Stampin! with Jaydee

Hi Everyone.  Happy Monday.

Continuing the ice cream theme tonight :-)

I saw this great inspiration across at a challenge site which is new to me.  Tag You're It.

Now, my regular readers know that I love adding tags to cards, so this seemed like the perfect challenge site for me.   The challenge this week is a gorgeous gradient color tag.

I decided to use another of the stamps from the SSS August Card kit but wanted to try to replicate the gradient colors of the tag.   I used watercoloring to do it and the results are subtle and not as noticeable in the photograph.  In real life they do grade from bright red through to yellow.  I also added the black and white baker's twine from the inspiration tag.  

I needed the tag to pop from the base, so used a piece of lime green and yellow chevron patterned paper that was also included in the kit.   here's my card

Of course, you knew I would have to do something else to it, right? :-)  Well, all ice pops are wet... so I pulled out my Crystal Effects and covered the entire thing (except for the stick) with Crystal Effects.  It's really cool... if you will excuse the pun :-)

You really should check out the challenge site.  There are some amazing design team and inspiration cards for you.  I know I always say that, but it really is amazing how much talent there is out there in blogland.

On a personal note:

Linda.... I have to say I was upset to hear that your local school had tried to do the right thing by creating a nature conservancy, only to have the "green lawn, no dandelion" brigade get it converted back to something that uses precious resources in water, is then made worse by the addition of chemical fertilizers and pollinating-insect killing pesticides.   I really don't understand it!  

As for our neighbors... well, most of the prairie is at the back.  Our front planting is natural planting but the cultivated varieties.  We had to go with the cultivated versions as they were the only ones that would survive at the front.  Therefore, the front planting has a more structured feel and there is less for anyone to complain about.  If I thought we could get away with it, I would convert the front lawn into prairie, too!  The comments we have had so far have been positive.  In fact, our garden at the front is so colorful, that it prompted our neighbors two doors down to add color to their front-scaping :-)

Margaret - so glad that my nature and landscape photographs give you a moment to relax and pause and enjoy :-)  

Marina, spring bulbs...already. STOP :-)  I'm not ready to think about cold temperatures and snow just yet :-)

Rach, I do think you are right in that the local critters thought they had discovered a little haven when we moved in :-)  

Jeanne, hope you are ALL doing well and are enjoying this wonderful weather!

Pam, you wanted to know about embossing paste.  I LOVE the stuff.  It really adds incredible depth and texture to a card.  In fact, Jennifer McGuire posted a video recently explaining what it is.  Hopefully that will help you!

Now.... getting social :-)  Lou has been nagging me for over a year to actually become more socially active and said that I need to do something more than blog.  A few months ago, one of my fabulous blog followers sent me an email saying that she was tired of seeing my cards in pinterest and that I didn't have a presence on pinterest that she could go to directly.    

This morning Lou was talking to  DD and even she said it was time I upped my game and got active.   So.... bowing to pressure :-)  I now have a Pinterest presence and have started to upload my cards there.

What you'll start to find on my Pinterest page:

1. Well, obviously my cards :-)
2. As many of my blog followers are also very interested in interior design, organizing, etc. I will also be opening up a Pinterest board related to all those sorts of things.  They might be things that I have done, or things that I find that I think you might find interesting.
3. Other cards or crafty things that I find that I think you will like

So, if you are interested, you can look on the right sidebar of my blog page and start to follow me on Pinterest.  The more pins I get on the boards will help me understand what you want to see there.   

Twitter

yes.... I finally did it and signed up for twitter and you can find me at @jaydeestamping.  You can also find a "follow me on twitter" button on my right side bar.   Other than Lou, a couple of you have also asked if I am on twitter via email messages.  Then, last week, I noticed that I had multiple visits to my blog via twitter.  I thought that was interesting considering I wasn't on twitter!   I traced it to the Hero Arts blog who had tweeted about this card.

What can you expect to hear from me on twitter:

1. An update as soon as my blog posts live
2. The occasional... and I mean occasional.... tweet if there is something that I think is interesting.

There... I have finally joined the social generation and am now part of Twitter and Pinterest.  Who said you can't teach an old dog new tricks! :-)

Now, I did promise a couple more landscaping shots.  I couldn't resist this shot.   Look at all that beautiful, purple, white and yellow with that little pop of barbie pink.  I really am thrilled by the new flowers we are getting this year.

I am totally in love with these graybeard coneflowers.  They are much taller than the normal coneflowers and have an ethereal feel.  I caught this shot on a very windy day.  I was almost eye to eye with this flowerhead!

One last shot for you tonight..... look how far the front yard is coming along.   When these plants went in last year, most of them came in little 6 inch pots.  Can you believe that any of these plants came from such a little pot... and look at them now!

They are so tall that you can hardly see the porch behind them.  Can you see the fabulous new Luyten's style bench behind :-)

I think that's enough photos for you to have to look at tonight! :-)  Don't forget to follow me on Pinterest and/or on Twitter!

As always, thank you ALL for your visits and your comments.  I really do appreciate that you take the time to leave a message and spend a little time with me each day.   I'll be back tomorrow with another card.

In the meantime, warm hugs and prayers for those of you who need a little lift tonight.

Hugs

Jaydee

Card recipe:

• Card stock, Stamp - Simon Says Stamp August card kit