bows, bows, and more bows!!

I've been busy sewing!  Made some bows for little girls - and big ones too!!  

I'm selling these for $3/each + shipping.  They all measure appx 3" x 5" and have an alligator clip attached to the back.

new product.

I've had these Ranger Alcohol Inks for a while, and had never played with them.  I wanted to add some Christmas coasters to my Etsy store so it was a perfect opportunity to try it.  Here's what I came up with:

I was happy with them. :)  If you'd like to purchase these, please message me @ ambajucreates@gmail.com  I can create all sorts of different kinds for any occasion!!  

turkey time!

We are going to my SIL's house for Thanksgiving and I wanted to make a few holiday cutes to decorate the table with.  

I have several boxes of envelopes laying around that I'll probably never use so I thought this would make a great, {simple} place setting!

You can also make them by following these simple steps:

1.  Take any size of envelope and seal the opening shut.

2.  Cut about 1/2 in off of in the same area where you would place the stamp at if you were mailing a letter. 

3.  Place your silverware (and candy cane!!) in and make sure you're happy with the length of the envelope.

4.  Distress the edges of the envelope once you're happy with the size.

5.  Embellish as you see fit!  I used my Cricut Create a Critter cart to make the cute little Turkey, and rub ons from Doodlebug for the name, and basic twine tied around it.

See?  Easy as pie!  Pumpkin, even. ;)

thankful.

For the Focus Group @ CropChocolate.com, the theme for the challenge for November was to create a project based on something that you're thankful for.  

Here's the frame I made with my parents in mind:

Materials Used:  Paper, Stamps and embellishments all Autumn Splendor from MM.  TH Distress ink in Walnut Stain and Barn Door.  Perfect Pearl  spray in gold.  Wooden frame from Michaels.

through a child's eyes.

Remember this??

Loving Bo Bunny's new lines!  Here's a LO done with Snowfall.

thank you, Bruno Mars!

I love Bruno Mars.  I love every single one of his songs.  My son sings {AMAZING}.  His (Bruno's) song that can bring me to tears especially when J sings it??  "Just The Way You Are"  

I have loved this song SO much since Baby Bug was born.  I've been wanting to do a LO for her with this as the title. 

It means even more to me since J can sing it - {SO} perfectly to his little sissy.

Bo Bunny "Enchanted" paper

Tim Holtz Color Wash in Meadow

Ranger Stickles in Black Diamond

American Crafts - Greenhouse Flowers

MM - Tiny Alphas

peaceful.

I love this picture and can't wait to show what I'm going to do with it. :)

enabler alert: paper.

Can you really have too much paper??  When your stash of paper breaks the shelf you've stacked it on, you don't go through and purge your paper, right?  You just buy a new shelf!!  

I have an undying love for Echo Park Paper.  There are some collections I don't {LOVE}, but I've never {not liked} something they've come out with.  

Holly Jolly Christmas is one that I'm head over heels in love with.  Probably my all time favorite.  

Check out the whole line here.  

I {LOVE} pinks and turquoises as Christmas colors.  There is no reason to stay with boring red and green alone!  I actually broke down and bought this at full price at my LSS yesterday.  I was inspired by Miss Jazzy to make a super cute paper bag book - check it out here.  You're going to want to make one too.  TOO. DANG. CUTE.  Her blog will also give you Canadian scrappers info on the LSS she works at so you can check that out as well!

Planning on finishing this tonight.  Thanks Jazzy for the idea! :)

culture shock - BATMAN!

The challenge over @ Culture Shock this week is BATMAN!  

I immediately thought of the old-school cartoon that came BACK on TV after the new(er) ones were over when I was little.  Here was my first thought:

and here's what I came up with:

I wanted cleaner lines than the conversation bubble above so I chose circles and squares instead of jagged edges. :)  

Don't forget to play along!  Come up with your interpretation of Batman, and link up here!

so thankful.

It's November.  I'm a little emotional (heck if I know why!) and am overly thankful for everything.  Which I should be.  I'm a blessed girl!!  I felt the need to make a Thank You card today.  And I got a Sizzix Texture Boutique that needed to be played with.  

Let's just say I don't regret that purchase AT ALL!!

Introducing Pebbles.

Pretty excited about this costume I made. :)

inspiration.

Any guesses as to what I'm up to with this??  Stay tuned to find out. :)

fall ATC's

Holy wow - I'm actually WAY early in getting these done this time!! :)  

At my work, a bunch of us get together and swap ATC's.  The theme this time was fall.  

White cardstock, Unity Stamp "Give Thanks", Ranger Color Wash Spray in Sunset Orange, Tattered Angels Chalkboard in Decadence, Platinum Stickles by Ranger.

hiding in my craft room - challenge #18 - freestyle!

Check out this great challenge blog.  I chose a simple card to make for one of my husband's co-workers.  

I used MME Madison Avenue for the plaid paper, Slice "Bravissimo" for the die cut circle, Distress Ink in Bundled Sage, Pink twine from The Twinery.

sneak peek for Paula!

A very dear friend Paula (check her out here!  She's amazing!) saw a few pics of Bug that I had posted and offered to scrapbook for them.  I thought it was VERY sweet and said sure!!  

She is ending up being featured on Unity Stamps later in November and she chose to create a project using my pictures!!  So excited for her. :)  

Here's a little snippet of the goodness to come:

She will be hosting a give-a-way on HER blog so stay tuned for details on how to enter to win!!

halloween costume.

I challenged myself to make a few (I don't remember if it was 3 or 4!) Halloween things in order to try to get myself into the "True Halloween Spirit".  Needless to say, it's not really working.  I've tried...I REALLY have tried.  The best part about Halloween is when it's all over I've decided. :)  

(bah-humbug, I know.)

One of my projects was to make my daughter's Halloween costume.

She's going as Pebbles Flintstone.  Even though I don't like the holiday, I will try not to pass that along to my kid. :)

sketch project.

Remember this?  I just realized I never posted my project. :)

My first use of a Unity Stamp.  Can you say heaven?? :)

mini album.

I was perusing Pinterest tonight for a mini album to do, and came across this little diddy.

(Thanks October Afternoon!)

I used Sunshine Broadcast from Sasafrass for the papers, Pumice Stone Distress Ink from Tim Holtz, Black Staz-on ink for the white tags, and tabs from MM.  

Super quick and easy!  Would make a great gift.

Amber xoxo

my first sketch.

Rule #1.  no laughing. :)  

I've never done a sketch before, but for the challenge for Culture Shock soon to be announced, I had a little bit of fun.  

I'll reveal my project, the new challenge, as well as the inspiration for this sketch on Friday. :)  In the meantime, you should see what you can do with it.

PS.  Remember Rule #1.

xoxo Amber

true happiness.

My neighbors got married last month, and I'm a little late getting their card to them.  

Finally got it photographed today and ran over to them.  I was quite pleased with my creation. :)

xoxo Amber

bug's birthday.

my little girl turns 1 today, and we celebrated for her on Sunday.  Here's the decorations that I did for her.

halloween challenge #1 - accomplished!

Cheap frames, cheap paper, a spider punch and what do you get?

Halloween cuteness!!

I plan on hanging these on a blank wall in my front room and switching out the paper/theme for each season/holiday. 

material girl.

For my first Culture Shock challenge as a member of their Design Team, our theme was Madonna.  

(click for details on how you can play along!)

When I think Madonna, I think shades, lace, and bling.  I had this great picture of Bug with my sunglasses on that was the basis for my project! 

What do {YOU} think of when you think of Madonna??  

Click the link above and play along!  Can't wait to see what you come up with.

xoxo Amber

october.

October brings lots of changes and fun to where I live.  The weather changes - we had snow (yes - that awesome 4-letter word that I truly love!!), my sweet husband and I have an anniversary, and my sweet Bug and son have birthday's on the same day.  

One thing I'm challenging myself with this year is to actually get into Halloween.  I've hated Halloween ever since I was little.  I don't do costumes.  I don't know where this comes from.  I do like Haunted Houses and Corn Mazes, however - but that's it.  My little girl is going to be Pebbles Flinstone for her first {REAL} Halloween.  Super excited to make her costume. :)

Tonight as I was cleaning, I embraced this holiday and put some little decorations up in my house.  This is the centerpiece on my dining table.  It makes me happy just looking at it.  

My talented mother made the table runner.  :)

I'm going to make 4 Halloween-related crafts this month.  Hold me to it.  I'll post my progress. :)

xoxo Amber

son's album.

My son turns 13 this month, and I made him a scrapbook from his summer visiting us.  It's different scrapping for a boy.  Everything I did was VERY simple.  Nothing too fancy!  I still have some embellishing to do.

xoxo Amber

it's official.

It's official!  I made the Culture Shock Design Team!!

Check it out!!  SOOO excited!!  :)

xoxo Amber

bows.

Since having a little girl, I have been obsessed with hair bows.  I'm tired of spending SO much money on them, so I searched the internet on how to make them myself.  

Here are my first 2 creations:

So fun and cute to make!

Credit

AND, thanks to DeeDee for the watermark assistance! :)

xoxo Amber

addiction = creativity.

I admit it.  I'm addicted to Pinterest.  Is there a support group for this??

I came across this cute little weekly planner via this website:

It's a collage of picture frames that you use a dry erase marker on the glass to write your plans on!  Genius!

And decided I needed to make my own.  Here's what I ended up with:

 And here's a closer shot of the days/title:

{LOVED} making this!

xoxo Amber

pop culture and crafting - it doesn't get better than that!!

I decided to jump out on a limb and try out for a Design Team.  Sure - I run one, but I've never been a {TRUE} designer on one before.  I look at the girls on my DT and think they're {SO} amazing and talented.  I can only hope to be in the likes of them one day. :)  

Culture Shock is a new pop culture challenge blog.  My friends and family know that I'm 100% up to date on all of the celebrity smut and current happenings of the rich and famous, so I thought this may be a perfect fit for me.  I'm completely addicted to reality TV - seriously.  It's my guilty pleasure.  And I love to craft.  Pop culture and crafting - it doesn't get better than that!!  ok - MAYBE throw in a glass (or 2??) of wine and that would make it better.  

The challenge was to create a project around "Texting".  It's kinda funny how I came up with my project.  I absolutely {LOATHE} the word (or non-word??) LUV.  Do <3 or write out the whole 4 letters of LOVE.  I decided to try to be more accepting of this lovely 3-letter word and make my project around it.  

This is an 8x8 piece of canvas that I distressed using Tim Holtz's Distress Stain in Spun Sugar, and Distress Ink in Black Soot.  Used a random piece of pink dotted paper to mat my little subject on.  2 pink Doodlebug flowers, and a black blingy flower from Making Memories.  The lettering is also glitter foam stickers from Making Memories.  2 blingy flowers on the black ribbon from Bazzill, and random black and white ribbon to add some texture and dimension to it.  

I'm very happy with how this turned out and I hope you (and Culture Shock!!) enjoys it as well. :)

xoxo Amber

On a card kick.

This is from Neysa to her daddy for his birthday. :)  She may or may not have had some help.

Cards!

Here's 2 little thank you cards that I made tonight. I don't send thank yous out as often as I should. Would like to be better about that.

no-sew snug.

My little Bug hasn't been feeling good, so while we were at JoAnns today with my mom, we picked up some fleece and I made her a no-sew snug.

Super excited for her to see it tomorrow morning. :)

xoxo Amber

week 6 challenge - ode to school.

Some of the girls at my work do weekly challenges, and I thought I'd join in on the fun this week.  

We had to create a project using this recipe:

Navy as your main color (pattern or cardstock) - Check!

Yellow as your accent (pattern or cardstock) - Check!

Twine - Check!

Buttons - Check!

A star (chipboard, a stamp, pattern paper, however you want to add it) and last but not least - Check!

A school or office product that you might not normally use for scrapbooking or cardmaking (a paper clip, elastic bands, bulldog clip, index card, staples, etc.~ use your imagination!!) - Check! (Pens)

Here's what I came up with:

Try it for yourself and see what {YOU} come up with!

xoxo Amber

summer ATC's.

I have to say - the girls at my work are SO much fun.  They do challenges and all sorts of exchanges.  It definitely keeps me wanting to stay crafty!

The ATC definition per Wiki is:

Artist Trading Cards (or ATCs) are miniature works of art about the same size as modern baseball cards,^[1] or 2 ½ X 3 ½ inches (63 mm X 89 mm),^[2] small enough to fit inside standard card-collector pockets, sleeves or sheets.^[3] The ATC movement developed out of the mail art movement and has its origins in Switzerland.^[4] Cards are produced in various media, including dry media (pencils, pens, markers, etc.), wet media (watercolor, acrylic paints, etc.), paper media (in the form of collage, papercuts, found objects, etc.) or even metals or cloth. The cards are usually traded or exchanged rather than sold.

This is the second round that I participated in and I really forced myself to go outside of my usual crafty zone.  I typically don't use stamps, I'm very symmetrical, and all of my colors ALWAYS match.  On this card, I used 2 stamps (embossed 1), non-matching ribbon, and a non-matching ink for the second stamp.  (the reds on this card match, but it's the only one out of 7.)  I'm very proud of how this turned out!!


xoxo Amber

cute, cute!!

My little girl is turning 1 in a little over a month.  Bittersweet...she's so much fun but she's growing up!  

I've decided to go all out for her birthday party and make all of the decorations myself.  

Here's the start of the banner:

I've decided to use Lime Twist Happy-Go-Lucky and Create-a-Critter cartridge for the Cricut to make it a monkey theme.

Definitely more to follow, but I'm so excited at how cute this is turning out that I had to share the beginning. :)  

xoxo, Amber