Another chicky ~

~ My Hey Chicky stamp set by C.C. Designs made the blog again!!!! How cute is this one...holding the flower?!! This design started with the strange patterned paper in the background, which I was determined to use! I really like the colors (Chocolate Chip, Old Olive, Bashful Blue, Cameo Coral, and Natural Ivory). The adorable chicky is colored with my SU! markers, and I added Stickles to the blue flower she's holding, in addition to the brads and the handmade flower, which was easy to create. I simply punched a large 5-petal flower, used my thumbnails to accordian-type fold each of the petals, inked the edges, and added Stickles to the centers of the petals. It almost looks like a Prima in real-life (pictures never do these projects the justice they deserve)! The blue and bright coral flowers are silk.

I hope you find inspiration here,

Jessica in Kansas

The Colors of Fall

~ I was looking for inspiration for a recipe page layout I needed to complete for a swap, and I found it in "The Colors of Fall" contest being hosted by CutCardStock.com. I just LOVE fall color combinations, and am reminded by the goodness of God during this season, in particular!! How refreshing it is to see the beauty of what surrounds us...especially during such a chaotic time for our nation!

For this recipe page, I used a version of Card Sketch #67 posted by Sketches! {by Tamara} for the layout design. Copper colored Stickles, chipboard buttons by Colorbok, ribbon from Hobby Lobby, border punch by Fiskars, and a swirly background stamp by SU! help complete the design. I love the red patterned paper, designed by Sunburn. The picture just doesn't do the page justice...but do they ever?!

Enjoy,
Jessica in Kansas

Halloween treats ~

~ I've been working on Halloween goodies!! This first project is a continuation of a set I started last week. Remember the Hey Chicky, Happy Halloween card I made using my favorite new stamp set by C.C. Designs?? Well, I just made a large candy bar wrapper that matches it. I'll be giving it to my boss on Friday as a little token of appreciation. Again, the hat die cut was designed by Shirley Clark.

~ Second, I tried out another one of Sam & Hailey Designs' box patterns. I am in love with this round-top gift box...so easy to cut with my KNK...and a breeze to assemble!!

How cute is that??!!!! I used some fun stamps from The Cat's Pajamas line, markers, and Stickles to embellish. It was the perfect little gift box for these Halloween treats I picked up for my new nephew!!

Wishing the election were over,

Jessica in Kansas

Color My World...

~ I completed this layout over the weekend and submitted it for a challenge on a designer's blog: Carrie's Creations. She designs paper-piecing cutting files which I use with my KNK, and I love the uniqueness, quality, and ease of cutting her files. This particular layout uses the die cuts in one of her files called Color My World. I just LOVED the pieces, and it was the perfect file to use for these remodeling pix of our basement, which my husband has called a "crayon box" and an "Easter egg"!! He was not fond of the color choices, but you can see that I got my way!!! That's what he gets for sending me after paint!!

The green room will be our first child's room...when that time comes. The yellow is a spare bedroom, in which my mom stays when she's here from Oklahoma. And turquoise is the color I chose for my new scrap-room, which has white cabinets installed!! We're just waiting on the countertop to be finished and delivered!! I've been very patient, but I am super ready to "move in" to my new papercrafting haven!! Of course, I'll have to post pix when that day comes!! *******My page was one of two entries submitted for the challenge, and there's a poll on Carrie's blog. If you feel so inclined, follow this link and click on "Jessica" on the poll (top, right side of blog). The prize is amazing, and I'd love to get my hands on it!!!! Thanks for letting me share!!

p.s. What do you think of the colors I chose??!!!!

"Colorful" hugs to you,

Jessica in Kansas

There's a new sheriff in town!!!

~ I got a new stamp set from The Cat's Pajamas line of "Clearly Swanky Stamps", and I could not wait to put them to use. I love this wild western version of Poochie!!! This recipe page was inspired by this week's The Cat's Pajamas stamp challenge and by a card sketch posted on Di Hickman's blog.

Besides the new stamp set, I used a SU! paisley stamp from the Fresh Fillers set. Ink colors include Night of Navy, Golden Wheat, and Holly Berry Red. Marker colors used are Rose Red, Night of Navy, and Creamy Caramel. "Bang" is applied using a dimensional adhisive dot.

I almost forgot to mention that this is a very yummy recipe if you're interested in slow cooker soups this fall!

Have a great day, Pardner!

Jessica in Kansas

Hey Chicky, Happy Halloween!!!

~ This z-fold card was a blast to create!!! I used my Scor-Pal, which makes it a breeze to get perfect scor lines each time!! I got a new stamp a few weeks ago that I couldn't wait to use. It's called Hey Chicky by C.C. Designs. I wanted to apply the stamps to a Halloween card, so I added a stamped witch's had to the chick after coloring with my favorite markers! It was the perfect size...what are the odds?!!! The Happy Halloween and hat stamps are by Studio G. The large witch's hat and mat was cut by my KNK and was designed by Shirley Clark of Paperthreads.

Hugs from a Kansas "Chick",

Jessica

Halloween Gift Bag & Card

~ I'm really into making my own gift bags as part of gift sets these days!!! I found a cutting file for a 3"X6" easy-to-assemble gift bag...complete with ribbon holes...and had to try it out! I was amazed at how well it went together - and how much fun I had making it coordinate with the Halloween ATC and card I had just made! It fit my little goodies just perfectly!!

The gift bag & orange web were cut using my Klic-N-Kut; cutting files by Sam & Hailey Designs. I loved the little spider stamp and circular Happy Halloween stamp with pumpkin in center - both from Studio G - and the mixture of patterned papers I used. I also put my circle and decorative edged square punches to use, and embellished with Stickles, printed ribbon, and hand-drawn mini-webs. I'm having fun with Halloween this year!!!

Jessica in Kansas

Heart Frame Cards ~ simple and elegant

~ I discovered another card cutting file designed by Jan Bryson of Sam & Hailey Designs that I'm in love with!!! It's a heart frame card. I cut these out of two-sided card stock, added the pictures, folded up, stamped the heart borders and down the right edge, added a brad to the half heart, and tied some ribbon on!! Last, but not least, I sparkled the stamped flowers up with Stickles, one of my favorite embellishments to use!! Tah-dah...two cards ready to give...just like that!!! I actually made these for my sister-in-law to give to our aunt and grandma. I snapped these adorable pictures of them during her baby shower, and just thought they needed to be shared in a creative way!!!Let me know what you think!!

Hugs from cold & rainy Kansas,

Jessica

Check it out...I was featured as a guest designer!!!

~ The blog known as Sketches! {by tamara} is one of my favorites for daily inspiration. I have used several of their sketches as designs for my projects in the recent past. Several weeks ago, I was honored when Tamara invited me to be a guest designer. My charge was to create an original card from any one of my favorite sketches posted on her blog. I could not choose just one favorite, so I chose two and sent both of my creations to Tamara for her choosing. Well, she posted both a week ago Saturday when I was featured!! Here is the link to the actual post featuring none other than...ME!!! There, you can see the projects and sketches I used. The cards I submitted are posted below, too!

This card used an interesting color combination that I was unsure about, but I ended up liking it quite well. It was also the first time I used this embroidered paper and fun lime green ribbon. don't you just love the monkey stamp, dragonfly brads, and silk flowers?!!!

This card, I am intrigued by!!! It is a stand-up tag card. When opened, the tag stands up and sits inside the little box base. When closed, it's flat and fits perfectly inside a regular card-sized envelope!! It was the first one of its kind I created, and I'm hooked now!!

I used a cutting file by Sam & Hailey Designs to make this awesome card in a jiffy!!! I just easily assembled and added fun foil paper, stamps and ink, fiber/ribbon, and some metal birthday embellishments!!

I hope you visit the link and see the nice write-up Tamara did when I was featured!!! Thanks for letting me share!

Hugs to you,

Jessica in Kansas

Boo! Page Kits

~ I just completed some page kits for my Designer Page Kit of the Month swap. Since it's October, I felt compelled to create a Halloween layout. I got to use Sam & Hailey Designs' Itty Bitty Halloween Creeps & Itty Bitty Halloween Scene files, which were perfect for these 6X6 pages. Of course, I can resize them to meet my needs before sending to the Klic-N-Kut, but these needed no re-sizing. Aren't they great die cuts?!!

Halloween hugs from Kansas,

Jessica

It's a Boy!!

~ Here is a card I made for a baby shower I'm going to this afternoon. My cousin is having her first child...a little boy!! I love the soft masculine color combination of blues, greens, and yellows. The card layout was inspired by this week's Card Sketch #66 on Sketches! {by tamara}'s blog...one of my favorite sources of inspiration.

The giraffe stamps are from the Mindy's Zoo set by Autumn Leaves Clear Stamps, and the sentiment is from a set by Stampabilities. The patterned paper is from DCWV and The Paper Studio. The So Saffron and Bashful Blue cardstock is SU! I also used the SU! circle and scallop punches, and markers in So Saffron, Bashful Blue, and Certainly Celery. Ribbon is from Hobby Lobby.

Enjoy!!
Jessica in Kansas

Not-so-spooky Halloween recipe page

~ I created this recipe page for a monthly swap that I host. Since it's October, I wanted it to be Halloween themed, but I didn't want to use the traditional holiday colors. So, I mixed orange with a little cranberry, gray, white, and a touch of black. I like the combination!! The web die cut is actually part of a collection of challenge files I received from Chris Durnan of VisualDesignsbyChris. She is another fabulous designer of cutting files that I use with my KNK.

I also used a spider stamp, some two-toned cranberry and orange ribbon, my Stampin' Up! oval punches, and a hand-drawn simple web. The sketch used as inspiration is from Page Plans.

Happy Friday!!

Jessica in Kansas

Blimey Birthday Card

~ Joe's nephew turned 11 on Friday, so we needed a cute boy birthday card! I got this new set of Pirate stamps by The Cat's Pajamas, and just had to put them to use! I needed a little inspiration, so I used a TCP Tuesday sketch that was shared a few weeks ago, which is below. I also loved the combination of last's week's color inspiration on kwernerdesign's blog.

I enjoyed digging out the embossing powder and heat gun for this one!!

Thanks for letting me share,

Jessica in Kansas

Fall ATCs

~ I've never really got into the ATC (artist trading card) craze, but I did join an Off the Page Challenge posted in the forum at Paperthreads.com last month, which was hosted by Jan Bryson of Sam & Hailey Designs. She provided us with a variety of cutting files that were ATC size (the finished size of an ATC is supposed to be 2 1/2" X 3 1/2"). We had to use at least one of these files on an ATC. I created a series of fall-themed trading cards. This is what I came up with. The card on the the right has a hinge which holds it closed. The top left one actually unfolds if you unwrap the ribbon from the brad. The one on the bottom is just as it appears.
Besides using cutting files, I put my stamps, ink, punches, and fiber to use. These aren't my favorite projects to complete, but I can't say I won't accept the challenge again!!! I like how they turned out...and they came together quickly!

This month's Off the Page Challenge at Paperthreads is to create an altered journal or address book. You need to have a cutting machine and use the file that is sent to you free of charge when you commit to the swap: Itty Bitty File Tabs by Sam & Hailey Designs (super cute). There are extra (optional) challenges you can accept this month, and prizes are awarded to selected participants. If you like a fun challenge...and you have a cutter of any type, I recommend you check it out!!

Feeling fall,

Jessica in Kansas

Trick or Treat: a layout

~ Wow, I just finished this 2-page layout, and it was the most fun to create!!! I wanted to use some of the best new Halloween cutting files I had seen this fall, so I decided to incorporate them into a 12X12" Halloween layout. I don't have pictures to place on the mats yet, but that will come.Don't you just love the paper piecings on this page?!! The cutting files were created by Carrie Schwartz of Carrie's Creations. Witchy Poo Had A Boo-Boo is my favorite...she didn't see the tree up ahead!! The haunted house is actually meant to be an album cover, but I chose to use it this way!!! That's the beauty of cutting files...I get to use and manipulate them any way I choose!! So much fun...

The strip at the bottom is simply black and yellow cardstock with the patterned ribbon attached. The trick or treat embellishment on the bottom of the 2nd page is a Dress It Up element, and the title at the top is simply created with stickers. Let me know what you think!!

Halloween hugs to you,

Jessica in Kansas