Monday Montage #174

We could not have asked for a more beautiful weekend. Our skies outside were cool and clear. The colors and smells of fall were in the air. i got some crafty projects done and even some laundry and housecleaning! YAY ME!

I sat down and kept getting distracted whilst I was trying to find inspiration to create something. I finally came up with an idea using the Banners Stamp Set. I made a fun little strip of images using the cute stamps in the Banners Set. I also brushed some Whisper White ink over the top of the Old World Paper embossed piece ... kinda made it look cob-webby!!


Stamps: Banners
Paper: Basic Black, Whisper White, Pumpkin Pie Glimmer DSP
Ink: Pumpkin Pie, Black Stazon, Garden Green, Basic Gray, Whisper White
Accessories: Old World Paper Embossing Folder, Whisper White Baker's Twine, Whisper White Embossing Powder, Flowers for Every Season Ribbon

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
- NOT PARTICIPATING THIS WEEK Charlet Mallet - Painted Orange
  Cheryl Curtis - Pomp and Sustenance
- NOT PARTICIPATING THIS WEEK Dani Dziama - Dani's Thoughtful Corner
 - NOT PARTICIPATING 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 poor puppy dog has some sorta doggie stomach flu ... she is just NOT interested in eating (since last Thursday). All tests came back with normal results ... sigh ... I wish she could talk and tell me what is wrong!! LOVE my fur baby!

Click "Next" to see what Amy O'Neill ... and "Back" to check out Melissa Stout ... what-the-WHAT??!!?? Fantastic!!

Fab Friday #198

So here we are again ... how is it that the weeks have gone by so quickly this year??? Or is it that they are going slowly? This year is just SOOOO weird!! At least the temperatures are starting to come down a little ... I can feel fall in the air, especially in the mornings and evening. The leaves starting turning colors a few weeks ago, but now they are really being show offs ... I LOVE the smells and colors of fall! Thanks for joining us for another fun Fab Friday Stampin' Challenge. The colors this time aruond are SUPER fun!!

I actually CASED myself on this one ... I was looking back through my blog at some cards from about 5 years ago and came across one similar in layout to this one. I love little banners, don't you?? The Banners Pick a Punch is a staple you all NEED in your stash. I am finding myself reaching for it more and more ... I hope it sticks around in the catalog for a looooong time!

Stamps: Love of Leaves
Paper: Misty Moonlight, Seaside Spray, Gray Granite, Whisper White, In Good Taste DSP, Plaid Tidings DSP, In Color DSP
Ink: Misty Moonlight
Accessories: Bumblebee Gingham Ribbon, Tasteful Textile Embossing Folder, Banners Pick a Punch, Champagne Rhinestone Basic Jewels

I LOOOOVE this combo!

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 ended up taking my doggie to the vet yesterday. She hasn't been eating and shows NO interest in her food or any of her doggie snacks! The vet said she had no fever and wasn't dehydrated, but she couldn't get her to eat anything, either. So now we are waiting for her to ... um ... leave us a sample so we can take it back to the vet for testing. And, of course, because we WANT her to leave us a "sample" she isn't cooperating!! UGH! I made her a little bowl of chicken broth and she actually ate that ... then she nibbled up a little doggie treat we gave her. Hoping this means she is on the mend ... and maybe there will be something waiting out in the backyard for us in the morning. HA! Isn't pet ownership SO MUCH FUN???

Monday Montage #173

Is 2020 over YET??? What an inSANEly crazy year this has been!! Last Tuesday we had the most unexpectedly SCARY windstorm. I know that doesn't sound like much of a natural disaster, but we had winds recorded up to 112 mph ... and my neighborhood ended up looking like a war zone!! Trees were toppled over everywhere!! I saw siding blowing down the street ... there was so much dirt and leaves blowing around that it looked like snow swirling around ... we will be cleaning up the downed trees and torn up sidewalks for MONTHS (or at least the city will be!)! I'm not sure we are EVER going to see "normal" again! Sheesh!!

Fall-fall-FALL!! I folded myself up a little envelope to make some fall come busting out of it!! I cheated with the Plaid Tidings DSP a little ... I took two different patterns that matched each other and adhered them back to back so I could have both of them visible. I used not only the Love of Leaves stamps with the Stitched Leaves dies, but also the In Good Taste Elements and Braided Trim/Linen Thread with some Metallic Pearls as an accent. This was one of those cards where more was MORE and I just kept adding things!!

Stamps: Love of Leaves
Paper: Cajun Craze, Cinnamon Cider, Whisper White, Plaid Tidings DSP
Ink: Pretty Peacock, Cajun Craze, Cinnamon Cider, Crushed Curry
Accessories: Old World Paper Embossing Folder, Stitched Leaves Dies, Metallic Pearls
Braided Trim, Linen Thread, Good Taste Elements, Classic Label 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
 - NOT PARTICIPATING THIS WEEK Cheryl Curtis - Pomp and Sustenance
Dani Dziama - Dani's Thoughtful Corner
 - NOT PARTICIPATING THIS WEEK Elizabeth Price - Seeinginkspots
Julie Warnick - Julie Warnick Stampin' Up! Blog - NOT PARTICIPATING THIS WEEK
Melissa Stout - The Stamp Doc
Wendy Weixler - Wickedly Wonderful Creations - YOU'RE ALREADY HERE!!

With temperatures swining between the 90's and then dropping down to the 30's and back up again to the 90's, I'm not sure WHAT month it is ... we even had SNOW in the mountains last week. I feel SO upsidedown!

Click "Next" to see what Amy O'Neill ... and "Back" to check out Melissa Stout ... super-duper FAB!!

Fab Friday #197

Typing is getting a bit easier ... FINALLY!! I got the stitches out from my trigger finger surgery on Tuesday. WHAT a RELIEF!! I'm gonna be stiff and sore for a bit, but at least I'm on the road to recovery! I have been riding the Creative Struggle Bus for a couple of weeks ... just stare at my stuff and rearrange things on the table ... not making much progress. This card took me WAY longer it should have ... most of the time spent staring and thinking. Once I FINALLY came up with an idea, the execution went pretty quickly. I am pretty sure I need a NAP!!

Come to think of it, I am also pretty sure I need some freshly-baked chocolate chip cookies!! I need home delivery ... STAT!! Sadly, I am quite certain that that will not happen today! This stamp set/dies are so freakin' cute and will be getting a LOT of exercise from me!

Stamps: Nothing's Better Than
Paper: Very Vanilla, Early Espresso, In Good Taste DSP
Ink: Early Espresso, Crumb Cake
Accessories: Bumblebee Gingham Ribbon, Love You More Than Dies, Trio Corner Punch, Forever Greenery Trim Combo Pack (Very Vanilla Ribbon), Stapler

Simple, easy-peasy!

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

This is going to be a Netflix kinda day. After all the crazy merry-go-round schedule I have been living with getting my dear mama squared away with hospice caretakers AND having family come to town to visit over Labor Day I am WIPED OUT!! It all has caught up with me ... nothing a good long nap and a day of doing very little can't fix!!! Happy Fab Friday!

Monday Montage #172

I only have one working hand right now ... at least it is my dominant right hand. Ugh. I had surgery on my left hand last Friday (my birthday, no less!). I had similar surgery on my right hand just under a year ago. I have stupid trigger fingers ... it's not that big of a deal, but when your hand is wrapped to the size of a baseball bat it makes things VERY awkward!! I'll be glad when I can get the wrap off and the stitches removed ... in about a week ... BOO!

I was pretty proud of my one-handed cardmaking skills on this! HA!! Didn't even use one single stamp! I guess that was the smart thing to do so that I didn't get ink all over my bandages or make a mess all over my card!

Stamps: NONE
Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black, Melon Mambo, Seaside Spray, Plaid Tidings DSP
Ink: NONE
Accessories: Playful Alphabet Dies, Well Written Dies, Detailed Bands Dies, Tin Tile Embossing Folder, Seaside Spray Scalloped Linen Ribbon, Metallic Pearls




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 - NOT PARTICIPATING THIS WEEK
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 - NOT PARTICIPATING THIS WEEK
Melissa Stout - The Stamp Doc
Wendy Weixler - Wickedly Wonderful Creations - YOU'RE ALREADY HERE!!

I'm also feeling a little bit overdone with the pandemic thing ... the getting my mom set up on hospice care (which we are getting close with), the one-handed paperhanger thing ... I'm jumping on the bandwagon with the "let's get 2020 over with" crowd!! SHEESH!! We WILL get through this, my friends!! One day at a time!

Click "Next" to see what Bree Renwick ... and "Back" to check out Melissa Stout ... SUPER SWEET CREATIVITY from both of them, as usual!

Fab Friday #196

This is a quick fly-by of a post!! Today is my birthday ... I'm having surgery on my left hand in 90 minutes and we put my dear, sweet mama on hospice care this week! My plate is kinda full, to say the least!!

Here's my card for this week's color challenge. FALL ALL THE WAY!!

Stamps: NONE
Paper: Very Vanilla, Cajun Craze, 2020-2022 In Color DSP, Plaid Tidings DSP
Ink: NONE
Accessories: Stitched Leaves Dies, Well Written Dies, Bumblebee Gingham Ribbon, Cinnamon Cider In Color Ribbon, Very Vanilla 3/8" Scalloped Lace Trim, Metallic Pearls, In Good Taste Elements

I'm starting to feel fab vibes for SURE!!

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

Just getting ready to head out the door for another day of crazy!! Wish me luck!!!

In Color Highlights with the Freaks!

This month the Control Freaks are playing with any/all of the current In Colors. Did you like what you saw from my bestie,Bree Renwick??? Clever, right??? I decided to do two takes on the same basic layout ... and I used one "old" In Color and one "new" In Color on each creation. Check it out!

First off ... I Freakin' luuuuuurve Just Jade and Pretty Peacock together. Holy WOWSERS, you guys!! Don't they just look SUPER RICH and YUMMY???? I think so!!

Stamps: Ridiculously Awesome, Swirly Frames
Paper: Just Jade, Pretty Peacock, Soft Sea Foam, Whisper White
Ink: Just Jade, Pretty Peacock
Accessories: Stitched Stars Dies, Stitched Rectangles Dies, Just Jade Gingham, Old World Paper Embossing Folder, Flowers for Every Season Gems

This one is all about the blues ... Misty Moonlight and Seaside Spray. I think this combo is also pretty dang pretty!! I added a few pieces of bling and a stream of ribbon (which I think kinda looks like a shooting star). Both of these cards were quick and easy! What do you think??

Stamps: Ridiculously Awesome, Swirly Frames
Paper: Misty Moonlight, Seaside Spray, Whisper White, Vellum
Ink: Misty Moonlight, Seaside Spray
Accessories: Layering Circles Dies, Stitched Stars Dies, Flowers for Every Season Gems, Metallic Pearls, Seaside Spray Scalloped Linen Ribbon, Tasteful Textures Embossing Folder


My birthday is coming up next week ... and this will be the first birthday in about 9 years that I have NOT been in Disneyland to celebrate!! SIGH ... one day I WILL be back again. This year I am gonna eat lots of homemade Disney snacks and watch Disney movies in one of my fun Disney outfits (probably the dress I made for myself LAST year!)!!!

Next up??? The ever-talented ... Melissa Davies!! A-MAZ-ING as always!!

re

Monday Montage #171

When you have been blogging for over 13 years you feel like you have said about all there is to say about crafting. Does anyone ever even READ what I write any more??? I suppose people do (I have a LOT of friends who still paper craft and blog about it!)! I sometimes just feel like I write the same old boring stuff over and over again!! Maybe I do ... sometimes ... but I guess it is what it is! I don't have any plans to stop papercrafting OR blogging at this point, so I guess I will just have to keep on writing what I write!

For anyone who has followed my blog for ANY amount of time, I have made it more than abundantly clear that I LOVE FALL more than other time of year. It has long been my fave!! So creating this card was my first step in acknowledging that summer will be over before ya know it. To be honest, I am ready for 2020 to just slink back into the dark hole from whence it came. How about YOU??

Stamps: Love of Leaves
Paper: Crumb Cake, Old Olive, Cinnamon Cider, Bumblebee, Rich Razzleberry, Plaid Tidings DSP
Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Old Olive, Bumblebee, Cinnamon Cider
Accessories: Stitched Leaves Dies, Stitched Rectangles Dies, Bumblebee Gingham Ribbon, Antiqued Corners & Slides, In Good Taste Elements, Metallic Pearls

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 - NOT PARTICIPATING THIS WEEK
Melissa Stout - The Stamp Doc
Wendy Weixler - Wickedly Wonderful Creations - YOU'RE ALREADY HERE!!

We are supposed to hit an all-time record HIGH temperature tomorrow ... could get as hot as 106 ... so it will be somewhat akin to living on the surface of the sun!!j UGGGHHHH!!! I will probably come home from work and fill the kiddie pool and laze in the shade with my doggie!
Click "Next" to see what Amy O'Neill ... and "Back" to check out Melissa Stout ... you KNOW they are always going to hit it out of the ballpark!

Monday Montage #170

What a weekend!! Record-setting high temperatures made going outside nearly unbearable (104 degrees F)! And cleaning for hours and hours at my mama's condo wore me out, made me feel accomplished and made me NOT want to do anything else!! But when you must, you must ... so I sat at my craft table and created a card for this week's Monday Montage Blog Hop!! YAY ME!

As I sat and was struggling to come up with ANY idea of what to make, I decided to troll through the catalog and see if I could find a layout for inspiration!! TA-DAAA! I found one and used it and was able to create something in not too much time. Whew!
Another to-do checked off my list!!

Stamps: Monogram Messages
Paper: Whisper White, Pretty Peacock, Just Jade, Soft Sea Foam, Forever Fern Greenery DSP
Ink: Pretty Peacock, Whisper White
Accessories: Stitched So Sweetly Dies, Frosted Epoxy Droplets, Hammered Metal Embossing
Folder, Celebration Labels Punch, Just Jade Gingham
Ribbon, White Embossing Powder, Sewing Machine

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 - NOT PARTICIPATING THIS WEEK
Cheryl Curtis - Pomp and Sustenance
Dani Dziama - Dani's Thoughtful Corner - NOT PARTICIPATING 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!!

Our house turned 100 this year ... so it's seen a lot of history. And it has the same AC and furnaces (there are two of them) for over 50 years! This year, the AC gave up the ghost. The weather this whole lake week has pushed to 100 and above ... like 104! UGGGggghh! We broke down on Saturday and bought a super nifty window AC unit ... which cools about half of our upstairs to WAY cooler temps that our central AC every has! It's a great temporary solution to a bigger problem we are more than likely going to have to face in the next couple of years ... replacing all heating and central air equipment. Ahhhh the JOYS of home ownership!

Click "Next" to see what Amy O'Neill ... and "Back" to check out Melissa Stout ... WOW oh WOW!! You will LOVE their beautiful creations!

Fab Friday #195

Arrrrgghhhh!! I HATE it when somebody "moves my cheese"!!! I have been blogging since 2007 ... and Blogger has decided to entirely revamp it's interface!!! POOOOEY!!! I am old enough (and nerdy enough) to actually know html. I used to design intranet pages for the local gas company. And the new interface is designed to NOT let me do it the way I want to ... URRRRGGGHHH!!! I HATE HATE HATE it!!! I was finally able to revert back to the "old school" interface, but it will only be available through August 24. Color me UNHAPPY!! At least I got to play and make a card with the Fab Friday Team!!

Now that I have done my pouting ... I want to say how much I am IN LOVE with the "Ridiculously Awesome" stamp set AND the "Plaid Tidings" DSP (which will be available to all y'all in the Holiday Catalog on August 4!!)!! EEEeeeep!!! I want alltheplaid allthetime!!!

Stamps: Ridiculously Awesome
Paper: Seaside Spray, Mango Melody, Whisper White, Plaid Tidings DSP
Ink: Rich Razzleberry
Accessories: Celebration Labels Dies, Stitched Triangles Dies, Seaside Spray Scalloped Trim Linen Ribbon

Very simple, with LOTS of options to add to/change it up!

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

How's the weather where you are?? It is HOT-HOT-HOT in Salt Lake City! It must be some sort of DESERT or something!!! I wouldn't mind as much if our air conditioning weren't having issues. I am SOOO happy we have a nice, cool basement with some fans ... they are saving my life!!