Gingham Watering Can

no coffee today - sorry, it wasn't allowed 'cause of my funky-do test :(

Well what this card looks like now and what it started out looking like in my head are WAAAAYYYYYYY different. but sometimes that can be a good thing. not sure about that in this case though! grins!! :D actually it is growing on me - the butterfly made me like it a whole lot better. it seemed to need that extra spot of POW. any who.......

the deets - The watering can is a die cut from My Mind's Eye. The papers are from Daisy D's. So where is the Basic Grey you may be asking yourself? (those of you who know about my passion or may I say obsession with that particular company know that I use it ALLLLLLL the time!) well, hold your breath no longer - the flower stamps are Basic Grey Insignia clear stamps. I only have about 6 of their stamp sets, but I have found them to be some of the best clear ones out there. no surprise though - everything BG makes is pretty top notch in my book. The butterfly punch is the famous Martha Stewart one, and the scalloped punch along the bottom is the wonderful Fiskars running water punch that I picked up on my shopping jaunt the other day. Button is another from my vintage stash. Watering can and some of the flowers are popped up on foam tape.

Have a wonderful day! I'll post this weekend and tell you all about my LOVELY test I'm having today. and maybe if you're nice I'll let you know which superpower I end up with!! ;)

A Few Blog Awards

Coffee of the Day - Irish Cream










Last month several of you very kindly gifted me and my blog with some wonderful blog awards. Please, please, please forgive me for failing to bring you the appropriate thanks and attention at the time. These really do mean a great deal to me and brought me such joy in knowing that you were thinking of me! Thank you so very much!

Tomorrow is my big PET scan and I'm gonna be bluntly honest - I'm scared of this one. Maybe not so much because of the test itself, but because of what it may reveal. I'm on a restricted diet today. Then tomorrow the test is supposed to last up to 3 hours. My body is going to be bombarded with gamma rays - whoopppppeeeee! We've been joking around at home that I'm going to return with some weird mutant super powers. Of course Tyler, my oldest, said that I'll probably end up with some lame power like being able to talk to squirrels. My husband hopes that I end up 'hair challenged' like him. I had to remind him that only the bad guys in comic books are bald, but then he did mention Professor X from X-Men, so I had to give that point to him! ;)

So what super power would you want to have? I think I have always wanted to be able to fly. But man oh man, Storm from X-Men is probably my most fave ever Super Hero. She is just so cool with those white eyes. Yep, you all know it now. I am a comic book geeky nerd. I watch Star Trek, too. ALL of them. The secret is out. But you still don't know who I am once I don that cape.........
Bwwwaaaahhhhhh, haaaaa, haaaaaaa, haaaa

Shabby Mosaic Crown

Coffee of the Day - Hazelnut

It is downright COLD and SNOWY here today!!!! No school due to the fact that we have had over 9" of snow already! and it isn't supposed to stop for several more hours. whoa nelly - that is A LOT OF SNOW!!!!!!!!

So guess what I've been doing (well other than drinking an entire pot of coffee to stay warm!)? yep, I've been stamping! SURPRISE!!! :D I ventured out to JoAnn's and Michaels for the first time in probably 6 months and had a ball! I bought a few things ( yes, I really was very good and only used my gift card that I received for Christmas from my way cool MIL), but man was it tough 'cause there's lots of cool stuff out there!

Anyhow, last week Julia Stainton showed this amazing technique over on her blog, Belle Papier. She did the mosaic technique but tore the paper rather than cutting it or using labels. I posted that I would try it, but didn't get around to it until today. I added some stickles, vintage buttons (the pearl bauble at the top just never would lie flat for the scan, so sorry!), some great Prima lace, & way cool Anna Griffin paper from Michaels. I hope that you enjoy!

Jennifer

p.s. just an FYI - I wrinkled up the paper for the mosaic and the heart & then inked with caramel to age/distess. I love love love love love this technique! :)

Vintage Cowboy Valentine

Coffee of the Day - Cinnamon Hazelnut

Howdy there pardners! I hope that all of you are just fine and dandy this wonderful January day! I haven't stamped in a few days, so I wanted to show you this Valentine's card that I had made a while back.

The card is one of many I made to send overseas to the troops in Iraq. They were blank inside so that the cards could then be filled in and mailed back home. The papers and cute die cuts are from Daisy D's. They make such cute retro/vintage papers and products. The heart on the die cut is covered in stickles. I love to used doilies on Valentine cards. Takes me back to when I was a little girl making my homemade valentine cards for my classmates. I always used doilies on my cards then, too.

• Some info on my health situation - the drs. have discovered some cysts and a tumor on my pancreas after waaaaaaaaaaay tooooo many scans that I have had to go through. I have a PET scan scheduled for this coming Friday, then will more than likely have surgery. Not fun, but what can ya do? I have an amazing hematoligist/oncologist who is doing a wonderful job pursuing all kinds of directions to make sure that he has the most complete answer that he can. My surgery will take place at the Cleveland Clinic, which is one of the very best in the region, so I am blessed to have such a reputable hospital nearby. Blechy overall, but there is still good to be found in the midst of it! :)

Jennifer

Inka Retro Owl - He's sooooo square, man!

Coffee of the Day - Irish Cream

Hello! Hope that all of you are doing well!

I was playing around a little bit with some different textures and came up with this card. The piece behind the Inkadinkado owl is actually a scrap of cardboard that I tore apart. I must say that I wish I had used my brown Stazon rather that my choco chip SU! ink, but did make the correction on another owl card that I made. Stazon is just so wonderful for getting a rich, clean stamped image. I like the Memento inks, too for the same reason. The decorative paper is from the Basic Grey Mellow collection. Felt pieces are from Maya Road and pom pom trim is from Webster's Pages. The card is 4" x4" square.

Mid-terms are finally over for all 3 of the Scull boys, so there is MUCH rejoicing at this house tonight!!!! ;) We are blessed that they do quite well in school, but they are still relieved when those tests are over. 2 of the boys are working lights for the upcoming high school musical (no, not THAT ONE! grins!!) so they are off at drama for a few hours, but then it is a long weekend off from school to relax and enjoy some much deserved R & R.

Have a nice evening!

Jennifer

A Vintage Obsession! :)

Coffee of the Day - Texas Pecan

Good evening! I was able to make a few cards today, but had to, I mean REALLY HAD TO make a vintage card to finish things off!!!! ;) I can make other cards, but then I just had an itch to get back to my true love - those distressed, shabby, torn up, old roughed up cards that look absolutely ANCIENT! :D So this is what I whipped up. My youngest son even graciously fixed dinner for all of us while I stamped. How cool is that?!?!

This card uses 2 sets by Stampin' Up - Bella's Bloom (stamped in the bg) and Bloomin' Beautiful. I tried the Cracked Glass technique again, and am really pleased with how it turned out. Sponge a bit of brown ink in the cracks and it ages the piece quite nicely! The pink pirouette cs was sponged with both vanilla and white craft ink to add some interesting effects. The paper is from Daisy D's. The flower is Prima and the buttons & lace are vintage treasures from Etsy.

Try a new technique this week and then link back here so I can check out your glorious creation! :) Be brave and jump in! It's fun! You can do it!

Jennifer

LatteBella Gift Set

Coffee of the Day - Mocha Cappuccino

Happy Weekend to all of you! Hope it is a good one for y'all! I received the exciting news today that a saying I submitted for a contest hosted by My Favorite Things over at Paper Craft Planet is being used on a brand spanking new stamp set that will debut in February!!!! Imagine my shock upon discovering that little tidbit of information! I will receive my own set of stamps in the mail when the set is released the first week of the month! I am amazed!!!! Can't wait to see what the finished set looks like! Knowing MFT, it is going to FABOOOOO as always!!!!

I wanted to show you a gift set that I made for the holidays using stamps from Stamping Bella. This stamp is LatteBella - of course she is one of my faves! wink, wink!!! The saying is also from Stamping Bella and one I have used with stamps from other companies, too - mainly my little Riley Moose from Hanna Stamps. The papers are from Basic Grey (Mellow Collection) and Flair Designs. The can is actually a Pringles chip can that I altered and filled with single serve coffees. Ribbons are from May Arts and brads are Making Memories. See what you can find around the house this weekend that you can alter and turn into some kind of FANTASTIC crafted goodie! I bet you will surprise even yourself with how clever you can be! :)

Jennifer

p.s. please forgive my poor photography skills. I can't seem to master the task of taking photos of my creations yet. sorry! :(

Vintage Birthday Cupcake Shoe and man, is it cold!

Coffee of the Day - French Vanilla

I again apologize for being away for so long. I'm visiting drs. trying to determine just what is going on with my poor ol' body these days! HOPEFULLY we are getting closer to an answer and then I can get back to my beloved stamping again!!!!! crossing fingers and toes and eyes and ears and whatever I can find that all will be back to normal (or whatever that is in my wonky world!!!) soon! thank you SO MUCH for your well wishes and prayers!!!!! it means the world to me!!!

So now, on to the card...
This is one of my fave cards that I have made - it is spunky and whimsical (one of my fave words when it comes to papercrafting, as many of you know!) as well as incorporating vintage elements and that fave evah paper - Basic Grey! This happens to use their Two Scoops line. The stamp is from Stampendous and is called 'Birthday Cake' The cupcakes and candle were paper pieced using the BG paper. The frosting, shoe, word 'cake', fork, and laces were covered in stickles to give a little extra glitz and shine. The chipboard photo corners were covered in ink and then sanded to distress. The lace and buttons are vintage finds from Etsy as always! The main image was popped up with foam tape.

It is super cold here, with temps at -6*, and that is without the wind chill factored in! I like the cold, but even that is REALLY cold for me! so all of you stay bundled up and warm! have a nice cuppa something toasty hot and cuddle up with your lovey dovey!