Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Just Keep Swimming!

Well, I am having some fun making shaker cards! I know I am slow to jump on the bandwagon, but I am on! This is my second attempt, and again, I have some naughty sequins and beads that want to stick to some adhesive I forgot to "erase." But I will never tell where! Only the recipient will know!

This one was made with Happy Ocean Friends and the Tall Grass Die from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps. I used Doodlebug's Under the Sea 6x6 papers, and a lot of fun beads and sequins I had lying around. I chose two matching ribbons from Really Reasonable Ribbon: 5/8" Lattice Print Satin Ribbon Hyacinth and Apple Green Mini Ric Rac and layered them on top of each other. The Hyacinth matches the paper perfectly and I like how the ric rac looks like waves!

The multi-colored Prima flowers fit in with the color scheme exactly! I forgot all about a sentiment, and was really hoping that I could stamp it cleanly after the entire card was put together! It worked out!

This is going to my daughter, who is almost done with Cosmetology School!

Friday, June 17, 2016

Obsessed!

It's the Summer Coffee Lovers Blog Hop going on today! And I have joined in with this fun coffee-themed group today!
I used the colors on the logo above as an inspiration piece to create my card today:
I also had an incredibly messy desk and decided to use things that were laying around. The stamp set closest (ha - there were MANY) was FILL ME UP from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps. So many fun images for coffee and tea lovers (see below).

I stamped the cup in Archival black on Whisper White and Crumb Cake cardstock (SU!). I had some die cuts out from MSE (hello, obsessed), and a little wooden heart from a Paper Pumpkin kit (SU!), as well as some leftover Easter paper from the SSS Peeps Kit, and incorporated those into my design. The splatters and ring marks are from Sweet 'n Sassy's Grunge Elements 2 stamped in Soft Suede ink (SU!). I added a little embossing with a Stampin' Up! embossing folder that I had just gotten as a gift - to replicate the coffee cup sleeve.

Put it all together on Pool Party cardstock (SU!), and then noticed a button on the floor! It matched!

Now to clean that desk.....

Come join in the Hop and check out all the amazing cards! Lots of prizes too!


Thursday, June 16, 2016

What The World Needs Now

I think that in the midst of all that's happening in the world, and especially our country right now, that we need to spread as much love as we can. So while Valentine Critters (Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps) is a set geared toward valentines, it also makes adorable love cards.

So I grabbed this super cute ellie and made a card to spread some love around!
I used a little cloud die for the sentiment and then added a heart clip to hold it on. If you don't have a Wink of Stella pen, you've got to get one! It adds such fun, subtle sparkle to everything! And even though you can't see it in the above photo, my ellie (who is a girl, of course, since I am sending the card) has sparkly toes and hearts!
Spread some love yourself today - you don't have to send a card -- hugs work too!
Stamps: Valentine Critters (SNSS)
Paper: Poptone White (base), Neenah Solar White (elephant and sentiment), Rose Red, Love Blossoms DP (SU!)
Tools and Accessories: Wink of Stella Clear Pen, Valentine Critters Dies (SNSS), cloud die (TSOL), heart clip (SU!)

Thursday, June 9, 2016

We Interrupt This Program......

Oh goodness. The craft road of realism is paved with good intentions and paper scraps. I totally got sidelined and distracted on my Giraffe Week, which I will continue in a few days. It's what happens when new stuff comes in your mail!

Today I played with the new Stampin' Up! Sunshine Wishes dies and Sunshine Sayings stamp set.
You can find them HERE on my website!
This Bundle of stamps and dies was second on my wish list when the new catalog came out. First on the list was this gorgeous Fruit Stand Designer Series Paper and the matching Fresh Fruit stamp set, which I will be getting out tomorrow.

I cut a piece of the designer paper the same size as the front of my card base, and then rounded the bottom corners on each side. Next up was a panel of striped watermelon paper (also in the pack). I made scallops using my Slit Punch and adhered those to the stripes. A little shipping tag and some swiss dots organza ribbon from my stash were perfect for my two dies cut from Peekaboo Peach and Watermelon Wonder cardstock. I stamped the little sentiment "& HUGS" in Archival Black ink. 
Two Prima flowers were added for embellishments because they already were on my table and matched!

This Bundle is going to get a lot of use. There are so many sentiments for every occasion!


Challenges:

Friday, June 3, 2016

Day #3 of GIRAFFE WEEK!

It's Day #3 of Giraffe Week! 

My images are from Lawn Fawn's Critters on the Savanna stamp set and matching dies. I stamped on Ultrasmooth White cardstock using Memento Tuxedo Black ink and colored in with Copic markers. I did the same for the sentiment, and then cut it out using Avery Elle's Oh Yeah caption balloon die. The grass is a Magnolia die cut. My button (Buttons Galore) is tied with Aqua Blue Divine Twine. My fun designer paper is from Echo Park's Bundle of Joy Boy 6x6. 

 Tomorrow I have some fun stuff to show from my collection, so hope to see you then!

Thursday, June 2, 2016

Day #2 of GIRAFFE WEEK!

It's Day #2 of Giraffe Week here at Joy in a JAR. Today I am sharing a photo I took years ago (like seven) of some of the giraffe stamps I have. I think I should take a new one and show it later in the week. The collection has at least doubled:


A lot of them were gifts, but you can see my "first bought" stamp I showed yesterday right in the center!

Today's share was for a Splitcoast Inspiration Challenge where we chose Google Doodles to inspire us. Here is my choice:
It was the Google Doodle for Chico Mendes' 71st birthday on 12/15/15. I saw those tree trunks and it made me think of giraffe necks (of course?!). This image, which I got earlier this week, even has tree language ("stand tall")!

And I had to use brighter colors than those trees.

I thought the Random Circles Grosgrain ribbon mimicked the giraffe neck closest to it! Hope to see you tomorrow!



Stamps: Technique Junkies
Paper: Pool Party, Basic Black, GP White, American Crafts DP
Paper Size: 5.5 inches SQ
Ink: Archival Black
Accessories: Random Circles Pink Grosgrain (Really Reasonable Ribbon), buttons, twine (both stash)

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

IT'S GIRAFFE WEEK!!

Yay! It's GIRAFFE WEEK here at Joy in a JAR. Most of my stamping friends (and non-stamping too!) know I love giraffes. I have been collecting since my first year of college, and have quite a few different kinds (and I say that meaning I have hundreds.....)  -- including stamps! So I thought it would be fun to share some of my giraffe cards, both old and new, and giraffe stuff with you this week, June 1-7. So Happy June and Happy Giraffe Week!

First up is this gem. The very first stamps I ever bought way back in the 80's were from Alextamping. I bought a little man, some flowers, and this giraffe:
It's about 2 1/2 - 3 inches tall and sits on a shelf (of honor!) amongst some other things. I love the heart spots! My newest giraffe stamps are from Reverse Confetti with an attempt at a (first) shaker card HERE.

Today I am sharing a mixed media giraffe card. I first made the background with the Hexagon Art Screen by sponging two different dye inks (Soft Suede and Crumb Cake), and lightly spraying with Chocolate and Tangerine. I added some Antique Linen Distress ink to fill in some spaces. I stamped my giraffe and then cut it out, sponging around it with Pumpkin Pie dye ink, and then added Bark pigment ink where its mane should go. I embossed that, and kept the EP where it stayed off the giraffe due to the paper's texture. The right side of the card has a lovely copper sheen that the photo doesn't pick up.


I stamped my leaves with Always Artichoke and Mellow Moss (layered) and then used a brush and water to mute the lines. My sentiment is done with rub-on letters. The heart is grungeboard that I stamped with Bark ink, and then embossed with Copper EP. This was a fun and different card to make - using a stamp, but not using it!

I hope you will stop back by this week to see what else I have to share. I hope to try a little video of my stamp room, and some of the different kinds of giraffes I have, as well as card sharing, of course! And a little prize somewhere in the week to be thrown in, hopefully! Have a great day!
(made for me by my sweet friend, Juliana^)

Paper: watercolor, Safari Mat Stack DP (DCWV), Black Textured (DCWV), Soft Suede
Ink: Antique Linen Distress (Ranger), Crumb Cake, Pumpkin Pie, Mellow Moss, Always Artichoke, Marigold Morning (retired), Soft Suede Dye Inks (SU!), Stephanie's Sprays in Chocolate, Tangerine (TSOL), Bark (VersaColor)
Accessories: grungeboard heart (TH), glittered leaves (Prima), rub-on letters (Making Memories), Hexagon Art Screen (Color Box), paper piercer, Copper EP (Sparkle N Sprinkle), linen thread
Techniques: piercing, heat embossing, sponging, spraying