Shopping our Stash #176 - Leaf me Alone!

**For my Tuesday Morning Sketches post (and adorable Abby!) please scroll down or click here. Thanks!!**

OK, not exactly. We don't want you to leaf us alone at Shopping our Stash - we want you to play along with us and use some leafy stuff. I dug out this ancient Hero Arts ginkgo leaf (I bought it on ebay, so I've had it at least since 2005 - and I bought it used!)

Supplies: Hero Arts ginkgo leaf stamp; Paper Smooches sentiment; Market Street Stamps burlap background stamp; Versamark & clear detail EP; Peeled Paint distress ink; Olive Green glimmer mist from Tattered Angels

After stamping & embossing the leaf, I painted it in with glimmer mist for extra shine, and then added some splatter. Simple and easily mailable card for that person you're missing :)

I can't beleaf you don't have something with a leaf to play with - so join us before next Monday,November 10th!

Leslie

Alica

Deena

Lauren

Donna

Chris

 Chana

Barb

xoxo,

Jessi

Tuesday Morning Sketches #260 - Your Next Stamp!

Good morning, sketch fans! It's my turn as sketch artist over at Tuesday Morning Sketches, and for once I found it super easy to work with my own sketch :) We're sponsored by Your Next Stamp this week, and I am in love with Cuddles, the sweet little bunny!

Supplies: Cuddles digi stamp from Your Next Stamp; Spectrum Noir & Bic markers; Barn Door distress ink; Paper Smooches sentiment; Doodlebug & misc. twine; rhinestones from Dollarama

I printed out two copies of Cuddles so that I could pop up the paws & heart - I really enjoyed colouring this cutie! To keep the twine in place, I notched the cardstock with a small hole punch.

Here's my sketch:

This sketch is open until next Sunday, August 3rd - be sure to hop around & see what the rest of the team created! I hope you get to play along - I always LOVE seeing what people come up with!

Angela

Bonnie

Debbie

Jenee 

Kris 

Melissa

xoxo,

Jessi

Head in the Clouds

I didn't think I was going to squeeze in a card for the Tiddly Inks "Head in the Clouds" challenge, and then I made two. Apparently the ideas were just hiding in the back of my brain...you've got to love that. This first one is my favourite:

Supplies: Tiddly Inks digi; Spectrum Noir & Bic Markers; Sakura Stardust clear glitter pen; Broken China distress ink; sentiment from Unity; Stampendous Cotton Ball fun flock; American Crafts glitter in red, yellow, green, blue

After colouring the rainbow, I used a two-way glue pen to add the coloured glitters. I also added Fun Flock to the clouds. The sad little pixie's wings & hair rainbow are glittered with the Stardust pen, and then I sponged the edges of the panel with Broken China.

Here's my second card:

Supplies: Tiddly Inks digi; Spectrum Noir markers; Paper Smooches clouds die; Lawn Fawn alphabet stamps; Peacock Feathers & Broken China distress inks; Sakura Stardust glitter pen

There are so many perfect 5-letter words to fit in that sweet banner - Happy, Party, SMILE :) After stamping the letters I used the glitter pen - and of course the pixie wings had to be glittery too.

You've still got until Tuesday to link up your Head in the Clouds creations :)

xoxo,
Jessi

Tuesday Morning Sketches #244 - Sweet N Sassy Stamps!

Good morning! It's twist week at Tuesday Morning Sketches, and that means that we want to see you use the sketch along with the twist of RAINY DAYS. Perfect for the month of April! To win you must use both the sketch & the twist - but if you skip the twist you are still eligible for a spot in the top 5 :)

Our sponsor this week is the always fabulous Sweet N Sassy Stamps, and they're having a release on Friday - did you see they have matching dies? *want*

This is one of the last pictures I'll be happy with for a while - my camera appears to have something horribly wrong with it, overexposing all the shots & horizontal distortion lines across every bleeding image. Off to the shop it goes, and enter my phone as camera for a bit. Sigh.

Supplies: stamps from Market Street Stamps; Memento Tuxedo Black ink; 1 1/8" circle punch; Distress inks: Barn Door, Spiced Marmalade, Mustard Seed, Mowed Lawn, Salty Ocean, Seedless Preserves; yellow embroidery floss, paper piercer, needle

The saddest, saddest sun ever. 

Here's the sketch:

This sketch is open until next Sunday, April 13th  - be sure to hop around & see what the rest of the team created!

Angela

Bonnie

Debbie

Jenee

Kris

Melissa

xoxo,

Jessi

Shopping our Stash #134 - Miss You

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

I know, I shared a fairy card last week for Shopping our Stash - but this image is just so far beyond perfect for this week's challenge to create a Miss You card. I HAD TO USE IT.

Supplies: paper makeup fairy stamp; sentiment from Paper Smooches; Memento Tuxedo Black ink; Salty Ocean distress ink; Bic & Spectrum Noir markers; Simple Stories patterned paper; fabric, felt snowflakes from stash; Martha Stewart fine crystal glitter; Sakura Stardust glitter pen; pink rhinestones from Dollarama; Making Memories brads

I've carefully added crystal glitter on the wings & on her, uh, crystal ball? The thingy in her hand :) I then traced other details with the glitter pen (eyes, hair, etc). The fabric piece is one that had already been cut & heated with the heat tool to crumple it up, and then sat on my desk since it didn't work for the project I originally intended it for. The felt snowflakes have been in my stash FOREVER, and they're adhered with pewter brads you can hardly see.

I don't generally make cards with a recipient in mind, but I thought of the same person pretty much the entire time I was making this, so I'm thinking that's a sign that I should just send it!

 Come & play along with this challenge until next Monday, January 20th - hop on by & leave the rest of my teamies some love!

Leslie

Alica

Deena

Lauren

Michelle

Chana

Donna

Chris

Barb

xoxo,

Jessi

CAS(E) This Sketch! 50 - wow!

I may have to tackle this sketch again - I have loads of ideas for it (and from the almost 50 entries already, I think it's an inspiring sketch for a lot of people!)

Supplies: Unity sentiment stamp; Memento Tuxedo Black ink; clear detail EP Stampendous; printed canvas from Barb; classic small circle Nesties; Recollections cardstock; scrap vellum

The combination of vellum, embossing, and 'typewriter' font made this a really tricky card to photograph - the sentiment doesn't seem to be cooperating. I have been very much into making 'miss you' and 'just because' cards lately :) 

Here's the sketch:

xoxo,
Jessi

Moxie Smooches!

So I was digging around in my "oh god where am I going to put this stuff?" box (it's a big box....) and found not only this package of Martha Stewart envelopes BUT this package of puffy heart stickers...and voila:

Supplies: Paper Smooches sentiment; Worn Lipstick distress ink; Martha Stewart envelope; Sticko heart stickers; Sakura Stardust glitter pen; red rhinestones from Dollarama

I envision this being a hug & smooch in an envelope - the kind of mail that you open & feel loved :)

Adding this to the Moxie Fab World Handmade Cards - Stickers & Tape challenge & the Simon Says Wednesday Challenge Anything Goes. 

xoxo,

Jessi

Unity Sketch #7

With school starting, the university town of Sackville will shortly be filling up with first-time and returning students. This time of year I like to make cards that can be used to remind people that they're missed :)

The sketch from Unity with its butterflies prompted me to pull out some previously uninked Unity stamps, and some inks that I haven't used in a while either - my Kaleidacolor pads. Ignore the pink/blue edges - the card refused to stand out on a white background so I tucked the nearest coloured papers behind it.

Supplies: Kaleidacolor inks (Fiesta and Celebration); Unity stamps; scrap rainbow stripe stickers; rhinestones from Dollarama

I cut apart the triple butterfly stamp from this itty bitty set  and inked them up with the different strips in the rainbow pads, overlapping just a little bit. The sentiment stamp is one that I scored for free a while back in one of Unity's awesome weekend sales. 

Here's the challenge graphic - I love those colours too, so I may have another card up my sleeve.

That's it for the moment. I have an afternoon of lawn mowing & lawn lounging ahead of me :) Perhaps some more of that vanilla vodka in my Coke Zero too ;)

xoxo,

Jessi

Drunken Stampers #131 - My Best Friend's Wedding

It's getting to be that time of year - time when all those crazy kids tie the knot! So what better way to celebrate than by playing along with the Drunken Stampers and a totally classic wedding movie?

Of course, I didn't do that ;) Not exactly...I went with the optional theme, and the great part about this week's optional theme? Blue has two meanings, of course.

Supplies: the saddest, saddest sun ever - Market Street Stamps; raindrop paper from MME; Memento Gray Flannel ink; Mustard Seed distress ink; yellow embroidery floss; Corner Chomper; clouds from Barb; buttons from Dollarama

I first stamped the sun in Mustard Seed right on to the patterned paper, and then pierced & stitched along the stamped rays. Nothing like a little stitching to make a simple card pop! To hide the messy back part, I did the stitching first & then adhered to the card base. The buttons were the perfect 'something' I spent quite some time searching for!

Our linky will be open until next Friday night, June 14th. Check out what the rest of the Midnight Margaritas made:

Spike

Jackie

Barbara

Chris

Vicki

Barb M. 

And now to batten down the hatches - it's the last couple days of my mom's visit, and we're about to get a boatload of rain! Rob's mom is driving up today (with lemon pies, drooooool) and we're all cramming in to the little cottage at the beach for my mom's 'roast beast' dinner, droooooool....the kids had a sleepover with them last night, and are having a 'guys only' pancake breakfast today while Mom comes with me to the market. They are STOKED.

Lemon pie. *ahem*

I hope you all have a FABULOUS weekend too!
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

Tuesday Trigger - Val de Victorian

When I first looked at this edition of the Tuesday Trigger - Val de Victorian, open until Sunday October 28 - I didn't have any ideas. I drew out a bit of a sketch, and didn't think much about it again until I was looking for something else & saw this Basic Grey paper - ding ding!

Supplies: paper from Basic Grey "What's Up;"
sentiment from Market Street Stamps;
Memento Gray Flannel ink

I fussy-cut this element from the 'leftover' part of the patterned paper.

Here's the gorgeous inspiration pic:

I was drawn to the row of buildings. 

You've got almost a full week left to play along!

xoxo,

Jessi

Let's Get on Leafy Wheels :)

A couple of cards and 3 challenges for you tonight - I was hoping to get all 5 categories finished for Let's Get Trendy Now 2, but it's just not going to happen! I did get 2 more done, though, and stretched myself creatively, so I consider that a plus :)

First up I'll show you my VERY BRIGHT card using stencils - and also interpreting this week's cue card at CASology:

Supplies: Hero Arts ginkgo leaf; Stampendous sentiment;
Market Street Stamps burlap;
Distress inks: Mowed Lawn, Squeezed Lemonade, Mustard Seed

An ancient stencil with baby-themed designs.

I'm pretty sure I've used this ginkgo leaf for a CASology card before, but it really lends itself to a more CAS design. I taped the stencil down onto a large piece of white cardstock, and sponged the Squeezed Lemonade distress ink over the stencil. Then I inked the burlap stamp with the same ink & pressed down, and then followed up with the ginkgo stamp. And, because my yellow was still wet, the green bled a bit & the detail of the stamp was smudged...and I got up & went to Zumba, cursing under my breath. 

Today when I came back prepared to toss it in the recycling, I realized I could salvage it by paper-piecing the main part of the leaf. Huzzah! I also noticed that overnight the burlap texture wasn't visible, so before adhering the paper-pieced leaf I restamped the burlap with the darker yellow. Of course, I didn't have the stencil on any longer, so it went over the edges, but at this point I was going with it. I held my breath & stamped the sentiment, and then trimmed the panel down to the size I wanted, inking the edges directly with the same green ink. 

So, note to self - give the ink lots of time to dry, mmmmkay?

Now, for my second card, I was also inspired to pull out a bicycle stamp for this week's DYSU challenge, WHEELS! 

And for Let's Get Trendy Now 2, I knew I wanted to use washi tape...but how?

Supplies: bike stamp from Recollections;
papers & clip art from Simple Stories "summer fresh;"
Memento Gray Flannel ink;
washi tape from K & Co and We R Memory Keepers

(Sort of a side note - the background on this card? That lovely handmade-looking paper? It's Poo Paper. I love that stuff!)

OK, so I wanted to do something a little bit different that just sticking the washi onto my card. I did use a little bit that way (the black layer just below the bike image), but what else? What about washi flags, sort of like ribbon tabs? Please forgive the horribly blurry photos, but I think they're clear enough to  get the gist of it:

Pick your washi tape!

Fold the end, and tear off, leaving a generous sticky bit.

Use a square punch to 'notch' the FOLDED end.

Use the bit of sticky to adhere it to the back
of your panel!

I felt like a genius - it seemed silly to use extra adhesive to get the flags to stay on there, you know? ANYway.

*crickets chirping, me patting myself on the back*

Let's Get Trendy Now 2's deadline is October 12, and CASology's is Sunday the 14th, and DYSU's is Tuesday the 16th. So that makes me early for 2/3, and for me, that's not bad ;)

xoxo,

Jessi

Ain't no Sunshine...

Wow, what a week. I have got to say, I think this has been the most tumultuous week in my recent history, and although there have been some amazing ups, the downs...on Thursday, on the way home from walking Riley to school, I witnessed a dog hit by a car - and was with her as she died minutes later. The past few days have been a little bizarre because of my reaction to the circumstances. The poor dog was one of several allowed to roam free in our neighbourhood, and she stepped right out in front of the car. I've gone from horrified and sad to angry that her people didn't care for her enough to make sure she was safe.

Anyway, off my soapbox. I've written to the newspaper about it, talked to the entire neighbourhood (feels like), and cried buckets. Now I'm ready to be back to myself...well, I think I am.

I made quite a few cards in the last few days, but only one or two that I was happy with. One of them is for the Virginia's View Challenge #3 at Lily Pad Cards, which is to be inspired by this photo:

 

I've had a little pile of rainbow items just waiting for me to be inspired, and I've sifted through my buttons probably a half a dozen times...and yesterday morning I was inspired to make this card:

Supplies: stamps from Market Street Stamps;
Mustard Seed & Barn Door distress inks;
paper from scraps & My Mind's Eye (from Emily!);
buttons from Basic Grey;
embroidery floss in white & yellow

sad, sad little sunshine :( 

I was primarily inspired by the rainbow palette and the use of buttons. The rainbow coloured raindrops of the patterned paper led to this particular stamp set, and -hold on to your hats- WHITE SPACE! Real white space. I'm still a little bewildered about it myself. 

Virginia's View Challenge #3 ends on Thursday, March 29, so I'm hoping to make another card or two for it myself...a cheerier one this time! 

She likes to sleep tucked in :)

Vampire dog! 

Gratuitous Abby shots...they always make me feel better :)

xoxo,

Jessi

Good grief, another post?

OK, last one for today, I promise. If it's any consolation, I will not post much this coming week, since the boys are on March Break & we have so much packed into the next 5 days I expect to need an appointment to go to the washroom! This way I can get everything linked up - I would hate to have participated in a challenge & then missed linking up to it :)

This post is for little red wagon #123, "Bob & Weave" - weave something! You've until Tuesday night to link up for this challenge, which so far seems to be proving a challenge indeed! Only 6 have linked up so far...and I know why. It's *hard* {insert whiny teen voice here}. This is my second attempt -my first is currently waiting for my temper to subside so I can get back to it.

Supplies: white cardstock;
stamp from Michaels; Palette Noir ink;
black crochet thread;
quilling paper

I don't generally make one-layer cards because inevitably I end up smudging or otherwise messing it up. This is the second attempt - thank goodness I stamped the greeting first so I could grab another card & try again. Then, transferring the woven piece...it ended up separating a little, so thus the bow. I do like the finished card, though, especially that even with a bow it still feels like it would be an appropriate masculine card.

For the weaving, I used precut quilling paper in two widths for some visual interest. I used tape to stick the horizontal pieces down to a piece of plain copy paper, and then wove all the vertical pieces before adhering them (so that I could continue to adjust as I went...something I learned from the first attempt!). Once I finished weaving, I used double-sided tape to cover the entire top of the weaving. I cut the piece to size, peeled off the copy paper, and then the tape backing, and stuck it to the card. Clear as mud? lol

xoxo,
Jessi