Monday Montage #50

It is possible??? Can it BE??? Or is it JUST a COINCIDENCE??? Monday Montage is turning 50, amazingly enough, on the SAME week in which I will turn 50, er, um ... 27 (again!)! I have had so much fun participating in this blog hop with these amazing ladies ... and consider each and every one of them a true-blue friend!!

This week I'm playing with a set called "Pretty Thankful". I think it is kind of an easy one to overlook in the catalog because it's not really "over the top" ... but I think it's freakin' ADORABLE!!

I made this one for a recent swap I did with my Control Freak friends (yeah ... we do organized swaps SEVERAL times a year ... and their work is ALWAYS awesome!)!!

Stamps:  Pretty Thankful
Paper: Melon Mambo, Bermuda Bay, Rich Razzleberry, Whisper White, Vellum
Ink:  Bermuda Bay, Melon Mambo, Rich Razzleberry
Accessories:  Washi Tape Punch, Note Tag Punch, Bitty Butterly Punch, Bermuda Bay Sequin Trim, Large Dots Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Bermuda Bay Baker's Twine, Ovals Framelits Dies, Mini Stapler

And here's another one I did with my stamp club a couple of weeks ago ... I LOVE the idea of making a "pocket" card with the Mini Treat Bag thinlits. SOOOO cute!!

Stamps: Pretty Thankful
Paper: Pool Party, Blushing Bride, Whisper White
Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Pool Party, Blushing Bride
Accessories: Ovals Framelits Dies, Decorative Dots Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Mini Treat Bag Thinlits Die, Blushing Bride Sequin Trim

I had the privilege of being invited to a "Princess Tea Party" for one of the sweetest little girls EVER (Happy Birthday again, Caroline!)!! Since the girls were ALL dressed up as princesses, I decided that I HAD to join in the fun!! As I walked to the door of the party a GAGGLE or darling little girl princesses came flooding out to greet me!!!

Little Princess #1: "Are you the for REAL Tinkerbell???:
Tinkerbell ME: "Why, yes I am!"
Little Princess #2: "I saw you on tv!"
Little Princess #3: "Can you fly?"
Tinkerbell ME: "Yes, yes I can!"
Little Princess #3: "Will you SHOW us how you fly??"
Tinkerbell ME: "I would, except I left my Pixie Dust at home!"

It was GREAT!!! I'm STILL smiling!!! Thanks, Elisabeth, for allowing me to share such a special day with those princesses!!

And guess what else???? I'm headed "home" ... since I AM Tinkerbell ... and it IS my birthday this week!!! Happiest Place on EARTH, baby!!

Click "Back" for Melissa Stout and "Next" for Amy O'Neill ... genius stamping from BOTH of them!!

Fab Friday #71

Rain, rain, rain ... oh how we NEED a LOT of RAIN!!! Even though we are two states away from the devastating wildfires in California and Washington, the skies in Salt Lake City are heavy and dark. The mountains are nearly IMPOSSIBLE to see ... and my eyes are red and weepy (like so many people right now!)!!! It's Fab Friday and I decided I needed some FLOWERS to brighten up the dreary skies!!

I haven't used more than two stamp sets on a card in quite a while ... three different sets this time!!! I tried to do a little bit of a different layout this time around ... I seem to have been stuck doing the same thing for a while now, so I'm at least TRYING to shake it up a little bit!

Stamps: Petite Petals, Flower Shop, Kinda Eclectic
Paper: Tip Top Taupe, Blackberry Bliss, Old Olive, Tangelo Twist, Whisper White, Typeset Specialty DSP
Ink: Blackberry Bliss, Old Olive, Tangelo Twist
Accessories: Greetings Thinlits, Mini Treat Bag Thinlits, 5/8" Organza Ribbon, Pansy Punch, Petite Petas Punch, Mini Stapler

This color combo looks unmistakenably Fall/Halloween-ish. I decided I wasn't quite ready to REALLY go there yet (even though I've already made a couple of cards for Fall/Halloween). I'm going to hold on to some flowers for a little longer ....




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

Tomorrow I am dressing up as Tinkerbell ... yeah, I REALLY am!!! It's time for a little girl's birthday princess tea party ... so now I have an excuse to dress up!!!

Playin' with the Freaks!

Ohhhh ... ALL the goodness!!! Holy COW!!! I have FINALLY had a chance to play with my new Holiday Catalog "preview" goodies!!! To be honest, I am having a HARD time wrapping my brain around doing any sort of "fall" creations. But, since it it is my absoLUTE favorite time of the year, it really didn't take me too long to get into the groove. And I am happy to report that my BFF Jan Tinklenberg has joined the ranks of the Control Freaks once again!!! (Did you SEE what she MADE???) Choirs of angels sing (or at least I DO!) to have her back amongst us once again!

I hate to even ADMIT that I have felt a TEENY-TINY bit of fall in the air ... not very much, mind you, but the evenings HAVE been cooler (as well as the mornings) by at least a few degrees!!! I cannot WAIT for the seasons to change, though ... running through the canyon in the cool temperatures with the colors and SMELLS of fall??? Just about as close to a slice of HEAVEN as you can GET!

Stamps: Acorny Thank You, Gorgeous Grunge
Paper: Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, Mossy Meadow, Very Vanilla
Ink: Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, Early Espresso, Mossy Meadow
Accessories: Mini Treat Bag Thinlits (for Mossy Meadow border), Bitty Banners Thinlits, Acorn Builder Punch, Natural Chevron Ribbon, Venetian Crochet Trim, Very Vanilla Thick Bakers Twine, Woodgrain Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Mini Stapler

OHMYHALLOWEEN!!! Y'all KNOW it just so happens to be my very most FAVORITIST time of year. (I have a handful of homemade costumes that I've made over the years for MYSELF to prove it! And enough Halloween decor to decorate my house - inside and out - a couple of times over!!)

So this is actually a CARD and not a TREAT bag! Just pull on the little ribbon at the top and the card inside is blank except for the skelly face (that's what my daughter calls skeletons ... and it has kind of grown on me!)! The little bones are attached to the outside front of the "treat bag" .. stinkin' cute, right???

Stamps: Howl-o-ween Treat
Paper: Happy Haunting DSP, Whisper White, Black Glimmer Paper
Ink: Basic Black
Accessories: Mini Treat Bag Framelits, Happy Haunting Designer Washi Tape, Into the Woods 3/8" Cotton Ribbon, Boo to You Framelits

Next up?? The delightful Debbie Henderson! It is even super fun for ME to see what my fellow freaky friends come up with ... they NEVER cease to AMAZE me!!

Stamp Review Crew - Awesomely Artistic Edition

The Stamp Review Crew is at it again!!! This week we are "reviewing" Stampin' Up's Awesomely Artistic set.  I have already used this thing SO much!!! The images are ALL just GORGEOUS!

I did the background bricks with a technique I learned long ago and far away ... I inked up the embossing folder with some Whisper White ink (actually on the "negative" side so that the bricks would turn white and not the "grout" between the bricks ... hope that makes sense!).  I ran a piece of Cherry Cobbler cardstock through my Big Shot with the inked up embossing folder. Then, I sprinkled some Whisper White embossing powder on the ink and heat set it.  Ta-DAAAA!!

(This is similar to what I did with the Woodland embossing folder a couple of posts ago ... everyone keeps asking how I did it ... I just tapped the ink pad on the embossing folder and added a little bit of accent color with a sponge dauber.)

Stamps: Awesomely Artistic
Paper: Crumb Cake, Early Espresso, Cherry Cobbler, Marina Mist, Whisper White
Ink: Cherry Cobbler, Daffodil Delight, Crumb Cake, Marina Mist, Whisper White
Accessories: Brick Wall Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Hearth and Home Thinlits Dies, Project Life Card & Labels Framelits Dies, Project Life Moments Like These Accessories (small paper clip), Burlap Ribbon, Linen Thread, Whisper White Embossing Powder, White Perfect Accents (colored with gold sharpie), Small Oval Punch (retired)

Yeah ... this is the SAME card ... I decided after I took the photo of my first version that the flowers might benefit from a little bit more color ... so I added a little splash of Soft Sky to the flower petals.  I still can't decide which version I like better ... what do you think??

Stamps: Awesomely Artistic
Paper: Crumb Cake, Early Espresso, Cherry Cobbler, Marina Mist, Whisper White
Ink: Cherry Cobbler, Daffodil Delight, Crumb Cake, Marina Mist, Whisper White, Soft Sky
Accessories: Brick Wall Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Hearth and Home Thinlits Dies, Project Life Card & Labels Framelits Dies, Project Life Moments Like These Accessories (small paper clip), Burlap Ribbon, Linen Thread, Whisper White Embossing Powder, White Perfect Accents (colored with gold sharpie), Small Oval Punch (retired)

You KNOW you want one of these sets, don't you???!!??









The "previous" button with take you to Stampin' Seasons with Linda Callahan ... and the "next" button with show you what Jen Timko created on her Stampin' on the Fly blog!!!

Friends and Gratitude ...

I had heard it said once that if you have two or three people during your life that you can TRULY call a close friend, that you are blessed ... and for some reason I have been in a waterfall of blessing most of my life!!! I seriously can't actually count the number of people who have come into my life who have changed me for the better, and who I feel like will be a part of my life forever. (How's that for a mushy lead in???)

You know who your TRUE friends are when they can see you through the Good, the Bad and the Ugly ... and will talk to you and NOT judge when you LOOK like the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly!!! I am reminded, once again, how large my "safety net" of friends is as my mom has been back in the hospital (all is well ... she is currently in a rehab facility for a few weeks, but makes more improvements every day!)!

My friend, Cheryl, and I went for a nice, long walk during her lunch hour(s) the other day (it was HOT and HUMID and the walk was more of a HIKE)!! She is the one that used to urge ME to come walking with her ... and I struggled ... and huffed and puffed ... and she was my cheerleader the whole way. Having been a bit out of the habit of walking because of her commitment to school (SO proud of her for going "back" ... AND getting a Bachelors degree!). So now it was my turn to push HER a bit ... she kept apologizing for her "slow" pace ... which didn't matter to me ONE BIT!! I was grateful to have a friend to walk with, to laugh with, to encourage as she has so often encouraged me (and NOT just in the area of staying fit, either! We met through a mutual friend at a Stampin' Up Club about 13 years ago ... the beginning of my Stampin' Odyssey)!! There are MANY people in my life that I am blessed to call "friend" ...

And yeah ... this is a DUDE "friend" card ... and I have DO have some DUDE friends as well. But I have to admit that there is nothing like a GIRL friend to share your secrets with! It is the BEST!!

Stamps: The Open Sea, Awesomely Artistic
Paper: Sahara Sand, Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla, Gold Glimmer DSP
Ink: Early Espresso, Night of Navy
Accessories: Brick Wall Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Circle Framelits, Artisan Label Punch, Washi Label Punch, Chevron Natural Ribbon, Project Life Paper Clips Thinlits, Antique Brads, Mini Stapler

So today I am going to go visit with my mama, go to the gym (the elliptical is calling my name!), spend time with my awesome son, Devan (who has declared today Mama Tech Support Day ... how AWESOME is THAT???), and spend the evening with my besties at book group (I have been in this group of ***GULP*** 24 years ... and it's MY turn to review the book ... and before you ask, it's "Shadow of the Wind" by Carlos Ruiz Zafon ... GREAT read!). My heart is full of gratitude ...

Have a great day, FRIENDS!!

Monday Montage #49

Welcome to another Monday Montage! I have had so much FUN playing the last few days with my stamps and paper! Yesterday I had my stamp club girls over and we had a great time!!

Today I'm sharing one of the cards we made when we were all together. I actually saw something similar to this somewhere on Pinterest (I wish I could remember where!).

Stamps:  Crazy About You
Paper: Whisper White, Vellum
Ink:  Cherry Cobbler, Blushing Bride, Crushed Curry, Pear Pizzazz, Pool Party, Wisteria Wonder
Accessories:  Washi Punch, Burlap Ribbon, Bitty Butterly Punch, Mini Stapler

Click "Back" for Melissa Stout and "Next" for Amy O'Neill ... ALWAYS inspired by what they come up with!

Fab Friday #70

Hey, peeps!!! I love summer ... and we are already working our way through the LAST month of summer! I just received my preorder goodies from the Stampin' Up Holiday Catalog. I canNOT wrap my brain around "fall" and "Christmas" creations ... but this embossing folder was just CALLING and CALLING to me ... so I was happy to have the Fab Friday Challenge to get me going!

I love aspens. We call them "quakies" in my neck of the woods. I realize the trees in this embossing folder are supposed to be BIRCH trees, but I look at them and see quakies ... hence, this card!

Stamps: NONE
Paper: Garden Green, Crushed Curry, Whisper White, Soft Suede
Ink: Crushed Curry, Garden Green
Accessories: Woodland Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Decorative Dots Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Expressions Natural Elements, Burlap Ribbon, Linen Thread

We used the sketch from one of the card samples on the front of the Holiday Catalog ... you guys are gonna LOVE the stuff in there!!! I just need to endorse my paychecks over to Stampin' Up for the next little while!









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

I am excited to have my stamp club girls over on Saturday ... and I have a family baby shower on Saturday as well. The weekend will be over before I know it!

Stamp Review Crew - Crazy About You Edition

FINALLY!!! I get to participate in with the Stamp Review Crew again!! I have had such a crazy summer ... and every dang time I COULD participate, they were using a stamp set I did NOT own (which is hard to believe, since I feel like I have just about EVERYthing!)!!

This week we are playing with "Crazy About You". Not ONLY does this set have a plethora (good word, right??) of sentiment options, it also has a couple of AWESOME flowers - that have matching punches - and a really nice leafy branchy image, too!!

Had a very busy but great weekend!! I still need to get my stamp room/crafty space cleaned up from Convention ... it's about time I do it, too, because I can't seem to find ANYthing!!!

Stamps: Crazy About You
Paper: Basic Black, Whisper White, Pool Party, Blushing Bride
Ink: Pool Party, Blushing Bride, Bermuda Bay
Accessories: Scallop Circle Punch, Bitty Butterfly Punch, Mini Stapler, Bermuda Bay Sequin Trim, Blushing Bride Sequin Trim

Seriously ... you NEED this set if you don't already have it, right????






There's a whole month left of summer, and I have done ALL the crazy things that I HAD to do!!! I think I need to find something ELSE to do ... oh wait ... I'm making a trip to the Happiest Place on Earth at the end of the month for my birthday!!! THAT will be awesome!!

Up next?? Nancy Smith has a GORGEOUS rustic-looking creation ... and on the previous link you will see Jessica Williams and all the colors of the rainbow!!! SUCH fun!!