Free Bird Friday

Happy Friday stamping' friends!  Are you feeling free as a bird today?!?  This is the last holiday weekend of summer and I am ready to enjoy every minute of it...right after my staff meeting this morning!

I am still having so much fun with the Bird Ballad Suite!  I love ALL of the DSP and all of the birds are just so dang cute!  The feathers DSP pattern is my absolute favorite pattern of the pack...I need at least 100 sheets!

My stamping is pretty minimal...just the little bird, a few leaves and a simple little HELLO sentiment.  The Pinewood Planks 3D embossing folder felt like the perfect background for the sweet little bird, while the fussy cut feather, tiny key trinket and linen bow were the perfect finishing touches.  

Of course I used my Stampin' Blends...I just can't stop! Daffodil Delight and Crumb Cake blends were just the right colors for this little guy.

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Crumb Cake, Basic Gray, Whisper White, Bird Ballad DSP

Ink ~ Basic Gray, Memento, Stampin' Blends:  Daffodil Delight, Crumb Cake, Old Olive

Stamp Set ~ Free As A Bird

Other Supplies ~ Pinewood Planks 3D Embossing Folder, Layering Circles Dies, Bird Ballad Trinkets, Linen Thread

As soon as I'm done with my staff meeting, we headed to the lake for the day.  I'm looking forward to a fun and relaxing family day!

Have a fantastic Friday and amazing weekend!

Happy Stamping!

Make a Birthday Wish With Mickey

Hello friends!  We've made it to the half way point of the week...YAY!  We're sliding our way into the weekend now!

Not only is today Wednesday and the middle of the week, but it is also my BFF's birthday!  And what kind of card do you make for your BFF who is spending her birthday at her most favorite place on earth?!?!  A Mickey and Minnie card of course!  

You can never go wrong with some fun Mickey and Minnie punch art balloons for a fabulous Disney card.  Add a few candles and a fun sentiment from Broadway birthday and you have a celebration right on a card!  

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Basic Black, Real Red, Whisper White

Ink ~ Real Red, Crushed Curry, Memento

Stamp Set ~ Broadway Birthday

Other Supplies ~ 1/2" and 1" Circle Punches, Dog Builder Punch, Broadway Lights Dies

I'm not gonna lie...I'm really wishing I was with Wendy celebrating with our favorite Disney friends.  But I know she will have a good enough time for both of us!  Happy Birthday friend!

Make a Difference in Your School

What?!?!  Two posts in one day?  Yep...I've been on a creative roll these past few days, so I have lots to share with you!

Our students and teachers are getting ready to head back to school next week and many areas have already been back at it for a few weeks.   Seeing all of the teachers in our district office over the past couple of weeks and all of the Facebook posts about them preparing their classrooms brought me inspiration for this card.  It's nothing fancy, in fact it's kind of simple, but it has such a big meaning!

 During the school year, our children are with their teachers, coaches and many other school staff members more than they are with their families.  These staff memebers all work so hard to provide a safe and welcoming learning space for our kiddos and love each and every one of them, big or small, sweet or sassy.  It's not an easy job, but they keep on doing it day after day, year after year. It is so awesome to see an entire school come together to make a difference in the lives of our children and even MORE amazing to see an entire school district to work together to make a difference.  I am blessed to be a {very} small piece of the puzzle that we all make up to complete the big picture!

As a child, there was nothing more exiting than a brand new box of crayons or colored pencils to start off the school year.  I still get excited buying school supplies for my boys!  I guess that dream of being a teacher will always be a part of me, even though life took me on a different path.  

Supplies Used:
Paper ~ Whisper White, Basic Black
Ink ~ VersaMark, Memento, Stampin' Blends: Real Red, Pumpkin Pie, Daffodil Delight, Granny Apple Green, Balmy Blue, Highland Heather, Flirty Flamingo, Soft Suded, Basic Black, Smoky Slate

Stamp Sets ~ It Starts With Art, Artfully Aware
Other Supplies ~ Arts & Crafts Dies

Thank you to all of the teachers and staff who make a difference in the lives of our kiddos...you are AMAZING!

Happy Stamping!

Magnolia Wedding ~ HSS#322 Inspiration Challenge

Hello and welcome to an all new Hand Stamped Sentiments Challenge.  This week we have a beautiful inspiration challenge for you.m  I hope you'll join along and share with us what you were inspired to create!

I love the colors and the pretty magnolia blooms, so I pulled my inspiration from there.  I stamped the small magnolia bloom randomly across the card front, then colored each of them in Rococo Rose.  The background was a bit too white for me, so I decided to fill it in Crumb Cake to soften it up a bit. 

We have a wedding to go to next weekend, so adding the Congratulations! sentiment made this the perfect card to give to our friends.  I added a few leaves using the Magnolia Memory dies and a little branch from Seasonal Layers, then finished it off with some of the beautiful Magnolia Lane Ribbon.

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Rococo Rose, Mossy Meadow, Whisper White

Ink ~ Mossy Meadow, Memento, Stampin' Blends:  Rococo Rose, Mossy Meadow, Crumb Cake

Stamp Sets ~ Good Morning Magnolia, First Frost

Other Supplies ~ Tailored Tag, Magnolia Memory, Seasonal Layers, Magnolia Lane Ribbon, Linen Thread

I'm sure you have noticed that I use my Stampin' Blends a lot!  They are my favorite coloring tool and my favorite form of creative therapy.  I always love it when my youngest joins me in a little coloring session.  It's fun to let our minds wander and conversations flow!

Thank you for stopping by today!  I had lots of craft time this weekend, so be watching for more posts this week!

Happy Stamping!

Christmas Greetings from the Gang ~ Monday Montage

Welcome back to Monday Montage!!!  We have another fabulous hop in store for you this week!  Make sure you click on the links below so you don't miss any of the creations...we promise you will love them all! 

I can’t believe it’s the end of August already!! We might still be dealing with scorching hot weather, but that doesn’t mean we can’t start preparing for cold, snowy days and CHRISTMAS CARDS!  The 2019 Holiday Catalog is almost here and it's FULL of so much amazingness...you're going to love it ALL! 

 I fell in love with these cute little guys from Christmas Crowd as soon as I saw them.  I mean, who doesn't love a bunch of cute little critters, elves and SANTA?!? And given the fact that I love ANY stamp set that I can use my Stampin' Blends on, it was a no brainer for me to snag this set in a hurry!

I chose a cheerful array of Christmas colors, turned on my favorite Pandora station and enjoyed some color therapy creating this card.  And the sentiment...it's pretty much the best!  I'm almost certain this will be the sentiment I use on our family Christmas card this year!  Since this is such a big stamp, it doesn't really need much more than color, but I threw in a few snowflakes and just a little bit of bling.  Cute, fun and simple!

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Call Me Cover, Real Red, Whisper White

Ink ~ Balmy Blue, VersaMark, Memento, Stampin' Blends:  Basic Black, Old Olive, Call Me Clover, Granny Apple Green, Real Red, Cherry Cobbler, Pool Party, Balmy Blue, Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, Mango Melody

Stamp Set ~ Christmas Crowd

Other Supplies ~ Rhinestone Basic Jewels, White Embossing Powder

Whew...that's a lot of Blends!  Nothing better than breaking out so many different colors for one image!

Next up in hop is my crafty friend Cathy...her creations are always so awesome!  Or if you'd like to take a hop back, you'll find the amazingly talented Amy...I love her style!

Thank you for stopping by today!

Happy Stamping!

We've added links to all of our home pages as well so you can hop along in any order you'd like!

Amy O'Neill - Amy's Paper Crafts

Breelin Renwick - Craft-somnia Momma

Cathy Casey - Sugar Shack Designs

Charlet Mallett - Painted Orange

Cheryl Curtis - Pomp and Sustenance

Dani Dziama - Dani's Thoughtful Corner

Elizabeth Price - Seeinginkspots

Julie Warnick - Creating on the Run

Melissa Stout - The Stamp Doc

Wendy Weixler - Wickedly Wonderful Creations

#TGIFC226 Technique Challenge

Happy Friday stampers!
Things are about to get messy with this weeks TGIF Challenges Technique Challenge!  We are having some fun with the Splatter Techinque!  Grab your favorite splatter maker and join in the fun.  And if you are afraid of the mess, just grab your favorite splatter stamp.

I decided to combine a couple of my favorite techniques to create the background for today's card.  I smeared and dabbed Coastal Cabana ink on my Silicon Craft Sheet, then spritzed it with water.  I then "smooshed" a piece of Glossy White card stock on top of the inky, watery mess and voila!  A fun start to the background of the card.  I followed with some Aqua Painter splatters in Coastal Cabana, Poppy Parade and Mango Melody.  Fun, right?!?!

After stamping the Happy Birthday cake and the cute polka dot and stripes cake from Piece of Cake, I pulled in the same colors to create a fun and festive birthday cake.  Who wouldn't love a cake like this on their birthday?  

I topped the cake with some of the fun Candle Embellishments, threw in a Vellum starburst, along with a fun Mango Melody starburst stamped with birthday candles .  And in true Craft-somnia fashion, I had to add some Silver Metallic Thread and some glittery Glitter Enamel Dots.  The card was finished off with the perfect little sentiment...Count the good times, not the candles.  So true!

Adding a little splatter to your projects is a fun way to add just a bit (or a lot) of color and it's only as messy as you make it.  So jump in and have some fun!  Join our challenge and show us your masterpiece!

Have a fantastic Friday and even more amazing weekend!

Happy Stamping!

Rustic Birthday

Hi stampers!  It's been a few days since I've posted, but that doesn't mean I haven't been creating!  I start almost every day with a little bit of stamping...it's my calm before the storm during the school year!

If you have been following my blog for a while, you will know that I always make my husband some sort of outdoor or wildlife card for his birthday each year.  This year is no different!  As soon as I saw Rustic Retreat in the Annual Catalog, I knew I would be using it for his card this year.  Join me in wishing my hubby a Happy Birthday!  (His last year in his 30's!)

I was inspired by a beautiful card made by the amazing Mary Deatherage of Stamps-n-Lingers.  I love her choice of colors and textures, which were perfect for a birthday card for my hubby.  And this just so happens to be one of this weeks Stampin' Through the Catalog stamp sets!  It was fun to play along with them finally.

I first stamped the buck on Whisper White, but it seemed far too bright, so I switched it out for Very Vanilla.  It still seemed a bit bright against the darker colors, but adding a few splatters of Granny Apple Green was just what it needed.  I also added a few splatters to the pine springs before fussy cutting to help soften them up.  This is such a fun technique, and one you will see more of later this week!

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Early Espresso, Soft Suede, Granny Apple Green, Very Vanilla

Ink ~ Granny Apple Green, Soft Suede, Early Espresso, Memento, Stampin' Blends:  Soft Suede, Crumb Cake, Granny Apple Green, Pool Party

Stamp Set ~ Rustic Retreat

Other Supplies ~ Corrugated Dynamic Textures Embossing Folder, Braided Linen Trim

I'm stuck at work today, but the birthday boy and our boys are lucky enough to be spending the day at the river boating.  Lucky guys!

Have a great day!

Happy Stamping!

Thankful for the Catch of the Day

Happy Thursday stampers!  What a week it has been!  My contract year started back up on Tuesday and getting back in to work mode after having almost 8 weeks off is kicking my booty.  I am ready for the weekend and am wishing we were back at the lake.

Our family, along with 8 other fire department families, spent last week at Yale Lake.  The weather was cooler and cloudier than years past, but that didn't keep us from swimming, boating and fishing.  My twins and their friend spent most of their time fishing from the dock or out on the boat in hopes of catching a Kokanee.  They didn't have any luck in the Kokanee department, but they did catch quite a few Squawfish. 

Gary, the owner of the property (and dear friend) we stayed on was kind enough to take the boys out on the boat several times.  He was so patient with them!  They may not have caught a big Kokanee, but they still had so much fun.  A thank you card was a must after all Gary and his wife Mary did for all of us!

I used the Well Written Dies to create the Thank You sentiment.  I cut 3 of each word out and layered them to give a bit more dimension.  The High Seas 3D embossing folder was just the right background for the big fishy!  I added a bit more texture to the card with the Subtle 3D embossing folder...I think I use this EF on EVERY card I make these days!

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Smoky Slate, Cajun Craze, Mint Macaron, Vellum

Ink ~ Memento, Stampin' Blends:  Old Olive, Mint Macaroon, Soft Suede, Crumb Cake, Seaside Spray, Bronze

Stamp Set ~ Best Catch

Other Supplies ~ Well Written Dies, Catch of the Day Dies, High Seas and Subtle 3D Embossing Folders

We were lucky enough to have one day of brief sunshine, allowing us to see the beautiful Mt. St. Helens.  It was such a relaxing trip and something we all look forward to every year!

Happy Stamping!

Dashing Deer ~ HSSCC#321

Happy Tuesday friends!  I'm back with a super quick post today, sharing the latest Hand Stamped Challenges Color Challenge.

I am back to work today after having a better part of the summer off.  So, it seemed only fitting to create a Christmas card with this color challenge since I'm already counting the days until Christmas break!   

I've been in to adding lots of texture to my cards lately...this one included!  I love the new Brick & Mortar 3D embossing folder!

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Soft Suede, Pretty Peacock, Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White, Gold Glimmer

Ink ~ Soft Suede, Pretty Peacock

Stamp Set ~ Dashing Deer

Other Supplies ~ Detailed Deer Dies, Stitched Nested Labels, Embossing Folders:  Subtle, Pinewood Planks, Brick & Mortar

The past couple of days have been a bit crazy!  We returned home from vacation Sunday evening, quickly did several loads of laundry and turned around and took our twins to church camp on Monday.  I drove a car full of boys and their leader to camp, then drove the other van drivers home.  It was a long day, but so much fun to drive them and see where they will spend their week. With all 3 kids gone, I'm hoping to get in a bit more stamping time in the evenings...we shall see!

Have a great day!

Happy Stamping!

Braver, Stronger, Smarter, Loved ~ Monday Montage

Welcome back to Monday Montage!!!  We have another fabulous hop in store for you this week!  Make sure you click on the links below so you don't miss any of the creations...we promise you will love them all! 

I wrapped up the end of my summer break with a long weekend at Yale Lake and the Bridge of the Gods half marathon at Cascade Locks.  It was a whirl-wind trip, but so much fun.  I've still got one more adventure in store today before I head back to work Tuesday morning...I'm driving a group of 8 youth members, including my twins, to church camp for the week.  I'm sure I'll be in for a WiLD ride with these kiddos!  

Not only will my twins be gone for the week, but my youngest is staying with grandparents on the Oregon Coast for the week.  This is the longest any of them will be away from home without us.  I already miss them, but I know they will ALL have so much fun!  I wanted to sneak a little card into their bags and this awesome sentiment from Rustic Retreat was so perfect!

I used the same color scheme and embossing folders for all 3 cards, but switched up the layout a bit for each one.  I feel like all of the different textures from the embossing folders matched up with the sentiment.  I stamped the sentiment in multiple colors then fussy cut each adjective out in a different color.  This is always a fun way to add a bit more to any sentiment!

I added a bit of ribbon and bakers twine...

 ...and just some bakers twine to this one.  

Owen has already discovered his card, but Aidan and Hunter won't find theirs until later tonight.  I'm hoping they won't be embarrassed to have mom send a note in their suitcase!

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Whisper White, Night of Navy, Granny Apple Green, Mango Melody, Coastal Cabana

Ink ~ Night of Navy, Granny Apple Green, Mango Melody, Coastal Cabana

Stamp Set ~ Rustic Retreat

Other Supplies ~ Denim Ribbon, Whisper White Bakers Twine, Embossing Folders:  Corrugated, Pinewood Planks, Brick & Mortar, High Seas

Next up in hop is my crafty friend Cathy...her creations are always so awesome!  Or if you'd like to take a hop back, you'll find the amazingly talented Amy...I love her style!

Thank you for stopping by today!

Happy Stamping!

We've added links to all of our home pages as well so you can hop along in any order you'd like!

Amy O'Neill - Amy's Paper Crafts

Breelin Renwick - Craft-somnia Momma

Cathy Casey - Sugar Shack Designs

Charlet Mallett - Painted Orange

Cheryl Curtis - Pomp and Sustenance

Dani Dziama - Dani's Thoughtful Corner

Elizabeth Price - Seeinginkspots

Julie Warnick - Creating on the Run

Melissa Stout - The Stamp Doc

Wendy Weixler - Wickedly Wonderful Creations

#TGIFC224 Sketch Challenge

Happy Friday friends!  I've been enjoying a few relaxing days at the lake this week before I head back to work, but that doesn't mean I haven't done a little bit of stamping!  I made sure to bring along some supplies to work on this weeks TGIF Challenges Sketch Challenge.

I have shared several other cards with the Bird Ballad Suite and I am back with another one today.

Our yard and surrounding property is always full of so many birds.  Lots of baby quail have hatched in the past few weeks and they are so adorable!  We have also had a TON of American Goldfinch this year, which was the inspiration behind today's card.  These bright and cheerful yellow birdies make me so happy!  I will miss sitting out on my back patio with my morning coffee when I'm back at work.

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Whisper White, Pool Party, Crumb Cake, Basic Black, Bird Ballad DSP

Ink ~ VersaMark, Memento, Stampin' Blends:  So Saffron, Crumb Cake, Petal Pink, Pool Party, Old Olive, 

Stamp Set ~ Free as a Bird

Other Supplies ~ Bird Ballad Trinkets, Stitched Nested Dies, Stitched Rectangle Dies, White Bakers Twine, Gold Metallic Pearls, White Embossing Powder

I'm keeping things short and sweet so I can get back to relaxing and enjoying lake life!  

Have a fantastic weekend!

Happy Stamping!

One Amazing Moment

Hello stamping friends!  It's been a few days since I've posted.  I've been enjoying my last few days of my summer break and I am savoring every moment!  I've had such a great summer with my family and I'm not quite ready for it to end, but I do love my job and miss my work family!

While I enjoy this last week of my break, I want to share some cards I made for my boys to celebrate a very special moment in our lives.  This past Sunday, our church, formally called New Joy Foursquare, became Moment Church.  To celebrate the launch of the new name, the church rented out our local pool.  It was such a fun night having everyone together!  But the best moment of the evening was when over 40 people were baptized, including myself and my boys.  My heart is still so full of emotions today and will be for the rest of my life.    

The Brick & Mortar 3D embossing folder was the perfect background for this card...a firm foundation.  And I love the added touch from the little crosses from the Cross of Hope dies.  I used my Silhouette to cut out the letters, which my boys thought was pretty awesome! 

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Basic Black, Whisper White

Other ~ Brick & Mortar 3D Embossing Folder, Cross of Hope Dies

Be watching for a new scrapbook page to be coming soon!  We got some amazing pictures of our beautiful moment!

Have a terrific day!

Happy Stamping!

Rustic Thoughtfullness

Hello stampers! 

It's been a bit of a roller coaster week of emotions for my family.  The week started with celebrating my youngest sons birthday, which was lots of fun for all of us.  But it also started with the news of my husbands uncle taking a turn for the worse.  We didn't think he would make it through the night on Monday, but he rallied through and hung on so he could say good-bye to all of his family members who were coming in from all over the US.  We said our finally good-byes yesterday...

I made this card a few days ago and it seems fitting to share it today as all of my husbands family is grieving the loss of a dear, sweet man.  

Rustic Retreat caught my eye in the catalog, mainly because of the animal images.  I'm always drawn to outdoor life images, especially for cards I create for my husband and boys.  But I was also drawn to the beautiful cabin image...it just feels so calming and peaceful!

I colored the image with both Watercolor Pencils and Stampin' Blends.  I still can't decide which I like best, but I did go with the Blends version for the card I'm sharing today.  Adding the Buffalo Check background and the textures from the Corrugated 3D and Pinewood Planks 3D Embossing folders were just what this rustic old cabin needed.

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Basic Black, Cherry Cobbler, Soft Suede, Shaded Spruce, Crumb Cake, Whisper White

Ink ~ Memento, Stampin' Blends: Shaded Spruce, Soft Suede, Cherry Cobbler, Smoky Slate, Pool Party, So Saffron

Stamp Set ~ Rustic Retreat

Other Supplies ~ Layering Ovals Dies, Stitched Shapes Dies, Corrugated 3D EF, Pinewood Planks 3D EF

I'm keeping all of our family in my thoughts and prayers as they prepare for Uncle Lee's service.  It's always bitter sweet to gather family in times like this.

Thank you for stopping by today!

Happy Stamping!