Make it Monday #150 - Window Screen Cards...

Hello Everyone,
Do you ever fall in love with a card at first sight and HAVE TO CASE IT!!!! ?

Well I fell in love with this week's Make it Monday video and the cards that Melissa Phillips made and I just had to try CASEing them...

I used stamps from Papertrey Ink and Paper Sweeties as some of the products Melissa used I do not have in my crafty stash at this time.

Here are my cards:

The tiny feathers sticking out as leaves behind my flower are from a Cheery Lynn Designs Feather die set that comes with a tiny ink well!  Thought they worked great here!  The floral paper is from Iralamija's shop on ETSY. 

And a couple details shots:
I added glossy accents and glitter to the "screen" on this card because of a glue mistake but I love how it looks:

 On these two I turned the "screen" portion in the opposite direction so I could bring the focus on the diamonds in the center of the heart:

Melissa thanks for inspiring me!  I have a ton more ideas buzzing in my head but I already stole all the time I can this morning and am off to some appointments with my son...

Thanks for taking a look!  I cannot wait to go and look at everyone's cards for this MIM!
Hugs,
Jill

Warm and Cozy week at The Shabby Tea Room....

Hello Friends and Happy Monday Morning to you all!
I hope you heard my happy news that I announced on my blog last Friday: here.  I am the newest design team member at The Shabby Tea Room!  I am here today with my first official design team post! Yay!!!!

We are in week #203 in The Shabby Tea Room and our host is the lovely and talented Aneta.  Here is the beautiful inspiration photo chosen for this week:

Aneta asks that we use white or cream with cups and/or teapots in our project.  I just love this photo! Especially all of that yummy texture!  And that is what inspired my card:

I tried a couple of different ideas for the texture and settled on using this lovely heart diecut.  Our sponsor this week is "Digital Papers by Janet" on ETSY.  She has so many beautiful digital files!  I own quite a few of them myself!!!  I chose to use "Antique Paper 3" for my project today!  Such beautiful papers!

My teapots and/or cups are in this vintage image I chose from Pinterest.  I tried to link to the origin of this photo but the link kept saying it was broken.  Lots of computer glitches this weekend!   I lightened the original and made it into a heart shape using a photo editing software program. I then cut it out by hand and distressed the edges. Here is what the file looked like before I cut it out...I made several different sizes:

 Here is a close-up which better shows the digital papers I used.  I also added some charms and flowers:

 A side view:

 Thanks for taking a look at my first design team project for The Shabby Tea Room.  I hope you will take a look at all of the lovely projects over in the Tea Room and hopefully play along!
Happy Crafting!
: ) Jill  

A wonderful announcement....

Hi Everyone,
I am here on this lovely Friday night to make a wonderful announcement!! If you have visited my blog in the last few days you may have noticed a few changes on my sidebar. Debbie Marcinkiewicz has asked me to be on "The Shabby Tea Room" design team.  That's right I am the newest "Shabby Girl"!  My first post as an official design team member will be this coming Monday!  I am so thrilled and excited!

I decided to make a card using the lovely "Emma" stamp and die from Debbie's lovely "Paper Sweeties" stamp company to celebrate!  Don't you just love this sentiment!  I thought it was perfectly appropriate for my announcement!  Back in early 2012 a few months after my husband died I started to paper craft more often and to join in challenges more frequently.  As I was just starting to sort of get a handle on how to compose a good card I use to visit (lurk) in the Tea Room and wish I could make cards like the ones made by all of the very talented "Shabby Girls!"  Here is a link to what I believe is the very first card I ever shared at the tea room back at week #140 in November of 2012:  http://greenwoodgirlcards.blogspot.com/2012/11/wishing-you-sweet-shabby-christmas.html

And here is the card I shared:

I still have this card sitting in my craft room on my curio shelf and will never part with it.  It is one of my favorite cards!  I want to thank everyone that has ever shared a card in the Tea Room or been a designer there - YOU have ALL inspired me and helped me grow in my card making endeavors. And I am so excited that I now get a chance to do the same as a design team member! 

Happy Weekend everyone and I hope you will join me and all of the wonderful "Shabby Girls" in the Tea Room this coming Monday as we kick off the newest challenge!
:) Jill
 

   

The Shabby Tea Room - Week #202: 'Baby It's Cold Outside'!

Hello Everyone,
It is hard to believe that it is already the 20th of January!  Tim and I will be enjoying Martin Luther King's Birthday and a partial day off from our normal routines today.  I enjoyed an assembly at Tim's school last week all about Dr. King and it was so lovely to see the kids perform poems, songs, and skits with such an important message about equality!  I loved it when the first grade class performed "We Shall Overcome" in 3 part harmony!  They were too cute!!!  I am hoping during our free afternoon today to get some time in to visit and see what everyone is up to on their blogs!  I have been sooooo busy lately and I miss visiting everyone as regularly as I used to!!!!

I am here today with another "January Guest Designer" post for The Shabby Tea Room.  This is week #202 and here is the inspiration photo:

The theme is "Baby It's Cold Outside" and we were asked to create a card/project inspired by the photo using white/cream, green, red, and include a bow and something silver.  I was excited to use a new Paper Sweeties stamp/die set that I ordered recently called "Make the Season Bright". 

I love the sweet little angel in this set and once I started creating with it I could not stop!  I ended up making a card, tag and ornament.  Here are some additional photos:

The first thing I made was this card: 

My touch of silver is on the wings which were colored with a metallic marker.

Then I made this tag:

 

 And finally I made a Christmas Ornament:

 I made a "stuffed" angel ornament and then suspended it inside a tiny heart tartlet tin that was painted with picket fence distress crackle paint and edged with some Melissa Frances glass glitter. I added a red felt heart and smaller gingham doily heart behind the angel so that she would show up more and to add to the Christmas colors!  I put holes in the top and bottom of the tart tin with my crop-o-dile so I could add a tie and bow at the top with a snowflake and rose bead embellishment, as well as some beads at the bottom with a tiny bow.  The angel is suspended from the top hole with a bit of twine and she swings back and forth when the ornament moves.  I think this ornament looks a lot better in person - it did not photograph all that well!

Here are some pictures of me sewing up the ornament.  I die cut it from cream felt twice and once from linen which is what I stamped the image on.  Then I sewed the three pieces together by hand and added some batting:

Then I colored her with copics and added glitter to make her sparkle on the Christmas Tree!  Finally I added her to the painted tart tin and decorated!

Thanks for taking a look at my projects.  I so appreciate all of the lovely comments I receive!  They make me smile!  I hope you visit The Shabby Tea Room to see what all of the designers have created for this week!  There is always so much beautiful inspiration!!!! 

Crafty Hugs my friends!
:) Jill

SSCB#27 - Buttons....and some chalkboard too

Hello,
Here with a card for my son's sweet art teacher for the upcoming Teacher Appreciation Day in May.  I make quite a few cards each year so I like to do them a little bit at a time.  I drew inspiration from the Serendipity Stamps Challenge Blog and challenge 27 which is to use "buttons".  I also chose to embrace the chalkboard technique that many of the design team featured on the challenge blog!  Gorgeous cards ladies!!!

I chose to use a sentiment stamp that reads:  "Art! Who comprehends her?  Whom can one consult concerning this great goddess? - Ludwig Von Beetoven"  I tried using my pastels to cover the embossed sentiment with a rainbow of color....what do you think?

Thanks for taking a look! And I have to say it...."Go Seahawks!!!"  I know my husband is probably watching from Heaven as he was a season ticket holder for so many years and always hoped to go to a Super Bowl one day.......he would have been so excited today!  My son and I have the game on and are watching it for him today!  Love you Papa Stu!!!

Hugs,
Jill

The Shabby Tea Room - week #201 - "Fun with Sketches"

Hello Friends,
Here today with a couple of cards for The Shabby Tea Room - week #201: Fun with Sketches.  Here is the sketch for this week:

I made 2 cards with this sketch so far.  One is for a birthday and the other is a "thinking of you" card.  Both use sentiments from Paper Sweeties wonderful sentiment stamp sets. 

Thanks for visiting my blog!  I hope you will visit The Shabby Tea Room to see all of the wonderful inspiration from the "Shabby Girls"!  And if you have time join in all the fun with this lovely sketch!
Hugs,
Jill

The Shabby Tea Room - Week#200 "So romantic"

I am so excited to be guest designing for The Shabby Tea Room for the month of January 2014.  What a lovely way to start the New Year!  Thanks Debbie for inviting me!

The theme for week #200 starting on Monday January 6, 2014 is "So Romantic".  Here is the inspiration photo:

We were asked to create a card/project inspired by the photo using roses.  Isn't this a gorgeous picture?  I love the roses, velvet ribbon, and pocket watch as well as the different papers and decorated tin can at the top of the photo.  So much to be inspired by.

January, February, and March in our family includes the birthdays of all 5 of us girls plus one of my nieces too.  With all of those birthdays to prepare for I decided to work on a birthday ensemble since I need to create several in the next few weeks for gift giving!  Here is what I came up with:

 I created a large Medallion using a Brenda Walton Sissix die as well as a card and tag. 

 The card uses two sets from Paper Sweeties.  The sentiment is from the stamp set called "Occasions".  While the polka dot frame label is from a set call "Beautiful".  The die cuts for the card itself are from Cheery Lynn Designs.

 Here is a close up of the medallion.  It is so much prettier in person! 

 Here is the little tag with a sweet little rose covered cottage.  This die is from Impression Obsession and I love using it for house-warming gifts or really any occasion!

I thought I would take a photo of the medallion hanging on the handle of a gift bag outside too to see if the light was better.  I love how easy it is to dress up a plain gift bag with one of these.  

Thanks for visiting my blog.  I hope you will check out all of the beautiful projects from the design team in the tea room this week and hopefully come and play along with us.

: ) Jill

Emma - a sweet little fairy doll to love!!!

EDITED TO ADD 12-31-13 10:30pm Seattle Time:   Pictures of Tim's paper doll that is Emma's playmate....

Hello Friends and Happy New Year!

I am here with a posting for Paper Sweeties.  Debbie very kindly invited me to guest design for the Paper Sweeties Inspiration Challenge #15.  Here is the inspiration board:

My lovely email from Debbie said that I could be inspired by anything on the graphic!  And the ideas started popping into my head right away.  My eyes kept coming back though to the little girl who is so cute in her tutu and hat and scarf!  And to the colors in the lower half of the graphic.

My project was also inspired by a little girl who was a wee bit disgruntled at church this past week.  I was wishing that I had a little doll in my purse that I could give her to play with.....and hence this idea was born:

 I started by creating a lovely little fairy doll with the  "Emma" stamp set and die!  I cut the "Emma" die three times total:   twice out of cream felt and once out of linen.  I stamped Emma's image onto the linen using memento tuxedo black ink and then colored her very lightly with Copics.  It is important to color lightly so that the ink does not bleed on the linen fabric!!!  I then very carefully sewed all three layers together leaving the top open so that I could add some batting.  I used very tiny stitches!  And used a small crochet hook to push the batting down into her leg area when I was "stuffing" her!

After I had Emma all sewn up and "stuffed" my sweet doll was ready to be dressed up.  I dressed her in a tulip skirt and belt and created a hat for her from a pink button, two white glittery jingle bells and two baby roses.  Next my son Tim helped me create a butterfly wand for her with some beads.  And her "wings" or butterfly cape I made with half of a doily and a running stitch to create a tie for around her neck.  She has fairy dust (aka glitter) in her hair and on her skirt!  And her shoes are made from glitter! :)

 We felt that she needed a bed to sleep on and hence the box was created along with a pink felt mattress, and cream felt pillow and blanket! (The blanket was created by my son Tim who also made Emma a little friend to play with named after himself!)  I decorated the box and created the tag on the computer leaving a space to stamp her name using the coordinating stamp from the Emma set.   Here is a picture of the little room we set up for her using the box as walls, and adding some spools for tables with a snowflake doily on top of the smallest one and a "leaf" throw rug.  And of course you have to have a tiny bottle-brush tree as a house plant or perhaps the Fairy Emma's very own Christmas Tree!  LOL!

Emma also has a tie added to the top of her button hat made from a piece of pink and white twine so that she can be hung on a Christmas Tree, a rearview mirror or a door knob etc.

 Here is Emma all snuggled up for a long winter's nap under her doily comforter:

All of the "accessories" for her room snuggle up in the box with Emma when she needs to be put away making her the perfect small toy to tuck in a bag when you have to take your daughter to an appointment and you need something to entertain her in the waiting room! 

One last picture of Fairy Emma and her friend Timmy enjoying the Christmas Tree as we wait to ring in the New Year here in Seattle!:

Tim says he is now working on something to allow Emma and Timmy to have fun!  It is a secret he says...but he has scissors and paper in his hands tonight and is creating away!

Thanks so very much for taking a look at my project!  I had so much fun with this challenge!!!  I think I may have to sew up a few of these dolls in a more simple format to share with the little ones at church!  I wish I had taken a picture of the doll before I dressed her up!  Too cute!!!

To Debbie and everyone at Paper Sweeties:  Thanks for letting me join in the fun as a guest designer for January!  And congratulations to all the new Design Team Members!  They are a fantastically talented group of sweet women!  Here are links to their blogs if you haven't made the hop yet:
Amber Kroening
Annette Allen
Annette Witherspoon
Andrea Ewen
Char Cundy
Jeanne Jachna
Jinny Newlin
Kerin Sylvester
Kristi Schurr
Lesley Croghan
Lisa Elton
Maria Patrick
Michelle Bala
Nancy Penir
Tammy Hobbs

If you have some crafty time I hope you will join in the Paper Sweeties challenge this month!  We would all love to see what you create!

May you have a year full of blessings and friends and family to lift your spirits during times of hardship or sorrow!
Hugs,
:) Jill

You are in my thoughts today!

Just a quick post today.....some very dear friends of ours lost their home in a fire on Monday in the very early morning.  Thankfully their entire family made it out safely but their home is pretty much a total loss.  Having been through a flood in the 1990's in which I lost pretty much everything but the clothes on my back I know how very devastating it is to go through something like this!  Our homes are our places of comfort and security and they are filled with so many memories and mementos.  It is very hard when you begin to realize all you have lost - even though you are grateful for your lives being saved.  So last night after finding out where they are staying I took them a gift (and some homemade chocolate chip cookies because times like these call for comfort food and my other girlfriend was already bringing their dinner!) to help them and their son through this very difficult time!  My heart and prayers are with them! I am so glad they are all safe! 

Here is the card that I gave to them:

My dear friend Rebecca who blogs at PaperPrimrose.com sent me a lovely gift the other day and that sweet little rosebud embellishment on top of the snowflake is from her.  Isn't it adorable!  Thanks Rebecca!  I had to make this card so fast because I had nothing in my card stash that was right....and I see that I missed popping out a few of the little "chads" in my heart diecut..oops!  Hopefully they won't notice! That is what happens when you are trying to make a card, bake cookies, and help your little one with homework all at the same time!  LOL!!!!
Hugs,
:) Jill

2013 Christmas Tags distributed and great deal on pearlized cardstock on Cyber Monday - today!!!!

Hello Friends,
Well I did it!  The first annual "gift of tags" to each of my family members went off with a wonderful response!!!  I think next year I will actually have to make more for some of the extended family members too!

This year I created 14 different sets of tags though a couple sets did not get photographed and posted to my blog.   I then filled a clear cello bag with one of each type of tag for each of my 6 siblings as well as my parents which I distributed at our family Thanksgiving get together.  I thought you might like to see a picture of all of the tags that were placed in the bags this year:

I sure have enjoyed creating tags for my family!  It was a gift that was very much appreciated by everyone which really warmed my heart!  And it was a lovely way to give thanks to all of my family who have supported Tim and I through some very tough times the past couple years.  What a true blessing our family and friends are - I am so very grateful!

I am now working on some tag gifts for my girlfriends that will be coming over for a cookie exchange party during December.  I hope to give them a few each too to use for their Christmas gifts this year.  So stay tuned for a few more posts with Christmas tags in them! LOL!

I hope you are all enjoying this wonderful Holiday season!  I know I am.....the outside lights are up thanks to some lovely help from my sister and niece on the day after Thanksgiving and I am starting work on the inside of my home now.

TAG SUPPLIES:
Companies whose products I used to create my 2013 tags:
AmuseStudio.com - cardstock
Cheery Lynn Designs.com -  dies
DutchPaperCrafts - Pinking edge star dies from Marianne Creatables
Factory Direct Crafts:  rusty jingle bells, and other items
Papertrey Ink stamps and dies
Serendipity Stamps:  stamps
Spellbinders dies
Taylored Expressions - Stamps and tiny tags dies
Technique Tuesday: stamps
The Craft Spot: Tiny tags stamps/dies
WPlus9 stamps and dies
Waltzingmouse Stamps and new dies!!!! (Yay!)
Sissix Dies - retired and current
And various other items from Etsy, Michael's, Joann's, and Hobby Lobby

Crafty Hugs!!!

:) Jill
SHOPPING ENABLER ALERT:    PEARLIZED CARD STOCK AT A FANTASTIC PRICE:
  Factory Direct Crafts has:  Tan Pearl Cardstock: Item: GXCS6 for 25 sheets just $2.99
   Pearl Cardstock - Item: GXCS1 for 25 sheets for $4.99 and other colors too for $4.99.  If you use code "CYBERMONDAY" you also receive 20% off your total.  There are lots of fun crafty items on their site and free shipping in the USA when you spend $50.00. 

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

I am so thankful for all of YOU!!!! My lovely crafty friends who visit my blog throughout the year and share in a love of creating with me!  I wish those of you that are celebrating Chanukah/Hanukkah and/or Thanksgiving a time full of blessings surrounded by all those you love!  I am off to enjoy time with my family today after attending a beautiful service this morning and thanking my Creator for all that is good in my life!  You are all part of the many things I am grateful for!  Blessings on this day and always!

:) Jill

Happy Birthday Jeanne!!!!!

Hello Friends,
Today we are sending very special Happy Birthday wishes to our dear friend Jeanne!

Happy Birthday Jeanne!!!!

 Jeanne blogs at "A Kept Life" and is a paper artist extraordinaire!!!!  I always enjoy my visits to her blog and come away inspired and ready to create!  She has a way with color and combining elements to create incredible cards and tags and other paper crafted items!   I hope you will pay her lovely blog a visit and enjoy some of the beauty within its many gorgeous entries!  And while you are there leave her some birthday wishes too!

Jeanne I wish for you many blessings throughout the year and a day filled with much happiness surrounded by everyone that loves you!  Thanks for your friendship here in blog land and sharing your many talents and lovely comments with me and so many others!  You are such a sweetheart!!!

I want to send a big thank you to our friend Joyce who so kindly organized this lovely blog hop for Jeanne.  She is our party planner extraordinaire!  Here is a list of links to everyone that is hopping in honor of Jeanne today:
Joyce (our blog hop cruise director!)
Cathy
Christina

Darnell
Jill (You Are Here)
Kara (Go Here Next)
Kim
Marybeth
Tracey 
Vickie

Crafty Hugs Everyone!!!!
Jill

Supplies:
Cardstock:  blush, rustic cream: PTI; 80lb base weight pink - Michael's
Stamps:  Friendship Jar - PTI; The craft spot - tiny tags 2
Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa
Dies:  Cupcake: PTI; label: PTI; Doily - Cheery Lynn Designs
Other:  Flowers; twine, streamer paper; crocheted doily - Paper Bag Lady on ETSY

2013 Christmas Tags - Tag set #11 - Folk Art Star Tags featuring Serendipity Stamps

Hello Everyone,
I am still sick with a sore throat and cold and was feeling punk this morning so I sat and watched a Christmas movie and made this set of lovely star tags using a stamp from Serendipity Stamps.  I am adding them to the Serendipity Stamps Challenge #24 - Gifts and Tags.

Thanks for taking a look.  If you haven't see the other tags that I have posted for my 2013 Christmas Tag series you can click on these links:

Tag post #1  Candy Cane
Tag post #2  Peace On Earth
Tag post #3  Trees
Tag post #4  Pine Cone Trees
Tag post #5  Red Felt Snowflakes
Tag post #6  Sledding Fun
Tag post #7, 8, 9  Snowgirls, Gingerbread Sweeties and Reindeer
Tag post #10  Waltzingmouse Stamps Inspiration

Bye for now!
: )   Jill


Supplies:  Folk Art Star Tags:
Card Stock:  Kraft - PTI
Stamps:  Folk Star and To and From stamps - Serendipity Stamps
Dies:  Star Die
Other:  copic markers, twine, glue