many years ago.

I should put some vinyl on this

Sharing my "going green" reusable cup with Kristal from Getting Cricky.http://www.gettingcricky.com/2012/06/coffee-for-everyone.html?m=0

Free Digi For Saturday - Sun bather - NOT!

Make sure to check out this months challlenge HERE.

Yeah this is me "catching some rays."  LOL

A Saturday Poem

Autumn

By Julie McElhinney

Crisp cool leaves

The smell of fall is here,

I recline with a book

In my favorite time of year.

It’s cool enough outside

To sit by a roaring fire,

And not feel too hot

At night when I retire.

I love to cuddle up

In a blanket or two,

Don’t ask me why

It’s just what I like to do.

I love orange pumpkins

And children in disguise,

Candied apples and popcorn

Leaves falling from the skies.

Yes this is my favorite time of year

Perhaps the best season,

I hope that you enjoy it too

With my list of every reason.

I used the K Andrew Fashionable Friends stamp set with this spa digi. This sentiment is so perfect for the image.

I used the K Andrew "Fashionable Friends" stamp set on this card. I love the spa digis!!!

Free Digi For Friday - Super Accesory Day

Make sure to check out this months challlenge HERE.

So I've drawn a LOT of accesory pictures lately and I thought it would be fun to put them all in this post for you to choose your favorites.  Let me know in the comments below which one you like the best.  :o)

A Friday Poem

The Measure Of Success

By Julie McElhinney

Perhaps I will never be

As famous as a movie star,

But it doesn’t really matter to me

To have mansions and fancy cars.

I just want to make a difference

In this world somehow today,

Show my worth and significance

In everything I do and say.

If I can bring smiles

To the faces of the ailing,

Then my legacy will go miles

Past the realm of the failing.

For success isn’t measured

By monetary means,

It’s something to be treasured

And is so much more than it seems.

I used the K Andrew Designs "All About Animals" stamp set on this birthday card. I used the Birthday Bash Cricut cartridge.

Free Digi For Thursday - Beach Accesories

Make sure to check out this months challlenge HERE.



A Thursday Poem

Firefly

By Julie McElhinney

I sit still in the darkness

Waiting for them to appear,

Appreciating that the cricket chirp

Is the only sound I hear.

All of a sudden I see it

A tiny flickering of light,

That disturbs the unbroken blackness

Surrounding the field of night.

Soon another flash follows

Like a signal from afar,

Awakening a plane

Of tiny flickering stars.

They glide across the field

Like a wave of flashing light,

Quietly they fly around

The silent guardians of the night.

You get lost in the patterns

Of the incandescent glow,

Wondering what kind of secrets

These wandering lights might know.

Princess Party Fun Invites

Working on Meggie's birthday party invitations. I used the K Andrew Designs "Of Mice and Little Men" stamp set and a swirl stamp from my stash. The crown cut is from the Princess Party Cricut cartridge.

Exploring Cricut Challenge Card

I made this card for the Exploring Cricut challenge. The sentiment is from K Andrew Designs "Splashtastic Summer" stamp set.

The sun is from - Create A Critter
The glasses are from - Paisley
The scallop is from - Paisley



Ohhh yeah!!!!! It's my day off and I stopped in at Joanns to look for Clearance items. Score!!! They had ribbon on clearance for. 50 cents and 97 cents. I majorly stocked up on ribbon as you can see here. Some of this will end up in future RCK packs for monthly prizes, so be sure to participate.

Free Digis For Wednesday- Princess, Relaxing bath, and Winery Fun

Make sure to check out this months challlenge HERE.