Fab Friday #171

What a fun week! It was my birthday on Wednesday and I got to spend the entire day at Disneyland with my bestie, Cheryl. We rode #alltherides and ate #allthefood. I logged about 30,000 steps on my Fitbit!! AWESOME!!! The downside?? I had to get cortisone shots in my left hand yesterday ... which was NO FUN!!! Happily, my hand feels MUCH better today ... perhaps I should claim "ill" and watch Netflix all day??? Hmmmm ... At least I had a bit of time today to make a card for this week's Fab Friday Stampin' Challenge!

Stamps: Harvest Hellos
Paper: Whisper White, Cajun Craze, Merry Merlot, Come to Gather DSP
Ink: Pretty Peacock
Accessories: Stitched Shapes Dies, Butterfly Duet Punch, Whisper White 5/8" Flax Ribbon, Frosted Epoxy, Frosted Epoxy Droplets, Stapler

I added a bunch of "extra" layers to this sketch, but the overall idea is there!









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

Many things to do this weekend! I just joined an Orangetheory fitness club this past week (also as a happy birthday to me!)! I have another class tomorrow morning, and I have a LOT of cleaning up to do ... at home and at my mom's ... We are working on cleaning and clearing all the rooms in our house and purging a LOT of things. Maybe I will be finished by the end of the year! Here's hoping!!!

Monday Montage #146

I've been feeling quite crafty the last little while (and NOT doing paper crafts, mind you!)! This week's Monday Montage hop sees me back to cardmaking in between all of my other projects. Actually, I made this card LAST week and never got around to posting it! For once I was prepared ahead of time!

The doily dies in the Wish for It All bundle are SO nice and SO versatile! I went with the tried-and-true red/black/white combo for this one ... it is such a great, classic color scheme!

Stamps: Wish for It All
Paper: Basic Black, Real Red, Whisper White, Real Red DSP from the Brights Collection
Ink: Whisper White
Accessories: Whisper White Embossing Powder, Doily Wishes Dies, Corrugated Embossing Folder, Whisper White Polka Dot Tulle Ribbon, Black Glittered Organdy Ribbon, Rhinestone Basic Jewels


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

Monday Montage Hoppers
Amy O'Neill - Amy's Paper Crafts
Breelin 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 - SITTING OUT THIS WEEK
Julie Warnick - Julie Warnick Stampin' Up! Blog
Melissa Stout - The Stamp Doc
Wendy Weixler - Wickedly Wonderful Creations - YOU'RE ALREADY HERE!!

So ... my other crafty projects have included a couple of wreaths for my front door, a wooden fall stenciled sign for fall for my front porch and some super fun crossbody bags that I learned how to make with my Stampin' Up bestie, Paula Wright. I made a couple of bags with DISNEY fabric for me and my other SU bestie, Cheryl, to take with us on my birthday trip to Disneyland this week! SOOOOOO excited!! I haven't been to Disneyland since last December and I have been getting the SHAKES!!

Click "Next" to see what Amy O'Neill has created ... and "Back" to check out Melissa Stout's ... FANTASTIC, as always!

Folding Fun with the Freaks!

It's FREAKY TIME!!! Weren't you just blown away by Julie Davison??? She is AMAZING!! And I have a true confession to make ... I was a little too slow doing my Holiday Catalog preorder ... and Stampin' Up's office had an Innovation Day last Thursday (when no shipping happens!) ... so I won't actually be getting my new goodies until TOMORROW!! Luckily for me, our theme these month was not only the Holiday Preview, but "Fun Folds" ... so I had to go with the "Foldy" part, but not the "sneak peek" part!  Sorry about that!

This "accordion"-type fold is something I saw last year at OnStage.  I have been meaning to try and make one with my own twist to it ... but you know how THAT goes (translation = I totally forgot about it!)!! As I was looking about the Interwebz for some inspiration, this one came back to me!! It's really VERY easy, and there are a LOT of different directions you can go with it!

When you open the first accordion, you can see your first "message" (or whatever you choose to put in there!)!

The second fold opened up reveals another sentiment and/or image. I added the little bitty flowers from the Doily Wishes Dies, quite honestly because they were sitting on my table and they went along with this whole card just perfectly!

I added this photo only because I wanted y'all to be able to see the full effect of this fold ... it's pretty fun!

Cut paper to 12”x5.5”. Score and fold along lines as shown. TaDAAA!!

Stamps: Capture the Good
Paper: Whisper White, Poppy Parade, Daffodil Delight, See a Silhouette DSP
Ink: Poppy Parade
Accessories: Stitched Shapes Dies, Doily Wishes Dies, Daisy Punch, Medium Daisy Punch, Whisper White Baker's Twine, Whisper White Polka Dot Tulle Ribbon, Perennial Essence Floral Center

I don't even know what to call this little origami square sorta thing ... I just know that I have done it before and I have seen many samples done with it over the years! This one is also very simple, and you can do ANY kind of theme with this and it works!! I freakin' luuuuuurve the gingham pattern from the DSP packs (you know I do ... I've only mentioned it about a GAJILLION times!)!! And butterflies ... they are always a favorite for me, so that's where I chose to go!

The gingham is a 4”x4” square. Mark along each side at 1 1/4”, 2” and 2 3/4”. Draw lines as shown. Fold along lines. Easy peasy!!

Stamps: Butterfly Gala
Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black, Brights DSP
Ink: Black
Accessories: Tufted Embossing Folder, Stitched Shapes Dies, Butterfly Duo Punch, Leaf Punch, Trio Corner Punch

Next up???  ... Deb Henderson!! She's always coming up with something that costs me money because she does things that I wouldn't have thought of (often with things I didn't thing I NEEDED until seeing what she has done with them!)!

Fab Friday #170

It's been a crazy week here. And it's Fab Friday already!! YAY!!! I have been making some cookies for a friend of mine ... her daughter is getting married next week and I am helping out. SO glad that cookies can be frozen ahead of time! I have made somewhere in the neighborhood of 26 dozen! The good news is that I am DONE!

I spent Wednesday night watching "Avengers: End Game" with a good friend of mine. Whilst we were sitting enjoying the view (I mean ... c'mon ... so many VERY attractive heroes to look at!), I decided I should get a head start and actually do my Fab Friday card before the 11th hour on Thursday night (which is more of the norm than I would care to admit!)! So here is what I came up with.

Stamps: Abstract Impressions
Paper: Petal Pink, Grapefruit Grove, Call Me Clover, Blueberry Bushel, Whisper White
Ink: Petal Pink, Grapefruit Grove, Call Me Clover, Blueberry Bushel, Wink of Stella
Accessories: Springtime Impressions Dies, Stitched Rectangles Dies, Whisper White Solid Baker's Twine

I've never done this combo before. I LIKE it!






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

The countdown is on ... I am going with my BFF, Cheryl, to Disneyland at the end of the month for my (our) birthday!! Her birthday is actually TODAY, and mine is on the 28th! So we are going to go FOR THE DAY! How FUN is THAT??? (I kinda feel like I'm living "Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous when I go for just the day ... but it is SOOOOO great!)! Can you believe I haven't actually been to Disneyland ONCE this year (as in not ONCE since the calendar flipped to 2019). I decided I needed to fix that!

Monday Montage #145

I need another weekend to get over my weekend!! Anyone else ever feel like that??? We had an event for which I cooked sloppy joes for 100 people on Friday night ... had to help my mom clean at her condo on Saturday (plus running all the crazy errands AND going to a concert for my son's choir on Saturday night), then had to cook and clean after church on Sunday in order to have all the kids over for dinner for my hubby's birthday! I really need a NAP!! Happy that I was able to take a little time and make something for this week's Monday Montage hop, though!

I used a sponge dauber to add some Soft Suede ink to my oval Heirloom embossing folder. I like the antiqued look this gave the frame. The Pressed Petals Washi Tape is a MUST HAVE, you guys!! Such FUN flowers to be made here! Of course, I had to add a bunch of leaves ... it seems I can't do anything without adding as much as possible to what I am creating!!

Stamps: Woven Heirlooms
Paper: Very Vanilla, Soft Suede, Soft Suede DSP from the Neutrals Collection
Ink: Soft Suede
Accessories: Heirloom Frames Dies, Heirloom 3D Embossing Folder, Subtle Embossing Folder, Metallic Pearls, Pressed Petals Washi Tape, Braided Linen Trim, Leaf Punch, Sprig Punch



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

Monday Montage Hoppers
Amy O'Neill - Amy's Paper Crafts
Breelin Renwick - Craft-somnia Momma
Cathy Casey - Sugar Shack Designs
Charlet Mallet - Painted Orange
Cheryl Curtis - Pomp and Sustenance
Dani Dziama - Dani's Thoughtful Corner - SITTING OUT THIS WEEK
Elizabeth Price - Seeinginkspots
Julie Warnick - Julie Warnick Stampin' Up! Blog
Melissa Stout - The Stamp Doc
Wendy Weixler - Wickedly Wonderful Creations - YOU'RE ALREADY HERE!!

My hubby and I WERE able to take a nice hike early Sunday morning with our doggie (and my son's doggie, who we were dog sitting for the weekend). The dogs really enjoyed watching the sun come up over the mountains as much as we did ... ok ... well, maybe they didn't enjoy the views, but they DID enjoy the time outside!!

Click "Next" to see what Amy O'Neill has created ... and "Back" to check out Melissa Stout's ... these ladies ALWAYS come up with the GREATEST things!

Fab Friday #169

Summertime colds ... UGH! I am quite certain that they should be BANNED GLOBALLY!! AND ETERNALLY!! I am grateful for Mucinex-D, Vicks Sinus Spray, Ibuprofen and an array of essential oils that are helping make me feel even a LITTLE bit human (aka Mostly Dead). Ain't NOBODY got time for this!! At least I no longer have a low-grade fever ... I had forgotten how miserable fevers make you feel!! YUCK!

Lucky for me I got to spend some time today working on this card ... we have a grand total of ONE sunflower in our garden, and it just bloomed in the last two days. It makes me happy. Sunflowers and daisies are my most favorite! My Medium Daisy Punch arrived in the mail today (it has been on backorder). I had to wait for it to get here so I could actually finish this card. I had everything else done! I rubbed the flower center on my Mango Melody ink pad a little to change the color so that it would more closely match the cardstock I had chosen!

Stamps: Daisy Lane, Buffalo Check
Paper: Whisper White, Mango Melody, Granny Apple Green
Ink: Black Memento, Mango Melody
Accessories: Medium and Large Daisy Punches, Trio Corner Punch, Stitched Shapes Dies, Detailed Bands Dies, Perennial Essence Floral Centers, Whisper White Solid Baker's Twine

I added a few "extra" elements ...












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

I had plans to spend the day tomorrow cleaning the garage for my husband for his birthday (no worries that he's gonna see this to ruin the surprise ... I'm pretty sure he doesn't even know my blog's name, let along how to find it!). As long as I continue to feel better and it doesn't get too hot, I'm going to attempt it. Wish me luck!!

Monday Montage #144

Ahhhh summer ... this past weekend was the PERFECT summer weekend!! I got to run a race with some of the best people I know (Timp Half with Huntsman Heroes!), and I got to spend the rest of the weekend with some of my family up at the BEST summer hangout EVER ... Bear Lake. The water is GORGEOUSLY blue ... and the company was soooo great. So, needless to say, I had to hustle my (stampin') muscle to get a card made for this week's Monday Montage hop!!

Yup ... I think I've said it before, but I'm gonna say it AGAIN!!! The Subtle embossing folder is pretty much my favorite. It's just the BEST-BEST-BEST. If you do NOT have one, I suggest you do something about that PRONTO!!

I used the Tasteful Backgrounds dies to make the focal point floral/fleur de lis image. The trick to getting it to lay down just as it cuts out (since I used the "positive" bits cut with the die instead of the "negative" bits) is to use Press & Seal. Yep ... the same stuff you use in your refrigerator to store leftovers (like cling wrap, but stickier!). I cut the image and left the die sitting in the paper from which it was cut. I then carefully removed the die from the paper, making sure than EVERYTHING was left behind and intact. Next, I placed the entire thing FACE DOWN onto the Press & Seal. You will need to remove the positive image (the outline) from the Press & Seal so that the only thing left will be the "bits" that you will place on your card. Are ya with me so far??? I then cut up some small dimensionals and placed them on the back of the bits. Remove the backing on the dimensionals and then flip the image over and place it where you want on your card. Peel back the Press & Seal and the "bits" will be left exactly where you want them! It's really MUCH easier than this explanation would make it seem!

Stamps: Tasteful Textures
Paper: Whisper White, Crumb Cake, Pacific Point DSP from the Brights Collection
Ink: Pacific Point
Accessories: Tasteful Backgrounds Dies, Stitched Shapes Dies, Subtle Embossing Folder, Metallic Pearls, Whisper White Bakers Twine

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

Monday Montage Hoppers
Amy O'Neill - Amy's Paper Crafts
Breelin 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
Julie Warnick - Julie Warnick Stampin' Up! Blog - SITTING OUT THIS WEEK
Melissa Stout - The Stamp Doc
Wendy Weixler - Wickedly Wonderful Creations - YOU'RE ALREADY HERE!!

Truth be told ... I really wish I were still up at Bear Lake. It's so relaxing and beautiful and rejuvenating! I will be back before the summer is over!!

Click "Next" to see what Amy O'Neill has created ... and "Back" to check out Melissa Stout's ... BRILLIANT as always!!

Freakin' Simple to Stepped Up!

What a crazy summer already!!! Since so many of our Control Freaks members were Incentive Trip earners (they spent a glorious time on a Grecian Isle Cruise!), we have been a little MIA!! NEVER FEAR!! We are BACK ... and this month we are Steppin' It Up! The Marvelous Melissa Davies is at it again ... so much inspiration, right???

I've been playing with Stampin' Up's stamps for close to 18 years (which is amazing considering I am still only 27!!). Every dang time they come out with some sort of "veggie" set I am SUCKED IN!!! I love fruit and veggie images. SOOOO MUCH! It must be the California Girl in me ... I could NOT resist this beautiful little avocado! In this "simple" version of my card today, I just stamped everything straight down. Even though I didn't layer the pit of the avocado by fussy cutting it and sticking it on with a dimensional, I still gave this card some depth with the rectangles of different colored cardstock and vellum. It came together really quickly, and the entire sentiment is placed in one cute little chubby rectangle.

Stamps: Garden Goodness, Band Together (for the avocado leaves), Birch
Paper: Soft Suede, Whisper White, Mellow Moss, Vellum
Ink: Mellow Moss, Soft Suede
Accessories: Stitched Rectangle Dies, Subtle Embossing Folder, Sahara Sand 5/8" Woven Threads Trim

When I started to "step it up" I just couldn't stop myself!!! I was inspired to make this background from my dear and talented friend, Elizabeth Price. The background was stamped and then run through my BigShot using the Subtle embossing folder. (Seriously, y'all ... if you don't own this one yet, you NEED it! PRONTO!!) The "shiplap" look of the background was created by cutting the background Birch image into five different strips (and no ... they are NOT even ... I obviously can't count ... but I like how it turned out anyway!)! Then, I used a spritzer with a handful of Crumb Cake ink dropped into it. I spritzed each of the pieces, then used my aqua painter and some Mellow Moss ink to add the green bits sporadically on the strips I had already cut. Lastly, I ran my fingernail along the upper and lower edges of each strip and all edges of the Mellow Moss panel to give it a more worn look ... and to allow the Soft Suede cardstock to peek through the panels as grout. This time I not only fussy cut the leaves, but also the avocado itself, as well as the pit of the avocado. I wish you could see the depth and texture of this in person ... it is SO fun! 

Stamps: Garden Goodness, Band Together (for the avocado leaves), Budding Borders, Birch
Paper: Soft Suede, Whisper White, Mellow Moss, Vellum
Ink: Mellow Moss, Soft Suede
Accessories: Stitched Rectangle Dies, Stitched Shapes Dies, Subtle Embossing Folder, Sahara Sand 5/8" Woven Threads Trim, Metallic Pearls

Next up???  ... Magnificent Melissa Stout!! I'm in between a MELISSA SANDWICH!! (I have done this before ... and it's a privilege to be between these two talented ladies!)

Fab Friday #168

True confessions time ... I bought myself a Stamparatus as soon as I could get my hands on one. I even "preordered" it before Stampin' Up even had them in stock! And I have hardly ever used it at ALL!! I even couldn't find where I had stored it for a while (I put it someplace that made "sense" ... someplace really "safe"). I promptly forgot where that was. Now that I have found it, I decided I needed to play with it!

The Stamparatus was the PERFECT tool to put this background together using the "Budding Borders" stamp set. I think I can't believe it has taken me THIS LONG to get it together and use it! YAY ME!!! It's FABULOUS!!

Stamps: Budding Borders, Capture the Good (sentiment)
Paper: Whisper White, Bermuda Bay
Ink: Lovely Lipstick, Pineapple Punch, Bermuda Bay, Pacific Point
Accessories: Stitched Nested Labels Dies, Stitched Shapes Dies, Bermuda Bay 1/4" Mini Striped Ribbon, Whisper White Solid Baker's Twine, Stamparatus

Bright and beautiful!!!











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

I hope to be able to do some hiking/running this weekend ... but who knows??? Weekends usually come and go so quickly that I will just have to wait and see!

Pretty Little Cupcake

I almost didn't even get to make this card. After receiving my new box of goodies last week, I quickly tucked the items away (sorta) where they belonged because I was working on another HUGE project and had things strewn hither and yon around my craft room.

Knowing what I had ordered (and presumably tucked away), I knew I wanted to play with this "Wish For It All" bundle. Until I could NOT find the dies. I mean ... ANYwhere!!! I looked in my paper hanging files, through my dies, through my new stamps ... NADA. I looked again and AGAIN. I went and checked my order to make SURE I had order the "bundle" and not just the stamp set (because experience tells me I HAVE done THAT before!). Nope. I ordered the bundle. So I looked ... again and again. I was all set to call Stampin' Up the next morning to say that I had never received the dies. And then I looked through my stamps again. And THERE THEY WERE ... stacked between two stamp sets just minding their own business!!! They had been there all along and I had somehow missed them every dang time!! Sheesh!!! I must be losin' it ....

So here is what I made when I finally got my act together!

Stamps: Wish For It All
Paper: Basic Black, Whisper White, Petal Pink, Lovely Lipstick, Subtles DSP
Ink: Lovely Lipstick
Accessories: Doily Wishes Dies, Trio Corner Punch, Lovely Lipstick Grosgrain Ribbon, Ovals Dies

We are already heading into another busy and crazy weekend. Honestly, how DOES the time zip by so quickly in the summer???? I have NO idea ... but it'll be Monday again before ya know it ... SIGH ...