Flamingo Tag Birthday Card

 Coffee/Tea of the Day - Caramel Vanilla coffee

Winner at Conjurer of Dreams

Hello! I hope all of you are doing well.

Today's post is a two-fer. I'm sharing a tag created for a challenge, but then I took the tag and used it on a card. 

as you can tell from recent posts, I use quite a few images and kits from Gecko Galz. not only do they give away SO many freebies, but I've been blessed to win quite a few from their store. several of the Design Team members are also on another team, Conjurer of Dreams. so I checked out that blog to see what it's all about.

I was interested in the image that they provided for their monthly tag challenge. my mother-in-law loves flamingos, and her birthday is this summer. so I thought I would use the tag to make a birthday card for her.

everything is fairly simple. papers are from Glitz Designs on Snap Click Supply. (btw, you simply MUST visit this store! you'll find digital collections from many popular paper companies. every Wednesday they have a dollar sale. usually about 2 dozen items for only a dollar each.)

mulberry flowers are old Prima, the ephemera pieces are Tim Holtz, ribbon is from Zipper Stop, and the sentiment is by Simon Says Stamp. a bit of doily peaks from behind the tag. the tag and cards were edged with a Tim Holtz watercolor pencil in, of course!, Kitsch Flamingo. :)

Thanks so much for stopping by! in all the history of the world, there has only ever been one you. you matter!

Jennifer

Challenges:

Conjurer of Dreams tag - use provided image to create a tag

Addicted to Stamps and More - birthdays

Aud Sentiments - embossing and/or flowers plus a sentiment

613 Avenue Craft - anything goes w/option of May flowers

Tweet Birds Journaling Wallet

 Coffee/Tea of the Day - Spiced Hazelnut coffee

Good morning! I hope everyone is having an amazing weekend so far!

Work and migraines have kept me from crafting the way I would like. I'm afraid my projects and posting will become more sporadic because of Camp. Staff training begins on Tuesday and runs for two weeks. then Camp opens to our summer programming, which runs through the middle of August.  

I'm not sure if all of you are aware, but my husband has been the director of a Christian camp for more than 20 years. I help wherever needed throughout the year, but in the summer I do all of the shopping. that means I am gone almost every day picking up groceries and supplies. that person you see in the store with several grocery carts? that's probably me. :D

but on to today's project! 

I was blessed to win a year's subscription of Gecko Galz tin toppers. Today's project is made with the Tweet Birds set. not sure if it's in the Etsy shop yet, but I'm sure you can find something similar until it's released. here is a link to the tin toppers section of the store.

when I saw the sweet images, it reminded me of the various cards I use when I am out shopping for work. so I thought it would be fun to create a little wallet.  I repurposed a mailing envelope into the wallet base. the papers used throughout are from Yvonne Preston's My Crafty Little Corner shop on Ko-fi. 

I used all 6 of the cards in the set, cutting out the birds for the back cover from one. the little ephemera pieces are from an Amazon Haul find. 

the pockets were created from a tutorial I saw on Youtube several years ago. because so much of my crafting materials are in storage, I was trying to be creative with what I have on hand. the pockets are stamped with a flourish from one of Tim Holtz's sets. 

I intentionally left the back of the cards blank for writing or photos. the wallet will either be sewn into the journal or be inserted into a pocket, not sure yet.

a mulberry flower and found button complete the front of the card. I used the tin topper title on the cover, too. 

thank you for stopping by today! 

Challenges:

Gecko Galz - Tweet Spring

Critter Crazy - anything goes w/a bird, critter, or fish

Creative Fingers #323 - anything goes

Allsorts #850 - anything goes

Crafts Galore Encore - anything goes

Ally's Angels - anything goes

Art Journal Journey - birds

Outlawz - anything but a card

Outlawz main challenge - linked on anything but a card

Easter Bunny ATC cards

 Coffee/Tea of the Day - Pumpkin spice coffee

Gecko Galz ATC winner

Hello! We're getting closer to the weekend, phew!

My project for today uses the images provided at the Gecko Galz ATC challenge. I realize these are Easter themed, so will save them for next year. I'll probably turn them into cards to send to our grandchildren. 

I've added a few of my own touches, including tickets, postage stamp, flower sticker, and buttons. the bg paper for the waving bunny in the lower right hand corner is from the new Tim Holtz pink palette collection. 

Have a most amazing day!

Jennifer

Challenges:

Gecko Galz ATC - use provided images

Crafty Gals Corner - spring

Sisterhood of Crafters - make someone smile

Woman of the Forest Journal Flip

 Coffee/Tea of the Day - Peach green tea

Hello again! thanks to all of you who have stopped by! :) and a very happy Earth Day!

my project today is for an upcoming nature journal. I have used the free image found in the Gecko Galz fantasy challenge for April. I really love the way this turned out.

the papers are from the new Tim Holtz green palette collection. ephemera is also by Tim Holtz. the base for this flip is another advertising postcard I received in the mail. I seem to have had quite a few of these arrive over the past few weeks, so I'm glad to be able to reuse them. a piece of natural ribbon creates the tab, and the vintage button is from my stash.  

have a fabulous day, and I'll see you tomorrow with more to hopefully inspire you.

Jennifer

Challenges:

Gecko Galz fantasy - use provided image

A Perfect Time to Craft - anything goes

Ally's Angels - anything goes

Crafts Galore Encore - anything goes

L'il Patch of Crafty Friends - anything goes

Little Red Wagon - Happy Earth Day (base is an advertising postcard received in the mail)

Floral Bunny Card

 Coffee/Tea of the Day - Spiced coffee

Sparkles Top 3 

Hi there! I'm back with another project to enter into the challenges over at Gecko Galz. Today's post is for the card challenge, using the provided image. 

bg paper is from the new Tim Holtz pink paper pack. I printed the rabbit image twice and cut out several features to pop up on dimensional foam tape. lace, tiny mulberry flowers, and a used postage stamp complete the card. simple, but still mailable.

have an amazing day! 

Jennifer

Challenges:

Gecko Galz card - use provided image

Crafty Animals - must include an animal

Critter Crazy - must include a critter

Moving Along with the Times - spring

Sparkles Forum - rabbits and pastel colors

Large Gothic Bat and Skull Journal Tag

 Coffee/Tea of the Day - Whispering Wildflowers tea (a delicious herbal from Bigelow)

Top 3 Pick at Two Old Bats

Crafting From the Art Top 5

Hello!

Today I'm sharing a large journal tag I made using the free image from Gecko Galz for their monthly gothic challenge. Eventually I want to make a gothic themed journal, so this is a first start.

I don't know about any of you, but I get quite a few advertising postcards in the mail. they are of differing sizes which make them perfect for journaling ephemera. I used a large one as the base for this tag.

the background paper is from Mintay and covered in a piece of patterned tissue paper by Tim Holtz. I then sandwiched a piece of black glitter tulle between the base and gothic image. a sticker of red rose stems was added for a pop of color. the edges were trimmed in Tim Holtz washi tape.

the back is decorated with parchment paper accented with another floral sticker and pieces of Tim Holtz transparencies. a tab at the top of the tag complete with vintage button finishes the project.

thank you for stopping by today! :)

Jennifer

Challenges:

Gecko Galz Gothic - use the provided image

Creative Fingers - anything goes

Craft Rocket - layer it up (the front of the tag has 6 layers)

CRAFT - anything goes

Crafting From the Art - anything goes

Two Old Bats - anything Halloween or mood board inspired

Boho Baby Journal Cover

Coffee/Tea of the Day - Mystery coffee (hubby made it this morning before leaving for an early breakfast meeting)

Hooray! another weekend is upon us!

as I work on several other projects, I thought I would share photos from journals I have previously made. I'll get pictures of more of the pages from the completed baby journals as I visit family over the next few months. 

This is the cover from our oldest granddaughter's journal. they had gone with a boho themed nursery, so I tried to incorporate that into the journal. 

the precious sleeping animal teepee image is surrounded by a painted chipboard frame, wooden heart, metal Tim Holtz arrow, mulberry flower, and real feathers. I am forever picking up feathers from the ground. I don't know the birds from which they come most of the time, but I do think they add a beautiful, natural touch to craft projects.

I try to incorporate as much actual vintage ephemera as I possibly can in the journals I make. that could be advertisements, book pages, sheet music, greeting cards, post cards, and of course beautiful vintage buttons. 

sharing what I have made in the past invigorates me to keep crafting. it's inspiring. do you feel the same way? do you ever go back and look at the things you have made?

I hope you have an amazing day, knowing that you are truly and deeply loved!

Jennifer 

Challenges:

Try it On Tuesday - make it feminine

613 Avenue Create - anything goes w/things with wings option (do feathers count?)

Little Red Wagon - include an animal (several sleeping critters at the tent)

As You Like It - favorite main color and why (PINK - as the mom of 3 boys, I really appreciate pink. it helped me maintain my femininity when surrounded by so much testosterone)

Creative Inspirations #36 - anything goes

Crafty Gals Corner - anything goes w/heart option (wooden heart)

Paper Funday - anything goes w/fur or feathers twist (both)

Outlawz - anything but a card

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

Journal Cabinet

 Coffee/Tea of the Day - Caramel Vanilla coffee

Top Pick at Crafting from the Art

Hi there!

I'm almost finished retrieving files and folders from my corrupt external hard drive. have saved as much as I can. still so much has been lost though. lesson to me to back up the back up! I did learn that most external hard drives only have a 3-5 year lifespan. I would have thought it would be much more than that. 

anyhow, as I was going through my blog trying to save photos, I realized that I never shared the picture of the cabinet I made to hold all of Ryan and Elizabeth's journals. there are 5 journals total, each with about 40 or so pages. it was fun to make the cabinet. my sweet hubby helped by cutting the mdf board for me. 

inside and outside are covered in Tim Holtz papers and then edged with his washi tapes. I did use mod podge to adhere the papers as well as seal them. this helps keep the cabinet somewhat protected. each journal is covered in Tim Holtz fabrics. you can't see it in the photo, but the cabinet does have pretty little feet to elevate it. 

I plan to make cabinets for Mick and Tyler's journals, too, but must finish baby journals first. 

hopefully I can get some crafting done this week to share. have a fabulous day!

Jennifer

p.s. if you want to see some of the elements made for this journal, go to the sidebar on the right and select 2022, mainly in July. 

Challenges:

Outlawz - anything goes but not a card

Crafting From the Art - anything goes

Junk Journal July Day 26 - Memento

 Coffee of the Day - Bourbon Pecan coffee

Only a few days left of Junk Journal July. it's hard to believe that it is almost over. I have had such a good time creating! I hope you have been able to use several of the prompts in your own craft projects. :)

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

today's prompt is 'memento'.  I am sharing the cover for Ryan and Elizabeth's Family Fun journal. the finished journal ended up being so big that I had to separate the 5 different signatures and cover them individually. I am waiting on more fabric to arrive. we are also going to build a small open box type cabinet to hold all of the pieces. once it's completed I will share photos.

I used fabrics from Tim Holtz and vintage game cards & pieces. lots of sewing. Ryan's very favorite game is 'Life.' so it seemed appropriate to use a card from an old game. We all enjoy playing Wordle every day, so some Scrabble tiles were a close bit of ephemera. so while not exactly mementos, they are still poignant. the journal does have many old postcards and first day of issue envelopes, as well as movie tickets and comics. none of those projects seemed very exciting to post for this prompt, so I thought I would share the cover instead.

I hope you have a most fabulous day! thank you so much for stopping by! 

Junk Journal July Days 25, 27, and 28

Coffee/Tea of the Day - Lemon Lavender Mint tea

 It's time for another multi day project for Junk Journal July. for more information about the challenge, please see this post.

I am combining prompts from days 25, 27, and 28 - peaceful, stripped back, and stenciling.

I thought it only appropriate to make a project for Christmas in July in addition to the others.

I have started with a junk mail postcard covered in coffee dyed paper as the base. for the 'stripped back' prompt, I used paper tearing, leaving an exposed corner in the upper right hand corner that reveals stenciling. this was done with a Tim Holtz mini stencil. 

the beautiful postcard image is from The Graphics Fairy. when I think of 'peaceful', nature always comes to mind. the snowy portions were covered in stickles. a fabric ruffle, vintage milk cap, ribbon snippets, and vintage buttons were added.

my prayers are with all of you who are experiencing such extreme heat. please stay hydrated and take care. even though our 160 year old house does not have air conditioning, we are blessed that it stays fairly cool, even on the hottest days. 

thank you for stopping by today! have a good one! :)

Jennifer

Junk Journal July Day 23 - Maximalism

 Coffee/Tea of the Day - Peach Ginger green tea

I have another project for the Junk Journal July challenge. for more information, please see this post.

today's prompt is 'maximalism'. I wasn't sure what to do for this one, but as the layout came together, it seemed perfect. isn't it wonderful when that happens? I think this might be my favorite project for this challenge so far.

you can never go wrong combining anything Tim Holtz with vintage.  I used his fabric to create a ruffle added to the side of the page on the right and the same fabric to tie the two tags in the pockets. the cardstock for the pocket element on the left page is also from Tim Hotz. the pockets are filled with some fun vintage cards and decorated with vintage ephemera. the little pocket flip on the top of the right side is made from a piece of manila paper. I like the different texture this paper adds. 

this layout is in Ryan and Elizabeth's Family Fun journal.  Ryan spent many years playing baseball when he was growing up, so it definitely needed a spot in his journal. :)

thank you so much for visiting my blog today! have a good one!

Jennifer 

Junk Journal July Days 18, 21,22, and 24

 Coffee/Tea of the Day - Vanilla Nut coffee

Welcome back for another project created for Junk Journal July!

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

The project I made for today is made up of the following prompts: cut out, focus, blended, and paint splatters - days 18, 21, 22, and 24. this is part of the baby journal for Tyler and Danielle.

I took a large kraft envelope, and using a Spellbinders scalloped heart die, cut from what would become the bottom of the flip. the envelope was covered with an assortment of papers, both solid and patterns as well as pieces torn from a doily. transparent packaging lines the die cut portion,

I added flowers and butterflies from The Graphics Fairy and Tim Holtz.  I placed the scalloped heart die back down on the envelope and traced around it with a white chalk marker. this helps draw a bit more attention to the heart cut out. polka dot washi tape was added to the inside of the envelope flip to help strengthen the fold. 

The journal card has a large Graphics 45 card on one side and some pink legal paper with fussy cut embellishments on the other. Tyler has always loved squirrels, so I was tickled pink to see that the Graphics 45 Woodland Friends collection contains lots of them!

it's not easy to see in the photos, but I took my SU! ink squirty tool and sprayed ink on all elements. that covers the 'paint splatters' prompt. the scalloped heart window is 'cut out,' 'focus' is the marker outline as well as the placement of the fussy cut pieces, and 'blended' is the use of doily, decorative papers, and washi tape to help the edges blend.

thank you for stopping by today. it was fun incorporating several prompts into one project. :)

have an amazing day!

Jennifer

Junk Journal July Day 15 - Texture

 Coffee/Tea of the Day - Turmeric citrus green tea

I have another project for Junk Journal July to share with all of you today. for more information about the challenge, please see this post.

Today's prompt is 'texture'. boy howdy, is this ever one of my favorites!  :) so I pretty much went all out for it.

I started with a brown paper bag, cut it to size, and then embossed with a Tim Holtz folder.  I stitched around the edges and at the bottom to seal. to this I added patterned papers and some coffee dyed tissue paper. some little leftover thread snippets were stapled to the corner of the bag. a patent drawing for a bicycle creates the focal point. some of the tissue paper covers the lower corner of the image, which helps it to blend. 

the tag was super fun to make.   I had washed a rug in Ryan and Elizabeth's room the day before. unfortunately it just shed these little pieces of fabric inside both the washer and dryer. not one to let anything go to waste, I sewed them to the top of the tag. isn't it such a cool look? the base paper was crinkled and inked to add more of a textured look. a tricycle image and chunk hemp rope finish the tag.

I hope you are inspired to use some of those fun little bits and bobs you come across on your craft projects. Have an amazing day!!

Jennifer

Junk Journal July Day 13 - Mirrored

 Coffee/Tea of the Day - Lavender Mint tea

Hello and welcome back to another day of Junk Journal July! for more information about the challenge, visit this post.

today's prompt is 'mirrored,' and it really had me stumped. that is until I came across a vintage image of 2 scallop shells mirroring each other. inspiration! :)

so I took this wonderful scallop seashell image from The Graphics Fairy, printed it twice, and had the 2 shells mirror one another. easy peasy! 

the tag is fairly simple - some beautiful paper by Mintay Papers, a bit more of the onion bag netting I have used on a previous project, simple stamping, a vintage button (because of course!), and finished with seam binding. I used the new Tim Holtz Uncharted Mariner distress ink. oh my goodness, that color is FABULOUS! absolutely perfect for any pieces made to add to Tyler and Danielle's nautical journal.

I appreciate you stopping by today! I hope you have a good one. :)

Jennifer

Junk Journal July Day 10 - Time Out

 Coffee/Tea of the Day - Peach Turmeric Citrus tea

Welcome back to my projects for Junk Journal July! we are a third of the way through. it's going fast, but I am having a great time. I hope you are as well. :)

for more information about Junk Journal July, please see this post.

Today's prompt is 'time out.' I decided to use a time card for a journaling tag and then stamped the phrase 'vacation time'. A suitcase cut from a Tim Holtz die decorates the bottom of the tag. a clock sticker was added to the actual page. I found a retro vacation type illustration online and have used that as a belly band. a star sticker and fabric ruffle complete the rag. I thought possible vacation destinations could be added to the back.

Thank you so much for stopping by today! :)

Junk Journal July Day 5 - Fold Out

 Coffee//Tea of the Day - Lemon Lavender Mint tea

It's another fun project share for Junk Journal July!

for more information about Junk Journal July, please visit this post.

for today's prompt of 'fold out', I used an image from the free collage sheet offered by Gecko Galz for newsletter subscribers.  This provides the cover for the fold out journal ephemera, created with a sheet of coffee dyed copy paper. 

Tim Holtz rubber stamps and actual postage stamps decorate the various sections.  it's hard to post the photos of inside the fold out because they are so long. to see the details more clearly, just click on each photo. it will take you to another larger image. you can then navigate back here to the main post.

the last page, actually the back cover, has a little side pocket into which I have inserted a vintage train ticket. seems appropriate for a travel themed journal ephemera piece. Tim Holtz tiny metal clip keeps the piece together. I think it would be fun to jot down places to visit and then later check them off. :)

thank you so much for stopping by!

Jennifer

Challenges:

Gecko Galz - wanderlust

Easter Blessings

 Coffee/Tea of the Day - Turmeric tea with ginger and orange

Sending Easter blessings to all of you who celebrate the holiday. He has risen! :) oh, what hope lies in those three words! I am often overwhelmed by the depth of God's love and faithfulness. He never once leaves us. what comfort!

I have several cards to share today. I had to keep them fairly simple because I wanted to mail them through regular first class. 

Main images are found for free at Create with TLC. vintage fussy cut images are from The Graphics Fairy. Papers are from 49 & Market and Asuka Studios. 

Simple embellishments. Organza ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon and little flowers are by Prima. Stamps are from Tim Holtz. inside of each card is decorated similar to the envelopes. 

 

This last card was made for a very special young lady. our youngest son, Ryan, and his wife, Elizabeth, have become foster parents to a 13 year old girl! she moved in this weekend. she is someone they knew from their church youth group. I wanted to send her a little something to say hello. :)

and lastly I ask for your prayers for our daughter-in-law, Lauren. she had a mini stroke several days ago. she is currently resting at home, with more tests to come in the upcoming week. We are so thankful that God kept her safe in the midst of all that happened. She is currently taking baby aspirin to help thin the blood. Our daughter-in-law, Danielle, who is pregnant, is also taking baby aspirin. She was told that mothers who have had covid, which they both have had, are at a higher risk of stroke. so lots of prayers and trusting in God's healing.

May you know how much you are treasured and loved! Happy Easter!

Jennifer

A Few Journal Photos

 Coffee/Tea of the Day - Creamy Chestnuts coffee

Hello and happy weekend! 

I apologize that I have taken so long to get a few project photos to you. I haven't been doing very well this past week. Still rough, so will only share a minimal of details on these, coming back to update later. I hope you can understand.

The first is the cover and tassel for an entertainment themed journal I made for Ryan and Elizabeth. it is filled with game, movie, and music pages & ephemera. I believe the paper is from a Carta Bella collection. the fabric is some from Etsy. the game pieces and papers are vintage. the tassel hooks onto the bow at the spine. this was the only photo I took before mailing it to them for Christmas.

The next few pictures are of the handyman themed journal I made David. I took an old Reader's Digest book and altered it. many of the pockets and tuck spots in the journal are made from pages from the actual book. the spine is Tim Holtz fabric. I found the vintage handle and number placket on Etsy. the handle is screwed into the book cover. I was so happy that my Crop-A-Dile actually punched through the cover with ease. 

this is the inside cover. I added the verse that I have on my blog. I thought that was a perfect way to begin. :) this journal is filled with so many vintage items: first day of issue postal envelopes, pages from manuals, sales flyers, postage stamps, receipts, labels, and book pages just to name a few. I love including lots of actual vintage ephemera in these journals. .the papers used in this book are from Michael's and several Authentique collections. I will try to get more photos of this one later. can't even attempt holding a camera right now. ugh.

I believe I had mentioned that I had made a garden themed journal for Mick and one with a nautical theme for Tyler and Danielle. I still had signatures, or sections, left over from each journal because they just became too full of goodness. ;) so Mick has asked for me to make him another garden journal using the remaining pieces. I am also working on a baby journal for he and Lauren. yep, they are expecting a baby girl in April! hooray!!!I knew that I had a few extra months to get that one finished, so didn't push myself with the Christmas deadline like I did on the others. 

I am very much a novice when it comes to making journals, so please be understanding. I am really having fun with them though, and look forward to getting better with each journal I make. :)

all of you take care, stay safe & healthy, and have a great weekend!