Monday Montage #16

Oooooo-la-laaaa!! It's Monday Montage time!! And I'm feeling the effects of the sunshine I've seen ... recently ... which seems to be hiding as I type this ... as it is SNOWING outside!! Eeeeek!!!

Which brings me to THIS card, a combination of stamping, MDS-ing and eCutter-ing (with some fun shapes I pulled from MDS). I decided to add the little bit of "bling" on the cloud as a bit of a "shiny" lining (since I only have GOLD sequins, I had to adapt from the typical "silver" lining!)!!

I got the sun shape from the "All Time Fave" download in MDS; the "sunshine" is from "Moments Ago"; the clouds are the Cloud Punch; the raindrops are from "Sweetest Dreams"; and the "you're" and "my" are BOTH from "Friendly Phrases" - I cropped them from other sentiments and put them together as one and then printed them out!! And then, of course, had to add me a little bit of grunge-y-ness. Hence, the "Off the Grid" stamp in the background ...

Stamps: Off the Grid
Paper: Pacific Point, Whisper White, Crushed Curry, Daffodil Delight, Pumpkin Pie
Ink: Pacific Point:
Accessories: Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Crushed Curry Chevron Ribbon, Gold Sequin Trim, Oval Punch, Silhouette Cameo eCutter
MDS (My Digital Studio) Downloads: All Time Fave (Sun), Moments Ago ("Sunshine"), Cloud Punch, Sweetest Dreams (Raindrops), Friendly Phrases ("You're" and "My")

Click "Back" to check out the MAGNIFICENT Melissa Stout, and/or the "Next" button to see the Artistic Amy O'Neill!

Of Mothers and Sons ...

It is hard when your kids grow up ... and go AWAY to go to school (even if it IS only an hour in one direction for me to get to my oldest, and about an hour-and-a-half in the OTHER direction for me to get to my youngest ... and about 10 minutes across town for my son in the middle). As a result of my daughter being the youngest AND the one who is around the most, a LOT of my digital scrapbooking with MDS has been done of HER ... or HER and HER FRIENDS ... or ME and HER ... or the DOG ...

However, this has always been a favorite photo of mine (and my BOYS need some equal MDS time!). We took this during the Fall of 2006, a mere two months after my son had started his first year of college. He was with us that day as our family did one of our most TREASURED family traditions ... pressing apples for juice in Alpine. Despite the fact that he is giving me a piggyback ride ... AND despite the fact that my niece is giving us the "rabbit ear" treatment from behind, I just LOVE this. Wow ... hard to believe this was taken 6 1/2 years ago!!

MDS Ingredients:
Stamps: Lemonade Stand (Honeycomb), Seriously Teen (Design 1 and Grunge 4), Ink Splatters (Ink Splatter 5)
Paper: Grad Party, Newsprint; Punches - Wide Oval, Square, Flag; Embellishments - Seriously Teen (Washi Tape 7), Keep This Memory (Title Ticket), Happy Hello (Baker's Twine), Natural Designer Buttons (Small Dark 1)
Font Chaparral Pro

Have a wonderful day ... and hug someone you love!!

Fab Friday #38

Fab Friday is HERE once again!! Yesterday was the FIRST day in a VERY long time that I didn't have ton of things I HAD to do ... so I thought getting my card ready for today would be a SNAP!! Then ... I decided to give my blog a facelift ... which always takes WAYYYYY longer than I remember (well, maybe NOT ... but I always try to delude myself into thinking it won't take me that long. I had been in the habit of changing my blog header with each season, but I got lazy - and I LIKED my last header, which was only about 7 months old!) ... But I digress ...

I finally DID get around to making my card for today's challenge (OBVIOUSLY!)!! At first I looked at the color challenge and went WHAT??? My mind was ... blank ... but I have had this stamp set for a long while and have NEVER used it, so it's about TIME, don'tcha think??

Stamps: Postage Due, A Dozen Thoughts
Paper:  Pistachio Pudding, Baked Brown Sugar, Sahara Sand, Whisper White, In Color Patterned Paper
Ink:  Pistachio Pudding, Baked Brown Sugar, Sahara Sand
Accessories:  Postage Stamp Punch, Petite Pennants Builder Punch, Arrows Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Gold Sequin Trim, Baked Brown Sugar Ruffled Ribbon, Staples

Here's a pretty picture of what the color challenge actually is ...






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
Brian King
Justin Krieger
Amanda Mertz
Brenda Myers
Marla Reed
Pam Steckman
Jan Tinklenberg

Have a Happy!!!

GEEKING Out and Vinyl-ing!!!

Soooo ... it's been a LONG while since I gave my Mac a facelift!! I did it when I first got it ... then again when when I got bored with how it looked. The last time I "vinyl-ed" it out I peeled the design off once the edges started to come up a little ... and it's been PLAIN and BORING ever since!!

Until NOW, of course!!! EEeeeeek!!! I LOVELOVELOVE how nicely my eCutter (aka Silhouette) cuts vinyl!!! It makes it SOOOO clean and smooth ... EVEN on the tiny bits!! My son would give me all kinds of grief for "messing up a perfectly good Mac", but I DON'T CARE!!! This makes me happy!! (How ironic is it that I won't even SEE it most of the time because it's on the BACK side of the laptop screen???)

MDS Downloads: Life is All Around (Creativity), Convention 2012 (Corner), Today and You (Chevron), Hooray for Today (Arrow)
Accessories: Silhouette (eCutter), Black Vinyl, Transfer Tape

I just laid this out in the Silhouette Studio Designer Edition software. I imported each image from my MDS files (you will find them in the "Components" folder in your My Digital Studio App/Program). To bring each image in you have to click on "File" and the "Merge" ... then go find the file(s) in your MDS folders. Bring them in, resize and trace them, and then pace them where you want on the "mat" ... This is a screenshot of my finished "cut" before once each of the elements has been "traced" ...

PS - I disable the DUMB "password" type-in thingy on the comment feature on here ... I HATE those!! And spam kept sneaking through ... So I am TRYING to do this comment thing with moderation. Which means YOU don't hafta try to decipher those goofy passwords any more!! YAY!

Have a Marvelous Monday!!

Doin' Me Some MDS-in' ....

So, Happy Friday my friends!!! Today feels like a good kind of day to share a little bit of MDS with you (for those of you who have NO IDEA what "MDS" is ... MDS stands for My Digital Studio ... and it's the BEST digital papercrafting/scrapbooking software out there!!)! This is VERY high praise coming from ME as I wanted to have absolutely NOTHING to do with it from the second I heard about it at Stampin' Up Convention during the summer of 2007. I have eaten my words SOOOO many times on this, believe me ... and NOW with the capabilities we have to use the files from it with our eCutters??? Fuggetaboudit!! I'm a diehard fan ... but, I digress ...

Took this photo of my daughter and her friends on their "senior trip" in Zions National Park. What an AWESOME bunch of kids!! So proud of each and every one of them!!

MDS Files: Stamps - Piece of Cake (Starburst), Decorative Overlays (Starbursts); Paper - Fan Fair; Embellishments - Vintage Trinkets (brass brad), A to Z Woodpress, Baker's Twine; Font - Britanic Bold.

Spring is here and the weekend awaits!! Hooray!!

BOINNNNGGG! Springin' With the Freaks!!

We're HOPPIN' and EXCITED for Spring to be here!! So the Control Freaks have some really AWESOME Spring-y/Easter-y things to share ... (Did ya SEE the wonderful things created by Barb Mullikin before you hopped my way??? She's FABULOUS!)!

I've been thinking about flowers for weeks ... and I have been THRILLED that they have been poking their beautiful little selves up out of the ground the last little while. So I wanted to do MY share to bring on some MORE flower-y goodness ... Hence, THIS card!!

I actually pulled out BOTH my Fun Flowers and Blossom Party Bigz Dies (one of which I have NEVER used ... the other has only been used ONCE ... how SAD is THAT???)!! They are DEFINITELY going to be getting a LOT of use over the next several months!! HappyDance!!!

Stamps:  A Dozen Thoughts
Paper: Tempting Turquoise, Whisper White, Pink Pirouette, Pear Pizzazz, Brights/Subtles Patterned DSP
Ink:   Tempting Turquoise
Accessories:  Fun Flowers Bigz Die, Blossom Party Bigz Die, Ticket Duo Builder Punch, Whisper White Baker's Twine, Tulip Frame Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Tea Lace Paper Doily

I don't have a LOT of "Easter-y" types of things this year ... and I REALLY wanted to make some Easter eggs ... so I faked 'em with one of my Ovals Framelits Dies ... of course, if you're gonna have EGGS, you gotta have a BUNNY, right???

Stamps: Baby, We've Grown, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Paper: Whisper White, Island Indigo, Gingham Garden DSP
Ink: Black Stazon, Daffodil Delight, Melon Mambo
Accessories: Ovals Framelits Dies, Bitty Banners Framelits Dies, Banner Punch, Melon Mambo Taffeta Ribbon, Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Tea Lace Paper Doily

Check out the EVER-FANTASTICAL Connie Babbert up next!! LOTS of spring going on there, too!

Monday Montage #15

Hellloooooo and welcome to Monday Montage!! The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and I'm feeling like some SPRING!! (I'm sure I'm not the ONLY one around here that feels that way, too!!! You KNOW y'all are just ACHING for flowers and green grass ... and for those of you in the southern half of the world ... I guess FALL is what's happening for YOU!) Anyway ... let's get moving!!

Rainbows and butterflies ... sigh ... what more can I say? I wish I had about 10 different stamps like this watercolor background stamp ... in LOTS of shapes and sizes!! Hmmmm .... I guess I DO in MDS ... hmmmm ... I'm going to have to be using those SOON!! I've made several cards using this little watercolor "splash" ... its kinda ranking up there with Gorgeous Grunge for me ... sometimes you just NEED a little splash of something, right???

Stamps: Happy Watercolor
Paper:  Rich Razzleberry, Whisper White
Ink:  Melon Mambo, Pumpkin Pie, Pear Pizzazz, Bermuda Bay, Rich Razzleberry
Accessories:  Elegant Butterfly Punch, Bitty Butterfly Punch, Banners Framelits Dies, Gold Sequin Trim

Click "Back" to check out the MAHVELOUS Melissa Stout, and/or the "Next" button to see the ASTOUNDING Amy O'Neill!

Fab Friday #37

Hello and WELCOME to another FAB FRIDAY!! OhmyGOSH!! I had soVERYmuch FUN making my card for this week's challenge I can hardly STAND it!! Between MDS and my Silhouette my crafty universe has expanded a LOT in the last little while!! (ManyMANY more things to choose from!!)

I made this for my cousin's little sweet baby boy ... he is celebrating his first birthday this week ... and he's SOOOOO adorable!! I LOVED using the MDS Bday Under Construction download. These little trucks and signs are totally darling!! I printed out the trucks and sayings via MDS ... and I resized and shaped the Word Bubble "punches" in MDS and cut them out with my Silhouette. (The background DSP is also printed out from the same download!!

Here's this week's sketch (keep in mind that you don't HAVE to use Word Bubbles ... you can use ANY shapes in their place ... remember that these sketches are supposed to help INSPIRE you!)

Stamps: Gorgeous Grunge
Paper: Paper Pumpkin, Whisper White
Ink: Basic Black
Accessories: 1 1/4" Circle Punch, 1" Circle Punch, Essentials Hardware Clips, Crushed Curry Chevron Ribbon, Basic Black Taffeta Ribbon
MDS Supplies: Bday Under Construction, Word Bubbles



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
Brian King
Justin Krieger
Amanda Mertz
Brenda Myers
Marla Reed
Pam Steckman
Jan Tinklenberg

Ta-TA and have a LOVELY weekend!

Flutterby, Butterly ....

This is going to be one of those really quick and fleeting posts ... my day jumped up and hit me in the head before I even had a chance to blink!! (Ow!!)

But ... I've had the idea for this card "flitting" through my brain for the past few days, and I had to get it outta there!!! LOVE me some butterflies!! And I love me some frames!!! So I had FUN putting them together!!

Stamps: A Dozen Thoughts
Paper: Whisper White, Subtles DSP, High Tide DSP, I Am Me DSP, Retro Fresh DSP
Ink: Wisteria Wonder
Accessories: Designer Frames Textured Impressions Embossing Folders, Chalk Talk Framelits, Ovals Framelits, Wisteria Wonder Chevron Ribbon, Vintage Faceted Designer Buttons, Petite Pennants Builder Punch, Whisper White Baker's Twine, Elegant Butterfly Punch, Bitty Butterfly Punch, Staples

I'll be back tomorrow for Fab Friday ... don't miss it!!

29 Years of Happy ...

... and Counting!!! Today is our 29th wedding anniversary! (Which is kinda remarkable, in and of itself, since I am ONLY 27!!)!!! My husband and I had our very first date on March 9, 1984, and were married almost EXACTLY one year later on March 8, 1985. That first date was his brother, Rob's birthday ... and my soon-to-be-husband taught me how to ski (how BRAVE was I for even TRYING that on a first date??) ... and Rob broke his hand (he and a couple of his buddies also came on our first date ... which was oh-so-fun!)!! And I was a big ol' wet, frizzy (think 80's-perm-run-amok style), freezy mess by the time we were finished (my husband says I looked adorable ... but whatever ... which is probably one of the reasons I love him still!)!

So this page is to celebrate our anniversary (I was laughing at my BIG hair in the "then" photo ... when I realized my hair isn't a whole lot smaller NOW!)!! I am so blessed and grateful for having spent so much of my life thus far with my best friend ... he still makes me laugh (in fact, this morning he brought me a box full of yummy donuts and said, "Don't worry about eating as many of these as you want ... they are made with all REAL ingredients!"). He is thoughtful, kind, hard-working, fun, happy, adventurous, a great father ... who could ask for anything more?? (Ok ... he DOESN'T sing ... and I mean not EVEN with the RADIO ... which was one of the things on my "requirement" list that I had written as a teenager for "prospective future husbands" ... but I am ok with that ... he CAN whistle!)!

Here's to you, babe ... and an eternity of togetherness ahead of us. Love you!

MDS Supplies:
Stamps: Family Spotlight ("then" and "now"), Family Fun Photobook ("happy")
Paper: This and That Epic Day (LOVE THIS STUFF SO MUCH!), Calypso Coral
Punches: 1.25" Square; 1.25" Circle
Embellishments: This and That Epic Day (arrow 5, stitching 2, chevrons), Top Notch ("us" speech bubble)
Font: 2Peas Ditzy

Just Because ...

Gonna whine ... a little ... and then get over it!! The last three weeks have been MEAN to me!! Been really feeling sick (going from one nasty thing to another) ... the first week was really BAD ... week in between was ok (I even snuck in a few days at Disneyland) ... and then this week has been AWFUL!!! BUT ... it's sunny outside and I'm feeling kinda human again, so things are looking UP!!

This is a card I made for a swap at Pam Morgan's downline meeting last weekend ... sorta ... when I swapped it, I hadn't added the washi tape or the little button. I struggle SO badly with "clean and simple". This card just felt kinda NAKED to me. So I couldn't STOP myself from adding a couple of things to it before I took a photo. And it STILL seems kinda naked to me!!! But I'm going to try to just limit myself from adding anything else ...

Hoping to be back to myself by the first of the week. Then maybe I can get some running in ... I honestly have been a SLUG!!! And I DON'T like it!! But ya gotta do what ya gotta do in order to let your body get well, right??

Stamps:  Petal Parade (SAB), Banner Blast (SAB), A Dozen Thoughts, Gorgeous Grunge
Paper:  Whisper White, Crisp Cantaloupe
Ink:  Pistachio Pudding, Coastal Cabana, Crisp Cantaloupe, Strawberry Slush
Accessories:  Bitty Flower Punch, In Color Designer Button, Crisp Cantaloupe Ruffle Trim Ribbon, Gingham Garden Washi Tape

Happy Friday, y'all!!

Monday Montage #14

Hip-hip Hooray!! It's MONDAY (well, actually ... we post these on Sunday night ... but, I digress!)!! Which can ONLY mean it's time for Monday Montage!!! Sooooo excited, so let's get started!!

I went to a "downline" meeting at Pam Morgan's on Saturday ... I'm not actually IN her downline, but was kinda adopted in at some point last year ... LOVE her ... LOVE her group!! We have SOOOO much fun together!

One of the things we do when we get together is a "shoebox swap" (for those who don't know what that is ... everyone brings a card they have designed with all the things everyone will need to make their own copy of the card ... and they bring their supplies in a "shoebox" ... or something similar!). Pam had the ca-YOOTest card with a little nesting doll on it made from the Owl Builder punch. Which got me to thinkin' ... wouldn't it be FUN to make a set of NESTING DOLLS in DIFFERENT SIZES??? MDS/eCutters to the RESCUE!!

I played around in my Silhouette Studio Designer Edition software and was able to come up with everything I needed to make these cuties ... SOOOOOO much FUN!!!

Here are the little dollies up a little closer ... Squeeeee!! That are makin' me HAPPY!!

Here it is from a slightly different angle ...

And here is a close up of the ribbon/ sentiment treatment ...

Stamps: Hello Lovely
Ink: Melon Mambo
Paper: Night of Navy, Daffodil Delight, Island Indigo, Melon Mambo, Pear Pizzazz, Pink Pirouette, Basic Black, Whisper White, Gingham Garden DSP, High Tide DSP
Accessories: Gingham Garden Washi Tape, Crushed Curry Chevron Ribbon, Sewing Machine, Frame
MDS Files: Owl Builder Punch (head scarf, hearts), Large Oval Punch (body), Circle Punch (eyes, cheeks), Curly Label Punch, Postage Stamp Punch, Scallop Circle Punch, Designer Label Punch, Square Punch (all for hair)


Click "Back" to check out Melissa Stout's amazing creation, and/or the "Next" button to see the wonderment of Amy O'Neill!