Monday Montage - Scenic Adventure

Ok … I blinked and another weekend just WHOOSHED by! But the great news is that it’s Monday Montage time again! Yay!

And once again I’m sharing another creation I put together while I was up in Walla Walla visiting Bree (@craftsomnia).

I have a love/hate relationship with “mountainous” images. I LOVE looking at the sets and they are always beautiful … but I seem to always HATE what I end up creating with them! In an effort to try NOT to do something that looks like what everyone else has already done, I usually end up making something that no one would really want to do anyway!

This card, however, turned out pretty and I like it!

I was trying to evoke a “sunrise” sort of vibe. I actually think it looks more like a sunset, but who can really tell??

After using the Scenic Adventure Dies to cut out several “mountains” (I used Peach Pie, Flirty Flamingo, Highland Heather, Mossy Meadow, Basic Gray, and Basic Black - from back to front), I sponged the edges of each of the mountains and trees with their coordinating ink.

I used the pretty oval shapes from the Impressions Abloom Dies to create the frame for the scene. Since the dies are slightly different in size and the larger one only cuts the “outline” it was kinda tricky getting all the colors to cut and line up, but I think it turned out pretty cool.

For the sun I used a small circle of Daffodil Delight cardstock (which I also sponged, as well as the white cardstock behind the sun). I used the Stylish Shapes Dies to cut the circle … but you could use a punch or any other circle shape to achieve the same look.

Then … what’s not to love about a corrugated texture?? The new Mini Corrugated 3D Embossing Folder?? Perfection!

The hexagon with the sentiment is from the “Meant to Bee” dies. They were handy at Bree’s so I just used one of them!

And I actually created something with NO ribbon/twine/thread and NO embellishments! That’s something I haven’t done for a while!

Stamps: Scenic Adventure

Paper: Highland Heather, Basic White, Basic Black, Basic Gray, Flirty Flamingo, Peach Pie, Mossy Meadow, Daffodil Delight

Ink: Black Memento, Versamark

Accessories: Scenic Adventure Dies, Impressions Abloom Dies, Stylish Shapes Dies, Meant to Bee Dies, Mini Corrugated 3D Embossing Folder, White Embossing Powder

After having done the Ragnar Zion Trail Run (a week ago) and the Ogden Half Marathon (this past Saturday), I am happy to be able to take a rest from racing for a little while! Proud of myself, though!

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 #525 - Paper Flowers!

Happy Friday!! It’s TGIF Challenge time and this week we are using paper flowers as our inspiration.

Check out the blog challenge here - TGIF Challenge Blog if you’d like to play along!

Aren’t ALL flowers we put on our cards PAPER flowers??? (well … I am sure there are SOME exceptions, but if we are going to be literal I choose to believe that these fit the bill!)

I borrowed Bree’s Mixed Florals stamp set while I was at her house a couple of weeks ago, I stamped the images but didn’t even try to color them until last week … and then I didn’t cut them out and make a card out of them until a few days ago.

I am IN LOVE with the Everyday Happiness Patterned Paper. The colors are soft and beautiful and look GORGEOUS together!!

I used my Stampin’ Blends to color the images. I colored a little bit of “shadow” around each of the images with a Pool Party Blend. I didn’t bring the dies with me, so I did the fussy cutting thing. 

I used a white gel pen to add little dots and accent lines to the leaves and flowers. Cute, right?? 

Using the Everyday Arches Dies (my new FAVORITE set of dies!) and the Forever Plaid 3D Embossing Folder to complete the background. I used a white gel pen to add little dots and accent lines to the leaves and flowers. Cute, right?? 

Using the Everyday Arches Dies (my new FAVORITE set of dies!) and the Forever Plaid 3D Embossing Folder to complete the background. After using the Plaster Painting 3D Embossing folder I just HAD to “flick” the background with my Stampin’ Blends.

Stamps: Mixed Florals, More Messages

Paper: Basic White, Lemon Lolly, Basic Black, Everyday Happiness DSP

Ink: Versamark, Black Memento; Stampin’ Blends - Daffodil Delight, Lemon Lolly, Lost Lagoon, Real Red, Mossy Meadow, White Gel Pen

Accessories: Everyday Arches Dies, More Messages Dies, Forever Plaid 3D Embossing Folder, White Baker’s Twine, White Embossing Powder, Muted Palette Dots

I’m doing ANOTHER race tomorrow as part of the Huntsman Heroes team ..  the Ogden Half Marathon. I think I’m 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!

Stampin’ Fancy Friday - Friends Forever

This month for the Stampin’ Fancy Friday Challenge we are going back to scrapbooking. Scrapbooking is where my papercrafting journey began oh-so-many moons ago! This page was so much fun as it features so many of my fellow Fancy Friday Friends when we were at a recent Stampin’ Up OnStage event in Raleigh, North Carolina.

This page was alllll about dies!

I used flowers from Impressions Abloom to accent each of the photos. I used the Perennial Postage Dies to create a stacked “border” of sorts to the right of the photos using the Turtle-y Cute DSP and a combo of Flirty Flamingo and Basic Black.

For the lettering I used the Alphabet AlaMode Dies. They work so well with everything!

I also used a couple of dies from the Sentimental Frames Dies to highlight the letters and the little journaling panel.

Stamps: None!

Paper: Basic White, Basic Black, Flirty Flamingo, Strawberry Slush, Darling Duckling, Granny Apple Green, Lemon Lolly, Turtle-y Cute DSP

Ink: None!

Accessories: Impressions Abloom Dies, Alphabet Ala Mode Dies, Sentimental Frames Dies, Strawberry Slush and Pretty in Pink Gems

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

TGIF #524 - Sketch Challenge

As you are reading this I am running a Ragnar Trail Race in Zion National Park! But I did get a chance to play for this week’s TGIF Challenge! This week we are doing this lovely sketch challenge. Check out the blog challenge here - TGIF Challenge Blog if you’d like to play along!

While I was in Walla Walla visiting my bestie, Bree, I got to play with some of her goodies! I am LOVING his new Weekend Adventures stamp set! The little tin camping cup?!? Shut the front door!

The layers and textures on this card are EVERYTHING!

I didn’t exactly follow the sketch to the letter, but I couldn’t get past the arches!

After using the Plaster Painting 3D Embossing folder I just HAD to “flick” the background with my Stampin’ Blends.

I also layered the gingham vellum on top of a layer of Basic White cardstock to make it pop!

Stamps: Weekend Adventures

Paper: Basic White, Azure Afternoon, Floral and Hingham DSP

Ink: Versamark, Black Memento, Azure Afternoon; Stampin’ Blends - Daffodil Delight, Azure Afternoon, Smoky Slate

Accessories: Everyday Arches Dies, Plaster Painting 3D Embossing Folder, Flat Antique Pearls, White Embossing Powder

I had to order this stamp set for myself while I was still at Bree’s … it is so fun and versatile!

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 - Tiled Techniques

How can it be Monday again already??!!?? At least I stamped ahead and had a card all ready to go! Welcome back for another round of Monday Montage!

Since the 2025-2026 Stampin’ Up Catalog will be going LIVE tomorrow (05/06/25), I am sharing a few of my favorite retiring items … specifically, the Tiled Technqiues stamp set and some very pretty Moody Mauve cardstock.

I cut the front panel of this card in half, so it is only 2.75” from the top fold to the bottom edge of the front panel. That way I was able to take advance of the “medallion” I made from the Spotlight On Nature Dies and the images I stamped using Tiled Techniques.

Here’s what it looks like inside when you lift the front flap with the medallion up. Just the right amount of space for a little greeting!

I’m sooo happy that the Eyelet 3D Embossing folder is sticking around for another year. It has fast become a favorite of mine!

I shall really miss the Moody Mauve cardstock … it’s such a beautiful and rich color.

Stamps: Tiled Techniques

Paper: Basic White, Moody Mauve, Pretty in Pink, Basic Gray

Ink: Basic Gray, Moody Mauve, Pretty in Pink, Versamark

Accessories: Spotlight On Nature Dies, Stylish Shapes Dies, Eyelet 3D Embossing Folder, White Embossing Powder, Strawberry Slush & Pretty in Pink Gems

My friend, Cheryl Curtis, and I have been visiting our other bestie - Bree Renwick - up in Walla Walla since last Thursday. It has been the BEST time! (Both of these ladies are also part of the Monday Montage Crew!) We ate, laughed, shopped, stamped and enjoyed our time together soooo much! Can’t wait to get together and do it again (hopefully sooner rather than later!)

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!

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!