I Treasure You & Hopeful

Good morning! Got a lot on my mind this week, but it's more stuff for my personal art journal than my public blog so I'll be spending some time journaling today. I don't know about you, but writing and expressing my thoughts through art really does help.

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

Pink & Main #18 - Nature

Cut it Up #356 - Flowers

I pulled these papers out of my stash, they are from Authentique and I love the color combo - it's one of those "I've been saving it for something special" things and I recently decided to stop doing that. I'm using the stuff now, all of it! Life is too short! Anyway, I stamped the image from the Floral Shells set from Pink & Main with Versafine Black and embossed with clear embossing powder. I colored with Copics and used a die cut film strip to cut it out. I added a little die cut seashell, some rhinestone stickers, and sponged the edges of the card. 

...........

I've also got a tag to enter into the:

Simon Says Stamp Monday - Tag It

I used the Propagation Plants Dies from Spellbinders with a tag die to create this little tag, tied off with a piece of twine, then added a little kraft sticker from a Tim Holtz book. Peace. 

Celebrating You!

 I spent another 6-7 hours deep cleaning my house yesterday and I cannot tell you how good it felt to wake up to such a sparkling clean home!!! I also cannot tell you how sore I am or what muscles these are that hurt because I don't think I even knew they existed before. ;)  LOL Here's a few pics of the rest of my, uh, stuff, in the dining room area:

I love my clock - it lights up with a soft glow every evening and it's just so pretty and peaceful. Everything in my home is a compilation of the people and places in my life that have been important to me - the things that make me, ME! I know things are just things and I could certainly live without them - but I don't have to, and that makes me happy. :)

...............................................

On to the reason you're here! 

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

C.R.A.F.T. Challenge - 17th Birthday Bash!

Art Nudge #526C

Path of Positivity #141 - AG with optional twist: Make it Sweet AND/OR Use 5 Layers

Die Cut Divas - Celebrations

AAA Birthday #85 - We are 7!!! (Anything Birthday Goes)

This adorable Birthday Swissies set that I used from CC Designs is on clearance right now for only $4.80!!! I stamped her with Versafine Black and embossed with clear embossing powder. Colored with Copics, fussy cut, added glitter and Diamond Glaze, and attached with foam dots. I die cut the balloons using a total of 6 different papers from Doodlebug Design, including cutting the "Recipe card" that I stamped the sentiment on. Peace.

Popcorn ATC

 Full disclosure - I was totally inspired by this post over on the Simon Says Stamp blog, created by Tina Smith. I had a different version of a popcorn box with popcorn pieces in my die stash so I decided to make a little ATC:

I'd like to enter this into the:

ATC Around the World Challenge #137 - Anything Goes

The Paper Players #786 - CAS with Food

Try it on Tuesday - Keep it Simple

I used a piece of black cardstock for the ATC base, roughing up the edges first. I die cut the popcorn & box, using Fluffy Stuff on the popcorn then sponging some yellow ink on top. I added a little ticket from a Tim Holtz book, roughing it up a bit first. I love the simplicity and quickness of making ATC's! Peace.

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. 

...................

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.