Prettie Wednesday

Two weeks ago Joni, our fabulous illustrator for Paper Pretties, challenged us to do a card using paper piecing, which I love and really don't do often enough(although this week I have been on a roll). I decided I would pick some paper first so that is why I settled on this paper from DCWV Nana's Nursery Baby Girl stack. I picked my colors to match from the paper. I started out by stamping Sophie from the Paper Pretties stamp set Cuddle Me, both on Whisper White and on the DP. I then cut out just the dress(kinda hard, but I did it) and the hair bow(also hard, but I did it!!). Then I colored the rest in with my SU markers. I am not too sure about the brads at the bottom, but I had already punched the holes, so something had to go there!! This card is on it's way(or hopefully already) to Danielle, so I hope you liked it!! Be sure to check out the other Prettie Girls blogs to see what they have done for this challenge, and if you would like to play along leave me a link to your card, we would love to have you join us!! This week it is Christie's turn to challenge us, and she has challenged us to use acetate, yikes( I guess that means I need to get to work on Danielle's challenge from last week to do a masculine card!!)!! Don't forget to stop by the Paper Pretties website and check out Christies contest, its a good one!!
stamps-Cuddle Me by Paper Pretties
paper-Certainly Celery, Pretty in Pink, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White, and DCWV
ink-Black Stazon
tools-brads, pink organdy, chocolate satin, SU markers

Another Long Card

Today's sketch challenge was guest hosted by Bonnie(raduse) and it is a wonderful sketch. For the sketch the base of the card measures 8x9 1/4, and it is to be scored at 3/4 and 4. Also, for the sketch your oval has to be an oval(so no altering, hehe) and it must hang over the fold line. I colored my tree from Lovely As A Tree with my SU markers and then highlighted some of the branches with my white gel pen. I then used my Cuttlebug and Oval Nestabilities to cut out the image and layers. I wanted to dress up the fold over panel so I put 4 decorative brads from Making Memories. The sentiment is from All Holidays and was punched out with my oval punches. If you can't tell, I sponged every inch of this card practically. It is really late here, and I need to go to bed, so that is all for me tonight. I will have more to post tomorrow!! Thanks for looking and have a great day!!
stamps-All Holidays and Lovely As A Tree
ink-Chocolate Chip
paper- Close to Cocoa, Old Olive, Confetti Cream and Close to Cocoa DSP
tools-decorative brads, olive grosgrain, cream taffeta, oval nestabilities, Cuttlebug, pewter brads, oval punches

Basic Pomegranate Sky-yum

I wonder how we never had this color combo before, it is fabulous!!!! Emily is swamped getting ready for our big shoebox swap in Arlington Texas(yes I know I live in Illinois, but I am still going!) and forgot to do the color challenge-the horror!! Tobi(jazzytobi) stepped up to help out and came up with this FANTASTIC color challenge(if I do say so myself!!). I started with my Flutter By stamp set from Paper Pretties and stamped her twice, once on Whisper White and once on Soft Sky DSP with Black Stazon. I then cut out just her dress and placed it on the white image. The rest was colored with markers and I added glitter to all her jewelry, because lets face it, she NEEDED some sparkle!! The sentiment is from the SU set All Holidays, and has to be one of my favorite sentiment stamps! I love the way it is written and the fact that you can use it for anything!! The rest is pretty simple, but if you have a question, please be sure to ask!!
ENABLER ALERT!!!! Christie over at Paper Pretties is having a contest to kick off our big news on May 1st. For more details go check out her blog and the Paper Pretties site, this is one giveaway you do not want to miss!!
stamps-Flutter By and SU All Holidays
paper- Soft Sky CS and DSP, Purely Pomegranate, Basic Black
ink- Black Stazon and Purely Pomegranate
tools-Blender pen, black organdy and brad, glitter pen, pomegranate satin ribbon, white get pen, gray marker, Cuttlebug and Oval Nesties

Namaste`

I am gonna be honest with you, I have no idea what that word means, but it sounds super peaceful to me. Say it out loud a few times, don't you feel better now??LOL!! Anyway, I made this card last night for the My Favorite Things sketch challenge over on SCS but once I was done I was too tired to post it!! Cindy Haffner hosts this challenge, and always comes up with the most fabulous sketches!! I altered mine a little, because I made my main panel too wide, so I made it a semi-tent card, we'll call it a pup tent(you know, one of those one man ones). LOL!! I stamped the main image from Serenity Now in Black Stazon three times, one on each side of that super cute Cutie Pie paper from SU and once on Whisper White. I paper pieced her outfit and the wallpaper and colored the rest with markers. I paper pierced around the whole main image panel and then added some brads on either side on the main card. I am sure I am gonna get some comments about what Namaste` means, and that would be great, that way I don't have to wonder all day what it means!! Thanks for looking and have a great day!!
stamps-Serenity Now by MFT
ink- Black Stazon
paper-Not Quite Navy, Rose Red, Whisper White, and Cutie Pie DSP
tools-white taffeta, oval punches, silver brads, SU markers, crafters tool kit

WOW!!

You should see this bundle of goodies I got in the mail from my pal Linsey(scraperlinsey)!! She sent me all this amazing stuff and one of the cutest cards EVER!!! I love all of it Linsey and I really appreciate your thoughtfulness!! Isn't she the best!! If you can't see it, there are scrapbook stickers, epoxy stickers, these super cute flower brads, ribbon, matching stickers, a zig painty to write inside my cards, and a Fiskars stamp set!! And would you look at all the bling on that card!!! That cow is really styling in her big sunglasses!! You are too good Linsey!! Thanks again for being such a super sweetie!!!

I received this GORGEOUS card from Laura(scrapnextras) yesterday too!! She wrote inside it that she dares me to be fabulous, and I just want her to know that I accept!!! Laura makes some of the most gorgeous creations and I am so happy for all the recognition she is getting here lately! On top of her Verve Visual designer spot, and getting chosed for the Dirty Dozen, I even saw one of her fabulous creations on Stampin Up's Stamper Showcase the other day!! I am a lucky girl to have her as a friend. Thanks Laura, I love it!! I really need to break down and buy the pretties kit from SU, because those flowers are awesome. If only I had known a long time ago that you could color them with your markers!! Thanks again Laura for making my day with this fabulous card!!

My last RAK came from Charmaine(charmwarm). This is her card to me from one of the Prettie Girl Wednesday challenges. Thanks Charmaine, it is even cuter in person!!!

I have two different cards of my own to post, so be sure to come back by!!

Tart and Tangy Two-fer!!

I don't think that is a word, but I despise making titles, so you get the first thing that pops in my head!! I completely forgot about the Featured Stamper challenge on SCS yesterday and wanted to participate. This weeks FS is Michelle(Sf9erfan) and she has a fabulous gallery!! I chose the first card she had posted in her gallery and changed a few things around. I started with a white base and then layered it with Real Red and some paper from the Summer Picnic DSP. The bigger circles were cut out with nesties and the smaller were cut out using my SU punches. I used markers to color the image and put some xmas red Stickles on the cherries. Instead of using the photo corners punch, I decided to use a couple of brads from the Stylized Silver Hardware from SU. The sentiment is from Sweet Serendipity and it was also colored with markers and then stamped. When I first saw this set and paper, I had to have it, so I am happy to finally get to use it a little!! Since I wanted to participate in the Technique Lover's Challenge today too, I decided to use what was already out on my table to make it. Today's challenge was a double open card(I think that's what they called it) and was super easy. Here is a link to the original, but I used the amended version that was posted with the challenge so that I could use 8 1/2x11 paper instead of 12x12. All the supplies were the same, except for the hardware. I decided to use white brads instead. That is all for me right now!! Thanks for looking and have a great day!!
stamps-Sweet Serendipity and Tart&Tangy
paper-Real Red, Whisper White, Old Olive and Summer Picnic DSP
tools-markers, red striped ribbon, hardware, white brads, xmas stickles

Great Swaps Challenge

This weeks Great Swaps Girls challenge is posted over on the GSG blog and guess who this week's hostess is, ME!!!! This challenge is open to anyone who wants to play and I sure hope that you do! It may come as a surprise to some of you, and some of you definitely know better, but I am somewhat computer challenged. I don't know as much about computers as I should or need to. I wanted to do a sketch challenge for this week, because I love sketches, but I didn't know how to design and "model" of one. I was going to make a mock up with black, white and grey paper and decided to get brave and try making one in my paint program(just the standard one that comes with the computer) and I shocked even me. It is a little rough, but I did it!!

I don't think there is a whole lot to explain with this card, but what you don't really see is that there are crystal effects all over the pot, and all the flower petals are outlined with glitter pen. I used my markers and ink pads and an aquapainter to color this. Thanks for looking and don't forget to head over to the GSG blog to play along!!

stamps-Bloomin Beautiful and Circle of Friendship

paper-Chocolate Chip, Groovy Guava, Whisper White and Afternoon Tea DSP

ink-Black Stazon

tools-page pebbles, crystal effects, aquapainter, SU markers, circle punches, guava ribbon, chocolate ribbon, gold brads, white gel pen

Brace Yourselves!!

I am about to tell you a story that is going to outrage a lot of you(hopefully, because everyone should be). I am not going to get into the gory details of the events of last night, but as you all know(if you have been reading my blog daily) my cousin in law Brandi got married this weekend. Since about 4pm on Thursday, I have spent every waking minute with the bride to be, and her family decorating, preparing, making flowers, rehearsing, you name it!! It was a gorgeous wedding(and that is why I have been gone so long, btw), and everything from the dress to the dessert was amazing. All day long I could feel a bad headache(what I call a migraine) coming on, and by the end of the toast(and my first glass of champagne), I couldn't hold out any longer. I finally got so sick, and my head hurt so bad that I had to leave the reception(crying about not wanting to leave the whole way to the car which does WONDERS for a headache-NOT!!)and go home and go to bed and I told Travis to stay at the reception. When he got home, finally, he woke me up and told me a story that had me sick to my stomach. During the reception, one of the guests found an opened wedding card on the floor in the lobby, from there, it went very wrong. To make a VERY long story short, one of the guests(and YES we do know who it was) got into the card box(mine I had loaned Brandi from my wedding) and stole the cash out of the cards. She was taking them to the bathroom, opening them, taking out the money, leaving checks and gift cards behind, and then putting them in the trash with paper towels over them. To top it all off, when confronted, she accused someone else, and they ended up questioning him(and a couple of others she pointed fingers at). Eventually, she finally gave in and gave back some of the cards she hadn't opened and all(or at least what she said was all) the cash she had stolen. Now yesterday and today, which should have been joyous days, have been completely overshadowed by one sick persons actions. I can't for one minute begin to imagine the kind of person it would take to do something like this nor do I want to. What's worse is the fact that today the bride and her parents had to spend the day calling around to people trying to find out how much money was in their cards so that they will know what to report(and what to get back from her). Honestly, I don't believe we will ever know how much she stole, and it's not even about the money. It's about the fact that she did this, and now it is like a black cloud over the whole day. Believe it or not, she WAS a close family friend, and someone that in the past, when she needed help, had come to the brides parents for it. In the process of her stealing all of these, she broke the church that my Mom had made for my wedding. I have kept it out in my house as a decoration since the day I moved in because it was gorgeous, and it really meant a lot to me. I cried when I had to tell my Mom what had happened, and she offered to fix it, but I refused, somehow it's not the same anymore. I had planned on keeping that forever, to use at my children(when I have them) and my nieces weddings and now I can't. If I know my mom, she will make a new one, but it will never be the same.
Sorry for that, but if you can't tell, I am still really upset. I stamped this morning as therapy, and I am getting ready to stamp some more. I made this card to give to Brandi today and for the the first challenge posted in the new Paper Pretties challenge forum by Danielle. She challenged us to make a trifold card, so I made one using this tutorial on SCS. I started with a Basic Black base and then layered it with Purely Pomegranate and some DP from the DCWV All Dressed Up stack. The main image is Cuddle Me from Paper Pretties. Her name is Sophia, and if you can't tell, I just love her. She is colored with markers and the dress and bow are covered with a Sakura glitter pen. I will be back later with whatever else I can come up with, I need some therapy!!
stamps-Cuddle Me and All Holidays
paper-Basic Black, Purely Pomegranate, Whisper White, and DCWV DP
ink- Black Stazon
tools- oval punches, black organdy, pomegranate satin, white brads, corner rounder, SU markers, aquapainter, glitter pen

Monkey Business

Today's limited supplies challenge over on SCS was to make a card following a list. The list was
1. Make a square card. (Any size)2. Use only scrap pieces of paper. (The base card doesn't have to be a scrap.)3. Use ribbon or fiber scraps.4. Use only ONE other embellishment.5. Use any colors, stamps, and tools. Easy enough, I thought!!! I had just got done making some cards for a color wheel swap, and I got called by my CIL, the one that is getting married this weekend, and she wanted to know if I could come help them get some stuff ready for this weekend, so I dropped everything and went to the rescue. I took us about two hours, and 16 ziploc baggies(I had to cut veggies for trays) but we got it all done, yayyy!! When I saw this challenge, I decided to use what I had out on the table. My card base is even one that I had cut for another project and decided not to use. The colors are Close to Cocoa, Barely Banana, and Sage Shadow(it's all your fault Carole) and the main image is from Zoofari. I glued it all together and the paper pierced around the edges. I really try not to waste my ribbon, so all my scraps were little, so I decided to do ribbon tabs. What was cool is that I had already colored the main image for the swaps, but had too many, so this card literally took 5 minutes. Now that's fast(especially for me)!!! Hope you like it and I hope you have a great day!!
stamps-Zoofari
paper-Close to Cocoa, Barely Banana, Sage Shadow, Whisper White, and Close to Cocoa DSP
ink-Black Stazon and Close To Cocoa
tools-maize and white grosgrain, white brads, markers, paper piercer and mat pack

Our First Featured Swapper

ETA: The date of the Paper Pretties release has been changes, so sorry for the false alarm!!! I will let you know when it is rescheduled!!!
Okay, back to the card!! As I said yesterday, I was asked to join a group called Great Swaps Girls. We have started a blog and are hosting challenges twice a week. One challenge will be posted every Monday, and it will change each time(ie. this week it was color, next week, who knows!!). On Wednesday we will have a featured swapper challenge, kinda like the SCS featured stamper challenge, where we chose one of the wonderfully talented ladies from our group to spotlight! This week it was none other than Miss Strappystamper, Miss Scalloped Edge herself, Jackie Pedro!! She has a fantastic gallery and a wonderful blog, and it was an honor to get to CASE her. I picked this card for a few reasons, one was the fact that I need a wedding card for my cousin in law this weekend, and two, I needed to make something for the ways to use it challenge over on SCS(which was to use scissors). I will go ahead and lay it out there that this is not my idea of a fabulous color combo(Brilliant Blue, ack!!), but it is the colors of the wedding, so I had to use them. I stamped the hearts from Always(SU) in Versamark and embossed them in white. I loved how Jackie had the ribbon slide with the half pearl on hers, but I don't have any(double ack!!), so I used a crystal brad from Making Memories. The rest is pretty easy to get, I think, but as always, if you have questions, please don't hesitate to ask!! I had to change a few things on the card so, besides the brad, I changed the colors, heart positions, sentiment, ribbon and placement, added layers, changed embossing folder, and changed my back ground stamp.
stamps-Always, Sweet Serendipity, and Filigree
paper- Basic Grey, Brilliant Blue,Whisper White
ink-Versamark and Basic Gray
tools-stylized silver hardware, blue organdy, grey taffeta, silver cord, designer label punch, crystal brads, cuttlebug, swirls folder, white EP
Also, I would like to thank my pal Donna over at Serenity in Stamping. She has been on a winning streak as of late, and I made a comment about it. She sent an email back to me saying that I had won something from Kim Hughes' birthday celebration. WHAT!!!! Say it ain't so!!! I had no clue I had won, and quite frankly had forgotten I had even signed up!! I won a May new release stamp set!!!YAYYY!! Thanks Donna for having my back, hehe, and as I told her, if you ever see I won anything, let me know, I probably forgot to check(cause I never win anything!!). Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!!

Do You Wanna Know....

what I have been working on!!! I keep saying how busy I am, and I have a list as long as my are right now of projects and things that I have to get done, and this was one of them!!! Yay, I can check something off my list!! My cousin-in-law Brandi is getting married this weekend and she asked me(on Sunday evening) if I would be willing to make some table numbers and reserved signs. I will go ahead and admit that I love Brilliant Blue, but these are kinda pretty!!! Thanks for looking and have a great day!!

I Am Blessed

I have recieved a few RAK's in the mail recently that I wanted to share!! The first is from Billie Rillo, the second is from Christie over at Paper Pretties, and the last one is from Debbie(dbdoodle). She also wrote the most beautiful note and she sent me a present to encourage me in my journey to become a mom! Aren't I lucky!!

Great Swaps Girls Challenges

Recently I was asked by Becky(beccabatgirl) to join a wonderful group of ladies called the Great Swaps Girls. If you click on the little badge in my sidebar it will take you to our new blog which I am helping run with a wonderful team of women!!! On Mondays we will be posting challenges of all kinds and on Wednesdays we will have a featured swapper where you will get a chance to CASE some of their fabulous work. You are more than welcome to join in our challenges, all you have to do is go to the blog, find out what it is, make your card, and post a comment with a link to your card to the challenge!! This weeks challenge was a color challenge to use Regal Rose, Certainly Celery, and So Saffron. I decided to combine it with the SCS sketch challenge. My card base is RR and it is layered with CC and then Whisper White that has been run through my Cuttlebug with the Swiss Dots folder. The next layer is SS CS and DSP. The main image is from the SU set Garden Whimsy and I used my markers to color it. I then put some glitter and crystal effects on the bloom. The rest is pretty easy to figure out!! Be sure to check out the GSG blog and meet this week's featured swapper Jackie Pedro(strappystamper)!!
stamps -Garden Whimsy and All Holidays

paper- Certainly Celery, Regal Rose, So Saffron CS and DSP, and Whisper White

ink- Regal Rose

tools- Rose grosgrain, white brads, stylized silver hardware, SU markers, swiss dots folder

Prettie Wednesday!!!

Yayyyy!!! This is my first official Wednesday as a Prettie Girl and I couldn't be more excited!!! Actually last week was, but Jillian had challenged us to take the week off, so I didn't have to do anything for it!! Two weeks ago, Jana challenged us to make a card with polka dots, which I love!!! Sorry Christie, I know this hasn't got to you yet, but look what you have to look forward too!! I created the background by stamping the polka dots from Sassy Circles on Pretty in Pink with Regal Rose ink. The polka dots on the dress were hand drawn in, which is about as much as I can draw!! The panel under the main image is a piece of Whisper White which has been embossed with my Swiss Dots folder and then I wrapped a piece of Rose wide grosgrain and pink taffeta around it. My main image is Flutter By by Paper Pretties, isn't Sophia adorable!! What I love the most about these stamps is that you can make the hair color any color you want along with the dress, so you can make it look like the special little girl in your life!! I colored her with my SU markers and aquapainter. I put white brads that I got from the Prettie boutique in each corner and and added a little glitter to all of the jewlery. I need to run, but I will be back later with some more stuff!! Don't forget to stop by the other Prettie Girls blogs and see what they have been up to, and check out this weeks challenge by Danielle(they are all over there in my DT sidebar). Also, be sure to pick out the home page at Paper Pretties to see what all Christie and her amazing team have cooked up for all of us!!! Thanks for looking and have a great day!!
stamps-Flutter By, Sassy Circles by Paper Pretties, All Holidays
paper-Regal Rose, Pretty in Pink, Always Artichoke, Whisper White
ink-Black Stazon
tools-cuttlebug, white brads, ribbon, swiss dots folder, aquapainter, markers,glitter pen, grey marker

Simply Tuesday

I am up late trying to get some work done, and just happened to see the color challenge was posted. You know me, I had to play as soon as possible!! The colors for today were Pretty in Pink, Certainly Celery, and Chocolate Chip. I used my new favorite stamp from Paper Pretties, Simply Special, and colored it with my SU markers and aqua painter. Then I used my Cuttlebug and Nestabilities to cut it out along with two other scalloped layers. After all that was glued together, I put Crystal Effects all over the watering can and flower pot. I also wanted to use Julee Tilman's Mojo Monday sketch, so that is where the sketch came from The rest is pretty self explanatory. I have a lot going on right now, so I need to get back to work!! Over on the Paper Pretties home page Christie has been working hard putting together all sorts of fun stuff for us all to participate in(with the help of the DT). As you know, I am obsessed with sending out RAK's(about 8 a week), so if you are looking for a great RAK group, go get registered and have yourself added to the list, it is super fun and I have recieved some of the cutest cards!! There are no requirements(besides registering) and nothing feels better than sending out some happy mail!!! Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a great day!!
stamps-Simply Special by Paper Pretties
paper-Certainly Celery CS and DSP, Pretty in Pink, Chocolate Chip, and Whisper White
ink-Black Stazon
tools-cuttlebug, nestabilities, crystal effects, soft subtle brads, oval punches, SU markers, aquapainter, white gel pen

Gift Card Holder

Today's technique lover's challenge was this super cute gift card holder. There were three different tutorials listed but I used the one from Claudia from Germany's blog. Now, the writing is completely in German, but the pictures are great. Basically, you start with a 12x12 piece of card stock and cut it to 51/2 x 12. Then you score it at 4 1/4 from both ends and then in half at 6, so that when you fold it, it looks like a W. Then you take your adhesive, I used red line tape, and close the outside edges of the W. So it looks like a normal card(or a V) with a fold inside the card.(Claudia's pictures will definitely make this more clear). You then take your word window punch and oval punch and use it to make the opening to hold the card. Pretty easy once you do it!! I then decorated the front with Certainly Celery, Bashful Blue, and Whisper White. The white panel was ran through the Cuttlebug with my Spots and Dots folder. The second panel is in the same colors(Not Quite Navy is the base color) and stamped my sentiment. The main image was stamped three times, once in each color, and I cut out different pieces and paper pieced them together. My stars were stamped in my card stock colors and punched out using my SU stars punches. I used a bunch of Soft Subtle brads all over. This card is for my friend Selena who is having her shower this weekend, unfortunately I won't be able to go, but I wanted to make her something special!! Thanks for looking and have a great day!!!

stamps-Nursery Necessities

paper-Not Quite Navy, Certainly Celery, Bashful Blue, Whisper White

ink-Not Quite Navy, Certainly Celery, Bashful Blue

tools-word window punch, oval punch, small and large star punches, ticket corner punch, soft subtles brads, Cuttlebug, spots and dots folder

Happiness is...

Having your friends picked to be the featured stamper!!!! I was so thrilled when yet AGAIN, one of my friends was chosen as the Featured Stamper over on SCS. Silke Ledlow, best known in the SCS world as Sparklegirl, has one of the most distinctive styles I have ever seen. Her work is always so clean and crisp. She has a way with colors and embellishments that makes you wanna call your momma!! Silke was the first person I ever saw put the rhinestone brads through the big eyelets(as seen on my humble CASE) and I have been hooked ever since. Besides having a fabulous blog, and a gallery that requires you to wear a bib, she is also one of the sweetest people I have "met" so far on SCS(although, I have rarely run into one that isn't-I guess that is why it is the best stamping community ever). She is always quick to leave a comment on your card or blog and her words are always heartfelt and meaningful. Recently she and I have been emailing back and forth and I have enjoyed getting to know her better, and Silke, if I ever get to go to Germany, your coming too!!

I had a really hard time picking a card of hers to case, so I literally used random.org to generate a number and I CASED the card that it picked, how's that for indecisive!!! As per the rules, you are required to change two things about the person's card. Her card was absolute perfection, so all I changed was the colors, sentiment, and added a few layers-yes, I know, it's a sickness!! I picked my color combo from the SU color wheel(man that thing rocks) and went from there. Nothing fancy on this, but I am now in mourning- I broke the lever on my corner rounder so I had to use my Martha Stewart punch, so if you would, please join me in welcoming my beloved corner rounder into stamping accessories heaven. LOL!!

Okay, I have so much to do today, and so much to get caught up on, and if that wasn't enough(and as if we haven't spent the whole weekend together), Travis' family is having a fish fry tonight, so I have to get busy!! Hope you all have a wonderful day and thanks for stopping by!!

stamps-Happy Harmony

paper- Not Quite Navy, Blush Blossom, Always Artichoke, Whisper White

ink- Not Quite Navy, Always Artichoke

tools-big eyelets, pretties kit, white taffets, Martha Stewart edge punch, cuttlebug and nestabilities

We Have A Winner!!

Oh what a night, late April back in 2008......LOL!! Okay, so I changed the wording a LITTLE to suit my purposes, but you get my drift!! Thanks to all of you for participating in my blog candy contest!! I always love when you stop by to see me, and running a contest like this lets me get to know some of you a little better!! I will say though, over the last 4 days, I have had over 1000 visitors to my blog, and only got 85entries, so to all your lurkers out there(you know I love ya), sign up next time, this could be you!!!
The most popular favorite song was"I Can Only Imagine" by Mercy Me. I have to tell you that I LOVE music and that is why this was the question I asked. I associate music with all of my most memorable moments in my life. This song holds a special place in my heart, not only for it's beauty and amazing message, but it was one of the songs played at my step/second dad's, Mike, funeral. He was(and still is) a great man and not a day goes by that I don't miss him. He left too early and left a hole in our hearts that only God, time, and memories can fill. After the funeral, I immediately downloaded this song and listened to it repeatedly. I can remeber at the funeral looking around while it played and everyone was signing along, through tears of course, but I just remember feeling very connected with all my family, step family, and friends. To me picking a favorite song is like trying to pick a favorite niece or stamp, impossible!!
The least favorite song ranged from Achy Breaky Heart(I totally agree)to rap!! John Anderson's "Swingin" was mentioned a few times, but was also listed as someone's favorite so that just goes to show you why there are so many types of music and artists out there. There were a few random others, but sadly no one said the same least favorite song as me. It was also one of my second dad's least favorite songs!! Mom, I bet you know.......that's right Tubthumper by Chumbawumba. That song justs grates on my nerves!!!
Okay, enough carrying on, that's not why you are here are you!! Random.org picked

Here are your random numbers:32
Timestamp: 2008-04-20 16:22:34 UTC

Comment #32 was my dear friend Paola!!! Yay girl!!!

Congrazt again on your thousands of hits!!My gosh Jessie...U are too too much girl!I'm speechless reading about THIS blog candy but here I am nonetheless *lol*I have manyyyyyyyyyyyyy fav songs...but lately the one I've been listening often is:'No Woman No Cry' by Bob Marley (I'm in a raggae mood!)My list favorite one ...mmmm...gotta be anything 'rap'for sure!Thanks for this wonderful opportunity Jessie...U are one of the MOST generous person I've ever met! God Bless....Paola (SCS=Sama)

Paola, you've got all my info, so I will be waiting for your email or call!!
Thanks to all of you for playing and sharing your favorite songs with me, I have a lot of music to listen to! Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!

Hip-Hippo-Ray!!

How do you know when you are addicted......when you have less than 2 hours to be fully ready, with hair and all, for a wedding and you are STILL stamping!!! I think I need SA(stampers annonymous)!!! This card started out as Beate's weekend sketch challege, but then I added the sentiment panel, so I don't know if it will work. I used today's inspiration challenge too, which was some gorgeous fabric. I automatically thought of my Nana's Nursery Baby Girl stack from DCWV because of the soft colors and the pretty patterns. I have a friend having a baby in May, so this will be for her. I didn't do anything special on it, and since I am in a hurry, I will leave it at that!! Don't forget to sign up for my blog candy, today is the last day!!Have a great day, and thanks for stopping by!! I will be back later to add all my links!!

stamps-Pun Fun

ink- Basic Black

paper- Certainly Celery, Pretty in Pink, Whisper White, and DCWV

tools-eyelets, markers, pink organdy, celery gingham, circle punches, word window punch, glitter pen, aquapainter

Long Tall Sally

Today's limited supplies challenge is being guest hosted by Sherry Cheever(badsherry), Jen was sick so she filled in. Hope you feel better soon Jen!! So for Sherry's challenge she wanted us to make a long card, which meant the measurements had to be atleast 4x8. I usually do 4 1/4x9, but I decided that for what popped in my head, 4x8 would be plenty of room. The other rules for the challenge were to limit the layers and use no designer paper......say it ain't so Sherry!! This is a tough one for me, I mean, you don't get the nickname"Jessica Jean the Layer Queen" for NOT liking layers(thanks Melanie M. for the super fun nickname). So my card is 6 layers, since I average around 12-15, I thought 6 was very limited!! I started with some Kraft cardstock and layered it with Handsome Hunter. I then took a piece of Confetti Cream CS and stamped the French Script BG in Handsome Hunter. On top of that, I stamped the Sanded background in Mellow Moss. Twill tape from SU was used to hide the "seam", and hunter organdy was tied around that for some color. The ribbon was tied in a square knot first, then I took two seperate pieces and tied them around the knot to make it bigger. The main image was stamped twice in Mellow Moss and once in Handsome Hunter. I added some aged copper hardware and it was done!! Thanks for looking and have a great day!! Don't forget to sign up for my Blog Candy!!!
stamps-Garden Silhouettes, Sanded, and French Script
paper-Handsome Hunter, Mellow Moss, Kraft, and Confetti Cream
ink- Mellow Moss and Handsome Hunter
tools-hunter organdy, twill tape, aged copper hardware, and small oval punch

Searching My Stamp Room....

for something acrylic led me to the decision, that I definitely am not as organized as I thought I was!! Today's Ways to Use It challenge on SCS is to use something acrylic on your card. At first I was a little stumped, but after reading Julia's list of acrylic things you can use, I wasn't worried anymore. I made my first card, and while I was trying to load it, my Internet got really slow, so I had to reboot my computer. While I was waiting, I decided to make another card because I wasn't completely happy with the first one. I recently while searching around on SCS stumbled upon a conversation people had been having about people only uploading their good work and not their bad. I honestly upload everything I make, no matter if I love it or hate it. I figure that a. I am human and I make mistakes and have off days, and b. sometimes what I think isn't that great, someone out there will love. I have also come to the conclusion that I am not always going to create the most wonderful things, and I need to stop being so hard on myself. With that said, I have two cards for you today. The first is using the SU set Pun Fun. I colored the cup in with my watercolor pencils and a blender pen. I then covered the whole cup with crystal effects. I cut it and the layers of Mint Melody(my last sheet) and Chocolate Chip. I wanted to use that yummy polka dotted ribbon, so I dug out this last lonely sheet of Mint Melody to go with it. The DP on this came from the SU Apple Cider DSP. I had seen on Carolyn King's blog where she talked about faux stitching, and since I had never tried it, I wanted to give it a try. I also added some polka dots around the scallops and MM layer with my CC marker. My acrylic part is the dew drops in the two corners, I still haven't quite figured out how to use those things.

stamps-Pun Fun

paper- Chocolate Chip, Mint Melody, Whisper White and Apple Cider DSP

ink-Basic Black and Chocolate Chip

tools-Nestabilities, Cuttlebug, dew drops, paper piercer, SU markers, chocolate ribbon, other ribbon by American Crafts, crystal effects, blender pen, watercolor pencils, stylized silver hardware and designer label punch

The second card was made while my computer rebooted. It was made using the SU set Pick a Petal. I stamped the petals in Pink Passion and the border with Black Stazon. I filled in the polka dots with Black Stickles. The button is from SU and I attached a piece of DP from the DCWV Glitter Pack. I then put a round rhinestone brad in it and attached it with a pop dot. I put the three black brads in both corners and then attempted to stamp a sentiment, which of course went on crooked, so I re stamped it twice, once in black and once in PP, and used my designer label punch to punch it out. I hand cut out the pink part and glued it on.

Well, that is all for me now, don't forget to sign up for my blog candy. I am really enjoying reading all the answers!! Thanks for looking and have a great day!!

stamps-Pick a Petal and Sweet Serendipity

ink-Black Stazon and Pink Passion

paper-Basic Black, Pink Passion, Whisper White and DCWV Glitter paper

tools-Black stickles, designer label punch, stylized silver hardware, rhinestone brads, button, black organdy, pink ribbon,

It's Candy Time!!

So I have thought all day long about what I want to do to celebrate my 10000+ blog hits, and I finally came to a decision. I could have gone out and bought a bunch of stuff to make up a basket, but I have to drive atleast an hour to get anywhere good, and with all my RAKing I have been doing, I am running low on goodies!! So after a lot of thought, I decided to give you what you want(within reason that is!!LOL), and just what is it that you want? So happy you asked!!! I am going to award the person that wins my blog candy drawing a gift certificate for SU, redeemable through me for up to $29.95(and it will be shipped directly to you, don't worry about the tax and shipping, it is on me, so you actually get to get $29.95 in merchandise). Yes I know I am crazy, but I figure, by the time I go out and buy the stuff(and all the stuff I will have to have),buy lunch and gas, I will have spent WELL over that!!LOL
So now you are wondering what you have to do? Good question!!! Just leave a comment on this blog post telling me your all time favorite song(this one is for you Jodi) and your least favorite song!! Easy Peasy right!! I will accept comments until midnight on Saturday and announce the winner on Sunday. Only one comment per person please!!

ETA: I didn't think of this before, but if you live outside the US, your prize will be shipped to me, and then I will ship it to you, otherwise, it will come directly to you. Keep those comments coming!!!

WOOHOO!!!

This has got to be one of the best days I have had in a long time!! First, I get up this morning and get to go shopping for shoes, yay!!! Then, I got to eat dinner with my Mom who I hadn't seen for a while, HI MOM!! Then, lo and behold, when I log on to SCS I see that the dirty dozen gallery is open. Imagine my surprise to find that the two dirty girls are non other than Jodi(kharmagirl)who has a brand new blog, yay, and Laura(scrapnextras), my two elves, and the two people that make me keep stamping everyday!!! Both of these ladies have a special place in my heart and always will. I know I probably sound like a broken record, but seriously, they are two of my biggest supporters, and I am their biggest fan. I feel like a proud momma, I just wish that they lived closer to me so I could give them both a big HUG!!!! Congrats you guys, you are so worthy of dirtiness!!!

Today is also Prettie Wednesday(started this post on Tuesday so don't get confused on me!!), and as my first official Wednesday as a Prettie girl Jillian had posted our challenge, unfortunately for me, it was to take the week off and rest!!! So my first official Prettie Wednesday will have to be next week, when we are to make a card using polka dots for Jana's challenge!! This weeks challenge is being hosted by Joni, and I can't wait to see what she has in store for us!!

Then I noticed that my blog counter has rolled over 10,000 hits!!! YAY!!! So tomorrow morning I will post my blog candy contest, as soon as I make up my mind about what it will be!! Thanks to all of you that keep stopping by, I love it when you do!!!

Lastly, the sketch challenge got posted early, and lucky me, a card popped in my head, so I had to make it!!! I started with some yummy Afternoon Tea DSP and layered it with Groovy Guava, Wild Wasabi and Chocolate Chip. I sponged all the edges with Chocolate Chip ink and then tied a CC satin bow around to hide the seam. I love my brads, so I put one in each corner. I used the same colors on the strip across, but I used a piece of Very Vanilla so that I could stamp my sentiment from All Holidays on it. I put brads in the corners of this too and popped it up on dimensionals. The main image is from Bloomin`Beautiful. I stamped it(three times) with Chocolate Chip and used my blender pen to color in the bloom and the stems. I then cut out different parts of the petals and popped them up too. the edges were sponged again, and I added some white gel pen for highlights. That's it for me tonight, I am about 4days behind on my blurfing, and I need to get caught up before this weekend!!! Thanks for looking and have a great day!!!

stamps-Bloomin Beautiful and All Holidays

paper- Chocolate Chip, Wild Wasabi, Groovy Guava, Very Vanilla and Afternoon Tea DSP

ink- Chocolate Chip, Groovy Guava, and Wild Wasabi

tools-silver brads, blender pen, chocolate satin ribbon, and white gel pen

What Can I Say...

I am a total challenge stalker. I was just about to give up and go to bed when I saw that Emily had posted the color challenge over on SCS. Thankfully, this weeks combo didn't leave me with an upset stomach like last week(glorious green-gag!!). Today's combo was to use Basic Gray, Blush Blossom, and Groovy Guava, now that I can do. This card came together relatively fast for me. I got my new oval Nestabilities on Saturday, and I have been having a blast using them. I used them tonight to cut out my Sophia from the Cuddle Me set by Paper Pretties. I stamped her in Black Stazon on Whisper White and layered it with Groovy Guava and Blush Blossom. The panel under the main image is the same colors plus a piece of Whisper White that I ran through the Cuttlebug with my Swiss Dots folder. Do you ever stop and wonder how we survived before the Cuttlebug?? I do, and I seriously want to send a big THANKS out to the person who invented the Nestabilities, pure genius!! Anyway, the image was colored in with my SU markers and ink pads. I used an aquapainter and blender pen. After I was done, I covered the dress with Perfect Pearls by Ranger, they really add a beautiful shimmer. I stamped the sentiment with Basic Gray ink and put three silver brads in each corner. I am obsessed with ribbon and brads, so of course, I tied two pieces of gray taffeta ribbon and one piece of guava around the middle strip. That's it for me now, I will be back tomorrow with more, once I get all my shopping done. I am about to go over 10,000 hits on my blog, so I think some CANDY is in order!!! I will have more info tomorrow!! Thanks for looking and have a great day!!

stamps-Cuddle Me by Paper Pretties

paper-Blush Blossom, Groovy Guava, Basic Gray, and Whisper White

ink- Black Stazon, Groovy Guava, and Basic Gray

tools- Cuttlebug, Nestabilities, silver brads, gray taffeta, guava ribbon, perfect pearls, SU markers, aquapainter, blender pen, Swiss Dots folder

Still Stamping

Do you ever just get in the mood to stamp, and nothing else matters? I have tons of things I could be doing, but instead I have spent half of the day at my stamp table. In my defense, my first card(my last post) took almost two hours. It had a lot going on, and a lot of embellishments, which meant a lot of decisions. The two that I am getting ready to show you were a result of my obsessive need to participate in lots of challenges. The first on is for Jen Del Muro's Sketch For You To Try. Every Saturday Jen posts a fabulous sketch and I always love blurfing around and checking out all of the fabulous samples. She has a fabulous sketch team and they come up with some of the most gorgeous cards. I loved this sketch when I initially saw it, but was completely sold when I saw Amy Sheffer's version. It was so beautiful and elegant, yet simple, I knew I wanted to try it out. I started with my favorite paper right now(I wish SU would sell it by the sheet, I would buy a ton of them)from the Afternoon Tea pack from SU. I cut it into strips, layered it on Chocolate Chip and sponged the edges. Now, you all know that I have a little obsession with brads, so I put one at the top and bottom of every strip and popped them up on my Whisper White CS. I then stamped the bench from Time for You and used my markers and ink pads to color it in. I layered it on Soft Sky, Groovy Guava, and Chocolate Chip and sponged the edges with Chocolate Chip ink. I then stamped the sentiment from Small Script on WW with CC ink. I used my small oval punch to punch it out and some hardware from the stylized silver hardware from SU. As always, I thought it needed some ribbon, so I tied a bow around the card with chocolate taffeta.

stamps-Time for You and Small Script

paper-Groovy Guava, Soft Sky, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White, and Afternoon Tea DSP

ink-Black Stazon, Groovy Guava, Soft Sky and Chocolate Chip

tools-stylized silver hardware, chocolate taffeta, blender pen, aquapainter, SU markers

The second card was made using the My Favorite Things sketch posted in the member forum over on SCS. It is hosted each week by Cindy Haffner and she really does an excellent job of coming up with a wonderful sketch and always has a gorgeous sample. I used the Punch a Bunch stamp set from MFT for this one. I started out by stamping the stems in Gable Green and the flowers in Rose Red. I colored the flowers in with my Regal Rose marker and then used my scalloped Nestibilities to cut it and the layers out. Then I stamped the flowers again and colored them in the same way. My white gel pen was used to color in the center of the flowers(and make the dots on the scallops) and the flowers were cut out and popped up on dimensionals. The ribbon is from American Crafts and the brads I got from Paper Pretties. The sentiment is from SU's Warm Words, and punched out with the oval punches. For the second layer, I cut out a big oval punch and trimmed around it til I got the size I wanted. These colors are a bit out of my comfort zone, but I really enjoy them together. On another note, MFT is having a special until Friday, read this post for details, it is for a good cause!!

stamps-Punch a Bunch by MFT and Small Script

paper-Rose Red, Gable Green, Whisper White and Rose Red DSP

ink-Rose Red and Gable Green

tools-oval punches, white brads, ribbon, SU markers, photo corners punch and white gel pen

This last card I received in the mail today from Laura(Lov'n Life n Vegas). She sent it to me to congratulate me on winning the guest designer challenge for MFT. Isn't it fabulous!! I am so honored to have a card made by her, I love her work!!! Thanks for looking and have a great day!!!

Double Pocket Card

Today's technique lover's challenge was to make a card using this wonderful tutorial on Judy's(stampingqueenjar). It is really easy to follow, and the end result is fantastic. I started with a piece of double sided designer paper from the retired SU pack Enchante`. I followed the directions for the tutorial and assembled my card. I then stamped the flower from One of a Kind and colored it in with my markers. I stamped it twice and cut out part of it and popped it up on dimensionals. I added a build a brad into the center of the flower. I then stamped the three flower punch three times in each color and punched them out. Then I layered them all together and added a pewter brad to the center of them to hold them together. Down the left side(my left), I put 6 Lavender Lace brads, but didn't like how they looked, so I added pewter brads to all of those. The sentiment is from Warm Words and it was punched out with a small oval punch and I used an oval frame from my Pewter Hodgepodge Hardware. The tags are just DP right now until I can figure out who I am going to give this too. All I know is that I am going to have to hand it to them in person because this thing weighs a TON!!! Thanks for looking and have a great day!!! I have also included and RAK I got from Vicky Gould. Isn't it beautiful. It is so sparkly IRL and I love all the texture and popped out flowers, thanks Vicky!!

stamps-One of a Kind and Warm Words

paper- Lavender Lace, Very Vanilla, Sage Shadow and Enchante`DSP

ink-Black Stazon, Lavender Lace, and Sage Shadow

tools-cream taffeta, mellow moss gingham, pewter hardware, pewter bab, SU markers, three flower punch, oval punch, circle punch, lavender eyelets

I Told You!!!!

I told you that my friend Jodi, aka Kharmagirl, ROCKS!!! I was so excited when I went to see who today's featured stamper was going to be and saw that it was none other then my favorite SCS buddy Jodi!!! We talk A LOT, and have really gotten to know each other, she really is what I would consider a true friend. I mention her here all the time, but just for a recap, Jodi was one of the first people to reach out to me on SCS(along with Laura(scrapnextras)). She elfed me back at Christmas time, and we have remained in constant contact since then. She is one of my biggest supporters, and I am(hopefully she agrees) one of hers. Jodi is there to pull me back up when my mojo is running low, and I try to be there for her. This is one of the things that I love the most about SCS, all the wonderful people I have met!!!

I HAD to participate in this challenge as soon as I saw it!!! So here is my card for today's featured stamper challenge!! Jodi is a SUPER DUPER talented(don't believe me, check out her gallery) and AWESOMLY SWEET person. She is constantly leaving comments on everyones cards and she makes some of the most AMAZING cards I have ever seen. I chose this card to case. As per the rules, cause let's face it, this card was already perfect, I changed the colors, main image, dp(same pack, just different print), added three more brads, changed the sentiment and only used one piece of ribbon. I also used the paper tole technique on my flower to give it some dimension. I used my aquapainter and ink pad to color the flower and added some white gel pen to highlight the flower. Thanks for looking and have a great day!!!

stamps-Bloomin Beautiful, All Holidays

paper- Close to Cocoa, Groovy Guava, Soft sky, Whisper White and Afternoon Tea DSP

ink- Black Stazon and Groovy Guava

tools-chocolate taffeta, brown brads, white gel pen, aquapainter

Lucky Me!

I have recieved so many RAK's recently and I have been so bad about posting them!! I wanted to let everyone who has sent me one, thanks and I really appreciate all the beautiful stamped goodies I am getting!!! The first one is from Lee(luvlee) and it is super gorgeous!!! So sparkly and well, perfect!! She also included some goodies-two spools of ribbon, some bling, and a clear stamp set!! Thanks so much Lee, your rock!! The second is from the fabulous Jana(janacb)!! She is one of my fellow Prettie girls and send me this rockin' card!! Isn't it cool!! The last two are from Beth. I had gotten her name off the RAK list over at Paper Pretties and she sent me these two super cute cards as a thanks!!! You ladies all made my day!!! I'm off to try to stamp, my mojo is a nogo today so I am trying to get it in gear!! I think it is this screaming headache I got at my "friend/cousin in laws" bday party today. She turns 8 later on this month, but due to all the weddings(one each weekend for the rest of the month), she had to have her party today. Of course, I had to bring my nieces so there was lots of yelling, arguing, loud singing and Hannah Montanna madness!! Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!!! Hopefully I have something good to show you later!!! Off to check out some challenges!!!