All Zipped Up!

I was not gonna get this “All Zipped Up” bundle. Nope. Not even. It was a big ol’ “meh” from me.

Untiiiiiillllll I started seeing sample from the many amazing Stampin’ Up demos who HAD caved to the purchase and started to play with it (which is something that happens way more often than I would like to admit)! OF COURSE I had to add it to my cart and complete the purchase (which is something that happens way more often than I would like to admit!)!

Funny story … in the same box of goodies in which the “All Zipped Up” bundle arrived I got some very lovely packages of DSP. One of them is called “Everyday Happiness”, which I decided to use on this card. I checked the back of the package to see exactly which colors are used in it so that I could choose the colors for my card. I decided to use Lost Lagoon, Pretty Peacock and a dash of Darling Duckling (which was NOT on the list of colors used, but I figured it worked good enough as a substitute for the Very Vanilla that WAS used). 

I went to my stash (drawers of file folders that have individual files for each color) and plucked out a piece of Pretty Peacock to use for the zipper and the sentiment. I returned to the drawer because I wanted to use some more Pretty Peacock for the base. Hmmm … brand new package of Pretty Peacock, unopened no less, and it did NOT match the scrap I had removed from this same said file 15 minutes earlier. It took me a bit of sleuthing to deduce that the color I had used was Just Jade (an In Color from a few years back) … at least I’m pretty sure that was what color I used as I had no other pieces with which to compare it! It was a pretty good match so I decided to just roll with it1

I decided at the last moment to add some little string pulls for the “hood” of this jacket. Just some Basic White Baker’s Twine that I crocheted into a little cording. Cute, eh?

So here is my All Zipped Up card using JUST JADE and NOT Pretty Peacock! I did not want to rip the whole thing apart and start over with the correct color … plain and simple!

Stamps: All Zipped Up

Paper: Basic White, Darling Duckling, Just Jade, Lost Lagoon, Everyday Happiness DSP

Ink: Lost Lagoon, Versamark

Accessories: All Zipped Up Dies, Stylish Shapes Dies, Basic White Baker’s Twine, 2025-2027 In Color Flat Pearls

I am currently up in Walla Walla hanging out with my two crafty besties, Bree and Cheryl! We are eating, shopping, crafting and laughing … that’s what I call a perfect match!

Stampin’ Fancy Friday - Sketch Challenge

It’s my turn for this month’s Stampin’ Fancy Friday Challenge. This month we had a GREAT sketch to work with … I always love a good sketch for inspiration, don’t you???

This little Party Piggy … what’s NOT to like??? I think the intention is to use a small circle shaker dome to make the pig’s belly the best sort of shaker card. I decided to take this in a different direction.

First I stamped the piggy’s head and body using Black Memento Ink. I then did some tone-on-tone coloring using my Petal Pink Stampin’ Blends to add some highlights.

I then used the accompanying dies to cut the piggy out!

Using a die from Spotlight On Nature, I centered the cut circle to catch a piece of the pattern in the 3D Cute Crochet Embossing Folder. 

Using a sponge and some Petal Pink ink, I then proceeded to highlight my embossing circle (which I then used for the piggy’s belly!).

Stamps: Party Piggy

Paper: Petal Pink, Basic White

Ink: Black Memento, Petal Pink; Stampin’ Blends - Lt. and Dk. Petal Pink

Accessories: Spotlight On Nature Dies, Party Piggy Dies, Basic Black and Vanilla Large Checked Ribbon, Adhesive-Backed Sparkle Gems

Check out all the fun things created by the Stampin' Fancy Friday Team on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/stampinfancyfriday/!!

TGIF #522 - Product Challenge

TGIF!! This week we are playing with Alphabet Dies … specifically, I am using the Mini Alphabet Die. I have actually been playing with that a LOT lately! It. has the entire alphabet from A-Z all in one die, which makes it VERY easy! Check out the blog challenge here - TGIF Challenge Blog if you’d like to play along!

Last year my hubby and I were able to check an item off our bucket list … quite literally I have been wanting to go to Machu Picchu for as many years as I can remember! My dad always wanted to do this, but was never able to because of his poor health. As you can see from the photo on the right, I took my dad with me! I cried all the way up the mountain … crocodile tears! It was truly a magical and amazing experience!

I did one of my favorite scrapbook things on this page … I stack a photo on top of itself, but used two different sizes … a 5x7 and a 4x6. In between the layers is a thin layer of Night of Navy. Looks cool, right?

How supremely PERFECT is this DSP for this particular layout??? I mean, we were on a mountain in the clouds … AND we were in Peru! The DSP had one design with a map, and I used the part with South America in it and highlighted the spot where Machu Picchu actually is with a little heart and embellishment! The paper is called “Take to the Sky”. I think this is one of my most favorite scrapbook layouts I have ever done!

I used a little Balmy Blue ink and a sponge to brush a little color onto the bottom of the clouds (from the Adventurous Sky Dies).

Lastly, I used a white gel pen to highlight the Mini Alphabet Letters. I was VERY happy with the outcome!

I made this little tag with the “Tags to Go” Stamps and Dies. I feel like it was the perfect size to add just the right accent to the page!

Stamps: Tags to Go

Paper: Basic White, Night of Navy, Take to the Sky DSP, Country Woods DSP, Gold Foil

Ink: Balmy Blue, Versamark

Accessories: Tags to Go Dies, Mini Alphabet Dies, Adventurous Sky Dies, Linen Thread, Opal Rounds Assortment

We’d love to have you play along!! You can check us out our blog HERE and Instagram … lots of great inspiration from the rest of the TGIF Crew!

Monday Montage - Darling Dinos

Well … it’s Monday again, so y’all know what that means! Monday Montage time!!

I had a hard time picking a project to post today, since I am actually AHEAD of the game in making some projects. This little dino card won the lottery to go for it today!

Gotta be honest … I used a couple of retired products because they were just too good not to!

The Granny Apple Green Gingham DSP was just calling out to me to be used! I can’t get myself to part with ANY DSP that is either checked or polka-dotted, so that’s why it’s still in my stash!

And the vellum … may it live forever! I used it behind the triangle die from Linked Together because it was too perfect!

After coloring this ADORABLE little dino (thanks to the $1M Achiever Stamp Bundle created by the ever-magnificent Diana Gibbs), I decided that the Turtle-y Awesome Embossing Folder was the PERFECT thing to pair with him! I mean … come ON! I choose to believe it looks like dinosaur scales for this one!

I also backed the panel with some vellum to mute the gingham pattern just a little bit … it’s so cute!

Stamps: Darling Dinos

Paper: Granny Apple Green, Basic White, Gingham DSP (retired), Vellum Cardstock (retired)

Ink: Black Memento, Granny Apply Green; Stampin’ Blends - Lt. and Dk. Granny Apple Green, Lt. and Dark Daffodil Delight

Accessories: Darling Dinos Dies, Linked Together Dies, Stylish Shapes Dies, Turtle Textures Embossing Folder, Transparent Adhesive Backed Dots, Basic Black and Vanilla Large Checked Ribbon

The Salt Lake Half Marathon is this Saturday … I’m feeling pretty good and prepared! Barring any ankle twisting or knee blowouts I should be good to go!!

Our Monday Montage Hop has gone exclusively to Instagram! You can check it out by finding me @tinkermom85. From there you will be able to find all of my Monday Montage Friends, too!

TGIF Challenge #521 - Pastel Polka Dots

TGIF!! It’s a beautiful spring Friday, and my TGIF pals are playing with pastels polka dots! This one was SUPER fun for me!! Check out the blog challenge here - TGIF Challenge Blog if you’d like to play along!

This card came together quick and easy (which, to be honest, isn’t my “usual” mode!)! I used dies from Impressions Abloom and Beautiful Butterflies to create the floral/dotty “rainbow”. 

I used the Dotted Circles 3D Embossing Folder … only part of it! I only embossing a little over half of the top layer of Basic White cardstock to create the template for the “rainbow” of flowers to follow. Cute!

Up close you can see that the sentiment from Beautiful Butterflies. A little bit of fussy cutting and VOILA! All done!

Stamps: Beautiful Butterflies

Paper: Pretty in Pink, Petal Pink, Lemon Lolly, Soft Sea Foam, Balmy Blue, Bubble Bath, Highland Heather, Basic White

Ink: Highland Heather

Accessories: Impressions Abloom Dies, Beautiful Butterflies Dies, Dotted Circles 3D Embossing Folder, 2025-2027 In Color Flat Pearls

Let the sun shine in! Have a lovely Easter weekend!

We’d love to have you play along!! You can check us out our blog HERE and Instagram … lots of great inspiration from the rest of the TGIF Crew!

Sweet Jar

When my oldest child was a little dude my mom had a small little candy dish in her living room that she kept well-stocked with jelly beans. As my son started to learn how to talk he would go straight to the candy dish every time we visited Grandma and ask for “binks”. We still call jellybeans “binks” at my house … and my son is 36 years old! Don’t you LOVE stuff like that??? 

This card is my tribute to Grandma’s Jar of Binks! It makes me so stinking happy!

I created the little “frame” panel by cutting a 4”x5.25” piece of Bubble Bath cardstock at an angle from the 4” side at the 1.5” mark to the opposite corner. I cut two of these for each side of the frame and overlapped them to created the overall “diamond” shape to frame the jar of jelly beans.

I stamped the jar itself with Black Stazon on some window sheet (you can’t tell from the photo, but it looks cool!). I colored the jellybeans themselves using my Stampin’ Write markers in a variety of colors - Pretty in Pink, Melon Mambo, Berry Burst and Basic Black.

Once again, I flicked some ink from my Stampin’ Blends in the background behind the jar of jellybeans.

Stamps: Sweet Jar

Paper: Bubble Bath, Whisper White, Window Sheet, Silver Foil

Ink: Black Stazon, Berry Burst; Stampin’ Write Markers - Pretty in Pink, Melon Mambo, Berry Burst, Basic Black; Stampin’ Blends - Melon Mambo, Berry Burst

Accessories: Sweet Jar Punch, Tags to Go Dies, Forever Plaid 3D Embossing Folder, White Baker’s Twine, Strawberry Slush and Pretty in Pink Gems

Do you have a favorite word that you have used since childhood that is a cute replacement?? (Or maybe one from your own kids?) These are happy memories!

TGIF Challenge #520 - Sketch

It’s Friday … which means it’s TGIF Challenge Time!!

Ohhhhh how I wish I were at the beach … ANY beach! (Well, except what “passes” as a beach out my the Great Salt Lake … not only can you pick up a piece of it and throw it like a frisbee, but it also STINKS and is swarming in brine flies! YUCK!)

The new Notes & Totes Bundle sure puts me in the mood for some beach time! It’s this little tote bag just the most ADORABLE thing EVER??

I used one of the Glass & Garden embossing folders to add texture to the bag itself. The small 3D Corrugated Embossing Folder was used on the Midnight Muse background panel along with a light brushing over from the Wink of Stella pen! Pretty!

I used the same floral image from the Notes & Totes stamp to add pattern to the Basic Beige panel as well as the scarf tied to the handle of the bag and the cute Flirty Glamingo water bottle.

Those sunglasses, though! Eeeeep! I love them! I also added a little Wink of Stella to the lenses on those sunglasses to add some reflection. I can’t get over it!

Don’t you just wanna pick up this bag, get in the car and GO??!??

Stamps:  Notes & Totes

Paper:  Coastal Cabana, Flirty Flamingo, Midnight Muse, Pecan Pie, Basic Beige

Ink: Coastal Cabana, Flirty Flamingo, Midnight Muse, Pecan Pie, Basic Beige

Accessories: Notes & Totes Dies, Glass & Garden 3D Embossing Folder, Mini Corrugated 3D Embossing Folder, Loose Frosted Dots

Okay … April?? We are already in APRIL??? I just can’t even wrap my brain around that! Two more weeks until the Salt Lake Half … I think I’ll be ready!

We’d love to have you play along!! You can check us out our blog HERE and Instagram … lots of great inspiration from the rest of the TGIF Crew!

Monday Montage - Cake Celebrations

Welcome back for another fun round of beautiful projects from the Monday Montage crew! I have said it before and I will say it again … these ladies are ridiculously talented and I am grateful to learn from them and count them as my friends.

I’m trying really hard to use new (to me!) color combos … I seem to get stuck in my favorite “tried and true” combos and let a lot of other lovely cardstock in my stash go neglected! I need to work on that more! Actually, one of my favorite colors of all time in Stampin’ Up history is Early Espresso. I used to use it all the time on just about every project! It has been sadly neglected, so I decided to pair it up with another one of my newer favorites, Lemon Lolly! It’s the perfect, lovely shade of yellow!  I struggled on deciding what colors to use for the flowers and leaves … I ultimately went with Flirty Flamingo, Calypso Coral and Granny Apple Green (which I also LOVE!)\

I used my Stampin’ Blends a lot on this card … just not for actual coloring! I have been doing a lot of “flicking” of color from the tips of those pens lately (you need to do it carefully so as not to break down the tips of the markers). You just take the tip of the marker and flick it from the inside of the markers cap toward the paper where you want it to land. I used the Dark Lemon Lolly Stampin’ Blends to add spots to the Lemon Lolly cardstock that the cake layers are made from. I also used this same technique to color the white background behind the cake - I used Pecan Pie and Calypso Coral. I love how tasty it makes the background look! If you look VERY closely you will see that I used some Wink of Stella on the chocolate ganache dripping from the tops of both tiers of cake!

One again I need to sing the praised of the Everyday Arches Dies … I shall struggle NOT to use them on every single card I make!

Stamps: Cake Celebrations

Paper: Lemon Lolly, Early Espresso, Calypso Coral, Granny Apple Green, Basic White

Ink: Calypso Coral, Flirty Flamingo, Granny Apple Green; Stampin’ Blends - Dark Lemon Lolly, Dark Calypso Coral, Light Pecan Pie

Accessories: Everyday Arches Dies, Cake Celebrations Dies, Dotted Circles 3D Embossing Folder, Ombe Matte Decorative Dots

Have a happy week!

Our Monday Montage Hop has gone exclusively to Instagram! You can check it out by finding me @tinkermom85. From there you will be able to find all of my Monday Montage Friends, too!

Linked Together

Holy moley! I am AT LAST playing with all the Linked Together Bundle parts and I am OBSESSED!!

The bundle comes with stamps, dies and decorative masks … so I decided to use some of ALL of the parts!

I started by using one of the Decorative Masks and some Soft Sea Foam ink (I honestly don’t know WHY I don’t use this color all the time … it’s beautiful!). I then used some Country Woods DSP and cut the lattice die from. The flowers and leaves were cut from more dies in the Linked Together Dies. I had lots of fun cutting and layering flowers in Basic White, Lemon Lolly and Pool Party.

I used some Ombré Matte Decorative Dots (Pool Party) as the centers in the fanciest of the layered flowers I made. Do you see the three little Pool Party dots on the upper outside curve of the sentiment panel? Those were some of the centers that were cut from the little Pool Party flowers I had cut. The cute centers were sitting on my table and they looked sooo fun … I just had to use them!!

I stamped the two styles of sentiments on Basic White cardstock and they just fussy cut around them and adhered them to the Soft Sea Form Oval Die I had cut.for the sentiment panel.

Stamps: Linked Together

Paper: Soft Sea Foam, Pool Party, Lemon Lolly, Basic White, Country Woods DSP

Ink: Soft Sea Foam, Pool Party

Accessories: Linked Together Dies, Linked Together Decorative Masks, Ombe Matte Decorative Dots

Getting closer to the Salt Lake City Half Marathon Run as a member of the Huntsman Heroes Running Team (it’s April 26)! LOVE running with my team and raising money for cancer research!

Along These Lines

My head is still spinning from all the lovely new things I saw when I was at OnStage a few weeks ago. I actually won the COOLEST new set and am sharing it with you today … it’s called “Along These Lines”.

I’ve had this idea in my head for DAYS! The embossing folder that I paired with the lovely rose … which I stamped and colored with some Stampin’ Blends (Poppy Parade and Smoky Slate) is one of a set of two called in the Glass & Gardens Embossing Folders. It is PERFECT with the rose, don’t ya think?? 

I cut the leaves using the Country Flowers Dies.

Stamps: Along These Lines, Country Flowers (sentiment)

Paper: Smoky Slate, Basic White

Ink: Black Memento, Versamark; Stampin’ Blends - Light and Dark Poppy Parade, Light and Dark Smoky Slate

Accessories: Perennial Postage Dies, Stylish Shapes Dies, Country Flowers Dies, Glass & Gardens Embossing Folders, Black & Very Vanilla 3/8” Large Check Ribbon, White Embossing Powder, Adhesive Backed Sparkle Gems

There are several other great images in this stamp set … I can’t wait to play with the rest!