Not too Shabby, Frame by Frame!

I've been mulling over this edition of the Tuesday Trigger at Moxie Fab World since Cath posted it - because come on, crochet frames? I GOT THIS. And then I just kept thinking, and doubting, and overthinking, and darn it, this is supposed to be fun! So I relaxed, and made this:

Supplies: paper from Memory Box; angel stamp from PSX; sentiment from PTI; Bundled Sage distress ink; Versamark & white embossing powder; oval Nesties; lacy oval Nesties; bells, crochet thread, embroidery thread

Crochet and lace automatically bring shabby chic to mind for me, so I am also sharing this with the Drunken Stampers "Not Too Shabby" challenge (which ends tonight). This edition of the Tuesday Trigger is open until Sunday, December 2. 

               

xoxo,
Jessi

Playing in Paradise #95 - Mr. Masculine

Good morning! Happy Friday, happy weekend :) Before I get to this week's challenge, I want to remind fellow crafters about the open DESIGN TEAM CALL for Scrapbooker's Paradise - you can find all the information you need in this post. 

Nina is our hostess this week, and she's challenging us to make cards with a masculine feel:

Since I'm in Christmas overdrive, I decided to attempt a masculine Christmas card:

Supplies: deer stamp from Cornish Heritage Farms (retired); Versamark; Stampendous Pirate Gold Embossing Powder; Marvy Uchida heat gun; Jillibean Soup letter stickers; papers from Echo Park;

Tonic Edge Distresser

What says 'masculine' to me about this card is the clean basic lines. No fussy layers, no fussy embellishments. I didn't have the right letters left in my brown letter stickers, so I've used a plain marker to colour the grey letters - give them a few minutes to dry before removing them from the carrier sheet, and voila. 

Have you got a masculine card up your crafty sleeve?  Share with us by December 6th for a chance to win a fabulous prize from Scrapbooker's Paradise! Don't forget to check out what the rest of the team has to share with you:

Nina

Angela

Allison

Merlie

xoxo,

Jessi

ABC at OCC

I haven't played along over at Our Creative Corner in a while - and this week's challenge to use ABC in our creations. I've made two cards, and they are quite similar & use the same ABC items- when I'm in the midst of holiday rush crafting, I find it most efficient to make more than one card at a time using similar products. They don't turn out the same, but it gives me a shared starting point & I find that it streamlines the process a bit.

ANYWAY.

My two cards both have liquid APPLIQUE, one or more BUTTON(s), and a CUPCAKE.

Supplies: papers from My Mind's Eye; stamps from Stampendous; Palette Noir ink; Cotton Ball Fun Flock from Stampendous; standard circle Nesties; buttons; Liquid Applique & micro beads. 

A close-up of the puffy Applique & fuzzy flock. Love that stuff!

\

Supplies: papers from Basic Grey "Eskimo Kisses;" standard circle Nesties; snowflake punches from Martha Stewart; Palette Noir ink; stamps by Stampendous; Liquid Applique; red Fun Flock; button from stash; black Glaze pen for 'coal' features on the snowman

I've had these Stampendous stamps for YEARS. They are among my oldest clear stamp sets, and although I've lost a few of the smaller stamps (hello, teeny cherry, where art thou?) I still love the images. And, a few weeks ago a customer mentioned that last year she'd bought a penguin cupcake that said "Merry Muffins!" and that she still loved it. I'm pretty fond of merry muffins myself :)

The OCC challenge to use ABC in your creation ends Friday night, so stay home & craft!
xoxo,
Jessi

Jackie's One Layer Holiday Card challenge

Good morning! I've been right in the thick of Christmas crafting - so much so that I haven't been stopping to photograph many cards. There's just too many! That's part of what I love about making Christmas cards - I get into a frantic crafty rush, and the ideas come fast & furious. Apparently there just isn't anything as inspiring to me as....running out of time ;)

Jackie over at Rockwell Designs is hosting a one-layer card challenge for Christmas cards (ending on December 1st), and though it took me SERIOUSLY from Sunday until Wednesday to make this card, I'm pretty happy with it. What took so long? Hold on, I'll tell you.

Supplies: stamp by Bo Bunny; Memento Gray Flannel ink; Fired Brick distress ink; Route 66 Tattered Angels glimmer spray; Interference Red Perfect Pearls mist

It's very hard to capture the colour & shimmer of the Interference Red spray! Click  to view the picture full-size

I've coloured in just Santa's suit with the Fired Brick ink & a watercolour brush. The way the stamp is packaged gave me the idea - and I love how it turned out! 

Now, what took so long? I stamped & coloured right on the card base. Then I sprayed with the Route 66 mist, which gave not quite enough shimmer/colour for what I wanted. I decided to break out my Perfect Pearls mist, which I RARELY use for this exact reason: it makes the paper curl like a bad 80s perm. And I sprayed it right on the card base. Not sure what magical thing I thought would happen *this time* to make it different from all the other times, but anyway. The next few days were spent with the card under a stack of books trying to flatten it out. Yesterday I just gave up, trimmed it down a little bit, and swiped the edges of the one-layer panel with Gray Flannel ink, and I call it good. I actually like having the border there better - and with enough adhesive, any curl can be tamed. 

I've got another few single-layer cards on the go, and hopefully I'll get finished by December 1st so I can play along again. Thanks for the challenge, Jackie!

xoxo,

Jessi

Shopping our Stash #79 - Odds and Ends

***For my Tuesday Morning Sketches post, please scroll down or click here. Thank you!***

This week's challenge at Shopping our Stash is really aimed at purging some of those little bits from your stash - you know, that package with only one sticker left? A single brad from that collection you loved? Those kinds of things! Here's what we want you to do:

use two different types of embellishments (odds and ends in your stash- the lone white pearl and a scrap of ribbon for example,  or two red buttons and one green pearl, or scrap of twine and a button, or the leftover brad from the package with a sticker) any amount/combo is fine as long as two different types are included.

Supplies: paper from Bo Bunny; die-cut butterfly from K&Co; sentiment from Papertrey Ink; Peacock Feathers distress ink; pearl cluster strips from Dollarama

I've been hoarding the last of these die-cut butterflies forever. Obviously it was waiting for this project! And the pearl strips come in a package of 2, each about 6 inches long. I had two end snippets left in a package - you know how it is, you can't toss them but you can't figure out how to use them either? I think this works :)

This odd (and end, lol) Shopping our Stash challenge will be open until next Monday night, December 3rd (holy moly!)  - and don't forget to check out all my awesome teammates:

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

Off to do more panicked Christmas crafting!

xoxo,

Jessi

Tuesday Morning Sketches #174 - DRS Designs

Good morning! We have a great sponsor for this week's Tuesday Morning Sketch - DRS Designs!

They've generously provided images of our choice to work with for this week's sketch - and with Christmas fast approaching I chose a sentiment & a COMPLETELY ADORABLE penguin stamp. One of the best things about DRS Designs is that you can choose different mounting options for their stamps. I've gone with unmounted rubber, and you can purchase EZ Mount through their store as well.

Supplies: papers from Kaisercraft; buttons from Dress it Up!; Palette Noir ink; Liquid Pearls; clear glitter glue; greeting stamp & image from DRS Designs 

Look at those cuties! I've used a smidge of Liquid Pearls & glitter glue on the igloo blocks and snowballs for a bit of snowy shine. 

The arched greeting was a perfect choice to complement the shape of the igloo - and so rather than a tag I've used some fun mitten buttons for that element in the sketch. 

This sketch will be open until Sunday, December 2. Don't forget to check out all the samples from the rest of the design team - 

Angela 

Bonnie

Cheryl

Dawn

Debbie

Laura

Theresa

Melissa

See you in a bit with my Shopping our Stash post!

xoxo,

Jessi

DYSU #99 - Numbers! and the new hair :)

Of course I'm pretty mired in Christmas cards at the moment - but my friend's daughter turned 11 on Friday, and she asked me to make her a personalized card. No problem!

Supplies: papers from 12" and 6" Basic Grey "paper cottage;" spots embossing folder; Studio G stamp; coloured with Prismacolor pencils; foam thickers; standard small circle Nesties

Freya loves animals of all kinds, so a punny kitty card is perfect for her. 

This card is perfect not only for Freya, but also for this week's DYSU challenge to use numbers!

More crafty news before the hair - Scrapbooker's Paradise has a design team call open right now. It's the first team that I joined, and I love the sheer variety of challenges we play with. Check it out! I'd love to play with you :)

And now the hair - I'll have to share a before & after picture, because my profile picture is from last spring. There've been a few changes since then!

Here's a photo of me with my mom in September - very blonde!

And there's the new do - and my retro kitchen (although is it retro if it's actually vintage - as in, still that colour because it's been there so long it's BECOME retro? All we need are harvest gold appliances!)
With the flash it doesn't look too much darker than my natural colour, but it is. Leaving some of the blonde in with conditioned foils is what took 2 hours, but I love it!

xoxo,
Jessi

Playing in Paradise #94 - Inspiration Photo

Good morning, and happy Friday! Time for another Playing in Paradise challenge, and this week Merlie is our fabulous hostess. She wants us to create something using either this colour palette OR the photo as inspiration:

When working with a prompt like this, I first write down the colours of ink that I think are the closest matches. (In this case, I picked Tumbled Glass, Dried Marigold, and Spun Sugar.) Then I write down details about the photo - blue, weathered wood, keys. I find keeping it simple helps me not get stuck on what inspired me about the photo, and looking at the photo for too long can do that :)

I ended up using both of my prompts to create this week's card:

Supplies: paper from Bo Bunny;
Dried Marigold and Tumbled Glass distress inks;
Distress crackle paint - Broken China;
pink twine;
Studio G stamp;
key from stash

It turned out more subtle than I had intended, but I inked the sentiment with Dried Marigold ink and then dabbed it against the Tumbled Glass pad. I love the multi-toned look. After the crackle paint dried, I sanded it down a little bit to let more of the paper show through. 

How are you inspired by this week's challenge? Share with us by November 29 for a chance to win a fabulous prize from Scrapbooker's Paradise! Don't forget to check out what the rest of the team has to share with you:

Nina

Angela

Allison

Merlie

I'll be crafting my morning away, and getting my hair done this afternoon. Feels like a drastic change is in order...colour? Style? I'm thinking colour :)

xoxo,

Jessi

Shopping our Stash #78 - I'm Leafing it Up to You!

***For my Tuesday Morning Sketches post, please scroll down or click here. Thank you!!**

For this week's challenge at Shopping our Stash, we want you to dig into your stash & find a leaf (or many leaves!) and use them on your project. Leaf images are fine too - trees, leaves, punches, die-cuts, Prima-type....hopefully you get the idea! 

Supplies: papers from Basic Grey "Oxford;" square punch for notching banner end; leaves from Prima; birthday sentiment from EAD Designs; ribbon salvaged from product wrapping. 

It's a crazy sort of non-bow in there...you may remember the funky frayed bow I made out of thread on this card? 

This is the ribbon that was left over. It made a bow, but one that was way too small for this card. But the colours were such a good match...{insert crafty whine}...so I fiddled and played and glued and cursed until I got it looped & fluffed in a way I liked. 

This leafy Shopping our Stash challenge will be open until next Monday night, November 26 - and don't forget to check out all my awesome teammates:

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

xoxo,

Jessi

Tuesday Morning Sketches #173 - Digital Delights

Good morning & happy Tuesday! I've finally dug out from underneath the big pile o' dishes, and am nearly through the laundry. Unfortunately, almost as much laundry has piled up in the meantime. How I hate that!

Tuesday brings a brand new sketch at Tuesday Morning Sketches, and this week we're working with one designed by Bonnie - check it out!

We also have another fabulous sponsor - Wendy of Digital Delights by Louby Loo. You have GOT to check out the cute digi products available there!

Supplies: Wilton doily; paper from Basic Grey "Eskimo kisses;" die-cut deer from K & Co; Stampendous Fun Flock - Cotton Ball; Doodlebug letter stickers; tiny heart buttons from Dress it Up; pink & green buttons from Wal-Mart. 

Fuzzy antlers!

This card just gives me a happy :) I love how it turned out - I was stumped on the banner portion until I started playing around, and the final touch of tucking little hearts into the O's? I have to remember to do that again! I used a large oval Nestie to make light pencil marks for lining up the button banner.

This sketch will be open until Sunday, November 25. Don't forget to check out all the awesome samples from the rest of the design team - and remember, we also have a design team call! Details on that are available here. 

Angela 

Bonnie

Cheryl

Dawn

Debbie

Laura

Theresa

Melissa

I'll see you shortly with my Shopping our Stash post - and a change of seasons?

xoxo,

Jessi

DYSU #98 - Rainbows!

Holy moly, I almost forgot to link up my card for this week's DYSU challenge. And it's RAINBOWS. How could I miss out? I had to play!

Supplies: papers from My Mind's Eye; sun paper from Bo Bunny; buttons from stash; sun & sentiment stamps from Market Street Stamps; Memento Gray Flannel ink. 

That is the SADDEST little sun in the whole world. It's the eyebrows. 

This challenge ends this evening, so scurry over to DYSU and link up your rainbow project quickly! I'll be back soon with my Tuesday Morning Sketches post :)

xoxo,

Jessi

One more for Sewing in the Moxie Fab World

On Friday, in the midst of getting ready for my first craft sale of the season, I ended up deciding to stitch the accents on this card. I absolutely loved the final look, even though it wasn't fast to make.

Supplies: Memory Box papers; Penny Black sticker; EAD Designs rub-on (sentiment); embroidery floss in green & red; Sakura Stardust glitter pen; foam tape.

I pierced inside the grid design on the red patterned paper to make the cross-stitches, and the poinsettia sticker had a dotted border that I pierced for the green French knots. I've added a random-ish scatter of red French knots in the poinsettia centres, and afterwards wanted just a little something to help them stand out more...

I scribbled some random glitter with my Stardust pen, and then used my finger to smear it around for a more gentle (and even) shimmer. I love that the Stardust pen dries just slowly enough to allow for that! 

Now that I haven't done anything other than craft or sleep for a few days, my house has been taken over by laundry and dishes. My Google Reader is up into the hundreds, so I'll be whittling that down in between loads of dishes & laundry. We had our new dishwasher die (temporarily!) this week. It's only 4 months old, and suddenly it stopped draining. It is a portable dishwasher, one that you move over to the sink & manually connect to the tap. You know what the culprit was? Not using hot enough water, coupled with the pre-packaged dishwasher pellets. The combination clogged up the drain hose. It took about 5 minutes for the repairman to find & fix the problem, and I can't tell you how glad I was that the machine is still under warranty and at least we didn't have to pay to feel foolish ;) 

Seriously, just looking into the kitchen right now is giving me angina. There are dishes (and dirty cans?) all over the counter where I normally put the clean handwashed dishes...having to clean up before you clean up? Not right :(

I'll be back when I've dug out from under the mess!

xoxo,

Jessi

Playing in Paradise #93 - CASE Yourself!

Angela is our hostess this week at Playing in Paradise, and she has got a brilliant challenge idea for us - especially for the time-crunch of holiday projects:

How better to maximize your creativity than by referring to your previous projects? You've still got the same core supplies you used the first time around, but maybe you've learned a new technique. Or maybe you've got a favourite layout. Maybe you love the card, but need it for a different occasion. However you go about it, make sure you inspire yourself! (And hey, don't forget to show us your inspiration piece too - that's part of the fun!)

My inspiration card is from last year, one of my earlier Christmas cards of the season.

original post is here

and I've used a lot of the same supplies, but put a current twist on my style:

Supplies: papers from Cosmo Cricket;
Stampendous stamp - Fluffles!;
Sakura Quickie Glue Pen;
Distress Marker - Picket Fence;
Standard small oval Nesties;
coloured with Prismacolor pencils;
paper piercer, mat, needle & thread. 

You know me & my buttons!

I picked up the Distress Marker a few months ago - just the one - to give it a try. I really love the effect, but it's taken some practice to use it well. The white ink takes a moment to appear, so my first bunch of attempts involved me scribbling like crazy & wondering what was going on :)

So many fun projects from the design team this week - AND! - we are joined by the incomparable Emily Keaton this week as our Guest Designer! Make sure you visit everyone & check out what they CASEd :)

Nina

Angela

Allison

Merlie

This challenge will be open until next Thursday, November 22, with a FABULOUS prize up for grabs just in time for Christmas crafting! But of course, you can't win if you don't play :)

xoxo,

Jessi

Sewing at Moxie Fab World

Joining in with the Stitching & Sewing challenge over at Moxie Fab World was a given - I sew on probably half of the cards I make - after all, I can't abide those naked buttons ;) For this challenge I made several cards, and made sure to make at least one that was a little more involved than just stitching on buttons, though. I do all of my stitching by hand. I was MISERABLE in Grade Eight sewing class, and never tried again to learn how.

Luckily, my oldest son Connor seems to be bucking that trend - check out these awesome initial pillows he made this term! One for him, and one for his brother Riley - and a disinterested cat.

A really easy way to add hand-stitching is to use pre-printed die cuts - in this case, from K&Co - and pierce along some of the details. I've used straight stitches, French knots, and some cross-stitching here. I did a lot of cross-stitch projects before the boys were born, and I still have a great deal of embroidery floss at my disposal!

A close-up of the ornament stitching

Another card that shows my more usual stitching is this one - those button frames, they're just so easy & fun to do! And the House Mouse sticker totally steals the show - those mousies are far too cute!

The Paper Crafting Tips & Tricks challenges are open until the 19th, so if you have some time over the weekend to join in you should :) 

I didn't add in the supplies underneath each photo - I wonder, do you generally find it useful to know? Or would you just ask if there was something you wanted to know about? Let me know in the comments either way, if you would!

OK, back to panicking about getting ready for the first sale of the season tomorrow night...

xoxo,

Jessi

100 Shades of Grey...and a winner!

Tomorrow brings the first Midnight Madness of the 2012 season over in Sackville, which means that I am frantically creating and freaking out a little. So not much chit-chat! Without further ado, let me tell you that the winner of my birthday/Moxie Fab blog candy is....

Nance E Salkeld!

You should definitely pay her a visit over at her blog, Soul Stampin' - she's a super fun, crafty, crazy lady :) 

***

The other week I was the lucky winner of the 'secret' challenge at Drunken Stampers, and although I made a card for last week's Asian Inspired challenge, I spaced on posting it. Tsk, tsk! I was DETERMINED not to miss this week, and I ended up making two cards featuring Shades of Grey. I even gave myself an extra push to make them Christmas cards!

Supplies: papers from Cosmo Cricket;
EAD Designs rub-on;
standard circle Nesties;
Sakura Stardust glitter pen;
snowflake quilled by me

Supplies: paper from Memory Box;
Bazill cardstock;
Memento Grey Flannel ink;
EAD Designs rub-on;
Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist - Pearl;
Stampin' Up trees

And just for fun, here's my Asian Inspired card from last week:

Supplies: paper from Basic Grey "konnichiwa;"
Barn Door distress ink;
square punch to notch banner ends;
sentiment from PTI

Drunken Stampers' 50 Shades of Grey challenge ends Friday night!

Be right back with some Moxie Fab challenges.

xoxo,

Jessi