Farewell Friday - Humming Along

We are down to the final days of the the 2018-2019 Annual and 2019 Occasions Catalogs.  While I am always excited to have amazing new ink, paper and stamps to play with, it's always hard to say good-by to some of my favorites!

Humming Along is one that I am certainly going to miss!  I love the images and sentiments in this stamp set!  

I started out by stamping the beautiful flowers in Smoky Slate.  I was going to color each of the flowers, but after coloring the first one, I decided to stop and let the focus be on the humming bird.  I love how this turned out!

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Balmy Blue, Whisper White

Ink ~ Smoky Slate, Memento, Stampin' Blends: Balmy Blue, Old Olive, Mango Melody

Stamp Set ~ Humming Along

Other Supplies ~ Iridescent Sequins

You still have a few more days to purchase this stamp set...and don't forget the coordinating framlits {like I did!}. 

Have a fantastic Friday!

Happy Stamping!

Sweet Celebration

Hello stampers!  I can't believe it is already Thursday!  Usually the short weeks drag by, but this week has flown by! I've been creating almost every day, but taking the time to sit down and blog just doesn't always happen.  After looking at the pile of finished cards on my desk this morning, I decided it was time to share this sweet and simple card using items from the How Sweet It Is suite.

I LOVE all of the bright and cheerful colors in the DSP...they are guaranteed to make anyone happy!  And did you know the Jar of Sweets Framlits coordinate with some of the DSP images?!?!  SWEET!

I stamped the cute little candy jar and created a fun shaker, similar to the one in the catalog.  The candy dies have some great texture that make them even more awesome!

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Whisper White, How Sweet It Is DSP

Ink ~ Gorgeous Grape, Coastal Cabana, Melon Mambo, Smoky Slate

Stamp Set ~ Sweetest Thing

Other Supplies ~ Jar of Sweets Framelits, Metallic Sequins

After stamping the sentiment, I discovered it was a bit too long, so I cut it up and stacked each piece.  Fun, right?!?

Did you notice my card is square?  I have the hardest time straying away from the standard size cards, but always love the end result when I make different size card!  Do you ever make cards in different sizes or shapes?

I hope you all have a great and creative day!

Happy Stamping!

Eat the Cake ~ Monday Montage

Welcome back to Monday Montage!!!  We are back once again another fabulous hop for you to enjoy!  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'm STILL creating birthday cards!  The good news is that I'm actually sending them out to family and friends.  And the even better news is that I still have so many more to create, which means a lot more stamping time for me!

Today I have some simple, yet colorful cards to share with you using the fantastic new Amazing Life stamp set, which can be found in the Occasions Catalog.  This set bundles up with the AMAZING Rectangle Stitched Framelits...so COOL!

 I'm normally not a pink and purple kind of gal, but I Flirty Flamingo and Highland Heather got me!  I love these colors paired together and blending them together for a fun ombre cake was so much fun!

And since I NEVER have enough guy friendly cards on hand, after a quick change of colors, I had a card suitable for a great guy!

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Flirty Flamingo, Highland Heather, Pool Party, Granny Apple Green, Whisper White

Ink ~ Memento, Stampin' Blends: Flirty Flamingo, Highland Heather, Granny Apple Green, Pool Party

Stamp Set ~ Amazing Life

Other Supplies ~ Scattered Sequins Embossing Folder, Iridescent Sequins, Whisper White Bakers Twine

Sometimes adding some color to a simple stamped image is all you need!  But I can't leave it THAT simple...I always have to add a little bling and texture.  One of these days I might get the hang of simple stamping...maybe!

Next stop on the hop is my friend Cathy...I always love all of her awesome creations! Or if you want to hop backwards, you can hop on backwards to the amazingly talented Amy...her stamping style is amazing!  I can't wait to see all of my Monday Montage friends at OnStage in just a little over a week!

Thanks 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 * You are HERE

Cathy Casey - Sugar Shack Designs

Dani Dziama - Dani's Thoughtful Corner

Elizabeth Price - Seeinginkspots 

Julie Warnick - Julie Warnick Stampin' Up! Blog

Kaitlyn Zumbach - Create with Kaitlyn (taking today off)

Melissa Stout - The Stamp Doc
Wendy Weixler - Wickedly Wonderful Creations

Sunny Days

We made it to Friday!  After what seems like one of the longest weeks EVER, I am so ready for the weekend.  And it just so happens to be a long holiday weekend for me...HOORAY!  I see some good stamping time in my future :-)

Our valley has been blanketed in fog and clouds for the past week, but we finally had a break this morning and actually got to see some blue skies and sunshine.  I don't know how long we'll be blessed with this sunshine, so I thought I'd make a little sunshine that I can set on my desk to help keep me happy.

Being the beach lover that I am, Beach Happy was a must have set for me!  I love the stripy beach chair and umbrella!  

Supplies:

Paper ~ Coastal Cabana, Whisper White, Crushed Curry

Ink ~ Smoky Slate, Poppy Parade, Coastal Cabana, Balmy Blue, Soft Suede, Old Olive, Crumb Cake

Stamp Set ~ Beach Happy

Other Supplies ~ Tropical Elements, Burlap Ribbon, Linen Thread, Iridescent Sequins

What big plans do you have for the weekend?  I hope that whatever you may be doing that it involves some creativity!

Happy Stamping!

Birthday Statements ~ Monday Montage 130

Welcome back to Monday Montage!!!  We are back once again another fabulous hop for you to enjoy!  Make sure you click on the links below so you don't miss any of the creations...we promise you will love them all!

After taking some time off to enjoy the holiday's with family and friends, we are excited to be back to share some of our latest creations with all of you!  With the 2019 Occasions and Sale-A-Bration catalogs just released this week, you are in for a great hop today!

I'm at the end of my two week Winter Break and I was able to enjoy a lot of stamping time!  I sat down with our list of family birthday's and tried to get as many of those cards made so I had a good head start on things for the year.  I have a couple of those cards to share with you today, using the beautiful Birthday Statements stamp set. If you love to color, this set is for you!

I love, love, love my Stampin' Blends, so they were my go-to coloring tools for these cards.  

The Sale-A-Bration Organdy Ribbon Combo Pack and black and white side of the Botanical Butterfly DSP paired up perfectly with these images.

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Basic Black, Whisper White, Botanical Butterfly DSP

Ink ~ Memento, Stampin' Blends:  Balmy Blue, Highland Heather, Calypso Coral Pineapple Punch, Pool Party, Smoky Slate, Old Olive

Stamp Set ~ Birthday Statements

Other Supplies ~ Organdy Ribbon Combo Pack

I was going to add the additional little sentiments that go along with these bigger stamped images, but decided I liked them just as they were!  I hope you do too!

Next stop on the hop is my friend Cathy...I always love all of her awesome creations! Or if you want to hop backwards, you can hop on backwards to the amazingly talented Amy...her stamping style is amazing!  I can't wait to see all of my Monday Montage friends at OnStage in just a little over a week!

Thanks 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 * You are HERE

Cathy Casey - Sugar Shack Designs

Dani Dziama - Dani's Thoughtful Corner

Elizabeth Price - Seeinginkspots 

Julie Warnick - Julie Warnick Stampin' Up! Blog

Kaitlyn Zumbach - Create with Kaitlyn (taking today off)

Melissa Stout - The Stamp Doc
Wendy Weixler - Wickedly Wonderful Creations

Freshly Made Butterfly Gala

Today is the day!!!  The 2019 Occasions Catalog is here and it's time for Sale-A-Bration too!   If you haven't received your catalog yet, be sure to let me know so I can get one to you!

This weeks Freshly Made Sketches challenge was not one I could pass up!  I had a hard time deciding which stamp set to use for this sketch...it brought so many ideas to mind! You can guarantee that I'll be using this sketch for a few more creations.

I did finally decide on Butterfly Gala and the beautiful Botanical Butterfly DSP. I love that Stampin' Up! has paired Occasions Catalog items with Sale-A-Bration items.  And this DSP...it makes me swoon!  I love the colorful images on one side with the bold black and white images on the other.

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Grapefruit Grove, Whisper White, Lemon Lime Twist, Botanical Butterfly DSP

Ink ~ Memento

Stamp Set ~ Butterfly Gala

Other Supplies ~ Butterfly Duet Punch, Gingham Gala Adhesive-Backed Sequins, Layering Circles Framelits, Tufted Embossing Folder

Did you know you can take this beautiful DSP...

...and use the Butterfly Duet Punch to punch out the beautiful butterflies?

Don't be afraid to cut up or punch out your DSP!!!  The creative possibilities are endless!

I couldn't let these pretty little things go to waste, so I made a second card!

I'm enjoying the last couple days of my winter break and getting in as much stamping time as I possibly can! Keep on checking back as I have lots of new, and old, things to share with you!

Happy Stamping!

Thinking of You

Only one more day until the 2019 Occasions Catalog is released!!!  Are you all as excited as I am?!?!  This catalog is AMAZING and you are going to love EVERYTHING in it!  And guess what?!?!  There's a bonus to wanting everything in the Occasions Catalog!  When you spend $50, you will earn a FREE Sale-A-Bration item between January 3 - March 31, 2019.  How awesome is that?  Be sure to check back here frequently over the next few days to see some fun creations with new items from both the Occasions and Sale-A-Bration catalogs.

Today I'm sharing a card made with the Just Because hostess stamp set.  This one caught my eye during OnStage and it was one that I knew I had to add to my collection. I love the simplicity of it!

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Night of Navy, Whisper White

Ink ~ Night of Navy, Memento, Stampin' Blends:  Cajun Craze, Old Olive

Stamp Set ~ Just Because

Other Supplies ~ Layered Leaves Embossing Folder, Night of Navy 1/2" Gingham Ribbon

One of my former co-workers lost her sweet dad right before Christmas.  I was so sad to hear this as I often made cards for his birthday and other special occasions, as well as cards for him to give to his friends.  It is never easy to lose a parent, no matter how old they might be.  I hope this card brings a little happiness into my friends day and lets her know that I'm thinking about her.

I'll be back tomorrow to share more new items, so don't forget to stop by again!

Happy Stamping!

New Year Wedding Wishes ~ HSSSC#305

Happy New Year!!!  

Welcome to 2019 and an all new Hand Stamped Sentiments Challenge!  We're starting the year off with a great new sketch for you to play along with!

What better way to start the New Year off than with a brand new marriage?!?!  A very special couple was married on Sunday and today's card was created just for them.

In going through my DSP collection, I was so happy to find that this pattern from Share What You Love DSP paired up so well with the new Piece of Cake stamp set, which will be available in the Occasions Catalog on January 3rd.

Who doesn't love a stamp set that comes with a coordinating punch?!?!  This bundle was too cute to pass up!  There are so many fun and delicious looking cakes in this stamp set, along with some fun cake toppers and sentiments.  This will be a must have for everyone!

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Whisper White, Petal Pink, Soft Sea Foam, Velum

Ink ~ Petal Pink, VersaMark, Memento, Stampin' Blends:  Smoky Slate, Petal Pink, Soft Sea Foam

Stamp Set ~ Piece of Cake

Other Supplies ~ Cake Builder Punch, Rectangle Stitched Framelits, Sunburst Punch, Frosted Bouquet Framelits, Leaf Punch, White Embossing Powder

I hope the New Year brings many new blessings into your life and lots of stamping fun times as well!

Happy New Year and Happy Stamping!

So Hoppy Together

Only 4 more sleeps until these hoppy little frogs can join your stamp collection!

That's right...It's almost Sale-a-Bration time and these cute little guys can be yours with a $50 purchase from the Annual Catalog and/or 2019 Occasions catalog!  And isn't the new Dot to Dot TIEF perfect for these froggies?!?  This can be found in the Occasions Catalog, which also goes live on January 3rd.

This cute little guy stole my heart with his adorable little glasses!

And this little prince just makes me "hoppy"!

And this brave guy is the perfect way to send a little note of encouragement!  My dad found my boys a used unicycle and has big plans to teach them how to ride it.  I'm guessing this means he's also going to try riding it too...you can do ANYTHING, right?!?!

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Whisper White, Granny Apple Green, Real Red, Gingham Gala DSP

Ink ~ VersaMark, Real Red, Memento, Stampin' Blends:  Granny Apple Green, Daffodil Delight, Real Red, Smoky Slate, Basic Black

Stamp Sets ~ So Hoppy Together, Thoughtful Banners

Other Supplies ~ Rectangle Stitched Framelits, Stitched Shapes Framelits, Dot to Dot TIEF, White Embossing Powder, Heart Epoxy Droplets

I can't wait to share these little guys with my stamp club next week!  My customers are going to  LOVE this stamp set and I hope you do too!

Are you doing anything fun to wrap up the last few moments of 2018?  I'm hoping to sneak in a bit more stamp time and enjoying time with my family!

Happy Stamping!

#tgifc192 Product Spotlight ~ Glossy Card Stock

Can you believe this is the last TGIF Challenges for 2018?!?!?  Where has the year gone?  I am grateful for a year full of fun adventures, many of which were with my stamping and TGIF friends.  I hope 2019 is full of many more adventures and memories!

For our final challenge, we are putting Glossy Card Stock in the spotlight.  Do you use this paper very often?

Not only is today our last challenge of 2018, it is also my dads very last day of work!  Later this afternoon he will officially be retired and I couldn't be more happy for him!  The Glossy Card Stock was perfect in creating a "splashy" background for the amazing new Best Catch stamp set in the 2019 Occasions Catalog.  Check out a little tutorial below to see how I created this fun background.

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Mossy Meadow, Whisper White, Soft Suede, Crumb Cake, Glossy

Ink ~ Balmy Blue, Pear Pizzazz, Old Olive, Memento, Stampin' Blends:  Mossy Meadow, Pool Party, Cajun Craze, Crumb Cake

Stamp Set ~ Best Catch, Itty Bitty Greetings

Other Supplies ~ Catch of the Day Thinlits, Linen Thread, Spritzer

To create the background on the Glossy Card Stock, I used a silicon mat, stamp pads and spritzer.

I inked up the silicon mat, randomly smearing the 3 different ink colors around, then spritzed it generously with my spritzer.  I then placed the inked side on top of the Glossy Card Stock and gently "smooshed" it around.

When you remove the silicon mat, you are left with a fun "splashy" background!

This is such a fun technique and one that isn't too messy to try in class.  It's always fun to see all of the different patterns and shades that are created by your customers!

Thank you for stopping by today!  I can't wait to see how all of you use the Glossy Paper too!

Happy Stamping!

How Sweet a Retro Birthday Is

Hi stampers!  I hope you have all had a fantastic Monday!  I can't believe we are now just a week away from Christmas.  I'm just about ready...I think.  I do know that I am almost done with my Christmas crafting, with the exception of a card for my husband.  Be watching for that later this week.

In an effort to not always be making birthday cards at the last minute, I'm trying to get a good supply on hand, staring with this fun card using the Free Cake stamp set.  I've been eyeing this for a few months and finally decided to get it, mainly for some birthday cards for my twins.  Be sure to check back on Wednesday to see those!

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Coastal Cabana, Melon Mambo, Whisper White, How Sweet It Is DSP

Ink ~ Coastal Cabana, Gorgeous Grape, Mango Melody, Smoky Slate, Melon Mambo

Stamp Set ~ Free Cake

Other Supplies ~ Starburst Punch, Silver Metallic Thread, Twinkle Adhesive-Backed Sequins

Isn't this DSP so much fun?!?  I'm giving you a little sneak peek of the super CUTE How Sweet It Is suite in the 2019 Occasions Catalog.  Everything in this suite is absolutely adorable, but the DSP is my favorite!

I'm off to do a little bit of Christmas baking before I turn in to a pumpkin for the night.  Maybe a little sugar high will give me the little boost of energy I need to get my hubby's card made!

Happy Stamping!

Flowering Desert Hello

Hello stampin' friends and happy Saturday!  I am happy to announce that I survived my twins friends birthday party, which included a sleep over!  My boys run with a pretty great circle of friends, so when ever they come over, its just like adding a few more of my own kids...I love them all!

I took a little break from my holiday creating to play along with this weeks Freshly Made Sketches sketch with my favorite stamp set from the upcoming Occasions Catalog.

When I first saw Flowering Desert, I knew that would be the first thing I would pre-order.  I can't wait to make more with this set!  And did you notice the Stitched Rectangles?!?!  AMAZING!

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Whisper White, Shaded Spruce

Ink ~ Shaded Spruce, Old Olive, Daffodil Delight, Melon Mambo

Stamp Set ~ Flowering Desert

Other Supplies ~ Stitched Rectangle Framelits

The flowers remind me of my Christmas cactus, which has just started blooming again for the season.  So even though this isn't a Christmas card, I'm still kind of getting an Arizona Christmas vibe!

I hope you all have a fantastic weekend!  I'm off to deliver kids back to their homes and have a visit with Santa before I dive in to wrapping gifts!

Happy Stamping!

Butterfly Gala for Any Stamper

Happy Monday stamping friends!  I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend!  How many of you braved the Black Friday shopping?  I hope you found some amazing deals amongst all the chaos :-D  We were on the road back home from Council ID on Friday, so there was no shopping for me.  But you can bet that I will be partaking in some Cyber Monday shopping today!  Don't forget you can still save 10% off select stamps and kits in the Annual Catalog through the end of today!

It was absolutely beautiful here this weekend, which made it very hard to stay inside.  I wanted to be outside in the {kind of} warm sun all day, but I did get in some good stamping time on Sunday.  I inked up the new Butterfly Gala stamp set from the upcoming Occasions Catalog and gave #simplestamping a try.  Let me tell you...this is far from simple for me, but something I need to do more often!  I'm loving the black and white with just a splash of color from the Botanical Butterfly DSP from the Sale-A-Bration Catalog!

I stepped things up just a bit with my next card for the casual stamper.  I sponged a bit of color onto the butterflies and added a few of the adorable Gingham Gala Adhesive-Backed Sequins.

And then for the avid stamper...this is the world I live in!  I always want to add more layers and textures and embellishments!  I used the Layered Leaves Dynamic TIEF for some texture, added some leaves with the Leaf Punch and added some sequins and Silver Metallic Thread for a little extra bling.  The heat embossed sentiment was the final touch to tie everything together.  What do you think!

 This will be a card I will make at my January Stamp Club, but I will be using the simple stamper card for an upcoming Coffee and Cards class for new customers.  I love that these three types of stamping were the focus at OnStage at the beginning of the month!  It's always a great reminder to go back to the basics to when it comes to customers who are new to stamping.

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Whisper White, Basic Black, Botanical Butterfly DSP (SAB)

Ink ~ Memento, Gorgeous Grape, Balmy Blue

Stamp Set ~ Butterfly Gala (2019 Occasions)

Other Supplies ~ Stitched Shapes Framelits, Layered Leaves Dynamic TIEF, Leaf Punch, Silver Metallic Thread, Butterfly Duet Punch and Gingham Gala Adhesive-Backed Sequins (2019 Occasions)

Whether you are a simple stamper, a casual stamper or an avid stamper, this is a stamp set you will LOVE!  This Two-Step stamp set and coordinating punch are a must have for any stamper!

Here's to a great week!

Happy Stamping!

Humming Along with Thanks ~ Monday Montage

Welcome back to Monday Montage!!!  We are back once again another fabulous hop for you to enjoy!  Make sure you click on the links below so you don't miss any of the creations...we promise you will love them all!

It's been a week since I've been home from OnStage in Orlando and I think I'm finally feeling like myself again.  Between the complete and utter exhaustion and the emotional stress of losing our dog last week, I was all out of sorts.  I am so grateful for all of the kind words, thoughts, prayers and little items of comfort that were sent our way.  Our family is truly blessed to have so many amazing people in our lives.

Those who attended OnStage in Orlando received the beautiful "Humming Along" stamp set as an all attendee giveaway.  This stamp set will be a MUST have for all of my stamping friends who love to color.   I can't wait to get my hands on the coordinating Hummingbird Framelits! But I was not complaining about not having them yet...fussy cutting out the flower and the humming bird was just the therapy I needed.  I chose the "Thank You" sentiment to show my thanks to everyone who reached out to us last week...you are all the BEST!

I chose the Stampin' Blends to color these beautiful images and added a water color background for an extra splash of color.

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Whisper White, Smoky Slate, Neutrals DSP

Ink ~ Memento, Stampin' Blends: Granny Apple Green, Pool Party, Smoky Slate, Flirty Flamingo, Mango Melody

Stamp Set ~ Humming Along

Other Supplies ~ Frosted & Clear Epoxy Droplets

Here is a peek of the full stamp set. I think this is one that you will want to add to your wish list for sure!

Next stop on the hop is my crafty friend 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 backwards to the amazingly talented Wendy...I just love her style!

Thanks 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 * You are HERE

Cathy Casey - Sugar Shack Designs

Dani Dziama - Dani's Thoughtful Corner

Elizabeth Price - Seeinginkspots 

Julie Warnick - Julie Warnick Stampin' Up! Blog

Kaitlyn Zumbach - Create with Kaitlyn 

Melissa Stout - The Stamp Doc
Wendy Weixler - Wickedly Wonderful Creations