Shopping my crafty little red wagon!

**If you're here for my guest designer post at Our Creative Corner, please scroll down or click here**
OK, combining challenge names is getting a little too fun :)
(alright, as an aside, Connor just said "what the dickens?" Why is it so funny when they pop up with old slang? Riley says "gosh darn it" all the time & I laugh every single time.)

So, I have another multi-challenge post for you! I'm sure I'm forgetting something very important this week, but I am ON TOP of challenges. So it's all good ;)
First up, let's take a peek at my boy birthday card for little red wagon #137  (which is open until Tuesday):

Supplies: digital image & sentiment from Pink Cat Studio;
papers from My Mind's Eye (from my Emily!);
stick pin from Little Yellow Bicycle;
GOOGLY EYES!

The owls are fussy-cut and popped up on a double layer of foam tape;
the stick pin is 'stabbed' into the foam tape and the sentiment flag is adhered
to the card, so little fingers don't get poked.

Can you ever really go wrong with googly eyes on a kids' card? Probably not.

Next up is my How Charming card for Crafty Creations Challenge #174, also open until Tuesday night. I knew I had a bunch of little charms on jump rings, so I pulled them out and kept crafting until I got a card together that one would work on.

Supplies: papers from My Mind's Eye;
ribbon from May Arts; twine from Paper Smooches;
corner rounder for scalloped layer;
Doodlebug sentiment sticker;
charm from stash

The charm is hard to photograph - it's a tear-drop shaped faceted crystal. I used a twine bow
to attach it to the ribbon.

Now, I'm not sure if the above card counts as using 2 ribbons or not - since twine isn't actually ribbon...but all of the papers there are definitely stash. All bits & pieces of scraps from the very end of that pad of paper (with an order from Scrapbooker's Paradise on the way I knew I needed to make more room!)

Just in case the twine doesn't count as ribbon, I made another card for the Shopping our Stash #55 challenge to use Double the Ribbon (which ends Monday night):

Supplies: Ribbons from Offray;
papers from Basic Grey "Piccadilly;"
cameo flatback from the girls' paperie;
label die from Sizzix;
Faded Jeans distress ink;
Clearly Sentimental about Emerson from My Favorite Things

I feel so caught up! I hope you get time to kick back, relax, and enjoy your weekend :)

xoxo,

Jessi

A Smattering of Thank You Cards

I have quite a stash of cards that I didn't blog before Christmas, since of course I was busy blogging Christmas cards...so today I'll share the thank you cards!

Supplies: papers from DCWV "Citronella;"
'thank you' sticker from SRM;
deer, hedgehog, skunk, and tree from Walmart kit;
Cotton Ball fun flock from Stampendous;
sun's face from Market Street Stamps;
Memento London Fog ink

The grass/ground was made by cutting out the 'lime' pieces from a citrus patterned piece of paper and layering them. The extra clouds were cut out of another part of the patterned paper & popped up on foam tape.

Supplies: rainbow paper (made here);
Martha Stewart butterfly punch;
sentiment sticker from SRM;
rhinestone swirls from dollar store

 This was just plain FUN to do - I used my trusty "Zip Dry" glue to get the butterflies to stick where I'd folded them along the 'body' for dimension. The rainbow paper bled through to the other side, so no pesky white paper core showing through either. Score!

Supplies: papers and flower stamps from Basic Grey;
Spun Sugar, Worn Lipstick, Mustard Seed distress inks;
Memento London Fog ink; 'thank you' stamp from Inkadinkado;

Supplies: papers from Kaisercraft "Chapter One;"
stamps from Pink Cat Studio;
Cotton Ball fun flock from Stampendous;
buttons from Basic Grey & stash;
standard circle Nesties; tumbled glass distress ink for sponging

Supplies: papers from Basic Grey;
sentiment sticker from SRM;
tulip stamp from PSX;
Palette Noir ink; coloured with Prismacolor pencils & Dove blender

Supplies: papers from MME;
buttons from Basic Grey;
letter stickers from K & Co

I have a whole page of challenge ideas written down in front of me, and hopefully I'll get some time at my desk today where I do something other than stare blankly at the space in front of me...

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

Pink Cat Owls

Supplies: Owl stamp from Pink Cat Studio;
stamped with Palette Noir, coloured with markers, and 'feathered'
with Stampendous Fun Flock (Cotton Ball);
Tree template from melstampz.blogspot.com;
Paper from My Mind's Eye Fine and Dandy "Tickled Pink;"
sentiment stamps from My Favorite Things;
misc. cardstock, Cuttlebug folder (for leaves);
Martha Stewart fringe scissors for grass;
Autumn Leaves rub-on (sun); googly eyes (what a lot of stuff!)

I think the owls are my favourite of Melissa's illustrations...and I love tucking these little ones from the Party Animals into a tree. And there always has to be more than one of them.

Emily asked me how old Connor is on my dentist post from last week...and I realized I'd never shown any pictures of the kids here. Odd, for how many stories I find to tell about them...speaking of which, this morning Riley brought me a pear from the fridge, but he was disturbed about something. "It's missing...it's missing...the antenna!" he finally spits out. Maybe the boys watch a little too much sci-fi when 'antenna' comes to mind more easily than 'stem!'

Anyhow, the boys are Connor, who is 12, and Riley, who is 11. They are 15 months, 8 days, 12 hours, and 57 minutes apart in age. Both of them were diagnosed with autism in 2003 - that was a crappy year - and both are in mainstream classes at grade level. And here they are:

Connor, Poppy, Grammie, and Riley
Christmas 2010

Sarah and Andrew - and I love them!
And Sarah said I could do this, if I also promised to share a 'normal' pic...

Judy (my stepmom), Dad, me, Nevada (my bro), Sarah, and Andrew
Well, what passes for normal around here, anyway :)

I'd better get some lunch before I have to go get the rugrats...I can't believe it's still raining. The yard is largely underwater, and I swear I feel webs growing between my toes. I don't think we've had nice weather once when Sarah's come to visit - it even snowed when she came in April. Come on, Nova Scotia can do better than that...but I'm not holding my breath, just in case.

xoxo,
Jessi

Using up Scraps

Supplies: papers & xoxo tag from My Mind's Eye;
doily from Wilton; button from Basic Grey; bamboo thread;
stickers (owls, polka-dot border, corners) from Fancy Pants

Supplies: animal tower from Pink Cat Studio;
stamped with Palette Noir & coloured with markers;
pig watercoloured with Worn Lipstick distress ink;
animals coated with Stampendous Fun Flock;
sentiment stamp from Kaisercraft; yellow embroidery floss;
papers & button from Basic Grey "Sugar Rush"

Every once in a while I get annoyed with myself for hoarding scraps of paper - especially Basic Grey paper! I tend to end up with the covers of a pad & a stack of strips, and then they stay there in the drawer, mocking me! Last week I made several scrap-stash-buster cards, and here's a couple of them. The owls card additionally finished off the sticker sheet - bonus - since of course you can't throw out a sticker sheet that has a single corner piece left, or 1.5 inches of border....well, you can't if you're me, anyway.

Riley's birthday is tomorrow - my baby is going to be 11 years old. *sniff* Both kids want to see "Rio," and it opens tomorrow, so Riley decided that's what he wants to do for his birthday. Just from watching the preview they've both started saying "AWKWARD" all the time :)

xoxo,
Jessi

More Pink Cat Fabulousness!

Ah, I was going to make you wait longer to see the last two cards I made with Pink Cat Studio's St. Patrick's Day digital release, but hey, I have no patience, so here they are :)




Pink Cat Studio

Supplies: Leprechaun digi from Pink Cat Studio;
coloured with Spiced Marmalade Distress ink (hair & beard),
Adirondack Salmon (skin), and prismacolor pencils;
"Little Leprechaun" sticker from Karen Foster;
Shamrock button from Dress it Up!;
loose gold glitter on the hat & belt buckles & the pot of gold

Supplies: Shamrock bear digi from Pink Cat Studio;
coloured with Prismacolor pencils;
flocked with Quickie Glue Pen & Stampendous Cotton Ball Fun Flock;
dotty paper from Colorbok;
teeny shamrock stickers & banner from Jolee's;
loose gold glitter for buckle & pot of gold;
quilled shamrocks by me :)

Saint Patrick's Day isn't traditionally a big card-making day, but there are always folks who have someone with a St. Paddy's birthday who are looking for something different than the 2 options H***mark gives...and I am more than happy to fill that niche :)
xoxo,
Jessi

Pink Cat Studio St. Patrick's Day Digi Release!!

Well, that title is a bit of a mouthful, but I wanted to get it all in there!

I am super-beyond-excited to share these new images with you - and I hope you rush right back over to Pink Cat Studio and take advantage of the package deal Melissa's offering so that you can get that sweet little shamrock-sitting pixie for free! While you're there you should look through the loads of digis she has to offer, including free sentiments. I *want* Blobby! and Rex & Bronty...and the incredible Gnome series...and...well, you get the idea. I love them!

So, in no particular order, here are 4 of the cards I made for the release - you'll just have to come back to see the other two ;)

Supplies: Pixies & Pot of Gold digi from Pink Cat Studio;
coloured with markers;
glitter paper from Colorbok;
shamrock confetti & clear microbeads from Michaels;
loose glitter (gold & green, for the coins & shamrock on the pot);
Jolee's stickers - coins, vellum shamrocks, small pot of gold

Supplies: Shamrock Bear digi from Pink Cat Studio;
coloured with Prismacolor pencils;
covered with Quickie Glue Pen & Stampendous Cotton Ball Fun Flock;
loose gold glitter for hat buckle & coins;
shamrock from stash - embossed with Cuttlebug folder & sanded;
"Lucky Clover" sticker from Karen Foster

Supplies: Leprechaun digi from Pink Cat Studio;
coloured with reinkers (hair & skin) and Prismacolor pencils;
gingham paper from Cosmo Cricket "Material Girl;"
Shamrock buttons from Dress it Up!;
sentiment stickers & hat on evelope from Karen Foster;
hat & balloon sticker from Jolee's;
loose gold glitter & Quickie Glue Pen;
Nestabilities oval die

Supplies: Itty Bitty Shamrock Betty digi from Pink Cat Studio;
watercoloured with reinkers: Spiced Marmalade; adirondack Citrus & Salmon;
paper roses from Recollections;
paper from K & Co adhesive pack;
standard circle Nestabilities die;
hard to see, but her shoes & belt buckle have Mod Podge Dimensional Magic

All right, now head over to the Pink Cat Studio blog and see what all the other fabulous designers have created, and don't forget to pick up your own set!

Thanks again, Melissa, for this fantastic fun opportunity!
xoxo,
Jessi

Maybe a cupcake will help?



Supplies: Sheep with cupcake stamp from Pink Cat Studio;
coloured with Prismacolor pencils;
fuzzified with Stampendous Fun Flock;
papers and buttons from Basic Grey "Lemonade;"
sentiment from TLC Designs

Well, really, isn't a cupcake helpful most of the time? At least it's rare for a cupcake to make things worse...ah, unless you have crazy blood sugar like I do. I suppose a cupcake actually would make things worse for me. Boo, hiss. Paper cupcakes are good, though. I will continue to love on paper cupcakes :)
xoxo,
Jessi

Bright & Cheery Chef

How about something nice & bright for a Monday morning? Fake it 'til you make it, right? (In which case, I LOVE MONDAY. ahem.)

Supplies: Chef Duck stamp from Pink Cat Studio;
coloured with Prismacolor pencils & markers;
Duck 'feathered' with Stampendous Fun Flock;
papers all from K & Co 'Citronella;'
ric-rac paper trim from Doodlebug

The temperature has risen quite a bit in the last two days - the snow is melting, slowly but surely. I hope a little more slowly, since there's probably a uniform 2.5 feet across the backyard, and drifts high enough to cover the fences all around, and the banks in the front yard are taller than I am. I do want it to all stay outside, after all. I fell asleep last night to what sounded like an honest-to-peanuts waterfall outside the bedroom window.
Today is report card day - yikes - those should be interesting to read. Riley cares about marks that he gets on tests & projects, but neither of them reads their own reports yet. That's probably a good thing :)
xoxo,
Jessi 

Celebrating Pink Cat Studio!

Some of these photos will be familiar from earlier posts, but Pink Cat Studio is having a guest designer call, and I LOVE their whimsical stamps. My favourites are probably the animals, but honestly, they're all adorable. Anyhow, here's some of my cards made with both their digital and rubber images....


 




Supplies: Sheep with cupcake stamp from Pink Cat Studio;
alphabet stamps from PSX; all stamped with Palette Noir ink;
coloured with Prismacolor pencils & Dove blender;
sheep is covered with Stampendous Cotton Ball Fun Flock;
papers all from Basic Grey "Sugar Rush"





Supplies: Cow with gift stamp from Pink Cat Studio;
This is an older card so I'm unsure of the source for the rest
of the supplies. The sentiment is handwritten. The cows are all masked
(image is a single cow), with the "front" cow popped up on foam tape.





Supplies: Owl with birthday hat stamp from Pink Cat Studio;
coloured with markers & coated with Stampendous Cotton Ball Fun Flock;
white mat embossed with D'Vine Swirls cuttlebug folder;
brads from Making Memories;
decorative paper & "scene" from Cosmo Cricket "Hey Sunshine;"
star buttons from Dress it Up!; handwritten sentiment




Supplies: Clowning around owls & sentiment digital stamp from Pink Cat Studio;
coloured with markers; flower border from Doodlebug;
papers from K&Co; rhinestones from $store







Supplies: animal stack & circle sentiment stamp from Pink Cat Studio;
coloured with markers and (shocker) fluffed with Stampendous Fun Flock;
paper from Cosmo Cricket; buttons from stash;
My favourite part - the sun stitched around the sentiment with yellow embroidery floss



Supplies: Fairy Lily digital stamp from Pink Cat Studio;
watercoloured with reinkers;
Studio G clear glitter glue on her wings;
rhinestones from $store;
papers from Basic Grey "Hopscotch" and "Wander;"
sentiment stamp from TAC; circles cut with standard & lacy circle Nestabilities.

 Here goes nothing :)
xoxo,
Jessi

The Mysteries of Word Verification...

So, I didn't realize that in order to leave a comment people had to enter the lame-o word verification. Sorry about that! Luckily in my blog reading I came across instructions how to turn it off, and it made me wonder if mine was inadvertently turned on (get your mind out of the gutter). Anyhow, unrealized problem solved. Here come the spammers!



Supplies: Digital image from Squigglefly;
papers from Basic Grey "Curio" and by me;
Vintage Photo, Spiced Marmalade, Fired Brick, Wild Honey, Peeled Paint Distress Inks;
"Happy Birthday" stamp from My Favorite Things

I printed out four flowers to work with. I used a Quickie Glue Pen to trace over the lines of the flowers, and then embossed with clear EP. Then I used the 'floating reinker' technique - spraying the paper heavily with water, and then painting with reinkers. Then I cut out one flower (my favourite) to pop it up on foam tape for dimension, along with the upper leaves, and part of another flower to pop it up further. The orange background paper is made the same way as the mermaid card from the other day - ink applied directly to the paper, and then the paper is sprayed with water to blend.  

Supplies: papers from Basic Grey "Hopscotch" and "Wander;"
Lily fairy from Pink Cat Studio;
sentiment from The Angel Company;
standard circle and lacey scalloped Nestabilities

I love this sentiment - every day should have a little bit of whimsy in it! This is another digital image, which I coloured several times & cut out to pop up on foam tape. I was going to cut out the antennae, but {ahem} had a scissors malfunction, so the edge of her hair is glued down along with her itty-bitty arms and legs.


Supplies: Papers all from Basic Grey "Hopscotch;"
Sunglasses girl stamp from CC Designs;
"Celebrate with Style" from Hero Arts;
Labels 4 Nestabilities; brad source unknown;
flowers crocheted by me, blue flower dyed with Broken China distress ink

This girl is fun to paper-piece with funky clothes. I also embossed the blue label mat with the Swiss Dots folder, and swiped the raised dots with the Broken China ink.

I posted this on Facebook already, but thought I'd share it here too. Riley is really just starting to figure out the whole 'boy-girl' thing...the kids in his class are starting to talk about crushes and that sort of thing, and he has a lot of questions. Connor has basically ignored the whole thing (thank goodness). Anyhow, Riley comes up to me yesterday and says, "I want to tell you something true. Most men like to look at butts."

I had no response - I was too busy trying not to burst out laughing. Good grief. It may not always be fun around here, but I guess at least it's never boring!

xoxo,
Jessi

Thank Ewe!



Supplies: Paper, Basic Grey's Urban Prairie;
stamps: sheep, sentiment from Pink Cat Studio, grass pattern from Stampin' Up;
Ink: sky is Broken China distress ink; grass is Citrus Adirondack ink;
Fun Flock on sheep by Stampendous.

This could be a challenge - I have Connor beside me comparing Thomas the Tank Engines and expecting a response every few seconds! Ah, you've got to love scripting in the morning.

The stripy paper above is one of my favourite patterns of all time (of all time!) and I bought extra, and then hoarded it. I'm trying to be on a 'use it or get rid of it' kick with crafty supplies, but it's a process. At least that's what I'm trying to convince myself. I didn't do anything foolish like make a pledge not to buy new supplies - that would be ridiculous. I picked up all sorts of gorgeous Christmas paper yesterday, and I can't wait to cut into it. Vintage is big :) Expect to see lots of lace & doilies in the near future!

Anyhow, about this card, of course I love puns. The sheep, from one of my favourite companies, Pink Cat Studio, was stamped & then masked so that I could sponge the sky & grass. After that, I covered the sheep with Fun Flock, because, seriously, how can you resist a fuzzy sheep? And I suppose that's about it. Now off to hear more about how James and Edward (Egward, he always says) are both useful and yet, they are different in very important ways. LOL!

xoxo
Jessi