JustRite Christmas Blog Hop!

 

Welcome to JustRite Stampers’ newest Wednesday feature, 12 Weeks of Christmas Blog Hop #4!

Each Wednesday up until Thanksgiving some of your favorite designers will be joining some of the JustRite design team for a series of Christmas blog hops, showcasing JustRite’s entire Christmas Collection of stamps!

This week, it’s the Spellbinders(TM) design team - woohoooo! So mark your calendars for Wednesdays at 9am Central for great Christmas gift, card  and project ideas, starting at the JustRite Inspiration blog!

I used JustRite Stampers' new releases Christmas Ornament 3-1/4" and Christmas Nested Sentiments and Verse for my card.  It's a big card since I used my new LF-190 Grand Nestablities Labels Four for my card front and my card base!

First I colored my image with Copic Sketch markers.  This JustRite set includes four beautiful ornaments that can be used for so many projects!  This is a set that you will reach for year after year.

After cutting and embossing my card front with the Grand Nestabilities Labels Four, I folded over the top portion, slipped some ruffled ribbon underneath, and placed a fan/medallion on the top.  The sentiment is stamped with JustRite's Christmas Nested Sentiments and Verse. 

Supplies:
Stamps:  JustRite Stampers' Christmas Ornament 3-1/4", Christmas Nested Sentiments and Verse
Dies:  Spellbinders' LF-190 Grand Nestabilities Labels Four, S4-299 Fallen Angel, S4-140 Petite Ovals SM, S4-114 Standard Circles LG, S4-429 Big Scalloped Circles LG, S4-287 Fanciful Holiday
Inks: CTMH Vineyard Berry, Bamboo; Tsukineko Memento Rich Cocoa; Copic Sketch Markers B00, B000, B12, Y28, R59, YG91, YG95, YG99
Paper: CTMH Mistletoe Level II Paper Pack, Heavenly Blue Cardstock; WorldWin Cardstock (Maroon and White)
Other:  Webster's Pages Olive Ruffled Ribbon, CTMH Designer Brads Shimmer

Please visit these designers’ blogs to see what fabulous JustRite Christmas inspiration they have for you on the hop today!

JustRite Inspiration Blog


Spellbinders Paper Arts


Becca Feeken


Mona Pendleton


Debbie Olson


Ashley Cannon Newell


Sharon Harnist


Eva Dobilas


Kazan Clark


Beate Johns


Kellie Fortin


Margie Higuchi


Kathy Jones


Regina Hanson


Sankari Wegman


Deborah Young


Angela Barkhouse


Michele Kovack


Terre Fry


Barb Schram


Thanks for stopping by!

JustRite Friday Challenge 036 - Scrapbooking in Melbourne, Florida

Greetings, crafty friends!  Here I am doing another JustRite challenge.  It's a color challenge that I just couldn't resist.  I can't say my mojo is at its highest....this cold has knocked me for a loop and I don't have much energy to create.  It hurts my brain!  tee hee

Well, the challenge is twofold.  1)  Use the colors Dark Red, Ivory and Black (see what I mean?  yum!!!), and 2) use an embellishment that you make yourself.

So I pulled out a new (to me) set that I just received from JustRite - "Girl Time".  I just love that "Let's Do Lunch" sentiment!  I stamped it, colored it and die cut it with my new favorite Spellbinders, backed it with a new Nestabilities release, and made my card with another new Nestabilities (see supply list below). 

For my embellishment, I cut nine pieces of black organdy, stabbed them with a tiny brad and poked it through my card.  Adhered a darling little blingy rhinestone.  Added a few tiny pearls to the flower and the sentiment and it was done!  Simply and gorgeous, dahlings!

So I'll try to get back in the studio =.  What have you been creating lately?  Please share!

Supplies:
JustRite "Girl Time"
Spellbinders S4-293 Lacey Cir cles
Spellbinders S4-114 Standard Circles LG
Spellbinders S5-025 Labels 17
Versafine Onyx  Black Ink
Copic R59 Cardinal Sketch Marker
CTMH Pearls, Rhinestone Bling, Ribbon, Colonial White and Black Cardstock

Best,

JustRite Friday Challenge #035 - Scrapbooking in Melbourne, Florida

 Break out the Glimmer Mist!  That's what I did...and it was fun!  JustRite's Friday Challenge this week was to make a Christmas tag.  I decided I wanted to try using some Glimmer Mist, and the colors that I had were a bit non-traditional.  But don't let that stop you!  A little glitter, some snowflakes and a beautiful sentiment will pull it all together.

Now, mine didn't come together exactly like I planned, but I certainly wasn't going to trash all of that sparkle - ha!  I noticed - too late - that my center snowflake and flower are on the same plane. Ah, well.  It could be worse, I guess.  I used the awesome stamp set "Christmas Nested Sentiments" and my new clear acrylic JustRite block.  LOVED it!!!  Spellbinders 2010 Snowflake Pendant, some CTMH paper, ink and pearls, a few Prima flowers, ribbon and call it a tag!

So what colors are you going to try for your Christmas projects?  I still love the vintage, muted ivy and cranberry, but you should step outside of your comfort zone sometimes.  You might like it...you might not.....but you never know unless you try!

Till later,

Play Date Cafe #46 - Scrapbooking in Melbourne, Florida

My mother called me a rattlebanger today.  ????  I have been coughing my fool head off, and told her it was worse when I talked.  But that's impossible because 'we' like to talk.  Then she said "Mmmmhmmmm, I reckon we're just a bunch of rattlebangers."

HA!

So here's a little card I made for this week's Play Date Cafe challenge.  The idea is to make a black and white card with a 'touch' of either pink, gold or copper.

Well, copper is my metal of choice.  I love copper.  My kitchen countertops are black granite with copper flecks (Galaxy - oooooh!).  Copper is beautiful.  But alas, no copper embossing powder.  So I selected gold.  You may ask, "why the pearl?".  Well, because I made a boo-boo and needed to cover it, and the pearl is white. tee hee.

Quick and easy!

Products Used:
Paper:  CTMH White Daisy, Black, White Daisy Textured Cardstock
Die Templates:  Spellbinders(TM) S4-288 Classic Diamonds, S4-290 Labels Fourteen
Stamps:  Gina K Lovely Labels 2
Other:  Sparkle N Sprinkle Gold Coast EP, Versamark, Michaels Ribbon, Sakura Gold Fine Line Marker, EK Success Border Punch, CTMH Pearl

Take care, all you rattlebangers!

JustRite #034 Challenge - Scrapbooking in Melbourne, Florida

A word of warning - don't sneeze when using glitter!  Oh, good grief. Now that I think about it - maybe that's why I've been coughing the last couple of days!

I have been working all week on Spellbinders' projects using glitter and snow.  I love the results but what a challenge!  So when I saw the JustRite's challenge this week was to use glitter, I had to join in the fun!

Using my new "Whimsical Christmas" stamp set from JustRite, I pulled out my Copics and did some rudimentary coloring on this cute little guy. It was hard to decide which stamp to use!  I nested him on S4-293 Lacey Circles (the blue element).  The snowflake is cut from S4-286 2010 Snowflake Pendant, covered with glue and glittered.  The paper is from K&Co. "Winter Wonderland" from last year.  And the sheet music is from my mom ;-)

I'm still looking for a job to pay the bills.  In the meantime, it's nice to have more time to play in my studio.

Till later,

JustRite Friday Challenge #033 - Scrapbooking in Melbourne, Florida

I was inspired by all of the beautiful Christmas cards on the JustRite blog and decided to participate in the Friday Challenge #033.

I wasn't required to do a Christmas card, but ho-ho-ho's were running through my head.  And since my JustRite Christmas stamps are traveling across the country to my happy studio, I used JustRite's Times New Roman 95 pt. Deluxe Monogram Set.  Versatility, indeed!

My sweet mom gave me several old sheet music books, and I can't stop using them (click on the photo for the details).  I stamped my monogrammed letters on a piece of the music, then cut them out with Spellbinders(TM) Nestabilities (circles, lacey circles - yum! - and squares).

Don't you love this beautiful new Mistletoe paper from CTMH?  This may be my go-to-paper for all of my holiday projects this year! 

OOOhhhh, I can't wait for my new JustRite Christmas stamps!  I know it's early, but once the spirit moves you....right???

Till later,

Congratulations - Top 500 in the country!

Spellbinders Paper Arts Named to Prestigious Inc. 500 List

Craft Company Listed as One of America’s Fastest Growing Companies


Peoria, AZ – August 31, 2010 -- Spellbinders™ Paper Arts, LLC, an award-winning inventor, manufacturer and marketer of cutting edge tools for crafters, announced today it has been named to the Inc. 500, a list of the fastest growing private companies in America. With an extraordinary three-year growth rate of 673%, Spellbinders Paper Arts is ranked 446 on this year’s list, No. 5 in the Phoenix Metro area and No. 25 in the Consumer Products & Services category. With over 27 million businesses registered in the United States, the Inc. 500 list represents the top-tier businesses in America today.

"Fast growth at any time is a big achievement; fast growth during the past few years is just short of miraculous," said Inc. editor Jane Berentson. "The Inc. 500 consists of these just-short-of miraculous companies, the ones that through ingenuity and ambition have increased revenue, hired employees, and grown fast in difficult economic times."

Each year, Inc. magazine ranks U.S.-based, privately held companies according to percentage growth. The fastest-growing list is an exclusive ranking of entrepreneurs nationwide – a group Inc. magazine refers to as the most important segment of the U.S. economy.

“It is an honor to be included in this year’s Inc. 500 list and recognized for our entrepreneurial achievements,” said Stacey Caron, Spellbinders’ President. “Our focus has always been on manufacturing innovative, quality products for crafters. This confirmation of our success is the ultimate recognition of our efforts to grow a business that is both rewarding and fulfilling.”

Spellbinders embraces Web 2.0 marketing methods. They have assembled a team of the best designers in the industry to share their expertise online through a variety of web communities.

About Spellbinders Paper Arts
Spellbinders™ entered the craft and hobby market in 2003 with the introduction of the Wizard® Universal Craft Tool and a unique, patented collection of dies unlike any introduced before - or since. Always on the cutting edge in introducing innovative tools to the market, the Grand Calibur™ and Presto Punch™ are the company's latest offerings for crafters. Spellbinders product lines include more than 250 patented and patent-pending products, allowing crafters, hobbyists, artists and teachers to create one-of-a-kind, beautiful paper art projects. Visit http://spellbinderspaperarts.com/ or e-mail info@spellbinders.us for more information.

Play Date Cafe - Shocking! Scrapbooking in Melbourne, Florida

Hey, y'all!

Are you feeling crafty?  Well, I've been working on design team assignments for the past several days, but now that I'm finished (woohoo!) I decided it was time to take on another challenge.  I scrolled down to the challenges I have posted in the left column and stopped at Play Date Cafe.  I wanted to see what my friends Julie, Steph and Mona had created.  To my horror, Steph's term is ending.  Boo hooo!!!!  Luckily, I can see her amazing work on other design team blogs.

Now look at these colors.  Navy Blue.  Bright Pink.  And Mustard!!!   Oh, good grief.  That is certainly a challenge, right???  But a fun one!

I found a cute little tag from Crafty Secrets that had blue and pink teacups with yellowish-mustardy tea in them.  Perfect!  All I needed to do was cut out a little white crown and color it mustard with my Copics.  Easy, right???   So I spy this little "scrap" of white cardstock that is the perfect size to cut out the crown!  Zip it through my Wizard and turn it over - oh no!!  I cut my cute little baby teacups!  Friends, I was mortified!!!  There went my card, right out the window.

Or not.  Goodbye, fair teacups!  Well, I had already cut out the shocking pink frame, the wings and the sentiment tag.  What to do?  Luckily, the same Crafty Secret sheet had this precious little birdie who fit the bill (tee hee - bill - HA!)!  So I plucked him up, stuck him to the back of the frame and proceeded to color the wings and crown.  Mind you, I had no mustard cardstock and haven't missed it.  ha.  So I pulled out a Copic marker (Honey) which is about as close to mustard as I could find.

This definitely knocked me outside of my crafting box.  I would have never used these bright colors without the challenge....but I kind of like it!

So did you play this week?  Share!

Peace out,

Handmade Paper - Scrapbooking in Melbourne, Florida

The sun is finally peeking out a bit here in coastal Florida.  We've had the summer rains and thunderstorms for a few days now and it's nice to be the sunshine state again!

I've been puttering around in my studio, trying to purge (yeah...right!!) and make use of things that were tucked away waiting for the right moment.  Well, my BFF Rindy gave me some fabulous handmade paper that she brought back from a trip a few years (yes, YEARS) ago.  And when I rediscovered it I squealed with delight!  Because now was the perfect time to cut into it and marry it with the new colors and peacock images in CTMH's new Autumn Idea Book (coming out September 1!).

Just look at that paper!  Isn't it insanely beautiful???  The gold really shimmers and shines.  I just love it!  It's a light and airy tissue texture and I have plenty left - tee hee!

I didn't want a bright gold cardstock, so I used a Copic marker to make my own muted gold cardstock from white.  The stamped label is one of Claire's fabulous Waltzingmouse stamps that coordinates with Spellbinders(TM)' S4-229 Labels Five die template - still my favorite! 

That awesome huge glittery brad, the peacock feather stamp and the new 'blue' ink colors are all in the new Idea Book.  I hope you enjoy!

p.s.  For all you "international" Spellbinders™ lovers....you may be interested to know that the Spellbinders International Guest Blogger - Fall 2010 Contest is on! Please click here for complete details! wooHOOO!

What's your routine? Plus a Grammy's Love - Scrapbooking in Melbourne, Florida

How do you handle a disruption in your routine?  I've always been a creature of habit - fairly comfortable with knowing what I would be doing each evening after work.....each weekend.  So having some free time off while I'm job-searching changed things up. 

Last week, for example, I had a surge of mojo and created some art nearly every day.  Then this weekend I had a dog-sitting job (my first) with a wonderful little guy named Corky.  I stayed at Corky's house and didn't take any craft supplies with me (can you believe it???).  Then Alan has been home from college for a couple of days, and we fell into our Alan-home-from-college-routine of sitting together with our computers, watching our taped shows that I save for these days and eating takeout.  Watching typical guy shows, but they really are pretty good - Deadliest Catch, Whale Wars, Swords and a new one - Scrappers.  So all of my chick shows have stacked up in a tidy row waiting for Alan to leave.

So now he's home at his other home in Gainesville, and I'll be back to the studio tomorrow - yippee!  And back to looking for a job, trying to find affordable health insurance...you get the idea.



Here's one of my Spellbinders(TM) layouts that you can find in the Spellbinders' blog gallery.  This is my mom (isn't she cute!) and my baby's first college graduation from BCC.  I used some lace that my mom gave me from her old scraps, as well as sheet music she gave me (for the fan and the flowers).  Click on the image to enlarge it.  These are my two most favorite people in the world!

So how do you handle a routine disruption?  Do you still manage to slip in a little craftiness, or do you dive completely into the disruption and start anew when things settle down?

JustRite and SFYTT Challenges combined Scrapbooking in Melbourne, Florida

Gene Simmons got his head stuck in a squirrel head.  Oh, good grief.  I am dying here watching the show that I recorded form last night.  Need I say more?

So, have you joined in any of these challenges that I have listed in the left column?  I combined two of them yet again - JustRite's Friday Challenge #030 and Jen's SFYTT (Sketch For You To Try).

The JustRite challenge invites you to use this photo as your inspiration.  I used the colors and 'feel' of the pillow in the upper left corner of the photo as my inspiration, then used Jen's sketch as my template.

I used a stamp from JustRite's Joyful Hearts set and some of my Spellbinders(TM) Nestabilities:  S5-022 Labels Ten, S4-112 Classic Ovals Small and a brand new release, S4-293 Lacey Circles.  The paper is from MME's "Quite Contrary" line, mounted on  CTMH's Hollyhock cardstock with a touch of Sweet Leaf thrown in.

Now, I realize that most of you have been using these tiny little Prima flowers for a while, but this is my first!  My friend Mona slipped a package of them in my luggage when I stayed with her in Phoenix in April.  Now, how sweet was that?  She is an angel here on earth!

Thanks for stopping by and for putting up with me during my transition to whatever my new career might be.  Your comments and thoughts mean so much!

Till later,

JUGS - Just Us GirlS Challenge - Scrapbooking in Melbourne, Florida

Hey y'all!

Have you tried my friend Lisa Kind's JUGS challenges?  It's pretty cool 'cause they host a different type of challenge each week - sketch, color, templates....you get the idea.

This week it's a sketch challenge and I used it to vent a little about my unfortunate incarceration - subtly, of course!

The awesome little tag from the paper pack (CTMH's Notebook) afforded me the opportunity to circle the exact date of my layoff...and then at the bottom is my editorial comment - 'f-r-e-e-d-o-m'.  tee hee

I sliced up some Prima flowers I've had for eons.  This quick card took maybe 15 minutes to make, which is a record for me!

I'm having a blast doing these challenges....and lovin' the return of my mojo!  New Spellinders(TM) die templates are on the way.....ah, life is great!

Peace out,