Blue Daisy

Good evening!

It's been a busy weekend here for us - as I'm sure it's been for you too! I thought I'd share a card I made that has some unusual combinations on it - just look at this funky Basic Grey cardstock (from the Lime Rickey Collection)...

Aren't those birds fun? I stamped the daisy from GinaK's Flowers for Daisy stamp set and the sentiment is from the StampTV Eclectic Summer Sayings set. I like how the two nestability dies worked together for the sentiment.

Have a great rest of your weekend! I'll be back tomorrow with some cards that I've made with Nina Brackett's Elegant Verses stamp set. Nina is hostessing a blog hop with her new set - so be sure to check out her blog post tomorrow night for a chance to win it too!

Jessica

Cammie's Amazing Blog Candy!

Good morning!

Have you heard about Carolyn King's amazing blog candy yet?? You have until Friday, September 26th to enter to win over $1000 worth of product.

To be entered to win, she asked for a card to be sent to someone who has Alzheimers or to the nursing home where her grandmother spent her last days. My grandmother also had Alzheimers for many years before she died. I was born on her birthday - so it was always so special sharing a birthday cake with her. Her twin sister, my Great Aunt Helen is still alive and we make sure to exchange birthday cards each year.

Here's the card I sent out:

Have a great rest of your day and good luck winning Cammie's awesome prize!

Jessica

Flower Girl Frame

Good morning!

Remember the photos I used of my daughter Ashley in the Pink StarBook I shared with you last week? Well, here's some more photos from that photo shoot that I wanted to highlight in a bigger way. She was such a little poser that day! She had a dandelion and a hosta leaf in her hand and was very proud to pose for me with her little bouquet.

One of my favorite ways to highlight photos is to take an ordinary frame and decorate it like a scrapbook page. I used a variety of GinaK's stamps - the same ones that I used for the star book, in fact. They are all colored with Copic Markers.



Here's a few close-up shots of the images. I'm sorry that the photos aren't the best - the glare from the glass muddied up the large photo especially...

I chose 4 of my favorite photos to highlight and then used a Spring DCWV Paper pack to mat the other openings. The solid papers are actually glitter papers, so they are really sparkly. Prima flowers, gem rhinestones, and flat pearls finish off the embellishments. To add a final handmade touch, I took my .02 Copic Multiliner and edged each frame with lines and dots.

I'm going to offer this project as a class at GinaK Design's store next month. But, instead of a flower theme, we'll be making it a Fall Frame using Fall papers and some of her new stamp sets that she'll release at the beginning of September. You're going to love them! Check the September class list for the date of this class.

Have a great day!

Jessica

Simple Cuttlebug Cards

Good morning!

Today's cards were made with one of my newest favorite Cuttlebug Embossing Folders. I embossed the folder on DCWV paper. The camera really picked up the awesome texture of their cardstock. I used a sanding block to distress the embossing so that it could reveal the white core that DCWV paper has.

Then, to decorate the leaves I added some white and cream prima flowers and put a Hero Arts mini pearl back to the centers. The stamp sayings are from Asela Hopkin's Flowers for Daisy stamp set. The saying label on the front of the card is the longest Nestability ribbon label. I've been so happy to see that most of the sayings from GinaK's stamps fit on the two sets of Nestability label dies that I have.

I also showed the inside of the cards. I think it adds so much to your card if you have to time to finish off the inside, don't you? I don't always take the time to do it but have been trying to make more of an effort to do it lately.



I ended up making 8 of these cards to have on hand. Sympathy cards are always needed, but not the easiest ones to do. I wanted these cards to have a sense of hope and renewal ... and I think those little delicate flowers helped achieve that.

For those of you who are interested in September's Class List for GinaK's store, you may want to scroll to the bottom of my blog page. I've added a calendar that lists all the classes I'm offering for next month. We're adding several daytime classes this month - which I'm really excited about! To sign up for any of the classes, call Gina's store at (608) 579-1026 or email me at jessjean12@gmail.com . Gina will be adding the list to her website soon.

Have a great day!
Jessica

Flowers for Daisy

Hi!

Thank you so much for the warm welcome that I've received from everyone! Be sure to leave your comment on this post *click on the post link* to be entered to win my first blog candy!

Yesterday, I shared one of my daisy cards from Asela's new Flowers for Daisy stamp set and thought I would share the rest of them today.

I've mentioned before that I rarely make just one card at a time when I'm stamping. I usually stamp my main image 3 or 4 times and experiment with different papers from my scrap drawers and see what happens. It's my eclectic way of stamping and it works well for me.


I wish your computer screen had 'feel-a-vision' because I used flock on both of these flowers. This one has flock on the brown center. It's pretty hard to get a good photo of the texture, so you'll just have to believe me or come in to Gina's store to feel it for yourself! LOL!

Can you see the shine on the cuttlebug background in the card above? It's from one of my favorite products: CraftT Embossing paste. Gina recently began carrying all the color sets that they offer in her store in McFarland. I pulled them out to do some experimenting on these cards and love the shimmery look they added!

Card Details: Flowers for Daisy; Bazzil textured cardstock; K&Co. dsp; SU ww; Palette black ink; Nestabilities; EK success corner punches; Gems; Copic Markers; Sakura's glue pen; Doodlebug Flock; Archaic Fibers & glazed brads; sanding block; cuttlebug & embossing folders; colored CraftT metallic paste

The photo of the last card kind of washed out the metallic paste that I rubbed over the daisy frame and the embossed cuttlebug paper. It's yellow and works great for a sun-kissed look. Since the other cards in this set were made with dark, rich colors, I wanted to go bright with this last one and the shimmery yellow paste worked great!

The daisy is covered entirely with Doodlebug's Flock. It's really velvety - I wish you could feel it! Flock is so easy to use and adds a great touch - literally! - to many stamps.

Thanks for stopping by!
Jessica

New Opportunities; New Friends - BLOG CANDY ALERT!

Card Details: Summer Harvest, Versafine Black ink; Clear Embossing powder; peerless watercolors; twinkling h2o's; aqua painter; crystal lacquer; Nestabilities; SU ribbons; Glitter Dots; Stickles; Primas; CraftT Colored Embossing Paste

I'm so excited that Gina has invited me to join her design team! It has been a pleasure working for her at her store in McFarland - she's the best bosslady ever! Thanks for the opportunity to work and teach at your store and now to be on your design team, Gina!

Card Details: Whatever Floats your Boat; SU solid & dsp & coordinating inks; EK Success Star Punches; Cuttlebug & Embossing Folders; Stazon; Koh-i-noor pencils; OMS; blending stumps; Sakura Glitter Pen; Fine Detail Staedtler pens; SU My Way arrow punch, scallop border punch & corner rounder; Dollar Store Gems; MM mini eyelets; paper piercer; Ranger's Inkssentials White Gel pen; SU square punch; Marvy Scallop Punch

I am also blessed to call Rupa - one of her talented illustrators - my friend. Isn't this little mouse sweet? I love this newest set of hers and so does my 7 year old daughter Ashley. Tonight, she made me a sweet little love note with this mouse image... one I'll treasure always!

Card Details: Flowers for Daisy; Bazzil Cardstock; K&Co. dsp; SU ww; Versafine Black ink; Clear Embossing powder; Nestabilities; Copic Markers; Sanding block; EK Success large corner rounder; Basic Grey Archaic Fibers & Glazed Brads

And then there's Asela. I have been a fan of hers for several years now. Her coloring is always gorgeous. I'm so thankful when she takes the time to describe in detail her coloring steps. I've learned a lot from her - wouldn't it be awesome to take a coloring class from her?! Her illustration style is so classy and she is a great addition to GinaK Designs. I'm looking forward to seeing many more stamp sets from her in the future!

The cause behind Flowers for Daisy is so touching and one that only makes me admire Asela and Gina more. (click on their names to read the story behind the stamp set.)

Card Details: Little Tees; SU '08 In Colors & WW & coordinating inks; SU scallop border punch & round tab punch; Hero Arts gems; paper piercer; Ranger's Inkssentials White gel pen; Cuttlebug & Embossing Folders; Sakura Glitter pen & aqua painter

I was able to meet Melanie last weekend when Gina and I went to CHA. She is full of ideas for some awesome stamp sets - I'm excited to see what she'll come up with next. This T shirt set is such a great idea and one that I know will get a lot of ink!

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So, how about some blog candy to celebrate my design team news!

Since this is the first time I've ever done this how about we make the question nice and easy....

What is your favorite GinaK Designs stamp set?

hmmm... maybe that's harder than I thought! I love them all, but if I had to choose only one, I think I'd pick Just Keep Swimming because I love those sea critters! They're perfect for any coloring medium!

Comment on this post with your favorite GinaK Stamp set by Monday, July 28th at 7 PM and I'll choose one random winner to receive the stamp set of their choice.

Thanks for stopping by!
Jessica

Two Scoops of Daisies

This is the other project we'll be making for the Stop & Stamp event at GinaK Design's store in McFarland on Saturday. Come anytime between 10:30 and 3 - I'd love to see you there!

I love this monthly event at Gina's store! The price is awesome too. If you spend $50 that day at her store, the cards are free. Otherwise, it's just $5 to make them both and learn some new techniques while you're at it!

Asela's new stamp set Flowers for Daisy is such a fun one to color. I colored this simple daisy with various Copic markers to match some of the different papers in this beautiful Basic Grey Two Scoops paper pack. I love how all the elements match so well together!

Card Details: Flowers for Daisy; Palette Burnt Umber; Basic Grey Two Scoops paper, buttons, brads, fibers; EK success large corner rounder; Distress Old Paper; Bazzil cream & textured paper; Copic markers; cropadile

I can't decide which color I like best... how about you?

Thanks for stopping by - and I hope to see some of you on Saturday at the store!
Jessica