Stampin! with Jaydee

Hi Everyone.  Happy Saturday night. I hope you are all having a great weekend. 

Today I met with Brenda and Cherie and we finished up stamping the backs of the Operation Write Home Christmas Card drive.   It was a great couple of hours.  We took over a table at the local coffee shop and had a real little production line going.  Many thanks to Brenda, Cherie, Bethany and Madison.  You guys rock for coming to help out... OH YEAH... and for bringing cards :-)  Lots of them:-)  I so enjoyed catching up with you and am really grateful to you for your support!

The rest of you... are going to have to wait to hear the total that was collected!  The total - and the winner of the shopping with jaydeestamping.com certificates will be announced in next week's Feel Good Friday post.  So, don't forget to pop by the blog next week to see this.  I can tell you, though - its a phenomenal number!

For the Paper Players challenge this week, Lesley assigned us a sketch challenge.  It's a fabulous sketch.  I followed the layout, the only thing I changed was the focal shape.  I really wanted to showcase the Wreath from the new Bells & Boughs set and it worked much better with an oval frame than a square one.

It was also a GREAT excuse to bring out the new gold glass glitter.  LOVE THIS STUFF!

So here's my card

Now... you cannot tell me that this isn't a pretty card.  And yes, Brenda, I did color it with several colors and then cut around it with my paper snips!

Card recipe:

• Card stock:  Cherry Cobbler, Always Artichoke, Very Vanilla
• DSP:  Deck the Halls
• Stamp:  Bellos & Boughs
• Accessories:  Always Artichoke and Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding Ribbon, Gold Glass Glitter, Gold Embossing Powder
• Inks:  Old Olive, Cherry Cobbler
• Tools:  Big Shot, Nestabilities

Tips:

• To get the gold into the Poinsettia, I used my Versamark pen and just dabbed in the middle of the flowers and randomly.
• Using your Blender Pens and markers allows you to get darker and lighter shades of the same color, which more closely mimics pooinsettias.  (For my video on using Blender pens to color - click this link
• I added dimension to the focal point by snipping around the image and layering it with Stampin' Dimensionals.  This was especially important as the glass glitter has depth.
• The BEST way to adhere the glass glitter is with Crystal Effects or Glossy Accents.
• When you have two colors that are very strong and have no connection to tie them together in the DSP - use two layers of ribbon in those colors.  This allows me to tie the front of the card to the background of the card and really adds an interesting dimension.   I got this tip from my friend Rach at lnrstamp.  Thank you, Rach!

We do hope that you will be inspired by the sketch, and the design team cards, and that you will join us this week.  We really do enjoying visiting your cards.

Congrats to Ann on being a new mother - to two wonderful little Boxer pups!

Prayers tonight for Germaine.  Pri.  T (even though she is doing so well!!!).  John and Sue.  Rach, Lesley, Adelle and their furbabies. Arthur, who finally has a date for his procedure.  Also for Robin and Dumpling.  may Dumpling continue to breathe on his own and grow fast and furious and may Robin continue to recover.  For Robin and Dumplings story click this link.  Once again, showing us that although we take birth so totally for granted - we really shouldn't.

Have a wonderful Monday, everyone.

Remember, smile at a stranger - it could change their lives... or... in the case of Brenda, Cherie and the Chicks... running 13 miles in pink tutus and tiaras - they certainly made a lot of people smile today.

Hugs

Jaydee