Fab Friday #213

There is sun-shine in my soul today!! Ohhhh man, you guys!! It's so sunny and warm and beautiful outside ... and I hope it lasts!! I got to go with a handful of my vaccinated friends down to Sedona and Prescott, Arizona. A little hiking, a little sightseeing, some flying (over Bryce Canyon, Grand Canyon and Meteor Crater) and a LOT of yummy food! Boy oh boy did it feel great seeing some people ... and doing some sorts of normal things! LOVED it!! Time to play with my Fab Friday Friends, and I finally got to play with this adorable little "Hot Dog" set!!

I am SUCH a dog person. I ALWAYS have been. So I am a sucker for cute doggie images and stamp sets (not to mention dies, punches, ribbon and embossing folders). These little weiner dogs make my heart happy! 

Stamps: Hot Dog
Paper: Crumb Cake, Real Red, Basic Black, Well Suited DSP, Watercolor
Ink: Black Memento, Real Red, Crumb Cake (Stampin' Blends, Smoky Slate (Stampin' Blends), Cherry Cobbler (Stampin' Blends), Versamark, Wink of Stella

Accessories: Stitched Shapes Dies, Shimmery Crystal Effects, 3/16" Braided Linen Trim, Whisper White Embossing Powder

This one is very simple and versatile ... lots of possibilities here!

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

Crossing my fingers that this beautiful weather hangs on for a week or two before it either (a) starts snowing again or (b) shoots up over 100 degrees and fries my brain!

Fab Friday #212

The One Where Wendy Is Losing Her Mind. Yup ... that's me this week. Can't seem to keep my brain in focus. Welcome to Fab Friday ... where I not only used a WRONG COLOR in my creation (which I had done on TIME), but where I also went to bed and fell asleep and FORGOT to make my blog post. Sigh ... I blame the pandemic ... and 2020 ... and my dumb Achilles Tendonitis ... and garden gnomes ... because my husband told me that it is a F'RILLS news story that the world is suffering a TERRIBLE shortage of garden gnomes right now ... and that has my brain VERY concerned! Sigh ... it happens ...

I actually had fun making this card, and I really LIKE how it turned out, despite the fact that my Flirty Flamingo looks a LOT like the Calypso Coral I used instead! Makes me wanna be on a sandy beach somewhere ... ANYwhere ... with a good book and a slushy fruity drink in my hand and a HUGE umbrella overhead to protect me from the sun! Doesn't that sound AWESOME??!!??? 

Stamps: Timeless Tropical
Paper: Crumb Cake, Soft Sea Foam, Old Olive, Terracotta Tile, Calypso Coral, Whisper White
Ink: Old Olive, Terracotta Tile, Early Espresso, Versamark
Accessories: Stitched Shapes Dies, In the Tropics Dies, Painted Texture 3D Embossing Folder, Frosted Epoxy Droplets, 3/16" Braided Linen Trim, Whisper White Embossing Powder

So just pretend that my Calypso Coral is actually Flirty Flamingo and you will be GOOD to GO!!

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

Progress ... finally ... at least a little bit!! Achilles seems to finally taking an upturn! I got to run on a zero G treadmill yesterday and it was AWESOME! I felt as heavy as a brick when they turned it off, though. It was very funny! Science is SOOO cool! Here's hoping I am as good as new before too much longer!!

Monday Montage #186

First day of spring at it snowed ... also the second day of spring saw snow ... as well as the third day of spring! Honestly, we have had SUCH a low snow year that I know we need eeveery bit of snow we get. It is just SOOO ironic that we had to wait for a change of seasons to SPRING in order to get more snow! Glad I had some time to play this weekend so I could make a card for Monday Montage! YAY!

Now ... about this card. I thought I had it all figured out in my head before I started. Um ... DUH ... I didn't!! I knew I wanted to make a background "sunset sky", but I couldn't quite get what I was going for. I ended up using (from top to bottom) Soft Seaside, Balmy Blue, So Saffron, Mango Melody and Crumb Cake. I masked off a circle to make the moon, and I ripped a scrap of cardstock to make the mask the ground layers to give it some depth when I sponged the Crumb Cake. THEN the work began!! I could NOT figure out what I wanted to do with my images ... or how I wanted to layer them. LOTS of trial and error before I came up with this "framed photo" sort of look. I used some linen thread and created some barbed wire/rope for the frame border accent. Many accents and layers later, I finally decided to quit with what I had. It is what it is, but I guess that's how the creative process goes sometimes!

Stamps: Ride the Range

Paper: Early Espresso, Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, Whisper White

Ink: Balmy Blue, Soft Seaside, So Saffron, Mango Melody, Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, Whisper White

Accessories: Stitched Rectangles Dies, Open Range Dies, Pinewood Planks Embossing Folder, Denim Ribbon, Linen Thread, Clear Epoxy Dots, Whisper White Embossing Powder, 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 - NOT PARTICIPATING THIS

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

Elizabeth Price - Seeinginkspots
Julie Warnick - Julie Warnick Stampin' Up! Blog
Melissa Stout - The Stamp Doc
Wendy Weixler - Wickedly Wonderful Creations - YOU'RE ALREADY HERE!!

The good news??? I think, perhaps, that my Achilles tendon is FINALLY responding to all the things I've been having done to it in physical therapy!! I was actually able to walk some this weekend withOUT limping!! YAY ME!! Crossing my fingers for continued improvement in the days to come!

Click "Next" to see the "Amazing Things" Bree Renwick created ... and "Back" to see the beatuiful "Brushed Blooms" created by Melissa Stout!!

Fab Friday #209

Part of the interesting "fun" that has developed during this past year with the whole "Zoom" culture is that I can do a Zoom meeting at the same time I am creating something for the blog here. Being busy with my hands actually helps me better focus on what is being said. I'm sure I am ADD on some level, and the ability to quiet my brain while I do something with my hands! So here you have my creation for this week's Fab Friday Stampin' Challenge - sketch. It also ticks a box as a masculine card ... something I have needed to add to my aresenal of cards on hand. 

The Well Suited DSP is SO much fun to play with! The colors and patterns are muh-WAH!!! I had to do a little origami fold shirt to go with this darling little DSP

Stamps: Handsomely Suited
Paper: Cajun Craze, Well Suited DSP
Ink: Whisper White
Accessories: Suits & Ties Dies, 3/16" Braided Linen Trim

Simple, fun and FULL of possibilities!

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

Thursday was spent at physical therapy and running across town to go get our first dose of the Pfizer vaccine for COVID. We are VERY excited to be on our way to fully vaccinated. Sore arm, but nothing much else seems to be affeecting us, yet, so we are feeling very blessed!

Monday Montage #185

Don't ya just HATE looking for things??? I know that I DO!! Especially when it is something you know that you JUST HAD ... and it CAN'T be far!! I've been looking for my AirPods since Saturday night! I use those dang things every dang day all the dang time! And the "find my" app shows that the last time they were used I was at MY house ... at 3:38pm on Saturday. Where is the HECK did I put them down??? DAAAANG!! The "find my" app isn't very helpful when it comes to AirPods ... they have to be charged and NOT in the closed case. Seriously??? If I knew where the charged and closed case was in the first place I wouldn't have to be using the ding-dang app to find where they are, now would I??!!?? SHEESH!! At least I got a bunch of cleaning done whilst looking And I took a break from looking, cleaning and cooking to make a card for this week's Monday Montage, so at least THAT was fun!

I am most definitely feeling me some spring vibes!! It's still cold outside, but I am starting to see the signs of spring. LOVED playing with the Basic Patterns Masks again to create a little ombre effect for my background. A little Detailed Bands Dies and some vellum and I was done!

Stamps: Vine Design (sentiment)

Paper: Whisper White, Melon Mambo, Vellum

Ink: Melon Mambo, Flirty Flamingo, Mango Melody, So Saffron, Whisper White Craft

Accessories: Detailed Bands Dies, Basic Patterns Mask, Trio Corner Rounder, Flowers for Every Season Gems, Whisper White Embossing Powder

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 - NOT PARTICIPATING THIS
Melissa Stout - The Stamp Doc
Wendy Weixler - Wickedly Wonderful Creations - YOU'RE ALREADY HERE!!

I have had three appointments with a physical therapist for my cranky Achilles tendon. Not feeling much of a difference yet, but I AM feeling hopeful that we are going to get things squared away. I sure hope so!! I miss running ... or even walking my dog!! Hopefully SOON

Click "Next" to see what Amy O'Neill ... and "Back" to check out Melissa Stout... beautiful creations, as always!!

Fab Friday #208

I sat and stared at this blog post ... uncompleted ... for at least two hours.  I couldn't think of a single thing to say that I haven't already said about 10 dozen times! I guess that means I have been blogging a very long time ... and my life sometimes just doesn't have anything interesting for me to share with you!

I created the card for this week's Fab Friday Challenge whilst I was participating in a Zoom meeting ... so glad I could multitask! The color combo this go-round looks like a LOT of spring!! I ended up adding a couple of extra colors to help make the flowers pop off the page. I truly wish that Purple Posy had worked out better for SU.  Too many quality control issues with the ink pad to keep it moving forward.  I have liked it since the first day I got it ... and my ink pad has always worked just fine!! We will be getting some new In Colors in the next couple of months (to be released in June), so I am excited to see what is coming!!

Stamps: Pretty Perennials, Buffalo Check
Paper: Whisper White, Mossy Meadow, Mint Macaron, Calypso Coral, Highland Heather, Purple Posy, Soft Sea Foam
Ink: Mossy Meadow, Mint Macaron, Calypso Coral, Highland Heather, Purple Posy
Accessories: Perennial Petals Dies, Frosted Epoxy Dots, Flowers for Every Season Ribbon Combo Pack (Whisper White)

This looks like a bouquet of flowers to me! What do you think??

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

Started some physical therapy for my dumb Achilles tendonitis. The PT is AWESOME and has a LOT of good ideas to help me out.  He thinks two times a week for the next four weeks could straighten me out! Crossing my fingers that things get back to normal SOON!

Sharing the Love with the Freaks

I hope this month's Control Freaks Blog Tour find you all safe, warm, with power and water (or very close to it!)! The weather ... who would've thought that having access to roads, heat and clean drinking water would EVER have been on our radar?? 2020 is just the gift that keeps on giving, isn't it?? You should have just come from the blog of my fellow-original-Freak, Connie Babbert! She and I are the only two Freaks that are still hanging in there ... we started this Blog Tour in 2009 ... can you even believe it???

I have a dear friend named Jeremy.  He has been my running buddy for the last three years with the Huntsman Heroes. We have missed being able to run together.  He DID message me prior to Valentine's Day and ask me if I could make an extra special card for his sweet wife, Karley.  I would more than happy to oblige.  Her favorite color is green, so I did my best to incorporate some (via Soft Sea Foam). Once again, the Lots of Hearts stamps and dies came through for me! I added a little bit of extra with the Well Written Dies to add a sentiment. There are MANY layers in this card, but I am quite happy with the outcome!

Stamps: Lots of Heart
Paper: Soft Sea Foam, Whisper White, Blushing Bride
Ink: Blushing Bride
Accessories: Lots of Heart Dies, Well Written Dies, Pastel Pearls, Clear Epoxy Droplets, Subtle Embossing Folder, Trio Corner Punch, Flowers for Every Season Ribbon Combo Pack (Whisper White)

Sorry I only have one card this month ... my dear mama (who has been on hospice since September) has needed my help this week and I have been sleeping at her place every night ... not much time to do any extra crafting!

Next up??? Deb Henderson! She is Sharing the Love with the Lots of Heart Bundle as well ... beautiful!!

Fab Friday #207

When was the last time YOU made a 15-minute card?? EVER???? Bueller ... Bueller??!?? I swear I haven't done it in YEARS (and that is NO exaggeration!)!  Luckily, the layout for this week's Fab Friday Stampin' Challenge was one of those VERY rare moments when I actually DID that!!

To be fair, the strawberry and little flowers were already stamped, cut, punched and sitting on my craft table (leftovers from the last card I posted).  So this just kinda fell into my lap ... and I LOVE it!! Why can't I do this ALL THE TIME???

Stamps: Sweet Strawberry, Buffalo Check
Paper: So Saffron, Whisper White, Basic Black, Flower & Field DSP
Ink: Basic Black, Real Red, Garden Green, Mango Melody, So Saffron
Accessories: Messages Dies, Stitched Shapes Dies, Strawberry Builder Punch, Flowers for Every Season Ribbon Combo Pack (Whisper White), Stapler

I added a few more "layers" to accentuate my focal point ... this has SO many possibilities!

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

And the saga of the "Achilles Tendonitis/Bursitis" continues on. The newest treatment is a brace and some steroids ... sigh ... will this EVER end???

Monday Montage #183

Why is it that weekends seem to just WHOOSH by in the blink of an eye??? If only weekends could be five days long and the work week could be just two days long ... who is with me??? Hahaha ... as if!! I didn't get my craft room cleaned up, though. And I even stamped and sewed and cooked some stuff!1 YAY ME!!! Thanks to Monday Montage I came up with a card that made me really happy!

This took a bit of time ... LOTS of colors, LOTS of stamping, LOTS of die cutting and LOTS of punching. I was kind of thinking about making a "quilt" of a card, and this is what I came up with. I still say that I need gingham ribbon in every single stinking color available! I think gingham makes EVERYthing look better, don't you?

Stamps: Sweet Strawberry, Berry Blessings

Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black, Misty Moonlight

Ink: Magenta Madness, Rich Razzleberry, Misty Moonlight, Pacific Point, Real Red, Mango Melody, Basic Black, Pear Pizzazz, Garden Green
Accessories: Stitched Shapes Dies, Layering Squares Dies, Strawberry Builder Punch, Bumblebee Gingham 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 - NOT PARTICIPATING THIS
Melissa Stout - The Stamp Doc
Wendy Weixler - Wickedly Wonderful Creations - YOU'RE ALREADY HERE!!

I have been doing a LOT of "down time" since I went to the podiatrist almost two weeks ago ... and I can't WAIT to get back to him this week to see what other suggestions he has for me! I have been doing a whole lot of NOTHING and taking a bunch of anti-inflammatory stuff to try to get it calmed down. I definitely have seen an improvement, but I still have a ways to go!

Click "Next" to see what Amy O'Neill ... and "Back" to check out Melissa Stout their projects will make you smile!!

Monday Montage #182

Can y'all say SNOW??? Here we are ... 3/4 of the way through JANUARY ... and we FINALLY got some SNOW!! It's not very much, and it will all be melted before ya know it, but at least we have SOME!! Apparently we have a couple additional storms coming this week that should add to our snow total. I am crossing my FINGERS!! It's time! Spring will be here before ya know it!! What's better than a good dusting of snow in the winter??? Playing with the Monday Montage girls, that's what!! Lookie what I made!

Pretty lacy things ... I LOVE me some dies and stamps that make pretty lacy things! The new Vine Design Bundle is LOVE-LY!! I knew I wanted to do some sort of pastel color combo for this one. I started with Petal Pink and the rest of the colors just kind of worked their way in. Once again I am using the most perfectly fabulous dies EVER (aka Stitched So Sweetly Dies - may they live FOREVER!)!! The flowers were all die cut. The leaves, however, were fussy cut because there wasn't a die to cut the little leaf image out (sad ... but I still like fussy cutting, so that is ok!)!

Stamps: Vine Design

Paper: Whisper White, Pear Pizzazz, Petal Pink, Balmy Blue

Ink: Petal Pink, Balmy Blue, So Saffron, Pear Pizzazz, Whisper White Craft
Accessories: Flowering Vines Dies, Stitched So Sweetly Dies, Pastel Pearls, Embroidered Ribbon (retired)

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!!

On the Achilles Tendon Saga ... it is still here. And my Achilles Tendon still hurts ... every dang day! Anyone have any suggestions??? I stretch, massage, strengthen and do light exercising, but nothing excessive. I heat it with a nice corn bag that I warm in the microwave. I ice it ... what else am I supposed to do???? Sigh ...

Click "Next" to see what Amy O'Neill ... and "Back" to check out Melissa Stout ... FANTASTICAL!!!

Freakin' NEW STUFFS!

It is only January 19-20 and I am just NOW getting my Christmas decor taken down and put away.  To be fair, my tree is getting a facelift (all new LED lights) before next Christmas, and I was just waiting for the tree guy to come and pick it up!  So that is my excuse and I'm sticking with it!! Still have a little more to do, but I took a time out and played with some new goodies from the January-June catalog for the Control Freaks Blog Tour! Hopping around you should just have come from the marvelous blog of Melissa Stout! She always ends up costing ME money by convincing me that I NEED something that I didn't even know that I did! (I'm sure you guys can relate!)

I have purchased LOTS of heart stamps and dies over the years ... but I am going to be quite honest here.  The Lots of Heart Bundle is FANFREAKINTASTIC!! The images are beautiful and the dies are DIVINE!! I had so much fun playing with them (and the Curvy Dies and Many Messages Dies!)! New toys are FUN, aren't they??? 

Stamps: Lots of Heart
Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black, Real Red
Ink: Real Red, Whisper White Craft
Accessories: Curvy Dies, Lots of Heart Dies, Many Messages Dies, Pastel Pearls, Whisper White Embossing Powder

One more card using basically the same goodies (with the exception of the sentiment, which is from Oval Occasions stamp set ... also new!)! I almost feel like you can NEVER go wrong with black/white/red! Such a classic color combo.  I think I could probably make about 20 different cards using the buffalo plaid heart from the Lots of Heart set ... it's just too-too good!

Stamps: Lots of Heart, Oval Occasions
Paper: Whisper White, Real Red, Basic Black
Ink: Real Red, Whisper White Craft
Accessories: Lots of Heart Dies, Many Messages Dies, Whisper White Baker's Twine (from Snail Mail Twine Combo Pack, Whisper White Embossing Powder

Next up??? Tami Hewlett! There is a reason she is on the current Stampin' Up Artisan Design Team ... she is terrific!!