Showering my sister Beth with love...Week #207 at The Shabby Tea Room:

Hello Friends,
Happy Monday everyone!  I am here with two cards created for The Shabby Tea Room - week #207.  This week Tina is our creative host and she has chosen the theme of 'Wishy Washi' along with this beautiful photo for inspiration!   Tina asks that you create a card or project inspired by the photo and INCLUDE WASHI TAPE!

I was inspired by the cream, greens, and pinks at the bottom of the photo.  Are you wondering where I used my washi tape on my designs above.  Here is a process photo:

 I layered strips of Washi tape onto white cardstock and then die-cut my mats with the taped pieces.  I love that putti colored polka dotted one!  So sweet! 

 Both of these cards were given to my sweet younger sister Beth at her bridal shower this past weekend.  She loves nature and earth tones as well as the color green.  I tried to incorporate her colors into the cards.

This week our sponsor is:   Digital Papers by Janet Etsy!     I used a digital file from our sponsor called "Flower Strips".  I cut the strips from two sheets and layered three of the designs onto some copy weight paper with glue.  I then diecut my large mat and saved the outside or negative piece to create the second card:

 I was having a very difficult time getting my photos to show true colors outside as it was a very dark and overcast day when I took these here in Seattle.  Here are some indoor shots under artificial lighting:

I am not sure which photos are better but I thought I would share both.  The cards definitely look better in real life - as usual!  This card is kraft cardstock with a layer of embossed vellum over the top.  The "wedding couple" stamps I used are from two sets at Paper Sweeties:  Live, Laugh, Love and Wedding Day.  The sentiment "Celebrating You Today" is from a PTI set.  I was trying to find a Wedding Shower" sentiment but do not think I have one in my stash so I had to get creative!

Thanks so much for taking a look at my cards!  I hope you will hop over to The Shabby Tea Room to look at all of the projects from the design team and our guests!  We would love to have you join us in the Tea Room this week! 

:) Jill

Baby Shower Party Time at The Shabby Tea Room

Hello Friends,
Here for another week of creativity and inspiration at The Shabby Tea Room. 

This week Linda is our creative host and she has chosen the theme of 'Baby Shower Party' along with this beautiful photo for inspiration! 

    Linda asks that you create a BABY card or project inspired by the the photo!


  The Shabby Girls are pleased to welcome our sponsor - Creations by AR!

Creations by AR is all about paper crafting specializing in 3D templates, cutting files and digital images. Visit Creations by AR for inspiration!  And be sure to check out the discount code at The Shabby Tea Room post to save 10% this week!

I chose to work with Creations by AR's lovely template called "Baby Onesies Box and Card Set".  Here are some additional pictures of my project:

I first made a boy onesie and a girl onesie. I love the little ducklings on the tummy area of the toile pattern of the boy outfit.  And you know how I love my gingham!  So pink gingham and lace seemed perfect for the girl outfit with some rose cabochons.

 Here is the girl outfit with the coordinating favor box.  I used a Paper Sweeties stamp set called "Occasions" for the "Hello Baby" sentiment. 

 Here is a picture of the back of the little onsie favor box - I think this is my favortie part of my projects for this week....a sweet little pair of velvet angel wings with a twine bow and some pretty pink lace!

 Another view of the boy onesie:

Thanks for taking a look at my projects for The Shabby Tea Room - week 206.  Come and see all of the beautiful inspiration from our guest designers and Shabby Girl's Design Team!  We would love to have you join us in the Tea Room!  I sure enjoyed all of the beautiful projects uploaded this past week!  It is such a pleasure to visit your blogs and see what you are creating and how you are inspired by each week's inspiration photo or sketch!  Happy Monday Everyone!!!! Have a great week!

And one last thing before I go.  Seattle received some snow, our first of the winter this past weekend.  To say that my son was overjoyed is a VAST UNDERSTATEMENT!  I think he did a happy dance for over 10 minutes and I am sure that neighbors 5 blocks away could hear him!  LOL!  I know that many of you are suffering through bitter cold and bad weather over many weeks of this winter season.  Here in Seattle we are getting concerned for a drought as we have had unseasonably dry weather here.  Normally it just rains every single day - not this winter.  Anyway...I thought I would share a couple of photos of my little one enjoying the snow:

Sledding down the hill by our house:

 Rolling a giant snowball to add to the fort they were building:

 Posing with the Seahawk snowman that all the neighbors kids helped build:

So blissfully happy about that snowman - I was so thrilled I caught this moment on film!:

I got some wonderful shots of all of the neighbors enjoying the day!  We were outside from 9:00AM until almost 1:00PM playing as it was melting fast!  It was almost completely gone the next day!  

Thanks for looking! :)

Crafty Hugs,

Jill

The Shabby Tea Room - Week #205 - Sketch Challenge

Hello Friends,
Here with my design team post for The Shabby Tea Room - Week #205.  This week our inspiration is a sketch:

The Shabby Girls are pleased to welcome our sponsor - Paper Temptress!

 

                       This week's lucky winner will receive a $25 gift certificate from Paper Temptress!

I love the beautiful cardstock that Paper Temptress carries.  On my project for this week I used Azalea Mica/Metallic 105lb cardstock; croyogen white cardstock; and vellum.

Here are some additional photos of my card:

 Isn't that Azalea a pretty color?  And though my photos do not show it the shimmer is incredible! It really adds to the cards overall look!

I embossed the vellum with dots - I love the texture and the pretty background it creates. I used my sweet Abigail stamp set from Paper Sweeties and added a nice sparkly bow to her hair!  I had to hand cut her out because I don't have the matching die yet!!! Need to put that on my list!  Though to be honest hand cutting is very relaxing to me.  My sentiment is from the Sending Sweet Thoughts stamp set. One of my favorite new sets from Paper Sweeties! 

Thanks for taking a look at my card today.  I hope you make a visit to The Shabby Tea Room to see all of the lovely inspiration from our guest designers and team!  And then I hope you find some time to link up a project so you can have a chance at winning the lovely prize from Paper Temptress! I hope you will join us!

Crafty Hugs,
Jill

Papertrey Ink - 7th Anniversary Day 3: card #2

Hi All,
Well I made one more card for the Day 3 challenge over at Papertrey Ink.  There will be 7 winners randomly selected to win $70.00 gift certificates to their store!  Yeah!  I love gift certificates!

Here is the card I made.  This one took me just over 16 minutes because of the fussy cutting and dimensionals that I used - but I still made it in under the 17 minute deadline!  Barely!  I LOVE the look of this image. It was also from the free printable.  This time I used Melissa Bickford's lovely artwork!  Thanks Melissa!

Here are some additional photos:

Glorious dimensionals!  :

Thanks for taking a look at my card!
Hugs!
Jill

Papertrey Ink - 7th Anniversary: Day Two/Three: I Just Love You!!!

Hello,
Just a quick post with a couple of cards. I missed the deadline this morning for Day Two's post so I made another card for day 3 too.  Here are both cards:

The "Friend" card was for yesterday's challenge.  I always forget about the time change back east and miss the deadline!  LOL!  You would think I would learn!!!

The "I just love you" card without the additional stamp/ink is for today's Anniversary challenge:

In honor of the continuing 7th Anniversary festivities at Papertrey Ink today's challenge was to choose 7 supplies in 7 minutes and make a card in 17 minutes!  What a ton of fun!!!  And it is in honor of this year's Stamp-a-Faire event with the theme of "Time Travel"!  I just love Stamp-a-Faire and think it will be so much fun to participate again this year!  :)  I love watching the video's that Nichole creates each year!  So fun to see all of your friends doing this stamping thing that we all love!


Here are my 7 supplies:
White cardstock - PTI
Embossed vellum piece leftover on my desk (trying to use up the HUGE box full of card parts near my desk!)  I really should show a picture - it is FULL!
Free Printable: PTI - yesterday's challenge post
Patterned Paper:  Iraliamijashop - ETSY
Twine
Tiny Felt Die Cut flower from my desk - I cut several for the previous card but decided 1 was perfect!
Pink bling piece for flower center


We did not have to include adhesives so I am hoping that includes glitter glue?  I "adhered" some to my vellum heart paper for a wee touch of sparkle! :)

I made the card in 9 minutes 37 seconds!  Probably because I had made the same card the day before!  But I liked it so much I plan on making several more to give for Valentine's Day!  I am totally hooked on embossed vellum right now and have a whole bunch of ready made pieces on my desk that need to be used!!!

Thanks for the wonderful printable! I want to use them all!!!! Such lovely designs!!!  Perhaps some more 17 minute cards will be made this morning!

Hugs,
Jill

 

Papertrey Ink - 7th Anniversary - Day 1

  
Hello Sweet Crafty Friends,
Here with a card for Day 1 of the Papertrey Ink 7th Anniversary Festivities!  There are so many wonderful things happening all over the web - Facebook, The Forum, Capture the Moment etc.  I am just trying to take it all in! 

Here is the color recipe and sketch that I used to create my card:

Okay...since it is an Anniversary I am going to get a little mushy about my sweet Stuart and Papertrey Ink so you can skip this next section if you want to....but it is kind of a nice true story in my opinion...

In just a few more days it will be two years since my son and I said goodbye to our beloved Staurt and there is a story related to Papertrey Ink that some of you probably do not know. I posted a portion of it on Facebook this morning when they asked, "How long have you been a customer of Papertrey Ink?" but I thought I would share it here too.

I started this blog in November 2010 just 4 months after my sweet Stuart was diagnosed with cancer.  I went from working outside the home as a small business accountant to becoming a full-time caregiver after my husband's surgery left him with cognitive deficits requiring constant care.  I left my job to care for him daily and when he was resting  -which was often after difficult treatments- I would retreat to my craft room.

The outpouring of love that happens when someone you love is diagnosed with cancer is unbelievable and I had so many people I wanted to thank.  And so I started using my scrapbooking supplies to make thank you cards - and lots of them.  And this eventually led me to Papertrey Ink after seeing some of their lovely products used in a "CARDS" magazine I purchased.  I carried that CARDS magazine with me to waiting rooms and studied how to make a card.  And I started learning little by little.  I still remember the first thank you card I made using the Year of Flowers: Roses Stamp set.  The people I gave that card to still had it displayed in their waiting room even after my sweet Stuart had passed away.  Sharing our thankfulness and love in a card can mean so much!

My husband and son encouraged me in my card-making endeavors and as time permitted I began to join in the Make it Monday challenges and meet sweet crafty friends on-line.  Lisa Elton of My Paper Tales and Marybeth of Marybeth's Time for Paper were some of the first people to comment on some of my PTI challenge cards.  And then Tracey, Leigh, Kara, Kelly S, Helen F, Julie, and so many others. This gave me encouragement to keep trying.

To this day I feel that the connection I made to stamping and Papertrey Ink stamps during this difficult time has helped me through one of the most challenging times in my life.  My friend Sue Lelli calls her blog "Card Therapy" and I have shared with her that I find it to be just that for me also!

I share all of this with you because the culmination of Papertrey Ink's Anniversary celebrations each year is always with their release on February 15th and it is always something that I look forward to and enjoy!  The challenges, the products, the fun anniversary activities!  It all brings joy to my life and my husband knew how very much I loved the celebration and Papertrey's wonderful products!  And I wonder sometimes if Stuart planned it - for this was the day that my Staurt went to heaven.  So while it is a very difficult day for me it also is a day that has something to look forward to that evening - the Anniversary Release!  It is something to make me smile in the midst of my sadness and to share with all of my crafty on-line friends who love Papertrey Ink as much as I do! And I know Stuart smiles down on me as he sees me enjoying and nourishing my artistic side!  And Papertrey Ink is what started it all for me!  So thanks Papertrey Family and all my crafty friends who visit and encourage me here at Greenwood Girl Cards!  Your support over the past few years has touched me far more than you may know or realize!  You are a great big blessing in my life!   

Okay...so if you are still with me and hopefully not crying like me...back to the card...here is a close up of the tiny tags:

    And one last picture of my card:

Thanks as always for looking!  And I hope you get to enjoy all of the fun over at Papertrey Ink as we celebrate their 7th Anniversary....I am so happy that I have so many wonderful friends to share this craft that I love with!  
Hugs,
Jill

  

New LOGO/HEADER for Greenwood Girl Cards - Shout out for Bety of Iralamijashop on ETSY

Hi Everyone,
A few months back one of my sisters used some of my Christmas tags on a Holiday table setting display at a catering business here in Seattle.  She asked if I had business cards that she could put out as she had requests for them.  So I decided that one of my goals for the New Year would be to create a logo and business cards for "Greenwood Girl Cards".

After some thought I decided to contact one of my favorite artists in the digital world - Beatriz Jennings (Bety for short) of Iraliamijashop on ETSY.  I contacted her via her ETSY site and asked her if she would be able to design a blog header / logo for me.  And together we discussed what I was looking for via some messaging and she got to work.  The beautiful logo you see added to my blog header is the result!  I love it!

Following in the footsteps of my blog friends Darnell and Jill....I wanted to give my sweet friend Bety a shout out on my blog in case anyone else is looking to have a header or logo created in the future.  You have seen me use Bety's digital papers and products on many of my creations and her blog art is wonderful if you, like me, love the vintage or shabby chic look!

You might also be interested in following her beautiful blog posts at  http://iralamija.blogspot.com/
I love visiting her there quite often!
I hope you are all having a wonderful week!
Hopefully here with a new card post later this week!
Hugs,
Jill

Enjoy Cards - for SSCB#27 - Buttons (round 2)

Hello Again,

I wanted to share two more cards I made today.  These are going to some dear friends with a little gift via snail mail.   I am also entering them into the Serendipity Stamps Challenge #27 - Buttons.

 I layered embossed vellum over some patterned paper to achieve the pretty background within the window created by the Lil Inker Design stitched circle die.  The sweet "Enjoy" sentiment is a stamp from Serendipity which is perfect for so many different occasions!  I love having it in my stamp collection!

One last picture:

Thanks for taking a look.
:) Jill

Happy For You.....

Hello Friends,

If you are looking for my design team post for The Shabby Tea Room go HERE.

Also - in case you didn't hear:  There is an open design team call at The Shabby Tea Room.  If you would like to know more about applying please go: HERE .

I have a card to share with you this evening. One of my sweet younger sisters, Beth Ann, will be marrying a wonderful man next month in Oregon.  Today I have been very busy preparing various things for her bridal shower and wedding.  Today I made her bridal shower card and thought I would share it here.  She is using a lovely shade of light celery green as her main color.

Here is the card I came up with:

 Please note that the green is photographing darker than in real life. I tried adjusting it but it still is not the actual light celery color.   

I started by die-cutting a lovely Lil Inker's Circle Die from my celery cardstock.  Then I layered a piece of vellum and some patterned paper behind the circle to create my background. The dress form is a die from Memory Box.  I die cut it once in white and left all the pieces in and once in vellum and took all the pieces out and then glued them together and added glitter to the bottom portion of the dress and a pearl "belt".  I was trying to create a wedding gown.

 I used a sentiment from Papertrey Ink that says:  "happy for you" and then added some flowers and lace.  I plan on making a box for this card and it will be going with a gift of the beautiful set of crystal stemware that Stuart and I used at our wedding to toast our marriage and our families.

Thanks for taking a look at my card!
:) Jill

Valentine's and some homemade embellishments....

Hello Friends,
It is week #204 at The Shabby Tea Room and we have a lovely inspiration photo to share with you:

 

This week Heidi is our creative host and she has chosen the theme of 'All That Glitters in Love' along with this beautiful photo for inspiration!   Heidi asks that you create a card or project inspired by the photo and INCLUDE PINK/RED/BURGUNDY, FLOWERS, HEARTS & GLITTER!

I created 3 cards using this weeks inspiration.  Here are some individual photos:

 I am on a "heart-shaped" card kick at the moment as I try to get some Valentine and Birthday cards ready for some of my dear friends and family.  I love this sentiment from Paper Sweeties.  It is part of the "Sending Sweet Thoughts" stamp set! 

 Here is Paper Sweeties "Emma" asking you all to "Have a Sweet Day"!  I noticed from taking the picture that my sweet Emma is leaning a wee bit to the left so I fixed her and the sentiment!  Pictures often tell a better story than my eyes these days!  LOL!  I hope to find some time to insert a replacement photo before this post goes live!  Otherwise  - please forgive me if you are tipping out of your chair!     

And how about some little clothespin embellishments to share with a card-making friend?.  I used a sweet little flower stamp and die from the "Sending Sweet Thoughts" stamp/die bundle and some baby clothespins I got at Michael's with a 40% off coupon!  I die cut the flowers and then colored them with copic markers. I then used a black marker to add some sweet little dots in the flower centers for contrast.  I kept trying to get them to line up straight on the tag but glue dots have a mind of their own.  I think next time I will put them on little squares of foam so I can move them around!  Live and learn! :)

Our sponsor this week is the wonderful:  - Paper Sweeties!:

Paper Sweeties is owned and illustrated by Debbie Marcinkiewicz, and offers high quality, on trend acrylic stamps, metal dies and fun embellishments.  Our heartwarming images allow paper crafters to create adorable dolls with interchangeable outfits and accessories! We also have a wide variety of wonderful all-occasion sentiments, labels, frames and accessory sets - perfect for every paper crafted project! The Sweeties dolls, accessories and sentiments are so much fun to play with and are sure to bring back fond childhood memories!  You'll enjoy using the Sweeties stamps and dies to create projects for card making, scrap booking, party invitations and favors, home decor, gifts and more!


The winner of this week's challenge will receive a $20 gift certificate from the Paper Sweeties boutique!

Yay!

I hope you will go and peek at all of the lovely inspiration in the Tea Room!

The Guest Designers and The Shabby Girls have created some beautiful projects for you to enjoy!  We would love to have you play along with us! 

Also Debbie posted a Design Team Call for The Shabby Tea Room. There are two positions open for the March - September 2014 term and we would love to have you apply if you are interested!

Happy Creating!

Jill 

Superbowl Sunday - Seahawks Memories of my boys....

Hi Friends,
Just a quick post as my little one and I head over to watch the Super Bowl at my parent's home.  I was thinking how excited Stuart would be today with his beloved Seahawk's playing and it brought to mind this picture which is a favorite of mine taken in 2007 when Tim had just turned 3 years old.  One of Stuart's friends Lee gave them each a Seahawks jersey for their birthdays and I snapped this photo right after they put them on....:

To this day it is a photo that makes me smile!  And it is the way I remember my Stuart - always with a sports cap on his head and a giant smile!  Not to mention those beautiful blue eyes which were the first thing I noticed about him the day we met!  Believe it or not I am not a big football fan but it is one of the things I miss sharing with Stuart now that he is gone!  It was fun to see him enjoying this sport with his friends!  And I know that he would have loved to see his team (He was a season ticket holder for over 20 years) play today's game! 

Thanks for taking a trip down memory lane with me!  Go Seahawks!!!!
Hugs,
Jill