"Owl" be there!

Ever looking for a simple and easy way to make a little decoration for a party or family get-together?

 

DCWV

makes it as easy as 1-2-3!

 

I used the Fall paper stack

"Autumn Melody"

to throw together these cute little placecards

for a family dinner.

 

 

The "Give a Hoot" Cricut cartridge made it very easy to cut out these little owls, and the papers from DCWV added a sparkle to the project!

I only have a few minutes here and there these days to scrap, so I try and keep my projects as simple as possible.

 

 

Even though most of the dinner guests will be adults, I wanted to add a whimsical flair to the meal. We lost my father after a long illness this last week and it has been so difficult for the entire family.

His grandchildren (my grown kids) and his great-grandson will be here and this will give us a reason to smile and celebrate his life.

 

These took me a total of 30 minutes to whip up!

Not fancy, but sure to get a giggle!

 

Have a great day!

~Jan~



Winter Blues

Brrrrr!

 

 

It's so easy for me to joke about the freezing weather sitting here in 100 degrees,

but come next Spring, I'll get pleanty of teasing about how I'm sweatin' it out!

 

 

The sketch challenge at

Craft's Meow

 this week is a terrific one!

And they are taking part in the "Hope You Can Cling To Challenge"

over at SplitcoastStampers! 

Of course, it wasn't until I had my sketch card finished that I saw that!

Now I get to make a few more cards during the course of October

for the challenge at Splitcoast!

 

 

I haven't had this TCM stamp long, and this is my first chance at inking it up!

"Let it Snow"

And, rather than just straight cutting the edges of my background paper, I chose to

wiggle the scissors around a bit. All it did was make my paper look crooked. 

Next time, it's paper cutter only!

 

Well, I love the little snowman image, and hopefully, that will be the main

focus when a recipient gets this card!

I plan on sending this, along with a few others before the end of the month,

to the MD Anderson Cancer Center. 

I plan on going through my box of previously completed cards and throwing those in the package, also.

This is something we can all do to help the cause and clean up all these cards we tend to "accumulate" over time.

If they've been posted before, no reposting and entering the contest with each!

Just remember, this is for the cancer patients!

 

Thanks for visiting me today,

and please, it's Breast Cancer Awareness month!

Do something to help your fellow BFF's,  "breast friends forever"!

 

~Jan~

 



Sweet Blossom Layout!

As soon as I opened this DCWV stack,

 I fell in LOVE with these poppies!

I wanted something SPECIAL for my home this next Spring, and I knew these flowers would be gorgeous on a wall hanging!

We actually grow the California poppies here in Phoenix, so how perfect!

Of course, my house isn't painted in this delicious red/orange herringbone, but only because the HOA would have a hissy fit! LOL!

And the little shutters?  I cut matchsticks and dyed them with a Copics marker!

I die cut the house using my Cricut, "Heritage" cartridge,

attaching it to the background poppies paper.

I then cut the flower images from a second sheet of the stack paper,

curled, and layered them.
  A bit of brown micro beads, and they come to life!

It's hard to see clearly, but the doorknob is a resin flower.

Also, difficult to see, is the background printed texture! Looks like linen!

The felt row of flowers and green lace are from Prima!

The sentiment is the heat embossed,

 "Flower Path" from

Stampendous!

Thanks for looking at my project today,

and get started on those home decor items of your own! 

Friends and family LOVE handmade Christmas gifts!



DCWV "Bewitched" Lighted Wreath!

For my Stampendous, "Pumpkin Fence" card post, please go to:
HERE!


Then please return and see more SCARY, SPOOKY, and FUN projects!

My resolution for Fall

(Yes, I am declaring September 1st to be be my "Fall Resolution Day"!)

is to embrace Halloween and enjoy it rather than cringe every time that dad-gum doorbell rings for the upteenth time!

So, I made this to cheer me up!

I used the "Bewitched" Stack from DCWV, and my "Heritage" Cricut cartridge to die cut the house and the gate.  A sheet of vellum was attached to the back of the windows, and three battery-operated tea-lights were glued to the wreath branches where they would shine best through the windows!

The "fringe" around the banners were made with the grass border punch from Fiskars.

I will hereby promise to hang it on my front door on/or before 

October 31st for all to see.

The bestest part? It lights up to appear to have flickering tiny lamps on in the little house...

It looks soooo cool from the sidewalk out front!  It won't have near the fear factor that the hog's head with a butcher knife stuck in it did the year I really went all out, but it embraces the holiday.

I'm just hoping we have cooler weather soon.

These 114-115 degree days are killing me!

Halloween will be welcome relief!

Supplies:

Wreath; Michael's

Paper;  DCWV, "Bewitched" Stack

Vellum; Chart-pak (Michael's)

Trim for banner; Jo-Ann's

Gauze; Lowe's

Tea Lights; Dollar Store (3/$1.00)

DCWV Autumn Melody Layout

My FALL layout plus mini album:

I couldn't complain about what we DON'T have in Arizona without noting the good things about living here.

This little mini tucks into the side of my photo and displays pictures of several beautiful aspects about residing in Pheonix.

And the warm, dry winters, barren of snow, and cool enough for a sweater at times.

Ahhh, can't wait.

Art Philosophy Cameo

I really like the way the Cricut "Art Philosophy" cartridge works so well with the other die cuts out there!  I used several of my Spellbinders and this pretty silhouette cut from the cartridge to make a quick and easy layered card! 
And in order to enter it in the challenge at

Cricut Is Close To My Heart,

I chose to layer the cut silhouette under acetate.

(This blog has some really fantastic ideas for your cartridges. Even if you haven't any CTMH stamps, it's great for ideas!

After the fact, I had wished I had made the black frame more filigree. At the time I made the card, it seemed as if it would be too busy...now I regret not taking that chance!

I must keep asking myself, "What would Becca Feeken do"?  LOL!

She would have had three more luscious layers and a larger, prettier bow!

baby steps, Jan, baby steps....

This photo shows the reflection off the acetate.

If you have a Cricut, and have been debating buying the "Art Philosophy" cartidge,
get it!

I have only 20 or so Cricut cartridges, and find I use some only rarely. But this one has SO many elements that work well with vintage and fancy cards and layouts, I'm constantly pulling it out!

The other one I love is Heritage.

Have a great week!

Holiday Flourishes!

There's a new Christmas challenge at Flourishes!

The challenge is to make your card round like a wreath!

Cute idea, eh?

My Flourishes "Medallion" stamp

worked perfectly for this challenge! 

I love the romantic, detailed look of the design.

Heat embossing it in black made it really POP off the blue!

The gold tulle bow is much softer and less bulky than it looks in the picture.

The little center glass piece is one that I found at Michael's in the Dollar Bin.  It had a magnet attached to the back, but that peeled off easily!

The real bonus was the matching rub-ons!

So, I decided to finish the inside of the card by stamping the music again

and adding the vintage phonograph rub-on.

Supplies Used:

Cardstock:  Bazzill Shimmer Blue

Stamps: Flourishes "Medallion"; Hampton Art, "PS0576" (Cosmo Cricket)

Die Cut: Cricut, "Art Philosophy" cartridge

Rub-Ons;  Michael's, "Vintage Finds"

Adhesive: Helmar's 450

Having a great Monday, with the weather in the 70's and sun shining all day!

Gotta love these Arizona Fall days!

Holiday Hugs!

Waltzing Mouse Stamps has a wonderful CAS sketch this week, and I had to take a break from laundry and house cleaning to make this Christmas card for the challenge.  We can never start too soon, and I love that the cards I send out each year are each totally different. Challenges are great for that!

It's not obvious in the photo, but the frame around the sentiment is heat embossed in gold to match the gold Stickle centers of the poinsettias.

Supplies:
Bazzill cardstock
Stamps; Waltzing Mouse Stamps, "Bountiful Basket Additions" and "Vintage Labels 4"
Die;  Spellbinders, Nestibilities, Labels Four
Background; Red Bazzill cardstock, Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge
Wilton Doily
Copics Markers
Stickles

Verve CASE-A-DIVA Card!

The September challenge at Verve is to CASE a DT member! (CASE means to copy and share everything.) And that is just fancy talk for copying! 

Well, when I decided to use my Kindred Spirit stamp set for a birthday card,

I went straight to the

Verve Design Team Gallery for inspiration!

And I found this gorgeous card!

Kindred Monogram

by Susan Liles

I changed it up a bit by leaving off the bow and adding a few more

trim pieces and the black pearls.

I also used a sheet music print paper rather than the solid black.

Supplies used:

Paper: 7 Gypsies, "Avignon"

Stamps: Verve, "Kindred Spirit"

Dies: Cricut, "Art Philosophy"

Bling: Want2Scrap

Others: Momento black ink, Stampendous embossing powder, Helmar 450 Adhesive

This card is entered in the challenge at:

Verve (CASE-a-Diva)
Simon Says Stamp (Use a die or punch)
City Crafter Challenge (Let's face the music!)
Stamptacular Sunday (Just Sayin')

Pretty Woman Revisited!

I love the movie "Pretty Woman", (who doesn't) and whenever I see a dress, shoes, or outfit with red on white or white on red polka dots, I fondly remember that movie.

While browsing through an old issue of Papercrafts the other day,

I came across the pattern for a shoe.

Not just any shoe, but this fabulous heel. 

So I grabbed my DCWV paper and decided to go VINTAGE!

First I constructed the adorable shoe!

IF I were younger, and IF I were so inclined to dress up enough to wear heels,

this is the shoe I would want to wear!

Rather "Jimmy Choo" looking, don't you agree?

The bow I made months ago and it was just waiting for the perfect project!

I needed a card to go with the adorable little 3D gift, so I decided to go with a
SQUARE card this time.

I love my new Cricut cartridge, "Art Philosophy", which is only available through your Close To My Heart representatives.  It cost a bit more than others, but comes with

three terrific stamps sets, and many of the shapes we all really love. 

No, I'm not a  CTMH rep, nor do I get any kickback,

but I can direct you to a very sweet gal if you need one!

I was able to  cut out the black outline frame in seconds on my Cricut!

Sorry, but because of there being more than one object to focus on

and my camera SUCKING,

I wasn't able to get a really clear picture.

Here's the inside of the card:

My fingers aren't working very well today (even WITH the Lyrica) and I slipped and fumbled with the shoe stamp, so you'll see a bit of a blur on the card.

Yes, it always happens when you have your entire project almost finished!

Supplies:

Papers; DCWV, "Lady Couture" Stack

Stamps; Skipping Stones Designs, "Shoes"

Twine; On-A-Cord from Hobby Lobby

This cute card/gift set will be entered into the challenges at:

Simon Says Stamps (More than one fold)

The Pink Elephant (Vintage)
Do You Stack Up? (Texture)

Paper Sundaes (Finishing Touches)

For a Dear Friend...

I have a longtime friend who has been having difficulties "health wise", and as many of us have done, gotten jerked around by the medical field long enough.  She is undergoing surgery on the 16th and having a hysterectomy. I must admit, there have many times I had wished I could just go in and have everything that WAS or COULD cause problems later removed.
But now that she's actually scheduled, it's pretty worrisome.  I will be on pins and needles (oh, don't say needles!) on that day until I hear she's ok and nothing serious was found.
I hope my card makes her feel a bit better and she'll know I'm here for her, even if it is 1500 miles away! If she needs me, I can be on a plane in hours.

This card was made for the Verve "SENDING SOME SUNSHINE" challenge to encourage everyone to actually SEND their cards out.   I must admit, about half of mine are earmarked for someone before I even finish them.  I do have a few "Sympathy" cards put aside for those unforeseeable times... and a "Get Well" or two...

I love the way the little added pearl makes the cameo look so elegant!

Supplies used: 
Paper; K & Co.
Stamps: Verve, "Kindred Spirits"
Momento Ink, Recollections pearls, Helmar 450 Adhesive
Cameo purchased online.

For this card, I also used the inspiration from the sketch challenge at
Card Positioning Systems. This is the first time I've been to the blog,
and they have a great  Design Team and wonderful sketches!  I believe the prize this week is a Unity Stamp set! How cool would that be?  I really need sentiment sets!