Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! I am so excited for 2025 to really enjoy my crafting time! And what better way to start the year off than with a new sketch from Freshly Made Sketches! This one is from the very talented Cecile and here is mine!

I had a ton of fun making this. But it sure went in a different direction than I had planned. I ordered a new ink from the VersaFine Clair line (LOVE it!) called Arctic. Well. I was thinking it would be white. Like an arctic fox! Imagine my surprise when I opened it to stamp my snowflake (Winter Snowflake - Colorado Craft Company) and it was blue. I even stared at the ink for a couple of seconds thinking "that's a weird white." HA. But I went with it anyway and love how this mixed media card turned out (which it wouldn't have been in white!). I stamped the blue, and then added some white embossing powder, black and white paint splatters and a trio of icy blue gems. Sentiment by Picket Fence Studios.

My husband and I are enjoying (right) our first bouts of Covid to start the New Year, so it can only go up from here! Our challenge is open until Monday, January 6, at 3 PM EST. We hope that you will join us! Check out my amazing teamies' cards on the FMS Blog!

My Favorite Poinsettia Color! What's Yours?

It's December! Can you believe it?! We have a new challenge at The Flower Challenge and it's perfect for the holiday season - Use Gold!

It's no surprise that I love pink, and that my favorite poinsettia color is also pink. I like the delicate color of the leaves. So I knew the Christmas Poinsettia Star (PFS) had to be pink - with gold!

I chose some beautiful metallic papers from CutCardStock for my background mats. I stamped the poinsettia on Bristol in Versamark ink, and then embossed with Ranger Gold embossing powder. I watercolored using my Kuretake paints, and fussy cut. 

I stamped my sentiment (from String of Lights - PFS ) in Versamark and embossed that on the music paper. I tied some gold metallic thread (Kreinik) around the top for extra shimmer. I love how it turned out!

I hope you will join us at The Flower Challenge this month!

Get Well Soon with Festive Friday #FF0078

Happy Friday! I hope you are staying warm. Finally, an end to the craziest weather week ever. We started out with -46 wind chill, and finished with a heat wave of 21 degrees (felt like spring!).

Today there is a new challenge up at Festive Friday! We are celebrating International Women's Day (March 8)! If you are new to the FF Challenges, you can choose any three items (or more!) from our list to inspire your creativity. Your card does not have to specifically be about women, as you can see from my submission this week! For my card today, I chose flowers, glitter, and watercolor from the list.

First of all, I cheated just a little this week. I wanted to make a get well card for my sister, who has been in the hospital. Her favorite color is pink and she loves flowers. So I chose this gorgeous pink floral patterned paper -- that is watercolored! It is from the gorgeous Bloom & Wild collection from Craft Consortium. If you love designer paper, and haven't checked them out, now is the time. My most favorite papers ever. You can find them HERE.

I cut out two panels with the retired Elizabeth Crafts Dashing Rectangle dies. Next, I added glittery highlights on some of the flowers with my Nuvo Shimmer Pen. I stamped the sentiments from Life Sucks Without You (Picket Fence Studios) and added sequins from the Metropolis Mix (also PFS). Very simple, but very pretty!

I hope you will join us for this challenge. Remember, you can choose any three from the list, for any occasion or theme! The challenge is open until Monday, March 1.  

For more inspiration, visit the rest of the FF Team:

Ann Schach

Beth McCullough

Sharon Hashimoto Burkert

Melanie Hungerford

Helen Jennings

Stephanie Lanzalotto

Melva Peters

 

Picket Fence Studios' February Release!

Happy Valentines Day! I hope you all are getting some yummy chocolate candy today! If not, or if you don't like chocolate, we have some eye candy for you with the February release at Picket Fence Studios!

Today I am sharing two cards using two of the new stencils being released today. First up is this colorful Center Flower 6x6 Stencil.

I used two colors of Distress Oxide Ink and my Life Changing Blender Brushes for the ink blended background. I stamped one of the flower groups and a sentiment from the previously released Que Sera Sera to finish the card. I used the Coordinating Die to cut out the flowers after they were Copic colored.

Next up is the English Brick Wall 6x6 Stencil. I used a partial stencil with DOX ink, and added one of the pens from Color Like A Bird Sings (January release) and the new Fancy Congratulations Sentiments (best news ever) for the sentiment. A true CAS!

There is much more to see, so head over to Picket Fence Studios to see it all and grab yourself a valentine surprise!

All Glazed Up! New Paper Glaze from PFS!

Happy last day of January! I always feel like once we get into February (even though there are many winter days, and some the worst) that Spring is on the horizon. At least that is what gets me there! This being said while we have a foot of snow and sub zero temps this week. Ha!

Well, today I am sharing a sunny outlook with you, showing off the new Yellow Primrose Paper Glaze from Picket Fence Studios! There are three new pastel colors this month, and I adore them so much, they have become my new favorite colors! Very shimmery and subtle!

I started with the new Slimline Rising Sun Stencil, and added the Paper Glaze with my palette knife. I gave it a pretty good thickness,and let it dry for several minutes. When almost dry, I added a thin layer of SPRK037 Gold Dust Essential Sparkle from WOW! Embossing on top of the glaze at the bottom. It sticks beautifully if the glaze is not totally dry. I then set aside to dry overnight. It doesn't actually take that long, but I wanted it to be ready for my heat gun. 

The next day I tapped my card to loosen the Sparkles that did not stick, and stamped the sentiment from Life Happens, Lashes Help with my WOW! Embossing Pad. This pad stays wet longer than most others, and gives you a chance to get a great impression. The WC01 Metallic Gold Rich Pale Embossing Powder was a perfect complement to my glaze and glitter. 

Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you will try some of the glaze. There are many colors to choose from. Just a couple of tips: Be sure to clean your stencils right away, as once dry, it's pretty much glazed always. And try mixing your own colors by combining glazes!

New Release at WOW! Embossing!

Hello everyone!

It's a cold and snowy day here on the Plains. I think we got somewhere between 8 and 10 inches yesterday, but who knows. It's just a LOT. Schools and business are closed for another day, so it's time to tell you about some fabulous new products at WOW! Embossing!

Today I am sharing cards with two of the new products from the Tracy Scott Fiesta Trio. I used two of the three new Embossing Glitters. 

On my first card above, I started with the new Picket Fence Studios Pink Carnation Paper Glaze and a heart stencil from Taylored Expressions. I spread the glaze using a palette knife. It's a gorgeous soft pink! When that was almost dry, I sprinkled Sparkles on part of the glaze. You can see that some hearts have sparkle and some just have shine. That's why! I purposely wanted the glaze to shine on its own in some places. Next I cut my die (SSS) out of white CS and vellum, and then took the gorgeous Strawberry Daiquiri Embossing Glitter and covered the word die completely. I adhered all panels and the die using foam tape and Gina K Connect Glue.

On my next card, I used the same layout, but with different products for a totally different look. This time, I used Distress Oxide inks for the background, and white cardstock and vellum (again) for the sentiment. The "heart" word is dipped in the new Mai Tai Embossing Glitter from the Tracy Scott Fiesta Trio.

 
I love how each card looks with it's different vibe! You can find this new Trio and MUCH MORE at WOW! Embossing Powders HERE. Use the code WOWDTJR for 10% off your purchase! Be sure to check out the hop going on through the end of the month. You have the opportunity to win the entire release (so many new items!) TWICE! Check out the details here @joy_in_a_jar.

Find the beautiful new Paper Glazes at Picket Fence Studios HERE.

January Release Day for Picket Fence Studios

It's the 14th of the month, and that means Release Day for Picket Fence Studios! 
There are over 45 NEW products being released today!

Today I am sharing two cards using several of the new products. First up is Vintage Apple and the Vintage Apple Coordinating Die.

The background is the new Basket Petals Stencil. I used my Life Changing Blender Brushes and Tea Dye Distress Oxide Ink. I colored in my images with Karin Markers and watercolored the leaves and apple. I added some of my favorite metallic gold thread from Kreinik and some of the new Fire Gems for sparkle.

My second card uses the Slim Line Die Cutting System and a sentiment from Wild Peonies. I embossed the sentiment with WOW! Clear EP after stamping in VersaFine Onyx Black ink. The background is a print from my 6x6 Gel Press plate. I cut my flowers from other Gel Press prints using the Lavender Frame Cover Die and adhered them to the slim line card front. I tied silver metallic thread across the bottom to ground my flowers and added Moonshine Sequins for sparkle.

I hope you will check out the entire release, and find LOTS to play with! Thanks for stopping by! Be sure to check out Picket Fence Studios for the entire release! 

 

Ice Cream in January?? Yes, Please!

Happy Friday!

Today there is a new challenge up at Festive Friday! We're celebrating Ice Cream, and using our fabulous Inspo List #FF0075 to inspire us (below). If you are new to the FF Challenges, you can choose any three items (or more!) from our list to inspire your creativity. Your card does not have to be about eating ice cream for breakfast!

For my card today, I am using products from Reverse Confetti and Picket Fence Studios.  I started by choosing my items: Ice Cream, Pink, Brown, and Triangles. I love the Triangle Cover Plate (RC) and finally had a chance to use it! The stitching on it really stands out for great design and texture. Next, I colored my ice cream and cone (PFS) with Copics and added some sparkle with Crystal Stickles. The tag (RC) has a wonderful topper piece that also added texture to the design. Finally, the SSS Sentiment finishes the greeting, and a few clear sequins were the final embellishments.

I hope you will join us for this challenge. Remember, you can choose any three from the list, for any occasion or theme! The challenge is open until Monday, January 17. For more inspiration, visit the rest of the FF Team:

Ann Schach

Beth McCullough

Sharon Hashimoto Burkert

Melanie Hungerford

Helen Jennings

Stephanie Lanzalotto

Melva Peters

 

December Release Day for Picket Fence Studios

It's the 14th of the month, and that means Release Day for Picket Fence Studios! 

I have been battling vertigo for several days, so will have a short post today, but hopefully can be back soon with more on the release!

My card for today shows off the new Burst of Sun Stencil, and images from Do Good Recklessly.

I used a combination of DOX reds and corals for the stencil color. I then embossed my microphone and sentiment in Black Ebony (WOW!) embossing powder on the top. The sequins are from the Black Russian Sequin Mix.

I hope you will check out the entire release, and find LOTS to play with! Thanks for stopping by! Be sure to check out Picket Fence Studios for the entire release!

25 Days of Christmas Tags with Picket Fence Studios!

 

Today Picket Fence Studios is joining Tracey McNeely and her spectacular 25 Days of Christmas Tags event. This is the 10th year! You can find all the details over on Tracey's blog, as well as the link to all of the Picket Fence Studios tag inspiration. There is so much festive fun! 

I started with the Candy Cane Lane Stencil. This is a must have and a STEAL on sale for $1.99 (link below)! I used my Life Changing Blender Brushes and Worn Lipstick DOX for a faded and subtle background. I then die cut my tag, and two layers of snow, using some shimmery white and silver cardstock. 

Next I stamped the larger elegant reindeer and holly from On A Christmas Walk, and embossed them with Clear Gloss WOW! Embossing Powder. I colored each with Copic markers, and cut them out with the Coordinating Dies. I added Blush Pink Pearls from Kaiser for my holly berries, and a few gorgeous Moonshine Sequins for bling and sparkle. These sequins are amazing! My trims are pink organza and silver cord from my stash.

Thank you to all of the amazing sponsors for this event, and to Tracey, especially for all of the fun. There are many ways to win so head on over to Tracey’s main post for all the details! So many prizes and giveaways!

I hope that you will also follow me on Instagram! I am a handful away from 1000 followers! Here is the link.

Picket Fence Studios' November Release Day!

It's the 14th of the month, and that means Release Day for Picket Fence Studios! You are going to be seeing some AMAZING creations from the team over the next couple of days - weeks! 

Today I am sharing a very special snowflake - Lydia! Can you all guess who that is named after? It's a beautiful large die, and I had a ton of fun creating with it. The Snowflake Lydia Die is about 4 inches square and perfect to fill up an A2 sized card.

For my first card, I chose a Gel Press print that I have had for a long time that I wasn't happy with. It just was, in my opinion, kind of ugly. But as my gel printing mentor, LYDIA, has told me, never throw them away, because you might find a use for it in a way you don't expect. And that's exactly what happened. Here is a photo of the 6x6 print (in bad lighting, of course). I know.....right?

 And here is what it looks like as a snowflake. I love it!

I used the negative die and paired it with one of the sentiments from Fancy Christmas Sentiments. I added some pretty Purple People Eater Sequins. It looks frosty cool!

Next up is the same snowflake - with the addition of the beautiful Winter Snowflakes Dies. I used the Slim Line Die Cutting System to cut my layers, and then centered the evergreen tree die in the center. I cut many snowflakes out of white and kraft cardstock, and layered them up on my main panel, along with the Snowflake Lydia Die. 

When I was happy with the arrangement, I added my background sky that I had made from a large panel of Nuvo Shimmer Powders. I ADORE these powders. Think Brushos with an incredible amount of shine. I used Atlantis Burst and Golden Sparkler. I have a Boomerang video on my Instagram account, where you can see the shine. (And I am TEN followers away from 1000! I would love to have you follow me there to get to my goal!). My sentiment ("Christmas Magic is Real") is from Inside Quotes: Christmas. I added my favorite Irish Coffee Sequins for a festive look.

Finally, I used just the Winter Snowflakes to create this frosty card of pinks, blues and purples. I used the negative dies as STENCILS (!) and lightly blended different colors of DOX inks with my Life Changing Blender Brushes. I added die cut snowflakes on top out of shimmery cardstock for a winter blizzard, and a sentiment from Inside Quotes: Christmas to complete the look - with of course sparkly sequins: Gin and Tonic!

I hope you will check out the entire release, and find LOTS to play with! Links to the products I have used today are below. Thanks for stopping by! Be sure to check out Picket Fence Studios for the entire release! I will be back tomorrow with more stamping inspiration.

It's Coffee Time!

It's Day 1 of the Fall Coffee Lovers Blog Hop! And while our average November temp is usually around 45 degrees, today's high is going to be 79! I will take it! Because coffee is great ANY day!

My card today features a Distress Ink background and images from Altenew's Coffee With A Splash set. I stamped my cup and sentiment with Simon Hurley's grrr! ink and added some fun washi tape (I love it and never use it enough!) along the bottom - light pink sparkles and gold hearts. The Coffee Word Die (gold shimmer cardstock from Michael's) and Irish Coffee Sequins are from Picket Fence Studios.  HEY I AM HAVING A LITTLE GIVEAWAY of my own!

One lucky commenter will receive their own Irish Coffee Sequins Mix from me! Thanks for leaving some love!  I am just under 20 followers away from 1000 on Instagram @joy_in_a_jar, and I would love to have you follow me there!

Picket Fence Studios is having an AMAZING warehouse sale with up to 80% off. Shop HERE.

THANK YOU to all of the amazing Super Sponsors for the Hop! Have a GREAT Friday!