B A B Y

Serendipity Stamps has the most BEAUTIFUL alphabet stamps and this week the Serendipity Stamps design team is presenting samples of how versatile these lovely letters are.

I decided to make a Twist Top Box with the letters spelling out BABY around it. This twist top box is very simple to create. One of my favorite blogs to read is Becca Feeken's Amazing Paper Grace and she posted an easy to follow tutorial on her blog HERE. Thank you Becca for the inspiration!
This sweet box could be used as packaging for a gift to enclose a baby onesie, a bib, rattles and teething rings and bonnets. Or perhaps you could use it at a baby shower as a centerpiece of gift/favor filled with sweets or treats. The top literally twists open so there is nothing to unfasten or untie to open it. And yet, the cardstock twist top does stay closed so if you tip it, it won't fall open. Isn't this a neat little box?

I want to give you a better view the letters.

Each letter of the alphabet is a different flower design.

I can imagine so many different card and project ideas using the alphabet set. Please be sure to check out the sets at Serendipity Stamps. You can find them HERE and HERE .


For more inspiration using Serendipity Stamps Floral Alphabet, be sure to check out the rest of the Serendipity Design Team members work:

Amy Cokley
Anya Schrier
Kathie Bailey
Lynda Benden

Cheers!

Jennifer

Three Graces

In Greek mythology the three graces are goddesses of such things as charm, beauty, and creativity. In art we see a number of paintings depicting the three graces and one in particular that comes to mind is by Raphael whose work portrays the three graces who are often considered to be the handmaidens of Venus.

The title of this stamp is Three Graces and is made by Coronado Island designs and stamps. This is a stamp that I've drooled over for years and I finally bit the bullet, wiped the drool from my chin and purchased it so that I could begin enjoying it myself.

I'm not sure if you can see it in this closeup but I used Glitter Ritz on sticky paper over the stamped image of the horses so they have quite a shimmer to them. It reminds me of seeing horses run in a fine snow or sleet.

Card Recipe:
Stamp: Three Graces SJ010 - L Coronado Island designs & stamps
Ink: Momento Tuxedo Black and just a hint of Copic markers for shading
Paper: Bo Bunny
Accessories: Glitter Glitz, Martha Stewart Border Punch, Ribbon and Prima Flowers, Pearl Brad in the flower's center, and foam tape for mounting the image.

This is the first card I made using this stamp and it is a birthday card. One day soon I'd like to work up sets of notecards using this stamp as the focal image.

Cheers!

Jennifer

Scent with love

Serendipity Stamps has a new spring line of just released stamps that are just too, too sweet. The set I used for this Scent with love card is Serendipity Stamps set 1203QCL SKUNK. When I was a little girl I had a Pepe LePew stuffed skunk and this set brought back fond childhood memories.

This week the entire Serendipity Stamps design team is presenting new spring line cards using the sketch layout below. I love working with sketch layouts and had a lot of fun with this one.

Card Recipe:
Stamps: Serendipity Stamps 1203QCL
Papers: Stampin' Up! cardstock and design papers
Ink: Momento Tuxedo Black, Stampin' Up! Brocade Blue and colored with Copic Markers
Accessories: Cuttle Bug Swiss Dots embossing folder, Foam dots, Prima Flowers, Pearls

For more inspiration of cards using Lynda's sketch layout and Serendipity Stamps check out the rest of the Serendipity Design Team members work:

Amy Cokley
Anya Schrier
Kathie Bailey
Lynda Benden

Cheers!

Jennifer

Lemon Drop Martini Cocktail Apron

The big and very exciting reveal took place yesterday when the apron from my secret partner in the Martini Madness apron swap arrived! Grace B ( aka: Katmom) from Spokane, Washington, thank you so much!! I've never had a Lemon Drop Martini before but I'm sure it is going to quickly become my favorite cocktail. ESPECIALLY since I can wear this OH SO ADORABLE lemon/lime apron.I just have to tell you, this apron is beautifully made and all of the details are sheer perfection! Can you tell how much I love this apron?

Oh wait, Grace not only created the apron but also filled the box to capacity with all types of wonderful treats. Just look!

Now in case you can't make out all of the wonderful extras she included let me list a few: laminated recipes for a variety of martini's (oh how smart you are to laminate them for me! *wink* Also there is the martini glass and shaker, a sachet filled with oh so wonderful scented lavender, a crocheted pot holder (too cute!) a hand beaded bracelet that I'll look so chic wearing along with my apron (they match!) and beaded glass ring/indentifier, and also a rubber stamp! Soooooo...you lurked my blog and discovered I'm a stamper! Oh how clever!

One more picture of the apron. I am wearing it as I post today. Grace (Katmom) thank you so very much. This has been so much fun and I adore my new lemon drop cocktail apron.

Cheers!

Jennifer

Martini Madness - Flirty Apron Swap

For the past couple of years I've been participating in Sassy Apron Swaps and Flirty Apron swaps and they've really been a lot of fun. This month Shawnee hosted a swap called Martini Madness and all of the participants received a secret partner for whom we'd create a flirty cocktail apron. Did you notice the banner along the right column about Martini Madness and wonder what I was up to now?

First I want to show you the card I made to enclose with the apron I made for my secret partner:
This apron stamp is one of two delightful Lockhart apron stamps. Of COURSE I had to have both stamps in my collection since I'm an apronista too! I paper pieced the image trying to match the fabric similarly to the apron I made using BoBunny paper and ribbon as well as attaching the same buttons I used on the apron.

And here is my secret partner's 1954 Retro cocktail apron. I hope she'll enjoy it. Since it is nearly Valentine's Day I wanted to make her a sassy/flirty little cocktail apron. The points are actually small pockets.

Now, you might wonder where the "Martini Madness" part comes in. One of the requirements was to also include a martini glass that was decorated. I didn't think my partner should drink alone so I filled two martini glasses with Hershey Kisses and wrapped them up for her to share with a loved one or friend on Valentine's Day to enjoy.

Above is a closeup of the contents that was shipped off to my secret partner. I sure hope she'll enjoy it as much as I did putting the package together.

And now I'm eagerly checking the mail for the apron that a secret someone is creating for me. I'll be sure to post photos when it arrives.

Until then,
Cheers!

Jennifer

Let's put on a puppet show!

I've been having just the most fun making these hand puppets and I just had to share them today. Unfortunately a photographer I'm not, so the details aren't showing up very well in my pictures. Nevertheless, I thought some of you who have children and/or grandchildren might get a kick out of these.

These are my first three I've made. Meet my Dog puppet (who looks very much like my Landseers, Gabe and Paige), my funny Monkey and finally, the Blue Bear.
The blue bear doesn't have a tail but I wanted to show you the dog and monkey tails. The monkey has pipe cleaners inside the tail so you can bend it in any direction and shape you'd like.

My little dog puppet DOES have a nose but it is a black pompom and blends into the black muzzle in the photo.

I just have to giggle when I see this funny monkey. His misshaped head just adds to his whimsy, I think.

I do believe that the blue bear is actually a polar bear. Afterall, he's made from POLAR fleece and perhaps it just got too cold outside that he turned BLUE.

These are really quick to make and I used reminents of polar fleece for the bodies and the hands and muzzles (faces) are made from scraps of ultra suede. So these fun puppets are completely washable.

I'm hoping a special little girl will enjoy these for many years to come as she celebrates her first birthday today. Perhaps her Grandpa will build her a puppet stage to put on shows!

Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers!

Jennifer