Blog Hop with Wow and Ruby Rock-it! Get Inspired for the Holidays!

Happy Monday, Crafters, WOW Embossing Powder & Ruby Rock-It Fans!  If you're just joining the blog hop; Welcome! If you've followed along and are coming in from Irit's blog, I know you've already seen some fabulous creations. We are delighted to have you join us this week, and I hope we see some of your inspired creations along the way.

We are very excited to be partnering with Ruby Rock-it and their amazing designers. Be sure to read all the details of the hop because there are a few ways to WIN PRIZES!

I'll leave you a list of the blogs in order of the hop for you to check out all the stops. To "enter" or be eligible for a prize, just leave a comment on each designer’s blog and then come back to our main page at WOW Embossing Powder and let us know you checked out everyone's pages. Comments will be closing on Friday, November 21st at 11:59pm PST.

Here’s what you can win:
From Ruby Rock-it, The Essence East Coast collection! [album not included]

From Wow Embossing Powder, new colors and one of our floral molds.

Let's go! Here's the list of blogs and don't forget to check out my project below the list.

Ruby Rock-It Blog
WOW Embossing Powder Blog
Nikki Smith
Sandie Dunne
Pattie Beltran
Susan O’Connell
Donna O’Leary
Erin Yamabe
Irit Shalom
Jen Deal   (you are here.)
Alicia Barry
Jenifer Cowles
Patti Hamil
Nicole Picadura
Maya Isaksson
June Goh
Trish Latimer
Nataliya Serova
Beckie Dreyer
Sian Ridley
Kaka Costa
Christine Saunders
Candice Elliott

And here’s my project!

This year was my first venture into Project Life. I'm still getting the hang of it, and this week's blog hop gave me a great opportunity to pull together memories from a recent night with my Cooking Club girls.

I love how this page came together. I used Wow Embossing Powder right on the wood veneers that came in the kit to add pops of color on the layout. I also made my own title with stamps and Wow embossing powders and accented the header with droplets from the Country Cookin kit.

Looking at this page is making me hungry for both delicious cuisine and time at the craft table! But there's more to see...

Your next stop is at Alicia Barry's blog.  Remember to leave comments on the blogs and go back to WOW and Ruby Rock-it to enter yourself into the draw for any of our terrific prizes.

Thanks for stopping by!
Jennifer

Wow Embossing Powder Blog Hop with Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L

There are so many options for adhesives in the Crafting World! I have a whole tub in my crafting closet to prove it. 

The stack I keep closest to me on the crafting table, however, is 3L. I often use their double sided tape and foam tapes. I loved when they came out with the black foam tape! Genius.

On assignment with WOW! Embossing powder and 3L Adhesives, both design teams are showcasing products all this week. I am learning about fun new products I didn't realize 3L had! 

Here I'll show you my new favorite, but don't forget to check out at the WOW! Embossing blog what my friends are also loving at  for all the details! Leave a comment to be eligible to win goodies!! 


4x6" Adhesive Sheets by 3L  - Shortcut Lesson # 24

At this time of year, I cave to convenience in ways I wouldn't admit to just anyone. DIY, kitchen cook, Super Mom....all that goes right out the window when the calendar turns to "4th quarter". 

Admittedly, I work at a pretty cool place in a pretty cool part of eCommerce, but despite the fact that I work for an Internet company, it's retail. Retail + Holiday = BUSY

So, I look for shortcuts. I don't give into store bought anything for my annual cookie exchange, and I'd rather not send holiday cards then not send "homemade", but...sometimes even in these areas, I need help.

Here's a secret to quick and easy heat embossed cards. Use 3L Adhesive sheets in your die cut machine, peel and stick onto your project, sprinkle your favorite color WOW Embossing Powder, and heat set. All done! 

Here's a quick how-to for a card. 

1. I selected a sentiment, stamped it onto patterned paper with Versamark ink, sprinkled with opaque white embossing powder and heat set. This is the basic heat embossing way.

2. Next I selected some dies, placed them on my die cutter with a sheet of 3L adhesive. I kept the "sticky" side up so when I peeled off the backing it would be the reverse on the paper. 

3. CAREFULLY lift your cut pieces from the dies and place them onto the paper. You don't want to separate the adhesive from the backing yet. 

4. Peel off adhesive backing and sprinkle with embossing powder. Heat set. 

 5. All done! 

Thanks for stopping by my corner of the Internet. "Stick" with me, kid. I'll show you some more cool stuff I to try this holiday season. Also, be sure to visit Scrapbook Adhesives blog to view their creations using our products!

 

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday everyone! School has started already for the boys in our household and summer is winding down. I'm in between trying to savor some down time and gearing up for our busiest time of year (does it really get more busy?!). I wanted to share a few of my favorite back-to-school inspirations with all of you. Take a look…

favorite foodie find . using friends garden tomatoes to make my version of this salad

PF Chang's Tomato Heirloom Salad

favorite meal planning tactic . crock pot meals 1x per week. Pinterest helps me find new dishes.

favorite book series of the month . For Library Lovers & Bibliophiles, a librarian's mystery 

favorite cool weather wear . Cashmere Cardigan! Time to go to Zara....

Photos Credits: PF Changs, Pinterest Search, Good Reads, Zara.com. Click on links to go back to the source and see more info.

Friday Favorites

My Friday Favorites...

because ice cream once a week was my summer plan


because I can't help it... I love seeing my boy play













because Minions and Water Polo



i love this idea! and it was so hot today.... all i could think of was the cool things...


because I'm itching to play with my stamps and I miss Michelle's posts about 'wrinkle ribbon'

Memorial Day blog hop with OWH

Most of us can appreciate a three day weekend and relish the time spent with loved ones at barbeques, graduations, camping and other start of summer events.

Whatever you doing, please take a moment to reflect on what Memorial Day really means and to whom we all need to be grateful for these days of freedom we enjoy.

Thank you to all the service men and women around the world for your commitment and sacrifices! There are so many who depend on you and likely don't even realize how much.  Thank you to all the families of the fallen. Your sacrifice and theirs has not gone unnoticed. 

I am also grateful for the tireless team behind Operation Write Home. From personal experience, I know how separated families of the armed forces appreciate a written letter. 

In continuing support of the organization, here's my contribution to this weekend's blog hop. Be inspired and feel free to donate toward shipping expenses for our cards to reach our soldiers.

Happy National Scrapbook Day!

Happy National Scrapbook Day! I was up on London time this morning to see events online roll out. (I have been awake a long time.) Even if I can't be among the scrappiest at an event, I am a happy to participate virtually where I can.

Today I made a quick card for my friend, Alina and her fiance. We are heading to their engagement party.

Inspired by the OWH challenge, I used Neenah metallic paper, a sentiment stamp from Papertrey Ink's Bigger Blooms set, Black Glint rmbossing powder from Wow! and A Cuttlebug embossing folder (regretfully I don't lnow the name).

Happy NSD! 

Do something Pinteresting everyday

I love Pinterest. LOVE. 

I can hoard pins with the best of them. 

While I actually attempt many of the ideas I pin, I would not get through all my pins if I did something pinteresting everyday. 

Still...one can try. I kicked off this new section of the blog (recent pins to the right) by prepping my nails for tonight's hockey game. 

1 hour later (because I am a nail painting novice)....

Check out other nail inspiration at

http://www.pinterest.com/chilispice/nail-designs/

The secret behind no missing socks...is in the cards

I had to squeeze in one quick card and WOW powder project this weekend.  From my stash, I pulled out one of my favorite Unity Stamps. It is so fitting for a note to send to a pair of cousins. We all love to wear mismatched socks. It runs in the family!

The ironic thing is that I used tone on tone shades for these quick cards. Metalline Green with a touch of shimmer and Berrylicious looked beautiful on lime and lilac cardstock.

Sneak Peek...Glass Project with Wow Embossing Powder

Nevermind, love. Have a cup of tea. 

Complete project update to be revealed at the blog for Wow Embossing Powders this week.

My new relationship with Stencils

I was indifferent to using Stencils in paper craft. It’s a trend that comes through this hobby every couple of years and it’s resurgence in the last year makes it hard to avoid.

I am participating in Stenciled, an online card class hosted by several talented designers including Jennifer McGuire, Kristina Werner, Laura Bassen, and Julie Ebersole. After working through some of the content from Day 1, I’ve made a decision. I enjoy working with stencils.

I don’t know if it’s the design of the stencil or the use of many more techniques with complementary products, but with little effort and time, you can result in something simply amazing.

Here are my cards from the first half of Day 1. I used products I had on hand, including of course, WOW embossing powders.

 The above card technique was blending distress inks onto the stencil. I used Tim Holtz Distress Inks in Broken China, Peeled Paint and Spiced Marmalade. The sentiment is from Ali Edwards and the target heart stamp from Craft Smart.

For this card, I stamped through the stencil with Versamark ink. You need to be careful not to move the stencil while you're doing this. The ink is sticky and will pick up the stencil if you are not taping it down. Then I used three shades of WOW embossing powders in Azure, Blue and Lagoon to heat set the color onto the card. The stamped phone image is from Kelly Purkey and the sentiment from Clear Art Stamps.

This technique as the easiest. Tape down the stencil and mist. It's hard to see in the photo but the gradient was created from Tattered Angels' Viva Pink and Bronze and Maya Roads' Red Mist. The sentiment is from Ali Edwards. 

Color Challenge - Pastels

OWH posted a midweek color challenge today. Is Gray a Pastel version of Black? 

I think it should be. It would have helped me in this challenge to use pastels.

I had to dig deep into the stash to find something in the range of pastels. The result is a Victorian-era feeling card in cream and lavender with a touch of bronze. 

I included a flower embellishment I made using Vintage Romance Embossing powder from WOW! 

By filling only a portion of the mold, inwas able to keep the flower flat and small for a mail-able greeting card.

The Greeting Farm Card Challenge - Love is in the Air

I made a version of this card for OWH's CHA booth using their card sketch #93. It was so fun to see all the different card kits that designers provided for attendees to stop by and make for our soldiers. I was lucky to be just around the corner in the WOW! Embossing Powders booth. I could stop in easily to make a few myself.

Since I had some of these beautiful Graphic 45 papers remaining, I made another card. The stamp is "Cheeky Cherry Pie" and the sentiment is from Hero Arts' OWH set. They go so well together. 

I am submitting it The Greeting Farm's weekly card challenge, "Love is in the air."  After all, the way to a man's heart is through his stomach.

OWH Sketch Challenge #208 -MLK Holiday Card Break

Have you noticed how I participate in a caed challenge every holiday? It is part of what makes my holiday rituals relaxing if just for a short while.

I spent a fair amount of time today sorting, recycling, donating and clearing out for the new year.

I used scraps of paper and bits for this sketch challenge at Operation Write Home along with a sentiment from their Hero Arts fundraising stamp set.