Sunday, March 10, 2024

Monday Montage #256





One of these days I may actually get a  handle on my life and get back to something that may slightly resemble "normal"  ... it's been months and months of chaos around my house. Sigh ... maybe this IS my new normal. I have  many, MANY lovely new stamping supplies that I haven't even opened! I'm hoping after I get back from OnStage in Houston next weekend that my schedule starts to cool off! However, I DID get to stamp with some new things for this week's Monday Montage Blog Hop! YAY ME!




Yellows and blues are so yummy together.  The Encircled in Nature Bundle (which is an Online Exclusive) is sooooo perfect for Spring. I haven't done this type of fun fold in a very long time. Basically, I just folded the front of the card back on itself and then used the Encircled in
Nature Dies to create a layered wreath which I stacked on top of it.







I made a small panel on the section of the front of my card that had been folded back. I then used one of the Basic 3D Embossing Folders (love me some dots!) to add some more dimension. I did do a lot of fussy cutting to make the Balmy Blue and Azure Afternoon "buds' on thee wreath, but I love how it turned out. I colored the flowers with Lemon Lolly and Balmy Blue Stampin' Blends. I then stamped the sentient using Pecan Pie on a small piece of Lemon Lolly paper that I tore around the edges. Using the Adhesive-Backed Swirl Dots and Pecan Pie Edged Ribbon and added some accents to set off the wreath. All in all, I love how this one turned out!

Stamps: Encircled in Nature
Paper: Lemon Lolly, Azure Afternoon, Blueberry Bushel, Early Espresso, Pecan Pie, Balmy Blue, Whisper White
Ink: Pecan Pie; Stampin' Blends - Dark and Light Lemon Lolly, Dark and Light Balmy Blue, Dark and Light Granny Apple Green
Accessories: Encircled in Nature Dies, Basic 3D Embossing Folder, Pecan Pie Edged Ribbon, Adhesive-Backed Swirl Dots










Wednesday, February 14, 2024

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/!!

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Friday, February 9, 2024

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!

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Sunday, January 21, 2024

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










Sunday, January 7, 2024

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 ...


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



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Friday, January 5, 2024

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 ... 

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Friday, December 29, 2023

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!)!

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Sunday, December 17, 2023

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 ...


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



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Sunday, December 3, 2023

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 ...


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!



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Sunday, November 19, 2023

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 ...


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!!


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