Prima 'I Thank God' Sympathy Card

Coffee of the Day - French Vanilla

I sadly was in need of a sympathy card this past week, so I turned to a wonderful verse that always seems to bring comfort as well as encouragement - Philippians 1:3. The actual digi sentiment is from an up-and-coming company called 'Digiments' that will be opening soon. I look forward to seeing all of the other neat designs that will be featured, as I have thoroughly enjoyed using this one.

Because the card was going to be mailed, I tried to keep the embellies fairly low to the card as opposed to big ribbons and such. Also wanted some soothing colors, so I turned to these beautiful papers by Prima. The little rose in the bottom corner is a new one from Prima also, from the Nursery collection, but it reminds me of the vintage millinery flowers. Chipboard photo corner was covered in same paper and then sanded to distress, my handy dandy ink air tool was used to lightly spray cocoa ink over the verse and the edges were sponged. The swirl flourish stamp in the corner is from a new Inkadinkado stamp that I received from them. I am loving this flourish, and you will see it pop up in so many places! The trim is a new one from Prima also (I love the way it echos the same design as the MS punch!), and the button comes from Stampin' Up! I inked the edges of the main cs piece in white craft ink as I almost always do. ;)

Have a beautiful day!

Jennifer

Sugared Inka Rose Believe

I made this card this morning for the sketch challenge over at the blog, Stamping with Annie B. She is celebrating her 1 year blogaversary with a cool challenge and giveaway of a Mytimeless template from PTI. I had just received this amazingly neat stamp from Inkadinkado for free (from sending in some of my cards) in the mail the other day, so was anxious to get it all inky. Look closely and you will see that the rose is comprised of 2 birds. There are several stamps in this line from Inka - really fun!

The papers are Basic Grey Sugared collection and SU! pink pirouette sponged with white craft and choco chip. I spritzed the base with pearl glimmer mist to give it some shine. The main image and actual flower were outlined with a glitter gold gel pen to add a little more sparkle.

Well, that does it for me for a while. I am tired and stamped out. I have made lots of challenge cards lately, which have been lots of fun, but tough while not feeling well. Also received the news that I didn't make the Digital Stamp Oasis Tuesday Challenge Design Team. So I'm gonna take a break from the inks and rubber for a bit. Maybe some rest will help get the crafty flow going in the right direction again.

Everyone have a great day! love ya! :)

Digi Shack Challenge with Lilykate

Coffee of the Day - Larry's Beans Mexico Blend (a really good non-flavored coffee!)

The Digi Shack is having their first challenge over on the blog. I decided to play along since you get to try out a way cool digi stamp! too bad my printer is weird and crops it no matter how I try to get around that! so I just made do and used my brand spankin' new Cutterbee circle cutter and cut out the image further! The overall card size is 4" x 4" to really show off the digi image.

The papers are some from Basic Grey that I had never used before (GASP!!!), Lilykate. This is a really gorgeous collection! and it went perfectly with the image from Digi Shack. I printed the image onto SU! Very Vanilla cs, used SU! markers to color, but then went over them with a watercolor brush to soften. I added shimmerz butter cream to each flower as well as the veins of the leaves. The whole thing was then spritzed with the ink spray tool in pink and cocoa. I inked the edges in sahara sand. I don't have a scallop edge tool in a circle shape, so I just cut out a strip using my punch and then taped it all around the back of the circle. This caused the whole thing to pop up in the center - very cool result I wasn't expecting. added some extra thick foam tape to help with the dimension on the card. Buttons are SU! and baker's twine is Martha Stewart. the great sentiment is one by Inkadinkado. sponged and spritzed same as main circle.

Hope that all of you are having a great day! I am sicker than a dog these days. Made it tough to get a card done - I was all thumbs! ;)

Jennifer

SCSBG2 Challenge - Something Old, Something New

Coffee of the Day - Spiced Ginger Latte`

I am hostessing the challenge for the SplitCoast Stampers Bloggers Group #2 this go 'round. What fun to come up with an idea for creating! As I was driving around last week, I came up with this idea. Sure hope everyone has fun with it - I know I did!

The challenge this time is to use something old and something new on your creation. you know you have those old beauties hiding in your closet somewhere just begging to be used again, or maybe for the first time ever! I am almost ashamed to say that I actually had to remove the plastic wrap from the ink pad of SU! Cool Carribean that I used on this card. yep, hangin' my head over that one! it is such a gorgeous color, but I had never ONCE opened it! and my poor Night of Navy hasn't been used in over a year on ANYTHING!!! it used to be one of all time fave 'go to' colors! what is up with THAT?!?! My something new is the stamp, Jewel Bird from Inkadinkado, and the papers, Addison line from K & Co. I guess you could say that the old could also be the lace since it is vintage! ;) Anyhow, as I was planning what to do for this challenge, I came to the realization that I have way toooooo many things that I haven't used recently the way that I should. guess that means I have to stamp more!!! :D

We have 6" to 10" of snow forecast in the next 24 hours. Think that will give me plenty of 'stay inside and stamp' time. Good thing I love the snow so much! It is obviously still winter here in NE Ohio!

Had a great time at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on Saturday! They don't allow photos of any kind taken inside, so there is only this one from outside the building. It was soooo windy and only in the upper 30's, so it was colllllld. What a thrill to see so many cool pieces of memorabillia! Of course the Elvis stuff just blew me away! that and Bob Marley's shirt. go figure..... I'm a pretty eclectic person!

Have a great day and stay warm!!

Jennifer

FREE stamps from Inka!!!!

Coffee of the Day - Larry's Beans Mexico Blend

RUN, don't walk, to this post on SplitCoast Stampers to read more about how you can receive FREE new release stamps from Inkadinkado!!!! I am a huge fan of their products and just love the way the stamps, well, stamp! the images are fun as well as drop dead gorgeous, and quite hip for the times.

This is one of the cards that I am sending in. (Also sending in the owl card posted here.) I made it some time last Fall, I think, gosh, who knows the way my wonky head works these days, but it was in my card basket whispering, 'send me PLEASE!!'. so of course I said, 'heck, yeah baby 'cause I wants me some FREE rubbah!' Products are Prima (papers, trim, and ribbon), SU!, and dew drops in addition to this lovely Inka stamp 'Nesting'. who wouldn't love a shabby, shabby birdie to call out to them on a spring day?! and I forget to pull out those way cool skeleton leaves that I love so much. thought it worked well with this. oh yeah, card is 5 1/2" x 5 1/2" square.

Must dash as we are heading out to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this morning. Big festivities planned all weekend for the Induction ceremonies tonight. I have never been before, even though we've lived in the Cleveland area for almost 12 years now. yep, shame on me!!! neither has Ryan, our youngest. Tyler and Mick have gone through school field trips ( yeah, rough life I know - nothin' like the operas I had to go to as a kid for our school trips - sorry, I love all things cultured deeply, just not opera). So anywhoooooo....... hope to post some pix later this weekend. Supposedly lots of celebs are in town for this - maybe they will discover Tyler & Mick and their rad guitar skills, Ryan and his sweet sounds on the sax, and offer them some big mega music contract. Nope, they wouldn't leave their sweet momma! pah! yeah, like you really believe that one! GRINS and GIGGLES!!!! :D

take care and enjoy your wonderful weekend!

Jennifer

Hoot Hoot! Another Retro Owl

Coffee of the Day - Irish Cream

Good morning! Hope that you are waking up to a beautiful day! It's overcast and cool here, but beautiful nonetheless! It's all in the 'tude dude!!! :)

Another one of those lonnnnng cards today - 3 3/4" x 9" to fit in a legal envie. I am using the Inkadinkado owl again as I had mentioned in a previous post, but stamped the little fella in Timber Brown Stazon to get a better image. Papers are Basic Grey and the fun trim is from Webster's Pages. The felt is from Maya Road. Buttons are a combo of vintage and some others I had just hangin' out at the homestead. The stitching is faux 'cause I can't sew worth beans!

One of my dear bloggin' buddies had a post on her blog that brought up a point I wanted to address today. She had applied for a Design Team, but didn't get accepted. She wanted some advice on how to get accepted. Well, since I haven't been on one in several years, I don't think I'm a good one to be offering up any wisdom, but it really did make me think. I have been sending in submissions to magazines in the past few months as well as applying for DT's as you all know, and not getting in positive response either. It can sure be tough on a gal's ego! But God keeps reminding me - why am I stamping? why am I creating? Is it for someone else's pleasure or His? Is it the act of creating or just the recognition I'm after? I mean, gosh, I really do want people to like what I make, I would be lying to myself if I said otherwise. But I got into stamping in the first place because I love to stamp. Now I am all for improving myself and trying to get better at what I do - that is not what I am talking about. But If my blog went away, if the magazines went away, if the Design Teams went away, I would still stamp because it brings me joy. And in a small way I think it brings other people joy when they get one of my cards or creations. and then that is what brings God pleasure.

So if you stamp, keep stamping! If you knit, keep at it! If you wash windows, then do it to your heart's content! (and then come do mine!!)

okay, off the soapbox. have a great day!

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

Happy Anniversary, Tyler and Ashley! :)

Coffee of the Day - Hazelnut Cream

edited to add - He gave her a dozen red roses, the movie 'Juno' (which is one of her faves), a 4-pack of Mocha Frappucinos (that is my guy!!), and a bunch of her favorite candies. inquiring minds wanted to know - and it's okay, I don't mind you being nosy!! ;)

I had made this card in September for a contest over at Jacksonbelle Embellishments (same one as the skull card in BG Ambrosia). But I am posting it today because my oldest son decided to give it to his girlfriend for their anniversary card. 6 months of dating as of today! Congratulations Tyler and Ashley!!!!! He was so excited last night as he was getting his speial gifts together to give to her. It made me smile! We love Ashley to pieces - she is truly wonderful!

The main oval image was done with the cracked glass technique. this was my first time to ever try it. the raspberry stamp is another exclusive from Inkadinkado.

well, I've got to get back to laundry and a card I'm TRYING to put together for the House Mouse Monday Challenge group. it is taking me forever to get it colored in, and I'm still not that thrilled with how it's coming along. maybe as I go it will get better!

take care and enjoy your day! oh yes, and don't forget to sign up for the blog candy drawing! Only a few days left!

Jennifer

My Fave Skull Stamp EVER and Blog Candy!!!

Coffee of the Day - Seattle's Best Cinnabon

No tricks today, only treats! First I want to share with you my absolute fave EVAH skull stamp. As some of you know, with a last name like Scull, I have a certain fondness for skull stamps. It doesn't make any sense, but I've learned in stamping, that is okay! They are also some of the only ones that my teenage boys actually like as well.

Anyhow, this stamp comes from Inkadinkado and is called Skull Damask. It is an exclusive stamp to AddictedtoRubberStamps. I have bought several of their exclusive Inka stamps and really love them! I made this card for a challenge over at Jacksonbelle Embellishments, but knew exactly who I was going to send it to. We have a very dear friend of the family who is such a rocker - she headed up her own band, plays every single musical instrument, has amazing photography skills, and is just an all-around AWESOME person - all in her young 15 years of life!!! Miss Maddie received her card 2 days ago and loved it! I hope that you do as well! The papers are Stampin' Up! and Basic Grey Ambrosia. The ribbons are SU! and May Arts. Little rhinestones sit in the corners and on the punch.

Now on to what all of you have been waiting for - BLOG CANDY!!!! yesterday's card contained a hint - some of you came close, but the answer is that almost everything used to make the card is part of the giveaway! I thought goodies from the Basic Grey Lollipop Shoppe collection would make the perfect blog candy. See the connection?! yep, pretty lame I know, but that's me! Also, what better time to get candy than on Halloween! another roll eyes........

For the candy, the winner will receive 20 pieces of BG paper - 2 each of 10 designs, 1 sheet of Lollipop Shoppe die cut tags, BG Lollipop Shoppe fibers, 30 baby buttons that co-ordinate, a bottle of Dew Drops Hydrangia, and a pack of Prima layered fabric flowers with rhinestone centers. To enter, just leave a comment here by Friday, November 7. I will conduct the random drawing the morning of Saturday, November 8 and post here.

Have fun and good luck to each of you!
Jennifer