Monday Montage #46

After the last two weeks of uninterrupted chaos in my life, I FINALLY got to play with a few of my new stamp-y good things (I've already played with SOME ... but this is my SECOND order ... and the things have been sitting SADLY unused for much too long!)

I am over the MOON happy with this new Brick Textured Impressions Embossing folder!!! It's so BIG!!! You can turn a standard, A2-sized card in EITHER direction and it will fit JUST FINE!!! Hip-hip-hooray!!

Stamps:  Gift from the Garden
Paper: Always Artichoke, Crumb Cake, Wisteria Wonder, Very Vanilla
Ink:  Cajun Craze, Always Artichoke, Pear Pizzazz, Wisteria Wonder, Whisper White
Accessories:  Burlap Ribbon, Gold Sequin Trim, Linen Thread, Ovals Framelits, Brick Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Whisper White Embossing Powder

SO excited for the upcoming 4th of July holiday ... planning on spending a WONDERFULLY relaxing weekend with family!! I canNOT wait!

Click "Back" for Melissa Stout and "Next" for Amy O'Neill ... ALWAYS good things to see from BOTH of this talented ladies!!

Fab Friday #67

It has been SUCH a whirlwind in my corner of the universe for the past several weeks! I have made no fewer than FOUR trips to three different ER's with three different family members in the last three weeks!!! (Everyone is on the mend ... sometimes things just happen ... just not usually so close together!)! I really need a vacation!!! I'm feeling a trip to Disneyland coming on ... maybe ... but I digress ...

It's Fab Friday and we are all creating this week with the new 2015-2017 In Colors. I only used three of them, but I actually am liking ALL FIVE of them!!

I was cleaning my craft room (which seems to be an ongoing thing most of the time!) and I came across the bit of ribbon on this card that I stapled together for another card I was making a couple of weeks ago ... couldn't quite get it to work, so I was determined to not let it go to waste!!

Stamps: Gorgeous Grunge
Paper: Whisper White, Watermelon Wonder, Cucumber Crush, Delightful Dijon
Ink: Watermelon Wonder, Cucumber Crush, Delightful Dijon
Accessories: Circles Framelites Dies, Bohemian Designer Washi Tape, Expressions Natural Elements, Watermelon Wonder 1" Dotted Lace Trim, Mini Stapler, Gold Sequin Trim, Linen Thread

Just so ya know ... here are the In Colors for 2015-2017 ...







Excited to see what all of our challenge players come up with!!

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
Heather Heroldt
Brian King
Justin Krieger
Amanda Mertz
Brenda Myers
Pam Steckman
Jan Tinklenberg

Have a most happy of weekends!!

Something(s) New with the Freaks!

Guess what time it is???? Time for the Control Freaks to share some FUN and NEW things from the 2015-2016 Stampin' Up Catalog!!! I'm trying to convince myself that I do NOT need it ALL right NOW!! (And I'm sure this blog tour is NOT going to help me in this area!)! Hopping around, you should've just come from the ever-so-talented Margaret Raburn and her Fun Stampin' blog!!

I think I have probably mentioned that I LOVELOVELOVE this new Bohemian Washi Tape. How come I couldn't figure out putting these colors together by myself??? It's not like we HAVEN'T had two of them for a while (and the third one is similar to other things we have/have had!). This little stamp set (Endless Thanks) is SO very versatile, too! It will be seeing a LOT of ink, that's for sure!!

Stamps: Endless Thanks
Paper: Whisper White
Ink: Blackberry Bliss, Island Indigo, Delightful Dijon
Accessories: Bohemian Designer Washi Tape, Bermuda Bay Sequin Trim, Project Life Corner Rounder Punch

I kinda have a theme today ... white-on-white with rounded corners at the bottom!! What a GREAT background stamp!! I have been wanting to try this "inverted circle" sort of technique for a LONG time! FINALLY made myself give it a try!

Stamps: World of Thanks
Paper: Whisper White, Calypso Coral, Watermelon Wonder, Real Red, Cherry Cobbler, Red Glimmer DSP, Vellum
Ink: Watermelon Wonder
Accessories: Circles Framelits, Elegant Butterfly Punch, Bitty Butterfly Punch, Itty Bitty Punch Pack (small heart), Rhinestone Basics, Project Life Corner Rounder Punch

Next up?? The "Flower Bug" herself LeeAnn Greff! She has been inspiring me for YEARS!!!

Monday Montage #45

And then another weekend happened ... and I blinked at it was OVER!!! The best part is that it is time for Monday Montage!! I already can tell that this stamp set is gonna get used be me A LOT!! (Two posts in a row already!)

I have a very difficult time with "flat" cards. Don't get me wrong ... I am ASTOUNDED and AMAZED at people who can make beautiful "flat" cards ... I just canNOT do it!! I am ALWAYS having to "pop" stuff up ... it just looks WRONG when I leave things "flat" ... sigh ... I really admire people who can do it ... and make it look EASY!

Stamps:  Awesomely Artistic
Paper: Calypso Coral, Crumb Cake, Whisper White, Typeset DSP
Ink:  Crumb Cake, Calypso Coral, Tip Top Taupe
Accessories:  Burlap Ribbon, Project Life Cards and Labels Framelits, Small Oval Punch (retired ... sorry, couldn't help myself!), Pearl Basics, Large Scallop Edgelits Die (also retired ... dang!)

Had a VERY eventful weekend ... but the thing I am MOST proud of was completing my FOURTH half marathon last Saturday (it's actually the same one I did a year ago as my first!)! The BEST thing is that I really feel like a runner (FINALLY!)! Last year, I was HIGHLY underprepared and the thing nearly KILLED me!! This year I felt "in the zone!" I'm not gonna lie ... my muscles be SORE ... but it's a GOOD kinda pain. Know what I mean??

Click "Back" for Melissa Stout and "Next" for Amy O'Neill ... so much good to see!!

Fab Friday #66

SQUEEEEEEE!!!! (That's the sound ya make when you have NEW stampy goodness in the house!!) I wish I had MORE time to play (I'm working on some decorations for a friend's wedding that is NEXT week!) ... but I DID squeeze a little time to play with this week's Fab Friday Stampin' Challenge.

I LOVE having a place to "start" when someone gives me a sketch or a color scheme ... this week's sketch is SO much fun!!! I just had a hard time NOT adding more and more stuff!!! Sometimes I don't know where to stop!!!

Stamps: Awesomely Artisitic
Paper: Very Vanilla, Pool Party, Watermelon Wonder, Tip-Top Taupe, Typeset DSP, Gold Glimmer DSP, Vellum
Ink: Pool Party, Tip-Top Taupe, Watermelon Wonder
Accessories: Circles Framelites Dies, Project Life Cards and Labels Framelits, Project Life Paper Clips Thinlits Dies, Venetian Crochet Trim

Here's the sketch!!









Excited to see what all of our challenge players come up with!!

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
Heather Heroldt
Brian King
Justin Krieger
Amanda Mertz
Brenda Myers
Pam Steckman
Jan Tinklenberg

Hoping to survive the weekend!! Not the LEAST of which is my FOURTH 1/2 marathon ... this is the SAME one I did last year as my "first" ... the scenery is going to be BEAUTIFUL!!

Just Passin' Through ...

Yep ... I'm here ... I'm still ALIVE!!! I have had the craziest-busiest couple of weeks!! Sheesh!! Run-run-run ... go-here, go-there, go-everywhere!!! Seems like the hurried-er I go, the behind-er I get!!!

This is gonna be the QUICKEST of blog posts, too!!! I've had this card done for about TWO weeks ... and haven't even had the time to post it!!! It's quite similar to one I did last month (same basic layout, similar colors) ... but I changed up the stamp set. And since it is getting VERY hot here, ice cream is DEFINITELY in order!!

Stamps:  Sprinkles of Life, Gorgeous Grunge
Paper: Tip Top Taupe, Mint Macaroon, Rich Razzleberry, Whisper White
Ink: Tip Top Taupe, Mint Macaroon, Rich Razzleberry
Accessories: Large Polka Dots Textured Impression Embossing Folder, Label Bracket Punch, Project Life Corner Rounder Punch, Chevron Natural Ribbon, Bohemian Washi Tape, Rhinestone Basics

Tune in tomorrow for some Fab Friday FUN!!! (Two posts in two days??? What on EARTH is going ON???

Happy Thursday, friends!!