********************Plaid MoJo168

Plaid and green silk ribbon from May Arts, Just Rite stamps from Christmas Ornamanets and Whimsical Christmas Set, Art Institute glitter, Swarovski crystals, plaid paper, gold cardstock, and distressed pink paper combined to create this card.  The ornament was stamped on acetate with Stazon ink.  Glitter was applied, then the ornament was cut out and mounted on the distressed pink paper. Ready, set, Mail!

*****************************Festive Plaid Gift

No time to stamp?  I made this card using a piece of plaid paper which I "tied up" with May Arts ribbon like a present waiting to be opened..  I used my computer to print the "to/from" tag and mounted it with Diamond Glaze on the back of a Tim Holtz Ideology fragment.  Simple  but effective?

*********************Merry and Bright...

Plaid reindeer and a swirl cut with Spellbinders on Graphic 45 paper coordinated perfectly with the reverse  side of the Graphic 45 Christmas paper.  A perfect bow made with May Arts silk ribbon makes a wonderful background for the gold cardstock cut out with a Spellbinders Label and stamped with Just Rite's Merry and Bright from the Christmas Nested Sentiments collection.  With a sprinkle of faux pearls (swirl), genuine Swarovski crystals (reindeer noses and label), and Stickles gold (antlers) this festive Christmas Card is ready to share.

***********Celebrating a New Life

Celebrate Good Times was the Just Rite 045 Challenge.  Perfect!  During this Thanksgiving season our family celebrated the birth of our daughter's first baby.  Isnt' she adorable? lol! So tiny, so precious, so easy to love. Now to make a card to announce her arrival...and voila...there is the perfect stamp from Just Rite's Celebrations Demi Phrases Set "Announcing the arrival of".  Paper from K and Company, seed pearls, Spellbinders Dies, May Arts ribbon, DewDrops, and a length of ribbon yarn all combined to create a card of celebration for our bundle of joy. 



*******Thankful Just Rite

Colors for FW044 Just Rite challenge are Gold, Rust, and Navy.  I was surfing the web and found a website that has a gazillion (well maybe not that many, but a lot!) of vintage photo's to download.  Check out http://www.vintageholidaycrafts.com/ and you can find the picture that I used to create the paper for my card.  The oval phrase Be Thankful for Little Things from Just Rite's Autumn Blessings worked well to create a frame for a focal image on the paper.  Stamped, embossed with gold on Navy paper, then cut out with a Spellbinders die.  Perfect yes?   Add an elegant May Arts Silk Ribbon bow and a card that gobbles Thanksgiving is done.

******A Gift Bag of Navy, Gold, and Rust

                                                                            




RUST       GOLD        NAVY 

I wanted a small gift bag to hold a little hostess gift.  Just in time...Just Rite issues challenge 044 which is to use colors of Navy, Rust  & Gold. I had a white "put it together yourself" treat bag/box that I thought would serve my purpose. 

A rusty color of Luna Lights paint was sponged inside and out of the bag.    While that was drying, I embossed the flower and frame from Just Rite's Autumn Blessings on navy cardstock in gold.  Loving a bit of glitz, I "colored" the bouquet with Art Institute glitters of blue, gold, and a coppery rust.  Do your notice the cheat?  A little  touch of green  was added to the leaves. And yes, it took a bit of time to color each petal separately!  Next, I went to my overflowing cupboard of wrapping paper to find a bit of dark blue tissue paper.  Naturally all I had was white, so I took the flower and stamped it all over the tissue.  A bit of gold glitter was added to the flower centers just because.  The last step was to embellish the bag a bit, put it all together and take a couple of pictures. 

******************Words of Comfort

The Just Rite Challenge for week 043 was to show support either through a sympathy card or one with a friendship theme.  From the time I purchased Just Rite's Thinking of You set, I was drawn to the image I chose for this card.  Through Him we are sustained in our times of trouble.  So, a card to share my belief to a friend going through a difficult time was thus created.  In addition to the Just Rite stamp, I used a McGill punch to create the intricate design on the background cardstock.  Spellbinders  neste squares were used create the frame around each punch and  a black pearl was placed in the center.  A special friemd shared a piece of webbing that I used behind the black silk ribbon.  It is my hope this card will provide some small measure of comfort.

***********Give Thanks JustRite Sketch 042

Today is a day to to Give Thanks for a beautiful fall day.  So, I decided to use Just Rite Stamps from the Auturm Blessings Borders and Centers for this challenge.   First I took the sketch, turned it on its side, and flipped it to get a "mirror image sketch".  (why I don't know, I just did!)  Starting with a blank cardstock base and using stamps from Just Rite's Autumn Blessings Borders and Centers, Ribbon, Lace, Pearls, Fabric flowers, Stickles, Spellbinder dies, and bits of paper this card evolved.  I first covered the card with wide ribbon (pumpkin background).  May Arts Silk Ribbon and Lace provided the vertical lines and also the background upon which "Give Thanks" was stamped. Individual pearls were glued to the lace and the Give Thanks square was double mounted on coordinating paper.  5 Prima flowers with Stickles centers were arched on/above the square.  Pumpkins were gold embossed, colored with Copic markers, cut out and mounted on paper circle and then on a  Prima flower from the Crown Jewels collection.   Finally I worked to place both the square and circle in an appropriately pleasing position (slightly modified from the sketch)

**********************A Recipe to De-Light You

This week -041  JustRite challenge this week is to welcome the holidays with a favorite family recipe.  Oh my, so many yummy things to eat!  But, as I thought and thought of which recipe to choose,  I realized that some of my most favorite "recipes" are not for edible items, but for things that embrace the spirit of the holidays.  So, I added my own personal twist to this week's contest to include a family recipe that was handed down from Grandmother, to Mother, to Daughter.  This whipped candle recipe has been used to provide table centerpieces for Thanksgiving, and provide provide teacher and hostess gifts throughtout the holiday season.  This candle is decorated with Imaginisce flowers and pearls. I made a gift card using Just Rite Christmas Stamp Ensemble, May Arts Ribbon, Cuttlebug embossing folder, and Spellbinders dies.  Packaged in a decorated box that  includes the Recipe for making the candle the gift is ready to give.  Look closely, the recipe card is decorated with Stickles and Robins Nest Dew Drop. 
 The wonderful thing about this recipe, is that it keeps providing joy for several years!

Whipped Candle

Candle Wax (I use blocks of paraffin)
Candle Wicking – about 3 inches longer than carton height
1 quart empty, cleaned waxed milk/cream carton (or similar) top cut off
2 lb. empty, cleaned coffee can (or similar)
Pencil (or similar)
“Old” electric mixer
Spoon
Glitter
Misc. embellishments

PerparationPoke tiny hole in bottom of carton. Thread wicking through hole to a 1 inch length. Tape it down. Roll other end of wick around pencil and lay it across open end of carton.

Candle
Place wax in coffee can set in a pan with a few inches of water. Melt wax at low heat, making sure there continues to be water in the pan. Pour a tiny amount of melted wax into the carton – enough to seal the hold around the wick. When that wax has cooled, pour melted wax into carton until carton is about 2/3 full. Let set until hard (overnight). Remove waxed carton and place candle on a prepared work surface. (newspaper, oilcloth, etc). The next step is messy!

Candle Covering
Add more wax to coffee can and melt. Let cool slightly. Take electric mixer and beat wax. (when wax has cooled sufficiently it will form a frothy foam). With spoon “slop” the frothed wax on the candle. While it is still warm, sprinkle the candle with chosen color(s) of glitter. Other embellishments can be added later with pins or glue.

Light the candle and enjoy the flickering glow. Use normal safety precautions.

Colors of Fall Kaleidoscope Just Rite 040

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

 The colorsof Fall are beginning to show as the warmer temperatures of summer are becomming a distant memory.  Swirling together the different colors of leaves provide a moving kaleidoscope of colors.   And so, I began to think of creating a Colors of Fall card.   A stamp from Just Rite's Kaleidoscope Set was stamped (Stazon Ink) on a piece of heavyweight acetate.  It was cut using a Spellbinders circle.  A larger background was cut using a larger Spellbinders Scallop Circle.  I used all the Copic marker "fall" colors I have and covered the  background piece with a myriad of pinpoints of color.  I punched a small hole in the center of the acetate and background and put them together with a brown brad to create a movable "kaleidoscope of color".  Next, I found a paper from Webster Pages that reminded me of a waning summer.  Flower Soft enhanced a printed tree to remind of  fall colors.  Next was adding the Beauty of Fall (perfect stamp for this card!) from Just Rite's Nature Nested Sentiments and Verse.  I used a Spellbinder tag to punch out an oblong in the card front.  The same tag was used to create the frame around the space.  The sentiment was stamped on a coordinating piece of the Webster paper and mounted (pop dots) behind the opening.  Layered on brown then cream cardstock, the font of the card was done and it was time to use my Dad's sentiment on the inside.  I found a maple leaf pattern on website http://www.kids.creativity-portal.com/  and used it as the background piece.  The title Colors of Fall was stamped using Just Rite's Special Occasions 15 and 50 pt sets.  To "tired" stamp the entire sentiment, I turned to my computer to finish:  "Notice the leaf colors.........................Now you know Fall is here."  Colored leaf punch outs (EK Success punch) were used instead of  words (red, orange, yellow, gold, brown, and burgundy).  I next created a mask to block out the big leaf and spritzed the rest of the page with Tattered Angel's Burnt Red Glimmer Mist.  My card is done; time to turn the kaleidoscope and watch the swirling colors of fall.  May fall's vibrant colors inspire you!

Flying Witch Ribbon Card

The "paper" was created using pieces of May Arts ribbon.  Spellbinders pumpkins and witch were used to create the focal point of this card.  A little bit of distressing and little bit of a bow and the card was done.  Ready for a special Halloween message inside...

Thank You says......JustRite 039 &Joan's Garden 18

This week Just Rite chllenged us in part, to create a Thank You card; Joan's Garden's challenge was to make a card using a die cut flower, a vertical paper strip, a swirl, and alteing the cardstock.  For this card, I decided to combine the two challenge together. (Whew! that is actually harder than I thought it wold be!)This card "grew" from a recent statement from a minister's sermon.  He said  "the words Thank You are an expression of Love".  And I thought about it....we say Thank You to show appreciation, appreciation is a facet of love; thus I thought Thank You Says Love Says Thank You in an unending circle. Hearts cut from Spellbinders formed petals upon which I stamped: Thank You (Just Rite's Just a Note set), Says an Love (Just Rite's Special Occasions 50 and 15 pt font set).  After distressing the edges, I used them to form the inner petals of the Spellbinder Die Cut Blossom (which I had run through the Swiss Dots cuttlebug (look closely!).  Instead of a brad or a button, I used a hand made dimensional flower for the blossom's center. Rhinestone swirls and a touch of glitter pen on the background paper and strip added a touch of bling to the card.  The last thing I did was prick the border of the card with a stylus.  I love that you viewed this card....Thank You!

******************************Pixie Hannah Witch

Thank You JustRite 039

Giving thanks that just I happened to have JustRite's Just A Note Stamp Set so had a "Thank You" stamp and thought I'd challenge myself to using a MoJo Monday layout.  There are so many times we have a should say "Thank You", and what better way to express a heartfelt thanks than to send a  hand stamped card.  Coordinating paper (from somewhere!), a few glass beads, a couple of Spellbinder's circles,  a luscious ribbon from MayArts, and a hand crocheted backdrop for the stamped Thank You were combined to create this card.  Simplicity...Thankyou for looking!

*******************Glowing By Candlelight JustRite......038

 My favorite fall holiday is Halloween, so with JustRite's "fun fall holiday 3D" guidelines I knew I would focus my efforts on that holiday.  Grinning Jack-o-lanterns, ghosts, and witches from the JustRite Witch Way to the Treats collection were sure to lend themselves to "something"!  What else to I like?  Candles.  3D..hmm.I took a glass globe/candle holder and transformed it into a Halloween centerpiece/table accent.  I stamped the halloween images on velumn, colored the pumpkins with those oh so wonderful copic markers...used stickles to color the ghosts (unfortuantely the sparkle doesn't show up too well on camera).   The cat was cut from Spellbinders Witches Brew set and I decorated its eyes with a bit of sparkle.  I held my breath (or was that wave my wand?), lit the tealight candle and sat back to enjoy the flickering view. 

**********Witches in Flight.........JustRite037

Into the Witch's Cauldron I put the Spellbinders Nested Pumpkins, their new Witches Brew set, and JustRite's Witch Way to Treats.  I then added orange and black paper,  a spiderweb of black thread, a bit of May Arts Ribbon, 2 old pearls from my mother's jewelry box, and 4 satin May Arts black bats(ribbon). Stir in glue and pour onto a set of white/orage/pale blue cardstock.  Simmer this concoction  for a couple of hours and by the light of the moon the finished card emerged.  So fun!

****************Scottie...JustRite 036

JustRite's challenge this week was to make a card using the colors of Black, Dark Red, and Ivory with the added twist of a handmade embellishment.  My personal challenge was to find the right balance of the three colors.  It seems a little black Scottie has been a member of my family "always".  So, with my Mom's comment that our Scotties have been black I was off to create a black,red, ivory colored card.  I first found an image of a Scottie on the internet and adapted it to form my scottie pattern.  Once drawn and carefully cut out, I covered "her" with black Flower Soft.  I then crocheted an ivory colored collar with bedspread thread and tied it around her neck.  Three Swarovski crystals (red and  black) added a bit of bling.  I then stamped and embossed (Zing Black Glitter)  a border from JustRite's Christmas Ornament set. I then cut the border out (both inside and outside) using Spellbinders circle dies. I used a dark red marker to add the color.   A larger Spellbinder circle was used to cut out a circle of black, and a smaller one was used to cut out a circle of  ivory that I'd sponged with red and black ink. Pop dots allowed me to add dimension to the layers and little Scottie was mounted inside using a larger pop dot.    MoJo Monday's sketch  this week was borrowed to provide the layout for the card.  Red and black cardstock pieces were cut.  I machine sewed the zigzag to a red strip and  cut a scallop border on a black strip before placing the pieces on the card that had been covered with a piece of black/ivory paper from Paper Studio.  What next? Well a bit of lace, a couple of red buttons, a black bone brad, a black silk ribbon bow (May Arts), and a liberal sprinkling of dark red Swarovski crystals and I believe this card is ready to be given.

Crackd Glass Purple Flower ..JUGS50

What a wonderful idea....a challenge that encompasses a technique.  I want to play!!! So, after reading directions that explained how to create the cracked glass, it was time to choose a perfect stamp.  The floral posy from JustRite's Plant a Little Love set.  I wondered how it would crack if I used glitter to color the stamped image, so glitter was used to color the flower.  Crack, crack and the flower was ready to use to create a card.  Using a Spellbinders circle I cut out the flower and also cut out a circle on the card front.  The card cover was covered with a piece of purplish specialty paper, with a bit larger circle cutout.  A few Pima flowers, Swarvoski crystals were used to accent the card.  A purple organza ribbon and bow added the final flourish to my first ever cracked glass card.  What I discovered is I like this technique and will certainly do more cards using it.

****JustRite Snowman tag*Challenge 35

The JustRite Challenge this week, to create a Christmas/Holiday tag challenged me to think a little "outside the box".  Hmmm, a tag for a Christmas package...a box....  I really love the snowman from the JustRite Vintage Christmas set and so it began.  I first cut 3 circles using Spelbinders Circle dies,  On the smallest I stamped the Snowman's face.  On the second I stamped Happy Holidays from the JustRite Merry Little Christmas collection.  The largest "snowball" received a stamp from the JustRite Kaleidoscope Set.  Every Snowman needs a tophat so a piece of glittered grey paper was stamped  "To and From" using the 15pt Special Occasions Front.  The Snowman's cheeks are pink Pebbles Chalk (love the glisten that chalk gives), Everything else was colored using red and green Copic Markers.  A bit of  red/green ribbon I cut and frayed to form a scarf. The "snowballs" were then covered with a good helping (big snowstorm in my craft room) of Martha Stewart's Carrara Marble coarse glitter (I wish the picture show how it twinkles.).  The final touch was a scrap piece of MayArts glittery string  which was looped to make an attachment point.  All that is left is to complete the To/From section and this tag is ready for the waiting package.

Happy Birthday Dear Everett

So...I was off to create a card for a very special man in our lives.....my son-in-law.   Hmmm....he likes the old world map and when I saw this world map postcard from Rubber Necker Stamps, into my shopping cart it went.  They also market fabulous Luna Lights which was used to create the background behind the gold embossed image.  Using Spellbinder's Doodleparts and running the gold cutouts though the Cuttlebug (damask) I created the visual interest on the bottom half of the card.  Then I was off to get a "happy birthday" message.  I stapmed a tiny Happy Birthday (Hero Arts) and placed it inside of  an oval metal frame (Paper Studios from Hobby Lobby I think).  Then using Crystal Effects, I filled up the space inside of the oval until it reached the top,  When dry, I mounted it on a Spellbinder's tag and placed it.   Wishing you a very happy birthday Everett!

Bushell of Apples for Joan's Garden...14

Joan's Garden challenge was to use the colors brown, red, and green with pearls and lace - and, oh yes if you have a Heartfelt Creation stamp.... Well, I just received my very first purchase of a Heartfelt Creations rubber stamp - the pumpkins. Hmmm...over-ripe red pumpkins? under-ripe green ones? just didn't seem to be the thing.  But...one of the great things about these stamps is that the set also includes a few little extras....Sooo, I cut red and green squares, embossed the vines on each, taped them together into a larger square and ran the whole thing through my cuttlebug (dmask).  Then, I took a piece of brown cardstock and covered it in a piece of lace fabric.  I used  JustRite stamps to create the oval and frame.  The bushel basket of apples was colored using Copics and touched up with a bit of Crystal Effects.  Brown pearls were afixed around the oval frame.  This piece was then mounted on the red and green squares and the whole thing was then mounted on the lace and framed with a bit of red ribbon and anchored with 4 of the brown pearls .  A red ribbon was used to secure the "Blessings" embellishment  below the squared piece.  The final task was to mount this on a folded piece of brown cardstock.  I hope this card makes you feel "Fall/Autumn".

***********The Halloween Ball with MoJo155

The Halloween Ball

With regrets I know not where I downloaded the vintage Halloween image.  I'd had it stored on my computer for awhile and remembered it when I saw this MoJo challenge.  It seemed perfect for the central image.  Anyway, I printed and cut it out and began the work of creating a card.  Coordinations cardstock, pumpkins cuttlebug folder, a piece of Graphic 45 paper, a couple pieces of May Arts lace ribbon, and a piece of black cardstock was used to create the card "base".  To make the tag,  A Jewel It pumpkin from Outlines Rubber Stamps was stamped on black card stock, embossed in gold  and  covered with Crystal Effects. Once dry I applied the Swarvoski Sun jewels. then threaded it on the sparkly ribbon.  Do you feel Halloween coming?

.........Faith, Hope, and Love is JustRite 034

  Faith, Hope, and Love

And the greatest of these is Love....This card was made for my parents who continue to give me so much of their love.  One of the ornaments in the JustRite Christmas Ornaments collection became the primary image used in this card.  I colored th ornament bows with red Copics then how much fun I had swooping and swirling the glue and shaking on gitter.  While they were drying, I cut out tiny ovals using Spellbinder's Ovals and using  2 of JustRite's fonts (15 pt and 50 pt Special Occassions) the words Faith, Hope, and Love were stamped.  It was easy to make them glittery by writing over the words using Copic's a Spica marker.  Layers of paper (one which was run through the Cuttlebug) , using a Martha Steward scallop punch,  tiny pearls, a bit of crocheted lace  and a shiny silver ribbon were used to enhance the glittery ornaments.  All combined to finished card was created,.  I put my faith in the One who is greater than I, my hope that all things good find each of us; that everyone has someone to love. 

***JustRite Decoration for Christmas*** 034

Speaking of decorating the tree for Christmas....this glittery JustRite challenge inspired me to create an "invisible" ornament within an ornament. First, using Stazon ink, I stamped the ornament (JustRite Christmas Ornaments Set) on acetate.  Such a lovely intricate design to color with glitter!  When dry, the invisible ornament was placed inside a clear plastic ball.  The seam was trimmed with gold braid.  Glittery beads were strung to tie a knot at the top of the ribbon hanger.  The next step was attaching a perfect little bow. Finally, was taking a picture that would show at least a little of the glittern effect...and oh how it glitters in the light!  With the lights of the Christmas tree behind it, it should be very pretty.  (Unfortunately I don't have my Christmas tree up yet ..lol..to actually test it out!  To be given as a gift, I also made a coordinating card with the following  original verse inside: 

 "This Christmas Ornament, Glitters in the light,  To bring you joy,   And  give you delight!"                        

   .

I wish you joy & hope you enjoy this challenge entry..                                                                                                                                                            

....A Witch and Bats...Oh My!... JustRite033

This morning I was attempting to clear up (note I didn't say clean up!) my workspace from completing my entry into this weeks JustRite Challenge and saw the Cricut tree cut out that I had made to use (but never did) in a previous challenge.  Rather than continue with my cleaning...oops, I mean clearing activity I allowed myself to be distracted.  First the tree, then the sketch that was propped up against the lamp and another card was in the making.  I just love the JustRite's Witch Way to the Treats set so once theWitch was flying across the moon...the Witchin' You a Happy Halloween from the Celebrations Demi Prases Set was a perfect to add around the moon.  (I really does show up better on the real card...a photographer I am not!) A wisp of fog, some texture on the tree (flower soft)  and then I was ready to tackle the squares.  Trick or Treat (Witch Way to the Treats) was stamped on silver paper then mounted on gold.  Then I looked for something different to make the other two squares.  So...how about twisting black wire into a spiral square seemed to work and voila, the card is done! 

****Floral Perspective JustRite Challenge 033***

A Dodecahedron is a three-dimensional geometric figure formed of 12 equal pentagonal faces meeting in threes at 20 vertices. A square is a square is a square! Okay, I'm going to follow the JustRite Challenge 033 sketch using squares!  Now to begin!  I started with a piece of white watercolor paper and misted it with a touch of bronze (Tattered Angels).  The floral image from JustRite Plant a Little Love stamp was repeatedly stamped about the paper.  To fill in the empty spaces, I first blocked off the initial images and overstamped using the flower stamp from JustRite's Wood Stamper Oval Special Occasions Font set.  Navy blue, orange, and silver papers were cut to form the squares.  Th green flowers were made by stamping the flower from the JustRite Plant A little Love set6 times on the white water color paper, cut out, colored with markers (Copic and Tombow), moistened and shaped into flowers, JustRite "Just Because" stamp form the Just a Note line was reverse embossed and mounted on the middle square - copics and a swarvoski crystal highlight the tiny flower.  The vertical "rectangle" was made with two silk ribbons and a piece of orange eyelash yarn.  A bold blue flower (you guessed it...colored using a Copic marker) with it sparkling green gemstone made the destination point for making the two outside squares into optical boxes.  Lastly, the made floral paper was mounted on a frame of orange which was then mounted on the navy blue card.  And you wonder why I started out this paragraph with a Dodecahedron?  Yep, there is a reason....but that is a whole other story ...I welcome your comments .....

********************Autumn Blessings JustRite 032 Challenge

With the warm autumn colors of olive, chocolate, and pumpkin the JustRite color challenge are truly the colors of Nature and evoked images of  Thanksgiving, pumpkins, etc. Let the card making begin!  I selected kraft paper to start  this card using the cornucopia image cut from the Paper Doll Dress Up Cricut cartridge.  Once cut, I used the Herringbone folder (Cuttlebug) and embossed it.  I then placed it against a plain brown cornucopia image.  Next i used Spellbinder's Pumpkin die cut to create the background pumpkin using pumpkin colored paper.  Once I had cut the large image out, I traced the outside of the die to get the shadow layer (thanks MJ for the hint!).  I sponged Stampin Up's  Appricot Appeal over the pumpkin to create a lighter image, then used copic markers (E57 & E97) to color the stem and pumpkin spines. The cornucopia/pumpkin was then mounted on a piece of Graphic 45 (Birds in Paradise). Pumpkins from the JustRite Autumn Blessing and Borders set were stamped on the pumpkin colored paper, colored with Copic markers (YG03, G23, E57 and E97), cut out, glazed with Crystal Effects, then arranged in and around the cornucopia.  Pop dots were used to give them dimension.  Elegant silk ribbon (MayArts) was used to tie the bow.  I then stamped the sentiment (JustRite Autumn Blessings and Borders) on a piece of the Graphic 45 paper and used Spellbinders oval  and scallop oval dies to create the medallion which was then placed on the ribbon.  Three Swarovski crystals (sun/topaz)were added to the upper left corner.  All was then mounted on a layer of pumpkin before being attached to the chocolate brown card base.  AFter making this card, I feel fall in the air!

************School Days JustRite 031

What a challenge! I thought and thought, what to stamp/create. A lunch box? A wall hanging, but, wait a minute...I like making cards. So a card to take to teacher is what I made. School Days ireminds me of Reading Writing and Arithmetic, books, paper, etc so that became my focal point. I created the book cover using my computer (for words) and red mulberry paper. The book's spine is black mulberry paper. The pages of the book were created by gluing down parallel lines of glitzy gold thread. I cut a slit to insert the bookmark. "For My Teacher" was stamped using the font from JustRite's Special Occasion font on a gold Spellbinders tag. School Days". The "School Days" on the front of the book was stamped with same JustRite font on a gold small oval (Spellbinders of course!) and backed in black by a scalloped oval. I mounted the book on school paper (I think by Imaginisce). Next I stamped the paper with letters using the same Just Rite font in black. A contrast to the small black alphabet was created by embossing letters from JustRite Deluxe Monogram wet with Zing embossing powrFor the bookmark, I stamped (Stazon Black) the apples from JustRite's Autumn Blessings on acetate. I colored the image with Art Institute glitter. Then, I cut out the image and afixed it to a length of cardstock that was covered with satin green and red ribbon. The final piece was adding a purchased tassel. Now teacher can be greeted with a special card (personal message inside) and use the bookmark to mark the lesson's place. Whew a lot of steps to make but fun to have made.

***Happy Halloween Mojo151Sketch

As I sat at my crafting table, drinking my morning cup of coffee, I was thinking about the layout for Mojo 151 sketch. My eyes fell upon the Martha Stewart spider web punch and that was the jumping off point for this card. A few colors of cardstock, a clear stamp witch (company unknown) and Happy Halloween from Uptown Rubber Stamps, and a bit of gold ribbon were used to layer and create this card. Don't know why Halloween...maybe I'm wishing for cooler fall weather!

***************Thinking of You JustRite 30 Challenge

The vintage look of the Pottery Barn fabrics in the inspiration photo challenged me to create an old fashioned card which made use of all the colors in the photo. Pictured is my end result. I started with the Thinking of you stamp from JustRite's Thinking of You Centers and Borders set. Then I found the cameo picture and cabbage rose flowers (just like in the pillow) in a book of Victorian decoupage prints. With many tiny snips, I cut the pictures out; famed the lady using spellbinders mega rectangles, covered the cabbage roses with hundreds of clear beads. After stamping Thinking of You with Memento ink and coloring with Copics, I covered the flowers with crystal lacquer and used a decorative punch to complete the tag. Silk ribbon and lace, a few pearls; a ribbon flower and colorful layers completed my work on this card. The hardest part was waiting for the glues and lacquer to dry before arranging them on the card lol!

**************************Candles Burning Bright Mojo150 Sketch

The JustRite stamp from the Merry Little Christmas set seemed a perfect one to use for this Mojo sketch challenge. I stamped the candles with the corresponding scallop border on an ivory paper that had a sheen (okay, it was the liner on a wedding invitation envelope...I find it hard to throw papers away lol!). Then it was time to find papers, ribbons, and embellishments. The solid red is a sueded ribbon that adds a lot of texture to the card. I used my favorite Swarovsi crystals, a small piece of chain, and a couple of brads and it was finished. As we are experiencing a heat wave, it was refreshing to work with a Christmas/winter image!

*****************A Splash of Green for PDCC40

This card would work well for many different color "splashes", but the PDCC40 challenge I love this splashy green flower. The focus of the card was a triptych flower tags stamp from Rubber Stampede. It was stamped in black on white paper, then cut and mounted on black paper. A variety of black and white papers, ribbon, and crystals, and stamped alphabet letters (Serene) were used to create the card.

**************JustRite Challenge 029 - Sketch

When I saw the border Stitched With Love from Applique, I knew it would pair well with the Lion center from Let's Celebrate. His mane seemed perfect for adding some threaded dimension to the card. I took strands of black, copper, and gold and following the lines on th stamp, I stitched him "with love" (after first giving him color with Copic markers). This stamp lends itself well to additional "stitching: around the border.A bit of glitz was added by using Stickles to dot the loops in the border. I wanted to highlight the Stitched With Love theme, so I added some random stitches to the gold strip of paper which was then layered on the striped background. After adding a coordinating ribbon/buckle and three pointers, the card is finished! ROARRRRR!

******************JustRite028

Here he is...my Christmas Santa. Using a combination of papers, JustRite stamps, Copics, Spellbinders, a finishing silk ribbon bow, and a dash of glitter on the Santa hats; a special one of a kind Christmas card was created just for him!