Sometimes My Daddy Calls just to tell me I'm the Gold at the End of the Rainbow

After I got home from work yesterday my Daddy called. You see, he works in the same city in which I live and he was looking at a GORGEOUS double rainbow that was absolutely brilliant in color and perfect in shape. You know how when you are looking at a rainbow it always seems like you can see where it begins and where it ends....well, from the spot he was looking, the end of that rainbow looked like it landed right on my house! So...he called me and asked if I could see it! I went outside and right there in my backyard was a GORGEOUS, brilliant rainbow! The top one (of the double) had started to fade, but the bottom one was perfect! It was so gorgeous! And...it DID actually look like it was super close! It was really neat. And that, my friends, is what inspired this card that I created for Friends with Flair Friday over at Unity Stamp Co!



Isn't it fun?! I actually had created another card...if I'm feeling brave I'll tack it on at the end of this post, but I just wasn't loving it, so I was so excited when the inspiration hit for this one! I love it! It is a happy, happy rainbow card! I used the Sunny Happy Skies set and the Heartfelt Sentiments set. I inked the rubber with Momento ink (Tuxedo Black and Tangelo) and the gem stones are some Teresa Collins ones that I got in a goodie package I won from Scrap Street magazine!



So, I pretty much love it! As for the other one. Well, I'll show you, as some of you might like it. It just wasn't doing anything for me for some reason. I started with the Less is More sketch and it went all haywire from there! LOL!



So...I LOVE the clean and simple rainbow card and it makes me happy so I'm focusing on that one today! HA! I hope you all have a SUPER HAPPY Friday! We are going to a Hawaiian themed party tonight, so that ought to be interesting! Don't forget to stop by tomorrow for WORLD CARD MAKING DAY!!!! I KNOW, RIGHT?! I'm totally excited! It's gonna be pretty much awesome and stuff. Just say'n.

Jingle Out.

More Than Just A Harry Potter Birthday Card

It is time for another Pixie Dust Studio Challenge and this is a FUN one!!! We are sticking our noses in books and heading to the movies! The challenge is to create a project based on a book or a movie! You don't have to use Pixie Dust images to participate, but, if you want to there are TONS of choices for great book and movie characters! I chose to play with the Harry Potter images and I had a BLAST!



I colored all four of the character images and two of the critter images so I have Dumbledore, Harry, Hermione, Ron, Crookshanks, and Hedwig! HOW FUN ARE THESE??? I used Stamp'n Up! watercolor crayons, CTMH watercolor pencils, and the ink pad watercolor technique to color them. Then I tucked them into the card, BUT...it's not JUST a card, folks. Nosirreeebob! It's MORE than just a card! You see, those little peeping wizards are not adhered to the card at all! They are just tucked in so....



They can come out to play! Yup! They are standing paper doll figures that can be a gift and a card all in one! YAY!!! Crookshanks and Hedwig were simply attached with a low-tac adhesive so they can come off, as well.



I gave them simply cardstock easel backs to make them stand. So fun! It's like MAGIC! (Or not, but you know how I get with these things.... HA!)



SO...you don't have to go all nuts like this, you can stick with a simple card if you like, but I would love to see some of my happy readers participate in the challenge! If you are looking for some fun images to play with Pixie Dust Studio has Harry Potter (obviously), Alice in Wonderland (including an AMAZING Hatter!), Romeo and Juliet, The Notebook, some sparkly vampire kid (tee-hee...yes, Twilight, too), some favorite Princess stories, Wizard of Oz, Little Red Riding Hood, and even MORE! Seriously...lots of inspiration! Head on over to the challenge blog to check out what the other Pixies have created and to link up YOUR take on this fun book/movie challenge!!!

Happy Thursday!

Jingle Out!

Come Home - A Mixed Media Assemblage and WOYWW

This is a mixed media piece that I created in a surge of creative energy yesterday. I have been rather ill and finally felt better (just to feel horrible again today, mind you), so I was excited to use the time I had and the energy to get some creative work done. It started out as a simple ATC with the fabulous arch ATC frame and base from Retro Cafe Art Gallery and it just grew from their into this entire piece. I really love it!

Much of it is constructed of found parts such as the thrift shop frame, the rusty nails, screws, washer, and metal plate. I find these things randomly on the side of the road and I can never walk buy without grabbing them and this is TOTALLY why!

The other supplies, the arch ATC frame, the ATC back, the charlotte doll, the german scrap, the tissue tape, glitter, and the film strip ribbon can all be found at Retro Cafe Art (because they are AWESOME LIKE THAT!!!! Just say'n.)The ribbon used behind the ATC frame is from the always fabulous May Arts.

So, basically, THAT, along with a whole lot of other stuff is what is on my workspace at the moment! HA!

That and these little treasures that I picked up at the thrift shop yesterday.

The cedar coasters or whatever they are supposed to be were a quarter for the pack and I think they will make great canvases for little pieces of art. The glass was just intriguing to me, so I had to pick that up, also a quarter, and I think I have a plan for it, but I'm not sure I want to do it because it is so cute I sort of just want to use it for storage or something! HA! And, as for that odd little funnel, well, let's be honest, a witch's hat is easily seen there! Right? Right. Totally. Just say'n.

Wow! That's a lot of stuff I've tossed your way to look at today! I hope you enjoy it! I also have this fun little card that I made *JUST FOR FUN* (I told you I had a creative rush, right?) and I am adding to the CPS Challenge because I LOVE this week's sketch!!! I might do a couple more, actually, because I love it THAT much!


This simple Halloween card was created with a Close To My Heart stamp, Momento Ink and Twinery twine. And that's it, folks!

I hope you have a super fabulouso Wednesday! Do leave a comment if you can! I love your comments!!! They make my days a bit brighter! YAY!!!

Jingle Out

Boo! (I got ya, right?) {Winner Announced}

Hee-hee! Yes, I know I didn't actually get you, but...I can pretend, right? K. Thanks. BUT...today is a super fun day with a brand new sketch from Skipping Stones Design!!!

Actually, today is the last day with our fabulous September guest designer, Amy Sheffer! Can you believe it will be October this weekend? Yikes! When did that happen?! It will also be World Card Making Day, and there is fun stuff planned ALL OVER THE PLACE for that, so keep your eyes peeled! I will certainly have some fun stuff here on my blog for you!

As for today, however, the Skipping Stones team has a WONDERFUL bunch of projects to share with you!



I pulled out the Happy Halloweenie set for this fun card! I stamped the BOO! image onto a chalkboard accent (American Crafts) in Colonial White pigment ink. The papers are all from the Echo Park Apothecary Emporium collection, the twine from The Twinery, and that adorable ghostie is from Making Memories.



I decided to turn the sketch into a square card and I think it worked out pretty well, if I do say so myself! HA! I have a question for card makers out there - when you make square cards, what size do you make them? I have been doing about 5 1/2 x 5 1/2 and I think I like that size, but I wonder if I should be going down to 5x5 or up to 6x6. Hmmm...the things we ponder when playing with paper. Just say'n.

Anyway, here is the sketch that Amy created. AND...here is your HOMEWORK!!! Create a card based on this sketch and then head on over to Skipping Stones Design and link up your take on the sketch! You can use any supplies you like (you don't have to use SSD stamps, but we love it when you do!) AND you have a chance to win some FREE STAMPS!!!

Speaking of free stamps...I have the winner from last week's Happy Halloweenie set giveaway! The winner is AMY from Abstracts Mixed with Extracts!!! Amy, please email me with your address so I can get this fun set out to you!

And now, it is TOTALLY time for you to check out what the other Stamp Tramps have created!!!

Our Guests
Amy Sheffer
Cristina
Chan
Amber
Nicole
Vanessa
And Our Skipping Stones Design Stamp Tramps
Kandi
Jingle
Katie
Wendy P.
Karen
Taylor
Stephanie
Wendy J.
JoAnn

Have a super happy Tuesday!!!

My First Christmas Card of the Year {With 100 Proof Press}

Yes, I'm aware that it is early, however, if one wishes to have enough of these suckers done on time, one must begin early. PLUS...I was inspired by this amazing Danita rubber stamp from 100 Proof Press!

So...a general recipe for a Christmas card would include Christmas paper (oops...left that one out), ummm...red and green (ooops...those didn't make it, either), Christmas stamps (ummm....turns out I forgot ghat, too), and perhaps some Christmas specific embellishemnts (Fail.). K. So, in short, this is a Christmas card lacking most of the traditional elements, and you wanna know something? I kinda love that about it!



That fabulous stamp is the Danita Angel (#6375-V) image. I LOVE THESE STAMPS!!! I combined the image with the Victoria Garden collection from Echo Park and the sticker from SRM Press was perfect! I finished it off with a bit of twine from The Twinery!



So, yes, it may be early for Christmas cards, but at least I didn't go all crazy Santa on you ... yet. HA! Have you started on your pre-holiday crafting yet? I have some gifts done, but only because I set them aside from earlier in the year. I hope to do some more, and then, of course, I need to do all of my cards. For now, however, I think I'll continue focus on Halloween and Fall, since we still have LOTS of time for those!!! YAY!



On another note...Pixie Dust Studio is celebrating the arrival of the Christmas season with FIFTEEN new images! Each one will be released over the next three weeks - one per day for the 15 Days of of Pixie Christmas!!! Check it out over on the blog!

I am entering this in the Jay Gee Challenge for this week and the "L" is for ... (I used LAYERS!) challenge over at My Time to Craft.

Happy Monday, folks!

Jingle Out!

I am TOTALLY throwing these Tomatoes at you!

Just say'n. Actually, the deal is...I have an adorable neighbor who had a wonderful garden all summer and from what I can tell, she doesn't like much of what she grows, because she kept giving it to us! HA! Fresh tomatoes, zucchini, and cucumbers! YUMMM-O! Anyway, I totally owe her a thank you card. Sooooo...it just so happened that I had some super cute puffy tomato stickers in my stash. (NOT, my friends, to be confused with {puffy heart}.) Just say'n. SOooooo....when I saw this week's Tuesday Trigger, those gingham tomatoes came to mind quicker than .... well, something that's really quick. So, my friends, here you have my take on the Moxie Fab Tuesday Trigger for this week.

The Trigger

And My Take on Said Trigger


I will be honest. A piece of me wanted to embrace the random that the trigger offered, but I just couldn't do it. It hurt. So...alas, I was inspired by the fabulous colors, the ginghams and the buttons, and the string...I even hid a bit of blue behind the vintage buttons, which, I happen to love. Just say'n.



I roughed up the seafoam (which, while it doesn't appear to be in the photo, is pretty much the exact color as the background in the trigger) CTMH cardstock to give it a worn look reminiscent of gardens and such. (P.S. As I can't keep anything alive to save my life and dirt and I generally don't get along, I actually have no idea whatsoever if that last statement makes any sense, but it sure did sound good!.)
The tomatoes are Martha Stewart, the buttons are vintage, the twine is from Whisker Graphics, and the stamp is CTMH in Momento ink. As for why one would randomly have tomato stickers in one's stash when one does not, has never, and has no intention of ever gardening, well....what do you want me to tell you? I generally have no reasonable explanation for these things. Just say'n.

I hope you have had an absolutely fabulous weekend! The Hubbums is making burgers for us tonight and he has baked apples that we picked yesterday prepared for dessert! SO excited!!! I will see you all tomorrow!

Jingle Out.

It's Pixie Dust Studio Release Day and We are going to Oz!!!

***This is my second post of the day and I REALLY love the card in my last post, so be sure to check it out! Thanks!***

Do you love the Wizard of Oz? 'Cause I love the Wizard of Oz. LOTS of people love the Wizard of Oz, because, quite frankly what can be better than magical wonderfullness, a great dog, and a FABULOUS pair of shoes? I mean, REALLY!

Well, Pixie Dust Studio is heading to Oz with this release and I am so excited!

Seriously!!!! I KNOW! Aren't they just fabulous! Well, let me show off the super fun card I created with this release. You saw my sneak on Wednesday and today I actually strayed a bit from the Oz theme, but I still made my witch the classic green because, well, she just HAD to be! hee-hee!



*LOVE*! I colored her with watercolor pencils from CTMH and that fabulous center sticker is from Echo Park's Apothecary Emporium line. I used another chalkboard journaling spot from American Crafts as the background. I don't know what I will do when I run out of those fun things!!!! I love them!



So, head on over to the Pixie Dust Studio Blog and check out the new release and what the Pixies have created with it!!! SO many fabulous designs for this one! I think the magic of Oz is just FABULOUS inspiration!

As for me...I gave in and stayed home sick today, hence this post being a bit late. I am sorry about that. In the meantime, I'm going to find some Jello. Jello always helps, right? K. I'll do that then. Thanks, folks and have a HAPPY FRIDAY!!!!

We are Playing Cards in the Moxie Fab World with a bit of help from Unity!

It's Friends with Flair Friday over at Unity today and I am showcasing a card that I created for the Card Play Challenge over at Moxie Fab World.



I chose to go with black and white on this one, because, well, I kinda love black and white and I tossed in just a bit of color with the Lemondrop twine from The Twinery. I stamped the sentiment using the Heartfelt Sentiments set from Unity.



I used the Ace of Spades image from an oversized deck of cards that I had on hand for just such an occasion when one might need a deck of cards for creating! Yes...I hoard a bit. What DO you PEOPLE want from me???? HA! Just a bit, though, I promise! *wink*wink* (Okay, even funnier...I just typed *sink* instead of *wink*. If I hadn't caught that it would have been FREAKING hilarious. But, alas, I did. So...just laugh at my story to make me feel good, k? K. Good. Thanks. I appreciate your good will and efforts.)

Soooo....what was I saying? Oh, yes. Super fun challenge, love the card, loved creating it...yadda, yadda, yadda....moving on.

Did you know that tomorrow is National Punctuation day??? Did you even know there WAS such a thing? I just found out and I'm rather excited about it. Despite my regular use of repeated punctuation, I do have a great appreciation for proper grammar and punctuation, so I will be celebrating. At the dentist, apparently, because I also have an appointment in the morning to have three cavities filled. Yay. Note my intense enthusiasm on THAT little tidbit. Well, nevertheless, I do hope you have a stupendous Friday, my dear friends! Don't forget to leave a little comment to let me know you stopped by. I do SO appreciate your comments. They are the Kurt to my Glee club. Just say'n. K. Bye now.

Happy FRIDAY!!!

Jingle Out.

The List of Awesomeness

Yes, my friends, that is what I plan to share with you today. The List of Awesomeness. What IS The List of Awesomeness, you ask? Well, that would be a list of ten things that I am finding to be particularly awesome right now. And since I am the decider of all things awesome, well...that makes this...dun,dun,DUN....


THE LIST OF AWESOMENEEEEESSSSSSSS
Just say'n.


P.S. This list is in no particular order. It's just all awesome.

1. PaperMate Flair pens

Yup. I had forgotten just how fabulous these things are. They are PERFECT for doing card sketches, they are fantastic for doodling (I have a Zentangle doodling style), and they can write on a sticky note pad without pushing through or bleeding through to the next page. I {heart} them. Lots. Do you know that my 6th grade teacher REQUIRED these as a school supply? I knew she was brilliant! I just KNEW it!

2. May Arts Silk Ribbon

This is a more recent discovery. And I am in love. This stuff is down right luxurious! It is so beautiful and it makes me so incredibly happy!!!

3. Yogi Blueberry Slim Life Green Tea

This stuff is so yummy and I drink it every single day and it makes me happy. That's all.

4. Fabulous Danita stamps from 100 Proof Press(You can also find them on Etsy, HERE!

Ummm...so two of these showed up in the mail last night and I am IN. LOVE. For reals. They are fabulous and they make me smile. I can't WAIT to use them on something fabulous!!!

5. Mustaches

Yes, I KNOW this trend has been around forever, but I can't help LOVING IT STILL!!! I don't know what it is about them, but I love them. Maybe it's because my Dad has always had his and it is sort of his signature look and it makes me feel at home and loved. Maybe. Or maybe they are just wicked cute, I don't know! HA!!! You can find them on stamps, embellishments, decor, clothing, and MORE!!! And...for those wondering, no, The Hubbums does not have one and no, I don't think he should grow one, as that would just look silly. Just say'n.

6. ATC Frames by Coffee Break Designs

Who knew such a simple concept could be so stinking much fun! With shapes from these great arches, to simple windows, and basic shapes they transform the process of creating ATC's! I love them! Seriously. Love. Them. Just say'n.

7. Skipping Stones Design Stamps

Yes, I know I'm biased, but let's face it, I love them. I really do! I have had a hankerin' to use this set lately, so you just might see some coffee cup goodness coming soon. Maybe. Just say'n.

8. Brach's Candy Corn

WHAT??? Don't judge me. I love the stuff. Can't even help it. And I'm not messing around with the cheap stuff this year...nope, folks, I'm sticking with the good stuff - Brach's is the best! And if you happen to click on that link above you will discover what I just discovered...apparently you can buy this stuff by the TRUCKLOAD! Just a thought.

9. My Astornot Tote Bag

I love this tote bag. It cracks me up. And, being that tote bags are the latest in adorable city accessory, I'm all about this one lately. It was the perfect light-weight companion for the art fair last weekend. AND...it's handmade. Love that!



10. My fabulous Hubbums!

Sorry, I don't have a link to where you can get one of these, but if I did I PROMISE I would share! I can't even begin to tell you how awesome he is. And totally supportive of what I do. He considers my Design Team work and my blog to be my job and respects it as such even though I have a 40 hour a week 'day job' to make the money that blogging and designing can't make. And he reminds me of this, which is just awesome. He puts up with the time I pour into these things and totally understands why I do it. He knows what a Cricut is and how to use one, he can discuss various adhesives with ease, and he knows the difference between a 10 cent sheet of cardstock and the good stuff. I couldn't ask for better!

So, there you have it...The List of Awesomeness! I hope you share something that you consider to be awesome with me today in the comments! I'd love to hear about it! Happy Thursday!

It's Like Pea Soup Out There! But at least it isn't a tornado! Just say'n.

***Don't forget to check out the GIVEAWAY in Yesterday's post!***

Seriously. I haven't seen fog like this in awhile (well, probably since last fall, but, STILL!). It is wicked crazy thick! At one point on the highway you couldn't read the signs until you were practically right under them. It's kind of cool. I've always been fascinated by fog. The very thought that you are surrounded by a cloud is just cool, if you ask me.

The good news is that it isn't a tornado. What brought that to mind, you ask? How about this sneaky peek at this coming Friday's Pixie Dust Studio release???!!!



Yup! Cuteness is on the way, folks! You will see more Friday, but I simply HAD to share this fun sneak today! I cut the spiral from the Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge and wrote the sentiment around it along with adding a bit of glitter. *love* Dorothy is colored with watercolors and I used layers of foam tape to create dimension as the spiral moves from the card out to YOU! Head on over to the Pixie Dust Studio blog to check out what the other DT members created for today's sneak!!!





My studio, however, has no sign of fog anywhere! Which is probably good seeing as it is indoors and all. We won't mention tornadoes in there. Just say'n.



I went with a different view this time around. What I really want to tell you is how much I LOVE my daylight bulbs in my studio! This photo was taken around 9:00pm last night. It was dark. This is what the light over my desk looks like! It's AWESOME! I don't have a fancy Ott Lite or anything, I just went to Home Depot and got the Daylight bulbs and I can't TELL you how much I love them. I highly recommend them. True colors and no eye strain - really? Yup. Really. It's kinda wicked awesome. Just say'n.



This, however, not so awesome. Well, the cards are kinda awesome, but the pile o' cards is kinda not so much. I have a couple of bags of cards from the last time I cleaned off this table and last night, after I took this photo, I matched these with envelopes (well, the ones I had envelopes to fit) and cleaned up the table a bit. Here's the thing. I think I'm going to open an Etsy shop for my cards. I was putting it off due to a lack of envelopes, but I found some and I have enough cards to get started if nothing else. What do you think? Would you buy a card on Etsy if it didn't have an envelope? Just curious.

Anyway...I hope you have a super fantastic Wednesday. Mine shall be filled with Kleenex and Sudafed. It appears that the fall allergens are attacking in full force this year. Fun stuff, folks. Fun. Stuff. At least I had oatmeal for breakfast instead of candy corn. That helps allergies, right? HA! Okay, really, I'll shut up now. I feel like this is a really long post!!! Yikes! Maybe that's because I WON'T. STOP. TYPING.

K. I'm done now.

No. Really. I'm done.

Bye now.

Jingle out.

Mostly....

Happy Halloweenie with Skipping Stones Sketch Tuesday! *Giveaway*

It's sketch Tuesday at Skipping Stones Design and I'm kinda EXTRA excited because we are featuring a SUPER stinking cute set today! It's particularly fabulous because it has a 'Boo!' poem on it so you can treat your friends to some Halloween fun!!! AND...I am GIVING AWAY one Happy Halloweenie set to a lucky reader today!!! YAY!!!



Here is the card I created using this fabulous sketch from Amy Sheffer!

I love the clean and simple design of this sketch! I am also linking this up to the Less is More challenge as they try to hit 1000 entries this week! I combined the Happy Halloweenie set with Echo Park patterned papers and a fabulous American Crafts Chalkboard label. YAY!!! I love those things.



The sentiment is stamped in orange pigment ink (Colorbox) on the chalkboard label and the image is colored with Tombow markers and cut out. I love the little spider hanging from the hat! Too cute!!!

And...as I mentioned, I have one Happy Halloweenie set to give away to one Just Jingle reader today! All you have to do is leave a comment below for your chance to win! For one extra entry, leave an ADDITIONAL comment if you follow my blog! If you would like to spread the word about the giveaway that would rock, but I'm not doing extra entries for that today. Keeping it simple, here, folks! Giveaway will end Monday, September 26th at midnight-ish. Be sure to leave a contact in your comment in case you win!

*Feel free to leave a comment even if you aren't interested in winning. You can always let me know you would like me to choose someone else if you win!*

Have a super fabulous Tuesday...OH! And don't forget - Tuesday is homework day! Create a card using the sketch you see above and then link it up to the Skipping Stones Design Sketch Tuesday #94 post for your chance to win some FREE STAMPS!

Jingle Out!

Eight and a Half Miles and a Typewriter

What does that particular distance have to do with a typewriter? Absolutely nothing. Well, other than the fact that both will be discussed in this post, but other than that...absolutely nothing. Just say'n.



You see, yesterday was one of my favorite local events, StART on the Street, here in Worcester. Lots of local artists set up booths and show off and sell their fantastic art! I LOVE IT!!! It's like a whole bunch of people who 'get' me come together to enjoy this fabulous day...and some yummy food. Granted, I don't know most of them, but the point remains, that one always feels comfortable surrounded by those with a like mind. And sharing a hotdog, HUGE basket o' french fries and Steak on a Stick with ones Hubbums, certainly makes it a perfect day! And the best part ... we WALKED there and back! It was great! Between the walk there, the walking WHILE there, the brief walk through the park, and the walk back, we put in 8 and half miles of good walking! It felt SO good, but my feet are KILLING ME! HA! It was great to be outside on such a beautiful fall day, too! Just gorgeous!

And now for the typewriters...100 Proof Press typewriter, of course!



*sigh* I do so love typewriters. They are just happy little creatures. This particular typewriter is the Underwood Typewriter image from 100 Proof Press. (#2585-R) Go ahead....go check it out...I'll wait...

...

...

...

I KNOW! RIGHT? K... You ordered it, right? So now I can show you some more pretty pictures.




SO...all in all, a fantastic weekend here in the Ingle-wood. Hood? I don't know....but it was good. Just say'n.

ETA: HA!!! I just read that and cracked up when I saw that 'good' rhymed with the wood and the hood...Ohhh, dear. It's Monday, isn't it? HAHAHA!!!

Jingle Out.

OH! And I'm totally linking my card up to Less is More Anything Goes challenge! YAY!