Saturday, March 30, 2013

WILDCARD challenge at Just Us Girls!



It's getting VERY wild around Just Us Girls' headquarters, this week!  



Sweet and LOVELY, Maria, has found a WONDERFULLY inky
and super fun way for us to get our craft ONNNNN, and celebrate 
some of the magic and possibility of this incredible sport we play: 

We're doing the Puzzle Piece Resist!


There's a link and ALL the inspiration you'll EVER need, over at the
Just Us Girls blog, but I hope, hope, HOPE you'll check out what the
DT has created in GREAT detail, by visiting their amazing blogs! 





As for ME...! I AM "much obliged" to be creating with this wonderful
technique!  Sometimes I need a gentle reminder to break out the embossing
gun, from time to time, and this was SURELY a great reason to do it!



I REALLY love how this card turned out!  I think you'll have a blast
if you play along with Just Us Girls!  ~ TRUST me! ~

Hope you can c'mon over and play with us!  



Friday, March 22, 2013

GORGEOUS inspiration from Just Us Girls



I find myself being MORE inspired, with less, these days.  
I'm less reliant on crafty products, and more moved by 
a yummy color palette, shapes & texture... 
That is why, I simply LOVE photo inspiration from Just Us Girls



Not ONLY is this week's challenge, beautiful, but it's an elegant way for our
beloved, Andrea, to bid us farewell, as she steps down from our team.  {SNIFF!}
A STUNNING set of inspirational images and a crafty sea of stunning samples
by the rest of this team, to honor our friend, and bask in wonderful inspiration...


 Do YOU see something that moves your crafty spirit!?!



 I did!  Hee Hee



In fact, the entire JUGS crew got swept away by this magnificent inspiration!
Andrea


We sure would LOVE to have you play with us, this round!
Please, please check out our AMAZING DT for generous
amounts of CRAFTY inspiration, and hopefully a lot of fun for you!
Special thanks to my DEAR friend, Andrea, for years and years of
crafty fun, inspiration and love!  One of the MOST sparkling and talented
friends, I hold in my heart, but have never met in REAL life...
~ I adore you, girl!  THIS has been SUCH a great ride!~

Here's hoping that Springtime has shared its own magical inspiration
with you and your dear ones!  THANK you, so very much, for stopping by!




Supplies - 

C/S - Stampin' Up!
D/P - Graphic 45
Stamps - Wplus9 Design Studio
Ink - Clearsnap
Perfect Pearls - Ranger/Tim Holtz
Foil Accents - Castle in the Sky
Self Adhesive Pearls - Want2Scrap®
Die Cut - Spellbinders
Ribbon - Recollections
Fabric - Designer Fabric Swatch

Friday, March 15, 2013

Just Us Girls - Color Challenge for LUCK!



I have always associated beautiful color with GOOD luck, 
so this week's Just Us Girl's color palette is bursting with good fortune! 


 It's practically St. Patrick's Day, and WHAT a joyful palette to help get your happy ONNNN!



 The GIRLS are pretty happy, AND colorful, too!  
Check out my DARLING friends from Just Us Girls!


So much BEAUTIFUL inspiration you'll think you've been
inspired by a leprechaun!  And that ain't NO blarney!


Hope you can join us!




Supplies - 

C/S - Wplus9 Design Studio
Fabric - Designer Fabric Swatch
Stamp - Basic Grey
Ink - S/U!
Baker's Twine - Jillibean Soup
Tag Die - Wplus9 Design Studio




Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Man Layout with Want2Scrap!


 Check out the BLINGED out fellas and all of the details of how to make this layout
on the Want2Scrap® blog - I would be THRILLED if you would click on over....!


It is with bittersweet pride that I share this piece.  Not only is this layout and subject a 
sentimental and creative favorite of mine, but my tutorial and detailed account of this,
marks my last creation as an official member of the Want2Scrap® creative team.  If you
have been kind enough to visit my blog regularly, you must have SOME idea how much
I cherish this "family" of creative giants, and how dearly I adore their amazing lines of 
products.  Due to some changes in my professional life, I have been forced to make some
amendments on how my creative time is shared.  This ONLY means that I have to step 
away from some of the {all be it, FUN & FABULOUS...} monthly/weekly commitments, 
so that I may focus on my FINE ART!  I will NEVER, ever, EVER stop creating with 
paper, BLING & everything that goes with it!  As a VERY proud member of Want2Scrap
alumni, I will continue to endorse and use their fantastic materials...  
QUITE simply - EVERYTHING looks better with BLING!  

So, if you have a spare minute or two, I would LOVE it, if you would go and check out
my post on this sparkly MAN creation at Want2Scrap...  Give 'em some love, if you are
so moved!  And if you have NEVER {*GASP!*} treated yourself to a shop around their
incredible store - MY FRIENDS!!!  YOU are missing OUT!  THANK you, from the 
bottom of my bling festooned heart!  I hope the goodness of your day outshines all else!

With love, 



Saturday, March 9, 2013

Just Us Girls #179 - and reasons to play...



It is SUCH a pleasure to be checking in with you, this week!  
Just Us Girls are BRINGIN' the elegance for this stunning 
challenge, creating with the NEGATIVE die cut shape!  

 

You'll have to take my word for it, on the elegance factor...
My take went a-ways AROUND the concept, but I wandered
across the finish line  ~ LOL~  eventually! 


But if ELEGANCE is what you crave...  
CHECK out the fabulous JUG-ETTES!
Our EVER sparkly and talented, Vicki,
is leading the creative fun this week,
and the girls have somehow managed to
OUT-DO themselves, once again!  


But, as I mentioned...  I took the LONG way home...

{A special thanks to Pinterest, for enabling me...}



For SOME reason, I was compelled to do a LOT of masking.


I'm always drooling over projects on Pinterest, but in particular, 
I love seeing folks use STICKER letters to mask a decorative 
background, then paint/distress over the entire thing, REMOVE 
the stickers and expose the original background...  OH, it's 
just DELICIOUS!  Anywhoo, I was motivated to create a look
like that...  Not sure if you'll be convinced, but I  still managed to
 have FUN, whilst bustin' out some AMAZING Tim Holtz stamps
 & FABULOUS, ancient designer paper and sticker letters...   


~ I ADORE the images that Tim chooses to turn into stamps! ~



I prepared the paper by gluing it to a scrap of black mat board,
then coating it with a thin layer of clear adhesive, let dry. 



Once the glue was dry, I used distress ink and then acrylic paint
dry-brushed across the masked letters and certain stamped images.
When that step was dry, I stamped the car image with Versafine,
detail ink in black.  Once that was dry, I CAREFULLY removed
the sticker letters, and then lightly sponged the white with
Antique Linen Ink from the T!m man...  {!}


When that was done...   I REMEMBERED the "negative" die cut
premise{!}, and OUT came THOSE tools...  LOL



But it STILL worked! 

So, why NOT wander a little.  You NEVER know where the road might lead!
I hope it takes YOU somewhere incredibly crafty, and that you'll join us this week!

Have a WONDERFUL day!

Supplies - 

D/P - Paper Pizazz
C/S - Stampin' up!
Stamps - Tim Holtz/Stamper's Anonymous
Ink - Tim Holtz/Ranger; Versafine
Distress Ink - Tim Holtz/Ranger
Acrylic Paint - Liquitex
Charm - Tim Holtz

Friday, March 1, 2013

Just Us Girls get all SKETCHY!



Howdy FRIENDS!  It's time for a LOVELY sketch to get your 
creative engines ALL revved up for crafty, stampy competition...



ARE YOU READY?


We ARE!  Please enjoy some inspiration from the wonderful members
of Just Us Girls Challenge headquarters...  We bring you week after
ever changing week of challenge inspiration, and a LOT of fun!  


So, don't just settle for being an ordinary face in the crowd... {LOL}

GET out some of YOUR favorite stuff and MAKE a card,
post OUR graphic, and PLAY along with Just Us Girls!




We'll be THINKING of YOU!

Have a SUPER crafty day!



Supplies - 

C/S - S/U!
D/P - Jenni Bowlin
Stamps - Wplus9 Design Studio
Die Cut Shapes - Wplus9 Design Studio
Ink - Clearsnap
Snaps - Tim Holtz
Vintage Lace - Vintage Craft Supply