Dreamy Vintage Blossoms.....

                 Happy Saturday Everyone!!

     Today, over at Splitcoaststampers.com was the Inspiration Challenge! The past couple of days, I haven't been in a real "stamping mood." In fact, this morning even after I checked the challenge, I wasn't really that inspired. However, after viewing the challenge gallery a couple of times the ideas started FLOWING! I REALLY wanted to create a Vintage style card today! And so I used the inspiration site that was given to us to create this card! Here's the site and my inspiration piece:
             WallTAT 

(you can click on the photo for a better view)

I first started to create this card by choosing the colors. Very Vanilla and Sahara Sand are my two MOST FAVORITE colors!! I just LOVE them! So, once I took those out, I grabbed a piece of Blushing Bride to go with them!! This is one gorgeous color combo!

Next I stamped down my image which is the Blossom branch from, "Easter Blossoms." I just LOVE this set! After I stamped down the image I colored it using Pink Pirouette and Blush Blossom. Then I added some pearls, lots and LOTS of pearls! I paper pierced the edges and then added some sponging with Sahara Sand and Pink Pirouette. Not too much though. I wanted it to have a soft look. Next I roughed up the edges as you can see in the photo above.

So, basically my brain begins to go numb and I just continue to add MORE layers and MORE sponging. Then I added some script to give it more of that vintage look! Sometimes I don't even remember creating a card! I get completely lost in it!

(click on the photo for a better view)

 A couple of days ago, while I was sitting in my craft room COMPLETELY stumped and uninspired to create a card, I grabbed some of my FAVORITE seam binding, then my needle and thread and started to sew these adorable little seam binding roses! Aren't they cute? I used Pear Pizzazz seam binding for the little leaves. Since I am a PEARL FANATIC, I stuck a sweet little pearl in the center!

(you can click on the photo for a better view)

Next, I made a little bow out of some crocheted lace and then added a vanilla seam binding bow. This will fit comfortable in a 5x5 envelope! The great thing about these seam binding roses, is that they are VERY forgiving! You can squish and squeeze them and they will still stay looking as pretty as if you hadn't squished and squeezed them! :o)

(you can click on the photo for a better view)

So here it is! My"Dreamy Vintage Blossoms" card! I hope you like it! It really didn't take me long to create it and it can EASILY be duplicated!

Enjoy your weekend!

~jenna 

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Happy Valentines Day everyone!!!

 It almost feels strange saying that because it kinda feels like Halloween here in, OH. At least for me it does. It's such a dreary day. Every so often there are these strong gusts of wind. The weather has warmed up a bit, (so happy about that) so the leaves and branches are flying around out there.  Just looks like a windy fall day out my window.

 There a few things I would like to let you all know... If you have sent me an email and I have not responded, I apologize. I am still in the process of getting up to date with all my emails. Not having a computer for just one week, can really set you back! I also have my two ADORABLE little girls who crave my attention (and I theirs) so sometimes, cyber-space must wait...

Also, I WILL be posting a bow tutorial soon... I thought I would have time this week, but my daughter had a big project for school that I helped her with and that took up quite a lot of time! (We had to create a Valentine's box and make 30 Valentine's Day cards. Layla has really acquired the creative gene. Every one of those cards had to be PERFECT!)

 I wanted to upload some pictures of scrapbook pages I have made. As you might already know... I started out scrapbooking. When it came to making a card... I just plain DREADED it! Now, I just can't seem to stop myself from making cards. I will need to get back into scrapboking though, there are just a TON of photos that are SCREAMING my name! 

Here is a two page layout I created of my daughter Layla Paige. One of our FAVORITE books to read is, "The Giving Tree" by Shel Silverstein. It was the first book Layla memorized. Anytime we asked her to choose a book (and this was before she was two) she chose, "The Giving Tree." We still can read it without even looking at the book. It is such an amazing book, wether you are an adult or child. It is just so full of meaning. 

Anyway, as you can see I love that book! So... one fall day last year, I had a little photo shoot with Layla and took a TON of photos of her. I could SEE the scrapbook page being created in my head with each and every shot. 

It took me quite a while to finish these pages. But, it is Layla in a nutshell! She LOVES being outdoors. She collects all kinds of things like acorns, leaves, dirt, sticks, etc... She has such an imagination! She LOVED these pages when I showed them to her. I cut out the tree myself and texturized it and then sponged some ink on it. Then I used a BUNCH of buttons for the leaves and branches! That was fun! I felt like it looked a little "boy-ish" so I added a few flowers on the first page. For the second page, I left the flowers out focusing more on her and the rest of the quote from the book. If you didn't know, the book starts out with, "Once there was a tree, as she loved a little boy." Well, I changed it a bit to suit my little Layla girl... Hope you like these pages!

Below is a page I created for my daughter, Brooklyn Sophia. My husband had taken these photos of Brooklyn and I and to be honest I do not remember him doing so. When we got home and uploaded the pictures to our computer, I cried. He captured such an amazing moment. The room was quiet, it was just Mike, Brooklyn and I and she was beginning to really open her eyes and look around. Just amazing... Again, when I saw these photos, I just couldn't wait to scrap them! I think this one came out really great!

 Hope you like it, too! I absolutely LOVE these photos. My mother had a dinner at her house where everyone brought a dish that was made from a Julia Child recipe. After we all ate dinner, we watched the movie, "Julie and Julia." My mom bought these Tulips and placed them in the center of the table @ dinner. A few days after the party, I noticed they were starting to wilt. So... I dressed Brooklyn up in this cute little outfit, stuck a bow in her hair, and let her "play" with the Tulips.  At first, she was quite gentle. She had no idea what Tulips were and she was probably a bit confused as to why I would just prop her up on a table and let her play with these flowers! What you don't know is, when  my oldest, Layla was just under two years old, I have propped her up on a table where there were sunflowers and let her play with them as well. There is the sweetest photo of Layla smelling this HUGE sunflower. It is one of my all time favorite pictures of my Layla girl. Anyway, I was kinda trying to mimic that moment we had with Layla, with Brooklyn! I have added the photo of Layla with the sunflower below... take a peak!! It's a cute one!! :o)

I am so happy I got to share these pages with you. They are very special to me. I hope you all have a beautiful day filled with lots of love!!

Till next time...

~jenna 

Back up and RUNNING with a Blog Exclusive, too!!!!

Well, I  feel like it's been awhile! I had no computer last week. Last Sunday, after blogging, I turned my computer off and started some house chores that needed to be done. After I was finished I thought, "Hmmm... let me go online for a bit." I deserved it right? I had just folded AND put away piles of laundry, loaded the dishwasher, swept the floors, and was getting my girls ready for bed. So, I turned on my computer and there it was... a BLUE screen! "Blue?" I said. "This can't be happening!" I turned it off, counted to eighteen, and then turned it back on. Now the screen was black with a blinking curser. I knew my computer had decided to call it quits on me. I was devastated! I am still not sure whether I have lost everything on it or not. I spent a couple hours on the line with my uncle and we are pretty sure I haven't lost everything, but until I get that thing working again, I won't know for sure! 

 So, I went the week with no computer. Except, two days last week,  Karen (my mother in law) lent me her computer while she was at work. I had some side projects that needed to get done, so i was SUPER grateful for that. After many discussions with my husband, we knew it was time for us to get a new computer. So we went to Best Buy yesterday where my husband purchased a new computer for me! YAY!! I am so happy to be BACK UP AND RUNNING!! :)            

Here is a card I made for today's, "Technique Challenge." It's called a, "Sliding Pop-Up Card." Pretty neat, huh? It was a lot of fun to make. It took me quite a while, because I changed quite a few of the dimensions. I used SU! stamp sets, Flores Suaves, Elements of Style, and Just Believe. The colors I chose were, Soft Suede, Basic Black, and Very Vanilla (of course). I did start this card this weekend and had NO Idea WHERE I was going to go with it. So since I NEVER paste anything down, until I know for SURE that I am happy with it, this was quite easy for me to pull off! I cut out WAY to many butterflies, but my girls will have a blast using them. Brooklyn, (my almost two yr old), has already had fun playing with one of them! I am so happy Holly chose this technique this week! Now I have a new piece to display on my fireplace mantle! :)

The card above is a, "Blog Exclusive!" I made this for my mother. She has sent my girls so many beautiful items the past couple of months. I wanted to make her a really special card. She's not a big fan of bows on cards, so I wanted to make her a feminine card without a bow. I sent this out to her a week ago and she called me while she was opening it. She gasped when she opened it, so I think I nailed it! :o) I used a SU! set called, Baby Blossoms, and a SU! stamp Wonderful Mother. The colors on the card are, Pink Pirouette, Very Vanilla, Sahara Sand, and Early Espresso. The ink I used was Baja Breeze, Pink Pirouette, and Blushing Bride. I added MANY pearls (of course). I paper pierced around the edges gave it some texture and started to put it all together. Im so happy she loved it!

Well, goodbye for now! So happy I can catch up on all the emails and comments I have missed the past week!

~jenna