Disney Days ...

Believe it or NOT ... I am back visiting the Happiest Place On Earth. It's still kinda hard for me to believe that I am an Annual Passholder ... and I don't even LIVE in California!! My sister-in-law and I both have them, actually ... and we've been getting some mileage out of them, lemme tell ya!! I know that the day I decide that Disneyland is too far away, too crowded, too busy ... too ANYthing ... is the day that I will officially be OLD!! NOT gonna let that happen!!

The pictures on this MDS page are actually from my LAST trip on my birthday in August ... it was 99 degrees (which is what explains why my face looks like it slid off!)!! Sooo much fun!!

MDS ELEMENTS:
Stamps: Torn Edges (Hand Torn), Old School (Grunge 1), Seriously Awesome (Square Frame)
Paper: Good Life, First Edition, Polka Dot Parade, Very Vanilla
Embellishments: Downtown Grunge (zigzag stitching small black), Shaped Clips (Arrow)
Font: Pooh.

Yesterday, because we ARE Annual Passholders, we had the opportunity to do a character "meet and greet" with Thor (oh yeah!!)!! AND ... we got wristbands to attend a preview showing of "Thor: The Dark World"!! It was SOOOOOOOOO good!! (To be honest, it's just fun to look at Chris Hemsworth for a couple of hours ...) It really was an entertaining part of our day. We also went to the Halloween Party last night!! SO many adorable and fun costumes!! (My hair is MEGA FLAT in this photo!! It was misting/raining off and on all day ... but DANG!! It's THOR!!)!

We plan to walk all over California Adventure today ... it's supposed to be slightly overcast and drizzly again, but that's ok ... fewer people show up if it's not TOTALLY sunny!! And that's all right with ME!

Happy Tuesday!

Eeeek!! Dare I Say It????

... dare I NOT??? Okay ... so, it's TRUE!! Christmas is just TWO MONTHS away!! Aaaack!!! Didn't we JUST DO Christmas??? I think my husband finally took the lights off the house about 8 weeks ago ... sigh ... time to get EXCITED!!

Sooo ... here's a little Christmas card to gear us (ME up!!)!! The combo of red/black/white makes it easy for me to like this one ... somehow, that combo of colors almost ALWAYS looks good, no matter WHAT you do with it!!

I'm actually gearing up for our annual Halloween Carnival at the elementary school (yeah-yeah-yeah ... I don't have ANY kids that age any more, but I can't seem to tear myself away from helping pull it together year after year!)!! We have costumes, a cake walk, costume contest, pumpkin and cake decorating contests, trick or treat doors, spooky stories, carnival-type games, professional photos, a spook alley and DINNER!! It's such a fun event. I love watching the kids (AND their families!) have such a great time together! And Halloween IS my fave ... but I have to get ready to switch gears since I DO allow myself to start listening to Christmas tunes the day AFTER Halloween ... it's TRUE!! I decided 3-4 weeks is just NOT enough time to listen to all the stuff I have accumulated over the years!!

Stamps: Tag It, Gorgeous Grunge
Paper: Very Vanilla, Cherry Cobbler, Basic Black, Modern Medley DSP
Ink: Whisper White
Accessories: Chalk Talk, Cherry Cobbler Baker's Twine, Northern Flurry Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Victoria Crochet Trim, Whisper White Embossing Powder, Rhinestone Basics

I actually used this card as my sample for last Friday's Free for All Challenge over on SCS (and, to be honest, it is one of the few cards from the Convention Display boards that I had made that never found their way to my blog!)! I called the challenge "Tag-a-licous!" and the challenge was to put a tag of some sort on each creation ... easy enough!

Happy Thursday, Peeps!

Monday Montage #5

Hey, friends!! Welcome to Monday Montage!!! I'm still in "Halloween Mode" ... it took me SOOOO long to get to it, so I'm having a GREAT time!! (I finished my daughter's Halloween costume over the weekend, so I'll share it with ya soon ... I need to wait until she has actually WORN it somewhere before I reveal it here!)

My BFF, Cheryl, brought me these aDORable little 4 oz. cups when she came to my Stamp Club over the weekend ... I cannot STAND how freakin' stinkin' ca-YOOT they are!! They really are tiny ... but just the PERFECT size to fill up with some delicious treats, no matter WHAT time of year it is!!

I used the Envelope Punch Board to create the little "wave" across the top/back of the little cup carrier. LOVE that board!! And the WASHI TAPE!! LONG LIVE WASHI TAPE!! Oh how I LOVE that stuff!! I seem to be putting it on EVERYthing lately!!

I made the little "Happy Halloween" banner/sign thingy using My Digital Studio because I didn't have that stamp and I NEEDED it!! One of the things I like the best about MDS is the "instant gratification" ... if I don't have something, I just go download it and I'm good to go!!

Stamps: NONE
Paper: Basic Black, Very Vanilla, Witches' Brew DSP
Ink: NONE
Accessories: Oval Punch, Envelope Punch Board, Witches' Brew Washi Tape, Neutrals Candy Dots, Pumpkin Pie Taffeta Ribbon, Whisper White Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon, Envelope Punch Board, Simply Scored, 4 oz. Cups
MDS: Halloween Happiness

Hit the "Next" button to check out what Amy O'Neill has come up with, or the "Back" button to check in on Melissa Stout!

Grateful to Be a Freak ...

Welcome to the Control Freaks Blog Tour!! I always love it when the Freaks get together (hopping, swapping, or just visiting and hugging at Stampin' Up events!). This is a VERY talented, warm, kind, and amazing group of peeps ... and I am FOREVER grateful to be a part of this group!! Did you see the FANTASTIC creations by my good friend, Connie Tumm? I LOVE her style!!

This month we are all about gratitude ... and as I got thinking about it, I realized that a theme like "Gratitude" did NOT mean that all things created had to do with Thanksgiving or "thank you" cards. Life has been SO crazy for me for the past little while that I have NOT had much time to create any Halloween-y types of things. Which has been VERY hard for me since Halloween is my mostest-favoritist holiday of the year. I love to decorate (which I do, inside and outside of my home!), make costumes (which I do ... cannot WAIT to share with you what I made for my daughter this year ... that's coming in another post soon!), wear costumes (I have SEVERAL I have made throughout the years that I enjoy wearing whenEVER I won't be deemed as too WEIRD to do so!), eat candy ('nuf said!), and MAKE CRAFTY THINGS!! So that's what I'm doing for y'all this go-round ... letting loose with some of my Halloween happiness!!

THANKYOUTHANKYOU to Cindee Wilkinson and Patty Bennett (who ALSO just happy to be part of my Freaky Circle of Friends!) for creating and sharing this FUN-FUN-FUN idea ... making a little "file folder" card using Stampin' Up's NEW and WONDERFUL Envelope Punch Board. I have been DYING to try one of these little gems!! Sooo happy ... and grateful ... to have had the opportunity to get to it!! (and I made me another spider using MDS and my Cricut ... SUPER CREEPY FUN!)

Stamps:  Toil & Trouble
Paper: Very Vanilla, Basic Black, Witches' Brew DSP
Ink:  Pumpkin Pie, Basic Black
Accessories:  Apothecary Accents Framelits Dies, Brights Candy Dots, Rhinestone Basics, Large Rhinestone Basics. Basic Black Chevron Ribbon, Witches' Brew Washi Tape, Whisper White Baker's Twine, Envelope Punch Board, Cricut
MDS:  Spooky Things

And this little Halloween Treat Bag was a bit of a "CASE" for me ... I saw this image (from Halloween Bash) worked over and done up MDS-style on Stampin' Up's blog by Chrissy Nielson (a Concept Artist and GENIUS who works at SU's home office). I added my own tags and embellishments ... but I LOVE making iron-on goodness using MDS. So this made me grateful for those who share their talents with us ... and grateful that I had to go to the store and get some CHOCOLATE goodies to put inside!!

Stamps:  NONE
Paper:  Whisper White, Basic Black, Black Sharpie (to color large rhinestone for spider body)
Ink:  NONE
Accessories:  Ticket Duo Building Punch, Scallop Oval Punch, Linen Thread, Pumpkin Pie Taffeta Ribbon, Muslin Bag, Raffia
MDS:  Halloween Bash (image on bag) AND images for tags!

This month I am a "Connie Sandwich" ... put smack-dab in the middle of TWO super-talented "Connies" ... so next up is the ultra-amazing Connie Babbert!! Check it out!

Fab Friday #29

Brain CRAMP!!! Holy sa-MOKES!!! All day YESTERDAY I kept reminding myself that TODAY is Fab Friday (which would actually have been yesterday's TOMORROW) ... and that I had better plan some time to make my card ... and ALL ALONG I kept thinking I could make it TODAY (as in TODAY - Friday - and not yesterday - Thursday) ... uh ... DUH??? Gotta get it done the DAY BEFORE ... as in THURSDAY ... in order to have it posted by 12:00 AM on FRIDAY!! Blonde Moment ...

So here's my card for the sketch this week. LOVELOVELOVE this monster from "Monstermaniacs" ... the sketch gave me the perfect spot to put him!

See??












Stamps: Monstermaniacs, Halloween Hello
Paper: Basic Black, Very Vanilla, Watercolor, Witches' Brew DSP
Ink: Black Stazon, Basic Black, Crushed Curry, Pumpkin Pie, Tangerine Tango
Accessories: Postage Stamp Punch, Chalk Talk Framelits, Chevron Punch, Witches' Brew Washi Tape, Pumpkin Pie Taffeta Ribbon, Blender Pen

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

Enjoy!! Happy Friday!! (Now that I have my days straight!!)

Revisiting Zion ...

I guess I'm going to "give in" and admit that summer really IS over (I mean, it's OCTOBER, for cryin' out loud!!)! I had such a great summer!!! It was VERY busy, to be sure (and a bit DANGEROUS ... manholes, and baby savin' and what-not!) ... it started off on the BEST foot possible at the end of May with a family trip down to Zion National Park ... and so, I'm sharing a couple of scrapbook layouts I did of our adventures.

This first layout was at the end of a VERY long-but-beautiful hike across the West Rim Trail. The last part of the trail (after hours and hours and miles and miles ... about 7 hours and 14 miles) puts the hiker on the "downside" of Angels Landing ... and lemme tell ya, doing a VERY steep vertical drop after hours and hours and miles and miles DOES things to ya. I could DEFINITELY feel my quads for a few days afterwards!

I haven't done a "photo-on-photo" thing for a long time. I love the look of this ... I used a 4"x6" and 5"x7" copy of the same photo and layered them on top of one another (with a little trim of cardstock in between).

And FLAGS!! I kinda got carried away with those on this (umm ... and I'm not sure WHERE this thing is gonna find a "home" since it now sticks out on BOTH sides too much to fit in an album OR a frame!)! This is gonna make me THINK, I'm SURE!

Here's a close-up of the title ... I think this is the layout that finally pushed me over the "edge" with Gorgeous Grunge ... I mean, you can use that set with ANYTHING (EVERYTHING!)!!!

Stamps:  Gorgeous Grunge, ABC-123 Sketch Alphabet
Paper:  Cajun Craze, Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla, Natural Composition DSP, Brights Collection DSP
Ink:  Early Espresso, Cajun Craze
Accessories:  Typeset Alphabet Bigz Dies, Natural Trim Ribbon, Designer Naturals Button, 1" Square Punch

After we finished hiking, we went back to the house and played some croquet (and Weixler Family Vacation Standard, to be sure!)! My sweet little grandniece, Sammy, was SOOO interested in following her Daddy around ... it was just fun WATCHING them. It's pretty obvious that the feeling between them is mutual ...

Here's a close up of the "love banner" ...

... the "title" ...

... and the "digging" ...

Stamps:  ABC-123 Sketch Alphabet, Tag It
Paper:  Baked Brown Sugar, Real Red, Very Vanilla, Crumb Cake, Brights Collection DSP, In Color Collection DSP
Ink:  Baked Brown Sugar, Crumb Cake, Real Red
Accessories:  Chalk Talk Framelits, 3/4" Circle Punch, Hearts Framelits, Decorative Label Punch, Linen Thread, Brights Candy Dots

I gotta a WHOLE lotta stuff coming your way this weekend ... Fab Friday, Control Freaks Blog Tour AND Monday Montage will be going up back-to-back-to-back, so stay tuned!!!

Monday Montage #4

Howdy and WELCOME TO FALL (again!!)!!! Today has NOT been my day!!! My ever-so-genius son (m-WAH, Devan!!) has been rebuilding my computer ALL STINKIN' DAY ... long story ... but since the sun has gone most down (which makes for nasty-awful pictures), and I am typing-under-duress, I feel like I'm lucky to even HAVE a post done ... but, I digress ...

I've been wanting to make a fall banner for FOREVER!! So, I'm happy to report, I FINALLY did it!! (I originally posted this with pictures I took at night when the light is bad ... had to redo them because they look MUCH better in natural light!)

Here are a couple of "close-up" views ... I used a water brush and some alcohol with some reinkers to make the Silver Glimmer Paper look more FALL in color ...

... And here's a view from the side ...

Stamps: NONE
Paper: Early Espresso (behind burlap for stability), Silver Glimmer Paper, Champagne Glimmer Paper, Red Glimmer Paper
Ink: Tangerine Tango, Pumpkin Pie, Daffodil Delight (reinkers)
Accessories: Autumn Accents Bigz Die, Naturals Designer Button, Early Espresso Baker's Twine, Early Espresso. Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon

Hit the "Next" button to see Amy O'Neill's BRILLIANCE, or the "Back" button to check in on Melissa Stout's GENIUS!

Fab Friday #28

Happy Fab Friday, peeps!!! Welcome aboard!! Wait ... I know what you're thinkin' ... don't these colors lend themselves to something HALLOWEENIE??? Why, yes, they DO ... BUT, I choose to run in a different direction!

Stamps: Gorgeous Grunge (of COURSE!), Chalk Talk
Paper:  Very Vanilla, Tangerine Tango, Rich Razzleberry, Old Olive, Basic Black
Ink:  Old Olive, Basic Black
Accessories:  Autumn Accents Bigz, Die, Houndstooth Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Woodgrain Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, 1 3/8" Circle Punch, 1 1/4" Square Punch, Old Olive Taffeta Ribbon, Designer Naturals Button, Burlap Ribbon

Here's the ACTUAL color palette for the challenge ...







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

Stitching Here and There ...

One of these days I may actually FINISH posting my Convention Display Board Samples!! (I'm getting closer ALL THE TIME!!)!! Today I'm sharing two TOTALLY different cards with a common thread (well, actually, TWO common threads ... and one it them is quite literal!)!

First of all, I used my new-all-time-fave stamp set, Gorgeous Grunge, to splatter the background of BOTH creations (have a feeling I am gonna campaign that this set NEVER retire!)! Second, I sewed ... with an actual-honest-to-goodness-real-life sewing machine on both creations as well (hence, the oh-so-punny reference to "common threads"). Sometimes I think that adding sewing just makes the card look more "legit" for some reason ...

And what's not to LOVE about a Coastal-Cabana-Colored Chameleon??? I am in LOVE with this little guy!! Makes me happy ...

Stamps:  Tag It, Gorgeous Grunge
Paper:  Elegant Eggplant, Wisteria Wonder, Coastal Cabana, Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla, Whisper White
Ink:  Crumb Cake, Elegant Eggplant, Coastal Cabana
Accessories: Chalk Talk Framelits, Corner Rounder, Coastal Cabana Button, 1 1/4" Circle Punch (to round edges on "celebrate" panel), 1" Square Punch (to create flags), Wisteria Wonder Chevron Ribbon, Sewing Machine

Card #2 ... more butterflies ... again ... I had envisioned that this card would look MUCH different than it does ... but I'm ok with how it came out, too. I think that the Crisp Cantaloupe looks kinda "rich" with the Cherry Cobbler and Early Espresso, don't you??

Stamps:  Gorgeous Grunge
Paper:  Early Espresso, Crisp Cantaloupe, Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla
Ink:  Cherry Cobbler, Crisp Cantaloupe, Crumb Cake
Accessories:  Bitty Butterfly Punch, Paper Distressing Tool, Modern Label Punch, Chevron Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Pearl Basics, Sewing Machine

Spent a BOATLOAD of time at the local "running store" yesterday trying to figure out what I can do about my nasty-ol' shin splints ... came home MUCH poorer with a new pair of shoes (which, I understand, happens QUITE often when you run every day!), TWO pairs of compression sleeves (fancy and colorful!) and a foam roller contraption that helps me pinpoint the muscles affected by shin splints and gives them a trigger-point, deep-tissue massage (it really hurts ... and feels awesome ... at the same time!)!! Headed out here in a few moments to try everything out! Wish me luck!!