Simple Autumny Cards

Hi, Friends.....

Just a quick post with some very simple fall cards that I had used as birthday cards for my friends who received the decorated jars of candy.  I used a variety of DCWV scraps and stray autumny feathers, leaves, and pumpkins for a last farewell to the season.

A touch of glitter on the feather and leaves lends a sparkly bit of magic.

I love how you can combine any of the motifs in the autumn color family and come out with a pretty card.

No stamped sentiments on the outside....suitable for any occasion during the season with a quick greeting on the inside.

Fan is still on the fritz on my computer, so I have to make this quick.  Thanks for stopping by!  Wishing those in the USA a Happy Thanksgiving this week!!!

<3
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this set of cards in the following challenges:
1.  Pixie's Snippets Playground Week #204 - Use Snippets
2.  DL.Art November Linky Challenge - Anything Goes
3.  Colour Q Challenge #318

4.  Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper November Challenge
5.  Crafty Enjoyments Challenge #1 - Anything Goes with a Decorative Edge
6.  Shopping Our Stash Challenge #229 - No Stamping
7.  Power Poppy Power & Spark November Challenge - Embellish This
8.  Crafty Calendar Challenge - Sparkle, Bling, & Embellish

Decorating the Tree - Frosty Festivities

Decorating or UN-decorating????

Hi, Friends......

Quick post here since the fan on my laptop is dead and I can only be on for brief periods before it overheats.  (Kinda amazing how much more I am getting done around the house!!  Ha.)



I have another card I made for Jennifer Grace's Frosty Festivities 2015.  This was inspired by her post here.  I ran with the idea of a line of trees.....but mine are progressively decorated.  :)





The tree and decorations are two different stamps that have been in my stash for so long that I have no idea what company they are made by or where they even came from!!!  Eeek!

I used scraps from my stash for the red and green panels and heat embossed the images and sentiment.  A little bling added just the right festive touch.

I better shut things down before my computer fries itself permanently onto my craft table!  Yikes!!!

Thanks for stopping by!

<3
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1.   Jennifer Grace's Frosty Festivities 2015 Link-Up
2.   Pixie's Snippets Playground Week #204 - Use Snippets
3.   Make My Monday Challenge - Oh Christmas Tree
4.   Flonzcraft Challenge #38 - Traditional Christmas
5.   Craftin Desert Divas Craft it Up Link it Up Christmas Linky
6.   Penny Black All Sorts November Challenge - Anything Christmas
7.   Crafty Calendar Challenge - Sparkle, Bling, & Embellish
8.   Craft Rocket Challenge #4 - Add a Sentiment
9.   Wow! Embossing Powder November Challenge - Anything Goes with Heat Embossing
10. DL.Art November Linky Challenge - Anything Goes
11 .Cards in Envy - Use Some Extra Layers
12. Craft Stamper Take It & Make It November Challenge - Take a Stamp
13. Little Scrap Pieces Show-It-Off-Saturday Linky Party
14. Power Poppy Power & Spark November Challenge - Embellish This
15. One Crazy Stamper November Challenge - Christmas/Winter
16. Stamping Sensations November Challenge - Festive Florals and Foliage

My Granddaughter's Christmas Village

A cat village in St. Julians,  Malta.

Hi, Friends......

All my posts for a few days will be shorter than usual because the fan on my laptop died and I can only be on for a brief time without it seriously overheating!!!  I guess my screamin', steamin' blog was too much for my poor overworked fan. Ha!

I am posting a fun little project that my 5 year old granddaughter made with a bit of coaching from me.  It is a little Christmas Village inspired by Jennifer Grace's Frosty Festivity kids craft idea here.  Little Peach had sooooooooooo much fun making this.  She generally has the attention span of a flea, but this kept her occupied for hours over a span of several days!  (Grandma needs to remember this!!!)

This is the first time I've let her paint with temperas.  She had a blast.  Kept this very busy and active little gal occupied longer than I would ever have imagined.  




 I knew those toilet paper tubes I had been saving lately would come in handy!

The roofs were circles cut from patterned cardstock she selected from my stash.

Oh, joy!  Oh, delight!!!  Is there anything more fun than playing with fabulous, shiny, sparkly glitter????  She actually did quite a good job of keeping it contained....considering that glitter is one of the most UN-containable substances in the universe!  :)  Of course, peeling the dried glue off of her fingers was almost as much fun as the glitter, itself.




So proud of her little village.  She has had a ton of fun playing with it, too!



And.....for the grand reveal.....

All lit up with those little battery powered tea lights..........MAGICAL!!!

Do these look like psychedelic mushrooms to anyone else besides me?

Super-fun craft!  A big thanks to Jennifer Grace and her Frosty Festivities for this idea!!!

Thanks for visiting.  I'll be back later with some cards I have been making......after my computer cools down!!

<3
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering my granddaughter's Christmas Village in the following challenge:
1. Jennifer Grace's Frosty Festivities 2015 Link-Up

CAS Christmas - FWF 11-20

Hi, Friends......


I am here with another card 
made with inspiration from one of Jennifer Grace's Frosty Festivities 2015 projects here, where she inspired us to use one or both halves of a large stamp separately.



I also am entering this card in the Unity Designer Hop and Friends with Flair Link-Up for this week.  There's a big hop and sale over there, so be sure to join us!!!  

If you hang out around my blog much, you know that CAS (Clean and Simple) is not my usual genre.  Also, it is almost unheard of for me to make a truly one-layer card.  (Too scary!!  What if I mess up???!!!????  I might have to toss out a ten cent sheet of cardstock!!!  Yikes!!)  This time, though, the simple one-layer style seemed to fit.  (Sorry for the shadowy photography...)

I used my Stampendous Jumbo Poinsettia cling stamp....which apparently is discontinued.....and stamped it off the edge of my white cardstock base with Versamark ink.  I used the same ink with a lovely Unity grab bag stamp for the Christmas sentiment.  Then I heat embossed with gold powder.  LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!  I was so delighted with this elegant look that I made four of them.....and I only messed up two of them!!!  Ha.  :)

Hope you like this card, too, and that it inspires you to try out CAS....even if it isn't your usual style.  

Thanks so much for stopping by!!

<3
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1.   Jennifer Grace's Frosted Festivities 2015
2.   Unity Designer Hop and Friends with Flair Link-Up
3.   Southern Ridge Trading Co. November Challenge - Christmas
4.   Word Art Wednesday Challenge #210 - Anything Goes Family Friendly
5.   Crop Stop Linky Party #10 - Anything Goes using a brand CS sells (I used Stampendous and Versamark)
6.   Wow! Embossing Powder November Challenge - Anything Goes with Heat Embossing
7.   The Glory of Christmas Challenge #72 - CAS Christmas
8.   Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Christmas
9.   Craft Rocket Challenge #4 - Add a Sentiment
10. Stamping Sensations November Challenge - Festive Florals and Foliage

In Sympathy....

Hi, Friends.....

I am here with a sympathy card I was asked to make a while back and hadn't ever posted.  It was for a gentleman in our community who had lost two close family members in a short period of time.  I made it big enough so it could be passed around at church for anyone to sign that wished to send heartfelt messages.

I used a large panel from an old DCWV Photo stack and cut it into three pieces for a window effect.  The sentiment panel and mat beneath are scraps that I die cut with my Sizzix - Fancy Labels Dies set. I used Core'dinations cardstock for the mat so I could dry emboss it (Darice - Interlocking Circles folder) and sand it to bring out the design.  The sentiment is from my Verve - Scripture Medley 2 stamp set.

It was a challenge to use ribbon on the card and still look appropriate for a man.  I layered my blue raffia (before I was down to my last scrap!) over some sheer brown ribbon to help it not get lost amongst the busy print.  I was pleased with the look for a masculine card.  What do you think?

The ribbon was wrapped completely around the card front and covered on the inside with a blue liner with lots of room for writing greetings.  I really like how the card turned out.

That's all for right now.  I hope to be back later with some more cards.  See you then..........

<3
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1.  The Male Room Challenge #23 - Remembrance or Sympathy
2.  Word Art Wednesday Challenge #210 - Anything Goes Family Friendly
3.  Pixie's Snippets Playground Week #203 - Use Snippets
4.  Country View Challenge # 33 - November - The Color Blue
5.  Crop Stop November Challenge - Anything Goes + Use a brand CS carries (I used Core'dinations and Sizzix)
6.  Crafty Gals Corner Challenge #46 - Use Scraps
7.  Craft Rocket Challenge #4 - Add a Sentiment

Quick Autumny Gifts

All safe at home together.  These are our three youngest kitties.....littermates, born last year to my daughter's cat, Cleopatra.  The little female, Judith, in the upper right had been missing for a couple weeks or so.  I was heartsick because of all the predators we have around here, but I kept hanging on to hope that she was still alive.  Our recent weather has been cold and violent, in turns.  Last night the wind was gusting around 50 mph.....not exactly clement weather for a little lady kitty all out on her own.  But today she came racing on to the back porch area......dehydrated and skinny, but okay.  It was sweet to see her tonight all snuggled together with her two brother kitties:  Caspian (left) and Brian.  Judith has the best spot with Brian half-lying on her.  :)

Hi, Friends....

I have been doing a little crafting (in between naps!!) but haven't gotten anything posted for a while.  One fun and easy project I worked on recently was a set of autumn decorated jars filled with candy that I made to give to some girlfriends who had birthdays.  

I used some recycled almond butter jars and wrapped either some burlap ribbon or sheer ribbon around them.  (I scored these ribbons at 90% off at Walmart!!  Woo-hoo!!)  I attached some autumn leaves over the sheer ribbon, but left the burlap ribbon by itself.  I used my Sizzix - Circles, Scallop dies to cut scalloped circles from some DCWV autumn scraps for the jar lids and topped with some autumn leaves I had glittered and some gold bows.  I filled them with some yummy wrapped caramels, toffees, etc.  Super easy peasy!!!

Another little thing I usually include in gifts for my girlfriends is a set of A2 sized notecards.  I do the very simplest thing imaginable.....I choose pretty DCWV patterned paper, trim and fold.  On these particular sets, I rounded the two outer corners of each card.  I tie together 2 each of 3 prints with white envelopes with a coordinating ribbon and package them in a zip-close sandwich bag.  So super easy, but they seem to like them.  :)  For these girlfriend gifts, I also included a purchased autumny kitchen towel.  You can see the gifts for these three gal pals in their sets below:

Hope this has given you some ideas for simple and quick autumn gifts.  Wouldn't some of these make a nice hostess gift for Thanksgiving?  And the ideas can be adapted for Christmas or other occasions by varying the prints and patterns.  You could even try making more masculine-looking jars, since some guys really like candy. These would be easy to make ahead and have on hand for quick gifts!  (I say this in theory, only, because I don't know when I have ever made a gift ahead of time to have on hand!!!  lol..  Well, maybe my notecard sets, but nothing else!)

Thanks for stopping by!  I have a bunch of Christmas cards I've been making that need to be blogged, too, so you might be seeing a lot of posts coming soon...if I can muster up the energy!!!

<3
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering these decorated jars in the following challenges:
1.  Crafty Gals Corner Challenge #46 - Use Scraps
2.  Pixie's Snippets Playground Week #203 - Use Snippets
3.  Tuesday Throwdown #271 - Shopping Spree
4.  DL.Art November Linky Challenge - Anything Goes
5.  Little Scrap Pieces Show-It-Off Saturday Linky Party - Anything Goes
6.  Amusing Challenge - Fall Colors
7.  DRS Designs Challenge #201 - Inspired by Color

Contemporary Christmas Look - Frosty Festivities

Deck the Halls reminded me of one of the several Cat Mystery series that I enjoy.  The particular title that came to mind was Cat Deck the Halls by Shirley Rousseau Murphy.  I collect cat mysteries in the cozy mystery genre.  Do you?  Which are your favorites???


Hi, Friends.....


I am back with some more half and half cards I made with inspiration from one of Jennifer Grace's Frosty Festivities 2015 projects here.  These again have a busy patterned paper in the lower half of the card and the plain solid in the upper half, as I did in this other set.   



This time, instead of stamping a sentiment panel, I used stickers from the Echo Park - Very Merry Christmas collection to get a more contemporary look.  This design is a good way to use scraps, so, again, I was able to use some DCWV pieces from my bag.  On the lower panel, I used my Martha Stewart Edger Punch - Doily Lace for a fancy edge.  It only shows a tiny bit from behind the sticker panel.

I inked the panels with Ranger Distress Ink and added some fun white photo corners that my crafty friend, Karen L., sent me.  (Thanks, Karen!!)  They were just the thing to tie in with the white of the stickers without adding too much distracting detail.  I really love using photo corners in this way.  I mounted everything on kraft card bases made from Core'dinations cardstock to avoid too much overwhelming white.  

HINT:  Ever had your stickers (esp. older ones!) not stay stuck???  I once made a quick baby card using stickers and they were already peeling away before I even had the thing in the envelope!!  Eeek.  Applying some Beacon 3-in-1 Craft Glue to the sticky backs will keep them stuck where you want them.  :)  It also has the advantage of giving you a tiny bit of wiggle time to get things positioned properly before it sets.  Love that!  This trick works well for foam squares, too.  

Thanks so much for stopping by.  I have one more set of half and half cards......then I need to start crafting some more, instead of posting.  :)

<3
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering these cards in the following challenges:
1.  Jennifer Grace's Frosted Festivities 2015
2.  Pixie's Snippets Playground - Week 202
3.  Word Art Wednesday Challenge 209 - Anything Goes Family Friendly
4.  Southern Ridge Trading Co. November Challenge - Christmas
5.  Crop Stop Linky Party #10 - Anything Goes using a brand CS sells  ( I used Core'dinations cardstock and Ranger Distress Ink.)

A Very Merry Christmas - Frosty Festivities

Here's a fun cat article link about cats with jobs:

  http://news.yahoo.com/help-wanted-book-looks-50-cats-job-164053047.html

Hi, Friends.....

I am back with a little set of cards I made, inspired by Jennifer Grace's Frosty Festivities 2015 project here.  I was super-inspired by the creative suggestion of using a busy print on the lower half of a project and plain paper on the upper half.


So I used scraps of DCWV papers and a band of green velveteen ribbon for my half and half cards with a classic Christmas look.  

The sentiment panel is diecut with Sizzix - Fancy Labels Dies and stamped with an ancient Christmas stamp my hubby gave me over 25 years ago and is still one of my main go-to Christmas sentiment stamps.  <3  <3  <3

I did a bit of subtle background stamping on the panels, too, with my JustRite - Friendship Blooms stamp set, using Distress Ink - Antique Linen.  The sentiment is stamped in Versafine - Olympia Green.  I also inked around the panels with Distress Ink - Brushed Corduroy and 

I used an ancient pair of decorative corner scissors to echo the fancy die cut sentiment panel.  I couldn't choose which color of pearls to use, so I tried white, Le Creme, and green.  I think I like the green the best.  Which is your favorite?

That's all for this project.  Thanks for stopping by.  I hope you will drop over to Jennifer Grace's Frosty Festivities 2015 and join in for lots of fun and inspiration and a chance at prizes, too!!  :)

<3
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this set of cards in the following challenges:
1.  Jennifer Grace's Frosted Festivities 2015
2.  Pixie's Snippets Playground - Week 202
3.  Craft Rocket Challenge #3 - Pearls/Gems
4.  Word Art Wednesday Challenge 209 - Anything Goes Family Friendly
5.  The Paper Girls Challenge #91 - Stamps
6.  Southern Ridge Trading Co. November Challenge - Christmas
7.  Little Scrap Pieces Show it Off Saturday Linky Party
8.  Mod Squad Challenge - LCA - Use Pearl &/or Silver
9.  Crop Stop Linky Party #10 - Anything Goes using a brand CS sells  ( I used Sizzix and Ranger Distress Ink)
10. Scrapy Land Challenge #29 - Anything Goes using any brand of die they sell (I used Sizzix)

Let It Snow --- FWF 11-11

Wouldn't this be fun to have in front of the house???
Whenever we try to build a snowman, the snow is the wrong consistency.  :(

Hi, Friends......

I am back with my first project since my big Cat Lovers Hop blitz!  As I said on my last post, the next big event is Jennifer Grace's Frosty Festivities 2015.  Many of my posts for the rest of November will be inspired by her projects.  Sure would love to see you be involved, also.  You'll find lots of inspiration, challenges, and prizes!!!  :)

I made several projects for Frosty Festivities yesterday, but here is one that I am also linking up to this week's Unity Designer Hop and Friends with Flair Link-Up.  I used a fun little Unity grab bag stamp:  Let it Snow.  We had our first snow of the season last week with just enough to make everything white and pretty, but not enough to cause any problems.  Having grown up in the Willamette Valley in Western Oregon where it rarely snows, I am just like a little kid when it snows here.  So exciting!!  (Not so exciting when it is still snowing in April!!  Ha.)

I drew inspiration from  this project from Jennifer Grace's Frosty Festivities 2015, where we are asked to fussy cut a Christmas motif.  I used a snowman from DCWV paper and put it through a sticker maker to apply to my tag background, which was made from a scrap of DCWV cardstock.

I had way too much fun using the silver tinsel glitter and mica chips from my Stampendous Frantage Encrusted Jewel Kit in silver.  I don't know if these little kits are still sold, but I fell in love with the tubes of shiny, glittery little bits of things and had to buy ALL the colors when they came on half-price....lol...  I really can't justify that if I don't use them, at least occasionally!!  
My ties are some baker's twine and the second-to-the-last scrap of some icy blue synthetic raffia that I have been trying to use up for the last several years!!!  

I stamped my sentiment with Versafine ink in Majestic Blue and HEAT EMBOSSED it the right way (not in a toaster oven!) with clear powder.  I still haven't purchased a new heat gun after my old workhorse died mid-project, but hubby got back home from his work trip and showed me where his heat gun was and I tried it out....gingerly.  It worked perfectly!   In fact, I'll probably just use his from now on because, just between you and me, I like it better than my old one!  It's quieter, it doesn't blow as hard, and the heat opening is a little bit smaller.  Okay.....so it has a few construction scars and bits of glue on it....I can live with that!  Hubby might have to buy *himself* a new heat gun!!!  :)

Here's an angled shot of my tag so you can see more of the mica sparkles.  Yum!!!  I also added some blue and silver snowflakes and inked around the edges with Distress Ink in Brushed Corduroy.

Hope you enjoyed my sweet little tag today.  Be sure to check out Jennifer Grace's Frosted Festivities 2015!!!   Thank you so much for stopping by and leaving your nice comments.

<3
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this tag in the following challenges:
1.  Unity Designer Hop and Friends with Flair Link-Up
2.   Jennifer Grace's Frosted Festivities 2015
3.   Pixie's Snippets Playground - Week 202
4.   Word Art Wednesday Challenge 209 - Anything Goes Family Friendly
5.   The Paper Girls Challenge #91 - Stamps
6.   Southern Ridge Trading Co. November Challenge - Christmas

7.   Crop Stop Linky Party #10 - Anything Goes using a brand CS sells (I used Stampendous and Ranger Distress Ink)

8.   Mod Squad Challenge - LCA - Use Pearl &/or Silver (I used Silver Tinsel Glitter in my snow)

9.   Country View November Challenge #33 - Use the Color Blue

10. Happy Little Stampers November Christmas Challenge - Tag

Frosty Festivities is currently in progress........!!!!!

This kitty is ready for Frosty Festivities 2015....and so am I, at last!!!

Hi, Friends...

I have the Cat Lovers Hop pretty much put to bed.  I still need to hear from a few companies that their prizes are on the way to the lucky winners, but the prizes they sent to me to distribute are now winging their way to the winners.  Yay!!  

So, on to the next big event.......................

Jennifer Grace's 2015 Frosty Festivities!!!

I am getting started late because of my Cat Lovers Hop, but I wanted to let you all know about this wonderful event that Jennifer Grace hostesses during the holiday season.  This year it is even bigger and better because it lasts ALL through November!!!  Woo-hoo!!  She has fun challenges, giveaways, and tons of inspiration for holiday crafting.  I hope you will join me in participating!!

<3 
Janis

You're Just Stunning -- FWF 11-4

Caracal

Hi, Friends......

Well, did we have fun last week with all the stunning photos of everyone's projects and kitties??  I sure did.  

I am here with a quick (stop laughing...this one really is going to be short!) post for this week's Unity - Friends with Flair Link Up.  I went a little grunge for this card using a "marker refill water" background and a couple of little Unity grab bag stamps that probably are NOT really supposed to go together......but I couldn't resist!  (This is what having a broken heat gun will do to you, folks!!!....Don't let yourself go there!!!  lol...)

I did only the simplest of watercoloring with only one color and added some sequins and rhinestone stars to the background.  I love how fun and playful it turned out.  What do you think????

Thanks for stopping by!!!  

<3
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1.   Unity - Friends with Flair Link Up
I have a meeting tonight, so I will link up to a few more challenges later tonight......

TRYING AGAIN....WINNERS for Cat Lovers Hop

One last Halloween funny.....because this is sooooooooooo  ME!!!!  Hahahaha....

Totally LOVE the wheelbarrow for carrying the bag home from the store because I, too, bought the "Upper-Middle-Class-Suburban-Neighborhood-that-Attracts-Trick-or-Treaters-from-Everywhere-Sized-Bag".......two of them, actually, since I finished one before Halloween.  As usual, I got ZERO trick-or-treaters.  The second bag is dwindling.....  :)  :)  :)
I LOVE HALLOWEEN!!!  

Dear Friends......

Nothing quite so discouraging as writing a truly inspired post (lol...) and having Blogger jettison the whole thing.  :(  :(  :(  

At least the Link-up gadget for the hop worked flawlessly.  I didn't lose anyone's projects or catastrophically delete the entire internet or anything. (Although my hubby might not have been too sad if I had made the internet disappear! Ha.)  So, that part was good.  I would so rather lose my post than lose something of yours!!!

I am NOT going to try to rewrite what I wrote so I will give a synopsis:

***[Insert paragraph about how much fun the hop was for me and totally worth all the work, even though my family hasn't had a decent meal in a month....Ha!]

***[Insert paragraph about how much I appreciated all of your participation and sharing about your cats.]

***[Insert paragraph about our fabulous sponsors and their awesome prizes, including some of you who offered blog candy.]

***[Insert special note about how Jen Jackson owner/designer of Newton's Nook visited the projects featuring Newton and left personal comments.  Wow!]

Okay....you probably want the real list of winners not just "***[Insert list of winners.]"  Am I right? 

Okay..........here we go.....again................All winners were drawn using Random.org.

PROJECT WINNERS from among those who linked up:
1.  Graphic 45 package:  D.Anne C.
2.  Simple Stories package #1:  KT Fit Kitty  
3.  Paper Smooches stamp set:  Bad Kitty
4.  Waffle Flower stamp set: Tami 
5.  Art Impressions stamp:  mandysea

COMMENT WINNERS from among those who left comments on linked up projects:
1.  Unity grab bag:  Michele Henderson
2.  Simple Stories package #2:  Jinny Newlin
3.  Newton's Nook Gift Voucher: Rebecca Yahrling
4.  Serendipity Gift Voucher:  Vinita Jain

***[Insert paragraph congratulating winners and instructing them to email me (jwoolbright at gmail dot com) with WINNER- CAT LOVERS HOP in subject line.  Also, to tell me the prize they won and their snail mail info....not needed for voucher winners.]

***[Insert paragraph thanking everyone again.]

<3
Janis

PS.......Please tell me in your comments if you think all my posts should be in synopsis form!!!  lol...