My 365: 2012...

Hi, everyone!

I am SO excited about our May Arts/Helmar collaboration this week.  Whew!  So awesome! May Arts is one of my favorite ribbon companies and when I found out they were a preferred partner with Helmar I was pumped!

This week we are bringing you a TON of inspiration every day here on the Helmar DT Blog and I've got one that I'm really excited about.   As many of my  Facebook friends and blog followers know, I have been studying photography and recently began a "Project 365".  It's a huge commitment to take a photo EVERY DAY for a year.

Well, I've also been getting down on myself with my scrapbooking and lack of time for it lately but hey, we can't do EVERYTHING, right?  Or can we?   I decided that scrapbooking doesn't HAVE to be fancy and that Smash books were the perfect thing to document my 365 this year.   I started out with some gorgeous Orange Sheer Woven Rosettes and I knew that HAD to be my border :)   I glued down some Helmar 450 Quick Dry which is SO perfect especially for Sheer ribbon.  It dries clear and you'll never know it's there :)

Then I painted the outside of my book before it was time to glue down some of my favorite leaf satin cut outs from May Arts.  I have seen Tracy use these SO many times on some gorgeous canvasses and other projects and I was shrieking with delight when I saw these in my Design Team box.  Shrieking I tell ya!

I used Helmar 450 Quick Dry on the leaves as well and the Helmar nozzle makes it so easy to get some glue down even in a really thin space.  I love that!   

After I attached the stems, I cut out a few rosettes from the Orange and Red Sheer Woven Rosettes and used that for my smaller flowers.  I then took a gorgeous piece of purple ribbon from the Silky Crush line and began to roll/twist it into a ribbon rose:

I added a button and some felt clouds that my DD cut out for me and attached them with some ACID FREE Glue and here is the finished product:

I am so excited to have this book ready as I'm just about to print off my first week of 365 photos!  This is going to end up being sucha special keepsake memory for my family- I cannot WAIT!

Thanks for stopping by today and thanks so much to MAY ARTS for being so generous...be sure to check out more details today over on the HELMAR DESIGN TEAM blog...thanks!

xoxo,

Jess :)

Simply Adorable....

Introducing...

SIMPLY ANYA!

I couldn't resist creating a little sneak peek today for an upcoming project I'll be featuring on the TGF blog and Helmar Blog....

so today....here's a little sneak :

For more about SIMPLY ANYA, head over to the TGF Blog today to find out how you can WIN this new cutie who debuts on the Farm January 1st!  Also debuting today?

Our FOURTH and final TGF PREMIERE Farmer...Maria Therese Hatloy!

Please head over and give her a warm welcome!

Hope you all enjoyed your Christmas!

xoxo,

HELMAR HOLIDAY BLOG Hop!!!

Hi Everyone!

{{{I am SUPER excited to be previewing December stamps as the Guest for The Craft's Meow today, too- so PLEASE scroll down to check it out- thank you!}}}

It’s that time of year where we all start thinking of the holidays so what better way to get your Holiday spirit than a great Helmar Holiday Hop? Filled with so much Holiday cheer and some amazing projects featuring all the different Helmar Adhesives. 

That being said, WELCOME to my stop on the Helmar Holiday Hop. If you have been following along, you should have hopped here from CHERYL’s blog. If not, you just have to stop at the Helmar Blog and start from the beginning. There are goodies along the way and we don’t want you to miss a thing!

Today I am showcasing a few of my favorite HELMAR "All stars"...Acid Free Glue, 450 Quick-Dry adhesive, and Zap Dots!

I decided that since Toffee is one of my favorite treats, I might be stuffing a few stockings with this amazing Nashville Toffee that hubby brought home the other night!

However, this orange box will NOT due for Christmas so I decided to grab some Authentique paper (a Helmar preferred partner!) and some ACID-FREE glue and decorate!

Once I was done gluing the paper down, I wrapped it with a big satiny bow and then it was time to add these cute felt snowflakes.  I layered two of them using a Zap Dot.

Once this was done, I used some 450 Quick Dry to glue down the bling and also the button on the ribbon/bow.   I also glued down the felt snowflakes w/ the 450.  This stuff is the BEST for ribbon/fabric as it doesn't bleed or buckle and dries SUPER fast. It's miracle glue, I'm telling ya!

Here's one more shot of the finished product- a little sweet for the sweet :)

Thanks so much for stopping by, and make sure you leave a comment at every stop because the elves of Helmar will be giving away prizes to some lucky Helmar fans. Now hop on over to TRUDY's blog to see another amazing Helmar Holiday project. The Holiday Hop will be open for comments until 11:59P.S.T December 4^th , so take a look and enjoy a little holiday spirit from all of us on the Helmar Team. Thanks again for stopping by today and MERRY CHRISTMAS, everyone!  Tis the season- it's beginning and I'm getting excited!

xoxo,

Time for Friends...and WINE!...

Hey everyone! I'm so excited to be posting a fun card and project using HELMAR adhesives and  {Ippity} stamps today!  I have a super FUN project featuring the adorable new set titled, "Time for Friends and Wine" that was just released at the beginning of October!

This set is fresh off the press and with the holidays coming up (right around the corner- there's no escaping this, ha!), we all could use a quick and EASY hostess gift on hand, right?
I took a bottle of wine and made a fun label featuring some super glittery and fun paper from My Mind's Eye.  I just happened to have this brad with a clock on it.  I loved that it was "Time" for friends and Wine and so it worked out perfectly:

I'm still a sucker for frilly, floral trim so I adhered some trim on the top when I was done to give this an even prettier flair to the bottle:

...and I could NOT have done any of this without my Helmar cast of characters!  I am NOT kidding!  I used Acid Free glue to glue down the label all the way to the edges.  This is super important when you're glueing anything that curves because the paper edges can lift all to easily sometimes.  I then took Helmar 450 Quick Dry to glue the floral trim down (Webster's Pages Bloomers :).  LOVE this trim. 
Of course, no hostess gift would be complete without a card, right?  Here's a closeup of a quick and simple card I made.  The best part?  All of the papers were scraps from the wine label!   Again, it was Helmar to get the job done.  These papers are SOOOO glittery that a normal tape runner wouldn't cut it. I used 450 Quick Dry for the entire card and flowers.

I hope you guys enjoyed my project today!  I had a blast making this and can't wait to give it away!  This project is featured on the HELMAR USA Design Team Blog today and will also be on the Unity Blog this evening....a "Triple feature" if you will...hope it's worthy!See you all soon!  For a list of where you can buy {Ippity} stamps, click here.
xoxo,Jess

All Things Grow with LOVE...and a giveaway!

Hi, everyone!

I'm so excited to be back on the Helmar Design Team blog today with another recycled project using some Helmar showstoppers:
*Acid Free Glue
*450 Quick-Dry, and
*Zap Dots!
Today I want to show you how I keep a lot of loose odds and ends that either a.) don't have a real "spot" in my craft desk or b.) I have maybe one or two leftover from a pack and I probably won't refill or replace it.   (a girl's gotta have some variety in her crafting, right?  ;)


I have a few of these little 'odds and ends' jars and I'm actually GIVING THIS ONE AWAY today!

I think there were flowers in this jar originally, and they've all been used.  I've been storing leftover ribbon from card kits I've bought online, some lefover brads, charms, a few flowers, and some other odds and ends in this one and as you can see it's very plain and 'blah'.
I decided to give this a little makeover using some paper and some Maya Road (a Helmar preferred partner!) rose ribbon.  It's SO pretty!

I started by adhering the paper with some ACID FREE GLUE.  After a few layers I added a label and was already loving how this was looking ;)

I then took 450 QUICK-DRY and applied a thin layer where I wanted to lay down my rose ribbon.   450 QUICK DRY is the BEST for ribbon, fabrics, etc.  It dries clear and super fast, and doesn't bleed through even the sheerest of fabrics such as this ribbon.  It's a MUST have in your crafting area!

After this was done, it was time to decorate the lid.  I did use 450 QUICK-DRY on the paper for the lid because the lid is a bit transparent and I didn't want any glue lines on the inside/bottom of the lid.  It worked fabulously!


Last but not least I took some circle 1/4" White ZAP DOTS and added them to the back of the rose sticker to give it some dimension- love the look!

Here's the final result, what do you think?

Thanks SO much for letting me come and hang with y'all on the Helmar blog today.  DID YOU SEE thenews?  It's ABOUT THAT TIME for the 2011-2012 DESIGN TEAM CALL and Tracy has all the detailsHERE....we would LOVE for you to apply!


I'll be posting on Helmar's FACEBOOK page, with my project here today, too!  Are you following us on Facebook?  Our page is hoppin', fun, and FULL of inspiration so make sure to head over if you're not there already...once you "like" us, come back here and leave a comment and I'll draw one random winner on MONDAY, 10/17 (so please comment by Sunday at 11:59pm CST! and post the winner on MONDAY!  All you have to do is go "like" Helmar or let me know that you do already!  Cuz really....what's not to like?  And we can ALL grow better with love ;)


Love to all,
Jess :) 



PS...thank you to my SWEET and beautiful daughter Madelynn for helping me take some of the pictures!  <3

"You and me, baby, we're stuck like GLUE..."

Hey, everyone!

I'm SO excited about my DT post on the Helmar Blog today!  I have been wanting the "Glue Daddy Caddy" for a while now and when my box came from Tracy the other day I was ecstatic! Tracy's dad (aka "Glue Dad") makes these amazing holders for all my Helmar goodies and I couldn't WAIT to decorate :)   Here's what it looks like when you order it:

...and here's the "AFTER!" 

I have to say that I'll always be the "pink girl" but I am REEEALLY loving the color yellow lately.  It's just so happy and cheery and I find myself reaching for it a lot.   So, I painted my Glue Daddy Caddy and waited for it to dry...

Next step was the Helmar Crackle Medium.  OMG, I LOVE this stuff.  Don't let the fact that it's a 2 step process fool you- it's actually UBER easy!  The hardest part is waiting for step 2 to dry and see your results..but even that only took about 30-45 minutes!  Check out this closeup of the crackle:

(TIP: to make your crackle stand out more, use distress ink of some sort and rub all over surface to 'fill in' the cracks, then wipe off excess ink!  Easy peasy and FUN!)

Next up was to 'seal the deal' with Helmar Acrylic Sealer- GOOD stuff.  Makes it so shiny and smooth!

After I crackled, I took one of my favorite stamps from Ippity (Unity), "Music of my Heart" (LOVE this set)  and I stamped it in Black StazOn all over the top and front of my Glue caddy.

I then wrote on the back of it in a Black Sharpie- one of my favorite quotes!   The flowers are dark grey Webster's Pages "bloomers" and I really love how they 'pop' on the yellow and black!  I had to girl it up a little, ya know?  :)

What do you guys think?  You will definitely have to check out the Glue Daddy Caddy- I love my 'Deluxe" version that has 2 side pockets- perfect for all my zap dots, liquid scrap dots, all of it!  Here's a view of the side pocket:

...and here's the finished product one more time:

Be sure to stop by the Helmar DT blog today too for more info and thanks as always for stopping by!  I have a REALLY exciting announcement tomorrow so stay tuned!

You are AMAZING, and you are LOVED...

...don't you think every child deserves to hear those words at least once a day?   I do, so I made this bookmark for my eldest child who LOVES to read so that she is reminded every time she looks at it :)

 
Hey, guys!    Jess here and I'm excited to be showing you a quick and EASY project using Helmar products and some gorgeous "DEW DROPS" from The Robin's Nest!
My daughter was telling me she loved the bookmark I got her but wanted one to keep at school, also.  I wanted this one to be extra special so I started by cutting up some of my favorite patterned papers and cut the bookmark base 6.25"x2.25".  I cut some paper strips on a diagonal to add dimension and some contrasting color.
 
I then took Helmar GEMSTONE GLUE and added a thin line of glue across the diagonal lines that the paper formed.
 
Adding rows of Robin's Nest Dew Drops, I really started to have fun with it.  My daughter loves 'bling' and texture so I added a few rows and the great thing about GEMSTONE GLUE is that it HOLDS!!!  It also dries clear as you can see here:

 
I then took some Maya Road rose ribbon (another Helmar preferred partner!) and added it to the bookmark, finally stamping out the sentiment and adding some ribbon at the top (also Maya Road).

 
The best part about this project?  Seeing my daughter's face when it was done.  She absolutely squealed in excitement and that always makes me happy.  She is in 6th grade and tested at a 12th grade reading level this past year.  I am SO super proud of her and am thrilled that she loves to read so much.

 
Thanks for letting me share with you this project for my amazing girl....and be sure to check out my post on the HELMAR DT blog today, too!  Thanks and have a great Wednesday, everyone!
xoxo,Jess :)

Sampler Spotlight: It's the Little Things...

Hi everyone!

I'm back today with a special post that not only introduces this week's "Deconstructed Sketch", but also it's time for a new 6x6 Sampler Pack demo from Claudia and Company!

First thing's first, here are my three cards using the "It's the Little Things" 6x6 sampler pack :), the first one being for the Deconstructed Sketch (DS16)...here's the sketch:

...and here is my card using the Unity Itty Bitty "Call Me" available at Claudia and Company!

I have to say (and I told my good friend Jen this ;) this sketch scared me a teensy tiny bit...but I really love how it came out!  We definitely have a TALENTED group of ladies using this sketch today so be sure to check them out- links are on my sidebar thanks!

Next up is the super adorable "Hello friend' from another Unity Itty Bitty that is carried at Claudia and Company.  I love the old postage look and the pink patterns on this one:

Last but not least, I adore this keychain stamp, "No greater Love", also by Unity Stamp Co. and available at Claudia and Company:

I added a few flowers here and they are Fancy Pants coordinating "It's the Little Things " flowers available in the shop.  Love that they match perfectly with this pretty paper :)

Thanks SO much for stopping by today and be sure to check out all the NEW 6x6 sampler packs and 6x6 pads of paper that Claudia as in the store!  Fall is sure to bring us some more stamping FUN with TONS of new patterned papers and you know me, I'll want to try them all :)   Thanks tons and happy shopping, everyone!