Shine On with the Freaks!

And just like THAT, Christmas is only SIX days away!! I have had hardly ANY time to create lately, and now it seems I am in overdrive trying to do all the Christmas stuff (cards, neighbor gifts/tags, shopping, wrapping, baking, decorating ... the list goes on and on, doesn't it??)! Did ya check out the sparkly Christmas tree made by Bree Renwick? It's so fun ... and I LOVE the color combo! 

I've been wanting to play with the Frosted Gingerbread stamps and Gingerbread dies since the minute I laid eyes on them ... aren't they ADORABLE??!??

With this card I made a z-fold ... which I have not done in FOREVER!! Start with a piece of cardstock that is 8.5" x 5.5".  Use your Simply Scored and score lines at 2 1/8" and 4.25".  You will then be able to fold the base into a "z" so that you can made this fun card!

Stamps: Frosted Gingerbread
Paper: Whisper White, Soft Suede, Real Red, Gingerbread & Peppermint DSP

Ink: Versamark, Real Red

Accessories: Gingerbread Dies, Ornate Frames Dies, Shimmery Crystal Effects, Wink of Stella, Champagne Rhinestone, Whisper White Embossing Powder, White Frayed Ribbon

If you look closely you can seee that I made the icing kinda "sparkly" on this snowflake-shaped Christmas cookies.  I used some Shimmery Crystal Effects ... and THEN when they were dry I brushed them with some Wink of Stella ... I love how shiny AND glittery they turned out!!

To add even a little more "shine" I accented the center of the cookies and the sentiment tag with some Champagne rhinestones.  Also, the soon-to-be-available White Frayed Ribbon has just a little bit of glimmer to it ... ooooooooo! Sooooo pretty!

Here's a little peek at the inside (what you see behind the front panel when you open up the "z").  Something about fun and funky folding just makes me happy!

I'm headed into week #3 of wearing a silicone patch on my surgical incision from my achilles/bone spur surgery ... and it really seems to be working! I am SOOOOO happy! I am actually wearing MATCHING shoes ... with NO backs cut out! I have even started to run again ... it's a CHRISTMAS MIRACLE!!

Next up? Cindy Elam! She has not one, not two but THREE beautiful and shiny creations to be inspired by!

Monday Montage #203

Huzzah and HURRRAH!! You GUYS!!! I've been (im)patiently waiting to be able to order the Penguin Place 

Bundle ... which has been on back order (dumb supply chain!)!! But it is HERE!! It has ARRIVED! And I could NOT be happier!! I mean, punched out penguins?? Seriously???? I am going to be using them for my "official" family Christmas card this year, so I couldn't wait to take it out and at least PLAY with it a little bit! Sqqqquuuuueeeeeee!!! 

Stamps: Penguin Place

Paper: Whisper White, Smoky Slate, Real Red, Basic Black, Mango Melody

Ink: Black Memento, Real Red, Smoky Slate, Mango Melody

Accessories: Ornate Frames Dies, Ornate Layers Dies, Frosted Epoxy Dots, Double Stitched Real Red Satin Ribbon, Flowers for Every Season Ribbon Combo Pack (Faux Linen Ribbon), Whisper White Embossing Powder, Gingham Embossing Folder, Shimmery Crystal Effects

I just had to share a close up of my embossed panel so you could see how PURDY it is!! This is a sneaky peek at the soon-to-be-available gingham embossing folder. Isn't it caaaaaYOOOT??? I want to use it with everything!

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

Bree Renwick - Craft-somnia Momma

Cathy Casey - Sugar Shack Designs
Charlet Mallet - Painted Orange
- NOT PARTICIPATING THIS WEEK

Cheryl Curtis - Pomp and Sustenance
- NOT PARTICIPATING THIS WEEK

Dani Dziama - Dani's Thoughtful Corner 

Elizabeth Price - Seeinginkspots

Emily Kimmey - EMK Creations

Julie Warnick - Creating on the Run 
Melissa Stout - The Stamp Doc 

Wendy Weixler - Wickedly Wonderful Creations - YOU ARE HERE

 Click "Next" to see Bree Renwick... and "Back" to visit Melissa Stout!! Their creations are joyful and triumphant!!

Monday Montage #202

Why do the weekends seem to be over before they have actually even started?? I'm not quite sure ... but I think I need one more weekend! I am happy that I had some time to play with my crafty things and get some relaxing creative time. We have had the most lovely and long fall (something we did NOT get last year). It's starting to get colder ... I think we will have snow before too long!

I don't often go "muted" with my color schemes, but having started with the understated but beautiful Bloom Where You're Planted DSP, I was really feeling the vibe. Since green is my favorite color, using Soft Succulent and Evening Evergreen with some Gray Granite helped me achieve exactly the feel I was going for.

Stamps: Biggest Wish

Paper: Gray Granite, Evening Evergreen, Soft Succulent, Bloom Where You're Planted DSP

Ink: Versamark

Accessories: Ornate Frames Dies, Sunflowers Dies, Clear and Frosted Epoxy Droplets, Whisper White Embossing Powder, Whisper White Baker's Twine

I love layers and textures all kind of mashed together ... and I have been using more and more Whisper White Embossing Powder over Versamark this year ... love cutting around the sentiment on colored cardstock to add a little bit of a "pop" to the overall card.

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

Monday Montage Hoppers
Cathy Casey - Sugar Shack Designs
Charlet Mallet - Painted Orange
- NOT PARTICIPATING THIS WEEK

Cheryl Curtis - Pomp and Sustenance
- NOT PARTICIPATING THIS WEEK

Dani Dziama - Dani's Thoughtful Corner 

Elizabeth Price - Seeinginkspots

Emily Kimmey - EMK Creations

Julie Warnick - Creating on the Run 
Melissa Stout - The Stamp Doc 

 Click "Next" to see Bree Renwick... and "Back" to visit Melissa Stout!! Their creations are stellar!!

Freaky & Grateful

'Tis the Season of Gratitude and the Control Freaks are ready to roll!! I feel even more grateful than usual this year ... which is odd because in August I was "freaking" out about how close the holiday were ... and I was NOT on board for it!! Bring it on, now! Did you see what my BFF Bree Renwick posted? We got to hang out last weekend and it was FANTASTIC! She really is one of my favorite people on the planet! 

I borrowed the Gorgeous Leaves Stamps and Dies from my friend Cheryl.  And when I cleaned up my craft space today with EVERY intention of using the stamps and dies I came to the painful realization that I could only find ONE die (which I used recently) and the clear plastic envelope it comes in ... and I have looked EVERYwhere! Dang it!! Hope it shows up soon!

I stamped the leaf images in Versamark and then embossed with some Whisper White embossing powder.  THEN I pulled out my lovely Stampin' Blends and commenced to coloring ...

I started in the center with Daffodil Delight, then added some Pumpkin Pie, Cajun Craze and then a hint of Soft Suede at the tips.  I love how easily I was able to "swirl" the colors around until I got just the look I wanted! I love fall the most!

Stamps: Gorgeous Leaves, Many Messages
Paper: Whisper White, Bloom Where You're Planted DSP, Vellum

Ink: Versamark, Early Espresso; Stampin' Blends - Daffodil Delight, Pumpkin Pie, Cajun Craze, Soft Suede

Accessories: Messages Dies, Fine Art Ribbon, Linen Thread, Whisper White Embossing Powder, Metallic Pearls

This one I did really quick ... I saw what I wanted to do in my head, then I just did it (which almost NEVER happens!

I cut a 1" strip of Expressions in Ink DSP and scored it every 1/2" inch.  I then made an accordion fold with it and stuck it to my card under some more Fine Art Ribbon.

You GUYS!! The Stitched Greenery Die is EVERYTHING!! It makes the purdiest background EVER! LoveLoveLove!

Stamps: Biggest Wish
Paper: Very Vanilla, Early Espresso, Expressions in Ink DSP

Ink: Cajun Craze, Bumblebee, Cinnamon Cider

Accessories: Scalloped Contours Dies, Stitched Greenery Die, Fine Art Ribbon, Metallic Pearls (I freakin' love these things, too!

I'm still wearing one shoe with the back cut out of it ... my dang body is still rejecting the internal stitches on one part of the incision the doc created when I had my surgery (at least that is the theory now). And of course, because I am a "special snowflake" my doc says he's never seen anyone with only PART of their incision being reactive ... sigh ... but I'm trying!! I'm doing some more Prednisone ... which I do NOT love ... but hoping it continues to improve things!

Next up? Melissa Stout! The Stampin' Doc is IN!!

Monday Montage #201

The holidays have struck me hard ... right smack dab in the middle of my forehead! I have put Halloween decorations up and down, put Thanksgiving decorations up and am already thinking about putting up our Christmas tree ... what in the freakin' world has come over me??? I am NEVER this much in denial as to the fact that not only are the holidays coming, they are HERE!!! My surgical scar is still inflamed and giving me grief (in the middle of another round of steroids to try to get things righted again!)!! Well, why should this year be ANY different anyway?? Seems that 2020 has struck again and just made everything seem weird and unnormal! Sigh ...

Using a sample from the catalog as inspiration, I built this little fall number to get myself in the mood away from Halloween and into Thanksgiving! Leaves are great for that, don't you think?

Stamps: Gorgeous Leaves, Elegantly Said (sentiment)

Paper: Cinnamon Cider, Very Vanilla, Early Espresso, Cajun Craze, Crumb Cake

Ink: Crumb Cake, Bumble Bee, Cinnamon Cider, Early Espresso

Accessories: Macrame Embossing Folder, Scalloped Contours Dies, Intricate Leaves Dies, Linen Thread, Champagne Rhinestones

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  - NOT PARTICIPATING THIS WEEK 

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 - NOT PARTICIPATING THIS WEEK

 Click "Next" to see Bree Renwick... and "Back" to visit Julie Warnick!! Brilliant either direction you go!

Monday Montage #200

Bring on the happy, bring on the music! It is time to CEL-E-BRATE the Monday Montage Team! It' doesn't even seem POSSIBLE that we have been doing this hop together since August 25, 2013 ... that's OVER 8 YEARS!!! It seems nearly IMPOSSIBLE that these lovely ladies have known each other for so long. I am so totally blessed to have them in my life as friends, and I am ALWAYS inspired by their talent!! So, since this is actually our 200th hop together, we are "celebrating"!!! And boy oh boy, did these guys pull out ALL the stops!What says CELEBRATE more than a CUPCAKE??? I mean, SERIOUSLY??!?? I love cupcakes of all shapes and sizes ... and flavors!! Had too much fun making this card and pretending that the cupcakes were actually EDIBLE!!

Stamps: Measured with Love, Sweet as a Peach (sentiment)

Paper: Soft Suede, Flirty Flamingo, Pool Party, Basic Black, Whisper White

Ink: Black Memento, Versamark, Flirty Flamingo; Stampin' Blends - Light and Dark Pool Party, Light and Dark Flirty Flamingo, Light and Dark Soft Suede, Light Rich Razzleberry

Accessories: Scalloped Contours Dies, Basic Borders Dies, Whisper White Embossing Powder, Wink of Stella, Black 3/8" Glittered Organdy 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

 Click "Next" to see Amy O'Neill... and "Back" to visit Melissa Stout!! They've been off for a while so it is GREAT to have them back!

Non-Traditional Christmas with the Freaks!

Once again, I am Freakin' Out!! The Control Freaks are thinking "outside the box" this month with some unique and non-traditional Christmas cards. I absolutely LOVE the creations done by the ever-amazing Melissa Davies.  She is totally incredible!

My brain is absolute MUSH!! Between the physical therapist and my foot doctor I was put through the wringer today!! I am now on antibiotics to see if we can get my surgical incision to heal up ... it's being SUPER stubborn!!

Here's my non-traditional Christmas card ... Blackberry Bliss and foliage-printed DSP! I had fun with this one ... wish you could see how sparkly the "J" and "Y" are with their layer of Wink of Stella! 

Stamps: None!
Paper: Whisper White, Blackberry Bliss, Bloom Where You're Planted DSP, Vellum

Ink: Wink of Stella

Accessories: Scalloped Contours Dies, Playful Alphabet Dies, Stitched Stars Dies, Clear Epoxy Essentials, Whisper White Baker's Twine

Wish me luck and cross your fingers for me that the antibiotics do the trick on my foot/heel ... this is taking WAY longer than I had hoped for, but even slow progress is progress!

Next up? Cindy Elam! HOLY COW!! Her cards are GORGEOUS!!

Monday Montage #199

I have NO crutches, I have NO boot ... but I also have NO desire to wear a shoe on my owie foot yet!! Still working on healing ... and trying to remind myself every dang day that it took me more thhan a year and a half to get my foot/achilles problem to the uber-supreme level to which I had it prior to my surgery. I'm giving myself permission to take it easy and let my body do its thing. I also need to remmebr to try NOT to break myself by thinking I am as good as new already and overdoing it ... sigh ... just super grateful for modern medicine and the wondrous things they can do to fix the myriad of ways we break ourselves! I spent the entire weekend cleaning house, shopping and cooking ... and I mean a LOT of cooking! I made what I christened the First Annual Weixler Family OktoberFeast! I made two kinds of wurst, kaestaetzle, rotkohl, apple strudel, black forest cherry chocolate mini cakes, German potato cakes with applesaucee or sour cream and chives for topping, wheat and rye pumpkin sesame seeed bread, two warm and toasty drinks - pumpkin spice apple cider and non-alcoholic mulled wine. I also made a trip to the local German bakery (thanks Vosens!) to pick up some DELICIOUS and LARGE dark pretzels and baci rolls. Add to that some cheese and pickles and some grapes and you got a feast to behold, my friends. REALLY pleased with how well everything turned out! I am also very happy that I had time and inspiration to put together a quick little card for this week's Monday Montage Blog Hop. WHEW!!! What a weekend!

Just a quick little card made from the All Squared Away Stamps and Floral Square Dies ... to the rescue! After the weekend I had I was grateful to have inspiration and completion come to me so quickly this week. WHEW!! I needed that!

Stamps: All Squared Away 

Paper: Crumb Cake, Blackberry Bliss, Whisper White, Gold Foil

Ink: Blackberry Bliss

Accessories: Floral Square Dies, Ornate Frames Dies, Textured Embossing Folder, Champagne Rhinestones, Fine Art 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  - NOT PARTICIPATING THIS WEEK 

Breelin Renwick - Craft-somnia Momma
Cathy Casey - Sugar Shack Designs
Charlet Mallet - Painted Orange - NOT PARTICIPATING THIS WEEK
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 - NOT PARTICIPATING THIS WEEK

 Click "Next" to see Bree Renwick... and "Back" to visit Julie Warnick!! OUTSTANDING!

Monday Montage #198

I THINK I might be given permission from my foot doctor this Tuesday to DROP the BOOT! Man oh man oh man ... I sincerely HOPE that happens! I'd like to go on a short and easy walk to see how it all feels! Sheesh!! Wish me luck!! Y

FINALLY got my craft room all spiffed up, so stamping for this week's Monday Montage Blog Hop was SUPER DUPER FUN!! I could find everything and clean up was a SNAP!!

Elegantly Said - Stamps and Punch!!! YAAAASSS!!! So fun, so pretty and so, well, ELEGANT!! I braided some linen thread to tie around the punched Elegant Tag.

Stamps: Elegantly Said

Paper: Very Vanilla, Sahara Sand, Fresh 

Freesia

Ink: Fresh Freesia, Polished Pink, Mango Melody, Sahara Sand, Soft Succulent, Versamark

Accessories: Whisper White Embossing Powder, Elegantly Label Punch, Linen Thread, Pastel Pearls

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
- NOT PARTICIPATING THIS WEEK 

Julie Warnick - Julie Warnick Stampin' Up! Blog 
Melissa Stout - NOT PARTICIPATING THIS WEEK

 Click "Next" to see Amy O'Neal... and "Back" to visit Julie Warnick!! LOVE these ladies!!

Sketchin' with the Freaks

Here we are again, playing with the Control Freaks! This week has somehow just gotten away from me ...  and I only got ONE card done ... DANG!! Did you see the two beautiful cards that Bree Renwick did?? She sent me the pix earlier this weeks and knocked my socks off!! 

I've been wanting to play with this sweet little birdhouse set since I got it months ago! This is how my life has gone ... sigh ... but it really is a fun and cute set. Birdhouses make me happy!

Stamps: Garden Birdhouses
Paper: Pale Papaya, Crumb Cake, Early Espresso, Whisper White, Expressions in Ink DSP

Ink: Black Memento, Night oof Navy, Pale Papaya, Stampin' Blends - Pool Party, Pumpkin Pie, Crumb Cake

Accessories: Layering Circles Dies, Stitched Greenery Die, Scalloped Contours Dies, Flowers for Every Season Ribbon Combo Pack (Faux Linen Ribbon), Champagne Rhinestones, Linen Thread

Here is the sketch we followed for this month's challenge ... what do you think??

Next up? Melissa Stout! She always creates JUST what the doctor ordered!!