Monday Montage #212

New toys are SOOOOO much fun to play with!! I have received a couple of orders in the past couple of weeks and I FINALLY got to really spend some time digging through everything and deciding what to play with first! Thank goodness for blog hops like this one with the Monday Montage ladies to give me an excuse to create!!

I went all monochrome for this one. I still have to say that Pool Party has been one of my all-time favorite Stampin' Up colors. It never gets boring for me. Hues of Happiness DSP is sooooo gorgeous I can't stand it!! I snuck a little of it on my second layer ... and, of course, I used the Blossoming Happiness Dies to cut the floral/greenery images from the DSP. 

Here's a closeup for you ... the Spots & Dots Die is going to get so much use from me!

Stamps: Happiness Abounds

Paper: Pool Party, Hues of Happiness DSP

Ink:Versamark

Accessories: Trio Corner Punch, Stylish Shapes Dies, Blossoming Happiness Dies, Spots & Dots Dies, Glossy Dots Assortment, Whisper White Embossing Powder

Here's a blog roll just in case you get "stuck" trying to hop around ...

Bree 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

Emily Kimmey - EMK Creations - NOT PARTICIPATING THIS WEEK

Julie Warnick - Creating on the Run - NOT PARTICIPATING THIS WEEK

Wendy Weixler - Wickedly Wonderful Creations - YOU ARE HERE

Well ... I participated in my first race in what seems like forever ... sort of!! Due to a series of unfortunate events I didn't get to the starting line until about 35 minutes AFTER the start ... and it was raining, snowing and sleeting! I ended up NOT running the race and ran back home instead! I got up this morning early and decided to go out and follow the race course to make up for what I had missed! It was just a 10K (in preparation for a half I am planning on running in a few weeks). Felt good to be out there, even though I did the day-after-the-race-race by myself! Sheesh!

Click "Next" to see Bree Renwick... and "Back" to visit Elizabeth Price! Love their creativity!

Control Freaks - Can't Live Without

One of these days ... hopefully sooner than later ... life will get back to some sort of "normal" around my house! The last month has been UBER crazy! I haven't really had much time to do the things I like, but I did take some time out to play with the Control Freaks this month where we are highlighting things that we "Can't Live Without"! You MUST check out the beautiful creations of LeeAnn Greff ... her use of color is AMAZING! 

Right now my favorites include anything new and FUN! Of course, it goes practically without saying that I could NOT create a card without doing some sort of die cutting or embossing. So the Stampin' Cut and Emboss would probably be at the top of my list of things I CAN'T live/create without! And polka dots ... I have ALWAYS been a sucker for anything with polka dots (stamps, embossing folders, ribbon, dies). So when I saw the NEW Spots & Dots background die I KNEW it was going to come and live with me ASAP! I used some washi tape to hold my colored sections of cardstock together before I ran them through the Cut and Emboss machine with the Spots & Dots die. The "leftover" dots that were cut out ended up on this card as well ... kind of by accident.  I had a couple of them that stuck to the front of my card and I decided I LOVED them and wanted to add a bunch more! I also used the "Sit Stay Relax" hostess stamp set, which is also new!

Stamps: Sit Stay Relax
Paper: Whisper White, Flirty Flamingo, Fresh Freesia, Daffodil Delight, Soft Seafood, Granny Apple Green

Ink: Granny Apple Green, Fresh Freesia, Daffodil Delight (Stampin' Blends)

Accessories: Spots & Dots Die, Beautiful Shapes Dies, Faux Linen Ribbon

I colored the cute little sleepy kitty with some Daffodil Delight Stampin' Blends ... which I ALSO lovelovelove! And Dimensionals ... I can honestly say that I NEVER make a card without THOSE little babies!

Next up? Deb Henderson! Her creation is STUNNING!!

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Monday Montage #211

One day I may actually feel like I'm on some sort of "normal" schedule ... whatever THAT means! At least my craft room isn't a total disaster, so when I need to go make something I can actually do it!! We're back to another Monday Montage, and the girls are all in fine form!

Have any of y'all seen the new Waves of the Ocean Bundle??? I am IN LOVE with every dang part of it! The stamps, the dies, the DSP and the rhinestones ... soooooo much fun to play with! I decided to hit the "neutrals" with this little card instead of all the blues ... and I'm pretty happy with how it came out. 

You guys NEEEED this bundle!! The paper is just oh-so-GOOD! I used the Tasteful Texture embossing folder behind one of the waves dies ... I really like the effect.

Stamps: Waves of Inspiration

Paper: Basic Black, Whisper White, Waves of the Ocean

Ink: Real Red, Daffodil Delight, Garden Green, Versamark, Chalk Marker

Accessories: Waves Dies, Stitched Rectangle Dies, Waves Rhinestones, Fine Art Ribbon, Linen Thread, Tasteful Textile Embossing Folder

Here's a blog roll just in case you get "stuck" trying to hop around ...

Bree Renwick - Craft-somnia Momma

Cathy Casey - Sugar Shack Designs
Charlet Mallet - Painted Orange - NOT PARTICIPATING THIS WEEK

Cheryl Curtis - Pomp and Sustenance

Dani Dziama - Dani's Thoughtful Corner

Elizabeth Price - Seeinginkspots

Emily Kimmey - EMK Creations

Julie Warnick - Creating on the Run
Wendy Weixler - Wickedly Wonderful Creations - YOU ARE HERE

We've been cleaning, boxing, sorting and packing up all the things at my mom's place. I am super grateful that the lion's share of the work that needed to be done with sorting through and weeding out of things owned by my parents was done 12 years ago when we moved my mom from her house to her condo. But it is STILL a chore ... and hard on the heart. So grateful that I have an amazing husband who has been tackling the areas that I have found too sentimental. He just goes in and gets it done. My mom's siblings and my mom's grandchildren have all been able to pick a few things that are meaningful to them, which has been therapeutic for all of us. Happy to report that we've made a TON of progress and I can see light at the end of the tunnel!

Click "Next" to see Bree Renwick... and "Back" to visit Julie Warnick! FAN-TAS-TIC!