Make it Monday with Paper Trey Ink

This weeks Make It Monday Challenge is a color inspired challenge.  I chose this particular challenge but there are several others on the PTI blog that you could choose from. 

I just got the new strawberry patch and garden variety 2 stamp sets and had to use them.  The even have fabulous matching dies.  This is what I came up with. 

And look at my gorgeous flowers in the background:)  Thanks for stopping by and I'll be back with another project soon. 

My first quilt!

I know it's been a while since I've posted, 25 days to be exact. My friend Pam called to tell me to get  blogging, so here I am!   Life just sometimes gets in the way, and honestly I need to get taking more pics so I can post more.  I know that there are projects here just waiting for some attention.  What have we been doing, it sure seems like a lot.... my husband has started a new job and I have been able to do some traveling with him while he trains for his new position. it's been nice getting some pre- summer swims in in the hotel pools. And we found 2 awesome Mexican restaurants during our travels. Weekends we spend getting caught up around the house, we mulched, planed a new tree, blueberry bushes and of course mow the dandelions twice a week already!
I did manage to stay creative during our adventures and was able to finish my first quilt. I have to thank the Rose of Sharin Quilt shop in Danville PA for being such a wonderful shop to spend a few nights learning the fine art of quilting, I took a 2 night class and it was so helpful to learn the basics of rotary cutting as well as the very useful unsewing technique. (doesn't that sound so much nicer then seam ripping) I chose a very pretty fabric from The Buggy Barn for the quilt, the star pillow is a Basic Grey pattern and the big pillow is just one I made up with the scraps.  It's huge!  I had to make my own pillow form because I couldn't find one big enough. I was also lucky enough to get a new quilting sewing machine, it is heavenly to sew with!  It's a Janome QC 4800. It does all kinds of fancy stuff.  I just have to learn how to use it all! 

I'm looking forward to my next quilting project. 

Thanks for stopping by:) 

Happy April 1st!

This months April challenges are up at Paper Secrets along with a Design Team Call.  So head over and check out all the challenges and consider applying for the call.  I've had a blast the last few months on the team and can't wait to see who is chosen to fill the open spots. 


This months projects should be based on this sketch. Remember you can interpret the elements anyway you like. Flowers can be hearts, and ribbon can be twine ect.

**For this challenge, you will need to create a NEW card based on the sketch above and upload it to the gallery! That's it! :)


**Entries are due by April 30, 2012 11:59 PST

**Be sure to add the keyword "jccs5" to your gallery upload

**Uploading your entry here and into the gallery by the due date will get you entered into the random drawing to receive a $10 gift card to Paper Secrets Store.





Here are the fabulous DT cards!

Nicolle

Rochelle

Me

Doris

Hope you get the chance to play along!

Paper Secrets April Challenges

Hello everyone, hope spirng has sprung where you are!  Here the trees are blossoming, the flowers are budding, some even blooming and the grass is a beautiful green.  I just love spring and all the pretty spring colors.  Today I want to share with you a few projects for the Paper Secrets April Challenges.  You can play along by stopping by Paper Secrets, make a new project for eat challenge you would like to participate in, then upload your project to the Paper Secret Gallery.  Then be sure to check out the Paper Secrets Store to find the products used in my page and cards. 

First up, is this months fabulous sketch by Rochelle Spears.

and this is my page

Next up is my card sketch
and this is my card

And finally for todays post is a challenge to use handmade spring flowers. 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you can join us for this months challenges!

Papertrey Ink March Blog Hop

I love this months blog hop challenge!  The colors are just gorgeous and just reminds me of spring. 

from the PTI blog HERE!

We are excited to get back to our inspiration challenges for the blog hop each month. For the month of March we wanted to focus on sunshine and the upcoming spring season. What better way to do so than with a fresh color scheme of aqua & yellow. Use the inspiration piece as a jumping point for your color scheme, pattern combinations, overall design or whatever else inspires your creativity. We look forward to seeing your creations on March 25th!

I would have loved to use more yellow but I don't have a bold yellow ink that I really love.  I guess that something for my every growing wish list! 

Here is my take for the challenge:

Thanks for stopping by:) 

Paper Secrets March Challenges

Hello everyone, March has definately come in like a lamb this year.  I'm holding out that the lion will just relax this year and we go right into summer, or at least an extended spring would be so nice! 

I wanted to share with you soem of this months Paper Secrets Challenges.  You see all the challenge and can play along by visiting the Paper Secrets Forum, making a new project for any of the challenges and upload your project to the Paper Secrets Gallery for a chance to win one of 4 Paper Secrets Gift Certificate!  Now who couldn't use a little extra spending money! 

Here are a few of my projects for this months challenge. 

I hope you get a chance to stop by and play along!

Page Maps sketch challenge!

I loved this sketch so thought I would do a page for this months Page Maps/Websters challenge.   I love Webster's Pages and this gave me a perfect opportunity to put some of my scraps to use.  You can see the sketch on the Page Maps blog here.  And this is my page. 

Thanks for stopping by and have a fabulous week! 

SLICED! A Sewing Competition by Moda Bake Shop!

I'm having so much fun sewing this week!  This is my third entry in the Sliced competition. I've had this lamp sitting around, waiting for a little love.  So today I took it to the garage an gave it a coat of white spray paint. I was thinking it would match my studio if it were white, but then once I started playing with the Fandango Moda Fabrics I just couldn't stop.  So now most of what I had painted is cover, but it looks way cute! 

I started with fat a Fat Quarter Bundle of Fandago by Kate Spain for Moda.  I thought I had better take a picture of the name because I can never seem to remember the lines once the little salvage is cut off, and don't you know someone asked me this week!  That was my first lesson learned.....

I started with a yard sale left over lamp, and I say that because someone was actually going to toss the lamp and I needed some extra light in my studio so I rescued it!  The shade was paper so it was easily discarded and replaced with my handmade frilly, pretty, girly shade! 

I wasn't quite sure how to get the best photo so I took several with the lamp on....

and this one with the lamp off so you can see the natural color of the gorgeous fabrics! 

My second lesson was to see if the lamp actually comes apart before you decide to change it, it took a bit o rewireing to put the fabric on the base, but it was so worth it! 

From the Moda Bake Shop Blog:
The Challenge? All audition submissions must be some sort of Office/Studio Accessory.


It can be anything that would be used on or at an Office or Studio setting.

Sewing Basket of Mystery Items:

Fabrics used must feature at least one type of Moda precut. Additional Moda fabrics may be used to complete your project.

Project must use at least one type of buckle. This can be any size, shape or color.

Project must also include Quilt Batting somewhere in or on the project.

My project used:
Moda Fat Quarters from the Fandango Line.
I used 2 buckles as decoration on the shade.
I used batting to add a layer of stiffness to the lamp shade. 
 
Now that I'm reading "somewhere" on the project for the Quilt Batting I'm wondering how I can use Batting in a unique way?!  I guess you'll have to come back and visit to find out!

Papertrey Ink Blog Hop!

This month, it's all about being interactive! Show us how you take your cards to the next level, whether you have received your Movers & Shakers dies, or you're just inspired to create a pop up or swinging card without them. There are so many options for this theme, and we can't wait to see what you have to share!



I made a pop up card for the challenge.  I love the natural look of green with just a pop of color.  I found the vintage button in a box of sewing supplies from my aunts house. 

Supplies:
Papertey Ink: Vintage Cream Cardstock, Mellon Berry Cardstock, Pacific Vineyard Patterned Paper, Spring Moss and Ripe Avacado Ink, Bloom Builders 3, Mat Stack 1 and Edgers 3 dies. 
Other: Martha Stewart butterfly punch, glue dots, Momento Black ink, Vintage button

And finally I wanted to share my weekend craft project.  I made a magnetic holder for my PTI dies.  It's awesome!  I'll be making another so I'll have room for my new release order dies!  I'm so excited, and love this storage method already! One o the things I do is use a label machine and add the name to the dies, so it's easy to identify.  Awesome! If I do say so myself!

Thanks for stopping by and have a fabulous weekend!

Blog name....

It's a little out dated, after all my blog is about more then paper. It's still about passion, but my passion is growing. I think it may be a passion for color, that is all things colorful, although I still like back and white and I find shades of grey to be among my favorites as well. So where do I go from here. My blog needs a makeover, my blog name needs a makeover, I have to continue using AshjoyJcasaldi because Joyce is never available when I sign in forums (after all it is a very pretty name, and some what unique in this day and age) today's ponderings will be about my blog name, and I invite you to weigh in.

My creative bug.....

I've been sewing up a storm the past few days. It's been a stressful few days but I guess that seemed to get my craftiness flowing. I started out by making a cute little basket for some of my sewing notions, then one of my online friends (hi Lori!) told me about a sewing contest. I looked over the details and decided I had enough of a charm pack left to make a iPad case to enter.

I started by making 2 inch squares of the Moda charm pack, then decided the fabric looked like it would go perfect with a little country twist, so I finally retired my favorite pair of Chico jeans, made a trip to the thrift store for a fifty sent belt, added a layer of batting and coordinating fabric for the inside and this is my end project.



I then made a trip to Rose of Sharin quilt shop for the beautiful Lovely by Moda fat quarters and came home to start another project. This is my fat quarter basket. No more plastic bags to bring home my pretty fabrics!

While I was there one of the owners told me about an upcoming quilt class. I've always wanted to know how to sew a quilt so I signed up. I'm very excited to make my first quilt. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Papertrey Ink 5th Anniversary Day 10 card!

Hello everyone!  Hope your Valentines Day is filled with love!

Today's challenge in celebration of PTI's 5th anniversary is to make an interactive card.  I made a card using some of my favorite PTI products.  First the adorable little envelope die holds a tea bag.  Then the card itself is a slider card.  The card actually opens like a normal card and hold the tea on the front then slides into an envelope decoratec with a PTI stamp tea pot.  I just love how this  project turned out! 

Papertrey Ink Anniversary Celebration Day 9!

Todays challenge is to incorporate butterflies into your project. 

Papertrey Ink Day 7, Card 1!

Another day of fabulous fun celebrating the Papertrey Ink Anniverary!  Be sure to stop by Nicole's blog and see a sneak of this months release as well, it's fabulous!

Papertrey Ink Day 6, Card 1!

Today's my Birthday and I've been celebrating with family so I'm not sure I'll be able to get more then one card in today, but I had fun squeezing this one in between the dinner, cake and candles! 

Today's challenge was to use one of the sketches fom the Papertrey Ink Blog to make your card.  You can find the sketches HERE.  http://nicholeheady.typepad.com/

Papertrey Ink Day Day 5!

Todays challenge was to use Pinterest as inspiration, so I found some yummy looking icecream cones and decided to use my ice cream cone die to make this little card. 

PTI is now on pinterest so there is tons of inspiration there as well, be sure to check it out!

Papertrey Ink Anniversary Celebration Day 4, Card 1!

Yeah, another day of challenges for the Papertrey Ink festivities and I am continuing with my tributes to the Papertrey Ink desingers.  This card is in honor of one of the new member of the team Ashley Cannon Newell. Thank you Ashley for sharing your fabulous cards with us!  Todays challenge is to use a combination of the designers favorite colors. 

These are Ashley's choices:

And this is my card.

I also used this months sketch from I heart to stamp

.