More Summery Scrappin' With Ashley Calder

Hi everyone!

This is Ashley today, with a summery layout, using my DIY summery scrappin' kit I put together earlier this season with all of my favourite Jenni Bowlin Studio and JBS Mercantile kit products that were just perfect for sunny days and warm nights. 

The photo on this page is of the Beaver River, in Clarksburg Ontario, where my wonderful and amazing Great Aunt Maggie lived. She was an inspiration -- as a person, as an artist, as a gardener, as just the kind of person I hope to one day be -- and her house was just on the other side of the river bank. I can't think of summer, or smell summer, without being reminded of the wonderful summertime vacations we stayed at her beautiful house. 

Summers at Aunt Maggie's meant tomatoes warm from  her garden, cool breezes coming in from the woodshed, many cups of teas and family games of Solitaire, naps in the big armchair by the window overlooking the riverbank bathed in warm sunlight. Everything was better there. 

Driving into the little village of Clarksburg, we could see the bride over the river before we could see her house -- and that river and bridge meant we were almost there. It was like home, or maybe just the home we all wished we could live at forever. 

Aunt Maggie was not only accomplished at being an all-around wonderful person, she was an accomplished and talented artist. The walls of that wonderful house were full, right to the ceiling in some rooms, of her paintings; acrylic, oil, and my favourite, watercolour. Every room had some remnant of art in progress or put aside; jars and jars of pens and pencils and brushes in window sills, bookcases and counter tops. Kitchen drawers with scrap papers, turned over to find a fast little sketch by her, so much more perfect than anything I could have ever slaved over or hoped to have drawn myself.

I don't know if she ever painted the Beaver River or sketched the bank. I think she must have. Perhaps I just never noticed, maybe I never took the time to look. I wish I had, because I am certain she would have captured it the way I remember it, and the way I cannot do myself.

Supplies:

Modern Mercantile - Miscellany

Plastic Ribbons - Celebrate

Feathers - Cardstock

Vintage Mini Deck - Basics

Ashley Calder and her JBS Supplies

Hi everyone!

A few days ago I felt inspired by the beautiful weather I believe we will have someday (after a week of thunderstorms, I am holding out hope we will see the sun eventually!) and a trip to the antique market to put together a kit of my favourite Jenni Bowlin Studio products that inspired me and made me feel ready for summer.

Here is a little video tour of my DIY JBS kit, plus a sneak of the layout I just couldn't wait to get started on! See the full layout below.

This photo is of a rare moment in which the Very Busy Ruby Sky climbed up on top of me for a fast cuddle before she was off again. Thank goodness for handy iPhones so I could grab photo evidence of this fleeting moment! She is as sweet as anything, but cheap with the lovies. :)

I was having a really hard time getting the bones of this layout down until in a moment of confusion I accidentally put down the "family sewing machine paper" sideways, and I totally loved it! It transformed this awesome paper into something that I couldn't help but be drawn to, to read the labels, to a fun graphic paper that resembles stripes. After that, the rest pretty much fell into place! 

I love these little 4x4 JBS papers (either from the individual pads or from the newer cut-apart sheets). They are so perfect for laying and tucking under bits.

I glittered up a vintage millinery leaf with some fine grain German glass glitter. I arranged them on a pleated vintage satin ribbon along with a JBS feather tag and a JBS rhinestone bow. 

I love using these oversized single JBS rub-ons for layering! They add just the right amount of interest to a page without taking it over. And this JBS chipboard star done up in heat embossed silver glitter looks great on top of the silver rub-on.

Love these gold numeral crown rub-ons!!!

Thank you Ashley for an inside look into how you choose your JBS products for your gorgeous projects!

Ring in the New Year with a Garland Card!

Hi everyone!

This is Ashley today, with a fun garland card to help someone you love ring in the new year. I like the idea of sending Happy New Year cards during the holiday season, because I am never quite with it enough to get Christmas cards out on time! I like to think that everyone also enjoys good wishes for a New Year, too. 

This Happy New Year card is packaged in a piece of vintage ledger paper.  I just folded it over so the finished card would fit inside. I used a seal from the JBS Black Skinny alphas, stuck it to paper, ran it through my typewriter, and trimmed around the edge. I securely adhered the top portion of the seal to the top fold of the card. Then I put a TINY bit of ATG adhesive on the bottom portion of the seal that overhangs the top flap, so it is just a tiny bit sticky. This means the seal holds the card wrapper shut, but releases easily without tearing the ledger paper when it is time to open (which as you can read, is not supposed to be until 2013!)

Once opened, the recipient is greeted with a tag addressing the card to them, and an lovely pile of black and white clocks, chevrons, and dictionary paper stars. The "to" tag and the clocks are both from the new Red/Black Collection 2012 Accessory Sheet paper.

The recipient carefully begins lifting their card by pulling on the black and white chevron tab...

and the coutdown begins! The clocks begin at 10... 9... 8...

and JBS Grey Skinny Alpha numbers on the same vintage ledge paper continue the countdown.

7... 6... 5...

4... 3... 2...

ONE!

Happy New Year! 

The hand-holding-a-card is also from the new Red/Black Collection 2012 Accessory Sheet paper. I typed directly on it by inserting it into my typewriter. I added a single black star sticker from the JBS Black Skinny Alpha Stickers for a simple embellishment at the bottom.

One last black seal is sewn at the end, to sign your name on or add a brief sentiment to. 

And, when the card is all opened, it makes a fabulous garland! Just big enough to drape across a fireplace mantle, hang from a shelf, or from the top of  a large frame.

Thanks for stopping in today!

-- Ashley.

Thank you Ashley for such a charming and unique New Year's Card!

Christmas 2012 Advent Tag Seet

Hi everyone!

This is Ashley here today, with my first JBS Inspiration blog post as a JBS Ambassador! I was very excited to see Jenni's Christmas 2012 line and knew right away I wanted to make a home decor project with it. I loved the shade of red paired with that lovely cream colour. I couldn't resist adding in some gold and glitter, because it just doesn't feel like the holidays to me, without some shine and sparkle!

I used JBS Christmas 2012 papers, and lots of other great JBS products to make a set of 25 Christmas tags. These could be used as an advent calendar: add numbers and hang one a day, or hang them up daily on little numbered pins. I think they would also be great strung along a fireplace front as a garland, or even given away as gift tags on holiday presents. Or, how cool would they be hung on a Christmas tree? Right now I have them displayed on a large idea board frame.

Here are all 25 tags together. I used shipping tags and some of the new JBS Perforated Paper Tag sheet for others. Some have no actual tag component at all, while some are made like fair ribbons. I tried to use a variety of supplies and really just stuck to the red, cream and gold theme. I also pulled out some of my favourite vintage supplies for this tag set. There are some very similar pieces available at the JBS Mercantile Flea Market, or that sometimes come with the JBS Antiquarian add-on kit, like vintage pen nibs, vintage trims, and vintage milk caps.

For the first four tags. I was heavily inspired thinking about fair ribbons and letters to Santa. The numeral 1 star is from the Christmas 2012 Accessory Sheet, and so is the bingo chip bordered tag behind it. For the second tag, I topped a gold tissue paper ribbon with a medium Printed Flag Tags in Kraft and a vintage jingle bell. The lovely Christmas 2012 Calendar paper is just embellished with a leaf coated in gold German glass glitter -- and I love the simplicity of this tag. The mini envie tag is stuffed with a Clear Typewriter Stamp, a vintage pen nib, and a sweet little  Postage Stamp Airmail Sticker

Lots of new JBS Christmas products in this next set, and some of my stashed faves. The bank of happiness bank note is from the Christmas 2012 Accessory sheet, and there is some Bingo Piece paper, and some Mini Bingo Piece paper. I love using button cards as a complete embellishment, and this great cream and gold JBS button card was perfect for this set! I used a 25 cent General Store postage stamp sticker, and a Postage Stamp Label Sticker on the glitter-filled test tube. The Accessory Sheet also has some great little to-from tags, and I cut the banner out to wrap around the bottle brush tree. The happy flash card seemed like a good choice to go over the vintage eye and hook card, because, well -- Christmas is a happy time!

How awesome would these vintage test tubes be made into a set of ornaments, like the one above?

This give Silhouette mini deck card was too perfect for a Christmas tag! I layered it over one of the big red lined tags from the perforated tag paper sheet. It is topped with a paper bow made out of the mini pattern sheet. The red game card is also from the new lotto mini deck set -- love the way a non-themed piece can look perfectly festive if in the right colour! The Christmas Ribbon paper sentiment made such an easy embellishment for the game card and key tag; I think this paper is going to make holiday card-making fast and lovely! 

A red label from Red Black Line Extension IV Accessory sheet, a gift tag from the Christmas 2012 Accessory sheet, and a few pieces of paper and ribbon filled out the rest of these tags above. I really love  JBS Accessory Sheet patterned paper sheets. They are such good value, and so useful. I like cutting them up as soon as I get them and store the pieces in with my other labels and cards, so I can pull out whatever colour is needed for a current project.

 To see the rest of the tags in the set and close up-details of all of them, please come visit my blog, things that shine.

It is too early to say happy holidays, but definitely not too early to start some happy holiday crafting!