You're Love keeps Lifting Me...

Good morning!

My card today is a super quick one that I was so tickled with when it all came together...

I used Gina's Eclectic Summer StampTV kit stamps as well as Carolyn's Whimsical Autumn pussy willow stamp for the trees to make this summer scene. The kite was colored with Copic markers and then highlighted with the StarDust glitter pen as well as Crystal Lacquer.

After shading the 'tree trunks' with a Copic marker, I took my SU Wild Wasabi ink and a dauber and shaded in the tree's leaves. Then, I took two fine point green pens and colored in the leaves to help them pop against the ink. The sky was shaded with some chalks.

To help the trees really stand out, I took Sakura's Clear Glaze pen and traced the trunks and leaves. This pen dries really quickly and is great for a quick punch of shine. I like to use this pen with Crystal Lacquer would be too hard to add to such tiny details. You can see the difference in the shine in this photo...


And, the inside is as simple as the outside...

Thanks for stopping in - I hope your day is beautiful!
Jessica

Whimsical Autumn

Good morning!

We had a fun Christmas card SAS class yesterday at Gina's store. I have the best job in the world, I think. Thanks, ladies, for coming and stamping with me! I had such a nice time with everyone! I'll share our cards soon - I've got to get photos of them still....

Today's cards are some that I made last Friday at my Stop & Stamp at Gina's store. I had some time in the evening to stamp and color with some of the ladies who stopped in to make cards with me. I shared one sample of the apple basket card with you last week on my blog.

We used Carolyn King's Whimsical Autumn and Koh-i-noor pencils, blending stumps, and Odorless mineral spirits to color. I can't say enough about these amazing pencils - they blend so beautifully! And as for Cammie's stamp set... well, I'm sure you all know by now how much I love it because I use it so much!

Last Friday, one of my stamping friends, Karla - hi, Karla! showed me some adorable cards she had been working on recently. On several of them, she had layered these two EK Success corner punches - Fancy Corner & Curved Corner. Doesn't it look awesome layered together? I can't remember if I've seen this anywhere else yet and I love the look! Thanks for the great idea, Karla!

I LOVE it when people bring in the cards and projects they've been working on so I can see! We all learn from each other, don't we!


Don't forget to leave you comment on my blog post yesterday to be entered for a chance to win a free $18.95 GinaK stamp set!

Thanks for stopping by today!
Jessica

Friday's Stop & Stamp Cards

Hi everyone!

I'm headed over the GinaK's Release party on SCS, but thought I'd send out a quick blog post about the cards we'll be making at tomorrow's Stop & Stamp Event at GinaK Designs store in McFarland. Come anytime between 12 (noon) and 7 and you have the opportunity to make these two cards.


Everyone who makes the cards, gets to pick 5 free sheets of Bazzil Cardstock! The event costs $5 or it's free with a $50 purchase. I'm sure after tonight's release with all the fabulous new stamps and products that will be added to the store, you'll have no problem getting to the $50 mark! heehee..

The first card is a little deceptive because we'll actually be using Gina's new Funky Christmas and Seasonal Sayings to make it instead of Rupa's The Magic of Christmas. Everyone always wants to use new stamps, right!?

The second card features Carolyn King's Whimsical Autumn and we'll be coloring and shading with OMS and Koh-i-noor pencils.

I hope to see you tomorrow if you're in the Madison area and have time to stop and make cards with us! Otherwise, maybe I'll 'see' you at the party!

Have a great night!
Jessica

I'm in love with Lucky in Love Paper!!

Good morning!

The title says it all - I just love this new paper that Gina added to her store! The colors are so warm and the texture of the paper is so fun. Have you gotten any of it yet? I'm excited to see what everyone will be doing with the gobs of paper packs we have sold this week. Now that I'm in the store during the day and helping pick and pack the online orders, it's so fun for me to see all the goodies everyone is ordering! I know I've mentioned before, but it's those small things that make me happy... heehee...

Earlier this week at the store, Shelly and I had a chance to make a few cards. I had to play with some Lucky in Love papers again. In keeping with my quest to make the insides of my card as pretty as the outside, I took the time to decorate them too.

One of the reasons I could crank out these 2 cards is because I had already stamped those pumpkins. I shared one card that I made with these paper pieced pumpkins just a few days ago. You can find that post here. I saved the other pumpkins, cut them up and used them on these 2 cards. Remember, I told you that I can't throw anything away??

And, here's the inside...

I used Copic Markers to color the acorns, leaves, and pumpkin vines.

I'd love to know which Black Market Paper pack you like the best - leave a link to your card on my blog sometime, I'd love to see them! I tease the ladies that come into my classes that they have to bring their cards in for me to see for show and tell - because I LOVE to see what everyone makes.

Have a great rest of your day!

Jessica

Nestabilities Class Cards

Good evening!

I'm popping in quickly to share the cards we'll be making at tomorrow's nestabilities class at GinaK's store. The class is from 11:30 - 1:30 and we still have some open spots if you are looking for a way to spend your Friday morning!

I meant to share these cards with you earlier today, but time got away from me... you can relate, right?

Just a few details on the specifics of the cards...

* The wheelbarrow is colored with Koh-i-noor pencils, OMS, and blending stumps. I added a few 'shine' marks with the white pencil that comes with the set. Also, do you see those 'red' brads? They are actually pewter, but I colored the tops of the brads with my Copic R27 marker.

* The second card features Basic Grey's Offbeat Paper - which is sanded with the new Tim Holtz sanding block we just got in the store. It is so cool! The pumpkin is paper pieced of course, since I seem to be addicted to that technique lately! The shading around it is done with a variety of copic markers.

Have a great night! I'm looking forward to tomorrow's class - maybe I'll see you there?
Jessica

Cinderella's Pumpkin Sketch

Good morning!


Here's one more sketch card from Cammie's amazing challenge that can be found here. This card was the quickest of the three that I did and I think it's my favorite! I love every image in her Whimsical Autumn stamp set - as I'm sure you noticed since I've been sharing lots of cards made with it! Did you know that all the profits that Cammie receives from the sale of this stamp set will go to benefit the Alzheimer's Association. Not for a limited time - but FOREVER. You can read all about it here on her blog. It makes me love this set even more.

Here's a closeup of the pumpkins that I paper pieced with some of that amazing Ambrosia Basic Grey paper that I used....

I stamped the image in Versafine Black ink and clear embossed it for a nice crisp look. I like to do that when I'm paper piecing to help the image really pop. I used Copic Markers to shade the pumpkin and color the image. The nestability ovals are shaded with the new Holiday Metallic Rub-on paste that Gina added to her online store. I've had it for a long time and love the colors that are in the pack.

I stamped Cammie's adorable leaf image in Buttercream Stazon on a piece of Acetate and adhered it to the card with Stampin Up's So Saffron Brads. I edged the acetate with the same buttercream stazon to define it a little.

One more detail... do you see those orange pearls that I put on my favorite scallop corner punch? They are actually white pearls that I colored with my YR09 Orange copic marker to match the paper. I used them on my little 'wish' tag too.

Of course, I had to decorate the inside of the card again in keeping with my challenge going on in Gina's forum. Have you tried it yet? If not, give it a shot - the deadline isn't until Friday, Sept. 12th at 11am. I hope you get a chance to play! You could win a free GinaK Stamp set - does that help to entice you to join us? heehee...


Thanks for stopping by and have a great rest of your day!

Jessica



Card Details: Whimsical Autumn, Basic Grey Ambrosia, Scallop Corner Punch, Nestabilities, Stazon, Acetate, SU Brads & ribbon & word window punch, Pearls, Copic Markers, Corner Rounder, Versafine Black ink & Clear Embossing Powder, Cuttlebug

Bushel of Apples Sketch

Good morning!

I mentioned last night that I had some time yesterday afternoon to play with Cammie's sketch that she shared with us here. The card I'm sharing today doesn't follow it completely, but it was the spring board for it, that's for sure.

I didn't want to cover up that awesome new cuttlebug folder, so I decided to leave the rectangle off - but kept most of the other elements the same. The card itself is pretty straight-forward, so I won't go into the details too much except to say that the paper is all from that amazing Basic Grey Paper pack Ambrosia... yummy! And, that I used the Holiday Rub-on Paste that Gina just added to her online store on Friday... see the red shading?

Have a great day! I have one more sketch card to share with you tomorrow!

Thanks for stopping by!

Jessica

Card Details: Whimsical Autumn, Basic Grey Ambrosia, Scallop Corner Punch, Corner rounder, Liquid Pearls, Nestabilities, Holiday Metallic Rub-on Paste, Copic Markers, Crystal Lacquer, SU large eyelet & ribbons, Cuttlebug & Fall Words Embossing Folder, sanding block

PussyWillow Sketch Card

Hi!

I hope you are having an awesome weekend. The weather is just gorgeous here today. I had some time to play in my stamp room this afternoon! That doesn't always happen on Sundays at my house. I'm so glad I did, because I was so inspired by Cammie's Sketch challenge that she posted Friday night at Gina's Release Party. I made several cards with her sketch as a springing board - and I thought I'd share one of them tonight with you.

Here's a photo of her sketch:


Isn't it a fun one!? Here's a link to where you can find her card done with this sketch.

I fell in love with Basic Grey's Ambrosia Paper pack while I was making cards today. The colors are amazing. Cammie's sketch made it a breeze to whip up several cards in a short amount of time - I love it when that happens, don't you?! The only thing I wish I would have left off of my card is the stickles... they over-powered those adorable pussywillows.

In keeping with my Waste Not, Want Not challenge in Gina's Forum, I decided to decorate the inside of this card too.

Have a great evening and look for another Sketch Card tomorrow morning!

Jessica

Card Details: Whimsical Autumn, Ambrosia Basic Grey, Scallop Corner punch, Corner Rounder, Copic Markers, Stickles, Nestabilities, SU Grey Tafetta, Pearls, Versafine ink & Clear Embossing powder

Whimsical Autumn & First Day of School Photos

Good morning!

Today's sneak peek was made with Carolyn King's Whimsical Autumn stamp set. Isn't that squirrel the cutest? The leaves, saying, and apple bushel basket are also some of the images in her set. I used my Copic Markers to color the squirrel and apple basket and then added crystal lacquer to the apples and part of the basket.

Since I used to be a teacher, and I received many apple things over the years, I decided to decorate my kitchen with apples. My kitchen colors are the ones shown above in my card - blues and reds, with a touch of green. I love the country colors like these - they feel like September and back to school to me!

Before I share the photos of my kids, I want to share the links for you to be able to check out all the other beautiful projects made with the Whimsical Autumn stamp set by Gina, Carolyn, Kurtis, Erika, Emily, and Melanie. It's a must have autumn stamp set for sure - at least in my opinion! LOL!


Speaking of back to school, I just had to share these photos of my kids on their first day of school on Tuesday. Check out my daughter's sweater and socks - apples! heehee... She saw them at a store a few weeks ago and fell in love with them. I did too - so it was an easy purchase to make - especially since they were on sale! She proudly wore her new outfit to school and took a big red apple for her 2nd grade teacher.


Of course, I can't leave my son out - he started 6th grade this year. Yikes how time flies by, doesn't it? He hasn't been feeling well the past few weeks, poor guy. So, he got to start school with a sinus infection and ear infection along with his allergies acting up something fierce. He has enjoyed getting back to school and his classmates, too. I ended up having to take him back to the doctor yesterday after school to get some new medicine to help clear up his ear infection. Hopefully this round of medicine will do the trick since last week's stuff didn't seem to touch it!


Thanks for stopping by and check back in tomorrow for the photos of the four All Occasion Stamp a Stack cards we'll be making at next Tuesday's SAS at GinaK Designs store in McFarland.
Have a wonderful rest of your day!
Jessica