Birthday Bag and Tag

Hello to my fellow followers! I hope everyone is having a fabulous Memorial Day weekend! I am posting a few pictures of a birthday bag I decorated for a friends daughter who turned 4 last week. I used a plain white gift bag that you can get in packages at Michaels. I spritzed my own version of glimmermist on the bag with tim holtz distress reinkers and perfect pearls. It really makes a great decorator! I have to say that it is one of the things I use daily when doing my crafting! I used black StazOn ink to distress the edges of the tag. I heat embossed some flowers on the bag, and heat embossed ADDY on the tag. Her mom is a scrapbooker, so I know it will go in her scrapbook! Please feel free to leave a comment letting me know what you think! Thanks for looking!

Happy Sunday!

Go WILD! Layout

I did this layout for my Branson trip so everyone was able to scrapbook their trip when they got home! The requirement was a 8x8 double page layout. I used Create a Critter for the title. I used prismatic paper from Best Occasions for that title. The title was outlined with black stickles. I used some variety of patterned paper, unsure of the maker of the grey and white patterned, but the paisley looking with browns and blues was Paper Studio from Hobby Lobby. The background paper was DCWV. I pierced the edges of the paper in the background, and distressed the edges with a paper distressor. I matted some twinchies, and added some sheer ribbon to finish it off. Please tell me what you think!

I've been slacking MOJO

Hello all! I am so sorry to keep you waiting! I have a few things I would like to post, but have yet to find the time or energy to do so. To make up for my apologies and lack of posting, I will be having a blog giveaway starting next week! Keep your eyes peeled and stay tuned!!! YOU WONT WANT TO MISS WHAT I HAVE IN STORE FOR YOU!!!

Thanks so much for your patience!

P.S.- My Branson crafting Vacation was fabulous!!! To see how many were there I've included a picture of the whole group! ENJOY!

Tomorrow, Tomorrow, I'll love ya, tomorrow!

Hello to my fellow followers! I am sorry for the lack of posting! I am leaving for Branson Missouri tomorrow, and can't wait for the weekend of fun with a bunch of crafty, scrapbooking lovers! A WHOLE WEEKEND OF CRAFTING!!! I can't wait!!! (Can you tell???) I will do my best to try to post at least once while in Branson. I am also creating items for Above Rubies Studio Design Team, those items you have to wait to see until they are listed at Club Ruby with instructions on how to recreate them.

Have a wonderful Tuesday!

Happy Mother's Day!

Today I'd like to wish all those moms out there a HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!!

I saw Christina Aguilera on Oprah this week, and was really inspired by what she said. It really made me think about myself, and enjoy myself a bit more. Here is the quote that I copied from Oprah's website:

Christina says one of the major inspirations for her new album was giving birth to her son. "As women, our bodies go through such amazing things and we are superhuman. We give life, we give birth, we are our child's source of everything. Our bodies are not our own for a time period, and we givingly and willingly do so for our child. But then when we get them back, you feel that much stronger," she says. "I think it's pretty superhuman, and that's where the inspiration for Bionic came from."




Christina says she also feels sexier now that she's a mom. "Sure, I have a difference in my body than I had before, but I'm more confident in that knowing where I've been and coming full circle with that and feeling more comfortable in my own body," she says. "As a woman, you know what you want more, and you know how to get it."
 
I will leave you SUPERWOMEN with that!!!
 
Have a wonderful day!
 
Jen

Tags made for tag swap

Happy Hump Day to all! I hope everyones week is going fantastic! I know mine isn't going fast enough! As of today, I leave in ONE WEEK to go to Branson to meet some wonderful women and do some crafting for 4 days!!!! I'm looking forward to the relaxation, but I know it will be a lack of rest, as most of us are night owls!


On to the tags I made for my yahoo group. I really like the simplicity and vintage look of this!

 I cut the tag using Design Studio, and cut it with my Cricut Expression. I chalked the edges with Dark Brown Cat's Eye Chalk ink, I stamped the cute musical image with Timber Brown StazOn Ink (it's starting to dry up, time to buy a new pad!). I cut the swirl using Songbird, and used my Xyron to adhere it to the tag. Before I put the swirl on the tag, I spritzed it with my homemade glimmer mist (Tim Holtz style of course!) I made a paper flower using scallop circles from my nestabilities. I used some rhinestones to dress up and add a bit of bling. I hope you like it! I really wanted to keep it simple and make itso someone were able to put a name on or whatever for a gift.





Have a fabulous Wednesday! Thanks for looking!

P.S.- I seem to be having issues with the code copying for the entire picture of the tag. I will do my best to fix later, but this is the one photo that is my absolute favorite!!!

Congratulations Card

Hello everyone! Happy Monday to you all! I hope you all had a fabulous weekend! Did anyone do anything to celebrate National Scrapbooking Day on May 1st? I watched the Ustream that Megan from Above Rubies Studio put on! She has lotsa giveaways going on! Make sure to comment on the correct posts by clicking HERE. You have until Tuesday!

Well, on to the Congratulations card...

I had browsed through Mojo Monday's blog, and went with one of their card layouts for this one. I am sorry I don't have the direct link to the layout. I got some patterned paisley like paper from Hobby Lobby (on sale of course!) , and cut it into blocks and layered it on top of some brown recollections card stock, and layered that on top of a navy blue cardstock. I am unsure of the make on that one. I added stickles, chalked the edges, stamped the sentiment and voila! I got the butterfly by stamping it on the patterned paper, cutting it out and putting it on another card stock to make it sturdy. I added stickles to that as well to dress it up. I really like the effect I got! I hope you all did too!



close up of the butterfly:



Please leave a comment and let me know if you like or dislike! Have a wonderful day!!!

Ancestry Accordian File Folder Album

Hello to my fellow followers! HAPPY THURSDAY!!! I just want to point out that I HAVE HIT OVER 10,000 hits on my blog!!! I want to do some blog candy, but just can't afford to at the moment due to a Branson trip coming up in 2 WEEKS! Can you tell I'm excited??? Hee hee! And my hubby will be home for 4 days with the kids BY HIMSELF!!! Now he gets to see how it is when he's gone on the road. I am hoping he'll appreciate me EVEN MORE! Hee hee!


Well onto this cute little album I made! I got the instructions from the splitcoast stampers site. HERE is the link to the instructions.


cover:



cover close up bottom:



inside left:



inside right:



tags and silhouettes:


All cuts were from the Heritage cartridge, except the tags. The tags were cut with Plantin Schoolbook. I used Bazzill cardstock on the front of the pockets. I used Recollections cardstock for the background and the dark brown cuts. I used DCWV doubled up with my ATG tape for the tags. I used a prima flower on the front cover and distressed it with distress ink. I chalked the edges on just about everything, using Dew Drop Chalk ink in Purple Hydrangia, and I also used Timber Brown StazOn ink to give a distressed edge look on the paper adhesive ribbon. I used regular cinnamon stickles to decorate the brown cardstock, and straw distress stickles for the clock, lamp, and feather pen. I used a left over paper that I had from the tree cut out, and made it into a stencil, and got the tree images on the tags. I spritzed with Tim Holtz's version of glimmer mist. I hope the person I made it for really likes it!

Please leave a comment and let me know you stopped by. Let me know what you think of my creations! GOOD OR BAD! I would love to hear from YOU! Have a great day!

Diaper Cake for a friend

Hello everyone!

I've been busy busy busy! I had to make a diaper cake for a friends baby shower on Sunday, and then I am also preparing to go to BRANSON on May 12th! I am sooooo excited to be meeting just under a dozen gals from the Cricut Messageboard!

Today I wanted to show you the diaper cake I made for Josh and Aly's baby to be. I had to go with a unisex theme, because they didn't want to know what they are having. I did that with all three of mine, and guessed right EVERY TIME! hee hee! I used the cuts from Potpourri Basket and Create a Critter.



I have to admit it was a bit hard coming up with a cute cake for a unisex theme. I previously made one for my sister in law and knew she was having a girl- had a blast making that one! I have to admit, this one frustrated me A TON! I am happy with the outcome!

I hope you all like it too! Please leave a comment and let me know what you think!!! Thanks, and have a FABULOUS WEDNESDAY!

March of Dimes

Hello everyone!

I know that this post is out of the ordinary, but thought I could reach a lot of people by asking anyone that is willing to make a donation to my walking in the March of Dimes walk for babies. I really love walking for this great cause! My hubby and two youngest children will be walking for 6 miles! On the site it only shows three, but there is an option for 6. We plan on walking the 6! It would be wonderful if any of you are able to donate ANYTHING! EVEN $1!!! At the top of my blog you will see a widget with my goal amount. For some reason it's not up to date on total donations, but we are at $65 at the moment, and our goal is $350. Please consider donating! If each one of my followers donated at least $1, we would be sooo much closer to hitting our goal!!! If you can, please post this on your blogs or send in emails to this blog! Donating is easy! They take paypal too, for secure donating!

Thanks for your support!

Congrats Mike and Bridget! Wedding Album...

Good Morning Everyone!

I hope everyone had a productive Monday. I usually end up with a case of the Monday's. Then my day usually doesn't go so well. Yesterday went ok for the most part. We have a sick little baby on our hands. We were in the ER due to a very high fever. 103.8 is not good for a 9 month old. It's not good for anyone, really. But, we have her on antibiotics and such for an ear infection, thrush, and she's also fighting a virus. My poor little baby!

On a lighter note, I have a wedding album to show you that I made for a friend of ours. We decided last minute that we could go, so I made this in a few hours on Saturday before the wedding! I wish I could have done more with it, but am for the most part, satisfied with the outcome!

Cover:


Page 1:


Page 2:


Page 3:


Page 4:


Page 5:


Page 6:


Page 7:


Page 8:


I used one of my newest cartridges "Give a Hoot" to make the cute little birds! I used the Potpourri Basket cartridge for the wedding rings, and the Storybook cartridge for the rest of the cuts. I loved the saying on the vellum sheet that was on the last page:

"If I had a flower for every time you made me smile, I'd be walking in an endless garden"
Author Unknown

I think it went perfect with the Elegant Bouquet embossing folder I used on the Core'dinations cardstock! I think I mentioned once that Core'dinations is one of my FAVORITE cardstocks, and I am ADDICTED to it!

I used ribbon of various brands to decorate the pages that had the Stampin Up library clips, and the binder rings.

Thanks so much for looking! I love hearing what you think, good or bad! Please leave a comment, even just to tell me you looked at my blog!

Irish Eyes Are Smiling... GIBBS

Good Morning! Happy Monday to ALL!

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

Today is another project I made for my GIBBS swap on the Cricut Messageboard. The word was "Irish Eyes Are Smiling." I decided to decorate a picture frame and put a computer generated Irish Prayer in the frame.






I painted the frame with acrylic paint. I put Prima flowers with decorative brads, and adhered them with Zots. I tied a brown polka-dotted sheer ribbon to soften and add the finishing touch!

Home is Where the Heart is... GIBBS

Hello everyone! Thank goodness it's Friday!!!

Today I'd like to show you one of my favorite items in the GIBBS Swap I participated in. This word was "Home is Where the Heart Is." I combined it with the word "Wordbook." This is the creation I came up with:

Front:

Close-up Front:

Page 1:

Page 2:

Page 3:

Page 4:

Page 5:

Page 6:

Close-up of the cover:


I created this using Cricut Design Studio, using Plantin Schoolbook. I embossed various sections using Traffic Jam and Spots and Dots Cuttlebug embossing folders. I used white wash core'dinations paper, and sanded them to get a total color difference. I love these papers, and am totally addicted to the line! I used alabaster and dark brown cat's eye chalk ink to chalk the edges on all of the pages. I used Stampin Up Hemp Twine to bind the book. I used Stampin Up large eyelets, and Stampin up old Olive ribbon on the front, along with Diamond Glaze to accentuate the flowers. I used various ribbons to decorate otherwise... I decorated with a piece of grungeboard that I decorated with distressed ink, perfect pearls, and stickles.

I hope you have enjoyed what I have shown. Please leave a comment and let me know what you think!!!

Summer Falls Into Autumn GIBBS

Happy Thursday Everyone!

Today my post is an altered notebook. I really like doing this and intend to make them more often! I made this altered notebook for my partner on the Cricut Messageboard. The word was "Summer Falls into Autumn." She is a teacher, so I thought the computer generated saying "Summer Falls into Autumn, and then starts a new school year" fit perfectly in this situation.





I got a notebook from the dollar bin at Michael's, and covered it with cardstock, chalked it with dark brown cat's eye chalk ink. I created a pocket on the inside so she can store any papers inside, notes or whatever. I took a mini library clip from Stampin Up and put it on the side so it was easy to open, and hold anything important. I had a leaf punch that I used to cut the leaves on the sentiment. I used martha stewart fine glitter to add some bling. I tied ribbons on the side to dress it up a bit. I am very happy with my first try at this!

Please let me know what you think! I love comments and constructive criticism!

Birdhouse for GIBBS

This is a mini birdhouse I made for my partner on the Cricut Messageboard. The swap is called GIBBS- "Girls I'm Broke Box Swap." I found it on the blog Project Tuesday... Heres the exact link for the inspiration I got. I am happy with how it turned out. I used this for the word "Birds of a Feather Flock together."







For the bird I used Animal Kingdom. The house was cut from a template. I chalked the edges with dark brown Cat's Eye Chalk Ink. I dressed it up with a few prima flowers and some skittles. I had fun with it! Please tell me what you think!!!

LIVE USTREAM ON MONDAY WITH ARS!

Hello all! Happy Saturday!

I just want to let you all know that you should come and watch the Live Ustream with Megan from Above Rubies Studio, and her special guest Daphne from Scrapcessories! It starts at 9PM EST, or 8PM CST (which is my time) on Monday April 11th! Megan is going to be giving away some great prizes and ONE HUGE GRAND PRIZE if they can get 1,500 people to watch at one time! I wonder what it will be?! She will be giving a some more info about the TOP SECRET MISSION! Please check out this LINK to read about more info, and stay tuned to Above Rubies Studio for more information! Can't wait to see you all there! My username is jenyoung312! Have a spectacular Saturday! I will be spending the ENTIRE day at my VERY FIRST all day crop at That Scrapbooking Place. Click HERE to find out more about them! Wonderful store, and a great group of women keep that place standing!

Handmade Paper Flowers

Here is my first attempt at making handmade paper flowers using scallop circles out of any old book paper! You can go to your LSS and use their accucut die to get scallop circles, or any of you who have nesties ( I do not... hmmm may be a new purchase! LOL!). I used Tim Holtz's version of glimmer mist, and glittered them up using diamond glaze, fine glitter, and coarse glitter.











Thanks for looking! Comments are greatly appreciated!

Ebay has been my best friend

Hello everyone! Happy Thursday!

I have been a busy bee finishing up a swap for the Cricut Messageboard! I will post pics of most of them next week. I really love alot of the stuff I have made for Michelle! I have been contemplating keeping alot of the items myself, but I also found something I can make and sell for my fall and winter craft shows! You'll have to wait and see!

So the reason for the title about Ebay being my best friend.... I have ordered cartridges off of Ebay for MUCH MUCH cheaper than any store! Most were under $30, and one was $32.
Here is the list:

Songbird
Heritage
Winter Woodland
Give a Hoot

and the retiring cartridge- Christmas Noel!

Can anyone tell me what their fave cuts are from these cartridges? I'd love to hear! Even if you have a link to some cool projects made with them, that would be awesome! Thanks for looking and I hope to post some new projects here soon!

Easter Baskets

Sorry, to post this late, but this past weekend has been super duper busy! I made these baskets on Friday and this is the first chance I've had to post them! I hope you all had a fantastic Easter! We sure did! If there wouldn't have been such a wind, the weather would have been PERFECT!!!

Well, lets get on with the Easter Baskets, shall we?



Items used to make 1 basket:
1 12x12 sheet cardstock
1 2x12 inch piece of cardstock
1 12 inch piece of grosgrain ribbon
ATG gun
MS Scoreboard







Score the 12x12 sheet at 4 and at 8 inches, rotate sheet and do again at 4 inches and 8 inches. Then fold all lines inward. You will need to make the corners shaped into triangles and adhere to the sides. Take the 2x12 sheet of cardstock and score at 1 inch. Fold in half, take atg gun and put one strip of adhesive down the center of the handle. Adhere the ribbon to the center of the adhesive. Take the handle and put adhesive strips on each end of the handle and place inside one of the folds, and adhere the fold to the handle. It sounds much more difficult than it is when you sit down to do it.
ENJOY!
HAPPY MONDAY!
Comments are greatly appreciated!!!

TOP SECRET MISSION...

Hello to all my readers! I want to extend some top secret information to you, but you have to make sure that you keep it TO YOUR SELF!!! SHHHH!!! ONLY YOU WILL KNOW ABOUT THIS!!! To find out the secret, click on this link, which will take you to Above Rubies Studio... Once again... shhhh... IT'S TOP SECRET!!!