Ever Grateful for So Much

Coffee of the Day - Cinnamon Hazelnut

Good morning to my wonderful friends & family! as the song goes, it is well with my soul...... that song is playing right now - the Jars of Clay version that is, so a little pumped up & oh, so funky and fab! ;) I couldn't sleep last night, (thank you dear doggies), but I think it was more a gentle nudging from God just to say hello. how often do you get caught up in your life and forget to "be still...." as He so often asks of us. as I lie in bed, I was overcome with just how very blessed my life really is. now don't misunderstand - we are dirt poor financially, have illness to deal with, but are rich in love of friends & family, a house to protect us, & food to keep us from going hungry. our needs are met every day. and I am blessed & filled with joy to be loved by my husband and sons. what more could I need?

so I got up and made this card. word of warning - cards made at 2 a.m. by me are rarely pretty. tee hee! you would think I would have learned my lesson by now, but no.......

I hadn't used this new SU! set, The Open Sea, yet, so wanted to make a card to send off to the guys at Camp next week. with the theme this summer being 'Anchors Away', I think it will be perfect for them - plus no ribbon which is the number one criteria for any card going to them! :) papers are from the Basic Grey Oxford collection. the little sentiment tag is actually a scrap of vintage book paper I had saved from trimming. perfect for this tag! everything else is pretty self-explanatory.

have a most glorious day!
love ya! Jennifer

Aud Sentiments - sentiment with at least 2 words
Paper Crafting Journey - for him (how about for 4 hims? grins!)
Your Next Stamp - buttons
Crafter's Companion - one for the boys

Joy to the World with Shady Tree Studio

Coffee of the Day - Eggnog, of course! using the last bit from the holidays.... so tasty!

Hello and Merry Christmas to you! :)

I'm singing 'Joy to the World' to each and every one of you this morning! If you go by the Shady Tree Studio blog, you will get to see all kinds of wonderful holiday inspiration this week with the fabulous creations by the Design Team.


My card today uses the set, Nativity. I love the beautiful images Nancy drew that take us back to that glorious time several thousand years ago. I used my SU! inks & watercolor brushes to color the image. The sentiment was stamped onto a small tag that was also sprayed with glimmer mist and then popped up on foam tape. Papers are Cosmo Cricket Mitten Weather. I found one of my oldie but goodie SU! bg stamps, Script, to use on the card base. Some crochet trim and crinkled seam tape (also sprayed with glimmer mist) help add to the shabby feel. A few dew drops finish off the card.

I am so excited to see what everyone else has to show us! and please be sure to extend a kind welcome to both Carla as a new DT member and Joanne as our Guest Designer. :)

House That Stamps Built - Christmas in July
Little Red Wagon - Christmas in July
Sweet Stamps - Christmas in July
Tuesday Throwdown - Christmas in July
Christmas Card Challenge - Night Before Christmas
Christmas Stamping All Year Long - kraft as main color

Home Tweet Home

Coffee of the Day - Vanilla Nut

Good morning! oh what a day yesterday.... I took the dogs out first thing and was attacked by the most ferocious vampire ants! eek! We so rarely have any ants around our house at all, so to discover these nasties was a true horror. and to make it worse, I am SOOOOOOOOOO allergic to them. so I got to spend the day taking loads of medication trying to ward off a really bad reaction. virtually nothing accomplished other than a wonky head that visited the outer nebula, Saturn, and other interesting places in infinity & beyond. plus lovely little bitesies that completely cover my feet & legs. add that to me hobbling around already on a twisted ankle from a Starbucks misadventure over the weekend and I am one funny looking old lady!

so on to something much more fun - a card! Claire at Jellypark is offering up this adorable little bird house & set of sentimetns as a freebie in her store. be sure to check out all of the delightful things she has up and down every aisle! :)

I used Cosmo Cricket Togetherness papers, dies from My Favorite Things, a SU! punch, some ribbons, (dyed the golden one exactly to match for the first time ever! cool way to get all matchy matchy!) and little buttons from both my vintage & regular stash. someday I will get a sun die, but until then I thought the flower punch worked out okay.

have a good one, folks! and only about a dozen followers needed before July 17 for some fun blog candy! I have been gathering some goodies together! :)

---> there is a contest going on over at the Jellypark Friends Friday challenge blog, so hurry to check it out! also, as soon as the Jellypark Paper Craft Planet group reaches 100 members, Claire is going to offer up a freebie! wooo hooooo!

Bearly Mine - Anything Goes
City Crafter - Birds of a Feather
Paper Take Weekly - Anything Goes with optional buttons
Craft Your Passion - anything goes
Polka Doodles - Home Sweet Home

Check this out....

Just had to come make a quickie post ~

I was checking out a neat tweet from Claire at Jellypark when I saw my pink fairy card smiling back at me! how cool is that?! so go to Craft Gossip to see what the scoop is all about! :)

Happy 4th with PIE! :)

Coffee of the Day - Maple Pecan

Happy 4th of July to all of my friends who live here in the good ol' USA!!!!! hello to all the rest of you, too! :) As I mentioned in a previous post, I am so proud to be an American. Last night David & I watched Extreme Home Makeover. They were honoring a soldier who was shot in the deadly spree of Ft. Hood, TX back in 2009. Oh, how we teared up watching all that this young man had been through. Such courage & bravery from both he & his fiancee. I do pray for our troops stationed both here at home & overseas. I can not even imagine all that they endure for us. Please please, if you have never done so in the past, I encourage you to look into Operation Write Home. This is such a phenom organization that collects cards to send to our troops so that they in turn can have a homemade card to send back home.




I have a card to share with you today with a delightful patriotic image from Sassy Cheryl. you can also find it at Squigglefly. We love our pie here in the Scull family, and since I couldn't be with my family today, it seemed fitting that I send them a pie somehow! ;) Papers are from the Americana collection by K & Co. used a button salvaged from David's shirt, the banners were die cut from card board & writing paper. the bases were edged in white craft and then stickles. the writing paper was sprayed with walnut gold glimmer mist. On the pie, the hearts & button were painted with shimmerz. the polka dots were accented with stickles. A prima flower & ribbon finish off the card. Hope my family likes their 'American Pie' for the holiday! :)

have a wonderful day celebrating with your family & friends!
love ya dearly! Jennifer

p.s. I just saw that my Patriotic Butterfly card for Paper Cupcakes is being featured on the blog today for the sketch challenge. play along if you get the chance! thanks, Nina, for showing my card! You are so kind! :) she has some cute freebie patriotic tickets available for the week, too, so be sure to stop by!

Heart Song - red, white, & blue and/or paper piecing
Come & Get it - patriotic
Creative Inspiration - red, white, & blue
Ellephantastic - July Celebrations
Mark's Finest Paper - patriotic
Our Creative Corner - last minute July 4th or Christmas in July (made only a few hours before it went off to Camp with hubby!)
Stamp, Scrap, & Doodle - stars & stripes
Sugar Creek Hollow - patriotic w/your country's colors
Alota Rubber Stamps - Star Spangled Banner (broad stripes & bright stars, banner itself)
Fairy Tale - America
Stamp Something - digi
Aud Sentiments - food or drink
Pixie Dust - red, white, & blue with optional stars
Rainbow Lady - July 4th
Crafting for All Seasons - red, white, & blue
Digi Stamps 4 Joy - red, white, & blue
Little Red Wagon - patriotic
Party Time Tuesdays - July 4th
Amber's Crafts & Stuff - red, white, & blue
Shabby Tea Room - photo inspiration

A Hodge Podge of Stuff

Coffee of the Day - Toasted Coconut

Good morning!
I am going to warn you ahead of time - no project to show you today, but several items of crafty interest.

To start - on Friday I received a most glorious package in the mail - the brand new Stampin' Up! Idea Book/Catalog. oh my goodness gracious me, I think this is truly the best on EVER EVER EVER!!!! each page is filled with such beauty! the samples seem to far surpass any I have seen before. the new 'in colors' are gorgeous, even though I am still in love with the past ones. so happy they are now keeping them for 2 years rather than 1 like in previous years. the new stamps are such fun. I think I want almost every single one. all of the seam tape from the minis made it into the 'big book', thankfully, along with the most delightful ruffle ribbon. so get ahold of your demo & get this catty. you will turn to it time & time again for inspiration!

next up is a quick little announcement about a joint venture between Tiddly Inks and Make it Crafty. July 14 they will release a collection of Victorian and Steampunk images. I can't wait to see these! you can head over to Christy's blog for a chance to win several of your own!

Whiff of Joy is having a big giveaway for blog candy here. I have long admired these cute stamps & would love to win a few! How about YOU?! grins!

Cheryl of She Stamps has a great Copic blog candy giveaway going on through the end of this month. I don't know about you, but I am always adding to my Copic collection! ;)

and finally, I discovered yesterday that I have been accepted to the Kaboodle Doodles Challenge blog Design Team! this is going to be such fun! there are some amazingly talented women who are a part of this challenge team, so I look forward to working with them every week! I hope you will play along from time to time! you know how much I enjoy challenges! :)

Enjoy your weekend & I will see you tomorrow!
Jennifer

--> edited to add: if I reach 260 followers by July 17, a certain person's birthday in our family, I will offer up my own blog candy package! :) gosh, I might just do it anyway for all of you who have so faithfully stood by my side through the ups & downs......

The Day has Arrived - Jellypark re-opens! :)

Coffee of the Day - Coconut Almond

The big day is finally here! Jellypark is now open in all of its brand new glory! Claire has been working non-stop to fill the aisles with so many lovelies for you to see! Please race over and take a looksie! you might even find a freebie digi if you take a peek! ;) Be prepared to smile a LOT though..... just warning ya!

Now once you finish there, refill your cup with your fave morning beverage, (or stop by here and I will top you off with some of my fresh brew!) and then hippity hop over to the Jellypark Friends Friday Challenge blog for the big Design Team announcement! Challenges will begin on Friday, July 15, but you will want to meet the new DT. so many amazing applications were received, and I truly thank each one of you who applied. A new term will begin Sept. 1, so another call will go out soon. Think about becoming a follower so you don't miss any of the challenges or news. Don't forget our group over at Paper Craft Planet. always lots of chatting going on!

In the mean time, be sure to stop by the new members' blogs and wish them a hearty hello!
Diane, Ruth, Suzie, Mel, Lisa, Tracey

I have a quick card using one of Claire's cuties. I wanted a card to celebrate our big day, so this adorable little girl with her mag cuppie seemed just perfect! Papers are from the Basic Grey Sweet Threads collection (and they have new releases today, too! hooray!!), with buttons from my collection, pink ribbon is May Arts, ric rac is from JoAnn's I think, and the little baby flowers are Prima. I added some shimmerz paint to the cherry, bow, and her pretty pink shoes. the cupcake is covered in this wonderful thick chunky clear glitter I just love!

The other day Claire gifted me with a fun blog award, so I would like to share this today. I am passing it along to my new Jellypark DT friends.

Here are the instructions:
1. Make a post linking back to the person who gave you the award.
2. Share 7 random things about yourself.
3. Award 7 recently discovered bloggers with this award and contact them to let them know they have won.

7 Things about me ~

I have a heart tattoo on my ankle and am searching for a new one. am trying to decide btwn getting it on the base of my neck or my foot.

Have always had a cat my entire life.

was never supposed to have children, but then had 3 sons in a 3 year time span. oh, that was a lot of diapers at one time!

attended Oxford University in England. hubby had to propose to get me to come back to States, otherwise I was considering a transfer from Univ. of Texas.

love to watch UFC. if the Octagon is on t.v., I am probably watching. :)

have a collection of 3 tiaras so far. yes, this seems to be in contradiction with the above factoid, but I am a unique individual!

hubby and I were the Bridal Couple of the Year for the state of Texas the year we got married as chosen by Bride's magazine. we were one of 8 couples in the running for the National title.

Fetch a Sketch - sketch (this challenge is run by new DT member, Ruth!)
Ribbon Reel - 2 trims, brads, fruit element (cuppie cherry!) & photo colors if desired

Paper Piecing with Fresh Air

Coffee of the Day - French Vanilla

Good morning to all of you! Today I want to show you a card I made using the free digi you receive from Shady Tree Studio with any purchase - and free is always fun! :)

The image is called 'Fresh Air' and you can almost feel the wind blowing through the window. I used papers from the Julliane collection by K & Co., paper piecing the curtains. This is a pretty simple card for me - something I thought I would give a try! Everyone in my family loves to cook with fresh herbs, so it was fun to use this empty seed packet on my card. Basil is a 'must have' in almost everything we prepare. Garlic and rosemary are right up there as well. What herbs do you use most often?
Anyhow, I added some crinkled seam tape, tea dyed tea tag twine, and a vintage button.

Have a great day!
Jennifer


City Crafter - sketch (flipped on its side)
Paper Shelter - Anything Goes

Patriotic Butterfly & news

Coffee of the Day - Caramel Truffle

Good morning, everyone! with the 4th of July just around the corner, I realized I hadn't made anything yet to celebrate this wonderful holiday! horrors! I am so proud of being a United States citizen. while I might not always support the choices made by politicians, I am more proud of my country than you can imagine. it's the every day people you meet at the post office, the grocery store, craft store (tee hee!), schools, & churches that make up this amazing country. Guess that is why I am always drawn to anything in the Americana style.

So as soon as I saw this wonderful patriotic butterfly from Nina at Paper Cupcakes, I knew it would be perfect for a project! it doesn't show so well in the scan, but there is actually a 2nd butterfly layered over the base that is attached only at the body. the wings fold up to give such beautiful dimension irl. the stars and white stripes were covered in stickles for some glittery shine. I accented the antennae with my spica glitter pen. the flower in the upper right corner was sprayed with walnut gold glimmer mist for vintage age & shine. papers are K & Co. Americana (so fitting!) while the buttons actually came from a shirt David was throwing out. he knows to put everything on my craft desk first so I can take all the fun stuff! I used my crumb cake ink pad to lightly distress that fabby red, white, & blue baker's twine. it took some of the starkness out of the white perfectly.

Which leads me to announce that Nina has so kindly asked me to join her Design Team over at There's Magic in the Air with Paper Cupcakes! I am so excited to be part of her team and these fun challenges! The big announcement will take place in a few weeks, so I do hope you join me there!

have a great day! love ya, Jennifer

Daisy Doodles - stars & stripes
HappiLeigh Scrappin - stars & stripes
Kraft Journal - something old (vintage paper for flower & Dave's buttons!), something new (digi) & kraft (cs)
Paper Playtime - digi plus red, white, & blue
Scrapbookaholic - red, white & blue
Woodware - patriotic
Sentimental Sundays - patriotic plus sentiment (this one word seemed to sum up my feelings)
Stamptacular Sunday - stars & stripes plus stamp (sentiment is SU!)
Cupcake Inspirations - inspiration photo
Designed 2 Delight - red, white, & blue and/or Christmas too
Stamp Something - celebrate with red, white, & blue
Craft us Crazy - red, white, & blue and/or summer
Paper Play - stars & stripes
Party Time Tuesdays - 4th of July
Tuesday Throwdown - red, white, & blue
Celebrate the Occasion - 4th of July
Use it Tuesday - red, white, & blue (can't even tell you how old the Prima flower is.... black shimmerz paint is almost dried up in the pot. trim is about a year or so old)

Hear Me ROAR!!!

Coffee of the Day - Vanilla Nut

A happy Sunday morning to all of you! May this day find you full of joy & peace & above all else, love!

Well today is the last day to get your applications in for the Jellypark Challenges Design Team! I have been busy working behind the scenes getting things ready for the new team, as well as working more on the challenge blog. So much fun is in store that I really hope a lot of you plan to stop by!

I made a card using more of Claire's adorable images, this time with a masculine feel. This little guy in his dino suit has always brought a smile to my face. When I ran the dsp through the printer for the trees, my printer grabbed the paper funny and printed them off crooked. so not one to waste a piece of my beloved Basic Grey paper, I decided to have fun with it anyhow. Papers are BG Recess, a very old collection, but perfect for the guys in our lives! design is based on the My Favorite Things current sketch challenge, but using supplies I have. You can find some of Claire's images at MFT in actual stamps as opposed to digi if you prefer that method. or sometimes it is fun to have both! grins! the grass die is MFT and one I use a LOT! buttons are all from my vintage stash and that amazing burlap flower is Prima. the sentiment is stamped on a piece die cut from an actual vintage book page.

Have a great day and don't forget to send in your application! :)


MFTWSC25 - sketch
Challenge Up Your Life - circles
My Mum's Craft Shop - one of the boys
My Time to Craft - more than one image
Pile it On - round in circles

You're Too Kind

I finally had a chance to do some crafting today. and gosh, did it feel good! :)

I made this card with several challenges in mind. One is over at Squigglefly. their challenge is to create something using your fave image from the SF store. Since I lost all of my images when my compy crashed this winter, I have come to appreciate Squigglefly so much more. Not only do they represent some amazing artists, but they are the only digital store I have found that actually has downloads that don't expire. So this weekend I was able to collect all of the images I have purchased and put them on my new computer! It was just like Christmas Day! as I was going through each image and putting them in the proper folder and on a flashstick, I realized just how much I really love this image, 'Bouquet For You'. She was one of the very first I bought from SF, even before I served on their DT. So it was an easy choice for which image to use!

my new fave Basic Grey paper collection, Sweet Threads, happens to have both pink & orange, a fun color combo I wanted to try. lots of sparkle and shine on this card that doesn't really show in scan. You will find following this post some other challenges I am also joining.

See you tomorrow! :)

Sugar Creek Hollow - tic tac toe (buttons, die cut, lace, but I also added a flower. sure hope that is okay 'cause it looks so pretty on there! grins!)
Basic Grey - stitching (along right side)
Just Some Lines - spots & dots (white gel pen polka dots on tights, pocket, & hair bow)
Our Creative Corner - your style (PINK, using Basic Grey, buttons, trim, and shabby/vintage but not too overdone)
Alphabet - 'H' half dozen (buttons)
Stampin' For the Weekend - favorite things
CCEE - pink (with pleasure!!)
Rainbow Lady's - digi
Crafts & Me - stitches
Digital Tuesday - ice cream combo (raspberry or rainbow sherbet for me!)
Bows and Berries - thank you/appreciation
Creative Inspirations - stitching

Pink Saturday

Coffee of the Day - Eggnog (my last bit from the holidays & it is a nice treat on this cool day!)

Happy Pink Saturday to you! I wasn't sure if I would be able to participate after our E.R. mole adventure of yesterday. I wasn't able to get any crafting done like I wanted, so didn't have anything papercrafty to show you.

As you may know, I am a HUGE follower of Etsy. (and now Pinterest) I am so inspired by the beauty of photographs. they can truly take my breath away. I just happened upon a new-to-me photographer, Anna Dykema, who happens to hail from Texas, my home state (long may she reign & hook 'em horns!) I want to share just a few beauties from her Etsy shop. please please stop by & visit her. She has an amazing talent. Some day I will own one of her pretties to place upon my wall. Enjoy!

Just when you think life is on an even keel.....

......you get that text that makes you go, "what?"

early this afternoon I received a text from David, who is still in D.C., telling me that Ryan had been bitten by a mole. what did I know about rabies and its treatment? ummmmmm..... hang on a sec..... I was in the middle of happy crafty blurffing and you are telling me a MOLE bit Ryan and he might have rabies?!

so after several conversations between David in Washington D.C, our local dr. who was attending a conference himself, and Ryan out at Camp, it was decided that I was going to take Ry to the E.R. God has blessed us indeed with sons who have such amazing personalities! through it all Ryan stayed so cool and calm. He was nervous at the thought of rounds of rabies shots, which he thankfully did not have to get, and was such a trooper.

He is home with me now, resting in bed with his PSP, and a bit sore from the tetnus shot he did need. will stay on antibiotics for a week and go back in for a checkup. The nurse at Camp will keep an eye on him, too.

Phew.....

A Long Hello! :)

Coffee of the Day - Cinnamon Spice

I have a long hello for you - a long hello CARD that is! sorry, I just could not resist myself on this one! giggles!

I was so inspired by the beautiful photo over at the Paper Cupcakes blog this week as well as the colors above that I just knew I had to play along in the challenges. I combined all kinds of things from all different mfgs., which I'm sure will have them all spinning in circles, but gosh, I kinda think that is part of the fun of having all of these supplies! :)

the flower stamp you will recognize from yesterday's post - those beautiful flowers from Shady Tree Studios Backyard Spring set. I watercolored the flowers, again used the white gel pen on the stamens, and added little highlights in the center with a gold glitter pen. The jar comes from PTI, as does the little matching ruffle die. the water was stamped onto vellum cs which adds a neat effect irl. I wrinkled the little ruffle bit before adhering to help it look more like fabric. Papers are from K & Co. Ancestory. com collection, as is that gorgeous leaf border sticker. you will see more from that sticker pack in my upcoming moleskin journal I just know! :) lace ruffle was a leftover scrap I applied to the back of the main image using double sided tape. the sentiment is a SU! rub-on. they truly make the very best rub-ons, in my opinion. and I think it is one of those products of theirs that rarely gets noticed, but is absolutely FABULOUS!!!!

the card is sized to fit in a legal envie. edges were inked with vanilla craft.

have a most amazing day! love ya!
Jennifer

p.s. Nancy at Shady Tree Studios has just posted 2 wonderful FREE digital images that are perfect for 4th of July projects! go check them out!

Paper Cupcakes - photo inspiration
Lily Pad Cards - inspiration - Kathy's Lily Pad Palette
House That Stamps Built - watercoloring
Ruby's Rainbow - flowers
Word Play Weekend - blue
SCS Ways to Use it - no white cs
Daring Cardmakers - something old (vellum - found it in a box.... & vintage button), new (PTI stamps & die), blue (paper, inks, flower)

Painted Shady Tree Flowers

Coffee of the Day - Caramel Creme

Good morning! whew.... I had quite the scare on my compy just a bit ago...... after I downloaded the day's updates, I logged onto the internet to discover the dreaded Internet Explorer 9 had snuck its evil little way onto my beloved Sheldon!!!! oh no, I was NOT about to let that happen! after dealing with that monstrosity for a while on David's computer, Sheldor the Conqueror quickly took out the Sword of Justice and sent the horrid infiltrator on its way....... all is safe again and I can peacefully resume my blurffing and inspirational jaunts across cyberspace. disaster averted and joy has returned! grins!

now onto a project - FINALLY you say! I was so inspired by several projects I saw on Nichole Heady's blog recently featuring these glorious swaths of paint that I had to try it for myself. and of course I just HAD to use pink paint! ;) I really like the way it turned out, in my own shabby little style, and will do this again some day soon. I used the flower trio stamps from the Backyard Spring set by Shady Tree Studio. I stamped these in brown staz-on directly over the pink acrylic paint that I brushed onto a page from an old book. the aging on the page's edges is natural, not done with inks this time. Papers are from Basic Grey Curio and Sweet Threads. the little banner die in the upper right corner is from PTI. I adore these sparkly roses from Making Memories! they come with glitter already on them, but I added a bit of stickles to the leaves for a bit more shine. the same stickles was added to the centers of the stamped flowers. I also highlighted the stamens on those same flowers with white gel pen to help them stand out a little from the paint. Couldn't for the life of me find my label maker, which is what I wanted to use to make a sentiment, so opted for these metal tiles I received in a swap eons ago......

All of you have a wonderful day! and big new stuff is coming from Shady Tree in the next few weeks! keep your eyes open for fun! :)

OH MY GOSH I JUST FOUND OUT TODAY IS PINK DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOOOOO HOOOOO! GO CELEBRATE! :)

Deep Ocean - flowers
Use it Tuesday - die cut or punch not used before or in a while (banner die)
Hooked on Crafts - Anything Goes
Karen's Doodles - flowers
Simon Says Stamp and Show - metal
Pile it On - metal
Stampin Sisters in Christ - doodles (around the banner die, but gosh, I didn't do a very good job of it.....sigh)
Crafty Emma's - sparkly flowers
Stamp, Scrap, & Doodle - photo inspiration
Stamp Something - pretty papers
Totally Papercrafts - diecuts and punches
Southern Girls - anything goes

Jellypark DT reminder.....

Coffee of the Day - Vanilla Nut

Just wanted to post a quickie reminder to everyone that the deadline for Design Team applications for Jellypark is quickly approaching....... hurry hurry and get yours in! you don't want to miss the fun! click here for all of the info.

The new DT will be announced on July 1 and challenges will begin mid month. The newly vamped Jellypark store will also open on the 1st of July. Claire has some little sneak peeks of what is inside over on her art blog.

Hope to be back later to post some crafties! I seem to have been sucked into the beautiful vortex which is Pinterest of late. you can check out my boards by clicking the link on the side bar. I'll also be happy to send you an invite. and yes, if you are on the side bar you will also notice I have entered the world of Twitter. slowly but surely making my way into the Social Network! grins!

ME in my MoleskinE - online class

Coffee of the Day - Toasted Coconut

Happy day to all of you! I hope it is grand wherever you find yourself this morning. :)

I want to tell you about an online class I have signed up to take with Kirsty Wiseman - ME in my MoleskinE. Participants will be creating personal, one of a kind journals that reflect so much about the uniqueness of us as CREATIVE individuals. I am super-dee-duper excited about this venture! We have a separate forum where we can all go to chat, ask questions, and just get to know one another before the class begins next week. If you are interested, check out Kirsty's blog here. well gosh, just go check out Kirsty's blog anyway 'cause she is so neat and fun and has some cute little stamps & digis, too! ;) her little geek bug is my fave and will probably play a part in my book, which I'm sure comes as no surprise to any of you who read this blog.............

Thank you so much for the birthday wishes yesterday! y'all are just the best! my friend, Cec, who lives in Canada even surprised me with a personal phone call and her own rendition of the Happy Birthday song! oh she makes my heart overflow with laughter! will call you back today, dear friend!

Well I must toodle off as David leaves today for the church district conference in Washington D.C. and I need to sew some buttons on his blazer. He will be one of the speakers as well as playing in a big golf tournament. funny how those guys sneak in golf as much as they can! tee hee! kinda like some folks I know who find ways to papercraft whenever & wherever..........

p.s. Kirsty has a few cute FREE digis to download if you are interested. click here to be taken to the page in her shop.

Happy Birthday to Me! :)

Coffee of the Day - Maple Pecan

I know it is weird to say Happy Birthday to myself, but I am really enjoying this day. it is quiet here - all of the guys are away at Camp, so it is just the dogs, our cat Eliza, and me here at home. I started the day with my delish coffee. I have just been browsing the internet, spending way too much time on Pinterest, but gosh, that place is addicting with so many absolutely gorgeous photos. so much of my inspiration and peace comes from pictures it seems, so I am really enjoying that site. Have great tunes playing in the background - started with the latest Plain White T's CD and now have some David Benoit lite jazz going........

plan to start crafting here in just a bit, but wanted to say to all of YOU how much you are loved & appreciated! you are my gift every day of the year! you bring me joy and smiles and make my heart sing! thank you for being there!

love ya! Jennifer

TLC Blog Candy

Just saw this over at Create with TLC..............

some fun digi blog candy going on so please check it out. every day Paulette faithfully gives away the most amazing digi sentiments and images. I have used many on my papercrafting creations. my flashstick is FILLED with her ditital creations! go check her out at TLC! you will be so happy you did! :)

Happy Father's Day!

Coffee of the Day - Butter Rum

Good morning and Happy Father's Day to all of you! sorry to have been away..... I was without a computer all week. but I am glad to say that as of today that will no longer be a problem. my family surprised me a brand new compy last night! and in honor of my geekdom I have named it Sheldon after my fave t.v. show, Big Bang Theory. oh how I am loving playing on this beauty! it is truly fabby fabby fabby! they spoil me so....... and I am blessed beyond measure! :)

if any of you have sent me your info for the Jellypark DT, I will be sending out responses later today. I am in the process of getting the compy set up and going through my thousands of emails. we had a cookout with friends last night to celebrate Father's Day early since everyone had to be back at Camp by 10pm. So today is my day to get caught up on the tech stuff. If you don't receive a response back by tonight, then I most likely did not get your app and it is on vaca in cyberspace somewhere.

have a great day and big hugs to you all! love ya!

Check out this video for Jellypark!

Coffee of the Day - Pumpkin Spice



You have GOT to go over to Claire's personal blog for Jellypark, Jellypark Art. She has put up a little promo video that gives a sneak peek into the opening of her store on July 1. oh my gosh, it is just beautiful! her sister sings in the bg and has the most lovely of voices. [ the song comes from 'Sweeney Todd' which I just happened to have watched last week! I was on a Johhny Depp kick, ( well, really who wouldn't be?! tee hee hee! ) and that was one in the collection. ]

please race over and see it! and don't forget about the Design Team call we have going until June 26! Please send in your application. We would love to have you as part of the team! :)

A Fairy Pink Saturday!

Coffee of the Day - Butter Rum

Happy Pink Saturday to you! oh I love me some pinkyness! :) be sure to stop by all of the pretty blogs to see what other neat things are being shown to you this weekend. I know you will come away smiling!

My card features an image from Jellypark and papers from the Basic Grey Sweet Threads collection. The doily, seam tape, and little punched squares on the tickets were sprayed with frost shimmer to give a pretty sparkle. the fairy's pretty shoes were painted with pink shimmerz & her wings with pearl shimmerz. the grass die comes from My Favorite Things. flowers are Prima and vintage buttons are an Etsy find. the wings on the right of the card are popped up on foam tape an then curled on the ends for some extra dimension. the entire main image oval is adhered with extra thick foam tape. I love this pretty little fairy!

Don't forget that Jellypark is having a DT call until June 26. check out the new challenge blog for more information.

Have a wonderful pink weekend!

Clearly Inspired - distressing
Stampin Sisters in Christ - something new ( my new SU! postage stamp punch!)
Stamp Something - punched or die cut
Crafty Sentiments - sparkle
Pals Paper Arts - signature style (pink & shabby! grins!)
Rainbow Lady - ticket to ride
Digi Stamps 4 Joy - on the wings...
Creative Card Crew - wings
Digital Tuesday - in the garden/outdoors
Kaboodle Doodles - mystical creatures
Magical Monday - recipe
Basic Grey - shabby chic
Craft Your Passion - Anything Goes

Big Big News!!!!!

Coffee of the Day - French Vanilla

Okay, so I was going to wait until this weekend to post this most amazing, fantabulous, exciting, phenom fabby news, but Claire and I just couldn't wait!



Claire of Jellypark is starting a challenge blog and Design Team & she has asked me to help her as co-ordinator of the team! yeah, I know! GET OUT!!!!! was I ever slap me silly, over the top, fallin' outta my chair, screaming out the window happy or WHAT?!?!

you can get all of the info on the challenge blog here. In a nutshell, the DT call is open until Sunday, June 26.it is gonna be soooooooooooooo much fun! and boy-o, are we excited! ;)

Hello!

Coffee of the Day - Toasted Coconut

Hello everyone! no card to post today, but wanted to let you know that yes, I am alive and well. just having troubles getting a computer to use of late. David is staying so late at Camp since things have started, and he oftentimes forgets to bring his laptop home. So that means I not only can't go online, but I can't access any of my digis to print either..... He forgot to take the compy with him today, so I am racing like a madwoman to print out a bunch of images to work on as well as catch up on my bajillions of emails and try to do a bit of blurfing.

In the mean time, check out my right sidebar for some neat blog candy opportunities. free crafty stuff is always fun! :)

and for another bit of great news here on the homefront, both Tyler and Mick made the Dean's List at their respective colleges for this past semester! woooooooooooo hooooooooooo! am I ever one proud Mom!!!! what smart guys! and I am sure Ryan did well, too. can't forget my Super Ry! ;)

y'all take care and I will check back in with ya soon...... oh for a Mysterious Benefactor to get me another computer! tee hee! love ya!

International Skull Appreciation Day Blog Hop!

Coffee of the Day - Vanilla Macadamia Nut

Welcome to my stop on the world famous International Skull Appreciation Day Blog Hop! whew, that is one big mouthful! ;) if you have arrived here from the fabby blog of ***BARB***, then you are right on track. if you get lost during the hop at any time, just jump right over HERE to see the full list.

As I was planning for this most amazing day, I realized that I wanted to make something pretty spectacular to share with someone pretty spectacular who, most importantly, needs to know just how spectacular he really is! 'He' is a 4th grade boy we are just beginning to know thanks to Camp and our Church District. This young guy and his mom have had a pretty tough go of things and he has a few learning disabilities on top of it all. I am so excited that he is going to attend a week of Camp this summer. The Summer Camp theme this year is, "Anchors Away", which is ideal for my project! I thought if our new friend had this waiting for him when he arrived at his cabin, it might remind him just how cool he is and how much God loves him! Plus, coming from the Scull fam, whom he already knows, just adds to the fun! :)

I took a page from a chipboard album and covered both sides in papers from the October Afternoon Night Light collection. sides were sanded and covered in vanilla craft ink. A page from Treasure Island was copied, wrinkled, sprayed with walnut ink, and then burned along the edges to age. I added a wooden pirate ship, foam flag & skull pirate head that were inked along the edges, and a tag made with cardboard. I just love the quote from Thoreau! The mesh fiber trim was then added along the bottom.


Now for that waaaaaaaaaaaaaay cute image - this cutie pirate comes from Claire at Jellypark. isn't he so much fun?!?! he reminds me so much of my guys when they were younger. as with most of my stamping, it was done with inks & watercolor brushes. I did sponge vanilla craft ink over the top of the box to help makes it more like a real cardboard box. Btw - be on the lookout for more news coming here from Jellypark! ;)

just a reminder that there are some intensely cool prizes available during this hop. deets can be found at the beginning, at Terra's blog.

Now sail on over to the wonderful blog of ***TERI***!!!!


Craft Your Days Away - Father's Day/Special Guy
Designed 2 Delight - masculine with no flowers
One Stop Craft - texture
Delicious Doodles - texture
Fussy and Fancy - for a guy
Stamp Something - digi
Fresh Brewed Designs - it's a guy thing
Craft Your Passion - what a guy
Simon Says Stamp - for a guy
Sweet Stamps - masculine