Leavin' On a Jet Plane!

Okay, well not TODAY, but tomorrow morning I am headed out early on my way to Germany!! Wowza-Holy-Cowza!! I just can't believe it! I'm sooooo stoked, baby! (I only wish my bags WERE packed 'cause I'M ready to go!!)

I did this cute little masked frame card for today's TLC over on SCS - TLC234. I had too much fun creating this, and I couldn't sleep. Must be too excited (I've been up since 3:00 a.m. - YIKES!! This IS going to come back and bite me around 3:00 p.m. today!! Good thing I can sleep all day tomorrow if I want to!)

I have a bunch of, well, um . . . interesting cards to share with you over the next couple of weeks from my "beginner's pile." Don't worry, though . . . I have a few extra I plan to share that AREN'T quite so scary!!

Hugs to all!!

Stamps: Autumn Days, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Paper: Soft Suede, Dusty Durango, Very Vanilla
Ink: Soft Suede, Dusty Durango, Crushed Curry, Pumpkin Pie
Accessories: Spellbinders Labels One (S4-161), Soft Suede Polka Dot Ribbon, Large and Small Oval Punches, antique brads, paper distressing tool, pop-up glue dots

I Scream, You Scream . . .

. . . we ALL scream for ICE CREAM!!

Well, here it is, 2:30 a.m. TWO DAYS before I leave for Germany . . . I have a TON of things to do (which I cannot bring myself to do in the middle of the night!) and I should really be sleeping, but here I am blogging . . . I guess my brain is in overdrive!!

I made this card for Jessica Knutsen, owner of There She Goes stamps. Tuesday (September 1) is the official one-year anniversary of There She Goes. Jessica had asked some of us who were on her original Design Team (known as the Trendsetters) to make a guest appearance for the celebration release . . . and what better way to celebrate than with a little ice cream! (I need y'all to send some good karma my way, 'cause I seem to have misplaced the little cherry stamp I used on this . . . it has to be here SOMEwhere!! Sheesh!!)

This adorable little mini set arrive in the mail last week. I LOVE it!! It is SOOO stinkin' adorable!! Jessica has released a bunch of new stamp sets, actually. Go and check them out here:

There She Goes Stamps

I TOTALLY need to go back to bed (SERIOUSLY!)!! And keep an eye on the horizon, friends. I am HONESTLY going to be posting some of my very first creations RIGHT HERE over the next couple of weeks while I am in Europe . . . they should be good for at LEAST a laugh or two!! I hang on to them to keep me humble!!

Have a wonderful Sunday . . .

Stamps: Ice Cream by There She Goes
Paper: Melon Mambo, Basic Black, Whisper White, Close to Cocoa, Creamy Caramel, and Pattern Pack II dsp all by SU
Ink: Basic Black, Chocolate Chip, White Gel Pen
Accessories: Cuttlebug D'Vine Swirl embossing folder, scalloped border punch by SU, 1 1/4" and 1" circle punches, ribbon slider from Stylized Silver Hodgepodge Hardware, black gingham ribbon (unknown), Stitch-Doodle-Dot template by The Crafters Workshop, Crystal Effects (for the cherry), pop-up glue dots

Today is My Birthday!!

Today’s my birthday (na-na-na-na-na-na NA-NA)!! We’re gonna have a GOOD time (na-na-na-na-na-na NA-NA)!! And I AM seriously 27 . . . again . . .

It was also my turn to hostess the LSC for SCS (LSC235), so I had MORE than a MAGNIFIQUE (oh WAIT!! That's FRENCH, not GERMAN!!) time making up these little birthday card $$$/gift card holders to share! I only had three "rules" or limitations for the challenge (which I oh-so-appropriately titled "It's Al About ME!!).

First rule: You need to make a birthday gift card or money card holder type of creation (any type/style will do!).

Second rule: You need to include at LEAST one butterfly SOMEwhere on your card (as many of you know, I AM the Butterfly Queen!). I LOVE butterflies!!

Third rule: I LOVE CHOCOLATE!! (Like, who doesn’t??? Seriously???) Sooooo, with that in mind, you MUST include Chocolate Chip OR Close to Cocoa cardstock (or the closest thing you have to it) in your card somewhere!

This little faux leather wallet is SOOO cool!! (I DO love it!!) I got the idea from Yvonne (YvonneAna) over on SCS. She very graciously offered to tell me how she made it so that I could copy the idea and share it with ya!! Here's a link to her AMAZING creation:

Yvonne's Sweet Peas Paper Wallet

I do believe I feel a video tutorial coming on!!! Once I return from Germany/Austria (FOUR MORE DAYS!!), I will put one together for ya!! Here are a few of the basic instructions if you wanna try to create one before then:

I cut the cardstock to 6" x 9" and scored at 3" and 6.5" on the 9" side (Yvonne's was only 5.5" wide, which would make it easier if you are using a Cuttlebug - a Big Shot or Wizard could handle the wider width better). Run the cardstock through your machine (whichever you happen to use) with an embossing folder of your choice. You will need to run it through four times to get all areas of the cardstock covered. Then, rub the cardstock with craft or versamark ink. Sprinkle with clear embossing powder and heat set. To create the little side panels, cut a piece of matching cardstock (in this case, Chocolate Chip) to 2" x 2.5". Score at .5" intervals along the 2" side and accordion fold. Adhere this piece to the front and back of the textured piece AFTER you have sewn some coordinating dsp to the back side of it (make sure to put the textured side DOWN in the sewing machine, as it tends to catch on the presser foot if you don't). Decorate and embellish to your heart's content!!

Stamps: Teeny Tiny Wishes, Sincere Salutations
Paper: Close to Cocoa, Not Quite Navy, Very Vanilla, Blue Bayou, Bella Bleu dsp
Ink: Chocolate Chip (craft), Not Quite Navy
Accessories: 5-petal flower punch, MS butterfly punch, Cuttlebug Tiny Mosaic and Swiss Dots embossing folders, small oval punch, 1/2" circle punch, large pearl sticker, Blue Bayou ribbon, hodgepodge hardware ribbon slider, velcro stickers

This is my SECOND creation for the challenge. I haven't made a giftcard holder like this since Christmas 2007! (There was a TLC on SCS in November 2007 introducing this little technique - TLC196. Super fun to create!!

Special thanks to Mary Brown for inspiring the layout/design of this particular gift card holder with the card she has posted HERE for the last Control Freaks Blog Hop!! You are AMAZING, girl!!



And dang-it-all but I have to work today!! 'Cept we are going to have an EXCELLENT party at my aunt and uncle's house tonight (which is, sadly, not really for my birthday, but to say goodbye to some out-of-town guest our extended family has had visiting here from - you guessed it! - Germany!). At least I can PRETEND that it is all about ME!!

Stamps: For All You Do, Matchbox Messages
Paper: Chocolate Chip, Crushed Curry, Very Vanilla, Dusty Durango
Ink: Crushed Curry, Chocolate Chip, Dusty Durango, Old Olive
Accessories: 1 1/4" and 1 3/8" circle punches, scalloped border punch, vintage brad, word window punch, chocolate chip grosgrain ribbon, pop-up glue dots, sewing machine

5 Days and Counting . . .

WHAT??? I am leaving for Germany in - yes, count 'em! - FIVE days now!! YIKES and ZOINKS!! I am totally not ready!! I have laundry to do, housework to do, errands to run, WORK at WORK to do (good thing I'm only part time!), things to pack, shopping to do . . . hmmmm . . . maybe I'll just go back to bed and sleep 'til Monday!!!

Lest you think I am obsessed with JanTink, I can tell you truthfully I AM NOT!!! (much . . .) Actually, she and I had so much fun while she was camped out in my basement for a week that it's hard to NOT laugh about it! I was perusing her blog the other day and came across a card that gave me inspiration, so I just had to share it:

Jan's Butterfly Card

Okay, the link is actually to a blogpost that CONTAINS a photo of the card . . . but, be sure to scroll down . . . past the pictures of Jan and her fans, and PAST the picture of Jan's humble beginnings (remember me mentioning how she posted one of her first creations?? I'm SOOOO doing that while I am out of the country, so be prepared for some SCARY stuff coming your way!!)

So, once you look at it, you will see where the mojo came from for this card, which I did for SC243 over on SCS . . . AND it's a butterfly, so what's not to like, right??? I am seriously going to continue my Follow the Butterflies challenge . . . AFTER I get back from my trip, so stay tuned . . .

And since TOMORROW is my BIRTHDAY (guess what??? I'm gonna be 27 . . . again . . . I am really GOOD at being 27 'cause I've been doing it for soooo long!), come back and see what I have cooked up . . . I have some UBER-COOL (practicing my German!) things to share with ya!!

Stamps: Flight of the Butterfly, Inspired by Nature, Polka Dot
Paper: Melon Mambo, Basic Black, Whisper White, vellum
Ink: Melon Mambo, Basic Black, Garden Green
Accessories: Buttefly punch, scalloped border punch, Finial Press embossing folder, black gingham ribobn

SIX More Days to Go . . .

. . . but WHO is counting, anyway!! I can't believe I will be on my way to Germany in just SIX days!! Pinch-me-pinch-me-pinch-me!! (Good thing JanTink isn't here . . . she would actually DO it!!)

Here's another "hybrid" card . . . stamps and Cricut together (plus a little added Cuttlebugging!! Man, I LOVE my stash o' tools, baby!!)

I made this for my good friend Dawn's mother (Dawn's SCS name is dawnmercedes). Her mom fell TWICE in one week . . . the first time she broke her ankle, and while she was waiting to get scheduled for surgery to fix it up, she fell again and broke her wrist, which ALSO required surgery!! HOLY UH-OH!!! I felt so badly for her, so I hope this card was able to cheer her up (it made me happy making it for her).

Stamps: Flight of the Butterfly, Sincere Salutations
Paper: Very Vanilla, Rich Razzleberry, Pink Pirouette, Pretty in Pink, Soft Suede
Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Soft Suede
Accessories: Cricut Storybook Cartridge, Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder, polka dot organza ribbon (lt. pink and purple) by May Arts, small pearl stickers, butterfly punch, keytag punch, pop-up glue dots

And WHAT in the HECK is THIS???? Lynn (Lynn in St Louis) posted this challenge on Monday for the technique lover's challenge (TLC235). The idea was to wrap your brayer in Magic Mesh (aka drywall tape), roll it through a little acrylic paint, and roll it onto your cardstock. Simple enough, right??? Then you could stamp/embellish to your heart's content. No problem-o ... or so I THOUGHT!! My Magic Mesh must have been at LEAST as old as the original "Star Wars" movie (yes, I DO mean Episode IV - which is weird since it was actually shown FIRST . . . what is up with THAT??? But, I digress . . .)

Since that darn Magic Mesh was so old, it must have lost some of it's "stickum" on the back. I got it on the brayer okay, then rolled it in the paint. My first pass on the cardstock looked something like a kindergartner's finger painting project (too much paint!!), so I tried to reload and lightly roll a SECOND time, during which all the darn (didn't I say DARN once already??) Magic Mesh just rolled right OFF the brayer, never to be reattached again!! I kinda made a mess . . . then just stared at the pattern I had created and thought, "What the HECK am I gonna do with this???" (As you can see, this whole project has given me a Utah Potty Mouth!!) So I cut up what I could salvage, stamped it with the Print Pattern background stamp (really love and MISS that one, I tell ya!), and created this . . . well, um . . . QUESTIONABLE card!! Actually, as I have had a couple of days to recover from my experience, I think it isn't as bad as I had originally thought.

I did get another idea from Jan, though (that girl has seriously rubbed off on me after she spent a week sleeping in my basement!). She posted one of her very FIRST creations on her blog recently, just to show everyone how far she had come since her early days of stamping . . . it wasn't a BAD card, but MAN-OH-MAN, has she made some serious progress, baby!! I have saved some of my first cards just to prove to myself that I HAVE learned stuff since I started. But I am NOT kidding . . . they are SERIOUSLY ugly!! I think I was slightly brain damaged at the time!! Perhaps I will share some with you while I am perusing the German/Austrian countryside . . . hmmmm . . . now THERE'S a thought!!

Thanks for stopping by today and reading my oh-too-long saga!!! Y'all are the greatest!!

Stamps: Tart and Tangy, Fundamental Phrases, Print Pattern
Paper: Basic Black, Ruby Red, Whisper White, Garden Green, Summer Sun, Pumpkin Pie
Ink: Garden Green, Summer Sun, Pumpkin Pie, Basic Black, White Gel Pen
Accessories: 1 1/4" and 1 3/8" circle punches, black polka dot organza ribbon, small paper clip, pop-up glue dots, magic mesh, white acrylic paint, brayer

Cards and Countdowns . . .

I think I have done MORE stamping this summer than I EVER have (TWO sets of wedding invites kinda put me over the edge . . . I will be sharing the second set I made with y'all coming up here very soon!). As busy as I have been, I try to squeeze in some stamping that is just for "fun" as often as I can, as it is UBER-good therapy (how's that for German? Just practicing!! At the rate I am going, I will speak MUI-good by the time I get to Europe . . . har-de-har!!)

The featured stamper on SCS last Sunday was Joanne (aka jojot - FS133). She is such a wonderful stamper and a great person, too (I got to play with her a lot when we were on the There She Goes design team at the same time). Her gallery is HUGE and FABULOUS! I had a hard time choosing just ONE card to CASE, but this is the one I ultimately settled on:

Joanne's ISC Natural Silhouetter

I loved the simplicity of the two colors, and that border!! Sheesh!! UBER-GRANDE!! (Gettin' better!) I only have one border/corner punch combo, and that is the MS spider web duo . . . TOTALLY not working here, so I used my trusty ol' Cricut to create a similar feel with the swirly-twirly-border-y thing!

Stamps: Kind and Caring Thoughts
Paper: So Saffron, Basic Black
Ink: Basic Black
Accessories: Cricut Storybook Cartridge, ticket corner punch, keytag punch, 5/8" and 1/4" black organza ribbon, Sizzix Damask embossing folder

And SOMEBODY HELP ME!! I am having a JANTINK FLASHBACK!!! We had so much fun hanging out together, and Jan brought LOTS of stamps I didn't have (WHAT??? Could it be possible that there are stamps I DON"T own???) During one of our gab-stamp-n'-eat-chocolate sessions I got to play with these "extreme" stamps . . . LOVE 'em!! C'est Magnifique!! (Wait!! Now I am wandering into the oo-la-la French area . . . NOT gonna help me in Germany! Sheesh!)

I ended up posting this for last week's LSC - LSC234 - which was to make a masculine card with NO bling and NO ribbon. Could it be that we all struggle so much with this dang masculine cards because we own sooo many flowers and BUTTERFLIES??? Hmmmm . . . COULD be!!

Stamps: Extreme Guitar, Extreme Elements, Just Jawing
Paper: Soft Suede, True Thyme, River Rock, Very Vanilla
Ink: Soft Suede, Close to Cocoa
Accessories: small star punch, linen thread, paper distressing tool, paper piercing tool/mat, pop-up glue dots

Which leaves me to the countdown . . . ONE WEEK from today I will be leavin' on a jet plane (hmmmm...could there be a GROOVY song title in there somewhere??) I can scarcely believe it!! Man, oh man, I can't WAIT!! (Which is NOT a foreign language at all . . . unless you consider American Slang foreign . . . which many people DO!)

BUTTERFLY FINALE - #104!!!!

Okay, my friends . . . after a two-year-long journey, this is it . . . the LAST card that I am sending to my son in Germany . . . butterfly #104 (that's 52 cards a year - two years running!!)!! HOLY COW!!! I DID IT!!! (As my dear friend JanTink would say, "YILM!!" - which is super-secret-spy-code for "Yes I Love Myself!!!")

Oh....my....gosh!! I honestly can't believe that two years have already passed . . . and the most EXCITING part is, my husband, mother-in-law and father-in-law (AND ME, of course!!) are all leaving in just over a week to fly to Germany to pick him up!!! I am sooooo excited I can hardly stand myself!! I OWN A PASSPORT, BABY!! I've never been ANYwhere (okay, well . . . I HAVE been to Hawaii . . . but that was B.C. - Before Children - which was like, 100 years ago . . . and I have been to Washington, DC about four times - long story - but that's pretty much it!)!!! We will spend about 2 1/2 glorious weeks traveling all over Germany and Austria! This is going to be AWESOME!!

Remember the "swing card"?? Here is a link for instructions over on SCS:

Swing Card Tutorial

I changed things up from the basic tutorial, however . . . the middle "swinging" panel is a butterfly instead of a rectangle (thanks for giving me the idea, Kathy!). I now know WHY no one uses a shape instead of the rectangle, though!!! First, it is pretty dang tricky getting it lined up and scored in all the proper places. And second, you create yourself a bunch of interesting holes to look through when the card is closed!!

I created the butterfly using my Cricut (yeah, yeah, yeah . . . I KNOW I have been using that a LOT lately . . . but, since I have invested about a GAZILLION dollars in cartridges, I figure I need to start justifying the investment!!). I added the texture using the Finial Press embossing folder from SU. It is MUI-MUI lovely, that embossing folder!!

I think I have also decided that, although my son is returning home and I will no longer be sending him butterflies, that I AM going to continue to "Follow the Butterflies" . . . I have had so much fun creating these cards over the past two years (and I STILL have a TON of butterflies in my aresenal), that I am just going to keep on going! I will be adding more butterflies to the challenge, albeit perhaps not EVERY week (or maybe I will???) . . .

Thank-you-thank-you-thank-you to all my dear crafty friends for all of your support throughout my "Follow the Butterflies" journey . . . I am sure you are all part of the reason why it has gone by so quickly . . . your support throughout the past two years has been overwhelming! I have received butterfly stamps, butterfly doo-dahs, butterfly ribbon . . . your generosity has been so heartwarming. And not just because many of you have sent me lovely things, but also because you have been so supportive from beginning to end. BIG hugs to all of you!!

Stamps: Tres Chic, Polka Dot, So Many Sayings
Ink: Soft Suede
Paper: Soft Suede, Dusty Durango, YoYo Yellow (yeah, yeah, yeah . . . I honestly USED this!), deep dark brown from Provo Craft, Whisper White
Accessories: Cricut Indie Art Cartridge (butterfly), 5-petal flower punch, word window punch, 3/4" circle punch, Finial Press embossing folder (SU), deep chocolate satin ribbon (PTI), paper piercing tool/mat, exacto knife, Scor-Pal

Another "Tour de Freaks!"

Can I just say before we begin that I LOVE being in the Control Freaks??? What a talented, amazing and wonderful group of artists they are!! I feel privileged to be in their midst, that's for sure!

Now, on to to my "Freaky" projects for today's Blog Tour (decided to sneak these projects in a little early for y'all!) . . .

Our theme for today's Blog Tour is "In Colors" . . . I am totally LOOOOOVING SU's In Colors this year (and I have to admit that I have already gone through nearly two packages of Soft Suede, and at least that many of Rich Razzleberry!!). This card was a little out of my comfort zone - at first! These are some DANG bright colors together, but I really like how they compliment one another. (And you KNEW I was going to have to sneak at least ONE butterfly in here, didn't ya??? Hang on . . . there are MORE!)

Stamps: For All You Do
Paper: Basic Black, Whisper White, Rich Razzleberry, Melon Mambo, Bermuda Bay
Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Melon Mambo, Bermuda Bay
Accessories: 1 1/4" circle punch, horizontal slot punch, eyelet border punch, finial press embossing folder, clear ice rhinestone brad

Card #2 . . . can I just mention that fall is my absolutely FAVE time of the year (I do believe I have mentioned that before!)?? Love, love, LOVE these fall colors together!! And that polka-dot ribbon!! I SWORE I would NOT buy this ribbon in all of the new In Colors . . . and only started out with four of 'em . . . I was not successful in holding out for more than a week (WEAK!!).

Stamps: Autumn Days, Matchbox Messages
Paper: Soft Suede, Dusty Durango, Crushed Curry, Very Vanilla
Ink: Soft Suede, Dusty Durango
Accessories: 1 3/8" and 1 1/4" circle punches, Soft Suede polka dot grosgrain ribbon

Ain't this purse just the CUTEST??? I swear I have been wanting to make one forEVUH, and finally decided that making one for the Freak Tour was the perfect opportunity to break down and do it!! I seem to be gushing, but I also LOVE this embossing folder It is super-duper versatile (and I think it is BRILLIANT that the SU folders actually cover an ENTIRE card front!!).

Stamps: Great Friend
Paper: Soft Suede, Rich Razzleberry, Very Vanilla
Ink: Rich Razzleberry
Accessories: Top Note die, Elegant Bouquet embossing folder, large scallop circle die, circle scissor, jumbo eyelets, Rich Razzleberry polka dot grosgrain ribbon, Pretties kit (pearl), velcro stickers

And last, but not least, I couldn't resist throwing in this little refrigerator magnet! Yup!! You heard me right . . . I cut out some magnetic sheeting with the Beautiful Butterflies die and just added the stamped butterfies cut from cardstock and a little pearl and binder clip . . . and VOILA!! What a fun, quick and easy little gift topper this makes!! (It's a BUTTERFLY FEAST here today!! I hadn't specifically planned on using SO many butterflies . . . it just kinda happened!!)!

Stamps: Great Friend
Paper: Soft Suede, Very Vanilla
Ink: Soft Suede, Rich Razzleberry
Accessories: Bigz Beautiful Butterflies die, binder clip, pearl from Pretties kit, white gel pen, magnetic sheeting, ZipDry glue

Now, click below so you can "hop" on over to Melanie Schulenberg's blog and drool over what SHE has created!!

More From Our Daily Bread . . .

What an honor and privilege it has been for me to join the girls in the Bread Basket as a Guest Designer for ODBD this month!! I have enjoyed the camaraderie, challenges and friendships I have gained while “playing” with such lovely stamps and such wonderful people (these ladies truly have hearts as big as their talent)!!

Being the self-proclaimed “Butterfly Queen,” I couldn’t pass on creating this card using the beautiful little butterfly image from the newly-released “Happy Birthday” set. Using this lattice cutout as a backdrop, I had fun creating this “butterfly garden.” I really love doing “hybrid” cards – cards where I can combine stamped images with diecut images. I love the dimensions we can create when using these elements together.

Stamps: Happy Birthday by ODBD
Paper: Kraft (PTI), Kiwi Kiss, Old Olive, Rich Razzleberry, Soft Suede, Pretty in Pink, Pink Pirouette, Whisper White (SU)
Ink: Basic Black and Soft Suede (SU), White Gel Pen
Accessories: Wild Card Cricut Cartridge, brown/white polka dot organza ribbon by May Arts, Scribbles & Swirls diecut (Sizzix)

In creating this second card (using another newly-released set – “Jesus”), I was trying to invoke the image of Jesus as a carpenter (hence, the “faux woodgrain” board that I used as a banner). The flowers remind me of dogwood, and I love how they offset the focal image.

Stamps: Jesus by ODBD
Paper: Kraft (PTI and Provo Craft), Night of Navy, Bordering Blue, Chocolate Chip, Shimmery White (SU)
Ink: Bordering Blue, Chocolate Chip, Whisiper White, Going Gray (SU)
Accessories: Spellbinders Labels One (S4-161), 5-petal flower punch (SU), Textile and Distressed Stripes embossing folders (Cuttlebug), rhinestone stickers (Doodlebug), ½” circle punch (SU), small brown brads (American Crafts), raffia

Have a wonderful day, and thanks for stopping by!

AND DON'T FORGET . . . the CONTROL FREAKS are at it again!! Join me here on Thursday (that would be the 20th!) for links to another terrific Freaky Blog Hop!!

Challenge Cards Again!

I really like doing "challenges" . . . challenges over on SCS, blog hop challenges . . . pretty much anything that helps me to get my creative juices flowing in a direction I may not otherwise have gone. These two cards are both from challenges over on SCS . . . one was last Friday, and the other was yesterday's Featured Stamper challenge.

I have been having way too much fun with my Cricut the last few weeks. I figure it is about time to start using my investment (and NO, I'm not EVEN gonna tell ya how many Cricut cartridges I own!!). I gathered dust for a little too long, but I am trying to get back into the swing of things with it! This card was for last Friday's LSC - LSC233, which I combined with last week's sketch challenge - SC241 (and we KNOW that I LOVE the LSC, since I get to hostess it every fourth or fifth week!). I made a card with this little crabby dude wearing shades waaayyy back in the day. The theme was to do a card that was a "goodbye to summer" sort of a deal. My fam spends several weekends every summer up at the family condo by Bear Lake (Utah/Idaho border). We have not known a summer in 25 years without the lake. We love it there. And while I have NEVER seen a crabby dude with shades (okay, well, maybe that guy who was sleeping on the beach and awakened when we shook off our sandy towels . . . HE was a crabby dude!! Can't remember if he was wearin' shades, though), we do spend many-an-hour building sand monsters, castles, creatures AND the Bear Lake Monster himself!! Good times!

Stamps: Crab and Company, Shore Thing, Summer Fun
Paper: Kraft (PTI ad Provo Craft), True Thyme, Soft Suede, Crushed Curry, Dusty Durango, Bermuda Bay, Ruby Red, Very Vanilla
Ink: Basic Black, Soft Suede, Dusty Durango
Accessories: Cricut Life is a Beach Cartridge, modern label punch, word window punch, 1" circle punch, soft suede polka dot ribbon, paper distressing tool, clear embossing powder, versamark pen, pop-up glue dots

I was stopped DEAD in my TRACKS by Emily's (aka Stamp Muse - FS132) butterfly card that inspired my recreation here:

Butterfly Medallion by Emily

I used one of my fave butterfly dies on this one, too! I love how BIG and GORGEOUS it is!! And I would know about butterfly dies . . . and stamps . . . and doo-dahs, right???

Stamps: Medallion, Small Script
Paper: Basic Black, Summer Sun, glittery black, vellum, whisper white
Ink: Basic Black, Whisper White, Pumpkin Pie
Accessories: Quickutz Monarch Butterfly Die, Interlaced Corner Adorner punch by EK Success, shimmery white organza ribbon, white polka dot Organza ribbon by May Arts, large oval punch, white embossing powder, brayer, dimensionals

STAY TUNED LATER THIS WEEK. THE FREAKS BLOG HOP IS COMING ON THURSDAY AND YOU WON'T WANNA MISS IT!! (Okay, sorry for shouting . . . I'm just excited, can't you tell???)

A Couple of Challenge Cards . . .

For some reason (hmmmm . . . let me think . . . maybe girls camp AND SU Convention during the same week??) I seem to be struggling to catch up around here on cards I have made but haven't yet shared. These two are examples of that . . .

This first one was done for WT231 - to use something variegated in your project. I made this card for my DH's 47th birthday this week. Sheesh!! We ARE getting up there in years, aren't we??? (Wish I could say he robbed the cradle, but it really ain't true!!) The only variegated thing I own is this rickrack, so I was glad I was able to incorporate it . . .

Stamps: Big Bold Birthday
Paper: Barely Banana, Chocolate Chip, Certainly Celery, Pumpkin Pie, Summer Sun, Whisper White, Sarah dsp
Ink: Chocolate Chip
Accessories: Cricut Wild Card cartridge, Cuttlebug Happy Birthday, Tiny Bubbles and D'Vine Swirl embossing folders, word window punch, chocolate chip ribbon, variegated rickrack

This one has been done for several weeks! I did it for CC229 waaaayyyy back at the end of July!! Sheesh (again!)!!! I just haven't been able to squeeze it in here 'til now. I'm still not sure what I think about this color combo, but it is always good to try something new and step "outside the box" or comfort zone, eh??

Stamps: Medallion, Polka Dots, Short & Sweet
Paper: Basic Black, Pixie Pink, Whisper White, Apricot Appeal
Ink: Basic Black, Certainly Celery, Pixie Pink
Accessories: Spellbinders Large Standard Circle and Large Classic Circle (S4-114), 1 1/4" circle punch, large polka dot brad, modern label punch, word window punch, black and white gingham ribbon

Have a super-duper weekend!!

Bleach On the Go!

It has been eons and EONS of time since I have used bleach on cardstock (in fact, my bleach was "dead" . . . I tried it on three different colors of cardstock - NADA - which made me realize it had lost its potency! Didn't really realize that bleach could DO that!).

As soon as I saw the color challenge on SCS Tuesday, this overall idea popped into my head. I just wasn't sure whether I wanted to use Soft Suede or Rich Razzleberry . . . so I made one of each! I find it MUI-COOL when then cardstock changes color under the bleached image . . . and I am often surprised as to what color shows up. I had NO idea that Apricot Appeal would come out of Soft Suede (seriously, I almost NEVER-EVER use that color . . . I kinda forgot I had it!). Coolio!!

Stamps: Baroque Motifs
Paper: Very Vanilla, Apricot Appeal, Soft Suede
Ink: Soft Suede
Accessories: Dark chocolate ribbon by PTI, pearl sticker

And this is the one I did with the Rich Razzleberry (which I was pretty sure would turn Pretty in Pink - which it did). I am totally LOVING my new In Colors. And I have recently "rediscovered" Baroque Motifs . . . a truly awesome stamp set!!

Stamps: Baroque Motifs
Paper: Very Vanilla, Soft Suede, Rich Razzleberry, Pretty in Pink
Ink: Rich Razzleberry
Accessories: Large and small oval punches, scalloped oval punch, dark chocolate satin ribbon (Papertrey), pearl sticker, dimensionals, paper piercing tool/mat, bleach