Monday, September 22, 2025

Monday Montage - Perfectly Pairs






Yay for Monday! That can only mean it’s time once again for our Monday Montage Crew to share some lovely new creations with y’all.

It’s hard for me to believe, but we have been sharing projects as a team since the end of August 2013. That’s 12 years, baby (and about 300 hops!)! Love this crew!










Had a VERY busy weekend and knew that my time to create would be very limited. The idea for this card came into my brain and I was able to finish it up in about 40 minutes (which is kinda good for me!)!

I stamped several images from Perfectly Pears and colored them up (the pears themselves were stamped with Darling Duckling and then dabbed with stamp daubers to add the olive green/timid tiger to them). I colored the branches and leaves with Black Memento and Lt. and Dark Mossy Meadow.






This is also the first time in a long time that I created almost everything from one set of stamps and dies! The exception was the Birch Wood 3D Embossing Folder, Old Olive Baker’s Twine and Streaked Dots.

And I am sooooo hooked on the “roughed up” look lately, so, of course, I roughed up the edges and corners!

Stamps: Perfectly Pairs
Paper: Basic White, Mossy Meadow
Ink: Black Memento, Darling Duckling, Timid Tiger, Old Olive, Mossy Meadow; Stampin’ Blends - Lt. and Dk. Mossy Meadow
Accessories:  Perfectly Pears Dies, Birch Wood 3D Embossing Folder, Old Olive Baker’s Twine, Streaked Dots


What do you think??? I LOVE pears and flowers, and the combo here just makes me smile!

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!

Friday, September 19, 2025

TGIF Challenge #543 - Inspiration






Ok who doesn’t LOVE a donut?? (I mean, I guess there could actually be people who don’t love donuts … but I don’t personally know any!).

This week’s TGIF Inspiration Challenge is based on the photo to the left. Sunny skies and donuts! YAY!!

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




Yet another card I have made recently using Timeless Plaid DSP. This stuff is just perfection!

I stamped a total of 8 donuts … four to make the “cake” parts and four to make the “icing” parts. I then fussy cut all of the parts and pieces and colored them accordingly. How lucky that I had a couple of leaves cut out from the More Than Autumn Dies that I used on a card last week. They worked perfectly.

I cut the front panel of this card off by 1.5” inches so that it would allow me to show the DSP on the back panel.



I used some Wink of Stella to add a little bit of shine to the icing on the donuts. I also braided three strands of Crumb Cake Baker’s Twine to create a little cord to use as an embellishment.

Stamps: More Than Autumn
Paper: Basic Beige, Very Vanilla. Crumb Cake. Cajun Craze, Early Espresso, Timeless Plaid DSP
Ink: Versamark, Early Espresso, Black Memento, Cajun Craze; Stampin’ Blends - Light and Dark Crumb Cake, Light and Dark Cajun Craze; Early Espresso Stampin’ Write Marker
Accessories: More Than Autumn Dies, Crumb Cake Baker’s Twine, Streaked Dots




Now I want some REAL donuts!! I may have to pick up one or two at the store this 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!

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Thursday, September 18, 2025

Long Time No See!







I did it … I finally caved! Ever since I saw the first card made with this stamp set - Long Time No See - I fell in love! I knew it was only a matter of time! So I did the “add to cart” thing and now it lives at my house!!

I have a personal connection to llamas and alpacas now … seeing as we went to Peru last year and saw MANY of them (mostly alpacas!). They are awesome!





This one was pretty simple. The stamp set comes with both the llama head and a dachshund head (tail for that one, too!). Then you can add the scarf and make it long or short (but, quite honestly, why would you wanna make it short??). I stamped the main images with Black Memento ink and colored him with my Stampin’ Blends - Pool Party, Daffodil Delight, Smoky Slate and Crumb Cake.

I twisted a double strand of baker’s twine to dangle the sentiments from (had to secure it at the top with glue since the glue dot I had originally used kept losing it!). Fun, right??

Stamps: Long Time No See
Paper: Basic White, Bermuda Bay, Calypso Coral, Basic Black
Ink: Black Memento; Stampin’ Blends - Lt. and Pool Party, Lt. and Dk. Daffodil Delight, Lt. and Dk. Smoky Slate, Lt. and Dk. Crumb Cake, Versamark
Accessories: Plaster Painting 3D Embossing Folder, White Embossing Powder, Black Baker’s Twine, Low Profile Sparkle Dots

I’m gonna have to make one using the dachshund soon … he is so adorable!

Monday, September 15, 2025

Rustic Centerpiece







Coloring is therapeutic, isn’t it?? At least for me it is! (During the pandemic I was one of “those” people who bought a large, lovely set of colored pencils and several coloring books!) How pretty is this image?? There are three images in the Rustic Centerpiece stamp set, and I think this one is my favorite!!





I stamped the main image with Black Memento ink, then I got busy coloring with my Stampin’ Blends.

I fussy cut the image out (something else I also find relaxing!), and layered some Basic White cardstock on top of a card base of Lost Lagoon. Once again, I used the Gathering Leaves 3D Embossing Folder (it’s so pretty!). I did a little bit of paper ripping .. the patterned section is another piece of Timeless Plaid DSP … my current favorite!

I also cut out a couple of small banners from the Party Banners Dies and used my Blending Brushes and Water Painters to give the banners some texture. Also, flicking some ink from my Stampin’ Blends … something I do more often than not, I suppose!

Stamps: Rustic Centerpiece, Perfectly Pairs (sentiment)
Paper: Basic White, Lost Lagoon, Timeless Plaid DSP
Ink: Black Memento, Lost Lagoon; Stampin’ Blends - Lt. and Dk. Lost Lagoon, Lt. and Dk. Daffodil Delight, Lt. and Dk. Old Olive, Lt. and Dk. Granny Apple Green, Lt. and Dk. Smoky Slate, Lt. and Dk. Crumb Cake, Lt. and Dk. Pecan Pie, Lt. and Dk. Poppy Parade
Accessories:  Gathering Leaves 3D Embossing Folder, Party Banners Dies, Brushed Brass Butterflies, Braided Linen Trim (retired), Water Painters

Ahhhhh fall … my favorite time of year! I can definitely feel it in the air!

Friday, September 12, 2025

TGIF Challenge #542 - Sketch Challenge






Yay and HOORAY!! This week the TGIF Crew is doing a sketch challenge - my favorite kind of challenge!

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

Cannot tell you how THRILLED I was to see that the More Than Autumn Stamps and Dies were getting to live to fight another day this year! This is one of my most favorite fall sets Stampin’ Up has ever had! So much versatility between the stamped images and coordinating dies.

This card came together pretty easily (thanks to the great sketch and the also-very-awesome Timeless Plaid DSP!).  

I even did a little coloring with my Stampin’ Blends using some Light and Dark Pumpkin Pie and Light Cajun Craze. The leaf dies are probably my most-used die in this set … I absolutely LOVE cutting them out in more than one color and then swapping the insides!!




I also distressed the edges of the largest piece of DSP that I used on the base (one of my new favorite old techniques!) and added some Adhesive-Backed Metallic Gems and a little triple loop of Crumb Cake Baker’s Twine.

Stamps: More Than Autumn
Paper: Basic Beige, Very Vanilla. Crumb Cake. Cajun Craze, Timeless Plaid DSP
Ink: Versamark, Early Espresso, Black Memento, Cajun Craze; Stampin’ Blends - Light and Dark Pumpkin Pie, Light Cajun Craze
Accessories:  Perennial Postage Dies, More Than Autumn Dies, Crumb Cake Baker’s Twine, Adhesive-Backed Metallic Gems



Do any of you have fun plans this weekend? I am having a brunch group of friends coming over Saturday morning (my turn to host) and I am making ALL FALL flavors of food. YUM! I can’t wait!

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!

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Monday, September 8, 2025

Monday Montage - Gathering Moments






Ok … I feel it. You know that little tiny bit of a nip in the air when you leave your house early in the morning? The first sign that fall might actually be on its way!

With that in mind, here’s what I made for this week’s Monday Montage.


Fall is my absolute most favorite time of year. The colors, the smells, the tastes, the holiday … I’m down for All of it.

Which is why I am LOVING the elements that are in the Gathering Moments Suite! 

I used the stamps and dies to create this fall card. I just ordered the DSP this morning … I used Timeless Plaid DSP for this card as a “substitute” (which I also love!).

I braided two pieces of Basic Black and one piece of 
Crumb Cake Baker’s Twine into a piece that I could tie into a bow.






I used two pieces of the Timeless Plaid DSP to create the arched piece in the background, which I cut out using one of the Everyday Arches Dies. I also distressed the edges of the arch with one of the blades from my paper snips.

Did ya notice the cute little tiny leaves embossed in the card base??? I love this embossing folder!

Stamps: Gatheirng Moments
Paper: Basic Beige, Basic White, Timeless Plaid DSP
Ink: Early Espresso, Mossy Meadow, Old Olive, Cajun Craze, Crushed Curry
Accessories: Gathering Moments Dies, Everyday Arches Dies, Gathering Leaves Embossing Folder, Crumb Cake Baker’s Twine, Basic Black Baker’s Twine, Linen Thread, Low Profile Sparkle Dots


I’ve been visiting my niece, nephew and two grandnephews for almost a week in Nevada. The days are clear and WARM, and the evenings and mornings are PERFECT. So grateful to be able to spend time with my family!

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!

Thursday, September 4, 2025

School Days & Notes





School days, school days, dear old golden rule days! Apparently I liked a card made by my bestie, Bree Renwick (@craftsomnia on Instagram) that I saw a few weeks back. It wasn’t until after I had finished this card that I went back and looked at Bree’s … yep! Her good idea most DEFINITELY lodged itself in the back of my brain!!

The great idea behind this (thanks, Bree!) was to use School Days with Just a Note … perfection!





I snuck in some Fruit Salad DSP (which is available as a “last chance” item on Stampin’ Up’s website - so hurry on over there if you need some - and you DO!)!

And how about those darling little “paper clips”??? I am OBSESSED!!! Every single one of  my kids’ homework assignments looked like this one … wrinkled up from being shoved in a backpack! Ha! Ha!!

Stamps: School Days, Just A Note
Paper: Basic White, Basic Black, Fruit Salad DSP (Last Chance!), Silver Foil
Ink: Azure Afternoon, Granny Apple Green, Daffodil Delight, Real Red, Garden Green, Black Memento
Accessories:  Just A Note Dies, Perennial Postage Dies, Basic Gray and Smoky Slate Pearls

I’m off to visit some family in Nevada this week. The sun is shining, the skies are clear and the temps are beautiful!