Fairy and Woodland Altered Envelope for Baby Journal

 Coffee/Tea of the Day - Thyme and mint tea

today's post is going to be photo heavy, so grab a cup of your favorite beverage before you begin scrolling. ;)

my husband is always saying that I save just about anything and everything, and he's not wrong! this envelope arrived in the mail the other day, and I knew it would be perfect to alter for our granddaughter's baby journal. I saved that adorable bear image the best I could. he makes me smile!

This piece will actually be sewn into a journal signature. I've repurposed the envelope and advertising postcards, which are the bases for the inserts. 

(this shows how it will be in the signature)

all of the cutie little fairy images come from a Gecko Galz collage sheet called Breath of Spring. papers are from Carta Bella and Simple Stories. baby ephemera is from Graphic 45. sentiments were generated with my label maker. 

a precious little "it's a girl" floral enclosure card sits on the right side.

and here are the inserts;

thank you for hanging in there to the end! :)

Challenges:

Gecko Galz - fairy lands

As You Like It - brights or pastels (I tend to like pastels best as I've gotten older. I find those shades very soothing)

 Creative Knockouts - 2 or more patterned papers

Minnie Mouse Happy Birthday card

 Coffee/Tea of the Day - Nutty Coconut coffee

Hi there!

Today I am sharing a quick card I made for our granddaughter's second birthday last weekend. We were very blessed to be able to spend the weekend with them to celebrate this exciting milestone.

She wanted a Minnie Mouse themed party. Danielle bought Disney t-shirts for all of us to wear. of course the star of the day wore Minnie! I was Pluto and hubby was Goofy. so appropriate for him! :D

The card is fairly simple, using a few fussy cut images I found online and papers from Simple Stories, a Tim Holtz sentiment, ric rack, and vintage button.

I hope all of you have a most amazing day! 

Jennifer

Junk Journal July Day 31 - Farewell

 Coffee/Tea of the Day - Lemon Lavender Mint tea

It's time for my final project for Junk Journal July.! 

for more information about the challenge, please visit this post. 

back page of signature

Today's prompt is 'farewell'. I thought I would make something using one of my favorite prompts for the month - fold out. I really like adding this element in journals I make. :)

first foldout

The page I am showing is the last one in that particular signature, very appropriate for the farewell prompt. ;) I try to have the first and last page of each signature be actual scrapbook paper or heavy cardstock as opposed to lighter weight paper. using 12x12 paper creates 2 6x12 sheets that are usually perfect for a set of journal pages.  on this particular sheet, I didn't want to cut off a section so that each page fit better in the book, so I folded over the paper to create a flip base.

The multiple flip out element uses a journaling card from the Carta Bella Family Night collection and a mini cd envelope. the card inside the envelope is from Simple Stories Family Fun. I have also added stickers from the Carta Bella collection. ( here is a link to the digital format. )

completely opened

one of the many talented journal artists I follow on YouTube is Carol Laws. she is so inspiring. she says that she always makes sure that the first and last page of a signature have a little extra 'wow' factor. I have tried to follow her example. 

thank you so much for stopping by and visiting my blog this month. I hope you have enjoyed all of the different prompts, and it's inspired you in your crafting. :)

Jennifer

Junk Journal July Day 29 - Geometric

 Coffee/Tea of the Day - Melted Marshmallow coffee

it's time for another day of Junk Journal July, and the prompt is 'Geometric'. for more information about the challenge, see this post.

My project for today is inspired by an amazing crafty creator I follow on YouTube - Margreth from Seven Plaza. it's because of her that I am playing along in the challenge. :) in this video, she made an ephemera wallet. on one page inside was this fun pocket element. I have the Tim Holtz die that cuts something similar, but I can't seem to find it. it's off on vacation with my tiny attacher stapler. ;) ugh. the downside of trying to create while having a craft room in boxes and disarray. someday I will finish organizing it....

anyhow, I used this great geometric paper from the Carta Bella Family Night collection. (here is a link to the digital format. I have used both digital and printed items in the journal for Ryan and Elizabeth.) Margreth's tutorial makes creating one of these pockets super simple. 

the pockets are filled with vintage cigarette and game cards as well as pieces from the Carta Bella collection and Simple Stories Family Fun collection. I know I have said it before, but I really am impressed that these collections work so well together. 

thank you so much for stopping by today! :)

Junk Journal July Day 20 - Black and White

 Coffee/Tea of the Day - Caramel Pumpkin Hazelnut coffee

It's another project for Junk Journal July, and today's prompt is 'Black and White.' for more information about the challenge, please see this post. 

I decided to use the prompt not as a complete black and white project, but as a feature. a checkerboard background is the perfect setting for a page about go-karting. this is for Ryan and Elizabeth's Family Fun journal.

all of the pieces are from the Simple Stories Family Fun collection. the little card along the lower left side was turned into a fold out element with painter's tape. just something interactive.

I hope to see you back here again tomorrow! thank you for visiting! :)

Jennifer

Junk Journal July Day 16 - One Sided

Coffee/Tea of the Day - Melted Marshmallow coffee

It's another day of Junk Journal July. I hope some of you have been playing along, whether using the prompts for junk journals or other crafting.

for more information about the challenge, please see this post.

The prompt for today is 'One-Sided.' I had no idea what to do for this challenge, so I instead used the word 'side' as my inspiration - the pocket I made is turned on it's side. yep, not a brilliant use of the prompt, but I really couldn't figure out what else to do. ;)

I took a cute bag from my stash and sewed it into a pocket piece. not too much to the project, but it is a nice element to the journal for Ryan and Elizabeth. an old Monopoly game property card is tucked into one of the pockets. I thought it was fun because they live in Indiana. :)  the back pocket, created when the bag was adhered to the page, contains a vintage bridge rule book. other elements are from the Carta Bella Family Night collection (link to the digital version) and Simple Stories Family Fun collection.

Have a wonderful day! thank you so much for stopping by my blog. :)

Jennifer

 

Junk Journal July Day 2 - Reinvent

 Coffee/Tea of the Day - Maple Nut coffee

Hello and welcome to day 2 of Junk Journal July! 

You can learn more about Junk Journal July in this post.

Today's prompt is 're-invent'. It took me a bit to come up with a project for this one, but thankfully one of the people I follow on YouTube recently had the perfect solution! Margreth of  SevenPlaza shared a video in which she creates a faux envelope pocket.  I adapted this idea to the family fun journal I am working on for Ryan and Elizabeth. 

I used papers from the Carta Bella Family Night collection as well as paper from the Simple Stories Family Fun collection. I am so impressed with how well these 2 collections blend. an old game marker was added for a touch of whimsy. The 2nd photo shows the back pocket, which I adhered to the journal page. also shown is the journal card I made using a digital of an old map cover as well as a car clip art piece. the other side of the tag is more map paper.

and here is the pocket on the actual journal page. I added a vintage Coca Cola receipt along with the map tag.

I hope some of you have a chance to play along in the challenge, or even adapt it to whatever crafting you are currently doing.

have a great weekend! :)

Junk Journal July Day 1 - Begin

 Coffee/Tea of the Day - Spiced Hazelnut coffee

Hello! 

Sorry I have been away for a bit. life got crazy, as happens to all of us from time to time. I have been sick, kids and grandkids have been sick, you know the fun stuff that keeps life interesting. ;)

anyhow, today is the start of Junk Journal July, a challenge event started by Meg's Junk Journals. I am not on most social media, so the link is for her YouTube channel. there you can find more information about her and her other social media links.  Here is the link to subscribe to her newsletter.

Today's prompt is 'begin'. This is perfect since one of the journals I am working on is the Family Fun journal I gave Ryan and Elizabeth for Christmas a few years ago. I am re-doing the journals that I gave to everyone that year. not only was I unable to include all of the signatures, but the spines were too small. it's been bugging me since then, so I asked for the journals back so that I could fix them. I love how crafting, or anything really, is a process in which we learn from our mistakes, understanding that each of us has a beginning. :)

'Begin' to me, in the context of this journal, brought to mind the start of a game - picking your game piece, learning the rules, etc. So I made a tag using the game board image from Carta Bella's Family Night collection. I have this in both the printed and digital forms. the checkerboard paper (digital) is from the same collection, as is the game piece sticker (sticker sheet). I can't remember if the little sentiment piece is from this collection or Simple Stories Family Fun collection, as I am using both. I have all of my cut out pieces in one container, so didn't get them labeled as to which collection each item is from. (I tend to lump like items together so they are easier for me to use. ) the game instructions are vintage ephemera. I like combining the old and the new. :)

I don't know that I will get to upload a project every day of the challenge, but I will do my best. I hope some of you play along! there are some fun prompts that are helping me think outside of my comfort zone.

all of you have a wonderful weekend! :)

Jennifer

Look Deep into Nature Birthday Card

 Coffee/Tea of the Day - Maple Walnut coffee

Hello and Happy Weekend! :) I hope you have something fabulous planned, even if it's hanging out and relaxing.

I am sorry that I haven't shared much recently. working very diligently on hubby's journal for our anniversary at the end of this month, and I am extremely slow. :/  but I am oh, so thankful for the moments when I feel well enough to craft. isn't this such a wonderful activity that can bring so much joy and be therapeutic as well?

the card for today has been picked by my family as one of their all time favorites that I have made. I created it for our son's birthday. as much as I am a tree hugger, Mick is even more so! he loves nature with a passion. he has asked me to make him a gardening journal, so that will be next month's project. ;)

I used the amazing papers from the Simple Stories Simple Vintage Great Escape collection. I have purchased so many sheets from this collection. it is definitely a favorite. I am also using quite a few of these papers in hubby's journal. this is a fairly large card so that it could accommodate the journaling card. in case you can't read it very well, it says, "Look deep into nature and you will understand everything better." isn't that so lovely?

green twine is from Really Reasonable Ribbon, burlap ribbon is a stash item as are the vintage buttons, and little flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts. I think the wooden mushroom came from World Market. I bought the pack quite a while ago. everyone in our family laughs because I am forever picking up little tidbits when out on walks. the mini pinecone came from Camp, as did the little seed pod portion. I covered that in distress crackle paint. love the way it turned out! the piece of bark is just a smidgen I found. isn't that bit of moss on it so precious? makes my heart swoon. :)

I didn't get a photo of it, but I stamped a mushroom on the inside and then stamped again with water rather than ink. it created a gorgeous watercolor look. I think I added the word 'explore' as well as a birthday sentiment. my memory is just not the same these days.

Thank you so much for stopping by! Take care and know that you are deeply loved! :)  Jennifer

Challenges:

1.  Creative Fingers - anything goes
2.  Craft Rocket - birthday
3.  DL Art - birthday
4.  Crafty Creations - anything goes
5.  Paper Funday - anything goes w/back to school option
6.  TTCRD - anything goes
7.  Crafter's Castle - anything goes
8.  Crafty Calendar - anything goes
9.  Crafts Galore Encore - anything goes
10.  Classic Design - anything goes

Snow Much Fun Album for the RRR Blog Hop

Winner at Paradise of Stamps
Runner Up Winner at World Wide Open Design Team Challenges

Coffee of the Day - Blueberry Coffee Cake

Welcome to my stop on the Really Reasonable Ribbon Blog Hop! :) You should have come here from the gorgeous blog of GINNY! man oh man, can that lady craft! I know you were inspired by what she showed you. :)

if at any time you lose your way along the hop, just head over to the RRR blog, and you will find the complete list there. :)

we are all showcasing projects made with this month's beautiful collection of ribbons and trims in the monthly club kit. every kit is amazing, but I really really REALLY like this one! I think I have ordered more of every one of these at least a few times already!

I've been super busy making many of my Christmas gifts this year. today's project is no exception. I have created an album for a special friend that can be filled with fun, outdoor photos.

as you can see, lots of ribbons were used here to help add some texture and interest, as well as just look pretty! :) flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts, Petaloo, and Prima.

paper and tags are from the Simple Stories Snow Fun collection.

buttons are from my vintage stash.

close up of the hot cocoa page. :)

stamps are all from Kraftin' Kimmie.

 lots of stickles used on the images. plenty of re-purposed items in the album, too. :)

glimmer mist and Tim Holtz distress stains added to the wooden album cover and back.

Your next stop on the hop will be AMBER's oh so wonderful blog! be sure to leave her a comment letting her know how much you are inspired by her fabby project!

thanks for stopping by! :)
Jennifer

Challenges:
Kraftin' Kimmie Wonderful Wed. - anything goes
Holiday Coffee Lovers Blog Hop - hot cocoa theme for the one page
613 Avenue Create - anything goes with create your own challenge twist (1: image, sentiment, patterned paper; 2: die cut; 3: stickles, glimmer mist; 4: pearls, bling, buttons, flowers; 5: ribbon, lace)
Crafty Calendar - let it snow
Brown Sugar - buttons
Pile it On - anything Christmas or winter
QKR - snow scene
One Crazy Stamper - Christmas/winter with no digi
Paradise of Stamps - snow
World Wide Open DT Ch - anything goes
WAW - anything encouraging goes
Double Click Skittles - use a snowman
Little Red Wagon - snow much fun

Happy Dog, Happy Life

Coffee of the Day - Eggnog

I took a little break from making Christmas gifts to create this card to send to our son, Mick. his dog, Brutus, was super sick last week. thankfully Brutus is doing better now, but did require 2 emergency trips to the vet. :(  in the mean time, poor Mick was beside himself and we had many texts into the wee hours of the night....

I thought the sentiment seemed perfect, as is too often the case with pets and babies - if they aren't happy, ain't no body in the house happy! ;)

the cute puppy image is from Sandra Caldwell's Etsy shop, paper is a scrap I had left over from a project using Simple Stories Snow Fun collection, flower is by Petaloo, ribbon scrap is from Really Reasonable Ribbon, and buttons are all from my vintage stash. lots of re-purposed items on here, too - belt loop from a pair of jeans, Starbucks coffee cozy that was inked, and a piece of twine from a tag.

now I'm off to spend the day crafting. hope you have a good one! :)

Challenges:
Crafty Gals Corner - anything goes
Inspiration Destination - anything goes
Clear it Out - anything goes: stash: buttons, ticket
TTCRD - anything goes
As You Like It - fave: masculine or feminine (masculine even though I tend to make more feminine cards. because if I'm making a masculine card that means that more than likely it is going to one of my guys and that ALWAYS makes me happy! )
Quick Quotes - non-holiday card
Not Just Cards - anything goes

Happy Hanukkah with the Really Reasonable Ribbon monthly ribbon kit!

Coffee of the Day - Blueberry Cobbler

In the midst of celebrating December holidays, we would be remiss to overlook our Jewish friends & neighbors and the beautiful celebration of Hanukkah. The colors in this month's ribbon club kit are the perfect fit to the Festival of Lights.

I used a fun menorah image from Sandra Caldwell as the focus of my card, added papers from the Simple Stories Snow Fun collection, and several pieces from the monthly ribbon kit. Wild Orchid Crafts mixed blue/aqua cherry blossoms and rosebuds add the perfect accents when combined with some vintage buttons and a paper doily. shimmerz paint accents the candle flames and words from the sentiment. the wonderful menorah die is by Spellbinders, as is the die used on the main image.

Check out the Really Reasonable Ribbon store for every holiday project need!  you're sure to find exactly what is missing to make that project perfect! :)

thanks for stopping by!  Jennifer

Challenges:
Choux Choux Paper Art - Sugar Plum linky party winter holiday project
Di's Digi Designs - winter holidays
Just Keep on Creating - anything goes
Lia Stampz - anything goes
Petal Lu - anything goes
Glitter 'n Sparkle - anything goes
L'il Patch of Crafty Friends - anything goes
Melonheadz -  winter holidays
Great Impressions - anything goes
Brown Sugar - anything goes
WAW - anything encouraging goes
Wags 'n Whiskers - ribbons and/or pearls

Gonna Miss U, Sweet Pea Stamps!

Coffee of the Day - Spiced Southern Pecan 


 Welcome to the Sweet Pea stamps Blog Hop!

This hop is from a loyal group of Sweet Pea Stamp fans who want to let Lynette know that we appreciate all her hard work bringing us the wonderful stamps in both rubber and digi format over the years.  Thanks so very much for all the wonderful images we have collected from you!

There are some random prizes along the way, as certain blog owners, myself included, have decided to include a prize, so please leave some comments along the way as you see everyone's gorgeous Sweet Pea Stamp creations.

Also, the store closes at the end of the day on the 25th, so if you see some wonderful stamps on this blog hop, today is the last day to get them, so please drop by the store! here is a great coupon to use, too. :)

You should have come here from Jane Bradshaw's oh, so fun blog! if at any point you ever get lost, you can find the complete list of hoppers over at the Sweet Pea Stamps blog.

For my card, I chose the Scarecrow Dude digi image by Sandra Caldwell. the acorn card template is by Shape EZ and paper is from Simple Stories. buttons are from my vintage stash, all flowers are by Wild Orchid Crafts, leaves are from Prima, and gorgeous crochet lace can be found at Really Reasonable Ribbon. a few accents made with the white gel pen and some sticks from the yard finish off the card. :)  oh yes, the sentiment stamp is from My Favorite Things.

your next stop on the hop is at my friend, Margaret Ashby's blog, better known as GranMargaret! :) I know you will love what she has made!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Challenges:
Your Scrapbook Place - anything goes (using an image by sponsor)

This Squirrel is Nuts About Coffee!

Coffee of the Day - Oatmeal Raisin Cookie

Well it's the last official day of the Fall Coffee Lover's Blog Hop... there have been so many amazing projects made, and I haven't seen even half of them yet! :) I hope to get around to a few more blogs, but also need to get my home in order because we have company coming later today... guess I need a few more cups of coffee to get me going! ha!

I had to have my final project honor the cutie squirrels that live all around our house. and of course, any squirrel around here would HAVE to have a coffee cup in his little bitty hands!

this adorable image comes from Toadstool Printables. isn't he just so much fun?! the great acorn card template is from ShapeEZ by TLC. not sure if she has it in the shop right now or not, but you could certainly send her a message if she doesn't. Tammy is just as nice as can be! since I don't have an electronic cutting machine, I appreciate people who include files for folks like me who have to cut things out by hand.

the paper on the acorn is by Simple Stories while the leaves are cut from Basic Grey Indian Summer papers. they were cut with a Tim Holtz die and then sprayed with 2 shades of glimmer mist. the acorn top was also sprayed with glimmer mist. yes, I do like that stuff!

the mulberry leaves are by Prima, the burlap ribbon is May Arts, the burlap twine comes from Etsy, buttons are vintage, and that fab sunflower is from Factory Direct Crafts.

please be sure to sign up for my coffee themed blog candy at this post. I will announce the winner in the next few days. :)

Have a great weekend!

Challenges:
Crafting With An Attitude - anything goes
Crafty Girls Creations - anything goes
Hanna & Friends - special card form
Whimsy Inspires - anything goes or Halloween
The Male Room - autumn/fall
Simon Says Stamp Wed Ch - anything goes
Kraftin' Kimmie Wonderful Wed - anything goes
Cardz 4 Guyz - something with 'm' (mug, mist, mulberry leaves)
Creative Card Crew - masculine (yes, I firmly believe it can have a flower on it and still be masculine. my guys all like sunflowers! grins!)
Digi Choosday - something new (image is brand new & I've had the twine less than a month)
Papertake Weekly - take your pick (autumn color theme)
QKR - anything goes
Di's Digi Designs - animals acting like humans
Chocolate, Coffee, and Cards - animals

Sunflower House Mouse Acorn Shape Card

Coffee of the Day - Pumpkin Spice

Can you believe it's Wednesday already?! Yesterday Dave and I had the best time together on his day off. We went to the infamous Hollo's Paper Store where I was able to pick up a few much needed supplies, such as clear envelopes and paper doilies. also went to several of our favorite antique stores so I could get a few more vintage laces and buttons to replenish my ever dwindling stash .... ha! (hope dearest hubby doesn't read that last sentence! tee hee!) he was able to get an old window frame to work on over the winter. he took one this past winter and turned it into the most gorgeous shabby chic mirror for our upstairs hallway. it is beautiful! excited to see what he does with this next one! :)

The card I am sharing with you today uses one of the vintage laces I found yesterday on a fun acorn shaped template from Shape EZ by TLC. I don't see this exact template in her store right now, but I'm sure you could send her a quick message if you were interested. Tammy has a beautiful blog that is filled with gorgeous inspiration using her templates as well as many other projects. I'm a longtime follower of hers! :)

The cutey stamp is a House Mouse one called 'Daisy Face' that I fussy cut, gingham paper is by Simple Stories, leaves are from Prima, lace is vintage as I mentioned above as are the buttons, and little ribbon snippet on stem is by SU!  not sure who makes the sunflower as I took them out of their packaging long ago. same goes for mfg of baker's twine.

acorn cap was sanded, distressed with inks, and then sprayed with walnut gold glimmer mist before inking the edges and adding more vanilla ink.

Thanks so much for stopping by! for those of you who have been asking, Mocha is doing okay for now. thank you for your concern and well wishes. :)

edited to add:  I can't get any of the blogs I follow to show up in my feed.... I will be around to visit as soon as blogger decides to co-operate. this has been going on for a few days now. so sorry I've been absent from your blogs. :(  hopefully it will soon be fixed.

Challenges:
House Mouse - anything goes or bingo: ribbon, yellow/gold, flowers/leaves OR button, ribbon, baker's twine, OR all 3 colors
Sisterhood of Crafters - photo inspiration
Clear It Out - theme: autumn, stash: leaves (these Prima leaves are REALLY old!)
Creative Card Crew -  fall
TTCRD - anything goes
Glitter 'n Sparkle - something that starts with 'g' (glimmer mist, green)
Fantasy Stampers - autumn leaves
Crafting with Friends - anything goes
Craft for the Craic - anything but a square
Crafting Musketeers - autumnal colors
Gruffies and Guests - make it fruity or anything House Mouse/Happy Hopper/Gruffies goes

Hello, Little Hedgehog!

Coffee of the Day - Cinnamon Macadamia

Well, I think Mocha and I are finally getting the hang of things here with just the 2 of us. I leave the door to my craft room open, and she knows where I am. she still gets freaky deaky, but eventually calms herself down, knowing that I DO come out after a while. ;)

One of the cards I needed to get finished was this one for the Progressive Challenge over at From the Heart. Our image this month is the cutey 'Prickles Says Hello.'  I have also used this week's sketch from their challenge, adding my own little touches, as I am wont to do!

papers are from the Simple Stories Summer Vibes collection, flowers are a mix of Wild Orchid Crafts, Prima, and Michaels. burlap ribbon is by May Arts, and orange satin ribbon is from my stash. main image is cut with a Spellbinders die, sun & clouds are cut with a La La Land die, and little banner is cut with a Lawn Fawn die. buttons and washi tapes are from my stash as well, linen thread is SU!

I added the little butterfly trail with my black spica glitter gel pen. shimmerz was painted over parts of the butterfly, while I painted in accents to the butterfly, banner, and hedgehog using white craft ink. his glasses are covered in crystal effects. some faux stitching around the card base completes the card.

Don't forget to pop your entry into my Birthday Blog Candy! :)

Challenges:
From the Heart sketch - sketch 112
Clear it Out - theme: your style (shabby), stash: fave craft item (probably buttons because I use them on EVERYTHING I  make!!!)
Fan-tastic Tues - any square card goes with a twist of summer
Loves Rubberstamps - use a die cut (Spellbinders, La La Land, and Lawn Fawn)
TTCRD - anything goes
Love to Scrap - anything goes
Not Just Cards - anything goes
Stamp and Create - summer fun
Come and Get It - cute animals
L'il Patch of Crafty Friends - anything goes