Saturday, April 30, 2011

How cool is WILDCARD week!?!

I love that WILDCARD week is just THAT: wild!



Whomever is the lucky host of WILDCARD week around the JUGS headquarters, usually
has a LOT of crafty fun up their sleeve! THIS week, the ever-so-inspirational crafty babe,
Andrea, CERTAINLY does deliver! When I say CRAFTY fun, I mean THIS:





Not THIS:



{Meet "Wildcard" the horse... He's EVERY bit what the name implies.}

THIS type, is a little easier to GET in the middle of, if YA know what I mean...



And if ya DON'T know what I mean, CHECK OUT the fabby, inspirational tutorial, here!

BUT ALSO, see what the fabulous gals of JUST US GIRLS have been up to with this
AMAZING technique - if you've never tried emboss resist, there's a LOT of fine inspiration
to get you revving up your embossing guns... That's what I'M talkin' about!



And, don't forget our SUPER guest designer, for April, Teresa Kline!!!
It's Teresa's last week with us, the GIRLZ, of Jugland... WE are definitely
going to miss her GORGEOUS inspiration, from this side of the town.
I hope you'll get by and give her some love and gratitude for sharing her
amazing talent with us, so selfishly. {I AM a HUGE fan!} Thanks, Teresa!

Meanwhile, THIS card was a hoot to make. I really enjoyed letting the
creative horses OUT THE BACK GATE and shooting my embossing gun
like I was the Lone Ranger on a Honky-Tonk Saturday Night!



I embossed the text on the top of my panel, first, before any other color was applied.
I embossed the second section of text OVER some sponged color and then finally..




... darkened the over all color of my western sunset, added my cacti, foreground..
some "embellies" and the rest of my wrangled up crafty good time!



And of course, when ALL was said and done, I did EXACTLY as instructed
by this card... I let OUT a big 'ol YEEEE HAAAWWWWW!

'Cause THAT'S how I roll!

I hope, hope, hope you'll join the WILD fun down there, round the ol'
Just Us Girls Corral -o- fun! It's shore to be a crafty-GRAND time! Yee Haw!


Supplies -

C/S - Stampin' Up!
Stamps - Waltzing Mouse Stamps
Ink - Stamping Up!
Embossing Ink - Tim Holtz/Ranger
Fiber - Claire's stash {Thanks, m'dear! xoxo!}
Charm - MY STASH!
Die Cut Shape - Wplus9 design studio
Embossing Powder - Stampin' Up!

Monday, April 25, 2011

BLING on SUMMER!




Memories, anyhow....


Some O-L-D summer memories, recycled with a well-loved embellishment box, turned curio:

It's a blinged-out face lift, on some DEAR little summer-time faces and happy memories of
summer activities. Back at our lovely Montessori School that created the foundation of my
wee-one's learning.... Back when they would wear what I put out for them, play TOGETHER,
without whining, wear their hair the way MOTHER styled it ... and the living was ... easy...





My creative mojo was DRENCHED in the light of Want2Scrap's NEW Nestabling
and a bounty of free-floaters {!} from the regular BLING department! {Check IT!}
You'll be GLAD you did! I'm learning that the MORE I love the project,
the more I love (and need!) the BLING!



If dressing up YOUR summer memories sounds like a MUST to you, I hope
you'll click your way on over to my full post on the EVER so busy and
bling-a-licious Want2Scrap blog {we're up to 20 plus posts a month, over there!}
and get the rest of my blinged-out details! I hope you will! {And don't forget to
leave some love so they know I'm your BLINGY enabler! LOL!}

If you're left with a little drool on the keyboard from gawking at my LOVELY
brand - spankin' - new PAPER, compliments of the super talented Nikki Sivils...



You're NOT the only one! Aunty Cow, nearly thought it was her LUNCH!

{It's THAT yummy!}

And now, I have to gush, because there is some exciting pairing and planning
going on between Want2Scrap, Nikki and a WHOLE host of others, that you'll
be seeing sooooooooon! For now, all I can do is {*hoard!*} bow, smile and grin...
AND BE VERY, VERY grateful to the generosity of Madame Sivils, and members
of MY creative Want2Scrap team, for creating and cementing some WONDERFUL
alliances for current and FUTURE endeavors! {Thanks, Terre!}
Stay tuned for the GOODNESS!

I'm SO gad you stopped by! Thanks for letting me show you da-BLING!


Supplies -

D/P - Nikki Sivils {Summer Collection}
Brown Paint - Liquitex
Bling - WANT 2 SCRAP
Circular Die Cut Stamp - Spellbinders
Clear Thread - Guttermann
Ribbon - Stampin' Up!

Friday, April 22, 2011

Check out my CHICKS!




Cheep*Cheep*Cheep!

{That's "chick" for "I made it through a LONG week and I'm celebrating!"}





In fact, LOT'S of gals are celebrating - It's EASTER weekend and my lovely friends from
JUST US GIRLS have a three dimensional CHALLENGE to get your mind off your peeps
for a while... Break out your IMAGINATION, back AWAY from the chocolate... and get
ready to cut, score and FIRE up your glue gun - it's ONNNNNNNNNNNNN!





There's lots of room to run, this week - ANY template with a SPRING theme will do!
So, I decided to hop down my own springy trail! Custom made PEEPS - sugar free!





More on their creation, to follow. First, join with me in bounding around to my fellow
Jug-heads creative sites to see what they've loaded into their Easter baskets....

{... and do I MEAN "loaded!"}




And, don't forget our SUPER guest designer, for April, Teresa Kline!!!

This might be fun enough for you to forget the {occasional} pressures of the
early holiday season... Easter/Mother's Day/Father's Day... Who cares if
the napkin rings match the table cloth - let's MAKE stuff!

Got custom PAPER CRAFTY centerpiece?




Here's a "take with much salt and creative interpretation" approach to my technique...


Draw chicks on computer paper, cut silhouette, leaving a semi-solid base.

Trace onto colored card stock of choice, along a 1 - 1/5" scored strip,
midway through an 8.5 x 11" piece of paper....



For MY Easter centerpiece, I wanted three different chicks.
Three easily fit along this piece. Trace mirror images across the
scored section and then cut to silhouette and remove from section.


One chick was flipped to give me three separate chicks from two simple drawings



From the same colored piece of card stock, but 12 x12", cut 1 - 1/5" strip, and score on both
sides at the 1/4 inch mark. Bend the strip to find middle and then begin making notches to
either side of the strip. Bend to fit silhouette, shaping and scoring,
as if molding the paper to shape.


Add more notches and cross score marks, as needed to fit shape.



Embellish "chick" shape as desired, BEFORE gluing center strip...



Prepare to HOT GLUE your center strip, starting with one side, from bottom
and then around the perimeter, leaving a small allowance from the strip to the edge
of shape. Glue a few sections at a time, until the entire strip is secure. Glue the front piece
to the strip and secure the base so that the chick with stand on it's own.



Embellish with jelly beans, Easter grass or if you live in my world
EASTER NERD ROPES! {!!! I know! WHAT? !!!}




Anyway, darlingest friends in all of blogdom... I hope you have a MOST glorious Easter
whereEVER your hang your basket, and HOWEVER you like your sweets! I adore
marking the passing of the glorious seasons with you all! Have a most blessed day!


Supplies -

C/S - Stampin' Up!
Pens - Stampin' Up!
Hot Glue Gun

{Sugar! Lot's and lots of SUGAR!}

Friday, April 15, 2011

Just Us Girls GOT COLOR!


{For my COLOR CUE card, please click here!}



Yes, we SURE do!



In fact we've got color...



AND ... another {!!!!!!} Jug HEAD birthday!
It's lovely LISA'S birthday... HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DARLIN'!
So we got alllllll colorful on her behalf!






That's right, we did, we did, we DID indeed!
I had SUCH a festival-o-fun, thinking "Lisa" as I made this creation!
If you don't "know" her, I can't help but gush about how SWEET, I, think she is!
As a PLAYER, I always looked forward to her elegant and always AMAZING inspiration,
but as a person, I began to get a better glimpse of her DARLING personality,
last Christmas, when I fawned and drooled, and got down-right shamelessly
DELIGHTED and giddy over THIS card:




I must have shorted out her keyboard with all of the drool and drippy comments...
LESS THAN A WEEK LATER - this card SHOWED up in my MAILBOX!

{I know!}

It's STILL up, in my KITCHEN! {Looooooooovvvvvveeeeee itttttttt!}

Love her, MORE!

So, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, darlin' .... THIS IS FOR YOU!



Please join the MOST wonderful assembly of craftilicious babes we call, the JUG HEADS!



And, don't forget our SUPER guest designer, for April, Teresa Kline!!!


Give some EXTRA birthday love, for LOVELY Lisa, but ALSO,
treat your self to some OVER-THE-TOP crafty inspiration from
my pals! JUST US GIRLS! We'd LOVE to see you get your color ONNNN!


Yee Haw!

Supplies -

C/S - Stampin' Up!
D/P - Stampin' Up!; October Afternoon
Stamps - Stampin' Up!
Ink - Stampin' Up! ; Staz On
Punches - S/U!
Die Cut Shape - Wplus9Design Studio
Bling, bling, blingedy BLING - Want2Scrap
Buttons - Buttons Galore & More
Bakers Twine - Paper Treats

Thursday, April 14, 2011

AWESOME color and sketch fun!



I CAN'T believe it's time for ANOTHER wonderful Wplus9 Design Studio Color Cue!
Time flies when you're having FUN! {And BOY, have I! *wink!*}



Now, it's YOUR turn! I truly DO hope, your day is AWESOME!
Check out the latest juicy color swatch offered up by our lovely, Dawn...



Yeowza! A palate just TEEMING with playfulness!





So, I obliged! In fact, the colors were SUCH fun, I decided to
show them off with THIS sketch from my LOVELY, oh, so fun and fabulous
friends at Card Patterns! THIS is a combo that is beckoning crafty fun:





And since I know a LOT of OTHER crafty girls who don't deny
color fun... CHECK out my fine, fine sistas of Wplus9....


Dawn
Lea
Hannah
Jinny
Kerrianne
Savitri

&

our DARLING guest designer for April....

Paulina!!!



I hope you are TOTALLY having an AWESOME day, dudes...
{Sorry, I'm just lettin' it all out, since y'all know how old I am now! Lol!}
But SERIOUSLY! I have to grab this moment to THANK all of the wonderful
blog friends {and BEYOND!} who made my very L A R G E
birthday, a little more palatable. {Okay, a LOT more palatable!}
A girl... clinging to that title, "girl" who has friends as WONDERFUL
as you all, will NEVER feel old! Thanks, AGAIN!

Hope to see you WORKIN' these colors, soon!


Supplies -

C/S - Stampin' Up!
D/P - Basic Grey
Stamps - Wplus9Design Studio
Ink - Stampin' Up!
Die Cut Shape - {All Occasion Tag} Wplus9
Die Cut Border - PTI
Die Cut Scallop Circle - Spellbinders
Die Cut Circle - Sizzix
Stickles - Tim Holtz/Ranger
Perfect Pearls Glimmer Mist - Tim Holtz Recipe
Gelly Roll Pearl Pen - Sakura
Ribbon - Recollections

Monday, April 11, 2011

Want 2 MAKE SOMTHIN' Easter-ish!?!



Hop, hop, hop ALONG with me ...




Down the trail-o-bling, you see! Want2Scrap makes me HAP-PY!?!
So won't you bling-a-long with ME!?!

That's right, friends! I tapped into some Easter BUNNY goodness to show off some
SERIOUSLY, bling-a-licious fun, with some of my FAVE Want2Scrap products!

For more SPARKLY details...



PLEASE...



check out



my post... at the lovely Want2Scrap blog!




And for a little extra sugary dose of AMAZING designer-ish fun, I'm off to link up
this piece of Happy Easter sparkle with the EVER "TV" worthy,
CENTSATIONAL GIRL! Break out some bling and your craftiest seasonal wears
and join me, won't you!?! Bring your "peeps" and have some fun!


Yee Haw!



Supplies -

Eggs! - Mother Nature
Alcohol Ink - Tim Holtz/Ranger
BLING - Want2Scrap
D/P - Tim Holtz
Acrylic Gel Medium - Golden

Friday, April 8, 2011

JUST some wonderful technique!

Think "Tim Holtz meets MOMS" everywhere!

It's ANOTHER cool thing to do with baby wipes - and YOU are going to love it!
It might remind you of "Tim's" re-inker into FAT felt {which is a TOTAL thing of beauty
and possibility - but just a skosh more of a commitment...} He suggests creating a
custom pad that is preserved in a zip lock bag for additional use, which is GREAT for
mass production, especially at Christmas time! OUR use of baby wipe, is more geared
for a smaller application... say one or two cards, maybe some background work...
or a card like THIS:




That's RIGHT! It's time to sharpen your technique tools,
climb OUT of the box and WRECK your manicure:
come and PLAY with us!



Check OUT what me and the craftilicious Just Us Girls have been
doing with re-inkers, baby wipes and FABULOUS stamping fun!




For more info and a link to a great tutorial on this technique
CHECK out the JUGS site and find YOUR spot to link up!
For even JUICIER info and inspiration, check out the J-GIRLS!



And, don't forget our SUPER guest designer, for April, Teresa Kline!!!

Meanwhile, I combined some TOTALLY refreshing color from my
color-ific friends at the Play Date Cafe -


Just in case you're ever stumped for a quick way to meet
a super juicy color palette... Let me just put my VOTE,
for the baby wipe technique, IN, for inspiration:
If you have the ink - you have the ANSWER!
Just pick YOUR stamp!



After I used my wipe to ink my stamp,
I used the "leftover" to make some juicy background paper, by dabbing and wiping..
then, when dry, I folded my paper into this fun pleated accent at the
bottom of my card! Meow! THAT was JUICY!

Thanks for visiting me OUTSIDE the box! I hope you'll climb on out
and - CHECK OUT THE INSPIRATION at Just Us Girls !
Have a super EXCELLENT, crafty day!

Yeee Haw!


Supplies -

C/S - Stampin' Up!
D/P - Making Memories
Stamps - Stampin' Up!
Ink - Stampin' Up!
Die Cut Edge - PTI
Baker's Twine - Paper Treats
Button - Buttons Galore & More

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Buttons Galore & a WHOLE lot more!






Here's a little something to HOARD about:




I know a FANTASTIC spot to shop for FABULOUS crafty embellies
and I'm so excited, I MADE SOMETHING to show off my new find!





Buttons Galore & More!

A most craftilicious place to find the bits, baubles and buttons to take your
craftiest output from super to duper - as in SUPER DUPER - in no time!

I have been given the honor of joining the "Button Bevy", Buttons Galore & More's
new design team and I am just a wee bit giddy! What a privilege... I will be joined
by some smokin' hot crafters and an AMAZING lady, Vicki, also known as
The Creative Goddess!
Just visit or two to her personal blog, or even if you
take a gander at her wonderful projects she's shared at BG&M, you
will bow down to her crafty ways, FOR sure! I am delighted to be crafting
beside SUCH a talented team, so HOLD ON TO YOUR BUTTONS!

I'm READY to share!

After toddling through the BOUNTIFUL isles of BG&M -
I had an epiphany....SCRAPBOOKING!
A beloved, but horribly neglected department of my personal crafty output...
THERE are some super collections of embellies in a WIDE assortment of
themes... So I was even MORE inspired by the "wedding" goodies,
and immediately thought of my HORRIBLY neglected wedding photos......





Although my page boasts only a few pictures at first glance,
I made a SUPER easy mini book that will hide {A LOT!} of
pictures, but also, adds an exciting visual element to my single page L/O.
Inside, I created an accordion of photos to adhere to the inside of the book,
by laying out photos and coordinating the acclimation of pictures, front to back.
Secure with photo safe tape and attach pages in desired order. With a little
planning, this is super easy and creates a great, skinny book
that holds plenty of images.




Here's the fully embellished mini book! Buttons Galore & MORE, really does have more than
buttons! Check out that great wedding ring charm and felt flower! {Yeowza!} They have
all the craftiest treasures to make memories into WORKS OF ART!



Once I place this layout in a scrapbook album,
I'll simply remove a square of plastic from
behind the book, with a sharp knife and a mat {between the plastic
and the layout} and then glue the backside of the booklet directly to the
page, but OVER the page protector... {It's like hidden PHOTO treasure!}





I have twelve photos hidden in this booklet! Here's the pictures, pulled to the left...




And to the right!



This was SUCH a fun title and a super way to celebrate some
wonderful memories, that don't get enough attention ALL these years later!!!


"Memories of...



the day we said....




I do!" {*Sigh!*}



Now THAT'S how I like to button up my favorite memories!



I hope you'll check out my corresponding post at the BEAUTIFUL
Buttons More & Galore blog! I'm sharing a lot more details about my
button EMBELLISHING, mini book and photo medallion, so
please go by and leave a little love over there! Soon, I'll be back
with some more detail on those sneaky images peeking out of my dress
and HIDDEN journaling technique! I can't wait!

Thanks for stopping by! I'll look for you over at BG&M.... [no pressure!]..

Okay, a LITTLE pressure... LOL! I sure appreciate it, though!



Supplies -

C/S - Stampin' Up!
D/P - Basic Grey
BUTTONS - Buttons Galore & More
Charms - Buttons Galore & More
Plastic Letters - Buttons Galore & More {SORRY! I just found out they are discontinued!;o(}
Felt Flowers - Buttons Galore & More
Doilies - Wilton
Ribbon - Stampin' Up!
Leaf Die - Sizzix/Stampin' Up!
Stamps - Wplus9Design Studio
Ink - Stampin' Up!
Grunge Letters - Tim Holtz
Acrylic Paint - Liquitex
Perfect Pearl Mist - Ranger/Tim Holtz