Monday Montage #31

It's Monday Montage time once again!!! I am in full-blown Halloween costume mode at my house ... but it was fun taking "time out" to create a little something to share with my fellow MM Crewmates ...

I realized just this past week that in less than a MONTH it will too late to be in the "fall" mode ... so I'm sneaking another "leafy" creation in here while I still can!!! I did this card for my stamp club friends. "For All Things" is a great and versatile set, don't ya think??

I finally finished my own new Halloween costume a couple of days ago ... and have been FEVERISHLY working on one for my daughter (can't believe she roped me into it at the last minute, but what can I say??? Halloween is my FAVE!)! I will be sharing photos of our costumes here with y'all soon, so stay tuned!!

Stamps: For All Things
Paper:  Cajun Craze, Mossy Meadow, Whisper White
Ink:   Cajun Craze, Crushed Curry, Mossy Meadow
Accessories: Woodgrain Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Linen Thread, Gold Basic Metal Button, Chevron Naturals Ribbon

By the time most of all y'all read this, I will be partying with Mickey and his friends at Disneyland for Halloween (along with my equally-cool-and-fun sister in law)!!! YAY!!

Click "Back" to see Magnificent Melissa Stout, and/or the "Next" button to see Amazing Amy O'Neill!

Fab Friday #53

Is it possible??? Could it BE?? FAB FRIDAY!! YAY!!! This week has, quite seriously, just ZIPPED right on past! I honestly have no idea how on EARTH it's already FRIDAY!!! I nearly forgot (even though I had received a reminder email earlier in the day) that I needed to make my Fab Friday creation!!!

You see, I've been madly creating in my Craft Dungeon (due to the spooky time of year my Craft Room has been converted into a Dungeon!)!! I'm working on a masterfully FUN and FAB Halloween costume for MYSELF for a change (haven't made myself a costume for MANY a year!)!! I'll share photos once I am finished and have something to show!

This week's Fab Friday is a sketch ... and I was able to come up with an idea much more quickly than I usually do ... must be because this sketch is so DANG great!!

Stamps: Good Greetings, Gorgeous Grunge
Paper: Whisper White, Color Me Autumn DSP
Ink: Mossy Meadow, Crushed Curry, Blackberry Bliss
Accessories: Autumn Accents Bigz Die, Autumn Wooden Elements, Large Polka Dots Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Blackberry Bliss Stitched Satin Ribbon, Woodgrain Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Word Window Punch, Linen Thread

See what I MEAN???? User-Good sketch!!!











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

Today ALSO happens to be our annual Halloween Carnival at the local elementary school (a friend and I have been doing this for as many years as I can practically remember ... maybe 1996???). LOVE me some Halloween celebratin'!!

MDS and What I'm Working On ... Sorta ...

Ok ... so every other time we do an MDS Blog Hop we like to share what projects we are currently working on. Which is where we are this week ... exCEPT I have a confession to make ...

So this is really NOT my fault!! I (like so many OTHER Apple/Mac enthusiasts!) was eager to download the new Yosemite OS X software when it became available. Actually, it was available last weekend, but I was out of town, so I didn't even TRY to download it until this past Monday. Much to my chagrin, it seems that MDS and Yosemite do NOT get along with one another (a fact, which I am happy to report, that the MDS Tech Team at SU is well aware of AND feverishly working to remedy)!! With that explanation in mind, I am posting an MDS layout I actually did TWO YEARS ago!!! Can you believe that?? I did an actual paper-crafty layout with these same photos of my daughter at the same time, which I posted on my blog. For some reason, I felt the NEED to make a DIFFERENT layout with these photos using MDS ... and it NEVER got posted to my blog (for which I am ever grateful since I actually have SOMEthing to share!)!!

Fall has always been my MOST favorite time of year ... so putting this layout together was UBER fun!!

And I just only NOW realized (as I am typing this!), that I can't share with you my "ingredient" list for this layout because it's ALL inside my MDS file ... which I can't open at the moment ... dang it!! I will add all of the downloads I used for this as soon as things are working normally again ... sorry 'bout that!!

Next up??? The ever-amazing Amber Meadows!! Click on the "next" button below to see what SHE is working on!

Stamp Review Crew - Serene Silhouettes Edition

It's time for the Stamp Review Crew!!! This week we are playing with Serene Silhouettes ...

And guess what??? I can't BELIEVE that I NEVER bought this set!!! SERIOUSLY??? So this is my "MDS" version! Lucky for me, Serene Silhouettes IS available for My Digital Studio!! YAY!!!

I used the "birds in a tree" image to create this card. I printed it out on some Crumb Cake cardstock (the color I chose for the image is Soft Suede). Then I just layered it up from there!

Stamps: That's the Ticket (Sentiment), Gorgeous Gruge
Paper: Soft Suede, Very Vanilla, Cajun Craze, Color Me Autumn DSP
Ink: Soft Suede, Crumb Cake
Accessories: On Filmn Framelits, Ticket Builder Punch, Spiral Border Punch, Gold Basic Metal Button, Linen Thread

Here are the lovely images that come with this set (which I now NEED to buy!!)!








Click on the "Next Blog" to check out what Adriana Benitez has created, and the "Previous Blog" to see Mike Funke's fantastic creations!

Grateful to Be a Freak!

Welcome to this month's version of the Control Freaks Blog Tour ... did you just come from Patty Bennett's fanTAStic creative genius??? She is SO terrific!!

I can't really tell ya when I first became a Freak ... well, ok ... let's be fair - I've kinda been a freak my WHOLE life!! But as far as being a "Control Freak", I think I started swapping cards with THEM around the first part of 2007. Which MEANS I have been "officially" a FREAK for almost 8 stinkin' years!!!

Not only do I continue to be AMAZED and INSPIRED by all of my fellow "Freaky" friends, I still feel a huge sense of humility and gratitude that I have not ONLY been allowed to participate in such an incredible group of creative people, but that I have ALSO made some wonderfully-fantastic-life-long friends in this group. I honestly canNOT imagine what my life would be like withOUT them in it!!! SO VERY grateful!! Which brings us to this month's theme ...

I made this card for my son to give to someone who has made a HUGE difference in his academic career ... someone who has mentored him and helped him reach several goals he has had for himself. I'm leaving it up to my son to come up with some sort of goodie or treat to share because he lives an hour away!!

I loved using the the Autumn Accents Bigz Die with the Typset DSP ... a little sponging on the edges (YES!! I actually DID sponge something!) added the perfect splash of color ...

And whilst I was making leafy things I got a little carried away ... had more leaves than I needed for ONE card, so I made THIS little envelope/card duo using the Envelope Punch Board ... something about teeny-tiny clothespins just makes me kinda happy ...

Stamps: Seasonally Scattered, For All Things
Paper: Blackberry Bliss, Very Vanilla, Crumb Cake, Motley Monsters DSP, Color Me Autumn DSP
Ink: Blackberry Bliss, Crushed Curry, Mossy Meadow, Early Espresso
Accessories: Tangelo Twist 3/8" Satin Stitched Ribbon, Autumn Accents Bigz Die, Autumn Wooden Elements, Linen Thread, Staples, Woodgrain Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Tag and Tangelo Twist Clothespin are both from the October Paper Pumpkin Kit

Up next??? The ever-wonderful Melissa Davies!!

Rootin' Tootin' Birthday

New favorite stamp set for little guys??? Yeah ... that would be THIS one!!! AKA Yee Haw! I guess it could ALSO be used for big guys, too, right???

I had a lot of fun making this card for my little grandnephew, David. He turned ONE!! It's hard for me to believe that all the kids are growing up SO fast ... and I don't get ANY older (yeaaahhh ... riiiiiggghhht!!)!

It's the start of a "long" weekend here in Utah ... all the kids are out of school for UEA (which is something that has to do with the teachers, but I have LONG believe that it stands for Utahns' Exodus to Anaheim as SO many people head to Disneyland over this weekend!! Believe it or NOT, I am NOT going to Anaheim this weekend, but instead I'm going hiking with my daughter and some of her friends. should be FUN-FUN-FUN!)!!

Stamps: Yee Haw
Paper: Lost Lagoon, Crumb Cake, Whisper White, Soft Suede
Ink:  Early Espresso, Lost Lagoon
Accessories:  1 1/4" Square Punch, Burlap Ribbon, Essentials Wooden Elements, Gold Basic Metal Button, Linen Thread

Have a glorious weekend, wherever you are!!

CTR Lucky Stars!

I recently created a birthday card for my cousin's little girl for her 8th birthday. On it, I used the same svg file I used on today's card because I have aNOTHER cousin whose little boy is having HIS 8th birthday!! I thought that the Maritime DSP was the PERFECT thing to use as a base for this more "masculine" card (even thought it DOES have ribbon ... and sparkly paper!)!

I was asked where I got the cut file for this particular SVG (I have used it many-a-time). Here is a LINK to where you can find it ...

CTR SVG FILE

I kinda love how all my latest photos have a little hint of the spiderweb I made on my front porch for Halloween peeking into the photo ... I could have photoshopped the yarn pieces out (it's the white strings you see in the upper left), but I couldn't make myself do it. They just make me HAPPY!

Stamps: Something to Say
Paper: Real Red, Night of Navy, Whisper White, Maritime DSP, Silver Glimmer DSP
Ink: Night of Navy
Accessories:Lucky Stars Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Word Window Punch, Banners Framelits, Real Red Taffeta Ribbon, Chevron Border Punch, Project Life Corner Rounder Punch, eCutter (Silhouette), CTR svg File

Monday Montage #30

I've been having a Monday for, like, three days in a row ... so I guess it's good that we are actually BACK to Monday with the Monday Montage team!! And lemme tell ya ... I had about FIVE Mondays trying to make this week's creation!!

Sooo ... this card is a bunch of lovely fall leaves, right??? Well, it was TRYING to be!!! I was trying to cut some leaves out with my Silhouette ... not even gonna TELL ya how many sets of leaves I TRIED to cut out ... I think they were just too detailed. But I was having MUI-MUI trouble trying to get a decent cut even THROUGH the cardstock!!! Not quite sure WHAT possessed my machine today ... so I opted for feathers instead. And even though I kinda sorta like this card, it is NOT the awesome leaf card I had planned in my head!!! But, since I have done SEVERAL leaf cards lately, this is probably not a bad thing ...

Stamps: Four Feathers, Wetlands
Paper: Whisper White, Crumb Cake
Ink: Bermuda Bay, Crumb Cake
Accessories: Feathers Framelits Dies, Squares Framelits Dies, Natural Chevron Ribbon, Woodgrain Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Ticket Due Punch, Antique Brad, Stapler, Linen Thread

I'm REALLY hoping to have FEWER Mondays this next week!!! Now that the leaves are all pretty and changing, I'm sure the colors outside are gonna make my week happy, no matter what!!

Click "Back" to see Marvelous Melissa Stout, and/or the "Next" button to see Awesome Amy O'Neill!

Fab Friday #52

Happy Fab Friday, people!! Today I was trying to step out of my "box" ... I feel like EVERYthing I have been making lately looks like EVERYthing else I've been making!!! So what's a carmaker/crafty person to do??? GO TO PINTEREST!! Hahaha ...

You KNOW what happens then??? You get sucked into the HUGE black hole ... and then I feel kinda like the dog on "Up!" ... "SQUIRREL!!!" SO-MANY-LOVELY-THINGS-ON-PINTERST!!! But, I digress ...

I used my Silhouette to cut the leaves out of the Tangelo Twist/Blackberry Bliss panels. I taped them together before I laid them out on my cutting mat. I cut the leaves out of those two panels AND out of a piece of Whisper White cardstock as well. I then embossed the Whisper White leaves and stuck them neatly into their "puzzle piece" holes in the other two panels. Make sense??

The REAL challenge for ME on this card was to NOT stamp/emboss or do ANYthing to the Blackberry Bliss/Tangelo Twist panels ... not ANYthing!!! I'm proud of me for resisting the urge to add and add and add ...

Stamps: Good Greetings
Paper: Basic Black, Blackberry Bliss, Tangelo Twist, Whisper White
Ink: Whisper White
Accessories: Bitty Banners Framelits, Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Tangelo Twist Satin Stitched Ribbon, Whisper White Embossing Powder, Stapler, eCutter (Silhouette)
MDS Downloads: Warm Weather Woodcuts (Leaves)

As much as these colors SCREAM Halloween, I wanted to try to do something that was NOT Halloween ...





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

Thanks for stopping by!! Have a FAB Weekend!!

MDS Blog Hop - Halloween Home Decor

This week all the peeps on the MDS Blog Hop are focusing on ways you can make party/home decor using MDS. There are seriously a TON of things you can do (as you will see from all the FANTABULOUS things that you will see as you "hop" around to everyone's projects this week). I have been meaning to make a piece of Halloween "subway art" ... so here's what I came up with ...

My house gets pretty decked out every year at about this time of year (and I hafta admit ... my Halloween-y stuff has been up since about September 24 or so ... couldn't WAIT this year!)!!! I have to find just the PERFECT spot for this. And THEN I need to start working on my Halloween costume (yeah-yeah-yeah ... some of us NEVER grow up!)! I have a REALLY COOL idea this year ... I just hope I can pull it off!!!

MDS Downloads: 
Stamps - Spooky Bingo Bits, Spooky Things, Halloween Hello
Paper: Witches' Brew
Embellishments - Witches' Brew Washi Tape
Punches - None
Accessories: 5"x7" Frame

Check out Amber Meadows' AWESOME creations by clicking on the "next" button below ... you're gonna LOVE 'em!

Fall Fly-By ...

Just a quick little post as I fly by on my way through my day and into the weekend. I think this card is a hybrid of the last two I posted ... I think I am in a rut ... I think all my cards are starting to look alike ... I think some people call that my "style" ... I think I need to peruse Pinterest a little more for inspiration ...

I AM happy that it is FINALLY feeling like fall. My morning runs are getting more and more beautiful and they smell like HEAVEN (the smells of fall in the canyon are just the BEST!)!! I had some of the leaves left over from a card I made last week ... and y'all KNOW I've had a "thing" lately for the Burlap and Natural Chevron Ribbon ... oh yeah ... AND the gold sequin trim ... I guess I am sticking with what I like lately!

I get to spend some time with my brother and sister in law this weekend ... SOOO excited to see them. Me and my mama are taking a little girls' weekend together. I am SO very grateful she is feeling adventurous and well enough to go with me!! Should be FUN!!

Stamps: For All Things
Paper: Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla, Color Me Autumn DSP, Motley Monsters DSP
Ink: Soft Suede
Accessories: Large Oval Punch, Note Tag Punch, 1 1/4" Square Punch, Autumn Accents Bigz Die, Project Life Seasonal Snapshot Accessories (Washi Tape), Gold Sequin Trim, Gold Baker's Twine, Gold Basic Metal Button

Enjoy the weekend!