Mother's Little Helper

JiFFy Challenge - Better-Late-Than-Never Edition

Good grief.  I'm over a day late now with my JiFFy challenge card for this month!  Suffice it to say, it's Friday but I feel like I've had a week of Mondays. 

  x 5 

Ugh.  I'd go into detail, but then you'd be depressed and want to jump off a cliff and that would make me feel even worse.  Instead, I'll just play a little catch-up and as I do so, I'll sing a happy song like, say, "Zip a Dee Doo Dah."  Here we go!

You remember the gist of our Just For Fun (JiFFy, for short) challenge, don't you?  It goes a little something like this: each month, a group of my stamping friends and I get together for a little challenge.  One of us selects an image. Before that image is revealed to the group, another one of us mails out some patterned paper to everyone.  The patterned paper has to be used to make a card with the selected image, and no other patterned paper can be used.  Sometimes the image and the selected pattern go well together, and sometimes they're a ... challenging fit, but it's always JUST FOR FUN!

This month, Christina selected the so sweet Sugarplums Pumpkin Emma by CC Designs.  Meanwhile, Amy sent everyone Krafty Dots patterned paper by Recollections.  Pumpkins, black and kraft?  Why, I HAD to make my first Halloween card of 2011 - how could I not?

You know, all neutrals and no pops of color make Carole a dull girl, so I pulled out this fun & festive striped ribbon from Doodlebug Designs and based my color palette around it.  I drew stripes on Miss Emma's tights with a Copic Multiliner pen, then colored her in with Copics.  Her apron looked like it needed something, so I added some Adirondack Dimension Pearl polka dots in eggplant.  Then, I trimmed her out, and gave her a couple of silver brad hub caps for her little wagon, and popped her up on dimensionals.

Here's a closer look at Emma's tights and apron...

If you haven't already checked out how my JiFFy Girlfriends met this challenge, be sure to do so.  It's truth, it's actual: they've pulled out all the stops this month and created PROJECTS that are far more than satisfactual! 

• Michele Boyer
• Lori Craig
• Amy Rohl
• Christina Fischer
• Jody Morrow

Now, (just in case you want this song in your head all day, too) here's a little something special from me to you...

 

Supplies used:

Stamps: Sugarplums Pumpkin Emma by CC Designs, sentiment from Hello Pumpkin set from The Cat's Pajamas; Paper: Krafty Dots by Recollections, Kraft, Black, Grape Jelly (by MFT), Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black; Accessories: Sentiment Flag die by Lil Inker Designs, Copic Markers, Cuttlebug embossing folders, Doodlebug Designs ribbon and Sugar Coated Brads, Adirondack eggplant Dimensional Pearls, Inkessential opague pen, American Crafts silver minibrads, foam boosters from Jody Morrow's Sticky Stuff Store.

Krafty Queenie

Oh, Queenie.  I feel your pain.  I'm up to my eyeballs in partially completed home improvement projects, and do I ever need to do a little deep cleaning.  And laundry... I don't even want to think about that!  So I won't.  Instead, I'll think about Jen's Sketch For You To Try, and I'll imagine what fun and fabulous things Shannan, Susan, and Amy have made with it... *sigh* That's better!  Be sure to go by Jen's blog to get the sketch and see the samples made by Jen and this month's SFYTT Guest Designer, the super sweet and talented Dawn Easton.  Then, go to the abovementioned trio's blogs for more inspiration.  Next, put off your own chores to tackle the much more important task of making your own card with this sketch.  If you upload it to your SCS gallery, be sure to use 'SFYTT' as one of your keywords so that we know you have your priorities in order!

Supplies used --
Stamps: Queenie by CC Designs, sentiment by The Cat's Pajamas
Paper: Kraft, Real Red, Brocade Blue (SU!), Georgia Pacific white, gingham dp by Making Memories, paisley dp by Creative Memories, chambray dp by Chloe's Closet
Ink: Real Red (SU!), Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories: Copic Sketch Markers, Liquid Applique, Nestabilities, SU! slit punch, SU! ribbon, Dimensionals

ETA: Get a load of this!  My so-called good stampin' friend, Amy Rohl (rohla) has a blog now!  Wanna know how I found out?  By seeing it on someone else's blogroll.  Um-hmm.  That's right.  Neat, huh?  And she's made, like, thirteen posts already this month.  So, clearly, she's got enough time on her hands to do the navel gazing required of a prolific blogger, but not enough to inform me, her dear friend, of its existence.  Chick's got a lot of nerve... Why don't you go to her blog and let her have it for me?  What?  Oh, don't give me that.  She's not modest or virtuous in any way, shape, or form by not wanting to draw attention to herself.  She's HOLDING OUT!  Something I have zero tolerance for.  And you can quote me on that!

Ms. Rohl, welcome to a new world, population: 2.  You and Cammie. 

Who's Afraid of a Little Color?

Not me!
Yeah, I know.  It's a little bright.  But I like bright colors!  Not much of a secret, is it?  You should see my closet.  I just don't do neutrals.  For one thing, I have very fair skin, so beiges make me look like death warmed over.  And black?  Uh-uh.  My mom would never let me wear black when I was a little girl because she said it was "inappropriate."  Since reading "Gone With the Wind" in seventh grade, black clothes make me think about poor Scarlett having to wear those dreadful "Widow's weeds" after the death of her first husband.  I'll occasionally don a little black dress, but only if I can't find anything else to wear.  Give me kelly green, magenta, or electric blue, and I'm a happy girl.  This predilection for the vibrant has carried over into my stamping, as well.  "Tasteful" and "understated" are two words I doubt will ever be associated with me in any way, shape, or form...

Take this card -- made for Cindy Haffner's Monday MFT sketch -- it may not be subtle, but it sure is fun!  Utilizing MFT's new Be Mine set, I used the conversation hearts to form a wreath around one of the sentiments.  A white ribbon slide heart brad attaches the bow.  The background dp is brand new Basic Grey Two Scoops that I got in the mail today. 

Supplies Used -- Stamps: Be Mine by My Favorite Things; Paper: Pretty In Pink, So Saffron, Basic Gray, Georgia Pacific White, patterned paper Basic Grey Two Scoops; Ink: Basic Black, ColorBox Pigment Brush Pads in Peacock, Magenta, and Green; Accessories: Dimensionals, heart shaped ribbon slide/brad, Making Memories metal corners, ribbon.