Squeaking in at the last minute...

...with one more card for Barb's challenge over at kinsale creations! The deadline is today, and I had this card dancing around my head for a few days before finally making it today: 

Supplies: damask stamp from Fiskars;
bird from Inkadinkado; sentiment from Hero Arts;
black cardstock scrap; white EP;
Versamark & Adirondack Citrus ink

A snippet of something I'm working on for a Moxie Fab challenge...but the mess on the desk? Thought I'd show you how it's rolling around here today! But you can even see the inspiration photo clipped to my 'orders & challenges' spot, right there in front 

If you haven't already checked out the Barbles challenge, get thee over there tout de suite, because today is the last day to upload your project..go! Hurry up!

xoxo,
Jessi

Little Red Wagon challenge 108

Here's a challenge site that's new to me, little red wagon. This time around, challenge #108 (where have I been?) is to make a Christmas themed project. Conveniently, I'm all over that :)

Supplies: papers from My Mind's Eye;
standard oval,circle, and lacy circle Nesties;
Offray ribbon; AmyR sentiment (CCDesigns);
Vintage Photo distress ink;
Cicely Mary Barker fairy decoupage art;
brown pearls; Martha Stewart branch punch

Last week I saw the most amazing tutorial from KittieKraft on how to make paper pine cones. I don't have plain scalloped Nesties, so I used the smallest of the lacy circles.

xoxo,
Jessi

Christmas quilling

In the last three weeks, I've been crafting my little fingers to the bone. Six weeks ago today I had my finger episode (with the blister, etc, and I'm not linking because I'm sorry I showed you! Gross!) and finally yesterday the last bit of ick fell off. It's still a bit rough, but finally the whole thing is reduced to a bright red scar the size of a penny, right by my index finger knuckle. As soon as I could use my finger again I was on a card-making spree...over 100 cards in those 3 weeks. I'm still going strong, too. I haven't even come close to catching up with posting - heck, at this point there are so many that I'm not even photographing them all! So prepare yourselves for an onslaught of Christmas joy in paper form :)

Quilling is one of my favourite additions to Christmas cards, and I don't use patterns. I just twirl away & see what happens. Here are a few Christmas cards - snowflakes coming soon, since they're still on the camera.

Supplies: papers from Bo Bunny;
Memento Tuxedo Black ink;
sentiment from AmyR, CCDesigns;
red pearls, Offray ribbon;
wreath quilled by me

loose coils, two sizes, two layers. Not much of a pattern! lol

Supplies: papers from My Mind's Eye;
Wilton doily; standard circle Nesties;
red & white pearls;
poinsettia quilled by me, in two layers;
envelope: unknown stamp, Fired Brick distress ink

And now off to check out what everyone's been up to!
xoxo,
Jessi

ETA: All of my blogs have disappeared from my reader! It says I'm not currently following any. None. Nada. Zip. I thought it was weird that it kept deleting the same few, but for all of them to be gone? AGH. Maybe this is Blogger's way of telling me to get off the computer?

Challenges everywhere!

Another day with 2 posts...what the heck? I've been making all sorts of things inspired by various challenges, and it seems like for once I'm going to actually get the darn things posted & shared before deadlines. (Don't expect this in the future, folks, since you KNOW it won't be a regular thing! lol) This particular challenge is one I plan to continue checking in with: Shopping Our Stash. This week's challenge, #27, is to create a winter or Christmas related project.

Supplies: stamp from CC Designs;
blue paper from Basic Grey "Nordic Holiday;"
snowflake buttons from Dress it Up!

GLITTER!!

So for once my supply list is pretty short. Why? Because some of these things have been in my stash for so long, I have no clue where they came from. Mistletoe Fairy here was stamped out & coloured last year, I presume with reinkers. I think. Her boots & eyes have Dimensional Magic on them for shine. The chipboard is some that I've had for years. The blue glitter on her hair & wings is the very last dribble of glitter in some ultra-fine multi-pack I've had since before I started making cards - I was thrilled that there was exactly enough to cover the parts I wanted, and the teensy bit extra went in the trash with no guilt :)
I bought the snowflake buttons in bulk about 3 years ago, and I have enough left that I probably won't use them all up this year either. The pink glitter paper...who knows where THAT came from? See, this challenge has been to my craft area, and I need the kick to use up some of my perfectly awesome older supplies!
So, go look. Check out the awesome entries - maybe someone else has the same supplies in their stash?
xoxo,
Jessi

Happy Birthday, Virginia!

If you somehow haven't heard, Virginia of Yes, Virginia is turning 50, and she's having a big birthday bash to celebrate. Here's the party right here, and already there are loads of gorgeous entries all inspired by Virginia's creativity, kindness, and generosity. I've made Virginia a virtual birthday card, inspired by her amazing rainbow card seen here. I love checking in with Virginia's blog to see what she's been creating, and the photographs she shares of her family (and the funny things they say!) remind me to share those kinds of events from my own life. (Thus the abundance of Abby photographs...lol).

Supplies: black embossed paper from Kaisercraft "Chapter One;"
flower stamp from Stampin' Up! "Fifth Avenue Floral;"
Sentiment from MFT; Memento Tuxedo Black ink;
flowers coloured with distress inks:
Worn Lipstick, Spun Sugar, Mustard Seed, Spiced Marmalade, Tumbled Glass,
Broken China,Peeled Paint, Dusty Concord;
orange & purple brads from Making Memories;
pink, aqua, and green brads from Basic Grey

The flowers were all stamped out on a piece of cardstock, then coloured in by sponging ink over the images, and fussy-cut.  I can't for the life of me remember where I saw this technique, but it suits my colouring-impaired self to a tee!
Happy Birthday, Virginia! May {ahem} 50 bring you as many joys as you can imagine!

xoxo,
Jessi

Another Barbles challenge card...

Is it ok to fall in love with your own card? Because I really, really love this card. I can't believe I even managed to get the sparkle to photograph. I believe the happy twinkle in my eye as I beheld my masterpiece might have made the glitter shine a little more, lol!

So, this is my second entry for Barbles' challenge over at Kinsale Creations - and I know there are going to be more. I am in the midst of hurry-up-and-finishing a set of baby thank yous, and a blanket for said baby, and about twelve million other things (and the kitchen floor is getting desperate...)

Supplies: snowflake sparkle paper from Best Creations;
green glitter paper from Colorbok;
deer & sentiment from Inkadinkado;
Memento ink in Tuxedo Black & London Fog;
Stampendous Fun Flock in Cotton Ball;
Martha Stewart markers;
Sakura clear glaze pen (mistletoe) and black glaze pen (eyes & nose);
standard & lacy circle Nesties

The offset stamping of the sentiment was a boo-boo - I didn't press evenly on the first try, and like a tool I'd already coloured everything, so dangit, I REALLY didn't want to start over. I stamped again to finish the solid black "k," and the sort of 'halo' formed for the rest of the sentiment actually made me happy.
You have until November 30th to link up to Barb's challenge for some amazing prizes, so go see how you can be inspired by the beautiful photo she's provided!

xoxo,
Jessi

Christmas Penguins!

I collect Christmas penguin stamps - I add at least one to my collection every year. This one is from a few years ago, but I *think* it might be my favourite because of how much fun it is to add texture to:

Supplies: Penguin stamp & Fun Flock from Stampendous;
patterned papers from Bella Blvd;
season's greetings stamp from Inkadinkado;
Memento Tuxedo Black & London Fog ink;
Mod Podge Dimensional Magic; mini lights from Jolee's;
brads from Basic Grey

Shiny lights, beaks, feet, and fuzzy bellies & hats. I has a happy :)

Last week we had our first 'proper' snow, fluffy and nice to walk in. Abby LOVED it!

Snow? A snack & a toy, all at the same time! I HAZ A HAPPY!

STICK! Look, Ma, I got a stick! I love sticks.

We're hunkering down for the first big storm of the season - between 15-25 cm starting at noon, and then turning to rain by tomorrow morning. Messy!

xoxo,
Jessi

Tired, so very tired!

Supplies: papers from MME;
stamps & flock from Stampendous;
buttons from stash;
Memento Tuxedo Black ink

ew....gross little present!

Supplies: papers & chipboard from Basic Grey "Nordic Holiday;"
Memento London Fog ink;
sentiment from The Cat's Pajamas

Supplies: paper from Bo Bunny "Blitzen;"
Merry Christmas stamp from INkadinkado;
Memento London Fog ink;
miscellaneous bling

Supplies: everything but the googly eyes from Basic Grey "Nordic Holiday"

The title pretty much covers it - I'm exhausted! Friday I was awake for 21 hours, and with Midnight Madness, the Saturday morning market, and the town Christmas parade Saturday night...it was a busy weekend. Plus, the maid apparently quit (hah! I wish), and so when I came home Saturday afternoon, it was to see every.single.dish we own dirty. And we have a dishwasher. Not that anybody thought to run it. It took two sinkfuls of dishes before I could even get all of the dirty dishes onto the counter. 

That's not even counting the tornado zone my desk is in, with the flurry of last-minute creating all day Friday - yep, it's a mess around here. Too bad housework isn't near as much fun as making things...

xoxo,

Jessi

Blog Candy Winner - and a brand-new Challenge!

Well! This has been about 5 tries - I don't know if it's Blogger or my computer, but there are issues. Ugh. I hate that. 

Anyhow, as promised I drew a winner for my birthday blog candy yesterday - from 16 comments at that time, I cut up the list of names & had my friend Dee draw a winner.....

Allison!

Congrats! Now I just need your mailing address so I can get your paper pads on the way to you - send me an email at onecraftymama at hotmail dot com.

Blogger is still refusing to accept some blogs into my reader - I've manually entered the same one four times now, and each time I sign out it vanishes. ARGH. I tried deleting cookies, etc, but the usual tricks aren't helping. Bear with me until I figure it out!

And now for the challenge - with some freaking amazing prize packages - A Barbles Challenge! First of all, go look - the inspiration photo is stunning. On top of that, how adorable is the story behind 'barbles'? Barb is hosting this challenge until November 30, so you've got lots of time to make something awesome. While you're visiting kinsale creations, make sure you check out her fun Movember creations!

I've already made 2 cards for the challenge, one of which I'll share today...based on the colour scheme of the photograph.

Supplies: polka-dot papers from Kaisercraft "Chapter One;"
green glitter paper from Colorbok;
standard oval & circle Nesties;
sentiment - Stampin' Up; bird - Inkadinkado;
Memento Tuxedo Black ink;
black & lime rhinestones;
Studio G glitter glue & Martha Stewart glitter on top...for extra SPARKLE

...and apparently that's all the cooperation I'm going to get from Blogger right now! I'll see if I can edit this later with my close-up photo. If I keep trying now I might have to get medieval on the computer's hiney. Argh!

xoxo,

Jessi

ETA: I can't believe I forgot, but tomorrow night (Friday, November 18) is Midnight Madness in the town of Sackville, NB. Sales, specials, the bestest little craft sale of the season at the Bridge Street Cafe (where I'll be from 6 pm - midnight), horse-drawn carriage rides, cocoa and hot cider....come on out & get your Christmas shopping finished (or started!) and support local artists & businesses :)

Young Crafters Unite Challenge #3 - Masculine Cards!

Since I participated in the Young Crafters Unite masculine blog hop last week, I've been in a 'masculine' card making mood - many of them were similar (bikes, anyone?) to the ones I shared during the hop, so I've got something a little different for today. The deadline for the Masculine Challenge is today, November 15, so if you've got a boy card kicking around upload it now!

Supplies: all papers from Graphic 45 "A Proper Gentleman;"
Old Paper distress ink; clock stamp on envelope from Bo Bunny;
peel-off sentiment; black rhinestones; black embroidery thread

Close-up of the dimension with foam tape & stitching

All the extra clocks were cut out of the remaining patterned paper I used for the card front, and then popped up on single & double layers of foam tape.

And last but not least, check out this post and leave a comment to enter to win some blog candy...I'll be drawing the winner on Wednesday.

xoxo,
Jessi

Happy Birthday to Me!

OK, first of all, some housekeeping - Blogger deleted some blogs from my reader, I *think* only the newest ones that I'd added in the last few weeks. I hope I haven't missed re-adding someone, so if I usually stop by your blog, I'll be back once I figure out what's gone wrong! Darn free service not working perfectly all the time, how dare it? lol!

Since I've had looooooads of coffee this morning already this could be a long and chatty post, but if you hang on it'll be worth it, I promise! I couldn't decide which card I wanted to post, and then I spied this one:

Supplies: All stamps from The Cat's Pajamas;
Memento Tuxedo Black ink;
velvet paper from Kaisercraft "Chapter One;"
brads from Basic Grey; Liquid Applique;
Stampendous Fun Flock (Cotton Ball & dark Green);
Martha Stewart Flocking Kit - grass, light green flocking;
Sakura Stardust pen, clear glaze pen; standard circle Nesties

The sentiment is just right.

35? C'est impossible. I certainly don't feel like I could be 35 years old, but that's what I am. Thank goodness I don't have to act like one ALL THE TIME or that would be horrible.

A close-up of all the fuzzy goodness & puffy Applique

Besides the sentiment, this card features so many soft, fluffy, glittery, touchable elements that it made me happy to make it, and happy to look at it :) Even though that little patch of dark green flock was an unsuccessful attempt to create a ground for the penguins to stand on....lesson learned, flocking without colouring first just doesn't look the way I think it should.

In other news, I got a tattoo yesterday, in honour of a friend.

on my left arm, above the inside of my elbow

Once it's finished healing, it will be a more yellowish hue, in honour of those fighting all kinds of cancer. A local Relay for Life team is hosting a Tattoo-a-thon on Friday November 18th, at Flesh Impressions on Church Street. All the tattoos they're doing that day will be ribbons for cancer awareness (colour of your own choice, and style of ribbon), and proceeds are going to Relay for Life. There is also a silent auction taking place at Flesh Impressions, and I've donated several card packs to the table. Since I'm participating in a craft sale on the day of the Tattoo-a-thon, I popped in to ask if I could participate in the fundraiser on a different day, and they were able to fit me in. So, I'm the first tattoo-ee for the fundraiser. My other tattoos were really for fun, I guess, and I found this a very emotional experience. Seeing it every day will hopefully remind me of how precious life is, and how we never know what lies ahead, for any of us, no matter how young.

Ahem. No more sad. Now something funny: Abby!

So the other day I walk into the kitchen, and see Abby sleeping curled up in her blankets....except she's not curled up in it, she's managed to get stuck in it! She shreds fabric, and her blankets are pretty tattered. This one apparently had an almost Abby-sized hole, and she got herself mostly wriggled through it.

My laughing & taking pictures woke her up. When I tried to pull the blanket off, guess what? See how her fur is kind of puckered near the edge of the blanket? She was stuck! I had to use a pair of scissors to get her out! I don't know how that was comfortable, but she had no marks on her skin (we can see through the fur on her legs, it's so pale) and no apparent discomfort, so she's no worse for wear. She does normally sleep covered in blanket - if she's in our bed, she sleeps with everything under the covers, even her nose. Funny little dog :)

So, finally, the last thing - blog candy :) I'm not taking a picture, though, since I don't feel like it, and it's my birthday so I don't have to! I have two pads of Christmas paper to give away to someone who comments on this post - one from Bo Bunny, one from Jillibean Soup. I'll pick a random winner on Wednesday, November 16, and it's open to anyone world-wide. If you don't happen to be a paper crafter, you can leave a comment to win a package of 6 Christmas cards - just let me know in your comment if you'd prefer to win paper or cards!

That's it...for now...thanks for hanging around with me :)

xoxo,
Jessi

ETA: The blog candy is now closed - but you can still leave a comment :) The winner was Allison, announced here. 

MFW: Beads & Baubles

Supplies: Papers from Basic Grey "Out of Print;"
Martha Stewart branch punch;
letter stickers all from Basic Grey;
Sakura Clear Glaze pen (on yellow letters);
blue, pink, and white pearls from $store;
standard circle Nesties; quilling by me

I had a custom card order last week that seemed a perfect fit for this edition of Moxie Fab World's Tuesday Trigger: Beads & Baubles, which ends on November 13. Check out this Trigger photo:

I was particularly inspired by the colours & layout, and the pearls made a perfect accent. The yellow flower gave me the push to use yellow letters for the recipient's name, and I added Clear Glaze pen (two layers) to give them some jewel shine. I included gold by punching the branches from some handmade gold paper that's been in my stash for a really long time. 

Here's a close-up of the flower arrangement, and the shine of the letters:

So far this week I've made 22 cards - and usually Friday is my most productive day, and it'll be a Christmas card blitz, so I can hardly wait! And since Sunday is my birthday, I bet I could play with paper most of the day then too...just picture me rubbing my hot little hands together with glee :)

xoxo,

Jessi

Oh, deer.

I edited yesterday's post to reflect the change, but I thought I'd fess up here too: my yard visitors were pheasants. Jenny, Jen, and Therese's comments made me think "Um, am I sure they're quail?" ... and no, they're not. But I swear, that's what they're called around here! Foolish, because quail are most definitely NOT anything like pheasants in looks, but anyway. I do still stand by my statement that the pheasants aren't smart. Ahem. (Pot, meet kettle...)

QUAIL
myteacherpages.com

PHEASANT
So not the same, people of Amherst. 

Supplies: Papers from Basic Grey "Lauderdale" and "Sweet Threads;"
sun stamp from Market Street Stamps;
cloud stamps from The Greeting Farm;
Memento London Fog ink;
deer & tree diecut & foam sticker from Walmart kit;
letter beads from stash; letter stickers from Basic Grey;
yellow embroidery floss for sun's rays; spots & dots Cuttlebug embossing folder;
Sakura clear glaze pen; Stampendous Fun Flock in Cotton Ball

<whew> that felt like a lot of supplies. This card was just fun from start to finish. The hills are cut freehand, with the darker green layer popped up on foam tape & the foam tree tucked in behind that layer. The sun & clouds are popped up as well, and the sun & letters are covered with the clear glaze pen.

Oooh, shiny!

I stamped the sun from Market Street Stamps in London Fog ink so that I could stitch over the rays without having too much ink show through.

Riley's school was evacuated for "a funny smell" early this afternoon, so it's a bit of a muddle around here trying to calm him down - they had to leave without jackets, bookbags, or lunches. It doesn't look like a serious problem (a damper closed on the furnace) but for the kids it's overwhelming.

xoxo,
Jessi

Good Solid Advice for a Monday

Supplies: Papers from Bo Bunny 'Blitzen;'
stamps from Inkadinkado; Memento Tuxedo Black ink;
buttons from Basic Grey & stash;
standard oval Nesties

When I ordered this stamp way back in September, I knew I'd love it. The puppy is adorable, but really, how can you go wrong with this advice? It's my kind of Christmas greeting.

Oddly appropriate for today, since Sophie the cat has decided to mark everything...including poor Connor's binder & bookbag, which I failed to notice until he got off the bus this afternoon. Here's hoping the washer takes care of it, and that Sophie stays well away from me for the near future.

Last week we had some visitors to the backyard, and for the first time I looked out the window and thought "Hey! I should get some pictures for the blog!" Does that mean I'm a "real" blogger now? lol

Quail! 

 We often see quail in the neighbourhood early in the morning, but this is the first time I've actually seen them in our backyard. I'm sure they visit, and I just don't happen to be looking out the kitchen window. If you aren't familiar with quail, imagine a clumsy bird that's slightly less intelligent than a domesticated turkey.

ETA: I swear, around here everyone calls them quail. I swear. However, I went & looked, and duh, they are totally pheasants. (hangs head in shame)

Thank goodness tomorrow won't be Monday any more!

xoxo,
Jessi

Meet me under the mistletoe?

*If you're here for the Young Crafters United Masculine cards blog hop, scroll down to the next post :) One more day for your comments on that post & the others on the hop to be eligible for the prize draws!

Abby, the saddest dog. Ever. 

As promised, the saddest dog ever in her Cone of Shame. Abby is two days post-spaying, and the Cone of Shame is the only thing that slows her down! I really thought she'd be feeling gross and wanting her rest, but it's a real challenge to keep her calm & quiet. The Cone works, though - that look stays on her face, she hangs her head, and drags the cone itself on the floor & catches it on everything she can for maximum pity. It's working...I'm hanging out with her pretty constantly trying to keep her from being so sad. Big hardship for me, of course. Problem is, I keep curling up on the bed with her, and the next thing I know my book's fallen on the floor & I'm drooling on the dog. 

Speaking of drool...kissing...ok, well, the segue made sense in my mind. Sorry!

Supplies: paper from Imaginisce;
Sweet November stamp from All That Scraps;
misc. chipboard; Dimensional Magic (Mod Podge);
Sakura Stardust glitter pen

Glossy boots, berry shirt, and eyes

This card is one I made last year, but I still have it & I still love it. The fairy is watercoloured with reinkers (red done with a marker), and bits of her outfit have Dimensional Magic on them. Her wings are coloured with the Stardust glitter pen after being coloured, and the shine on this card is so pretty in real life. 

xoxo,

Jessi 

Young Crafters Unite Blog Hop!

Hello & TGIF! I've got a few cards today to share as part of the Young Crafters Unite masculine cards blog hop. 

To find out more about this new challenge blog, check it out here. This is just the third challenge so far, but already it's quite popular. Something I like about the challenges is that there's several weeks to link up, and everyone is welcome to enter, no matter your age. 


So, if you're following the order of today's hop, you should have come from The Constant Scrapper, Janice Daquila-Pardo. Without further ado, here are my masculine cards:

Supplies: Papers all from My Mind's Eye Lost & Found 2, "Sunshine;"
 Wild Honey & Vintage Photo distress inks;
'happy birthday' from Hero Arts; tree from Stampin' Up!;
brads from Making Memories

Supplies: Papers from Basic Grey "Wander;"
bicycle stamp from Recollections;
birthday stamp from Hero Arts;
Memento Tuxedo Black ink;
buttons from Basic Grey, yellow buttons from stash

Supplies: papers from My Mind's Eye "Paris & Co;"
sentiment flag cut by hand;
Vintage Photo distress ink; sentiment stamp from Inkadinkado;
sailboat clip art from The Graphics Fairy, printed twice & popped up on foam tape for dimension
bamboo crochet thread for cross stitches

If you get lost or a link doesn't work on the hop, head back over to Young Crafters Unite for the master list & more information. All the posts should be live by noon Central US time. Happy hopping! Head over now to see what Suzanne  has created over at For His Glory, and thanks so much for visiting me :)


xoxo,
Jessi

Warm and Cozy Wishes...

Supplies: papers from Cosmo Cricket "Mitten Weather;"
knitty kitty stamp from Stampendous;
Palette Noir ink; Fun Flock (Cotton Ball) from Stampendous;
standard oval Nesties & snowflake die from Spellbinders

Quite possibly one of my favourite Christmas/winter stamps ever...I love Fluffles. I harbour suspicions that I may *be* Fluffles' hapless human counterpart...maybe that's why I like him so much!

Halloween was great fun - Abby didn't enjoy it all that much, especially hearing "trick or treat" so many times with hardly any treats for her! It also took about 15-20 times for her to stop barking every time my kids knocked on someone else's door. That was pretty funny...the first five times. I couldn't believe the amount of litter on the sidewalks this morning, though. I don't remember it being acceptable to just toss trash on the ground when I was a kid, and you'd think that higher environmental awareness would translate to less litter. Today after school I saw one father tell his kid, "Don't throw that on the ground -it belongs in the garbage can." And then he promptly didn't do anything else about it, just let the kid go. What's the point of saying something at all if you aren't going to back it up? The schoolground and the neighbourhood are disgusting, and there's no reason for it besides laziness.

{sorry, rant over. I hate litter!}

Time to go tackle that stack of dishes - I was waiting for the dish fairy to come, but once again she passed me by. Oh, one more thing: since I added the Facebook badge to my page I've gotten some requests from people I don't recognize. If you are adding me because you found me here, please drop me a quick message at the same time so that I know who you are!

xoxo,
Jessi