Get Well Soon

Supplies: Papers from Basic Grey "Indie Bloom;"
rub-on greeting from Kaisercraft;
Labels 4 Nesties; quilling by me

It's that time of year - lots of colds & germs going around. Hard to capture the colours in this card - the reds of the quilled & fringed flowers match, although the fringed ones look brighter. After adding the rub-on sentiment I doodled around the label die cut to bring in a little more black - and boy, doodling around already-adhered quilling is tricky!

I am really loving this "Indie Bloom" pad by Basic Grey - I haven't moved it from the top of my desk since I got it about a month ago. It's not often that I buy more than one of the same patterned paper pad, but I think this one might have to hop into my shopping cart again. I'm loving the colours & patterns.

xoxo,
Jessi

A Jolly Hallowe'en!

Supplies: papers from Kaisercraft "Chapter One;"
graphic poster from The Graphics Fairy;
skully flowers from Prima; brad from Basic Grey;
ribbon, felt cat, orange gems from $store

I'm having lots of fun editing with Picasa - close-ups especially.

look at the shimmer on that paper!

For a brief second there {shakes head} I almost wrote about what I bought my Mom for her Christmas present....duh. Hi Mom! That was a close one.

If you're local, think about heading over to the Sackville Curling Club Saturday to check out the annual Christmas Craft Fair. That's where I picked up the afore-UNmentioned gem. It runs from 10-4, so you'll have time to go after you come visit me at the Farmer's Market. (Naturally!)

Finger update: yuck. Ouch. More yuck. No more pictures, though. Even I can't bear to look at it.

Abby update: Got her a sweet pink bone-patterned plush coat. Photos to come! Also, gave her a ball with a squeaker in it, and the first 5 or 6 times she made it squeak it scared her into dropping it. 

Plumbing update: spent about 3 hours today helping Rob unplug the toilet...kids...even an 8 foot auger snake wasn't up to the Herculean task, so we ended up having to take the entire toilet apart. If I never see that much {ahem} in one place ever again, it will still be too soon. Also, I don't think I'm ever going to get the bathroom to smell right again. {shudder}

TGIF.

xoxo,

Jessi

Birthday Owl

Supplies: papers from We R Memory Keepers, "Autumn Splendor;"
button from Basic Grey; leaves from Prima;
owl Sizzlit die; googly eyes;
standard circle Nesties; recycled burlap piece;
Vintage Photo distress ink; sentiment stamp from Hero Arts;
Sakura clear glaze pen (beak)

Instead of using the die-cut eyes & beak from the Sizzlit, I used googly eyes & added a beak cut from one of the leaf-patterned border pieces of Autumn Splendor paper. I coated it with the clear glaze pen for a tiny bit of shine.

Thanks for all the finger well-wishes. It's not fallen off yet, but it is still looking pretty gross. It's going to have to be one mother of a wart before I ever have THAT done again!

At the moment I have a very concerning situation with a friend. That person has requested privacy, but it's a very serious health situation and if you pray, please pray for my friend. I can't imagine the family's level of stress, but being diagnosed with a terminal illness before the age of 30 - as a friend I am struggling with the news as well.

Hug your families & your friends,
xoxo,
Jessi

Market Street goodies...

A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to win some Market Street Stamps from Moxie Fab World, and they arrived last week on the same day my finger adventure started. Boo, hiss. As soon as I could manage to use my scissors again {much rejoicing!} I had to break them open & get them inky. 

Supplies: Market Street Stamps Enjoy Today;
Memento Tuxedo Black ink;
Papers from Basic Grey "Indie Bloom;"
foam tape

I think this one is fairly straightforward. I paper-pieced the cup, saucer, and tag, and popped up the cup & tag on layers of foam tape. I love the fall colours in this Indie Bloom pad, even though it's not exactly an autumn-themed collection.

Supplies: Market Street Stamps Bit of Burlap background stamp;
MFT birthday greeting;
Memento London Fog ink;
papers from Basic Grey "Marjolaine;"
standard oval Nesties; Sakura Stardust glitter pen;
pearls from $store; quilled flower by me

A close up...I'm so excited that I'm figuring out how to do this! lol

First, and important to note: this background stamp stamps beautifully. I inked it up by splotching the little teardrop pad sort of randomly, then blotting with a tissue, and THEN stamping my oval. I wanted the uneven look here, so that I could stamp the greeting in the same colour & still have it stand out enough. To get a little sparkle & definition I traced the greeting & edge of the oval with my Stardust pen.

I hope you get some crafty time today :)
xoxo,
Jessi

Some Halloween goodies...

I forgot that I had uploaded these photos & left the post to edit later...so here it is! 

Supplies: Papers from We R Memory Keepers "Spookville;"
bat & 'trick or treat' stickers from stash (thanks sis!);
'smell my feet' letter stickers from Cosmo Cricket;
googly eyes; standard oval Nesties

Supplies: papers from We R Memory Keepers "Spookville;"
star & witch stickers from stash (possibly Hallmark?);
standard & lacey circle Nesties;
'fly it!' stickers from Basic Grey; rest of sentiment handwritten

Supplies: papers from We R Memory Keepers "Spookville;"
all images & sentiment are stickers from stash;
standard oval Nesties

Supplies: papers from We R Memory Keepers "Spookville;"
felt ghosts & purple rhinestones from $ store

Good finger news: the infection has gotten under control, and over several days the blister deflated. I've been keeping it covered about 90% of the time, allowing it to dry out a little bit in between bandage applications. I've even been able to do a little crafting - not much, but enough to cheer me up!

Poor Abby had a misadventure this week - she stepped in something that irritated her paws, and she managed to lick whatever it was off of them, but her feet were raw and her poor little self was feeling yucky for a couple of days from whatever it was. The vet just backed up what we thought - keep her hydrated, don't let her obsess over her feet, and she'll get over it. And that's how it went. It's only been 5 days, and you can't even tell where the sores were. Babies heal fast. Up next for her - the Cone of Shame when she's fixed November 1st. There will SO be pictures of that! 

xoxo,

Jessi

Inspired by Emily Keaton!

So, I'm pretty sure everyone knows by now that I have a great big crush on Emily, but just in case anyone who stops by *doesn't* know that, it's true. And this card I'm about to show you is one that was inspired by her creation right here. Go look.

Emily drew her own spiderweb with a clear glaze pen, and then embossed with clear embossing powder. So, when I saw the spiderweb patterned paper in We R Memory Keeper's Spookville pad, I thought "Hey! I could do what Emily did!"

....except tracing is totally not the same thing as freehand drawing, but anyhow...here's my finished card that Emily inspired:

Supplies: paper, clip art, label all from We R Memory Keepers "Spookville;"
Stamps from the same collection, stamped with Palette Noir ink;
Sakura Quickie Glue Pen; Stampendous Pearlescent Moonstone EP;
spider & web from confetti pack; googly eyes

I used a Quickie Glue Pen to trace over the web in sections, embossing about 1/8 of the page at a time. It took a lot longer than I expected - probably about half an hour to do the 6 x6 sheet. Still, the shimmer is totally worth it.

The sentiment is handwritten on a label that was fussy-cut from one of the patterned sheets. To create the hanging spider, I used Tombow multi glue to glue thread in the 'sandwich' - spider, then web, then thread, then spider. Once that was dry, I added googly eyes to both sides of the spider, since the thread allows it to swing around on the card. That way no matter which way the spider lands, it's the "right" way.

The shine makes me happy!

I'm not going to gross anybody out with any more pictures of my finger, but it's still not healed. I took myself to the doctor yesterday, and his first sentence was "You've had a reaction." Um, yeah. A bit. It was beginning to develop an infection, so it's now wrapped up & covered in slimy germ-killing ointment. Abby is far too interested in it for my liking - it's funny, I'd read that dogs are good at sniffing out problems in their humans, but experiencing it for myself is something else. I'm just worried that in her worrying about it, she'll accidentally puncture it. Ouch.

Although at first it wasn't bothering me to type, I have figured out that I have a limit. Luckily I've got 3 different series out from the library on DVD, so I've been rotting my brain with TV. Wire in the Blood, No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency, and Castle. I just learned the other day that they've been releasing books 'written by' Richard Castle to go along with the series. I think I may have done a little happy dance - just waiting for them to come in at the library so I can scarf them up. I won't get to stare at Nathan Fillion while I'm reading, but maybe it'll still be ok.

I also downloaded Picasa, and started playing around with editing my photos. At the very least, I think I've got a handle on cropping. Boy, am I itching to pick up a pair of scissors or a crochet hook...

xoxo,
Jessi

Gross-out warning!

I didn't get back here on Sunday as planned because I managed to pinch a nerve or twang something in my back while reaching for a tissue. How is it that when I do something like that to my back, it's never while toting a couch around? Luckily by Monday morning it was fine, and then this happened:

So, I have had this teeny little wart on my finger for years. Years. And every few months, it gets caught on something & tears off, and ouch. Smart old me thought, "I should get the doctor to freeze that, and then poof, no more slightly annoying bump."

Apparently three doses of liquid nitrogen will turn your finger into the Halloween creature seen above. Seriously, this blister is the size of a keyboard key. Or a Swedish berry. This sucker hurts, but right now I'm concerned about infection. Diabetes + infection = super gross, super fast.

However, luckily typing appears to be something I can do without bending that finger much (and nothing else - index finger on my dominant hand? sigh) so here I am, and I'm even catching up on commenting. Yay me. And although I probably won't be making very many things this week, I made lots last week that I can share.

Supplies: Papers from Basic Grey "Sweet Threads;"
Sheep stamp from The Cat's Pajamas; Memento London Fog ink;
letter & heart beads from stash;
Stampendous Fun Flock in Cotton Ball;
pink embroidery thread

a close up to show the fringe on the scarf & texture of the Fun Flock

Since I keep recommending it to others, I think I'd better link myself up to the Moxie Fab Textured to Perfection challenge, which ends on Halloween. This was my first time inking up this stamp set, and although I love the sentiments it comes with, I wanted to use these beads that I found while cleaning up my desk a while back. Fun Flock is something I probably add to 90% of the animal cards I make (because petting a card is awesome!) and the scarf just yelled for fringe. I used little pieces of Scor-tape on the back side of the paper-pieced scarf, and just lined up the thread & trimmed once I liked how 'full' the fringe was.

I just might be here all week - after all, if I can't craft, I can certainly drive you all crazy by blogging continually :)

xoxo,
Jessi

Young Crafters Unite Challenge #2...#2

Super exhausted from two long {unproductive} days at the Fibre Festival - but wanted to pop in at the last minute to link up another couple of cards to the Young Crafters Unite Challenge #2 - Envelopes to Match party.

Supplies: papers from Martha Stewart;
frankenstein stamp from Studio G (includes sentiment);
Palette Noir ink; Cuttlebug embossing folder (swiped with ink);
Labels 4 Nesties; tombstone button from Dress it Up!

Supplies: Papers from Basic Grey "Sweet Threads;"
sheep & sentiment stamps from Pink Cat Studio;
standard circle Nesties;
sponged with Tumbled Glass distress ink while still in the die;
Memento Tuxedo Black ink; Martha Stewart markers & fineline pen;
Stampendous Fun Flock in Cotton Ball

To be frank, I love Halloween...puns...
The "Thank Ewe" card is actually a set of 6 - all with a matching stamped envelope.
I think I'll be back tomorrow, once I get some sleep! I also got my flu shot on Friday, and that tends to have me dragging for a couple of days.

xoxo,
Jessi

Time for Halloween!

Supplies: paper & poem from We R Memory Keepers "Spookville;"
pumpkin stickers from stash - maybe ATD? 
Click the pic to read the poem!

I know Halloween isn't as much of a traditional card-giving holiday, but it's just so much fun to craft for! I have a huge love of puns & corny jokes, and Halloween is full of them. You'll be sick of them, unless you're a weirdo (ahem, Emily) and then we'll be just fine. O.K.

This weekend I won't be at the Sackville Farmer's Market - as a rather last-minute change of plans, I'll be at the Zonta Fibre Festival Bazaar at the Tantramar Theatre on Victoria Street in Amherst, on both Friday and Saturday. The link there is to the full schedule of events for the Fibre Arts Festival - it started Tuesday, and wraps up on Saturday. There are so many exhibits and lessons to take part in, and this is only the 4th year. My friend Denyse had originally booked a table, as she makes the most lovely handspun and hand-dyed yarns and knitted items, and she is also participating in Art Across the Marsh (link to the list of participating artists) which takes place this weekend as well. Luckily, though I don't consider myself a fibre artist, I'm proficient enough and have items for sale that fit the bill. I've also been working hard on cards featuring textures, sheep, knitting & crafts, and sewing. It's been fun to focus so much on craft-related creating, and I'm really looking forward to meeting so many fellow crafters. 

Time to get back to work - before long it's time to do the school run!

xoxo,

Jessi

Anniversary Cards

I don't even remember the last time my husband & I exchanged anniversary cards...but in a few weeks we're coming up on 15 years. Maybe I should break with recent tradition and make him one?

Supplies: papers from Basic Grey "Hello Luscious;"
sentiment from Studio G, stamped with Kaleidacolor pad;
heart buttons from Dress it Up!

Supplies: papers from Basic Grey "Sugared (or two scoops?);"
heart button from Dress it Up!;
ghost shape hearts from Heidi Swapp;
sentiment stamp from Inkadinkado, stamped with
Versamark & embossed with black EP

Supplies: Papers from Cosmo Cricket "DeLovely;"
standard oval Nesties;
stamps from Hampton Art;
stamped with Versamark & Adirondack Citrus ink, embossed with clear EP;
buttons from Basic Grey; sheer ribbon from May Arts

Supplies: Papers from Bo Bunny;
sentiment from PSX; stamped in Versamark & embossed with black EP;
heart buttons from Dress it Up!;
ghost hearts from Heidi Swapp

Our weather appears to have returned back to normal. After the 2 degrees Celsius unpleasantness, we were back up to 25 degrees by Sunday, and now back to a more seasonally appropriate 14. Sheesh. At least that one miserable snowy day got our fall house preparations into gear - mittens have been unearthed (if not yet washed), and the furnace filter has been cleaned. Bring it on, Mother Nature, for we are prepared! 

xoxo,

Jessi