Happy Easter Card with Simon Says Stamp

Hello and Welcome!

So excited to share with you that I am a Guest Designer at the Simon Says Stamp's Flickr site! Barb Engler was kind enough to invite me. It is a huge honor. Without further ado, here is my card:

Many of you know I post additional projects on my Flickr page, where I go by the name of SnazzyJJ. You are welcome to come visit and look around by clicking here.

This card was inspired by the Simon Says Stamps' Flickr Challenge #68 "Something New."  You can join in the fun, see tons of projects using Simon Says Stamp exclusives and learn about this challenge here.

This card was created using Simon Says Stamps' new Oval Of Flowers stencil ("new" release). I also used the Marisa Snowflake diecut in a "new" way by cutting them out of bright colored cardstock and making them into flowers. The pretty sequins are also a Simon Says Stamp exclusive.

Other products used include: Quick Quotes' PowerPuff Chalking inks, Tim Holtz bunny diecut, MFT's Royal Leaves diecut, cheesecloth, Stampendous' sentiment stamp, and  Ranger's Liquid Enamel.


This page is entered in:

• The National Craft Month Challenge at Simon Says Stamp

               

• The March Work It Wednesday Challenge at Simon Says Stamp

Thanks for stopping by and hope you can check out all the great fun we are having at Flickr,
-june

Coffee Balloon Card

Hello and Welcome!

I love the look of overlapping, colorful balloons. So I decided to give it a try:

There seems to be so much fun inspiration and celebration out here in blogland right now. This card was inspired Amy Kolling's card celebrating Sugar Pea's 3rd year. You can check out the fun here.

The balloons were stamped with Quick Quotes PowderPuff Chalking Inks, which work so well and are my favorite colored inks. Love the candy colors; you can take a look at them here.

The fun cup is from The Cat Pajama's Cups Duo CutUps. The floating coffee cup was, of course,  inspired by my all time favorite Blog Hop "Coffee Lovers!"

This card is entered in:

• The Spring Coffee Lovers Blog Hop at Coffee Loving Cardmakers

               

• TCP Tuesday #334 "Spring" at The Cat's Pajamas

               

• The 3rd Birthday Bash Celebration at Sugar Pea Designs

              

• YNS Color Challenge #60 at Your Next Stamp

                 

• The National Craft Month Challenge at Simon Says Stamp

               

• The "Things With Wings" Monday challenge at Simon Says Stamp

Thanks for stopping by,
-june

Treasure Hunt Page

Hello and Welcome!

My boys have loved doing our annual Leprechaun treasure hunt. Tyler is an adult, but still drives over to our house for the fun. Aaron has been doing this since Kindergarten (he's 16 now) and can't wait for the hunt. Check out the lower right-hand photo, where Tyler is looking for the clue (which is shown by the arrow).

This page is based on a sketch by Sketch N Scrap. Most of the pattern papers are by Doodlebug. I added some fun tiny green buttons and zig zag machine stitching.

The fun heat embossed stars are from Ellen Hutson's Wonky Backdrops stamp set and add a magical look.

This page is entered in:

• The Monochromatic Challenge at Colorful Creations

              

• Sketch N Scrap Challenge #124

              

• Ellen Hutson's March Pin-Sights Challenge 

• The "Anything Goes" Wednesday challenge at Simon Says Stamp

Thanks for stopping by and hope the Leprechauns are good to you too,
-june

From Fine to Fabulous

Hello and Welcome!

Today we are going to "kick-it-up" with Quick Quotes' new Mulberry Paper Collection by looking at 5 easy ways to add a lot more interest to your layout. First here is my basic page:

Now with just a few additions, look at the dramatic difference:

 

 5 Easy Design Tips:

1. Add Splatters for more color, excitement and fun. And in this case, instant confetti! I made the splatters by applying PowderPuff Chalking Inks to an acrylic block, misting with water and flicking it onto my page with a paint brush. Here I used Royal Blue, Sky Blue, Buttercup and mixed Hydrangea with Lipstick PowderPuff Inks.

2 .Use A Border Punch to add eye-catching detail. You can also use your punched border on several areas around your layout.

3. Layer Your Papers to draw focus to your subject and add depth. Quick Quotes pattern papers are designed to be layered, so you can't go wrong. Here I layered Mulberry MB-100, 101, 103 & 105.  Plus, by inking the edges with PowderPuff Inks (I used Royal Blue), even more depth is created and the papers become more cohesive.

4. Say It With A Banner. To make the title really pop and seem to have movement, I changed it into a banner and backed it with 3L Foam Squares to add depth. It makes more of a statement now.

5. Include Fun Quotes. Quick Quotes is a master at having just the right words for all occasions. By adding a few sayings around your page, you can bring in more heart-warming moments and big smiles. Check out the many Quick Quotes Phrase Sheets here.

Hopefully, you are inspired to try some of these ideas and have fun creating with the new Mulberry paper collection. Quick Quotes has also added 3 other new collections that you can check out here. They are all so gorgeous!

Quick Quotes Supplies:
Mulberry Paper Pack *new*
Mulberry Paper Phrases *coming soon*
2017 PowderPuff Chalking Inks: Royal Blue & Lipstick
2015 PowderPuff Chalking Inks: Buttercup, Hydrangea & Sky Blue


This page is entered in:

• The "Anything Goes" Wednesday challenge at Simon Says Stamp

Thanks for stopping by,
-june

Welcome Spring Card With MarkerPOP!

Hello and welcome!

 I am so excited to share with you that MarkerPOP asked me to be their Guest Designer today! MarkerPOP's blog is always filled with so many wonderful ideas and techniques with a very talented Design Team. So it is a real honor to chosen to work with them. The MarkerPOP shop is also loaded with all the popular products many of them at discount prices. You can check them out here.

Here is my Guest Designer card that was inspired by MarkerPOP's challenge #117:

Most of the products I used for this fun springy card can be found in the MarkerPOP store. The cute bird (colored with Zig Clean Color markers and Wink Of Stella glitter), branch and "welcome" are from Winnie & Walter's So Tweet stamp set. The "spring" is a Winnie & Walter's diecut (The Big, the Bold, and the Seasons). The sequins are Pretty Pink Posh clear 3mm & 6mm. The stitched circle is the Die-namics Starry Circle (I love the outside stitching detail).

Take a moment to check out my card and the fun new challenge over at MarkerPOP. Who knows you might even win a prize! (and their "mystery boxes" are filled with LOTS of fabulous goodies).

This page is entered in:

• The March Color Combo Challenge at Winnie & Walter

• The "Layer It Up" Monday challenge at Simon Says Stamp

• The "More Than One Die/Punch" Wednesday challenge at Simon Says Stamp

Thanks for stopping by,
-june

Girl Talk Card

Hello and Welcome!

I have a wonderful girlfriend who is a big fan of my work. So I wanted to make her a fun card and meet for coffee soon to hear about her recent trip. This is the card:

I love working on dark cardstock and trying different coloring techniques. Today I used Papertrey Inks' Flower Fusion & Heart-2-Heart stamps with Versamark ink and Zing & Ranger embossing powders. I love how all the colors POP!

This card was inspired by the following challenges:

• The March 2017 Blog Hop at Papertrey Ink 

• Pink & Main Challenge #19 "Spring" 

               

• YNS Color Challenge #60 at Your Next Stamp

               

• The Spring Coffee Lovers Blog Hop at Coffee Loving Cardmakers

              

Thanks for stopping by,
-june

A Night To Remember

Hello and Welcome!

Wanting to expose our trumpet-playing son to a great concert featuring his instrument, we got tickets to the Herb Alpert performance. (You may remember Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass from the 1960s.) This concert was AMAZING and I can't encourage you enough to goggle "Herb Alpert" to learn more about this fascinating, talented man. Anyway, here is a layout from that magical night:

This page is based on a sketch at Scrap Our Stash were I am being featured today. You can check out their fun challenge and maybe win a prize here. I was excited to use this large record paper (which has been in my stash forever) and the new Authentique musical patten papers. I also broke out my Memory Box musical notes and Ellentina trumpet diecuts. To tie the page together, Heidi Swapp's tinsel Color Shine was splattered around the page.

This page is entered in:

• The "Layer It Up" Monday challenge at Simon Says Stamp

• The "More Than One Die/Punch" Wednesday challenge at Simon Says Stamp

Thanks for stopping by,
-june

Whimsical Windsong

Top O' the morning to you and wishing you a Happy St. Patrick's Day!

After being cooped up in the house for far too long, we decided it was time to get outside, explore and have some fun as a family. So it was off to the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum! This is a photo of our favorite place there:

This fun place deserved fun paper and I was so excited to get my hands on Quick Quotes' Windsong WS104 as it was just begging to be colored. And what better way to color it than with Powder Puff Chalking Inks. Using Fantastix coloring tools, you can use turn your ink pads into markers! Just touch these sticks into your ink and color away. I used Buttercup, Terra Cotta, Sunset, Fuchsia, Seafoam & Rose Petal inks to add touches of color around the page and customize it.

So many Quick Quotes paper collections work together - I love that! The photo is layered with Windsong WS101 and both sides of Chiffon 101. For the title and journaling block, I used Sheer Joy Strip SJ600. All of the papers were edged with Seafoam and Latte Powder Puff Chalking Inks. For embellishing details, I added Quick Quotes Unique Rustic Patina Metal Embellishment flowers. These metal flowers were perfect for a page about a metal sculpture. I added Pretty Pink Posh clear sequins for a magical sparkle, and Liquid Pearls for depth and color.

Quick Quotes Products:
Windsong Paper Pack *New*
Chiffon 101
Sheer Joy Strip
Metal Embellishment flowers
Powder Puff Chalking Inks: Buttercup, Fuchsia, Sunset, Seafoam & Latte
2017 PowderPuff Chalking Ink: Rose Petal & Terra Cotta *New*

Other Products:
Liquid Pearls
Martha Stewart dragonfly & boarder punches
mesh tape
sequins


This layout is also entered in:

• Pink & Main Challenge #19 "Spring"

• The "Bit O' Green" Wednesday challenge at Simon Says Stamp

Thanks for stopping by today and check out all the fun new products at the Quick Quotes Online Store,
-june

Bird House

Hello and Welcome!

Papertrey Ink has this fun challenge today of making a cute 3D bird house. Nichole Heady came up with a template you can print at home (see link below). Here is my creation:

The handmade flowers are Papertrey's Delightful Dahlias stamp which I stamped on pattern paper, fussy cut, layered and added black enamel paint. The adorable bird is Winnie & Walter's So Tweet stamp, which was colored with Zig Clean Color markers & fussy cut. (W& W just started a fun new color challenge today, you can find the link below.) I also stenciled the woodgrain background, as the original house was white. A Taylored Expressions embossing folder was used to add texture to the roof.

Entered in:

• The March Color Combo Challenge at Winnie & Walter

• The 10th Anniversary Build a Bird House Challenge at Papertrey Ink

• The "Handmade Flowers" Monday challenge at Simon Says Stamp

• The "For a Special Lady" Wednesday challenge at Simon Says Stamp

Thanks for stopping by,
-june

Hello Spring Card

Hello and Welcome!

And Happy Spring! Ok, it's snowing here, but it's spring in my craft room. I love that about crafting, the outside world can be all crazy and cold, and you can be celebrating or creating whatever you want. It's magical. Speaking of magical, I made this super fun St. Patrick's Day card featuring one of my favorite stamps by Paper Smooches - Jerome the Gnome! Today he is pretending to be a Leprechaun.

I colored Paper Smooches Jerome with Zig Clean Color markers, then fussy cut. The "Hello" sentiment is a diecut by Ellen Hutson and layered with DCWV gold glitter paper along with Amy Tan's pattern paper. The grass is a diecut by Your Next Stamp and decorated with Ranger's liquid enamels.

This card is entered in:

• Paper Smooches' April Guest Designer Search 

• The March "Greenery" Challenge at Paper Smooches

• Ellen Hutson's March Mix It Up Challenge

• The February Work It Wednesday Challenge at Simon Says Stamp

• YNS Sketch Challenge #59 at Your Next Stamp 

• MarkerPop! Challenge #116

Happy St. Patrick's Day,
-june

Fun Ride Card

Hello and Welcome!

Loving Ferris wheels, I couldn't resist getting this wonderful stamp from Altenew. I got this stamp to use on scrapbook pages, but it makes a fabulous card too:

I wanted to show the movement and excitement of riding a Ferris wheel, so colorful paint strokes and swirling sequins were used. The glittery frame was added to give the feel of the mid-way. The three layered diecut sentiment coated in Glossy Accents just fits with the fun. Lastly, I added a gold brad in the center of the Ferris wheel to draw the eye and ground the stamp.

This card was inspired by the fun, colorful challenge going on this month at Altenew:

This card is entered in:

• The March Inspiration Challenge at Altenew

• The "Make Your Own Background" Monday challenge at Simon Says Stamp

-june

Building A Team Page

Hello and welcome!

These tic/tac/toe challenges are so fun. They allow me the freedom to create any way I want and push me to up my game by including elements I might not have otherwise. Plus I use up more stuff from the stash - win-win! For this month's challenge, I used the center column: Striped paper, Gold & a Flair.

I recently purchased Carta Bella's Space Academy collection and it goes perfect with the many photos of my son & his robotics team. (Last night the team won regionals, and will be going to the World competition, so you may be seeing a few more pages with the robotics theme! Go Talon!)

Designer Tip: To highlight my son in this group, I added a speech bubble by him.

The journaling spaceship was handcut from DCWV metallic papers.

 This page was also inspired by the Colorful Creations color combination and is entered in their March challenge (http://anothercolorfulcreation.blogspot.com/2017/03/march-1st-challenge-color-combo-wtwist.html) - I used ink to edge my papers and to write the journaling.

Thanks for stopping by and I can't wait to see what you create with this challenge!
-june

Playing with Powder Puff Chalking Inks

Hello and welcome.

We have friends getting married, so it is time for a little romance. Quick Quotes new line, Windsong has just the right tones. Check it out:

Continuing my love affair with Powder Puff Chalking Inks, I brought out the warm colors of Fuchsia, Rose Petal, Orange Slice, Buttercup, Sunset and Leaf Green.

 

Stamping watercolor paper with Versamark and Winnie & Walter's Rose Garden stamp, I heat embossed the design with Ranger's Princess Gold embossing powder. Then, I smeared all the Powder Puff Inks on an acrylic block and with a little water on a brush, I dipped it into the inks and started painting the flowers.

Designer tip: Add several layers of  layers of ink on top of each other, letting each layer dry in between. This will intensify your colors and add depth.


The pretty frame was cut from Quick Quotes Windsong WS100 with a frame die, then matted on Windsong WS101. All the paper edges were chalked with Peach Tree and Rose Petal Powder Puff Inks. The banner sentiment was fussy cut from Quick Quotes Adventure Awaits Strip AD600 and popped up with 3L Foam Squares. To finish off this card, I added a fun metal brad, puffy heart sticker, cheese cloth, Pretty Pink Posh clear sequins and Verve Stamp's leaf diecuts.

 

Quick Quotes Products:
Windsong Paper Pack *New!*
Adventure Awaits Strip *New!* - forthcoming
Powder Puff Chalking Inks: Fuchsia, Orange Slice, Buttercup, Sunset, Leaf Green, Peach Tree and Rose Petal (new 2017)


Other Products:
 stamp: Winnie & Walter Bed Of Roses
 diecuts: Cheerylyn (frame), Verve Stamps (leaves)
 embossing powder: Ranger's Princess Gold
 cheesecloth
 Pretty Pink Posh clear sequins

 This card is entered in:
Simon Says Monday Challenge: Make Your Own Background (http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge/?p=8398)

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: For A Special Lady (http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge/?p=8398)

Thanks for stopping by,
-june

Thanks Card

Hello and welcome!

Winnie & Walter is having a  3rd Birthday Bash with all kind of inspirational fun over at their blog (see link below). My goal was to get cards into all ten of their creative challenges and with this card I did  it!!! Check it out:

 For this card I used Winnie & Walter's Leaf Effects Creative Screen and blended Quick Quotes Leaf Green & Limade inks. The pretty flower design is Winnie & Walter's Bed Of Roses stamp which was heat embossed with white embossing powder, then blended with Quick Quotes Fuchsia, Lipstick, Buttercup & Orange Slice inks. The scalloped black frame was made with W&W's Noelle Cutaway. The cute bird is a stamp from W&W's So Tweet colored with Zig Clean Color markers. The "thanks" is also a W&W cutaway.

This card is entered in:

 

• Winnie & Walter's 3rd Birthday Bash
• The Cute Critter Challenge with Gayatri
• The Three Challenge with Shay - 3 sequins
• The Mood Board Challenge with Heather P.
• The Ink Blending Challenge with Vanessa
• The Sequin Challenge with Kate
• The Stencil Challenge with Kelly
• The Bright Colours Challenge with Lydia

• The "Make Your Own Background" Monday challenge at Simon Says Stamp

-june

Springy Spring Card

Hello and welcome!

Winnie & Walter is having a fabulous 3rd Birthday Bash with lots of fun and inspiration over at their site (check it out with the link below). Here is another entry for their creative challenges:

This card was created with Winnie & Walter's Bed Of Roses stamp which is heat embossed with white embossing powder and colored with Zig Clean Color markers. The sentiment is Winnie & Walter's The Big, the Bold and Seasons Cutaway.

I decided to run with the spring and "off the page" themes and added these springy flowers.

This card is entered in:

• Winnie & Walter's 3rd Birthday Bash
• The Three Challenge with Shay - springy flowers
• The Mood Board Challenge with Heather P.
• The Off the Page Challenge with Keren
• The Bright Colours Challenge with Lydia

-june