Aloha From Hawaii!!

We returned last week from a FABULOUS trip to Hawaii - Oahu and Maui specifically! Just wanted to say HOWDY!

Make It Monday

Howdy friends!  I'm back for a quick post to share my card I made this week for Papertrey Ink's Make It Monday series.  This was a simple and fun way to make a card, and probably one I will use in the future!

See!!  SO SIMPLE!  Check it out here if you want to know more!

ttyl,
Jenn

Supplies (all are from Papertrey Ink unless noted otherwise)
Cardstock: Pure Poppy, Select White
Hybrid Ink: Pure Poppy, Dark Chocolate, Ripe Avocado
Stamps: Delightful Doilies, Think Big Favorites #4
Embellishments: Twine (Cappucino) - The Twinery; Button (my stash); Jewels (Red) - Hobby Lobby
Copic Marker: E59 - Copic
Adhesive: ATG-Scotch

Summertime Mantel

Howdy friends!  I have been putting off getting out my Summertime Mantel decor for much too long now.  Not because I don't enjoy it, but because I didn't LOVE what I had last year - so what to do.... Make something new!  of. course.  I am love, love, loving chevron patterns right now - and the yellow/gray color combo.  So I just happened to receive some cool stuff in my monthly Scraproom kit this month (well, okay I receive really cool stuff EVERY month - but this was what I needed for my mantel!!!).  Hi-ho, hi-ho its off to work I go!

Here is what I created!!!

Oh, this bottle happens to be a really EASY project!  I had an empty wine bottle that was yellow AND I found this grey chevron fabric at Hobby Lobby (which was a total buy on the whim, daughter sayin' "WHY do you need to buy that?" me responding - "cuz I like it" kind of find!).  Happy dance!  I just wrapped a piece around it, tied some twine and made a sunburst flower out of paper.  Cute, no?

Oh, and after looking at the mantel for a few days, I decided to add something else - but I don't have a photo of it yet.  I'll be back to share that later, m'kay?!

ttfn
Jenn

It"s Been Awhile

Howdy friends!  Goodness me, I have not been on here in quite some time.  Unfortunately I have not had the mojo flowing to do much of anything crafty, but I'm slowly getting it back.  End of the school year is just a week away, and we've been crazy busy with all kinds of stuff!

Here's a quick card I made using the Make It Monday video series from Papertrey Ink.  Sometimes when I'm in a rut, I know I can go there and get some inspiration!  This week was a great way to use some scraps that I've been collecting.

For the first time in awhile, I did not "title" the card since I wanted to be able to use it for whatever I needed to.  Turns out, I need a birthday card!  But wouldn't this be great for a "Thank You" or a "Just Because" type card?

Thanks for coming over today!

Supplies:

Cardstock - Select White, Dark Chocolate, Vintage Cream (Papertrey Ink)

Patterned Paper - my paper stash (various companies)

Stamps - Delightful Dahlia (Papertrey Ink)

Dies - Fillable Frames #10, Limitless Layers (Papertrey Ink)

Ink - Hibiscus (Papertrey Ink); Chestnut (ColorBox)

Embellishment - Pearl (The Paper Studio)

Adhesive - ATG (Scotch)

Tools - Corner Rounder (Creative Memories); Cuttlebug (Provocraft)

Fab Friends and "Fab"ric Shoes

Howdy friends!  Its gorgeous here today and luckily I will get to spend time outside watching my son play rugby today.  Wanted to share 2 things with you today - so I'll try to make it short and sweet :)

First up - Fab Friend cards!  PTI's Make It Monday Challenge this week is about Layering.  I first made a basic one layer card, then I stepped it up and made a multi-layer card using the same basic layout.  Very cute idea - it was fun to take it to the next level.

Next up - "Fab"ric Shoes!  I'm super excited about these - I've recently seen on Pinterest using fabric to update your shoes.  I've had these shoes for about 2 years and they've been in my to donate pile for about 6 months.  Just didn't love them anymore - that is until I learned you could Mod Podge fabric on them and give them a new life!!!!!  As you can see, I've only done one shoe so I could show you the before and after.  Its super quick and didn't cost me a dime since I had the fabric, shoes, and Mod Podge already - SCORE!  I'm also planning on making some cute shoe clip flowers to go with them - making several colors to go with whatever outfit I'm wearing that day!  Check these babies out:

EEK!  Now this next picture might scare you a bit - I know, I need a bit of sunshine on these legs of mine... :0)

Anywho - I'm off to rugby soon.  Have a blessed day!

Jenn

Supplies for card:

Cardstock - (Lavendar Moon, Select White) Papertrey Ink

Stamps - (Enjoy the Ride, Tiny Treats: Christmas, Mod Squad, Background Basics: Retro) Papertrey Ink

Hybrid Ink - (True Black, Plum Pudding) Papertrey Ink

Dies - (Enjoy the Ride, Mat Stack 1) Papertrey Ink

Embellishments - (Button) Hobby Lobby; (Twine - Lavender) The Twinery; (Jewels) Tulip

Tools: (Corner Rounder) Creative Memories; (Cuttlebug) ProvoCraft

Adhesive: (ATG) Scotch; (450 Glue) Helmar; (ZapDots) Helmar

Another Birthday Card

Howdy friends!  Its been awhile since I've done anything in my studio - and shared anything.  I've been busy doing stuff - just haven't made the time to get it up here!  So - Papertrey Ink's Make It Monday challenge this week is to use leaf die cuts to make a flower.  I pondered this one a bit since I don't have many dies - much less leaf ones.  Funny enough, when I perused the dies, I came across the Delighful Dahlias dies!  Lo and behold, it had leaf dies!  2 sizes!  So I cut them out in 2 sizes and 2 colors then got busy creating a flower. 

ttfn!

Jenn

A Birthday Card

So, I have been collecting Copic Markers over the past year and have been using them off and on, very basic like.  I don't really know how to use them very well yet, but I'm intrigued when I see someone who has used them to beautifully color images.  I want to do that too!

When I come across a tutorial using Copics, I jump on board to learn.  This week, PTI happens to have a Make It Monday challenge that incorporates Copics - Graduated Backgrounds!  Let me tell ya - super easy...

I have a friend from church to send this card to.  I am so excited that this came out exactly the way I envisioned it - I hope she likes it!

Well, that's all for now.  I'm in the middle of reinventing this baby:

AND - it has a twin!  

I'll be back later to tell you more about these beauties!

ttfn,

Jennifer

Stamp Kissing Technique

Howdy friends!  Stopping in super quick to share my Happy Birthday card using the stamp kissing technique I learned from Papertrey Ink's Make It Monday video series.  What a fun way to use stamps!

That's all for now!  Gotta go make green treats for St. Patrick's Day tomorrow!  Yummy!

Supplies:

all supplies used are Papertrey Ink unless noted otherwise

Cardstock - Select White, Sweet Blush, Hibiscus

Stamps - Sweet Spring, Just the Ticket, Vintage Ornaments, Background Basics: Retro

Hybrid Ink - Hibiscus, Raspberry Fizz, Dark Chocolate, Berry Sorbet, Vintage Cream, Fresh Snow

Dies - Christmas Label

Imression Plate - Geometric Circles (QuickKutz)

Button - Hobby Lobby

Twine - Cappucino (The Twinery)

Adhesive - ATG (Scotch), 450 Quick Dry (Helmar)

Anniversary Card

Howdy friends!  Hope your day is going well - its about to get really rainy here, and that's okay - we need it - and that means I can play in my studio today!

My mom and dad's anniversary is coming up - they are celebrating 39 years of marriage!  They are a great example of true and lasting marriage!  I'm not just saying that either cuz I know my mom looks at my blog -:).

Anyway - I made a card to send them and I used a new technique I learned from Papertrey Ink's Design Team member Betsy Veldman.  Go here to check out her informative video if you want to learn how to do this too!

Here is my card:

It is pretty girly I know, but I was feeling Spring(y) with our weather this week and couldn't help myself!  Thanks for stopping by today and letting me show you my work.

Have a blessed day!
Jennifer

Supplies: all supplies are from Papertrey Ink unless noted otherwise.
Cardstock - Select White, Berry Sorbet, Sweet Blush, New Leaf
Stamps - Friendship Jar, Friendship Jar: Spring Fillers, Background Basics: Retro, Delightful Dahlia
Dies - Jar Label, Delightful Dahlia
Die Cutting Machine - Cuttlebug (Provocraft)
Hybrid Ink - Sweet Blush, New Leaf, Berry Sorbet
Watermark Ink - Versamark
Embossing Powder - Puff White (Creations Unlimited)
Embellishments - Button and ribbon (Hobby Lobby), Twine - Peapod (The Twinery)
Stickles - Firefly (Ranger)
Daisy Doodles - Cherry (Prima)
Adhesives - ATG (Scotch), Pop Dots (The Paper Studio), Glossy Accents (Ranger)

Take a Bite out of....

Strawberry Bread!

Howdy friends!  Just popping in for a minute to share a fabulous Strawberry Bread recipe that I made this morning.  It is super easy and quick - oh, and most importantly - TASTY!  I was looking through my refridgerator this morning and noticed my strawberries were looking a bit sad.  Now, they were not gross by any means, but I knew within a couple of days they were going to be bad.  So, I remembered a yummy recipe I made before and dug it up.

This recipe is from a book I purchased many years ago at a Moms Club event.  It is titled Great Friends Great Tastes: A Celebration of Life, Food, and Friendship by Debbie Meyer

I adapted the recipe to make it a 'bit' healthier, and it turned out great!  Here is what I did and I'll note where I made the adaptions.

Fresh Strawberry Bread

2 cups washed and hulled whole strawberries

3 cups plus 2 tablespoons flour

1 1/2 cups sugar, plus extra to sprinkle on strawberries (Recipe calls for 2 cups, but I didn't want to put that much in!  I used Splenda on my strawberries and would have used it in the recipe too, but didn't feel like opening all those little packets!)

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/4 cups of unsweetened applesause (Recipe calls for 1 1/4 cups of vegetable oil)

4 eggs, beaten

(Recipe calls for 1 1/4 cups chopped pecans, but I omitted them)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice strawberries, place in bowl and sprinkle sugar - set aside.  Grease loaf pans (I used 4 small loaf pans).  Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda in large bowl.  Mix well.  Blend oil and eggs into strawberries, add to flour mixture.  Add the pecans if using them.  Stir until ingredients are moistened.  Bake 40 minutes for small loaf, 50 minutes for larger loaf.  Cool 10 minutes before turning loaves out.

Enjoy!

Oh, I also mention that I've made it just like the original recipe (minus pecans) and it is super delicious!  It is a tad oily with the original, but I guess you could cut back on the oil a bit.  I absolutely loved this bread the first time around, but with my substitutions, I feel a bit less guilty eating it!!  Mmmm - my family is going to be so happy to see this when they get home today!  Oh, lets keep the secret of the substitutions between us, m'kay!

Have a blessed day!

Jennifer

I am linking this up today:



Spring Wreath - St. Patty's Version

Howdy friends!!  WOW!  It is a beautiful day outside today!  I took a basic photography class this past Friday and have been practicing with my camera ON MANUAL MODE!  Yikes!  I was so excited to get to practice on my front door wreath that I finished a few days ago.

Now - the thing about this wreath is that I made a Spring wreath that I can easily change for the various holidays we have in Springtime.  I used various scraps of fabric in Spring colors that I had in my scrap pile to make ruffled flowers.  To make ruffled flowers, cut strips of fabric in whatever width and length you choose - I chose 2" wide by 24" long.  Then sew right up the middle of the strip, not backstitching, and pull the string to ruffle the fabric.  Finally, start rolling it into a flower, using tacky glue every so often to tack it down.

 To make it a St. Patrick's Day wreath, I made a quick banner by cutting triangles, then embossed and added alphabet stickers.  I punched holes in the corners and added twine to hang onto the wreath.  Next time it will be ready for a quick update for Easter!

The best thing about this wreath is it was FREE!  Not one additional penny was spent on it - using what I have is how I roll (or at least trying to!!).

I am linking this to the following sites:

Beneath My Heart DIY Best of February Linky Party
Lovely Crafty Home Lovely Crafty Weekend #62

Feeling Blue?

...er Navy?  Howdy friends!  It is a gorgeous day here with the sun shining and the temperature in the 70's!  Gotta love that Texas weather - watch out, it could be snowing tomorrow!  Not really.

Earlier this week I made a Thank You card for a friend of mine and I happened to come across this post from Moxie Fab World.  The Cure For The Winter Blues Challenge!!! This became my inspiration for making this card.  I love it!!

TTFN,

Jennifer

Supplies:

all supplies used are from Papertrey Ink unless noted otherwise

Cardstock - Select White, Enchanted Evening

Ink - Fresh Snow, Enchanted Evening

Stamp -  A BigThank You Limited Edition, Background Basics: Retro

Twill Tape - Wrights

Copic Marker - B99

Embellishments - Button, Nail Head (Hobby Lobby)

Adhesive - ATG (Scotch)

Tools - Corner Rounder (Creative Memories)

Forgot to Show You!

Our decorated Valentine's Cookies that chica and I did together!

and the one she did - with a photo shoot!

Jenn

It Wasn't My Idea

Howdy friends!!  Happy Friday to you!

I've had a project in mind on the backburner for quite sometime and finally took the plunge!  First let me say that I am addicted to a few things - 1) PINTEREST 2) Fabric pieces from the clearance section 3)Burlap and Canvas specifically - see #2.  More on this in a moment.

I found a brand new lampshade (still in the package) that originally came from World Market, but found at GoodWill for $3.00!  I was so super lucky that there were 2 of them, so I snatched them up knowing what I wanted to do.  Sometime in the past year I've collected several bundles of burlap for cheap - like a yard or more for around $2.00 each.  So, I can now say that I've made a custom, designer inspired lampshade for CHEAP!  Another addiction of mine...

Okie dokie - back to my number 1 addiction - Pinterest.  Oh.My.Goodness!  I found several pictures of burlap lampshades and knew I could do it too!  Here are a couple of examples:

Source

Source

There are a few more I think I might try as well just to quickly update my shades for as little moolah as possible!  The second one I'm going to try very soon.

Just in case you aren't entirely bored yet - I wanted to share my version of the burlap lampshade.  Take a looksy:

LOVE!!!  Burlap, scissors, and hot glue - THAT.IS.ALL!   Two things I learned - 1) I would have made longer strips to give more bulk 2) I would have put them closer together!  Oh well, still love how it turned out!

Thanks for stopping by today! 





Glitter Buttons!

Howdy friends!  I just love me some glitter - and PTI's Make It Monday challenge is the perfect opportunity to use glitter!  I have to say that I learned something I never thought of before - SPRAY adhesive to adhere glitter to buttons!  Really?  Its that easy?  You mean, no more gloopy, gloppy, gluey mess?  That's right friends!  It really is that easy!

I thought how cute the middle part of flowers would look with glitter buttons - so that's what I did!  Isn't it bright and cheery?!  I cannot wait to send it to a friend to make her smile!

ttfn!

Jenn

Supplies: (all supplies are from Papertrey Ink unless noted otherwise)
Cardstock - Lemon Tart
Stamps - Honey Bees
Hybrid Ink - Dark Chocolate, New Leaf, Plum Pudding
Watermark Ink - VersaMark
Embossing Powder - Clear (American Craft)
Ribbon and Buttons - Hobby Lobby
Glitter - Gary's UltraFine Glitter (Gary M. Burlin Co.)
Adhesive - ATG (Scotch); 450 Quick Dry (Helmar)

PTI Challenge - Day 5

Howdy friends!  Today, Papertrey Ink announced it has set up a Pinterest Board!!!!!  WOW!  How cool is that?  The challenge for Day 5's celebration is to either use one of the talented Design Team's Pinterest inspiration, or use one of our own Pinterest inspirations.  I chose to use my own - this is mine:

http://pinterest.com/pin/100345897917197543/

You know, I'm always in need of a Thank You card and I'm usually creating one on the fly.  Last year I focused on Christmas cards, and this year I think I'll focus on the everyday type cards.  So, with that, I've created my first Thank You card based on the above inspiration.

SQUEAL!!!  Love it!!!!!

"Thank you" for stopping by today!

Supplies Used:

All supplies are Papertrey Ink unless noted otherwise.

Cardstock: Select White, True Black

Hybrid Ink: Fresh Snow

Stamps: Gracious Vases, Fillable Frames #10, Mod Squad, Botanical Silhouettes, Cupcake Collection, Delightful Dahlia, Honey Bees, Sentiments (Michaels)

Adhesive - ATG (Scotch)

PTI Challenge - Day 4

Howdy friends!  I'm sharing another card I made for Papertrey Ink's 5th Anniversary celebration!  Today, I made a Valentine card to send to one of my nieces.  Well, actually I made 3 cards today for each of my 3 nieces, but only one was based on this challenge.  Here is the inspiration card I am using:

Lovely isn't it?!  I made this card using Erin's layout and color palette.

That's all for today.  Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies used:
All supplies are Papertrey Ink unless noted otherwise.

Cardstock - Select White, Aqua Mist, Raspberry Fizz
Stamps - Background Basics: Retro
Hybrid Ink - Hibiscus
Image - Papertrey Ink 2012 free download
Embellishments - Twine (The Twinery), Button (Hobby Lobby), Pen (GellyRoll)
Adhesive - ATG (Scotch)

Celebrating 5 Years with PTI

Howdy friends!  I know, I know - you're surprised I'm posting 2 days in a row right!  Well, me too....

One of my all time favorite stamp companies, Papertrey Ink, is celebrating their 5th anniversary this month with lots of fun surprises.  Each day until Feb. 14th, they are issuing challenges on Nichole Heady's blog for everyone to participate in.  Today's challenge is to use one of the FREE digital downloads that their stamp designers came up with.    I chose to use the design by Dawn McVey - gotta love some pink!!

Check out my creation:

Supplies:
All supplies are from Papertrey Ink unless noted otherwise
Cardstock - Select White, Hibiscus, Raspberry Fizz
Ink - Perfect Match: Fresh Snow, Hibiscus; Palette: Raspberry Fizz
Stamps - Dawn McVey's free digital download, Turning a New Leaf, Background Basics: Retro
Dies - Limitless Layers
Embossing Folder - Intricate Swirl (The Paper Studio)
Adhesive - ATG tape (Scotch), Zapdots (Helmar)

Felt Flower Pillow Tutorial

Howdy friends!  I have a few projects in my file that I need to share with you - so today, I'm showing you how to make a large felt flower to pin on a pillow for your home decor.  I bought a pillow form from Joann's and made a simple pillow cover from canvas.  I put in a zipper so that I could clean it if needed.  My first flower looked like this:

I cannot remember where I first saw how to make this, so I apologize for not giving credit where credit is due.  I used this flower in the Fall right after I got these 2 zebra chairs for my anniversary (thanks honey!!). Now that it is Winter, I wanted to change the color scheme a bit.  With the beauty of a safety pin, I can change out the pillow decor very quickly!  Here are some pictures showing how I created my grey flower.

What you need:
Scrap of heavy weight fabric - I used canvas I found in the clearance bin at Hobby Lobby.
Plate - I used a salad plate
Pencil
Scissors
Felt in color of your choosing
Low temp hot glue - I promise, you WANT low-temp glue!!!!  Don't ask.
Safety Pin
Embellishment if wanted

Trace your plate onto canvas

Trace circles onto felt (use a glass) or free hand them like I did.  Cuz that's how I roll!

Cut out circles, then cut circles in half.

Lay half-circles around outer edge of canvas circle.  Glue into place.

Layer half-circles, continue layering and off-setting circles as you approach the inside of the circle.

As you approach the center, the half-circles will start to really overlap.  That's okay.  Just pinch together.  See below.

When you get as many half-circles glued in as you want, then you can finish the center.  I glued a button into the center to hide the edges.

Finally, use a safety pin to attach the flower to the pillow!

Voila!  Instant decor change!  Ok - not instant, but this project took me about 30 minutes total!  

One more look:

                                                Before                                              After

Thanks for stopping by today!

p.s. I'm linking up today for Brassy Apple's Make It Monday series!!

Winter Wreath

Howdy friends!!  Whew - its been a crazy start to the New Year!  Super busy already.....

I wanted to make a new wreath for my front door for Winter, but did not want to spend any money, so I looked around blogland and my new favorite place, Pintrest!  I found lots of inspiration out there and realized I had everything I needed on hand to make a quick wreath.

Using an old wreath that had seen better days, I dismantled it completely until I was left with only the bare bones.  Then I took felt and made felt flowers, glued it onto some canvas fabric, then pinned the canvas onto the wreath. I also had some snowflakes I bought at the Dollar Tree last year and put those in as well. 

Now, you are probably asking yourself "why didn't that silly Aggie just glue it directly onto the wreath?"  Well, let me tell ya - I think I want to try and get a bit more mileage out of my wreath and reuse it to change it out quickly - and I don't have to store a bunch of different wreaths!!!  Just change out decor.  We'll see how that goes!

Here's a close up:

LOVE!!!!

Have a great day!

I'm linking to Beneath My Heart January DIY party!

Jenn