The last of my Barbles Challenge #2 posts...

Supplies: Stampin' Up! "Fifth Avenue Floral;"
versamark & white EP; Ranger ink refill (floating reinker technique);
buttons from stash; PSX bubblegum pink ink (envelope)

Inspired by both of these photos:

   

Supplies: papers from Basic Grey "Out of Print;"
tree stamp from Stampin' Up!; Palette Noir ink;
rub-on from Kaisercraft

Inspired by this photo:

Supplies: papers from Basic Grey "Out of Print;"
Cuttlebug birthday embossing folder; Ranger 'interference red' spray;
standard circle Nesties; flower quilled by me;
dew drops from $ store

Inspired by the flower in this photo:

:

As you must know by now, I really found Barb's January "get me outta my funk" challenge inspiring. Funny, though, how at the beginning the photos I was most drawn to, ended up inspiring the fewest cards? That's why I love inspiration challenges.They really open my mind to the possibilities. 

Today's the last day to enter Barbles challenge #2, so if you have one last card to link up, hurry!

xoxo,

Jessi

Shopping Our Stash #36 - Winter Blues

It wasn't until reading this challenge that I realized I don't tend to use a lot of blue in cards - I find blues very hard to match. There's lots of blue paper in my stash, though, so off I went to give it a whirl, and I came up with two cards - one blue in colour only, and one a little blue in colour & theme.

Supplies: papers from Basic Grey "Marjolaine;"
flower stamp from Hero Arts; sentiment from MFT;
Versamark & Pirate Gold EP;
labels 4 Nesties

flowers coloured with Martha Stewart markers;
I only had scraps of the paper I wanted to emboss the flowers on,
so I stamped it on two pieces & hid the seam (and enlarged
the panel this way) behind the olive scrap. 

Supplies: papers from Basic Grey "Wander;"
dog stamp from TAC; sentiment from Michaels;
Palette Noir ink;
standard oval & Labels 4 Nesties

The challenge closes tonight, so you have 16 hours to link up here with your Winter Blues project.
xoxo,
Jessi

Barbles Challenge #2 - Bird on a Wire

It's the last 2 days for Barb's second Barbles Challenge, and I'm down to my last few cards to share (well, for this challenge anyway...I'm not sure I'll ever run out of un-blogged cards.) 

Supplies: bird stamp from Inkadinkado;
Versamark, Palette Noir ink, black EP;
Colorbox Frost White pigment ink;
sentiment rub-on from Kaisercraft

I think it's fairly obvious how I was inspired by the Bird on a Wire photo - to me, the photo has a feeling of loneliness, and when I'm alone I'm generally thinking of someone else, so... I used a crumpled tissue to sponge on patches of the white ink, and another tissue to blend them in a bit - this had a neat side effect of emphasizing the texture of the cardstock. Unintended but nice bonus! The wire was drawn with a fine-tip Sharpie, and the black borders were done with a regular Sharpie.

There was a run on thank-you cards this weekend at the market - silly me, focusing on Valentines, and now I'm down to 4 thank yous.... I know what I'm working on today!

xoxo,

Jessi

Barbles Challenge #2 - Sparkly Caterwauling?

You already know I'm strange, right? OK, good.
For my latest in a series of a billion entries into Barb's second Barbles Challenge, I was inspired by two of her photos: the sparkly daylily (the colour and the sparkle in the dew drops & on the sentiment) and, more obviously, caterwauling!

Supplies: papers from AC Abode;
image from Inkadinkado; Palette Noir ink;
coloured with Prismacolor pencils & Dove blender;
Studio G sentiment; Sakura Stardust glitter pen;
Offray ribbon & Bow Easy;
'dew drops' from the $ store

Using this stamp on a birthday card had never occurred to me - it's packaged with a Christmas sentiment in red & green papers, and then I saw this card by Therese at lostinpaper. (If you've never visited Therese, oh em gee, go right now.) Colouring is not something I do very often, since it takes practice, and I'm more of an instant gratification kind of girl (odd with the quilling, but hey, I yam what I yam). I do like how this kitty turned out though!

Go! You have until January 31st to link up! Lots of time!

There will be more cards from me for Barb's challenge - I know, I know, but not only are there cool prizes, the photos are just whetting my creative appetite. 

xoxo,

Jessi

Tuesday Trigger - Winter Blossoms

I've had this idea circling around in my head since Cath posted this edition of the Tuesday Trigger, and I made the flowers last week...and then *cough* {totally fell apart}...just got around to making the actual card today. One of my new year's 'things' (not a resolution!) was to use one of the notepads I got for Christmas as a challenge keeper. Instead of putting little pieces of paper in random places (and losing them) I now have a real *place* for noting these things. By the way, the paper pad I'm using? Made of poo. (Check it out here:  mine is the panda scratch pad!)

Moving right along (oh, see what I did there? *snort*), here's the Trigger photo:

Gorgeous, right? I was mainly inspired by the neutral palette, and the flowers. Here's my card:

Supplies: kraft paper from MFP (from JJ!);
flourish stamp from Fiskars;
Old Paper, Antique Linen, and Vintage Photo distress ink;
sentiment stamp from Inkadinkado;
pink pearls from $ store

I had quilled a whole bunch more flowers for this design, but when it came time to get them on the card there was just no way to squeeze them all in there. Now, write today's date down - I decided maybe, just maybe, that less is more. And that's the first & last time that's gonna happen :)

Because of the CHA schedule today is the deadline for this Trigger, so if you're meaning to play along better skedaddle and link up!

xoxo,

Jessi

Playing in Paradise #50 - Inspiration Challenge!

Now check out these cute little penguin faces, and tell me you don't want to squeeze those cheeks:

Link up to the Challenge Here!

For my card I was initially thinking that I'd go with the soft feeling of the pom-pom hats, and then I realized that I had a penguin stamp from Christmas that could totally work as a friendship Valentine. {monkey clapping}

Supplies: papers from AC Abode & Bo Bunny;
Inkadinkado image & sentiment;
Palette Noir ink; Mod Podge Dimensional Magic;
Stampendous Fun Flock in Cotton Ball;
buttons from Dress it Up!;
standard & lacey circle Nesties 

glossy & fuzzy!

I'm a bit of a last-minute Lucy here, and you only have 11 hours left to go to link up, but you can do it :) 

xoxo,

Jessi

The first batch of Valentines...

Mondays should be stopped. I don't know how, but if yesterday could just be erased altogether, that would be great. 

Supplies: paper & cherry sticker/rubon from DCWV;
Ribbon from Offray; Bow Easy;
Memento London Fog ink; sentiment from Studio G;
Sakura Stardust glitter pen; standard circle Nesties

Supplies: papers from My Mind's Eye (white with blue dots);
AC Abode (blue with white dots); Fancy Pants (love & ledger pieces);
buttons from Dress it Up!; Faded Jeans distress ink;
sentiment from Inkadinkado; standard circle Nesties

Supplies: paper from My Mind's Eye;
heart doily from Royal; buttons from stash

Supplies: brown paper from Basic Grey "Hopscotch;"
red hearts paper from Bo Bunny; Pug clip from Fancy Pants;
Cuttlebug embossing folder; Heidi Swapp ghost heart;
button from Dress it Up!

Supplies: green & orange papers from Basic Grey "Lauderdale;"
yellow paper from Basic Grey "Out of Print;"
cloud paper from DCWV "Citronella;"
monster stamp & sentiment from Daisy Bucket;
Memento Tuxedo Black ink, traced over with Sakura Black Glaze pen;
standard oval Nesties

Supplies: papers from Basic Grey "Lauderdale;"
sentiment from Studio G;
stamped in Versamark & clear embossed;
standard circle Nesties; yellow buttons from stash

Supplies: paper from DCWV;
'love ya!' and image stickers from Suzy Zoo

Supplies: papers from My Mind's Eye;
heart doily from Royal;
wooden button & dove stamp from Michael's;
'love' stamp unmarked; heart button from Dress it Up!;
Palette Noir ink

Supplies: patterned paper from AC "Abode;"
stamp & sentiment from Hero Arts;
Palette Noir ink; standard circle and Labels 4 Nesties;
teal & dark brown cardstock from MFP (from JJ!)

Do you ever struggle with what to share/not to share on your blog? About yesterday, without going into too much detail, I'll just say that I tried to give someone else a surprise, and I got one myself. Not a good one. Feeling a little kicked in the teeth (and stomach) at the moment, but, well, yeah. Today's a new day.
xoxo,
Jessi

Mother Nature's Bling - Barbles Challenge #2

Supplies: Monet print from damaged book;
velvet ribbon & yellow 'dewdrops' from stash;
Memento Tuxedo Black ink; stamps from MFT

link here

I can't stop making cards for Barb's challenge - I love all of the inspiration photos, and I'm still making cards inspired by them. The card above was inspired by two things - the yellow daylily photo, and one of Barb's instructions:

"3- create a new, original piece of art (because you're all artists)"

So that was the quote that jumped out of the Emerson set to be on my card.

I've finally gotten around to making some Valentines cards, now to get around to editing & posting the photos! I'd wish you all a happy Monday, but, it's Monday. Icky.

xoxo,

Jessi

Little Red Wagon & Shopping our Stash

Hasn't this been a week? I must say most things about it have made me glad it's over, but I did get a couple of awesome shout-outs this week (and I'm all happy-flappy about it too...such a kid!)

Featured Itty Bitty Little Yellow Polka Dot Bikini at Little Red Wagon for this card
Saturday Shout-Out at Shopping our Stash for this card

And guess what? Today I have entries for both of their current challenges all photographed & ready to go. At Shopping our Stash, challenge #35 is Across the Border - use a border punch or create a border detail. In my case, I used some long-neglected Doodlebug border die-cuts, as well as an ancient carousel from Jolee's that I've been hoarding for too long to remember. I think we lived in this house already?

Supplies: striped paper from Basic Grey "Life of the Party;"
kraft paper from stash;
border strips (wavy red) from Doodlebug;
carousel from Jolee's

This week at Little Red Wagon, challenge #115 is to use two different ribbons on your card - and guess what I did? I learned how to use my Bow-Easy, almost a year after buying it. Emily sent me the link to an awesome picture tutorial that finally allowed me to see where I'd been going wrong on my previous tries. The tutorial is by Mylene Hillam, and is located here.

Supplies: papers all from Echo Park "For the Record;"
Tonic edge distresser; ribbons from Offray;
Labels 4 Nesties;
stamp from Studio G, Versamark, Fired Brick distress ink & clear EP

xoxo,
Jessi

For a Friend

I guess first I can start with our recent drama - besides the stomach flu claiming a second victim (Rob) - Connor's school and several others went through a lockdown on Tuesday. Someone reported seeing a male with a weapon walking near the regional high school, and as a precaution the closest schools went to Code Blue. In case you're unfamiliar with the process, a Code Blue requires that all doors (building and classroom) be locked, students must sit on the floor away from doors and windows, classroom windows are covered, and communication is limited. Generally a Code Blue drill lasts 20 minutes. Tuesday's Code Blue lasted 4 hours, and for the first 3 students were unable to use bathrooms, eat, or drink. All male students were searched. Metal detectors were used. And, to the terror of many kids, they were told that they were being searched because there was a man with a gun.

For a child with autism and anxiety issues, the obsessive side takes over - Connor has been calming himself by scripting (CONSTANTLY) and asking the same questions repeatedly. Don't get me wrong - I absolutely appreciate the work of the police & the school staff in keeping the kids safe. It's just difficult to explain things in a way that gets through the fear, and the fear is lasting much longer than I thought it would. In the days since, the police have stated that the report was never confirmed, and that searches were performed as a precaution. That's been some comfort for Connor, but being afraid for so many hours - and being searched! - will have an impact on a lot of kids, not just mine.

And now for something completely different: 

three pounds of yarn

approximately 42 hours

27, 641 stitches

Every single stitch infused with love for my friend.
xoxo,
Jessi

Playing in Paradise #49: Tic Tac Toe

It's much later than I thought & I have to run to get Riley, but I have just enough time to post my card for Playing in Paradise #49, which is a tic-tac-toe challenge - pick any row of three:

I chose the centre vertical row: bling, die-cut, and kraft, and used some of my awesome prize package from PIP Challenge #46 :)

Supplies: paper & stickers from Memory Works;
banner die from MFT;
Sakura Stardust pen; bling from $store coloured with brown Sharpie

glitter on the banner tips!

Once I got as far as stitching the banners on (I snip a little between each banner piece to allow it to bend easier) I didn't really want to add bling, and then I didn't have any in the right colour, but Sharpies to the rescue! 

You have until noon Thursday (January 19) to play along & link up - I'm hoping to make another card incorporating text if I get the chance. The last few days have been wild, and hopefully I'll be back later this afternoon to catch you up :)

xoxo,

Jessi

More Barbles goodness, and my first CREATE challenge!

I've finally added a label for the Barbles posts, because it seems to me there are going to be enough posts to group them together! Now to go through & tag the rest of the posts :)

GO DO IT. You know you wanna!

For this card I was inspired partly by the colours, and partly by the diagonal layout I saw within the photograph:

rose-colored glasses

And, for my first time, I've managed to create something for the CREATE challenge before the deadline. Rolled paper? I'm ALL OVER rolled paper! Here's my card:

Supplies: paper from Basic Grey "Lemonade;"
flowers quilled by me;
white sparkle die-cuts from K & Co;
rhinestone swirls & individual gems from $ store

and pretty much the same picture, but without the envelope.

And a second card, this time just for the rolled paper challenge at CREATE:

Supplies: papers from Basic Grey "Sweet Threads;"
Marvy vase punch;
Martha Stewart banner & leaf frond punch;
sentiment from MFT; stamped with Palette Noir & black EP;
heart doily from Royal;
pearls from $store

xoxo,

Jessi

YCU #5 - CAS? Yikes!

You know that CAS is not my go-to style, right? It's haaaaaaard. (you must read that in your head as a super whiny teenage voice.)

Link to the challenge post here

But I wanted to participate in the latest Young Crafters Unite challenge, so I persevered. This is the card that earlier in the week I said had taken me 3 days and I wasn't happy with it. Final count was four days.

Supplies: paper from DCWV "Mariposa Mat Stack;"
tulips stamp from PSX; London Fog Memento ink;
sentiment stamp from Inkadinkado;
coloured with Prismacolor pencils & Dove blender

Still not too happy with it - I had a hard time shading the purple pencils, and the London Fog ink was too light for the main image. Whatever. It's a simple, single-layer card that took me more time than some of the most complicated quilling designs I've done. Go figure.

xoxo,

Jessi

Barbles Challenge #2 and Little Red Wagon #115...

I had an idea in mind for this photo from Barbles Challenge #2:

and when I read that little red wagon's challenge this go-round was 'itty bitty yellow polka dot bikini'  the whole card idea came together.

Supplies: yellow MFP cardstock from JJ;
two dot folders from Cuttlebug;
shimmer quilling paper;
envelope: Wordsworth stamp & Mustard Seed distress ink

I find the shimmer quilling paper hard to work with - my usual glue doesn't seem to hold the coils as well, but I knew I wanted to use it because of the shimmer in Barb's picture. Each coil was rolled, shaped, and glued, and then I used coins to hold each coil while it dried. Luckily the edges of the paper aren't coated with the same shimmer material, so gluing the finished coils was not a problem. There were definitely some interesting words used during the initial phases of this project, though.

Go join in Barb's second Barbles challenge!
You have until January 31st to link up

So that's 3 of Barb's fabulous photos I've used as inspiration so far...two of them I've actually made more than one card. Still have to upload/edit those...and get my ideas for the other two down on paper. I am soooo loving this challenge :)

xoxo,

Jessi