All Things Grow With Love

 Hello all! I went on a CLEANING SPREE Saturday - I don't know about you, but I hate cleaning. LOL  I often think about it, get overwhelmed, and just go in my craft room to avoide it. hee hee I normally do "Spring cleaning" once a year where I take everything down and dust and all that but last Spring we had one tragedy after another and dust was the last thing I cared about, to be honest. So I didn't do it. So it was worse this year. I decided to stop putting it off this weekend and I tackled my bedroom and the living room. I took EVERY SINGLE PIECE down and cleaned it, cleaned each shelf, and actually purged a teeny tiny bit (HI I'M JENN AND I HAVE A COLLECTING ADDICTION....). I woke up sore today - ha! I have a lot of stuff - I'm a witch, and I have soooo many crystal balls, obelisks, raw pieces of gems and minerals, cauldrons, trinkets, mugs (OMG THE MUGS....) oracle & tarot cards.... this is about half of it, which is in my living room:

Oh yeah, I also collect owls - they're one of my "things" - and you tell people that or they see it at your house and before you know it, you have 50 owls.  hee hee I'm not complaining. Buy me alllll the owls! ;)

Anyway!  On to business - I took Sunday off from cleaning and spent most of the day in my craft room. I'm planning on finishing my cleaning today - basically the kitchen and dining room. Lots more trinkets and OH MY GOD THE MUGS in there... ROFL ;) I've actually decided that life is too short to keep my every awesome mug on display, so I've moved a few into my actual kitchen lineup! ;)

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

Jaded Blossom May Facebook Challenge - Anything Goes

A Cut Above - Anything Goes (with die cuts)

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - Use Craft Dies

Crafty Catz - Anything Goes

This started off with me envisioning creating a terrarium scene, but I went in a different direction once I started die cutting and playing around. I started with the Snowglobe die from Jaded Blossom, and I was planning on using vines and plants all around it but then I realized how much I love this Potted Plants die set, also from Jaded Blossom, so I decided to create a cloud scene in the snowglobe instead (Cloud Edger stencil from A Colorful Life Designs - you can use code JennFan10 for 10% off!) and just use the one potted plant (die cut from scraps of Stampin' Up! cardstock). Simple but effective. I stamped the sentiment with Versafine Black and embossed with clear sparkly embossing powder. Background is a script stamp from Tim Holtz. Peace.

Happy Birthday - Floating Balloons Stencil

 I love the new Floating Balloons stencil from A Colorful Life Designs, it is so versatile! You can use just one balloon as a highlight or focal point, or you can use the entire stencil for backgrounds, etc. And don't forget to use code JennFan10 for 10% off your entire purchase! For this card, I actually used 3 of the new stencils - the other 2 are the Star Streamers and the Birthday Gifts:

I would like to enter my card below into the following challenges:

Seize the Birthday - AG Option

AAA Birthdays - Anything Birthday Goes

Pammie's Inky Pinkies - Anything Goes

Die Cut Divas May - Celebrations (use die cuts)

Classic Design Challenge - AG/Optional Birthday or Anniversary

I applied Black Soot Ink through the Star Streamers stencil on the red card base and embossed with clear sparkly embossing powder. I then used the sentiment from the Birthday Gifts stencil, same black ink & sparkly EP. Next, I used Candied Apple Distress Oxide ink through 3 of the balloons, layering them on top of each other. I embossed with the sparkly EP and then used the reverse stencil technique on a scrap of watercolor paper using my Gelli plate with bright red acrylic paint. I used my Thinlits Library Pocket, ATC & Tab die from Sizzix to cut it out, sponged the edges with some black ink and added the "to you" text from my Dymo Label Maker. I flicked some additional red ink on the card to finish it off. Peace.

Waiting

 Happy Sunday!

I'd like to enter this card into the:

Star Stampz Challenge #81 - Seeing Double/AG

I printed out Ghost Girl twice, coloring and fussy cutting one, then layering it on top of the other. I used mostly shades of gray and added a red ribbon to her hair. Finished off with a sentiment from a Tim Holtz sticker book. Peace.

Smiles are Contagious and Game On!

 Good morning! Got some Summer weather happening this weekend and I'm really looking forward to it! I think hubby and I might go hang out at a brewery tomorrow afternoon and listen to some music. I hope you all enjoy your weekend!

I would like to enter the card below into the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Monday - Things with Wings

We Love Stamping - All Creatures Great and Small (or AG)

Crafty Catz - Anything Goes

I created my background by ink smooshing Candied Apple Distress Oxide Ink on a piece of watercolor paper. I then applied black texture paste through a polka dot stencil and let it dry. I sponged the edges heavily with black ink and stamped the ladybugs & sentiment on the background with Versafine Black, then embossed with clear embossing powder. I stamped the fairy (stamps from Sweet November Stamps) with Versafine Black and embossed as well, colored with Copics, fussy cut, and attached with foam dots. 

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And this next card I made for one of my very best guy friends, his kids play hockey and he coaches, this was perfect for him! I'll enter this into the following challenges:

Passion for Markers - Masculine

I Love ProMarkers #607 - Special Occasions

Creative Fingers #322 - Anything Goes

AllSorts #849 - AG/Optional Monochromatic

I created the background by lightly ink smooshing purple & black inks on watercolor paper. The hockey digi stamp is from Kenny K (no longer in business) - I printed it out, colored with Copics, fussy cut, and attached with foam dimensional tape. I stamped "Game On" and #1 with Versafine Versafine Black and embossed with clear embossing powder, and added the "it's your day!" clear sticker. I sponged the edges to finish it off. Peace.

All White

 Good morning! I have a cool card to share today that I made for the following challenges:

Crafty Calendar Challenge - All White

Try it on Tuesday - Keep it Simple

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - Use Craft Dies

Pink & Main - Nature

I used a good sturdy white cardstock for this (Neenah 110 lb), I used the Dotted Cover Die cut from Pink & Main (it's on clearance - go grab it!!!) and used foam dots to attach it to the white card base. I then die cut the word "hugs" and glued on, then die cut the trees (Memory Box Tall Evergreen Tree Dies), attaching them with foam dots. It's got a real 3-D look in real life. Peace.

Life is Best on the Beach

 Hello friends! We had a cold and dreary week but the next few days are predicted to be almost Summer weather! I am looking forward to cooking on the grill this weekend and opening some windows! In that spirit, I made a very Summery card for the CC Designs Facebook Challenge of using 3 or more patterned papers and I'd like to enter her into the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - Use Craft Dies

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes

Wednesday's Creative Inspiration - Anything Goes

I managed to use 5 pieces of patterned paper from Doodlebug Designs - I die cut the tote bag from one piece and used a piece from a sentiment page for another. The background is so bright and colorful with those seashells - then I used an oval nesting die, layering the text piece on top of the wavy watery piece. I printed out Sugar Plum Surfer Emma 2 from CC Designs with Versafine Black and embossed with clear embossing powder. I colored her with Copics (I love her little sunburned cheeks - LOL), fussy cut, and attached with foam dimensional tape. Peace.

Procrastination

 Good morning! I have had a nice quiet week, plenty of time in my craft room and I even caught up on laundry! Today is a kitchen day - some baking and preparing things for the next week or so. The kitchen is my second favorite place to spend the day. LOL

I would like to enter this card into the:

Paper Players #785 - Color Challenge

I happen to be a Stampin' Up! demonstrator - I actually became a demonstrator back in 2002 but let it go years ago and recently signed back up as a hobby demonstrator, even though they don't like that term. LOL   Anyway! I used the colors of cardstock from the challenge for the card base and polaroid die cuts. I did some ink smooshing on a piece of watercolor paper for the background, sponged the edges with black ink and used a corner rounder punch. I printed out these cute skull flower digis, used my Brother Scan and Cut to cut them out, colored them with Copics and attached with foam dots. Sentiment is a sticker from a snarky Tim Holtz book. Peace.