Birch Street Paperie

TGIF

2011-10-07T10:07:00.000-07:00

It's been one long week- how tough it is to juggle having a career and being a mama on a good week, never mind when little ones are sick! Oh well, we're plugging along.

Gettin' in lots of scrappy time though, so that's a plus:

I really loved making this page because it captures such a sweet moment, one of those little glimpses into just how much they love each other. Boy can they squabble, but when it comes down to it, there's such a precious relationship growing here.

I used the adorable products from Paper Posies August kit. I've never really been too much of a kit girl because shopping for everything and putting them together on my own was half of the fun. However, now that I'm back to work and pressed for time, I love the convenience of kits and how everything is all together and ready to go when I sit down and set to work. I'm finding them very inspiring.

Another quick and easy layout. I kept this one pretty simple because I wanted the picture to be the focus. Most of the items are from another Paper Posies kit, July maybe? I added in a few bingo chips and Thickers.

I made this card last weekend for a VIP in my life. The stamp sets are PTI's All About You and Background Basics Text Style.

I cut the flower out to add some dimension to the layers and gave it a dusting of glitter because, why not? Glitter makes everything better!

We got a new computer in the last week or so and now I've lost my Adobe bridge... favorite way to edit and touch up my photos. I'm a little lost without it, so I'll be putting the hubby on the case this weekend! These photos look terrible, such dark backgrounds. Hopefully we'll be looking better soon!

Have a great weekend!

xo,
Jennifer

First Day

2011-09-03T11:38:00.000-07:00

Hello friends! It's been quite a while. A lot has changed in the past 6 months and it all took a bit of adjusting, but I must say, I'm in a good place now. My days as a stay-at-home mama have come to an end as I accepted a new job back in April. It was a huge adjustment for us with lots of ups and downs and each one of us having a difficult time here and there. Life always has a funny way of working out and we're now well on our way in this next chapter of life. I'm loving my work as the Director of an amazing early childhood center and have found my way back to some creative time as well. I've missed my blog and my friends online, so I'm going to make an effort to start posting and sharing again.

I couldn't believe it when I woke up one morning this week as the mother of a second grader! Where does the time go? She's so adorable at this age and is loving every minute of second grade so far, already declaring this "the best grade ever"!

I was sad that I wasn't going to be able to be there for the first bus pick-up of the year and would be leaving for work before her little eyes opened, so I got a few little goodies to leave for her for a little surprise when she woke up. I wrapped them up in a little handmade bag and created a card to share a few thoughts and wishes for her first day.

She was thrilled! I love that about her- she loves surprises, and surprising others, more than anyone I know! I love to make her things because she appreciates them so greatly.

Well, friends, I'm so glad to be back on my little blog and hope to chat with you all some more over the next few weeks. Thanks for coming by!
~ Jennifer

Simple Joys

2011-03-19T14:00:00.000-07:00

I've rekindled my love affair with white embossing powder.

Can't stop using the stuff.

I was in the mood for a carefree springy card today and naturally turned to an old favorite- PTI's Green Thumb stamp set, choc full 'o springy, flowery images, and I immediately knew what I wanted to do with these little blossoms...

smother them in white EP of course!

So, they're stamped in versamark, embossed, and filled in the centers with stickles. I added some stems in SU's old olive ink, which the background cardstock is too.

I die cut the little butterfly using PTI's Love Lives Here die set and inked the edges a bit with some pumpkin pie ink from SU and attached the little cutie to some white twill with a safety pin.

Spring is really pushing it's way into New England and I couldn't be happier!
We were treated to some warm, sunny 60's for St. Patrick's Day, and with the exception of a few bits of snow mounds scattered here and there still hanging on from the monstrous snow mountains from the plows, it's almost all gone!
I was beginning to think we wouldn't see the end of that stuff until June!

In the spirit of my trying harder to finish the inside of cards to coordinate with the outside...

... I finished this off with a strip of patterned paper to match the front, distressed with some light sanding, and stamped the butterfly image using the rock and roll technique with so saffron and pumpkin pie inks.

I've got to get dinner going for the little ones and then I'm going to check out a Bob Marley tribute band tonight with some friends.
Enjoy your weekend!
~Jennifer

Heavy Hearts

2011-03-12T11:14:00.000-08:00

My heart is so heavy today... the events of the past 24 hours have been so devastating. My heart goes out, and my prayers go up, for all of the people of Japan and all of the people around the world who are worried about their loved ones today. There just aren't words. All we can do this moment is to hold our loved ones close. This is yet another reminder of how fragile life is.

I was in the mood to create some bright and cheery spring cards this week, and so I turned to Melissa Phillip's second Creative Mint photo inspiration challenge. It's such a lovely, inspiring photograph again and certainly sparked some creativity in me. Here's a picture of my card for the challenge:

I used some new, and old, PTI favorites for this card, along with a Martha Stewart doiley, SU dsp, and seam binding from Prairie Bird Boutique etsy shop. I continue that cute little zig zag stitch stamp from the Button Boutique stamp set right onto the inside of the card with the sentiment.

If you're looking for some inspiration, hop on over to Melissa's blog to check out the sweet photo for this challenge. I'll bet you can't resist creating with this spring-y color combo!

Time to get messy creating with the little ones right now. We're making a Leprechaun Trap to put out the night before St. Patrick's Day... wish us luck!
~Jennifer

Favorite Things

2011-02-26T12:49:00.000-08:00

Happy Saturday everyone! Despite the snow that continues to fly around and pile up here, I'm really gearing up for Spring : )

When you walk through the stores, all you see are adorable, colorful, playful Easter & Spring products- yummy candies (you know the ones I'm talking about), home decor, clothing... it sure puts a girl in the mood for some much needed sunny days.

So I'm dreaming, looking ahead, and pretending that, indoors anyway, it's almost springtime! To really satisfy the mood, I bought a new candle today that is just filling the rooms of our home with the most delightful, sunny, fresh aroma. It's Fluffy Towels from Yankee Candle, my new favorite spring scent. If you're looking for a new one, this would be my recommendation!

I also stumbled upon these most adorable felt cupcakes from Martha Stewart and, once I got myself over the fact that I couldn't eat them up, I decided I could at least start slapping them onto some paper crafting projects! They're just too cute, my little Emma even snagged a few!

Plus also (now I'm talking like Junie B. Jones. Have you read these books? She the funniest kindergartner/first grader ever and we've been reading them non-stop lately), but anyway, so yes, I also LOVE Papertrey's 2011 Birthday Tag stamp set. Just got it a week or so ago, and can't stop using it! I'm gonna be so prepared the next time a birthday rolls around! I knew these cupcakes would go so well with the images in this set. I think I'll pair them up a few times more!

Melissa Phillips is starting up a weekly challenge on her blog in conjunction with Leslie at a Creative Mint that's so inspiring. A visit to Melissa's blog is so inspirational any day and Leslie's work is so beautiful, so it's a win-win! Each challenge will be based on her brilliant photographs. I'll definitely be playing along whenever I can because they always inspire me! Here's a link to the challenge post and this is the picture, from Leslie at a Creative Mint, that I chose to use as my inspiration...

and here is the card that I created based on the above photo...

I've been waiting for the chance to ink up these darling buttons from PTI's Button Boutique stamp set, which I'm head over heels for too! Anyway, they immediately popped into my mind when I saw Leslie's photo in Melissa's challenge.

There are a few more lovely photos to choose from over on Melissa's blog. I definitely recommend playing along if you're looking for a little creative boost. Thanks so much to Melissa and Leslie for the inspiration!

That's all for me today... my indoor springtime is coming to an end, as two little cherubs and a dog are begging me to take them outside into the cold winter air! Hope you enjoy the rest of the weekend!
~Jennifer

Memories

2011-02-22T12:21:00.000-08:00

I've been looking back through some older pictures of my little ones recently, missing the chubby, soft, cuddly baby stage! Anyway, it got me in the mood to scrap some pictures that I just never got around too- I'm one of those people that have tons of pictures trapped on my computer, waiting to be printed and shared. I do use a lot of them, but I take so many photos and can't always get to them all. When I have extra time on my hands though, I really do enjoy going through them to revisit those memories.

This page was so much fun to put together, using some of my favorite October Afternoon products. My mom and Emma have always had such a special, close relationship that just melts my heart! I adore my mother and can see why my kids love her so much. Everything here is OA, except for a stamp and rub-on from SU, the cute little felt flowers are oldies from my stash by K & Company, and the larger blue letters are from Doodlebug Designs. I keep making these 8 1/2 x 11 pages, so I need to buy an album to house them in. I enjoy this size when I'm creating single photo layouts.

Next up is a layout about how wonderful my days were with Emily when I was on maternity leave. I was so excited to be a mommy and loved every second of every day at home with her, knowing they were numbered because I'd be going back to work.

I truly enjoyed all of it... middle of the night feedings, soothing her tummy troubles, folding all those tiny socks and onesies, making and washing bottles, but most of all, I loved knowing that I could spend hours just being with her, watching her, snuggling her, and wasting time doing nothing but being with her!

The background paper of this layout is from the Newsprint DSP collection from SU along with the full heart punch. I also used some adorable patterned paper and stickers from Iron Orchid Designs, Making Memories chipboard, and baker's twine. I stitched the hearts down through the center so I could pull the edges up a bit.

I also left the chipboard bare here on the frame just because I liked the soft, natural look of the neutrals on this page against the bright reds.

Well, my favorite brown truck just delivered a box of scrappy goodies that I'm dying to dig into, so that's it for today! My friend, Siobhan, recently asked how I make my bows on cards, so I'll be back soon with a quickie tutorial... nothing special, but I'll show you what works for me.
~Jennifer

Use It

2011-02-18T11:03:00.000-08:00

Have you had a chance to check out Use It Tuesday? Such a fun idea! There are many things hiding here and there around my scrap room that are very unloved, not for any special reason, I just haven't gotten around to using them. So, I love the idea of playing along with these challenges, plus the creators are two of the most fabulous ladies I've *met* in the blogosphere : )

This first challenge calls upon participants to use a stamp that they've never inked up before... yup, got those! Not sure if I'm too late in playing along, but I wanted to do it anyway to challenge myself to do this. I love this little party banner stamp from A Muse, purchased quite a while ago and never inked up, along with the background stamp. I know this little birdie has touch an ink pad or two in it's life, but not very often, so I figured I'd incorporate her too.

The background image is stamped all over in crumb cake ink from SU, the banner and bird are colored with some copics and I added some glitter and a pom-pom to her hat to dress her up a bit for the occasion.

I created a little border at the bottom of the focal point with a scalloped lace border punch, machine stitching, and a bit of very vanilla ink.

Thanks to Samantha and Siobhan for the inspiration to use it! This was lots of fun and I'm looking forward to the next challenge. Hope you'll play along too!

Happy Friday!
Jennifer

xoxo

2011-02-14T15:21:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentines Day!!

Such a sweet day, full of endless hugs & kisses from my little ones, my little "Balentimes"! That's one of those words that I just can't bear to correct... I'll let it slide a little longer, just too cute, kinda like "Pupcakes".

I've been doing a bit of creating lately, some for Valentine's Day, some for special occasions, and some just for fun, like lots of layouts which I'll share soon. This little valentine is created with some Melissa Frances paper, one of my favorites since I'm a softy when it comes to gingham. I also used some aqua mist ribbon, pure poppy ink and stamps from PTI, eyelet trim, and an old tag from Cosmo Cricket that I stumbled upon and it sparked my inspiration for this color combo.

Here's a peak at the inside, which I finished off with some more adorable PTI stamps... trying to do this more lately to add a bit extra to my cards.

Next up is a baby card that I made for friends of ours who just added two of the most adorable little twin baby girls to their family... such little sweet peas!

This was created with more PTI stamps from the Baby Button Bits set and spring mix buttons, Basic Grey & Melissa Frances papers, and some old olive ink and very vanilla seam binding from SU. Baby cards are always a favorite of mine to create.

I'm off to try my hand at stir fry... I cook lots of things, but rarely do this. My chef hubby usually enjoys this, so I let him take the lead, but I think I'll give it a go tonight since the grill is buried in snow outside, I'm getting bored of baking, roasting, and sauteing!
Thanks for stopping by... Enjoy your Valentine's evening!
xo,
Jennifer

Somethin' Sweet

2011-01-13T13:11:00.000-08:00

I've got sweets on the brain today. There's something about creating for Valentine's Day that makes me crave chocolate, well actually there's lots of things on lots of days that make me crave chocolate... but anyway, there's something a little more irresistible about it when Valentine's Day draws near. I love to come up with creative ways to dress up sweet treats for loved ones for this special occasion.

Today, I've created these little shabby Valentine pockets to hold something special wrapped in white tulle, a sweet treat maybe, and was inspired by this week's challenge over at The Shabby Tea Room based on this sketch:

I simply sewed together a backing of soft pink cardstock and a pretty front made from heart printed vellum. I trimmed the top with a scallop lace border punch from Stampin' Up! and then embellished the front with a few sweet shabby items. The little butterfly is stamped with an image from the Love Lives Here stamp set from PTI and the tag was created with a sentiment and jewelry tag punch from SU. Lots of fun to create and they're now up for sale in my Etsy shop!

Well, just popping in quickly this afternoon as I've got a little ballerina to get to dance class right now.
Thanks for coming by!
~Jennifer

New Year Changes

2011-01-10T07:45:00.000-08:00

With each new year comes the opportunity to evaluate, dream, set new goals, and create plans of action to achieve our goals. I love this about the new year. You can do these things any time you like, of course, but there's something about setting out in a new year with a fresh perspective and new aspirations for the year ahead that can make you feel so inspired and focused.

For me, throughout this process over the past few weeks, I've evaluated where I've been in the past year, what my dreams are for my family and myself and what I've been doing over the past year to get us there. I then established some new goals and have started, together with my husband, to put plans into place to help us achieve our goals and live out our dreams. In doing so, one of the things I've been evaluating is my passion for paper crafting and the goals and dreams I have pertaining to this. I've decided that, while I love Stampin' Up!, it may be limiting me and taking me further from the goals and dreams I have set for myself. I've decided to discontinue being a demonstrator with Stampin' Up! and pursue other opportunities where I can be a little more free to express myself creatively and in a more open ended manner.

I am so grateful for what I've learned during my time as a demonstrator, especially forcing myself to get up in front of real, live groups of people to teach stamping and to become very confident in doing so. Teaching paper crafting is definitely something I'd love to do more of, independently, in the future, so this has been a wonderful experience. I've also simply loved being involved with this company. It has been nothing but positive and I have so much respect for Stampin' Up! as a whole.

So, I'm breaking free, and having some fun creating freely, for fun, for myself for a bit, and will keep my eyes and ears open to the possibility of new relationships and pursuing new avenues should they come my way. I'll be packing my Etsy shop full of goodies each week, continuing to create custom designs for customers, and participating in some of the fun around the blogosphere. I'm excited to see what's to come in 2011.

Hugs,
Jennifer

2011 Occasions Mini Debut

2011-01-04T18:28:00.000-08:00

The 2011 Occasions Mini Catalog debuts today and it is fa-bu-lous!! It is packed, cover to cover, with irresistible products that are sure to WOW you and get your creative juices flowing.

Be sure to email me, or contact your demonstrator if you already have one, for your free copy. You can also shop directly from my demonstrator website anytime 24/7 if you're ready to start plugging away at your wish list today!

This little valentine was created using some of the new Love Impressions Rub Ons from the Occasions Mini and boy are they cute! I just adore these. How fun is that heart shaped hot air balloon? I love how these rub ons apply so nicely.

Love You Card

Cardstock- Crumb Cake, Bashful Blue

DSP- Playdate

Stamp Set- Punched Posies

Ink- Real Red

Tools- Scalloped Lace Border Punch

Embellishments- Love Impressions Rub Ons, Real Read 1/4" Grosgrain

Thanks for stopping by! If you get a chance, leave me a comment and let me know what's at the top of your wish list from the new mini!
~Jennifer

Occasions Mini Preview

2010-12-30T12:04:00.000-08:00

The 2011 Occasions Mini Catalog debuts January 4th and I couldn't be more excited about the products offered within! There's such a great variety of coordinating sets, punches, and a whole lot of embellishments that just make my mouth water! The Baby Blossoms stamp set was at the top of my wish list from the moment I first looked through the mini. There's such a beautiful selection of blossoms, stems, and leaves in addition to this spectacular frame.

I'm also head over heels for the new color offerings of seam binding. I can't get enough of the stuff and now it coordinates so nicely with all of the projects we'll have coming up including Valentine's Day, Easter, and Spring! I chose to use the Rose Red seam binding on this card to coordinate nicely with the roses stamped on the frame. The dsp you see in the background in from the lovely Springtime Vintage collection, one of my new favorites. This is all such a refreshing change from all of the Christmas creating!

Things are finally winding down around here after the busy holiday. I've been enjoying having my little ones around all week. Wishing you all a very Happy, Healthy New Year! I'll be back soon with more from the new mini!

Don't forget, the Filled with Love Promotion is going on now through January 24th. It's a great way to jump start your Valentine creating! Shop Now

Email me if you'd like a free copy of the new Occasions Mini Catalog! You'll find my email under my complete profile.

By TwitterButtons.net
Jennifer

Filled with Love

2010-12-15T13:48:00.000-08:00

A new, limited time only, promotion starts this Friday the 17th! During the Filled with Love Promotion, which will run from December 17th - January 24, 2011, you'll get a FREE package of Bitty Buttons when you purchase an exclusive Filled with Love Bundle! Starting Friday, head on over to my website and click on 'Shop Now' to get yours.

I've created a few samples using some of the products contained in the bundle. The exclusive Designer Series Paper included in this promotion is fabulous and coordinates so beautifully with the Filled with Love stamp set.

This card was so much fun to create using the Filled with Love stamp set, Crumb Cake cardstock, the DSP from the bundle, and some additional DSP from the Play Date and Newsprint Collections. I punched a heart from the Newsprint DSP and adhered it with dimensionals over some dazzling diamonds glitter. I love the look it gives the center of the heart. I also finished off the inside of this card with more DSP from the bundle and the punched heart from the piece on the front

Next up are a few little mini cards created with some of the items from the Filled with Love Bundle. I love creating lots of mini cards for Valentine's Day because I use them more than the larger cards to give with little treats.

All those FREE, cute little Bitty Buttons make such great accents! You can also see a little sneak peek of glimmer paper from the upcoming Occasions Mini-Catalog. Let me just say that this stuff is fa-bu-lous! All the glitter without the mess and it's so easy to use with your punches!

I adore this LOVE sentiment from the Filled with Love set. It comes with different little accents to use in the center of the O.

One more card for you created using the stamp set and DSP from the bundle...

I love this image, a little heart flower, and used it here with the marker to stamp technique. It's a great way to customize the color of your images and super easy to do on this one.

I kept this card kind of cozy and homespun with the Confetti Cream base, some distressing, machine stitching and a linen thread bow.

One more note before I head out... Birch Street Paperie is now on Twitter! Click below to follow and stay up-to-date on special info and promotions from Stampin' Up! as well as additional stamping tips, tricks, and ideas.

Well, thanks so much for stopping by today. Don't forget that the Filled with Love Bundle will be available for purchase this Friday the 17th.

~Jennifer

Winter Weather

2010-12-12T10:50:00.000-08:00

I'm longing for the winter weather! We've had the cold, but not the beautiful snow that so often accompanies the chill in New England. I know it will come soon, but I'm feeling a bit impatient today as Christmas approaches and I dream of it being white. My husband however, the one who actually has to move all the snow, doesn't quite share my wishes on this!

It is rainy today though, which makes for perfect crafting weather! This card was lots of fun to whip up using some gorgeous Melissa Frances patterned paper, crepe paper, and rub-on. Those crepe paper sheets are so much fun to work with. I used a scallop punch to create the layer underneath the glittery vintage snowflake. I punched it twice, cut a slit in each circle and accordian folded each scallop. I attached the two together and then adhered them atop a tea stained doily. There's that image from the SU Winter Post set popping up on a card of mine again... can't seem to keep my hands off it!

One more holiday greeting to share, this one created with PTI's Wreath for all Seasons set, which I'm also head over heals for and ink up at least a few times a week. I dressed the rest of the card up in some gorgeous Melissa Frances and Basic Grey papers, pretty shimmery ribbon, and some pom-pom trim.

Whether you're cozy at home watching a football game today or out in the hustle and bustle, hope you're having a wonderful Sunday!
~Jennifer

Holiday Greetings

2010-12-09T13:43:00.000-08:00

Hello friends! It's been a while again. So much going on, all good intentions of blogging out the window! Doesn't mean I haven't been creating up a frenzy though! I'm buried up to my eyeballs in holiday cards that I've got to get in the mail. I can't turn off the inspiration lately and can't stop creating. I'm finally cutting myself off today, for a few hours anyway, so that I can sit down and write greetings in these cards to send to my family and friends. Once I've done that, then I can go on creating more! Here's a peek at what I've been working on...

I dressed up two glassine bags for two special friends and filled them with Snyder's chocolate covered pretzels, yum... ate a few along the way. I first stamped the bags in whisper white with a snowflake image from Stampin' Up! I then created toppers for each bag with some lovely Melissa Frances patterned paper and stamped on it using the Winter Post (my current holiday fav) and Bells and Boughs sets from Stampin' Up! The tags are created with a tea stained doily, more Melissa Frances paper and sweet little vintage snowflakes. So much fun to dress up gifts for the holidays!

Onto a couple of cards-

More beautiful Melissa Frances Holiday paper and rub-ons here along with another image from SU's Winter Post set. I added some glitter underneath the skaters to help ground them a bit. They looked a little funny floating around on the card!

Next up is a card created in celebration of winter, also showcasing the fact that I'm starting to tire of red and green. Gotta mix it up a bit with some softer colors, like pink!

Love these fabric fancies from Webster's Pages left over in my stash from last Christmas just waiting to be put to good use. It's paired with some beautiful pink seam binding and a trinket pin from Maya Road. The background is stamped in whisper white with my favorite little snowflake from SU's Northern Hearts hostess set. Also used...more patterned paper from Melissa Frances, sequin trim, and a foundation of my favorite kraft, or crumbcake, cardstock.

Assuming life doesn't sweep me away again, I'll be back over the next few days to share some more. Hope you're having a beautiful holiday season!

~Jennifer

It's beginning to look, like Christmas?

2010-11-14T13:25:00.000-08:00

Happy Sunday friends! I hope you're having a lovely day. We're snug in our cozy house today since the little ones are both feeling under the weather and it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here. Don't worry, I haven't started decorating yet, but I have been creating up a storm and so the shelves and mantles are being filled with holiday projects. The kids are catching onto the spirit and have been flipping through the toys r us catalog today talking about what they'd like to put on their lists for Santa. We better slow down until Thanksgiving gets here at least.

It is so much fun creating with this irresistible holiday paper from The Girl's Paperie. I adore every last inch of this collection. I also used a Martha Stewart doily, Tattered Angels chipboard, lots of glitter, Prima poinsettia and leaves, old olive ink and very vanilla seam binding from Stampin' Up!, and a sticker from Creative Imaginations.

Here's some more of this irresistible paper paired with a few embellishments and some stamping. The image is from SU's Northern Hearts hostess set and the embossing is done with the finial press embossing folder.

Just wanted to pop in for a quick hello, off to take some temperatures. Thanks for coming by!

~Jennifer

Busy, Busy

2010-11-11T14:05:00.000-08:00

Hello friends! It's been too long again. What a busy fall... trips to the farm, pumpkin picking & carving, birthdays, parties, special visitors, a craft fair, sick kids, and to top it all off a new puppy! He's such a love and I just can't wait to introduce him to you as soon as I get a chance to post a pic. He's a little cocker spaniel and has made our family complete. We adore him. It makes things quite busy, well busier, but I wouldn't trade it for anything! We also had our very first visit from the tooth fairy last night, such a sweet milestone, and I love the little toothless grin we're blessed with today. Wish I could freeze the moment!

I've also been very happily, busily stamping! I manage to squeeze in even a little something each day. It's my gift to myself. I adore all of the holiday stamps from Stampin' Up! this year. They're so versatile and are making not only card making, but gifts and gift wrapping a breeze this year. I'll be updating my Etsy Shop over the next week with some new holiday items up for sale. In the meantime, here's a peek at a few of the projects I've completed recently. All supplies are Stampin' Up!

Have you tried one of these darling Design-a-Houses? I urge you to give it a try! I LOVE them and am having so much fun dressing them up for the holidays.

I used all kinds of goodies on this and find that the more you pile on, the better they are! Send me an email if you have any questions.

Next up, gingerbread men and cherry cobbler... need I say more? They are among my favorite and most used things this holiday season. I'm loving the seam binding from Stampin' Up! I also used some newsprint DSP; the Sweet Season stamp set; lace border punch; basic pearls; cherry cobbler, crumb cake, and very vanilla cardstock; chocolate chip and whisper white ink.

That's it for today. Gotta go make some dinner! Thanks for stopping by today!

~Jennifer

Day of Gratitude

2010-09-23T11:44:00.000-07:00

Hello friends! It's been a while since I've posted. I needed a bit of time away for personal reasons, just to focus on family life, and it's been very rejuvenating. In addition, I've spent some time clarifying my goals and redefining what it is I'd like to see come of this paper crafting passion of mine. I have really enjoyed getting my Stampin' Up! business off and running. This has been an amazing experience thus far and I'm very excited about my upcoming plans and what the future may hold.

So, I'm back to blogging and, in the process, have begun to design this new site built around my Stampin' Up! business. I'm just getting going on the sight, so bear with me as I work out the kinks and learn what I can really do with it.

A few things to share today from some of my workshops this month, all featuring some fabulous products from the Holiday Mini Catalog. Isn't this catalog awesome? Just when I think I've made a dent in my wish list, it seems to grow some more!

These projects feature images and a sentiment from the Day of Gratitude set. I absolutely adore this fall stamp set and just can't seem to keep my hands off of it! I've also used Autumn Spice DSP, love it, Mini Lunch Sacks which couldn't be any sweeter, and the Paisley Party Wheel all from the Holiday Mini.

These little treat bags will make excellent favors for Thanksgiving guests and can be used for a variety of other occasions. They also seem to be a big hit at workshops!

A few close-ups:

Other products used: Cardstock: Confetti Cream, Chocolate Chip; Ink: Old Olive, Chocolate Chip; Scalloped Edge Punch

Other products used: Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Early Espresso; Ink: Cajun Craze, More Mustard, Early Espresso; Scallop Circle Punch; twine

This last card was used for a workshop to teach the rock and roll technique creating the appearance of fall foliage on this tree image from the Trendy Trees set. I used two different fall colors to create this look, More Mustard and Cherry Cobbler for the very tips of the leaves. I also used this card to show the added detail that the Vintage Wallpaper Textured Impressions Embossing Folder with the Big Shot can give to the card base.

Thank you for coming by today. I will definitely be back soon!

~Jennifer