Reduce, Reuse, Retire

TGIF....we made it through another week!  It was another crazy-busy week for my family and next week is going to be even crazier-busier...hang on!!!   I am going to take full advantage of this weekend and enjoy a quick weekend getaway with my hubby before he heads out of town for a week.  But before we hit the road, I have a fun Friday Mashup creation that also fits in perfectly with Friday Favorites over at Stylin' Stampin' INKspiration.

This weeks mashup challenge is to use this fun sketch by Heidi along with a favorite retired/retiring product.

My office is full of boxes right now as I have been cleaning out my stamping space, so I tore off a bit of cardboard to use for the coffee cozy and to create the grid pattern on the Baked Brown Sugar paper.

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Coastal Cabana, Whisper White, Pistachio Pudding, Crisp Cantaloupe, Baked Brown Sugar, Lullaby DSP

Ink ~ Memento, Baked Brown Sugar

Stamp Sets ~ Perfect Blend

Other Supplies ~ Pistachio Pudding Thick Bakers Twine, Itty Bitty Punch Pack, On Film Framelits, Sweet Sadie Washi Tape

 

 

So, does this card look a little bit long to you? I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me while I was editing the photo, but after a quick check, I realized I cut my paper 1/4" longer...oops!  Thankfully I left a little bit of room at the top and bottom and was able to trim the excess and safe the card!

 

I hope you all have a fantastic weekend! 

 

Happy Stamping!!!



Congratulations Grad!

Graduation season is upon us...it feels like the first day of school was just a few weeks ago!  A couple of us over at Stylin' Stampin' INKspiration are sharing a few graduation card ideas today and I'm happy to share this festive little creation!  I love adding the little grad caps to my graduation cards...so much fun and so easy to make!

Supplies Used:Paper ~ Night of Navy, Crushed Curry, Calypso Coral, Whisper White, Birthday Bash Specialty DSP

Ink ~ Night of Navy

Stamp Set ~ BYOP

Other Supplies ~ Circle Framelits, Itty Bitty Punch Pack, Confetti Stars Boader Punch, Lucky Stars Embossing Folder, Mini Brads

 

And there ya have it...a quick and easy card for your favorite grad!

 

Happy Stamping!



Best Dad's Ever

A few weeks ago my hubby and I were talking about getting the kids together from our fire department family and letting them make a Mother's Day card for their mom.  My hubby decided it would be an awesome idea for HIM to teach the class so all of the moms could go out...smartest idea he has ever had!!!

Each kiddo got to make their mom a card and some fun peanut butter cup flowers to go in a little pot of pansies.

 

New daddy Ryan jumped right in and made a card for his wife and took over helping the kids at the card table.

 My twins (in the baseball uniforms) were quick to jump in and help and also manned the flower making table...my crafting heart is full :)



No, the kids weren't drinking beer...but it was necessary for the dads while wrangling 12 crazy kids :-) 

And don't worry...they didn't forget to feed the kids!   

 

While all of the crazy chaos was happening in my home, myself and all of the momma's of these sweet kids were out enjoying dinner and drinks together...something that rarely happens, but needs to happen more often! Sadly, we didn't get any pictures, but we had lots of good laughs and a fun time!  That in itself was probably the best Mother's Day gift for all of us! 

 

There is already talk of making this an annual tradition...I love it!!

 

Thanks to my hubby and all of the other daddy's pulling this together and making it fun for all!



Bootiful Sunshine ~ Friday Mashup 206

We made it to Friday...oh yeah, it's the weekend!!!  Let's kick of the weekend with a little crafting fun, okay?  Join in this weeks April Shower's Challenge over at The Friday Mashup where we are mashing things up with a creation focusing on April showers and umbrellas along with some polka dots.  Fun challenge, right?!?


I didn't have anything with an umbrella, but these cute rain boots sure do represent April Showers!  And I added in just a few polka dots peaking out on my little starburst circle. 

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Lost Lagoon, Hello Honey, Whisper White, Moonlight DSP

Ink ~ Memento, Lost Lagoon

Stamp Set ~ Bootiful Occasions

Other Supplies ~ Circle Framelits, Starburst Framelits, Decorative Dots and Tiny Triangles Embossing Folders, Sunburst Stencil

 

Can you spy all of the retiring items in this card?  *Sniff, sniff*....there are too many that I am super sad to see go!

 

Don't forget to check out the rest of the design teams creations and be sure to play along!

 

Happy Stamping!

 



Retiring Birthday Wishes

Most of you know by now that the 2014-2015 Annual Catalog retiring product list has been release...are you mourning the loss of some of your favorite stamp sets like I am?  This is always a bitter sweet time of year!  It's sad to say goodbye to some of our favorites, but it means that new stamps are just around the corner and that makes me HAPPY!!!  I can't wait to see what will be in the 2015-2016 Annual Catalog!

 

As I was going through my stamp sets that will be retiring, I pulled out a couple of my favorites...

Supplies Used~

Paper ~ Mossy Meadow, Crumb Cake, Whisper White, Adventure Bound DSP

Ink ~ Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, Early Espresso, Mossy Meadow

Stamp Sets ~ Walk in the Wild, Four You

Other Supplies ~ Gold Basic Metallic Buttons

 

I played along with this weeks Fab Friday sketch, which was perfect for the moose!



Mother's Day Happiness

Made it through Monday...Happy Tuesday!  It's time for an all new Hand Stamped Sentiments Challenge and this week it's a pretty sketch!

 

I still have a few more Mother's Day cards to get done and thought this sketch would be perfect  I kind of flipped mine over a bit, but it still works :-)  And I have no idea what was going on with my lighting, but my Pistachio Pudding looks like Lucky Limeade (yes...I still miss that color!)

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Island Indigo, Pistachio Pudding, Whisper White

Ink ~ Island Indigo, Tempting Turquoise, Pistachio Pudding

Stamp Sets ~ Choose Happiness, Teeny Tiny Wishes

Other Supplies ~ Lovely Lace Embossing Folder, Rhinestones

 

Now it's your turn to play along in the fun and share your creations with us!  Head on over to HSS and link up your master piece!

 

Happy Stamping!

Jake and the Neverland Pirates

Ahoy Matey and welcome to April's SSINK Layout Challenge.  I have been slacking in keeping up with documenting fun events so far this year...maybe it's because I'm still in denial over MDS going away :(  After designing this page, I decided I am going to make the most of MDS while I can and get caught back up!

This page is from a fun Mommy & Son date!  My BFF and I took our boys to a Disney Junior Life show featuring Sofia the First and Jake and the Neverland Pirates.  Neither of the boys were too excited about the princesses, but as soon as Jake came out, they were all smiles and LOVE it!

I used the Ahoy Matey DSP for this...pretty fitting for Jake, right?  And of course I had to turn the hexagon in the sketch into Mickey ears!!!

Thanks for stopping by today!  Be sure to head on over to SSINK to see the other design team takes on the sketch...and while you're at it, join in the fun!!

Happy Stamping!



Ridiculously Amazing ~ Monday Montage



Welcome back to Monday Montage!!!  We are finally back after a little "spring break"!  Between Easter and the nice weather, it was nice for all of us to have a little break from blogging and to spend time with family enjoying the sunshine!  That doesn't mean we weren't stamping though :)
Inspired by all the sunshine we had this weekend, I pulled out the sunburst stencil from the Hooray It's Your Day car kit and kept laying things on from there!

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Whisper White, Crushed Curry, Bermuda Bay, Strawberry Slush, Confetti Celebration DSP 

Ink ~ Crushed Curry, Bermuda Bay, Tangelo Twist, Strawberry Slush, Pistachio Pudding

Stamp Set ~ Amazing Birthday

Other Supplies ~ Bermuda Bay Bakers Twine, Banner Framelits, Mini Treat Bag Thinlits, Itty Bitty Punch Pack

These cheerful colors just make me smile...I they make you smile too!

Next stop on the hop is Cathy...I can't wait to see what she has for us this week! Or if you want to hop backwards, you can hop on back to the amazing Amy...I just love her style!

  Thanks for hopping along with us today!

Happy Stamping!





Kinda Eclectic Mother's Day

Happy Friday!  It's time for another new Friday Mashup Challenge and Tara has a great sketch and bouncing brayer technique.  Be sure to check out the Friday Mashup page for a tutorial on that fun technique!

My brayer is missing in my mess of a craft room at the moment, so I just went with the sketch this week. 

I am trying to use up as much as my horded DSP as I can before it retires and I pulled out one of my favorites after coming across a swap from the amazing Alanna Wharf of Sleepless Stamper and just had to case her creation!  It went along perfectly with this sketch!

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Whisper White, Bermuda Bay, Confetti Celebration DSP

Ink ~ Versa Mark, Strawberry Slush, Pistachio Pudding, Crushed Curry

Stamp Sets ~ Kinda Eclectic, Framed Love (Paper Pumpkin)

Other Supplies ~ Label Collection Framelits, Butterfly Punches, Bermuda Bay Sequin Trim

 

Hope you all have a fantastic Friday and an awesome weekend!

 

Happy Stamping!



Happy Birthday Kiddo

Today all about the kiddos over at Stylin' Stampin' INKspiration and I'm playing with a new {to me}stamp set called Little Buddy Birthday.  I didn't have many kiddo stamp sets in my collection and I thought this one would be perfect to celebrate the younger kids in our life!

I used this weeks Mojo Monday sketch to help get me started and let the paper and ink take it from there!

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Smoky Slate, Coastal Cabana, Hello Honey, Basic Black, Whisper White, Brights DSP Stack

Ink ~ Memento, Coastal Cabana, Real Red, Old Olive, Hello Honey, Pumpkin Pie

Stamp Set ~ Little Buddy Birthday

Other Supplies ~ Circle Framelits, Starburst Framelis, Neutrals Candy Dots, Large Polka Dot Embossing Folder

 

This cute little dinosaur was inspired by the amazing Allison Okamitsu from Nice People Stamp... I loved her color combo!

 

This was really a fun sketch and one that I will use again...I always love a unique twist to a sketch and the panel of black paper was fun!

 

Be sure to check out the rest of the fun kiddo cards over at SSINK and see you are INKspired to create!

Mommy to Be

We're having some fun with some retired and new(er) stamp sets over at Stylin' Stampin' INKspiration today.  Do you hang on to your retired stamps or do you let them go?  That's always a tough decision for me!  Most of the time I let mine go, but I do hang on to a few.

Sadly, I did not hang on to the adorable Oh, Baby single stamp from a couple years ago :(  But my awesome upline, who NEVER gets rid of any of her stamps (and has saved me a few other times) was kind enough to let me borrow hers to make a Mother's Day card for a Mommy to be.

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Night of Navy, Strawberry Slush, Pool Party, Hello Honey, Whisper White

Ink ~ Night of Navy, Pool Party, Hello Honey, Strawberry Slush, Soft Sky

Stamp Sets ~ Epic Alphabet, Oh Baby

Other Supplies ~ Itty Bitty Punch Pack, Petit Petals Punch, Rhinestones, Strawberry Slush Bakers Twine

 

I had to kind of smoosh the letters for MOMMY together...I'm not sure that I like that "Y" down low like that and may end up changing it before I sent it out...

 

Thanks for stopping by today!

 

Happy Stamping!!!

 



Keep Your Curiosity Fresh

Happy Monday friends!  Spring Break is over for us and we are back to our normal school routine...boo!  But, summer break will be here before we know it!  It is time for an all new sketch over at Stylin' Stampin' INKspiration, so that always makes for a happy Monday!

I've been having a lot of fun with the Adventure Awaits stamp set...I love these sentiments!

 

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Pool Party, Crushed Curry, Bermuda Bay, Whisper White, Regals DSP Stack

Ink ~ Pool Party, Crushed Curry, Bermuda Bay

Stamp Sets ~ Adventure Awaits, Kinda Eclectic, Draw the Line

Other Supplies ~ Zig Zag Embossing Folder, Basic Hodgepodge Clips, Crushed Curry Bakers Twine

 

Now it's time to head on over and see all of the awesome design team creations and for YOU to join in the fun and play along!

 

Happy Stamping!



Way to Go ~ Friday Mashup Up 204

It's time for an all new Friday Mashup Challenge and Holly is shaking things up with a Congrats themed shaker card...love me a shaker card!

With Spring Break coming to an end, that means we are just a few weeks away from the end of the school year, which also means graduations!  So, I thought I'd get started on some grad cards and made this fun one!

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Basic Black, Whisper White, Silver Foil, Window Sheet

Ink ~ StazOn, Gold and Silver

Stamp Set ~ Bravo

Other Supplies ~ On Film Framelits, Gold Sequin Trim, Mini Brad, misc sequins

 

Super fun card...perfect for anyone who is soon to be graduating!  Be sure to head on over and check out the rest of the teams creations and don't forget to play along!

 

Happy Friday and Happy Stamping!



Washi Adventure ~ SSINK April Blog Hop

 
It's time for an all new Stylin' Stampin' INKspiration Blog Hop and this month we are playing with Washi Tape.

As you hop along, please be sure to comment and show some love on every blog! We are always excited to hear from our followers! You should have just left stop number 1 on the Stylin' Stampin' INKspiration Blog Hop - Jenny at Jenny G Paper Crafts. If so, you are in the right spot. If a link doesn't work or you get off track, you will find the full blog hop lineup below.

I don't know about you, but I have rolls and ROLLS of washi tape in my craft room...sitting there, begging to be used!   It is something I don't use often enough, but always LOVE it when I add it to a card!

 

 

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Whisper White, Silver Glimmer Paper

Ink ~ Memento, Pool Party, Real Red

Stamp Set ~ Life's Adventure, Kinda Eclectic

Other Supplies ~ Beach Adventure Washi Tape, Crushed Curry Bakers Twine, Oval Framelits, Mini Treat Bag Thinlits

 

I only used 3 pieces of the washi, but it adds so much fun to the card!

 

Don't let the fun stop here...click on the button below to hop on over to Diana's blog and see what she's done with washi!

 

 

Jenny at Jenny G Paper Crafts

Breelin at Craft-Somnia Momma

Diana at Stampin Fun with Diana

Jenn at Happy 2 Scrap 4 Life

Shellie at Craft Smashup

Kim at Stamping with Kim 

Celebrate Real Nice ~ HSSCC209

It's Tuesday...time to Celebrate Real nice with an all new Hand Stamped Sentiments Color Challenge.  I saw these colors and just had to use the Birthday Bash DSP for a festive birthday card!

I'm also playing along with this weeks Mojo Monday sketch...

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Calypso Coral, Bermuda Bay, Mossy Meadow, Birthday Bash DSP

Ink ~ VersaMark

Stamp Set ~ Balloon Bash

Other Supplies ~ Calypso Coral Pompom Trim, Bermuda Bay Sequin Trim, Mossy Meadow Satin Ribbon, Bermuda Bay Bakers Twine, Gold Basic Metallic Button

 

Now it's your turn to join in the fun and play along!

 

Happy Stamping!



Happy Birthday Birthday Boy ~ SSINKCC20

Happy Monday!  I hope you all had a nice Easter weekend and had the opportunity to spend some time with those you love most.

We had a BUSY, but FUN weekend!  We helped celebrate the 2nd birthday of our little buddy Alex and this month's  Stylin' Stampin' INKspiration Color Challenge was perfect for a little boy birthday card! 

 

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Coastal Cabana, Pistachio Pudding, Soft Sky, Whisper White, Sweet Dreams DSP

Ink ~ Coastal Cabana, Pistachio Pudding, Soft Sky

Stamp Sets ~ Celebrate Today, Metro Type Alphabet, Hooray It's Your Day

Other Supplies ~ Balloon Framelits, Starburst Framelits, Circle Punch, Whisper White Bakers Twine, Sweet Dreams Washi Tape

 

You can't ever put a card in a naked envelope, right?!?!   I used the Epic Alphabet stamp set to stamp Alex's name and added a few balloons from the Hooray It's Your Day stamp set...it was easily clipped to his birthday gift with a cute In-Color clothespin...fun!

 

Be sure to head on over to see all of the stunning SSINK design team creations and please join along in the fun!

 

Happy Stamping!

Happy Easter

Happy Easter from my family to yours!

 

Just a quick little hello before I'm off to spend the day with my family.

 

 

I made these cute little bunny baskets for my kiddos...I sure do love that Berry Basket!

 

Happy Hoppy Hoppy Stamping!



Here Comes Peter Cottontail

Happy Friday!!!  I have never been so thankful to see a week come to an end...it has been a doozy for me!  I'm looking forward to a fun weekend with family and lots of celebrations...just what I need after this crazy week.  And to kick things off, we have an all new Friday Mashup Challenge and Cynthia has a super cute one for us!  Along with her fun color combo, we are mashing things up by adding some Easter Critters to your creation. 

As usual, I am scrambling to wrap up Easter projects for my kiddos, but with this card, I checked one more item off the list!  I'm sure my son will get a kick out of these bunny bottoms!

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Whisper White, Calypso Coral, Pool Party, So Saffron

Ink ~ Calypso Coral, Pool Party, So Saffron

Stamp Set ~ For Peeps Sake

Other Supplies ~ Small Oval Punch, 3/4" Circle Punch, Petite Petals, Boho Blossoms, Bakers Twine

 

Super simple card but oh-so-cute!!

 

Be sure to head on over to check out all of the fabulous creations from our design team and please join in the fun and play along!

 

Happy Easter and Happy Stamping!



Nobody Loves Like a Mom...

I know we haven't even made it through Easter yet, but it's never too soon to get a head start on Mother's Day cards and that is just what we are doing over at Stylin' Stampin' INKspiration today!  I'm also playing along over at Sweet Sunday Sketch for the very first time...love this sketch!

I always love a two-step stamp set and I love them even more when they are photopolymer.  This set is so much fun and the sentiment is so true!  There is nothing like a Mother's love...

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Wild Wasabi, Perfect Plum, Whisper White, Subtles DSP, Regals DSP

Ink ~ Memento, Perfect Plum, Wild Wasabi, Pistachio Pudding

Stamp Set ~ Mother's Love

Other Supplies ~ Circles Framelits

 

This was one of those cards that I wanted to keep adding, but I made myself stop...some times less is more, right?

 

Wishing you all a happy day and Happy Stamping!

Get Your Funny On

In honor of April Fool's Day, the girls over at Stylin' Stampin' INKspiration are sharing some funny cards today.  Of course I had to use the latest photopolymer stamp set Just Kidding.  The sentiments in this set are hilarious and perfect for cards to send to your BFF!

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Whisper White, Pool Party, Flash Back DSP

Ink ~ Memento, Pool Party, Crushed Curry, Real Red, Baked Brown Sugar

Stamp Set ~ Just Kidding

Other Supplies ~ Crushed Curry Bakers Twine

 

Clean, simple and funny...perfect!

 

Hope no one fools you today!

 

Happy Stamping!!