"J" is for Jay

Dear Ones~
Kinda overcast and cold here today - a wonderful day to stay inside and make cards. My favorite thing in the world to do!

Today's card has been made for 2 challenges: The Weekly Challenge over at StampTV - What's Your Name, and the Mod Squad Challenge  - All About Animals.

Here's my card:

At StampTV we had to make a card using an image that starts with the first letter of our Stamp TV user name. Mine is Judy Woodland, so Jay it is. This image is a bluejay, but a bluejay is a member of the Jay Family, right? The Mod Squad Challenge asks us to make a card with an animal. So there you are!!!  As I have said before, I just adore this stamp set, Winter Wings by Gina K Designs. This image works well as a jay or a cardinal. Here I have colored it with Distress Markers and my water pen.

Here are the Ingredients:

GKD Blue Denim, Sandy Beach, Cranberry Tart Card Stock

Cuttlebug Embossing Folder - Sorry, I Don't Know the Name

 Authentique Something for All Seasons Patterned Paper

GKD Winter Wings Stamp Set

GKD Stamper's Favorites Stamp Set

Distress Markers in Various Colors

Glossy Accents

Judy Dots

Thanks for stopping by, I adore your comments! Oh, and stay warm and well my friends!!

Just Us Girls Challenge - Anything Goes

Dear Ones~
Well, this will be my last post as Just Us Girls Guest Designer. My, the month has gone by fast!!!! It has been my great good pleasure, and a real honor, to have served as a guest on the design team. Thank you, girls, for inviting me!!
This is Anything Goes Week, and the challenge is to make the sentiment the focal point of your card.

Here's what I came up with:

I used Papertrey Ink's Hexagon Cover Plate, punched out all the "innies" and stamped them with the companion stamps called Happy Hexagon Mini Stamp Set. The set comes with several different patterns, and they fit perfectly inside each hexagon. The result is an inlay effect - a technique I happen to love. It's a little tedious, but worth the time I think.

Here are the Ingredients:

GKD White and Black Onyx Card Stock

Stampin' Up Feel Good Stamp Set

Papertrey Ink Hexagon Cover Plate Die

Papertrey Ink Happy Hexagons Mini Stamp Set

GKD Inks in:

*Turquoise Sea

*Grass Green

*Sweet Corn

*Bubblegum Pink

Die-namics Stitched Circles Die

Spellbinders Lacy Circles Die

Judy Dots

As I said, it has been so much fun being Guest Designer at Just Us Girls this month. If you have never visited this blog, I really encourage you to do so. The designers are super talented and you can expect to get a lot of inspiration from them. Go take a look!!

Thanks for stopping by, I adore your comments. And stay warm and well, my friends!

CASEing Kathy

Dear Ones~
This card was made for Mod Squad.  The challenge this week is to CASE (Copy And Share Everything) another designer's card. EGAD!!! Where do I start, there are so many wonderful designers from which to chose. And then this morning I saw my friend Kathy's card and it was perfect for what I wanted to do. I just got a STUNNING new butterfly die from Stampin' Up that I have been itching to use, and her card had a butterfly that looked similar. BINGO!!!

Here's her card:

And here's what I came up with:

I absolutely LOVE this butterfly die set. This one is the medium size, and there is a really big one, and a smaller one too. I would not have thought to do it in black until I saw Kathy's card. Thanks for the inspiration, my dear. I sponged the oval with distress ink to give it a vintage look.

Here are the Ingredients:

GKD Black Onyx & Sandy Beach Card Stock

Paper Studio Everything Kraft Stack

DCWV Mariposa Stack

GKD Branching Out Stamp Set

GKD Winter Wings Stamp Set for Sentiment

Vintage Photo Distress Ink 

Stampin' Up Butterflies Thinlets Die

Stash Ribbon

It was 16 below this morning in Grayling. We had a balmy 2 below here, a few miles south of Grayling. You know, it's always warmer in the south - lol. Truth be told, I would rather have it really cold than damp and 32. I think it's more comfortable. Anyway, thanks for stopping by. I adore your comments!!!

Just Us Girls - Photo Challenge

Dear Ones~
Another week has come and gone. Hope it was a good one for you!!

This week at Just Us Girls we have a photo inspiration for you. Here is the photo:

Don't you just love those colors? And oh man, do those cookies look delicious? YUMMO!!!!

Here's the card I came up with:

I used the shaving cream technique to make those lovely swirls. Here's a close up of that:

Looks like frosting, doesn't it. Here's a link to a video that Gina from Gina K Designs did, showing this technique. It's really fun - and oh, so messy!!! And does the card ever smell good - ha ha!!!! Try it out!!!

Here are the Ingredients:

GKD Dark Chocolate and White Card Stock

Spellbinders Scallop Hearts Die

Other Hearts Cut with my Cricut

Barn Door Distress Reinker

MFT Die-namics Delicate Doilies Die

GKD Stately Flowers 6 Stamp Set for Sentiment

Ranger Enamel Accents

Buttons, Gems and Gold Braid from my Stash

The Just Us Girls Challenges are so much fun. Each week there is a new topic, and all the girls on the Design Team are uber talented, so there's lots of inspiration. If you have never stopped by, you should really check it out!! 

 

Thanks for coming by, I adore your comments. And stay warm, my friends!!!

Mod Squad - Teal & Purple

Dear Ones~
Whew, I wasn't sure if I was going to get this post done before the deadline for the Mod Squad Challenge this week. We were asked to use teal and purple, 2 of my favorite colors together!!!!

Here's my card:

I stamped the GKD Fabulous Frame by Melanie Muenchinger onto GKD Turquoise Sea card stock so I didn't have to color in the borders. The oval was cut out of the Fabulous Frame image, and then the frame was popped up on the white card stock so that the oval is recessed. I used my Brusho Crystal Colors for the awesome, vibrant watercolor. You can't see it too well, but I splattered gold over the colors. The watercolors were done on watercolor paper, and then I paper pieced it onto the Fabulous Frame image. The hummingbird is colored with Distress Markers on watercolor paper and fussy cut.

Here are the Ingredients:

GKD White and Turquoise Sea Card Stock

GKD Fabulous Frame Stamp Set

GKD Stamper's Favorites Stamp Set

Brusho Crystal Colors in Turquoise and Purple

Spellbinder Shapabilities Feather Die

Distress Markers

Fine Tech Pearl Colors for the Gold Splatters

Delica Golden Glitz on the Feathers

GKD Fine Gold Embossing Powder

Wink of Stella

Liquid Pearls in Peacock

I am also entering this card in the STV Monday Challenge.
Thanks for stopping by, I adore your comments. Stay warm (and well), my friends!!!

Just Us Girls Challenge - Color

Dear Ones~
Well, I think I may live. Finally on the downward side of this mean virus. Please, wash your hands, break out the sanitizer, and don't get in anyone's face that has this. YOU DON'T WANT IT!!!

Welcome to this week's 

Just Us Girls Challenge 

We are going to play with color ~ green, orange and blue. 

Aren't these colors GORGEOUS???

Here's the card I came up with:

It was so much fun to use these beautiful colors!! This card is going out to a dear niece, hope she likes it.

Here are the ingredients:

*GKD White, Jelly Bean Green, Turquoise Sea Card Stock
*The Crafts Meow Typically Teen Stamp Set 

used for Background Splatters

*Simon Says Stamp Cupcake Party Stamp Set, 

designed by Kristina Werner (love her!!)

*HOTP Patterned Paper

*GKD Inks - 

Turquoise Sea

Green Grass

  Sweet Mango

*Glossy Accents

*Wink of Stella

*Judy Dots

The Just Us Girls Challenges are so much fun. 

Each week there is a new topic, and all the girls on
the Design Team are uber talented,
so there's lots of inspiration. 

If you have never stopped by, you should really check it out!!

Thanks for looking, I adore your comments. Oh, and stay WELL my friends!!!!

Sweet Wren

Dear Ones~
Well, I'm on day 11 of the virus from #$%^. This one has really kicked my rear end. Hubby has it too. But the good news is that I'm on the downside of it. Also good news is that it hasn't put a damper on my creative vibes. I'm happy about that!!
Today's card is for the Mod Squad Challenge - just make a thank you card.

Here's what I came up with:

I am so in love with this little sweet bird image. It's part of a set by Gina K Designs called Winter Wings. All the images are of birds like this. I spritzed the background with the Tim Holtz Spritzer thingy. I love the splatter it created.

Here are the ingredients:

GKD Dark Chocolate Card Stock

Strathmore Watercolor Paper

GKD Winter Wings Stamp Set

Distress Markers

Thanks for stopping by, I adore your comments! Oh, and stay well, my friends!!!!

Just Us Girls Challenge - Stencils

 

Dear Ones~
Welcome to another challenge at Just Us Girls!  This is Trend Week, and the chosen trend is STENCILS. There sure are a lot of possibilities with this one!

Here is what I came up with:

I have not used stencils a great deal, so was kinda perplexed as to what I wanted to do. I found a stencil that I had purchased some time ago because I just liked the pattern, pulled out my texture paste, and smeared it over the stencil on some white card stock. After it was dry, I decided to get out my Brusho Crystals and add some color. So I wet the whole thing really well and applied the crystals. Well I had a soggy hot mess, but it was pretty, so I decided to just let it dry. With all that texturizing paste it took FOREVER!!! Had to let it dry over night. In the end, I think it turned out beautifully. I die cut a pinked circle frame out of Turquoise Sea Card Stock and ran some gold thread all around it, then put it behind the feathers. Kinda hard to see the thread in the photo, but it's there. And I think the sponged gold on the feathers is really nice!!

Here are the ingredients:
GKD White, Turquoise Sea, and Vibrant Violet Card Stock
Clear Snap Shattered Glass Stencil
Deco Art Dimensional Effects Paste
Brusho Crystal Colors
Spellbinders Shapabilities Feather Dies
Spellbinders Pinked Circle Dies
GKD Blue Raspberry Ink, Sponged on the Feathers
Delica Gold Ink, Sponged on the Feathers
GKD Hello Sunshine Stamp Set for Sentiment

If you have never participated in the Just Us Girls Challenge, I encourage you to give it a try. The topics are always fun, and I think you will find a lot of inspiration from all the talented designers on the team!!

So that's it. I had a lot of fun making this card. Some of my favorite colors here. Thanks for stopping by, I adore your comments. Oh, and stay warm, my friends.

Just Us Girls Challenge - Winter

Dear Ones~
I have the honor and great privilege of being Guest Designer over at the Just Us Girls Challenge Blog for the month of January. These are once a week challenges with a different theme each week. Always fun to participate! All the designers are over-the-top talented, which makes for great inspiration.

Here is the challenge for the first week of the new year:

 

The theme is WINTER. How timely, right? There are so many different possibilities with this theme. Here is the card I came up with:

Those flourishes remind me of snow swirling around in a gust wind. The pale blue color might be reminiscent of ice covering a lake in winter, and I love using the snowflake dies with glitter paper, like the sparkle of snow on a sunny winter day.

Here are the ingredients:

Gina K Designs Pure Luxury White Card Stock

Martha Stewart Create Pastel Paper Pad

Recollections Christmas Glitter Pad

Cuttlebug Snowflakes Embossing Folder

Impression Obsession Snowflake Dies

Cheery Lynn Mini Flourish Die

Gina K Designs Let It Snow Stamp Set

Thanks for stopping by. And do consider participating in these fun and easy challenges. Go visit the blog for more info:

http://justusgirlschallenge.blogspot.com/ 

I adore your comments, stay warm my friends!