Happy Flower

Good Morning….Happy Day!

I joined the SUO Challenges this week and they wanted participants to use some of the new products that we have right now.  There are so many fun things in the Occasions Catalogue!

I've seen a lot of rainbows created with this awesome image from "Happy Watercolour" and I've been thinking about trying out as a flower.  I think it would work wonderfully as a sunrise or sunset also - so that may be next.

The new Watercolor Wonder DSP has been torn and distressed for the grass and I used one of the "Word Bubble" framelits for the greeting as well as using the "thought" bubble for outlining the clouds.

I find it hard to believe that I left the card with absolutely no embellishments - but it's all good.

And it's extra good because Stampin'Up! has extended the deadline for the Paper Pumpkin Promotion

Any new Paper Pumpkin subscribers who sign up at  www.mypaperpumpkin.com  between January 11 and February 10, 2014, will receive a FREE set of 2012-2014 In Color Stampin' Write Markers -a $19.95  value-with their Welcome Kit.

And if I reach my goal of 7 new subscribers by January 25, I will receive a $500 grab bag of retired product (which I'm more than happy to share with the new subscribers!)  AND a special gift from Shelli Gardner, our CEO.  Exciting!!!!

Hope you have a wonderful happy Wednesday.

Thanks for visiting.

Joan

Deck the Halls...

I know we're barely into the year, but I think I'm on a roll with participating with Merry Monday so far!  This week they have a colour challenge with ribbon added.  I've used Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla and Chocolate Chip with the Crumb Cake Seam Binding Ribbon sprucing up the ornaments.  (I'm sorry that the embossing powder is so shiny in the photo!)

Here is their challenge:

Also - here are the Weekly Deals for January 21-27.  Remember I'm putting my own order on Friday, January 24 - so if you want to have a chance to receive the Hostess Benefits, e-mail me with your order, or shop-on line at my store and use the Hostess Code….  GW3A4MHJ

Hope your Tuesday has been terrific!

Thanks for dropping by!

Joan

Watercolour Butterfly

Welcome to MDS Monday, where today we are working with Tami's sketch and playing with your choice of MDS Watercolour options.

This card certainly evolved over time.  I began trying to create a flower with a collection of watercolour brush strokes overlapping in a circle.  It worked out okay, but I wasn't that thrilled with it in the end.  I then decided to stay more true to Tami's sketch and laid down the large watercolour wash from "Beautiful Today".  I walked away from it for a while, came back to the computer and by accident discovered what a coloured wash looked like on a coloured background.  I think you'd be hard pressed to get this effect in real life.

I decided that a white Swallowtail would be the best addition.

Accidents can be a good thing - and easy to deal with on MDS because there is no wasted paper.

So, here is Tami's sketch and I hope you give one of the watercolour options a try.  Be sure you link your creation back to the MDS Monday blog so we can take a peak.

Have fun, and thanks for dropping by.

Joan

Grungy Valentine

Today I joined the Dynamic Duos and Paper Players Challenges. I have a bit of a hard time with single layer cards - but that's why doing challenges is a good thing - they make you work out of your comfort zone from time to time.

I also thought it was time to see what the grunge look was like using subtle colours.  Not too bad, I think.

Hope your day is working out your way!  Thanks for taking time to stop by.  

Be sure to check back tomorrow to see what we have for you from MDS Monday.

Language of Love Mashup

Took time to do the Friday Mashup this morning before getting some more prep work done on the upcoming Teacher's Convention.

The Mashup this week was:

1. Create a project using the Colors "Coastal Cabana, Real Red & Crumb Cake."
2. Create a project using "Hearts & Arrows. "
3. Or Mash it Up and create a project using "the above colors along with Hearts & Arrows."

I pulled out the Language of Love set I received at Leadership  and combined it with the arrow from the Label Card Thinlits.  The Crumb Cake Seam Binding Ribbon was easy to stamp on using the Stamp-a-ma-jig, which helped to keep the ribbon in place while I stamped.

It's a sunny day here and the temperatures are suppose to be above zero - so I suppose I'll go out and try to chip more packed snow off of the driveway….as well as doing more stamping, prepping, and arting.

Hope you have an enjoyably full day!

Thanks for stopping by,

Joan

Geometric Hooray

I played along with Freshly Made Sketches and Create with Connie and Mary this afternoon.  I don't have the little triangle punch yet, so I just cut out the triangles from the "Geometrical" set I got at Leadership.

I also did a little water colouring - love the idea from Brian Pilling at Leadership!  This will be one of the cards we do at next months' technique class!

My Undefined Flower

This afternoon I got the chance to ink up my very own stamp….the one I carved using the Undefined kit at Leadership.  I have carved one other stamp, but haven't used it yet - shame on me!

I took the colours from this week's Hand Stamped Sentiments Challenge - Costal Cabana, Strawberry Slush and Wisteria Wonder.  I really quite like the combination.  I used markers to colour in the sections of my image…..

Speaking of….

When you sign up for Paper Pumpkin between January 11 and February 10, 2014 you will get a FREE package of 2012-14 In Colour Markers ($19.95 value)

You will receive the Welcome Kit your first month, but I KNOW that the February and March kits are "out of this world" fantastic! Unlike anything that's been in the Pumpkin before.

Use this link to sign up today - naming me as your demonstrator…..

https://mypaperpumpkin.com/en-ca/signup/
Not sure what Paper Pumpkin is? Contact Me!

Weekly Deals - 

January 14 - 20

ALPHABET PRESS TEXTURED IMPRESSIONS EMBOSSING FOLDER Price: $9.95 $7.46 BASIC BLACK 3/4" CHEVRON RIBBON Price: $12.50 $9.38 CALYPSO CORAL CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD Price: $7.25 $5.44 CHALK TALK FRAMELITS DIES Price: $30.95 $23.21 FRAMED TULIPS TEXTURED IMPRESSIONS EMBOSSING FOLDER DIE Price: $9.95 $7.46 NEUTRALS CORE'DINATIONS Price: $29.95 $22.46 NOTE CARD ENVELOPES Price: $6.95 $5.21 STORYTIME ENSEMBLE - DIGITAL DOWNLOAD  Price: $21.95 $13.17

These are the fantastic deals available this week from Stampin'Up!  Hop over to my on-line store to take a closer look.  You can order 24/7 and have your goodies delivered right to your door.  Or you can e-mail me with your order -   j-jeffery@live.com  .  

Here is the link to my store…

Hope your Wednesday is going Wonderfully!  Thanks for dropping by!

Joan

Leadership Make & Takes

A super fast post this morning before I head to school showing you the make and takes we did at leadership. 

Donna Griffiths shared ideas with us about the bundles that are in the Occasions catalogue - and then we each received the Happenings Simply Created kit to make three cards….and take the rest of the kit home.  Fun easy kit to work with - as all Stampin'Up! kits are!

 Brian Pilling gave us some watercolour techniques and then we completed this make and take with the Vivid Vases set we received along with an aqua painter.

Finally Brandi Barnard talked to use about the geometric trends and we finished up the evening creating three bookmarks.

I'm looking forward to stamping with some of my new stuff after school today!

Check back to see what I create….

Thanks for dropping by,

Joan

Reeling in Balloons

Welcome to MDS Monday - this round I'm the host with a scrapbook layout. To be honest, I went to the photo layout portion of the resource palette on MDS for some inspiration.  I don't use that area enough - and it can be a big help.  I've elongated the photo boxes to fill more space. I initially thought I would group the photo boxes  and drop on photo into them - but I ended up catching Elliot reeling in a balloon someone gave him while he was in the trampoline at his birthday party.  They worked perfectly in the slender photo boxes!

 The little stars at the bottom of my sketch can be anything you desire.  I decided to use balloons - to fit the theme of the page.  To create the "shadow" on the balloons, I created a curved line with the Freeform tool, got it the size I wanted, thickened the line size, changed it to white and finally change the opaqueness.

Here is the sketch - have fun with it - and you've gotta check out what the rest of the MDS Monday Design Team has done with their sketches…. AWESOME!

Thanks for visiting - 

Joan

Foil Hearts

It's a colour challenge this go round at Sunday Stamps….and they are Night of Navy, Silver and Strawberry Slush.

I've used the Silver foil paper embossed with hearts and the Happy Watercolor stamp set to create the splatters across the bottom.

If you'd like some inspiration, check out what the rest of the Design Team has come up with and then be sure to link your creation back to the Sunday Stamps blog so we can enjoy it.

Have fun!

Thanks for visiting.

Joan

Full Day at Leadership

Well, I'm here in Houston, Texas attending my first Leadership conference. What  great time!  The crowds are a lot smaller than Convention - and the sessions are just as good.  We received a wonderful bag with a chevron imprint on it.

I was lucky enough to have a few words with Shelli Gardner and a photo.  She is such an incredible inspiration!

Before attending afternoon sessions I was able to carve my own stamp - I've done this before - but I am really happy with the way this one turned out!

I'm looking forward to attending the Manager's Reception tonight at the Aquarium - from what I can tell, it's unlike any aquarium I've ever been to before.

I'll keep you posted - thanks for dropping by!

Joan

Musical Merry

I know, I know….we just finished the season.  But I do love trying to do the Merry Monday Challenges when I can - that way I have ideas for projects in the next season.

The first challenge of this year includes using ribbon or twine on the project.  This set didn't get carried over into the next season - but I will be keeping it because I do love the song.

Hope you are staying warm out there!  Everyone (well mostly) is freezing right now - I may have to pull out a blanket to cover my knees while I'm sitting at my stamping table!

Thanks for stopping by for a brief visit!

Joan

Follow Your Bliss Thanks

Woo Hoo - it's the first MDS Monday of the Year - and it's a sketch challenge from Cindy.  She likes simple cards with lots of white space, and I've done my best to stay true to that.

I love the "Follow Your Bliss" paper - it's so funky and the chevron stamps come with the set too. 

For the "Thanks", I copied  the image in place, sent it behind, coloured it black and moved it off centre a bit. It gives a different sort of look than the drop shadow….which I've also included.

I love that Cindy chose hexagons to work with - they're so much fun to put together in scattered arrangements.

Here is her sketch…..have fun with it and be sure to link your project back to the MDS Monday blog so we can see your creation.

It's back to school today - it will be nice to be doing things other than Christmas prep….of course I'm leaving Wednesday for Houston to attend Leadership - but it will be good to see my classes for a bit!

Hope your day is going well - thanks for stopping by.

Joan

Yippee-Skippee Monster

It's a bright and beautiful day today - but it's freeeeeezing outside!  So it's a good day to craft - even though it's subsequently freezing in my basement stamp room too!  But I found some challenges to complete - so it's all good.

I chose the colours from the Dynamic Duos and the sketch is from Mojo Monday.  I hadn't used these adorable little monsters from Monstermaniacs yet - so it was time to put them together and add some ink.  I hadn't coloured in a stamp in AGES - so it was good to pull out a blended pen to colour too!  For his little antenna I coloured two basic pearls with a black sharpie.

Now off to another project…..hope you are keeping warm and busy today  Thanks for stopping by!

Monstermaniacs - 134972 - $17.95 Clear Mount Only

Only available on-line - so visit my store HERE

Elliot's Birthday Card

I created this card for my grandson's birthday party today - he will be turning 2 on Wednesday.  To create the greeting I wanted in the word bubble, I inked up the words on two different stamps from the "Just Sayin'" set and used the Stamp-a-ma-Jig to line them up.  The number 2 is from the retired Timeless Type JR. Sizzlits set.

The card was made to match the cake his mom made him - 

Hope you are having a wonderful day - stay warm as best you can if you're in my neck of the woods!

Thanks for visiting,

Joan

Gold Foil Butterfly

I pulled out the new gold washi tape and the Gold Foil paper for the Stampin' Royalty challenge today. I was looking for a sketch and they had one that's easy to use the washi tape with to create the diagonals.

I'm glad that the gold and silver foil paper got carried over to the new Occasions catalogue - because I absolutely love how they emboss!

Here is the sketch...

We took Elliot for the day, so we picked him up just after he woke up so he could have breakfast with us. 

A perfect way to start the day and the New Year.

Thanks for stopping by,

Joan