Two Simple Birthday Cards

I recently had occasion to need a couple of birthday cards.  When making cards I usually do two at a time, so I'll have an extra to use or put up in my Etsy shop–Mommy Moon Designs.  This time, however, I needed both a masculine and a feminine card.  So I decided to look through some of the patterned paper that I have stored up to see what I could come up with.

I decided to use this lovely striped paper from a pack of glittered cardstock for my masculine card and found a nice green to coordinate with it.  The Mowed Lawn Distress Ink that I used for the Hero Arts greeting matched almost perfectly.

For the feminine card I used this great flower paper from the same paper pack.  I used Picked Raspberry Distress Ink for the greeting, also from Hero Arts.

I really did just keep these cards simple.  They were quick and easy to put together.  I just layered all the elements onto 4.25" x 11" piece of cardstock, scored to fold at 5.5".  

I hope you enjoyed these two cards.  Have a great week!

-Jennifer Gayle

Happy Hauntings

It's a bit early for a Happy Halloween, but I wanted to go ahead and share my Halloween cards.  Both of these were works in progress–I did a little work, set them aside, then went back and added a little bit more.  In the end I was quite pleased with how they turned out.

This first card came from the Tim Holtz Apothecary set.  I heat embossed the skull, then masked it to add the writing in the background using Vintage Photo Distress Ink.  For the top embellishment I stamped the image onto white cardstock, applied Vintage Photo using my mini ink blender tool, cut it out and distressed the edges using a pair of scissors.  I ran it through my Xyron, then affixed it to the front of the card.  Similarly, I stamped the oval design onto white cardstock, applied Vintage Photo, then cut it out.  I used dimensional adhesive to attach it to the front of the card.

For this card I heat embossed the spider web (Hero Arts) onto the orange cardstock.  I heat embossed the message (Tim Holtz) onto black cardstock then attached it with dimensional adhesive.  Finally I stamped the spider (Hero Arts) on white cardstock, cut it out, matted it with black cardstock, and adhered it with dimensional adhesive.  I topped it off with some Glossy Accents on the eyes.

I hope you enjoy these cards.  If you're interested in purchasing either one, they are available in my Etsy shop, Mommy Moon Designs, along with other designs.

Happy Hauntings!

-Jennifer Gayle

World Card Making Day 2014

Today is World Card Making Day and to celebrate I'm participating in the Operation Write Home WCMD 2014 Blog Hop.  And to show how much I love card making I've made a love card just for the occasion.

I started off by blending Picked Raspberry, Spiced Marmalade, and Mustard Seed Distress Inks onto white cardstock.  These three are my favorite combination because they remind me of a sunset.  I then added a piece of purple ribbon using red liner tape.  Finally I added the Love die cut using Multi Matte Medium.  I mounted all of this onto a teal card base.  I'm pleased with the overall result of the card.

Don't forget to head over to the Operation Write Home Blog to check out the WCMD 2014 Blog Hop.

-Jennifer Gayle

New Techniques and Exciting News!

Spring is in full bloom here in North Carolina and what better time to try out some new stamping techniques.  I recently ordered some stamps from Hero Arts and I've been itching to use them.  I've found some great techniques through the A Blog Named Hero blog hop at the beginning of the month. I decided to try this one from Jennifer McGuire Ink.

I first embossed the hexagon background with clear embossing powder.  For the first set I wiped on Tim Holtz distress ink then used water to create a watercolor effect.

For the card on the top I used a brush to spread out the color.  On the bottom I used a spray bottle.  You can see that the colors blended more.  I personally like the blended version better.

I also did a version with Twinkling H2Os.

After everything was nice and dry I used the 'iron-off' method to remove the embossing powder.  Once they were ready they turned into some really nice cards.

And, drumroll please, they are now available in my Etsy shop, Mommy Moon Designs, along with other designs!  Please visit and take a look.

Enjoy the spring flowers, and stop by my shop!

-Jennifer Gayle

Postal Woes

There aren't many things more depressing than a card getting lost in the mail.  One of those is twenty-five cards getting lost in the mail.  That's right, an entire package of my cards got lost in the mail.  I only hope that somewhere out there someone is enjoying them.

The weather here lately has been rather crazy.  Spring is trying very hard to make its presence known.  And as winter lifts a new-found motivation finds its way into my craft room (also known as the kitchen table).  I'm excited to get some cards made and to get my Etsy shop up and running.  In the meantime, here is a preview of the cards I've been making.

Happy spring everyone!

-Jennifer Gayle

What's Black White and Red All Over?

A newspaper?  Well, not quite.  Here are some elegant black, white, and red birthday cards.

Aren't they lovely?

Happy crafting!
-Jennifer Gayle

A Walk to Remember

Currently, more than 5 million Americans have Alzheimer's Disease and that number is expected to grow to as many as 16 million by 2050.  These numbers are just that, numbers, until you know someone who suffers from Alzheimer's.  For me that person is my Nana.  A woman about who the Raleigh News and Observer once said, "While Bosses Come and Go, She Stays in Charge,"  Helen Dowdy served the Department of Community Colleges for thirty years before going on to become the Executive Director of the North Carolina Association of Community College Trustees.  She became the model of associations up and down the east coast.  Upon retirement from NCACCT in 2005 Helen was awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, North Carolina's most prestigious honor, by Governor Mike Easley.  

Sadly, what many did not know was that her memory had begun to fail her.  It had become increasingly difficult for her to remember things that happened from day to day.  Within a few years she was unable to navigate the town that she had lived in for most of her life.  Today only her long-term memory remains.  I fear the day when that disappears too.  

To honor my Nana I am walking in the Alzheimer's Association 2014 Walk to End Alzheimer's.  I invite you to join my team, Team Nana, and walk with us in person or in spirit.  If you prefer not to walk consider making a donation.  Your support helps fund research that could delay the day when long-term memories are lost.  If not for my Nana, for millions of others.  

Help celebrate Nana's 84th birthday today.  Visit our team page to join our team, or to make a donation.  Walk for my Nana, your Nana, and the millions of other Nanas who are affected by this terrible disease.

Thank you for your support.
-Jennifer Gayle

Bringing Out the Stash

Like many others out there I have quite a paper stash.  I love finding new papers.  The only problem is that I hate to use them.  But, despite my hoarding instincts, I pulled out some of my pattern papers and put them to good use.  Plus, it's a great excuse to add some more paper to my stash.

Happy crafting!

-Jennifer Gayle

 #overcome

2014 is proving to be a good year of far.  Already I have used this year's mantra, overcome, to keep me motivated.  It is especially helpful now that spring semester has begun.  I am particularly excited to be studying about Anne Frank and her legacy.  It should prove to be a good semester.

Since Christmas I have been working on a set of birthday cards.  I have been given creative license, so it's been a great challenge and opportunity to try some new techniques.  I thought in the next few weeks I would preview the different cards that I have been working on.  Here is the first one:

This is one of several black and red themed cards that I made.  I layered white and red card stock on top of a black card base.  The red stripe is grosgrain ribbon.  The decorative tiles were inchies matted on black card stock.  I was quite pleased with how it turned out.

Stay warm and dry!

-Jennifer Gayle

And the word of the year is...

As the first week of the new year comes to a close I begin to think of the new year ahead and all of the possibilities it brings.  I've never been one for resolutions, but I think the idea of having a word of the year, a mantra if you will, to keep in mind as I go through the year is a great one.  I have decided that my word for this year is 'overcome'.  This applies to so many aspects of life, but I believe if I can take things one day at a time, making those small victories, I will continue to overcome.

The beginning of this week marked the end of Christmas.  I continued the tradition of giving Chris a message to open on each day of Christmas.  This year I was inspired by the song. On each card I stamped a word that represented a gift from me.  I enjoyed seeing Chris's reaction as he opened the cards every morning.

I wish you all a wonderful new year.  What will your word be?

-Jennifer Gayle

A Busy Little Elf

Life has been very busy lately.  I've had a lot of school work to do.  This has been compounded by a super-migraine that has surpassed all other migraines.  You have never experienced a migraine until you have had one in your eye.  I now have a greater understanding for headache pain.  

The best part of the last month, however, was getting to design Christmas cards for two good friends, Taiya and Sandy.  It was nice and relaxing to work on something creative.

A view of my workspace.  I really do know where everything is.

I've been wanting to do something with this stamp for several years, so when Sandy told me she wanted a wintery scene with snowy trees I knew exactly which image to use.

Taiya asked for something Zentangled, so I drew this Christmas tree for her. 

I was really pleased with how the cards came out.  And Sandy was so pleased with her's that she ordered some birthday cards.  I'm über excited about the chance to excercise my creative muscles.  I'll be sure to share a few along the way.

I wish everyone a Merry Christmas.  May you experience the warmth of the season.

-Jennifer Gayle

What A Summer!

This past summer has been a doozy.  I can't say that I'm sorry to see it go.  In addition to the stress of my second semester of grad school I continued to struggle with my migraines.  Early in the summer I went back to see my headache specialist in Chapel Hill.  So far the changes he made in my medication regimen have been helpful.  Except for a few minor setbacks I have slowly continued to improve.

Given all the stress that I have been going through I have been doing what I can to relax.  In addition to my Zentangling I've started to do some art journaling.  It's nice to sit and focus on nothing but the page.  And the best of it is that I am learning to let go.  Normally I would freak if I messed something up, but with art journaling I've learned to go with the flow and figure out how to make it work.

Making mistakes is the theme for this page.  It was born out of a mistake that I made on another page.  I am really excited with how it turned out.

"I've learned so much from my mistakes I'm thinking of making a few more."

The photo on top shows what the page looked like before I added some homemade shimmer spray. I really felt like it was lacking something so I added the gold shimmer.  It's a little hard to tell in the picture, but it really added that finishing touch that the page needed.

Here's to a great fall!

-Jennifer Gayle

It's Official!

I was so excited this past Monday when I opened my email and saw my tangle, Floor Too, featured on TanglePatterns.com by Linda Farmer, CZT.  I had submitted the tangle back in November and wasn't sure if it would ever make it.  It's such a wonderful honor to be included among so many talented artists.

Like many others, I was inspired by a pattern that I saw while I was out and about.  One day in early November I was riding an elevator when a woman walked in.  She had the most interesting shapes on her sweater.  As soon as I got home I started playing with the pattern in my sketch book and my tangle was born.

I hope you enjoy Floor Too!
-Jennifer Gayle

*Linda Farmer prefers to swap steps 1 and 2 for better alignment.  

Try it both ways and see what works best for you.

Migraine & Headache Awareness Month #15

For today's Migraine and Headache Awareness Month Blog Challenge post I am using one of the alternative prompts- Temple Grandin: "A school bell sounded like a dentist drill going through my ears."

There are many side effects that occur because when one experiences a Migraine.  Not everyone experiences them all, and not everyone experiences the same ones.  One that is very common, however, is phonophobia, or noise sensitivity.

When experiencing phonophobia the slightest whisper can sound like someone screaming is in your ear.  You suddenly begin to notice every sound in your environment.  Every sound you hear is amplified so much so that the pain in your ears begins to match that of your Migraine.

I usually get that acute super-sonic hearing that phonophobia causes along with my Migraines.  It varies in intensity along with the intensity of my Migraine.  At its worst I cannot even stand the sound of the fan in our bedroom.  Also, for some reason, it always seems that the neighbor chooses to mow his lawn when I have my worst Headaches.  When this happens I will pop in my earplugs and pray for sleep.  

On other days, when the pain is not so severe that I lock myself in my room curled up with my earplugs and face mask, I am able to lay down on the couch and watch TV.  My husband usually abandons his TV watching when this happens.  The reason is that the volume that suits him sounds like the actors are screaming through megaphones to me, and in order to sound normal to me I have to turn it down so low that he can't hear it.

It is also possible for the phonophobia to make the Migraine worse.  (It's a sort of chicken or egg thing.)  I remember one time we were at a concert when I started to get a Migraine.  I had left my Maxalt in the car, so we decided to leave.  Before we could get out of our seats the band began to play and my pain level skyrocketed.  I couldn't get out of there fast enough.

Phonophobia is a difficult side effect of Migraine.  Unfortunately, since we can't turn down the volume of the world, we must learn to adapt and create our own silence.

-Jennifer Gayle

June 2013, Migraine and Headache Awareness Month, is dedicated to Unmasking the Mystery of Chronic Headache Disorders. The 2013 Migraine and Headache Awareness Month Blog Challenge is a project of FightingHeadacheDisorders.com.

#MHAM, #MHAM13, #MHAMBC

Migraine & Headache Awareness Month #12 - The Box

The prompt for today's Migraine and Headache Awareness Month Blog Challenge is The Box- You are the experiment.  What situation in your Migraine treatment has made you feel most like a guinea pig or lab rat?

A few years ago I was fortunate to find an amazing headache specialist, Dr. Kevin Kahn.  I love my neurologist to death, but once my Migraines became chronic she just didn't know what to do.  Unlike many doctors, Dr. Kahn has what I like to call the anything but the kitchen sink approach.  We started out with a common regimen for Migraine treatment.  When the conventional treatment didn't work he started to get creative.  We must have tried five or six different things, from nerve block injections to a glaucoma medication.  I got some relief from the injections, though they made me feel like a human pincushion.  Unfortunately the other medications were a fail.  One caused a rash, while another made my feet and ankles swell so badly I couldn't put shoes on.  The frustrating part was that one worked.  But, as I couldn't go around with elephant legs, I had to stop it.  In the end we backed off of any preventative medication and just stuck with the nerve blocks.

Although I felt like a medical experiment for a little while, I really did (and do) appreciate Dr. Kahn's approach to things.  Most other doctors would have tried the standard medications, and when that didn't work they would have said "oh well."  Recently, since my Migraines have gotten worse (I've only had one Migraine-free day in the past three months) we decided to give beta blockers another shot.  I have had some relief so far (that one Migraine-free day and a reduction in the duration and intensity of the Migraines) so I have hope that things will continue to improve as the medication builds up in my system.

-Jennifer Gayle

June 2013, Migraine and Headache Awareness Month, is dedicated to Unmasking the Mystery of Chronic Headache Disorders. The 2013 Migraine and Headache Awareness Month Blog Challenge is a project of FightingHeadacheDisorders.com.

#MHAM, #MHAM13, #MHAMBC

Migraine & Headache Awareness Month #9 - Mama Mia

The prompt for today's Migraine and Headache Awareness Month Blog Challenge is Mama Mia: Money Money Money, How does living with Migraine affect your financial situation?

According to the American Headache and Migraine Association Headache Disorders cost the U.S. economy $31 billion every year.  This sum not only includes the cost of treatment, it also includes the number of man hours that are lost due to Migraine attacks.  Ninety-one percent of Americans cannot function during a Migraine attack.

Chronic Migraine has had a profound impact on my financial situation.  I have lost four jobs due to Migraine.  In each case my employer did not understand what it meant to suffer from Migraine.  They either had no personal experience with Migraine, or they played the "I get Migraines and I can work" card.  In both cases it was impossible to adequately explain how my Migraines affected my ability to work.

After losing my fourth job I applied for disability.  I was extraordinarily fortunate to have been approved on the first try.  While I do receive a small amount of money each month (and I do mean small), the most important thing that disability provides is Medicare, and in my situation Medicaid as well.  The reason this is so important is that Migraine treatment is expensive.  I went nearly a year without insurance after I became unemployed and as a result I had to pick and chose how I treated my Migraines.  I had to limit the number of times I saw my specialist.  I also had to stop several medications because I could not afford them.  It was very stressful.  And while stress is no longer considered to be a Migraine trigger, it certainly did not help.

Lost jobs, medication, doctors' bills, and hospital stays all cost a great deal of money.  They are just another way my life revolves around my Migraine.

-Jennifer Gayle

June 2013, Migraine and Headache Awareness Month, is dedicated to Unmasking the Mystery of Chronic Headache Disorders. The 2013 Migraine and Headache Awareness Month Blog Challenge is a project of FightingHeadacheDisorders.com.

#MHAM, #MHAM13, #MHAMBC

Migraine & Headache Awareness Month #7 - Pretty Woman

Today's Migraine and Headache Awareness Month blog challenge theme is Pretty Woman- What do you do to look good when you feel like crap?  

I don't know about most people, but I've mostly given up on looking good when I feel my worst.  I have to struggle so hard to be functional that my appearance takes a back seat.  Instead I try to compensate on the days that I am feeling better.

On my better days I like to do a few simple things to make me feel a little more 'girly'.  I take time to style my hair, instead of just letting it dry on its own.  I make sure to put on my cutest pajamas.  And, if I feel particularly good I may even paint my fingernails.  It doesn't take much to contrast with how I feel when I am at my worst.

When I was younger I didn't take much stock in the claims that you would feel better if you spruced up a little bit.  But I have learned that it really does work.  So, when you can, spend a little extra time to make yourself look refreshed because it might actually make yourself feel refreshed.

-Jennifer Gayle

June 2013, Migraine and Headache Awareness Month, is dedicated to Unmasking the Mystery of Chronic Headache Disorders. The 2013 Migraine and Headache Awareness Month Blog Challenge is a project of FightingHeadacheDisorders.com.

#MHAM, #MHAM13, #MHAMBC

Migraine & Headache Awareness Month #6 - Premonition

The theme of today's Migraine and Headache Month blog challenge is premonition–where would you like to see treatment options for Migraine and Headache Disorders go in the future?

Like many others, I hope for the day when there will be a cure-all, one drug that I can take that will rid me of this curse.  I know I have to be realistic.  Migraine and other Headache Disorders are caused by such a broad spectrum of things that all of the research in the world will ever find one magic pill to put a stop to the pain.

What I would truly like to see in the future is research towards a Migraine-specific drug.  Currently all but one drugs to treat Migraine were developed for other uses.  Ease of Migraine pain just happens to be a happy side-effect.  I currently take a drug made for epilepsy, an antidepressant, and blood pressure medication for the treatment of my Migraines.  They help, but they are not Migraine drugs.  I would like to see the day when I can take one medication, one pill, to help relieve the symptoms of my Migraines and that will help to prevent them.

Currently the government gives very little funding to the research of Migraine and other Headache Disorders.  Other 'flashier' disorders get the most funding.  What many don't realize is Headache Disorders cost the U.S. economy $31 billion each year.  Ninety-one percent of the 37 million Americans who suffer from Migraine are debilitated during an attack, unable to work and function.  Research for a disorder like this truly needs to be better funded.

While we are nowhere near there yet, my premonition for the treatment of Migraine and other Headache Disorders is a medication for Migraine that will relieve the symptoms and prevent Migraine altogether.

-Jennifer Gayle

June 2013, Migraine and Headache Awareness Month, is dedicated to Unmasking the Mystery of Chronic Headache Disorders. The 2013 Migraine and Headache Awareness Month Blog Challenge is a project of FightingHeadacheDisorders.com.

#MHAM, #MHAM13, #MHAMBC

Carousel- You'll Never Walk Alone, Migraine Awareness Month #5

June is Migraine and Headache Awareness Month.  Fightingheadachedisorders.com has challenged those of us who suffer from migraines to write a blog post everyday to help spread awareness.  I'm a few days late, but I thought I would give it a shot.

Today's prompt, You'll Never Walk Alone, makes me think of my husband.  I don't think that I could survive without the support of my husband.  There is an old joke that the reason to have a spouse is so that you have someone to take you to the hospital.  My husband does so much more than that.

Having chronic migraines takes so much out of you, physically and mentally.  Whether I'm down or whether I'm up, my husband is there for me.  He gives me a hug, a shoulder to cry on, and an ear to listen to my rantings.  When I have a migraine he get me icepacks, closes the blinds and turns off the lights.  He endures watching the tv when the volume is so low he can barely hear it.  But most importantly of all he is just there.  He has stayed with me no matter how bad my migraines get.  Just knowing that he will never abandon me gets me through the pain.

I am truly blessed to have a husband who loves me and who stands by me.  With him I will never walk alone.

-Jennifer Gayle

June 2013, Migraine and Headache Awareness Month, is dedicated to Unmasking the Mystery of Chronic Headache Disorders. The 2013 Migraine and Headache Awareness Month Blog Challenge is a project of FightingHeadacheDisorders.com.

#MHAM, #MHAM13, #MHAMBC

Weekly Challenge #120: "Tangleation Nation; Bales"

I was very excited when I saw this week's challenge.  Bales is one of my favorite tangles.  It is simple, but there are so many things that you can do with it.  I enjoyed playing around with tangleations of it.  

This is my favorite.  For both this one and the next I used watercolor paper that I washed with Twinkling H2Os and spotted with bubble wrap.

I think this pattern would have more impact if it could be shaded, but I think it came out pretty good. 

I really had fun with this one.  There are so many things that can be done with bales.  I've only just scratched the surface.  

-Jennifer Gayle