Notes From Home - New Adventures

I've been thinking about writing this blog post for days and days now, I have great news but it will change the way I blog too.  If you've been following my blog for any length of time you know how much I love creating things! In the last year my creativity has been turning a corner and going in a fun new direction as I've been learning how to make my own homemade soaps, lotions, potions, cleaners, etc.

Last week I enrolled in an online Aromatherapy Certification course through Aromahead Institute that takes approximately a year to complete.  Upon completion I'll be able to obtain a certificate that entitles me to call myself a Certified Aromatherapist or Clinical Aromatherapist.  I've been prayerfully considering this and keep getting confirmation to move forward so that's what I'm doing, excitedly moving forward!

My plan is to "go to school" five days a week and keep blogging three times a week so I have enough time to spend on my class work.  I'll still be making cards for Operation Write Home and continue to be their Midweek Throwdown challenge coordinator.  I'll also still be making cards and coloring with Copic markers, I won't be able to spend as much time as I have doing that but I'm not giving it up.  I did step down from the Cuddly Buddly design team a few days ago to help free up some of my time, Katie was very understanding and kind.  

And then... I had something else really cool happen last week!

I was contacted by Retha at Plant Therapy, she wanted to know if I'd like to test and review some of their essential oils and write guest posts for their blog.  How fun! 

Thanks for visiting my blog today and continuing on to the next adventure with me!

Jan

Memory Box Spearmint

My card today is for our Operation Write Home Stars & Stamps Midweek Throwdown challenge, the theme is Stripes.  I used a sketch and Memory Box Spearmint patterned papers for my layout, the sentiment is a quote I saw on Pintrest.  The envelope liner, ribbon and base card are from Papertrey Ink.

It was a quick and fun card to put together with no stamping or coloring.

I hope you'll have time to play in our Operation Write Home Stars & Stamps Midweek Throwdown challenge this week!

Thanks for visiting my blog today -

Challenges:

Operation Write Home Midweek Throwdown - Stripes

Bugaboo Stamps Spring Stuff Bee

Ahhh, the house is quiet, the kids have returned to school after their two week break and I have a fun card to share with you!  I printed several of these cute Bee's from Bugaboo Stamps Spring Stuff collection that were too large for the card I was working on at the time.  

I used one of my favorite sketches from Splitcoaststampers #403 along with a scrap of digital patterned paper from My Grafico.  The sentiment is from Papertrey Ink and I colored the Bee with Copic Markers:

Y13, Y15, Y17, R21

T3, T5, T7

BG0000, BG000, B01

Thanks for visiting my blog today!

Lilyboo Designs New Easter Bonnet

I have an almost one layer Easter card to share with you today! 

In the end I decided to trim it and mat it on a panel of Astrobrights Eclipse Black for a little extra.  

I had lots of fun coloring my Lilyboo Designs New Easter Bonnet digital image with Copic markers and Copic refills.  I also used Lilyboo Designs Easter Eggs to help make my scene.  I merged the two digital images in my Publisher program after turning them into png files in Photoshop Elements.  I also used my Publisher program to draw the box around the scene, it comes out so much nicer than when I do it by hand.  No smeared ink either!

Lots of Copic markers!

I used the Copic ink refills to color in the background area.  I use a Q Tip dipped in 91% Isoprophyl Alcohol to wipe on the background area then saturate the other end with the refill color I'll be using and spread it around.  It gives a more even look than coloring a large area with the markers.  Sometimes it's best to repeat the process if it isn't as smooth as you'd like it.  I also go back and outline everything with the same color marker as the refill and blend, blend, blend.  

My card looked bare so I added a Spellbinders tag from the Tags Trio set and stamped it with an Easter sentiment from Papertrey Ink and pulled a yellow metallic ribbon through the tiny hole.

Thanks for visiting my blog today -

The Crafts Meow Vintage Rides

Our Midweek Throwdown challenge today at Operation Write Home Stars & Stamps is Ombre` Stamping or card making...  the definition of Ombre` is a color palette that is the same color scheme going from dark to light or light to dark.  

I have a new stamp set from The Crafts Meow called Vintage Rides and as I started to color this car I thought it might just work for this!  I colored the car with Copic markers:

R000, R11, R32, R35

C00, C2, C3

B0000

My card layout is also Operation Write Home Stars & Stamps sketch challenge #160.  The card stock colors I've used are Papertrey Ink Smokey Shadow, Stampin' Up! Blush Blossom, Groovy Guava, Neenah Red Pepper Linen, Astrobrights Eclipse Black and Copic X Press It Blending card.  The birthday stamps I've used on my two cards are from Papertrey Ink too.

I colored several cars using almost the same Copic markers numbers but in different color families so see how they'd turn out.  I really like this yellow one! 

Here's what I used:

Y00, Y11, Y35, Y38

C00, C2, C3

B0000

I copied the layout for this card from a card that I made a few years ago that I came across.

The card stock colors are Astrobrights Galaxy Gold, Solar Yellow & Eclipse Black, Neenah Pewter, Copic X Press It blending card and the top yellow strip is from Bazzill I think, it was a scrap.

I hope you'll take a shot a Ombre` cards for Operation Write Home this week, after I got started it was fun!

Thanks for visiting my blog today -

Challenges:

Operation Write Home Stars & Stamps - MWT Ombre`

Operation Write Home Stars & Stamps - Sketch challenge #160

Natural Homemade Deodorant

I'm making homemade deodorant today!

A friend of ours came over a few weeks ago with an essential oil blend of Tea Tree & Oregano oils and asked me if I'd make a deodorant for him.  How cool is that?!  He told me he really liked the smell of this essential oil blend and thought it would make a great deodorant and he knew I'd be the person to make it.  So you know I told him I'd do some research and I'd be happy to work on that for him!

I have all my supplies and recipe out to make the homemade deodorant.  My recipe came from Andrea at Frugally Sustainable, I made a couple of very small adjustments to it.

Melting the oils and beeswax together in a double boiler.

Adding dry ingredients to the melted oils.

Filling two new and one used thoroughly cleaned twist up tubes.

I apologize for the photo being so blurry, I didn't realize until I saw it here...

The finished packaged herbal deodorant!

The Recipe

3 tbsp. Cocoa Butter

3 tbsp Coconut Oil

3 tbsp Shea Butter

3 Tbsp Beeswax

7 1/2 tbsp Arrowroot Powder

3 tbsp Bentonite Clay

3/4 tsp Oregon Grape Root Powder

3 Probiotic Capsules, empty the powder from them into dry ingredients 

2/3 tsp Vitamin E Oil

45 drops of the essential oils of your choice

Directions

Melt cocoa & shea butters, coconut oil and beeswax in double boiler.  Remove from heat, add dry ingredients until you have a smooth mixture.  Add essential oils and Vitamin E Oil last.  Pour into clean twist up tubes, the deodorant will cool and harden.  The shelf life is about 3 months and it can be stored in your bathroom.  Use sparingly so you don't have oil stains on your clothing.  The color of this deodorant is not white like what you'll find at the store, the Bentonite Clay gives this a tan color and lots of added benefits you won't find in the store bought kind. 

Yeilds three 2 oz tubes

I added different essential oils for different benefits to each deodorant.  My daughter and friend like the smell of Tea Tree essential oil so that's what they got.  My husband is recovering from prostate cancer so the essential oils I used are to help boost his immune system and they smell good too.  I've been waiting for Petitgrain essential oil to arrive in my mailbox to add to my deodorant.  One of the wonders of Petitgrain essential oil is it helps alleviate excessive sweating.  We live in Arizona, I thought we'd have the perfect testing area for this!  

I hope you enjoyed my herbal deodorant project today, thanks for visiting my blog.

Link Parties

Clever Chicks

Frugally Sustainable

Gingerly Made

Stampin' Up! Mini Mates

I have a just for fun card to share using the retired Stampin' Up! Mini Mates stamp set and Operation Write Home Stars & Stamps sketch #154.  

I colored the cute little Hedgie with Copic markers:

E41, E42, E29, YG01, YG13, YG25, R35, R46, R59, E25, E17, E30, RV10, B0000

Stamped the "hang in there" sentiment several times & created texture using a Darice embossing folder and basically followed the sketch layout.  My paper choices are Astrobrights Jupiter Java, Neenah Red Pepper Linen, Via Vellum Leaf Green and Copic X Press It blending card.

Thanks for visiting my blog today -

Papertrey Ink Fillable Frames Sentiments

I have an anniversary card to share today that is clean and simple.  

I used a sketch from an online class I took recently and really like how it came out.  I used an old Stampin' Up! Heart punch, then used the negative white card stock and cut a circle using a Spellbinders die and matted it on a slightly larger Spellbinders circle.  The banner tail is from the Papertrey Ink Double Ended Banner dies and the sentiment is one of theirs too.  

A quick, simple and fun card to make!

Thanks for visiting my blog -

Lilyboo Designs Tractor

I've used this cute Lilyboo Designs Tractor before and colored it in green thinking of John Deere tractors, one of my Operation Write Home card making friends suggested it should be red so I thought I'd give it a try.

I used Copic markers R35, R46, R59 for my reds and 

W3, W5, W7

N1, N3, N5, N7

C00, C2, C4, C6

BG0000, B01

 

The patterned paper I used is digital and was in my scraps, the card stock colors are Mohawk Bright White, Astrobrights Eclipse Black, Neenah Red Pepper Linen, and X Press It Blending Card.

 

I also used Operation Write Home Stars & Stamps sketch #157 for my layout.

Thanks for visiting my blog today -

 

 

Bugaboo Stamps Spring Stuff Bee

I had so much fun making this Operation Write Home Stars & Stamps sketch challenge card!

I always find card layouts with more than one focal point to be challenging and fun.  When I first saw this sketch I went looking through my Paper Smooches stamp sets but didn't find anything quite right, then Bugaboo Stamps popped into my head.  I was on their design team at one time and have lots of their cute digital images!  Using a digital image was nice because I can make it any size I want after deciding which one to use.  I chose this little bee from Bugaboo's Spring Stuff collection because it's cute and would be simple to color multiple times.  

I cut the bees out with a Spellbinders square die before I colored them.  I usually live dangerously and color first, cut last.  I matted the bees with Astrobrights Eclipse Black and the yellow panel is Astrobrights Galaxy Gold that I wrapped with a Black organdy ribbon and set aside.  My sentiment is from Hambo Stamps and is perfect for my card, I'm so happy I have it - I'm out of ink in my Ink Jet printer... After stamping the sentiment I put the Mohawk Bright White panel through the Cuttlebug using the Swiss Dots embossing folder rounded the corners and attached it to the Eclipse Black card body, then assembled my card.

The bees are colored with Copic markers:

Y13, Y15, Y17

T3, T5, T7, R21

BG0000, BG000, B01

I'm off to color more cute bees, I printed six of them too large for this sketch so you'll probably being seeing more bees in the future!  I did order some new embossing folders from E Bay that should go with them too.

Bee sure to check out our Operation Write Home Midweek Throwdown challenge that starts today, I don't have a card ready yet...

Thanks for visiting my blog today -

Challenges:

Operation Write Home Stars & Stamps - Sketch #163

Celebrate The Occasion - Spring Is In The Air
Through The Craft Room Door - Anything Goes
Card Mania - Lots of Layers
Make It Monday - Anything Goes

The Craft's Meow Vintage Rides

I have a clean and simple birthday card today, I've been playing with Ombre` Stamping, maybe that should be Ombre` coloring/card making.  I recently purchased this cute stamp set from The Craft's Meow called Vintage Rides, I think it's going to make some cute cards for Operation Write Home and our church for their birthday cards.  

This little car was super easy and fun to color with Copic markers:

BG0000, BG10, BG32, BG34

C00, C2, C3

B0000

I only found two shades of paper to go with my card so I took the easy way out and cut them on the diagonal and used them.  The Happy Birthday is a stamp made by Papertrey Ink. and the papers are Hero Arts layering weight card stock in Pool and Bayou.  I also used Astrobrights Eclipse Black and X Press It blending card.

Thanks for visiting my blog today -

Hook's Lines & Inkers Dazse

I have a fun card to share today using a couple of stamps from my stash using a masking technique.

These two stamps are really old, the date on them is 1993, they are made by "Hook's Lines & Inkers" one is called Cat Tails and the other is Dazse.  I bought these when I was in Cody, Wyoming in 2004 and haven't used them very often.  I "googled" the company name and found lots of their stamps for sale on E Bay so I don't know if they are still in business or not.  

Using Memento Tuxedo Black ink I stamped the cow on X Press It blending card and then stamped it on a post it note.  I cut the cow out on the post it note for a mask and put it over the cow I'd first stamped.  I then inked the Cat Tails stamp and stamped on either side of my cow.  An oldie but goodie stamping technique called masking.  I then colored my scene with Copic markers:

N1, N3, N5, N7, N9

E41, E42, E44, E47, E34

RV00, RV10

B0000, B01

B63, YR68

It's a large stamped image without Cat Tails but I like it even better with them so I had to keep my card layout simple.  The sentiment I used is by Papertrey Ink.  I tried to think of something cute that the cow might have to say but couldn't think of anything.  Any ideas?

My pink paper is almost as old as my stamps...  it's Stampin' Up! Pretty Ink Pink, the others are Mohawk Bright White & Astrobrights Eclipse Black.

Thanks for visiting my blog today -

Stampers Best Turtley Awesome OWH Fundraiser

Welcome to our Operation Write Home Stars & Stamps Animal Pun blog skip!

If you've arrived here from Kristie's blog you're in the right place, if you just happened upon my blog and would like to start at the beginning click here to go to the OWH Stars & Stamps blog.

We are previewing the new Stampers Best Operation Write Home fundraiser stamp sets and I'm excited to be part of our blog skip line up today!

My card uses the new Stampers Best Turtley Awesome OWH fundraiser stamp set

and is colored with Copic markers:

Shell - YG01, YG13, YG25, YG67

Body - YG61, YG63, YG67

Toe Nails - YG11, YG61

The layout is from a sketch, the papers are Papertrey Ink's Green Boutique designer paper, card stock is Stampin' Up! from the "In Colors" collection 2008 as well as Astrobrights Eclipse Black and X Press It blending card.

Tools & Accessories:  Spellbinders Ovals dies, Corner rounder, Papertrey Ink Envelope Liner die.

With the launch of the new Stampers Best OWH Animal Puns stamp sets they will be buy two get one free!

You can buy them here at Stampers Best.  

 Your next stop is Kathryn, thanks for visiting my blog and happy skipping!

Lilyboo Designs I don't wanna go...

I have a Lilyboo Designs card for you today!

This digital image is called I Don't Wanna Go... 

I had fun coloring it with Copic markers:

Jeans - B91, B93, B95

Shirt - YR04, YR15, YR16

Hair - YR24, E23, E34, E37

Skin - E00, E01, E11, R21

Shoes - C0, C1

Dog - E40, E41, E42

Grass - YG03, YG17, YG23

Background - B0000, B000, B01

I started with a sketch for my layout, the papers used are Astrobrights Eclipse Black, Stampin' Up! Brocade Blue, X Press It and Basic Grey Lime Rickey designer paper in orange.  The dies I used are by Papertrey Ink and Die-namics as well as the sentiment being from PTI.  

Another fun boys birthday card for my stash!

Thanks for visiting my blog today, I hope you'll join me tomorrow for the Operation Write Home Stars & Stamps/Stampers Best skip.

CAS Die-namics Birthday

I have a clean and simple birthday card to share today using a Die-namics Chevron die and a Papertrey Ink birthday sentiment.  The strips of colored card stock are from my scraps beside my paper trimmer, the dark blue was large enough to cut a mat for around the white panel and I stamped "happy birthday" in Stampin' Up! Night of Navy classic ink.  

Quick simple and fun!

Thanks for visiting my blog today -

Stomp Stamps Moto X

As you can see from the sentiment on my card today I'm still working on Birthday cards!

My goal is to get ahead on my stash and have some masculine type cards ready for future use, it's a daunting goal because masculine cards are challenging for me.  

I'm always up for a good challenge though! 

I used an old wood mounted rubber stamp today made by Stomp Stamps.  I don't think they are in business any longer, when I "googled" the name I didn't get anything, even on E Bay...  the date on the wood block is 2003.

I thought this might be a good birthday card stamp for teen boys and young men? 

It's been awhile since I've been involved in off road  motorcycle racing so I did a Google search for Yamaha dirt bikes for an idea of how to color my image.  I haven't attempted Honda dirt bikes yet as I'm pretty sure they are red and it's one of the hardest colors to use in small areas.  One day...

I colored this fun dirt bike stamp with Copic markers:

B21, B23, B24, BG10, BG0000, B01

E00, E01, E11

N1, N3, N5

C0, C2, C3

T1, T3, T5

The card stock colors I used are Astrobrights Eclipse Black, Color Mates Grey, Discount Cardstock's Cobalt Blue & X Press It blending card.  The gears embossing folder is made by Sizzix and the little gears are from a Quickkutz die and I used some silver eyelets.  The tag is a Spellbinders Tags Trio die and the sentiment is from a PaperTrey Ink stamp set.

Oh!  I almost forgot my layout is Operation Write Home Stars & Stamps sketch #161!

I flipped the sketch because I'm using a rubber stamp and couldn't "flip" my image as it's not digital and used a rectangle instead of an oval.  

Thanks for visiting my blog today -

Challenges:

Operation Write Home Stars & Stamps - Sketch #161
Operation Write Home Stars & Stamps - MWT Tic TacToe
Make It Monday - Anything Goes

Paper Smooches Teen Routine & Qwick Qwips

I have a couple of cards to share today using Paper Smooches Teen Routine and Qwick Qwips clear stamp sets.  I was attempting to follow a masking tutorial to make a background frame where you cut out a rectangle that's approximately 3 1/4" X 4 1/2" using masking paper and attach it to your card panel then stamp, peel it off and draw a box to use for your focal image.  It seems simple enough, but I'm not happy with how my box doesn't meet the partially stamped lettering so...

in my second attempt, I used my clear ruler and drew a box about 3/4" all the way around the edge then used an ordinary piece of paper to cover the center box I'd drawn then stamped the sentiments to make the frame.  For me, much better! 

Isn't it funny how sometimes we need to adapt a technique to work for us?  

These cards are part of the birthday card project I've been working on and additional stash cards.  Kids cards are fun and easy but I'm trying to step it up to teen kids cards because they are more difficult for me!  I love these Paper Smooches sets and hope to be making more fun birthday cards with them soon.

Challenges:
Crafty Card Makers - Masculine w/ Technology
ABC Challenge - Anything Goes
Created With Love - Anything Goes
Make It Monday - Anything Goes

Paper Smooches My Guy

I have a fun Paper Smooches card to share today.  I have just a couple more masculine birthday cards to complete and this weeks Operation Write Home Stars & Stamps sketch challenge was perfect for my layout!

I saw banner tails where the two panels are under the focal panel.

After coloring the cute Paper Smooches golf cart from the My Guy stamp set I went looking for masculine papers and found a Making Memories "Just Chillin'" paper pad in my stash - perfect!  I'd colored three golf carts and the paper pad had coordinating papers so I went for it.  Using just three 8 X 8 sheets of the patterned papers I was able to have three cards that are the same yet different and not much scrap left over.  

To color the golf cart I used Copic markers:

Golf Cart - E40, E41, E30

Seat - E42, E43, E44

Golf Bag 0 B21, B23

Clubs - C00, C2

Misc. - R27, Y00

Background - B0000, B01

Thanks for visiting my blog today -

Challenges:

Operation Write Home Stars & Stamps - Sketch #162

Designed To Color Magazine

Happy Sunday!

I just wanted to share that I have two Hambo Stamps projects that are published in the new release of Designed To Color magazine.  I've had cards published in online magazines before but not a "print magazine" yet!

Have a blessed day =)

Bugaboo Stamps Flower Pot 4

I have a super clean and simple card to share with you today using Bugaboo Stamps Flower Pot 4.  It's part of my anniversary card project for our church and if you've been following along on my blog I've been practicing making one layer CAS + white space for this mass production project.

It was really kind of a fun challenge...  I used my computer to "draw" the black line and add the happy anniversary sentiment.  The flower pot is also printed on the front, I printed some extras on X Press It blending card and colored them, fussy cut them and added parts of them with foam tape for a little added interest on such a stark card.  My inspiration came from a square card I saw on Pinterest where she'd done this all by hand.  My anniversary cards also have my name and info printed on the back and a sentiment printed on the inside of this one layer card. 

Thanks for visiting my blog today -

Challenges:

Bugaboo Stamps - Anything Goes