An Album For Ava

Yesterday you saw an adorable photo of baby Ava. Well, I couldn't possibly have gone to visit her empty handed, so I created this sweet little mini album (quickly) to give to her Mom. The papers are all from the amazingly adorable Big Top Birthday Collection by Samantha Walker for Creative Imaginations. I was in a hurry and totally bummed that I didn't have the stickers to go with it because they would have been perfect, but I didn't have time to run to the store so I decided to add some of Samantha Walker's super cute Holey Cardstock and tossed in some stickers from American Crafts along with some fabulous May Arts ribbon and the whole thing came together super fast!



This is the front of the album. The stamps are Stamp'n Up! and 100 Proof Press (kewpie doll).

The base is a REALLY SUPER cute chipboard album from the Creative Imaginations Bare Elements line.



The back of the album is simple and cute.

Below, I will show you the inside pages...I did, however, feel like something was missing, so after I took these shots (and shortly before I walked out the door to see her....) I added three small gem stones, one blue, one pink, and one yellow in a loose cluster on each page. I'm sad that I don't have shots with that because it was EXACTLY what was needed and finished it off nicely. It's so hard to create without the photos in hand, but this way she has a uniform way to cut the photos and quickly add them....seeing as being the mother of a newborn makes you kinda busy! LOL!









I had a lot of fun creating this little album, even if it was a super quick project...sometimes those are even more fun! LOL!

The Art is In the Precision

So...since I've been doing these layout thingies here and there, I thought I'd give another one a shot. Just say'n.

I am jumping in on the fun over at Sketchy Thursdays because, well, because they are awesome and stuff. Even if they are a bit, well, sketchy. Just say'n.

Ssssooooooo....yeaaaah. Enough of that. Here's the deal. Last summer The Hubbums and I decided to venture down to a little American art museum down in Connecticut. (Yes, for those unfamiliar with New England, it is quite easy to wander into other states for an afternoon at any given moment. Actually, it's not even hard to do it by accident, so doing it on purpose is TOTALLY doable. For reals. I don't make this stuff up.) So...Connecticut. Art Museum. Me and The Hubbums.

WELL.....while we were there enjoying the AMAZING exhibits they had we stumbled into a room with the REAL LIVE WORK of DALTON GHETTI!!!! I was jumping up and down kind of excited! SO, I decided to use photos from that exhibit for my layout today!



Yup! Aren't they COOL??? Oh...and there's a fun layout there, too, if you aren't still in AWE at the amazing art in the photos! HA!



The journaling is simple, but present and tells of the fun of stumbling on this treasure!



To place the buttons on the bottom of the page I used a super fancy technique...you ready for this? Get a pen...you might want to write this down...

...k? K.

...Get out your jar of vintage buttons. Randomly scoop up a few in your fingers - NO COUNTING! Drop them on your layout. Glue them where they land. Do the same in the top right corner.

...Yup. Best. Technique. EVER. Just say'n.



I used wide twill for the flower here and a narrow lace for the one above. Just a simple twisted ribbon style flower with a little love in the middle!

Supplies
Patterned Paper: Crate Paper (Portrait Collection)
Cardstock and Stamp: Close To My Heart
Ink: Momento
Tiny Letter Sticker: Basic Grey
Red Letter Stickers: Fancy Pants
Chipboard Letter Stickers: Cosmo Cricket
Label Sticker: Crate Paper
Twill and Lace: My stash
Punches: EK Success (Some are Martha, others are just regular EK)
Buttons: Foofala for EK Success
Mists: Maya Road (yellow); Tattered Angels (Cinnamon)
Twine and Vintage Buttons: My stash (which rocks - just say'n.)

And here is the amazing sketch from Sketchy Thursdays that inspired it all!

New Goodies from Stamp'n Up! {WOYWW}

If you saw the post below than you already know that I got to meet a brand new baby girl last night! She was born about two hours before I took that shot. I got to hold a tiny little person that had only been in the world for about two hours. And she is AMAZINGLY active for having only been around for a couple of hours! That little Ava was exploring her surroundings already! She desperately wants to suck her thumb, but she hasn't quite figured out how to get it out from under her little fist of fingers yet. She grips like you wouldn't believe, too! And...she makes adorable little fishy faces. I'm not usually much of a baby person 'cause they generally don't do much, but MAN was Ava fun to watch!

SOoooo...that meant no creating last night, but that's okay. My desk is back to it's usual mess, but you CAN see the fun stuff I just got from Stamp'n Up!



Yup! I finally broke down and got some watercolor crayons! I am really excited to try them, but I think I need to find some tutorials or something because they came with precisely ZERO instructions. Or...I'll just play and figure it out! HA! I also got some super fun stamps - 2 sets, I just combined them into one case for simple storage. This is the first time I've bought their cling stamps and I am loving it! They are so much easier to use and to store! And...no trees were lost. *Love.* Just say'n. I also picked up some hemp and some Baja Breeze glass glitter because I'm kinda sorta obsessed with glass glitter. A little bit. Kinda. Sorta. Just say'n.

Soooo...anyway....

...that pretty much sums it up. I have a super cute little mini album to share with you tomorrow or Friday that I made for Ava (well, for Alex, her mom, but you know how that goes...)

OH! And Pinterest...yeah, totally loving that. Fun stuff.

Well, I guess that is enough of my ranting and prattling for today. See you on the morrow!

(For more Workspace Wednesday posts check out The Stamping Ground!)

Welcoming Baby Ava into the World {Wordless Wednesday}

Congratulations, Alex! She is beautiful!

P.S. No. She isn't mine. She belongs to a very sweet friend. Just say'n.

For more Wordless (or not so) Wednesday posts check out here, here, and here!

Sweet As You! {SSD Sketch Tuesday!!!} *And a little heads up for something coming up...*

So...here's the deal. Do you want to see some WICKED CRAZY CUTE cards?

K. Thought so.

AND...do you want to have some fun, too?

K. Thought so.

THEN...it just so happens that today is a GREAT day for you to have stopped by Just Jingle! It's Skipping Stones Sketch Tuesday!!!! Today is the last sketch from our fabulous March sketch artist Heidi Blankenship and it is SUCH a fabulous sketch! Just WAIT to you see how the Stamp Tramps rocked this sketch. For reals. I wouldn't make this kinda thing up. Just say'n.



Here is my card. It is a SUPER fun birthday card created with the Friendly Fruit set, some fabulous Sassafrass papers and brads, and a couple of awesome American Crafts stickers! I stamped the image in orange Colorbox ink and heat embossed it with clear powder to give it that gorgeous, juicy feel! *LOVE IT!*



The sentiment is stamped directly on the patterned background with Tuxedo Black Momento ink. I love that stuff!



It's still pretty chilly here, so I'm working on that notion that if I create fun warm springy and summery stuff somehow that will bring the appropriate weather with it. That works, right? *nod and smile* K. Thanks.

ALSO...I want to let me AWESOME readers know that I am planning a BIG celebration around here in the form of a giveaway day! I am hoping to feature at least 10-12 shops (maybe more!) who are willing to sponsor the giveaway day with a prize from their shop/site. Please email me if you are interested in participating!!!

Now...you simply MUST check out what the stamp tramps have created because these girls ROCKED this sketch! Then play along with us and link your card up over at Skipping Stones Design for fame, adoration, and a chance to win!!! (Okay...maybe just a few fun comments and a chance to win! HA!)

Amy
Ann
Barb
Brenda
Gladys
Jingle
Kandi
Tammie
Wendy

And Our Guests for March

Heidi
Michele
Lindsay
Vanessa

Once Upon A Springtime...

Once Upon a springtime in a land of glittering fairies there was a sweet young fairy child by the name of Tiana. Tiana liked to spend her days sipping the sun rays as she sat blissfully on the soft, mossy carpet on the forest floor. She would listen as the birds around her sang their morning melodies and gathered each and every tiny bloom within her reach. She drank in the nature around her. She was not distracted. She was present. She was calm.



Tiana is a Scrolls Work Stamp inked in Momento ink and watercolored with Luminarte's Twinkling H2O's giving her the most delightful shimmer! JUST what a true fairy wishes for! The papers are Graphic 45 and absolutely FABULOUS!



I added a few gem stones with my iRock and some really pretty ribbon to complete the card. A perfect way to begin a new week! Have a super happy Monday!!!

Sadness Flies Away on The Wings of Time {SSD Blog Hop}

Happy Friday, Folks! And it couldn't have come sooner! Well, it could have, however, it simply chose not to, so I'm just going to be happy that it is here now. K? K. Thanks.

Today we have a SPECIAL EDITION Skipping Stones Design blog hop planned for you! We always have SO much fun showing off the brand new shiny and fabulous stamp sets that sometimes we forget that we have some REALLY great older sets you should know about, too! So, today the Stamp Tramps have come together to show off some of those fantastic sets that have been in the store for awhile...but they may be new to you!!!!

If you came from Wendy's blog you must have already begun the fun! If not, you might want to HOP on over to Tammie's blog to start at the beginning!



I chose to use Healing Wings, an older set, but one of my favorites! This is one of the very FIRST SSD stamps that I owned and I LOVE IT!!! The butterflies are just gorgeous and the sentiments are so beautiful! The paper collection used here is the Portrait collection from Crate Paper. It is so pretty!



Each image is stamped in chocolate ink on patterned paper and then cut and mounted only in the center to allow the wings to 'fly'. *sigh* I love butterfly stamps!

The next stop along the hop is Barb, so leave a comment here and then go visit her!

AND...because you *might* see lots of great sets along this hop that you *MIGHT* feel like you need...If you enter 31FREE at checkout at Skipping Stones Design you will get one FREE set when you purchase THREE! Did you hear that? FREE!!!!

Yup. Free makes for Happy Fridays!!!!

Here is the full list just in case you need it!

Tammie
Amy
Kandi
Wendy
Jennifer
Barb
Gladys
Brenda

Altered Shoe in Copper Glitter

Well, I am actually QUITE excited to share this project with all of you, but I should warn you that you are about to be inundated with photos!  I took LOTS of pics of this one because, well, quite frankly, it has lots of details hiding in lots of places!  Just say'n.

Gingersnap Creations is celebrating their Anniversary and we have come together to create a blog hop FULL of beautiful GINGER creations!  Yup...coppers, gingers, rust....we've got 'em all!  AND...just because I can, that means I covered an entire shoe with copper glitter.  Yup.  I did.  For reals.


You didn't believe me, did you? Well. I guess you do now! HA! Yes, I started with a shoe that was too worn to wear and too worn to donate and covered the entire thing with copper glitter. It just so happens that this was formerly my absolute favorite pair of red pumps. I had to replace them with my new favorite pair of red pumps, but I HAD to do something fun with them because I simply could not BEAR to throw them in the bin! I just couldn't do it. So...copper glitter....and then I lined the outside with lace.

The inside is lined with Creative Imaginations Real Wood and then embellished with a Hambly Doily rubon, some ribbon roses from Maya Road, and Imaginsce gem stones set with the iRock tool. I also added some Tim Holtz tissue tape to the inside of the shoe! *LOVE* Just say'n.

The amazing images are Scrolls Work stamps colored with CTMH watercolor pencils. *DOUBLE LOVE*

The front of the shoe is adorned with a giant paper flower that was actually gifted to me by the fabulous Em! I added Glass glitter and a string of pear beads and a couple of Maya Road chandelier charms and, quite frankly, it makes me happy. Really. Really. Happy. Just say'n.

So, alas, here you have my sweet little fearie resting in her bloom atop her altered shoe in copper glitter. Why yes, it is the most wonderful thing one could possibly imagine. Now, if I could just find a copper glittered shoe large enough to make my own home......

Just Say'n.

-Jingle Out.

Konnichiwa {WOYWW}

YAY!  For Wednesday!  It's the middle of the week and we shall see the weekend soon.  It's supposed to snow today and tomorrow, but I'm gonna just ignore that and live in denial until it gets springy around here, K?  K.  Thanks. 

However, being Wednesday, also means that it is What's On Your Workspace Wednesday time over at The Stamping Ground!  And...I decided to give you an aerial view today.  Yup.  I totally stood on a stool to get this shot!  HA!



Those of you who regularly visit my WOYWW posts will note how CLEAN my desk is compared to usual!  Yup.  I've been doing better about that lately.  It's probably a good thing.  Just say'n.  As for the fun stuff on my desk, well, you see the card that I will share below along with a doll that I just started (it doesn't look like a doll yet in this photo, THAT'S for sure!) and another card that I'm not revealing fully until Friday AND a bag of FRESH CUT RUBBER!!!!!  *sigh*  I {heart} Scrolls Work Stamps.  Just say'n.



As for all of that other stuff - mostly the supplies used for making the card you see there on the table.  You see, My Cute Stamps had this great opportunity to purchase this WICKED cute set of stamps and the ENTIRE purchase price was donated to relief efforts in Japan!  How cool is that?  Wicked crazy cool, that's how cool.  So, I simply HAD to ink those cuties up right away and what better papers to pair them with than this amazing collection from My Little Shoebox?  Seriously?  Seriously.  For reals, folks.  I love it.



This sucker had a remarkably lot of cut work.  I cut the tree and the lantern from the pattern paper.  The large label is a MLS die cut and totally cute, by the way!  Then I stamped the little girls, colored them with CTMH watercolor pencils and cut them out, as well.  LOTS of fun, this card!  Really.  I had a blast making this one!



And now that all that fresh rubber has been cut, hopefully I will get some time to dive into those stamps soon, too!!!!  I {heart} making stuff.  I really really really really really do.  Just Say'n.

Happy Wednesday!!!!

Are You Ready for Some CUTENESS?????

'Cause I am. Just say'n. No, for reals. The combination of adorable Samantha Walker papers and Skipping Stones Design stamps that you are about to see is...quite possibly...unbearably adorable. For reals. Would I make something this important up? Nope. I don't think so. Just say'n.

Are you ready? Wait for it.........



.....





AACK!!! Seriously, folks. Cuteness OVERLOAD!!!! Love. It. So, let's break this down for you.

Today is Skipping Stones Sketch Tuesday. That means utter cuteness in the card department from the Stamp Tramps! And...we are all showing off the adorableness of two SUPER CUTE spring sets, Chick Chat (as showcased above) and the ever adorable, although, somehow not yet in my possession, Grey Hares! CUTENESS!!!! (Wait...did I mention the cuteness already? I'm not sure. Hmmm.....)




And, on top of that fabulousness, I totally brought in amazing papers from Samantha Walker's Holey Modern collection and Samantha's amazing Big Top Birthday collection from Creative Imaginations...oh...and I tossed in some adorable Samantha Walker ribbon for fun, too. Just say'n.




I finished off the cuteness factor by playing with my new iRock tool and HOLY FUN, BATMAN! LOVE that thing!!!!

So, basically, complete and utter cuteness. Although, I may have mentioned that. NOW....YOU need to create some complete and utter cuteness! Just head on over to Skipping Stones Design and check out this week's sketch! Create a card using any supplies (although, we DO love to see your SSD stamps in action!), and then link it to the post for your chance to win!

Here are the Stamp Tramps!
Amy
Ann
Barb
Brenda
Gladys
Jingle (that's me!)
Kandi
Tammie
Wendy

Happy Tuesday!!!

OH!!!! I totally almost forgot! You simply MUST come back on Friday because we are totally going to be doing a super fun SSD blog hop! You KNOW you want to join in THAT fun, right? Right. K. See ya then. Thanks. Bye Bye, now.

Cityscapes are on the Rise in the Moxie Fab World

Yes, my friends, they are. And I'm game for playing along! Moxie Fab World currently has a great cityscape challenge going on and when I saw it this GORGEOUS image from 100 Proof Press came to mind immediately! Yup. As in....right.a.stinking.way. For reals. Just Say'n.

SOOoooo...that being the case, I simply HAD to create something with it for the challenge!



The Long Tower Row image is just so gorgeous! I really love it! I stamped it with Momento ink on a white cardstock background. The 'Dream' and the star are rubons from CTMH and the little ribbon rose is Maya Road.



This may be a less traditional cityscape, but that is part of what I love about it! It is so intriguing! What do you think?

I hope you have a great Monday!!!!

Hop! Hop! Hop! - A Super Fun Tutorial Over at Gingersnap Creations!

So, what do you get when you combine the cuteness of Samantha Walker for Riley Blake fabrics with the awesomeness of 100 Proof Press stamps?

Ummm...a seriously cute pillow hanging!!!



Yup! I have a full tutorial for this adorable piece over at Gingersnap Creations today!!!

You should TOTALLY come on by and check it out!



So? You wanna make one yet????

Thanks, guys. For reals.

I have a ton to work on today, but I just wanted to stop and say how happy it makes me to see the number of followers go up every now and then. I am so honored and so thrilled that so many of you come by here to read my little piece of insanity on the interwebs each day. Your comments truly make me smile each and every day and I can't even imagine not having this little piece of me anymore. So, sappy as it may be. Thank you. Each and every one of you. Please know that you truly are appreciated. So many of my readers have become true friends and I am so grateful for that! I love it. I really do. For reals. K? K. Just say'n.

Jingle Out.

:-)

I'd Like to Thank The Academy.....

Oh...wait. Okay, so actually I am just thanking some amazing OWOH girls who sent me some really fabulous gifts! Really. Fabulous. Just say'n.



I received this beautiful Sisters Print from Karen of Artx365. I should probably actually give it TO my sister, but I think I can enjoy it for a little bit first! Just say'n. :-)



Ummm...*gush*. Just say'n. This beautiful Be True To Your Heart print is from the very talented Valerie Hart! I love it!!! And it says nothing about sisters, so I don't have to give it away. HA!



This incredible awesome dark cat came from Cotton Picker. I love it!!! So neat!



And I also received this fabulous fabric and amazing postcard backs! Of course, I will have to update with a link later on because I don't have the card on hand at the moment.

And...today is supposed to be in the mid to high 60's, I have a super cute outfit on, I have Jelly Beans at my disposal, and, it's FRIDAY!!!!! All that combines to create one seriously fabulous day. Just Say'n.

Oh...and for those who need some old school to keep us happy...let's take it back to one of my all time favorites!



P.S. It is slightly possible that I *might* go around chanting this very phrase on a regular basis even though I'm like 32 years old. Slightly possible. *maybe* Just Say'n.

Jingle Out!

I think I have an addiction to my Scrolls Work Alice Stamps. Just Say'n.

For reals. Have you seen the collection of Alice in Wonderland Stamps over at Scrolls Works? 'Cause, they are pretty darned amazing. No. For reals. Pretty darned. Just say'n.

AND...it's St. Patrick's Day today! HAPPY St. Patrick's day! We shall celebrate with Alice! Why not? Right? Right. K. Now that we got that settled. It's CARD TIME!!!

The Gingersnappers inspired us to play with Jewel Tones with a bit of Gold in the latest color challenge. My mind first went to deep, rich tones with a heavier, more formal feel, but then I realized that if I tossed in a heavy dose of white, I could do something wonderfully light and free with those colors! Quite reminiscent of a rainbow and pot o' gold! So, I pulled out those amazing Alice stamps and got STAMPING!!!



Ah, yes! The pure whimsy of Alice spinning down the rabbit whole in vibrant color! I used a variety of inks some from CTMH and a couple of Momento colors, as well. I love how fun the color tones are! I stamped the spiral in gold and then covered it with Martha Stewart gold glitter glue for the finishing touch! *SPARKLE!!!!* {heart} Just say'n.



So, my dear friends, I do hope you have enjoyed this celebration and I hope you are donning your favorite green-ness today! Have a happy day!!!!

Dolls and Typewriters {WOYWW}

Mine is rather blurry this morning. Lots of projects going on and such.



So. Yup. Lots of fun stuff going on. That ribbon will soon be a doll - or such is the plan, anyway.



These are some dolls in progress. I have ideas for them, just not the time, yet. I am pretty excited about them, though!

And...also some super fun stuff today over at Gingersnap Creations! It's a typewriter challenge! Come on over and join in the fun!!! I created a small notebook and a card with Graphic45 papers, kraft cardstock and awesome typewriter key stamps from Scrolls Work!



LOTS OF FUN STUFF!!! I hope you have a super happy Wednesday!
For more awesome workspaces check out Julia's blog!

What Was So Damn Funny? Skipping Stones Design Blog Hop Day!

Yes, folks, it is Skipping Stones Design blog hop day and we are celebrating the release of a SUPER fun new stamp set and a GREAT sale!!!

If you came from Amy's blog you are already hopping away, and if you just fell upon the hop now, feel free to jump on over to our Guest Sketch Designer, Heidi's blog, to start the fun!

So...two things I said that probably caught your attention - 1. SALE!!! Yup! Skipping Stones Design is having a buy 3 get 1 free sale! Simply enter 31FREE at checkout! Ummm...FREE STAMPS! Gotta love that!

2. We are releasing SUCH a super fun set today! It is called Green Birthday! Here is the card that I created using Heidi's sketch for this week!



Yup. Folks. There simply is no denying. This is funny stuff. Just say'n.



And this set is FULL of super cute sentiments along WITH a bunch of great images including a CUPCAKE and cake and more....*LOVE*. Just say'n.



With this kind of cuteness, folks, seriously. I can't even handle it.



Yup. You totally know you want it. AND...with the sale you get it for FREE when you order three stamp sets! Or any other set you want for free. That is entirely up to you and there are a LOT of good ones to choose from. Just say'n.

Well, here's the deal, the next stop on the blog hop is Vanessa, so go check her out, peeps! For reals! AND, don't forget to create a card with this week's sketch and link it up over at Skipping Stones Design for a chance to win!!!!

Card Credits: Stamps - Skipping Stones Design (of course!); Ink - Momento (black), CTMH (white); Markers - Tombow; Papers and Label Sticker - October Afternoon; Brads - WER Memory Keepers

Check out the entire hop list here (just in case you need it!)

Heidi
Tammie
Amy
Jingle
Vanessa
Kandi
Wendy
Ann
Lindsey
Barb
Brenda
Gladys
Michelle
Skipping Stones Design