Farewell Mojo Monday

Hello!  I needed to create Father's Day cards this week, so I eagerly went to the Mojo Monday site to print off the new sketch.  When I read the post, my heart sank.  This is their final sketch, they won't be continuing.  As a mom of young children, I understand why Julee is simplifying and ending Mojo Monday.  However, as a paper crafter, I am sad.  Mojo Monday has been my favorite challenge,  I've been playing along since I started my blog.  I could always count on a sketch to get the creative juices flowing, and when I needed a place to start, Mojo Monday was my go to.  Here is the final sketch:

I used Stampin' Up's Crumb Cake to make a card base, and cardstock and some old patterned paper from Close to My Heart on the card.  I thought I had a fun Father's Day stamp set, but I must not have purchased it and only thought about it (a great excuse to go shopping!).  So I ended up combining two stamp sets for the sentiment, which I stamped in Close to My Hearts Chocolate ink.  I stamped "Happy" from Concord & 9th's Happy Words set, and "Father's Day" from Close to My Hearts June Word Puzzle.  

Thank you Julee for all of your hard work and wonderful sketches!  You have made me stretch and grow as a paper crafter.  Best of luck!

Mojo Peony

Hi!  As you probably know, I love playing along with Mojo Monday.  I pondered the sketch this week for a few days, imagining and reimagining it with a different theme and color palate.  I finally decided on this color scheme, why?  Because of the amazing peony from Altenew's Peony Bouquet set.  I just love the detail.  I stamped the flower with Blush, Hollyhock, Tulip, and Vineyard Berry inks from Close to My Heart.  The leaves were stamped with Sweet Leaf, Pear, and Topiary inks also from Close to My Heart.  I used the Madison Avenue paper pack from My Mind's Eye and Dark Chocolate cardstock from Papertrey Ink.  I stamped the sentiment with Versamark, it was a free surprise stamp included in an order from Verve Stamps.  I embossed it with Cocoa embossing powder from Close to My Heart.  Here is the sketch from Mojo Monday and my creation:

Apple of My Eye

Hello!  I went to a local scrapbooking stores used garage sale.  While I was there, I found this cute stamp set from Close to My Heart.  I really wanted to use it, especially this stamp with water color paper.  I heat embossed the image with black embossing powder before I painted it using my water brush and ink pads.  I used this weeks Mojo Monday sketch for the blueprint for my card.  Here's the sketch:

Here is my card:

I matted it with black card stock that I sponged the edges very lightly with white pigment ink to look like a chalkboard.  After painting the apple, I opted to fussy cut it out and put it on with foam tape for some dimension.  

Supplies Used:

Stamps:  You've Got a Friend - Close to My Heart

Inks:  White Daisy - Close to My Heart, Versamark

Black Embossing Powder - Close to My Heart

Paper - Cherry-O paper pack - Close to My Heart, Crumb Cake - Stampin' Up!

Embossing Folder - Stampin' Up!

Cherry Cobbler ribbon - Stampin' Up!

Celebrate Mojo Monday 491

Hello!  I finally found some time to sit down late this afternoon and work on this weeks Mojo Monday.  Here is the sketch:

Yesterday, I stopped at The Pine City Scrapbooking Company, while I was there, I picked up a cute little die set from Taylored Expressions.  I had to use it on today's card.

After I finished the card, I decided that before I put away my new die set, I needed to do something so I don't loose the tiny pieces.  So, I cut some heavy cardstock to the same size as the insert in the packaging from Taylored Expressions and glued them together.  I glued on a piece of magnet that I cut from some magnetic vent covers that I bought at Menards.  Now they stick, and I don't have to worry about loosing one of the dies when I open the package.

Supplies Used:
Stamps: Happy Birthday - Close to My Heart
Paper: Madison Avenue - My Mind's Eye
Ink: Cocoa - Close to My Heart
Ribbon: Blushing Bride - Stampin' Up!
Dies: Cake & Stand - Taylored Expressions

Be A Good One MOJO490

Hello!  I was super excited to open my mail yesterday, my new stamp set from Verve Stamps was in.  It's called Sparkly Dreams and I know I'm going to use it a lot.  I love the quotes and other sentiments that it has.  Verve packages their stamps so beautifully, it makes me so happy to open the shipping envelope to see the pretty blue tissue paper wrapped around my new stamps.  This time there was a little extra surprise tucked in with the stamp set - this great patterned paper, a card base, and a generous length of black seam binding.  The colors were perfect for using with my new stamps.  What more could I do then to combine them with this weeks Mojo Monday?

Here is the card that I made with my new stamp set and the extra surprise paper and ribbon:

Supplies Used:

Stamps:  Sparkly Dreams - Verve

Ink:  Tuxedo Black - Memento

Pink, Grey, and Purple Mojo Birthday

I loved the idea of the color challenge at "Just Us Girls" this week, it's pink, grey, and purple.

I combined it with this week's Mojo Monday 489 sketch.

I wanted to dress up the Pansy Purple medallion I cut out, so I decided to use my brand new Distress Oxide ink to stamp a background.  After stamping, I spritzed it so it would oxidize, and quickly dried it with my heat gun.  After that, I stamped the butterfly over it with platinum pigment ink.  

The Wednesday challenge at the Simon Says Stamp Challenge Blog is to use more than one die or punch.  I opted to make a pink ombre panel using a loop punch that I layered.  I stamped the sentiment and used the corresponding die to cut the banners, and I cut the purple medallion out with a Spellbinders die.

Supplies Used:

Stamps:  Itty Bitty Banners, Bliss - Stampin' Up!

Inks:  Smokey Plum - Close to My Heart, Worn Lipstick Distress Oxide - Ranger, Platinum Planet - Brilliance

Cardstock - Soft Stone, Smokey Shadow, Sweet Blush - Paper Trey Ink, Pansy Purple, Blush, Hollyhock. Petal - Close to My Heart

Embossing Folder and Banner Die:  Honeycomb and Bitty Banners - Stampin' Up!

Ironworks Motifs - Spellbinders

Dino-rrific Mojo Monday 488

I really liked this weeks Mojo Monday sketch.  I had envisioned something soft and feminine with washi tape for the long thin panel.  However, that's not how it turned out.  When I went to select a stamp, the No Bones About It from Stampin' Up! jumped out at me.  So I ended up making a kids birthday card instead.

Supplies Used:
Stamps:  No Bones About It - Stampin' Up!
Inks: Grey Wool, Lagoon, Pear, and Sunset - Close to My Heart
Paper:  Hooligans - Close to My Heart

Master's Butterfly Mojo Monday 487

I enjoyed pulling this card together, I was able to pull out paper that I haven't used many times. I followed the Mojo Monday sketch for this card.

Stamps:  Beautiful You - Verve

Ink:  Tuxedo Black - Memento

Paper:  Sycamore Street - Stampin' Up!

Embellishments:  Ribbon - May Arts, Bitty Sparkle - CTMH

Rolling By Mojo Monday 486

This week for Mojo Monday, I decided to pull out a stamp set that I've had for over 5 years.  As far as I can remember, it's never seen ink.  It's to cute to let it sit unused any longer.  I colored it with Copics and BIC markers.  I glazed the bubble with Diamond Glaze.  I wanted to use paper with a fun pattern and bright colors.  I finally settled on The Freshly Picked Stack from DCWV.  I had a hard time finding a cardstock that matched the paper.  My cardstock stash is running low, but I'm bound and determined to use most of it up.  I'm trying to decide which brand I want to purchase, Close to My Heart again, or switch to another company.  Eventually I will have to decide, but for now, I use what I have.

Supplies Used:
Stamp:  Cute Chick - The Angel Company
Ink:  Tuxedo Black - Memento
Cardstock:  Hollyhock - Close to My Heart
Markers: Copic and BIC
Embellishments:  Sparkle - Close to My Heart, Diamond Glaze - Judikins

Cupcake Birthday

I used the Mojo Monday 485 sketch, as my starting point for today's card.  One of the disadvantages to taking a hiatus from paper crafting is that I have all of these fabulous supplies, but sadly they are out of date.  Some of my stash I've passed on to my two oldest daughters, who also love to create, but I'm to cheap to completely get rid of it all and start over.  So, I've challenged myself to use it up before I buy more.  Today's card comes out of that effort.  I love the Enchanted Collection 6x6 paper pad from Bo Bunny.  It's black and white, and I love the flourishes and details to the paper.  However, I discovered that while I love it, I find it hard to use.  I really struggled with pairing it with some color so it would have some contrast.  I finally decided that pink was the color I wanted to use.  It helped that I had the great ruffle trim in Strawberry Slush.  I decided to "frost" the cupcakes using Stickles, because I love a little glimmer and shine.

Supplies used:
Paper - Enchanted Collection - Bo Bunny, Uncommon Collection - Authentique
Ink - Tuxedo Black - Memento
Stamps - Crazy for Cupcakes - Stampin Up!, Card Word Puzzle - Close to My Heart
Ribbon - Strawberry Slush Ruffle Trim - Stamping Up!, Cotton Candy Divine Twine
Markers - Bic, Copic
Embellishments - Diamond Stickles, Flower and button - Close to My Heart

I'm Back and Mojo Monday 484

Wowza!  It's been almost 5 years since I've posted on my neglected blog.  I've done a little crafting during that time, a very little.  Since I've posted, we've added 2 more girls to our family, so now we are a family of six.  Two years ago, we did a house swap with my in-laws - we moved on to the farm into their house, they moved off the farm into our house.  Which means that I had to pack up my gloriously huge craft room and cram condense my supplies into a space a quarter (that's being generous) of the size I used to have.

Mojo Monday is my favorite card sketch challenge.  They are my go to if I need a place to start.  Here's the Valentine I came up with for this weeks challenge:

I had so much fun using a bunch of the supplies that I've been collecting.  The paper is from My Mind's Eye, the Ruby Glittered Cardstock Pad.  The die cut hearts and stamps are Stampin Ups! Hearts a Flutter.  As is the postage stamp punch and Cherry Cobbler card stock.  I embossed the heart and sentiment with Close to My Heart's White Daisy embossing powder and stamped the hearts with their Cranberry and Blush inks.  I recently was snooping on their website, and I realized how out of date my inks and card stock colors are.  My goal is to use up the little bit of cardstock I have left and buy the newer colors.  The sentiment is from Verve Stamps Sweet Treats.

Mojo Monday 249

I can't believe how fast summer is going, it's already almost the middle of July.  Next week is our county fair, I spend a lot of time there.  One day I scoop ice cream for the county Farm Bureau, another I serve milk shakes for the county dairy farmers, and two other days there are dairy shows (we lease heifers to a 4-H member).  I'm hoping to put a collection of my cards together to enter in open class along with entering some baked goods.  Last Saturday was our district Holstein Show, my oldest daughter, Briana, was excited to show her calf "Celinda" in the novice class.  I went with her into the showring, just in case she needed help handling her calf, we've been working very hard on training her calf, but you just never know.  It quickly became apparent to me that I didn't need to be there, she showed her calf all by herself.  So I took the time to stand off to the side and snap some pictures of her, here's one of my favorites:

I did take some time for some crafting therapy, I've missed my craft room. 

I used this weeks Mojo Monday sketch for the blueprint:

Supplies Used:
Stampset:  Baby Love - Close to My Heart (CTMH)
Ink: Lagoon - CTMH
Paper:  Dotty for You - CTMH
Cardstock:  Sweet Leaf, Colonial White - CTMH
Sparkles - CTMH
Lagoon Scallop Velvet Ribbon - American Crafts
Very Vanilla Velvet Ribbon - Stampin' Up!
Butterfly Punch - Martha Stewart
Embosslits Beautiful Wings - Stampin' Up!

Celebrate Graduation

Holy mackerel, I can't believe it's been two weeks since I've posted.  How time flies.  We have two graduation parties to attend this weekend, so I worked on a card for the first one that's this afternoon.   I've been wanting to join in with the Dynamic Duos, this week the colors are Real Red and Island Indigo.   I did have to adapt them using Close to My Heart Colors, so I used Cranberry and Pacifica, they were as close as I could get.  I used this week's Mojo Monday sketch for the blue print:

I opted to go square with it.  This week the challenge at the 2 Sisters Challenge Blog is "Inside & Out", so I did something that I'm starting to do more of with my cards, decorating the inside.  Here's what this one looks like:

I'm also going to add this to this weeks 52 Card Pickup at the Old Back Porch.

Supplies Used:
Cardstock:  Kraft, White Daisy, Pacifica - Close to My Heart (CTMH)
Ink:  Cranberry, Pacifica - CTMH
Paper:  Fanfare - CTMH
Stampset:  D1400 (Promo with no name) - CTMH
Burlap Mini Shape Flag - Canvas Home Basics
Round Durables - CTMH
Circles and Petite Scalloped Circles - Spellbinders



Spread Your Wings

My oldest daughter graduated from pre-school this week.  She loves to "craft" with me, and is always asking me to make her a "special" card.  I thought she would love to receive a "special" card from me on her graduation.  I used this weeks Mojo Monday sketch:

Supplies Used:
Paper:  Dotty For You - Close to My Heart (CTMH)
Cardstock:  Colonial White, Sweet Leaf - CTMH
Ink:  Smoothie - CTMH
Stamp:  Fly Free - The Craft's Meow
Ribbon - Maya Rd.
Sparkles - CTMH
Persian Motifs, Circles - Spellbinders
Embosslit Beautiful Wings - Stampin' Up!

One Final Mother's Day Card

I'm finishing up some final preparations for Mother's Day tomorrow.  After I get this posted, I need to go wrap some gifts and write out some cards.  I based this (what I hope is my final Mother's Day card for this year) on The Shabby Tea Room's inspiration photo:

We also needed to use the colors in the photo, and a rose.  I was really inspired by the pitcher, I wanted to include something like that in my card.  I decided to use a doily that I spritzed with gold glimmer mist and then stamped a flourish stamp in Hollyhock.  I also was inspired by the blue magazines, so I used a pretty blue patterned paper that also picked up on the touches of brown.  The green seam binding is my nod at the green in the foliage, so I opted to tuck my rose in the bow. 

I used this week's Mojo Monday sketch for the blue print for my card:

Also, this week at the Ribbon Carousel, the challenge is "Word to Your Mother".

Supplies Used:
Cardstock:  Colonial White - Close to My Heart (CTMH)
Paper:  Linen Closet Stack - DCWV
Inks:  Chocolate, Hollyhock - CTMH
Stampsets:  Say it in Style - CTMH, Bliss - Stampin' Up!
Bling Assortment - CTMH
Pink Pin - Prima Flowers
Gold Glimmer Mist - Tattered Angels
Flowers - Wild Orchid Crafts
Chipboard Banner - Jenni Bowlin
Doily - Royal Lace
Vintage Seam Binding

Shabby Heart

I used this weeks Mojo Monday sketch for this card, it's taken me all week of working on it (in between other commitments) to finish it.  I just couldn't get the flowers right.  Finally this morning I went to try again, and they just fell together.

I used The Shabby Tea Room's challenge - "Spring is Love" - for the inspiration.  They challenged us to use colors from a gorgeous photo, and include flowers, polka dots, and a heart.  I'm a member of a Stampin' Up! card club, a few months ago my consultant showed us how to do the Iris Folding Pattern using one of their embosslits.  I was excited to give it a try for the heart in this card.  It took me a few false starts on it before I remembered the technique correctly.  I'm so happy with how my heart turned out (and very glad that I purchased the embosslit that night).

Supplies Used:
Paper:  Uncommon - Authentique
Cardstock:  Sweet Leaf, Colonial White - Close to My Heart (CTMH)
Ink:  Hollyhock, Desert Sand - CTMH
Stampset:  Say it in Style - CTMH
Punch - Fiskers
Lace Tape - decollections
Flowers - Wild Orchid Crafts
Pearl Flourish - Zva Creative
Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder, Embosslits Scalloped Heart of Hearts - Stampin' Up!
Vintage Seam Binding

The Sweetest Gift

A friend of mine from high school is having a baby girl in the next few weeks.  I wanted to create her a special card, when I saw this weeks sketch at Mojo Monday, I knew it was perfect for a baby's card.  I did have to stretch the sketch out, my card is 3 1/2 x 8 inches. 

This week at The Play Date Cafe, the color challenge is White, Flamingo Pink, and Bright Orange.  I just love that color combo, it's one that I don't use, but wanted to play with.  This was my time.  I had the perfect papers from Little Yellow Bicycle that I combined with some white cardstock and orange Bazzil Bling cardstock.

The Ribbon Carousel's challenge this week is "Color-a-licious".  I was originally going to make paper rosette's for behind the letters, but started thinking about it and thought that some bright pink lace would be perfect for a baby girl's card.  So I cut 6" pieces of the lace and ran a basting stitch along the bottom and gathered and tied the ends to create lace rosette's. 

Other challenges I would like to enter this in:
Lili's Little Fairies - Diamonds and Pearls
Crafts 4 Eternity - Something New
Stampin' For the Weekend - Sparkle and Shine
Simon Says Stamp and Show - Anything Goes
Pile it On - Sparkle and Shine
Paper Pretties - Card for Girl


Supplies Used:
Cardstock:  White - Close to My Heart (CTMH), Orange - Bazzil Bling
Paper - Little Yellow Bicycle
Ink - Cotton Candy - CTMH
Stampsets:  Baby Love, Chocolate Alphabet Small - CTMH
Circle Punch - Creative Memories
Pink Lace - American Crafts
Pink Sparkles - CTMH

Mojo Birthday Card

I found this sentiment stamp at my favorite local store - The Pine City Scrapbooking Company.  I just had to buy it to use on some birthday cards.  I've been working on this card on and off all week, I just can't seem to get the colors right (it also didn't help that I was out of town at meetings for 3 days).  I finished it today.  Here's this weeks great Mojo Monday sketch:

At Fairy Fun Fridays, it's Anything Goes this week.

Supplies Used:
Paper:  Boom-di-Ada - Close to My Heart (CTMH)
Cardstock:  Colonial White, Sweet Leaf - CTMH
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black
Stamps:  Not So Seriously - Stampin' Up!, Happy Birthday - Art Impressions
Copic Markers:  E00, E02, E33, E35, E37, R02, R37, W0
Rhinestone Designer Brads, Ric Rac, Sparkles - CTMH

Beautiful Butterfly

I used this weeks Mojo Monday sketch as the blue print for this card.  I was originally planning on zig zag stitching between the 3 columns of paper.  Then last night while I was studying the cover of the paper pack (they have smaller pictures of the patterned included on it), I realized they had a white strip "sewn" between them, I thought aha, I'm going to do that instead.  Here's a picture of the cover:

I cut two strips of cardstock at 1/4" by 5.5" (the card is 6x6 total) distressed the edges with Desert Sand ink and sewed them on top of the seam of the paper.  Then I used my fingernail to run along the edges to further distress it. 

I've been wanting to join in the fun with the Stampin' Sisters in Christ challenges, but always run out of week before I get there.  This week is my week, Challenge 132 - Romans 8:31b-32 - the challenge is create a card or project that uses everything, while I didn't use everything, I tried hard. 

This week, the challenge for Free for All Fridays at Split Coast Stampers is 'Caught a Bug', so we needed to include a bug or get well wish in our card.  I thought and thought about it, I don't really have many stamps that have a bug in them.  I've been wanting to join in the challenges at SCS, so I was determined to figure it out.  Then, bam it hit me, a butterfly is a bug and I have them (lots of choices there).   I stamped it in Crystal Blue ink, then rolled the edges in Desert Sand, and lastly dabbed Sweetleaf ink on using a finger dauber then stamped it.  It took a few practice tries before I perfected the look I wanted.  After I stamped it, I cut it out, then used Distress Crackle Paint on it before gluing it on the front of my card. 

Supplies Used:
Paper:  Linen Closet - DCWV
Cardstock:  Colonial White - Close to My Heart (CTMH)
Ink:  Chocolate, Desert Sand, Sweet Leaf, Crystal Blue - CTMH
Stampset:  Find Your Style - CTMH
Pearl Flourish - Zva Creative
Ivory Decorative Hat Pin and Flowers - Wild Orchid Crafts
Clear Rock Candy Distress Crackle Paint - Ranger
Pearl Opaques - CTMH
Vintage Button - Antique Store in Stillwater, MN

Mojo Monday #233

I created this card using the Mojo Monday sketch #233.  I used a brand new stampset from the Stampin' Up! Sale-A-Bration called Elementary Elegance.  I inked the frame with Crystal Blue and ran the brush tip of my Rich Razzleberry marker around the edge of the stamp before I stamped it.  Here's the sketch:

This week at The Ribbon Carousel it's Baking with the Twinery.  So we needed to use baker's twine, one of my favorite ways is to wrap it twice and tie it in a bow on a button, like I've done. 

I also used the colors - Raspberry, Harbor, and Honey Mustard - from this weeks The Play Date Cafe.  I used some patterned paper from My Minds Eye for the Raspberry.  Close to My Heart's Crystal Blue for Harbor and Stampin' Up!'s Crushed Curry for the Honey Mustard.

Supplies Used:
Paper - My Mind's Eye
Cardstock:  Crystal Blue, Colonial White - Close to My Heart (CTMH), Crushed Curry - Stampin' Up!
Ink:  Crystal Blue - CTMH
Marker:  Rich Razzleberry - Stampin' Up!
Stampset:  Elementary Elegance - Stampin' Up!
Diamond Stickles - Ranger
Divine Twine
Double Ruffle Ribbon - Morex Corp.
Button - Bling Assortment - CTMH