Fab Friday #34

Oh my goodness!! How I have MISSED Fab Friday!!! It was nice to have a little time off for the holidays, but it is GREAT to be BACK!!! We are back in FULL FORCE with LOTS to share this week!!! And it's a color challenge ... YAY!!

I was formulating what to do for my creation for this week ... and started playing with my Silhouette. I actually cut several of each image out so that I could have the freedom to "play" with them once I had them on the table. And guess WHAT?? I ended up making TWO cards!! (and I probably have enough bits and pieces to make a third one!!

Stamps: Hip Notes
Paper: Basic Black, Whisper White, Coastal Cabana, Natural Composition DSP, I Am Me DSP, Red Glimmer DSP
Ink: Real Red
Accessories: eCutter (Silhouette), 1 3/8" Square Punch, Small Heart Punch, Paper Piercing Pack Essentials, Paper Piercing Tool, Spiral Flower Die, Designer Naturals Button, Linen Thread, Sewing Machine
MDS: Family Fun Photobook (love), Box of Chocolates (hearts), Hooray for Today (arrow)

Here's the actual palette for this week (nice, right??) ...

My second sample:

Stamps: Perfect Pennants, Banner Blast
Paper: Basic Black, Whisper White, Coastal Cabana, Crumb Cake, Read Red, In Color DSP
Ink: Real Red
Accessories: Silhouette eCutter, Arrows Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Silver Baker's Twine, Essentials Wooden Elements
MDS: Family Fun Photobook (love), Box of Chocolates (hearts), Hooray for Today (arrow)



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
Marla Reed
Pam Steckman
Jan Tinklenberg

Have a FAB FRIDAY and a WONDERFUL WEEKEND!!

A Little This 'N That ... in MDS!

With the weather being as fr-fr-FREEZING as it has been, I have REALLY been enjoying being able to take my laptop with me so that I can snuggle under the electric blanket whilst I create (the best of BOTH worlds, right??). It actually seems to be warming up just a tad (if you can call the mid- to upper-thirties "warm" ... which I know a LOT of you CAN!)!! I have a feeling we are NOT done seeing the teens (or even LOWER) ... winter seems to be messing with us!!!

Here's a layout I did if our most recent Sister's Lunch. This is a tradition that goes back for over 20 years. My mom and her sisters started going to lunch with each other the Saturday before Thanksgiving to celebrate everyone's birthday all at once ... and over the years it has morphed into a big ol' lunch party with all the daughters, granddaughters and GREAT granddaughters as well. This year our numbers were a little lower (darn those college students!)!! But this is what I came up with ...

MDS Supplies:
Stamps - Family Reunion (Sister), Big Bold Birthday (Heart); Paper - Hello There (5, 6, 8, 9 & 12); Embellishments - In Color DigiTape (recolored Daffodil Delight), Outdoor Exploration Washi Tape (recolored Calypso Coral), Shaped Clips (Arrow - Recolored Calypso Coral), Wild About You (Hearts); Fonts - Bremen Bd Bt (Lunch), Blackoak Std (2013).

And this one just makes my heart happy ... it's my daughter and her BFF. Her BFF feels like a daughter to me as well! LOVE that girl! She is currently in the Philippines serving a mission for the LDS Church. Thank heavens for weekly emails!!!

MDS Supplies:
Stamps - Epic Overlays (Oh Snap!), Thoughtful Overlays (friends), Family Fun Photobook (best times); Paper - This and That Epic Day; Embellishments - More Candid Frames (instant 2 - recolored Basic Gray), Family Fun Photobook (stitching 5; bow), This and That Epic Day (camera), Circle Punch, Flag Punch; Font - Nanum Pen Script.

It's Monday, so I'm OFF to the RACES!!

Oh SNAP!!

Little bitty cameras!! What FUN!!! I have been wanting to make something with this little bitty camera image since the moment I laid eyes on it in the "Peachy Keen" stamp set!! They're sooooo stinkin' ca-YOOT!! I kinda got a bit carried away on this card ... I kept adding stuff and adding stuff and adding stuff ... it just didn't look "quite" right ... still not sure what it NEEDS, but I think I added just about everything I could!!!

Stamps:  Peachy Keen, Gorgeous Grunge, Perfect Pennants (on the wooden arrow)
Paper:  Cajun Craze, Very Vanilla, Retro Fresh DSP
Ink:  Baked Brown Sugar, Cajun Craze
Accessories:  1 1/4" Square Punch, Banner Framelits, Oh Film Framelits (gold arrow), Watercolor Wonder Designer Washi Tape, Essentials Wooden Elements, Neutrals Candy Dots, Arrows Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Corner Rounder, Linen Thread, Spritzer (retired ... I cheated a little!)

And I am SOOOOO super excited!!! I registered for my FIRST 1/2 marathon yesterday (which will, hopefully by the time it rolls around, probably be my second one!). It's not until Labor Day weekend (the end of AUGUST) ... but it is at DISNEYLAND!!! YAY!!!! Since I ... ummm .... ahem .... have an annual pass ... I was lucky enough to register for it nearly a week before registration opens up for everyone. How FUN is THAT??? Woot!! WOOOOOT!! SUPER excited!!! (Can ya tell??)

Guess I'd better get my act together and get outside and run a bit!!!

Happy Thursday!

Monday Montage #11

Oh how I love the Monday Montage Blog Hop!!! These ladies!!! OHMYGOSH!!! They are ALWAYS blowing my doors CLEAN OFF!!! I mean, SERIOUSLY???? What a fun, talented and terrific group of creative friends!

Soooo ... now that I have actually taken my Silhouette eCutter OUT of the box, I am having SO much fun with it!! The idea for this card came to me quite a while ago, and now I finally have the proper tool for the job so I could create it (and, to be honest, I was inspired to get 'er done after seeing a card that my BFF, Jane Lee, created with hearts using her Silhouette a couple of weeks ago HERE). I love the positive/negative effect with the hearts. It was easy to lay out, and the BEST part is that I can create similar cards with different colors of cardstock at the push of a button! NEAT!!!

Stamps:  Perfect Pennants, Hip Notes
Paper:  Whisper White, Red Glimmer DSP
Ink:  Cherry Cobbler
Accessories:  Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Natural 5/8" Chevron Ribbon, Gold Baker's Twine, Essentials Wooden Elements, eCutter (Silhouette)
MDS:  Medium Heart Punch

Click "Back" to see Melissa Stout's and what her creatively-brilliant brain has come up with, and/or the "Next" button to see Amy O'Neill and HER stamping genius!!

Love and SAB-ing with the Freaks

Welcome friends!!! It's time to go Touring with the Control Freaks again ... and this month we are sharing the LOVE and/or some products from the upcoming Sale-a-Bration catalog. Did you just come from the ever-amazign Mindy Backes? That girl's got some STYLE!!

First up is a card I created with the "Banner Blast" stamp set ... which ANY of y'all could earn for FREE during the upcoming Sale-a-Bration promotion. I LOVE FREE!!! Little bitty-teeny-tiny banners??? Yep!! LOVE those, too!!! The stamp set AND a coordinating punch make creating a little banner quick and easy. And, or course, y'all already KNOW how much I LOVE the "On Film" framelits dies, right???

Stamps:  Banner Blast (SAB), Peachy Keen
Paper:  Crisp Cantaloupe, Whisper White, Basic Black, Sweet Sorbet DSP (SAB)
Ink:  Basic Black, Crisp Cantaloupe
Accessories:  Decorative Dots Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (SAB), Banner Punch (SAB), On Film Framelits Die, Chevron Border Punch, Rhinestone Basics

And, in order to share the LOVE ... I HAD to create something with some HEARTS on it!!! So many elements on this card are fun to create with Gorgeous Grunge (goes without saying!), the "On Film" framelits (for the little gold arrow ... of course!), WASHI tape (which is ALSO gold!!) ... and the Gold Baker's Twine. I feel like the dog "Dug" in the movie "Up" ... every time I see something shiny or sparky it just turns my head .... "SQUIRREL!!"

Stamps: Hip Notes, Gorgeous Grunge
Paper:  Baked Brown Sugar, Very Vanilla, Gold Foil, Red Glimmer DSP
Ink:  Cherry Cobbler
Accessories:  Hearts Collection Framelits Dies, On Film Framelits Dies, Banner Framelits, Gold Natural 5/8" Chevron Ribbon, Watercolor Wonder Designer Washi Tape, Gold Baker's Twine

Be sure to keep on "touring" as you click on the "Next" button below to see what my wonderfully-talented friend, Patty Bennett has to share with you!!! She NEVER disappoints!!

OUT of the BOX!!

That's where my new eCutter is (it's a Silhouette Cameo!)!! I got it for Christmas!!! And it has been sitting here STARING at me for the past few weeks FROM INSIDE THE BOX!! (How is that even POSSIBLE ... well I HAD opened the lid, so it was more like it was PEEKING at me not STARING ...)

Well, the other night I FINALLY got it out of the box and got the software all set up and the machine all registered. And then ... I just STARED at it some more for TWO days. I wanted it to TELL ME what to do with it ... I wanted to have INSTANT EXPERTISE and how to make it run ... sigh ... but I was HAPPILY surprised at how easy it was to get rolling after a few quick tips from my BFF, Jane Lee (thanks, girl!)!! Can I now "officially" say I HEARTHEARTHEART this thing???? OHMYGOSH!!! It's DA BOMB!!!

I cut a couple of "nautical"-looking shapes from the "Anchors Away" MDS download ... I HEARTHEARTHEART that one, too!!! I made this card for my uncle's birthday ... which was last weekend ... which I totally am LATE getting to!! Sigh ... some weeks are just LIKE that!!!

Stamps: World Map, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Paper: Early Espresso, Naturals Ivory, Etcetera DSP
Ink: Baked Brown Sugar, Early Espresso
Accessories: Burlap Ribbon, Essentials Wooden Elements, Designer Naturals Button, Linen Thread, Gold Baker's Twine, eCutter
MDS: Anchors Away (Anchor and Helm)

Now I just have to DELIVER the card!!! Gonna do that later today!!!

Love is in the Air ...

As we are getting even closer and CLOSER to Valentine's Day, I'm getting more and more in the "mood" for hearts and such!! So today I am sharing a couple of layouts with you that I did in My Digital Studio that show some of the love ...

This is a layout of my mom and dad. I went through and scanned EVERY picture I could find of the two of them together that my mom had after my dad died ... I even made her a book and gave it to her for Christmas!! I knew that I was needing a page for me to keep for myself, though, so this is what I did!

MDS Ingredients:
Stamps - Hearts a Flutter, Vintage Overlays, Bold Branches, Schoolbook Serif Alphabet
Paper - Day in the Life DSP, More Amore DSP
Embellishments - Taffeta Trimmings Ribbon, More Amore (doily heart), Wild About You (hearts), Sending Love Epoxy Brads
Punches - Full Heart, Timeless Type Junior Letters.

And here's a different kinda love ... it's me with my sister in law and my nieces - and my niece's new puppy!! Is there ANYthing that smells good like puppy breath? It should stink, but I actually kinda love it!! Oooooo, Oscar!! He is SOOOO soft and adorable!! (He has gotten bigger since this photo was taken ... still adorbs, though!!)

MDS Ingredients:
Stamps - Decorative Overlays (Argyle), Stitched Stockings (Argyle)
Paper - That's a Wrap, Bella Bleu, Comfort Cafe
Embellishments - Button Latte, Mis-stitched, Dahlia, Box of Chocolates (Love), Wild About You (Hearts), Zigzag Stitching
Punches - Flag Punch
Fonts - 2Peas YoYo.

I'm also QUITE HAPPY to report that I FINALLY got my new Silhouette Cameo OUT OF THE BOX, and the software is all loaded on my computer ... TIME TO PLAY, so stay tuned!!!

Monday Montage #10

Welcome back, friends!!! All of us "Monday Montage-ers" are happy to be back in the land of blog hoppers!!! With the holiday break is seems as though we have been gone FOREVER!! So glad to be back in the saddle again!!

And I'm back to using my new favorite ... the "polaroid" frame die from the "On Film" framelits set!! I couldn't WAIT to make this once I thought of making it into a window!!! I'm going to try to figure out a LOT of things to do with this die ... LOVELOVELOVE it!!

Roses, roses, roses!! I was also very happy to play with my "new" Spiral Flower Bigz die!! I've had it sitting here STARING at me for nearly a month!!! FINALLY got to take it out of its packaging and put it to use!!

Stamps: Perfect Pennants, Hardwood
Paper: Baked Brown Sugar, Crisp Cantaloupe, Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla
Ink: Baked Brown Sugar, Crisp Cantaloupe
Accessories: On Film Framelits, Banners Framelits, Spiral Flower Bigz Die, Little Leaves Sizzlet, Gold Baker's Twine

Click "Back" to see Melissa Stout's beautiful creation, and/or the "Next" button to see Amy O'Neill's loveliness!!