Fab Friday #140

As of yesterday, Summer has OFFICIALLY begun!!! And MAN OH MAN, has it been HOT around here!! We've been hovering close to 100 degrees more than once!!! I think I have started to melt ... but I am NOT complaining!!! I love summer!!! And our friends at Fab Friday are stamping and making things to inspire!!

I am loving the Delightfully Detailed Laser-Cut Specialty Paper!! I got a few bits of it when I was at OnStage in Las Vegas. I wasn't sure what I'd do with it at first, but it is quickly becoming a "go to" for me!! Guess I shall have to order MORE!

Stamps: Stitched All Around
Paper: Whisper White, Lovely Lipstick, Grapefruit Grove, Pineapple Punch, Call Me Clover, Blueberry Bushel, Delightfully Detailed Laser-Cut Specialty Paper
Ink: Blueberry Bushel
Accessories: Springtime Impressions Thinlits Dies, Stitched Labels Thinlits Dies, Polka Dot Tulle Ribbon, Gingham Ribbon

All the rainbow colors!!! And they are all NEW!!! In Colors 2018-2020!






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
Amy Koenders
Justin Krieger
Amanda Mertz
Brenda Myers
Jan Tinklenberg

SUPER happy to be having my big brother visit for the weekend!! We don't get to see each other NEARLY enough ... and he only lives one state over!! Sheesh!!! We have some fun things planned for this weekend. The BEST of which is the air show at Hill Air Force Base. Going to be a FAB weekend!!

What's Freakin' NEW???

Why is it that no matter HOW much you LOVE all your crafty good things, you love it even MORE when you have NEW stamps??!!?? GIMME ALL THE STAMPS!! I NEED ALL THE PAPERS!!! OOOO-LAAA-LAAA FOR EMBELLISHMENTS!! Did you see what the Flower Bug herself did?? The ever-incredible LeeAnn Greff always makes BEAUTIFUL things!

I think the very first card I posted on this blog was a take on this card ... sorta ... I just remember that it had squares of different patterned papers on it. It's so much fun to mix and match lots of different patterns!!! I have been doing that with my clothes since I was a little girl (not always successfully, I might add!)! Don't be afraid of mixing colors and patterns ... sometimes it comes out SOOOO good it will surprise you!

Stamps: Abstract Impressions
Paper: Whisper White, Night of Navy, Garden Impressions DSP
Ink: Night of Navy, Petal Pink
Accessories: Stitched Shapes Framelits, 1/2" Night of Navy Gingham Ribbon, Basketweave Textured Impressions Embossing Folder

This little froggy ... he's so cute and unassuming sitting there with his smirk on this little branch, isn't he?? I twisted the the colors of Nature's twine to add a little bit of fun (Blackberry Bliss and Crumb Cake). I think I have purchased every single stamp set with "jungle" creatures in it since I started collecting stamps waaaaay back when I started stamping about 15 years ago. I just canNOT resist!

Stamps: Animal Outing
Paper: Crumb Cake, Whisper White, Tranquil Textures DSP
Ink: Tranquil Tide, Crumb Cake
Accessories: Stitched Shapes Framelits Dies, Stitched Labels Framelits, Blackberry Bliss and Crumb Cake Nature's Twine

Next up???  ... lovely Kelly Acheson!! She has done some WIZARDRY with the Sea of Textures Suite ... it's SOOOO good!

Monday Montage #118

How's it going, my friends??? Hopefully, you are all starting to enjoy the beginnings of summer ... for myself, I'm getting excited about some upcoming FUN and AMAZING summer plans with my hubby and the rest of my family. Finding time to stamp in and amongst the ins and outs of life is sometimes tricky, but it always makes me happy when I do it!! Especially when I have newer things to play with!!! Thanks for joining me and the rest of the Monday Montage girls for some crafty creativeness!!

I know I have mentioned before that I feel like I have made the same card over and over again ... I guess we all have our own style, right?? I had started out making something ENTIRELY different! The Garden Impressions DSP just makes my head SWIM!! I mean, seriously??? That stuff is GORRRRRGEOUS!!! Instead of doing something "garden-y" with it, I decided to pull out the Up & Away thinlits dies and make a happy balloon scene. Have you ever been to a hot air balloon festival??? Or actually BEEN in a hot air balloon??? I HAVE!!! It's noisy ... and HOT (the flame puts off some SERIOUS temps!)!! But the view and the experience is unlike ANYthing I've ever done before!! WOW!!! It was winter time and the landscape was stunningly beautiful and peaceful ... and I'm TERRIFIED of heights!!! But I wouldn't trade having done it for ANYthing!!

Stamps: Itty Bitty Greetings (this year's version of "Teeny Tiny Wishes" ... I LUUUURVE IT!)
Paper: So Saffron, Whisper White, Balmy Blue, Garden Impressions DSP
Ink:  Night of Navy
Accessories: Up & Away Thinlits Dies, Seaside Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Detailed Trio Punch, 5/8" Polka Dot Tulle Ribbon, Stapler

Here's a blog roll just in case you get "stuck" trying to hop around ...

Monday Montage Hoppers
Amy O'Neill - Amy's Paper Crafts
Breelin Renwick - Craft-somnia Momma
Cathy Casey - Sugar Shack Designs
Dani Dziama - Dani's Thoughtful Corner
Elizabeth Price - Seeinginkspots
Julie Warnick - Julie Warnick Stampin' Up! Blog - Not participating this week!
Kaitlyn Zumbach - Create with Kaitlyn
Melissa Stout - The Stamp Doc
Wendy Weixler - Wickedly Wonderful Creations - YOU'RE ALREADY HERE!!

This week I have several things to keep myself busy! But the FOLLOWING week we are flying up to Walla Walla in our little plane (I call her Clifford because she is BRIGHT red ... "Clifford the Big Red Plane" ... hehehe!)! We're going to visit my bestie and fellow Monday Montage-r, Bree Renwick, and her family for the 4th of July. I am GIDDY with excitement!!!

Click "Back" for Melissa Stout and "Next" for Amy O'Neill ... STUNNING, STUNNING, STUNNING!!

Fab Friday #139

It's FAB FRIDAY!!! Wait a minute ... is EVERY Friday FAB??!!?? It's when the weekend starts (for most of us, anyway!)!! Hopefully all y'all have something FUN planned. I know I do!

This stamp set says SOOOO much to me!!! I have been a bike enthusiast and runner for several years. I belong to a team of runners/bikers that raises money for research to find a cure for cancer (because cancer SUCKS!)! I saw this set and KNEW it WOULD be mine!! I have been inspired by SOOOO many people on my team ... and I feel like I need to make a card using this set for EVERY single one of them!!! They are AMAZING!!

Stamps: Enjoy Life
Paper: Blackberry Bliss, Crumb Cake, Whisper White
Ink: Blackberry Bliss, Crumb Cake
Accessories: Layering Circles Thinlits Dies, Crumb Cake Nature's Twine, Blackberry Bliss Nature'sTwine, Detailed Trio Punch

I love the simplicity of this ... and the wide range of interpretation that can be had here!






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
Amy Koenders
Justin Krieger
Amanda Mertz
Brenda Myers
Jan Tinklenberg

So ... speaking of running (which is something I do often!), I will be running the Drop 13 Half Marathon on Saturday ... ALL downhill, baby!!! This was the very FIRST "real" race I ever ran ... back in 2014!! And, believe it or not, that very first race STILL stands as my PR (personal record)! I ran it in 2:06:04!! I think it was fear and adrenaline, because I had NEVER run farther than 6 miles before I did that race!!! Not sure I will PR (I couldn't walk for DAYS after that dang race) ... but I am MUCH more ready for it, and have some of my teammates running as well. I DO know it will be a good time!!

Monday Montage #117

June??? How on EARTH did we get to JUNE??? I mean, didn't we JUST have CHRISTMAS for crying out loud???? Blink-blink-blink ... and here we are already!! The Monday Montage girls are at it again ... and I cannot tell you how MUCH fun I had making my card for this go-round! Now, can someone just slow time down a little so I can enjoy the summer a little???

Oh Brusho!! How I love thee!!! I actually bought myself the five-pack of Brusho from the catalog several months ago. And here it has sat ... and sat ... and sat!!! I wasn't sure what to do with it. Today was the day to FINALLY jump in and just try it. What FUN this stuff is!!

First, I stamped some of the images from the Abstract Impressions stamp set on a piece of Whisper White cardstock using my Versamark pad. Then I embossed with some clear embossing powder. Sprinkled a little bit of the Brilliant Red and Prussian Blue Brusho powder on it and then spritzed the HECK out of that little piece of cardstock. It ended up kinda soggy, but I just dabbed it a little with a paper towel. I LOVED the effect! This stuff is like GOLD dust!!! It is A-MAZ-ING!!!

Stamps: Abstract Impressions
Paper: Fresh Fig, Whisper White, Delightfully Detailed Lasercut Specialty Paper
Ink:  Brusho Brilliant Red, Brusho Prussion Blue, Versamark
Accessories: Springtime Impressions Thinlits Dies, Clear Embossing Powder, Faceted Dots, 5/8" Polka Dot Tulle Ribobn

We are home from our adventures in southern Utah ... it seems that the entire weekend was over in a BLINK!! WHY IS THAT??? I could spend WEEKS there and it would never seem long enough!

Here's a blog roll just in case you get "stuck" trying to hop around ...

Monday Montage Hoppers
Amy O'Neill - Amy's Paper Crafts
Breelin Renwick - Craft-somnia Momma
Cathy Casey - Sugar Shack Designs
Dani Dziama - Dani's Thoughtful Corner
Elizabeth Price - Seeinginkspots
Julie Warnick - Julie Warnick Stampin' Up! Blog - Not participating this week!
Kaitlyn Zumbach - Create with Kaitlyn - Not participating this week!
Melissa Stout - The Stamp Doc
Wendy Weixler - Wickedly Wonderful Creations - YOU'RE ALREADY HERE!!

I have one more scheduled race this season ... it's a half marathon, and it's next weekend. I think I shall sign up for one other half before I "retire" my shoes for a few months. Like that's gonna happen???? My running coach has helped me with a few things that will hopefully improve my times for next season. I'll probably never qualify for the Boston Marathon, but I'm feeling pretty great about the results so far!!

Click "Back" for Melissa Stout and "Next" for Amy O'Neill ... not sure how they do it over and over again, but they are ALWAYS making beautiful things!!