Pucker Up!

You know what I find cheers me up? Making 'cheer up' cards :) I've got a sparkly lemon for ya:

Supplies: Doodle Pantry PRECOLOURED image & sentiment; MME papers; Mustard Seed distress ink; classic small circle Nesties; the never-ending bottle of yellow glitter fabric paint

Seriously, this bottle of yellow glitter paint has been in my stash for no less than 5 years. I use it ALL THE TIME and I'm always thinking it's just about done....and then there's more. Maybe it replenishes itself? 

I've cut out & popped up a second lemon image, adding glitter to the lemon, blossom, and a few of the words. I already had the paintbrush loaded up anyhow :) 

Linking up with Doodle Pantry's challenge #38!

My bloggy friend Dana has a quick quick survey on her blog that is going to help her with a school project - if you can spare 5 minutes please please head over & fill it out! It's anonymous, and she even has blog candy up for grabs :)

Be back very shortly with my Drunken Stampers post!

xoxo,

Jessi

You're on my Mind

Oh, this week. In the overall scheme of things it's all just a bunch of little things, but you know how sometimes your brain just makes everything seem like SUCH A BIG DEAL?  That's where I am this week, wallowing.

I accidentally deleted an entire folder of edited card photographs - I'm talking about 50 cards - that I'd never uploaded anywhere. And they are most definitely GONE gone. I've retaken the photos that I could, but I'm still bummed. Add in some crappy health news & I am just feeling pretty blargh. (That's a technical  term, by the way.)

In positive news, I've been back to a regular Zumba schedule - which feels good! - and even made it out for a walk with a friend & our dogs this week. Why is it so hard to remember beforehand that exercise makes me feel good? Little changes, but they add up.

I had grand fun playing around & making this card - using Kraft and embossing to go along with the Crafty Creations & Simon Says challenges. The ribbon was actually laying on the floor (thank you cats) and I dropped a button & saw it - serendipity. I love how it turned out:

Supplies: patterned paper from Amy Tangerine; kraft card stock; Martha Stewart butterfly stamp; PTI sentiment; Frayed Burlap & Antique Linen distress inks; Versamark & Stampendous White Detail EP; buttons & ribbon from stash

I'd already decided to sew the buttons on as a border when I found the ribbon - it's subtle but I really love the effect of the sheer ribbon over the buttons. It was difficult to show in the photographs without distorting the colour, but the butterfly does stand out better in person. I considered doing a little bit of emboss resist to make it stand out more but decided not to play with inky fire :)

So, self? It could be worse. At least you still have your mojo!

xoxo,

Jessi

Shopping our Stash #118 - Favourite Stampy Technique!

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

This week at Shopping our Stash we want you to break out your stamps & use your favourite stamping technique! I know, it's hard to narrow down, isn't it? Splitcoast has an awesome resource section to help you narrow it down (hahaha, I mean make your list of what you want to try even longer!)

I decided to go with one I use a lot - embossing in any colour using Versamark, Distress Ink, and clear embossing powder:

Supplies: Paper Smooches floral stamps; PSX anniversary stamp; Versamark; Seedless Preserves Distress ink; Stampendous clear detail EP; rhinestones from Dollarama

This technique could almost not be easier. Ink your stamp first with Versamark, then with the dye ink of your choice. Distress inks happen to be mine. Stamp on the paper, and proceed with embossing. Ta-da! To finish this card, I stamped the floral stamp with the same distress ink - stamping off the first time on scratch paper to get the varied shades. I used my Ranger blending foam tool to ink the edges of the panel & then adhered it directly to the base. Easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy!

Come & play along with this challenge until next Monday,September 16th - hop on by & leave the rest of my teamies some love!

Leslie

Alica

Deena 

Lauren

Michelle

Paige

Chana

xoxo,

Jessi

Tuesday Morning Sketches #215 - Yours or Mine Paper Crafts!

Good morning! We have a new sketch up at Tuesday Morning Sketches, and a new sponsor too- Yours or Mine Paper Crafts:

I had some trouble working with the sketch, because it's mine. That seems to happen every time! And I even based this sketch on a card I had made, thinking that would make it easier for me. Silly me. I'm happy with how it turned out though:

Supplies: stamps from PTI; Barn Door distress ink; K & Co and Recollections washi tapes; classic small & lacy circle Nesties; bling from Dollarama

Pretty simple!

Here's the sketch - and since it's TWIST WEEK, we want you to MAKE IT SHINE - add bling or glitter to your card:

This sketch will be open until next Sunday, September 15th. Don't forget to check out what everyone else made:

Angela

Bonnie

Debbie

Jenee

Laura

Melissa

xoxo,

Jessi

Simon Says Animal Antics

I can't believe it took me this long to ink up the kitties from Paper Smooches - these stamps arrived while we were camping, and I guess I just needed to hold them & pet them & think about them for a while first :)

Supplies: stamps from Paper Smooches; Palette Noir ink; Versamark; Stampendous black detail EP; Worn Lipstick & Mustard Seed distress inks; Prismacolor pencils; Stampin' Up buttons; plaid paper from Memory Box; classic small circle Nesties

This plaid piece was a rescue - I'd cut the circle in the wrong place for the card it was originally intended for. I embossed the sentiment, sewed on the buttons, & added the twine wrap/bow, and then adhered it to the card base with foam tape. Since the cat was going directly on the base, I chose to use pencils for colouring. The shadow from Hot Concoctions was a good size for a little mat for the cat (resisting the urge to keep rhyming there...barely...).  

Simon Says is having an Animal Antics challenge this week, so I'm throwing this one into the BIG ring.

xoxo,

Jessi

Numbers with Pink Elephant

I cannot get enough of this crazy rabbit from Paper Smooches. Add in this hilarious sentiment & I giggle every time I look at this card:

Supplies: Paper Smooches bunny; sentiment from The Cat's Pajamas; Memento Tuxedo Black ink; papers from Bo Bunny; Mod Podge Dimensional Magic

Shiny teeth & eyeballs! Yep. I love this bunny. A lot.

Joining in with The Pink Elephant's number challenge!

Now I think I'll go take a nap :)

xoxo,

Jessi

Krafty SPARKS

Linking up to The Kraft Journal's Clean and Simple challenge, and the Paper Smooches SPARKS challenge to use flowers:

Supplies: kraft card stock base; patterned paper from Amy Tangerine; Paper Smooches stamps; Antique Linen and Brushed Corduroy distress inks

I used an oval die to lightly mark the paper with pencil for a rough layout, and then stamped the flowers. This floral set from Paper Smooches got a great workout this week! One more post from me today (all these last-minute challenge entries...sorry!)

xoxo, 

Jessi

Blue Cupcakes

Blue cupcakes completely inspired this card - although of course there isn't a cupcake to be seen. Papercraft Star has a fabulous picture for inspiration this week - and right away I thought of using it as a sketch:

Loosely, of course. I liked the variety of blues in the picture, and I first tried to replicate that with stamps & ink, and then punching out 1" circles. That was a fail. Plan B involved patterned paper and was successful:

Supplies: papers from MME; 1" circle punch; scrap vellum; Versamark; Stampendous Sapphire EP; Paper Smooches sentiment; buttons from stash

The Sapphire EP has a metallic sheen to it that I really like. I should use it more often! I like this concept for using up smaller scraps of paper - you may see this layout again & again.

xoxo,

Jessi

Congrats on your new home!

With the real estate market being as sluggish as it is I haven't had much need for 'new home' cards lately, but they are still fun to make. Mostly because I dream of moving out of our way-too-small-house!

This card was inspired by the CAS on Sunday "welcome home" challenge & the colours of the current Unity "be inspired" challenge:

Supplies: Unity stamps; Fancy Pants paper; Bic Markers; Corner Chomper; brown rhinestones from Dollarama

A single layer card! Whoa. 

Here's the challenge graphic for Unity:

I had a super productive crafty week - all that singing along to loud music had me in a fabulous mood & feeling creative. I made more than 40 cards! I won't subject you to them all but there will be a flurry of posts in the next couple of days :)

xoxo,

Jessi

Drunken Stampers #140 - BUTTONS!

So this week I had to barge in & invite myself to be an honourary Tropical Hooter, because "Thing" is up in our 'person/place/thing' challenges at Drunken Stampers, and this thing? It's kinda my thing.

STAND BACK, I GOT THIS!

Supplies: Stamps from Unity; Mustard Seed distress ink; Colorbox Frost White pigment ink; Stampendous White Detail EP; paper from Basic Grey; BUTTONS from my enormous stash

I bought this stamp during one of Unity's awesome sales because of that fabulous freakin' sentiment....and then blanked on ideas for using it. It was waiting for this card, see.

The button challenge runs until next Friday, September 13, and playing along are the Tropical Hooters team: 

Wendy

Lee

Diane

Linda

Karen

and my evil doublemint twin

Chris

xoxo,

Jessi