Junk Journal July Day 30 - Favorite Quote

 Coffee/Tea of the Day - Vanilla Nut coffee

Only two projects left for Junk Journal July! it's been so much fun using the prompts to create things for various journals. I hope you have had fun, too! :)

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

Today's prompt is 'Favorite Quote.' while I have several quotes that I really love, none of them seemed to fit any of the journals I am working on. 

"Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether they could, they didn't stop to think if they should." Ian Malcolm, Jurassic Park

you can see that it doesn't really work for a baby journal. tee hee! 

pocket on coffee dyed page

so I went for one of my absolute favorite quotes for babies: "Let her sleep for when she wakes she will move mountains." (this can obviously be changed to 'him') this is for Tyler and Danielle's baby journal. Echo Park has a baby girl collection that uses this saying several times - on journal cards, stickers, etc. perfect!

individual items for pockets

I created a pocket to hold ephemera.  the edges were sewn and dried flower stickers accent. there is a long tag in the back pocket and the front one holds the journal card with the saying as well as an antique postcard. it dates to 1919 and is from Belgium. so cool! the image on the tag is from a digital baby set by Gecko Galz. a ticket serves as the tab, and it's finished with a vintage button. (added after the bottom  photo was taken)

thank you so much for stopping by today! take comfort in knowing that you are deeply loved. :)

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 7 - Bouquet

 Coffee/Tea of the Day - Caramel Vanilla Hazelnut coffee

Hello and welcome back to another project for Junk Journal July! let me know in the comments if you are playing along. :)

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

Today's prompt is 'bouquet.' I may have stretched the theme a bit. there ARE flowers though. :D

I have created a tag using a junk mail postcard covered in coffee dyed paper as the base. I make up quite a few of these at a time so that I have them on hand. this is for Tyler and Danielle's baby journal.

papers are from Mintay Papers Joy of Life collection. I fussy cut pieces from the elements page and added a little fairy baby in a nest image. since their nursery is in a woodland animals theme, I am convinced that creatures from the fae world are in the forest, too. :) some dried flower pieces were added in addition to a bit of doily, ticket, and vintage button.  the word 'baby' is a die cut. my colors are a bit off, but it was cut from a piece of pastel pink cs.

I should also mention something regarding the quality of my photos. they are not the best, I know. with my tremors it is very difficult for me to take photos of decent quality. I shake so much that it is a challenge to take a picture that isn't blurry. my time on the computer is limited because of my seizures, so I can't always work on editing for as long as is needed. the basics are about all I can accomplish. I appreciate your understanding.

See you tomorrow! have a most amazing day!

Jennifer

Happy Mother's Day!

 Coffee/Tea of the Day - Ginger Peach green tea

Happy Mother's Day to all of the moms, grandmas, great-grandmas, aunts, and other significant women out there! :) Celebrate you today, and the many ways you bring love and contribute to your families!

I do know that this day is not always an easy one for those who have lost crucial people in their lives. to you, know that I pray you find some measure of comfort in the love of those nearby.

I haven't yet been able to craft the way I used to, but I did manage to make a few cards for my MIL, aunt, and new mom, Lauren. :)

They are all similar in style, with just a few minor differences. The lovely vintage woman image is a freebie on the Gecko Galz blog. The background paper and roses are from a post at the Graphics Fairy about cabbage rose wallpapers. I cut the flowers from one of the wallpaper images. 

I stitched around the main image and background papers after matting. The button and floral stamps are from my vintage stash, and the crochet trim has been avocado dyed.  a paper doily and sequins were added to complete each card.

Thank you so very much to all of you who have left comments or contacted me about our new granddaughter! you are so wonderful! :) her parents are asking that her personal details not be shared online or on social media, so we respect their desire for privacy. but oh my goodness, she is such a sweetie! we had a fabulous time visiting them for a few days. maybe one day we will all live closer to one another again. 

before I forget, those of you who follow my blog via email, I have received notice that this option will no longer be available after July of this year. I am absolutely awful about visiting the blogs that I follow, and I appreciate the convenience that email alerts provide. hopefully something else will come about so that we can continue to get notices in our inbox. 

know that you are all loved!

Jennifer 

Challenges:

Gecko Galz monthly ch - Secret Garden using a product from GG

Have You Learned Nothing? Christmas Cat Card

 Coffee/Tea of the Day - Creamy Chestnuts coffee

Hello and Happy Friday to each of you! :)

I want to begin by saying a very heartfelt thank you to those of you who have reached out to me with emails, messages, cards, and letters. You bring me such joy and make my heart so happy! Thank you so much!

I am grateful every morning that I wake up, surrounded by so much love from my family and our sweet furbabies. I am overwhelmed by the blessings in my life, even in the midst of strife and serious health issues. God is so very, very good, each and every day. :)

Janis, the person behind the ever fun Cat Lover's Blog Hop, reached out to me to see how I was doing. She is such a sweetheart! I knew I wanted to try to make a project to play along, but wasn't sure how well I would be feeling. Please be understanding that this card took me almost all day to create. Fussy cutting is not my friend any longer. ugh. my brain can't wrap around how to work scissors, and then my shaky hands don't want to cooperate. I must say that it was nice to pick up my paintbrushes again. 

I patterned the shading of the cats off of the two sweeties in Tyler and Danielle's home - Rowan and Stella. A makeup brush was used to apply ink to the cat's fur while I watercolored the other elements. a glitter gel pen and white gel pen were used for accents. The cutie stamps are from the Tim Holtz and Simon Says Stamp collaboration in September.  The saying, "Have you learned nothing from last year's tree?" reminds me of what we go through every year with our cats. :D 

Rowan on the left and 

Stella on the right

The Christmas tree is a vintage image I found online. I made it extra big before printing so that it would look like the cats were sitting at the tree base. a doily and plaid paper represent the tree skirt. Some coffee dyed paper is the bg.

Thank you so very much for stopping by! if you have a moment, grab a cuppa and visit all of those who are participating in the blog hop. Lots of inspiration and fabulous sponsors. :)

love to all of you,

Jennifer

Challenges:

1.  SUYP - Halloween or anything goes
2.  Aud Sentiments - anything goes w/a sentiment
3.  Crimbo Crackers - anything Christmas (waving hi, Ruth!!!)
4.  Merry Little Christmas Ch - anything Christmas

Floral Teacup Birthday Card

Runner Up Winner at Morgan's Art World

Coffee/Tea of the Day - Spiced Hazelnut

Hello and happy weekend! :)

I apologize that I haven't been back to share more of my craft projects. I had a bit of a setback and ended up in the hospital. ugh... since being home, I am just so very tired and worn out. haven't felt up to doing much other than lying on the courch or in bed reading or sleeping. 

anyhow, you want to see crafty stuff! ;)

so this is a birthday card I created for my MIL. poor thing has been in lockdown at her assisted living center since the first of March. she is struggling, because she really loves to get out and DO. she has much more energy than I do these days. this is the card I added to her gift.

The image is a vintage one that I found online as are the old seed covers.  the book page in the bg is vintage. flowers and leaves are from Wild Orchid Crafts, organza ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon, cotton trim is from my stash as are the vintage buttons. the doily was avocado stained. who would have ever thought avocados would create a pink dye? not me, that is for sure! sentiment stamp is from Purple Onion Designs. I know it's a bit casual for this card, but it is the only birthday sentiment I could find in my collection that was large enough.oh yes, I forgot about the little heart charm. another stash item.

the ceiling fan was blowing my ribbon around, so that is why the tails are up in the air. :)

all of you have a most amazing weekend! thank you for your continued support, encouragement, and love!

Jennifer

Challenges:

613 Avenue Create - anything goes or sentiment is the focus

Allsorts - flowers all over

Crafty Calendar - add a ribbon

Crafty Friends - happy birthday

Creative Fingers - anything goes

A Bit More Time to Craft - anything goes

Crafts Galore Encore - anything goes

A Perfect Time to Craft - anything goes

Creations in Pink - more pink than any other color

Creative Craft Cottage - add flowers

Morgan's Art World - anything goes

Fab 'n Funky - anything goes with pink

Floral Wedding Card in Greens and Purples

Coffee/Tea of the Day - Spiced Hazelnut Rum

Hello and Happy Friday to you! :)
I am sharing the first of several projects that I have recently created. I will spread out the posts over several days, as I am feeling well enough to get to the computer. btw, thank you for the kind and encouraging comments left on my previous post! :) y'all are amazing!!!

The first card was created for our son's wedding last month. the card is a bit larger than a typical size. sorry, I didn't get it measured.
digital papers and images are from Roxy's Creations. She has some gorgeous paper kits and vintage ephemera pieces in her store. if you sign up for her newsletter, she occasionally sends out freebies. I think the pieces used here are from the green and purple kits. I printed both out at the same time for this and another project I will be sharing shortly.

flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts, word die is by Tim Holtz, seam binding is from Zipper Stop, and the vintage buttons, doily, burlap ribbon, & sequins are from my stash. "Love" was embossed with copper ep.

Thank you very much for stopping by! I hope you have a most amazing weekend! :)

Christmas Tea Remembrance Cards

Top Pick at Stinkin' Inkers
Coffee/Tea of the Day - Chestnut Praline coffee

Hello and Happy weekend! :)

I wanted to participate in both the Caring Hearts Card Drive and the Fall/Winter Coffee Lover's blog hop. I was so excited when I saw that the Caring Hearts card drive deadline had been extended, so I got busy. understand that it takes me forever and a day to get anything crafty made anymore. oh, the joys of cancer. rolling eyes.....and when I thought about creating cards for people who are in nursing homes, I knew I would be remiss if I didn't make some to send to my MIL, who is also in a nursing home. I thought I would make some little tea cards for her to pass out to her friends. she has always been one of my biggest supporters of my crafting. I think she has truly given away hundreds of my cards as gifts to her friends over the years. :)

So about a week ago I started crafting. yep, it takes me that long! :D I usually have an hour or two each day when I feel well enough to craft. I am so very thankful for that time! although I confess that I spread out on the living room coffee table these days so that I can rest on the couch when I start to feel icky. hubby is so very kind and understanding!

The little packets use digital papers from Gecko Galz, including items from the following collections: Christmas in Nature ATC set, Botanical Christmas, Grandmother's House, Merry & Bright, Christmas Past, and Merry Little Christmas. the tea cups were die cut with dies from Stamp Simply Coffee or Tea set. foliage is from the Tim Holtz mini Holiday Greens die set and cut from cs sprayed with several shades of distress oxide sprays. the poinsettias are from Michael's.

inside the poem is die cut with the Tim Holtz stitched rectangles set, and the scripture is cut with a Spellbinders die set. distressing was done with both inks and a paper distressing tool. beautiful gold organza ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon. mini doilies are from my stash. oh yes, I also stamped the right hand side behind the scripture with the music score from the Tim Holtz Mini Holidays 3 stamp set. sheesh, my head these days! oh goodness!

as I was checking the Caring Hearts card drive post to find out about envelopes, I discovered that they are only wanting A2 sized cards. oh well. I guess I will be sending all 24 of these to my MIL instead! but I hope all of you who are reading this can get something made in time to participate in the card drive. it's for such a worthwhile cause. I know there is no way I am going to be able to get anything done in time between the way I am feeling and the amount of time it takes me to create. but I know that my MIL will be happy to have some treats to share with her friends. :)

have a most amazing weekend! love to all of you, my dearest friends!
Jennifer

Challenges:
Crafting by Designs - anything goes
Ellibelle's Corner - Christmas/holidays
WAW - anything encouraging goes
Ike's World - K is for kindness
Holly and the Ivy - anything Christmas goes
TTCRD - anything goes
Unicorn Ch - Christmas/winter
Dragonfly Dreams - Christmas/winter
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - anything Christmas goes
Merry Little Christmas - anything Christmas goes
Papercraft Business Ch - to give as a gift
Stinkin' Inkers - 'die'lirious and punchy (dies by Tim Holtz, Spellbinders, and Stamp Simply)

Sending Love and Hugs Two Cats Tag Card in Pink

Coffee/Tea of the Day - White Chocolate Pumpkin Spice coffee

Hello and Happy Friday! :)
I am here with an entry in the Cat Lover's Blog Hop. There have been very few moments in my life when I have not had at least one cat in my family. I was a cat lover long before ever having our precious pups in our lives. Our current feline king of castle is Moon Pie. he is a rescue kitty who completely rules the roost! he and Palmer are the bestest buddies. :) in fact, he is sitting on the computer desk beside me   as I am typing.... silly guy! :D

My project uses some of the paper that I made for the breast cancer ribbon awareness cards from this post. rather than use it for the bg, this time I die cut a tag from it. Prima doily and script stamps were used on the tag as well. I die cut another tag from kraft cs and stamped it with one of the sentiments from the retired SU! Ribbon of Courage stamp set. edges on both tags were distressed with ink.

The gorgeous vintage cat clip art is from The Graphics Fairy. they were fussy cut and popped up on foam tape.  flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts, vintage buttons, doily, and pink crochet trim are from my stash, and pink ribbon tying together the tags is from Really Reasonable Ribbon. decorative papers, as with the cards from the other day, are by Echo Park and Kaisercraft. oh yes, distress stickles were added in various places for a touch of sparkle and vintage loveliness.

Thank you to everyone who has left such heartfelt, loving comments about my cancer battle. all of you are simply the best!!!!

enjoy your weekend! :)
Jennifer

Challenges:
SUYP - Meowleween or furry anything goes (featuring a cat)
WAW - anything encouraging goes
Crafting with an Attitude - anything goes
Krafty Chicks - gift packaging, tags, or anything goes (2 tags on the card)
A Bit More Time to Craft - anything goes
Crafty Animals - anything goes w/an animal
Creations in Pink - anything goes in mainly pink
Daisy Chain - pink or Halloween
Papercraft Business Ch - tag, you're it
Creative Crafters - anything goes
Bastel-Traum - favorite animal
TTCRD - anything goes
QKR Stampede - anything goes
Brown Sugar - anything goes
My Time to Craft - Halloween or cats

Floral Pink Ribbon of Courage cards

Top Pick at Path of Positivity
Path of Positivity DT Favorite
Path of Positivity Most Inspiring
Coffee/Tea of the Day - Spiced Pumpkin Hazelnut coffee

Happy weekend to everyone! :)

As most of you know, I am currently battling the dreaded 'C' again. yeah, it pretty much stinks, as I feel lousy most of the time. as with any disease, there are good days and the not so good ones. the past few weeks have been rough, but I am really trying to get crafty time to help combat the doldrums that easily come with being sick for so long.

I created 2 cards for Breast Cancer Awareness month. they are almost identical, with only minor variations. imagine my shock as I was creating these to discover that I have NO pink 12x12 cs! none! what is up with that?! as much as I love pink in my crafting, I obviously rarely use it as a card base unless I am making something different than my standard 6x6 card. almost every card I make has a kraft cs base. guess I had better ask Santa for some pinky goodness in my stocking this year. ;)

the bg piece was created with distress inks stamped over distress oxide. I used the gorgeous Tim Holtz Glorious Bouquet as well as several Prima tiny bg stamps - script and doily. 2 shades of crackle paint were added sporadically and then topped with splatters of white Mr. Huey's spray. edges were distressed with ink.

the pretty awareness ribbon is from the SU! Ribbon of Courage stamp set. the sentiment is from the same set. the hearts in the ribbon were colored with SU! markers. I then used an aqua painter to mute the colors. after fussy cutting, I wrinkled the image to add a vintage feel.

beautiful flowers are from Michael's and altered with inks and Frantage embossing powder. bg papers are from the Kaisercraft Magenta and Echo Park Wedding Day collections. pink tags were stamped with a Prima bg script stamp. doily is from my stash and was distressed with ink. vintage buttons, lace, ribbons, and iridescent sequins are also stash items.

I want to add a little message here about the sentiment:
for anyone dealing with a terrible disease, courage is required on a daily basis, sometimes by the hour. but that also goes for the members of their family. there is courage needed to face the diagnosis and what it means for the changes that take place. courage is needed when dealing with medical appointments and procedures. courage is needed the most when trying to wrap your head about what the future means and not giving up hope. sometimes courage is needed when people who mean well say things without thinking of how it comes across. (no, my  multitude of sins did not cause my cancer, but I will smile and say thank you for trying to be encouraging.) courage is needed as the person diagnosed deals with the numerous changes that their body is going through, tasks that can no longer be easily accomplished, and the multitude of emotions that can, at times, be overwhelming. we might be a bit tattered, but we are not broken. and we will fight with all we have because that is what courage means - bravery in the face of adversity.

Thank you so much  for stopping by! I hope you enjoy your weekend! remember that you are truly loved! :)
Jennifer

Challenges:
SSS Mon. - All Things Pink
Alphabet Ch - 'O' is for one word sentiment
Creative Fingers - anything goes
Craft Rocket - pink
Southern Girls - anything goes
Unicorn Ch - pretty in pink
Creations in Pink - anything goes in mainly pink
Creative Craft Cottage - make it pink
Digi Doodle Studios - black and/or pink
Path of Positivity - courage

Thank You for Your Kindness and Blog Candy Winners

Creations in Pink Top 3 Pick
Coffee/Tea of the Day - Caramel Apple coffee

Happy Wednesday to everyone! isn't it such a glorious day?! :) the birds are eating so much from the feeder I am filling it up twice a day right now. so many beautiful varieties stop by to say hello and grace me with their lovely songs. the little chippies and squirrels come along to offer 'clean up' service, which keeps our cat, Moon Pie, entertained as he watches from the window. he sits mesmerized just watching and watching. the natural world never fails to bring me smiles each and every day! :)

for those of you who had asked, Palmer has recovered perfectly from his accident. thank you for your kindness! he has never before ventured into the road. the only thing we can think is that our son, Mick, had just picked up his dog, Brutus the day before. the dog across the street somewhat resembles Brutus from a distance and we think that Palmer was trying to go see him. our street is a major road and very busy. David and Palmer had just returned from a trip out to Camp, and David was bringing Palmer into the house.  in fact, we were supposed to be going to our friend's funeral....  we think that Palmer saw the other dog and wanted to go see him. regardless, the saddest part, besides Palmer being hit by the car, is that the driver didn't stop to see how he was. they just kept going. :( but thankfully he is doing just fine now. again, thank you to everyone who asked after our fun pup! y'all are so sweet!

now on to the blog candy winners!

the winner of the Pink/Thinking of You/Breast Cancer Awareness blog candy is:

5. Chris B.

the winner of the Halloween/Fall blog candy is:

2. Rhonda Miller

please send me an email at: jenscull at yahoo dot com by Sunay, Oct. 14 so that I can get your prizes to you. if I haven't heard from you by then, I will choose another winner and announce on Monday.

Thank you to everyone who participated! I will have another blog candy drawing the first of next month with a Christmas theme. :)

now for my latest card...

since I still had the Simon Says Stamp "Mandy's Flowers" set on my craft desk, for World Card Making Day I decided to keep playing with it. I used the SSS "Modern Rose Blooms" bg stamp on the kraft card base, which was also part of the kit that I had won. papers are from the Bo Bunny Early Bird collection. I think I am going to need to order a pad of this paper, because it really is lovely. a few of the papers even have coffee cups, so you know I will definitely be using those on upcoming projects! :) the flower center has been dotted with distress stickles.

the pretty floral border die is from Sizzix and was sprayed with pearl Tattered Angels glimmer mist for a wonderful shine. ribbons are from Really Reasonable Ribbons and properly distressed for a shabby feel. flower is from Wild Orchid Crafts. it was originally white, but I painted it with ink refills to match the flowers from the main image. doily, ticket, and vintage buttons are from my stash.

Thank you so much for stopping by! I hope you have a most amazing day! :)
Jennifer

Challenges:
SSS WCMD
Shopping Our Stash - giving thanks
TTCRD - anything goes
Tuesday Throwdown - anything goes
Crafts Galore Encore - anything goes
Creations in Pink - anything goes in pink
Creative Craft Cottage - Halloween or pretty pinks
Pause Dream Enjoy - anything goes
Dream Valley - flowers
My Time to Craft - use kraft cs (card base)

Cup of Columbine Birthday Greetings

Coffee/Tea of the Day - Tea Thyme (I see that it is currently out of stock. hopefully it will soon be back and ready for purchase. I am almost out myself!)

wow, I know that I have been gone for a very long time. so sorry about that. have lost a handfull of followers, and to those of you who have stayed the path, I am so very grateful and say thank you!!! :)

not only did we have the beautiful wedding, but a few days after that, a dear friend of ours passed away. she had only recently been diagnosed with ALS, so we are all still reeling that she is gone. the day of her funeral, our precious dog, Palmer, was hit by a car. thankfully he is doing okay now, but it's been a bit stressful needless to say.

as I am trying to sort through the supplies from one wedding, we are in the midst of preparing for the next one. :) and all the while the seizures still rage on. sigh.... was ever so thankful that they went on a temporary hiatus for the wedding so that I was able to attend and get what needed to be done, done.

but you are here for craftyness. so here you go! finally! I am hoping to get more done in the days and weeks to come. not sure if anyone ever took photos of the things I made for the wedding, but I do have a picture of the dinner invitation I can share later....

the card was made for my SIL's birthday. the beautiful cup of columbine flower digital image is by Power Poppy, digital papers are from several Prima collections, and sentiment is by SU!  butterfly die is from Cheery Lynn and main die is by Spellbinders. (I can no longer add either digital papers or Cheery Lynn to my post labels for some strange reason per Google. they are flagged and cause my pages to be blocked.)

seam binding is distressed with ink and is from Zipper Stop, twine is from Really Reasonable Ribbon, and flowers are from the former Wild Orchid Crafts. not sure if and when the new owners are going to open the store, as the site has been saying it will be opening soon for quite a while now....

vintage lace & buttons as well as doily are from my stash. frantage powders have been added to the  main image and around edges. wink of stella glitter pen was added to the center of the butterfly die.

again, thank you to those of you who are still here! :) I will do my best to be back and share with you soon. have a most amazing day!
Jennifer

p.s. I will have more blog candy coming VERY soon!!!!

Challenges:
Crafty Gals Corner - 3+ layers
Everybody Art - anything goes
TTCRD - anything goes
Tuesday Throwdown - add some texture
Artistic Inspirations - anything goes
Crop Stop - anything goes w/doily option (Prima & Spellbinders sold in store)
Dream Valley - girlie
Whoopsi Daisy - anything goes in shades of purple
Always Happy Birthday - anything birthday themed goes
Daisy Chain - birthday

Sunflower Garden Birthday Greetings

Winner at County View Challenges
Coffee/Tea of the Day - Pineapple Lemon tea

The weekend is here! Hooray! :) I hope you have something absolutely wonderful planned. share with me what you are up to.

I am finally sharing the card I made for my MIL's birthday. she recently moved into an assisted living down in San Antonio and really loves it. when I got in touch with her on her birthday, she was on her way to a water aerobics class. she has always been one to stay busy, but it's so nice to see that she is continuing that still. She is flying up for Tyler and Danielle's wedding, and it will be wonderful to see her again. :)

The sunflower garden image is from Make it Crafty. I added touches of distress stickles to the flower centers as well as the edges of the main piece. I sure hated that they discontinued the distress stickles, but I tried to stockpile as much of it as I could find. :)

These are about the last of my pieces of the Authentique Meadow papers. I might have a tiny scrap or two left, but that would be about it until I can find more online somewhere.... time to put on my Sherlock digs and go searching! ha!

main die and matting are by Spellbinders and the banner one is by SU!  pretty little sunflower is from Wild Orchid Crafts. I look forward to seeing the store once the new owner has taken over.

vintage buttons, burlap doily, and ticket are from my stash while all ribbons & ric rack are from Really Reasonable Ribbon. birthday stamp is by SU! 

thanks so much for stopping by and enjoy your weekend! :)
Jennifer

Challenges:
Allsorts - flowers all over (also tiny flowers on lower paper)
Colour Crazy wk 29 - anything hand colored goes
Creative Fingers - anything goes
Country View - in the summer garden
Southern Girls - tic tac toe: yellow, stamp, bling (distress stickles) or white, blue, yellow
Craftaholics R Us - anything goes
That's Crafty - close to nature
Sheepski - for someone special (my MIL)
Crafty Sentiments - add a sentiment
Sisterhood of the Snarky Stampers - C is for Coloring

Birthday Cats, Mice, and Old Cheese

Winner at House Mouse and Friends
DT Favorite at 2 Crafty Critter Crazies
Coffee/Tea of the Day - Dunkin' Donuts Vanilla CupCake coffee

So today is my birthday and we are having a party here on my blog! Gourmet cupcakes, ice cream, balloons, music, and lots of dancing! chips and nachos, too! something for everyone!

Don't forget the candy, BLOG CANDY!!!!! Head over to this post and get your name entered for a chance to win some fun prizes! it doesn't matter where in this big, happy world you  live, because everyone has a chance! :) you have until the end of the month to enter. more entries if you link a birthday themed card or project!

so now on to my project....

I pulled out one of my oh, so neglected House Mouse stamps, "Gift for Kitty" and combined it with elements from one of my most favorite ever online stores & blogs, Create with TLC. you have probably seen me use Paulette's sentiments and digital elements if you are a follower or frequent visitor here. she  is a doll. really and truly. she gives away free stuff ALL the time. honest. go check out her blog. now. well, maybe after you finish reading my post. and linking your blog to the candy. then go visit Paulette. tell her hey and ask her what she has against coffee. she will laugh. ;)

speaking of Paulette, she has a few freebies for y'all. talk about party favors! check out the blog candy post for a few more. :) a few of the International participants will win gift certificates to her Etsy store! cool, huh, ?!

(to save these images, click on the photo 

which should take you to another page.

right click and then 'save as' to

the file of your choice

on your computer.

if you have any troubles, 

pop me an email.)

so now we really will get to my card.

card:
cute House Mouse image: check
great Create with TLC elements: check

story: this thing drove me up the freaking wall to get done. I was worried about that cat. it just wasn't right. But here it is finished. Ta da! :)

digital papers are from the Echo Park Celebrate Spring collection, flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts, lace trim is from Really Reasonable Ribbon, and seam binding is distressed & by Zipper Stop. little ticket and burlap doily are from my stash. no clue whatsoever where the pretty pink sequins came from, but I do like them ever so much. Die is by Spellbinders and punches are from SU! I used a wink of stella glitter pen to go over the jingle bell.

thanks for hanging in there with me. y'all rock the casbah! let's party!
now go get some cake!

Challenges:
House Mouse and Friends - anything goes w/birthday option
Ike's World - anything goes/song inspiration (Happy Birthday, kinda obvious, sorry)
SUYP - furryything goes with cats
Crafty Sentiments - anything goes
Cute 'N Crafty - birthday
WAW - anything encouraging goes
Cupcake Inspiration - color challenge: pink, green, yellow
Use Your Stuff - inspired by a song: Happy Birthday, of course ;)
2 Crafty Critter Crazies - anything goes w/a critter
Ching-Chou Kuik - cats or dogs
Crafty Animals - anything goes w/an animal
Dream Factory - Nine Lives

Under the Sea Altered Nuts Can

Top 3 Pick at Sparkles Monthly Challenge
Highlighted Project at Use Your Stuff
Winner at Sunsational Stamps
Top 3 Pick at The Fairy and the Unicorn
Coffee/Tea of the Day - Sweet Pear tea

Hello! Happy Monday! :)
I hope you had a great weekend! I apologize that I haven't had a craft project to share with you in a while.  These seizures and migraines are really doing a number on me. Unfortunately they seem to be getting worse rather than better, much to my dismay. I am using my cane to get around much more often, as opposed to just 'holding on to the walls' as I usually do to get around the house. Yesterday it was easier to just stay in bed, because I found myself falling down  every time I tried to stand or walk.  this is not fun, folks. :( I want to be out enjoying the sunshine and bird songs and the smell of grass and good stuff of summer. oh well. maybe soon.

 anyhow, enough of the icky stuff.  I had wanted to have this project completed in time to celebrate World Oceans Day and the March for the Oceans. I had planned to attend a nearby march, but of course I couldn't. taking care of our waterways and the beautiful creatures that live in them is very important to me.

So I created this altered project using a mixed nuts can. Since becoming a vegetarian over the past few years, we eat lots of nuts. :) I save the cans for my projects, and thought it would be fun to make this for Tyler and Danielle to put the shells and beach glass they collect on their honeymoon this fall.

I gathered images from The Graphic Fairy (anchors), Create with TLC (fish), and SU! (fish rubber stamp).  papers are from the Authentique Sea Maiden collection, and flowers are from both Wild Orchid Crafts & Petaloo. all ribbons and trims are from Really Reasonable Ribbon. sea horse and sand dollar dies are by Tim Holtz.

The background base paper was sprayed with Tattered Angels pearl glimmer mist. This is one of my favorite sprays for a glorious all over sparkle, but especially for water scenes. Essentially every piece of paper or cardstock used on here was sprayed with this glimmer mist at least once. :)

From there I created the sand portion. I used the actual sand designer paper from Authentique, but then sprayed it with the Tattered Angels walnut gold & pearl regular glimmer mists and the Hot Chocolate Chalkboard glimmer mist. once these had dried I stippled a bit of gesso over the top to give a bit of texture. this piece of dsp was then adhered around the bottom with foam tape.

The seahorses were distressed with white craft and crumb cake inks and then sprayed with the pearl & Atlantic glimmer mists. I added a little bead for the eyes. torn cardboard was distressed with white craft ink. the floral anchor piece was edged in gold glitter glass. I used a little fern punch by Martha Stewart to replicate sea plants. they were distressed and inked. The top has a wonderful burlap doily and neat flower that I came across a few years ago in my travels, knowing that it would be perfect on some project. looks like this was the one! :)

Pearl beads and metallic beads by Prima add more texture along the ocean floor. Real shells & beach glass pieces, along with postage stamps and vintage laces & buttons help to complete the project.

I hope you have enjoyed my little altered project today. Enjoy your day!
Jennifer

Challenges:
Canvas Corp - To the Sea (Tattered Angels pearl, walnut gold, Hot Chocolate, & Atlantic glimmer mists)
613 Avenue Create - anything goes w/optional buttons & bows theme
Dragonfly Dreams - anything goes
Corrosive Challenges - anything goes
Catch the Bug - make a splash
Fairy and the Unicorn - anything mystical/mythical (mermaids, on card)
Happy Little Stampers Mixed Media - layers
Let's Craft and Create - anything goes w/punch it optional theme (Martha Stewart fern punch)
Not Just Cards - anything goes
Sparkles - sea shells
Sunsational Stamps - beach
Crafter's Cafe - tic tac toe: lace, patterned paper, ribbon
CRAFT - add ribbon and sparkle (sparkle comes from the numerous glimmer mists, pearl beads, and beach glass. it has a lovely shine irl)
Use Your Stuff - magical (mermaids, on card)
Altered Eclectics - anything altered or mixed media