Happy Freakin' Birthday!

Oh how I am LOVING the snow today!! It's been coming down lightly, but steadily all day!! And if it keeps this up for about another MONTH, perhaps we will catch up with all the snow we HAVEN'T been getting all winter!! So today was PERFECT to stay in and stamp! This month the Control Freaks are celebrating birthdays!! Melissa Davies NAILED it, didn't she??

This peacock ... it has been BEGGING me to do something with it from the moment I laid eyes on it!! I'm kinda liking using my acrylic blocks to make background patterns lately ... a little Pool Party ink on this one and I went to town! I also used some of my Stampin' Blends on the peacock wing ... I think I like how it turned out!

Stamps: Beautiful Peacock, Small Acrylic Block
Paper: Basic Black, Melon Mambo, Bermuda Bay, Pink Pirouette, Whisper White
Ink: Bermuda Bay, Pool Party, Dapper Denim, Melon Mambo, Stampin' Blends
Accessories: Rhinestone Basics, Simply Scored

This is how I used to roll ALL THE TIME!!! Using a TON of stamp sets to create a $100 card!! Hahaha! (For those of you wondering, a $100 card is one that requires about $100 worth of supplies to make ... so this one has three stamp sets, an embossing folder, some thread, THREE punches, and of course ink and paper!)! Flower Shop has been a "staple" for me. I LOVE this set!

Stamps: Badges & Banners, Flower Shop, Timeless Textures
Paper: Berry Burst, Dapper Denim, Whisper White, Crumb Cake
Ink: Berry Burst, Dapper Denim
Accessories: Polka Dot Basics Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Pansy Punch, Badge Punch, 1 3/8" Circle Punch, Linen Thread

Next up???  ... lovely Deb Henderson!! She knows how to celebrate and has made some BEAUTIFUL creations! Click on the "next" button to check them out!

Fab Friday #126

Not only is today Black Friday (for all you shopping enthusiasts!) ... it is also FAB FRIDAY!!! And my friends on the Fab Friday Design Team have cooked up some REALLY good projects to share! (Cooking ... yeah ... I've done a LOT of that in the past few days for Thanksgiving ... as I am SURE is true for many of you!! BEST thing about Thanksgiving is the LEFTOVERS, baby!)

For any of y'all who have been hanging out with me here from time to time, you KNOW how I struggle with "simple and easy" cards. I just don't know where to STOP most of the time ... and just keep going and going. NOT this week. This card was quick and easy ... and I hafta admit that I actually kinda LIKE it!!

Stamps:  Snowflake Sentiments, Acrylic Block for Rectangles
Paper: Whisper White, Real Red, Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer Paper
Ink: Real Red, Lemon Lime Twist, Emerald Envy
Accessories:  Stitched Shapes Framelits Dies, Swirly Snowflakes Thinlits Dies, Rhinestone Basics Jewels

Even though I went "Christmas-y" with this color combo, you could go a LOT of directions with this. I'm thinking cards for little boys!!






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

I need to get busy with some Black Friday shopping (all online, of course!!)! It's so nice to be able to shop from the comforts of home ... in my jammies ... with NO crowds!!!

Fab Friday #118

Don't ya just love a day when you wake up early (but not TOO early!) without an alarm clock??? The sun is shining, the birds are singing, I have a very long "to-do" list, but I've already checked a couple of things off!!! This is gonna be a GOOD day!!! And why not???? It's also FAB FRIDAY!!!

When all else fails, go back to butterflies!!! That works for ME!!! I am going to admit that this color challenge had me a little stumped. It's a combo I probably never would have thought up on my own, but I really, really like it!! I just wanted to do something GOOD with it!!! In the end, I am quite happy with how this turned out ... I need more NEW stampy stuff!!! Bwahahaha!!

Stamps: Beautiful Bouquet
Paper: Whisper White, Flirty Flamingo, Melon Mambo, Lemon Lime Twist
Ink: Flirty Flamingo, Lemon Lime Twist
Accessories: Polka Dot Basics Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Corner Rounder Punch, Layering Circles Framelits Dies, Butterfles Thinlits Dies, Rhinestone Basics

Ooooooo!!!! I likey!!!











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

Now that I am finished, I can check this off my "to do" list!!! Don't ya just LOVE that feeling of accomplishment??? My list has a good chance of getting finished today!! That, in and of itself, is nothing short of a Christmas Miracle!!

Fab Friday #93

What a glorious Friday!!! It has been bone-scorching HOT here in Salt Lake City for the past couple of weeks ... up in the three-digit range, people!!! It's even been super hot at night. But ... HOORAY! ... it has cooled off a bit the last couple of days. Since we are just starting into August I expect that the higher temps are coming right back, but I'm happy with where they are right now!

Stamps: Foxy Friends, Sunshine Sayings
Paper: Very Vanilla, Peekaboo Peach, Early Espresso, Dapper Denim
Ink: Cajun Craze, Early Espresso, Dapper Denim
Accessories: Ovals Framelits Dies, Woodgrain Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Dapper Denim Ruched Ribbon, Burlap Ribbon, Mini Stapler, Word Window Punch (I know, it's retired ... it's still my fave!)

I PROMISE that I did NOT see Mindy's card before I set out to make mine ... (Great Minds ...)










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

My nephew married my daughter's BFF last week. It was a crazy, whirlwind of a week. The day turned out so very lovely ... the bride and groom looked so very happy ... and the auntie looked so very tired when it was all over (but blissfully contented!)!! Now if I could just get my daughter to pick a date ...

Monday Montage #74

It's Monday Montage time again!!! And I have spent the WHOLE day with a GNARLY headache!!! Thank HEAVEN for this project that I had never posted from my OnStage display projects (and yeah ... you can TELL that's it's a little behind since we are currently in the middle of a SCORCHING summer!)!

See what I mean??? But this DID hang on my door until the Fourth of July, so I actually DID use it and LIKE it!! Sadly, the "Little Letters" Thinlits have retired since I made this ... BOOHOO!!

Stamps: NONE!
Paper: Flirty Flamingo, Blushing Bride, Emerald Envy, Whisper White, 2016-2018 InColor DSP Stack
Ink: NONE
Accessories: Bontanical Builder Thinlits Dies, Blushing Bride Sequin Trim, Hello You Thinlits, Little Letters Thinlits (retired), Circle Framelits, Flirty Flamingo Ruched Ribbon, Simply Scored

Took a VERY long nap today ... and had one of those "can't-escape-EVERYthing-bad-and-stressful" dreams ... woke up with an even BIGGER headache!!! I'm going to bed VERY early because I have a 1/2 Marathon to run in the morning and have to be at the pickup point by 4:00 AM!!!! UGH!!!

Click "Back" for Melissa Stout and "Next" for Amy O'Neill ... GREAT way to spend Monday Montage AND Pioneer Day here in Utah!!!

Control Freaks "Free for All"

Happy Control Freak Blog Tour Day!! I had to take a break from cleaning my bedroom and TOTALLY reorganizing my closet (it was SO hard to break away, I tell ya) to sit down and play with some stamps! If you've been hopping around, you just came from the incredible Connie Babbert!!! She ALWAYS comes up with beautiful creations!! Stamping was WAY more fun than reorganizing my closet ... and doing laundry ...

This month we are having a sort of "free-for-all" ... which basically just means that everyone could make ANYthing they wanted to (as long as they were using stuff from the current Stampin' Up catalog). Not hard at ALL!!! I am super happy with both of my cards ...

Stamps: Jar of Love, Gorgeous Grunge
Paper: Whisper White, Basic Gray, Vellum
Ink: Basic Gray, Pink Pirouette, Melon Mambo, Pear Pizzazz
Accessories: Squares Framelits, Paper Piercing Tool/Mat, Everyday Jars Framelits, Flourish Thinlits, Silver Sequin Trim

Strawberries ... the grocery store has them on sale for an inSANELY good price this week, so I have them on the brain!! SOOOO super yummy. And it seems I get sucked into every single dang stamp set that comes out with fruit ... I don't know WHAT I would do without fruit in my diet. While I was in China our access to fruit was VERY limited (all of our meals were pre-determined for us, as in the restaurants were chosen ahead of time ... and we had practically NO FRUIT ... I was suffering!)!

Stamps: Fresh Fruit
Paper: Whisper White, Real Red, Basic Black, 2016-2018 In Color DSP Stack
Ink: Real Red, Garden Green, Basic Black, Daffodil Delight
Accessories: Peekaboo Peach Ruched Ribbon, Mini Stapler

Back to my closet reorganization ... we live in a house that is over 100 years old. I LOVE most things about my house ... but the closets are NOT on my list of those things!!! My bedroom closet is DINKY ... and I have WAY too many clothes (is that really a thing???)?? I have to completely tear it apart at least twice a year to make it so that I can at least close the door. I bought some containers and other things for hanging scarves up, so I am hoping that I can pull it into a more workable situation!

Next up??? Creative and wonderful Cindy Elam!!! She's as nice as she is talented ... so happy to call her my friend!

Stamp Review Crew - Endless Thanks Edition

What a crazy weekend I had!!! SOOOO much busy!!! SUPER glad I got to regroup and take a little time to stamp for this week's Stamp Review Crew Blog Hop. We are all playing with Endless Thanks (LOVELOVELOVE this set ... am SO sad that I recently "lost" the "best" script-y stamp ... it HAS to be in my stamp cave SOMEwhere!)!

This set is SO much fun!!! You can mix and match so many of the images in it to make such purdy things!!! I think the Peekaboo Peach is one of my most favoritist new In Colors. I really enjoyed matching it with and "older" In Color (Watermelon Wonder) and a couple of Stampin' Up "staple" colors (Pear Pizzazz And Daffodil Delight).

Stamps: Endless Thanks
Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black, Pear Pizzazz, 2016-2018 In Color DSP Stack
Ink: Peekaboo Peach, Pear Pizzazz, Watermelon Wonder, Daffodil Delight, Basic Black
Accessories: Pearl Basics, Basic Black Baker's Twine

SEE WHAT I MEAN??? I LOVE the images!!! I LOVE the script-y sentiments that you can pair with the typed sentiments. I think it was the first set I bought when it came out a couple years ago.






So ... how CUTE is THIS??? My nephew is marrying my daughter's BFF (she introduced them over a year ago). And, as of last weekend, my daughter is engaged to marry my nephew's BFF (he introduced my daughter to his friend a year ago last March). They are going to make YEARS and YEARS of memories together. And now my daughter's BFF will be her "cousin-in-law" ... Hehehehe!

The "previous" button will take you to the wonderfully-amazing Rochelle Blok, and the "next" button to oh-so-incredible Holly Krautkremer!!

Monday Montage #71

The weather service has been issuing warnings on the TV for the past 15 minutes (we've had TWO alerts already!)!! I'm hoping that the approaching storms don't wash us out to sea ... my husband came in and showed me the weather maps on his phone and said, "I don't know that we've had weather cells that look this intense EVER!" Time to batten down the hatches!! SOOOO glad that I have Monday Montage to distract me while we ride out whatever comes our way!

Whilst I was creating samples for OnStage a couple of months ago, I was inspired to make BOTH of the creations I am sharing today by the fact that this wonderful little stamp set did NOT retire!!! I love how you can make ice cream, cupcakes, or a bushel of flowers out of it!! And it has a coordinating punch!!! Which makes it pretty much AWESOME!

Stamps: Sprinkles of Life
Paper: 2016-2017 In Color DSP Stack, Whisper White, Flirty Flamingo, Sweet Sugarplum, Peekaboo Peach, Crumb Cake
Ink: Flirty Flamingo, Sweet Sugarplum, Peekaboo Peach, Crumb Cake
Accessories: Square Framelits, Tree Builder Punch, Sweet Sugarplum Ruched Ribbon

This is a little gift card holder. I have made many of these over the years, but come back to them when I have a gift card every dang time. So easy and SO cute (even if I DO have to use the retired Word Window punch to make the little slot on the inside to hold the gift card in place.

I didn't have any "extra" gift cards hanging around ... so the only thing I had to put in here that KINDA matched the colors was one of my Photo Passes from Disneyland ... not like you should be at ALL surprised that I have SEVERAL of those tucked in my "Disney" purse!!! Which reminds me ... my birthday is coming up again!!!

Stamps: Sprinkles of Life
Paper: Dapper Denim, Flirty Flamingo, Whisper White, Blushing Bride, Blushing Bride Glimmer Paper,  2016-2017 InColor DSP Stack
Ink: Dapper Denim
Accessories: Tree Building Punch, Project Life Cards & Labels Framelits, Flirty Flamingo Ruched Ribbon, Large Dots Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Word Window Punch (inside), White Jute Ribbon, Blushing Bride Sequin Trim

Click "Back" for Melissa Stout and "Next" for Amy O'Neill ... I am SO excited to see what brilliance they have come up with, so I KNOW you will be as well!

Monday Montage #70

I'm BAAAAA-AAAAACK!!! And it's Monday Montage time again!!! I swear my body has NO CLUE what time zone I am in (we did a 14-hour timezone change TWICE in a week ... and the sun rises at 4:30AM in Beijing ... and we had to get up at 3:00AM on the morning of the race)! I couldn't really blog while I was in China. The internet access we had was absolutely AWFUL!!! (And there is a lot of stuff I couldn't access at ALL ... so there you have it!)

This is Flirty Flamingo Day for me!!! I am IN LOVE with this color!!! Both cards I am sharing with you today are from my 2016 OnStage "stash" ... I still have more to post from that and will try to get them all up in the next week. Trying to adjust to "normal" ... whatever THAT means!!

Stamps: Fabulous Flora
Paper: Flirty Flamingo, Whisper White, 2016-17 InColor DSP Stack
Ink: Flirty Flamingo, Whisper White
Accessories: Whisper White 5/8" Organza Ribbon, Whisper White Embossing Powder, Extra Large Oval Punch, Rhinestone Basics, Project Life Corner Rounder Punch

So very happy that the "Party with Cake" stamp set is carrying over for another year. And the Writing Notes background stamp as well!!! I think I am going to wear out my Mini Treat Bag Framelits Dies as well ... Now I want cake ... and a brownie ...

Stamps: Party With Cake, Writing Notes
Paper: Flirty Flamingo, Whisper White, Pool Party, 2016-2017 InColor DSP Stack
Ink: Flirty Flamingo, Pool Party, Bermuda Bay
Accessories: Banner Framelits, Mini Treat Bag Framelits, Pool Party Thick Bakers Twine, Bermuda Bay Sequin Trim

TAAA-DAAAAAA!!!! Yes, I DID IT!!! I FINISHED!!! Holy smokes!!! This was, without a doubt, one of the most incredible, amazing, breathtaking, challenging, awesome, fantastic things I have EVER done! It took me 8 hours 9 minutes and 8 seconds (the wall portion ... SO many stairs! ... was two hours in each direction!) ... it was 86 degrees ... probably HOTTER if you take into account the heat reflection from the pavement and the bricks on the wall. I felt GREAT the next day, though (was so wiped out on the 3-hour bus ride back to Beijing, though!)!! I feel like I can do ANYthing!!! Can't even express in words how this made me feel ... it was beautiful and humbling to climb on The Great Wall of China ... I want to do it AGAIN!!

Click "Back" for Melissa Stout and "Next" for Amy O'Neill ... they inspire me!!!