Inspiration!

I got two wonderful new books this month- The Best of Papercrafts Magazine (I "helped" my husband order this for me for Christmas) and The Best of Card Creations (thanks to a great coupon and gift card I had been holding on to at Borders). I snuggled up on the couch the other night and tagged some ideas and layouts I want to play with.
That might keep me busy for a while! Anyone wanna babysit an adorable 1 year old so I actually have time to try these ideas? :)

Happy New Year!

My wise mother has stopped sending out Christmas cards. Instead, she sends out New Year's cards. (Or sometimes mid-February cards... you know how that goes!) Anyway, this year she asked me if I would make some cards for her. Of course! And, since they were New Year's cards, that allowed me to procrastinate a little and get my cards done too. :) They were actually a card that I had already designed, but I think they are perfect for winter cards. Would you like some of your own? I'd love to make more for you! Just email me at cardsbyjessica@gmail.com with your request.
Best wishes to all of you for a peaceful 2011!

Christmas Cards

To be honest, my favorite, favorite, favorite cards to make are Christmas cards. Love them! If I have a good idea or even extra time, I'll make them year round. I love sending them, and I love receiving them.

But, most of my friends know I do a lot of cardmaking and that I make my own cards. So, the pressure's on! Each year, I have to create something unique and (slightly) impressive. Plus, since I'm making multiples, they also have to be easy, quick, and easy on the budget.

Here's what I came up with this year- I love the simplicity of it, but I also like that it has a little "bling."

And, I recently received a sweet thank you card from a friend that had the same concept as the wreath, but she used them as flowers with a different patterned paper in the center. Adorable! I think I might have to steal that idea from her!

Birthday Banner

A few weeks ago, my sweet baby girl turned ONE! Where has this year gone? We had her birthday party at our church, and I needed some easy decorations that I could easily hang and take down. I saw some birthday banners at a fall craft show, and decided to tackle one. A pack of paper and a spool of ribbon later, here's what we had:
It really turned out cute! Here are a couple of close-up pictures:

I think that these easy and fun banners might be a staple for all our parties now!

Welcome!

Why a blog? To be honest, I'm not sure. It's not like I need one more thing on my plate right now. Here's what I do know- I love to create, especially cards, and I love to share my creations. So, perhaps this will be a tool that I can share more effectively what I'm doing.

I also hope that I can be a part of the amazing blog world of crafters. I get so much inspiration from seeing what others do- it definitely challenges me to grow in my crafting.

Stay tuned for ideas, projects, and, of course, new cards! You can also follow me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cardsbyjessica.

Until next time...