picture frame

so i'm currently have this altered picture frame kick.  you can find this "naked" wooden frame at michaels for $1.  this one i covered sheet music (picked up a book of it at the thrift store for uber cheap!) using modge podge, stamped the swirlys (stampin' ups boraque set), then sanded the edges with sand paper.  i inked the edges with holtz distress ink. 
those fabulous flowers i learned how to make at the portland scrap expo last month.  it's a circle of paper (i used sheet music), cut edges with those crazy scallop scissors and crumple, crumple, crumple.  unfold your circles and mist with shimmer inks (this is new, i'll post more about this great product later) and let dry.  k.  here's where it gets tricky without photo step-by-steps:  make fist with your hand and hold hand with thumb up.  place circle on top of hand centered  with hole created between index finger & thumb.  push paper down threw hand and grab from underneath.  twist, twist, twist.  now the top is a pretty flower!  once bottom is finely twisted, cut bottom half of twisty off and adhere (wet glue works best) to a scrap piece of paper. 

it's nice to be back, i have lots of other projects i can't wait to share!

masked blue/brown wedding card

first off, have to give credit where credit is due. cased card from rgrohall on SCS, to see her card click here. this is a wedding card for a friend that's getting married this month.

first off, i stamped bird on CS and cut out. folded a post-it note in half and used that to stick bird mask to white CS. stamped weathered in Ssky over bird. stamped french script in Bbayou over that. ink distressed the edges of Wwhite Cs w/ blue inks, then brown. used sponge to ink blue around body of masked bird. removed mask and stamped bird in walnut ink. paper flowers & silk flower was dyed with sponges & ink pads. used backward brads in corners of CS as i really wanted to use photo turns there and couldn't find them in my stash!

recipe:
stamps- SU "always"
paper- SU CS Cchip, Ssky, Bblue, Bblue, & Wwhite
inks- SU NQnavy, Ssky, Bblue, Bblue, Bbayou, & Cchip. jim holtz 'walnut stain' distress ink
accessories- small circle punch (for punched corners), silk flowers, paper flowers, silk ribbon, dyeable ribbon, pewter brads (for flowers), black brads (in corners, backwardes), and SPONGES! this card would not have been possible without the sponges!

don't forget to get your piece of blog candy! click here for details! open till 8/1/08!

have a super-duper weekend!

shabby, baby!

well, we all know that jenn really likes her stuff to look... old, used, distressed, shabby. so here's the newest "used" project.

recipe:
ink- jim holtz 'walnut stain' distress ink
paper- SU Wwhite CS, TAC DP, lined notebook paper
stamps- SU "doodle this" (stamped flower on backside of DP & cut out) & sentiment is from SU "spring solitude"
accessories- bling blue rhinestone, corner rounder punch for scalloped edges, crop-o-dile for small circle punches in the scallops, sponges for applying the ink to the edges of EVERYTHING!

the new 'batman' is out! can't wait to go see that! or wall-E is out, too! my sister is coming to visit this weekend, haven't seen her since she got married last year! so my weekend is full! whatever you do on yours, hope it's safe & fun!

photo distressing

found some old pictures of my youngest after bath time, she used to just love to be naked!

i have seen lots of cool arrows lately and have been wanting to try one out, so i did! took a piece of chipboard (the kind that comes in the back of packs of papers to keep them from bending, they're like a bonus in the pack of paper!) and freehanded drew an arrow. over and over i drew the arrow until i got it to look half decent, then used craft knife to cut it out! covered it with DP, sanded the paper, attatched some ribbons, whala! is that how you spell it?!

saw the photo scratching in a magazine lately and wanted to try that for a photo-distressed look. i took a thumb tack and scratched the edges of the photos downward to the edges. i rubbed walnut ink on the scratches, then dabbed the ink off with a cotton ball. i gave you a close-up of the edge of a photo so you can see it a bit better. i really like the look it gave my photos!

ingredients:
paper- SU scrap pack, lined notebook paper, cardboard (tore it open and used the insides outward for the photo corners), brown packing paper (for title mat)
ink- jim holtz walnut distress ink, SU Cchip
stamps- SU 'baroque motifs' & 'headline alphabet'
accessories- chipboard, misc. ribbons, SU spriral (for the notebook paper) & tab (for the journaling block under the middle photo) punches, sizzix flower dies w/ my cuttlebug (sanded the edges, used dimensionals to pop up the diffrent layers), big green brad, sanding blocks (used on all DP). used misc. chalks on edges of photo mats for soft distressing.

well, today was the first day of the rest of my life. and it went well! thanks for all the well wishes! have a great day!

K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Stupid!)

just some fun little simple cards without sentiments (for now) so i can add them later.
recipe:
ink- stazon black, jim holtz 'walnut' distress ink; frog is stamped in Oolive
paper- Wwhite CS; DP is from 'autumn leaves'
stamps- both are from little sets that i got in the $1 michaels bins
accessories- ribbon is a $1 michaels find; used SU scallop punch & 'emagination' circle punch; colored bird w/ NEW prismacolor pencils & blending pencil (outlined both images w/ grey pencil for depth); added some dots & squiggles to the scallops; ink distressed all DP; used small SU circle punch for scalloped paper edges

NEW prismacolor pencils story- so for those of you who have been following along know that i don't pay full price for anything. but i just have to get these pencils! so... i didn't have a coupon, but that's ok because open stock pencils were 25% off at michaels (well, the sale was suppossed to be over, but they left the sign up by the pencils so i got the discount). so i sat in the isle (yes, i sat there on the floor) looking at the backs of the boxes for the 48 and 36 count. i figured out which colors were not in the 36 box and bought those open stock so that i could come back when i had a 50% off coupon and get the 36 box for cheap and still have all 48 colors! arn't i just the smartest little girl?!?

well, time for bed. DH is already there and undoubtledly upset that i let him go to sleep by himself. have a great monday!

pumpkins scrap page

since i am currently unemployed, i have had lots of time on my hands. when i haven't been sleeping or enjoying my newly installed hot tub, i have been paper crafting! i know i haven't posted in quite awhile, thanks for your patience with me!
my girls love to scoop the 'guts' out of the pumpkins, and making a mess is part, er, most, of the fun. there is journaling on the back of the pictures mounted on the orange circle. used SU scrap pack & alpha sets, if you have any questions on anything else used, just comment or email me!

have a super day!

"simply shabby"

in the current issue of 'take ten', there's an article that i just loved and found oh-so-interesting! on pages 34-36 of the summer 2008 issue, kim hughes did an article, with card examples that you must buy the magazine to see, they're fabulous!
i would like to share kim's shabby ideas with you!

"kims shabby tips-
1. use a sand block to soften the edges when using paper with a white core.
2. use chalks to soften the edges of papers.
3. use chalk inks for a soft edge.
4. use dark inks to grunge up the look.
5. crinkle paper and flatten to add texture.
6. crinkle and sand the paper for a textured, aged look.
7. use walnut inks to give it a washed look.
8. curl up the edges of paper for a worn look."

hope this helps you with your de-stressing of paper!

county fair scrap pages

last years fair pages, finally complete! once again, if you have any questions on anything that i used or did with these pages, feel free to comment or email me!
have a great rest of the weekend!

thank you notes

running low on thank you's, got some inspiration from the newest/current issue of 'take ten'. these cards were simple to make, not time consuming at all, involve raiding the scrap drawer, and give me lots of thank you's to have on hand!

there's lots of misc. stuff involved in these that i am completely unsure of (paper is scraps, sentiment stamp i got in a bin at the stamp show), so i won't fill you in with the recipe. if you have any questions, feel free to comment or email me!

i start my new job next week, looking forward to the change with deep anticipation and excitement!
hope you all had a safe & happy 4th!

rest of mothers day cards

here's the rest of the cards for mothers day, needless to say for those of you who know me, only one card has gone out! i know... i'm horrible!this was done with SU ___ , Ppink, & Wwhite CS, and DCWV DP. bird stamp is from "hero arts" and i stamped him first in SU Ssaffron, then rolled in Ppink. added some sakura glitter pen to him and called it good! used circle punch for scalloped edges then used my paper peircer. used some pretty silk flowers with a rhinestone brad, ribbon is from my 'who knows?' stack.
this card is all SU Wwhite CS. used my SU "delight in life" (sale-a-bration set from '07) for the flowers. stamped the outline of flower in Eeggplant, stamped the filler w/ Llace. stamped some more flower outlines & colored w/ watercolor crayons and watercolored w/ aquapainters, then cut out, curled the edges w/ bone folder, and added to CS w/ dimensionals. used window punch for window & smaller punch for sentiment (SU "warm words"). smaller flowers are stamped in Ssaffron & watercolored using aquapainters & ink pad.
used SU Wwhite & Llace CS for this one. stamped heart (SU "always") in versamark onto Llace, embossed w/ glassy glaze enamel, cut out, and mounted on background panel (stamp is 'darcies', stamped in Llace on Wwhite). used circle punch on corners and mounted again on Wwhite (ink distressed w/ Ssaffron) then used pewter brads in corners. flowers are from SU "delight in life", watercolored using ink pads & aquapainters. used paper piercer & rhinestone gem for additioanl affects.
this one took me awhile! iris is from "psx", stamped in stazon black onto Wwhite CS. stamped it a few times so i could cut out pieces and add later on. colored w/ color pencils & blender pens. after i colored every piece that i had stamped, i cut out misc. petals and added to main panel using dimensionals. i used crystal effects in the center of all the flowers. mounted onto some generic purple & green CS, then onto card base. ribbon is from my no idea pile, used silk flowers and a leaf w/ a brad to finish it off.

hope you all had an absolutely fantastic mothers day!

i'm going to the stamp show on saturday!!!!! SUPER excited!

birdie birthday

so here's the birthday card i made for my grandma. since i got these sets, they have been begging to be used in some simply elegant design.... i just love this card!

recipe:
ink- jim holtz 'walnut stain' distress ink, SU Cchip, & Ccelery
paper- SU Vvanilla, Ccelery, Cchip, and SU DP enchante'
stamps- SU "always" & "baroque motifs"
accessories- CChip & Ccelery grosgrain ribbon, paper crimper, sponges, Ccelery micro beads, small circle punch, SU markers Ccelery, Bbanana, & Oopuklence, and Ccelery chunky glitter.

thanks for your patience with me, i know i haven't posted in quite awhile. thanks for not 'yelling' at me! =)
have a super week!

scalloped birthday girl

made this card for my friends birthday. since she's a fellow stamper, i had to make it SUPER cute! i love it and think she did too!

recipe:
paper- SU carousel notes (from occasions mini), Cchip & Vvanilla. DP is from clearance pile from local scrap store
ink- SU Cchip, jim holtz walnut stain distress ink
stamps- SU 'she's all that' (from occasions mini)
accessories- wide brown ribbon ($1 michaels), SU Ccelery ribbon, silver brads, small circle punch, silk flower (thanks to my sister, karyn!! i love them!!!)

so we found this awesome 'fun center' and took the girls for a day of fun. we went bowling, the carousel was out of order so we'll do that next time, there was laser tag, a HUGE arcade with an indoor 'big toy' (as the girls call it) and 2 restaurants! we had such a fun time!

the answer to the last trivia question ("what was the name of the unsuccessful sheriff in smokey and the bandit?") is sheriff beuford t. justice. congrats to linda, doverdi, and scrapmomof2 who all got this question correct!


ready for a new question? here it is! there were a bunch of stars in "reality bites". can you name 4 of them? have fun!

asian butterfly

this actually started out being a cute easter card. i just got some flocking, and since i've never played with it before, i decided to make a cute fluffy bunny easter card with it!
well, we all know that i love to distress my paper, so i ink distressed the yellow CB and just kept going. i have always loved the look of those collage cards and have wanted to give it a try. it doesn't go with my fluffy bunny! :P

recipe:
stamps- swirls are TAC; butterfly is by autumn leaves; paper lantern is by ??? (there's nothing written on the block and i have no idea!); flowers are by great impressions.
ink- jim holtz walnut stain distress ink, SU Rred & Oolive
paper- DCWV pale yellow paper & SU Vvanilla CS
accessories- origami paper & hemp twine

i'm not sure if i like this or not..... it's like it's missing something! i have some dominoes, i painted one gold and mounted it on the butterfly, didn't like it so off it came! huh. i don't know!
no more trivia till someone at least makes a guess!

have a super day!

two cards!

saw a layout similar to this in the new edition of "cards", so here i am, the "casing queen" with my take on it.

recipe for card #1:
paper- CB is textured pink, all DP is from "winter mat stack" DCWV, SU Wwhite sentiment panel
ink- jim holtz "old photo" distress ink
stamps- SU "blooming w/ happiness"
accessories- SU corner rounder punch, silk flower, brad, SU paper distresser, bone folder.

second card, i just love the faux frame technique with this set. this set is fabulous!

second card recipe:
paper- SU Wwhite
ink- all SU Ssaffron, Rred, Oolive, Mmoss, Wwasabi, Ccelery, and Cchip
stamps- SU "trees three", sentiment from rubber soul, heart from judith
accessories- coluzzle cutting system (i used oval)

hey jenn, how do you do a faux frame technique? wow, i am so sorry! let me tell you!
-first, select your card base. frame size will depend on that.
-get another scrap paper that is the size of your card front and using coluzzle cutting system (or nestabilities, or whatever else you might use that i'm not lucky enough to have *wink wink*), cut out shape that you want for your frame that is smaller than your card base.
-you do not need the paper that you cut out, you need the "frame" that you created in the scrap paper.
-tape scrap paper frame to graph paper, or desk, over actual card base.
-begin stamping! you can stamp all over within the frame, whatever your heart desires!
-when complete, take taped "frame" off and look at your masterpiece!
i'd love to see your creations with this fun technique!

so i actually have an excuse for not posting in awhile. i haven't been able to open my mouth much more than an inch since last thursday. monday morning, i decided i was in too much pain and needed to eat and sleep and would call the dentist. well, my wisdom tooth (that was suppossed to be removed over a year ago, but i'm too chicken) had come in sideways and was prohibiting my jaw from working right, hence my mouth wasn't opening. so they had to take it out. and i was awake for the whole thing! just thinking about it still makes me cring! did i spell that right? DH re-did our computer, we now have vista (which i think i hate) and for some reason, there's no automatic spell check! kinda scary that you all might see what i actually type since it won't highlight mistakes in red for me to fix.....

ok, on to the trivia! the answer to the last question (on what sitcome did tom hanks star as a guy who, along with his friend, dressed up as women to live in a rent controlled, female only apartment complex?) was bosom buddies! bonnie, maria, and lori know thier cross-dressing history! =D

and for the current trivia question, what was the last name of the family that adopted emmanuel lewis' character on webster? good luck & have fun!

paper flower card

hi there! saw some paper flowers in my new addition of "cards" magazine, and thought i'd give it a quick try.

some interesting things about this card:
-there is NO cardstock (except for card base) on this one! i think this might be a first!
-i paper pieced the birds body
-used coluzzle to cut out "flowers" then distressed edges of circles with my SU paper distresser (that is one FABULOUS tool!), then curled.
-i used NO dimensionals on this card! i think this also might be a first!

card recipe:
paper- DCWV
ink- jim holtz "walnut stain" distress ink
stamps- swirl is from TAC, bird is from SU "a little birdie told me", and sentiment is from studio G (michaels)
accessories- buttons, rick rack, hemp twine

ok, for the trivia. for last posts question, "on the early episodes of 'the facts of life', what was the character of tootie seldom seen without?" carol and becky got it right with roller skates! that was a great show! whatever happened to clean shows on tv?

new trivia question-
on what sitcom did tom hanks star as a guy who, along with his friend, dressed up as women to live in a rent controlled, female only apartment complex?

well, i'm off to bed and onto a busy weekend! are you watching the super bowl or preparing and replenishing the goodies for it? =D have fun no matter what you do!