Happy Birthday Hop for Joy!

NOTE: This is my second post for today.  If you're looking for this week's PB&J card, you can see the card and video by scrolling down or clicking HERE.

Welcome to those of you who have arrived here from the talented Britta's blog.  If you are just starting the hop, you can go back to the beginning by clicking HERE. I'm sooo excited to be participating in this blog hop wishing my dear friend, Joy Taylor, a BIG happy birthday! Joy is one of those gals that I feel so blessed to call friend.  I wish her the happiest of days today and am sending her GIANT hugs.  Here's a card just for you, Joy:

This card was paper pieced by stamping Penny Black Sundial onto papers from the 6x6 pad Indie Bloom by Basic Grey.  I colored with Copic markers E35 and YR23 near the center of the flower to add a bit of subtle shading.

Now it's time for your next stop on the hop, the blog of Kathy Racoosin- I'm sure she's cooked up something to make Joy smile (and the rest of us, too)!

BLOG TAKEOVER- Day 6

You know I couldn't stop at just five days of takeovers, I just had to make it 6. Today's guest blogger is the absolutely AMAZING Joy Taylor:

Hi there everyone, Joy here taking over Jill’s blog for the day whilst she plays at CHA….all I will say is lucky gal!! So this week we have seen some amazing creations from some very talented girls…such eye candy to behold. Today, it is my turn to be inspired by one of Jill’s amazing creations and I have chosen this gorgeous card.

This card makes you drool right? I mean talk about having the WOW! factor…I love everything about this card, from the colour blocks to the tone on tone effect in the background to the gorgeous poppy stamp.

To honour this truly beautiful creation, I am sharing my take on Jill’s card….this is what I chose to create….



My card was created using lots of Hero Arts goodies….stamping the poppy stamp onto white card stock, adding a dusting of Antique Linen and Brushed Corduroy distress ink and trimming the poppy heads out. Staying with the poppy stamp, I stamped it again onto more white card stock and added the colour blocks of distress ink, Broken China, Dusty Concord, Shabby Shutters and Peeled Paint. Using more distress ink, Brushed Corduroy, I inked up the La Lettre stamp and stamped over the entire card stock. Next, I adhered the flowers that had been trimmed earlier and using foam dimensionals I adhered to the poppy that was stamped on the card stock. Finishing the card by stamping a sentiment to the card stock from the Huge Hugs stamp set and adhering to a trimmed white card.

I hope you all have enjoyed viewing these creations today and I just want to send out a huge thanks to Jill for asking me to be apart of this week…Jill inspires me so much and has become a truly wonderful friend and I am honoured that she took the time to ask me to share this day with you all…
Big thanks Jill!! Hope you all have an amazing day!

Hugs, Joy

WOW! Joy, you've blown me away again with yet another fantastic creation! Remember, you can see lots more of Joy's awesome cards on her blog HERE.

BIG, BIG, BIG thanks to all of my guest bloggers this week. It's an honor to have you takeover and an even bigger honor to call you friends. And another BIG thanks to all of you who have popped in this week. I hope you've enjoyed the fun! I will be back bloggin' on Monday with a new featured artist (OMG-all of her cards are masterpieces-just wait 'til you see...) and hopefully some pics from CHA. HUGS!

Happy New Year and some POD inspiration

Happy New Year! I just can't believe it is 2011; can you? I have been reading some really great posts about the new year and wanted to share a couple of links. THIS post by Dawn McVey is such a great look at new years resolutions. I also love the idea of choosing a word for the year, as Ali Edwards talks about HERE. I am a perpetual planner, always plotting in my mind what I need to do next whether it be at work, around the house, creatively...and I know that often I don't pause and enjoy the moment enough. That being said, I have decided that my word for the year will be ...
content

"The man who counts his blessings far sooner than his burdens and seems to always have enough, that man is content."
Here are some dictionary definitions of content---
*showing satisfaction with things as they are

*form of fulfillment characterized by peace of mind
*heightened sense of appreciation - love that!

Speaking of being content :) , here's a picture of my hubby and I taken on Christmas eve. I figured it was time to post a more recent picture of myself as I will be headed to CHA this month and no one may recognize me with my longer hair and new glasses! :) And, yep, you heard me right-- I get to go to CHA!!!! I'm thrilled! :)

So, how about you? Have you made any resolutions for 2011?

Now, if you've made it through all that rambling, I do have a couple of cards for you! These cards feature some of my favorite stamps from Purple Onion Designs and one of my favorite stamping buddies, Joy Taylor. Here is Joy's eye-catching card that was my inspiration (talk about gorgeous distressing!):

On my card I used Vintage Butterfly and the Stems and Grass Set: Here's my take:

Thanks so much for making 2010 such a rewarding and inspired year on the blog-o! I can't wait to see what 2011 will hold! :) HUGS!

Joy *Day 5*

Thanks for waiting everyone! :) Get ready, your jaw will be on the floor as soon as you take a peek at this card by Joy: Wow, wow, WOW! I could look at this card forever, just to take in the amazing shading, highlights, and color choices! I love the pairing of the blue of the truck with the brightness of the flowers! Even the small blue border around the main panel accents the the gorgeous image. Finally, Joy always adds the perfect finishing touches, like the embossing on the craft card base!

Here is my take. Joy's awesome coloring inspired me to get out my Copics and do a little coloring, too. (But I must admit, it pales in comparison to Joy's Copic skills!) :Thanks again for stopping by to visit this week and for your lovely comments! BIG thanks to Joy, too, for playing along and letting me share your work this week, my friend. Remember you can always see more of Joy's work on her BLOG and PHOTOSTREAM.
Stamps: Unity Stamp Company, Hero Arts (CL272)

Joy *Day 4*

Quick post today, but I know you will love this card by Joy:

And here is my take:All Stamps Hero Arts (CL272, H5424, K5344)

Joy *Day 3*

Check out this GORGEOUS beauty by Joy: Where to begin???!!! Could this be more beautiful! Lets start with Joy's coloring- those pink dogwoods are so soft and pretty. I love how they seem to jump off the elegant script background. The distressed edges give this card a shabby chic feel and the gem stones are such a charming finishing touch!
Here is my take. I decided to switch up my colors for the autumn season: All Stamps Hero Arts (CL342, S5362, S5435)

Joy *Day 2*

Here's our next inspiration card by Joy:
I can't get enough of these bold colors!! They really "pop" against the fresh white background! The emboss resist technique is perfect here as the punched circles really highlight the stamped image. The sentiment tag is sooo cute and I love the little gems!
Here is my take: Thanks so much for visiting! See you tomorrow!
All Stamps Hero Arts (CL342, F5429, S5433)

Inspired by...Joy!

Hi friends! Hope you all had a wonderful weekend. This week I am SUPER excited to announce that my featured stamper is Joy Taylor! Joy is such a talented stamper and she's super sweet, too. I've featured Joy on a couple of POD Saturdays which you can see HERE and HERE. But, since Joy is sooooo amazing, I couldn't resist featuring her for an entire week. :) If you haven't checked out Joy's BLOG and PHOTOSTREAM, you just must head her way! Here is our first inspiration card by Joy:
Joy is a master colorer and this beautiful purple flower is proof of this. It seems to glow and shine from within! I love the layers and dimension, too! I also love the way Joy has layered the die cut on the purple card base. Finally, the subtle Hero Arts Friend's Definition background stamp adds the perfect touch of texture to the main panel.
Here is my take: All Stamps Hero Arts: CL272, K5431, K5344, S5447

Inspired by...Purple Onion Designers

Today's featured POD designer is my good friend, Joy! Check out her lovely creation:

Could that red flower be any prettier!? No WAY! I love everything about this card. First of all, Joy has created a gorgeous background. The lightly stamped text pairs nicely with the deep brown distressing around the edges. The variety of green in the stem of the flower is a charming detail, as is the line/dot border around the center panel. Finally, the tiny red pearls are such a well-thought out accent as they coordinate perfectly with the flower!
Here is my take:

I used the following Purple Onion stamps on this card:
Stems and Grass
Single Stem
Late 1800's Script Background
Thank You

Thanks for stopping by! And a big thanks to Joy for allowing me to share your stamping today. To see more of Joy's awesome creations, you can visit her BLOG and PHOTOSTREAM! Hope you all have a beautiful weekend and I will see you on Monday for my next "Inspired by..." stamper. I am SUPER anxious to announce who it is!!! ;)

Inspired by...Purple Onion Designers!

Hi folks! Today is a special edition of "Inspired by..." Each weekend I plan to feature a fellow Purple Onion (POD) design team member's creation as my inspiration. I hope you enjoy. :) Today's featured artist is the ultra talented Joy Taylor. You can check out more of her awesome cards on her BLOG and PHOTOSTREAM. She even has one incredible technique video which can be seen HERE. So without further ado, here is Joy's inspiration card:

This card is the perfect example of Joy's timeless style! I love how she always pays such close attention to the details like the beautiful row of orange pearls and the impeccable coloring of the orange slice. And did you see the dimension on that orange slice!? So cool! Finally, the embossed background makes for a wonderful, textured back drop for the center panel.
Here is my take: Thanks so much for looking! I hope you enjoyed today's special edition of "Inspired by..." HUGS! -Jill

All Stamps Purple Onion Designs: Bare Tree, Blossom Sentiment (Seasonal Words), Leaves and Flowers (Hang in There), Grass (Stems and Grass Set)