Winter Collage

Hello!

Happy Saturday :)

If you read my previous post, you know that our family is happy dancing!

I have a couple of tags to share with you today.  

Both are created with the Memory Box Winter Collage stamp.  

Memory Box Winter Collage G-1830, Glossy Tags, We R Memory Keepers DP "Snow Flurries-Winter Frost", Tim Holtz Distress Ink Tumbled Glass, Amuse Pigment Ink Navy, Copic Markers, Colorbok Navy CS, Ribbon from Really Reasonable Ribbon, Bell from Hobby Lobby, Tag is Stampin'Up Decorative Label Punch, folded in half, Perfect Layers Tools (see sidebar for details).

One I stamped in navy ink, and slightly colored, and the other was heat embossed, with white embossing powder on a glossy tag, and Tumbled Glass Distress Ink sponged on.

The glossy tag made it difficult to get a good photo, as it wanted to reflect light.  I even resorted to an umbrella...lol.

I'm actually going to enter a challenge today!

Joan's Gardens' challenge for this week is to create a tag.  I'm sending two - what a bargain!

Have a great day!

Patti J.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving

to you all!

Amuse Stamps, Kaleidacolor Inks, Transcendence Embossing Powder, DCWV DP, Bazzill CS, Perfect Layers Rulers (see sidebar for details!)

I'm very thankful for the wonderful family and friends that we will be sharing the day with today, and also for each of you.  I have made so many wonderful friends through this hobby!

Hope your day is as special as you are,

and that you are also enjoying this time with family and friends. 

For my friends that don't celebrate Thanksgiving, I wish for you, many Autumn Blessings!

Hugs and blessings galore,

Patti J.

Non-traditional Holiday Colors

It's Wednesday, and time for a new Designer's Choice Challenge at Repeat Impressions.  

Our hostess today, is Karen, who has challenged us to make a holiday card, using non-traditional colors.  How much fun!  Out came my brand new, beautiful pink Amuse ink pad, and some bright colors

of Colorbok cardstock.  Love the way this one turned out!

Repeat Impressions 'Winter's Eve', #3805, Repeat Impressions 'Christmas in the Heart', #2204, Colorbok CS, Amuse Grapefruit Ink, Scor-Pal, Memento Tuxedo Black Ink, Perfect Layers Tools.

I simply folded my card, scored some lines, stamped and matted the image, using my fabulous Perfect Layers Tools, stamped the sentiment between the scored lines, and voila!

Be sure to check out what my fellow Rockstars have created for your inspiration:

Cheri     Joy     Karen     Kecia     Geri     Joyce

Full challenge details are on the RI blog, The House That Stamps Built - check it out! You could be the big winner!  Would love to see your take on Karen's fun challenge, so get out those non-holiday colors, and link up your finished creation!

Hugs and blessings,

Patti J.

Results of a business trip for DH...

Hi there, and Happy Sunday!

So, a few weeks ago, my DH sent me on a business trip.  Technically, I could have gotten to the labs, dropped off the water samples, and been back home in 3 hours.  Hmmmm.....nope.  I invited a friend to ride along, and we hit the mall, Cracker Barrel, AND Hobby Lobby.  I had a 40% coupon for Holly Lobby, so this advent box just jumped right off the shelf and into my cart.  Can you imagine?

The images are from Amuse Stamps set: Holiday Tags, and all coloring is done with Copics. Lots of miscellaneous DP scraps used.  Ribbon is from Wal-Mart.  Numbers are done with a C.C. Designs die.

Since it was already in the cart, I decided no harm could be done by bringing it home and making it a bit more festive.  Here is the end result:

Hope this brightened your day!
I am entering it into a challenge at the Fun 'n Flair Design Challenge!  Be sure to check out their darling stamps!!!  Can't wait to get some inky :)

Off to take care of some pre-Thanksgiving chores before the dust bunnies eat our guests alive!

Thanks for stopping by,

Patti J.

Home for the Holidays Blog Hop

Good morning, and welcome to the Creations by AR "Home for the Holidays", Blog Hop!

Today, we are featuring Adela's newest release.

The hop begins today, Nov. 15 at 6:00 a.m. and ends Sunday at midnight EST
Read on to find out how you can win this template!

This darling little house can be used

as an ornament, table favor, or decoration for your home.

Here is the house all put together.  The house itself slides in and out of the frame, much like a matchbox. Yep, pretty cool!  Can't you just imagine one of these at each place setting for your Christmas dinner?

Oh, and don't forget - this poor crafter with very limited space has no cutting machine!  I use Adela's PDF files, and my sharp scissors for my AR creations!

Here, the house is shown, assembled, with a battery operated tea light inside.  The  lights are on  in my craft area, so that you can see the box well.  The sled and snowman are from the Amuse "Holiday Tags" set. All coloring is with Copic Markers.

In this photo, I've filled the box with Hershey's Hugs, to show how it looks as a table favor.

This last photo shows the lights dimmed, and the candle inside.  Silly me forgot about the window on the back side, so something is showing through on the left that should not be there.  Oops!  I created the 'curtains' from a scrap of striped vellum, and colored them with Copics to give them a red tint in the daylight.

There will be THREE lucky winners!  How can YOU win this template?

One random comment from each group listed below will be chosen to receive the new template. The more you comment, the greater your chances!

AR Design Team

Visit and comment at each blog - one winner will be chosen from the AR Team

AR FaceBook Page

One winner will be chosen from a comment on the AR FaceBook Page.

AR Paper Craft Planet Group

The third winner will be chosen from the comments left at PCP.

WINNERS will be announced Monday, Nov. 19

====================================================

Check out what my fellow AR girls have done with this wonderful template!

Adela Rossol:  http://cbyar.blogspot.com/2012/11/home-for-holidays.html

Amy Park:   http://tethered2home.com/?p=9786

Julia Aston:  http://www.createwithjulia.blogspot.com/search/label/Creations%20by...

Lisa Somerville: http://www.lisasomerville.com/2012/11/home-for-holidays-hop.html

Lori Brown: http://www.savingmine.blogspot.com

Lyn Bernatovich: http://lynspaperpetunia.blogspot.ca/2012/11/creations-by-ar-november-release-hop_15.html

Magdalena Cortez:  http://www.axesdesigns.com

Patti J. Gilliam:  You're here!

Sue Kment: http://suesstampingstuff.blogspot.com/

====================================================

Thanks for stopping by!

Have a great day,

Patti J.

"Tis the Season.....at Sunday Sketch & Stamp!

Hello, and thanks for stopping by!

The Digi Garden is sponsoring the challenge today at Sunday Sketch & Stamp, and I'm excited to be one of their guest designers!  Today's challenge is this sketch:

And here is one of Saffie's sweet creations, "Ursula Hanging Lights"!  The season is nearly upon us, and Ursula is doing her part to make things festive!

The Digi Garden 'Ursula Hanging Lights', Copic Markers, Sentiment: Amuse 'Holiday Tags', Snowflakes: Michael's, DP: Echo Park 'Very Merry Christmas', Bazzill CS

Check out the Sunday Sketch & Stamp Blog for more inspiration.  Then, we'd love to see YOUR take on this great sketch.  Feel free to use any of your stamps or digi's!

Have a great week,

Patti J.

Fall fun....

Hello, and Happy Monday!

I have a bit of 'fall fun' to share with you today.

First up is a card that I made for a challenge at The Outlawz.  

The CAS Challenge this week is to use limited fall colors.  

We were to choose 3 colors to use, from Red, Brown, Yellow, Green, and Orange.

Hero Arts: #K5574 Big Eyes, Amuse Ink: French Roast, Kaliedacolor Ink: used only orange, sorta blended the brown and orange for the leaves.

I used Brown, Orange, and Yellow for my card.

I sponged on the yellow, orange, and finally brown inks, directly onto the stamp, then turned the stamp over and stamped directly onto patterned paper from last year's DCWV Autumn Mat Stack Pad.

Using a Spellbinder's die, I cut out and embossed the owl, adhered it to my card front, and used a brown Sharpie marker to 'stitch' around the edges.

Looking at this on the screen, I think I will 'stitch' around this too - looks a bit bare :)

For the inside, I used the piece of DP that the owl was cut from, and just put some white CS behind it.

Now, onto project(s) two through thirty!

A couple of years ago, I had seen a Frankenstien like this on-line someplace.  I don't know if it was someone's blog, SCS, or in a magazine, but I sketched out the basics and stuck it in my notebook. So, I sincerely apologize for not being able to give rightful credit!  If you are the original creator of this cutie patootie, let me know, and I will edit this post immediately!

Anyway, I created thirty of these to send to my DD's workplace. Hopefully, they will brighten up the office for a day or two.  What's fun is that their office is so cool - their color is this bright green!  So Frankie will fit in just perfectly.

Hope your week is a good one! It's a beautiful, fall day, here in Missouri!

Thanks for stopping by,

Patti J.

Repeat Impressions Sketch Challenge #O1712

Wow - can't believe it's already Wednesday!

Time for a new sketch challenge at Repeat Impressions!

Here is Wendy's wonderful sketch:

Here is my card:

Repeat Impressions #2708 Pine Branch, Repeat Impressions #403 Serenity, Bo Bunny Snowfall Collection DP, DCWV Holiday Collection DP, Memory Box & Die-Namics Dies, Frosted Lace Stickles,Copics Markers, Amuse Brown Cardstock

Since the stamp of the week this week was this Pine Branch, and as it was still on my stamping block (lol), I decided to use it once more.  This time, the sparkle is Frosted Lace Stickles. Hopefully, this looks more like a winter Pine Branch, and my Monday card looks like a fall Pine Branch!

Check out the beautiful creations that my fellow Rockstars have for you today:

Christy     Cheri     Joy     Karen     Kecia     Geri     Joyce

Now, we would love to see YOUR take on the sketch!
Link up your creation on the Repeat Impressions Blog, The House That Stamps Built, and you just might be the lucky winner!  Full details on the RI Blog!

Thanks for stopping by,
Hugs and blessings,
Patti J.

Grrrr.......Big Smile!

Happy Tuesday!

Meet one of the cutest lil monsters you will ever happen across!
This is Lil Monster's Balloon, from Annabelle Stamps.

Annabelle Stamps "Lil Monster's Balloon", Amuse Venetian CS., Kraft, Bazzill, Amuse Solid Cardstocks, Perfect Layers Tools (see sidebar for details!)

I've had this guy for a while, but have only stamped him up once before, for a publication call, which was rejected. He was so much fun, that I thought I'd color him again, while sitting here in my chair with my feet up!

Annabelle Stamps has a color challenge going on this week, and I thought I'd play along.

Here are their colors:
When I was using my Copics, the closest to mustard color was the color I used - hope it's good enough for the challenge!

Have a good week!
Thanks for stopping by,

Patti J.

Repeat Impressions Designer Choice Challenge - Masking

It's Wednesday, and that means a new challenge is up at the Repeat Impressions blog, The House That Stamps Built.  Christy is our hostess this week, and she has challenged us to use the masking technique on our projects.  Here is my card:

Repeat Impressions Bats #2308W, Black Cat #2322W, Tombstone #2317W, Halloween #1139W, Tim Holtz Distress Inks: Dusty Concord, Tumbled Glass, Broken China, Stormy Sky, Wild Honey, Copic Markers, C0, C1, YG95, Memento Tuxedo Black and Dandelion Dye Inks, amuse Pigment Ink, Blackberry, Perfect Layers Tools

There were several 'masks' on this card.

1. On focal panel, mask the top and bottom, using painter's tape, eclipse tape, post it notes, etc.

2. Punch 1" circle from your choice of masking material - place in sky where moon would go. Save the outer part for later.

3. Stamp black cat, as shown.

(When masking a scene, always stamp the image(s) that will be in the foreground, first).

4. Stamp black cat again on masking material, cut out, and place over cat on focal panel.

5. Stamp tombstone twice on focal panel, overlapping the cat on each side. 

6. Stamp tombstones again on masking material, cut out, and place on focal panel tombstones.

7. Sponge as desired.  

8. Remove all masks.

9. Using the outer part that you saved from the circle, place it over the 'moon', and sponge very lightly with the Dandelion Ink until your desired color is achieved.

10. Stamp bats over moon and on left side.

11. Sponge around the edge of focal panel with amuse ink. Mount to purple piece, then to white card front.

Hope this makes sense!

My Perfect Layers Tools were used to create my nice, even mat!

Hurry on over to see what my fellow Rockstars have created using the masking technique!

Christy     Cheri     Joy     Karen     Kecia     Geri     Joyce

After you check out their cards, be sure to create something using the masking technique, and link up over at The House That Stamps Built Blog!  You could be this week's big winner!

Have a great week - thanks for stopping by!

Blessings,

Patti J.

Ronald McDonald House Charity Hop

Welcome to the Ronald McDonald House Charity Hop sponsored by Great Impressions Stamps!   

You should have arrived here Angi's blog.  If not, you may want to start at the 

Great Impressions Stamps Blog  or check where you are on the list below.  

We don't want you to miss a thing!  

Remember, stamping prizes are secretly hiding in several of the blogs, 

so be sure to leave everyone a little comment love!  

Winners will be announced on the Great Impressions Stamps blog on Tuesday, October 2nd.

 My card features an adorable Great Impressions image, Lilly's Garden Time #H10,

and a fun Great Impressions sentiment, So Thankful for You #B193

I've used white cardstock for my base, followed with a layer of Kraft, then two layers of a muse dots and checks.  All coloring is with Copics, and the border punch is Martha Stewart.

Here is the list of today's hop participants.  Be sure to stop by and leave a comment - you might just win something special!

 1. Great Impressions Stamps Blog

 2.  Dawn

 3.  Angi

 4.  Patti - you are here

 5.  Mary

 6. Teresa

 7.  Mia

 8.  Jenny

 9.  Mynnette

 10.  Shanna

 11.  Ellen

 12.  Katy

 13.  Erin  

 14.  Barbara

 15.  Peggy

 16.  Sue

 17.  Elizabeth

 18.  Tamra

 19.   Sue C.

 20.  Caroline

 21.  Great Impressions Stamps Blog

Your next stop will be Mary's blog!  I'm sure she has something wonderful to share with you!

Thanks for hopping by today to support The Ronald McDonald House.  If you get lost along the way, each blog will have the entire hop list.  You have until 11:59 Eastern Time on Sunday, September 30th to leave your comments.  All hop winners will be posted on the Great Impressions Blog on Monday, October 1st.

Good luck!

Patti J.

Hop on Board The Party Train!

Welcome to our Creations by AR Party Train Hop!  Adela has been working hard on the new release for September, and I'm excited to share it with you!  We hope you find some inspiration!
(The train track and crossing sign/lights were created with cardstock too!)

amuse Cardstock, Kraft Cardstock, Tombow Markers, Computer generated signage & clip art.

Visit the AR Girls listed below, for your chance to win!  The Prize? One random winner will be chosen per blog!  Winner gets the new Party Train template, or a new Party Train card that you can see on Adela's blog.  Just leave a comment to qualify.  Winners will be announced on each blog on Monday, October 1st.

Adela Rossol

Amy Park

Julia Aston

Lisa Somerville

Lori Brown

Lyn Bernatovich

Magdalena Cortez

Patti J. Gilliam (you're here!)

Sue Kment

Have fun hopping!

Thanks for stopping by today!

Patti J.

Birthday Wishes

Hello!

Thought I'd share something pretty today.  I was invited over to play in my friend Shirley's amazing 'girl-cave' on Tuesday.  We created, laughed, ate, and created some more!  What fun :)  Shirley is an Amuse demonstrator, so we crafted with her new Amuse stamps and inks.  I needed a birthday card for a friend.

Cardstock, Stamps, and Inks are A*Muse

We centered a small panel onto the main panel, adhereing with removable adhesive.  First the light color, then the darker color, were sponged directly onto the stamp, using small finger daubers.  We stamped the flowers, then the sentiment, lifted the small panel off, and permanently adhered it to the darker mat, then adhered the panel to the card.  I used a few pearls and some Martha Stewart punched butterflies to embellish my card.

Hope you give this a try - you could add as many panels and as many images as you like!

Thanks for stopping by - have a great day!

Blessings,

Patti J.

It's Those 'Dots' Again!

Howdy folks!  

So...does anyone else out there keep thinking that today is Monday?  Sheesh!  

I am a creature of HABIT, and when DH is home on a Wednesday, it scrambles my brain.  

Hope that your holiday was enjoyable.  Ours was very quiet!

I'm on my way to get a much needed haircut, but wanted to share this card with you first.  Yup, it's those dots again.  Can't help myself - I love them!  This card was actually created for a challenge at Stamp TV, but I missed it....card was done several days in advance, but didn't get posted.  

As always, I'm a day late and a few dollar short :)

Gina K. Designs Friendship Blooms (image) & Block Greetings (sentiment), Amuse CS, Stampin'Up! Ribbon, Yellow CS Scrap, Copic Markers

 The challenge was to use my favorite GKD rose.  When I went through my stamps, I only had ONE stamp with a rose on it, so voila!  No decisions here - just used what I had!  

This card will go to someone I know that is battling cancer, and has surgery on July 9th.

Have a wonderful day, dear friends - the weekend will soon be here...

Smiles,

Patti J.

Soaring by...

Hi there!  Welcome to our 'What-If Wednesday' Repeat Impressions' Sketch Challenge.  Today's sketch just HAD to be flipped.  I've tried to behave myself lately, and not be a 'sketch flipper', but you know how it is...sometimes the temptation is just too great! 

Repeat Impressions 9112 I - Airplane, Amuse Blue CS & Cloud CS, Baker's Twine (Really Reasonable Ribbon), Black CS, Copic Markers, Glossy Accents

Repeat Impressions Sentiment: 9104-G Soaring By to Say Hi, Martha Stewart Loop Border Stamp, Baker's Twine, Blue Amuse CS, Black CS, White CS

 As I look at the blank inside page on the screen, I'm thinking I will ink up the airplane stamp, stamp it off on a scrap, then stamp it onto the panel so that it's fairly transparent....this just looks too unfinished...

The Repeat Impression's Sketch J2712

I hope that you will head over to the Repeat Impressions' Blog, The House That Stamps Built, for all of the challenge details, and that you will check out my fellow Rockstars' blogs to see their beautiful creations!  We would love to see you participate in the challenge!  Someone will win some great RI goodness!!!

                 Cheri          Dawn          Joy          Karen          Kecia          Lynette          Makiko

Edited:  Please, please send up some good thoughts, and prayers for those in the 'line of fire' in Colorado Springs.  As of 2:00 this morning, there were 32,000+ evacuated, many left knowing they have nothing to come home to.  Our friend, Lee Murphy's daughter is one that was evacuated...so please pray for her! 
This photo was taken yesterday afternoon, from our daughter's apartment complex. 
If you look to the left, you can see the front of the apartment buildings.  
The fire is actually 1.5-2 miles away, and at least for now, she is safe, but it is very frightening.
Certainly makes our tree in the photo below look silly.  We appreciate your thoughts and prayers. 

Here's the excitement at our house on the hill yesterday.  I was chatting with DD yesterday evening, and heard a horrendous cracking, sounded like gunshots. The dogs began barking wildly, and would not settle down.  I walked to the sunporch doors to see what was making them so crazy, and found this:

The limb actually broke off and fell at an angle, missing the corner of the house by a mere inch, thank goodness!  Also grateful that the man that mows for us was not mowing under the tree at the time - Yikes!

Sigh...another Honey-Do for DH.  Poor guy!

Thanks so much for stopping by - love having you visit!

Hugs and smiles,

Patti J.

Nap Time Fairy

Nap Time Fairy is today's Reapeat Impressions' Stamp of the Week.  I thought she was adorable!...and again, a CAS card won out! 

 Repeat Impressions' Nap Time Fairy (4303-M), Amuse Venetian Pattern 'lido' cardstock, Copic Markers, Dimensional Squares, Flourishes White CS, Stampin' Up! Square Lattice Embossing Folder, *Perfect Layers Tools, Spellbinders, Labels 18

I did not include a sentiment.  I wasn't sure who might be the recipient of the card, or what the occasion might be.


This sweet image can be purchased for 50% off this week at Repeat Impressions, exclusively to their blog readers, at The House That Stamps Built.  While you are at the blog, be sure to check out the challenges that you can still enter.  You need not use RI stamps, but we'd love to see them, and if you DO use them, you will get two chances to win wonderful stamps!

It has been EONS since I've entered a challenge - am entering this card in the CAS 2000 Member Party Challenge at The Outlawz!  You should go check out all of the fun they have this week!

Have a great day, and a wonderful week!

Food for thought:

Hugs, Patti J.

Flowers

Good morning - hope you are all enjoying your weekend!

Today's card is just for fun.  I had made one like this a while back and liked it so much that I cased myself, and made another one!  Yep, it's dots again - Amuse CS.  

I am actually entering a challenge with this one!  Linda is the hostess at The Crafty Friends Challenge, and her challenge is to use flowers on our projects. 

Amuse Cardstock, Stampendous Narcissus Stamps, White Gina K. Designs Pure Luxury CS, Ribbon from my stash, Spellbinders Oval and Oval Scalloped Dies, Perfect Layers Tools, Scor Tape, Dimensional Foam

Hope this cheerful creation brought a smile to your day.  Now, off to get this in the mail to someone special!  Have a great day!

Smiles,
Patti J.

Born to Ride...

Hello!  I have a very quick post today on this beautiful Saturday in Missouri :)  I had need of a couple of very CAS cards, so I borrowed this Amuse set from my friend Shirley (who is a demo!), and created these two....  The sentiment, from Repeat Impressions, was perfect with the bike.  The teal card didn't photo very well - it's a much prettier color in real life :)

Amuse Cardstock,  Stampendous White Embossing Powder,  Versamark Ink,  Amuse Bicycle Stamp (Enjoy the Ride Set),  Sentiment is Repeat Impressions #9115G)

Thanks for stopping by!  Gotta go put these in the mail - take care, and have a great weekend!

Smiles,
Patti J.

Beautiful Days Blog Hop!

Good morning!  

We have a treat for you today!  Wendy, at Repeat Impressions, has designed the most beautiful set of stamps!  We are hopping today, to showcase all of the new images! 

We have all been assigned a letter.  As you hop today, you will collect a letter from each blog to form a word.  After you collect all of the letters that you need to form the correct word, email that word to Wendy to be eligible for the blog candy.  You will need to complete the hop, and email the correct word to Wendy no later than 5 p.m. eastern time, on Sunday, June 3rd.  What is the blog candy for this hop???

The lucky winner will receive an unmounted sheet of the entire new Beautiful Days stamp collection, of course!!!

If you don't win the stamps, you can purchase them at the Repeat Impressions store!  On Monday June 4th, Wendy will post the Stamp of the Week regular feature, and announce the winner of the hop on Repeat's blog, The House That Stamps Built.

I know that you must all be rolling your eyes, as once again, I'm using these AMuse polka dots, but, oh my stars, aren't they yummyliscious???  Each color is so beautiful, and the cardstock is WHITE on the back side!  What an easy card base!

Thanks for looking!  Hop along to my fabulous teamies to see what gorgeous eye candy they have waiting for you!  Oh....by the way - MY LETTER IS 'S'.  Have fun, and good luck!

Cheri

Dawn

Joy
Karen

Lynette

Makiko

Patti (you are here!)

Hugs,

Patti J.

Young Love....

Happy Friday to you all!

Hope you have plans for a nice, relaxing weekend.  I'm thinking ours might actually be quiet - looking forward to that!

I have a very quick post to share with you today.  My card features "Young Love" by Mo Manning.  I created this for the challenge (use black and yellow) over at the Stamping Bella Blog.  This is my first time to enter, so hope I did everything right - never know about me!

Cardstock is all A*Muse, and all coloring is done with Copic Markers.  Hmmm...used a few dimensional squares by Recollections (Michaels). Hope it makes you smile - I just love this cute little couple!  Guess I'm going to have to add some Stamping Bella stamps to my wish list!


Next up - you know that I don't often 'brag' when I am lucky enough to have a publication.  Sorry, folks - this time, I simply must brag!  Several months ago, I saw a publication call for CardMaker Magazine, to create a project using a photograph.  Sheesh, I'm such a bad photographer that I thought there was no hope for me. Then I thought about our DD, who is a WONDERFUL photograper, and together, we came up with a beautiful photo of DD's to use. So...I submitted my card, with black and white photo, and it was not only accepted, but they asked for another with sepia tones and one with full color.  I'm sure by now you are 'getting it'.  It's not the publication that is SO exciting, it is the fact that it was a project that came from us both. So, as you are perusing your July CardMaker, check out page 39 quickly, and then turn to pages 66 & 67 to see Melissa's fabulous photograph!

Hugs and blessings to you all!

Check back tomorrow to see if you are the winner of one of Adela's wonderful templates!

Patti J.