Welcome Home!

Greeting and salutations!  So happy that you could stop by.  I have a new project that I want to share with you.  The lovely lady that started my path to card making recently purchased a new home and I wanted to send her a little something.  I had noticed that ScrappyDew had a file called Spring had Sprung 2013 and thought that I might be able to design a new home card from this.  Here is the link:
Spring Had Sprung 2013

So I dived into all my scraps and you know, that is one thing I love about all the ScrappyDew patterns.  You can use whatever you have on hand.  If you are a paper crafter, I imagine that you have scraps of paper everywhere.  Me being a little bit OCD (overly clean/organized disorder) I have my scraps sorted by color and size.  So I just dive into those scraps and this is what happens...

Like I said the paper is scraps but good Michaels Recollections scraps.  I had a beautiful sun rubber stamp that I used for the face on the sun.  Put a foam square behind the little blue bird and went into the basic shapes for a tag in Make The Cut (MTC) for the for sale sign.  Everything was cut with my Zenith Zing.  So there is the front, let me show you the inside...

Isn't this just the bees knees!  It turned out so perfect!  I love the Welcome Home banner that I put in the tree.  And that little bird flying, looks like a little kid waiting to get into trouble!  I will write a little note on the left hand side.   Now for the envelope...

I had gotten this little bird stamp from HOTP last year.  Would you believe how great it matches!  The paper for the envelope is Graphic45 A Proper Gentlemen Collection.  Now I can put this all together and send it out this afternoon.  I also hope to purchase some vinyl and make a 12x12 ceramic tile with a beautiful monogram of the families last name as a proper present.  I will be sure to post that!!!

Thanks so much for sharing your coffee/tea break with me today.  I have 5 birthday cards to get started on for July.  July, oh my gosh, it's also time to start thinking about Halloween and Christmas cards.  So little to do, and so much time....strike that and reverse it....ya know what I mean!


Bright Blessings and if we don't see each other before hand, Happy 4th of July America!

Something a little different

Over on ScrappyDew's facebook page my friend and mentor MichelleMyBelle has been sharing with us her fabulous border designs and a gorgeous window to use in your paper crafting adventures.  Now gang, I can't share any designs.  That would be a big NO NO!!!!!  But, if you head over and like the ScrappyDew page and please also like MichelleMyBelles page you can snatch up these files.  Here are the links: ScrappyDew   MichelleMyBelle

I love the window that Michelle has created.  (of course I love everything she designs and gang,  make sure to check out the Mojo Monday files)  I have learned over the years if I have an idea I better jump on it.  Let me tell ya, this idea was screaming at me loud and strong.  I needed to make a congratulation card for a friend and I think that I created something that she will really get a kick out of.  Now I need to list what I used,  but a boring list isn't fun.  So I think I will call this list Lyrics in keeping with the blog name Rhapsody On Paper!  (so much more fun)   Here is the front of my card.

This was so much fun to make.  Now for the Lyrics...

• Most of the cardstock is Recollections from Michaels
• The purple background is K & Co.
• The ribbon showed up in the mail.  A friend from the MTC forum sent it out (RAK) (random acts of kindness)
• The leaves and ivy vine are from Penny Duncan files.
• The tulips are from Hoppy Easter by ScrappyDew  (found in the vault)

I used my KNK Zing to cut everything.  I even cut the window spaces with it.  Look at how small these letters are.  Now for the inside...

I saw this setting in a magazine ad.  So I grabbed my trusty drawing pencils, turned my wing back chair in the living room around and sketched a chair.  I used several patterns to complete the scene.  Lyrics are...

• ScrappyDew Ballerina #5 legs
• ScrappyDew Groovy Palz #1 boys left arm
• Free SVG Cuts high heeled shoes
• The pic of the wine and cheese is from an old Sunset magazine
• The paper is bits and pieces I've had around since dirt

All in all I think that this card is super cute!  I'll tuck in a little note and off it goes!  Next up is a new home card still under construction (heehee)

Bright Blessings,  Jana

Hot Weather Chores

Welcome back!  Go grab a beverage, settle in and let me tell ya what I have been up to!

After my last post (sorry it's been so long), we got a streak of extremely warm weather here in the pacific northwest.  In my home that only means one thing....time to do the chores that I dread.  Now my mom had a saying, if you don't like the weather wait 5 minutes.  It's spring so the weather can and will change extremely fast.   So hot sunny skies mean defrosting the upright freezer in the garage and the dreaded cleaning of the carpets.  Well, the freezer still isn't defrosted but that will happen down the road.  BUT I have to share my carpet cleaning success!

My DH had the house before we got together.  MEN....he thought WHITE carpets would look good.  So I have very beautiful Berber carpeting throughout the entire house.  Tile in the kitchen and entry (oh don't get me started on that) and linoleum in two very small bathrooms.  So of course any spill or crap that gets on the floor shows up like a sore thumb.  I have a Dyson that gets most of it up but having pets, a DH with greasy shoes and every day crud has my carpet looking beige most of the time.  It finally got to the point, I HAD TO CLEAN!!!

I drug out the Hoover carpet cleaner (this has saved my bacon many times) and started looking for my recipe for the carpet cleaning solution.  I couldn't find it.  I finally had to call Greg our insurance agent (long story) and got the recipe.  This is what I want to share with you.  HOMEMADE CARPET CLEANING SOLUTION.  (make sure you try it somewhere hidden just in case but I think you will be pleased)  In the water reservoir, fill it with hot as you can get it water and them add:

• 1/4 CUP TIDE 'H/E' LAUNDRY DETERGENT ('h/e' so it doesn't have many suds)
• 1 TABLESPOON OF OXY CLEAN
• 1 TABLESPOON OF FREBREZ (i like the smell it gives the house and it lasts)

Then all you have to do is clean your carpets!  I have used this for the past few years and I am dumbfounded by the amount of crud that comes out.  It looks like I have brand new carpets!!!  And as an added bonus, the house smells fantastic.  Nice and fresh.  So, give it a try and let me know if it works for you  (i just can't see spending money on carpet cleaning solution when I can by more paper crafting goodies with what I save).

I hope that you all have bright blessings and maybe save some money!

Jana

Sun Kissed Summer

Boy oh boy!  What gorgeous weather we are having here in the pacific northwest.  Not to hot but not cold at night either.  But I have to confess, I start wilting at around 85 degrees.  6 years ago, DH and I decided that we would upgrade the heating system in the house.  Besides the energy efficient furnace, we put in an air purifier and AIR CONDITIONING.  It is soooooooooooo nice to have it a constant 76 degrees inside and look at the weather station stating that it's 90+ degrees outside.  I am spoiled rotten!  (my DH really does treat me like a queen)

I would love to share with you a new to me idea.  I don't scrapbook.  I am a card maker.  But for this new file from ScrappyDew I wanted to make a scrapbook layout.  I used Recollections paper and the background is a sheet of open stock that I have been saving forever.  I love the way it turned out!!!

If you haven't figured out by now, I love to put bling on my projects.  The little surfer girl has purple toenails.  This was so much easier to put together.  The individual pieces where MUCH bigger than what I would make for a 6x6 card.  So how did I do for my 1st page?  I would love to have some feedback.  

Now I'm off to complete a chore that I have been putting off for way to long....tell you how it turns out a little later.  Hope your day is filled with bright blessings!

Jana

The BIG announcement

Does my hair look ok?  The outfit is prefect!  Big deep breath........

For the next month, (oh my gosh) I am a guest designer for ScrappyDew.com!!!  Friends, I can't believe that I was asked.  What a great and humbling honor.  If you are not familiar with ScrappyDew.com please hot foot it over there. (ScrappyDew is also on facebook)  They have the most wonderful patterns for electronic cutters.  But what I love about ScrappyDew.com, you are not limited to just one machine. The files are in a lot of formats and you can even just print out a design and fussy cut it out!!!!  There are over 300+ designs to choose from!    Please take a look and sign up for the newsletter.  (come on gang, they even have freebies)  

So for my 1st design project to share with you is right here.  This is the Flamingos in Love freebie available at ScrappyDew.com right now!

Aren't these two Cute!  Oh course, I had to add the bling.  The background was created with chalk and the glitter paper is from AC Cardstock. (just a little secret, I try to buy all my paper and sparklies on clearance whenever I can [little stuff you put on your fingernails, rhinestones etc])  

Sooooo happy that you came to visit today to hear about the the announcement.  I'm tickled pink to be able to share what I come up with.  Be sure to check out ScrappyDew.com and ScrappyDew on facebook.  

Bright Blessings, Jana