Old and New Freaks!

Greetings and welcome to this month's Control Freaks Blog Tour!! This month we are all trying to share something old and/or something new, which basically means we can use stuff on it's way out from the 2015-2016 Stampin' Up Catalog, or something NEW from the 2016-2017 Stampin' Up Catalog. I'm lucky enough to have my good friend, Melissa Stout right before me on this tour (as happens when we do the Monday Montage blog hop as well). Her creations always have something fun and surprising, don't they??

This is the best stamp set. Wetlands. I am SO glad it isn't going to retire. But, alas ... my most favorite embellishment of ALL FREAKING TIME - the burlap ribbon - is bidding us a fond farewell ... SNIFF-SNIFF-SNIFF!!! Oh how I have LOVED this stuff (as you can tell, because I have been using it on practically EVERYthing since I got it!)!

Stamps: Wetlands, Vintage Leaves
Paper: Peekaboo Peach, Whisper White, Crumb Cake, 2016-2016 InColor DSP Stack
Ink: Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, Peekaboo Peach
Accessories: Hearth & Home Thinlits, Project Life Cards & Labels Framelits, Leaflets Framelits, Project Life Corner Rounder Punch, Burlap Ribbon, Woodgrain Textured Impression Embossing Folder, Mini Stapler

I super-duper LOVE the sentiments in this Love & Affection stamp set (coming to a catalog near you VERY soon!)!! The script is just so sweet and the sayings are also ... well ... sweet. LOVE it!

Stamps: Love & Affection
Paper: Whisper White, Early Espresso (yeah ... it looks BLACK ... I'm still using photos I took at the airport!), 2016-2016 InColor DSP Stack
Ink: Peekaboo Peach, Early Espresso
Accessories: Project Life Cards & Labels Framelits, Tags & Labels Framelits, Chevron Natural Ribbon, Gold Sequin Trim, Woodgrain Textured Impression Embossing Folder

If all has gone well with the Bucket List Gods, I will be in China when you all are reading this (and I will be about 24 hours away from the Great Wall Marathon!!)!!! There has been SO MUCH leading up to this moment ... I honestly have butterflies as I type this ... NEVER thought a year ago this was going to happen!!! Actually, I really just want to finish (which I know is not the reason I started this whole journey, but it SURE would be AWESOME!)!!

Next up??? The amazing and talented Deb Henderson!!! So excited about what she has made!!

Monday Montage #69

Welcome to Monday Montage! Where does the time go??? I always look forward to each and everything created by my friends on this "team" ... I get so VERY much inspiration from each and every one! (And I WILL admit that I have generously "borrowed" from their ideas from time to time!)

I kinda cased myself on this card. I made a monochromatic version of this a few weeks back and decided I MUST use the new InColor DSP to recreate it (Sweet Sugarplum!)!! This was one of the samples I did for the 2016 OnStage display boards. And the reason the background for this card is SO "un-fancy" is because I took it on one of those power-charging tables at the airport!!! Yeah ... I'm sitting in the Seattle airport as I type this (and yeah, I DID bring some cards with me to take pictures of so I could "blog" while I was waiting to see if we are going to score with our "buddy passes" or not).

Stamps: Fabulous Flora, Timeless Textures
Paper: Whisper White, 2016-17 InColor DSP Stack
Ink: Sweet Sugarplum
Accessories: Botanical Builder Thinlits Dies, Word Window Punch (retiring soon!), Pearl Basics

Here's a little MORE Sweet Sugarplum goodness ... with some Emerald Envy goodness as well!!! I am really loving all the new In Colors for this year. I usually like one or two or them new colors really well, and then "grow" into liking most of the others. This year I love them ALL!!

Stamps: Love & Affection
Paper: Sweet Sugarplum, Mint Macaron, Whisper White, Pink Pirouette, 2016-2017 InColor DSP Stack, Vellum
Ink: Sweet Sugarplum, Mint Macaron, Emerald Envy, Pink Pirouette
Accessories: Circle Framelits, Blushing Bride Sequin Trim, Emerald Envy Ruched Ribbon, Mini Stapler

The butterflies in my stomach are more like JUMBO JETS at this point (which is appropriate seeing as I'm sitting in the airport)! I'm nervous about getting on a flight and arriving on time (I've never flown with a buddy pass, so this is a nail-biting experience). And then there is that little thing I plan to do in China ... you know, the marathon??? On the GREAT WALL??!!??? This has been such a long, crazy dream-come-true-bucket-list sort of thing for me. I can't believe I am THISCLOSE to having it actually happen!!!

Click "Back" for Melissa Stout and "Next" for Amy O'Neill ... WONDERFUL-WONDERFUL-WONDERFUL!!!

Fab Friday #87

It has become (finally!) way-more-than-obvious to me that running and training for a marathon have taken over my life ... which is why my house is a mess, my laundry is behind and my craft room looks like a bomb blew up in it (again!)!!! NEXT WEEK!!! After NEXT WEEK I can sit and sit and sit ... and watch chick flicks ... and STAMP!!! Holy SMOKES!!! If it weren't for the challenges I participate in (like Fab Friday!) I may have fallen COMPLETELY off the crafty map by now!!


I had to push SO much stuff out of the way to create my card for today, based on the sketch challenge below. I still have SUCH a mess down there from making display samples for last MONTH'S OnStage event (NOT kidding!)!!! My goal is to get it cleared off before I leave for China ... crossing my fingers!!

Stamps: Moroccan Nights, Fabulous Flora (sentiment)
Paper: Whisper White, Rose Red, Sahara Sand, 2016-2018 In Color Designer DSP Stack
Ink: Dapper Denim, Rose Red, Sahara Sand
Accessories: Wink of Stella, Circles Framelits, 1 1/4" Circle Punch, 1 1/4" Square Punch, Blushing Bride Sequin Trim, Linen Thread, Decorative Dots Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Project Life Corner Rounder Punch

Moroccan Nights!!! WAHOOO!!!! We received this stamp set last month at Stampin' Up's OnStage event. I seriously LOVELOVELOVE it!!! SO great for this sketch challenge!!




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'm in the "tapering" phase of my marathon training ... it feels so very WEIRD to be doing less than I have been ... I'm going to need EVERY last OUNCE of strength to conquer the Great Wall. Just the fact that I am attempting this is a win for me ... checking China off my bucket list next week!!

Monday Montage #68

Happy Monday Montage, my friends!!! Saturday was officially THREE WEEKS until I will be running the Great Wall Marathon ... and I have decided that I must be completely BONKERS ... but more on that later ... I have a couple of really FUN things to share. Both of these were samples I made for the 2016 OnStage Event here in Salt Lake City. LOVELOVELOVE the new In Colors ... SO much!!!!

I tried to get as MANY of the new In Colors on this card as possible!!! Hahahaha!!! I got three out of five!!!  These colors are so vibrant and fresh ... and the Flirty Flamingo and Peekaboo Peach are SOOOO springy!!! They make me happy!

Stamps: Greatest Greetings
Paper: Dapper Denim, Flirty Flamingo, Whisper White, 2016-2018 In Color Designer DSP Stack
Ink: Dapper Denim
Accessories: Banners Framelits Dies, Mini Treat Bag Framelits Dies, Itty Bitty Punch Pack (heart), Peekaboo Peach Ruched Ribbon, Polka Dot Textured Impressions Embossing Folder

Some more spring-y going on ... The Emerald Envy is TERRIFIC, don't you think????

Stamps: Kinda Eclectic, Greatest Greetings
Paper: Dapper Denim, Whisper White, Crumb Cake, 2016-2018 In Color Designer DSP Stack
Ink: Dapper Denim, Peekaboo Peach, Emerald Envy
Accessories: Tags & Labels Framelits Dies, Bitty Butterfly Punch, Project Life Cards & Labels Framelits, Peekaboo Peach Ruched Ribbon, Burlap Ribbon, Linen Thread

Ok ... so I haven't ever mentioned here on my blog that I am part of an A-MAZ-ING running group called Huntsman Hometown Heroes. We run and train together starting at the beginning of the year (before "race" season). And every team member is COMMITTED to being a REASON FOR HOPE and helping to find a cure for cancer. All monies we fundraise (as in 100%!!!) go to the Huntsman Cancer Institute in Salt Lake City (WORLD CLASS!!)! I have made a goal to raise $500 myself ... and have reached the $150 mark!! HOORAY!!! I am aiming toward reaching my goal before we leave for China and the Great Wall Marathon in TWO WEEKS (my friend says she saw a meme that quoted, "Any crazy person can run. It takes a SPECIAL kind of CRAZY person to run a marathon!!" SOOOO true!!). I know I can do it with the help of my stamp-y friends!!! Please click on THIS LINK if you'd like to donate (even $5 ... less than the cost of a roll of Glue Dots ... helps!!!)!!! You guys are AWESOME!!!

You can also click on this photo to take you to the donation page as well (that photo in the upper-left-hand corner is of me and my father three months before he died ... it's such a treasure to me!!!) ...

And yeah ... that's MY toe ... and MY blister!!! I've EARNED that!!! (And more than I'd like to count!!!)  Every one is worth it!!!



Click "Back" for Melissa Stout and "Next" for Amy O'Neill ... I haven't seen what they have made ... YET ... but I'm just as excited as I know that all of YOU are!!!

Fab Friday #86

My Bucket List Adventure is going to be happening in a couple of weeks ... it seems absolutely UN-RE-AL!  Between being extra busy at work and making sure that I am getting all of my marathon training done, I have had hardly ANY chance to do ANYthing fun!!!

So happy that today is Fab Friday and that I was "forced" to play with ink and stamps and stuff!!! I also need to get busy and get posting some more display samples I made for the OnStage Event a couple of weeks ago. I sleep, I work, I do laundry, I run, I climb stairs, I run, I run hills, and then I do some sort of cross training (hiking or elliptical training) and then I do all of those things again!!! This marathon is going to change my life (it already HAS) ... I'm excited, nervous, thrilled, scared and anxious!!! It was good for me to take a "break" and play a little with the color palette for this week's Fab Friday Challenge.

Stamps: Apple of My Eye, Work of Art
Paper: Soft Sky, Lost Lagoon, Hello Honey, Crumb Cake
Ink: Soft Sky, Lost Lagoon, Hello Honey, Wink of Stella
Accessories: 1 3/4" Circle Punch, 1 1/4" Square Punch, Burlap Ribbon, Gold Sequin Trim, It's My Party Enamel Dots, Scoring Tool

This is a great neutral and versatile color combination ... can be feminine, masculine, for the grown ups or for the little ones.  I really LIKE 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
Cindy Beach
Heather Heroldt
Brian King
Amy Koenders
Justin Krieger
Amanda Mertz
Brenda Myers
Jan Tinklenberg

I have one more long training run this Saturday (12-13 miles), and then I will be in the "taper-off" phase ... which will probably put me into full PANIC mode!! I can almost smell the tea and rice in Beijing already!!!! I AM GOING TO DO THIS!!!

Ladies and Gentlemen ... It's the FREAKS!!!

What a WHIRLWIND this past few weeks have been!!! I am honestly STILL coming down from all the fun I had last week at Stampin' Up's OnStage event!  Although I'm missing all my friends ALREADY, I am SO happy to be Blog Tourin' with the Control Freaks this week.  I got hugs from many of them last week ... some photos ... and some MORE hugs!! It was GREAT!!! This month we are going with the theme "Ladies and Gentlemen" showcasing both masculine AND feminine cards.  I had the FANTASTIC privilege of being asked to make some samples for the display boards for last week's event ... which is where I have been the last few weeks ... I made over 20 projects in less than two weeks!!! WHEW!!!  Did you see what Melissa Stout made??? I am SO excited that we get to be "Blog Tour" buddies!!!

OHMYGOSH!!! LOOKIE!!! I SPONGED!!! Holy SMOKES!!! I haven't used a SPONGE on a card for quite some time!!! I don't know WHY!!! And I even played Ombre Wizard with this one ... I LOVE the look of this.  VERY simple and fun and feminine.  And LOOKIE at that GORGEOUS new BLUE that Stampin' Up will be offering with the release of the new catalog on June 1 ... DAPPER DENIM!! Kinda reminds me of Not Quite Navy ... which was my MOST FAVORITE blue EVER!!! SUPER happy about this color!!!  And the stamp set is just GORGEOUS!! (Wait until you see ALL the things with is ... I will be sharing more SOON!)

Stamps: Fabulous Flora (SNEAK PEEK from the new 2016 Idea Book and Catalog!)
Paper: 2016-2018 In Color DSP Stack (ANOTHER SNEAK PEEK!), Whisper White
Ink: Dapper Denim (LOVE THIS!!), Pool Party, Soft Sky
Accessories: Oval Framelits, Tags & Labels Framelits, Dapper Denim 3/8" Ruched Ribbon (LOVELOVELOVE!!)

Here's my "masculine" card ... and I used the same color scheme!! (With the exception of Real Red and some shiny Silver Glimmer DSP!)

Stamps: Friendly Wishes
Paper: 2016-2018 In Color DSP Stack, Whisper White, Real Red, Dapper Denim, Vellum, Silver Glimmer DSP
Ink: Dapper Denim
Accessories: Scalloped Tag Topper Punch, Star Framelits, Oval Framelits, Mini Treat Bag Thinlits, Simply Scored, Lucky Stars Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, 1/8" Silver Ribbon

Next up??? The ever-incredible "Flower Bug" herself ... LeeAnn Greff!!! I've been stalking her blog since FOREVER!!!! LOVE what she comes up with ALWAYS!!!

Monday Montage #67

Have I ever mentioned how much I love Stampin' Up??? SERIOUSLY??!!??? I can't believe it has been TEN YEARS since I signed up to be a demo! I didn't even WANT to go to the first Stampin' Up "party" I was invited to!!! And THEN, I didn't even want to join the Stamp Club my friend, Shellee, invited me to. I did out more out of friendship than anything else (I mean, I LOVE crafty stuff, but I didn't really want to get SO MUCH crafty stuff!! DUH!!) And here I am doing another blog hop with my Monday Montage friends. Cannot IMAGINE my life without these amazing women!!!

I spent the better part of this past week crafting and creating ... and hanging out with MY PEEPS at Stampin' Up's OnStage 2016 event in downtown Salt Lake City. I did a lot of reflecting on my last 12-13 years ... I can't even IMAGINE how my life would be without the friendships I have made through being an SU demo. I have had wonderful experiences and made LIFE-LONG best friends. I feel like there is hardly I place in the US of A (and in a lot of extra countries!) that I can go and NOT have a welcoming and lovely friend with whom to spend time ... and one that would let me stay with them ... how many people can say that??? I feel SO blessed ... about a THOUSAND times over!!!

Stamps: Wetlands, Kinda Eclectic
Paper: Whisper White, Elegant Eggplant, Wisteria Wonder, Melon Mambo, Pink Pirouette, Pink Pirouette, Calypso Coral, Tangerine Twist
Ink: Garden Green, Elegant Eggplant
Accessories: Square Framelits, Petite Petals Punch, Pansy Punch, Oval Punch, It's My Party Enamel Dots, Burlap Ribbon, Mini Stapler

After we were done with the OnStage event, my BFF and fellow SU friend, Mindy Backes, and I went to the Tulip Festival out at Thanksgiving Point. It was GORGEOUS. And AMAZING! And a FABULOUS way to spend an afternoon.  Just LOOK at this tulip!!! And there were THOUSANDS and THOUSANDS of flowers ... and waterfalls and bridges ... and wonderful, beautiful smells!  And all this loveliness is what inspired my card today ...

See what I MEAN??? I took a TON of pictures. It was VERY hard to choose which ones to put in this layout ... Mindy said something so very true ... "How could ANYone look at all this beauty and not feel the power of God in it??" I TOTALLY agree!!!

I also ran a half marathon yesterday morning (yeah, yeah ... I'm NUTS because when it was over I almost literally RAN home to get cleaned up so I could attend the last session of OnStage at the Salt Palace!!). I felt GREAT when I was done ... and am STILL feeling good. Got some new shoes, so I know THAT helped ... but I actually think all the crazy training I've been doing is finally starting to pay off!!

Click "Back" for Melissa Stout and "Next" for Amy O'Neill ... was SO happy to be able to hug Amy this past week ... and TOTALLY missed Melissa and the other girls on our team who couldn't be there!!! They are SUCH blessings in my life!!

Fab Friday #85

Quickest post of ALL time!!! We are right in the middle of OnStage 2016 at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City. SOOOOO much fun to see so many wonderful friends ... and AAAAAAACCCCKKK!!! Y'all are gonna DIE over the new catalog!!! And once you resurrect yourself, you're gonna want EVERYthing in it!

I was asked to make some display samples ... TWENTY of them, to be exact ... and I did them in about two weeks' time!!! Which is where I've been ...

Stamps: Kinda Eclectic
Paper: Basic Black, Melon Mambo, Whisper White, Gold Foil, Vellum
Ink: Melon Mambo, Pink Pirouette, Basic Black
Accessories: Elegant Butterfly Punch, Bitty Butterfly Punch, Project Life Cards and Labels Framelits, Washi Tape from Project Life Moments Like These, Gold Sequin Trim

Great little sketch!!! So fun!!!









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

Heading back over to the Convention Center ... and it's SNOWING!!! YIKES!!! So I'm dressing full-on Winter Soldier today ... UGH!!!

Monday Montage #66

What an AWESOME weekend!!! And what makes it even MORE awesome is that the Monday Montage crew is sharing their creativity with us all once again! I had SO much fun making this card ... and have all SORTS of ideas about ones that I want to make that are similar ...

I was the Challenge Hostess on Splitcoaststampers on Friday ... this was a sample I made for my challenge. I called the challenge "One Plus One". The idea was to use only ONE color and ONE neutral to make a card. I wasn't sure even I could pull it off!!! All the textures and shapes on this card make me happy!

Stamps: A Dozen Thoughts, Timeless Textures
Paper: Calypso Coral, Whisper Whit
Ink: Calypso Coral
Accessories: Bontanical Builder Thinlits Dies, Small Oval Punch, Project Life Corner Rounder Punch, Chevron Border Punch, Pearl Basics

And the training continues! I did a 19.2-mile run on Saturday! WHEW!!! My knees and calves were SO mad at me by Saturday evening ... but I am SUPER glad to report that I woke up Sunday morning feeling pretty dang good. China is getting SO close ... and I'm STILL kinda freaking out about doing a marathon on the Great Wall. My biggest hope is that I finish (which I know I have said before). When one does an item for their Bucket List, one wants to make sure that it is done RIGHT!! (And for the curious ... the kanji symbol at the beginning of this paragraph means "love" ...)

Click "Back" for Melissa Stout and "Next" for Amy O'Neill ... super amazing projects, as usual!! (Like you'd expect anything LESS??!!??)

Fab Friday #84

As our seasons continue to transition from one to the other we are left in its wake to try to figure out how to dress every morning ... I have everything from capri pants and skirts on with sandals to full-length jeans with boots, socks and sweaters (not to mention the scarves to keep our necks warm!)!  I actually love spring rain (and snow!) ... the temps stay nice and low and are ideal for running/walking/hiking outside!!!

This card just makes me happy beCAUSE it looks like spring to me ... such a happy time of year with so much hope.  The flowers peeking their heads out in my yard and the yards of my neighbors sure do brighten our neighborhood!

Stamps: Hello Love
Paper: Calypso Coral, Pool Party, So Saffron, Whisper White (some retired Pool Party and So Saffron DSP)
Ink: Calypso Coral, Pool Party, So Saffron, Basic Black
Accessories: Tree Builder Punch, Circles Framelits Dies, Word Window Punch, Pool Party 1/4" Cotton Ribbon, Mini Stapler, Large Dots Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Project Life Corner Rounder Punch, Chevron Textured Impressions Embossing Folder

I have ALWAYS loved this color combo together ... and I have used it many times!  It's fresh and clean and bright and fun!








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

As I am getting closer and closer to going to China to, a-hem, "run" a marathon on the Great Wall of China, I am not only getting more and more excited ... but more and more NERVOUS.  Today I ran three miles up to the University of Utah to their Behavioral Sciences Building ... it has 14 flights of stairs in there, people!! I have been struggling to find a place with a tall building where I would be allowed to run the stairs ... but as so many "skyscraper"-types of office buildings now have security in the lobbies and locks on their stairwells, I haven't been having much luck!!! Today I SCORED!!! So ... it was 14 flights UP to the top of the building (that's 250 steps for all y'all that want to know), which also means it is 14 flights DOWN those same 250 steps.  I did that go-round TEN times (yeah ... that basically means I went up and down 5,000 total steps!!)  Then I ran the three miles back to my house.  I guess the reason I'm telling you this (and it's NOT to brag!) is that I actually DID it (without falling, I might add) ... AND I felt pretty dang good afterwards ... not even sore as the day is closing and I'm sitting here typing my blog post.  I guess my friend who has also been my fantabulous running coach knows what in the heck she is doing!!! Thanks, Heather (and Norlando and Allie ... my cheering squad)!!! You are ze BEST!!! I'm starting to think maybe I WON'T die on the Great Wall of China ... I just hope I FINISH!!!!