Passion4Papercrafts

Life Is Good Today

2011-10-03T18:30:00.000-05:00

Several months ago, I subscribed to a monthly scrapbook kit club. After much browsing and contemplation, I decided to go with Little Red Scrapbook. I have yet to be disappointed with the coordinated goodies that arrive on my doorstep each month. It's been especially fun getting a sampling of many latest and greatest products, of which I do not have access to in my neck of the woods.

This weekend, I broke into April's kit and produced several projects. Here's a layout of a kiddo I care for deeply. He's such a handsome young man, with the greatest sense of humor and the biggest dimples I've ever seen! Enjoy!!

~ Jessica in Kansas

It has been awhile!!

2011-10-02T17:39:00.003-05:00

I'm welcoming myself back, as I see it's been over a year since I've found time to blog!! Here's why: in May of 2010, we unexpectedly gained two foster kiddos...family members who needed a loving and stable home. The oldest was a boy, who is now 14 years old; the girl is now 11. Unfortunately, she's the only one who managed to function well in our home, but she's still thriving! We are in the process of adopting her. Needless to say, the past year has been one of challenges and triumphs, and my hubby and I learned to be parents...on two older children with many struggles. Three of us survived it, though!

Other news: after years of trying to conceive, we learned that we're expecting our first child!!! Our little guy is due to be born around February 6th! We couldn't be more excited or feel more blessed! The first 4 months of pregnancy were rough, but I'm feeling good now.

I've done a little scrapping over the past year, but not nearly enough!! I did accomplish several projects this weekend, though, so I'll plan to post a few this week. As I looked back at my previous blog posts, I was amazed at how my style has evolved over the past year!!

I hope this message finds you all doing well. Here's to jumping back on the blog-wagon!!

~ Jessica in Kansas

Pop-Out Frame Card - It's a Baseball Birthday

2010-07-31T13:44:00.006-05:00

~ How cool is this Pop-Out Frame Card?? I had a blast working with the cutting file, designed by Jan Bryson of Sam & Hailey Designs! Surprisingly, it was so much easier to create than I ever would have imagined. The baseball & glove used to embellish the card were also cut from my KNK.
The 13-year old recipient of this card thought it was pretty cool, too! Score!!!

Sweet summertime...
Jessica in Kansas

Grilled Chicken Taco Salad

2010-07-01T20:00:00.001-05:00

~ Here's another recipe page creation, designed for my Iron Chef swap. I had several challenges to meet and was able to fit most into this one design. The tag is topped with a tab punch (stamp and punch by Stampin' Up!) and embellished with a flower cut from Sam & Hailey Designs' Itty Bitty Flower Garden file.
Yum, yum!!
Jessica in Kansas

Make a Wish

2010-06-30T22:33:00.005-05:00

~ Check out this cute Flip Flop Card I made for my sister-in-law's birthday this week! The card was cut using my Klic-N-Kut and a file by Sam & Hailey Designs. It's embellished with a Birthday Clip (file designed by Carrie's Creations) and an Itty Bitty Birthday gift (file also courtesy of Sam & Hailey Designs). The coordinating cardstock and patterned papers are from various sources. I used a little inking and some Stickles to add a few touches. "Make a Wish" is a simple title I developed and was cut with my KNK, as well.
I just love dimensional cards!!

Enjoy!!
Jessica in Kansas

Congrats to all Grads!!

2010-05-18T10:23:00.001-05:00

~ It's so hard to believe, but my first classroom of kiddos are graduating this spring. One special (not so little anymore) guy made the point to invite me to his ceremony this past weekend, so I needed a masculine card to take with me. Here's what I came up with:

For this card, I used a card sketch from Sketches! {by Tamara}. The pre-cut card base is from JoAnn Crafts. The patterned papers are Earthy Milestones from Creative Memories, and I added a little texture to them using the Cuttlebug and some sanding. The chipboard on which the sentiment was placed is by Heidi Grace; I just used Tim Holtz Tea Dye distressing ink to make it match better. The stickers, metal "graduate" embellishment, and ribbon are from unknown sources. All in all, I'm pleased with this masculine effort...one that usually creates a challenge for me!

Happy graduation,
Jessica in Kansas

Ballerina Beauty

2010-05-17T20:40:00.000-05:00

~ A sweet little ballerina I know turns 4 this weekend, so I was in dire need of the perfect birthday card for her themed party. This is what I came up with using Sam & Hailey Designs' Itty Bitty Ballerina cutting file. I put a clear stamp by Studio G to use for the subtle "dance" addition. I also used some fun ribbon on the metal embellishment and around the slippers. A border stamp by Stampin' Up and a decorative corner punch by Fiskars added a little pizazz, as did some Brilliance & Color Box pink ink. Of course, few of my projects are complete without a little Stickles bling! I hope you think it's as fun as I do!!!

A perfect combination of sweet and girly...
Jessica in Kansas

Sweet Boy

2010-05-14T20:30:00.002-05:00

~ Here's another simple baby layout featuring pictures of my mom (1st-time grandma) and brother doing the hand-off of Landon in the hospital. I want to share this one with you because I'm proud of the paper-pieced Standing Baby Bear. I cut the pieces from a file designed by myscrapchick.com, and then worked with inks, chalks, a fine black pen, a white gel pen, and some punches to bring it to life. At first I was quite unsatisfied with how it turned out, but after putting it away for a few weeks, I'm excited about how cute he is!!!

The layout also features some patterned pieces by Creative Memories and various alphabet stickers by CM and K&Company.
~ Babies = Joy,
Jessica in Kansas

NEW WHEELS!!!

2010-05-13T21:30:00.001-05:00

~ This layout features my precious nephew and his "new wheels"!! Does it get any cuter than an adventurous 1 year-old trying to reach the pedals on his new Radio Flyer tricycle??!!

The New Wheels title and trike were cut from a file designed by Chris Durnan of Visual Designs by Chris. I embellished them some with my favorite staple: Stickles.

The epitome of cute, huh?!?!
Jessica in Kansas

Tri-Shutter Graduation Card

2010-05-02T08:30:00.000-05:00

~ How cool is this?!?! It's a tri-shutter card, and it was super-simple to make using cutting files designed by none other than Jan Bryson of Sam & Hailey Designs. I'm so excited about the different ways I can use this file!
I chose to work ahead a bit and create a graduation card for my cousin who will "walk" in a few weeks! The sentiment and embellishments were cut from Jan's Itty Bitty Graduation file, which is full of cute little pieces to cut and use. All of the patterned paper is My Mind's Eye, and the solid cardstock is by PaperStudio.

It's that time of year...
Jessica in Kansas

friendship renewed

2010-05-01T20:04:00.003-05:00

~ The layout below features me with one of my greatest pals. It also features a fabulous Swirly Spring Tree cut from my Klic-N-Kut and designed by Jan Bryson of Sam & Hailey Designs. This file is part of her Membership Club this quarter, and I just fell in love with the elegant swirls!! I was even able to multi-purpose the swirly trunk and use it to embellish various parts of these pages.
Here's a close-up of the cut design! I added some crystal dots by Prima and some silk flowers layered with silver punched petals & brads. The swirly trunks used throughout the pages were sprayed with Suede Glimmer Mist by Tattered Angels. The layout also includes foil-trimmed chipboard alphas by Cloud9 Designs, additional silk pink flowers, and green textured Prima flowers.
Hope you are enjoying spring!!!
Jessica in Kansas

B is for 'Baby'

2010-04-27T21:05:00.001-05:00

~ Plan to see several baby boy layouts in the near future! I've finally gotten most of my nephew's first days scrapped, and I hope to share some of the layouts with you. This one is fairly simple and features my handsome brothers and me holding the most precious little guy...who is now over 19 months old!!!

The background paper is from Creative Memories; other cardstock & patterned papers are from various sources. The layout also features a stamped and colored giraffe (Studio G), a journaling box rub-on, some baby stickers from a Scrap Pad, and a little bit of ink distressing. Here's a closer look at the 2nd page:

~ Babies: sure help keep life in perspective!!

Jessica in Kansas

p.s. If you pay attention, you can tell when I'm spending my weeks out of town for work. Without much else to do in a hotel room, I get to catch up on blogging during the evenings!

All "geared" up & manly...

2010-04-26T21:05:00.000-05:00

~ How cool is this for a masculine card?? I have the hardest time creating cards for the special guys in my life because they don't tend to appreciate fun bright colors, Primas, Stickles, and decorative borders!!!

I was thrilled when I discovered these cutting files designed by Jan Bryson of Sam & Hailey Designs. The gear-themed Roundie card quickly cut like a dream! I used metallic cardstocks and black Staz-On for the distressed look. The stamped sentiment is from Stampin' Up! A copper brad and a silver bookplate attached with cord helped to complete the project. The smaller gears in different varieties were perfect for embellishing the envelope!

Hope you had a great Monday!!

Jessica in Kansas

purple + orange...

2010-04-14T16:45:00.001-05:00

~ Purple + orange = outside of my comfort zone...but I did it anyway!

Below are a few projects I put together when I was in a very strange mood. I'm not sure why, but I felt inspired to use this color combination...and just ran with it. I also challenged myself to use some tabs on these projects...some of those supplies I had to have, but hadn't yet put to use!! The stamps used are Stampin' Up!, purple felt flowers are by Paper Studio, orange punched flowers are actually a Martha Stewart wedding supply, tabs by ColorBok, corner punch by Fiskars, Stickles in various colors, & miscellaneous brads, cardstock, & patterned paper. The card bases & envelopes are from Target.

Enjoying spring,

Jessica in Kansas

Get Well (glitter makes it all better)

2010-04-07T21:36:00.001-05:00

~ I had the pleasure of creating this card using a cutting file designed by Carrie Schwartz of Carrie's Creations. The layered pieces add some dimension to the card, and I prettied them up with some inking techniques and Stickles. I was struck by the detail of this project compared to how quick and easy it was to create!!

~Glitter is a miracle drug...for me anyways!

Jessica in Kansas

Baby Boy & Gator

2010-04-06T22:00:00.001-05:00

~ Babies, Boys, & Gators...oh my!! It seems that babies are being born left and right around me...and they are all little guys! It's been quite some time since I've used any pink on baby creations!

I had purchased the perfect gift bag for a baby shower gift, but needed a coordinating card to accompany it. Thanks to the creative talent of one of my favorite cutting file designers, Jan Bryson, this one came together quite quickly! For this card, I used pieces of the following cutting files: Baby Animal Silhouettes (gator) & Super Quick Card - Baby Boy (title).

While creating the card, I used various patterned papers & solid cardstock, ink pads for edging/distressing, a ticket corner punch, and some mini buttons 'sewn' with Scrapper's Floss. It was enjoyed by the mom-to-be, which places it into my "success" category!

~ Jessica in Kansas

magenta + teal

2010-02-21T13:13:00.006-06:00

~ Interesting color combo, huh?!?! Somehow I was inspired to give it a try, and it grabbed me!!! I made a few different cards and a recipe layout while I was at it! The magenta decorative border was fun to pair with some stamped images, Primas, silk flowers, buttons, my new favorite Scrapper's Floss by Karen Foster, and of course...some Stickles!

= FUN
Jessica in Kansas

home SWEET home

2010-02-21T13:10:00.003-06:00

~ Here's a layout I created using lots of moving-in photos taken after buying our first house a few years ago. I wanted to apply lots of photos to these pages, so I followed a sketch that encouraged the tiling effect. It worked out pretty well. I also used a package of coordinating cardstock stickers, and a large key die cut. For as quickly as it went together, I was quite impressed with how this spread turned out!

There truly is NO place like home!!
Jessica in Kansas

fAMILY fOTOS - a muted layout

2010-02-21T11:41:00.009-06:00

~ I have realized that I spend time blogging my papercrafts of all kinds, but never the layouts I create in an effort to capture and preserve memories. Therefore, I plan to begin throwing some of my album pages in the mix! I usually scrap 12X12, two-page spreads. I like the options that the size allows me, and the availability of fitting several pictures into one spread. I also tend to scrapbook one event or theme on each spread, as I prefer to have my pages coordinate. The exception to my 12X12 preference is my vacation albums, which I scrap in 8X8" size.

This is a 12X12 layout which features some family portraits. I love the soft browns and pinks, and they way they compliment the muted tones of the photos.
~ Enjoy,
Jessica in Kansas

Valentine's Day ~ a little behind!

2010-02-20T21:30:00.010-06:00

~ So, I totally realize that Valentine's Day is long over, but I want to share a few of my holiday projects.

This matching Card Box Purse & Criss Cross Card/Tag were both created using files by Jan Bryson of Sam & Hailey Designs. I made them for a friend who had a February 14th wedding! The card box held the gift card perfectly, along with the card. The colors and papers I chose were inspired by the striped ribbon, which I fell in love with! These were lots of fun to create.

This fun folded I {heart} You Card was enjoyed by my hubby when I gave it to him! Carrie Schwartz of Carrie's Creations is the designer of the cutting file I put to use. After cutting and assembling this simple (but fabulous) card, I embellished with a little doodling & lots of Stickles (truly a staple in my scrap room)! Super cute, huh??

A little love is still in the air!!
Jessica in Kansas

Winter, Winter, PLEASE GO AWAY!!

2010-02-20T20:34:00.007-06:00

~ This Kansas winter has been worse than I ever remember, and I'm soooo ready for it to pass (she says as it's snowing and sleeting the first of 6" expected before the end of tomorrow)!!! I've stayed extremely busy this cold season, as you may have guessed by my absence! I have, however, attended a few crops and spent some time in my scrap room being productive. The projects below are winter-inspired, and this snowy evening seems like the perfect time to share them!
These winter-themed Post-It Notes Cover were super simple to cut and create from a file designed by Shirley Clark. I used my KNK to cut the outer wrap and band, then just embellished with ink, 3-D snowflakes, and some bling-y Stickles, of course!!!

This recipe page was inspired by my new Cuttlebug folder & this shimmery white & bronze cardstock from Cutcardstock.com. The little hats were cut from patterned paper and embellished with Stickles. A small snowflake stamp filled in the open areas, and these were done!! I love simple & cute!

That's my winter inspiration for ya!!
Jessica in Kansas

Family recipe

2010-01-03T15:33:00.003-06:00

~ My mom has always made the BEST homemade chicken noodle soup...complete with homemade noodles. I asked her, a while back, to record the recipe for me the next time she made it...and she did!! I have enjoyed having it so much that I decided to put it into a special recipe page. I made extras for my mom and my brothers!! I know that the family recipe will be treasured long after my mom leaves the earth!

It's a good day for soup,
~Jessica in Kansas

I'm back...once again ~

2010-01-03T14:31:00.005-06:00

~ After another long hiatus, I am ready to blog again!! My New Year's resolution: better care for myself by finding a wonderful balance between work, play, and relaxation!!! Hopefully, that entails papercrafting and blogging a lot more regularly in 2010!!

That being said, I do have a little blogging to catch up on. Before I start posting my winter projects, I have a few more fall projects to share with you.

First, this fabulous Designer Purse was made using my Klic-N-Kut and an awesome file designed by Shirley Clark of Paperthreads. It can be used to put a small gift or gift card in. I gave one that was filled with candy to a co-worker this fall! I used velcro as the closure, and the handle pivots. The bottom trim that looks like leather is simply kraft colored cardstock which has been crinkled and inked before drawing the stitch lines.

I also spent some time making a few tear bears this fall. They are each holding a sign or something fall-related. I'm finding my tear critters get cuter each time I create them, and I was really pleased with how these came out. There are 8 of them in all!

I know fall is long gone, but I didn't want to miss the opportunity to share these projects!! Winter stuff is coming up next!!

Happy 2010!!!
~ Jessica in cold, snowy Kansas

Turkey Day is on Its Way!!!

2009-11-20T19:04:00.003-06:00

~ I just LOVE this time of year!! Spending time reminiscing, eating, relaxing, laughing, and playing games with family is something I love more than a lot of things! I'm getting really excited as next Thursday approaches...and then, as we all know, the rest of the year flies by!

In my excitement about the holiday season, I've completed a few festive papercraft projects. They are both from cutting files designed by Shirley Clark. The first is a Turkey Treat Box. How cute is this?? I filled one with Hershey's Nuggets and gave it to the receptionist at work today! She was extremely appreciative!
The second is a turkey holding a sign. I plan to use him on a layout with holiday pictures and hand write our family's last name on the wooden sign!
I hope you've been inspired to be excited about the upcoming holiday!!! Have a super weekend!

Gobble, gobble!
Jessica in Kansas

Hanging On To Warm Weather & Fun Colors!!

2009-11-12T18:58:00.005-06:00

~ So, I just heard on the news that we may get some of that white stuff early next week. I'm shivering just thinking about it!! I always look forward to the first snow, which is usually beautiful in Kansas, but then I'm ready to bid winter farewell!!!

Just thinking about the arrival of winter has inspired me to think warm!! Therefore, this post includes bikinis and fun summer color combinations! I'll soon be posting some Thanksgiving & fall projects, but in the meantime...This tear bear is ready to soak up some rays at the pool or beach! Isn't she cute??!!! She was inspired by one of my favorite patterns from myscrapchick.com. I tore and assembled this Teeny Bikini Bear from thick mulberry paper, added a few details with chalk, pens, and punched shapes for the eyes & nose. The bikini was cut using my Klic-N-Kut from the myscrapchick.com pattern. I embellished it with a swirly background stamp, a Prima flower combined with a pink jewel, and some fun Stickles...a staple in my scrap room! She's one of my favorite tear critter creations yet!!
~ Check out these fabulous gift ideas! My friend, Shirley Clark, developed this Post-It Cover pattern and sent me the cutting file. Talk about incredibly easy, fabulously fun, and very versatile...
These went together quite quickly, and I love the possibilities. The band can be left plain or embellished in numerous ways. I was obviously in a flowery mood the day I made these!! I think I'll create and give these to the ladies at work this holiday season!!

~~~ One of my favorite blogs to visit is Lisa's Stampin! Weblog, and she's offering some awesome blog candy this week. Follow the above link to her site and tell her "hello"...even if you don't win, you'll benefit greatly from the ideas on her blog!!

~ Warm, wintery hugs from Kansas,
Jessica