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A "Blue Carrot" Funk

July 10, 2010 Jentimko 7 Comments

This is definitely NOT to be confused with a blue funk. Today over at Splitcoast, their Inspiration Challenge uses a store called Blue Carrot. I found this really cool picture there and it reminded me of my brand new, never yet used set called Funky Four (p. 93).

The colors also worked for the coordinating paper called Play Date (p. 175). Then I found this great layout from Stamping 411:

Before I get into the card details, I have to give a huge thanks to the Operators at Stamping 411. I had read their tutorial on mounting the stickers on Stampin’ Up’s new cling mount stamps. Well, I just got my first set of those and the tutorial was right on target (although I don’t trim the rubber)!! My cling mount stamps cling perfectly and I may be a convert!! Check out all the great info over there…it is fantastic!

Back to my card. I must say that this one came together pretty easily (it had to, it is a Saturday and my house is crazy on Saturdays!). I am in love with the little leaves in both Funky Four and Apple Blossom (hostess level 2), and I am thrilled that they are in the DSP. Using my trusty Stamp-a-ma-jig, I stamped the three flowers using the plate as a motivation. The Olive button is from the new Brights Designer Buttons collection and it was the perfect way to make a quick bow with my Real Red Wide Grosgrain. I added another little flower inside the card and it is ready to send off to one of my sons’ schools. They were kind enough to put together a bag of 4th of July cookout goodies for military families and the one they gave us was amazing. How lucky we are to have such a community!!

My picture seems a little blurry but it will have to do for now (off to play outside with the kids). Your comments are valued and I look forward to your thoughts on all the new items!

Stamp: Funky Four, Apple Blossoms (words); Paper: Play Date DSP, So Saffron, Real Red, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White; Ink: So Saffron, Real Red, Old Olive, Chocolate Chip; Accessories: Real Red Wide Grosgrain, Brights Designer Buttons, Dimensionals, Thread, Stamp-a-ma-jig

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Double the fun!

June 30, 2010 Jentimko 3 Comments

As I posted my baby cards last weekend, I told you that I had been working on a big (for me) project. Well, the secret is out and I can share now. A dear friend of mine is pregnant with twins and I was part of a group that made her matching scrapbooks. Her twins are actually one boy and one girl so the scrapbook use the same layouts (bacically) but with different papers. You may or may not know that I am not much of a scrapbooker. I have used My Digital Studio with some wonderful success but have never made entire traditional scrapbooks. Together with two of my friends, Christine and Simone, we committed to making these books. Let’s face it, the mom of twins isn’t going to have time to scrapbook for a while!!

We started by getting two of the adorable Olive Polka Dot 6″x6″ albums from the Summer Mini. Then, we chose the Petal Party and Happy B-day Simply Scrappin’ Kits as the base for each. It is amazing how stampers with totally different styles can create a unified project just by using the same papers!! The best part is that we had lots of paper and self-adhesives left over so that the mom can add finishing touches once the pictures are in.

To add to the fun, there is a challenge over at Stampin’ Royalty this week that is about “Seeing Doubles” – SR#26. It seemed like the perfect time to post some of these great pages.

To start, I have the two cover pages (created by me):

I really don’t have room for all the pages but I am going to show you a couple of my favorites! Take a look at the fabulous artwork on the “first tooth” pages created by Simone (on the left, each pairing). Her dear husband drew it for her…wonderful!

And the following pages were created by Christine as “Grandparent” pages:

We tried to leave lots of room for journaling and embellishment after the pictures are put in. We were so thrilled with the final result and, more importantly, the mom-to-be seemed to love it! So glad you stopped by and I hope to see you again soon!

Busy, busy, busy…

June 25, 2010 Jentimko 3 Comments

It is official…I have survived the first week of summer break and I’m still able to be awake after the kids go to bed. We have had a lot going on and I have been sadly lacking in my posts. I’m definitely having to adjust to the new schedule!! That said, I have been busily creating but I can’t post it quite yet. I can tell you that I was working with some friends on a special gift for a special someone who is having a baby shower this weekend. I don’t want to spoil any surprises so I will say no more!

Because I was doing the “other” project, I just got around to cards yesterday. Now, this shower is for twins…how fun is that??!! Well, maybe not for Mommy late in the pregnancy but fun for the rest of us!! I did, however, come to the rapid conclusion that most baby stamps use the words “one”, “baby” and other singleton things like that. Not only that, I have virtually no baby stamps (a situation that will be fixed soon after July 1st!). I went to one of my Stampin’ friends and raided her stamp stash. Once home, Margaret Moody and the Pals Paper Arts team saved me once again. They have a sketch challenge this week (PPA48), thank heavens!! As usual, I can’t seem to load their sketch so you’ll have to drop on by and see it for yourself (and give it a try)!! Now that I have my new catalog, I have doubled my efforts to use up old papers. Because the twins are a boy and a girl, this left me room to use pink and blue (I know, pretty traditional but it works). I saw the onesie in A Little Love and knew what I wanted to do! The idea is in no way original but I have never used it and I’m so happy with this card!

I used retired DSP (Bella Birds) with the Bordering Blue and So Saffron strips. The onesies were paper pieced to add a little interest after I colored them with Pink Pirouette – my brand new marker – and Bordering Blue (popped up on Dimensionals). I used the “Welcome” part of “Welcome Baby” from the Short & Sweet set. Finally, I dyed some thread with my Chocolate Chip marker for the clothesline. I must say that this card makes me smile!!

I needed another card for the same shower and turned to the So Many Scallops set (ret, SAB). I love the little baby set in it other than it says “Sweet One”. I used my Pretty in Pink and Bordering Blue markers to fill in everything but the words on the stamp and stamped it first. I cleaned the stamp thoroughly and then inked up the “Sweet” word only. Using my handy-dandy Stamp-a-ma-jig, I put the word right where it belongs. I must say, I’m feeling pretty clever about these modifications (and very sympathetic to parents/friends of multiples when it comes to stamping)! I used last week’s Stamping 411 sketch, SSC156. Take a look at Lee Conrey’s card here and you’ll see my ribbon inspiration for this sketch.

The DSP on this one is from the Sweet Pea paper pack (ret). I used the beautiful White Organdy ribbon and cinched the bow together with a 5/16″ White Jumbo Brad.

Well, these are the cards and I can’t wait to share some of the gift pictures with you! Thanks for stopping in. I hope you have a great weekend!

Card 1:

Stamps: A Little Love (ret), Short & Sweet; Paper: Bella Birds DSP (ret), Chocolate Chip, Pink Pirouette, Whisper White; Ink: Pink Pirouette, Bordering Blue, Chocolate Chip; Accessories: Stamp-a-ma-jig, Dimensionals, thread

Card 2:

Stamp: So Many Scallops (ret); Paper: Bordering Blue, Whisper White, Sweet Pea DSP (ret); Ink: Pretty in Pink, Bordering Blue; Accessories: Stamp-a-ma-jig, White Organdy ribbon, Jumbo brad, Dimensionals

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Willow Anniversary

June 16, 2010 Jentimko 3 Comments

Nine years ago today, I had the great privilege of marrying a wonderful man. Today, I celebrate the Willow/Pottery anniversary with him!! We try very hard to stick to the “yearly” gifts. And trust me…that can require some real creativity! At least the card was easy to come up with!! There is nothing truly original here but this is the first time I have used the set this way. I was inspired by Carol ‘Anne’s work over at Stampin’ Stressaway. I didn’t brayer but used sponges on Whisper White paper. I started with Blush Blossom, added River Rock and finally finished with Soft Suede. The base of the card is the new Early Espresso (GORGEOUS!!) and the ribbon is non-SU (I just can’t wait until Jul 1st to order the new SU Espresso Satin ribbon!). The little cattails are punched out of Espresso with a slot punch.

The sentiment is from Well Scripted and sums up exactly how I feel about my dear husband. Thanks for stopping by. I have some more cards to post so you can expect to see them tomorrow!

One sketch, two cards

May 16, 2010 Jentimko No Comments

I made these a while ago and never posted them (not sure why). They use the beautiful Thoughts & Prayers set and the same layout. Sadly, I can’t remember the source of the layout so if you recognize it, please let me know so that I can give proper credit! These both have a clean and simple feel which makes them great for quick cards. I love a “go-to” layout when you need a card in a hurry and this is certainly a good one. It requires just a little designer paper to get a nice pop of texture and color. The first card uses the flower from the set that was colored using Stampin’ Write markers in Bordering Blue (a retiring color), Pretty in Pink and Chocolate Chip. The ribbon is retired SAB’09 grosgrain.

The second card uses the tree from the set. I LOVE this tree. Love it, love it, love it!! I colored the tree with Sahara Sand and Chocolate markers and then used the rock-n-roll technique on the top with a Not Quite Navy pad. The paper is Bella Bleu DSP.

I made these with a dear sister-in-law who was looking to have a set of cards for all occasions. I love how you can make very different cards with the same layout just by changing the colors. Thanks for stopping by to take a look. Don’t forget to talk to your demonstrator about Bordering Blue and all the other retiring colors!! Have a great Sunday!

Sunshine and Window panes

April 23, 2010 Jentimko 10 Comments

First of all, I want to share with you a nice award sent to me by both Holly at Rubber Redneck and Heidi at RunningwScissorsStamper. If you haven’t been to their blogs, please stop by because their work is fantastic!! This is so nice of both of them and it really has made my day. The award is the Sunshine Award:

1. Put the Sunshine Award on your blog and/or within your post.
2. Pass the award to other bloggers.
3. Link the nominees within your post.
4. Let them know they received this award by leaving a comment on their blog.
5. Share the love and link to the person from whom you received the award. The hardest part, of course, is narrowing it down!!

In no particular order, here are some of the blogs I love:

1. Margaret Moody – Margaret Moody

2. Ann Schach – The Stampin’ Schach

3. Monica – Monica’s Blog

4. Krystal – Krystals Cards and More

5. Julie – Paper Pleasing Ideas

6. Kristin – Sunshine, Smiles & Stamps

Please go take a look at these to see where I get so much of my inspiration!!

I do have a card today. It is another card using the new Presto Patterns DSP from the upcoming Summer Mini. I am in love with this paper!!! I used the window pane technique to make the card but the paper really did most of the work. I sponged Old Olive over this grid-style paper and then stamped the cone flowers from Inspired by Nature with Chocolate Chip. The ink comes right off of the “embossed” section of the DSP and you are left with this cool look. I cut the image apart, tied on some wide grosgrain ribbon and look at what I have!!

Cool, huh??!! Thanks for stopping by and don’t forget to leave a comment…it really makes my day! Have a great weekend!

Stamp: Inspired by Nature; Paper: Presto Patterns DSP, Old Olive, Chocolate Chip; Ink: Old Olive, Chocolate Chip; Accessories: Sponges, Chocolate Grosgrain ribbon

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A great day!

March 12, 2010 Jentimko 13 Comments

My thanks to the OCC Stampers for choosing me as their Featured Designer! Thanks for visiting!

“We shall not forget the accomplishments of our women fliers and their contributions to the fulfillment of our mission. And we shall always keep and remember
the brave heritage of the women who gave their lives.
It is the heritage of faith in victory and faith in the ultimate freedom of humanity.” General Barton Yount, Commanding General, Training Command, Army Air Force, 1944

Yep, in 1944 they were told that their contributions would not be forgotton. But forgotten they were. Now, over 65 years after the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) were disbanded, they were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal!! Finally! It is not because they looked for glory but because they answered their country’s call. They paid their way to training and, after selfless service, paid their own way home when they were done. They passed around a hat when one of their sisters died to ensure a proper burial. They were (and are) proud, brave pioneers that paved the way for many who have followed in their footsteps.

On March 10th, my son and I were there at Emancipation Hall in the Visitors Center of the Capitol Building. The crowd was standing room only and the pride in the Hall was touchable. Our country’s Congressional leadership stood up and told the story of service, professionalism and heroism. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson talked about this being one of the final steps of recognition, likening the WASP to the Tuskegee Airmen and the Code Talkers. Others talked about this being long overdue. Almost too long overdue since only about 300 of the 1,074 are still alive. But the day was not about regret. Instead it was a day of thanks and tribute…beautifully done. I was privileged to be there. The medal itself is fantastic and I am so proud of my Aunt Frances for earning it!!

Frances Rohrer Sargent was in WASP class 43-W-4. After training, she was assigned to Camp Davis Army Air Field, Holly Ridge, NC. She mostly flew tow target missions. An enlisted man would reel out a long sock of muslin on a cable as a target for antiaircraft gunnery practice. She was checked out in 10 different kinds of aircraft. She also did searchlight practice missions which were very disorienting for the pilots. More on this is available in the book Women in the Wild Blue in her own words. This is her WASP graduation photo. Records are kept on the WASP, including oral histories, by Texas Woman’s University.

I owe at great deal of thanks to my cousins for helping my son and I attend. Here is one of the cards I made for them. I started with the Pals Paper Arts challenge 33 using the colors Garden Green, Certainly Celery and Kraft. Using these colors means that it also meets the Stampin’ Royalty “Green” challenge criteria. I used the OCC Weekly Sketch number 6. This uses some retired items but I still love the set Branch Out and it will stay with me as a favorite for a long time! We have a cloudy day so the colors are not quite true. The leaves are Celery and Garden Green.

Now for some pictures from the ceremony…

First, the medal itself.

Next, my son and I with my cousin and the medal!

I hope you can, in some way, share in my excitement over this great event. Thanks for stopping by!!

Stamps: Branch Out (ret), Short & Sweet; Paper: Kraft DSP (Hostess, ret), Garden Green, Kraft; Ink: Garden Green, Certainly Celery, Sahara Sand; Accessories: Twine, Sponges

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Passionate about flying!

March 9, 2010 Jentimko 8 Comments

“The desire to fly is an idea handed down to us by our ancestors who, in their grueling travels across trackless lands in prehistoric time, looked enviously on the birds soaring freely through space, at full speed, above all obstacles, on the infinite highway of the air.” Wilbur Wright

This card is for a very special woman, my Aunt Frances. Tomorrow, March 10th, is a proud day for the United States. We are finally honoring a group of women who answered their country’s call during WWII. They are called the WASP, Women’s Airforce Service Pilots, and my aunt is one of them!! Tomorrow, one of my sons and I have the priviledge of going to Washington, DC to see these women get a Congressional Medal of Honor, one of the two highest honors that can be given a civilian. I know you came to see the card but please stay for the history of these great women. I’ll give you the card first.

I used the phrase from Inspired by Nature because it sums up my aunt. The sketch is from Makeesha over at Inkspirations. I knew it would be perfect with the butterflies and flying is, after all, the theme! The colors came from a color challenge at Splitcoast, CC261, and are Melon Mambo, Certainly Celery and Bashful Blue. These were hard colors for me but they are such a happy combination! Of course with the butterflies and these colors, it feels like spring and meets the Spring Theme from Pals Paper Arts this week (hopefully I meet their deadline). I used some Celery DSP from a hostess pack (I love that it had a butterfly, too). The butterflies from my Big Shot embosslit, Beautiful Wings, are the star of the show. I added a Celery button from the Sherbet set and the new Celery satin ribbon to finish it off.

Stamp: Inspired by Nature; Paper: Lovely Flowers (hostess), Celery DSP (ret), Certainly Celery, Whisper White, Bashful Blue; Ink: Certainly Celery, Melon Mambo; Accessories: Big Shot, Beautiful Wings embosslit, Celery satin ribbon, White thread, Sherbet buttons

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Back to the history….

The WASP were formed around 1943 (there were precursors that were joined together) in order to train women to fly military aircraft. This would allow the men to be moved into combat duties while the women would do ferry flights, target and spotlight training and other “behind the lines” jobs. When applications opened, over 25,000 women applied for the job and only 1,830 were chosen. Of those, 1,074 earned their WASP wings. Most of the training was done in Sweetwater, TX at Avenger field. After getting their wings, these women flew almost everything in the inventory at the time! While they took the military oath, they were not given military privileges. In fact, when a WASP was killed in duty, she was not allowed even a flag on her coffin. After the WASP were disbanded, the files about them were sealed and classified…almost as if their flying had never happened. It was only when the US was about to start training women to fly in 1977 that these files were unsealed and the WASP were given veteran status. Tomorrow, our country will finally thank them properly for serving their country in a time of war. It is only because of these ground breakers, and other early women pilots, that I had all the opportunities to fly in my career.

Thanks for staying for “the rest of the story”! I appreciate any comments, as always!

Ribbons and Bows

February 26, 2010 Jentimko 9 Comments

As promised, today I’m going to do a tutorial on one of the bows I use a lot and a corner treatment. The theme of today’s tying lesson is non-square knots! As you know, square knots (left over right, then right over left or vice versa) lead to such pretty cards. Today, however, we will make ugly knots! They have a purpose, though, and the ugly part get covered up. So grab some ribbon and let’s get started!!

Single or double bow

First decide the size of your bow. Wind the ribbon back and forth: three times for a single bow, five time for a double.

The first picture shows the single, the second shows the double. Click on any picture to see it larger (sorry they are a bit blurry…still learning how to take good tutorial pics). Cut your ribbon and set aside (you’ll have to fold it again in a minute). Cut a second length a bit longer than the paper layer you want the bow to tie around. Put the second layer down flat on your work surface, refold the “bow” and place it face down on your straight piece (the bottom becomes the front of the bow).

Now, start tying your knot except it will NOT be square. In my case I tied it left over right then left over right again. You’ll see that the knot is not pretty to look at.

The reason you do this is to get the tying section to run parallel to the bow. If you do a square knot, it will be perpendicular (that can have its uses, too). If it doesn’t lay just like you want, you can turn one of the long pieces over to see if that helps.

Now flip the ribbon over and you have your bow. Use your bone folder to “fluff” up the bow as desired and put it on your card!!

Of course, now that I have this bow I had to make a card for it!! I used the Mojo Monday sketch challenge 127 again to make this fun little card. I really do love this layout!! Since the ribbon is Old Olive, the rest of the colors were inspired by the Color Throwdown challenge CTD81. They chose Olive, Brown and Pink/White this week. So pretty together!

Corner Treatment

This one is even easier. First, cut a generous piece of ribbon for your corner.

Cut a second, larger piece (mine was about 9 inches). Using the larger piece to tie, make another “ugly” knot. Both ends will easily go one direction (see the next pictures).

Just flip the ribbon over and the other side is pretty!! Yea!!

Using Mini Glue Dots, attach the knot to where you want it to be on your card, then tuck the ends under and secure with additional Mini Glue Dots. You may have to pull and adjust the ribbon a bit to get it just like you want it (this is true with the bow, as well). Once it is on your card, trim the ends. Easy peasy!!!

If you have any questions, let me know and I’ll try to clarify them! Thanks for dropping by to visit!! Oh, and don’t forget to let me know if you try it. I’d love to see your cards!

Card 1 Stamps: A Flower for All Seasons, Short & Sweet; Paper: Sweet Pea DSP (Occasions Mini), Old Olive, Pink Pirouette (ret), Chocolate Chip; Ink: Pretty in Pink, Old Olive, Close to Cocoa, So Saffron; Accessories: Olive Taffeta ribbon (Holiday mini, ret), Blender Pen

Card 2 See Where, Oh Where, Is Spring

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Stampin' Addicts Birthday Blog Hop

February 15, 2010 Jentimko No Comments

Mark your calendars! One of my favorite sites, Stampin’ Addicts, is having its first birthday this month!! They are hosting a Birthday Blog Hop featuring birthday themed cards and projects with Stampin’ Up! products. I’ll be joining 24 amazingly talented stamping bloggers in this celebration on February 20th and 21st. Don’t miss this fun event!!

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