I have some fabulous news today! First, it’s time for another Just Because We Wanna (JBWW) Challenge. This week, we are using Christmas/Holiday Designer Paper. It doesn’t matter what type you use, but your challenge is to cut into some of the stash you are hoarding (like I know some of you do), and make a card. Either upload the card to your blog and/or your online gallery and then post a link in the comment section of this post or on Jeanne’s Blog, Inky Paws. If you upload to SCS, please use the keyword JBWW. We can all search on the keyword then, and see all of your fabulous creations!

Jacksonbelle Embellishments is having a Product Promotion starting today! You can find out more by visiting their Company Forum on Splitcoaststampers. The paper I used for my card today is Webster Pages Winter Wonderland Collection, Mistletoe Kisses. It is double-sided paper, very sturdy and just beautiful. Need I tell you that I absolutely love this paper? My OH my!

The image I used today is from Rubbernecker Stamps. Now before you get your panties in a bunch, I can tell you that the Rubbernecker site is close to completion and will be open soon!

The image was stamped in Adirondack Pitch Black Ink and then colored with Copic Markers. Using a sponge dauber, I sponged the edges with Old Paper Distress Ink, working the excess ink into the center toward the image. The background paper was sewn to another panel of Old Olive cardstock and the edges were sponged in the Distress Ink. This card measures 5-1/2 x 5-1/2.

Stamps: Christmas Bells with Holly by Rubbernecker Stamps

Paper: Vanilla, Old Olive, Websters Pages Winter Wonderland Collection - Mistletoe Kisses

Ink: Adirondack Pitch Black, Tim Holtz Old Paper Distress Ink

Accessories: Copic Markers, Sewing Machine, Sponge Dauber, May Arts Ribbon

Sometimes a card just HAS to be made! This was the predicament I found myself in yesterday - do I make it or do I not? Jeanne sent me her idea for the JBWW Challenge this week – use a sentiment that is not a stamp, one that is either handwritten or computer generated. She opened the door me, and I really couldn’t help myself. The card had to be made!

I’ve had this idea running in my twisted, warped mind ever since I saw the Way to Go set by Gina K. Designs. I even told Kim of My Favorite Things about my idea and she kind of laughed - then said “that’s funny.” So in my attempt to be fair for all the Design Teams I’m on, I even threw in some Lizzie Anne Designs. It really is not my stamping choice to mix companies like this, BUT this card HAD to be made. The sets demand it, there is no other choice, and my mind could not let it go. I give you my sample for the JBWW Challenge – A Swirlin’ Birthday!

I stamped the toilet bowl from Way to Go by Gina K. Designs and the teacher from Back to School by My Favorite Things, and colored them with Copic markers. After layering the toilet bowl image, I cut a small slit in the middle of the seat, and stuck the teacher through to the back. There is a small piece of mounting tape on the back of her skirt, to hold her in place and to add a little dimension. For the background, I printed out my sentiment on a piece of Barely Banana cardstock, cut it to size, and then stamped in Versamark, one of the swirl images from So Swirly by Lizzie Anne Designs. Get it – swirl, so swirly, swirlin’ – BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, oh I slay myself! I added the photo corners, some black doodles and a little bit of ribbon to finish off the card.

Stamps: Way to Go by Gina K. Designs, Back to School by My Favorite Things, So Swirly by Lizzie Anne Designs

Paper: Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, SU Barely Banana and Buckaroo Blue

Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black, Versamark

Accessories: Copic Markers, Photo Corner Punch, Computer to generate sentiment, Mounting Tape, Ribbon, Faber-Castell Pitt Artist Pen

Now for the JBWW Challenge. As I stated earlier, before I got so carried away with my card, the challenge today is to to make your own phrase using the computer or writing it out yourself. Any image, any theme, just get creative with your phrases and have fun!!! If you upload to your SCS Gallery, please use the keyword JBWW. Please post a link to either your gallery or your blog here on my blog, or on Jeanne’s. Can’t wait to see what you create today!

WOW what a day we had yesterday. Beautiful weather, great shopping and fabulous friends. Jeanne, Jenn Balcer and I headed to Salado to meet up with some SCS friends. We were running a little late, Jenn had some minor car problems, so everyone else got there before us. But oh my, what a time we had. Our primary stop was Stamp Salado and in the store waiting for us, was Anna Wight (SweetMissDaisy), Sharon Harnist (StamperSharon) and Beverly Gerard (TexasGrammy). We filled our little baskets with stamps, laughed and chatted forever in the store. Shopping for rubber is such a strenuous activity that we were starving when we came out of the store. We headed to a local café for lunch and then hit a few more of the stores. Before we parted for the day, we headed back to the porch of Stamp Salado for some photos.

Here’s a group photo of all of us together compliments of Anna. Mine was so bad that I hated to put it up here. Thank you Anna!

Then a picture of Anna, me, Sharon and Jeanne.

Finally a picture of me and Beverly.

I so enjoyed my day with these girls, and look forward to coming back to Texas so that I can see them all again! I have to add here that I feel like I have made instant friends here in Texas. How exciting it has been for me to meet so many women that I have talked to on a daily basis, have something in common with and know so much about. Can ya’ll say WOO HOO!!!!!!!

So let’s get to a little stamping today! It is Sunday, and time for another JBWW Challenge. We have a simple sketch challenge for you today, one background layer and one image layer. Of course, you also have your card front. So you have three simple layers in all, unless you decided to throw in a few extras for matting purposes.

Remember, if you upload to your SCS Gallery to please use the keyword JBWW. Please come on back and post a link to your blog or gallery for us, so we can take a look at your creations.

Here’s my sample today – a little Snowfall. I colored the image with Tim Holtz Distress Inks and sponged the edges of the panel with SU Soft Sky. The background paper is the new Figgy Pudding from BasicGrey, which I found at Jacksonbelle Embellishments.

Stamps: Snowfall by Whippersnapper Designs

Paper: Watercolor, SU Cranberry Crisp and Always Artichoke, BasicGrey Figgy Pudding

Ink: SU Soft Sky, Tim Holtz Ranger Distress Inks

Accessories: Watercolor Brush, Mounting Tape, SU Cranberry Crisp and True Thyme Stitched Ribbon, Black Artists Pen

I hope everyone has a great day today!

Good Morning! It’s that time of the week again – another JBWW Challenge. This week it was Jeanne’s choice on the challenge. She decided to do a little sewing. Remember that sewing machine that just jumped in her cart at Target the other day. Since I was asked yesterday about the sewing machine, I decided to post a picture of it today – all set up and ready to go! It’s the same model that I use at home and is very simple to operate.

Anyhoo, the JBWW CHALLENGE today is stitching. You can do any type of stitching you want – hand stitching, machine stitching or faux stitching. We don’t care, we just wanna! Please remember that if you upload your card to your SCS Gallery to use the keyword, JBWW. So that we don’t miss anything, we ask that you come back and post a link to the card (if on your blog or in your gallery), to either my blog or Jeanne’s blog, Inky Paws.

The sample I did for today is one I worked up using Christmas in the City by Lizzie Anne Designs. I stamped the image, masked it off, and then stamped the trees in the background. The image is colored with Copic Markers, and then to make the snow, I stippled on Liquid Applique. I let the Liquid Applique dry while I was making the remainder of the card, and then went back and puffed it with a heat gun. I didn’t plan to use this sketch when I started the card, but it just fell into place and I just couldn’t help myself. The designer paper is the new BasicGrey Figgy that I found at Jacksonbelle Embellishments. I stitched all the layers together on Jeanne’s new sewing machine. The sentiment is raised on mounting tape and I stitched around the photo corners just for the fun of it.

Stamps: Christmas in the City by Lizzie Anne Designs

Paper: SU Always Artichoke, BasicGrey Figgy

Ink: Tim Holtz Black Soot Distress Ink

Accessories: Sewing Machine, Copic Ciao Markers, Liquid Applique, Circle Punches, Scallop Punch, Mounting Tape

Good morning! What a fabulous time we had at the Stampin’ and Pamperin’ Retreat in Cincinnati!! Jeanne arrived here on Wednesday, Kittie on Thursday, and we headed over to Cincinnati on Friday afternoon. We stamped, we were pampered, and met some old and new friends. The weekend started with a birthday cupcake cake made by Amber and ended on Saturday with everyone exhausted but so glad to have been together!

This is the cake that Amber (Bambi64) made for us girls. It was all cupcakes and then a layer of icing over the top — yummy!

We just couldn’t resist hamming it up just a little. Left to right, Jeanne S, Dawn Lusk, Jen Javorsky (Jen70), Kittie Caracciolo (Kittie747), me, Amber (Bambi64).

JUST BECAUSE WE WANNA

Let’s get to some stamping today. It’s my turn to host the JBWW Challenge, and this week we are going to alter a journal, notebook, etc., anything you have on hand. Don’t forget to come back here and post a link to your altered item and if you upload to your SCS Gallery, please use the keyword JBWW.Every once in a while I mention a sorority when I babble in my posts. I belong to a friendship/philanthropic sorority, Sigma Phi Gamma, Delta Phi Chapter. Each November we have a luncheon and auction to help raise money for Scholarship Fund and charitable donations. Each member is to make a couple of items for the auction, and the journal below is one that I have made for the auction.

This journal is made using the Bind-it-All and the 5×7 chipboard covers. I applied Mod Podge over the chipboard pieces and then covered with different designs of the BasicGrey Fruitcake Designer Paper. The sentiment was stamped in VersaMark and embossed with Dazzling Diamond Dust. Both the tag and the sentiment panel are raised on mounting tape. To make the inside pages, I picked up a $1 writing table from the Dollar General Store, and cut the pages down to the size I wanted.

Stamps: Let it Snow from Michaels

Paper: BasicGrey Fruitcake Collection

Ink: Versamark

Accessories: SU Stitched Ribbon, Bind-it-All, Blank Chipboard, Writing Tablet, Mod Podge, Dazzling Diamond Dust, Gold Cord