Jennifer McGuire, ink.

Happy 4th!

Happy 4th!

Yes, I am a loser. :)  It is the 4th and I am at home.  It is rainy here, and the kids go to bed early in our house.  So, I am sitting on the sofa posting here. :)  We had a fun dinner with my family and Jana (who is totally part of our family) and it was fun.

Oh!  And speaking of Jana... she has a giveway on her blog today!  Go HERE to enter to win the Designing With Cards book - a favorite of mine.

Here is a card share for today.  The little bird is stamped on white and punched, then added on top of a button.

Supplies:

Hero Arts stamps (tree, greeting, swirl, bird), buttons, gems, notecards

Black Memories Ink

Primary Chalk Ink Queue

The set used on this is one of my favorites.  There is so much on it!  And it is in stock HERE.

Also, I have a video that was on Hero's blog yesterday.  You can see it HERE.

Again, I hope you had a good day.  And for all of you with family/friends serving our country - big big hugs.

Night!

Simple card...

Hi, all!

Quick card share.  Gotta get ready for tomorrow's Hero Blog post.   I taught this quick card at a class last month.  It is amazing how a simple run through the Cuttlebug really makes this card pop.

 

 

Supplies:

• Hero Arts stamps and gem (for cherry on top)
  
• Black Memories Ink
• Diamond Stickles
• Cuttlebug
• Bo Bunny Paper
• Colored pencils

A quick link for ya.  If you are interested in more about my brother-in-law and the work they are doing in Africa, you can learn about it HERE.  It is a new article about them.

Oh, and if you are local, we decided to squeeze in 4 more people into our class on the 3rd at Stamp Your Art Out.  Give them a ring if you are interested!

How-To Video: Raised (Glittered) Edge

Have you ever been making a card and then decide to add something... only to realize immediately that it looked better before?

This happens to me often.  I usually just leave it as is and move on to the next thing... thinking of it as a lesson learned.  I rarely redo things. Me + cardmaking = lazy. :)

Anyway, here is a video for a card that is on Hero Arts HERE.  It shows how to create a raised edge on a card.  And then I show how to mess it up by adding glitter. Hee...

As seen on heroarts.com.  For info and supplies, click HERE.

Off to go see a movie with my girlfriends.  I will post a winner for the giveaway tonight.  Have a good one...

Kids Cards... and a giveaway...

Hello!

Thanks for the posts and many emails about the card drive.  It will be fun!  Yep, after I get all the cards, I will photograph and share the big pile here.

Kay (my 13-year-old-step-daughter-who-I-adore-and-is-my-big-helper) is going to put the prize packages together tomorrow.  She is so excited!  Hope to show pictures this weekend.

I thought I would share three cards I made for the kids.  It uses adorable little cards from Stampin' Up.  They are such fun! 

Supplies:

Hero Art stamps (animals, balloons and greetings, background) and gems

Memories Black Ink

Stampin' Up little cards

Creative Impressions silk ribbon

Other: circle punches, colored pencils and gamsol

A few people wanted to know what to write in the inside of the cards.  You don't have to write much - just say you are sending smiles or something and sign it, along with where you are from.  Or, you can get more creative.  Erin Lincoln was the first to send a card for the drive and I love the clever thing she wrote inside!  :) Erin, thank you so much.  Adore you.  Here it her fab card...

 

By the way, if you aren't a cardmaker, you can send a store-bought card.  Someone who is currently traveling emailed me and send they are sending a postcard - that is a great idea!  Really, anything goes.  And if I get a TON of cards, I will let you know and we can instead start sending cards in for our local children's hospital.

And, since you all have stuck around long enough to read this far, I have a giveaway! :)  Just leave a comment here telling me something that you are dying to try in scrapbooking/cardmaking.  Be sure to leave it by tomorrow at 11:59pmEDT.  I will pick a random winner and send them a copy of the Designing With Recipe Book!

Thanks again, all!  I have some videos coming soon.  Off to work on my PS video.  Smooch!

I am a ditz...

... at heart still.  I completely forgot to pick a winner for the stamp set from last week!  Der.  I am so sorry.  But better late than never.  The winner of the Close To My Heart stamp set is Holly!  I will email you. :)

Hey... if I owe anyone a prize or CD of Keith's and you haven't gotten it yet, please email me.  My greatest fear is that something gets lost in the mail and someone never gets it.  Would hate for that to happen!

A few random things...

On my post from yesterday, a few people asked what white pen I used.  It was the white Sharpie pen.  Worked pretty well.

Someone also asked if you can use Cuttlebug embossing folders with the Big Shot.  I believe you can.  I would recommend doing a google search - there is likely even a youtube video on it.

I have gotten emails about the yummy silk ribbon.  It is from Creative Impressions - I believe you can buy it from their site!

Want some amazing inspiration?  Be sure to watch Hero Arts Blog this week.  Shari is sharing some amazing stuff.  Wow.

Just a quick card share using a new Hero Arts stamp.  I did this for the catalog work but didn't like how it turned out so I never sent it in. :)  It is a transparent Hero Arts card over a Chocolate Hero Arts notecard.  Yum.  Love that look.  (The card just took a turn for the worse when I started embellishing... hee. :)

 

Supplies:

Hero Arts stamps (background, hearts and greeting), clear tag, clear card and notecard

White Staz-On Ink

Artprint Brown Ink

Primary Chalk Ink

Creative Impressions silk ribbon

I think that is all for now.  Have to go work on gathering photos for holiday pages for Hero Arts!  So hard to do when today was the most beautiful summer day...

Night!

How-To Video: Embellishing Scalloped Edges

Hello, stampers and scrapbookers...

Another simple video for you.  It is another card (sorry... I will get back to scrapbooking soon) with a good basic design that would work for anything.  Just change up the colors and greetings.  Use up some of your scraps.  You could even make a set of these as a gift.  This is just a basic design I go back to often.  The scallop edge was cut from Bazzill scallop edged cardstock.  I keep strips of this in a drawer to use.  And, by the way, this uses reject pieces from two other cards: HERE and HERE.

Oh, and sorry for the interruption in the video. :)

Supplies:
Hero Arts stamps (flourish background, little flowers and greeting), gems and notecard
My Mind's Eye and Bo Bunny (dot) patterned paper)
Ranger Ink
Marvy Punches
Black Memories Ink
Ranger Pool Ink
Bazzill Scallop Cardstock (the holes were already in it)
A big honkin' flower that Colin found on the floor
A cute dude to join in on the fun

By the way, 2peas still has 20% off their stamps - great deal.  Check it out HERE. 

And I must say thank you for the kind, positive response to my idea about sending cards to the kids.  I will organize something and post the info this week for you all.  And, for each card you send, you get entered into a drawing for some prizes.  Working those out, too.  And I will give enough time for you overseas folks to play, too!

Thanks, all!  Off to watch Camp Rock with the girls... again. ;)

Prayers are needed for my Music Man.. and a card

Hi!

When we were in St. John, we got some sad news from Keith.  (Keith is my brother-in-law whose music I use in my videos.  He and his family are missionaries in Africa.)  His father, who has been battling cancer, was only expected to make it through the night.  The next day, their family of 5 flew the 30 hour journey from Africa to San Antonio in hopes of getting there before he passed.  Thankfully, they did.  On Father's Day, Keith's dad passed away with him at his side.

(The stamp on this card is from Verses.  My local stamp store owner owns this company and they make great greeting stamps like this one.  You can call them if you want to buy anything.  They are fabulous there!  I really like to support local and USA-made stamp companies.)

Supplies:

Verses stamp

Making Memories, Bo Bunny and Scenic Route papers

Hero Arts pearls and flowers and notecard

Creative Impressions silk ribbon

If you are the praying kind, please keep their family in your prayers as they heal.  They do so much for others... such good people.  They will be in the States for a couple weeks before heading back home to Liberia.

This also got me thinking.  As a cardmaker, I know how uplifting it is to get a simple handmade card in the mail.  Makes you feel loved and happy, right?  Well, I was thinking it would be fun to send Keith and Kristin's kids - Taylor, Lauren and Samuel - a bunch of cards.  Just encouragement cards.  These three kids are living an adventure.  Finding new friends in a foreign world.  Living extremely simply as they wait for their home to be built.  I am sure it is hard on them, even if it is good for them, too.  I would love for them to know that a bunch of people out there are thinking of them.  So, here is my question: if I set up something for you to make cards for them to send over to them, would you be interested?  I would just have you send them to me and I would put a huge box together and send them over to them.  Their parents could give them a card every once in awhile as a pick-me-up.  I think they would love it.  Would anyone be interested in participating?

Here is a picture of the kids in front of the home they are staying in right now.

Here is a picture of the home as it was when they first got it.

Here is a current picture of their home.

They have a long path ahead of them. They also are working on the dental clinic where they will be doing work.  I can't imagine. But, boy - they are doing such good for our world. 

Just a thought... let me know what you think.  I am not one to ask for money/donations. But giving in this way could be fun, easy, rewarding... and an excuse to do some cardmaking. :)

Thanks for listening!  God bless all you gals out there... :)

Some answers and a card...

Hi!

Just a quick post to answer some questions and share a card.

I have gotten a lot of emails and comments about where we stayed at St. John.  St. John is very pristine - no huge hotels or chain restaurants.  Not even a stop light on the island.  2/3rds of the island is a national park, so all the beaches are bare - just trees behind it.  I love that.  It is perfectly normal to be the only ones on a beach in the morning.  You get kinda spoiled. :)  The island is so pristine and "true"... it even gets it's water from rain.  It is just the prefect break from a crazy world.  When we go, we stay in villas.  They are always on the mountain with a surreal view and a short drive to the beach.  (It may sound like a bummer to not be stayin ON a beach.  But when you go to beaches without big hotels on them, you quickly realize why it is so wonderful.)  We rent a lot from Destination St. John.  We have had great luck with them.  We got with our big family and love two villas.  The one I posted in the last thread is Great Escape. There is simply no better view and it is big.  (60 foot pool.)  And you can't see another house - it is very private - just the family.  (If you are a Kenny Chesney fan, check out his song Old Blue Chair - he sings about Cinnamon Bay which is the bay we are overlooking from the pool.)  We also LOVE Ambiance.  This is the most amazing design - two houses with a pool between and a bridge connecting them.  The whole tall wall opens up with HUGE sliding doors.  Wow.  I love that place.  (For our pictures from Ambiance, click HERE.)  If you need a smaller place, you can find fabulous places on the same website, based on the number of people there.  For more of our photos, you can find them HERE.  Ken is great at beach photos. :)  And, if you want more details on the island or such, email me.  Ken is a travel-research-freak and can answer any questions. :)

Oh, and if you ever go on a cruise that stops in St. Thomas, I highly recommend immediately jumping on a ferry and going to St. John.  That is how we found it.  It is MUCH more beautiful. And a TON less people.

I also got questions about the flourish punch I used in the last project.  It will be coming out in July. :)  Paper Shapers are my favorites. :)

I still am sifting through other questions in email and comments - will get to them soon.  In the meantime, here is a quick card share.  It was made in a similar way to the card shown in a video HERE.  This tag/card uses Hero Arts' alphabet clear sets.  They are SO cute.  They each have several fonts and they all match the other sets.  A great scrapbooking tool. :)

 

Supplies:

Hero Arts stamps, clear tag, pearls, button and paper

Paper Shaper's incredible scallop circle punch

ArtPrint Brown Memories Ink

Cuttlebug embossing folder to emboss the clear tag - love that look

Cheap string

Oh, and a bit of enabling. :)  Those pearls and gems that I love so much are now available at 2peas.  Yum.  They are inexpensive... love that.  Check them out HERE.  Oh, and they have the clear tags, too... HERE.

One last thing: if you live in the Cincinnati area and are interested in a 12x12 wire paper shelf, email me for more info.  I have one I need to get rid of.

Have a good day!  Off to get some work done.  One kid is sleeping and the others are at the pool with a friend.  Woohoo! :)

How-To Video: Fish Card

Hi!  Have a video for you...

This card I made using the scraps from the butterfly card HERE.  No fabulous technique or idea here - just some fun twists on using punches on a fun card for no good reason. :) 

 
 
Supplies:

Hero Arts stamps (background, fish and greeting), notecards and black gem

Black Memories Ink

Ranger Pool Ink

Paper Shaper punches (flouish punch will be available in July!)

Stickles

Other: Colored pencils and gemsol

I think the fish card was inspired by my trip.  I love to snorkel - one of my favorite things to do in the whole world.  Here is one picture from our trip to St. John - me hanging out with Kay and Audrey in our pool at our villa.  It felt like we were the only people on the island.  Love those girls and love that place.  (Oh, and by the way, this photo is true color - no editing.)

 

Need something else to do tonight?  Go check out all the new stamps from Hero Arts.  Some are 12" long images! See them HERE. Also, check out 2peas... they have stamps 20% off right now!  More soon.  :)

The card to go with the page... and a giveaway!

Back to that old saying of mine: "Every time you make a page, go ahead and make a matching card."  Might as well since you have the stuff out!

This is the card to go with the page I did for 2Peas using Close To My Heart products.  CTMH is wonderful - they make high quality goodies and are incredibly generous.  Simply good people.  I like that!  This is a card I used with my leftover/unused pieces.

All supplies from Close To My Heart.  For more details, and a matching layout, look HERE.

And, since CTMH is so generous, I ended up with two of my favorite sets - the Spot On Backgrounds.  (It was used for the the background on this card.)  If you leave a comment here by 11:59pmEDT on June 20th (you have a long time!), I will draw a random winner to send this set to!  In it, tell me what your favorite TV show is.  (I am looking for something new to watch.)

Have a good one!