happy world card making day!

today i am extra-excited, since i'm celebrating by doing a 2sketches4you challenge for the first time in waaaaaaaaaay too long! it's kazan's sketch 36, actually, which looks like this:

i also found a really FUN way to use my brand new JustRite christmas stamp ensemble in conjunction with my seriously old-school decorative scissors to make a cool holiday wreath...so how fab is it that kazan's sketch has a lovely big circle as its focal point?!?

(JustRite christmas stamp ensemble; patterned paper: dcwv, basic grey, rhonna farrer/autumn leaves, making memories & a bit of glittery red giftwrap; gems: mambi; button: michaels; pens & pencils: prismacolor, sakura, zig; adhesives: tombow mono runner,
uhu gluestick, 3m foam tape)

i stamped my image in black on a scrap of basic grey cardstock, colored the holly leaves with a prismacolor pencil and then went back over them with a clear glittery sakura glaze pen. i enhanced the holly berries with tiny red gems and glued a fun poinsettia button to the top. then i glued my circle to some two-toned green patterned paper and cut around the whole thing with decorative scissors. i inked the edges, placed foam tape on the back, and repeated the same procedure twice more, et voila: joyeux noel, mes amies!

be sure to hop over to CAARDVARKS, as well...we're having a whole entire day of fabulous reader spotlights! i realize that halloween is still nearly a month away, but if you're jonesin' for a bit of eye candy, i assure you today's features will not disappoint!

♥ happy weekend, darlings! ♥

christmas is JustRite around the corner

so isn't it lucky i have a cool new JustRite christmas set to inspire my holiday cards? i chose the 3.25" christmas stamp ensemble. it comes with 6 center icons and 6 round borders that can all be mixed and matched together. i tend to work kind of biiiiiiiiig, so i like that i can make it the centerpiece of a card. it's a great size to make tags for packages, too! another great thing is, it comes with the wood mounting block included, so it'll work with any other 3.25" JustRite items i acquire later! ;)

on my first card i've used the snowflake center and border, to stamp in vivid blue on some basic grey holiday paper. i punched a few nice big snowflakes out of the same pattern and had a blast inking, distressing, and adorning them with little pearls before affixing them to my card:

(justrite 3.25" christmas stamp ensemble; patterned paper: basic grey, ki/love elsie; cardstock: core'dinations; pearls: kaiser: inks: psx, colorbox; other: vintage silver metallic ribbon; adhesives: tombow mono runner, uhu gluestick, 3m foam tape)

for my second card i only used the center element, to stamp "merry christmas", then i cut out the circle and mounted it onto a slightly expanded snowflake punch... (it's cut & taped at the back so my greeting would fit in the center!) ...i used the custom embellishment as an accent to this fun vintage santa illustration:

(justrite 3.25" christmas stamp ensemble; patterned paper: ki/love elsie, we r memorykeepers, k&co, plus an illustration from a vintage children's book and some red glitter giftwrap; inks: staz-on, bazzinks; adhesives: tombow mono runner, 3m foam tape)

ok, so clearly i am going to need to make a few MORE of these...which i will show you as they are completed, but can i just say how very *PSYCHED* i am to be working on christmas cards at the end of september?!! thank you JustRite and thank you mr. christmas mojo!!! :)

JustRite font *MEGA* blog hop

♥ welcome, blog hoppers! ♥

i hope you're enjoying the amazing and inspiring range of projects featuring JustRite's gorgeous font sets. i'm awestruck by the amazing artists who are participating in this event, and honored to be included! i know it's been a really big day, so let's get right to the photos, ok?

have you ever made a card that turned out COMPLETELY different than you pictured it in your head? well, this one was like that for me: i'd envisaged it being sort of edgy & funky & super-distressed...but apparently it was determined to be shabby chic. finally i had to respect its wishes and go with the flow!

(JustRite products: brayton uppercase font set and horizontal stamper; patterned papers: basic grey, plus some vintage sheet music and ledger paper; cardstock: bazzill; chipboard tag: k&co; flowers: prima; rub-on: making memories; pen: zig; pearls epoxy stickers & ribbon: michaels; inks: colorbox; adhesives: tombow mono runner, uhu gluestick, 3m foam tape)

since every size of justrite font comes with a generous double set of beautiful numerals, i thought they needed to be featured as well as the letters! i loaded the large horizontal stamper block with as many as i could cram on there, even letting some hang over the edge. i stamped the grouping twice on my panel and used it in place of patterned paper as the base ofa fun birthday card. i used the 2 3/8" round stamper & its 25-point times new roman font to make a paper-pieced cupcake with a custom sentiment, added a few coordinating embellishments, and i was all set!

(JustRite products: brayton uppercase font set, horizontal stamper, and 2 3/8" stamper with bonus 25-point font; patterned papers: basic grey, imagination project, my mind's eye, sei, prima, autumn leaves, oriental trading co; cardstock: core'dinations; gems: mambi other: dymo labeler; inks: staz-on, colorbox; adhesives: tombow mono runner, 3m foam tape)

"best fishes" is probably my all-time favorite birthday sentiment to use on "guy cards". for my brother alone, i bet i've made 6 or 7, in every conceivable style! for this incarnation i thought it would be fun to stamp a grouping of text in varying point sizes, but instead of a traditional "block" i've used circular elements to resemble bubbles, outlining and inking them around the edges to give a more dimensional look. my fish is a silhouette made by stapling a photo from an angling magazine to several layers of patterned paper and cutting out around it. i've sponged a few colors of ink around the edges, layered it onto some royal blue cardstock, cut out again, & distressed the edges before adding detail with a copic outliner.

(JustRite products: brayton uppercase font set & horizontal stamper; patterned paper: scrapbook wizard, basic grey, inex page from an old atlas; cardstock: core'dinations; brad: making memories; inks: psx & colorbox; adhesives: tombow mono runner & 3m foam tape)

one of my favorite things about the justrite font sets is that they come with three different point sizesof the same typeface, which is awesome for monograms, address labels, tags...or even just a sentimentwith which you want to have a little fun. this card is definitely the latter: the combination of the slogan... (which i borrowed from the old "rumpole of the bailey" mysteries) ...with my favorite adrienne looman papers and a generous serving of bling really make me smile. i think this is one card i may have to keep for myself! :)

(JustRite products: brayton uppercase font set & horizontal stamper; patterned paper: adrienne looman for prima, sei, kaiser; black glossy cardstock: ranger; bling frame: heidi swapp; chipbaord crown: maya road; flower sequins: doodlebug; sticky pearls: kaiser: inks: staz-on & colorbox)

and now before you head on to the next awesome hop stop, may i remind you that JustRite is celebrating this awesome event with a Super 7 Day Font Sale?! you can take 30% off all font sets and the horizontal and veritical stamper blocks. the sale lasts 9-17 through 9-24, so hurry over and check it out!

oh and one last thing: did you hear about the Mystery Blog Candy being given away during the hop? uh huh. there'll be 3 blog candy giveaways on each day and you can only win by leaving a comment on the right blog! but here's the thing: you won't know which blog has the candy...even the designers don't know! so as you visit each blog, you might just want to leave a comment...who knows, the lucky winner may be you!!!!! you have until sunday at noon to leave a comment for your chance to win; then check back at the JustRite Blog on Sunday evening to find out who won!

Enjoy the Hop!!!

JustRite Blog
Debbie Olson

Jerri Kay Jimenez

Taylor Van Bruggen

Holly Simoni

Barb Schram

Terre Fry

Michelle Kovack

Kim Moreno

Catherine Doucette

Kellie Fortin

Kimberly Crawford

Kathy Jones

Michelle Giraud

Angela Barkhouse

Heather Pulvirenti

Tami Mayberry

Jennifer Buck

Keri Lee Sereika

Jami Bova

Laura Davis

Stacey Kingman

Bonnie Sharp

Stephanie Severin

Janine Orchard

Debbie Seyer

Margie Higuchi

Lauren Bergold (you are here!)

Anja Curvers
AJ Otto

today is the first day of the rest of your life!

coincidentally, but in a completely unrelated way, it is also the first day of the JustRite font mega blog hop! my projects will be featured tomorrow, but seeing as the JustRite folks have rounded up more than *50* MEGA-talented designers, it's well worth a mosey over to the JustRite Blog for a peek! (oh yeah and did i mention there are *prizes*??!)


today is the third day of the caardvarks' in the studio blog hop, sponsored by GCD studios. having seen my fellow crew-members cards and projects for this event, i must strongly urge you to make with the mouse-clicking for the good of your mojo! (completely disregarding the fact that there are *prizes*!)


saturday is nephew matthew's second birthday...a fact which is not being commemorated in any way on t'interwebz, except for me telling you it, here. :)

on the other hand, we're back online sunday in a BIG WAY for the first day of sketchfest over at caardvarks, sponsored by studio calico, which lasts and entire week and will feature SEVEN consecutive 24-hour challenges, with sketches courtesy of the magnificent heidi van laar. (oh yeah and i b'lieve there may be *prizes*!)

another tag, on a different bag...

...but still featuring my current favorite tool: justrite's 2 3/8" stamper with a font for making phrases around the edge. i've found a new way to use it: as a photo frame! so now my tags and cards can not only feature custom phrases tailored to their recipients, they can have a sweet little face on them, as well.

like, say, nephew matthew, perhaps, whose second birthday is merely a week away?


it turns out you can cut a perfectly fitted ring inside the phrase using a 1 3/4" punch, and a perfect circle outside the phrase with a 2 1/2" punch. i hand cut the black and white ring using decorative scissors, and mounted the whole thing on yet another circle, this one made with a 3" punch. finally i hung the tag on my gift-bag using a 7 gypsies bookring adorned with some ribbon scraps and WOOHOO...even young matthew will know immediately that this is *HIS* gift!

oh yeah, did i mention it's double-sided?!


...because you can never have too many pictures of a lad who's THAT CUTE, can you??!

(complete materials: 2 3/8" stamper with font by justrite; patterned papers: basic grey & imagination project; circle punches: ek success & marvy; inks: staz-on & colorbox; pen: zig; book ring: 7 gysies; miscellaneous ribbon scraps; plain kraft gift-bag from michael's; adhesive: tombow mono runner)

tag on a bag...and upcoming fun!

♥

this is the tag

that hangs on the bag

that's part of the gift-set

that i cannot show yet!

♥♥♥

why not? 'cause the gift-set... (which is destined for lovely husband jeff's mother, whose 75th birthday party is tomorrow!) ...is my big project for the caardvarks' "in the studio" blog hop next week sponsored by gcd studios. luckily i am on the team for the first day, tuesday september 15th, because i don't think i could wait much longer to show it off! this tag is a sort of a preview, though, since i've used scraps leftover from making the gift-set itself.



the center of the tag, which features a custom stamped phrase encircling a delicious paper-pieced cupcake, was made using one of my cool new justrite stampers! i ♥LOVE♥ that i can make tags, stickers, emblems and seals especially for my intended recipient and have them look so fancy and "official" like i had them custom printed! i'll be showing some off other justrite stamps during THEIR big font mega blog hop, which also happens to take place next week!

the back of the tag features thickers that were part of the studio calico kit i used to make ALL EIGHT of my cards for caardvarks' upcoming seven-day sketchfest. that's all i'm allowed to tell you so far, but you will definitely want to stay tuned for that because i have seen some of the other dts' cards...and trust me...they'll blow you away!!!


so to sum up: i think you'll pretty much want to hang out on t'internet ALL NEXT WEEK because there'll be waaaaaaaaaay more fun...and inspiration...and prizes (!!!) than you will want to miss! :)

(complete materials for tag: stamp: justrite 2 3/8" stamper with font; patterned paper: gcd studios eye candy collection (plus a teeny bit of doodlebug & around the block); chipboard tag: autumn leaves; cardstock: core'dinations; alphas: american crafts; sequins & bow ribbon: doodlebug; pearls: kaiser; ink: staz-on & colorbox; pen: zig; skinny ribbon & epoxy sticker: michaels; adhesives: tombow mono runner, 3m foam tape & doublestick tape, diamond glaze)

say it in flowers (& fonts!)

when i found out from my lovely blogging friend jana that this week's theme (#23!) over at opus gluei is "say it in flowers" obviously i was excited...because as you know, the only thing i like more than glitter is flowers! ok, and a nice bit of cake...preferably chocolate. oh yeah, and daniel craig...attired in tiny swim trunks...mmmmmmmm...

oof! lemme start again.

when i found out that this week's challenge was "say it in flowers" of course i was excited...because as you know, the only thing i like on a card more than glitter is flowers! (phew!)

but then, there's no reason i can't have glitter *ON* my flowers, now is there??!

(wooden stamper and font: justrite; glossy black cardstock: ranger; patterned paper: hambly, basic grey, adrienne looman for prima; inks: colorbox; pens: zig & tombow; glitter glue & tiny pink gems: michaels; adhesives: tombow mono runner, 3m foam tape)

while i was playing, i decided to test drive one of my new stampers: see, the rather lovely people at justrite were gracious enough to let the caardvarks try out some of their awesome products! i chose a very cool christmas stamp ensemble (which i hope to show off later this week.) and also this neat 2 3/8" stamper on which you can place an image in the center and use the included font set to make a custom phrase around the outside! in this case, i only used the phrase part, to go with my flower, but later this week i'll be posting some ideas that use the center's image, as well.

speaking of stamping custom phrases, have you seen justrite's font sets??! it must be said, they are EXTREMELY cool! so cool, in fact, that they will be the stars of their very own mega blog hop later this month. see?

...and yes, before you ask, i will be taking part...because you know how i feel about alphabet stamps!!!

♥ ciao for now, darlings! ♥