Yikes!!!

Hello friends!! Hope your holidays went as planned or even better :) Mine was very simple and nice. Can't go wrong with nice and simple ;)

Just wanted to pop in quickly to tell ya'll that I haven't forgotten you. I'll be back with more card creations as soon as my hubby figures out what's going on with my computer. It crashed a few days ago and we haven't been able to get it to work since :( I'm posting via my husbands computer it's rarely vacant so I took advantage :)

Hopefully it'll work and I'll be able to share some more fun cards very soon :)

May your week be full of wonder!!

Blessings,

Jessica

Like A Shadow

Thanksgiving Day to me is a reminder. A day I celebrate... daily. Every morning when I rise till when I go to sleep is a constant reminder of the Goodness of God. We teach this virtue to our children, "honey, we say, did you say thank you? And yet though we say it and practice it daily there's nothing like coming together to embrace the spirit of the season on this special day, why?

Because we are wired from way back when with a sense of community and belonging.

When Jesus came to this earth he supped with his disciples and followers. And though the Last Supper is part of a different holiday I believe it has so much more to do with Thanksgiving than anything else.

As they were there at the table confused, afraid, pierced to their hearts by the things this Man [Jesus] was saying of the death He would suffer there was still a sense of community, of surrender, of trust and sacrificial giving. Though the experience was bitter it later proved to be the most glorious one; when the tomb burst opened on that third day!! Thank You, Thank You Jesus!!! When the disciples and His followers received power, it was an awesome day. That erie evening around that table became a monument of joy because they understood what He meant.

That bitter day around that table shall be no more the next glorious event will be when we sit around that other table with Jesus and sup with Him. Never again to depart, where all tears shall be wiped away, where there will be no sickness, pain, suffering or death. Where children will get along with there parents, where relationships will be perfect, where fellowship will be wholesome and pure.

Every time I think of Thanksgiving when everyone sets up those wonderful long (some short) tables I can't help but think of it as a shadow or a portrait of what's to come :)

Meanwhile, we have it (Thanksgiving Day) as a token to treasure while we wait for that other day. A mini celebration where differences are set aside where we all become one in spirit. May this same spirit remain in you {us} till that day :)

Before I leave I wanted to leave you with a card I made for the occasion. The sentiment reads, "What a lovely day". I couldn't agree more :)

A blessed day of Gratitude to you all!!

Hugs,

Jessica

Materials:

Cardstock: Martha Stewart's off white

Other: I used my Sweet Paislee press ons and some floss

A Christmas Greeting!!

Hello, hello!!! Hope your Tuesday is going well!!! I have a fun day ahead of me. First off my hubby, daughter and I are headed to Santana Row Shopping Center. I love going there because they have an Anthropologys and Paper Source almost right next to each other. I can't wait these are places I bring my sketch pad to because I know there's going to be lots of inspiration ;) Another store that's there is The Container Store have any of you been there? I just love that place. I love organization (even though I'm not the best at it). But here's where I got my inspiration for my craft corner. After our stop there we get to go with some friends to lunch. We are going to one of the best burger joint where they serve the ultimate veggie burger and yam fries at least that's what everyone says. I'll find out today :)

Ok!! Now unto the fun stuff and the reason your here ;) I created this fun card with the cutest little die cut angel. They had them a while back at my local craft store and I just couldn't resist them especially at .10 cents a piece. So I bought this and a few other designs. I've created some cards using them I'll post them through out this week.

So without further ado I introduce you to my little angel card :)

The angel was originally white but I used my palette L'Amore red to add this bright hue. I didn't have a christmas sentiment that would go well with the size of the felt so I pulled out my pens and wrote it myself. That seems to be a trend now a days and I really like it. I remember always looking at Kristina Werner's gorgeous hand written cards and she was my inspiration to venture out. Many others have come out with fun and whimsy hand written stamps which I love Papertrey Ink has a few sets ;) I haven't purchased them yet but they sure look fun.

Take the plunge and play with your handwriting. Trust me you'll love it :)

Blessings,

Jessica

Materials:

Cardstock: Sassafras sweet marmalade "preserve"

Ink: Palette L'Amore red (to color the angel)

Other: fine liner marker, and basic calligraphy pen (green, red)

The Extreme!!

Hello!! I finally have some good lighting now all I need is the photographer ;) I am in such need of a tutorial.

Well the title of this post is "The Extreme". The reason I chose it was because of the extreme simplicity of my card for today.

See what I mean :) I simply had to do it though. I've been wanting to put up some christmas decorations up and been hesitant. So to satisfy that desire I created this little card with that concept in mind and might I add I think it's convinced me of putting up some ornaments. I presently don't own a single christmas ornament. Since my husband and I've been married we've never spent a holiday at home and we've really never celebrated christmas. We've always been on a missionary trip or convention :) This year will be our first and we have no clue what to do with ourselves :)

Here's a close up of the detail. I stamped the little ornaments in bright colors then I took some extra fine wire (very easy to bend you can even cut with scissors and it won't damage them) and twisted a bit to create a garland sort of thing. I finished it off with stickles for a festive, lit up look :)

Hope you found some inspiration. As soon as I get a chance I'll post some more christmas cards :)

**I wanted to thank all of you who left such encouraging comments/emails on my "A Different Kind of Celebration" post. That meant so much to me. And the reason I chose to write about it was because I was in need of accountability I knew I would back out if I didn't have you girls. You all are truly the best. Thanks a million!! I'll keep you posted as to what happens. I feel like a little girl all excited and stuff**

Blessings,

Jessica

Materials:

Cardstock: Paper Source cement

Stamp: Rubber soul

Ink: Versa Color red, canary yellow, green & cyan

Other: wire ($ store)

From The Bin!!

Hey Friends!!! It's been a while since I played along with Dawn's fun Color Challenge. The colors she chose for this round are absolutly fantastic. Don't you think?

For my creation I chose a few bits and pieces from my recycle bin. The hearts for instance were tiny pieces of paper that on one side had ink stains I kept them because they were a good size enough to create something. The embroidery floss and scalloped ribbon were two little remnants and the letter "A" was from an old chipboard set. I kept this letter because although it had been ruined with glue I still thought it had some use. Sure enough I pealed the glossy part that had been damaged and painted the letter with my hot pink pad.

So enough with the details and on to the card, shall we ;) The weather is pretty grim here and I am having trouble with my lighting. I'll for sure keep my camera handy, hopefully I'll snap a sharper image one that would capture the the brightness of the colors a little better.

Thanks for stopping!! And do find some time for this awesome challenge. I love to see what you ladies come up with it's always inspiring :)

**I have a christmas card I want to share with you all but am having trouble snapping a good shot. So as soon as I get a good one I'll post it up**

Blessings,

Jessica

Materials:

Cardstock: PTI's spring moss. lavender moon & aqua mist

Stamps: PTI's Little Lady, TPC Studio

Ink: Palette burnt umber, versa mark

Other: Creative Cafe scalloped ribbon, floss, Pink Paislee captivating press-ons

Right Here On My Couch

If I could stop time I think today would've been the day to do so. In order to understand why I'll give you a backdrop.

I was laying on the couch that slightly overlooks the hills to the east of San Jose for what seems like miles. I do live up on a hill you see. The afternoon was perfect there was a little bit of sun and a autumn chill that seemed to penetrate the sliding doors that are just a few feet away from my couch. There tucked in with my favorite fleece I was enjoying the panoramic view. Occasionally I could hear a bird or two and if everything was still enough they'd stop and peak through the doors from my balcony. I was simply soaking it all in.

However, the stillness (my peace and rest) was suddenly and might I even add abruptly interrupted by the sudden sound of footsteps.

My suspense vanished quickly. The footsteps were of none other than my husband's who had been sleeping on the other room. He came and snugged into the couch, the same couch I was in. Not more than three minutes went by and then came my little girl who had just awakened from her nap and she too came to lay on the couch. Can you imagine the scene?!? The couch was crowded!!! I stopped for a moment and thought, "there goes peace and quiet". Not yet finished reminiscing of those still moments when my husband begins to jam loud to Sons Of Korah which is a christian contemporary singing group (if you haven't heard of them I suggest you download a few of there songs they're awesome).

There I was shoved towards the back of the couch, noise all around me, little feet piercing my ribs and my husbands' head to stare at, really closely. I love quiet times... but, it's moments like these that put a smile on my face. Because it is in these moments that heaven becomes real to me. The best part is that it happens right here, on my couch :)

John Bowring said, "A happy family is but an early heaven" and I couldn't agree more with him.

Hope you have a great day with your loved ones. I'll be back tomorrow with some fun Christmas cards

Blessings,

Jessica

A Different Kind Of Celebration

I've been holding on to this card for way to long. My father and I don't really have a relationship. We are as good as strangers when it comes to that. So I created this card 2 years ago in hopes of reconnecting or better said connecting with him. But needless to say I chickened out. I didn't know what to say. I was afraid of what he'd think when he received it or worst yet I was afraid he wouldn't care. So my card's been in storage ever since. That is until yesterday...

Last night I was feeling down. You know the holidays are fast approaching and as my husband and I were discussing what to do we finally settled to the idea of (now this is for Thanks Giving, ok) going out on a hike and then come home and eat (regular day meal) and then watch a flick. At this point I had one of two option I could've pouted and cried and complained and all that stuff (which I've done before and never works) or I could've looked at it from a different perspective like, thank you Jesus for all I have for the blessing of a home a healthy, bubbly little girl and a husband who loves me beyond my wildest dreams could ever fathom. That sounds better and yes that's what I opted for. So while I was being grateful and all that this card came to mind and all the emotions of that day came with it.

Now, I have the option of brushing it away again but then that would only reinforce the thought that holidays is only about having a fancy table all decorated with acorns and candles, place cards and all that. Wouldn't it!?! Not that there's anything wrong with that. Trust me I'd love to be doing it myself :) My point is holidays are more than that they're to connect with loved ones to be reconciled, to forgive those who've hurt us and to have compassion on those who are less fortunate.

So I'll celebrate the holidays a little different than tradition this year but that doesn't mean I won't embrace the spirit of the season. I am committed to sending this card today. I don't know what to say but then I don't think it matters. All that needs to be said is simple, I've missed you, Daddy!! And I think I can do that :)

Have a great weekend!!!

Blessings,

Jessica

Materials:

Cardstock: Bazzill elephant, Making Memories Mat stack neutrals

Stamps: PTI's mixed messages

Ink: Versa Color charcoal

Other: scissors (I drew the little sail boat and cut it out) brad

Cherish Today

Time seems to be flying!!! It's already Thursday!! Next thing you'll know it'll be Thanks Giving then New Years and then Spring will be here again, phew!!! At least that's the way it seems like when you look back at it. I guess my point is cherish today. Savour the moment and live it to the fullest. We are not promised tomorrow. Today, however, is a gift that we get to create. Make it the best :) Put God first and pursue your dreams, fearless for He is your strength and has promised to, "be with you till the end".

I just needed to get that out of my chest this morning :)

Now on to the crafty stuff, shall we?!? I created a card using the fearful and most challenging pattern paper ;) You'll know what I mean if you've been following my blog lately. Pattern Paper and I seem to be antagonists we work against each other. Now don't get me wrong I love that stuff it just doesn't seem to love me back. It's always a challenge to use. So I've given myself the task to use up my pp simply because I have way too much and there's also so many cute ones coming out that I can't purchase because I already have this huge stash of oldies. Mind you if we follow this thread it is in fact a vicious cycle, ONE WE ALL LOVE!!!

Well I took my pp I've forgotten now which line of paper this one in particular belongs to it was very popular a few months ago. Anyhow, I had pp that needed to be used and my bella stamps. Are any of you into Bellas?? When I lived in Canada I bought like 7 of them. I think they're so cute. I've only used 2 so I pulled out this birthday Bella for todays card. What do you think??

She's a full image with high heels and all but I cut her in order to fit the oval frame. I used color pencils and pattern pp to "dress" her and my beloved star dust pen (it's amazing how much detail this adds to any card in a subtle way) for the hat and the ribbon on the little gift. There's the close up so you could see teh shimmer:

I feel like this card could've used and embellishment on the upper left corner of the oval frame but was uncertain as to what. I thought tiny paper flowers or velvet but then I tried it and it looked to busy for my liking. I also thought of a small bow but again it was too busy. So I just left it plain.

Anyhow, hope you were inspired in more than one way while here. Thanks for stopping by :)

Blessings,

Jessica

Materials:

Cardstock: Bazzill and pp (need to find out specifics)

Stamps: Hero Arts for background writing, PTI's mixed messages

Ink: Palette burnt umber

Other: nestabilities oval, Metallic fiber specialty paper, bronze brads, color pencils, distress sponge, star dust gel pen

EBTKS Sketch Challenge

Did you hear that the girls from Everything But The Kitchen Sink Challenge have moved to there own blog and are adding yet another challenge to the mix?!? They'll be utilizing the same concept- household items. The only difference is that it will be a sketch!!! Now how fun is that!!!

The first sketch was inspired by Courtney's own home (go check it out here) it's awesome. Here's the actual sketch.

Now for my creation. I kept the card fairly simple!! I used my Farm Fresh collection (which I love) and PTI paper to create the grid. Love how PTI colors worked so well with my pp :) It's little things like those that make paper crafting a delight, wouldn't you say? I chose this pp for my "get well" card because it has a homey feel. So the little squares wouldn't look so flat I distressed them a bit.

The little apple on the center I cut from the same pp. Then stamped my sentiment and created a tag so it wouldn't distract the grid :)

And there ya have it a simple, homey get well card :)

Thanks for stopping by!!

Blessings,

Jessica

Materials:

Cardstock: The Paper Company ivory weaved, PTI's orange zest, spring moss, aqua mist and dark chocolate, pp Farm fresh

Stamps: PTI's Faux Ribbon (for sentiment)

Ink: Palette burnt umber

Other: twine,

It's A Color Parade!!!

Embellish Magazine is hosting yet another fantastic challenge (for details you can go here). This time we're creating with primary colors {and one secondary} and we're using brads. As far as I can recall I haven't created anything with these colors and the moment I saw them I knew what I wanted to create. Love it when that happens ;)

Now to get an idea here's what they (Embellish Gals) have chosen. These images are so inspiring. Just by looking at them my fear of creating something with these colors was gone.

And now for my creation. I was inspired by the way the brads in the image above are just so beautifully and randomly tossed. So I grabbed my extra super bright cardstock and circle punch and off I went to my work station to create my version of that image. And this is what I came up with.

I just love those circles and the colors look great. It's a fun super simple card. It's bright and perfect to give for any occasion. The yellow edges on my card were created by gently sliding my paris light palette ink pad over the cardstock. In order for the circles not to look so plain I distressed them a bit and stamped my sentiment on it and added some flower stamps in order to incorporate the brads. I would've preferred different color brads but this is all I had and because all I had was that sort of brass looking color I chose as my base card ivory. So it could blend better :)

Hope this inspires you to participate on the Embellish Magazine challenge. I know I will definitely keep this color combo for future use.

Thanks for stopping and your comments are always welcomed. They are what keep this little blog of mine going :)

Blessings,

Jessica

Materials:

Cardstock: The Paper Company Ivory weaved, DCWV mat stack (red, blue, yellow & green)

Stamps: PTI's Little Lady, faux ribbon sentiment ("enjoy" was handwritten)

Ink: Adirondack denim, lettuce, Palette La'Amore red, paris lights

Other: brads, EK Success circle punch 1" and 1/2" fine tip blue marker

Quick Stop!!

Hi!!! Happy new week!!! Just wanted to drop by quickly to share another card I created using Sassafras' Sweet Marmalade Collection.

This card is super sweet not to mention adorable with that little ducky. What I did to create it was cut a strip of Sugary Sweet then used my EK Success small pierced scalloped border punch and adhered that strip to my already colored in based cardstock border. To color it all I did was use some painters tape for delicate surface and used my Palette ink pad. Then I cut out that super cute ducky from the coordinating side of the pp used some foam tape for dimension and added my sentiment ("girl" was handwritten). To finish off my card I added rhinestones and used my corner rounder :)

Now this card is so simple it would make a great gift for any mom-to-be you can interchange the colors to make it suitable for boy/girl or unisex :)

Hope this gets your creative juices flowing. I'll be back later (I promise) with my take of the latest Embellish Magazine Color Challenge. This challenge as all the others is really fun none traditional colors for my style but still fun :)

Be back later...

Blessings,

Jessica

Materials:

Cardstock: Ivory weaved cardstock, Sassafras sugary sweet

Stamps: Martha Stewart's baby announcement

Ink: Palette Noir

Other: rhinestone, fine tip black marker

A Gold Mine!!

Happy Saturday everyone!!! Hope your weekend is going well. Mine is pretty easy going. Not much excitement. Except church (that's always fun) and regular weekend stuff.

Todays card is very simple, but then again I love simple :) This one in particular is special though. You know when you're creating a card and you're missing a tiny piece to finish it off just right but can't figure out what it is?? That's exactly what happened to me. I knew what I wanted to create but was missing the right element. In this case it was that shimmery piece of blue paper. I looked all over, I emptied out my paper bins and nothing. I tried all sorts of things and nothing was fitting. Till I finally went to my scrap stash and it was there where I knew I had found the missing piece to my card. I have discovered that often times it is in my scrap stash where I find the best pieces for creating my embellies (which is the cream of any card) or for those tiny little pieces that will add the finishing touch to my projects. It's like a gold mine right at my finger tips :)

Here's my card!! Doesn't that shimmery blue paper add tons of detail to this card? It's amazing what something so insignificant can do. It changes the entire look of your project from dull and boring to shimmery and classy.

To create it I stamped the leaf using london fog ink then cut it out and added some star dust shimmer with my gel pen. This made a simple leaf into something more classy especially since it was going to be used as a focal point. I then took two pieces of paper (both from my scrap stash) and matted them. I then adhered the paper to the center of my base card and place my leaf right on the center. I used foam tape for some pop-up effect. To finish it off I stamped my sentiment using london fog. Pretty simple, huh!!

A card like this one is easy to mass produce. Great gift idea for the holidays. Just use assorted sentiments and background colors and you'll be good to go. I bet you can make a few sets using pieces from your scrap stash which would make it not only a simple and elegant gift but a very cost effective one too ;)

Thanks for stopping by!! Hope you found some inspiration. I'll be back tomorrow with more crafty goodness.

Blessings,

Jessica

Materials:

Cardstock: The Paper Company Ivory Weaved, bazzill elephant, shimmery blue (from the $ store)

Stamps: Making Memories Autumn Splendor, Hero Arts Written Thank You

Ink: Memento london fog

Other: scissors

Sweet As Can Be!!!

Hello everyone!! For today I have two cards I created using my new Sassafras collection Sweet Marmalade. As I mentioned on a previous post it took a little bit of staring at this paper before I could cut into it all inspired. But now I must say I am so loving it.

My creations today are a little similar as far as layout goes. I cut out some of the images and adhered it to the upper right corner of my base cardstock. The result a simple yet retro/spunky design. Love it!!!

Now that I look at this card it reminds me a little of the Wizard of Oz. I wasn't thinking of it at all when I created it. I guess the hot air ballon and the yellow strip on the border some how made me think of the end scene :) Remember how the movie ended?!? Too funny!! For the sentiment I chose black ink. I really like how it goes with this particular pp and finished it off with a small strip of yellow rhinestones. As a finishing touch I added some sparkles to paper.

Now for the second card!! I really like the randomness of it. There are so many little pieces here. At first I thought of making it a baby card (because of the little elephant) but then I made it more general using PTI's Mixed Messages ("Enjoy" was handwritten). With this sentiment it can be used for baby or anything else.

Here's a close up so you can see some of the shimmer I added (my latest go to item). Simple, fun and definitely unique card. So as far as I'm concerned from the Sassafras line Sweet Marmalade, Handmade is a hit (at least for me) now on to tackling the others Sugary Sweet, Candied, Preserve, With Love & Confection.

Hope your day is as sweet as this line of paper is!! It's breakfast time here right now and I'm so tempted to get me a a slice of toast with some preserve. I think I'll go with fig, yum!!

Blessings,

Jessica

Materials:

Cardstock: PTI's basic craft, pp Sassafras Handmade

Stamps: PTI's paper tray

Ink: Palette Noir

Other: yellow rhinestones

Materials Card #2:

Cardstock: Paper Zone linen ivory, pp Sassafras Handmade

Stamps: PTI's mixed messages, A Muse long bars

Ink: Palette Noir, raw sienna

Other: large alpha cardstock stickers, Ranger stickles

Celebrate!!

Hi girlies!!! Do you have something to celebrate!?! I made this card because today I'm celebrating the gift of life, friends, loved ones and a place to call home :)

My creation for today is simple. Lately I've been trying to incorporate pattern paper on my cards. For me this is a real challenge. Whenever I experiment with it I always end up with a deconstructed card needless to say unsatisfied. So I have given myself a few challenges. One is to create cards using pp as my focal. The other is to use up those colors that end up at the end of my cardstock pile because they aren't as appealing :)

I'll be back tomorrow with some more fun Sassafras creations!!!

Hope your day is full of many blessings!! Especially those little ones that God hides in the simplest and most unexpected place ;)

Hugs,

Jessica

Materials:

Cardstock: basic white, Making Memories mat stack black & white

Stamps: PTI's Damask (sentiment)

Ink: Pallet Noir

Other: felt flowers, rhinestone Creative Cafe

Loving Sassafras!!

Hi friends!!! First of all I want to say thank you for visiting and leaving me sweet comments. I appreciate every single one of them. Secondly, my creation are here to inspire you. So feel free to use what you see and please do share your creations with me. It's amazing how different a project can look using the same concept. I guess that's where personality come in :)

Now moving on to todays card!! This is very different than what I've been creating lately. A little back to my simple basics sort of speak. I received my prize package from Moxie Fab (thanks, Cath) from my Not Your Regular Ruffle Challenge win and I have to say I'm in love with it. I received Sassafras Sweet Marmalade line of pp, journal tags, cardstock letters/stickers. At first I was like wow, these are colors I am not used to working with but then the more I looked at it the more inspired and in love I became with it.

Here's one of the cards I made. Aren't those colors great?!?

The possibilities are endless!! Here's a little close up so you can see the shimmer I've added didn't want it to look so dull. I've made a few more cards using this paper. I'll share those some other time ;)

Well gotta go!! Loads of stuff to do- cleaning being the major one ;)

Have a great day!!

Blessings,

Jessica

Materials:

Cardstock: PTI'S basic kraft, Sassafras Sweet Marmalade handmade pp

Ink: fine point brown marker to write sentiment

Other: Sassafras Large Alpha cardstock stickers, Ranger stickles distressing ink tea dye