Happy Birthday, Josh!

Happy birthday to my son-in-law, Josh.  What a great husband and Dad he has been -- loving and supportive to our daughter, Emily.

I made this layout depicting one of my most favorite moments with Josh and Charlotte.  Charlotte was visiting for the afternoon, and Josh was joining us for dinner.  As Josh approached our house, Charlotte went running down our front lawn, her arms open wide, smiling and shouting, "Dada! Dada!"  Josh scooped her up and ... the camera captured the father-daughter love.

"Love you to the moon and back" is the young family's most favorite saying. I found this cut on the Silhouette Online Store, and cut it with my Silhouette Cameo.  The moon and stars are also from the SOS.  The slate paper is from Close To My Heart, as are the gem flourishes. 


DeFiaNtLy DiFfeReNt & CreAtiVeLy Yours,

Special Announcement! Eileen and "Scotty" are Visiting the Paper Jungle!

I am excited and delighted to be Eileen Hull's first stop on her Paper Trail, as she heads into the Northeast and beyond.

Come out and join a dozen or so of your crafting buddies while we learn more about die cutting and embossing from Eileen, a true craft master!  

Eileen has packed her vintage turquoise Scotty trailer full of crafting goodness, which we'll be able to tour.  

All supplies for this class are included in the $20 registration fee.  That fee also includes your pizza dinner and beverages, as we're holding this gathering at Frank's Pizza, 989 County Line Road in Warminster. (It has a Hatboro mailing address, go figure -- but it's in the Rosemore Shopping Center.)

Space is limited and is already almost full; you definitely need to RSVP in advance. You can do that by leaving me a comment here, PayPal'ing  your registration fee (to esjarvis@comcast.net), and/or sending me an e-mail to cardmonkey@comcast.net.

Help me kick off Eileen's #PaperTrail and my "Technique Tuesdays" with this wonderful opportunity!  Hope to see you then!

DeFiaNtLy DiFfeReNt & CreAtiVeLy Yours,

New to the Blog: Technique Tuesday

Hello friends and followers!

Today -- hard to believe it's Tuesday, how did we skip over Monday? -- I would like to introduce to this blog a new feature that I'm calling "Technique Tuesday".  Yes, I'm aiming to make it weekly, and what "it" is will be some new cardmaking techniques that you may find interesting.  I'll be doing some stamping techniques, some coloring techniques, unique folds and more.  Make it a habit to drop by on Tuesday if you'd like to jump start your creative mojo with something different, or as my signature says, "defiantly different."

For this installment, I'd like to show you a different sort of stamping technique to add color and zing to your card background: Painter's Tape Stamping.  

Here is the finished product, a card I made in preparation for this post:

I modified a technique I first saw on a SplitCoast Stampers video. In that video, the crafter used masking tape and glossy cardstock.  Here, I use regular cardstock and blue painter's tape, available in any home improvement store in the paint section.  It looks like this:

Cut off a piece of this tape about the width of your stamp pad. I use Close To My Heart Exclusive Ink Pads, a water-based dye ink that is acid free. (Shop for them by clicking HERE.)

This blue tape is available in many widths; rip it down some if yours is too wide for your paper, or use it as is.  (I ripped mine down.)  You're only going to use ONE piece of this tape -- waste not, want not -- in three different shades of ink. Don't worry, you'll be transferring your ink completely from the sticky side of the tape to the paper; your ink pad won't discolor. 

STEP 1:  Start with your lightest color of ink first.  Here, I used CTMH's "Champagne" colored ink.  Lay the piece of tape directly on to the stamp pad, like this, sticky side onto the ink:

STEP 2:  Ink the tape up well by rubbing your finger over the tape. Gently pick it up and place the piece of tape directly onto the card. Rub the tape well -- it will stick, but it's easy to remove, and the beauty of using painters' tape versus masking tape is that it won't pull up your paper fibers when you remove it. Pull up just a section first, like this: 

If the coverage of ink isn't what you hoped for, gently lay it back down and rub the tape again to move the ink around a bit.  

STEP 3:  Remove the tape, and reuse it by inking up your next lightest color, repeating as many times as you'd like to get the desired effect you want:

STEP 4:  Allow all of the ink to dry thoroughly before stamping a sentiment or other art on top of your painters' tape stripes. Embellish the card as you wish. 

Tah-dah!  You've now learned how to stamp using Painters' Tape. Fun, ehhh?  And a cool part: no stamp clean-up ... just throw away your used piece of tape when you're done.  

A little hint: If you're making more than one of these cards, you can use individual pieces of tape for each color ink pad. Simply write the color on the back (non-sticky) side of the tape and use it as much as you need to, without fear of cross-contaminating ink colors.  

Did you like this tutorial?  Would you like to see more? Recommend a topic, in the comment section below, or drop me a line at my e-mail: cardmonkey@comcast.net.  

Thanks for stopping by!


DeFiaNtLy DiFfeReNt & CreAtiVeLy Yours,

TBB Friday: Bling out your GUN!

Happy Beautiful Friday, Friends and Followers!

It's that time again for The Buckle Boutique Friday, when I post some of the blingy-est of wonderful projects made possible using the fab supplies of The Buckle Boutique (TBB).  

Here is a nifty way to make YOUR Adhesive Tape Gun (ATG) stand out in a crowd, especially when you take it to a crop and it seems like everyone has an ATG.  Bling it out!

To make this project, I used TBB's versatile "Dazzling Diamonds" rhinestone resin sticker sheets. 

The best way to make a neat version of this would be to use flower dies to cut the flower and the background space, using your Big Shot, Cuttlebug or any other cut/emboss tool. My machines were on the fritz when I cut this, so I did it by hand, with an X-Acto knife. The resin cuts like butter. Then, just assemble your design, peel off the adhesive backing on the rhinestone resin sheets. 

WIN IT!

Want to win a kit to make your own blinged out ATG? Comment on this post and refer a friend to do the same, and your name/e-address will be entered into a drawing to be held in June when I celebrate my 4th YEAR BLOGAVERSARY with a "PAY IT FOUR-WARD! PRIZE". This prize includes the brand new, in package ATG by 3-M, and a sampler pack of Rhinestone Resin Sticker Sheets to design your own cover. To be eligible to win, your comment MUST include your name, your e-mail address, the name of the friend you've referred, and the words "BLING MY ATG". All comments must be received by June 30, 2014 in order to be eligible to win. No purchase required; restrictions apply. 


FYI:  I have the privilege of serving on The Buckle Boutique's Design Team. You can see creations I've made for The Buckle Boutique posted here on my blog, and on TBB's social media sites, on the 2nd and 4th Friday of every month. 

The Buckle Boutique’s Link Listing

The Buckle Boutique’s Website . . . click HERE
The Buckle Boutique Blog . . . . click HERE
Facebook Page . . . click HERE
Twitter Page . . . click HERE
Pinterest Page . . . click HERE

DeFiaNtLy DiFfeReNt & CreAtiVeLy Yours,

Mama Mia Blog Hop - Honoring our Moms

Welcome to the Mama Mia Blog Hop

We are here to honor and cherish our Moms this weekend the best way us crafters know how, with a blog hop showcasing some amazing projects either for a special mom or about a special mom in our lives.. We hope that our projects will show Moms everywhere just how special they are to us all.

 

I am the second stop on this fun Hop, so if you are just joining me here and wish to start at the beginning,

Connie Can Crop is the first stop on this Blog Hop.

This is a one day blog hop and we appreciate your leaving a comment for all of these talented friends who are here sharing their ideas and creations. 

 

We have an awesome sponsor and giveaway for this hop!

Please be sure to visit their site at http://pinkandmain.com/, and their Blog at http://pinkandmainblog.com/shop

Pink & Main has graciously donated this adorable Super Mom themed Stamp Set as our blog candy.

So what do you need to do to win? Easy... become  a follower of each of the fabulous blogs in this hop and leave each of them a comment letting them know what you like best about their projects. Then stop by our sponsor's Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pinkandmain and give her a "Like."  You will have until 12:00 am Monday to finish the hop and leave your comments.  Winners will be announced on Wednesday at Connie Can Crop.

 

This is my gorgeous Mom, Dot, in a picture taken at a most memorable occasion -- the wedding of my daughter, Emily. Believe it or not, in this picture in 2010, my Mom was 80 and I think totally stunning.

 

Just a few months after this picture, Mom had a massive brain stem stroke and the prognosis was grim. The four of us kids flew to Tampa General Hospital where she was on life support. Much as we couldn't bear to see her in that state, we also were not ready to give up on her.

 

We agreed to try an experimental surgery where the doctors implanted a cardiac stent (narrow but straight) into her twisting but fully clogged basilar artery. The stent didn't deploy as it should, but the skillful work of the surgeons was enough to restore blood flow to the brain stem.

 

Mom's recovery has been nothing short of miraculous. Where most doctors thought she would die, she lived. Where they surmised she would be vegetative or severely compro-ised, she has rehabbed back to greater than 100%!  This is Mom today (left), just last week at the Country Club with Dad, in Naples, FL.  Standing, walking without assistance, driving, beading, fully cognitive and conversant -- loving!  I am TRULY blessed to still have both of my parents alive and well, living happily in their 62nd year of marriage!

 

Mom deserves so much more than I can give her or make her, but here is the card I made for her to celebrate her 60th year of Motherhood:

 

To make this card, I followed a template that I developed to cut the base on a paper trimmer. I share it here, for your personal use:

 

 

For the papers, I used Close To My Heart's Ivy Lane collection. I trimmed the flowers by hand, from the paper, and adhered them to the center support ("strut") using glue on acetate. I also stamped the sentiments on Bamboo paper, using CTMH Cranberry ink. The stamp set is called "Perfect Fit - Mom" (# C1543, $13.95).  The small dark red carnations are made from mulberry paper by Wild Orchid Crafts.

 

I hope you enjoy the Pop Up cards as much as I like making them. They're really not difficult to do, and offer a great deal of pizzazz!

 

Now, back to the Hop you go!

 

Up next is ALICIA at Golden Goddess Designs.

Here is our complete line up in case you get lost along the way:

 

1. Connie- http://conniecancrop.blogspot.com

2. Ellen/Cardmonkey- http://cardmonkeyspaperjungle.com {YOU ARE HERE}

3. Alicia- http://goldengoddessdesigns.blogspot.com {GO HERE NEXT}

4. Pam - http://lovebugcreations3.blogspot.com/

5. Sarah - www.sarahbiswabic.blogspot.com

6. Gina - http://californiascrappin-gcinderella21.blogspot.com/

7. Elizabeth - www.ejoym.blogspot.com

8. Melanie - http://afternoonscrapper.blogspot.com/

9. Angela - www.crazy3monkeys.blogspot.com

10. Esther - http://forthejoyofcreating.blogspot.com

11. Jessica -  www.craftinandstampin.blogspot.com

12. Lori - http://www.scrappinmystressaway.blogspot.com/

13. Diane - http://thehappyscrapbooker.blogspot.com/

 

Thanks for stopping by!

TBB Friday: Big Girl bling!

Welcome back to another TBB Friday, short for "The Buckle Boutique," a fabulous online store where you can purchase all sorts of bling to make your projects sing!

Over at the home of my sweet granddaughter, Charlotte, things are really popping!  My daughter Emily is now 34 weeks pregnant -- it's hard to believe how time has flown.  Here Emily is four weeks ago, looking obviously expecting. And here is one of Baby Evan's first baby pictures. Can't make it out?  It's the face! 

Well, Emily and Josh have moved Charlotte out of her "baby room" and into a "big girl bedroom," and are changing out the name and dots on the baby's wall.  I cut the baby's name using my Silhouette Cameo and vinyl from Expression Vinyl.



 
Gii treated Charlotte to a pretty new comforter for her big Queen-sized (make that PRINCESS sized!) bed in her new room.  The "Swirly Paisley" bedding is from Pottery Barn Teen. We all love how girly it is, but at the same time, how adaptable it will be to Charlotte as she grows through the years.

When Emily frst showed me the carpet, I remarked how very similar the pattern and colors are to Close To My Heart's (now retired) "Chantilly" paper line.  I offered to make a banner for Charlotte's room, to dress it up a bit. 

Not only did I use the retired paper from Close To My Heart, but I also used retired pennants in two sizes. But the piece-de-resistance, I think, is how I added blinged letters cut from The Buckle Boutiques' fabulous rhinestone sticker sheets.  This is how it turned out:

And here is a close up of the cut letter. The TBB rhinestone sticker sheets cut like butter in your Cricut machine!

 

Well, stop by again next week for some more nifty TBB projects!

The Buckle Boutique’s Link Listing

The Buckle Boutique’s Website . . . click HERE
The Buckle Boutique Blog . . . . click HERE
Facebook Page . . . click HERE
Twitter Page . . . click HERE
Pinterest Page . . . click HERE

 


DeFiaNtLy DiFfeReNt & CreAtiVeLy Yours,