Back to school with Lacy Sunshine and Elizabeth Dulemba

There have been so many Back to School challenges floating around the last couple of weeks but I don't think I've entered any cards so far.  I've just not been "feeling" the whole back to school season.  Last May my youngest graduated from high school.....and I still get a bit weepy just thinking of not having a son in K-12 anymore.  Hubby and I had 1, 2 or all 3 boys in the same school system for 22 consecutive years.  If we had been in the military, we would be eligible for retirement.  How's that for perspective?

My reluctance to do a school themed card faded quickly when I saw "Jillian" by  Lacy Sunshine.  Oh my gosh.  She is so cute.  That image got my mind spinning so I started looking around for a digi I could use to take Jillian into the classroom.  Along came a freebie from Elizabeth Dulemba.  I found it here.  Take a look there!  You'll find oodles of digis.  Have fun!!

My progress with ProMarkers continues to make me happy.  (I have loads to learn but I'm giving myself some slack since I've only had them for 5 days.)  Today, Jillian became an emerald-eyed ginger and I think she's gor-geous!  I have several others already printed and ready for coloring to use on Operation Write Home cards.  Isn't she just perfect for OWH cards?

You aren't gonna' believe where I came up with some of the embellies for this card!   It's almost embarrassing to tell you how cheap frugal I am....actually, no it isn't.  I'm pretty proud of my ingenuity and love hearing stories of others finding their own treasures in thrift stores, tag sales, etc.  Here are some of the unconventional sources for today's card:

*The little button was the extra button from a shirt.  You know, the one that's attached in the little plastic baggy?  Love those!
*The beads and the white cord tied to the button are from a kit of beads from the Dollar Tree.  They were in the kid's craft section.
*The heart in the upper right corner was white card stock that I covered in Glossy Accents.  (I had just gotten the stuff and had to play with it.)  It had been in my stash for months now and it was time for it to be set free.  I didn't want a super white heart on the card so I turned it over and used a couple of ProMarkers on the back side.  I'm kinda' loving the way it turned out.
*The sentiment was printed with my little label maker to emphasize the school theme.  I thought Jillian looked like she might have a sassy side to her so I added a touch of sarcasm.
And best of all:
*The little bit of pink grosgrain ribbon that's under the heart and across the bottom of the card came from.....drum roll, please......the drawstring of an old pair of pajama pants.  That sounds a little weird but I assure you it is clean and fully laundered.  I guess me saving that is hereditary.  My Mom is a phenomenal ribbon saver and I am following closely in her steps.  (If I could have gotten her cleaning gene, my house would have far fewer dust bunnies.  Oh well.  I'll take the ribbon and just live with the bunnies.)

Now, time for you to take a look at that beautiful little redhead:

The frame was cut using my Cricut Expression and the Elegant Edges cartridge.  It was the very first time I had used the Center Point key.  And, yes, I cut her out before I colored the image.  The thought of screwing up a completely colored digi makes me just a little sick.  Luckily, it was pretty successful and I love the effect of the finished product.

You can find Jillian and her books in the following challenges:


Lacy Sunshine -- Girls, girls, girls
By Lori Designs -- Back to school
Outlawz Friday Alcohol Marker Challenge -- Back to school
Perfect Sentiments Challenge -- Goodbye summer, hello school
The Sisterhood of Crafters -- Back to school
Stamp-n-Doodle -- Back to School
Going Grey with Scrap Creations -- Back to school
Tuesday Throwdown -- School colors
Craft Your Passion -- Office supplies
Love to Create -- Back to school
 

Once again I'd like to thank you for the time you've spent here.  Please leave me a comment if you have an extra minute....and I'd love to have you as a new follower!