Starting Time. . . .

Well today's the last day of September and for me that means it's time to start thinking about and planning for the holidays.  This is a card Mona made me for Christmas last year.  We all fell in love with the blue and red of the S.E.I papers.  And the reindeer stamp from Stampin' Up is SO cute.  I may have to do a few of these myself.  I started this Tuesday with the 1st of the Christmas card desgins.  My hope is that each week I'll make 10 of each of the designs I've picked out and by the 1st part of November I'll be done.  Yeah!  Have so many other ideas for handmade gifts this year.  We'll see how many I actually get done.  Maybe booking a couple of days of annual leave in the middle of the week will help. 

Talk to you all next week as I'm leaving for Yellowstone in the morning.  Take care.

Yet Another Creative Deviation (@#$%! Wheel)

Here's the card I made last week for the weekly letters to my family.  As I've mentioned in earlier posts, I've been trying to keep these cards to one-layer and quick and easy.  So I had this great idea of just running my "Great Outdoors" stamp wheel over the bottom and then stamping a sentiment above.  Sounds simple, right?!  WRONG!  I could  not for the life of me get the ink and the pressure even on the wheel to get a clean strip.  At first I was able to get a clean prototype and thought I knew just the right place to press on the wheel to make sure it was even.  But when I went to do the same thing on the cardstock that I had already printed the letters on I could not for the life of me get a consistent image.  Of the 6 I was trying to make I only had 2 that looked OK enough to send.  So. . . .time for a creative deviation!  I ran the wheel about 12  more times on another piece of cardstock and was able to get 4 more clean images.  I then mounted those on a strip of green cardstock to cover up the boo-boos.  And then since the strip was matted I decided to mat the sentiment as well.  I have to tell you, I actually like the 2nd version better than the 1st.  Maybe all the frustration was really divine intervention!  :-)  But next time I see Val I will be talking to her about how to unmount the wheels.  I think she did that and since I do more card making than scrapbooking I really don't need a stamped border longer than what the unmounted stamp wheel would be laying flat. 

Feelin' Groovy

Hi my Gal Pals - Here's the card I was tellling you about last week.  I CASE'd the card from one that was on my new favorite "clean & simple" blog: Simplicity.  She does what she calls a "One Layer Wednesday" card challenge each week which is really great for the cards I've needed for my weekly family newsletters.  This one was really fun to make.  Used a masking technique and the new "groovy" font that was on Free Font Friday a couple of weeks ago. 

Had a great time at the pumpkin pin class today.  I'll bring it Tuesday night.  I ordered the stamp and an extra set of jewels.  Am hoping to get another made for my mother before Halloween gets here.

See you soon.

$2 Bucks Worth

Check out these great cards and the tag that Val made last weekend at Memory Lane's $2 Class Day.  This first one was done with flower soft.  I just love these little hedgehog images.  I wish so bad they came as stamps but I think the kit is a pre-printed image you just embellish with  the flower soft.

This next one used Fantasy Film.  I missed out on both the original demo of this and the class :-(  But the way Val and Mona explained it's a film that you layer filament in between, press all the layers together with an iron and then stamp your image on and cut it out.  Isn't that leaf spectacular!  *And a quick sidenote on the patterned paper. . . .it's a really cute paper like the bark of a birch tree.  There were only 3 sheets left in the whole store and the person whose New Year's resolution was "No More Patterned Paper" bought the last 3 sheets all for herself!  Val - how could you?!!!!  Boy, you should have heard me and Mona squeal when she told us that.  Thankfully Val was quick to explain that Memory Lane has more on order.

This tag was done with a masking technique.  It's a new product.  The mask has reuseable sticky on one side.  It was placed on just a regular tag from the office supply store and then I think they used glimmer mists to put on the color and some distress inks to blend it together.  Val, is that right?

Next class at Memory Lane is the paper & jeweled pumpkin pin on Sunday.  Really looking forward to that.  Unfortunately, Val's got to work and Mona will be with her Honey-Bunny so I'm going alone.  I'll miss my gal pals but it was just too cute of a pin to pass up the class. 

Have a good day everyone!

Eye for Design

This is a card Mona made a couple of months ago.  I just LOVE IT!  She's got such an eye for design and color.  The things I love about it are:

1. You guessed it. . . .Ric Rac!!  :-)
2. The scalloped punch.
3. The color combination.  I've been so drawn to the brown and blue this year.
4. It highlights the wonderful patterned paper.  Great way to use paper with big patterns on a card.  Sometimes it's hard to do that if you're layering stamped images or sentiments on top of the patterned paper. 
5. The way she took advantage of elements in the patterned for her embellishments.  Not sure if you can see if from the picture but there are jewel dots in the center of some of the designs.

I may have to  CASE her card and start digging in my paper stash looking for those big patterned papers and see where the inspiration takes me.  Ooooh! - kind of sounds like a "challenge", huh?! :-)

Coffee Dazzles

After our discussion last Tuesday night about using some things from our stash and seeing Mona's fall cards, I really want to start exploring all the Dazzles I have.  Here's a card a made a few weeks ago.  Sent it to a friend I haven't seen in a long time with a plee for gettiing together for a cup of coffee and some talk time.  Kind of cute, although I really wish I had a stamp or rub ons that just said "Hi".  Had to improvise and use an alphabet stamp set.  I could have done it on the computer had a been thinking ahead  but I already had the card put together before I realized I didn't have a sentiment that would work.  Then stamped "How Ya' Bean?" on the inside with the same stamps.  Can't believe in all the stuff I've accumulated over the years that I'm missing something as basic as "Hi"!  Well I guess I'll just have to do something about that on my next visit to Memory Lane, JoAnne's or Michaels :-)

Seeds of Friendship

Good Morning Gals,
Just wanted to show you the card I was trying to copy the other night.  Isn't it pretty - ric rac and all!  It was from the Clean and Simple Challege Gallery.
Have a nice day.
-J-

It was a success!!!

Last night was the "Big Reveal". . .the "Show & Tell" for the cards we made for the 1st ever Gal Pal Sketch Challenge.  I was just blown away by the cards.  And seeing them all lined up together was great fun.  Hopefully you won't mind if I steal a few of the designs. 

Click Here to see the post with the original sketch and details of the challenge.

Here's all the cards that came from that sketch. What fun!!!

Here's Mona's  cards:

Here's Val's cards:

 And those by yours truly:

Thanks my Gal Pals for playing along.  Here's the next sketch.  Let's pull out our eyelets and brads and see what we can come up with.  Next Show & Tell will be October 19th.  Hope that sounds OK.

Edit/Update:  Sketch came from THIS cool web site

A "Natural" Embellishment

This is a card I made this weekend to send to my family along with our weekly newsletter.  When Allan and I were out hiking in the hills behind the house we passed a nine bark bush that had some really pretty color leaves.  I was hoping I could capture and preserve the beauty of their color by pressing them and covering them with Crystal Effects.  But they lost a lot of the color as they dried and even though the Crystal Effects gave them a nice shiney look and made them safe for using as an embellishment I wish the color was till as vivid as when we picked them.  I did make a 2nd attempt and picked a fresh leaf and put the Crystal Effects on it right away (rather than pressing it first).  The color was better but the leaf wasn't as flat.  Not sure it would make it in the mail.  Maybe I should mail it to myself and see :-)

Looking forward to the Big Reveal Tuesday night.

This was my mom's birthday card this April. It was a cute pattern I found on SplitCoast and just had to try it out. Except for figuring out the size of the flowers and leaves which I cut on my Cricut, it was really easy to put together. I'm thinking it might be cute for a Christmas and Winter card. You could use presents or pointsettias for the Christmas topper and maybe snowflakes for the Winter topper. Geez - even a Halloween or Fall theme with pumkins and apples for the toppers. I'll get right on that! :-)

Also wanted to let you know I made 3 more cards for our sketch challenge. One is not so good - had to do a "creative deviation" to try to save it. But the other 2 aren't bad. Val - the heat is on!

Uh Oh! I'm in Trouble!!!

During my morning web surfing I stumbled across these stamps:
Just Rite Stamps for Christmas


Have been thinking about Christmas cards in the back of my mind for a couple of weeks now.  Forever thinking I'll get an early start and not be so whacked out when the holidays arrive.  Also want some ideas that are flat for mailing since I send so many cards out to family and friends.  I know we don't need one more order to try to fit into our budgets but I think I'm just going to have to break down and do it.  Will justify it by noting that a box of really pretty Christmas cards with the quantity I need would about $25.  So doesn't that all even out? :-)  [Mom - if you're reading this. . .Did I do that rationalization OK?  You taught me well!!! ]

Happy surfing!

"Hi"

Hope everyone had a good Labor Day.  Mine was nice and relaxing.  Got to spend a little time in the craft room on Saturday.  I've started sending weekly notes to my parents, Allan's parents and my Aunt Hazel.  Allan's father had a stroke a year or so ago and it's been hard on him to lose some of his mobility.  He says sometimes to Allan when asked how he is. . ."I'm still sitting here doing nothing".  Kind of sad.  And although my Aunt Hazel is pretty active, she's been so lonely since Uncle Bob died last year.  So we thought maybe a piece of  mail (other than a bill) might be a nice treat.  It's a great reason to make quick clean and simple cards like this one.  I just love this punch.  Not sure if you can tell from the picture but it punches and embosses.  One piece of patterned paper, a little ribbon and a scallop to highlight the punch was all it took to throw this one together. 

I also was able to get a card made for our 1st Gal Pal Sketch challenge.  Can't post it though until next week's Big Reveal.  Since Mona and Val voted last week to extend our deadline to next Tuesday, hopefully I'll get a couple more made between now and then.  Lots of ideas swimming in my head but just haven't spent the time putting them together.  How 'bout you girls? - any progress yet? :-)

Last but Certainly not Least

Had a chance Tuesday night to get pictures of Mona's alcohol ink cards from the class we took a couple of weeks ago.  Her "smoosh" sample was over-the-top gorgeous.  In fact she used our time at Memory Lane to work on a card design.  Can't wait until next week to see what she ended up with.  We all agreed that it was too pretty to give away.  So maybe we'll see it on her desk sometime in the future with a beautiful inspirational quote - although it's inspirational all on its own. 

Hope everyone has a good 3 day weekend and gets some wonderful craft time squeezed in!

A Stitch In Time

Can you guess which one of  the 3 gal pals is the seamstress of the group?  It's certainly not me!  Even though my mother and great aunt Bertha could both make some wonderful things on a sewing machine, I guess I just never inherited that gene.  Putting thread on a bobbin and trying to sew a straight line is quite a challenge for me.  But I'm so grateful to have a friend like Mona - so gifted in so many ways - but one of the best is her sewing skills.  I've been the lucky recipient of a few cards that have included some stitching.  Isn't this one great?!    

Griz Thank You Notes

Made a set of these Griz thank you notes for some folks at work.  Got the paper at Memory Lane last year.  Wanted more of it because it's so perfect for friends at UM but Debbie said they don't make it anymore.  Darn!  Didn't get much craft time in this weekend - Double Darn! But Allan's leaving tonight (Sunday night) instead of his regular Monday morning flight so maybe I can squeeze in just a couple of hours.  Whoo-Hoo!!! 

Val's Alcohol Ink Samples

Got sidetracked and didn't get the pictures of Val's cards from the Saturday alcohol ink class taken until yesterday and then had to work a little late last night so I didn't get the pictures posted as planned.  But here they are.  I love, love, love how her "smoosh" technicque turned out - especially the one that  is the bright golds and orange.  Wonder how much it would take to bribe her out of that one? !  :-)  The flowers on her "shimmer" technique are fantastic. Loved the colors and the layers of color.  Hope everyone has a good weekend.  When Mona gets back from vacation next week I'll get pictures of hers posted.  P.S.  September 7th - our "show and tell" date for the 1st Gal Pal Sketch challenge is quickly approaching.  I haven't even started!  Have lots of ideas swimming in my head though.

Clean and Simple

Maybe it's because I'm lazy but I've really been drawn to all the clean and simple card designs and blogs lately.  Here's a wedding card I made for my neighbor's daughter Meghanne who recently got married.  Both UM grads by the way!  P.S. Val - I need to keep you alcohol ink cards one more day - didn't get them photographed last night but will definitley do that tonight and get them posted.  Off to work.  See ya' back here tomorrow.

Card Class

We had so much fun!  It's been a long time since all 3 of us learned something totally new - together.  Spent Saturday afternoon at Memory Lane exploring 4 techniques with alcohol inks.  We learned how to do a rust technique, a "crystal" or stained-glass technique, a smoosh technique and a "blow it off" technique.  Here's my samples.  Val and Mona's turned out much better but I didn't have my camera with me so I'll have to post them later.  And of course after having so much fun we had to make a "little" investment in all the stuff we needed to make more cards.  Eeesh!  I'm not sure any of us can afford to learn anything new! :-)

This is the regular pouncing technique on glossy paper.
This is the rust technique - really cool!  The bird is the stained-glass/shimmer technicque which is also on the flowers on the next card.

This is the "blow it off" technique - we used compressed air to blow the ink around until it looked like it was marbleized (sp?).

And finally - and most definitely least - my least favorite card that is - is my version of the smoosh technique.  I kind of ruined it when I tried to add a darker color.  Will definitely have to try this one again.  Wait until you see Mona and Val's samples of this technique - they're great!

Paper Tole

Isn't this birthday card beautiful!  This is my 2010 birthday card from Val.  I tease her all the time when I watch her do her paper tole cards. . . ."Is that one for me? :-) "  They are all so beautiful.  I certainly couldn't do it - don't have the steady hands and really don't have the patience that Val has.  You ought to see the ones from a Victorian Christmas kit she has.  Maybe she'll bring one next Tuesday night so we can get it photographed and up on the site (hint, hint Val ! :-) 

I found this good description of Paper Tole in the web.. . . .Paper tole - an art form that originated sometime in the 18th century, also known as three-dimensional decoupage, is the art of handcrafting three-dimensional pictures from flat prints. Paper tole art is created by skillfully cutting, shaping, and assembling pieces of paper layered onto an image until a three-dimensional version of the image emerges. The photo below shows a little more of the detail and dimension.

Tomorrow's post will hopefully be pics of the cards we're making at our Alcohol Ink class at Memory Lane.  Until then. . . .Happy Friday!

Noah's 1st Birthday

Noah - my grandbaby (Allan's step-daughter's child) - is turning 1 next Monday. Allan will be at his big party this weekend in Wilmington, North Carolina. Natasha, Mom, rented a club house and there are 50 people on the invite list. While I'm really looking forward to my "party for one" weekend, I sure do wish I could be there to see how he handles all the fun. It's been so much fun to watch him grow this year. Natasha and Cameron, Dad, have been great about posting pictures once a month and Allan and Natasha talk every week so all the updates make us feel as close as possible. And we've even Skype'd a time or 2.

Here's the card we (and I really mean we) came up with. Allan's so funny when I'm in my craft room doing something like this - he wants to watch what I'm doing, play with the Cricut and then of course can't resist giving me his input. Most of the time his input is really great and this time was no exception. He basically was responsible for the embellishments in the corner and the placement & pop up of the scalloped circle. Got the paper with matching ribbon and embellisments at Memory Lane. Loved the dinosaurs and the colors are ones that Natasha seemss to dress Noah in. Hope he loves it. And most of all I hope he continues to have a wonderful life full of love and adventure.