Quilled Christmas Wreath

With a classic Christmas colour combination of red, green, and white, it was actually hard to come up with the idea for my card for this week's Merry Monday prompt. Netflix recently added Grey's Anatomy and while binge-watching the first season I got some quilling done, and let my idle mind decide where to go with it :)

Supplies: quilling paper; Wplus9 banner die; stampendous sentiment; Festive Berries distress ink

I used 3" and 1.5" strips of quilling paper to achieve the two different leaf sizes. The berries were made with 3" strips. And the banner is attached using a double layer of foam tape, folded & arranged so the flag ends give some dimension. You can see a little better in this photo that there are two layers of quilling - after letting the first 'round' dry, I went back & filled it in for a fuller wreath. 

xoxo,
Jessi

STUFFED at Catch the Bug!

**Here for my Snarky Stampers post? Please scroll down or click here - thanks!**

This week at Catch the Bug we have a perfect challenge for the post-Thanksgiving weekend - use leftovers! Use all leftovers on your project. I ended up making two - I'd printed out 8 of these snowmen to make a set of six cards, and for once I didn't mess up any of them :)

Supplies: Bugaboo Marshmallow Snowman - Snowball;  Spectrum Noir markers; Diamond stickles; papers from Carta Bella; googly eyes

Bugaboo Marshmallow Snowman - Snowball;  Spectrum Noir markers; Diamond stickles; papers from Bo Bunny; googly eyes

Make sure to head over to Catch the Bug to see what eye candy all the other designers have for you - and play along before next Friday, December 5, for a chance to win a bunch of Bugaboo goodies!

xoxo,

Jessi

Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers - V is for...

Vintage! One of those truly timeless trends - vintage is always in style! The Snarky Sisters want to see you get your vintage on with us this time around :) These clip art sets from Crafty Secrets are perfect for a quick card:

Supplies: Crafty Secrets photo clip & sentiment; patterned paper from MME; Tonic edge distresser; buttons from stash; crocheted mat by me 

It's been a week. And I am very thankful for all my friends - including those that are in the computer :)

You are going to love the variety the sisters have come up with for you!

Barb

Chris

Donna

Karen

Lee

Lindsey

Lynne 

Michelle

You've got until Friday, December 12th, to join in with us! 

And don't forget to stop by and leave our guest designer LINDA some love!

xoxo,

Jessi

Another sketch...

...sorry! This time I've got two cards made with the current Paper Players sketch:

Supplies: button from Basic Grey; everything else from Simple Stories' diy Christmas

I made French knots on the white dotted parts of the poinsettia paper, just because I felt like it.

Supplies: papers from Carta Bella; banner die from Wplus9; stampendous sentiment; Memento Tuxedo Black ink; Spectrum Noir marker; 1.5" circle punch; button from stash

I'd made the snowman card first, and I wasn't completely happy with it, so I went back to my trusty Simple Stories collection.

Here's the sketch: 

xoxo,

Jessi

Shopping our Stash #179 - Free is GOOD!

**Here for my Tuesday Morning Sketches post? Please scroll down or click here. Thanks!**

Free is good. I think we can accept that as a universal truth! And this week at Shopping our Stash, we want you to play with your free goodies - blog candy? generous friends? prizes? So long as it was free, make something with it & let us know how/where you scored your free stuff :) 

In my case, I used goodies I've received from several friends - the cupcake paper, sparkly number Thickers, die cut heart, and sequins were all gifted to me!

Supplies: heart/flower die cut from MAMBI; AC Thickers letters & numbers; classic small circle Nesties; shrink plastic; sequins and assorted confetti

Not everything on your project needs to be something that was free -  so join us in the next TWO WEEKS, before Monday, December 8th (cue panicked breathing)

Leslie

Alica

Deena

Lauren

Donna

Chris

 Chana 

Barb

xoxo,

Jessi

Tuesday Morning Sketches #277 - Dies R Us!

Good morning sketchers! This week at Tuesday Morning Sketches we're sponsored by Dies R Us. I'm having my usual end-of-November panic attack about Christmas, so this simple sketch was perfect for a quickie card:

Supplies: papers and die cut from Simple Stories' DIY Christmas

I know, I know, I'm going to need an intervention to step away from this collection ;)

Here's the awesome sketch from Nina:

This challenge is open until next Sunday, November 30th-  hop on over & see what the design team has created for you! 

Debbie

Jenee 

Kris 

Melissa

Nina

xoxo,

Jessi

FUSION sketch

I told you I was into sketches yesterday! I am super in love with my FUSION inspiration photo-inspired card that I posted yesterday, but I also loved the sketch and wanted to play again.

Supplies: Simple Stories' DIY Christmas papers & die cuts; classic small circle Nesties; Cuttlebug embossing folder; Heidi Swapp edge distresser; dark red gems from Dollarama

I think that Simple Stories' DIY Christmas is my go-to Christmas collection for this year. I always end up with a favourite, and I keep reaching for it. When I embossed the circle, the paper distressed a little bit, so I lightly distressed the edges of the striped panel to go with it. I love the simple offset layout, and the two little gems on the holly berries are a great accent. This would work for a guy card (whoa!) and I didn't even plan it that way ;)

Here's the prompt for FUSION:

xoxo,

Jessi

The Challenge #19

Yesterday was a sketch day from start to finish! This card was inspired by the current The Challenge sketch, #19.

Supplies: holly leaves from Making Memories; all other supplies from Simple Stories' DIY Christmas; embroidery floss, needle, and Tim Holtz design ruler

I played around with every.single.paper. in the package before deciding on the holly pattern. This is very layered, but still flat enough to mail (score), and I was excited to find those holly leaves - I thought I'd used them all last year, and when I went digging for an embellie there they were. You never know what you have until you clean your craft room!

xoxo,

Jessi

Lacy Thanks

My sweet friend Denyse brought me a whole bunch of crafty goodness for my birthday - beads, buttons, and tons of lace, and when I saw the sketch at The Kraft Journal I knew I wanted to break out some of that brand new lace!! A super layered card, I'm also popping in at Little Red Wagon, and Open-Minded Crafting Fun's Grateful challenge.

Supplies: lace from Denyse; kraft card stock; Studio Calico kraft butterfly stickers; sentiment from Paper Smooches; Vintage Photo distress ink; Wink of Stella clear glitter pen; classic small oval Nesties; Cuttlebug embossing folder; ribbon and metallic brown paper from stash

I've been doing a bunch of faux-faux patina cards lately, and apparently I should have washed my folder, because there was unplanned shimmer transfer here - so I glittered up the sentiment too. Sometimes those 'mistakes' are just opportunities, right?

Here's the sketch:

I've got a few more posts today - I was in a sketchy mood, lol!

xoxo,

Jessi

Catch the Bug - Photo Inspiration!

There's an inspiration photo for the challenge this week at Catch the Bug, and it's especially perfect with Thanksgiving coming up in the US!

GET IN MA BELLY!

As soon as I saw the turkey, well, I knew I had to get Stella out to play.

Supplies: Stella-Turkey from Bugaboo stamps; Spectrum Noir markers; Mod Podge Dimensional Magic; Wink of Stella clear glitter pen

I printed out two copies of the image so that I could pop up some of the elements, sparkled Stella's earrings, and coated the earrings, bowl, and glasses with Dimensional Magic. 

The rules are simple: Create a photo inspired project and post a link to it on Bugaboo Stamps  challenge blog, Catch the Bug,  by 11/29/14 at  6:00 AM EST to be entered a random drawing for three digi prize packs –ten ( 10) (using Bugaboo only) seven (7) or four (4), using any image! 

Make sure you head over to see what the other designers have come up with!

xoxo,

Jessi

Sparkly Christmas Bells!

Ohhhhhh this card was fun to make! When I saw the inspiration photo at FUSION, I'd already been thinking about my Merry Monday card for a few days, and I had nothing. I wanted to use bells in a unique way. I think I did it!

Supplies: Memory Box leaf die; American Crafts silver card stock; silver glitter paper from Dollarama; Silver paint pen; ribbon and bells from stash

I lightly traced a circle onto the paper so I had an idea of where to place the leaves. Using thick card stock made it easy to shape the leaf fronds to curve into a wreath shape. I sewed each bell on, and sewed the bow & silver bells on for the final touch. I even impressed my hubby with this one, which is a tough crowd!

xoxo,

Jessi

Monster Big Thanks!

This was a super quick and easy card with the help of this cute pre-coloured digi from Doodle Pantry! This time of year I appreciate that even more than usual.

Supplies: image & sentiment from Doodle Pantry; papers from Simple Stories diy Christmas; classic small circle Nesties; big ol' googly eye

When I was working on this, I couldn't decide whether to give him two eyes (the illustration has two small eyes) or between two different sizes of one eye. I asked Riley, my googly-eye guru, and he chose this size. I think it's perfect!

I'm entering over at Doodle Pantry's monthly digi challenge, and also at The Paper Players' CAS Thanks challenge. 

xoxo,

Jessi

Shopping our Stash #178 - Thankful!

**Here for my Tuesday Morning Sketches post? Please click here! Thanks!**

It's never a bad time to be thankful, but of course with Thanksgiving approaching in the US it reminds us all to be grateful for the big & small blessings we all enjoy. This week at Shopping our Stash we'd like you to create a project of THANKS - it doesn't have to be Thanksgiving, but it can be :)

Supplies: papers (including polaroid chalkboard piece) from Pebbles; wood veneer arrow from Studio Calico; Spectrum Noir markers

This is one of those great cards that kind of made itself - matching collections are awesome :) I coloured the arrow with a grey marker, and ta-da. 

You know you have many things to be thankful for too - so join us before next Monday,November 24th!

Leslie

Alica

Deena

Lauren

Donna

Chris

 Chana 

Barb

xoxo,

Jessi

Tuesday Morning Sketches #276 - Diane's Daydream Designs!

Good morning! This week at Tuesday Morning Sketches we have a great sponsor for you, Diane's Daydream Designs  - and a sketch from me :)

I've found it much easier to create sketches based on cards I've already made - I think that's going to be my go-to method from now on!

Supplies: owl & branch stamps from CHF Kim Hughes collection; cloud dies from Paper Smooches; sentiment from PTI; banner die from Wplus9; Brushed Corduroy distress ink; Memento Tuxedo Black & Gray Flannel ink; Spectrum Noir markers; papers from MME; button from stash

I think it's all pretty straightforward - I masked the owl to stamp the branch, and all the layers except the plaid are on foam dots.

Here's me sketch:

This challenge is open until next Sunday, November 23rd-  hop on over & see what the design team has created for you! We've also got some fabulous guests from the Daydream Designs team:

Margaret

Kathy 

Elizabeth

and the TMS team:

Debbie

Jenee 

Kris 

Melissa

Nina

Since I have this great owl on my card, I'm also popping my card in the Fowl of All Kinds challenge over at Open-Minded Crafting Fun! 

xoxo,

Jessi

Stella Says Sketch #219!

Look at that, Stella Says Sketch time at Catch the Bug! I've used the sweet Fairy Christmas for my card.

Supplies: Fairy Christmas digi stamp from Bugaboo Stamps; papers and tag from Simple Stories 'diy Christmas'; Spectrum Noir markers; Diamond stickles; red Liquid Pearls; heart buttons from Dress it Up; classic small circle Nesties; Tim Holtz design ruler, embroidery supplies

After colouring I had to add a little bit of shine - I've painted a think layer of Diamond Stickles on the ornaments, and a little dab on her star necklace. I then dotted the holly berries with Red Liquid Pearls. The tag was pierced using the Tim Holtz design ruler - super easy way to get an even cross-stitch.

Here's the sketch this go-round:

Head on over to Catch the Bug to see what the participating designers came up with, and make sure to join in during the next two weeks for your chance to win some awesome Bugaboo goodies of your own!

xoxo,
Jessi

Monochromatic Love

The challenge at little red wagon this week is to use 50 shades of....any one colour ;) I wanted to play with this beautifully romantic Bugaboo silhouette, so got inky with it. I made two backgrounds at the same time, so I have two cards to share.

Supplies: Love Blocks - Day after Forever - from Bugaboo Stamps; distress inks in Peacock Feathers and Salty Ocean; Tattered Angels mists in Turquoise and Sapphire Blue; Studio G clear glitter glue; Versamark; Kaleidoscope embossing powder; Corner Chomper; Cuttlebug embossing folder; bling strips from dollarama

After inking the background of the silhouette, I painted it with Studio G clear glitter glue, and got to work on the background. I used the faux-faux patina technique but with a single embossing powder for the sparkle factor. 

My second card is 5.25" square, and features the background primarily.

Supplies: Distress inks in Peacock Feathers and Salty Ocean; Tattered Angels mists in Turquoise and Sapphire Blue; Versamark; Stampendous embossing powder - shabby silver frantage and Moonstone; bells, flower, and bling from dollarama

The frantage powder has a mixture of colours & textures in it, which makes it fun to play with & see what the finished effect looks like. After finishing the faux faux patina, I didn't want to cover it up, so played around with embellishments to see what I could come up with. Once I added the bloom & rhinestone swirls, I thought stitching the bells on would make it a nice subtle holiday card. It jingles :)

I'll be back later on with another Christmas card, this one for the new Stella Says Sketch at Bugaboo!

xoxo,

Jessi

Is it too late to be good?

I ended up going in a totally different direction than I'd planned with this week's Merry Monday prompt. I hope turquoise/aqua counts as blue ;) And this naughty little kitty is perfect for the current Naughty or Nice challenge to use Festive Furballs. This kitty has the holiday spirit!

Supplies: kitty stamp from Inkadinkado; sentiment from The Cat's Pajamas; Memento Tuxedo Black ink; Spectrum Noir markers; Bo Bunny paper; classic small circle Nesties; N&T clear sequins; blue sequins & googly eyes from stash; gems & pearls from dollarama

The googly eyes give this kitty an even more "OH CRAP" look at being caught swinging from the tree. For years (before kids and our artificial Charlie Brown tree) we had to tether our tree to the wall & ceiling after all three cats worked together to bring it to the ground :)

xoxo,

Jessi

BINGO at Catch the Bug!

**Here for my Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers post? Please click here - thanks!!**

It's BINGO week at Catch the Bug! I love bingo challenges, and this one is no exception!

I used the centre horizontal line, TWINE-EMBOSSING-BUGABOO IMAGE.

Supplies: Winter Bird Trio from Bugaboo Stamps; Spectrum Noir markers; Cuttlebug embossing folder; classic small oval Nesties; Timeless Twine; Mod Podge Dimensional Magic

After colouring the birds, I used a toothpick & Dimensional Magic to gloss their beaks & the ornaments hanging from the  tree.

I hope to see you play along with us - there are always generous prizes to be had! Check out the other designers & link up over at Catch the Bug.

xoxo,

Jessi

Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers - P is for....(WARNING!)...

.......profanity!

OK, you've been warned! There be curse words ahead! The Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers can be a crude bunch (which is kinda why we're so awesome) but we realize that's not everyone's cup of tea. Since we're more like Jagerbombs anyhow, though, how could we pass up this opportunity? There are times when "darnit" and "meaniehead" don't cut it!

Supplies: Fluffles stamp from Stampendous; Memento Tuxedo Black ink; Spectrum Noir markers; Sticko alphabet stickers

Most appropriately, this card made me SAY this a number of times. I'd already planned the sentiment, and when I stamped Fluffles, he smeared. I coloured him anyway, and then I dropped the ink pad lid on the panel. I said "FLUFF IT" (except not fluff) and dropped it a few more times. 

 You are definitely going to laugh out loud at what my sisters have in store for you:

Barb

Chris

Donna

Karen

Lee

Lindsey

Lynne 

Michelle

You've got until Friday, November 28th, to join in with us! 

And don't forget to stop by and leave our guest designer LAUREN some love!

xoxo,

Jessi

The Great Outdoors!

The prompt at Jingle Belles this fortnight is The Great Outdoors, and I had to pull out my all-time favourite tree stamps to play along! These are also perfect for the Stamping Sensations "Simply Christmas" challenge. 

Supplies: Salty Ocean distress ink; Ranger blue mist; Tattered Angels Sapphire mist; Stampin' Up Lovely as a Tree; Memento Tuxedo Black ink; Versmark; clear EP; Diamond Stickles; Liquid Pearls; blue rhinestones from dollarama; scraps of white glimmer paper; Stampendous sentiment

I used a 1.5" circle punch and a post-it to mask the moon, sponged with Salty Ocean ink; and then sprayed thoroughly with the mists with the mask still in place. 

Supplies: Ranger interference red mist; Tattered Angels Tattered Rose mist; Stampin' Up Lovely as a Tree; sentiment from PTI; snowflakes from MME; Distress inks in Worn Lipstick & Squeezed Lemonade; Memento Gray Flannel; glitter paper and rhinestone strips from dollarama

For the pink card, I sponged only the yellow ink for a glow around the masked moon, and the rest of the colour is from the sprays. SO GLITTERY!

The post-it doesn't provide a solid secure mask (as you can see) but I've made peace with the imperfections, lol!

xoxo,

Jessi