Playing in Paradise #82 - Getting Sketchy with it

Happy Friday! Time for this week's Playing in Paradise challenge, and Allison is our hostess - you know what that means...fab sketch time:

I love this sketch - so much room for interpretation. And flag ends? Yes, please!

Supplies: papers & floral die cut from K&Co;
buttons from Basic Grey;
letter stickers from Jillibean Soup;
washi tape from We R Memory Keepers;
Sakura Stardust glitter pen

I traced the washi tape, letters, and vines on the leaves with the Stardust
pen, and then coated my finger with it & rubbed on the green panel & around
the sentiment for a subtle shimmer. Love this easy-peasy way to add shine!

Our linky over at Scrapbooker's Paradise will be open until next Thursday, September 6, and as always there's a great prize to win. We're always looking for new players - and let me tell you, there are GREAT odds of winning...but you have to play to win :)

Don't forget to check out what the other ladies have cooked up this week:

Angela

Nina

Allison

Merlie

I'll be back later on today - we were at the water park much longer yesterday than anticipated, and I was completely knackered afterward!

xoxo,

Jessi

IBSIC - Squee!

Maybe it's early (it is), but since that rhymed I had to go with it :) I was so honoured & excited to be chosen as the winner in last week's sketch challenge, and can't wait to be a guest designer for a future challenge! I love the gorgeous projects IBSIC has to share every week & love playing along...and it doesn't hurt that Tammy's sweet as sugar either :)

Here's my card for this week's challenge:

Supplies: paper from K & Co;
sentiment from Stampendous;
Peeled Paint distress ink;
Sakura Stardust glitter pen;
stick pins from Little Yellow Bicycle;
ribbon from Offray;
oval pearls from stash

My ribbon flower is not only inspired by the pattern on the container, but by Tammy's tutorial on tissue paper flowers. The stick pins reminded me of the knitting needles tucked into the yarn. Here's the inspiration photo:

Beautiful, right? The IBSIC challenge is open until Wednesday night, so you've got some time left to play - I'll be back tomorrow with some more to share. Apparently I'm going to overload you before I'm away & down to a paltry 3 posts a week, lol!

xoxo,

Jessi

Clean & Simple 204 - Autumn Birthday Wishes

Last week I saw this card over on Leslie's blog The Crooked Stamper, and thought HEY I LIKE THAT SKETCH! I want to play!

(Feel free to assume there's a pod person inhabiting my corporeal form...I realize that's a big switch from oh, say, 6 months ago or so!)

Supplies: papers from Basic Grey "Indian Summer;"
sentiment from AmyR stamps (All that Scraps);
Colorbox chalk ink - Magenta; clear EP;
circle punches

I thought I'd used up the rest of my Indian Summer pad because I'd just used a full 6x6 sheet a few weeks ago that was in the drawer by itself...and then I found the rest tucked away in a different drawer, in a place I generally don't keep paper, along with 4 or 5 other decimated (but not finished) pads. It was a little bit exciting & confusing all at the same time ;)

Here's the sketch - the linky is open until Friday, but this particular sketch challenge has no hard & fast deadlines, it's purely play for fun.

Totally fun way to use up some of the smaller scraps of paper you've got laying around!

BRB!

xoxo,

Jessi

Shopping Our Stash #66 - My Favourite Things!

**If you're here for my Tuesday Morning Sketches post, please scroll down or click here! Thanks**

Now here is a challenge that will surely appeal to you - use YOUR favourite crafting supplies (and your stash, natch!) to make a card. The catch? You must be sure to tell us what your favourite thing is in your post! This week at Shopping our Stash, we've all dug into our favourite supplies & techniques - the hardest part? What to choose as our favourites!

Supplies: papers from Basic Grey "What's Up;"
Paper Smooches sentiment;
Dusty Concord distress ink;
teal & red rhinestones;
flowers quilled by me

So, what are my favourites included here?

-Basic Grey papers 

-quilling

-gems! 

-Paper Smooches stamps

-distress inks

"What's Up" is a fairly new collection to be considered stash, but I think this counts because I used only scraps - and came up with (I think) a pretty fun layout to use them!

SOS #66 - My Favourite Things will be open until next Monday, September 3, so have a peek and find some of your favourite things to create with. Don't forget to visit these ladies & see what they love to create with:

• 
  Carla
• Leslie
• Alica
• Deena
• Paige
• Lauren
• Lynn
• Jessi
• Linda
• Michelle
• Sandie
• xoxo,
• Jessi

Tuesday Morning Sketches #161 - Raisin Boat!

Happy Tuesday! Tuesday Morning Sketches is being sponsored by Raisin Boat Stamps this week, and each design team member is featuring a different set - you have GOT to go check out the prize details for this week! Such a cool idea :)
Here's the sketch we're working with:

I chose to rotate the sketch:

Supplies: Stamps from Raisin Boat, "Pretty Bird;"
papers from Fancy Pants, "summer soul;"
Palette Noir ink;
Old Paper distress EP;
sun face stamp from Market Street Stamps

I used my Tim Holtz design ruler to pierce the sun's rays
before stitching

I paper-pieced the fab flamingo, and gave her a little beach to stand on
with some unheated distress EP for sand :)

Here's the set that I've featured today, courtesy of Raisin Boat Stamps:

I love the variety of occasions covered in this set - and there are punny sentiments too? I'm in!

This sketch is open until Sunday September 2nd (holy moly, already?). Don't forget to see what the DT has for you - and all those awesome Raisin Boat sets!

Shelby, guest designer 

Angela 

Bonnie

Cheryl

Dawn

Debbie

Laura

Theresa

Melissa

I'll be back shortly with my Shopping our Stash post - with any luck - our internet has gone dodgy & cut out on me every few minutes today, so heck, I'm not even sure THIS is going to publish. Fingers crossed!

xoxo

Jessi

DYSU Fantasy

Here's my card for this week's Do You Stack Up? challenge, Fantasy. I can't believe I blew past the deadline last week for the Buttons challenge (no, wait, yes I can...) Because the new challenges are up on Thursdays, I constantly blow past the Tuesday deadline in my head. So, this challenge ends TUESDAY, ladies, at 5 PM.

My first thoughts for fantasy are fairies & mermaids, and I didn't stray far - a fairy ballerina!

Supplies: image from the Graphics Fairy;
papers from Basic Grey "Plumeria;"
flowers from Prima;
Martha Stewart branch punch;
standard oval Nesties;
Sakura Stardust clear glitter pen

I added a touch of Stardust to her jewelry & her wings. The branch frame & flowers were a bit fiddly to adhere - I think my punch needs sharpening, because not only did it give me fits, but all the punched pieces came out sort of curly & hard to work with. Lots of cursing & glaring & drying with books on top for this card!

ANyhow, link up your FANTASY creations over at DYSU before TUESDAY. TUUUUUUEEEEESDAY. Just sayin'. 

xoxo,

Jessi

Upcycling, distressing, twine & gems, OH MY!

I'm still crafting like crazy getting ready to be away, and up until I leave I swear I'll be waiting for glue to dry (or cursing the embossing powder I spilled in my lap) or doing SOMETHING crafty. Building up my stash of cards to bring with me (at this point, possibly an entire suitcase? getting close, anyhow) means I'm keeping up with nearly every challenge I had noted in my little book. And then some. This particular card was made with 3 challenges in mind:

  Crafty Creations Challenges #184

to use gems & twine

(ends Tuesday)

little red wagon #147

upcycling!

(ends tonight)

Catered Crop

No Stress to Distress

(ends September 1)

Supplies: clip art from the Graphics Fairy;
Broken China Crackle Paint;
stick pins from Little Yellow Bicycle;
twine from Paper Smooches;
sentiment from Stampendous;
Broken China distress ink;
Sakura Stardust clear glitter pen

Click to see full-size

I bought some Crackle Paint months ago, and have only used it a handful of times, mainly because I don't think to add it until I've already started to assemble my card, and well, adding it then tends to be messy. And, in fact, I hadn't used the Broken China colour at all, so yay me! for cracking it open :) Of course the crackling and torn edges are my distressed elements for Catered Crop!

The upcycled items for little red wagon ...that fabulous clear blue button - it's hard to see with the twine bow, but you can spy it in the full-size picture. This is one of hundreds that my mother-in-law gave me in a tupperware container last winter. There are some really fun & funky buttons hidden in there amongst the standard shirt & jacket buttons! And, my other upcycled item - a popcorn box:

This panel is about twice as wide as my card - lots left over for another project!

I tried mightily to include some peacock feather fronds on my card (as you can see in the above photo) but no matter what it wasn't gelling, so I let it be. 

As cool as the blue button is, it does have a very plain centre, which I knew would be perfect for one of Emily Keaton's multi-loop twine bows! That link will take you to her tutorial. I sewed on the stick pins, then the button, then the twine bow. That made it much easier than trying to use the twine for both looks & function. So, we have twine, but we also need gems for Crafty Creations Challenges....but I've never made a peacock card that DIDN'T have gems, so twist my rubber arm! I used 3 shades of blue gems (and used up the tail end of one pack - no hoarding! Pat on the back there!)

You wouldn't think so based on the number of exclamation points, but I need to go pour myself another coffee...5:30 AM and one cup isn't going to do it! I'll be back - I have more challenge cards coming up :)

xoxo,

Jessi

*Whew* I didn't miss it!

Three hours left to spare for this week's CASology - I had my card made, and meant to come post it Saturday, but then I took a nap. And now it's today. So for my first 3 days of mulling over this challenge, I wanted to use a tree stamp. And I thought no, too many people are going to use trees. Checking it out now, I see not so many, but anyhow, I then gave myself the extra challenge to use a stamp I hadn't used in a long time. Enter this Hero Arts ginkgo leaf - it's huge, about 3" across, and I don't even remember the last time I used it.

Supplies: grid paper from Basic Grey "Origins;"
standard circle Nesties;
ginkgo leaf stamp from Hero Arts;
sentiment from Paper Smooches;
Versamark, Peeled Paint distress ink, clear EP;
green rhinestones

I hadn't planned to 'pop up' the leaf, but part of the border didn't stamp the first go-round, and rather than fiddle with it & hope to stamp again in the right spot, I just did it again & popped it up. I inked first with Versamark, then with Peeled Paint, so that I could emboss. The sentiment is stamped with just the Peeled Paint. 

Here's this week's cue card:

And here's hoping this will publish - our Internet connection has been super dodgy this morning. It's getting very frustrating being booted out of websites partway through doing things!

xoxo,

Jessi

Playing in Paradise #81 - Christmas

Good morning & happy Friday! It's my turn as hostess this week over at Playing in Paradise, and I'm challenging everyone to get some holiday cards made up.

I took the opportunity to get some Christmas cards started, which was a super challenge for me, because my Christmas supplies are still lost in the basement wasteland. I have a couple of paper pads and some embellishments upstairs - but no stamps. Yikes! My Halloween supplies are similarly unavailable, so I decided to see if I could whip up a bunch of Christmas cards in say, an hour, with those limited supplies. Success! The pressure of crafting in bulk - and usually on deadline - happens to me every year during the holidays, so I shared a couple of my trusted tips over at the Scrapbooker's Paradise blog.

Here's the set of 6 that I made, and then individual photos of each card. Each card uses papers from October Afternoon, and additional supplies are listed beneath each card.

Supplies: washi tape from We R Memory Keepers;
letter stickers from October Afternoon

Supplies: red & black rhinestones

Supplies: red rhinestone;
Divine Swirls embossing folder (Cuttlebug)

Supplies: wire candy canes & button from stash

Supplies: wire candy canes & button from stash;
Sizzix label die

Supplies: buttons from stash;
threaded with bamboo crochet thread & glued down
(adhered the paper with foam tape before deciding to
add the buttons - had to get creative!)

Head on over to the Scrapbooker's Paradise blog for all the details - and don't forget to link up your own holiday card/project! It doesn't have to be Christmas, it can be any holiday, and use any products.

We'd love to have you play along!

xoxo,

Jessi

Buttons & a sketch!

I almost blew the deadline for the current sketch challenge at IBSIC - I've been busy preparing ahead for my DT commitments for September, and though my card's been made for days I forgot to, you know, photograph it and post it? Minor things, but important. I've also joined in with the buttons challenge at Confessions of a DeNami Addict. Here's my card - might want to get some sunglasses first:

Supplies: papers from Bo Bunny;
standard oval, labels 4, butterfly Nesties;
Purple Twilight Adirondack ink;
Versamark, clear EP;
Maya Road resin flower;
buttons from stash;
scrap vellum & purple cardstock

The oval and label are each on a layer of foam tape for dimension.
The butterfly is made from 2 different dies.

The IBSIC sketch challenge ends Wednesday night (tonight), and the DeNami Addict button challenge runs until September 8th. 

So why am I going so far against my usual last-minute method for DT assignments? Because in 2 weeks, I'm going to Vancouver for 2 weeks to see my little sister get married :) It hasn't quite sunk in fully that it's in 2 weeks - time to drop those dresses off at the cleaners, find a nice pair of shoes, maybe some Spanx...(or maybe not, if you've seen this article at Crappy Pictures!) Nearly time to run around panicking...you'll hear me hollering from wherever you are ;)

xoxo,

Jessi

My first post at Shopping our Stash - #65

**If you've come to see my Tuesday Morning Sketches post, please scroll down or click here - but you might want to read this post too!**

EEEEEEEK! It's here! My first post at Shopping our Stash! This week's challenge, #65, is to use any sketch - and your stash.

A sketch, you say?

Conveniently, I have access to sketches. Lots of great sketches. Tuesday Morning Sketches!  With our 4 sketches to choose from this week, I knew I could make a great fun card for my first DT challenge at Shopping our Stash - I hope you like it!

Supplies: papers from Basic Grey, "Life of the Party;"
brads from Basic Grey;
standard circle Nesties;
stamp from Studio G;
Palette Noir ink;
Googly eyes!

Here are the sketches for TMS this week - this time I've used the top left sketch:

This is one of the few Basic Grey pads that I haven't used most of. Lots & lots of pristine pages there. And as for the brads...I had to have them all, and most likely I will have enough for years. 

I've said it before, but it bears repeating - I love Shopping our Stash, because it really pushes me to look for the older, unloved stuff in my stash. I've even *gasp* used up stuff I was hoarding - and though it's scary, it's a good feeling too :)

Make sure to check out the main blog for all the challenge details, and play along by next Monday, August 27 (holy cow, already?!). Don't forget to visit these talented gals:

• 
  
• Carla
• Leslie
• Alica
• Deena
• Paige
• Lauren
• Lynn
• Jessi
• Linda
• Michelle
• Sandie

xoxo,
Jessi

Tuesday Morning SKETCHES #160

My goodness, it's going to be a busy day around here! This is my first post, but be sure to check back in later on to see my first post as a DT member for Shopping our Stash :) It dovetails so sweetly with this week at Tuesday Morning Sketches!

We have a different way to play this time around at TMS - it's a sketch review. Four sketches to choose from - looky:

My first card is made using the sketch in the top right. Remember my woes about photographing white-on-white cards? This here is the card that started it all. 

Supplies: white cardstock;
Swiss & polka dot Cuttlebug folders;
Basic Grey buttons;
Colorbox Frost White pigment ink; white EP;
standard oval Nesties;
sentiment from Studio G

This shows how the whites 'match' in real life - but of course you can't really read it. The photo above uses Auto Contrast, and adds grey tones...but you can read it. Practice, practice, practice with the camera!

Luckily, the sweet people I'm lucky to work with on the DT at Tuesday Morning Sketches were able to give me some great tips - my original photos of this card were awful, and the card itself (pats back) is too awesome not to share ;) lol

I've also worked with another sketch (for now, wink!) and incorporated the colours for this week's challenge at Crafty Creations Challenges: yellow sunshine, blue water, green grasses. The CCC challenge is open until tonight!

Supplies: white cardstock;
birthday, Swiss & polka dot Cuttlebug folders;
Washi tape from We R Memory Keepers;
sentiment from Paper Smooches;
Tumbled Glass distress ink;
buttons from stash;
flowers quilled by me

Double-colour leaves again - love how they look!

I've used washi tape along the sides of the card base to draw in more green. The houndstooth layer is also washi tape - I covered a slightly larger piece of paper than I needed with washi, and then trimmed it down to size afterwards. The We R Memory Keepers washi tapes come 2 to a pack with matching colours, and I used both patterns for both these colours. The scalloped edge is made with a corner rounder (as an aside, anyone else use this for their scalloped edges? How is it that every time I punch a scallop, the piece of paper flies DOWN my shirt? Every time.)

The design team at TMS has rocked all 4 sketches - check out what everyone's made, and have a go at one (or all 4!) sketches before Sunday August 26! 

My peeps:

Shelby, guest designer 

Angela 

Bonnie

Cheryl

Dawn

Debbie

Laura

Theresa

Melissa

See you soon!

xoxo,

Jessi

Ten-Minute Craft Dash!

A ten-minute craft dash? Are you nuts? It doesn't sound possible, does it...but you know what, it really is. Head over to Pretty Pink Posh to get the nitty-gritty details, and then play! I had quite a lot of fun with mine.

So, you're allowed to decide what you're doing first - which is good, because otherwise I'd never have made it. Jenny from Crafting in the Country sent me some die-cuts, and I was looking through them when I spotted this floral wreath. I always cut & score my card bases ahead of time - they are tucked into a drawer with the envelopes right in easy reach. So, I started with these items:

-wreath die-cut, already cut out
-sympathy sentiment
-blue pearls
-Spectrum Blue Frost ink pad....to be continued, there!

Here's my card:

Supplies: die cut from Jenny;
Martha Stewart butterfly punch, scrap vellum;
blue pearls from $store;
Blue Aegean chalk ink - Colorbox;
Martha Stewart butterfly stamp (envelope)

It took 9.5 minutes. I stamped the sentiment first on scrap paper, to check the colour match - nope. None of the three blues in the Spectrum pad were a good look, either full-strength or stamped off. Crud. Enter the Blue Aegean chalk ink - perfect. So, a couple minutes were sacrificed to the ink choice. The rest fell right together - stamp on card, adhere wreath, pop pearls on....5 minutes in. Needs something else. But what? Die? Too much time. Punch! OK, where's the vellum....I've used pearlescent vellum, because it was the best match in the bunch I pulled out. Punch two, fold them in half, stick them down, put some pearls on. Ta-da!

I did the butterfly differently this time - I folded them, and adhered half of each butterfly. The folds are in the centre & just barely touching. This gives more dimension (and more stability!) to the butterfly than stacking them directly on top & bending the wings upward. Why didn't I think of this before? Probably I thought I was saving time by not un-folding them after? Who knows, but I like it!

I'm terrible at trying to edit in HTML, so I'm going to tuck the graphic in at the end & hope it shows up properly! The inaugural 10-minute dash ends August 25, and give it a whirl - you might have a lot of fun :)

xoxo,
Jessi

Animal Antics at Simon Says Stamp!

Animal Antics? How could I pass up playing in the new challenge at Simon Says Stamp? Well, I couldn't. So here's my card:

Supplies: Paper Smooches stamps;
Palette Noir ink;
papers from Simple Stories "Summer Fresh;"
standard circle Nesties;
speech balloon die cut from Jenny

The quilted piece of paper there is upside down - I had cut the circle piece out to use on another project, and it was laying on my desk upside down & I thought hey.....that little hamster would fit in there, I bet! I popped the quilted piece on one layer of foam tape, and the balloon is on two layers.

And since the theme is animal antics, I thought I'd tuck in a couple of pictures of a couple of my animals too. Abby is doing her normal "but, why are you sitting at your desk? Why aren't you petting ME? sad routine:

And Maggie, the 6-toed behemoth, showed me finally how the back cushion on the chair keeps getting flattened out. A 20-lb cat plunking her furry butt on it, that's how. (And I wondered recently about the six toes...so I went around counting cat toes. Our 'normal' toed cat has four on each foot, plus the 'dewclaw' up on her front feet. Is it called that on a cat? Gertie, our other 6-toed cat, has 6 on each front paw, and 5 on each back paw, plus the 'dewclaws' on the front. Maggie has 6 on each, front & back, plus the dewclaws. She originally had 7 on her right front paw, but it had to be removed, poor little girl. Anyway, I suppose not all 6-toed cats are the same. I wonder what genetics are at play there?)

I knew using the flash would make her leave, and it did. But I got her tongue sticking out first :)

The Simon Says Stamp challenge is open until Wednesday morning - lots of time left to play!

xoxo,

Jessi