Just Us Girls #169 - New Year's Theme with SPARKLE!

Hi there everyone!  I'm back with another Just Us Girls challenge.  This week is our Wild Card Challenge, which simply means the hostess can choose whatever type of challenge she wants!  Our marvelous Maria has chosen the challenge of making a New Year's themed card with SPARKLE!  My type of card, cause I love sparkle!

 

But before we get to the challenge, I have something special to say...kind of sad!  We are saying farewell to our very lovely and talented Lynn Mangan.   She has been a very special addition to our JUGs design team for quite a while, and has chosen to move on.  But she has told us she will still play along with us from time to time!  Best wishes, Lynn and Happy New Year!  We will miss you!

 

OK, so on with the challenge!

I chose a very literal interpretation to this challenge.  I love sparkle, and this Art Glitter is so cool!  It doesn't leave glitter all over the place (including my face, clothing, and fingers!) like regular glitter.  You burnish it into the paper with your fingers and it doesn't come off!  Love it!  I ran my numbers through the Xyron machine so the glitter would stick to it.  The dp is Delovely from Cosmo Cricket and I punched it with a star punch.  I backed it with a piece of turquoise paper.  The punch stars were not wasted.  I just added a bit of glue and placed them on the card.  It made it look more festive!

You can see more fabulous inspiration from our JUGs design team at these blogs.  Make sure you stop by Lynn's blog for her farewell JUGs post too!

 

JUGs blog

Andrea Matthews

Elise Durenberger

Lynn Mangan

Maria Levine

Marisa Ritzen

Vicki Dutcher

 

Thanks for stopping by and Happy New Year!



Pretty Palette #78 - Happy New Year!

Hi there!  There is a new Pretty Palette challenge over on the My Time Made Easy blog.  These colors are taken from the latest digital paper pack called Table for Two Patterns. 

Since I didn't make any Christmas cards to send out to some of my crafty friends, I figured I'd send New Year's cards.  This image is from the new Christmas Swag digital stamp set.  It's colored in GIMP with three of the challenge colors.  I used the new You're Invited cut file for the large shape.  The green polka dotted paper is one of the designs from Table for Two Patterns.  The base of the card is basic gray (it looks black!), and I added an orchid and white gingham ribbon to finish it off.

I used this great sketch from Retro Sketches.  Loved it!

You can see more from the Pretty Palette girls at these blogs.

 

MTME blog

Jackie Randolph

Mary Vogel

Romaine Rancier

Tracy Holmes



Thanks for stopping by!  Happy New Year!

Just Us Girls #168 - Photo Inspiration Challenge

Hi everyone!  Long time, no post!  Things have been a bit hectic here.  Update on my mom:  She's out of rehab and is continuing her recovery at my house (she broke her hip on Thanksgiving).  So I've been busy getting her settled, helping with her exercises, getting ready for Christmas (not much shopping done!), and working, crafting has taken a back seat.

 

But Vicki chose this fabulous photo for our Just Us Girls photo inspiration challenge (she always manages to find the coolest pictures!) and she wanted all of us to join in so I went into my cold basement craft room and rolled up the sleeves. 

 

 Here's a closeup of the picture for a better view.

 

 I decided to use the rosettes and the colors as my inspiration and came up with this.  The paper is SU's sooo retired Bali Breeze.  I made the rosette out of the turquioise paper and Tim Holtz's Paper Rosette die.  I added the scalloped circle, ribbon flower, and white glitter dot.  The senitment is Signature Greetings II from PTI.

 

 I used this great sketch from Freshly Made Sketches.  That circle was perfect for my rosette! 

 

The JUGs design team has some great inspiration for you to see, so stop by these blogs.

 

JUGs blog

Andrea Matthews

Elise Durenberger

Lynn Mangan

Maria Levine

Marisa Ritzen

Vicki Dutcher  

 

Thanks for stopping by!  I hope you join us this week!

Just Us Girls #166 - Technique Challenge

Happy Saturday!  Only three weekends until Christmas!  I'm so behind since my mom broke her hip on Thanksgiving.  I've been so busy tending to her needs and visiting her in the rehab center, that I don't have anything done yet.  I don't even have a wreath on my door! 

 

But since it's Saturday, it's time for a new Just Us Girls challenge.  Our lovely Lynn has chosen an easy one that we all use regularly...embossing.  And it could be heat or dry embossing. 

 

I've used a technique that I recently learned at the Online Card Classes:  Holiday Card Workshop.  If you took the class, you'll see I CASED Julie Ebersole's card!  I just loved hers!  The technique is super easy.  I ran Vintage Cream cardstock through a Cuttlebug folder, then used E51 and BG10 copic markers to very randomly lightly lay down some color on the embossed paper.  Then I pounced some Picket Fence stain on top and heated it to dry (you could leave it to dry, but I was impatient!).  It creates a look like marble!  I then added some Vintage Photo distress ink around the edges to shabby it up a bit.  The pattern paper is from Signature Christmas by My Mind's Eye.  I also embossed the front of the card with a linen plate from PTI.  The snowflakes are from the It's Snowing cut file from My Time Made Easy.  I used Soft Sky cardstock and ran them through my Zyron machine and added some chunky glitter to them.  I also added a light blue crystal brad to one. 

 

The JUGs design team are posting their creations, so please stop at these blogs to see what they did!
 

JUGs blog
Andrea Matthews
Elise Durenberger
Lynn Mangan
Maria Levine
Marisa Ritzen
Vicki Dutcher

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a great weekend~



Mojo Monday Sketch Challenge

I'm playing in a Mojo Monday sketch challenge!  I haven't done that in a looooong time!  I used to play all the time.  What the heck happened?  LIFE!  Hahaha!

 

So here's the sketch.  Perfect for the card I needed.  My niece Andrea is a nursing student and she and the other students in her class bought a gift for their teacher/mentor and she asked me to make a card.  I love those requests!  Finally a card that's going to actually get used! 

 

 I wanted something with pretty feminine colors, so I chose these papers from October Afternoon called Sidewalks.  They are just so lovely!  I paired it up with SU's Melon Mambo cardstock and Vintage Cream cardstock for the base.  The sentiment is PTI's Thanks All Ways stamp set.  The flower was created using PTI's Beautiful Blooms II and Sending You for the leaves.  I added a yellow flower button and some So Saffron tafetta ribbon.

I asked Andrea what she wanted the inside to say.  This set has a ton of different people to thank, and this is what she chose.

 She's on her way over to pick up the card right now.  I hope she likes it!  Thanks for stopping by!