Four Squares

And yet ANOTHER sample from Convention for the display boards ... if you're starting to think I made a LOT of samples for Convention, you would be right!! Twenty-four samples in all!! I was happy that I found ALL of them SOMEwhere on the boards during Convention!! (For those of you who haven't been to SU Convention ... there are a LOT of cards on display, so finding all of mine was no small feat!!)!

I used this sample for the Free for All Challenge over on Splitcoaststampers today as well. The sample was to utilize four squares somehow ... pretty simple, right???

I can't believe this week whipped by so quickly!! I was at the hospital with my mama again yesterday ... she has had a nasty bout of pneumonia, but seems to be on the mend!! Sooo grateful for all of the doctors and nurses and the skill and patience they have with all of us!

Stamps: Hello Lovely
Paper: Crumb Cake, Strawberry Slush, Coastal Cabana, Whisper White, Gingham Garden DSP
Ink: Crumb Cake, Strawberry Slush, Coastal Cabana
Accessories: In Color Button, 1" Square Punch, Baked Brown Sugar Ruffled Stretch Ribbon, Candy Dots, Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Embossing Folder

Have a great weekend!!

Seasons Change ...

Last week the temperatures were in the 80's and 90's ... as I check today's weather forecast, it doesn't look like we are supposed to get above 57 ... AND there was SNOW up in the canyons yesterday!! What??? Are you KIDDING me??? I really hope we get a little bit of an "Indian Summer" to come back for a week or two. Slamming from one season to the next is a bit jarring ... but, I digress ...

I'm going to try VERY hard to finish sharing my Convention Display Board Samples with you over the next week. Life has been ca-RAY-ZY for me since about May. And just as I thought I was going to get back to "normal", my sweet mama ended up back in the hospital last week for a few days (and we were back there again YESTERDAY)! She's been struggling with a bout of pneumonia, but we seem to have her on the right track toward recovery. Keeping my fingers crossed!!

Every now and again I like to do a "tone-on-tone" thing ... which is where this card came from (and, of course, I can't help but throw me in a little bit o' grunge ... since I made this card when I had first received the Gorgeous Grunge set, I was doing ALL sorts of experimenting with it!).

Stamps:  Lovely Romance, Gorgeous Grunge
Paper:  Blushing Bride, Whisper White, Subtles Color Collection DSP
Ink: Blushing Bride, Pear Pizzazz
Accessories:  Labels Collection Framelits, Chalk Talk Framelits, Festive Paper Piercing Pack, Pear Pizzazz Chevron Ribbon

This card was created by just playing with some DSP ... Venetian Romance DSP, to be exact! I love the combination of Island Indigo and Pistachio Pudding. I would probably NEVER have put them together had it NOT been for this DSP!! Another new color combo to love!

Stamps:  Lovely Romance, Itty Bitty Banners
Paper: Pistachio Pudding, Island Indigo, Very Vanilla, Venetian Romance DSP
Ink:  Island Indigo
Accessories:  Blossom Punch, 1 1/4" Scallop Circle Pnch, 7/8" Scallop Circle Punch, Bitty Banners Framelits, Large Scallop Edgelits Die, Pearl Basics, Natural Trim Ribbon

Well, since it's a kinda cold and cloudy day, I'm gonna stay inside, do a LOT of cleaning and throw some delicious SOMEthing into the crockpot. One of the BEST things about Fall is crockpot cooking!! YAY!

Monday Montage #3

Welcome, friends, to another round of Monday Montage!! I can hardly BELIEVE that fall is really finally showing itself ... but, boy-oh-boy do I enjoy the cooler weather in the mornings when I run!! As the colors in the canyon begin to change I am again reminded why fall is my most favorite time of year ... it not only looks beautiful, but it smells GREAT!!

I took a stroll down "butterfly lane" for my creations this week (and for those of you who have been following me for a while, you KNOW how I am about butterflies!!)! This first card was a mix of butterflies and my new most-favorite stamp set ... Gorgeous Grunge. As my BFF, Cindy Beach, recently said to me, "It is the 'little black dress' of stamp sets!" I couldn't agree more!! It goes with EVERYthing!!

Stamps: Papillon Potpourri, Gorgeous Grunge, Off the Grid, Banner Greetings
Paper: Very Vanilla, Early Espresso
Ink: Early Espresso, Pumpkin Pie, Crumb Cake
Accessories:  Elegant Butterfly Punch, Epic Day This and That Designer Washi Tape, Witches' Brew Washi Tape, Early Espresso Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon, Neutrals Candy Dot

One more fall-ish butterfly creation (same color scheme ... sorta ...) with a TOTALLY different look (True Confession ... this is another one of my "Convention Display Board" samples!). I think butterflies are terrific for EVERY season!! So there ...

Stamps: Lovely Romance
Paper:  Tangerine Tango, Baked Brown Sugar, Very Vanilla
Ink:  Tangerine Tango, Baked Brown Sugar
Accessories:  Chalk Talk Framelits, Beautifully Baroque Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Adorning Accents Edgelits Die, Elegant Butterfly Punch, Small Butterfly Punch, 1 1/4" Square Punch, Baked Brown Sugar Ruffe Stretch Trim, Pearl Basics

Click the "back" button will take you to see Melissa Stout's terrific creativity, while clicking the "next" button will show you some AMAZING paper-crafty genius from Amy O'Neill!

Have a fantastic week!

Fab Friday #27

It's Fab Friday!! (I mean, who DOESN'T love Friday, right?? ESPECIALLY when the Fab Friday Team gets together!) I FINALLY got a chance to play with the most-adorable "Around the World" set!! I've been ITCHING to get my hands on it!! With this week's sketch, it was EASY to come up with an idea using this set!

I really wanted to use the little "suitcase" that comes with this set (I absolutely LOVE all the images in this set, though!)! And since my family has such a "thing" for airplanes, this card just makes me happy!

Stamps: Around the World
Paper: Real Red, Calypso Coral, Pool Party, Whisper White, So Saffron, I Am Me DSP
Ink: Real Red, Pool Party
Accessories: 1 1/4" Square Punch, 1 3/8" Square Punch, Postage Stamp Punch, 1 1/4" Circle Punch, Chevron Border Punch, Subtles Candy Dots, Hung Up Cute Clips, Whisper White Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon, Chevron Textured Impressions Embossing Folder

Here's the sketch ...












And ... Here's a link to the Fab Friday Challenge Blog so you can play along:

Fab Friday Challenge Blog

Check out the Fab blogs of my fellow Fab Friends:

Mindy Backes
Cindy Beach
Justin Krieger
Amanda Mertz
Brenda Myers
Amy O'Neill
Marla Reed
Pam Steckman
Jan Tinklenberg

It's The Freakster Mash!!

Boo to all of YOU!! It's time to Tour with the Freaks ... and this month we are doing it Halloween Style!! If you are following the Tour all the way around, you just came from the MUI-FABOO Mindy Backes!! LOVE her style!!

First off ... I sharing another "eCutter" creation with ya!! The "Bats About You" image from the Halloween Hello set just BEGGED me to blow it up and cut it out ... so I did!!

AND ... I could NOT resist makin' me some big ol' bats. So I printed them out using MDS (My Digital Studio)! I love Halloween, so this was REALLY fun for me!!

Stamps: NONE
Paper: Basic Black, Tangerine Tango, Very Vanilla, Witches' Brew DSP
Ink: NONE
Accessories: eCutter (Cricut with SCAL Software), Hung Up Cute Clips, Houndstooth Textured Impressios Embossing Folder, Postage Stamp Punch, Rhinestone Basics, Basic Black Chevron Ribbon, Summer Starfruit Stitched Satin Ribbon, Linen Thread, Dimensionals
MDS: Halloween Hello

Sometimes I forget how to do something "easy" ... which is why I made this little tin with CHOCOLATE in it!! HOW MANY of these little types of tins do we have if our "secret stash" anyway (big ones, small ones, medium ones ... we have had SUCH great plans for these!)! So my challenge for you THIS Halloween is to dig in that stash of tins/boxes and pick one out and decorate it a little (don't forget the chocolate!)!

Stamps: Halloween Bash
Paper: Very Vanilla, Witches' Brew DSP
Ink: Tangerine Tango, Basic Black
Accessories: Label Collection Framelits Die, Old Olive Taffeta Ribbon, Pumpkin Pie Taffeta Ribbon, Rich Razzleberry Stitch Grosgrain Ribbon, Witches' Brew Washi Tape, Linen Thread, Hershey Minis, Tin

Next up?? MARY BROWN!! That woman NEVER ceases to amaze me with her creative GENIUS!! Go check it out!!

I Dig You!

Probably one of my FAVE images to come out of Stampin' Up's catalog this year was this little bitty shovel ... why IS it that when you take an ordinary thing (like, well ... a shovel!) and make it ITTY-BITTY that it becomes IRRESISTIBLE?? SERIOUSLY? I cannot STAND how freakin' ca-YOOT this little thing is!

I wanted to try something a little different ... seems like all of my layouts look like all of my other layouts (yeah, here I am again ranting about how everything I do seems to look the SAME to me!)! I love that we have the whole WORLD WIDE WEB via the Internetz on which we can look for inspiration (THANK YOU Pinterest and Google Image Search!)! I saw a similar layout SOMEwhere in my search far and wide ... couldn't even tell ya when or where, just remembered that I LIKED the idea of the split patterned paper panels in the background!

I think I am FINALLY getting the upper hand on this cold thing (but, let me tell ya, it's hanging on with it's nearly cold, dead fingers!)! I really need it to be the weekend already!! Sheesh!

Stamps: Tag It
Paper:  Baked Brown Sugar, Crumb Cake, Whisper White, Brights Patterned Paper (Pacific Point)
Ink:  Real Red, Pacific Point, Baked Brown Sugar
Accessories: Decorative Label Punch, Victoria Lace Trim, Real Red 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon, Pearl Basics, Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Embossing Folder

Have a FANTASTIC day!

A Rose is a Rose ...

With all the chaos that has been my life, I realized yesterday that I still have 18 samples that I did for the Convention Display Boards that I have NOT shared with you!! Which MEANS that I am gonna get busy in the next couple of weeks and share them all so that I can start changing seasons (we ARE, after all, approaching fall, Halloween ... and I'm not even gonna MENTION that holiday in December!)!

This was one of my favorite samples (I wish I had a better photo of it ... but since I no longer have it, this is what I got!)! I like the cleanness of it, but I also like the "roughed-up" rose and the little splatters of color ... sometimes things come together a bit better than I had envisioned (yay!)!

I have a nasty cold and laryngitis (my music-major son says I am hovering at about a B Flat and can sing with the bass section!)! I am DETERMINED that this will be the ONLY cold I will get this season ... this year ... FOREVER??? Here's hopin'!!

Stamps: Hello Lovely, Gorgeous Grunge
Paper:  Whisper White, Bermuda Bay, Strawberry Splash, Crisp Cantaloupe
Ink:  Bermuda Bay, Strawberry Splash, Crisp Cantaloupe
Accessories:  Fancy Flower Punch, Modern Mosaic Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, In Color Buttons, Whisper White Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon, Paper Distressing Tool

Off to make myself another cup of honey lemon tea ...

Monday Montage #2

Welcome to our second Monday Montage Blog Hop!! We are really excited to be sharing some of our latest creations with you!! (And, to be HONEST, I've been "collecting" fun new goodies to play with all summer and I am just NOW getting around to using some of them!!) Summer was SUPER BUSY, but fun!! VERY happy to be getting back to "normal" ... whatever THAT means!  I'm not quite sure I will EVER know!

New favorite "toy" ... er, ummm ... I mean TOOL??? The Envelope Punch Board. OhMyGoodness!! This thing is freakin' AMAZING!! Not only can you make ENVELOPES in a TON of sizes (squares AND rectangles), but you can turn the "envelope" into an actual CARD (which is what I did with this little "Boo!" card!).

AND ... I used MDS in conjunction with my eCutter (yeah ... I still use my Cricut with the now-illegal-to-buy-software that was involved in a not-to-be-mentioned-lawsuit ... but I bought it BEFORE it disappeared from the market, so I am still usin' it!). The spiders and the "Boo!" are from MDS ... it is so much fun to be able to "size" things the way ya wanna!!

Here it is all opened up. Truthfully, I didn't do much to it on the inside because the back side of the DSP just so happened to look kinda COOL when I opened this up. So I just added a teeny-tiny panel for the "sender" to sign the inside! (that would be ME!) Pretty cool, eh?

Stamps: None!
Paper:  Basic Black, Very Vanilla, Pumpkin Pie, Witches' Brew DSP
Ink: Black Sharpie (to color rhinestones)
Accessories:  Envelope Punch Board, Label Bracket Punch, 1 3/8" Circle Punch, 1 1/4" Circle Punch, Burlap Ribbon, Linen Thread, Large Rhinestone Basics, Rhinestone Basics, Crush Curry Chevron Ribbon, Woodgrain Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Paper Sanding Block, Cricut (or any eCutter will work!)
MDS:  Spooky Things (Spider), Spooky Bingo Bits (Boo!)

Click on the "Back" button to check out Melissa Stout's beautiful creation, or on the "Next" button to check out Amy O'Neill's awesome project!

Fab Friday #26

Yippee and HOORAY!! It's Fab Friday, my friends!!! And this week we're sharing some FAB colors!!

Stamps: Magnificent Maple, Notable Notions
Paper:  Sahara Sand, Chocolate Chip, Tangerine Tango, Soft Sky, Very Vanilla, Sweater Weather DSP
Ink:  Crushed Curry, Tangerine Tango, Chocolate Chip
Accessories:  Chalk Talk Framelits, 1" Circle Punch, 1 1/4" Square Punch, Chocolate Chip Chevron Ribbon, Early Espresso Taffeta Ribbon, Designer Naturals Button, Linen Thread, Paper Distressing Tool

Here's the actual color combo (and this is the same color combo in the "Sweater Weather" DSP) ...






And ... Here's a link to the Fab Friday Challenge Blog so you can play along:

Fab Friday Challenge Blog

Check out the Fab blogs of my fellow Fab Friends:

Mindy Backes
Cindy Beach
Justin Krieger
Amanda Mertz
Brenda Myers
Amy O'Neill
Marla Reed
Pam Steckman
Jan Tinklenberg

And DON'T FORGET!!! If you are interested in getting the files for my "Halloween Advent Calendar" CLICK HERE!!

Halloween Advent Calendar Files Available!!

Wait!! Haven't y'all seen this project BEFORE??? Why, YES, you HAVE!! However, since I have been asked by MANY of ya if I had instructions/pdf's to print out the numbers and such for this SUPER FUN Halloween Advent Calendar, I'm putting them all together in one place for you!!

What you get:
* PDF files of all of the images used for each day
* PDF file of the spiders/spider web motif for printing on iron-on transfer paper to make your OWN fabric!
* PDF file to print "Happy Halloween" icon AND a pattern for the scallop rectangle, sized for cut out
* PDF file of the giant spooky tree to use as a pattern you can cut yourself
* SVG file of the giant spooky tree so you can cut the pattern with your eCutter!
* PDF files with instructions on the supplies needed to complete this SUPER FUN Halloween Advent Calendar (includes graphics to help you with assembly!)

All files will be emailed to you for the low cost of $12.95!!  Yay!!!