Jen's Scrappy Pages: 2009

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

First Circle Card EVER!!

I have not really been a big fan of the circle cards. I like the way they look and all, just was not sure what purpose they served! LOL Well, I chose to create a 4 1/2 inch circle card from Close to my Heart's card book "Wishes" as my swap card for December. This was a HUGE challenge for me, which is why I chose to make one.....

I thought that I would show you the progression of how my card came to be, or will be! The first card started out with just the lamp from the "Welcome Home" stamp set. The little squares around the edge are from the stamp set "Circle Around".

After completing this, I felt like something was missing. So, I went online to ask my fellow CTMH sistahs what they thought..... A few said something needed to be added to the left of the lamp, maybe the couch or the end table. A couple suggested adding random stamping to the blue cs. So, I did both....added a couch AND random stamping.

Now that I have it with and without the random stamping, I cannot decide which one I like the best. Any thoughts??

As I am posting these photos I am noticing that the cards are NOT straight.....kind of hard to do when dealing with a circle.....so please forgive the crookedness of the cards!

Well, I am off to watch My Sister's Keeper with my family! I hear it is really sad.......better go get the kleenex before I sit down.....

Hope to have inspired you to create your OWN circle card.....now that I have created one, I WILL be creating MANY more!!

Thanks for stopping by!!

Jen

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Close to my Heart Clearance Sale!!!

Check out Close to my Heart's Clearance on my website! You can get Level 1 Scrapbook Kits for as low as $5 and Level 2 Paper Packs for $6.50!! There are ribbon rounds for as low as $4 and stamp sets ranging from $2-$8! That is just to mention a few of the awesome items that are being clearanced......

Whether you are a long time customer or are curious as to the quality of the products, there is something in this Clearance Sale for YOU!!

Make sure to stop by to see what deals there are to be had! They are still adding items to this sale too.......

Go to www.lovinscrappin.myctmh.com and check out the sale. You can order directly from the website and it will be delivered to your front door! Hurry, because this sale ends December 17th! Deals like this won't be around forever......darn it!

Thanks for stopping by!

Check back soon for a circle card that I am in the process of creating using "Sweet Home" papers.....CUTE!!

Now get over to my website (or your CTMH rep's website) and check out the sale!

jen

Sunday, November 15, 2009

I have GREAT news!!

We hired someone to come into the office 2 days a week!! I am so excited to have a little bit of crafting time back!! Well, I will have to share it with the laundry. BUT I also have someone to come in every other week to clean my house! So a little less cleaning and a little more crafting!! WOOT WOOT!!

OK let's get on to the cute stuff! Last week was my monthly unit swap! So, I am sharing my creation. Keep in mind as you are looking at these darling little happy snowmen that I created 11 cards all on the same day that my swap was due!

When I arrived at my unit meeting 10 minutes late, my upline Shari came over to me and asked to see my hands.......UH OH.....they were still covered in Tulip ink from distressing all the edges! She then turned to the rest of the group there told them they owed her $10! So, maybe I have shown up too many times on the night of the unit meeting with inky fingers from finishing up swaps! ROFL

I searched the CTMH card book "Wishes" for a 3x6 card pattern to create this card. Well, I started out following 1 pattern, but then ended up completely making up my own! I used my corner rounder with the guard off to create the scalloped border. The paper I used is from the paper pack "Jingle" and the stamp set is my all time favorite "Snow Friends". I don't think I will EVER tire of this set! LOL It is little hard to tell from this photo, but there is Prisma Glitter on the buttons of each snowman and on the ground around them.

If you like the "Snow Friends" stamp set as much as I do, then you are in luck! This month when you purchase 2 stamp sets from CTMH, you will receive the 3rd for FREE! Check out my website www.lovinscrappin.myctmh.com for more details!

Thanks for stopping by!

Hope that I have inspired you to get out your happy little snowmen stamps and play too!!

Jen

P.S. I am now a consultant for Tastefully Simple! If you have never heard of this company, you really need to check out my TS website! If you have and you LOVE the stuff but don't have a rep in your area, you can order it from my website and it will be delivered directly to YOU!! Need a little extra spending cash? Check out the opportunities that are available through TS!

Life just does not get much better than this! I can eat yummy food while I scrapbook and get paid for both!! LOL

Thursday, November 12, 2009

FALL BOUTIQUE THIS SATURDAY

Fall Boutique
Open House

Saturday November 14th
10am-2pm

17831 Englewood Circle
Hawthorne Subdivision 180th/Q

Door prize drawings every half hour!
Shop and Browse From These Vendors:

Mary Kay Cosmetics from Lisa Vehle

Premier Jewelry from Sheryl Paskevic

Longaberger Baskets from Julie Korte

Lets Do Tea from Deb Yates

Tastefully Simple from Rebecca Maschka

Close to my Heart from Jennifer Bennett

Scentsy from Becky Crafton

Pampered Chef from Gail Klemp

FREE Stamp Set!!

PLUS a beautiful full color brochure with directions for a 2 page layout.

All you need to do is stop by the Fall Boutique on Saturday and place a $25 Close to my Heart order and you will receive $23.95 in FREE stuff!

Remember Stampaganza! Order 2 stamp sets in November you receive a 3rd stamp set for FREE.

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Finally my HAS card......Humble Artists Swap

Sooo, life has been a little crazy for me lately. Last week I worked 30 hours and have been averaging 25-30 each week. For some, this may not seem like a lot of hours, however I have been a SAHM for 15 years and this is WAAAYYY more time away from the home than I am used to! LOL I am actually thinking about breaking down and hiring someone to clean my home once a week......that is a hard thing for me to do since I think that I should be able to do it ALL myself....admitting that I might need help does NOT come easy for me.....

I am trying to adjust to my new schedule while keeping up and trying to grow my CTMH business. Some things have had to go on hold.....unfortunately it was my HAS card. So Sorry!!!! BUT I completed it and sent it out last week and here it is this week.

The pattern for this card can be found in the CTMH card program "Wishes". This was such a fun card to make! I went through a couple of different papers, but once I used these 2, it all came together!! The fun part about this is that the card changes with each square of paper that I cut. So each card, even though it is made with the same 2 papers, looks a bit different from each other.

The stamp set I used is "You're a Hoot". The papers used come from the "Grace" Level 2 paper pack. I added the new Crystal Blue Waxy Flax along with Antiqued Copper Brads and a Circle Window Charm for my embellishments.

There really is no special technique this time....the card kind of takes care of that for me as it is unique in itself. I do however have an AWESOME technique that I will show you next time I post.....maybe you have all seen it before, but it is new to me and it is SUPER COOL!!!!!

Well, thanks for stopping by!!

Hope I have inspired in some way....maybe creatively OR maybe made you feel like you are NOT the only one who needs a little extra help around the house....LOL Anyone ever feel like me? I feel like a failure in a way when I can't seem to keep up with my housework and I am NOT working full time....uugghhh

OK enough of the pitty party! LOL

Have a GREAT Sunday!!! Maybe I will be able to post again soon!

Jen

Monday, September 28, 2009

How about another swap card?

This is the card that I made for the unit swap that I participate in each month. This card was thrown together last minute....and I really mean LAST minute!! LOL I was cutting out leaves as my daughter tried on ballet shoes for dance that night! I was thinking that I had 1 more day to be able to create a card, but September's unit meeting snuck up on me. If it were a snake, it would have bit me! LOL

If you have seen the CTMH Autumn/Winter Idea Book, then you have seen the super cool technique that is used with the Many Thanks stamp set and Twitterpated papers. If you have NOT seen the Autumn/Winter Idea book then you NEED TO!! LOL

If you like this card, you can find the pattern for it in the CTMH "Wishes" card program book. The card opens up from the top where the Sorbet Waxy Flax is attached to the Colonial White Bigger Brad.

The technique used to create the 2 tone look with the brushed look can be done 1 of 2 ways. The way that CTMH shows in the Autumn/Winter Idea Book is where you put a few drops of Sorbet Reinker on a craft paint tray, run a 1" craft paint brush through it and apply it to the stamp that you want to use.

My version of this technique is a little easier......I inked my stamp in my Sorbet ink pad, took my stipple brush and ran it over the inked image, then just stamped!

Since that made such a super cool effect on my leaves, I thought I would take it up a notch and ink the stamp in either Sorbet or Sweet Leaf ink, then roll the edges in Chocolate ink THEN run my stipple brush over the inked image and stamp. This way I ended up with a 2 tone distressed leaf!!

Well, I am on to finish this month's swap......which I actually know what I am making ahead of time!!! Now to cut for 10 cards before next Tuesday......should be easy, RIGHT??? LOL Anyone who knows me, knows that I will be cutting out and inking everything the day of swap!

Thanks for stopping by!

Hope that you have found inspiration in this technique. If you would like a visual for the CTMH version of this gorgeous technique, go to my website www.lovinscrappin.myctmh.com and check out the Autumn/Winter Idea Book ONLINE!! See something you like? Contact me, or just order it on my webiste!!

Jen

Saturday, September 12, 2009

I am on a scrapbook roll........

Lately, I have been concentrating on getting pages done. I LOVE to create cards as they are sometimes a little less scary to put together than a 12 x 12 page, BUT I have a TON of photos that are desperately in need of pages!

A few months back I came accross this awesome workshop that a fellow CTMH consultant Robin created and shared. I had been looking for a multi-page workshop since the CTMH Base Pages had been retired and this is EXACTLY what I needed!!!!

This workshop requires 1 Level 2 My Reflections paper pack along with extra CS to complete the pages. I had actually bought the Majestic Blue paper pack a year before with the intent of using it for my Jamaica photos. So, I thought I would pull it out and give it a try with this workshop.

LOVED IT!!!! Only 1 slight problem.....Moon Doggie came out in the Summer Idea Book right after I had completed these pages! The colors and flowers in Moon Doggie went much better with my Jamaica photos than the Majestic Blue papers. SOOOO I pulled out my beach photos from our trip to Florida last year and started going to town. MUCH BETTER......

Here are a few of the pages that I have almost completed.....I mean almost because I have not journaled on them YET!

The wavy border on this page is from the Fancy Cuts package by CTMH. I inked the edges of the border with Desert Sand ink and then attached it to the Outdoor Denim CS border. I then added Colonial White Brads. The buttons are Crystal Blue and come from the Winter Button Collection.

The letters are Dimensional Elements Monograms. These are awesome for creating titles to match your papers and photos! For these letters, I first stamped them with a now retired stamp set in Outdoor Denim ink, sponged Desert Sand ink to distress and then sponged Outdoor Denim ink around the edges to make it stand out. LOVED the way these turned out! The word THREE at the top of the page was sponged heavily with Outdoor Denim ink to match.

I is kind of hard to tell in this photo, but the scalloped borders around both photos are from the Dimensional Elements Borders. I applied Desert Sand CS to them, cut around it with an exacto knife then finished them with the finishing files and Desert Sand Ink along with a few brads for accent.

For these letters, I started by adhering Desert Sand Cardstock to the letters, cutting around them with an exacto knife then using my CTMH Finishing Files I filed down the CS around the letters. I then stamped the images with Desert Sand ink and sponged the edges with Desert sand. To give them a finishing touch I added Antiqued Copper brads and Colonial White Waxy Flax.

Lastly I created this border in the same manor as the letters and borders above. This frame comes from the Dimensional Elements Framed Fun and the other shape comes from the Dimensional Elements Fresh Shapes. The buttons are from the Autumn button collection.

If you live in the Omaha area and would like to hold an 18 page workshop for you and your friends, contact me to see what dates would work! This workshop works for ANY Close to my Heart My Reflections Level 2 paper pack. I have a workshop planned for Teresa next Saturday and all 9 that are attending are using different paper packs. I can't wait to see how they all turn out!

Thanks for stopping by!

Hope to have inspired you to try out some of these super fun Dimensional Elements that Close to my Heart carries. The possibilites are ENDLESS and they add so much to your pages!!

Jen

Thursday, August 27, 2009

How about some scrapbook pages???

I wanted to share the pages that my 2 scrapbook groups made this month. The papers are from CTMH's paper pack "Animal Cookies". I have already shown you a couple of cards using this darling paper pack, so here are 4 pages made with it.

These first 2 pages were created using CTMH's scrapbook how-to book "Reflections". I would say that "Reflections" is probably the coolest book for embellishments and ideas, but probably not my favorite for making the actualy LO's. Don't get me wrong, there are a TON of LO's to choose from, but I think that is the problem for me......TOO many choices! LOL But I do like the way these 2 pages came together!!

This 2nd set of pages actually came straight out of the Summer Idea Book. I LOVED the LO's exactly as CTMH had them in the book, so that is what I chose for my scrapbook groups to create also! It is hard to see the details in these photos, but all of those sweet little animals come in the matching "Animal Cookies" My Stickease pack. SOOO STINKIN' CUTE!!

The buttons that are used to accent the 2nd 2 LO's are the "Summer" collection and the colors are PERFECT to use with this paper pack. Which is just another reason that I LOVE CTMH so much! I never have to worry about matching my embellishments to my papers!

If you live in the Omaha area and would like to come to my scrapbook group as a guest, visit my website http://www.lovinscrappin.myctmh.com/ for the dates of my upcoming groups. Next month we are making 4 pages from the "Back Country" paper pack and using the Dimensional Elements In Color to accent the pages! Just in time for me to put my camping photos from this weekend!!

As always, if you see any CTMH products on this blog and do not have a consultant, you can order directly from my website and it will be shipped straight to you!

Thanks for stopping by!

Hope I have inspired in some way

jen!

Kids back to school......time to play!!! LOL

Now that BOTH of the kids are back at school, I have a little more time to "play"!!! So, hopefully, I will be able to post a little more often!!!

I have a new downline, Deb, coming over to my house in 1 hour so we can chat a little about what she would like to do with her new adventure with Close to my Heart! So, I created this notebook that she can use to write down her goals for her business and for whatever else comes to mind!

My upline Shari made one similar to this for me when I first signed up and I swear I used every last piece of paper in that notebook. There is just something special about having a notebook all decorated with your name on it!!

ANYHOO......On to the art.......lol

If this paper does not look familiar, it is because it is a sneak peak to a darling NEW paper pack called Twitterpated from Close to my Heart!!! OH my.....the NEW Autumn/Winter Idea Book is to die for!!! You can check it out on September 1st on my website!! Make sure you don't miss it!
The buttons in the corner are also new to the Autumn/Winter Idea Book as well as the cute dotted overlay on the center where Deb's name it......OH and I can't forget the small details....In the center of the 2 buttons at the bottom of the page is Sorbet Waxy Flax.....again NEW!!!
Sorry to have to tease you all like that......LOL......not really!! OOHHH I can be mean sometimes! If you would like to also have a sneak peek at the new products as they come in, all you need to do is sign up to be a consultant for CTMH!! I would LOVE to have you join my team "Creativity in Motion". We are certainly on the move in creating beautiful cards, scrapbook pages and paper projects!
Well, gotta go get ready for Deb!!
Hope that I have inspired you to go get a cheapie notebook and create your own! OR I will make you one when you join my team.......tempting, I know!! LOL
Thanks for sticking with me!
Jen

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Another Card to Share!!

I wanted to share a card that I created for my monthly swap for July. I chose to make a 3 1/2 by 8 inch card from the new card book "Wishes" and had to make 10 of them. Each of us in the swap had to use the paper pack "Animal Cookies" to create our swap items from. SUPER CUTE!!! One of these days, I will share all of the swaps that I received in return for this one. I am so fortunate to be a part of such a creative unit!!

I LOVE the way this card turned out! I was not sure whether or not I would like the templates that are provided on a disk with the "Wishes" book, but it was MUCH easier than I thought to use!!! Not sure if I would ever make 10 of these at one time again, but certainly would consider it for just 1! LOL

I wish the detail of the stitching showed up better in these photos of the card, but I really liked the way it turned out! The close up is of the butterfly center in which I used 1/8 inch White Daisy ric rac. Who knew it would work for butterfly antennae!

If you would like to see the "Wishes" book or the "Animal Cookies" paper pack, check out my website at http://lovinscrappin.myctmh.com/ !

Stay tuned for my August club pages using "Animal Cookies" papers!! Can you say "Too Cute"?? The best part about the pages is there is not 1 stamp used on them! Well, maybe not the BEST part.....BUT the My Stickease that matches the paper pack are just to die for!!

Hope this inspired!

Thanks for stopping by!!

Jen

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

I know that I have been MIA lately, I am sorry. I had 7 rooms in my house de-wallpapered (if that is a word! LOL) and painted. Not to mention the 3 ceilings that I had painted. 2 weeks later it is finally all done. Now I have the fun job of putting some things back, getting rid of other things that don't match and replacing window treatments and light covers......etc. etc. etc!

I created this card for a monthly swap that I participate in. The papers used are from the Moon Doggie paper pack.

The Lion is stamped on Bamboo and Desert Sand CS using Cocoa ink. I then used Liquid Applique on the lion's mane, cut out the head and adhered it to the lion's body that I also cut out.

The scalloped edge is made with the guard taken off the corner rounder. The Cranberry and Garden Green CS is distressed with sandpaper.

The crocheted Colonial White ribbon is from the Colonial White Ribbon Round. Most edges are distresses with Desert Sand ink. Card front is adhered to a pre-scored card from CTMH.

Thanks for stopping by!!

Hope that I have inspired!!

Jen

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Club LO's for June!

So, I AM still creating! LOL I wanted to share the 4 scrapbook pages that I created for club this month. I thought that these turned out pretty cute and can't wait to teach my groups how to random stamp to create their own patterned paper!! Wonder how many curse words I will hear this weekend? LOL

The first 2 LO's use the CTMH stamp set "Gear Up!" to create a patterned background to match the striped paper in the CTMH My Reflections Tinkerin paper pack. The gear in the center of the right side is stamped in Clover Meadow, with Sunflower stamped in the center and a Badge Button in the center. The whole gear is pop dotted for even more dimension. The other 2 gears that are pop dotted on the left side are from the Stickease that matches Tinkerin'.

These 2 pages are a little less labor intensive and use the Tinkerin' My Stickease. Each of the gears are pop dotted for dimension.
The colors used on all 4 pages are Sunny Yellow, Sunflower, Twilight and Clover Meadow. The LO's come from the CTMH Reflections and Cherish books. Now to find photos to complete!
Thanks for stopping by!
I will return with more pages for July and August club using CTMH Moon Doggie and Animal Cookies! Check out my website to see how sweet these papers are!!!
Jen

Monday, May 25, 2009

How about a card?? Mojo Monday #84

I have not had as much time for creating lately and I have been missing it. So I sat down the other night to play.... I started by finding a sketch on the Mojo Monday Blog. It is an older one from a few weeks back, but I really liked the sketch.

Once I found the sketch that I wanted to use, I chose to use a paper that I love, but have a hard time working with. The paper that I chose is from the CTMH paper pack Emporium. I used the colors Twilight, Crystal Blue, Heavenly Blue and White Daisy.

The stamp sets that I used are Ambience, Dainty Thoughts and Say it in Style. The middle flower is from the Dainty Thoughts set. I stamped it on all 3 colors of CS and cut out the largest part in Twilight, middle part in Crystal Blue and the smallest part in Heavenly Blue. There is a pop dot between each layer of flower. The 2 flowers on the sides are actually the same flower as the center just cut out smaller.

The center of each flower is a White Daisy Bigger Brad. The ribbons are White Daisy grosgrain and Heavenly Blue Ribbon Round.

I hope to be able to set aside more time for "playing"......

Thanks for stopping by!!

Jen

Saturday, May 9, 2009

#1 Excuse......

I started a part time job this last month, so I have not had as much time to "play" as I once did. Because of this, I resigned from the InStyle Stamps DT so I could focus on my CTMH business, my new part time job and most importantly my family!

I am still in the Humble Artists swap which is what I am posting tonight!! I LOVED this challenge for several reasons. BUT first let me tell you what was required this month.....

1. Create a tall card 4 X 9 1/4, must fit in a leagal size envelope
2. Stitch or sew on the card
3. Use 3 different ribbons
4. Use buttons as a accent, may use floss, hemp or twine with buttons
5. Use at least 4-5 layers
6. incorporate a tag some where on the card
7. Make something on your card 3D
8. Have FUN!!

Jamia B. was the one to come up with our challenge rules. I found this great sketch CPS 107 to follow for the LO of my card.

For my card I used the BRAND NEW CTMH paper pack Animal Cookies and the BRAND NEW CTMH Treetops stamp set!!! I love both the new paper pack AND the new stamp set because they can be used for SOOO many different things. I just love versitle products!!

What I loved most about this challenge was I had to use 3 DIFFERENT ribbons on the SAME card. That is actually a challenge for me as I ususally will use at least 1 or 2 different ones, but NEVER 3!! The other thing I loved about this challenge was that I had to stitch on the card. WELL, I happen to have a top of the line (10years ago) Bernina that has all kinds of decorative stitches in it. So, I thought I would give stitching on ribbon a try. LOVE IT!!!!!

Once I had the ribbon tied around the tree and the ribbon stitched on, I was at a loss as to what else I could do with ribbon on this card. WELL, CTMH Chocolate stitched ribbon looks an aweful like tree trunks if you really use your imagination. So, tree trunks it is!
One thing that I may have cheated on was that we were supposed to put a tag somewhere on the card. I did use a metal rimmed tag, I just took out the inside and used it to go around one of my trees. Hopefully it will pass!!

I hope that you have found some inspiration tonight! I know I was certainly inspired by this challenge and look forward to the next one!!

Thanks for stopping by!

Jen

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Lindsay Ernst Photography Cutest Kid Contest!!

Hey All!! I know it has been 2 weeks since I have been on to post anything. Sad, I know!! I will have my list of excuses later! LOL

I wanted to give a shout out to Lindsay Ernst today. I met Lindsay through a group here in town called Women Supporting Women in Business. Lindsay is a local photographer here in Omaha and I have to say that her stuff is amazing! She has a natural talent for photography that is obvious when you browse through her blog.

Lindsay is holding a Cutest Kid Contest where the kid who receives the most votes wins a bunch of fun prizes (including a Magic Moments Scrapbook Kit from yours truly)! All you need to do is go over to her blog and cast a vote for your favorite kid. While you are there, you might as well browse through her blog to check out some of her amazing photo shoots.

Meet Berkeley. She is one of the "cute" kids that is participating in the contest.

The contest started last night at 11:00 pm and will run through April 24th 10:00pm. So, what are you waiting for, head on over to Lindsay's blog to see the other "cute" kids and cast your vote!!

Thanks for stopping by! I hope to have some art posted in the next couple of days!!

Jen

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

InStyle Stamps Thankful Thursday Sketch Challenge and a Prize!

Hello All!! It is my turn again to host the InStyle Stamps Thankful Thursday Sketch Challenge. If you have not participated in this before, you should give it a try! All you need to do is follow this sketch, create a card or paper project using the words Thank You, Thanks, Thankful or any variation of the words. More details are at the bottom of this post!

For my sketch, I chose one that the talented InStyle Stamps DT member Maria created and has allowed me to use for the TT Sketch! I really should learn how to create my own, but this was soooo much easier!! LOL Thanks Maria!! You ROCK!

For my card, I chose InStyle Stamps Lilah!! The more I use the Anime images, the more I LOVE them!! My 15 yr. old DD really likes them too. I always show her my cards when I am done with them and she always oohs and aahs over the Anime images. If I am unsure of how a card looks, all I do is ask Rachael and I know instantly if it is cute or not. You know how honest 15 yr. olds can be!

I embossed the image using VersaMark, Memento Black and Fine Detail embossing powder then colored with my Copic Markers and paper pieced her outfit and boots. I am still figuring out how to blend with my Copics and I got a little carried away and my coloring blended right outside the lines! LOL Hence why she is cut out and pop dotted. It all ended up working out and I think I like the dimension!

For a little more sketch inspiration, check out Jennie's darling card too!!

Here are the details for the challenge:
1. Make sure your project includes the word “Thank you” in some way.
2. You do not have to use an ISS stamp, but why not if you have it?
3. To be eligible for the prize please post a link to your creation in this post by no later than Wednesday, April 1st before 11:59pm, PST.
4. The winner will be announced on Thursday, April 2nd.
5. The winner will have 48 hours to claim their prize. If not claimed by then, another a winner will be chosen.
6. Those that hold a design position of any kind for ISS are ineligible to win the prize but you are welcome to participate!
Make sure if you are uploading to PCP or SCS galleries, please use ISSTT4-9 for the tag.

The prize for this challenge is a Memento Black Noir stamp pad!

I hope that you will play along!!

Thanks for stopping by!

Jen

Monday, March 30, 2009

Mojo Monday Sketch Featuring Lizzie

Happy Monday!! Well, at least it is a happy Monday for me! Why? Because it is Mojo Monday, of course!! LOL Each Monday I cannot wait to check out what awesome sketch is to be discovered over at the Mojo Monday Sketch Blog to get my creative juices going. Really, I am being totally serious here!

For my card I chose Lizzie from InStyle Stamps. I am learning how to shade with my Copics and highlight with my white gel pen and am pretty tickled with how she turned out! I have not perfected staying in the lines with these markers yet, so I chose to emboss the image to create a barrier between colors. I LOVE the way it turned out and will be using this technique more often.

The papers I chose to use are from a 6x6 Basic Grey paper pack called Lilykate. I chose these because I had already colored the image and needed to find papers that matched! LOL

The supplies used for this card are:
Stamps: InStyle Stamps Lizzie, CTMH Say it in Style
Paper: Basic Grey Lilykate
Embellishments: Sparkles Chloe's Closet, Paper Flower, ribbon and cordoroy button CTMH
Ink: CTMH Lilac Mist

Hope this has inspired you to play along with the Mojo Monday sketch this week!

Stop back by to check out my FIRST Magnolia Stamps image! I can't wait to share!!

Jen

Saturday, March 28, 2009

InStyle Stamps Sneak Peak!!

I would like to introduce you to Supermom! Isn't she just SUPER cute? She will be available to purchase on Wednesday April 1st over at InStyle Stamps. For another sneak peak and to see what's happening over at InStyle Stamps this week, visit the blog!

I have to tell you that I actually had a hard time trying to figure out how I wanted to color her Super outfit. I ended up doing a search for Super Hero costumes and decided on leaving her legs bare, therefore we have a sexy Supermom!!

Once I had her coloring down, I knew exactly which papers I was going to use for the card! I pulled out my CTMH Blue Ribbon paper pack and started playing. The background was made with my Swiss Dots Cuttlebug folder and Outdoor Denim ink was swiped over the top and the edges.

I used my Copic markers to color the image, although it turned out ok, I know that it could look better if I would learn how to shade! I had just finished coloring the image and was getting ready to adhere the paper to the Outdoor denim mat when I smudged the White Daisy CS that Supermom was on. SOOOO I cut out Supermom and pop dotted her onto another piece of CS.

This is the sketch that I followed to create my card. I love the sketches that the Mojo Monday blog provides each week and try to play along when I can.

Supplies used:
Stamp: Supermom, InStyle Stamps
Paper: CTMH Blue Ribbon
Embellishments: Outdoor Denim and White Daisy ribbon, Cranberry brads and Cranberry button.
Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder

I hope this has inspired you in some way!

Thanks for stopping by! Make sure to stop back again!

Jen

Friday, March 27, 2009

InStyle Stamps Blog Hop!!!

Are you ready to have some fun today??? InStyle Stamps is having a super fun Blog Hop where you can get to know the Design Team AND win some blog candy!! Make sure to read all the way to the bottom to find out how to win some fantastic prizes!! Here is how you play along....

First, each of the DT has created a project using an InStyle Stamps image. It is your job to visit each of our blogs and head over to the ISS blog to vote for your favorite project! The DT member with the most votes wins a prize!! But that is NOT all. You also have a chance to win a prize just for voting. It really does NOT get any easier than that!

Here is my project: I used a 4x6 photo accessory keeper that I found at WalMart. I used the Willows digital download to create the "stems" for my flowers. I printed it out onto my paper, pierced holes in the stems and then used embroidery floss to fill in.

And for a view of one of the sides. All of the sides are the same.

Second, there will be a "Meet the DT Trivia" game for you to play along with. All you need to do is collect the answers to a list of questions about the DT and e-mail your answers to http://www.instylebloghop@aol.com/ by 10pm EST You will find the list of questions over at the InStyle Stamps forum under "At the Hop". Here are my questions and answers............

What is your favorite color combination for crafting? Whatever I am in the mood for when I am creating.

If you were stuck on a deserted island, and a box washed up on shore, what 5 craft supplies would you most want to find inside? Trimmer, paper, ink pad, stamp and adhesive.

What is your favorite coloring medium? markers

What embellishment can you not live without? ribbon

What are your hobbies (other than papercrafting)? Sewing, quilting, and reading (is reading a hobby?)

What’s your favorite spring time activity? Sitting outside wrapped up in a blanket on my patio reading a good book, with a fire going in the outdoor fireplace.

If you could visit any place in the world, where would you choose to go? England

When you were little, who was your favorite super hero and why? I did not have a favorite super hero when I was little.

What is one item that you really should throw away, but probably never will? My blank CM scrapbook pages.

If you were an animal, what would you be? I would be a cat.

If you could have an endless supply of any food item, what would you get? Pizza, of course!

What is your favorite movie? Gone with the Wind

Who is your favorite actor/actress? Robert Duvall

Do you have a pet? If so, what do you have? Yes, I have 3 cats and 1 puppy.

How did you first get introduced to stamping? My friend Jana who has introduced me to EVERY craft that I have ever tried!

Now, head on over to the InStyle Stamps to get started! The InStyle Stamps DT is listed at the right under the InStyle Stamps logo!!

Thanks for stopping by today! Have fun and win big!!

Jen

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Finally getting back into the swing of things.....

WHEW!! I have been a busy girl the past week and a half! I am ready to settle back into my routine of doing NOTHING! LOL Unfortunately I don't see that happening anytime soon.....

I finally sat down today and actually played! I did not work on club pages.....although that is fun too! I needed to get my submission for InStyle Stamps in before I get kicked out of the DT!! LOL Seriously.....

I really liked the sketch from Taylored Expressions this last week. Sooo, this is what I based my card off of. Actually, if you go over to the Taylored Expressions blog, you will see a card that is very similar to mine. That is because I liked it so much that I made mine similar to it.

For my card, I used Yuki from InStyle Stamps. I REALLY LOVED working with this image!! I found this super cute paper stack from Basic Grey (GASP, I know it is NOT ctmh!) called urban prairie and used the patterned paper to paper piece the skirt and the top of the outfit on Yuki. I used my Copic markers to color the rest of the image.

I used black brads, black sparkles and Hollyhock buttons with waxy flax for accents. Of course I used the Scalloped Oval and Oval Nestabilities for the main image and my Stampin Up! scalloped punch for the border.

As I was finishing up the card, somehow I managed to smudge black ink onto the oval with the main image. But it is just going to have to stay that way because it would be way to much trouble to re-do it.

I hope that I have inspired, or at least given you a cute sketch to follow! LOL

Thanks for stopping by today!

Jen

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Weekend Crop Triangle Treat Bag

I am making 9 of these treat bags for a crop that I am hosting this weekend. So, if you are attending my crop, this is one of the goodies that you will be receiving!! I only have to make 9 of these before Friday! This was actually pretty fun to make. I really like the papers from the CTMH

Boom-Di-Ada paper pack. This was new in the Summer 08 Idea Book and honestly I forgot how much I LOVED the colors and patterns in this paper pack. I will have to reacquaint myself with this paper pack this weekend and make some more pages with it!! LOL

The tutorial for this treat bag can be found at the InStyle Stamps Method Monday challenge for February 23rd. I changed the width on my treat bag so I could get more cuts from a 12x12. So, my dimensions are 4 x 11, instead of the 4 1/4 x 11. This way I could get 3 from a 12x12 instead of 2.

The treats that I will put in each bag will be different from what is shown in this sample bag. I just think it would be better to put something that is wrapped like Hershey's Kisses or something like that. I will be putting an individual stamp in a seperate little baggie like the one shown!

Supplies are mostly CTMH:
Paper: Boom-Di-Ada
Stamp set: Cottage Floral
Inks: Barn Red, Autumn Terracotta and Buttercup
Embellishments: Prisma Glitter
Punch: SU! scalloped border punch

Thanks for stopping by today!

I hope that you have found inspiration in this little Triangle Treat Bag!!

Jen

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Card for March unit swap!!

I have to say that I am so proud of myself for not waiting till the last day to figure out what I was going to make for my swap this month!! I actually knew 3 weeks ago what I was going to make!! I just did not start assembling until today! LOL Some habits are hard to break!!

For this swap we were to use That's Amore papers and colors and think outside of the box and not just think "Love" with this paper pack. I chose to make the 3 1/2 x 8 card. So, this is what I came up with..... a sparkly flower!! I just LOVE glitter!!! Notice that I put glitter on the brad in the center of the flower too!

To create the flower, I stamped the large flower in Blush ink then rolled the edges in Tulip ink. I repeated the process with the scalloped middle and for the green part I inked it in Garden Green and then rolled the edges in New England Ivy ink. After all was stamped, I cut out the large flower and then sponged the edges with Tulip ink to create a darker edge. I then used my Fine Ball Point Zig glue pen and went around the edges, the center and the brad and sprinkled Prisma Glitter to it all.

The stem of the flower was hand drawn on after I adhered the leaves and then hand stitched with Garden Green embroidery floss.

Supplies:
Stamps: CTMH Cottage Floral and Simple Stitches
Paper: CTMH That's AmoreInks: Blush, Tulip, Chocolate, Garden Green and New England Ivy
Embellishments: Prisma Glitter and Garden Green brad
Thanks for hanging in there with me and for stopping back to see if I have posted!!

Hope this inspired you in some way!!

Jen

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

OK......I know I have been a little quiet lately!

I just finished this card that I made for the Humble Artists swap that I participate in every 2 months. The guidelines for this month's swap were to make a 6x6 or 5 1/2 x 4 1/4 card that needed to have an animal, an embossed image, at least 5 layers, a background stamp and at least 2 embellishments. I believe I have met all requirements. Now, I just need to make 4 more and send them off!! Vicki has a gorgeous card that she made for the Humble Artists swap also, so go check out Vicki's blog to see it! I have the real thing sitting right next to me and it is even MORE gorgeous in person!! Thanks Vicki!!!

I just can't get enough of this little bunny from CTMH's Bunny Love or the CTMH Creative Basics Emporium Collection!! I embossed the bunny with Versa Mark, Staz on and fine detail embossing powder on watercolor paper. I colored in with Bamboo, Desert Sand and Cocoa then used a blending pen to blend all. The 1/2 circles are Circle Window Charms with crystal blue cs and the circle inside is from the circle b&t from emporium.

I colored in the bubbles with Crystal Blue then used my glue pen to adhere Prisma Glitter. The tail is Liquid Applique. The scalloped circles are Nestabilities and the scalloped border is a SU! punch. All other supplies are ctmh. For the card sketch, I used CPS #97.

Supplies used:
Stamps: Intrinsic Backgrounds, Bunny Love
Paper: Creative Basics Emporium Collection
Embellishments: Heavenly Blue Ribbon Collection, Circle Window Charms, Prisma Glitter
Stampin' Up! scalloped edge punch, Circle Nestabilities

I hope that it is swapworthy!!

Thanks for stopping by!!

I hope that you have found inspiration in my creation!!

Jen :)