Shopping our Stash - Thank You!

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

Now here's a challenge I can get behind - this week at Shopping our Stash we want to see your cards for Thanksgiving or just a simple thank you - of course, digging into your stash! Now, I dug into not only my stash BUT my pal Barb's stash for this one :) This is not her thank-you card, but you can't see that one until she gets it!

Supplies: paper & canvas tag from Basic Grey "Origins;"
Rub-on sentiment from EAD Designs;
trim from Webster's Pages;
random matchy gems;
unknown kraft mat -
 and see, the tag, mat, trim, and rub-on are all from shopping Barb's stash!

You can just barely see - I stitched the folded trim to  the canvas tag
so that I could have it lay the way I wanted (lie? Recline?).

I love the slightly frayed edges of the canvas, and I purposely frayed just the ends of the GORGEOUS trim to go along with that.

Because I've used canvas, I'm also linking this card up with the Moxie Fab World's current "Canvas, Cork, and Burlap" challenge (which is open until November 19th, just like Shopping our Stash!).

This challenge will be open until next Monday night, November 19 - and don't forget to check out all my awesome teammates:

• Carla
• Leslie
• Alica
• Deena
• Paige
• Lauren
• Lynn
• Linda
• Michelle
• Sandie
• If you haven't entered yet, be sure to click here for my blog candy post, or on the photo of Miss Maggie Mittens at the top right of my blog...and answer the skill-testing question :)
• xoxo,
• Jessi

Tuesday Morning Sketches #172 - The Beary Scrap

Good morning! Get ready for November's Judged Challenge with Tuesday Morning Sketches - in honour of our fab sponsor The Beary Scrap, we want to see your creations using both the sketch AND an animal created with punches OR a tear bear pattern!
I had some trouble getting started, but you know what my favourite part ended up being? Look at those little penguin feet! Guess what they are? Butterflies!

Supplies: EAD Designs rub-on sentiment;
black, white, and orange cardstock;
Doodlebug twine & Bow-Easy;
Cuttlebug snowflake folder;
Sharpie for edges;
circle & butterfly punches

Look at his widdle feet! 

I used several different sizes of circle punches to layer the body & belly, and I used a single circle punch cut in half for the wings. The feet are indeed made with butterflies - I used a tiny bit of Scor-tape and folded them over the body rather than cutting them. The beak is made with a square punch cut in half, and then, GOOGLY EYES, because as my son Riley says, "Everybody enjoys googly eyes!"

Melissa designed our sketch this week, and I love how simple or dressed up you can make it:

This sketch will be open until November 18 - don't forget the twist!! And don't forget to check out all the fun animals the design team has created to inspire you:

Angela 

Bonnie

Cheryl

Dawn

Debbie

Laura

Theresa

Melissa

If you haven't entered yet, my blog candy is open until tomorrow (November 14), so you can click here or on the graphic in the top right on my blog...Miss Maggie the Cat. Don't forget to answer the skill-testing question! 

xoxo,

Jessi

DYSU 97 - Trees & Leaves

What's up at DYSU this week? Leaves and trees! I'm loving my trees in the yard even more than usual - because the kids have been spending their time raking. Ah, the early childhood years are finally paying off!

Supplies: Tree overlay from Stampin' Up;
sentiment from PTI;
Vintage Photo distress ink;
Paper Smooches twine & Bow Easy

This is another part of the acetate sheet from Barb - how gorgeous is that tree? I stamped the sentiment on the white card base, and used a thin strip of Scor-tape at the top & bottom of the card to adhere the acetate. Another thin strip of cardstock to go over that, and voila, hidden adhesive! 

The DYSU linky for this challenge closes at 5, so vite!vite! Go make something!

xoxo,

Jessi

Crafty Creations Challenges - No Flowers? No problem!

Yep, no flowers. Totally not a problem while I'm in the middle of my Christmas card spree! Lindsey has been cracking me up with her disgruntled penguin cards, and so when I found this sentiment & saw this penguin, I knew exactly what I had to do.

Supplies: Penguin sticker from MAMBI;
sentiment from PTI;
Versamark & white EP;
paper from Bo Bunny "Mistletoe;"
Paper Smooches twine;
bell from stash;
lights from Dress it Up

This is a self-portrait of me after decorating. 

I am a bit of a klutz (Mom, Sarah, stop laughing.) I have been known to climb on kids' furniture to string lights....or use it as a launching pad while I fall over backwards trying to hang lights. Falling up stairs, NO WORD OF A LIE falling off the sidewalk and tearing a ligament...I feel for this little penguin. I have been where he is, and just lucky enough that no one took a photo.

SO, if you want to join in with the No Flowers challenge over at Crafty Creations Challenges, you have until tonight. Hurry up!

xoxo,
Jessi

Moxie Fab & Canvas, Cork, and Burlap - oh my!

I am having a blast with the Paper Crafting Tips & Tricks challenges - they're all linked up in the side bar at Moxie Fab World. This time I'm going to share my Canvas, Cork, and Burlap cards. There might be more. In fact, there's definitely one more coming later today ;) You have until November 19th to join in the fun!

 CANVAS:

Supplies: Echo Park patterned paper;
kraft-colour canvas;
Paper Smooches Stamps;
Palette Noir ink;
paper piercer, thread, and needle. 

The coffee cups are paper-pieced - the lids & sleeves are
popped up on a layer of foam. And, GOOGLY EYES!

CORK:

Supplies: paper from My Mind's Eye;
Vintage Photo Distress ink;
sentiment from PTI;
MFT stacking stars die; thin cork;
vintage button from stash

BURLAP:

Supplies: paper & tag from KaiserCraft;
Vintage Photo & Old Paper distress ink;
rose & thanks stamp from Stampin' Up;
burlap & iridescent fabric

Pretty much my favourite thing to do with any type of fabric embellishment is to fray it. Canvas & burlap fray so nicely and evenly. I love the feel of cork - and I found running it through the Cuttlebug with the die (no shims) two or three times ensures a very clean cut. I was very impressed that none of the stars tore while removing them!

xoxo,

Jessi

Journaling Cards Challenge at Moxie Fab

I meant to be back before now, but GOOD LORD my kids are driving me crazy on the computer! Finally after 2 solid days of trying not to be a grump & kick them off I gave in. The pouting continues. (For the record, their use was not solid...it was more like every time I decided I would use the computer, they beat me to it by 10 seconds. Seriously, this last time I thought I would pee first, and when I came out, too bad, so sad.)

ANYWAY.

The Papercrafting Tips & Tricks week has so many fun challenges that I love - and I keep making cards for them & promptly not linking them up right away because they're open until the 19th of November. Prepare for a barrage of blogs from moi. This edition is the Journaling Cards entries I've made so far...

Supplies: stickers from Echo Park "For the Record;"
sentiment from Kaisercraft;
Palette Noir ink

Besides layering the journaling sticker tags in the "For the Record" collection, I added some of the icon stickers, and laid them off the edge of the card for added interest. This has the added bonus of giving you extra pieces to use elsewhere on the card for a more unified look (for example, the corner pieces at top & bottom were the 'leftover' piece trimmed from one of the centre elements.). The little black & white dots are the negative pieces left from a scalloped trim sticker on the same sheet.

Supplies: chipboard journal sticker from Fancy Pants;
rub-on sentiment from EAD Designs;
Tiger Lily Shimmer Spray, Tattered Angels;
Black Marble Dylusions ink spray

I just love how this card turned out - my first time using the Dylusions spray, and it's very opague & splotchy, just the way I wanted it. 

Supplies: all papers/stickers from My Mind's Eye;
sentiments from PTI;
Momento Grey Flannel ink;
Tumbled Glass distress ink

Another instance of layering. The base paper is from the journaling tag/mat pad, and the coordinating sticker sheet has journaling stickers as well as sentiments & icons. I've layered a sentiment on foam tape over a journaling sticker at the top left, and several stars over the printed cluster at the bottom right.

Supplies: paper & journaling tag from My Mind's Eye;
little drummer girl clip from K&Co;
Sentiment from PTI;
Grey Flannel Momento ink

More layering. I love the vintage feel of this new My Mind's Eye Christmas pad, and the K & Co vintage clip art was perfect to go with. And just a little bit of sparkle!

There's a week left to play in the 5 challenges for Paper Crafts Tips & Tricks week - go check them out :)

xoxo,

Jessi

Playing in Paradise #92 - Sketch Time!

Happy Friday! This week it's Allison's turn to host the Playing in Paradise challenge at Scrapbooker's Paradise, and of course that means a fabulous sketch:

Wait until you see all the awesomely different takes on this sketch - it's a wonderfully versatile one with all those elements! Since I'm in the midst of a Christmas card blitz, I kept on keeping on with that for my card:

Supplies: papers from Bo Bunny;
sentiment flag & ornament sticker from Bo Bunny;
Sizzix label dies;
red and green twine from Paper Smooches;
green rhinestones

Now, you've really got to check out how differently we all interpreted this sketch - it's far too fun! The linky for PPC #92 will be open until next Thursday, November 15. Leave my teamies some love too:

Nina

Angela

Allison

Merlie

Don't forget - there's a link to my 'Moxie Fab Birthday' blog candy up there at the top right of the page. Click on Miss Maggie to go to the post :)

xoxo,

Jessi

My first four cards...oh, yikes!

**I have blog candy open until November 14 - click on Maggie the Cat in the top right there, and answer the skill-testing question in a comment on that post to enter!**

Well, Amy (of Tsuruta Designs, and Flashback Friday, and various other places of fame!) is hosting some golb ydnac, but you've got to share your first four blogged cards....and by share, repost. Own them :)

A word of warning - terrible, terrible images ahead. The cards? Not them. The pictures. I was using a scanner. I don't want to talk about it.

Original post from September 1, 2010
I still love quilling, and Basic Grey paper...

Original post from September 1, 2010
I still have & love this CC Designs girl stamp. And I still love gems, crazy colours,
and those Labels 4 Nesties.

Original post from September 2, 2010
I do still have & love this Stampendous set :) 

Original post (same as cat above)

There you go. Boy, the more things change, the more they stay the same. I still have all the stamps above, and use all the Nesties. And I think I've even shared most of these cards via Flashback Friday's various features! 

I have been Christmas card crafting like crazy...back to the crafty salt mines!

xoxo,

Jessi

Maggie and the Good Stuff!

So, here's Maggie. The cat who USED to think she was a dog, including playing fetch & loving belly rubs....up until we got a dog. She still does those things, but she isn't friendly with the dog. She tends to sleep (snore) under my desk where she can't be reached, but a few weeks ago she came to visit.

WATCHA DOIN'?

Hey, 'sup? Your card is missing something....

Supplies: K&Co label & rose stickers;
Kaisercraft alpha stickers;
Basic Grey paper

So what's the good stuff? Besides one of my pretty cats, that is...blog candy :) There's a bunch. Three pictures' worth. Open to anyone worldwide. What do you have to do?

Leave me a comment on this post, and tell me your favourite song right now. Not your favourite song ever, but the one that comes on the radio these days that makes you sing along. Right now, for me? David Guetta, Titanium.

You can include the link to the video if you want, too :) And it doesn't have to be a 'new' song, just one that's doing it for you today.

Here's the blog candy:

40 sheets of Christmas themed paper - Memory Box, Cosmo Cricket,
Echo Park, Best Creations;
Inkadinkado Christmas stamps - pine boughs & stocking puppy;
crocheted mats - oval & circle

pad of Graphic 45 'Curtain Call;' Studio Calico journal kit & two sticker sheets;
crocheted mats

3 packages of 1" wide crepe paper;
Cuttlebug Fleur-de-Lis embossing folder;
Fancy Pants bird stamp; crocheted mats

You may notice the same crocheted mats are in each photo - I'll include 3 ovals & 3 circles, one each of black, white, and cream. 

Now then, sing away! I'll draw for a winner from the qualifying comments by Wednesday November 14!

xoxo,

Jessi

Shopping our Stash #76 - BEST DEAL EVER!

This is my second post for today - 

**for my Tuesday Morning Sketches post, please scroll down or click here - thank you!!**

This week's Shopping our Stash challenge is a really fun one - create something using your BEST DEAL EVER! Something you just HAD to have because it was on sale. For me, generally, those things that I buy simply BECAUSE they're on sale...those end up being things I wonder about later. Case in point:

Fired Brick Distress Embossing Powder, for $2. 

WHY?

I have only one other colour of distress EP, simply because it is the only EP I have that sets off the smoke detector. Every time. So why did I need another colour?

because it was $2. 

Supplies: Basic Grey "Basics" paper;
velvet paper scrap;
heart buttons from Dress it Up!;
rub-on from EAD Designs;
hearts background stamp from Market Street Stamps;
Versamark & Fired Brick EP

I bought so many of those heart buttons years ago - and just now I'm getting down to the last couple dozen. Time to find more! The distress EP is meant to be rubbed after melting - there's 'grit' in it, so that your embossed area takes on a distressed look. Was it worth my $2? Sure. Am I going to use up that whole jar? Uh,no. probably not. 

So, what do you have in YOUR stash that was a totally awesome smoking deal? Would you have bought it if it wasn't a smoking deal? Make something with it, and tell us about it :)

This challenge will be open until next Monday night, November 12 - and don't forget to check out all my awesome (I love that word!) teammates:

• Carla
• Leslie
• Alica
• Deena
• Paige
• Lauren
• Lynn
• Linda
• Michelle
• Sandie
• I'll be back tomorrow with some blog candy in honour of my Moxie Fabber/birthday week :) 

xoxo,

Jessi