Creative Blog Tour Questionnaire

I'm participating in a blog tour - I think I like that name better than "Blog Hop."  If you are following the tour than you have come to my site via Faith at Scrapbooker PhD.  These are the questions I have been asked to answer: 
1. What are you working on? 
Oh my goodness, so, so much!! Actually it has been bananas these last couple of weeks between VBS and summer camp.  I did some of the photography for Vacation Bible School and also helped out in the kitchen (not artsy - but believe me - we were definitely creative!)  Last Monday was the first day of camp and I was the first segment so I had a lot of prepping to do!  We started out with stations for the kids to roam freely.  I wanted to get a sense of their interests and abilities.  

Many of the girls hot glued flowers to floral wire to make crowns and jewelry while they boys flocked to the artist trading card station.  They  also created costumes out of fur scraps, feathers, tissue paper and fabric and did relief watercolor painting that we embellished with glitter and doodles. The next day we made giant marble runs using packing boxes, drain pipes and balls. 

Next week I am teaching Monday through Thursday for 2 different camps so I will have a lot of fun projects to share!

2. How does your work differ from others?
That is such a good question.  My work features a lot of color, impulsiveness and dimension.  Sometimes I aspire to clean, balanced, structured work but in the end my true voice wins.  I suppose it is balanced in an eclectic way but because I try to tell a story on a variety of levels, the balance is tiered.  I try to say something beyond the obvious with layering materials, varying styles and using a variety of techniques... kind of like a mix tape.  You know what I mean?

3. Why do you write/create?
If I don't create I feel emotionally constipated.  I'm sorry for the bathroom metaphor but it is the best way to describe the emotional bloating I feel when I am not accessing that part of myself.  Making things opens up my release valve. I love being creative - it is my soul's default state of being.   It is my resting place - my toll booth to joy.  I soar when I am creating.  I feel safe, authentic and alive.

4. How does your writing/creating process work.
Honestly, I look at my supplies.  My Cricut, my giant drawer of glue, a box of vintage buttons, a tub of modeling clay and the wheels start turning.  Say what you will about hoarding supplies- all I have to do is look at my stash and I start feeling the love.  And of course - if all else fails...Pinterest.

So now on to you!  I get to invite 3 fellow bloggers to join in the blog tour.  Please leave a comment or email me if you would like to join and I will get you all of the information!

Blog Hop and Cricut Cartridge Wild Card 2

Fantabulous Cricut Challenge Blog is hosting a blog hop this week!  Follow the links below to see our Design Team's projects and and meet our newest members plus win prizes! Finish up at the FCCB website and submit a project for a chance to win a set of clear stamps from Scrappy Moms.  This weeks challenge is to create a project using a sentiment.

This is my project using the Cricut cartridge "Wild Card 2."  This cartridge is relatively new and is fast becoming one of my favorite.  I love the artwork and the randomness of the projects.  Certainly there are a couple corny card projects but most of the designs are quite clever.  I will be offering more information about Wild Card 2 this week so make sure you pop over to learn more.

And now the details about my giveaway!

The winner will receive a copy of Cricut Mini Albums.  

It is loaded with tutorials and tons of inspiration.  And to make things interesting, I will also be revealing a few additional giveaway goodies on Tuesday! To enter this giveaway you can:

• become a follower (join this site)
• "like" me on Facebook
• pin a project from my blog.  

For each activity you do from the 3 choices you get an entry.  Let me know which activities you completed by leaving a comment. I will pick a name from the total number of entries on Sunday, January 12 at 5PM PST.

Here is the line up for the FCCB Blog Hop:

Amy HS The Stamping Tree

Emily Mollie's Blog 

Faith Scrapbooker PhD 

Heather Scrapping Runner Creations

Jackie Luv 2 Scrapp

Lynn My Cards N Stuff

Michelle Just a Nutter Papercrafter

Missy Quick Chick Designs 

Nikki Crafty Calamities 

Rebecca Crafting Misfit 

Elizabeth Unik by Yes

Cindy Creating with the Heart 

Pam Stamper at Heart 

Karla Creative Love Affair 

LB Cool Beans by LB

Jilliene Jilliene Designs

Joneita Create with Joneita

Kim Kim's Kreations

Pam O Reflections of my Art and Soul

Vinyl University and FCCB Cricut Crawl

Welcome to the Fantabulous Cricut Challenge Blog's "Cricut Crawl" (a Cricuty version of a blog hop), day one of "Vinyl University" sponsored by Cricket Vinyl Supplies, and if you are new to Jilliene Designing, welcome to my blog!

This week FCCB is challenging you to create a Cricut project using vinyl. You can purchase vinyl for your project at Cricket Vinyl Supplies using the coupon code: fantabulous for a 15% discount! 

Prizes, prizes, prizes... If 100 crafters submit a project for this week's Fantabulous Cricut Challenge Blog's challenge, Cricket Vinyl Supplies will give away a Cricut Expression package that includes:

• a Cricut Expression machine
• deep cut blade
• Jasmine Cricut cartridge
• ten 12” x 12” assorted sheets of matte vinyl
• one 12” x 12” gridded transfer tape. 

Winners will be selected by random.org so your project doesn't have to be an extravagant masterpiece to qualify to win!  You just need to use vinyl and one Cricut cut.

But wait!  There's more!  There will be Blog Candy (Prizes) at every one of the stops along the Cricut Crawl which means you have 18 opportunities to win crafty goodness. And there will be a Grand Prize up for grabs at FCCB for one of the participants who submits a project using vinyl.  That's a lot treasure to collect on your Cricut Crawl adventure.

Speaking of treasure, yesterday we threw my daughter a surprise pirate birthday party and there were eye patches, swords and hidden treasure for everyone.

 

This is how I used vinyl and my Cricut to add to the pirate party decor.  

 

I bought red, black and white balloons from the Dollar Tree and customized them using the Cricut cartridge "Life's a Party" and some of the fabulous vinyl sent to us by Cricket Vinyl Supplies.  (I point out that the vinyl they sent was "fabulous" because not all vinyl is created equally.  I learned this the hard way which I will share with you later this week.)

These balloons took me less than an hour and were so easy to make.  Stop by my blog tomorrow for step by step instructions on how to use Vinyl and any Cricut image to decorate balloons.

Now let's talk about the prize I will giveaway next Sunday, 7PM PST.  I just love the tools created by We R Memory Keepers and the Sew Ribbon is my new favorite.  I just purchased mine last Spring and now it seems like I incorporate ribbon sewing in almost all of my projects.  My absolute favorite design is the scalloped so I am giving away a Scallop kit, extra ribbon needles and some gorgeous red ribbon.

To enter for your chance to win:

1. Follow my blog by clicking the button "Join this Site" on the upper right and signing up.
2. "Like" Jilliene Designing on Facebook by clicking HERE.
3. Leave a comment below letting me know that you did both #1 and #2, plus introduce yourself and tell us if you have played with vinyl before.

Your next stop is with heather at Scrapping Runner Creations.  Make sure to visit all the stops along the way and when you get done, make sure you link up your project to FCCB's Fantabulous Cricut Crawl post!!


Here is the line up in case you get lost :

Robin http://robinscreativecottage.blogspot.com
YOU ARE HERE  -> Jilliene http://jillienedesigns.blogspot.com
Heather http://scrappingrunnercreations.blogspot.com
JoNeita http://createwithjoneita.weebly.com
Jackie http://luv2scrappp.blogspot.com
LB http://www.coolbeansbylb.blogspot.com
Connie http://www.conniecancrop.blogspot.com
Amy T www.craftingwithamy.com
Missy http://www.quickchickdesigns.blogspot.com
Cindy http://www.cindyvernon.blogspot.com
Rebecca craftingmisfit.blogspot.com
Catarina http://blog.docerelashop.com
Kim ogdendoll.blogspot.com
Emily molliemugsblog.blogspot.com
Amy HS http://thestampingtree.blogspot.com
Ro http://rodonner.blogspot.com
Lynn http://mycardsnstuff.blogspot.com
Michelle http://justanutterpapercrafter.blogspot.com

We are giving away a Cricut Expression!

I am so delighted to announce that Cricket Vinyl Supplies is sponsoring the Fantabulous Cricut Challenge Blog the week of Sept. 9th and, if we get 100 challenge entries, will giveaway a...

Cricut Expression!

On top of that, the entire Design Team will participate in a FCCB Cricut Crawl (our version of a blog hop), and each and every stop will have blog candy! The theme and challenge for the week is Vinyl. 

We are calling this week of excitment Vinyl University and there will be tutorials, project how to's, videos, tips, tricks and inspiration! 

If you would like a chance to win a Cricut Expression submit any type of project using vinyl. If you would like a chance at winning some fabulous blog candy, visit all 21 Design Team blogs and enter their drawings. Winners will be selected by random.org so your project doesn't have to be an extravagant masterpiece to qualify to win!  You just need to use vinyl and one Cricut cut.

Don't wait to the last minute! Get a head start and order your vinyl now!

Cricket Vinyl Supplies is offering a 15% discount to their already low prices.  Use the code: fantabulous.

4th of July Fantabulous Cricut Crawl - a Cricuty version of a Blog Hop!!

Welcome to Jilliene Designing and the 4th of July Fantabulous Cricut Crawl - a Cricuty version of a Blog Hop!!  If you've come from Jackie at Luv2scrappp, you're in the right place!

In honor of Independence Day each Fantabulous Cricut Challenge Blog Design Team member has created a project using Red, White and Blue (and at least one Cricut cut.) Visit each Design Team member's blog for a chance to win all sorts of goodies! Yay! for giveaways! There is a Grand Prize for one lucky winner who submits their own "Red White and Blue" project at FCCB!

  

For my red white and blue project, I decided to use the Cricut cartridge "Word Collage".  

I bought this cartridge a few years ago thinking that I would use the negative cuts for cards and scrapbook layouts.  The first time I used it was for a baby layout.  In order to fit the negative cut and a couple photos onto a 12 x 12" sheet of paper, I had to cut the collage pretty small. I set the size to 4". Well, try as I might, anything under 6" ripped, tore or shredded my paper.  I changed my blade.  I adjusted the pressure, speed and blade depth about a gazillion times but I still couldn't get a clean cut, so I put the cartridge away and didn't give it a second thought, until last week.

I really liked the layout for the 4th of July word collage and I had the perfect paper for it.  I used the red, white and blue sheet from the Danny O collection.  Thank goodness I had multiple sheets of that design because this project wasn't as easy as I thought it would be and I had already expected some trouble.  I will be posting an article later this week with a lot of useful information about working with Word Collage and a cartridge table of contents PDF for download.

Now let's talk about my giveaway!  I have a pretty excellent K&Company bundle for one lucky winner. All you have to do is become a follower of my blog, "Like" the Jilliene Designs Facebook Page and leave a comment below to win this K&Company Goodie Pack:

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

It's time to move on to the next blog, Create with JoNeita.  Thanks so much for popping in.  I hope to see you again soon! Have fun visiting all the blogs along the way and when you get done, make sure you link up your red, white and blue project to the Fantabulous Cricut Crawl post for a chance to win the Grand Prize!!

Here is the line up in case you get lost:

Amy HS  http://thestampingtree.blogspot.com/

Amy T   www.craftingwithamy.com

Angie  http://angiespaperpassion.blogspot.com

Catarina  http://blog.docerelashop.com/

Cindy  http://www.cindyvernon.blogspot.com

Connie  http://www.conniecancrop.blogspot.com

Emily  http://molliemugsblog.blogspot.com

Felicia  http://Sweetcreativemess.blogspot.com

Heather http://scrappingrunnercreations.blogspot.com/

Jackie  http://luv2scrappp.blogspot.com/

Jilliene  http://jillienedesigns.blogspot.com/   --YOU ARE HERE--

JoNeita  http://createwithjoneita.weebly.com/index.html

Kim  http://ogdendoll.blogspot.com

LB  http://www.coolbeansbylb.blogspot.com/

Lynn  http://mycardsnstuff.blogspot.com

Michelle  http://justanutterpapercrafter.blogspot.com/

Missy  http://www.quickchickdesigns.blogspot.com

Nikki  http://craftycalamities.blogspot.com/

Rebecca  http://craftingmisfit.blogspot.com

Robin  http://robinscreativecottage.blogspot.com/

New Things Are Happening

Welcome! 

Yes you are in the right place.  

Things look different because Jilliene Designing has had a facelift. 

I came upon this tree image (above) while skimming google images and it became my muse. I just love the palette!  So what do you think?

I have also started a Jilliene Designs Facebook page and would *love* it if you popped over and "liked" me!

Some exciting things will be happening on Monday.  I will be participating in a blog hop, which has appropriately been renamed a "Cricut Crawl." The Crawl will feature the Design Team members at Fantabulous Cricut Challenge Blog who will be sharing 4th of July projects they have made with various Cricut cartridges. There will be tutorials and inspiration for Independence Day cards, rosettes, home decor, banners, boxes and more! In addition, many of the blogs will have blog candy (i.e.- giveaways!!) including Jilliene Designing.   I will also have an overview of the Cricut cartridge "Word Collage" which I used to make my 4th of July contribution.

So, to sum things up- Monday, July 1st:

• Cricut Crawl
• Giveaway
• Cricut Cartridge "Word Collage" overview and tutorial

Have a great weekend!

Red, White, and Blue Cricut Crawl

Tie a string around your finger so you don't forget to head over to the
Fantabulous Cricut Challenge Blog on Monday, July 1st, to join us for our Red, White, and Blue Cricut Crawl (our version of a Blog Hop)!

There will be lots of Cricut crafting and giveaways galore including a K&Co scrapbooking kit from here!  More details to follow...