Just Coffee Please... & Stamps, & Ribbons, & Paper

Friends of Faith Blog Hop!!!! Our God is SOOOOO Awesome!!! :)

2009-11-13T17:13:00.005-05:00

Coffee of the Day - Pumpkin Spice of course! :)

Welcome to Scrapbook News and Review Magazine's A Faith Perspective Thankful for Friends Faith Blog Hop. Today, we're out in force on the internet -- showing our faith and giving the glory to God. United, we stand as Christian paper crafters and blog owners to make a presence on the internet for all to see. We're celebrating the theme of friends and we're happy to share our projects with you based on the verse:

"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. " Eccl 4:9-10a

If you're just joining in on the fun, you can find the start of the train here. If you have arrived from the fabby blog of *KAREN* then you are in the right spot! :)

First, we would like to take a moment to thank our generous co-sponsors: Layers of Color Stamps, Gina K Designs Stamps and Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps. Together with Scrapbook News and Review Magazine, these companies have donated some wonderful prizes for today's blog hop.

Prizes? Oh, yeah! There will be three lucky grand prize winners for today's event.

To enter, simply hop to the blogs of all of the participating staff members of Scrapbook News and Review Magazine, take note of the staff member's name, and leave a comment on their posts. Then send us an email at
games@scrapbooknewsandreview.com listing each of the staff members who participated in today's hop. It's that easy. All entries must be received by Monday, November 16, 2009 at 12 noon, EST and three winners will be randomly chosen to win.
What are the prizes?

*One $100 gift certificate from Layers of Color Stamps AND a 6 month subscription to Scrapbook News and Review Magazine.
*One basket of goodies -- four stamp sets from Gina K Designs and a 6 month subscription to Scrapbook News and Review Magazine.
*One set of digital stamps from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps and a 3 month subscription to Scrapbook News and Review Magazine.

In addition, every participating staff member of Scrapbook News and Review Magazine will offer a free one-month subscription to the magazine to one of their lucky visitors by simply leaving a comment on their blog. That's a lot of chances to win, so let's get to the Hop!

I know how much my friends mean to me and how precious are those times we spend together. Many of those times seem to be spent over coffee, yeah, I know most of you are in shock. grins and giggles! but really, it is the conversations and the fellowship with these beautiful people that means more to me than the coffee. REALLY! :) and I have been told that one of my spiritual gifts is that of encouragement. I think because I have been through so much in my life, especially my battle with depression, I don't want to see other people suffer the way I did. And so I want to always try to fill people with hope, especially the hope that comes from knowing God in the most personal way. He is such a huge part of my life that I can't help but talk about Him to people and share about all that He does for me.

So this wonderful image from IldiCo seemed like the perfect one to use for a card to send to a friend when thinking of what to make for this blog hop. I have several friends going through some tough times right now. We all have them. We can't escape them. But no where is it said that we have to go through them alone. God brings friends into our lives for a reason. One of my favorite musical groups EVER is Jars of Clay. Honest to goodness, this one CD of theirs, Who We are Instead, I have gone through TWICE!!! and I am gonna have to go buy another one it looks like..... one of the songs on it is titled, "I'm In the Way". They lyrics are so very poignant. They are short, so I will post them here.

You sit and stare out at the sky/And think of ways to fake a smile.

But life is never what it seems/ Sometimes it only takes a while.

I'm in the way of fallin' down/ I won't let you go that far now.

If you think that hope was left behind/ I picked it up a mile ago.

And I am running close behind/ So don't give up and don't let go.

For my friends, I am here for you. You are not alone. Hope is in your hands. You may not see it, you may not feel it, but it is there nonetheless. And God will never ever leave you. He can't. He doesn't do that to His children. And He loves you more than you can possibly imagine. so do I. :)

so now on to the wonderful blog of *DANIELLE*!!!! and thank you for hopping along with us! have a marvy weekend!

A Yummy Gingerbread Girl

2009-11-13T11:06:00.004-05:00

Coffee of the Day - Cinnamon Hazelnut

I made this card with the cute new digi from Digital Delights by Louby Lou. Isn't she just the cutest little thing? She is covered in shimmerz and stickles to give her a bit more shine and sparkle. The paper is Basic Grey Eskimo Kisses. I also used my spica glitter pen to add some extra touches on the card - some dots by the scallops of the trim on the right side of the card, outlined the main image rectangle, and outlining of the left side of the card.

thank you for the kind thoughts and prayers about my health. all of you mean so very much to me! you are just the best! I am still resting as much as I can and not getting much else done, but that is okay, too. I have more drs. visits for next week, so we will see how those go.

Everyone have a great weekend! love to you all! :)

From Me to YOU! :)

2009-11-11T17:14:00.004-05:00

Coffee of the Day - Almond Roca

Sorry for the lateness of the post and to have been missing for a day or so. I haven't been feeling so great lately, so haven't been able to do much crafting. Have had some setbacks with my health and we are in the process of trying to get things all straightened out, but so far no luck. yucky poo icky blech! :( I really don't like not feeling well - but guess no one does. we're trying to avoid the i.v. meds - I soooooo don't want to go that route. anyway, enough of that mess. trying to rest as much as I can.

on to my card with these great new images from The Rusty Pickle! I love the cuteness and sweetness of this one. just makes me say "awwwww....." everytime I see it. Paired it with papers from both K & Co. Wild Raspberry and Basic Grey Dasher. The snowman is covered in clear glitter glue and the ground in chunky glitter. Added this fun felt snowflake glitter sticker along with baby buttons and trims from Webster's Pages. Thought the snowman would look so adorable with some bright pink cheeks.

Have a wonderful evening, and I will check in with you later! love to you all!
Jennifer

p.s. there is a Grand Opening drawing for 5 free digis going on until Nov. 15 on the website! hurry over to get your name in the drawing! :)

Are you the Cat or the Fish?

2009-11-09T09:29:00.005-05:00

Coffee of the Day - Pumpkin Spice

Good morning! This is my first post as a member of the Whimsy Stamps Challenge DT! How exciting!!! Denise, the owner of the company, was so kind and sent me some stamped images to play with until my stamps arrive. The challenge this week is to use watercoloring on your creation. No prob for me, since that is how I have been doing all of my coloring as of late.

I chose this cute cat with fishbowl for my card. I immediately was thinking of a twist on the old saying, "some days you are the cat, some days you are the fish." So with that in mind, I created my sentiment. The cat was covered with several shades of ink and then stippled with vanilla craft and brown to help give a bit more definition. The technique for the fish bowl I came upon accidentally. I had covered the whole bowl with crystal effects that was taking forever to dry. I decided to give it a quick shot with my heat fun from below the cardstock, when it started to bubble from overheating. I thought this would make a cool look to the bowl, so just continued heating for a few more seconds.

Paper is from Michael's Recollection series. trim is from JoAnn's, buttons are from both my vintage stash and Making Memories.

Have a great Monday! and no matter how your day is going, remember that you are not alone. Cat or fish, God is there! and me, too! love ya!
Jennifer

A Color Challenge from DZ Doodles

2009-11-08T18:04:00.006-05:00

Wanted to post my card for the color challenge over at DZ Doodles - use pink, red, and brown. I am also using this beautiful freebie image that Diane has so graciously offered on the blog.

I added stickles to the image to imitate snow. also some in the center of the Prima poinsettia. added these precious little vintage buttons as corner accents as well as on the vintage trim bow. Not a lot of brown, there is more on the pinecones that shows in the scan, but heavy on the pink and red. I masked the flourish on the ornament for a bit more flair and then painted it with pink shimmerz. Oh yes, papers are Basic Grey Eskimo Kisses and Dasher.

A new challenge starts tomorrow, so be sure to play along. :)

Snowman in Plaid

2009-11-08T12:14:00.004-05:00

Coffee of the Day - Vanilla Biscotti

Thanks to a reminder on a blog that I visit, I realized I need to get a jump on my Christmas cards! So this cute snowman from Doodle Beans fit the bill quite nicely! I have been wanting to get him all inky, and this seemed like the perfect day....... maybe 'cause I'm longing for snow and it is supposed to get up into the 70's today. gorgeous - don't get me wrong, but I am ready for winter. the trees here are all bare, so it just seems like we need the snow. :)

I used papers from Basic Grey Dasher, added some neato trim from JoAnn's, a beautiful stacked poinsettia and holly leaf from Prima, and ta da! card is done! of course he needed a bit of sparkle, so I added some shimmerz on his mittens, coal buttons, snowflakes, and holly leaves. I used my white gel pen to make a few polka dots on his scarf - he needed something fun around his neck to keep him cozy! :) Chunky glitter snow completes the image.

Have a wonderful day! We have the windows open all through the house, and it is really quite glorious! :)

Hot Chocolate Holder with a cutie bear!

2009-11-07T14:33:00.006-05:00

Another card to show you using a fun image from IldiCo. I thought it would be fun to paper piece the coffee mug with this adorable little guy, so went looking through my papers for one that would work. Lo and behold, Basic Grey to the rescue! These fun new papers are from the Nook & Pantry collection. Paper piecing digis is so easy to do - don't let them intimidate you.

You will see the open and closed version of the hot choco holder here. The paper on the front covers the staple backs, always important if you can help it. Added in some fun brads and ric rack trim. Pretty easy peasy for a fun little giftie! the whipped cream topping is the white flower soft I have had fun playing with! yep, using it again! it just seemed perfect. stippled the bear again to give him a bit more depth. As you can see, the thin dec. paper piece on the far right side is actually on the inside of the card.

Enjoy your weekend! :)

Another little card for Jaimie

2009-11-07T10:29:00.005-05:00

Coffee of the Day - Pumpkin Spice

Wanted to make another card for Jaimie, and when I saw this cutie from IldiCo., I knew it would be perfect. (for more info about cards for Jaimie, head to Stamp Something...For Jaimie or see my post below for Monday) I kept trying to remember that this card was for a 11 year old girl, so it is a bit different from my others. wanted it to be fun and full of smiles. (gosh, that makes it sound as if all of my cards are grumpy depressing ones!)

Anyhow, today is the release day for this new line by IldiCo called SnoPals. these precious snowmen and women are seen doing all kinds of fun activities! go check them out if you can. there is also a blog hop with them in conjunction with The Stamping Boutique and Sunshine Stamps going on today. It starts here if you would like to hop along and have a chance to win some cool prizes!

I used papers from the Basic Grey Figgy collection. The snowman is covered in stickles and then a bit of chunky glitter. The chunky glitter also covers the bottom left portion of the main image. I added in some clear dew drops for added fun. The great trim is by Webster's Pages and a few little buttons sit in the corner. I sure hope she likes it.

Have a great weekend, and I'll be back to post more later! :)

A Rusty Santa...

2009-11-06T20:26:00.005-05:00

I wanted to show you this fun new digi from The Rusty Pickle. Isn't he just wonderful?! I love the rustic look to him.

The papers are not even Christmas ones, which goes to show you that you can use lots of different kinds of papers for the holidays, just dress them up a bit with your images and embellies. Same goes in reverse for the holiday papers. Try it out sometime and see how neat it feels to put a neat twist on your creation!

These papers are from the Basic Grey June Bug collection. The beautiful poinsettia and leaf are Primas. The garland I found at Pat Catan's several years ago, and ahem...... forgot I had. (shhhhhhh...... you can NOT tell David 'cause he would have fits thinking I had stuff in my stamping room that was LOST! grins!!) I tell him all the time that "there is a great bit of organization in this stuff you call clutter." I didn't tighten up the scan so you could see the full impact of the bow. when I tried cropping, the bow just got lost - thus the larger scan. There are frosted stickles along the mittens, coat front, and hat. A tiny bit brushed along the ground gives the feeling of a light coating of snow. The card base was edged in 2 shades of ink to help give the more rustic feel.

Happy Weekend to you! Jennifer

A Frothy Cup of Coffee with a Friend!

2009-11-06T07:12:00.000-05:00

Coffee of the Day - Spiced Hazelnut

Good morning! It is a Freebie Friday over at Digital Delights by Louby Lou, and I was privilged enough to get a sneaky peek!!! This is such an adorable digi! Even Tyler said "awwww... how cute!" when he saw it! :)

I decided to use the sketch provided in the challenge over at Delightful Sketches. My papers are K & Co. Wild Raspberry. I added some white floral soft to the frothy part of the coffee - yep, we all knew it would happen just as soon as I used it for the first time! now I can't stop! :) Put on a few little buttons, this beautiful bow tied with some of the silk ribbon I won at I {heart} papers, tossed a baby Prima on the sentiment tag, and we were ready to go! Both the Prima flower and the coffee cup flower have little beads in their centers. The petals of the coffee cup flower were also painted with pink shimmerz. I am thinking that this is the perfect holder for a Starbuck's gift card....... grins! now to find someone who likes coffee.......... maybe YOU?!?!

Grab this cute freebie while you can and play in the sketch challenge, too!

Have a happy Friday! :)
Jennifer

A Beautiful Holly Fairy that shines!

2009-11-05T15:19:00.003-05:00

This is quick 'cause Ryan really really really wants to get on the compy, and I have to get this uploaded for a challenge that ends at 5pm!!!! ack! Actually using it for 2 challenges - 1 over at Sweet n Sassy for the challenge to use holly on your creation. 2 for Mo's Digital Pencil to use 3 sparkly shiny things on your project.

I added lots of shimmerz to her dress and holly wings, put stickles on the snow in the globe as well as on the church roof, and of course the holly leaves (Prima) and glitter button. snowglobe is also covered in crystal effects. paper is Basic Grey Figgy. sorry to be quick, but he REALLY wants on! :)

Coffee with a Cuddly Bear

2009-11-05T07:45:00.004-05:00

Coffee of the Day - Pumpkin Spice

Today is a brand new challenge over at IldiCo. and my first challenge as a Guest DT member! woooo hooooooo! So of course I had to use the cutie coffee bear (1 of 2 of them ..... maybe you will see the other in days to come?!?! hmmmmmmmm....... gotta check back! grins!) I mean how else would I start my inaugural adventure with them than with a coffee card?! :)

Kept the card fairly simple, but modified the sketch a tad - flipped it over on its side and scooched the circle elements closer together. The papers I used are from the Jenni Bowlin mini pack, Red/Black Line Extension. used my stitching stamp across the edge where they join. The Starbucks' circles actually come from the bags they use to hold cookies, scones, etc. I punched them out and saved them for a future project - TA DA!!! the trim is one of my remnant finds, the mat of the main image is distressed, and the buttons were added right below a cute sentiment I use ALL the time 'cause I love it so!

wanted to fill you in a bit about how I colored our bear friend - did my usual watercoloring, but then took 2 different shades of ink and a dry watercolor brush to stipple ink over the bear. this helps to give him a furry look with more dimension. just a little tip for something fun to do! The card base is more of my coffee paper. I think it is my last sheet, so it's time to make some more! :) Dave really likes this card so I think it's heading with him to work........ :) gotta keep MY honey bear happy, too!

have a great day! love ya!
Jennifer

A Soft and Fluffy Cheers! :)

2009-11-04T22:01:00.005-05:00

Once again here I am sliding in to get a challenge card posted right before the deadline. :) With this one I kept putting it off 'cause I was INTIMIDATED by the challenge twist over at Shirleys 2 Girls - use something soft like flocking or flower soft on your card. everyone kept crying for help on the forum, and I grew more and more scared as the days passed. Mind you I can sit and watch all of the Saw movies and laugh and laugh at them with my middle son, but the idea of trying my flower soft for the first time had me in fits. But I overcame............. yes, I did it. Held my breath and jumped right in! It was much easier to use than I thought, and I will gladly pick up those round containers of fluff again in future days!

As soon as I grabbed my Basic Grey Wassail papers, I knew exactly what I wanted to do. That great chair in this fun digi was screaming at me - PAPER PIECE ME!!!!!! Well, not being one to deny my papers or embellies EVER, I whole heartedly responded, "SURE !" :) but once I started printing on the fun paper I couldn't stop. So look at how much of this cutie got pieced! almost the whole ever lovin' thing! Glorious, isn't it?! I want a chair just like this one, and an outfit just like hers, too! the slippers are so close to my pink fluffs that Dave so kindly bought me, but if Santa felt the need to get me some just like these, oh no, I would not complain! :D grins! Added the white flower soft to the hat's brim and pom pom in addition to the slippers' pom pom. It should be a crafting law that all pom poms must be 'fluffed'. kinda like all things pink need sparkles. 'nuff said! :D Added this gorgeous trim from Webster's Pages that makes you wanna rub it up against your cheek, it is so soft and cuddly velvet. The poinsettias flowers and leaf are from Prima.

Thanks for putting up with my rambling......... time for me to grab my book and head to bed! See ya in the morning! Don't let the bedbugs bite! unless of course you bite back! :)

A Pretty Posy for YOU! :)

2009-11-04T11:52:00.003-05:00

Coffee of the Day - Vanilla Biscotti (p.s. the holiday creamers are out at the stores now - eggnog, peppermint mocha, etc. !!!! grab them while you can!)

A pretty Posy for you, courtesy of Kraftin' Kimmie! isn't she just precious?!?! I have all of the first release girls, and now need to work on getting the new ones that just came out. Santa, oh Santa, are you listening???? I have not been so good all the time, but I will try REALLLLLLLLLLY hard the rest of the year...... month...... okay, the rest of the week to be the best I can! I promise!! grins! :D Kimmie is also doing a call-out for Guest Designers. man oh man, that would be a dream come true, but my work pales in comparison to so many out there. So I will submit my humble little creations and cross my fingies tight, but just keep on keepin' on in my happy little style 'cause that is what I have gotta do! :)

My card is for the challenge this week, to use a tag. I incorporated these fabby new papers from Basic Grey - Nook and Pantry. Added some teeny tiny buttons on her dress, some neat trims (the flower trim is May Arts from my wonderful prize pack the other day over at I {heart} papers) and these gorgeous Prima flowers I layered. leaves are punched with a Martha Stewart punch. Her barrettes, flower centers, tights, and scarf have all been painted with pink shimmerz. the main image was outlined with olive green glitter glue by Studio G. I think I really like Stickles best - they seem to have more glitter, but I will use these up since I got 'em! :)

Have a great day! More goodies to come later in the week! Love to you all!

Jennifer

Just a Girl in the Garden....

2009-11-03T10:44:00.006-05:00

Coffee of the Day - Creme Brulee

Happy day to you! Hope it is truly glorious wherever in this big wide world you happen to be! :)

Wanted to show you the other happy card I made the other day - in my vintage style I love so very much. Used an image from ETC., an Etsy company that is truly faboo in my book! Owned by the amazing Julia Stainton, Becky Olsen, and Lisa Strahl. These women are each so talented on their own, but when you put them all together it is like an volcano of creativeness just erupting form the ground!!!! glorious indeed!!!! Here is a link to their blog so you can check it out.

Off to my card ~

I pulled out my new to me K & Co. papers, Classic K Charlotte. The border was so pretty that I didn't want to cover it up, so I made sure to offset the main image. Stamped a tag, added some fun vintage seam tape in a skrunchy kind of bow, and adhered it over this beauiful trim remnant I found at Wally World of all places. tossed on some vintage buttons from my wonderful Etsy stash and the card is done! oh yes, used that infamous ink squirty tool over both the tag and main image, which were also popped up on foam tape.

Don't forget to send a card to Jaimie if you can. It sure will mean a lot to her! and link it back to the main blog, Stamp Something... For Jaimie, for a chance to win a prize.

have a great day! :) love ya!

Jennifer

An Extreme Guitar for a Special Girl....

2009-11-02T09:41:00.002-05:00

Coffee of the Day - Caramel Truffle

Welcome to my stop on the Spread the Love Blog Hop!!! If you have arrived from the fabby *CRAFTY CREATIONS CHALLENGE BLOG*, then you are hopping along the right path! :D if at any point you lose your way, just head over to the *STAMP SOMETHING....FOR JAIMIE* blog for the master list. If you are just beginning, start at the wonderful *KATHARINA* blog spot!

Now for a bit of the history behind this hop:

"On October 4th, 4 teenagers armed with knives broke into a home in a small town in New Hampshire. Alone and sleeping inside were a mother and her 11 year old daughter. These 4 boys broke into this home with the intent to rob and kill anyone inside. They stabbed the mom, Kimberly Cates, to death and left her daughter, Jaimie, for dead in their driveway. It was a completely random act, their home was chosen only due to its secluded surroundings."

Our hope is that everyone hopping around today will stop for a moment and think about Jaimie and her father and what life must be like for them now. One moment in time has changed their lives forever. We are asking that everyone reading this message please take a moment to make a card and send it off to Jaimie. You can make something very simple or much more involved, but please share some words of hope and love and let her know that people do care and want the best for her. Please send your card to the address below:

Jaimie Cates
c/o Mont Vernon Fire Station
Main Street
Mont Vernon, NH 03057

I really wanted to make something for Jaimie that would appeal to her tastes, but couldn't find any extreme outdoor stamps in my collection. So I went to my Extreme music instead - hopefully that will be okay, as most teens and preteens I know are into their tunes as well. (I know I still am... grins!) I went with her fave hot pink and black, but mixed it up with some of the other colors found in the spunky funky fabby-licious K & Co. Greenhouse papers. Added some cool-io rhinestones and black grosgrain ribbon. kept it fairly simple and managed to limit the frou frou frills. The guitar player is embossed and the edges haphazardly stamped with the Extreme Elements set.

Please please consider sending a card to this precious child. Just a note to let her know she is not alone. If you do so, please post to your blog and link back to the STAMP SOMETHING...FOR JAIMIE blog. Some amazingly generous companies have donated prizes for everyone who sends out a card.

Now hop yourself on over to the truly spectacular *LAYERS OF COLOR* blog! these are some amazing blogs I am surrounded by on the hop! giggles! Have fun! :)

Counting Blessings

2009-11-01T18:44:00.004-05:00

Coffee of the Day - Vanilla Biscotti

I am sorry for the late post today - haven't been feeling well and couldn't get around easily. the compy was really rough on my head, so have avoided it. but did want to get my card posted for one of the challenges, so this will be short. Please be sure to check back tomorrow for the big blog hop for Jaimie.

I checked out the new challenge over at Stampin' Sisters in Christ for the week. It is to make a card that honors the times when God is unseen based on the verse in Deuteronomy 31:8 "The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." (NIV) I know that so often I feel God's presense when I am in worship, not necessarily in a building, but when listening to music. I can close my eyes and get lost in the notes, the rhythms, the feels of the stanzas, the words. I love to stand in a church service among my fellow brothers and sisters and get carried away to God's feet. I can feel the angels singing along, and I know God smiles. But I can also hold tight to those feelings when times get tough, such as now when I am physically so very weary, and know that He has not left me. He is still holding me, the angels are still singing, and the music still plays. I may not feel it as strongly, but it is all still there just the same.

So I printed the church image from Doodle Beans on this beautiful Prima paper, as a subtle reminder, that not all has to be so 'in your face obvious'. The sentiment comes from the Count Your Blessings Leaves digi. Using my circle punch, I punched out just the words, distressed the edges, and then popped it up in the center of this wonderful Prima flower. I added some neat glitter flourishes from Making Memories, pretty crochet trim, and vintage buttons. I followed a sketch from Whimsy and their challenge for the week.

Try something new this week with your digis - print them on decorative paper, use only a portion, mix several together, or whatever floats your boat! Then post back 'cause I would love to see! See you tomorrow! Jennifer

Just a Happy Little Sheep! :)

2009-10-31T10:06:00.004-04:00

Coffee of the Day - Spiced Hazelnut

Hold on to your seats - I am actually done with my Mo's Challenge card EARLY!!!!!! I know, you are wobblin' in your chairs, not sure whether the earth is still rotating, the sun is still coming up in the east, the Yankees are still gonna win the Series..... you get my drift..... :)

I actually made 2 cards yesterday that were back to my happy little style and I was in hoggie heaven! or maybe I should say SHEEP! I have always loved this image from Mo's Digital Pencil. Just something about the primitive take on it, but also the expressions of those carefree sheep! Somedays I long for that meadow on a hill far away. you with me there? So I grabbed my new Cosmo Cricket Early Bird papers, my new to me apron border punch, some stickles, baby primas, that fabby gold Mike's ribbon from the other day, and went to town! The sheep are actually covered in this way cool clear glitter glue I found. It gives them some extra dimension and a tad of sparkle without making them too glittery shiny. The flowers are covered in crystal effects and the bees in candlelight shimmerz. Needed a non-traditional card fold for both the challenge and my Secret Sister card, so combined them with this gate fold. I had never done one before and was surprised at how easy they are to make. Man, I love trying new techniques and folds! Wrinkled up the edges and made sure to not glue them down all the way to add to the prim feel.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Jennifer

Cupcake Wishes

2009-10-30T09:25:00.004-04:00

Coffee of the Day - Pumpkin Spice

Just a simple card to share today. I took part in several of the challenges last week over at the I {heart} Papers Birthday Bash. Lo and behold, one of them up and won! You could have knocked me over with a feather! These weren't my usual style, so I was quite surprised to see my name on the winners list. My prize package arrived yesterday - a box full of yards and yards and yards of May Arts ribbons as well as an October Afternoon paper kit. So perfect for me!! I was feeling kinda yucky all day, so this was quite the picker upper! Even hubby was impressed! :) I guess the point I am trying to make is this - enter challenges and contests, even if you don't feel quite confident in yourself. You just never know!

My card uses some of the new Basic Grey Nook and Pantry papers. This is such a cute line! but then what of their's isn't?! you know what a nut I am for all things BG! I finally inked up a cute little Studio G cuppie I have had sitting around looking oh, so lonely FOR-EV-ER. added some stickles to the icing and flower center to give a bit of shine. The ribbon is from May Arts and is actually gathered along the tails - not sure how much of that shows in the scan. The flocked 'wish' sentiment is by Anna Griffin. colored the rhinestones with a sharpie to match and tossed them on to add a bit more bling. Very simple, which is weird for me! cuppie is popped up on dimensionals.

Have some projects to work on this weekend. Was contacted by Paper Crafts mag to put together a few card sets for them for an upcoming fundraiser they are doing - that was exciting! oh yeah!!! :D also have a huge, wonderful blog hop coming up on Monday, so please stop back by for that. Sunday starts my Guest DT stint with IldiCo, so you will see some really fun stuff with them all month long. So hopefully some neat stuff on the way! :)

Hugs & Kisses with a Frog on my Head! :)

2009-10-28T19:31:00.003-04:00

I am in love with a new line of stamps! These Kraftin Kimmie stamps just crack me up! They appeal to my wicked humor side in such a sassy kind of way! I love the expressions on these girls - just a riot!!!

There is a challenge each week on the blog, so check it out every Thursday. As usual, I am just sliding into home base with mine. But I couldn't resist playing along. The challenge that ends tonight is for fall type colors - rust, brown, and either green or yellow. I obviously went with green on mine. I have seen yellow frogs, but chose the traditional green! :) The little froggie fella sitting beside her is actually a separate stamp.

The papers here are Basic Grey Scarlet's Letter. The bow, hair barrettes, ponytail holders, ruffle, and petticoat are all painted in shimmerz. The card base is also edged in it as well as the little dots I added along the way here and there. Whoops - so is the center of this beautiful Prima flower. Buttons are Making Memories and the stitched grosgrain ribbon is from my stash, so I am sorry I don't know the mfg. Border punch is Martha Stewart. I realized after scanning this that I really need something in the lower left hand corner to balance it all out, so I will probably go back and add a little something. I masked the dress to add the flourishes to match the ones in the papers.

Have a great evening! See you tomorrow! :)

Some DT info....

2009-10-28T19:19:00.003-04:00

You are going to see a few changes around here......

I have decided to get back to my stamping roots so to speak. After a long talk with hubby a week or so ago, we have both come to the decision that it was in my best interest to leave several of the Design Teams that I was a part of. Please please please let me make this perfectly clear - no one has done anything to cause me to walk away. This is my choice. I am not angry with anyone, and no one has done anything to upset me.

I just need to get back to being me. I feel that I have lost that along the papercrafting way, and it was making me not so happy. And I need my crafting to bring me peace, relaxation, joy, and a sense of worship to my precious Heavenly Father. It wasn't really doing that so much for me for a while there. And I must get back to that.

I need to get back to stamping in my style. And so you will be seeing more of the vintage stuff again. More of that sassy whimsical touch that I used to throw on every once in a while (like the cuddly spider from the other day, but I promise, no spiders for a while since most of you have made it clear you don't care much for them! grins!)

Please continue to frequent these wonderful stores. The artists work very hard to bring you creative, amazing digi images on a constant basis. and I hope to maintain a friendship with all of the lovely people I have met through these Teams.

I have some fun Guest opportunities coming up as well as continuing my work with Doodle Beans. I know that blog hits will drop as well as the possibility of losing followers, but that is not with this crafting/blogging thing is all about for me anyhow. It is about the process - the creativity - and the need to do it even if no one ever looks at another thing I make. I do it because I have to. Because it is a part of who I am. and it is a part of me I have to be true to.

love to you all!
Jennifer

A Bear in the Leaves

2009-10-28T11:25:00.004-04:00

Coffee of the Day - Dulche de Leche

Hello! I have been wanting to play with the cute bears from IldiCo for a while, and it just seemed as if I never had the time. well a challenge was posted to use sewing of some kind on your card, so I decided to play along even though I can not sew well at all! even faux sew! :)

Sadly the faux stitching doesn't seem to show up at all in the scan, so I will be making another card for the challenge - awwww shucks, gotta play with my bears again! grins!!!! The gold leaf matting piece as well as the dotted piece both have faux stitching on them in gold gel pen. Maybe if you look VERY closely and squint and aim your monitor just the right direction you might get some inkling of a shimmer of the stitching somewhere..........

Anyhow.... on to the deets......

The papers are Basic Grey Indian Summer; ribbon is a great find from the $1 bin at Michael's; leaves and card base are covered in scattered straw distress stickles; velvet leaves are Prima; button is JHB from JoAnn's.

I am quite interested to find out how many of you really don't like spiders. Fascinating! I will be cautious about posting spider cards in the future just for you! :)

Have a great day!

Jennifer

What a cute cuddly spider! awwww.....

2009-10-27T10:15:00.005-04:00

Coffee of the Day - Creme Brulee

There are some people in this wacky world who love spiders and there are some people who don't. I happen to be a spidey lover - hubby and Ryan are NOT in a most definite way. They do not like my card. They were even mad at me and wouldn't talk to me after I made it. That made me giggle. Just for that I think I am going to send it to David at work one day out of the blue......

DZ Doodles has some wonderful images, but this happens to be one of my faves. This week Kim and Diane have a color challenge going on - use orange and black. I knew immediately that I wanted to feature my spidey friend on a card! I had picked up a remnant of this gorgeous lace trim at JoAnn's the other day, and it seemed like a perfect match with its web-like appearance. The paper is from the Basic Grey Ambrosia collection. I added some vintage buttons from my stash and some orange stickles for some fun glittery touches.

Hope that all of you are doing well. Chat with you again soon!
Jennifer

It's Monday - must be time for COFFEE!!! but every day is time for coffee around here! grins!

2009-10-26T08:57:00.005-04:00

Coffee of the Day - Chocolate Caramel

It's a beautiful day indeed when I can start the day with a fresh cuppa joe in my hand and feature a card with coffee on it, too!!! Today starts a new challenge over at Digital Ink - use buttons, bows, glitter and fabric on your creation.

Well the first 3 are easy peasy pumpin spice latte simple for me, 'cause I do that without even thinkin'! but FABRIC???? oh my goodness gracious me..... I don't sew...... can't faux sew straight to save my life......... the boys would notice if I ripped up their clothes for a wee scrap of material...... but then again maybe not considering the way holes in the jeans are fashionable. so I thunk and I thunk and I came up with burlap as the perfect material for my image from Jules Junk - that fabby coffee press that I adore. since coffee beans come in burlap bags when being shipped from their far off countries (or at least in my exotic imagination!) I thought that would be the ideal pairing. little did I know in my tiny burg how difficult it wuld be to track down burlap! so I settled for this neato bandito burlap garland smidgen I found at our neighborhood Michael's crafty supply store!!! Added some of the coolio retro/vintage paper from Recollections, some added embellies courtesy of Making Memories, tied my bows with linen thread, and oh yes, the glitter is painted on with shimmerz Hi Ho Silver blingz and caramel shimmerz around the main image edges. The colors match better irl than what ended up in the scan.

So grab your supplies and play along with us!! Check out the other simply AMAZING creations by the super-dee-duper DT!!! and this is the last week of the 50% off sale, so fill up your shipping cart! I did my shopping, and it was grand! :)

A Beautiful Thankful Day! :)

2009-10-25T13:10:00.005-04:00

Coffee of the Day - Almond Roca

I was reminded this morning while reading the new challenge over at Stampin Sisters in Christ, that we need to be thankful in all things. How like God to know that I had this card planned for today! :) It is amazing to me how such little things can be of importance to Him. and what a difference they can make in our lives. It's not a big deal really, but it is certainly enough to make me grin and know that in His way, He is saying, "see, my child, I know EVERYTHING about you and I am watching. I know it all, and I care about every detail of your day. I love you THAT MUCH!" and so I say 'thank you, God, for loving me always, most especially when I don't deserve it', which feels like most of the times. and thank you, faithful blogging friends, for sticking with me through the good times and bad! so this card is for you! you touch my day each time you stop by and join me for a cuppa, leave a little comment love, which is in itself leaving a little bit of yourself behind for me to cherish. :)

My card uses this wonderful digi from Doodle Beans. It is available in both black and brown print. Here I have used the brown. The paper is Basic Grey Indian Summer. I sponged rose on the sentiment and around the edges. Artichoke was inked over the distressed edges and also sprayed using my ink squirty tool. I did a light gold wash over the entire piece. The leaves and berries were filled in with spiced cider shimmerz paint. I added this fabby glitter flourish from Making Memories and a handfull of buttons from my vintage stash. Some JoAnn's lace trim and vintage seam tape finish off the card.

I guess what makes me giggle the most about this card is that I had one of my all time fave CD's playing while I was making it - one by a group called 'The Insyderz' entitled Skalleluia. They are a Christian Ska band. It is just so in contrast to my card - but that is me! sassy and shabby all at the same time! :) good thing God loves me just as I am, but is always moving me to where HE wants me to be!!! thank Heavens for grace!

Have a glorious day! love ya!
Jennifer