Let's Shell-ebrate!

 Good morning!  I had a successful shopping excursion yesterday with my daughter - I ended up getting a few things that made me happy.  I think today I'll work on cleaning out my closet a bit, make some room for the new stuff!

I love color challenges - I love realizing that I love a new color combination and having fun trying different techniques with it.  The card below was made for the Color Dare Challenge, and turned out to be one of my all-time favorite color combinations, even though they weren't colors I would necessarily have normally chosen to play with.  

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:

Color Dare #638

AAA Birthday #70 - Ink Smooshing

Try it on Tuesday - Boss It

Addicted to Stamps & More - Make Your Mark

I used the ink smooshing technique to create my background on a sturdy piece of watercolor paper.  I love this technique - you never get the same look twice.  I find it works best if you dry each layer of ink before adding the next color - I use my embossing tool to speed the process along.  My stamp is from the Floral Shells set at Pink & Main, stamped with Versafine Black and embossed with clear embossing powder.  I then colored with alcohol markers and Stickles, fussy cut and attached with foam dimensional tape. I die cut some tiny shells from a piece of Snowbound sparkly designer paper from Tonic Studios and attached them with a foam dimensional dot in each corner. Peace.

You're a Gem & BOO!

 Hello friends!  I'm going out shopping with my daughter today.  I have Crohn's disease, and my weight fluctuates based on how my health is.  I was super sick for a couple of years and when I finally got it under control with my new medication, I put on about 20 pounds in the last year. I don't mind really, I just hate feeling fat when I try to squeeze into things that don't fit me! So I'm going to keep bins with different sizes so I can just pull out the bin when I lose/gain weight! Wish me luck today!

I've got 2 cards to share today - this first one is for the following challenges:

My Favorite Things - Sketch

Crafter's Cafe #316 - Anything Goes/Optional Stripes or Spots

AllSorts #817 - Anything Goes/Optional Shades of Blue

I created my background by spraying Distress Stains on watercolor paper, then misting with water and drying with my heat tool.  My stamps are from My Favorite Things, the Precious Pals set, stamped with Versafine Black and embossed with clear embossing powder.  I colored them all with alcohol markers and white pen, then fussy cut and attached with foam dimensional squares.  I used a piece of specialty paper from Tonic Studios called Snowbound to stamp the sentiment on.

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I'd like to enter my 2nd card into the following challenges:

Die Cut Divas - Shaker Card

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - Shake it Up

Two Old Bats - Anything Halloween Goes

Girlz Creative Fun Art of Scrap #6 - Anything Goes with Designer Paper

Halloween Crafts All Year Round - Anything Halloween Goes

I used some fun papers from DCWV called Mysterial for the background as well as the die cuts.  I layered a piece of DP behind the cauldron shaker die and then used foam dimensional tape to attach the die cut "BOO!" sentiment over the cauldron.  I stamped out my adorable witch from The Greeting Farm's It's Spooky set (it was a special set exclusively available through Simon Says Stamp last year) with Versafine Black, embossed with clear embossing powder, colored with alcohol markers, fussy cut and attached with foam dimensional dots. Peace.

Tweet. Don't forget to fly.

 I joined the Design Team for A Colorful Life Designs a few months ago.  They are mainly a stencil company, and I've really enjoyed playing with the stencils and learning new ways to use them on cards and other art projects. When I was first asked to be a guest DT for them, I mainly used my Gel Plate for my stencils.  I quickly got bored with that and started experimenting with using Lindy's Magicals and Distress Inks and texture pastes, etc. - it's been a lot of fun! If you would like to try some of the stencils, you can use code JennFan10 for 10% off at A Colorful Life Designs.

This was one of my favorite cards I made for the February release - this stencil is called Message Bird and I combined it with a previous release, Cloud Edger:

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes

Pammie's Inky Pinkies - Anything Goes

Do-Al(l) Creative - Anything Goes/Optional Wings

AllSorts - Shades of Blue/Anything Goes

Simply Clean & Simple - Anything Goes/Optional Love or Hearts

I really had fun making this card.  I very carefully used blending brushes to color the Message Bird to look like a bluebird through the stencil, then used the Cloud Edger stencil around the bird and branch. I added the "don't forget to fly" sticker to finish it off.  I love the simple, yet colorful design. Peace.

Queen of Hearts Kitty

 Good morning! It's so gloomy out today - we got several inches of snow overnight and now it's sleeting out there, hubby is out on the tractor trying to clean it up before it gets too heavy. I'll be spending the day in my craft room - I made spaghetti & meatballs yesterday, so I'm thinking leftover meatball subs for dinner tonight.

Alice in Wonderland has always been my favorite childhood story and for some reason, I'm drawn to the Queen of Hearts. I think it's the way she deals with anything that pisses her off - "OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!"  Sometimes I think it would be nice to do that. ;) hee hee  My Queen of Hearts kitty is a little more mentally stable, she's full of love for Valentine's Day!

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:

Leigh SB Designs - Alice in Wonderland/Optional Anything Goes

Cut it Up - This Makes Me Smile (my favorite childhood story)

Pammie's Inky Pinkies - Anything Goes

Penny's Paper Crafty Challenge - Anything Goes

We Love Stamping - Anything Goes

Stamping Sensations - Anything Goes

Cupcake Inspiration #611

My digi paper is from Caperuza Sketch on Etsy from the Alice in Wonderland pack.  My digi stamp is called Queen from the Kitties in Wonderland collection at Leigh SB Designs.  I printed her out, colored with alcohol markers and Stickles, then added some Fluffy Stuff to the hem of her coat.  I fussy cut her and attached with foam dimensional tape on top of the Key Hole & Keys die-cut from Whimsy Stamps.  I found some LOVE stickers in my stash and applied them randomly on the card, then die-cut a "loved" sentiment & layered it on another die-cut scrap that I distressed. Peace.

time for a catnap

 One more card to share today for the following challenges:

Penny's Paper Crafty Challenge - Anything Goes

Creative Inspiration - Anything Goes

Crafts Galore Encore - Anything Goes

Inky Paws - Sketch

I used Newton's Book Club, stamped with Versafine Black and embossed with clear embossing powder.  I colored with alcohol markers, fussy cut and attached with foam dots. Papers are from Doodlebug Designs. Peace.

Picked Just for You and Toad-ally Awesome - Polkadoodles Spring Is Here!

 We have some new inspiration for you today over at

I used  Cutie Pie - Lil Miss Sugar Pops - printed out on white cardstock, colored with alcohol markers and then fussy-cut and attached with foam dimensional tape.  I used papers from Polkadoodles for the background, and the "Picked just for you" sentiment from the Spring Flowers Mothers Day Friends paper pack.  I added some pink gemstone stickers to finish it off.

And I have one more card to share for Polkadoodles today:

I used Flower Fairy Kissing a Frog/Toad/Lily Pond - Winnie Daisy Fairy

I printed her out on white cardstock, colored her with alcohol markers and then fussy-cut the top part of her while keeping the bottom piece square to create dimension.  I used foam dimensional tape to attach the image to the card.  I used Paper Patterns 4 - Winnie Daisy Fairy printable paper for the background, and "Have a toad-ally awesome day" sentiment from the Spring Tons of Love greetings/sentiments/quotes set.  I added some pink ribbon to finish it off.

Peace.

King of my Heart

 Happy Love Day! My husband Jeremy and I will celebrate our 32nd wedding anniversary on August 28.  We were 20 when we met - we are 53 now and I would not change a damn thing.  Seriously, not a thing.  Even the bad times made us who we are today, and I love who we are today. This is the Valentine card that I made for him, which I'd like to enter into the following challenges:

A Cut Above - February Anything Goes

Cut it Up #323 - This Makes Me Smile

(Valentine card for my hubby!)

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - Spritz & Splatter

The Paper Funday Challenge #73 - Anything Goes

Creative Knockouts #540 - Love/Valentines/Wedding/Anniversary

Pammie's Inky Pinkies - Anything Goes

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes

Colorful Options - Mood Board

I created my background by using the ink smooshing technique with Black Soot & Candied Apple Distress Inks on a large piece of watercolor paper.  I then cut half of the paper to card size and used the other half to die-cut 2 tags, then edged the tags with black ink. I stamped my king of hearts from CC Designs Queen of Hearts set with Versafine Black and embossed with clear embossing powder.  I colored with alcohol inks & white pen, added some Fluffy Stuff on the collar & sleeves, fussy cut him and attached him to my tag with foam dimensional tape. I added some hearts that I also die-cut from the same scrap piece of coordinating watercolor paper and edged them with black ink, then attached them with foam dimensional tape.  I finished it off by tying some pretty ribbons to the tags. Peace.