Freakin' for the LITTLES!

Is there anything that is happier than a kid on their birthday??? I think NOT!!! Remember when you were little and it seemed like your birthday (and Christmas and summer vacation!) took FOR-EV-ER to come around??? This month the Control Freaks are making cards/creations for kids! Wasn't Melissa Davies' stuff SUPER SPOT ON??? I had so much fun making the two cards I did ... pretty sure they will add to some smiles on a couple of birthdays!

Not gonna lie ... this is one of the VERY FIRST sets I ordered with the preview of SU's catalog last year. AAAAAAND ... it has been sitting and gathering dust since it came!! I felt a bit intimidated by all the cute little images and dies. It did take a little while to get all the bits stamped and cut, but it was VERY fun!!

And TAAA-DAAAAA!!! Here is the pop-up on the inside!!! It's a freakin' ROLLER COASTER!!! I can't stop smiling when I think of the face of one of my little cousins when this gets opened! I mean, seriously ... what's NOT to be happy about with this???

Stamps: Let the Good Times Roll
Paper: Blueberry Bushel, Grapefruit Grove, Berry Burst, Call Me Clover, Whisper White, Wood Textures DSP
Ink: Blueberry Bushel, Grapefruit Grove, Berry Burst, Call Me Clover, Wink of Stella
Accessories: Thrill Ride Framelits Dies, Dot to Dot Textured Impressions Embossing Folder

I have had a similar experience with this froggy set. It has been sitting and sitting and waiting and waiting for me to pick it up!! Coloring and incorporating DSP from THREE different stacks was very fun!!

Stamps: So Hoppy Together
Paper: Crumb Cake, Basic Black, Whisper White, Gingham Gala DSP, Garden Impressions DSP, Classic Garage DSP
Ink: Memento Black; Stampin' Blends - Granny Apple Green, Daffodil Delight, Petal Pink
Accessories: Stitched Labels Thinlits, Flourish Thinlits Dies, 1" Circle Punch, Granny Apple Green 1/2" Textured Weave Ribbon, Whisper White Baker's Twine, Metallic Pearls

Next up???  ... Creative Kelly Acheson!! Be ready for MORE smiles, because her projects are just SO VERY HAPPY!

Monday Montage #133

Happy President's Day!!! As we are already floating through the middle of February, it's that time of year again. Funny, but I should've made some sort of patriotic card for this week's Monday Montage blog hop. I didn't even THINK of it!!! A friend of mine and I went to the Tabernacle on Temple Square in Salt Lake City to listen to Music and the Spoken Word (featuring the Tabernacle Choir). My friend seemed a bit bewildered by the lineup of patriotic songs ... until I issued a reminder that we were having President's Day this week! The music was GREAT!!!

I am all over the butterflies again. The Butterfly Gala DSP (that was available as a SAB free item) is soooo good. All of the butterflies can be easily punched out with the Butterfly Duet punch. Very little stamping involved in making this card ... but y'all know how I am about butterflies ... they just make me HAPPY!

Stamps: Picture Perfect Birthday
Paper: Basic Black, Whisper White, Grapefruit Grove, Butterfly Gala DSP 
Ink: Black Memento
Accessories: Stitched Shapes Framelits, Rectangle Stitched Framelits, Stitched Labels Framelits, Subtle Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Butterfly Duet Punch, Faceted Dots, 1/4" Metallic Striped Ribbon

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
Charlet Mallet - Painted Orange
Cheryl Curtis - Pomp and Sustenance
Dani Dziama - Dani's Thoughtful Corner
Elizabeth Price - Seeinginkspots
Julie Warnick - Julie Warnick Stampin' Up! Blog
Melissa Stout - The Stamp Doc
Wendy Weixler - Wickedly Wonderful Creations - YOU'RE ALREADY HERE!!

If you are looking for a good binge-worthy show to watch on your day off (if you are lucky enough to get President's Day off ... which I am NOT!) ... Netflix just released a new 10-episode series called "The Umbrella Academy". It's about a family of misfits that all have some sorta crazy super power. They are pretty dysfunctional, but it was highly entertaining!

Click "Back" for Melissa Stout and "Next" for Amy O'Neill ... much to love about BOTH of them!

Fab Friday #157

As I sit here eating some chocolates and watching the last few episodes of A&E's most EXCELLENT version of Pride and Prejudice (started on Valentine's Day yesterday). I cannot love this series any MORE than I do! I watch it at least once a year ... but more often than not TWICE a year!! It's sooooo good!

This week's Fab Friday Challenge is a wonderful little sketch ... I actually had this entire card thought out in my head before I even started it. I think I finished it up in less than 15 minutes!! I LOVE it when that happens!

Stamps: Geared Up, Part of My Story
Paper: Whisper White, Classic Garage DSP, Vellum, Silver Foil
Ink: Black Memento
Accessories: Garage Gears Thinlits Dies, 1/4" Metallic Striped Ribbon, Metallic Pearls

I'm sure you will all find this a great source of inspiration!











Here's a link to the Fab Friday Challenge Blog so that you can play along:

Fab Friday Challenge Blog

Mindy Backes
Heather Heroldt
Brian King
Amy Koenders
Amanda Mertz
Brenda Myers

Due to crummy weather and road conditions, I didn't get to take my road trip up to Walla Walla to visit my BFF Bree Renwick! DRAT!!! I think we shall be FaceTime stamping today!! And maybe I will just stay inside and stay warm and go NOWHERE else!!! Have a lovely weekend!

I LOVE Succulents!

We are STILL up to our eyeballs in snow (well ... maybe just our knees!)!! I am SO grateful I don't "have" to go anywhere today (although I am planning on meeting a friend for lunch, so there's that!). My puppy absolutely LOVES the snow ... and she has to come SLAMMING in through the doggie door to let us know just how MUCH she loves it every time she goes outside!

I made another card using the Painted Seasons stamp set (I got it on preorder). It will be available starting on February 15 as an offering for round 2 of Sale-a-Bration. Ohmygosh! You guys NEEEEEED this set!! It is just SOOOO good. The images are beautiful, and the depth you get with them is just AMAZING!!

Stamps: Painted Seasons, Beauty Abounds
Paper: Crumb Cake, Highland Heather, Pear Pizzazz, Soft Sea Foam, Whisper White
Ink: Highland Heather, Pear Pizzazz
Accessories: Rectangle Stitched Framelits, Corrugated Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Linen Thread, True Gentlemen Buttons

My puppy and my other non-puppy (she is almost 14, so I guess she qualifies as an old doggie!) and currently crashed out on top of my bed ... my poor bedspread is getting dirty with puppy-snow love ... oh well. They sure are CUTE!!

It's a SNOW DAY!!

I have lived in my neighborhood for 34 years ... and I can count on LESS than ONE HAND how many times a "snow day" has been called in order to keep people off the roads (schools, government office, etc. all CLOSED). Not that there haven't been PLENTY of days that SHOULD have been called off for snow ... but people in Utah are DIEHARDS ... and a little crazy!! So today being a "snow day" was a big surprise.

Not that it helps ME all that much. Being self employed and having your office a few blocks down the street means that you just put on your Sorrels and hike down the street! Even in such a short distance I saw a LOT of cars stuck and struggling ... Ol' Man Winter isn't even CLOSE to being done with us yet!

I got a happy package from Stampin' Up yesterday (so glad I got it before the weather went overboard!)! Oh MY!!! This embossing folder ... this stamp set ... BOTH of which will be a Sale-a-Bration option starting March 15 ... they are just SOOOOOO good!

Stamps: Painted Seasons, Flourishing Phrases
Paper: Petal Pink, Whisper White
Ink: Petal Pink, Granite Gray
Accessories: Layering Circles Framelits Dies, Country Floral Embossing Folder, Whisper White Bakers Twine, Metallic Pearls

So I will sit in my office and work today and listen to the quiet ... not much traffic outside and the phones are pretty silent because all of the SMART people stayed at HOME today!! Stay warm and safe, my friends!

Monday Montage #132

Here we are again ... time to play with the Monday Montage team!!! And guess WHAT??!!?? We have added two new friends to the lineup ... soooo happy to have Charlet Mallet and Cheryl Curtis as part of our crew. Y'all are gonna LOVE them as much as I do!!

This card just makes me think of a picnic ... and springtime ... and warmer temperatures.  How about you??? I will be sad when Sale-a-Bration is over and the lovely gingham paper is all gone.

Stamps: Butterfly Gala
Paper: Balmy Blue, Whisper White, Gingham Gala DSP
Ink: Balmy Blue
Accessories: Stitched Shapes Framelits, Butterfly Elements, Metallic Pearls, 5/8" Burlap Ribbon, 1/8" Whisper White Grosgrain Ribbon





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
Charlet Mallet - Painted Orange
Cheryl Curtis - Pomp and Sustenance
Dani Dziama - Dani's Thoughtful Corner - NOT PARTICIPATING THIS WEEK
Elizabeth Price - Seeinginkspots
Julie Warnick - Julie Warnick Stampin' Up! Blog
Melissa Stout - The Stamp Doc
Wendy Weixler - Wickedly Wonderful Creations - YOU'RE ALREADY HERE!!

Just watched the most BORING Superbowl of ALL time (not that I am a huge fan of football anyway) ... the commercials were the best part ... aside from the halftime show with Adam Levine and Maroon 5 ... SWOOOOON!

Click "Back" for Melissa Stout and "Next" for Amy O'Neill ... much to love about BOTH of them!

Fab Friday #156

Happy Fab Friday!!! I'm hoping this day finds you keeping yourselves WARM (especially my friends in the PolarVortex Midwest!)!! Lucky for us, the super-cold temperatures haven't gripped Utah. Question for the sub-sub-freezing peeps ... what do you do when your pets need to go potty??? -51 degrees outside seems it would be IMPOSSIBLE to let them out!! YIKES!!!

I was feeling the need for something evoking some warmer temperatures ... and this week's Fab Friday color combo made it EASY!!! I could've gone the "Valentine" route with these colors, but chose instead to bloom some flowers. What do you think??

Stamps: Incredible Like You
Paper: Whisper White, Grapefruit Grove
Ink: Grapefruit Grove, Lovely Lipstick, Blushing Bride
Accessories: Dot to Dot Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Lovely Lipstick Grosgrain Ribbon, Pretty Label Punch

Pretty little combo, isn't it???








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
Heather Heroldt
Brian King
Amy Koenders
Amanda Mertz
Brenda Myers

I'm off work today (HOORAY!), and am going to lunch with a friend. Then, this evening, I am doing a night hike with another group of friends ... pretty sure I will be feeling it tomorrow!!