Christmas in July

It's only July, but it's never too soon to think about making Christmas cards. Especially if you (like me) intend to make them all by hand. Just the other day, to my shock and amazement, I actually made my very first Christmas card of 2009:


It wasn't planned, it just happened. I was feeling very inspired by Papertrey Ink's new color, Scarlet Jewel. This is a great color for Fall and holiday projects. And I had yet to really venture out with the new gray colors, so before I knew it, there I was creating a holiday card! It's simple, but a touch elegant. I love the DecoColor liquid silver paint pen. I used it to outline the dark gray cardstock and it gave it that "holiday" special something. Although it's hard to see in the photo, I also added a dot of the silver on a few of the flourishes. And, for me, nothing says "holiday" like some gorgeous satin ribbon. And this ribbon, in this color, is so, so, pretty!

I was feeling so pleased with this card that I entered into this month's Guest Star Stamper contest at Papertrey Ink. I was thrilled to get an Honorable Mention last month for this project, so we'll see what happens. It really is a lot of fun to play along, and who knows...somebody's gotta win!







Stamps: Fancy Flourishes, Merry & Bright Additions (PTI)
Ink: Smokey Shadow, Scarlet Jewel (PTI)
Cardstock: Soft Stone, Smokey Shadow, Scarlet Jewel, SS White (PTI)
Tools: Cuttlebug (ProvoCraft), ribbon tag die (Spellbinders)
Ribbon: Scarlet Jewel satin (PTI)
Other: foam mounting tape (3M), extra fine liquid silver paint pen (DecoColor)

Sugar & Spice

Boy, is anybody else glad it's the end of the week?!? I'm so sleepy I can barely type, but I wanted to share my first cupcake card using my new Cupcake Collection set by Papertrey Ink:




There is just something about a cupcake that makes me happy! Even one I can't eat...lol! I added some "sprinkles" to this one by punching out cardstock with a handheld paper punch. It makes the perfect shape to use for sprinkles. A little glitter is a nice touch, too. I've never seen real frosting that sparkles, but for some reason it works on paper cupcakes! And lastly, I really like this color combo - fun, bright and cheery.

Okay, I'm off to bed soon. First I have to paint my daughter's fingernails. She's sooooo into fingernail polish these days. Tonight's request is for purple. Coming right up...






Stamps: Cupcake Collection, Favor it Baby (PTI)
Ink: Hibiscus Pink, Summer Sunrise (PTI)
Cardstock: Hibiscus Pink, SS White (PTI)
Patterned Paper: Summer Sunrise Bitty Dots (PTI)
Tools: paper punch, classic and scalloped square Nestabilities dies (Spellbinders), CuttleBug (ProvoCraft), tiny tag die for Cuttlebug (ProvoCraft)
Other: Hibiscus button (PTI), twine

Use it Up!

So, have you all recovered from your Fourth of July weekend? I still have a mountain of potato salad left in the fridge, but I'm sure we'll work through it eventually. And the fireworks were still going off in our neighborhood last night, but I slept right through it.

Every once in awhile I make myself create something using scraps I have leftover from previous projects and cards. Here's an example, created for Purple Onion Designs last month:

That little heart button is from Valentine's, but it was still hangin' around, so I put it to good use! And the notebook patterned paper from My Mind's Eye is amongst my favorites at the moment. I cherish every scrap and will use every last inch of it!

So, I have a true confession to make. I made my very first Christmas card of 2009 this weekend! And I liked it. Can you believe it? I know, but the whole "Christmas in July" thing got me thinkin' and I broke out some of my holiday stamps. I made a card I absolutely love, but I'm keeping it under wraps until after I submit it for Papertrey Ink's Guest Star Stamper contest this month. So keep your fingers crossed for me...







Stamps: Doodle Heart Set (Purple Onion Designs)
Ink: Raspberry Fizz, Ocean Tides, Chamomile & Chai Vintage Ink Duo, True Black (PTI)
Cardstock: Aqua Mist (PTI)
Patterned Paper: Bitty Dots Raspberry Fizz (PTI), My Mind's Eye
Other: heart button, pink button, aqua button

Let Freedom Ring...

Does anyone else have that Martina McBride song in their head today?!? Anyway...Happy Fourth of July to you all! I had the uncontrollable urge to create a huge amount of potato salad and this...





This is a very simple card, made even easier by the use of star punches by Fiskars. I'm just now getting into the Star Prints set by Papertrey Ink. I love the font combination. I'm a sucker for good fonts! I also used one of my square Nestabilities dies and a white gel pen to make the outline and left a section open for my sentiment. Easy peasy!

Have a fun and safe Fourth of July weekend!









Stamps: Star Prints (PTI)
Ink: Pure Poppy, Fresh Snow (PTI)
Cardstock: Night of Navy (SU!), Kraft, SS White (PTI)
Patterned Paper: Bitty Dots (PTI)
Tools: Star punches (Fiskars), classic square Nestabilities die
Other: Filigree Clear Embossing Powder (PTI), white gel pen (Signo)

You're So Sweet

I thought this would be an appropriate card to share today. A "thank you" of sorts to all of you who visit my blog and leave the sweetest comments. And...do you know what today is? Yes, it's July 2, but more importantly...it's my blogiversary! That's right - one year ago today I typed this, my very first blog post! And here I am, nearly 200 posts later!

In preparation for celebrating today, I thought I'd share a few fun facts about my blog:

1. I have had 78, 339 hits (and counting) since July 2, 2008
2. This is the post that has received the most comments to date - 71 in all.
3. This is one of my favorite projects I've posted to my blog.

And now, I'm breaking open the blog vault to share a post I've had saved for forever, but never posted...until now! In order to get to know me a little better...I present...Fun With Flickr:

I randomly happened upon this blog one day and read her post about a fun way to create a mosaic about yourself. If you want to try it, follow the directions provided on this post. I found that it works best if you have three windows open at the same time - one for the Flickr search, one for the mosaic maker, and one for the questions (or write them down before you start). Here are my answers to the questions to create the mosaic, above:

1. What is your first name? Jennifer (Apparently this is a doll named Jennifer. I would look great in that jacket.)
2. What is your favorite food? Tamales

3. What high school did you go to? Tumwater High School (I was shocked to find it on Flickr!)
4. What is your favorite color? Black (weird, I know)
5. Who is your celebrity crush? I can only pick one?!? Okay...Jude Law

6. Favorite drink? Caramel Machiatto
7. Dream vacation? Spain

8. Favorite dessert? I can only pick one again?!? Caramel brownies
9. What you want to be when you grow up? Graphic Designer
10. What do you love most in life? Laughing uncontrollably

11. One word to describe you? Creative

12. Your Flickr name? simpleflourishes

I think I learned something about myself through this process. There's definitely a pattern here (Spain, Dulce de Leche, tamales...). I think my inner Latina is breaking free!

Thanks again to all of you who visit my little blog and take the time to let me know what you think of my crafty creations. I've "met" some very nice folks along the way. It's been a fun year and I can't wait to keep bloggin' about the things I love the most!


The following photos were used for the mosaic, above: 1. Jennifer 2. Pork and Chicken Tamales 3. Tanya's Graduation... 4. black.sky 5. Jude Law 6. Caramel Machiatto 7. El Alcazar Toledo Spain 8. Brownies Dulce de Leche 9. Chris A... 10. Zhinus and Sandra 11. Creative Hands 12. Altered Box Closeup










Stamps: Green Thumb and Cupcake Collection (PTI)
Ink: Dark Chocolate, Hibiscus, Ripe Avocado, Chamomile and Chai Vintage Ink Duo (PTI)
Cardstock: Sweet Blush, Vintage Cream, Hibiscus, Dark Chocolate (PTI)
Patterned Paper: Bitty Dots (PTI)
Tools: Cuttlebug (ProvoCraft), classic and scalloped oval Nestabilities dies (Spellbinders), threading water punch (Fiskars)
Other: foam mounting tape (3M), twine, Hibiscus vintage buttons (PTI)

Lovin' It...

I was hoping to have a project to share with you tonight, but since I don't, I thought I would share some kitchen photos. I hope you are not sick to death of hearing me talk about it! I almost am, so I wouldn't blame you if you felt the same way...lol! Anyway, I thought I'd share some "before" and "during" shots of the remodel. Here is my kitchen in all of its 1980's glory, complete with rounded oak cabinets, over sized recessed light boxes and bad space planning (goodness, this is embarrassing!):

Notice I didn't try to make it look any better by cleaning off the countertops. Yikes! And now, here's a few shots of the "during," also known as the "dust bowl" days:

Yes, scary, I know. But it gets better. Much better. Now, the kitchen is not quite complete. We're waiting on the back splash tile to arrive and the under cabinet lights are not yet installed. And we still need to trim out the window, but here is what we have so far, which is about 90% done:

Isn't it a dramatic change?!? I feel like we are living in a brand new house! Our kitchen is one big open space that includes the dining area and a (one day soon) sitting area with a television. Here are a few pictures from those areas. We went from an old wood stove, ceramic tile and popcorn textured ceilings:

To this! Notice the nice clean walls, smooth ceilings and Brazilian Cherry hardwood! This will be our new sitting area:

And the dining area, complete with new lighting and a funky light fixture that my husband actually agreed on:

What do you think of that accent wall color, on the left? It's called Lynnhurst Rich Brown but it's so much more than just brown - it's almost a purple/burgundy/maroon. And it was so thick, it was like painting with melted chocolate! It was a bold choice, but it looks so great in person. It picks up on some of the darker specks of color in the granite countertops.

So now you can see why I've been such a bad blogger lately! While we still have some painting and other minor projects to complete, the space is functional...and clean! No more living in a dust bowl!

Now be sure to stop back by on Thursday. I'm planning a special post for a special day. Any guesses as to what it may be?!?

For the Birds...

This will be a quick post, as I have a huge "to do" list for the weekend. There's painting, laundry, cleaning, quality time with the child...you know the drill. But I'll be back later! I wanted to share a card I made with some new Basic Grey paper for Purple Onion Designs. I love this Lime Rickey collection:

This was a quick, simple card to make. I cut out one of the birds from the paper to make it look like he was holding part of the sentiment in his beak. I used more dimensional glaze on his eyes and randomly used it on some of the other birds. I love that stuff!

Hope you are having a super weekend so far. What's on your "to do" list today?






Stamps: Purple Onion Designs
Ink: New Leaf , Vintage Touch Tea Dye - Chamomile & Chai (PTI)
Patterned Paper: Howdy Doody, Tart & Tiny from the Lime Rickey Collection (Basic Grey)
Other: Glossy Accents (Ranger)

Hi...

My name is Jennifer, and I'm a bad blogger. It's been over a week since my last post.

At the risk of jinxing everything, I'm going to go ahead and say that I believe our kitchen remodel will be done this week. Yeah! There will still be some touch ups and detail work to finish, but it will be about 85% done, which is a total relief. I can't wait to cook again. And I never thought I'd say that...lol! Eating out gets real old, real fast. For those of you who have asked, yes, I will post some before and after pictures soon. Until then, I want to get back into my craft room and do some serious stamping!

I made this card for Purple Onion Designs this month. I like the bright, cheery colors. It's hard to tell, but if you click on the picture you can see that I added some dimensional glaze on the clouds and flowers. It's been a long time since I've used that product and it's very addicting. The stitches around the card were made with a ruler and white gel pen. I haven't gotten into sewing on my cards yet, so this is a great alternative!

Okay, so I promise you'll be "seeing" more of me real soon as my chaotic life settles down. Until then, please leave me a comment and tell me what you've been up to! Any big plans for the summer?

Stamps: Purple Onion Designs
Ink: True Black, New Leaf, Dark Chocolate, Chamomile and Chai Vintage Touch Tea Dye Duo (PTI)
Cardstock: Kraft (PTI)
Patterned Paper: Basic Grey
Other: foam mounting tape (3M), Uni-Ball Signo pen, Glossy Accents (Ranger), colored pencils

Introducing...

ETA: I have to mention that this adorable photo was taken by Jen Mooney of Moon Eye Photography. She took this photo just a few days after Julian was born, while he was still in the hospital. Yes, he was a big baby - 10 pounds, 3 ounces!

The newest addition to our family! This is my brand new nephew, Julian:

Isn't he just too cute? I finally got my Internet connection back Friday (there's a frustrating electrician story there, but I'll spare you) and I had to post the baby announcement right away! I just finished these up tonight. They were more labor intensive than I wanted them to be, but I am very happy with the end result! Especially the ribbon/star/button embellishment. It was a last minute add on, but I think it really finished it off:

My favorite part of this card (besides the adorable baby photo) is the "quilted" strip of cream paper. I used my Scor-Pal to create it, then used my paper piercing needle to add some detail where the scored lines intersected. There's just something about this quilted piece that says, "baby" to me. I think it adds just the right touch. As a matter of fact, I am so happy with this project, I entered it into the Guest Star Stamper contest at Papertrey Ink. It's been months since I've had the time to participate and this project really got my creative juices flowin' again. It was a nice change from dealing with the dust bowl that is my kitchen (I'll save an update and pics for another day - I'm too exhausted to go there tonight!)

Hope you are all having a great weekend! I still have a ton to do on my list, so I better get some z's so I can conquer it all tomorrow!







Stamps: Star Prints, Fancy Flourishes (PTI)
Cardstock: Aqua Mist, Spring Moss, Kraft, Vintage Cream (PTI)
Ink: Dark Chocolate, Water Lily Green (PTI)
Ribbon: Aqua Mist swiss dot (PTI)
Tools: Long scallop rectangle Nestabilities die (Spellbinders), star punch (Fiskars), paper piercing needle, Scor Pal
Other: button, twine, foam mounting tape (3M)

Unplugged

I'm still without an Internet connection. I'm actually posting from work right now (shhh...don't tell). I knew this would be tough, but it's getting old now. I have some serious blogging to do! So tonight I'm going to move my computer to my bedroom so that I can plug back in and get back on the information super highway! By the way, I haven't finished the baby announcements yet. I'm having a little bit of a dilemma: keep it simple for mass production, or go with a super cute (more labor intensive) design. I hate to skimp on the cuteness, but I need to get these done. Maybe I can find some sort of compromise. I'll post a picture as soon as I get one done. Don't tell my sister-in-law that I haven't even started them yet! Yikes!