Fond Farewell ...

As MUCH as I get SUPER excited about the new Stampin' Up Catalog (and the ability to ORDER things from it ... which will be on June 1!!), I am always sad to watch the retiring stuff "go" ... as is the case with BOTH of the cards I am sharing with you today ...

These were two more cards that I did with my Stamp Club friends last weekend. This first card, made with "Creative Elements" and one of the Designer Frames Textured Impressions Embossing folders, was quick and easy. I also used the "so many smiles" sentiment from Petite Pairs (which I am SO happy to say is NOT retiring). I stamped the "companion" stamp that says "begin with you!" on the inside.

Stamps: Creative Elements, Petite Pairs
Paper:  Marina Mist, Night of Navy, Calypso Coral, Whisper White
Ink:  Night of Navy, Calypso Coral
Accessories:  Designer Frames Textured Empressions Embossing Folder, Elegant Butterfly Punch, Bitty Butterfly Punch, Pearl Basics

This card is another one that I pretty much "cased" from myself. I made a very similar one last fall for a Fab Friday Color Challenge ... I just mixed up the layout and changed the colors a bit ... I absolutely LOVE the "vintage-y" feel to this one!!! Really gonna miss "Notable Notions" (and the accompanying "Shop Around" wheel AND the Baked Brown Sugar Ruffled Trim!)!!

Stamps:  Notable Notions, Shop Around Jumbo Wheel
Paper:  Baked Brown Sugar, Crisp Cantaloupe, Very Vanilla, Early Espresso
Ink:  Baked Brown Sugar, Crisp Cantaloupe, Early Espresso
Accessories:  Chalk Talk Framelits, 1 3/8" Circle Punch, 1 1/4" Circle Punch, Banner Punch, Baked Brown Sugar Ruffled Trim, Baked Brown Sugar Twine, Candy Dots (Neutrals), Hardware Essentials Clip

Today is like my "Monday" ... I am almost always off on Tuesdays, and with the Memorial Day holiday this past Monday, I had a VERY nice long weekend!!! Could go for those ALL the time!!

Enjoy your day!

Monday Montage #20

Happy Memorial Day to all of my American friends!! It's Monday Montage Day as well ... so I decided to get a little bit "patriotic" this go 'round and do something "Red, White and ... Bermuda Bay??"

I was trying to come up with some ideas to do with my Stamp Club friends. I kinda cased a card I did a while back, but the BIGGEST difference was that I used NEW stamps!! YAY for new stamps!!! I ALSO used some soon-to-be-retired LOVELY Polka Dot Parade DSP (oh how I am gonna MISS this paper!!! LOVE me some polka dots!)

Stamps: Work of Art
Paper: Whisper White, Bermuda Bay, Polka Dot Parade DSP
Ink: Real Red, Bermuda Bay
Accessories: Chevron Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, 1 3/8" Square Punch, Bermuda Bay Taffeta Ribbon, Hardware Essentials Clip

Happy Memorial Day!!

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

Fab Friday #42

Boy-oh-boy!! You'd THINK I ran away or something!!! I haven't posted since MONDAY!!! (But I posted Friday, Sunday and Monday ... and then this week just kinda HAPPENED ... it seems that have been doing that MORE and MORE lately!! Soooo happy to have "Fab Friday" as an excuse to get inky!!! This week we are doing a color challenge ...

I'm gonna be honest ... this color challenge initially was kickin' my trash!! I kept looking at it and getting ... nothin' ... then I remember that I had some of the AWESOMENESS that is known as Project Life in my MDS cache!! (OH-HOW-I-LOVE-NEW-DOWNLOADS!!)

I cut the main shape (the arrow-in-a-box-with-sunrays!!) FOUR different times. I don't know what that shape is called, but I LOVE it!! It's SOOO fun! I did some cutting and pasting to use all of the colors for this challenge (ok ... well ... I didn't do anything with the Summer Starfruit until I got to the STARS!)!! I struggle with "simple". I kept thinking I needed to ADD something else to this! But, in the end, I just kept it where it was ...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY DAUGHTER, AMELIA!! She is 20 today!! I "officially" have NO teenagers ... not sure if that makes me HAPPY or SAD!!!

Stamps: Endless Birthday Wishes
Paper: Coastal Cabana, Pool Party, Crisp Cantaloupe, Summer Starfruit, Basic Black, Whisper White
Ink: Coastal Cabana, Summer Starfruit, Basic Black
Accessories:  Itty Bitty Accents Punch Pack (Star), Large Oval Punch, Crisp Cantaloupe Ruffled Ribbon, Gold Sequin Trim
MDS Downloads: Everyday Adventure Project Life (Arrow 3)

Here are the colors we are using this week in case you'd like to play along ...





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

Happy Memorial Day Weekend to all of my friends in the USA!! And a wonderful weekend to all my friends everywhere else!!

Freakin' Peek-a-BOO!!

OhmyGOODNESS!!!!! Are you all getting TOTALLY STOKED for the new catalog to go "live" on June 1??? Well, SO are the Control Freaks!! (Did ya SEE what Justin Krieger did??) This month we are all sharing some of the creations we have made with our new "Sneak Peek" supplies ... (being a SU demo DOES have it's perks ... one of which is being able to purchase SOME of the new stuff about a month before the catalog comes out!). Let's keep rolling!

I ordered the Baby's First Framelits Dies AND the Something for Baby stamp set as part of my preview goodies ... and, sadly, the stamp set is on backorder (I only ordered it last week, so it should be here SOON!). I had to come up with SOMEthing I could make with the framelits withOUT having to rely on the coordinating stamp set ... so here is what I made!! I cut the little speech bubble using MDS and my Silhouette (yeah-yeah-yeah ... y'all are gonna wanna buy your OWN soon!)

Stamps: Teeny Tiny Wishes
Paper: Hello Honey, Lost Lagoon, Whisper White
Ink: Lost Lagoon
Accessories: Baby's First Framelits, Decorative Dots Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Itty Bitty Accents Punch Pack (heart), Corner Rounder Punch, Lost Lagoon Satin Stitched Ribbon, Whisper White Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon, Rhinestone Basics, Silhouette eCutter
MDS Downloads:  Word Bubble Punch (punch 1)

The little flower image on this card just SPEAKS to me!! It's from the "Something to Say" stamp set!! And YES!! It DOES have a coordinating punch (which is one of THREE in the new Itty Bitty Accents Punch Pack. LOVELOVELOVE!!! SOSOMUCH!!! I kinda went a little flower crazy ... but I couldn't HELP myself!!

Stamps: Something to Say, Work of Art
Paper: Blackberry Bliss, Pink Pirouette, Whisper White
Ink: Blackberry Bliss, Pink Pirouette
Accessories: Pearl Basics, 1 1/4" Square Punch, Linen Thread, Simply Scored

Next up??? Cindy Elam!! I LOVE her style!!

Stamp Review Crew - Wetlands Edition

The BEST part about being a member of The Stamp Review Crew is that our themes FORCE me to pull out stamp sets that have been neglected and in need of some love. Like this one ... "Wetlands" ... seriously??? I INSTANTLY loved this set this first time I got a "gander" at it (yeah-yeah ... TRYING to be funny because there is a GOOSE image in it ... which I DIDN'T even use today!! Hahaha!). Soooo versatile and easy to make those not-so-easy dude cards with!!

I've got a little "out-with-the-old-in-with-the-new" going on with this card. We are going to be saying goodbye to the OHSOFABULOUS Natural Composition DSP as soon as the new catalog comes out on June 1 ... BUT we WILL be bringing back an OLD FAVORITE of mine ... the SPIRAL BORDER PUNCH!!! (I'm using my "old" one here ... the new one has MORE "holes"! Can't WAIT!!). I added just a little "splash" of Pool Party with that spiral border punch ... and I can't seem to keep away from the Gold Sequin Trim!! I'd love some of that stuff in EVERY color!!

Here's a peek at ALL of the images from this set!! I absoLUTEly need to pull this thing out more!!

Stamps: Wetlands
Paper: Baked Brown Sugar, Very Vanilla, Pool Party, Natural Composition DSP
Ink: Baked Brown Sugar
Accessories: Spiral Border Punch, Natural Trim Ribbon, Gold Sequin Trim, 1" Square Punch, 1 1/4" Square Punch, 1 3/8" Square Punch, Large Oval Punch, Simply Scored

Click the "Previous" button to see what Jill Coleman has created, and the "Next" Button for Deb Currier's fun ideas!

Ooooh!! FRUITY!!

Ya know what my most FAVORITE thing is about using My Digital Studio (aka MDS)??? Having the ability to "resurrect" some old and dearly-loved stamp sets!!

LIKE THIS ONE!!! Oh how I LOVED Tart and Tangy!! Fell in L-O-V-E with it the moment I saw it!!! And I'm not quite sure WHAT sparked my brain to make me feel the interest in making fruity citrus slices for my creation ... but once the idea popped into my brain I COULDN'T push it back out!!!

Used my Silhouette to cut the little citrus slices ... then used the soon-to-be-released "Work of Art" stamp set to add the little chevron patterns and the sentiment ... I see myself using this set to add little splashes of color a LOT!!

This was also the sample I used as the hostess for today's Free for All Challenge over on SCS (Splitcoaststampers). I told everyone that the challenge was to use something that was the closest to them (by vision or by touch) that they had recently purchased and NOT used ... so mine was the Work of Art stamps ... guess it would be a GOOD idea for me to clean my craft room as they were a LOT of things I could've used for this challenge!!

Stamps: Work of Art
Paper: Wild Wasabi, Whisper White
Ink: Pumpkin Pie, Daffodil Delight, Wild Wasabi
Accessories: 1 3/8" Square Punch, Gold Sequin Trim, eCutter (Silhouette)
MDS Download: Tart and Tangy

Happy Friday!!!

Monday Montage #19

Helllllooooo Monday Montage Friends!!! So glad that you are able to join us!!! Can't believe we are on our NINETEENTH blog hop together!! Man-oh-man how time does fly!!

Today I'm sharing the cards I made for my "moms" for Mother's Day ... I was actually taking a nap (something I NEVER get to do!!) right before I sat down to create these ... and to be HONEST I was only HALF sleepin' because I kept trying to lay these cards out in my head the WHOLE time!! Kept telling myself, "You GOTTA get up and get those cards made!!" Hahaha ... I also seem to slightly remember dreaming about having a HUGE argument with my son ... whom I am not even REMOTELY peeved with ... and I can't even REMOTELY remember what we were arguing about in my dream ... so there ya have it.

The part I kept dreaming about the MOST was the background ... I knew I wanted to created a "subway art" sorta look with a bunch of different things, so this is what I came up with!!

I opened up my trusty ol' MDS software and pulled in two square punches, which I ten proceeded to resize to 3.25" x 4.5" and 4.5" x 3.25". I left the punches "empty" ... I just needed them as a frame of reference for size. I then proceeded to do searches in MDS for words that I knew would work on this background ("mom", "love", "family", "happy", etc.). Needless to say, there was a LOT to choose from. Yes, my name is Wendy and I AM an MDS addict!! I then proceeded to drag my words into my punch boxes (which were now actually RECTANGLES) so that they would be nicely arranged when I printed them out. I colored all of the words Crumb Cake. Once I had finished all that, I deleted the punch boxes (rectangles?) so that they wouldn't print out (they were just gray, so I didn't want them showing up!). Ta-DAAA!! That's all there is to it!!

Here is my second one, which is the "90-degree-flip" version of my first one (couldn't have my moms get the exact SAME card, now could I??)

Stamps: Petite Petals, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Paper: Crumb Cake, Whisper White, In Color DSP, Maritime DSP
Ink: Real Red, Calypso Coral, Crumb Cake
Accessories: Petite Petals Punch, 1 3/8" Square Punch, Word Window Punch, Real Red Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon, Burlap Ribbon, Paper Distressing Tool, Sewing Machine
MDS (My Digital Studio) Downloads: Holiday Blitz ("my mom"), Greatest Moments II ("you & me"), Moments Ago ("family" and "moments"), Hooray for Today ("fabulous friend" and "amazing"), Family Fun Photobook ("together", "happy", "remember", and "fun"), Amped Up Ampersands ("love"), Compilations of Recipes ("always"), Convention 2012 ("oh so fabulous"), All Time Fave ("the best")

Click "Back" to check out Melissa Stout and her wonderful creation, and/or the "Next" button to see the fantastic Amy O'Neill!

Fab Friday #41

It'a Fab Friday, peeps!!! I love me a good Friday ... and I have today OFF of work!! HooRAY!!! Not sure where my brain has been lately, but I almost FORGOT that we were due for another round of Fab Friday goodness ... but I was MORE than happy to dig into my box of catalog preview goodies to come up with something!!

Like ... this octopus ... how freakin' ADORABLE is HE??? What IS it about an octopus with a smiley face that just makes ya happy?? Not quite sure, but this one fills the bill!!

I cheated a TINY bit on this one ... I used SU's old spiral punch on the DSP ... could NOT help myself!!! The sparkly star was leftover from the ones I used on my LAST Fab Friday card ... LOVE me my Silhouette so I can cut out WHATEVER I WANT!!

And if I'm being TOTALLY honest, I was STUMPED by the sketch we had this week!!! It was one of those things that I had to STARE at for a good ol' long time until an idea sparked in my creaky lil' brain!!! Which is one of the things I LOVE about a challenge ... gets you OUTTA your "zone" and puts you somewhere you might otherwise NOT go!

Stamps: Sea Street, Something to Say
Paper:  Night of Navy, Real Red, Whisper White, Maritime DSP, Silver Glimmer DSP
Ink:  Coastal Cabana, Night of Navy
Accessories:  2 1/2" Circle Punch, Starburst Frameliets, 1" Square Punch, Spiral Punch (retired ... but stay tuned!), Real Red Taffeta Ribbon, Distressed Dots Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, eCutter (Silhouette)
MDS Download: Star Punch

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

IT'S FRIDAY!!! Hope y'all have a FANTASTICAL weekend!!

Good Things Come to Those Who Wait ...

... and I have been waiting for a WHOLE WEEK to play with my new Stampin' Up goodies!!! Last week we (as SU demos) were given the opportunity to preorder some of the happy fun things that will be available come June 1 (keep your eyes and wallets OPEN!!! Hehehe!!)!! Living sooo close to Mecca (aka the SU Home Office), my orders come VERY quickly, and I NEVER have to expedite the shipping (don't be hatin'!)!! I placed my order at 12:36 am on May 1, and the order got to my house on the morning of the 2nd!!! WOOT!! WOOT!!! But, alas ... it has been sitting in the box ... just STARING at me ... TAUNTING me ... WILLING me to play with it!!!

With all my CRAZY schedule this past week, I haven't really had any time to "play" ... UNTIL this morning!! YAY!! HOORAY!!! SOOOO MUCH FUN!!

Isn't this little birdie just ADORBS???? I loves him!!! These images are from the soon-to-be Hostess set called "Hello Love" ... it's loverly!!

Glad to have my daughter home so I can have some free slave labor ... I mean an indentured servant ... ummm ... helper!! She reorganized my kitchen drawers yesterday and they look FAB!!!!

Stamps:  Hello Love
Paper:  Crumb Cake, Whisper White, Moonlight DSP
Ink:  Blackberry Bliss, Lost Lagoon, Hello Honey
Accessories:  1 3/8" Circle Punch, Word Bubbles Framelits, Word Window Punch, Linen Thread, Blackberry Bliss Satin Stitched Ribbon, Lost Lagoon Satin Stitched Ribbon, Hello Honey Satin Stitched Ribbon, Essentials Hardware Clips, Sewing Machine

Let the sun shine in, people!!

Stamp Review Crew - By the Tide Edition

With all the excitement and hubbub many of the Stampin' Up demonstrators have been feeling about all the NEW things that will be coming in the NEW catalog starting June 1, I am really happy and excited to be able to give some life and excitement to one of our "old" sets with my friend on The Stamp Review Crew ... which, quite frankly, isn't old at ALL because it only came out last year!! AND ... quite happily ... is going to continue on with renewed life during the next year ...

AND I am also very happy to have been able to come up with something this week. After the day I had yesterday, I wasn't sure I was going to be able to do ANYthing today. Bringing your college-aged daughter home from school for the summer ... with ALL of her stuff (SERIOUSLY??? How did she GET all this stuff UP there in the FIRST place ... where did it all COME from??) ... is a MAJOR chore. ESPECIALLY because when I showed up to get her at about 4:30 p.m. yesterday (her checkout time was 5:00!), she was the last girl standing. Which means that the mess left behind by her FIVE other roommates was ASTRONOMICAL!! Each girl had a list of "chores" to complete before they checked out, but they were only kinda done. Seeing as my daughter had to work yesterday and didn't get home - via the BUS, no less - until about 3:30 in the afternoon, she was left with the leftovers ... and every one else was LONG GONE! OHMYHECK!! (Sorry for the Utah swear word!) The FLOORS!! The BATHROOM!!! The KITCHEN!! EEEEEEeeek!!! And to compound problems, my daughter lived on the THIRD FREAKIN' FLOOR!! When the RA came to check her out at 5:00, she was no where even REMOTELY close!! We were a little panicked because they were threatening to charge her $130 for "failure to meet checkout deadline"!! WhatEVER!! So, I pleaded with the RA's (and gave them Otter Pops!) for ONE MORE HOUR!! If it hadn't been for my daughter's two AMAZING and FANTASTIC friends, we NEVER woulda made it!! But I think I RAN up and down those THREE FLIGHTS of stairs about 74 times!!! (Not sure HOW my daughter got all her stuffs in our car ... when she unpacked it was kinda like a clown car ... stuff kept pouring out and pouring out!) Then, we cleaned in HYPERDRIVE ... which is really kinda appropriate considering today is "Star Wars" Day (May the 4th ... May the 4th Be With You ... GET IT??). Sooo ... needless to say, we were WIPED out!! But, I digress ...

This card has absolutely NOTHING to do with college ... or cleaning ... or Star Wars ... but it IS this week's featured set for the Stamp Review Crew!! By the Tide ... Oooooh!! How I LOVES me a ANYthing that reminds me of the BEACH!!

Stamps:  By the Tide, Remembering Your Birthday
Paper:  Night of Navy, Crumb, Cake, Whisper White, Very Vanilla
Ink:  Night of Navy, Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, White Gel Pen
Accessories:  Starburst Framelits Dies, 3/4" Circle Punch, 1" Square Punch, Paper Distressing Tool, Natural Trim Ribbon, Gold Sequin Trim, Linen Thread

Click on the "Previous" blog button will take you to Rita Wright's fabulous seaside creations, while the "Next" blog button will show you what Jill Coleman has to share!