Fab Friday #160

I wasn't gonna do it ... nope-nope-nope, I told myself! Of course, I KNEW on some level that I would CAVE IN!! And I DID!!! The Well Said Stamps/Framelits are SOOOOO VERRRYYY WONDERFUL!! Why did I wait SO LONG before diving in and buying them??? REALLY hoping that they will be carried over into the catalog for next year!

This week the Fab Friday folks are playing with a VERY spring-y color combination ... lots of lovely colors to make you happy!!

Stamps: Well Said
Paper: Whisper White, Bermuda Bay, Highland Heather, Lemon Lime Twist, Flirty Flamingo, Botanical Butterfly DSP
Ink: Bermuda Bay, Pool Party, Petal Pink
Accessories: Petal Pair Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Well Written Framelits Dies, Classic Label Punch

I worried that I wouldn't be able to use all the colors ... but I did!







Here's a link to the Fab Friday Challenge Blog so that you can play along:

Fab Friday Challenge Blog

Mindy Backes
Heather Heroldt
Brian King
Amy Koenders
Amanda Mertz
Brenda Myers

Looking forward to a nice hike tomorrow with my hubby and some good friends ... OH!! And we are going to see The Scarlet Pimpernel tonight (my son's girlfriend is in the cast)! I've never seen it before, so I'm pretty excited about it!

Fab Friday #154

Oh. My. Goodness!! It's January 4th ... and I have posted for FOUR days in a row!!! I guess having a CLEAN craft room AND having NO Christmas projects to make is agreeing with me!!! WOOT! WOOT!!! And it's FAB FRIDAY!!! I thought that I was NEVER gonna come up with an idea for this week's color challenge, but I actually made TWO cards (I will share the other one at a later date!). It ended up being much easier than I thought it would be!

This Flowering Desert set is A-MAZ-ING!!! You can "build" your own cactus with a variety of different shapes and sizes. SOOOOO much fun!! I also made my own patterned paper for the background ... isn't it FUN???

Stamps: Flowering Desert, Crackle Background
Paper: Crumb Cake, Whisper White, Lemon Lime Twist
Ink: Pear Pizzazz, Lemon Lime Twist, Mint Macaron, Tranquil Tide, Highland Heather
Accessories: Stitched Shapes Framelits Dies, Happy Birthday Thinlits Die, Trio Corner Punch, Linen Thread, Sequins (these are some old ones I had from a Project Life Kit!)

A LOT of colors this week ... but I KNOW you can DO 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

I guess that the holidays are officially "over" ... maybe I should take down my Christmas tree??? I enjoy having it up so much that it is hard for me to take it down (aside from the fact that it's a LOT of work to put everything away!!)!! How long do y'all leave your tree up??? I'm sure you are ALL much better at this than I am!! I guess I'd better get with it!! Have a wonderful weekend!

Fab Friday #144

I should be exercising ... or doing laundry ... and there's always my bedroom that could use a good once-over! INSTEAD ... I am typing up this blog post because it's more FUN!! Especially since I got to play with some paper today (AFTER I spent half the day at my mama's house helping her with some cleaning). I really am liking having a clean craft room ... it's FUN!

Which brings me to this week's Fab Friday Challenge ... and a challenge it WAS (at least for me!!)!!! The colors were screaming "CHRISTMAS" ... and I'm just not quite ready to go "all in" just yet. So I tried to do something that looked UNChristmas-y!! I haven't used the Eastern Beauty stamp set NEARLY as much as I should have ... It's kind hard to screw it up! You just keep stamping and stamping and stamping ... and everything looks pretty in the end!

Stamps: Eastern Beauty
Paper: Whisper White, Lemon Lime Twist, Vellum
Ink: Call Me Clover, Lemon Lime Twist, Calypso Coral, Poppy Parade
Accessories: Eastern Medallions Framelits, 1/2" Circle Punch, 1/4" Circle Punch, Trio Corner Punch,  Banner Duo Punch, 5/8" Polka Dot Tulle Ribbon

This also looks like a watermelon ... kinda ... don'tcha think??? (Of COURSE I can see that NOW!!)






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

Come back over the next few days ... I actually have MORE things to share with ya!!! I almost don't even recognize myself ... I'm working AHEAD of schedule instead of BEHIND!!! Go figure!

Fab Friday #141

It's FRIYAY!!! HUZZAH!! Oh man, I love Fridays when I don't have to go in to work ... today is one such day! The Fab Friday Team has created some fantastic things to share!!

Ok ... can we TAWWWKK??!?? Eastern Beauty!! I am so very happy that it carried over into the NEW catalog!! I used the Stitched Shapes Thinlits to cut the outer edge of the medallion I used as the focal point on this ... it was a PERFECT fit!! I cheated a little by using the Rich Razzleberry velvet ribbon to accent my Fresh Fig yardstick. I think it's close enough to the same color that it would be hard to tell the difference, don't you???

Stamps: Eastern Beauty
Paper: Fresh Fig, Balmy Blue, Whisper White, Tranquil Tides DSP
Ink: Fresh Fig, Tranquil Tide, Balmy Blue, Sea Foam Green
Accessories: Eastern Medallions Thinlits Dies, Stitched Shapes Thinlits Dies, Trio Corner Punch, Rich Razzleberry Velvet Ribbon

The Tranquil Textures DSP is FAST becoming a FAVE!! It goes with EVERYthing! This was a fun and easy sketch to follow ...










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

Just got back from visiting my bestie, Bree, up in Walla Walla with her family for the 4th of July. We had SO much fun!!! Sad to say goodbye so soon, but we will see each other in November ... in ORLANDO ... to celebrate Stampin' Up's 30th Anniversary in STYLE!!! It's going to be A-MAZ-ING!!

Fab Friday #137

Hooooooly COW!!! I can't tell you how EXCITED I am!!! I finally placed my Stampin' Up catalog preview order this week! I don't want to fess up to how much I spent, but let's just say I "bought the farm"!! I can't WAIT for my box to arrive (it will be coming TODAY, actually!)! In the mean time, I got to play with the new "Apron of Love" bundle for this week's Fab Friday challenge.

What is NOT to love about teeny-tiny little aprons??? I mean ... SERIOUSLY?? I have a feeling that this set is going to get used a LOT in the next year or so by ME!! I totally LOVE it!! And I'm happy that I was able to make a fun little Mother's Day card for my own sweet mama. I am so grateful to have her in my life ... many blessing have come her way in the past couple of years as far as her health is concerned. YAY!

Stamps: Apron of Love
Paper: Basic Black, Whisper White, Powder Pink, Pool Party, Whole Lot of Lovely DSP
Ink: Basic Black, Powder Pink
Accessories: Apron Builder Framelits, Basketweave Dynamic Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Polka Dot Tulle Ribbon, Rhinestone Basics

caaaaYOOOOT!!! Right???!!??









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 am looking forward to a weekend filled with sunshine, good food and time spent with family. These are the BEST kinds of weekends, don't you think???

Monday Montage #111

Happy Monday Montage day!! This past weekend was AMAZING on so many levels ... and I am going to be feeling the "glow" from all of it for a long while. But I'll get back to that in a minute. I have a card I made that I'd like to share first!

Sad, sad story about this beautiful stamp set. I really do LOVE it. It has SO many incredible floral images ... and a LOT of really good sentiments as well. It was one of the first things I ordered when the catalog came out last year. The sad part?? I somehow neglected to put the correct number in when ordering it (it comes in a bundle with thinlits dies). I only ordered the stamp set and NOT the dies!! Well DANG!!! So that means I have to fussy cut all the elements when I stamp this. Which is actually FINE, because I find fussy cutting kind of therapeutic. However ... KNOWING that there are a BUNCH of thinlits that could make this set even BETTER is a saaaaad thing, right???

Stamps: Beautiful Bouquet
Paper: Whisper White, Tranquil Tide, Whole Lot of Lovely DSP
Ink:  Berry Burst, Pool Party, Crushed Curry, Tranquil Tide, Crumb Cake, Pear Pizzazz
Accessories: Layering Circles Framelits Dies, Linen Thread

So ... this past Saturday I was able to participate in the Outclimb Cancer Challenge. There is a bank building in downtown Salt Lake City that has 24 floors. And the challenge is to climb to the top of all those stairs as MANY times as you can in 6 hours' time. In the process of training and getting prepared, I made all my best efforts to raise money for the event. I have NEVER been surrounded by so many selfless, happy, and wonderful people. Not going to lie ... it was VERY physically challenging! I participated last year and was able to complete the climb 30 times. This year I completed 28 climbs (I arrived about 10 minutes late, which had me at a disadvantage ... but that was my fault anyway!)! I am VERY happy with how it turned out. And feeling that I made even a SMALL dent in the funding of cancer research to find a cure just makes me happy on so many levels.

We woke up Sunday to about a foot of fresh snow. It was beautiful. Spent the whole day snuggled inside my house and feeling grateful for all the blessings in my life. Sometimes it is so easy to get so caught up in day-to-day routines that I forgot how fortunate I am.

Click "Back" for Melissa Stout and "Next" for Amy O'Neill ... both of these women ... as well as all of the others in the Monday Montage crew ... are also beautiful blessings in my life! I am more than grateful for the chance I have to play with them!

Happy Freakin' Birthday!

Oh how I am LOVING the snow today!! It's been coming down lightly, but steadily all day!! And if it keeps this up for about another MONTH, perhaps we will catch up with all the snow we HAVEN'T been getting all winter!! So today was PERFECT to stay in and stamp! This month the Control Freaks are celebrating birthdays!! Melissa Davies NAILED it, didn't she??

This peacock ... it has been BEGGING me to do something with it from the moment I laid eyes on it!! I'm kinda liking using my acrylic blocks to make background patterns lately ... a little Pool Party ink on this one and I went to town! I also used some of my Stampin' Blends on the peacock wing ... I think I like how it turned out!

Stamps: Beautiful Peacock, Small Acrylic Block
Paper: Basic Black, Melon Mambo, Bermuda Bay, Pink Pirouette, Whisper White
Ink: Bermuda Bay, Pool Party, Dapper Denim, Melon Mambo, Stampin' Blends
Accessories: Rhinestone Basics, Simply Scored

This is how I used to roll ALL THE TIME!!! Using a TON of stamp sets to create a $100 card!! Hahaha! (For those of you wondering, a $100 card is one that requires about $100 worth of supplies to make ... so this one has three stamp sets, an embossing folder, some thread, THREE punches, and of course ink and paper!)! Flower Shop has been a "staple" for me. I LOVE this set!

Stamps: Badges & Banners, Flower Shop, Timeless Textures
Paper: Berry Burst, Dapper Denim, Whisper White, Crumb Cake
Ink: Berry Burst, Dapper Denim
Accessories: Polka Dot Basics Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Pansy Punch, Badge Punch, 1 3/8" Circle Punch, Linen Thread

Next up???  ... lovely Deb Henderson!! She knows how to celebrate and has made some BEAUTIFUL creations! Click on the "next" button to check them out!

Fab Friday #126

Not only is today Black Friday (for all you shopping enthusiasts!) ... it is also FAB FRIDAY!!! And my friends on the Fab Friday Design Team have cooked up some REALLY good projects to share! (Cooking ... yeah ... I've done a LOT of that in the past few days for Thanksgiving ... as I am SURE is true for many of you!! BEST thing about Thanksgiving is the LEFTOVERS, baby!)

For any of y'all who have been hanging out with me here from time to time, you KNOW how I struggle with "simple and easy" cards. I just don't know where to STOP most of the time ... and just keep going and going. NOT this week. This card was quick and easy ... and I hafta admit that I actually kinda LIKE it!!

Stamps:  Snowflake Sentiments, Acrylic Block for Rectangles
Paper: Whisper White, Real Red, Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer Paper
Ink: Real Red, Lemon Lime Twist, Emerald Envy
Accessories:  Stitched Shapes Framelits Dies, Swirly Snowflakes Thinlits Dies, Rhinestone Basics Jewels

Even though I went "Christmas-y" with this color combo, you could go a LOT of directions with this. I'm thinking cards for little boys!!






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 need to get busy with some Black Friday shopping (all online, of course!!)! It's so nice to be able to shop from the comforts of home ... in my jammies ... with NO crowds!!!

Fab Friday #123

Woot! Woot!! for Fab Friday!! This has been a very looooonnnngg week!!! TGIF, baby!!! And tomorrow is SATURDAY!!! I have been needing me a Saturday for a while now!!! Playing with some paper was a good way for me to start off my weekend!

I never intentionally start off making something with the idea that I'm NOT gonna use ANY stamps!! Sometimes, it just happens! As is the case with this card ... I had a lot of stamps in mind that I was GONNA use, but it just didn't end up turning out that way!!

Stamps: None!
Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black, Powder Pink, Blushing Bride Glimmer Paper
Ink: None!!!
Accessories:  Eastern Medallions Thinlits Dies, Sunshine Wishes Thinlets Dies, Ruffled Dynamic Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, 7/8" Striped Ribbon, Project Life Corner Rounder Punch, Rhinestone Basics

I LOVE how simple this is ... and how many different directions you can take 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

Is there any way I can get an extra weekend in my weekend? I need to PLAN to have an entire WEEK where I have NOWHERE to go, and NOTHING to do except stay home and work on some of my homebody projects ... my house could use some SERIOUS spring/deep/Swedish death cleaning!!

Monday Montage #102

This week has been QUITE the adventure!! And the colors of autumn are in full swing ... they are absolutely STUNNING and GORGEOUS!!!! So happy I had some new fall-themed "toys" to create with this week for Monday Montage!

Purple leaves??? Why YES!!! I am NOT kidding when I say I have seen just about EVERY color of leaf this past week on my outdoor adventures ... and also some SNOW!! But I'll get to that in a minute ...

Stamps: Colorful Season
Paper: Early Espresso, Very Vanilla, Berry Bliss, Sahara Sand, Wood Texture DSP
Ink: Sahara Sand, Berry Bliss, Early Espresso
Accessories: Layering Circle Framelits, Layering Ovals Framelits, Pinewood Planks Dynamic Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Polka Dot Basics Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Seasonal Layers Thinlits Dies, 5/8" Burlap Ribbon

My hubby and I and a couple of our friends flew to Leadville, Colorado on Thursday. What in the HECK is in Leadville, Colorado, you ask??? It just so happens that the airport with the highest elevation of any airport in the US is there ... and when you are friends with and married to Airplane Geeks ... well, sometimes stuff like this just happens. Weather was cold but BEAUTIFUL when we landed. We went to breakfast at a great little small-town cafe. When we went back to the airport we were SURROUNDED by clouds and it started to SNOW!! What the HECK??? It's only the first week of OCTOBER!!! So, we were stranded over night until the weather cleared. It was a VERY chilly 26 degrees when we took off. The views of the mountains were spectacular ... and as we got closer to Salt Lake City the mountains were COVERED in an amazing display of autumnal magic!!! I'm getting up early tomorrow to go for a run. I LOVE the sights and smells of fall!

Click "Back" for Kaitlyn Zumbach and "Next" for Amy O'Neill ... BEAUTIFUL projects by both of these ladies!

Mon

Fab Friday #122

Welcome to another Fab Friday Challenge! I always really enjoy it when someone ELSE gives me an idea of where to start on a project ... and this week's color challenge is a GOOD one!!

Stamps: Eastern Beauty
Paper: Rich Razzleberry, Tranquil Tide, Very Vanilla
Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Tranquil Tide, Cajun Craze
Accessories:  Soft Falling Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Eastern Medallions Thinlits Dies, White Perfect Accents

So RICH and BEAUTIFUL, don't you think??









I am FINALLY starting to wrap my head around the changing of the seasons ... about 10 days ago it was over 90 degrees here in Salt Lake City ... then we dropped as low as the 30's, with highs in the 40's and 50's during the day. My mind/body are VERY confused. But this color challenge is helping me get in the mood for Fall!

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

Up for one of my very last challenges for this year's running season. Tomorrow morning I'm doing the Red Bull 400. What is the Red Bull 400, you ask?? Well, it's where a bunch of semi-crazy people pay MONEY to have the opportunity to run UP from the bottom of an Olympic Nordic Ski Jump ... and make it to the top within 15 minutes!! Hoping I survive!! As long as I don't fall off, I'll call that a WIN for ME! And I guess I'd like to FINISH in the time allotted so that they don't have to pull me off for being too slow!!

Monday Montage #101

It's raining, it's POURING ... and summer just SLAMMED straight into fall here in Utah!! Holy COW!!! It was 90 degrees last week and today it is in the 40's ... and it's been raining for two days straight. I LOVE rain! But I think my body/mind are in shock! Welcome to another episode of Monday Montage. I got some NEW goodies to play with, so I really enjoyed creating!

I totally love sunflowers!! I think sunflowers and daisies are my favorite flowers ... and like Meg Ryan says in "You've Got Mail" ... "don't you think daisies are the happiest flower?" I DO!!! And sunflowers are right up there in HappyLand with them!

Stamps: Painted Harvest, Eastern Medallions (sentiment)
Paper: Whisper White, Sahara Sand, Berry Bliss, Tranquil Tide, Wood Texture DSP
Ink: Sahara Sand, Berry Bliss, Early Espresso
Accessories: Classic Label Punch, Layered Leaves Dynamic Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, 5/8" Burlap Ribbon

I guess now I don't have any excuse to complain about how HOT it is for outside running ... I actually LOVE running in cooler temps ... but I do NOT love running in the RAIN!!! What's a girl to do???? I DO love the fall, though ... hopefully we won't get any snow in our yard this week ... there has been a TON in the mountains just east of us, so I'm crossing my fingers it STAYS there!

Click "Back" for Melissa Stout and "Next" for Amy O'Neill ... I wanna be BOTH of them when I grow up!

Mon

Fab Friday #119

LOVE being part of the Fab Friday Team!!! It's going to be WONDERFUL to be able to hug some of them in PERSON in November (Stampin' Up's OnStage Live Event is here in Salt Lake City and many of us registered for it this week)! I swear, the friendships I have made as a result of being a part of Stampin' Up is my FAVORITE part about being a Stampin' Up demonstrator ... my peeps are my tribe!!! And today we are playing with a sketch challenge!

Stamps: Floral Phrases
Paper: Whisper White, Berry Burst, Early Espresso
Ink: Berry Burst
Accessories:  Stitched Shapes Framelits Dies, May Flowers Thinlits Dies, 5/8" Burlap Ribbon, Linen Thread, Hearts & Stars Elements

This one is pretty simple, but the possibilities are ENDLESS!











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 am actually half finished with the "great cleaning project of 2017" (aka my basement/craft space). It's taking FOREVER ... but at least I have made some progress!

Fab Friday #118

Don't ya just love a day when you wake up early (but not TOO early!) without an alarm clock??? The sun is shining, the birds are singing, I have a very long "to-do" list, but I've already checked a couple of things off!!! This is gonna be a GOOD day!!! And why not???? It's also FAB FRIDAY!!!

When all else fails, go back to butterflies!!! That works for ME!!! I am going to admit that this color challenge had me a little stumped. It's a combo I probably never would have thought up on my own, but I really, really like it!! I just wanted to do something GOOD with it!!! In the end, I am quite happy with how this turned out ... I need more NEW stampy stuff!!! Bwahahaha!!

Stamps: Beautiful Bouquet
Paper: Whisper White, Flirty Flamingo, Melon Mambo, Lemon Lime Twist
Ink: Flirty Flamingo, Lemon Lime Twist
Accessories: Polka Dot Basics Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Corner Rounder Punch, Layering Circles Framelits Dies, Butterfles Thinlits Dies, Rhinestone Basics

Ooooooo!!!! I likey!!!











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

Now that I am finished, I can check this off my "to do" list!!! Don't ya just LOVE that feeling of accomplishment??? My list has a good chance of getting finished today!! That, in and of itself, is nothing short of a Christmas Miracle!!