A Thousand Sheets Giveaway

OMG!  Have you ever seen such an amazing giveaway?  I don't think I have.  You have to go visit A Thousand Sheets of Paper to enter this awesome giveaway.  It's super easy to do.  Just click the link! You have a chance to win 200 sheets from this stack of paper and even more if you can believe it!  There are 5 chances to win!  Woot woot!          Good luck!         

Interactive Card Hop

*SCROLL DOWN A POST FOR THE HAWAII THEMED BLOG HOP*

Note:  My project for today's Hawaii post is not new.  We were required to post only one project (two if we had time, which I did not.)

Good morning everyone and welcome to the Interactive Blog Hop!  This hop is going to be a blast.  If you arrived here from Suzanne at Cricut Craftin' Grammy you already know this. :0) This is a two day hop so if you missed anything from yesterday or today, be sure to start at the beginning of the hop with super sweet Monica at Scraps 2 Treasure and check out all of yesterday's and today's posts.  I am just in the hop today, but there were some amazing projects yesterday too!.

My project assignment was to create a diorama card, which, until this hop, I had never heard of before!  So I found a very helpful little video on You Tube from jenstampsdotcom and went from there.  So since this was the first card of this type that I have ever made, I did make a few little mistakes (like if you use a thin paper rather than card stock for the center piece, glue it onto a piece of card stock first to make it less flimsy), but now I think I have it figured out for next time!  Hope you enjoy it anyways.  I'm still quite happy with my little card.  It was unbelievably easy and I think once you've made one, you'll remember how to do it again in the future.  I am going to make tons of these for Christmas this year because I don't know a single person in my network of friends/family that have ever seen a card like this! :0)

 Doesn't it look like a little theater? ;)

 There are three pieces of paper/cardstock used for a diorama card.  One for the back with the stamped image, one for the middle to add a little depth, and one for the front for obvious reasons.  I forgot to take a picture of how cute this folds down to be mailed, so please check out the tutorial posted above to see what that looks like.

 Used a stamp from Hobby Lobby, Stickles, paper is from the Cloud 9 Design Seasonal 12x12 paper pack, lace from stash, beaded string from stash, ink is from Stampin' Up.

Easy Peasy and pretty cute too! :0)  

Well thanks so much for stopping by today.  I would love to hear your comments so please feel free to leave them! :0)

Continue your journey by heading to the lovely Rachelle at Creations by Rachelle.

XO ~ Amy Jo

P.S.  For my regular followers, I just had to share my day with you.  For the first time in like ten years or so I actually went to a crop at an Archiver's store and got to meet the uber talented Amber from Staying Crafty. It was the first time we met and we had such a blast!  You have to check out her blog as she is extremely talented.  Would you believe we forgot to take pictures??? We even spoke of it beforehand! :p

I spent more than my budget because I didn't realize Archiver's is sooooo big and they have just about EVERYTHING!  OMG!!!  I made a fantastic haul and if I remember, I'll take some pics and post it tomorrow.  It was so nice to get out of the house and do something that I really enjoy. So, rather embarrassingly, I spent almost the whole time shopping even though I packed a HUGE rolling tote, three
carry totes, two big purses, and one plastic bin of supplies!  I only made this one card! LOL  How ridiculous.  I feel like a huge dork for bringing so much stuff.  I just have to have tons of variety just like when I pack for a trip, cause I never know what I'll feel like working on.  Next time, I'm just bringing basic tools and that's it! LOL

* ------------------------------------------------------------------*

Hawaii Theme Blog Hop Aug. 20 & 21st

Hi Everyone and Good Morning!  Today is the day of many hops. LOL  I am actually only in TWO, but there are a TON more going on that I am aware of.  First of all if you just happened upon my blog then you should start at the very beginning... a very good place to start... ahem, (every time I type that I think of the Sound of Music :p) at the lovely Nicolette's blog since she is the one who is hosting this great hop.  If you arrived here from Ellen - The Card Monkey's Paper Jungle, then you are in the correct spot!

When I heard Nicolette was doing a Hawaiian themed blog hop I just had to be in on it!  I have been dying to do a scrapbook layout and also to use my Luau cartridge that I won in a blog hop from Anita Chavez.  I'm sorry, but I can't remember her blog! :(  (Anita, if you read this and remember that I won this from you, please post your blog address so I can add it here!)  Anyways, this was my first time using that adorable cartridge and I just LOVE it!!!  It's easy and perfect if you ever take an island vacation. :0)  Now onto my project!  (Picture heavy and wish the pics would have shown the true saturation of the bold colors I used.  They look washed out, but trust me, they are bright!)

My sweet husband took me to Maui (before we were in a relationship) in 2009 when I started getting really sick with Fibro and had just gotten my diagnosis. I have been dying to work on these pics and put them into an album, but I have obviously been years behind!  Here's my very first Maui layout.  We attended a pig roast/Luau and these are some pics of that experience!  

Closeup of accents - Luau is coated in Glossy Accents, I used Stickles to outline some of the letters and tips of the leaves.

 Stickles and inked edges - Luau cartridge (2 layers)

 Punchout letters from Colorbok Scrap Pack (Bright).  I punched holes in the tops and bottoms of the letters and strung raffia through them.  Then I Stickled the circular letters.

 Another full view from a bit of a distance to better see raffia frame.

 This flower was layered and created with the Luau cartridge (4 layers total) and Colorbok papers, along with green cardstock.  I Stickled and inked edges.  The leaves are part of the palm tree image.

 Closeup of the ceremonial pig and men in full Luau wear.

Well there it is!  I listed most of my supplies in the captions, but if there is something in particular you have a question about, please feel free to ask.  I'd love to hear your comments too!  This is a two day hop and I'm attending a crop tonight for the first time in years so I'm hoping to have a different layout for tomorrow.  Please stop by for that and the Interactive Blog Hop!

Thanks for joining us today!  Hope you had a blast!

XO ~ Amy Jo

Interactive Card Hop

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for stopping by to see my creation for the Interactive Blog Hop. My post for this particular hop is going to be for Day 2, which is tomorrow!  Now, just because I'm not a part of day 1 does not mean you shouldn't pop over to Monica at Scraps 2 Treasure to see what today's lineup has in store for you.  Wondering what "Interactive" means?  Well, it means just that!  We are featuring cards that are of the interactive nature.  I have never heard of several of these specific card types, but when I got my assignment, wow!  It's really awesome and I'm looking forward to sharing it all with you.  I found a fantastic tutorial online that I might just have to share with you as well so you can all make your own.  Wish I could tell ya what I am making, but that's a secret until tomorrow.  Thanks for visiting me today and be sure to come back tomorrow to see my project. :0)

XO ~ Amy Jo

Blog Hops Coming Up

Hey Everyone,

Wow!  I didn't quite realize this, but I am in at least 2 to 5 blog hops this weekend!!!  Please come by and check them all out!  Today is going to be a super busy day making all of the projects for each hop.  I have an interactive card hop, a Hawaii themed hop, and I don't even know what else, but I know there's more!

XO ~ Amy Jo

365 Days of Cricut - Birds and Birdcages Blog Hop

Hi All!  Welcome to the 365 Days of Cricut - Birds and Birdcages Blog Hop. As you can tell by the name and projects you have already seen, this hop is all about birds and birdcages! I was so excited when Sandra said I could be a part of this amazing hop!  I had the perfect paper in mind (DCWV Mariposa Stack) and the perfect embellishments (Recollections Boutique Fleur) so I couldn't wait to get started!  Of course, my illness took hold and I had to do this last minute as usual. I was really hoping to spend a couple of days sorting and working through this to make something super fantabulous, but I still am quite pleased with my creation even though I wasn't able to spend as much time on it as I had hoped.

If you arrived here from the super cool Monica - Simply Cricutting then you are in the right spot!  If you just happened to stop by my page and want to start at the beginning (which of course, you should!), then you will want to start with Sandra herself!  There is a list at the bottom of this post in case you get lost.  There is bound to be some awesome candy along the way and if you are interested in winning a little something from me, then be sure to become a follower and leave a comment with a way for me to reach you.  I will send a little handmade card and a few little fun items to the winner.  I will be drawing winners for all of my previous hops and this one by the end of this week.


Now onto my project!  This is quite picture heavy, but it had to be to show all the different layers and dimension.  Basically I used the Mariposa stack and took some of my favorite pieces, fussy cut them and layered them to make an awesome framed picture.  If you look really close, you can tell that there is adorable birdcage foiled matting around the whole thing, then a layer of black matting, then all the different pieces.  The butterfly wing is cut out to pop it up and the bird cage is a completely separate piece that is pop-dotted with a Recollections bird pasted on top of it.  I left the glass out of the frame so all of the dimension could show through.  Also, look closely at the moth panel... You'll see it flip up to reveal one of my favorite Jillian Vance stamps that says "Live Your Legacy".  I stamped it in a color that worked great on solid black, but not faded black, so had to draw over it with a gel pen, but I love it anyways!  Hope you all enjoy!

 Look closely to see the background birdcage foil paper...

 The birdcage with flowers was fussy cut and pop-dotted, the moth/butterfly was cut around the wing only to make it 3-D...

 The interactive flap...

 Live Your Legacy - on black paper with gold foil...

 A better view of some of the layers...

 Closeup of the wing and bottom of birdcage.  The birdcage is also foiled..

Well, there you have it!  My little work of art.  I think I'll either sell it or hang it up somewhere.  :0)  Here's the list in case you get lost.  Your next stop is the awesomely talented Corri.  Don't forget to leave me a comment and become a follower for a chance to win a little candy!





1. Sandra http://365daysofcricut.blogspot.com/  2. Ashley http://theglamoroussideofscrapping.blogspot.com/3. Nadia http://www.nadiasbeautifulmess.blogspot.com/4. Yolie http://www.justyolie.com/5. Celeste http://touchedbyabutterfly.blogspot.com/6. Mel http://scrappymel.blogspot.com/7.  Monica http://simplycricutting.blogspot.com/8.  Amy http://lv2scrapandfibrofacts.blogspot.com/9. Corri http://www.buglvr.blogspot.com/10. Carley http://the-real-icarley.blogspot.com/11. Sylvia http://www.bellascrapbookdesigns.blogspot.com/12. Jess http://www.kinderstampo.com/13.  Pam http://www.pammejo-scrapbookflair.com/14.  Laura http://www.makinprettythings.com/15.  Dee http://deesdesignsfrommyheart.blogspot.com/16.  Blue Crayons http://craftingwithblue.blogspot.com/

Thanks again for stopping by today!

XO ~ Amy Jo

P.S.  Thank you all for your well wishes.  I'm still in a lot of pain, but will do my best to keep up with things!

Illness Taking Over at the Moment

Hi Everyone,

I am so sorry that I didn't do either challenge for Jillian Vance or FCCB and I greatly apologize.  I am very, very sick right now and will be in and out.  Please hang in there with me.  I'll be back up and running as soon as I can!

XO ~ Amy Jo

Old School Cartridge Blog Hop - Aug. 5th and 6th

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Thursday's Tutorials

Hi All,

Be sure to stop over at FCCB to see the awesome tutorials we've found for you today!  There's not one, but two very fun tutorials and remember the theme this week is Friendship!  So please be sure to head over there today and check 'em out.  Let me know what you think!

XO ~ Amy Jo (FCCB Coordinator)

VHD Update

Hello all my lovely friends!  This is the second post of the day.  Please scroll down for my first.

With much deliberation I have regretfully decided to step down from the Vintage Heartfelt Design Team.  I absolutely love the projects they have going on over there, but I have accepted two personal business requests that will keep me very busy for the next few months and I don't feel I will have time to focus on everything I have going on so I had to cut something.  The ladies on the team have been so nice and I hope to remain friends with you all!

Please don't worry though!  I will still be very active with my other two design teams and hope to apply for one or two more this winter, when things slow down for me.  Honestly, I hope they don't slow down, but get busier, because that means I'm making money!  We all need that to survive right? :0)  I'm so happy with my life and with this amazing hobby (turning into career) that I just can't even put it into words.  I appreciate you all so much and especially Robin (FCCB) and Bunny (A Jillian Vance Design).  These ladies have put me on the map and that means the world to me.

Thank you all for following my blog and I look forward to all the wonderful things that will be coming up!  I already have about 10 new ideas just from last night of things I need to create for my home and will be posting here so stay tuned!

XO ~ Amy Jo

P.S.  Thank you Dee for letting me be a part of VHD for the short while I was able.  I appreciate it!

Vintage Ladies Celebrating at the Beach - Blog Hop (Updated)

UPDATE - 3:20 PM Mountain Time:  There was some confusion between our gals and our coordinator and this was supposed to just be a post, not a hop so please ignore the hop part, but do check out the other ladies lovely creations!  Sorry for this mix up!

(Earlier Post)
Hi there Friends!  I have been so bad.  I didn't get my project done for our Blog Hop today over at Vintage Heartfelt Designs (VHD), but I did have some awesome inspiration hit me in the middle of the night.  If you just happened upon my blog please start at the beginning (link is above).  If you arrived from Carol at Cardstock, Scissors, and Glue you are in the right spot!  

As I mentioned, I did get some inspiration so I went to my craft room and picked out my main "focus" for my project and then decided to choose some items to go with it.  Well, I'm one of those people that has to sort through everything and it takes me forever to put together a project.  I'm a definite over-thinker.  I just can't help it!  I don't usually whip something together real fast.  I like to weigh all my options! :0)  Obviously, that leaves me with no time to complete my challenge today; however, I wanted to give you all a little "sneak peek" of what's to come!  I am including here a picture of my incomplete project with the hopes that you all will come back to see the finished project!  I thought that maybe the supplies I have chosen to use might entice you to see the end result.  Please tell me if I'm wrong. ;)

The theme for this Hop is Vintage Ladies on the Beach with the inclusion of either/or sand and shells.  I like to call it Vintage Beach Babes. ;)  I happen to have the perfect paper line by Graphic 45 called "Boardwalk" which couldn't be better for this theme.  How lucky is that?  Yet, I have been so ill that I still didn't get my project done even though the lovely Dee (Coordinator/Owner of VHD) gave me plenty of time to do so.  I apologize to my other teammates too for not being done in time.  I really do put a lot of pressure on myself to get things done by the deadline, but sometimes my body just will not let me!  As you all know, I fell down last week and as silly as that seems, it really, really hurt me!  I twisted my knee, my calf, my shoulders got jolted (they always hurt), have some very deep wounds on one knee and scraped up the other one mildly.  I look like a little kid who's been pushed down about 100 times on the playground! :p  Feel like it too! LOL When you have fibromyalgia every little thing like that is amplified so much.  :(

Anyways,  thank you all for stopping by today and please be sure to visit our DT blog for the other awesome creations by my fellow vintage teammates.  I'm sure they will be amazing!

 What will I be making?  It's a secret! ;0)  It will include some of these papers and stamps though.

 This is the Beach Babe I chose to use.  Doesn't she have the life?  

What's that you see?  Could it be?  Yes, I think there may be some Jillian Vance stamps in there.  We'll just have to see where my imagination will take me in the next day or so.  Oooh, this is fun!

Your next stop is the talented Debbie at Debbie's Craft Time. 

Thank you all for humoring me while I have my fun.  (It's 3:00 AM so if I seem loopy it's because... I am!) LOL

XO ~ Amy Jo