Immortal Love

(Scroll down to see my Stamp Simply New Release post!)

Good morning! We're halfway through the birthday celebration at The Flower Challenge and I am here today with more inspiration and an invitation to join us!

Today I am featuring FOREVER LOVE by Visible Image Stamps. This is a perfect wedding card or valentine using non-traditional colors. I created a Distress Oxide background, and then embossed the rose, barbed wire, and sentiments using WOW! Embossing Powder (In the Navy). I painted the inside of the bloom with watercolor markers. To finish, a few coordinating gems were added for shine, and Delicata Gold ink was pounced in various places for added shimmer.

I love the way the Navy EP has a deep color, but isn't black! The mat is Antique Gold from CutCardStock, with a Black cardstock base.

Our challenge is open until October 25, and I hope you will join us! Be sure to wish Aileen and Viv a Happy Retirement from 7 years of challenges! That's dedication! Find all the details and more amazing inspiration from the DT HERE.

Freshly Made Sketches #571

Hello! Happy new sketch day from Freshly Made Sketches! Our New England Jen is the hostess this week, with a wonderful sketch for all slimline lovers. As she says on the blog, however, you can make any shape that you would like. I stayed with A2 horizontal/landscape, because I don't make those very often.

Another pink one this week! I used the new X's and O's from Impression Obsession/Nola Chandler. It's such a cute set. I have a working 1957 Royal typewriter in my office, and that was my inspiration for the pink typewriter.

I embossed the XOXO with WOW! Embossing Glitter and colored the typewriter in with Copic markers. That cute heart stencil in the background is from Taylored Expressions.

I hope you will join our sketch challenge, and add your creations to our gallery. I would love to see what you make! 

This challenge will end at 3:00 EST time on Monday, February 6. Be sure to take a peek at the gorgeous cards my teammates have created on the FMS blog to inspire you. There are some beautiful and very creative designs there! Have fun with the sketch!

Freshly Made Sketches #487

Happy Wednesday! It's time for a new sketch at Freshly Made Sketches. The very talented Jen T is our hostess this week, with a slimline card for you!

About seven times a year, my work gets very busy, so I had to miss last week, but am glad to be back! I am the Executive Director of our community theater, and the last two weeks we have had a production with nine performances. I put in many 12-14 hour days during the run, and had to take a break from card making. It was so great to be back in the theater, and hear our audiences laughing every night. The show was "Noises Off." I was super proud of my husband, who was the director, and also my daughter, who played Belinda. It's a funny movie as well, with Carol Burnett and many more name stars. Carol was always one of my favorites growing up. I loved her show. Anyway, on to my card for this week!

I absolutely LOVE this Cummerbund embossing powder, inspired by Catherine Pooler and from WOW! Embossing. It has the loveliest sparkle and beautiful lighter teal color. I cut the Waterbrush Hello (Altenew) out three times on Pool Party (SU!) cardstock, and then embossed the adhered stack. I cut the flowers/leaves out of various colors and textures and arranged them on a very lightly ink blended card base. I used the remaining ink in my blending brush, so it's a combination of several blues, I am sure!

I hope you will join our sketch challenge this week, and add your creations to our gallery! There is a lot of space to play with. This challenge will end at 3:00 EDT time on Monday, May 31.    

Be sure to stop at the Freshly Made Sketches blog, and click on the names of my teammates to see the beautiful cards they have designed this week! 

Day 3 of the 2021 Spring/Summer Coffee Lovers Blog Hop

Good morning! Do you have your coffee in hand? I hope so, because it's Day 3 of the 2021 Spring/Summer Coffee Lovers Blog Hop and there is much to see! Today I am #357.

WOW! Embossing (#44) is one of the many amazing sponsors for this event. You can see more amazing WOW! team inspiration and find out all about their prize here!

Today I am using the scrumptious Manuela's Honey Embossing Powder by Alexandra Renke for WOW! Embossing and Cool Cat from Unity Stamp Co. My stencil is from Fun Stampers Journey.

Manuela's Honey is a rich gold color with white flecks in it that move with each application. So each time you emboss you will get a different look. I love how some of the flecks moved off the coffee beans and on to my plain cardstock too.  

I embossed the coffee cup and sentiment with Primary Ebony and colored in with Copic Markers. I added a few Irish Coffee Sequins (PFS) here and there.

Be sure to check out the rest of the Coffee Lovers Blog Hop HERE. Amazing prizes and the best coffee inspiration for a whole week! If you like what you see here on my blog, I would love to have you give me a follow on my Instagram account at @joy_in_a_jar or https://www.instagram.com/joy_in_a_jar/.

USE CODE WOWDTJR for a 10% DISCOUNT at WOW! Embossing!

Day 2 of the 2021 Spring | Summer Coffee Lovers Blog Hop

Good morning! It's Day 2 of the 2021 Spring/Summer Coffee Lovers Blog Hop and the official first day of spring. What could be better? A Saturday? YES! Today for this card I am #222.

WOW! Embossing (#44) is one of the many amazing sponsors for this event. You can see more amazing WOW! team inspiration and find out all about their prize here!

Today I am using the Primary Blue Topaz Embossing Powder. Both the sentiment and the coffee cup (Fun Stampers Journey) were stamped with WOW! Embossing Ink and then heat embossed. I colored in the little heart with a Copic marker (R85). USE CODE WOWDTJR for a 10% DISCOUNT!

The fun, colorful pinwheels are from the Pinwheel Party Bundle from The Greetery. It was so much fun to ink up and color them in different shades of the rainbow using the bundle stencils. I used six different DOX colors and my tiny blending brushes. A Spring coffee greeting for this new Spring season! I added a pink gem for extra bling.

 
I love how it turned out! Be sure to check out the rest of the Coffee Lovers Blog Hop HERE. Amazing prizes and the best coffee inspiration for a whole week! If you like what you see here on my blog, I would love to have you give me a follow on my Instagram account at @joy_in_a_jar or https://www.instagram.com/joy_in_a_jar/.

 

Have a happy weekend!

2021 Spring | Summer Coffee Lovers Blog Hop with WOW! Embossing

Good morning! Do you have your coffee in hand? I hope so, because it's Day 1 of the 2021 Spring/Summer Coffee Lovers Blog Hop! I am #58 today!

WOW! Embossing (#44) is one of the many amazing sponsors for this event. You can see more amazing WOW! team inspiration and find out all about their prize here!

My card today has some yummy texture and coffee goodness - because ALWAYS COFFEE!

I started with a DOX ink smooshed background (Weathered Wood, Tea Dye, Frayed Burlap), and dry embossed with a Cuttlebug circle embossing folder - but with a little twist. I added WOW! Embossing Ink to some of the the circles before I ran it through my Big Shot. When it came out, I sprinkled on Ulla's Cognac (Alexandra Renke for WOW!) Embossing Powder (a glittery goodness in just the right color!) and heat embossed those circle impressions.

I added a strip of circles along the bottom half to ground it, and embossed those as well. The coffee word die (Reverse Confetti) was cut from shimmery gold cardstock (Recollections), as was the French Press die (Spellbinders). I added a few Irish Coffee sequins (Picket Fence Studios), and the word "ALWAYS" from a sentiment strip (Simon Says Stamp).

 

I love how it turned out! Be sure to check out the rest of the Coffee Lovers Blog Hop HERE. Amazing prizes and the best coffee inspiration for a whole week! If you like what you see here on my blog, I would love to have you give me a follow on my Instagram account at @joy_in_a_jar or https://www.instagram.com/joy_in_a_jar/.

USE CODE WOWDTJR for a 10% DISCOUNT!

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.

You Are Loved

One of the most important things we can do right now is let our family and friends know they are loved. My card today uses FOLLOW YOUR HEART and sentiment from ONE KIND WORD from Visible Image Stamps.

 I started with an acrylic paint background using my Gel Press 6x6. I stamped the heart collage in VersaFine Onyx Black Pigment, and embossed with WOW! Primary Ebony Embossing Powder.  I did the same for the little hearts and sentiment.

To finish the card, I added several little clear rhinestones around the heart and by the sentiment. Encourage someone today with a love note!

 

Challenges:

• Crafty Calendar - Make It Cute
• 2 Crafty Critter Crazies - Anything Goes with a Critter
• Crafty Animals - Always Anything Goes

WOW! All The Things!

Happy New Year! This is surely the year for new beginnings, right? If you are like me, I truly look forward to a different year, and some new beginnings in 2021 in many areas of my life.

So to start the blogging year off with something new, I am excited to begin the year with WOW! as a Challenge Design Team Member! My goal for 2021 is to inspire you and show you my favorite techniques using WOW! products. AND -- maybe help you win one of the 12 challenge prizes this year. January's challenge is "WOW all the things!" You can join in on Instagram (use #wowembossingchallenge) or on our group Facebook page: WOW Embossing Powder Fans.

As for everyone, mail is slow, and I haven't yet received my DT package to show you the AMAZING new stuff -- BUT, I am showing you two of my favorite go -to powders for sparkle and shine: Wanderlust and Opaque Bright White.

I started by loosely painting a background with Kuretake watercolors on Canson Cold Press paper. I die cut the Snowflake Alice Die and one of the Winter Snowflake Dies from Picket Fence Studios, and a sentiment from Stampin' Up! in the same paper. Using my WOW! Clear Ultra Slow Drying Embossing Pad, I embossed the sentiment first in Bright White, and then in Wanderlust. I tapped the edges of my large snowflake in the ink as well, and embossed the tips of the snowflake with the Wanderlust for extra shimmer. I finished off the card with some of my favorite silver metallic thread (Kreinik) and clear sequins (Pretty Pink Posh), and adhered it to a dark lavender base to match the watercolor background.

After being at the beach in North Carolina for Christmas (and in the water!), we came home to about four inches of snow, so the homecoming inspired me to make a snowflake card! I know there is plenty more to come in the next few months of this year. Might as well be jolly about it! Ha!

I would love you to follow me here, on my Facebook page, or on Instagram this year (see the sidebar for links). Thank you to all of you who already do! I hope your new year brings lots of crafty fun. Take a look at the amazing half off price on open stock MISTIs below!