cardmaking

Hope Anchors the Soul

/ Jodi / 19 Comments

Hope Anchors the Soul

What a great weekend we had.  A little fun friend time at a Margaritaville Party Friday night.  Thanks Andy and Donna (and Hazel!) for inviting us….

A family wedding celebration – Congrats Jeff and Terri!

A little time to cook and bake on Sunday – – – more on that later this week – but a couple of master bread bakers (ahem Rob and Nancy 🙂 ) had me hankering to bake some fresh crusty rustic bread to go with the sausage stuffed banana peppers from my garden for Sunday dinner.

And a little time to play with my card-making when a thunderstorm busted in on our afternoon.

This card was inspired for someone special I’ve been thinking about and designed for The Paper Players Challenge #206.  I’ve just started trying these out.  It is a fun way to be inspired and challenged with a sketch to see what you can create.  Here is the sketch that inspired my card:

PP 206I love the sentiment on this Neat and Tangled stamp, and had fun using Punchinella, which is basically the leftover sheets from the machine when sequins are made.  Pretty cool – huh?

hope anchors the soul 2

The rest is done using StampinUp products:  Watercolor paper with Daffodil Delight, Marina Mist, and Bermuda Bay inks stamped on a block, then spritzed with water and then pressed onto the water color paper.  I heat embossed the sentiment with gold and used some StampinUp Gold Soiree Designer Series Paper, burlap ribbon, and Chalk Lines stamped onto kraft brown paper for the banner strips.  Natural linen thread was used for the string and bow.  A couple sequins in complimentary colors finished it off.

hope anchors the soul 3Have a great week friends!

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

 

Hello Friday!

/ Jodi / 6 Comments

Stampinup By the Tide
Hello there Friday!   Friday is always my day to share a card I made this week, since it is #FreebieFriday for my WheretheRubberHitstheRoad gang.

(and is it just my screen or does the seashell look 3D to you?  Like it is floating off the page?  I think it is so cool how it looks in this shot, though there was not a good shot that I feel captures the essence of this card because it has so many elements of glitter and dimension and wet droplets, but hard to get in one shot – though it could be this amateur photographer’s lack of ability too!)  🙂

stampinup by the tide 3

Anyway, I had so much fun making this card.  I was inspired by a Stamping “Challenge” on JustAddInk’s Website (Challenge #223) when I designed this card, but alas, I was TOO LATE!  The deadline was in Australian Eastern Standard Time AEST – 14 hours AHEAD of us back in little ole’ Mars, PA USA!)  Oh Jodi!!!

I still love the card and can’t wait to share it with someone special to hopefully brighten their day.

stampinup by the tide 2

Stampinup Products Used:
By the Tide Stamp Set
Lost Lagoon, Whisper White and Night of Navy Card Stock
Lost Lagoon, Pacific Point, Pool Party and Stazon Black Inks
Bubble Circle Embossing Folder
Circle Framelit Dies
Crystal Effects for water bubbles
Alcohol Markers for coloring
Wink of Stella Brush for Glittering
Sentiment:  Jillibean Handwritten Sentiments

Happy Weekend!  We are off to some fun picnics and parties and wedding celebrations!  (I’m getting a new sis-in-law Saturday and celebrating a special day with my brother, Jeff and family!!) 🙂

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

Stampin’ Grateful!

/ Jodi / 12 Comments

stop and go neat and tangled

As some of you know, my Marty is a “Traffic Guy.”  He has also been the light of my life for 32+ years.  After putting up with me hosting Girlfriend Camp #GFC2014 this past weekend, I thought he deserved a little “appreciation.”  After all, he did “get out of Dodge” all day Saturday, but was our hero Sunday morning preparing us a breakfast fit for…  well…. the princesses we are! 🙂

Yippee Skippee I Freakin Love You and Chalk lines hearts

I freakin’ love him – for so many reasons.  So when I was in a crafty mood and found a card stamping challenge at Muse (Muse Challenge #77), I strangely thought this matched the challenge criteria.  I used a fun stamp set from #NeatandTangled called Stop and Go, #Stampinup Yippee Skippee and Chalk Lines stamp sets, DSP, card stock and ink, and a vintage Stampinup sentiment stamp from 2002.  My interpretation of the challenge card was in the design of a single object with a single sentiment and a simply framed layout.

Wink of Stella on Traffic Light Stop and Go Neat and Tangled

What I really love about this card, and the pictures just don’t do justice is the “Wink of Stella” Brush I used to glitz up the traffic lights.  Saw #JenniferMcGuire demonstrate it and am not sure if I like it more because it has the name “Stella” in it (my Grandma’s name) or the fun way it adds shimmer with NO glitter mess!

Anway – mailed this to Marty at work to let him know how much he rocks my world.

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

 

Happy Friday – Fourth of July!

/ Jodi / 3 Comments

Celebrate Today 4th of JulyWoohoo!  Not only is it Friday, but it’s a holiday – Independence Day!  An extra day off work and a day to celebrate.

celebrate today 4th of july insideI was inspired to make a red, white, and blue celebration card and already gave it to someone special.

celebrate today 4th of july flatI’m having fun with a more abstract look in my card making lately using watercolor paper and spritzing and splotching.  I’m loving white embossed on vellum too – and touches of gold string.  And lately, most every card uses the “Gorgeous Grunge” stamp in one way or another.

Hope you and yours enjoy the long holiday weekend…

and celebrate today…

at Life in Between.

Cheers and Hugs,

Jodi

 

You Overwhelm Me with your Awesomeness

/ Jodi / 6 Comments

flower patch awesomeness with kinda eclectic

I had SOOO much fun making this card.

I stamped

and I punched out

and I glued

and embellished

and got a bit carried away…

A little overwhelming???….

I think the sentiment matches the card perfectly – a little overwhelming…

a little awesome….

flower patch awesomeness with kinda eclectic 3 inside

I can’t wait to share this card with someone who deserves to know how awesome and BeYouTiful they are.

Happy #FreebieFriday!  Hope you have an overwhelmingly awesome weekend!

flower patch awesomeness with kinda eclectic 2

Cheers and Hugs,

Jodi

PS   For my SU friends, I used the new Flower Patch and Kinda Eclectic stamp sets for this card, and it was inspired and CASE’d from Nance Leedy.

A Bevy of Butterflies – Sheer & White or Bold & Bright

/ Jodi / 3 Comments

sheer white flourishes and butterflies

I’ve been trying to capture some photos of butterflies lately, but have not had much success – – – YET that is – stay tuned!

So instead, I decided to create some butterfly cards..

I think this sheer white one might make a pretty wedding card.  (And it is that  time of year!)

It is done with white paper stock and white embossed SU Flowering Flourishes on clear vellum and vellum-punched out butterflies. with some pearl accents.

I think it is sheer and delicate and dainty.

sheer white flourishes and butterflies closeup2

And this is one of Nick’s favorites that I’ve ever made (he tells me).  I’m kinda partial to it too.

Though I made it months ago, I haven’t mailed it to anyone yet.  This one is made using SU’s Best of Butterflies with a water coloring technique.

best of butterflies

These butterflies are bold and bright and glittery and sparkly.  The colors just spoke “JOY” to me.  I’m saving it for something and someone special someday.

best of butterflies close up

Which one do you like better?

Sheer & White?

or

Bold & Bright?

 

Wishing you a day filled with Joy – – – and maybe a few beautiful butterflies too.

Cheers and Hugs,

Jodi

 

Hello Friday! Friday the 13th

/ Jodi / 2 Comments

Hi There Gorgeous Grunge and Kinda Eclectic

Oh Friday – How we look forward to you each week – so Hello!

Hello Friday!

And it’s Friday the 13th!

And it’s a Full Moon!  (also called the Strawberry Moon and the Honey Moon – which is not supposed to occur again for 5 years – so check it out!)

Woooohooo – what excitement may come our way?!

Friday is #FreebieFriday in the StampinUp Where the Rubber Hits the Road Group I belong to.  It’s the day we all share a card we made this week to inspire each other.

I love seeing all the creativity and crafty, artistic inspiration from my fellow stampers.

This week, I’m sharing this Kinda Eclectic/Hi There/Gorgeous Grunge Card  (those are the names of the three stamp sets I used, but funny how they “kinda” name the card!)

I had a BLAST making and seeing how this turned out.  A little off my usual path, but I just kept adding…

Lots of bright colors combined with the contrast of black inked on vellum….

A silver embossed ray of sunshine…

A cut-out starburst cog to go under it and lift it off the paper….

Some gold cord swirled under that and on top of the sliver sunburst…

Then topped it off with some sequins.

I saw something done with some similar techniques on Pinterest and couldn’t wait to try.

I hope it made you smile…

Or brightened your day…

Hello to you – and Hello Friday!

Wishing you all a wonderful Father’s Day weekend ahead.

Enjoy doing all the things you love to do…

with the people you love…

at Life in Between.

Cheers and Hugs,

Jodi

 

A little Kindness goes a Long Way

/ Jodi / 6 Comments

Kinda Eclectic Kindness CASEd ilina crouseBack in January (could that really be six months ago!?), I was all gung ho on participating in the One Little Word project.

“Kindness” was the word I had chosen.

Then I decided to take it a little “deeper” and changed my word to “Accept.” (but that is probably for another day…. another blog….)

I followed the project for a couple months, but for some reason, I just didn’t stick with it.  (I applaud a few friends who I know are sticking to their “reflections,” “choices,” and “moxie!”)

Well – Even though I changed my “one little word”…. and didn’t stick with the program, I am still reminded of my original and “gut instinct” word when I look at something I wrote on the chalkboard in my home office:

“A Hug is a Blanket of Kindness”

Do you ever stop and think how SIMPLE it is to make a difference in someone’s life?

An impact on the world?

Have you thought about how much a real, genuine, T I G H T, last-to-let-go hug means to someone?

I held a training session at work yesterday for one of our teams on one of my favorite topics:  Customer Service – and specifically – how a Complaint is a Gift!  No matter how many times I talk about it, or how many times I present the same topic, I get excited….   I get energized…  I get downright giddy about the endless opportunities at our fingertips and on the tip of our tongues – both personally and professionally – when we simply display kindness.

You see – customer service, handling complaints, and simple acts of kindness – are really such basic concepts.

Why do we try to complicate things so?

Why do we look for magic bullets?

Miracle creams?

Quick fixes?

What happened to the simple act of kindness?

The simple gesture of a genuine hug?

Do you let the world around you affect your day or do you make an impact on others?

I make it my daily goal, even if it is simply with the teenage boy or middle-aged woman working the cash register at the local grocery store, to share KINDNESS with everyone I interact with.

Do you let that “grouchy” checkout lady ruin your day or your shopping experience or your moment? Or do you make it your personal challenge, like I try to do, to make that person smile…? leave them with a positive, kind thought?

It’s kinda fun really.

It’s kinda eclectic.

Hmmm…  That is the name of the new stamp set I used from StampinUp to make this card:  Kinda eclectic

Can’t wait to decide who to send it to and share a little kindness.

Don’t underestimate the power of simple kindness, random acts of kindness, and the value of a TIGHT, last-to-let-go hug.

A little act of kindness goes a LONG way!

Cheers and Hugs,

Jodi

 

PS   For my stampin’ friends, this card was made using the new in colors, Kinda Eclectic stamp set, and Gorgeous Grunge Stamp set.