Stampin' Fancy Friday - Something Blue Challenge

I'm doing a bit of a "fly-by" post today ... lots going on, sho I'm going to get to the point! This month's  Stampin' Fancy Friday Challenge is "Something Blue"  ... and  even though it's Valentine's Day, this blue card fits the bill! 

I love the clouds! The dies and stamps are soooo cute! This whole bundle coordinates beautifully with thee Raindrops embossing folder as well.  I used a sponge dauber to add both Balmy Blue and Night of Navy ink to the sentiment image ... and I really love the result!

Stamps: Bright Skies

Paper: Balmy Blue, Whisper White, Night of Navy

Ink: Balmy Blue, Night of Navy, Blueberry Bushel

Accessories: Bright Skies Dies, Raindrops Embossing Folder

That's all I have for today! Enjoy your Valentine's Day and hold your loved ones close!

Check out all the fun things created by the Stampin' Fancy Friday Team on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/stampinfancyfriday/!!

TGIF #459 - Sketch Challenge

It's time once again for the TGIF Challenge!! The last two weeks have been an AMAZING whirlwind ... we went to PERU and climbed up and down mountains/stairs discovering and appreciating the beautiful scenery and many ruins, including Machu Picchu! I spent a little time yesterday winding down whilst watching a movie and stamping ... great way to spend some relaxing time!

If there is a stamp set with any fruit, vegetable or FOOD in general, I am IN IT!!! One of this year's Sale-a-Bration offerings is this adorable Watercolor Melon set ... I love it! I stamped the watermelon slice with Flirty Flamingo and then used a sponge dauber to add a little bit of Sweet Sorbet to intensify the "watercolor" effect. The rind and leaves are stamped in Garden Green. And of course the seeds are Tuxedo Black Memento Ink.

The Deckled Circles Dies were embossed using the Raindrops Embossing Folder (they kind of look like watermelon seeds, right??). The Basic Black Cardstock panel is also embossed, but it is kind of hard to see in the photo unless you get really close!

Stamps: Watercolor Melon

Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black, Flirty Flamingo, Sweet Sorbet, Garden Green

Ink: Flirty Flamingo, Sweet Sorbet, Garden Green, Memento Tuxedo Black, Versamark

Accessories: Deckled Circle Dies, Sentiment Silhouettes Dies, Raindrops Embossing Folder, 1/4" Black Gingham Ribbon, Brushed Metallic Dots

Peru is only 2 hours ahead of home as far as time zones, so why is it soooo hard to readjust to "normal"??? It's been almost a week .... I need another vacation!

Monday Montage #253

Happy Monday Montage, y'all! Now that my Christmas decorations are finally taken down and put away (yeah ... don't judge ... just finished that task this past week!), I feel like I can FINALLY start stamping again! Although, that means I need to do some more cleaning/organizing in my craft room! Isn't that the ongoing "problem" with having a room for crafting?? I know for me it is!

Sometimes the clean and simple stamp sets speak to me the most. Filled with Happiness is just one of those sets! The Modern Oval Punch that coordinates with it is soooo good! I had initially planned on coloring the oranges and greenery ... but i liked it so well just stamped with Calypso Coral ink that I decided to leave it uncolored. What do you think?

The punch works great on the center image ... but I really want one that goes around the sentiment outside the image as well! Sigh ... so I did what we all used to do back in the day and just did some fussy cutting. Not too bad on this! Of course, the Scalloped Contours dies are perfect for everything and are a "go-to" for me all the time!

Stamps: Filled with Happiness

Paper: Whisper White, Night of Navy, Calypso Coral, Delightfully Eclectic DSP

Ink: Night of Navy, Calypso Coral

Accessories: Modern Oval Punch, Scalloped Contours Dies, Misty Moonlight 3/8" Inner Braid Ribbon, Starry Sky 1/8" Metallic Woven Ribbon, 2022-2024 In Color Pearls

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

Click "Next" to see Bree Renwick ... not just ONE, but FOUR fabulous cards from her this week!

Monday Montage #252

My New Year's Resolution for 2024 is to have all of my Christmas cards to be completely DONE by November! This was also my resolution last year ... I even started them in April ... then my son got engaged and we went into FULL wedding overdrive! Then there was my knee fiasco ... and I ended  up in crazy Christmas card making overdrive!!! Now that they are complete and mailed (and received) by everyone, I am happy to be able to share them for this Monday Montage! Fair warning ... most of what I used to make it was NOT Stampin' Up (what my friend, Jan Tinklenberg, always called "Rubbadultery"!)!! The cardstock is ALL Stampin' Up, though!

How adorable is this little gnome girl drinking a cup of hot chocolate?? I made her using some dies from Jaded Blossom. I cut the card bases (White, Cajun Craze, and some DSP from Echo Park (Gnome for Christmas Woodgrain Snowflakes). The aspen trees I cut with my Cricut. I didn't even actually stamp the sentiment, either ... I used the draw then cut feature on my Cricut to do those, and they went SUPER quick and easy!!

With this close up you can see all of the cute stitching around the edges of the Jaded Blossom Gnome Dies (the whipped cream on the hot chocolate just KILLS me!!)!

Stamps: None

Paper: Whisper White, Cajun Craze, Cherry Cobbler, Petal Pink, Early Espresso, Echo Park Gnome for Christmas Woodgrain Snowflakes

Ink: None

Accessories: 

Digital Insert created with Project Life and Rhonna Designs Digital Scrapbooking

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 - NOT PARTICIPATING THIS WEEK
Charlet Mallet - Painted Orange

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

Click "Next" to see Bree Renwick ... she made the most ADORABLE card that would be perfect for the "Dad" in your life!

TGIF #454 - Color Challenge

Welcome to this week's TGIF Challenge!! I have always loved black/white/metallic color combos for their clean and classy look, don't you?? I (begrudgingly) sat at my craft table for what seemed like ETERNITY trying to come up with an idea for this, which was kind of surprising ... but once I got going, I couldn't stop "adding" things to it!

I made the background using one of the Artistic Mix Decorative Masks and some embossing paste. I used my heat embossing tool to dry the paste, which gives it some added dimension ... I love the stuff!! I also heat embossing the "light" in the lantern with some gold embossing powder and then lightly sponged some Daffodil Delight ink around it to make it "glow". 

The spiral die from Gorgeously Made  Dies is a favorite of mine ... and the More Dazzle DSP is just so SPARKLY!

Stamps: Lighting the Way

Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black, Gold Foil, More Dazzle 6"x6" Specialty Paper

Ink: Versamark, Basic Gray, Daffodil Delight

Accessories: Lighting the Way Dies, Gorgeously Made Dies, Radiating Stitches Dies, Faux Leather Trim, White Embossing Powder, Gold Embossing Powder, Brushed Metallic Adhesive Backed Dots, Artistic Mix Decorative Masks, Embossing Paste

Now ... do any of you want to come over and help me take down my Christmas stuff?? I'll but pizza ... 

TGIF #453 - Inspiration Challenge

I stamped ... just because I COULD!! Between my son's wedding prep (wedding was in October), me blowing up my knee (6 days before the wedding!), having knee surgery to repair my ACL and meniscus, and THEN doing all the Christmas stuff, I haven't hardly had two seconds to stamp just because it was something I COULD do, for FUN!! YAY and HOORAY for this week's TGIF Challenge!! The inspiration pic is darling, isn't it???

I can't get over how stinkin' caaaaYOOT the critters in the Fluffiest of Friends stamp set are!! (I mean ... they are called FLUFFY for a reason, right???) I had fun coloring each and every one of these little cuties! 

I used the Elegant Borders Dies to create the little gingham panel on the left side. I then used the Brilliant Backgrounds Dies to create the Very Vanilla panel just behind the gingham panel. I really like how both of the dies in that set look good behind just about anything!!

Stamps: Fluffiest of Friends, Charming Sentiments

Paper: Whisper White, Very Vanilla, Glorious Gingham DSP

Ink: Black Memento, Pecan Pie; Stampin' Blends - Gray Granite, Balmy Blue, Bubble Bath, Lemon Lolly, Pecan Pie, Crumb Cake, Poppy Parade, Pool Party

Accessories: Natural 1/4" Wavy Trim, Pecan Pie 1/2" Bordered Ribbon, Linen Thread, Fluffiest of Friends Dies, Elegant Borders Dies, Sentiment Silhouettes Dies, Brilliant Backgrounds Dies

I would LOVE to take about a MONTH off of EVERYthing!! Ha! Not gonna happen, but at least I don't have any major life events on the horizon (that is assuming I don't trip on anything!)!

Monday Montage #251

 

The age-old question ... one week prior to Christmas ... is, "Are you ready?" The answer for me would be a RESOUNDING NO!! As I have been busiedly been working on THIS year's Christmas cards I was realizing that I had never posted LAST year's Christmas card! So, for this week's Monday Montage I present to you The Weixler Family 2022 Christmas Card! (Better late than never, right???)

This little baby has a TON of separate pieces on it!! I used the Trees for Sale Stamp Set in conjunction with the matching Tree Lot Dies. Boy was this FUN ... for maybe the first 50 or so times! It took a LOT of time (which I enjoyed since I was in my dining room right next to our newly-installed gas log fireplace insert!!). I stamped off the trees in the background in two different colors (Evening Evergreen and Soft Succulent). I tend to looooove making Christmas cards that are truly a labor of that love! 

This is the digital layout I did for the inside with cute pix of my family. Seeing as we live in different states, I was grateful to get everyone in the family in  the card! Yay! Success!

Stamps: Trees for Sale

Paper: Whisper White, Soft Succulent, Evening Evergreen, Crumb Cake, Cherry Cobbler, Real Red, Daffodil Delight, Silver Foil, Smoky Slate

Ink: Black Memento, Soft Succulent, Evening Evergreen, Smoky Slate, Daffodil Delight, Soft Suede; Stampin' Blends - Daffodil Delight, Real Red, Garden Green, Highland Heather

Accessories: Tree Lot Dies, Wink of Stella

Digital Insert created with My Memories Suite.

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  - NOT PARTICIPATING THIS WEEK

Dani Dziama - Dani's Thoughtful Corner

Elizabeth Price - Seeinginkspots

Emily Kimmey - EMK Creations 

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

Wendy Weixler - Wickedly Wonderful Creations - YOU ARE HERE

Click "Next" to see Bree Renwick... and "Back" to see Emily Kimmey ... so happy they were able to play along this week!

Monday Montage #250

 

Welcome to this week's Monday Montage Blog Hop! Believe it or not, this was the absolute FIRST Christmas card I have made at ALL this year! What is even up with that??? The last few months have been such a blur ... I finally cleared off my crafting table and got some order replaced in my craft room, so that most definitely helped!!

I had more fun than I care to admit paper piecing the poinsettias from the Rustic Crate Stamp set. I stamped the main floral image on each of the colors of cardstock I used ... Shaded Spruce, Real Red, Cherry Cobbler and Daffodil Delight. I find fussy cutting very relaxing and kind of therapeutic. I accented the leaves and petals with a little bit of white gel pen and some Wink of Stella (which, sadly, doesn't always photograph well). 

I added a little panel behind the crate using the Countryside Corner Dies and the Merry Melody Embossing Folder (sponged with a little bit of Pecan Pie ink). I wanted to add a little bit of "Christmas Caroling" to this card and I love how it turned out!

Stamps: Rustic Crate

Paper: Whisper White, Crumb Cake, Real Red, Cherry Cobbler, Early Espresso, Daffodil Delight, Shaded Spruce, Glorious Gingham DSP, Three Color Glimmer Specialty Paper, All About Autumn DSP, Gold Foil DSP

Ink: Black Memento, Pecan Pie, Early Espresso

Accessories: Rustic Crate Dies, Countryside Corners Dies, Music Melody Embossing Folder, Pecan Pie 1/2" Bordered Ribbon, Adhesive-Backed Speckled Dots, Wink of Stella, Stapler, White Gel Pen

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 - NOT PARTICIPATING THIS WEEK

Elizabeth Price - Seeinginkspots

Emily Kimmey - EMK Creations 

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

Wendy Weixler - Wickedly Wonderful Creations - YOU ARE HERE

Click "Next" to see Bree Renwick... and "Back" to see Emily Kimmey ... love the inspiration I get from everyone on this team with every hop!

Monday Montage #249

 

Where has this ENTIRE YEAR gone??? I swear I blinked and it's already November!! Sheesh!! Good news is that I am making slooooow progress with my recovery from my ACL/meniscus surgery. Who has time for this nonsense anyway??? Grateful for science and that I will be back to normal ... in 7-8 months or so! Welcome to this week's Monday Montage!

I went with a pretty simple sketch and some dry and heat embossing on this card. I combined Heartfelt Hexagons with Circle Sayings and came up with this!

I put a little Wink of Stella on the cupcake's frosting ... it tastes better that way, yeah??

Stamps: Heartfelt Hexagon, Circle Sayings

Paper: Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla, Pecan Pie, Petal Pink

Ink: Early Espresso, Versamark

Accessories: Countryside Blossoms Embossing Folder, Cheery Patterns Embossing Folders, Deckled Circles Dies, Heartfelt Hexagon Punch, White Embossing Powder, Brushed Metallic Adhesive Backed Dots,  1/4" Natural Wavy Trim, Pecan Pie 1/2" Bordered Ribbon, Wink of Stella

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  - NOT PARTICIPATING THIS WEEK

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

Click "Next" to see Bree Renwick... and "Back" to see Elizabeth Price ... now I need to gear up for Thanksgiving on Thursday and Christmas decorating next weekend! Like I said before, this year has ZIPPED by!!

Monday Montage #247

 

Ooooooooooooouuuuuuccchhh!!! Trying to come down from Oxy (I HATE the stuff and will NEVER take it again!) after having had my ACL and meniscus repaired surgically last Thursday afternoon. I made this card BEFORE I got on meds and had surgery .... so I was MUCH more with it when I created this for this week's Monday Montage. Fall-all-all-all-all is finally here!

Isn't it purdy??? LoveLove LOVE The Timeless Arrangements Dies soooo much .... even without the stamps! It would be VERY hard to make an ugly card with these dies, especially when accompanied with the All About Autumn DSP! (I used the "Hello" die from thee Rustic Crates Diess! Such a fun combo of things!

The layers and textures on this one really speak to ne! But I think that the multicolored pumpkins in the pix on the DSP is ON FIRE!!

Paper: Rose Gold Specialty Paper, Gold Foil Sheets, All About Autumn DSP, Inked Botanicals DSP

Ink: None

Accessories: Leaf Fall Embossing Folder, Timeless Arrangements Dies. Rustic Crates Dies (Hello) Copper & Natural Ribbons Combo Pack, Brushed Metallic Adhesive Backed Dots, Classic Matte Dots

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 - NOT PARTICIPATING THIS WEEK
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

Click "Next" to see Bree Renwick... and "Back" to see Julie Warnick ... YAY for lovely projects from BEAUTIFUL friends!