I have made more cards in the last 6 days than I have made in the last six weeks!! Sheesh!! I got a box full of preview products and I guess being locked down due to the Coronavirus, I had a head FULL of inspirational ideas. I've been having a great time making each and every piece!

First up in the Fun Fab Friday Challenge is this watercolor bouquet I created using the Many Layered Blossoms Dies. I first cut the more detailed layer of the Blossoms Dies out in watercolor paper. I taped the image down to the mat on my table with another piece of watercolor paper. Then I went to work. Since this challenge is a color challenge, I proceeded to use an Aquapainter to watercolor over the detailed die to bring the bouquet to life. Since the scrap paper under the die I had tried this on the first time around turned out so cool looking, I decided to make a more concerted effort to "paint" over the die to come up with a water colored bouquet. Since I don't actually use the cutout die itself on this card, I decided to save that cut out die image to put on another card front.

Stamps: Lovely You
Paper: Melon Mambo, Basic Black, Watercolor
Ink: Black Memento, Blushing Bride, Flirty Flamingo, Melon Mambo, Call Me Clover, Pineapple Punch
Accessories: Stitched So Sweetly Dies, Many Layered Blossoms Dies, Aquapainter, 2020-2022 In Color Enamel Dots






See??? The cutout die image looked so pretty after I used it as a mask to create the stenciled look on the last card, I decided to follow through with the larger die by watercoloring it with the piece that was leftover from watercoloring the first card and put both pieces down on a stark black background. I can't even remember the last time I ever did a one layer card with NO extra layers! Slap on a sentiment and you are DONE!
Stamps: Lovely You
Paper: Basic Black, Whisper White, Watercolor
Ink: Black Memento, Blushing Bride, Flirty Flamingo, Melon Mambo, Call Me Clover, Pineapple Punch
Accessories: Stitched Shape Dies, Many Layered Blossoms Dies, Aquapainter





This color combo is so very SPRING like ... and I had NO TROUBLE figuring out what to do with it!



Here's a link to the Fab Friday Challenge Blog so that you can play along:

Fab Friday Challenge Blog

Mindy Backes
Heather Heroldt
Brian King
Amy Koenders
Amanda Mertz
Brenda Myers

Memorial Day Weekend is upon us ... smile, hug, laugh and make happy memories with the ones you love and safe to be "sheltering at hone" with. I am counting my blessing every day ... and I can't wait to go visit my Dad up at the cemetery at the top of my neighborhood. It's a lovely walk and such a beautiful time of year.

We are BACK!!! Holy COW!!! The Control Freaks are here to show you what we all got in our DELICIOUS boxes of Stampin' Up's 2020-2021 Idea Book and Catalog!! I. CAN'T. EVEN! This is going to be SUCH a fun year!!! Touring through, you should just have come from the marvelous blog of Melissa Davies ... she is costing me $$$!!! (Because, of course, she used products that I did NOT preorder ... and now think I HAVE to HAVE!)

I have a friend with a daughter who is graduating from high school this year ... 2020 ... sigh ... what a CRAZY year those seniors are having!!! She has asked friends from different states to send grad cards to her daughter (in an attempt to get as MANY cards from as MANY states as possible)! I jumped on the chance to represent the good ol' State of Utah. I used the new Jar of Flowers Bundle to create this little "congrats" bouquet in a jar. I stamped the jar image in Smoky Slate onto some vellum. I continued with the Smoky Slate to make an outline of the bouquet itself ... colored using the Stampin' Blends listed below. And don't get me started with the Tasteful Textile Embossing Folder ... I LOOOOVE IT!

Stamps: Jar of Flowers, Beautiful World (Sentiment)
Paper: Whisper White, Vellum
Ink: Mango Melody, Old Olive, Flirty Flamingo, Bermuda Bay, Highland Heather, Balmy Blue, Smoky Slate
Accessories: Jar Punch, Lovely Labels Pick a Punch, Tasteful Textile 3D Embossing Folder, Stitched So Sweetly Dies, Champagne Rhinestones, 3/16" Braided Linen Trim

This card came about when I was stamping via FaceTime with my bestie, Bree Renwick. She was inspired by a card made by another one of our good friends, Kaitlyn Zumbach (who just so happens to be a Concept Artist with SU). After having Bree show me Kaitlyn's card, I also found inspiration and created something ... Bree and I didn't show our cards to each other until we had both finished! I really enjoy making something from the inspiration I get from so many other talented stampers. We are DEFINITELY going to do this "experiment" again. Three cheers for the "World of Good" Suite for helping me create this fun card!

Stamps: Beautiful World
Paper: Whisper White, Real Red, Pacific Point
Ink: Real Red, Pacific Point, Crumb Cake, Whisper White
Accessories: Trio Corner Punch, Tasteful Textile Embossing Folder, Flowers for Every Season Combo Pack, Lovely Labels Pick a Punch, Whisper White Embossing Powder

I played "Great British Baking Show" with my niece again today. We made Shichttore (which means "layer cake). NINETEEN little bitty layers baked one at a time ... one on top to the other. We need to try it again with WHITE flour (we used wheat flour because of what we could find in the store ... thank you COVID-19). It turned out SOOOOO fun!! Can't wait until we get together to do it again!

Next up??? Truly Terrific ... Tami Hewlett!! I didn't order the bundle she used, either ... and MAN ... I am RUINED!!

If any of us would have had the SLIGHTEST inkling of how the year 2020 was going to take a VERY bizarre turn, I think we would not have believed it!! HOWEVER ... I have learned to appreciate so many things I have taken for granted. And if nothing else, this whole "quarantine/stay at home" routine has taught me to slow the heck down. Listen more ... relax more (relax SOME! I wasn't very good at that before!) ... tell people "I love you" every day. To be fair, I have always been pretty good about vocalizing my love for those I love ... but I have made it a point to tell sooooo many people that I love them that I am not sure I would have thought to say it to before. Time is so very precious. I LOVE YOU GUYS!!! I NEVER would have believed when I started this blog over 10 years ago that I would still be here doing it ... or that I would have met and made friends with so many people as a result. I feel so very blessed ... and I can't believe I made the card for this week's Fab Friday Stampin' Challenge in less an half an hour (something that RARELY happens!).

I borrowed this "Beautiful Friendship" stamp set from my BFF, Cheryl. I don't think I've seen any cards made with it that I don't LOVE. It's so easy to put the images in it together in virtually any combo or color scheme and NOT have it come out decent!!

Stamps: Beautiful Friendship
Paper: Seaside Spray, Whisper White, Subtles DSP
Ink: Seaside Spray, Rococo Rose, Mint Macaron, Wink of Stella
Accessories: Rococo Rose 1/2" Linen Scalloped Ribbon, Rhinestone Basics









I LOVE this sketch! It's so "me" ... hahaha!












Here's a link to the Fab Friday Challenge Blog so that you can play along:

Fab Friday Challenge Blog

Mindy Backes
Heather Heroldt
Brian King
Amy Koenders
Amanda Mertz
Brenda Myers

I plan on spending a good portion of the day today finishing up the 100 face masks I committed to make. It's a community service project ... and they are very easy to make, just time consuming. It makes me super happy to know that they will go to those in hospitals that need them so very much!! Have a lovely weekend!