Enchanted Fairy Journal Card

 Coffee/Tea of the Day - Maple Pecan coffee (this weekend is the 100th anniversary of our local Maple Festival!)

Gecko Galz Staff Choice Winner

Hello, everyone!

Today I'm sharing another journal card using a free image from the Gecko Galz blog. it's fairly simple, but I try to mindful of not adding too much bulk to the journals I make. they always end up stuffed to the gills anyway! :) the base is yet another advertising postcard. I told you my mail box has been inundated with them lately! ;)

bg paper is from the Basic Grey Tea Garden digital collection. sentiment was created with a label maker, the linen ribbon is tied with yellow, white, and gold baker's twine. this creates a perfect little tab. a little mulberry flower completes the card. I added a paint sample card to the back. this was one of many we collected when trying to decide on the paint color for our living room. 

I hope you have a most amazing weekend surrounded by those you love!

Jennifer 

Challenges:

Gecko Galz - Fairy Lands

Crafty Catz - anything goes

Creative Fingers #321 - anything goes

So Proud of You Steampunk Chemistry Card

Top Pick at Pile it On
Coffee/Tea of the Day - Tea Thyme (currant, citrus, and thyme - without a doubt one of my very favorite teas!)

Hello, everyone! Before I forget, the place in Ann Arbor, Michigan where I order all of my delicious teas is having a sale on some of their classic Japanese green tea. they only charge a very minimal shipping fee, so check out the store if you think you might be interested.  the sale is for a limited time only, so hurry over! my hubby only likes green tea, so we have tried several of these. we also enjoy many of their herbal blends. I like all kinds of tea, and have yet to find any of theirs that I don't enjoy. they are great both hot and cold. :)

The card I am sharing today is made for our oldest son. You might remember that he moved to Delaware this spring to start a new job. We just learned that not only has he done well in his job, but he has received a promotion! :) Tyler works in a laboratory and now oversees the entire operation as the Supervisor. They are training him to be the Department Manager! I am so very proud of him! :)

so of course I had to make a card for him. that is what all crafty moms do, right?!

the images come from The Graphics Fairy and Create with TLC. papers are from my beloved Basic Grey stash, this time from the Origins collection.  I used the mini gears stencil from The Crafters Workshop over the base sheet of designer paper, which was then edged in Sensational Sage embossing powder by WOW!.

main image die is by Spellbinders, banner die is by SU!, and wheel cog dies are by Tim Holtz. tag is stamped with Prima stamps and tied with seam binding  from Zipper Stop which has been distressed with several shades of ink. burlap flower is from Petaloo. vintage buttons and metal cogs are from my stash.

for those of you who have asked and left such kind comments, I am still dealing with my seizures on a daily basis. sometimes they are really bad and it's hard to get out of bed. other days I am able to get to my craft room for a few hours. at this point we are just hoping I am able to go to Tyler and Danielle's wedding next month. most of the time just trying to get Palmer outside to go to the bathroom causes me to go into seizures, so getting to a wedding is a big prayer. I can't ride in a car without them taking place either. but we have lots of hope and faith. :) and in the scheme of things, I have so very much to be thankful for. these are more annoying than anything.

Thanks so much for stopping by! love to all of you!
Jennifer

Challenges:
Shopping Our Stash - get krafty (card base, matting piece, cog die cuts)
TTCRD - anything goes
A Bit More Time to Craft - anything goes
Card Mania - anything goes
Creative Crafters - anything goes
Use Your Stuff - anything goes (with a title or sentiment)
Pile it On - vintage/retro
A Vintage Journey - get sentimental
Crafting by Designs - anything goes
Simon Says Stamp Wed - anything goes
WAW - anything encouraging goes

You are Somebody!

Coffee of the Day - Pecan Turtle coffee

Happy Friday and welcome to the weekend! Don't forget to enter my Birthday Blog Candy before the end of the month! new additions are being made to all of the prize packages, including the international packages, almost daily. :) you know you want to win. :) right now the odds are pretty good since only a few people are entered. looks like a few of you are going to possibly get LOTS of goodies! grins! you can gain more entries by linking up a birthday themed project. I have heard back from my friend, Mo, of Mo's Digital Pencil, and I'll be buying gift certificates from her store later today. you can't win in you don't enter!

now on to today's project...
I received these beautiful stamps from Reverse Confetti in the mail after having a lovely gift certificate arrive in my mail box from the owner, Jen Del Muro. What an incredibly nice person!!!! I wanted to make something with them right away, but had a few other projects that I had to complete first. But then God put someone on my heart. you know how that goes. and I have learned that when He speaks, I had better listen. He might be quiet, but He is mighty indeed. :)

so I got busy yesterday. I have used the sets "Tall Blooms" and "My Tribe".  Around here, during late summer and early fall, there are some wildflowers that grow along the roadside in the most vibrant purple. they are absolutely gorgeous! they stand out so beautifully from the brown wheatgrasses they grow alongside. I wanted to try to recreate that if I could. it's not easy to see the purples in my photo, but they are there.

(you may click on 

the photo to be taken to

another page to see it larger)

after the Coffee Loving Cardmaker's blog hop, I was so blessed to have won a neat kit from WOW embossing powders, filled with all kinds of goodies. included were the powders that I used on this card: Perissa and Caramel Macchiato on the flowers, and Skinny Chai Latte on the sentiment. The Perissa is probably more suited to scattering like you would do with frantage powders, but I really love the look here on the flowers. it is a gorgeous silver and copper color when melted. the caramel macchiato is a shade of copper.

The sentiment from "My Tribe" was stamped onto vellum with brown ink. it didn't show up so well, so I added the skinny chai latte embossing powder to see if it would help make it pop a bit. once embossed it created a neat marbling effect. this is only a portion of the entire stamp, but the person the card was for needed to know that she is somebody in God's eyes. :)

a few years ago I attended a women's leadership conference. one of the most powerful moments was when we were all told to stand up and repeat over and over again, "I am somebody." for this woman, who had been abused since the time I was a little girl, to say that was difficult because I have never believed it. the young woman receiving this card needed that encouragement yesterday. she immediately sent me a text letting me know how much it meant to her. so to Jen Del Muro, that portion of your stamp is powerful. it's not so much the card, but the message of the stamp you created. thank you. :)

The flowers were stamped onto watercolor paper, embossed, and then painted with SU! inks. after heat setting and painting, I double stamped the other images with ink to make it appear that they were in the bg. I used my SU! ink squirty tool in shades of brown and purple over the top.

beautiful die is by Spellbinders, copper glitter ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon, and miscellaneous sequins & lace are from my stash. flower is from Michaels, distressed with ink, and then a bit of distress stickles were added. paper is from my beloved Basic Grey, the Vivienne collection...sigh....

thanks for your patience with my long post. :)
have a most fabulous weekend!
Jennifer

Challenges:
Reverse Confetti Stock Your Stash - hello/just because
Crop Stop - anything goes w/a product they carry (Spellbinders, distress stickles)
As You Like It - favorite type of embossing and why: heat because I can use so many neat colors of powder for lots of neat effects. I do enjoy dry embossing, but it doesn't compare to the fun things I can do with embossing powders, such as here.  thanks!)
Aud Sentiments - anything goes w/a sentiment
Moving Along with the Times - June Blooms
Creative Crafters - anything goes
Back to Basics and Beyond - heat embossing
Crafting By Designs - flowers, flowers, flowers
Crafty Addicts - anything goes/w say it with flowers option
WAW - anything encouraging goes
Die Cuttin' Divas - embossing
Tuesday Throwdown - you are on my mind
Crafty Catz - anything goes w/beautiful blooms option

Take It Easy, Little Bunny

Top Pick at Tuesday Throwdown

Coffee/Tea of the Day - Lemon Basil Tea

Hello, everyone! :)

to start, since I have gone back to drinking so much tea again, I am changing my coffee of the day to a coffee/tea combination. If I am drinking one of the blends from our favorite tea shop in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Tea Haus, I will be sure to link it so that you can check it out. :)  I place an order at least once a month to get their monthly special, but 'might' just pick up a few other yummy flavors either when we go up to visit Mick and Lauren or place another order when I run low or the mood strikes. they really do have the most delightful blends of tea and are super nice as well. no, I am not a paid employee nor am I an affiliate.  just a very happy customer!

now, on to my craft project for the day....

one of my crafty international friends put out a call for cards for both her daughter and her husband - her daughter has an upcoming birthday, but her husband has surgery soon and is worried about it. I thought it would be nice to send him a card when I send a birthday card. guys don't always get cards since people tend to think it's tough to make cards for them. well, with my house being ALL guys, that used to be the only kind I made!

so Fiki, this one is for Mario! and she filled me in on a special challenge that another crafter has going on now to make bunny cards, so I used this adorable little get well rabbit image & sentiment from LOTV.

papers are from the Basic Grey B Side collection, ribbon and twine are from Really Reasonable Ribbon, vintage buttons & ticket are from my stash, and woodgrain piece behind main image is a piece of packaging from Webster's Pages that I had saved. a few dots of Viva Decor Pearl pen accent the sentiment banner.

now to get busy making the birthday card for Fiki's daughter. :)

Challenges:
Crafty Nomad bunny hop
Pause Dream Enjoy - lots of layers
2 Crafty Critter Crazies - anything goes w/a critter
A Perfect Time to Craft - anything goes
Tuesday Throwdown - critter crazy

Follow Your Dreams... to Delaware! :)

First Place Winner at Rubbernecker
Winner at C.R.A.F.T. Challenge

Coffee of the Day - it's tea! Victorian Earl Grey (Earl Grey with roses, lavender, & rosemary)

More big news here at our home - our oldest has moved to the East Coast and now lives in Delaware! these last few weeks have been a whirlwind with him getting a job (working in a lab there), finding an apartment, and then moving. David went with him to find a place, and then I helped with the actual move last week. whew.... now for the wedding in September and to get Danielle a job and moved in. hard to believe that we won't see him again until just days before the wedding. if I think about it too much I will start crying, but then that's the ol' empty nest for ya. all of our sons are now in other states. hard to wrap my head around. and my heart.

but enough of the sappy sad stuff. you are here for crafty stuff. ;) so I will show you the card I made and tucked into one of his packing boxes. it took him a few days to find it, which added to the adventure!

I used this adorable "Moving Day" image from LOTV and some of my precious Basic Grey South Pacific paper. The sentiment is also LOTV and comes from one of their cute Odd Dog sets. (I had purchased the bundle last month when they had a big sale, so I apologize that I don't have the specific set marked.)

all 3 of the dies are from Spellbinders, little banner punch is from SU!, vintage buttons are from my stash, and cardboard was inked with white craft. ticket is also a stash item, and we can't forget the denim belt loop! :)  distressed seam binding snippet was sitting on my craft desk and actually matches better irl than photo shows. little white gel dots across the top of the card finish everything off in a fun way. :)

now to adjust to that dratted ol' empty nest.... this Momma Bird is having a tough time. sigh......

Challenges:
CRAFT - new (home)
Crafting with an Attitude - anything goes
Creative Knockouts - buttons, buttons
Crafty Gals Corner - buttons
Crafty Addicts - anything goes
Crafty Sentiments - only for boys
Rubbernecker - recycle: cardboard, denim belt loop, vintage buttons, old ticket, seam binding scrap
Dream Valley - at least 2 buttons

Beer Barrel Dwarf Publication

No Coffee today... feeling poorly and having juice instead.

I am finally getting a chance to share the card that was recently published in issue #110 of PaperCrafter magazine. I was so excited when they let me know they wanted to use one of mine in their publication!!! I am still waiting on the issue to arrive here in the States so I can add it to my collection. :)

I made this card for Tyler, our oldest son who graduated last month with a degree in bio-technology. He wanted to go into either the craft beer or winery industry, so I thought it would be fun to use this cutey little dwarf by Mo Manning, one of my ab fab fave artists.

papers are from the Basic Grey Boxer collection, flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts, ric rack is by Really Reasonable Ribbon, and vintage buttons & twine are from my stash. liquid applique is added to the top of the tankard for beer foam. the beer label is from one of Tyler's favorites to add a bit of a personal touch. ;)

He actually started working for The Winery at Wolf Creek right after graduation and loves it!

Strong, Beautiful, Kind

Coffee of the Day - Bourbon Pecan

Hello everyone!  Sorry I've been away for ever so long! I didn't realize that I haven't posted here on my blog in ages.  I apologize for that. with all 3 of our sons' college graduations, life here was just pretty crazy! :) but all in a VERY  wonderful way!!!

I'll do a post this weekend to share photos with you. I have them on my Facebook page, if you would like to see before then. :) yep, I'm the proud momma bird!

My post for now needs to be fast since we are dog sitting Mick's pup for almost 2 weeks. Brutus and Palmer are begging to head back out to Camp for their daily romp, so I'll come back to add in all of my card details.

I'm scooching in by the skin of my teeth for the Simply Betty monthly progressive challenge.  the theme for this month is to use at least 2 designer papers and add flowers. isn't the image gorgeous?

digital papers are from the Basic Grey Fresh Cut collection, main image & matting die are from Spellbinders, pretty floral dies are by Sizzix, mulberry flowers are by Wild Orchid Crafts, and buttons are from my vintage stash.

okie dokie, I am back. the dogs and I  had a grand time playing in the rain out at Camp! we were soaked through to the bone, but had so much fun. :)

the neat little embellishment by the sentiment circle is from Webster's Pages. it has a pretty sparkle irl. I added touches of shimmerz paint to the pearls and buttons on the main image. the seam binding, which I distressed, is from Zipper Stop. crochet trim is from my stash. I think it might have come from Hobby Lobby. it has the prettiest satin finish.

have a most amazing day! love ya!
Jennifer

Challenges:
Double D - flowers galore
Digi Choosday - anything goes
Tuesday Throwdown - anything goes
A Bit More Time to Craft - anything goes
Through the Purple Haze - anything goes

Fun Blog Collaboration with Debra and Celeste! Science Themed Projects

Winner at House Mouse & Friends

Coffee of the Day - Maple Fudge

Today I am part of a fun collaboration with 2 great ladies, Debra and Celeste! and guess, what? they love coffee, too! :)

One of the things these lovely ladies do is show photos off their coffee cups. Well, today's cup is in honor of our son, Ryan. these next 3 weeks are going to be a whirlwind here in our family. all 3 of our sons are graduating from college!!!  in just a few short days, Ryan graduates from Indiana Wesleyan University, so today I am drinking from this great mug he gave me. I usually drink my veggie juice from it because he absolutely hates vegetables. :) it makes me giggle every time to think of him cringing in horror that I would dare drink my kale and cucumber juice out of his IWU mug! yeah, I am sassy that way! but today it is filled to the top with coffee. Moon Pie would normally be in the photo, but he and Palmer are off playing right now. :)

here is last week's photo of him with my normal coffee cup. you can see there is a wee bit of a size difference in the mugs! ha!

Since I am the guestie of the month, I was allowed to choose the theme. With yesterday being Earth Day as well as the March for Science, I decided to use that as our theme. we are going to "Geek it for the World!" truly, science is all around us and impacts absolutely every single part of our lives. I had high hopes of being part of the March for Science, but a nasty case of pneumonia has had me sidelined for more time than I care to count. thankfully I was able to get my card finished in time to post though. again, thank goodness for science, this time medical science and the medications that have kept me from the hospital!!!

for my card, I decided to use my adorable House Mouse stamps and create a card that focuses on sustainable farming. In the past 9 months or so, we have gone from giving up all beef to eating an almost completely plant based diet. we stay away from all palm oil products as well as soy based items whenever possible. our food choices can make such a difference in helping leave less of a carbon foot print.

Papers are from the Basic Grey Hillside collection, bg die is by Tim Holtz, flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts, and seam binding (which I distressed) is from Zipper Stop.  vintage buttons and ticket are from my craft stash.

if you look closely, the bg paper looks a little like the wind turbines you periodically see. as we drive out to visit Ryan in Indiana, we pass a huge wind farm. we always know that he is about 2 hours away at that point. wouldn't it be wonderful to see more and more wind turbines everywhere?

Netflix has some wonderful documentaries on sustainable farming as well as the impact of animals as a food source and their effect on our planet. I recommend "Sustainable", "Forks over Knives", and National Geographic's "Before the Flood" to start.

Thank you so much to Debra and Celeste for inviting me to be a part of their fun collaboration this month! I had a great time making my card! :) please be sure to stop by their blogs to say hello! :)

Challenges:
House Mouse Lovers - Stop and Smell the Flowers or anything goes

Save the Bees!

Coffee of the Day - Salted Caramel

As I mentioned yesterday, I'm busy crafting this weekend since I'm not yet feeling well enough to get out to any of the rallies and protests going on. it's fun to be covered in ink and glue again, I must admit. :)

Today's card is for the monthly progressive challenge that takes place in the Simply Betty Facebook group. it's always fun to play along in this challenge, and the image is so wonderful every month. This time we were provided with 'Beehive Queen' that you can also find here in the store. We also have a recipe challenge to follow: at least 1 designer paper, at least 1 ribbon, the colors yellow, black, & white, and embossing (either powder or folders).

I have used digital papers from the Basic Grey B Side collection as well as flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts. my Zipper Stop seam binding was distressed with several shades of ink. for the embossing, I used 2 different colors of Frantage powders on the main image. I really love this stuff! :) dies are by Spellbinders and buttons are from my vintage stash. all wings were accented with shimmerz paint.

I found the 'Save the Bees' clip art on the internet. some bee species are actually on the verge of becoming extinct. please limit your use of pesticides in your garden and consider planting more bee (and butterfly!) friendly flowers this spring. dandelions are one of their primary food sources, so think twice before eliminating them from your yard. if you do a bit of research, you will discover just how crucial bees are to our entire food chain and ecosystem. :)

so let's do all we can to SAVE THE BEES!!! :)
who says I can't be an activist even if I'm home sick?! tee hee!

Hello! Have a Lovely Day! Coloring Contest Entry

Coffee of the Day - Pumpkin Spice (again!)

Since I am still not feeling well enough to go to any of the rallies and protests scheduled this weekend, I hit the craft room yesterday and participated in a coloring contest going on in the La La Land Facebook group. Participants are asked to use this cutey image, 'Lovely Marcie.'  She only has to be colored, but I went ahead and added her to a card. She is available for a discount for the time of the challenge, which is so nice of the owner! :)

papers are from the Basic Grey Typeset collection, flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts, buttons & lace trim are vintage, and dies are by Spellbinders. accents on main image were made with a white gel pen and touches of Frantage embossing powder were also added for some fun sparkle. sentiment was included in the digi set by La La Land.

heading back to the craft room in just a bit for more relaxing therapy. ;) hope all of you have a great weekend! ours has lots of snow in the forecast!!! y'all know how I love my snow! :)

hugs to each of you! Jennifer

Love and Joy Snowman Tag Card for Season's Greetings Challenge

I realize this is a late night posting for those of us here in the States, but over in the other hemisphere, it's early morning on Valentine's Day and the start of the very first challenge at the Season's Greetings Christmas blog! :)

The theme for our new challenge is "Anything Goes with an optional - Love" and of course any kind of Christmas project, too. it's a huge help to get started on those holiday cards and projects early, let me tell you! so I do hope you will join along! :)

for my card, I have used an assortment of stamps from the Unity Stamp Company: snowflakes from "Layers of Life Magical Bliss and Wonder," sentiment from "...a joyous season", and cutey little snowman from "One of a Kind Winter."

papers are from the Basic Grey 25th and Pine collection, snowflake die is by Sizzix, holly flourish die is by Cheery Lynn, buttons and holly sprig are vintage, and everything else came from my stash. little accents to the sentiment, tag, and card base were made with a gold spica pen. isn't the little straw a fun accent?!

thanks so much for stopping by! I do hope you will play along in the challenge with us! :)

Go Ahead.... Mess With Me! ;)

Coffee of the Day - Bourbon Pecan

Happy Monday and MLK Day! What a wonderful day today as we celebrate the life of this amazing man and his journey of peace & unity!

I guess my card is in a bit of contrast to his message though, when it comes down to it. ;)  but Ms. Betty over at Simply B Stamps had a fun progressive challenge going on that I could NOT resist with this fun coffee image & sentiment!

my card uses papers from several Basic Grey collections, a re-purposed Starbuck's coffee cozy, vintage buttons from my stash, and Wild Orchid Crafts flowers. dies are from Spellbinders. the sentiment was accented with a wink of stella glitter pen. seam binding was distressed with several shades of ink and tied with a smidgen of ric rack.  little wooden veneer coffee cup is from Latina Crafter.

I'm sending this card off to some friends who were SO nice and gifted me with several pounds of Starbuck's coffee. they sure know the way to this coffee addict's, I mean lover's, hear! tee hee!!!

I hope you have an amazing week!

Tea Time with Typeset

Coffee of the Day - Starbucks Christmas Blend and Eggnog

whew.... the holidays are OVER! are all of you as whooped as I am?! ;) I have been so tired this week, trying to get over the mad rush of the past few weeks.... the good news is that yesterday I was in my craft room for FUNSIES! :) that is always a good thing!!!!

a coffee and tea loving friend of mine was interested in some tea bags that I had sent to another friend. I told her I'd get some in the mail to her, but you know us crafters - we can't just toss something in an envelope! we have to make a fancy shmancy card to go with!!!

so I grabbed some fun stamps sets I had won a little bit ago from Dare 2 B Artzy. I stamped the tea pot and steam from the Tea 4 Two set in Versamark and then embossed with copper ep. the image was then watercolored with SU! inks. the sentiment comes from the Serenity Tea set. there is a matching die set that goes with both of these sets that I hope to pick up eventually. I love when one set of dies works with several stamp sets, don't you?!

papers are from the Basic Grey Typeset collection. the main image die is by Spellbinders and the cool peek-a-boo die for the bg is by Tim Holtz. isn't it fun?! I added a little tea tag to the baker's twine bow. vintage buttons are from my stash and little flower is by Wild Orchid Crafts. a tiny snippet of mini ric rack at the bottom adds a touch of fun and whimsy.

thanks so much for stopping by today! I hope you have a most amazing weekend and enjoy your New Year's Eve celebrations, whether it's a quiet evening at home or a huge blowout with friends!

I also want to thank you for so faithfully stopping by and leaving me such wonderful, inspiring, and encouraging comments throughout the year! you make my heart so full!
Jennifer

Challenges:
Mod Squad - warm and toasty
Paper Girls - anything goes
Robyn's Fetish - anything goes
Creative Knockouts - anything goes

With Deepest Sympathy and GIU Winners

Coffee of the Day - Bourbon Pecan

I hope all of you had a most joyous holiday, whether you were celebrating Christmas or Hanukkah. for a few short hours, all of my sons were home and it was absolute bliss for this mom! :)

but you didn't stop by for that. all each of you wants to know about is who won the Unity Stamps. ;) it's okay. I'm the same way when it comes to free stamps and prizes.

I do want to share a card with all of you very quickly though. in the midst of preparing for the holiday, we had some sad news come our way. David's aunt suddenly passed away last week. he, Tyler, and Ryan made a fast trip to Pittsburgh for the viewing. Dave's sister from San Antonio was able to fly up, too, so they all had a nice visit with Dave's dad and family.

I made a sympathy card using the Unity set, "You are Important."  I thought this flower was just gorgeous and so perfect to convey our feelings. the sentiment stamp is by Memory Box. I don't have any yet from Unity that would go with it.

paper is from the Basic Grey Kioshi collection. shimmer ribbon and pretty purple twine are from Really Reasonable Ribbon, and buttons are from my vintage stash.

the flower was stamped onto watercolor paper with Versamark, embossed with white ep, and then watercolored with multiple shades of SU! inks. I love the look this gave. :) edges were distressed and inked. I went back over it all with the SU! ink squirty tool.

and now the winners of the Unity Stamps from my GIU week are:

KENNETH SIMMONS

(just so you know, your various numbers actually came up 3 times!!!

you were really meant to win this prize! grins!)

DEBRA DAVISON

Please send your mailing address to me at jenscull (at) yahoo (dot) com. You have until the end of the week to contact me or you will forfeit your prize.

Thanks to everyone for leaving such kind and thoughtful comments on my GIU week projects! :) and a very special thank you to those of you who were so VERY amazing and left comments on each one of my posts!!! y'all rock! :)
Jennifer

A Vintage Merry Christmas for GIU

Coffee of the Day - Butter Rum

We're to my mid week project for Growing in Unity (GIU) and I am going to show all of you what my typical card style is really like....  :)

As I was browsing through the Unity store one day looking for stamps for this week, I came across this gorgeous stamp by Susan Weckesser called "World of Christmas." I instantly fell in love!

oh good golly, look at all of that vintage glory!!! doesn't it just make you swoon right in your computer chair?! into my shopping cart it went!

I stamped the image onto natural vanilla cs from Stampin' Up! and only used a q-tip to shade it. this helps give such an ethereal, shabby look to the piece.

papers are from the Basic Grey Evergreen collection, flowers are an assortment from Wild Orchid Crafts, Petaloo, and Hobby Lobby, and lace & buttons are from my vintage stash.

corner snowflake die is by Creative Expressions and large rectangular die is by Spellbinders. a gold doily, distressed seam binding snippet tied with linen thread, and rusty jingle bell finish the card. a wink of stella glitter pen was brushed over the 'Merry Christmas' to give it a light sparkle.

thank you so much for stopping by today for my coffee of the day! I hope you have enjoyed the things I've created for you so far! :)

be sure to leave a comment on any of my GIU posts for a chance to win a Unity grab bag of stamps!

see you tomorrow! :)
Jennifer

Challenges:
Fussy and Fancy - angels and fairies or winter
Morgan's Art World - anything goes
QKR - Christmas cards
Holly Jolly Christmas - Christmas card or abc
Inky Chicks - Christmas in traditional colors

A Cup of Joy Fold-a-Long cards for GIU

Coffee of the Day - Maple Fudge

Hip Hip Hooray! the long awaited day is finally here! Today begins my stint as a Growing in Unity gal, or GIU gal for short! to say I've been a Nervous Nelly is putting it MILDLY! my lawsie, do you have any idea how humbling it is to be chosen, but then to be assigned the week prior to Christmas?! ack!!! ;) no pressure..... nah..... NOT!

okay, so here we go....
I am a coffee lover. alright. some MIGHT say I'm an addict. of course I don't, but then I do drink out of a cup that can hold 30 oz. of the beverage of my choice! tee hee!

so to start off my GIU week, yep, I had to go with coffee projects!
now I'm going to warn you. all of my projects this week are going to be all mixy matchy. I've used stamps from various sets, so I will link them all in the body of my posts. I'm not very conventional. and my projects are about as far from CAS as you can get. that's just how I roll. :)

yeah, I also tend to 'talk' a lot! you should hear me irl! (insert my hubby's eye roll here....)

I came across this way cool card die from Sizzix and knew it would be great fun to use at some point this week. the die is called the Ornate Label Fold-a-long. papers are from Basic Grey, sniff sniff sniff..... okay, no more lamenting my fave paper company closing it's doors.....

I decorated the outsides with vintage button cards and distressed seam binding. each was stamped with a sentiment from the "Joy to Go" set. poinsettias from Hobby Lobby were then added.

inside I added images from the "Hello Love" and "Joy to Go" sets. the sentiment is also from "Joy to Go" and accented with vintage holly sprigs & pearl-ex drops. each image has accents of white gel pen stickles, shimmerz paint, and/or Viva Decor pearl paint.

thank you so much for stopping by! if you would like a chance to win a Unity grab bag of stamps, just leave a comment on this or any of my GIU posts this week. see you tomorrow! :)

Jennifer

Challenges:
613 Avenue Create - holiday happiness (coffee is my happiness every day & season!)
Come and Get it - Christmas
The Stamping Boutique - fancy folds
52 Christmas Card Throwdown - any previous challenge (May dies/punches combined with August watercoloring, since that is how I color all of my images)
Kraftin' Kimmie's Wonderful Wed - anything goes
Pattie's Creations - anything goes that's Christmas or winter
Color Inspiration Monday link up - anything goes as long as it's hand colored (water colored with SU! inks)

Pretty Breyer Horses in Pink

Winner at Creative Knockouts

Coffee of the Day - Bourbon Pecan (yes, I'm drinking a lot of it this fall. it is so very tasty!)

Hello all of you lovely Digi Bell fans! I'm  here to share a bit of crafty inspiration with all of you today from Elisabeth Bell's archives.

By now all of you are probably aware that I am a HUGE fan of her weekly newsletter. I urge each of you to sign up if you haven't already. Elisabeth so very kindly sends out a free image to her subscribers every weekend. can you believe that?! free!!! and they are adorable!!!

the digi I am sharing today is probably the one that got me hooked on her cuteys to begin with. it's called "Breyer Horses" and was once a rubber stamp. isn't it precious? although I am certain I say that about each and every image that lands in my mailbox. giggles!

papers are from the Basic Grey Sun Kissed collection, flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts, and buttons are from my vintage stash. the main image die and the matting one are both by Spellbinders while the banner die is from SU!. the gorgeous horse die is a new to me one from Memory Box. isn't it great?! I sprayed the doily with granite glimmer mist. little distressed seam binding and ric rack snippets were attached with the Tim Holtz tiny stapler. sure do love that thing! :)

don't forget there is a great challenge going on over at Elisabeth's fun challenge blog. the theme is Autumn or Halloween. you could win some digis from the store!

I hope you have a most amazing weekend! now go get your craft on. ;)

Challenges:
Craft Rocket - pretty pinks
Crafting with an Attitude - anything goes
Creative Knock-outs - doily delights
In the Pink - lots of layers
Through the Purple Haze - add embellies
Fab 'n Funky - animals
Crafty Boots - in the pink (as a fighter of breast cancer myself, I appreciate your challenge theme!)
Dream Valley - for the girls (the young daughter of a pastor friend of ours saw my card posted on Facebook and fell in love with it. my oldest son will be delivering it to her over Thanksgiving as a surprise!)

Welcome Autumn! and a Digi Bell Blog Hop!

Coffee of the Day - Bourbon Pecan (it's a tasty new one! yum!)

Welcome to my happy little spot on the Digi Bells Blog Hop today! Grab a nice piping hot cup of coffee to keep you toasty warm on this rainy Ohio Friday.... let me tell you, God is truly in His splendor this fine Fall day. it's absolutely GORGEOUS here! while it might be raining and cool, the changing leaves are fabulous to behold! squirrels and chippies scurrying here and yonder, birds serenading us at the feeder - oh, life is so very beautiful indeed! :)

so let's celebrate it all with this precious new image Elisabeth has brought forth from retirement called 'Fall Errands.' she is just as sweet as can be with her packages and jaunty little hat! and that messenger bag! adorbs!!! of course I had to color my cookies to look like Walker's shortbread. ;) if someone were bringing me a tin of cookies, that is what I would love to have delivered. tee hee!

you should have arrived here from the absolutely AMAZING blog of FIKI, my sweet friend!!!! if at any time you get lost on the hop, just head over to the Digi Bell's blog for the complete list.

for my card I've used papers from my most fave ever fall paper collection, Basic Grey's Indian Summer. main die is by Spellbinders, pumpkin die is from Sizzix, and leaf dies (sprayed with glimmer mist) are by Tim Holtz. seam binding on tag is from Zipper Stop and crochet trim across top is vintage as are teh buttons. little wood veneer pieces ans washi tape are from SU! all flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts. sentiment stamp is from Shady Tree Studios.

now hop on over to my dear friend, LYNDA's blog to see what simply breathtaking project she has made to knock your fluffy socks off! she is some kind of talented! :) be sure to leave her a comment, too. it just makes people feel a little extra special when you take the time to say hello on their blogs. :)

thanks so very  much for stopping by! enjoy your weekend!
Jennifer

Challenges:
Fussy and Fancy - shades of autumn
Love to Scrap - anything goes
Cardz 4 Galz - use at least 1 die
Crafty Sentiments - anything goes
Crafty Ribbons - ribbon or lace
Moving Along with the Times - trees and/or leaves
Sasayaki Glitter - Autumn/Harvest/Halloween
Kraftin' Kimmie's Wonderful Wed - anything goes
{pin}spirational - photo inspiration (colors, leaves)
Scribbles by Sandy - fabulous fall
Ooh La La - shades of autumn
Whoopsi Daisy - die cuts/punches
Eclectic Ellapu - autumnal
Ribbon Girls - use any image
Dare 2 B Artzy - fall

I'll Never Forget

Coffee of the Day - Moon Pie

Hello and Happy Friday to each of you! :)

I'm here today to bring a bit of Digi Bell sunshine into your day. Today is the day subscribers to Elisabeth's newsletters get super excited, because we know we have happy mail coming by way of a cutey free image courtesy of our own sweet benefactor! she so faithfully sends out the most adorable images every week to everyone who signs up for the fun newsletter. have YOU signed up for you free copy? click here for a super easy sign up and also a cool eBook that has some neat free images, too!

My card today uses a free image from a few weeks ago called 'Sally and Ellie.' This little girl with her elephant are as precious as can be! I found the perfect sentiment at Create with TLC to go with it, too. :) I added little flowers to her top with markers.

papers are from the Basic Grey Saturday Morning collection, doily was sprayed with several shades of glimmer mist, seam binding (distressed with a few shades of ink) is from Zipper Stop, and dies are by Spellbinders. gingham ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon. flowers are from both Wild Orchid Crafts and Michaels. buttons are from my vintage stash.

Be sure to join along in the current challenge we have going on, too. it's a fun theme of 'Buttons and Bows' - easy peasy for most of us. ;)

enjoy your weekend! Jennifer

Challenges:
Anything Goes with TLC - anything goes with an image by Create with TLC
Crafting Circle/Crafty Awesomeness - anything goes
Just Keep on Creating - anything goes
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - anything goes w/patterned paper
Creative with Stamps - add a sentiment
DL Art Oct linky ch - anything goes
Not Just Cards - anything goes

Funky and Fun Christmas Ornaments

Coffee of the Day - Moon Pie :)

Today starts a new challenge over on Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra blog, so I hope you'll join us for some holiday fun! As always, we are sponsored by Bugaboo Stamps, so someone will win a gift certificate for some great images from their store. if you join along, that someone could be YOU! :)

For my card this month I am using this retro funky image called 'Christmas Ornaments' and giving it my own little spin. main image and matting dies are by Spellbinders while the banner die is by SU!  papers are from the Basic Grey Juniper Berry collection. pretty poinsettia is from Prima and seam binding, which I distressed with several shades of ink, is from Zipper Stop. some vintage buttons and a fun little piece of Christmas flair were also added. I used a clear spica glitter gel pen and wink of stella glitter pen on the main image to add lots of sparkle, and then a white gel pen on the matting die to add some fun highlighted dots.

thank you so much for popping over this Saturday morning. :) hang on and I'll have another post for you!!!

enjoy your weekend!

Challenges:
Catch the Bug - anything goes
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - anything goes w/patterned paper
Digi Stamps 4 Joy - anything goes w/optional twist to create own bg
DL Art  Oct linky party - anything goes