Surprise!

Today we are off celebrating this girl at her high school graduation, which is more than a little mind boggling to even think.
So here is the digital layout of her recent birthday party, which was a huge surprise to her, haha.

Supplies: All MDS

Stamps: Lemonade Stand (balloons), A Little Birthday Cheer (words on bottom), Big Bold Birthday (dots)
Ink: Tempting Turquoise, So Saffron, Baja Breeze, Basic Gray 
Journaling Font: Andy

And a close up if you want, haha! 

Tomorrowland - How to travel!

Happy Saturday! Oh my word, are we gonna make it thru this month?! I am *not sure! But here for now, we are with what I believe is the rest of Tomorrowland! 

This page is quick and simple. 

Supplies: 
Stamps: Skinny Mini Alphabet
Ink: Real Red
Paper: Pineapple Punch, Berry Delightful DP
Accessories: Red 1/8 striped ribbon
Journaling Font: Arial Narrow

And this next page is actually a hybrid. Most of the page was created in the long-retired MDS, but I don't have a single digital car image and I DID have stamps, so I printed the page then added a bit of cardstock with stamped cars at the top. And the layout came from HERE. 

Autopia: MDS (retired)
Stamps: Let's Get Away (long retired)
Ink: Fresh Fig (retired), Gold Glimmer (retired), Perfect Plum text
Paper: Red Glimmer, White, Black
Accessories: Perfect Plum brads 
Journaling Font: Copperplate Gothic 

I hope that YOUR weekend is relaxing! I might relax later this week... we'll see! 

New Alpha Dies

If I have had any creative time this month it has almost entirely gone towards scrapping for my daughter who is about to graduate from high school. This page used up some pictures that have been printed for aaages and really needed put to paper. But it also used this brand new set of alphabet dies! 

Supplies:
Stamps: Painted Seasons (retired SAB)
Ink: Pebbled Path, Gray Granite, Starry Sky, Shaded Spruce
Paper: Flirty Flamingo & Starry Sky card stocks
Accessories: Alphabet a la Mode dies, big shot
Journaling Font: A Font With Serifs

Also, a note about the alphabet dies. Many times when I have an event, people ask if I want to keep this scrap or that and the answer is almost always "YES!"
If I can stamp a greeting on it it's still useful!
Or in this case, arrange some letter dies on it: 

Tomorrowland - Sci-Fi!

Happy Saturday! Our trip to Disneyland is really close to done, but has been left far on the back burner (literally, against the back wall of my desk, ha!) for a while. Maybe after graduation I can go back to scrapping a little of everything instead of being focused on one topic.... But we'll see what summer holds!! 

In the meantime, here are a few simple pages that were all back to back. Our last morning in Disneyland we started at Tomorrowland and hit most of it! Today I'll just share the sci-fi parts. 

Supplies:
Paper: Misty Moonlight, Basic Black
Accessories: Iridescent Pearls
Journaling Font: Space Bd BT

Supplies:
Paper: Basic Black card stock, World of Good DP
Accessories: Gold Twine, gold star sequins, Glue Dots
Journaling Font: Power Red and Blue

Actually we did Star Tours our first night in Disney, but it fits with these pages better, haha. 

Supplies: (MDS)
Paper: Midnight Muse, Silver Glimmer
Accessories: Triangle Punch
Journaling Font: Copperplate Gothic

In Color Bird

Cards three days in a row! yeay! 
Today's card used the sketch from Inspire.Create.Challenge. and then the As You See It Challenge was to use the newest stuff in your craft room, and that is the newest In Colors! So today I have a bird in autumny colors, but different ones than I have used in the past, haha. I really like Boho Blue! 

Supplies:

Stamps: Perched In A Tree

Ink: Boho Blue, Pebbled Path, Wild Wheat

Paper: Boho Blue, Pebbled Path, Very Vanilla card stocks

Accessories: In Color Dots, Dimensionals, Aspen Trees dies, big shot (retired)

Quick tip on how to use Dimensionals on the bird- you really don't need a lot! 

And here's another shot with the shiny Dots! I love those actually. 

What have you made this week? 

Bright Bird

I have another color combo for you today! This one comes from Global Design Project. I have only done this bird in fall/winter shades, and actually these colors could be wintery, but with the nice breeze coming in, I was sure these were spring colors, haha! 

I stamped the branch and the bird in Smoky Slate, and then I colored the bird in with the Watercolor Pencils, but I didn't "watercolor" them. 

Supplies:

Stamps: Perched In A Tree

Ink: Smoky Slate, Coastal Cabana

Paper: Coastal Cabana, Flirty Flamingo, Basic White

Accessories: Classic Matte Dots, Watercolor Pencils, Aspen Trees Dies, Dimensionals, big shot (retired)

Come back tomorrow and see this guy in different shades! 

Across the Miles!

Happy Tuesday to you! I finally got some stamping time and I made this before I even had breakfast! Which is pretty unusual for me. haha! 

This time I played with the TGIF Challenges color combo, which I ended up really liking. And I thought these two stamps combined beautifully. 

Supplies:

Stamps: Sending Smiles, Watercolor World

Ink: Petal Pink, Berry Burst, Memento Black

Paper: Berry Burst, Basic Black, Basic White

Accessories: Classic Matte Dots

That's all for today but I hope that you are getting something fun made too! 

Ice Cream Parlor!

This was a fun layout to make. Except that two of the ice cream cones lined up perfectly and the third did not! Oh well- done is best so it's fiiiine. hahaha. The DP is super old and the stamps are regular old. ha! 

Supplies:
Stamps: Sweet Scoops (long retired)
Ink: Crumb Cake, Mint Macaron, Early Espresso, Real Red, Pale Papaya, Soft Seafoam
Paper: Early Espresso, Berry Bliss DP (2007), Cottage Wall DP (long retired)
Journaling Font: Contribute, Maiandra

New Catalog!

On Facebook this morning, I asked what you are most excited to get your hands on from the new catalog. Well, here's what I'm excited about! 

First, new colors! I really am sad and disappointed about a few of the retiring colors, because of course they always pick some of my favorites. However, I'm also always excited to play with new colors. And this time the number of returning colors was extra fun for me. I just pulled them from my retired stash and scooted them over to my current supplies! Misty Moonlight is one of my favorite shades that we've ever had and Blueberry Bushel is a perfect blue for most of the schools my children have attended, haha! I debated purchasing it the whole time it was an In Color and I just never did... But I have it now so we're good, haha! I have purchased the newest In Colors and I think I really will love using four of the shades. And my youngest really likes the color that is not my favorite so I will get plenty of mileage out of these ones. And the new shades that I hope to get soon include that beautiful Pecan Pie, and both Bubble Bath and Lemon Lolly look like more substantial soft colors than we've had of these two in the past, if that makes any sense at all. They are featured on the cover, so check them out!

Next the top, maybe five stamp sets I'm looking forward to?
I really like the Beautiful Balloons bundle on page 15. I think it looks fun and happy and also pretty quick which is a huge selling point for me, if we're being honest.

I really like the Timeless Arrangements bundle on page 67. I like the words that are included, I love the fonts, and I like the rectangle dies with the small little flowers. 

The Crafting With You bundle on page 91 is so fun!! I have people in my life who sew, I have people who paint, I have people who knit and crochet... The cross stitch circle die and the little paper trimmer die are seriously just the cutest! 

The Gorgeously Made set on page 103 is so pretty. I love me some good distressed text, haha, and I just see a lot of potential here.  

The Cheerful Daisies bundle on page 111 is so fun! This one was available with the demonstrator pre-order (that is a fabulous perk!!) and I have seen so many beautiful samples with it. I also love that paper, even though I'm the first point out it definitely makes me think of sheets and curtains and wallpaper from the 60s and 70s... it's fine tho. Everything ever is now "back", lol! 

I love the Stamped With Love set on page 117. I send out cards pretty frequently, and I love old time post images. This also fits our Angel Policy which is critically important if you're going to sell any items with stamped images. Plus I keep giggling at the "I like you so you get a card". Fact. 

I am surprised how much I love that Earthen Elegance DP. You'll just have to trust me how much I haaated brown most of my life, lol!! The Masterfully Made DP is gorgeous and so is that Stargazing DP!! I don't know how much I love the stamp set that goes with that suite but the dies are very cool and the DP is just stunning! 

Little dot things have become my favorite embellishment because they're quick, easy and don't generally affect mailing or scrapbooking. And that's pretty much what there is this time so that works nicely, haha! And I think the ribbons are extra pretty this round- specifically the in color textured ribbon, a beautiful Misty moonlight with the inner braid, the metallic in color ribbon and that pretty natural trim. 

Finally I'm excited about all of the things that carried over that I have another chance to purchase, hahaha! 

How about you?? 

We Create Blog Hop: May Flowers

And just like that- it's already May. And what a May this one will be!!  

For our blog this month, we're finishing our April Showers with May Flowers theme! So I'm playing some more with my Sending Smiles set. I used a different flower image this time, and I inked up the larger leaf too. So it's totally different from last week's cards, haha! 

My projects are based on the sketch from CAS Colours & Sketches (altho not slimline) and since the new catalog begins TOMORROW, I have a goodbye to the retiring In Colors thanks to the current SUO Challenges blog

Supplies:
Stamps: Sending Smiles
Ink: Evening Evergreen, Soft Succulent, Pale Papaya, Fresh Freesia (sticking around!)
Paper: Pale Papaya & Basic White card stock
Accessories: Linen Thread, Brass Butterflies, Dimensionals

And I have a hello to the new In Colors! (this one is much closer to the sketch, lol... I didn't realize I flipped the first Basic White square when I stamped it... 

Supplies:
Stamps: Sending Smiles
Ink: Moody Mauve, Copper Clay, Pebbled Path, Wild Wheat
Paper: Moody Mauve & Basic White card stock
Accessories: Linen Thread, Brass Butterflies, Dimensionals

I have absolutely loved those colors that are on their way out, but I am liking the new ones too. And it's fun to play with new shades! However, I have noticed a rather intense divide in response to the new colors. I surveyed my kids, haha, and they like exactly which colors I thought they might. What do YOU think of the new In Colors?

Now hop on over to Tricia's blog using the button below and see what May Flowers she's got for you! Then let us know what you think of our work too! Everyone loves feedback! 

And go make something pretty yourself- and send it off to someone too! People really appreciate happy mail! 

The Mark Twain Riverboat

Today's layout is one I really like and that might be because I really enjoyed this ride!
This was done in the long-retired MDS, and I resized the tree to HUGE, lol, and flipped it onto the other page too, in another color. And the blue at the bottom was various strips of DP and digital "ribbon".

Supplies:
Stamps: Forever Young tree

Ink: Certainly Celery, Glorious Green (opacity changed) 

Paper: Whisper White

Accessories: Ice Cream Parlor strip, Sunny Day strip, Summer Home border strip

Journaling Font: Niagara Solid

It's a little bit fuzzy when I combined the two pages into a single "photo", so I've shared each photo separately too. 

And another funny thing is that we were in this park three days and I watched this river boat more than once and we never got a picture of the boat itself! Fortunately our niece went a few weeks after we did, so I asked her to take a picture for us, hahaha! 

March 2018 Paper Pumpkin

Way back in December I set a goal for myself to finish off my stack of Paper Pumpkin kits, and use them! I haven't done very good with that goal, but the last two afternoons I finished off a kit from 2018! I did a lot this time.
I think this is a gorgeous kit, I love the colors (now retired!) and the style. But I am never going to hand deliver 8 cards, and the envelopes can only be used that way. And honestly, I wanted those envelopes used as cards, not just an outer shell to be tossed! 

So the first time I played with this kit, I shared it HERE. 
The second time, I shared it HERE.
And this time, I made a bunch of cards (this first one is how it was designed)

(the third one here is how it was designed)

(these next four are the cover of the envelope now added to a card front, thanks.)

Then I made a scrapbook page, using photos from 2013...that were also printed in 2013.... duuude....

And I still have this much left over! 

I sort all of this into an old Paper Pumpkin box that holds all of the stamps (okay, okay, there are two of these now...!), another box that holds the ink spots, a box that holds the scraps and then the embellishments are sorted into all of my retired embellishment stash. 

And this time there was a free gift, for it being the 5 year anniversary of Paper Pumpkin, and here is what I have left from that! 

And I'm not kidding- Paper Pumpkin kits come with even more supplies! So I'm okay that the prices have increased a little bit. It's only gone up twice, and only a little bit each time. And ev.ery.thing. has gone up. a lot, in a lot of cases. sigh. This, to me, is still worth the price. And here is the sneak peek for the upcoming kit! 

This kit includes:

• All the supplies you need to create 9 card, 3 each of 3 designs, plus 9 coordinating envelopes.
• A 7-piece all-occasion stamp set that celebrates good friends and great adventures!
• 1 Copper Clay (new In Color!) Classic Stampin’ Spot.
• Twine and die-cut accents
• FREE stickers to put on your projects or anything you want—water bottles, laptops, coolers, and more!
• Finished card size: 4-1/4" x 5-1/2" (10.8 x 14 cm).
• Coordinating Stampin’ Up! colors: Boho Blue, Copper Clay, Daffodil Delight, Moody Mauve, Mossy Meadow, Pebbled Path, Wild Wheat
  

So what are you waiting for? Click the side bar button and sign up!