Janna Wilson

Tid Bits

Goodness!  Where has this week gone??

I don't think I mentioned that I had the very good fortune of winning a prize pack of goodies from the Making Memories blog a couple of weeks ago!!  MM is still one of my favorites--such classy, timeless designs.  I got my package a few days ago and WOW!  They are so sweet!  I got a package FULL of the lovely NOTEWORTHY products.  OMGoodness-- LOVE THIS STUFF!  I've already used it for several assignments and projects!  So pretty.  Here's a tag I made--the "welcome baby" are the awesome journaling rub-ons from Heidi Grace (love those things!) The flower is Imaginisce and everything else is NOTEWORTHY.  This stuff is just gorgeous.  The GIRL letters are of course, PINK GLITTER! Dorky picture...but I'm too lazy to take a good one right now :)

I've been having fun making some little tags for a little mag assignment.  Don't you just love little projects like that...immediate gratification.  Cutting bits and pieces and just seeing what happens.  So fun!  I need to start on some fun Christmas tags.  I want to use the NEW Heidi Grace JOLLY & BRIGHT for my tags!  This is my favorite Christmas line out there...check it out.

If you're looking for a super cute bag for the holidays...you need to check THIS ONE OUT at the Jingle Bell Boutique!  Its a STEAL!  This year I'm really trying to go handmade on a lot of my Holiday gifts...and I figure, if I can't find the time to make all that I need, I can turn to other crafty chicks to fill the void-- feels good to do that, I think.  Some of my favorite Etsy's:

Pleasebloom

LeahJohanna

Jingle Bell Boutique

The Canster's Shop

CariCraft's Shop

Lots of ideas at Sew Mama Sew for handmade gifts YOU can make.

Oh, & here's the hook up to the ORANGE EXCHANGE...if you love Fiskars, Heidi Grace, Cloud 9 and Lil Davis...prepare to be inspired!  I love it that you can subscribe so you don't miss a thing!

Okay...I better go for now.  Much to do--have a great rest of the week!

While you were sleeping...

This seems to be the story of my life right now...LOL!  I can't seem to accomplish anything until the world (most especially my little kiddos) are all tucked in at night and sleeping.  So much going on all the time around here.  Cash...oh, where should I begin...he's been very cantankerous (sp??) the last few days just wants me to hold him all day.  He crawls after me and stands up at my legs and puts his sweet little arms up to me...oh, how can I resist?  I think he got used to all the action and the girls being home last week--lots of entertainment.

Normally, I have my Christmas tree up by now, but as you might imagine, I'm dreading that a bit.  I can just see it crashing to the ground at the hands of one tiny little boy :)  I'm still trying to figure out a strategy...where to put it?  What to do?  Maybe I need one of those baby corral things?  Hmm?

Just had to share this cute picture of Abby--losing all her teeth and looking so different and grown up!  Oh my!

So we started our house remodeling over the weekend...our first project: the dining room floor.  Now, the "lovely" plum/burgundy colored carpet was like brand new--but we love hardwood and want to put the same flooring throughout the house. 

We started Saturday afternoon and finished Sunday evening.  I'll have to post some pictures of the finished floor...it looks so nice.  I'm so thankful to have a handy hubby.  Although...I have to brag--I did run the saw for him!  Yep--a regular toolbelt diva!  Now if only Santa would bring me that dining room table I want :) to put in my lovely dining room.  I've been good...really I have! LOL!

Had a wonderful Thanksgiving with my family.  Leftovers all weekend...luckily I'm still maintaining my weight despite the pie-fest I had all weekend :)

Its all gone now--thank goodness!  Can't resist those homemade treats...that is my weakness!  We had deep dish apple, pecan and pumpkin...all Thanksgiving staples with us.

Till tomorrow! --or should I say, later today :) hee hee

Blessings to you. jw

Holly-

Okay...since I'm pretty sure Holly doesn't read my blog--I'm going to post this here...Holly if you are reading--Happy Birthday :) 

So...lets just say the GLITTER GLUE didn't work out.  I hated it.  So, I took an Exacto and scraped it off.  That left my swirly lines a bit distressed/textured...which, I really LIKE (I think).  Plus there's still a bit of glitter in the swirls too...a happy accident, I suppose? LOL!  The berries are glittered (just fine irridescent glitter).  I'm thinking seriously about going over the name with Glossy Accents to give it something extra special?  What do you think??

So a little more info...Holly is a very good friend of mine.  She is a lover of pink things, sparkly things--and so I thought I would paint her this for her office or to hang up in her room.   I hope she likes it.

In other news...Sara (the perfectionista!) is still working on her piece.  I'll be sure and post it when she's done.  We are having so much fun painting...we're off to town today to look for a few new brushes and some shoes for the girls. 

Take care! -jw

A little inspiration...

GO HERE AND BE INSPIRED.  :)

Sara Jayne ...the Artiste'

Okay.  I'm going to have to brag a little on my Sara Jayne.  She's 8--almost 9.  She loves to create things...much in the same manner as me.  You know, as a Mom, you have those moments that you just know deep down inside that you did something right after all. 

So the day started off great.  I got up about 8:30 (which is sleeping in by about 2 hours YAY!!)-- the girls are out of school, so I stayed up till about 4am trying to finish some projects that I had coming due this week so I wouldn't have to worry with them and could enjoy the kids.  Something I haven't had a lot of time to do the last couple of years during the holidays.  Its a very busy time in the scrapbook world, you know...anyway, I digress.

I did some housework...and Sara had a friend over so I decided that I would keep Abby busy painting.  Okay, okay-- I was wanting to play some more too!!  So Abby painted about 4 pictures to my --still not done/in progress piece...

Glitter glue is still drying on mine.

This is the "Tipton Hotel," by Abby Wilson.  A little "behind the painting" info--this started off as a cupcake. :)

When Sara's friend left, she was ready to get into the action.  So she quickly got to work on this...

Obviously, we all have cupcakes on the brain :) 

While we were working, the phone rang.  And we got the WONDERFUL NEWS from the local center for Art, that Sara's artwork was chosen for a local bank's Christmas Card design!!!!  And she won $100 and gets her award at an open house/gallery!!!  She is SO SO SO thrilled...me too. 

Then the Paparazzi (aka Abby) showed up outside the "studio" (we'll call it that today since we have a famous artist residing here LOL!!)...

So back to that talk about "doing something right."  I just felt really warm and fuzzy cause Sara said, "thank you for being an artist, Momma."  Now, I don't think of myself as an artist...strong word, I think.  I'm just a doodler, a piddler.  And I'm so thankful that we all can enjoy arts and crafts together...pretty soon even Cash will be in on the action, I'm sure!  It feels good to foster something in your child that you see that they love and have a talent for.  Its really a blessing.  I'm also so thankful to be able to be home and enjoy these moments with them...God has really blessed me in that department too.  We sacrifice some things, but its so worth it in the end.  And I've been really fortunate to have had pretty steady work the past few years to have extras.  I know that its all Him. 

Well, I better get back to watching my glitter glue dry!  hee hee!  I'm not sure how I feel about this one...it lacks something, I think.  I'll post it later--

Hope you enjoy doing something crafty this week with your friends or family. -jw

SuuhhhWEEEEET!

Sweet stuff.  I admit...I have a weakness for it (obviously :)  My girls night of crafting was so fun...

• Jenny made stockings
• Holly worked on a scrappy/canvas project
• Mother quilted
• I made cards (okay only two) and played with paint

Its funny where inspiration can take you.  I've been wanting to bake some cupcakes...with all the cupcake HYPE going around. LOL!  Found a recipe in Country Home (one of my favorite non sb magazine).

It was friend Holly's birthday last week, so I made them in honor of her. 

They are quite tasty...lemon with lemon cream cheese frosting!

Here's the card I made for her.  Look familiar? LOL!  I'm stuck on those cute flowers.

So, then when the girls came over...Holly suggested I get a canvas and paint something--as she was working on her canvas project.  I thought, hmm...okay!  So I went to town --I didn't really know what I was going to paint...just started with the blue.  THen I added the scallops...then it just seemed like a cupcake was a perfect fit.  And it was!!

You can't tell so much, but the icing part has glitter and so does the cherry.  Methinks it might still need some dimensional "sprinkles" --maybe some glass beads??  Hmm?   I'm thinking I'm going to give this to Sara for Christmas...she would love it and well, she is SWEET!!  So, I suppose I'll have to make Abby a painting too!  How fun! 

I haven't really painted anything since I designed my Flowerful line with Junkitz.  I handpainted all the elements (flowers, dots, paislies, stripes, etc) for the collection.  I enjoyed that so much and I have all the original paintings still.  I want to do something special with them...I think that would be so cool.  They really mean a lot to me.

So, now I want to paint something else...hmm?  Any suggestions?  Remember, I'm no Van Gogh--its got to be simple ;)  LOL!

Hope you have a great Sunday.

Blessings-

-jw

This one's for the girls...

In honor of my girls night out tonight--I wanted to share a card.  Its simple...but I like it anyway.  I'm really a simple girl...totally. 

• That green cardstock is some of Martha's...just love her colors.  Fennel Green.
• Used the Antique Elegance Circle Border punch for the pretty doily looking element.
• I learned how to make that COOL flower from Christy T's SCRAP THOSE SCRAPS class at Scrap A Faire.  It is so gorgeous and so SIMPLE!  One of my favorite things ever!
• GIRL is a design I had for something else- and printed it on transparency.

Here I am playing when I should be cleaning my office...while Cash is napping.  :( Poor boy...he's not feeling well-- YUCKY SINUS stuff.  I hope he keeps fighting it off like a big boy.  He was up a lot last night sniffling and coughing.  So sad.  I ended up not being able to go back to sleep and worked through the night for about 4 hours or so.  Nice quiet time...ahhh. 

Well, I hope you and yours have a fun weekend.  I have to go clean now...my house is a horrible terror!  Much to do...

peace out.

My most favorite time of the year...

I got my latest BHG Scrapbooks etc. the other day.  And even though I've had the pleasure and good fortune to have several things published in the last few years...I'm still like a kid in a candy store when I get the new issues and excited to find my page in there!  I love the holiday issues of the magazines most of all...seeing all the festive layouts and ideas for gifts.  Oh, its just so much fun!!  I had to share this page...

It was in the article about METALS that Erikia Ghumm put together (she rocks).  I printed the title on transparency and layered it over the MM Metal Mesh. If you'd like to print that title for one of your own holiday pages...you can!  (see below) I love the unexpected texture combinations like metal, the button and the velvety flowers.  Download holiday_style.pdf

I cannot believe Thanksgiving is barely a week away!  We are having my family over here this year.  Its should be quite a blowout!  I'm making Cranberry Cornbread Stuffing this year...I just love this stuff!  A little twist on the old favorite. I'm going to be so busy between now and then-- :O

Well gotta go --love to all!

Happy Monday!

Just a quick post before I head to pick up the girls from school.  Feeling good about what I've accomplished today--some cleaning, some scrap-projects, OH!  And the happiest thing...got to visit with Teresa!  She's been cruising and missed her dadgummit!  LOL!  You HAVE to check out THIS PROJECT! TOO DIE FOR! I have to get me one of those pretty things.

Here's a cute Etsy that my sweet friend Leah Fung has with another crafty gal, Johanna.  You gotta check their awesome stuff out. 

I've really been craving some creative time.  Been inspired by so many talented ladies lately--

• Dawn T.
• Stephanie Ackerman
• Donna D.
• Leah F.
• and everbody on my blog list over there

But alas, hubby has been camping two of the last three weekends, so I'm needing a little Mama:ME time!!  Next weekend baby!!  Its ON!  Me + Holly + whoeverelsewantstojoin +paint + glue+ paper + whotheheckknowswhatelse = some crafty fun!!

In other news...I'm now a Fiskateer!  I thought...that sounds like something I should be.  Do you wanna be one??  YOU CAN!! CHeck this out for a little more info... FISKATEERS!  Its a whole movement...really, join in!!

Oh and speaking of Fiskars...check out the cards all this month over THERE!  SO FUN!!  There's a new card added everyday!

Well gotta go...time has run out!  Have a blessed week!

Janna

FREE PASSES & chat

Good Hump Day to all!

Just wanted to post and say that I only have a few free passes left to give away (four to be exact :)  SO, if you would like a FREE PASS to Scrap-a-Faire, post a comment with your email!!

Also...I'll be chatting tonight at the Scrap-a-Faire, so please come chat if you have time.  Its from 10 pm to 10:45 central time.  I'm excited!  There is so much going on in there!  FUN!

Gotta go for now...the rest of the day is a whirlwind.  We're having baked potatoes for dinner with broccoli and corn on the cob.  Doesn't a steamin' baked potato just sound plain GOOD!  YUM!  So I gotta go cook dinner, then its off to parent teacher conferences , then church.  WHEW! 

Have a great night--blessings to you and yours!