TGIF Challenge #475 - “And They Lived Happily Ever After …” - Theme Challenge

It’s TGIF Challenge time! This week we are making projects around the theme “And they lived happily ever after …” I haven’t made a “wedding” card for a while, so this was fun for me!

The Spotlight On Nature Bundle is absolutely wonderful! I am a sucker for ANYthing with a butterfly in it … and the dies are sooooooo good! I started with some Azure Afternoon cardstock (LOVELOVELOVE) and used my watercolor brush to color the floral images, leaves and butterfly (using Blueberry Bushel, Azure Afternoon, Granny Apple Green and Lemon Lolly ink). 

I also used the edge of my paper snips to rough up the edges of the top layer of Azure Afternoon cardstock and the Balmy Blue sentiment panel.

I used one of my favorite techniques by taking the cap off my Azure Afternoon Stampin’ Write Marker and “flicking” the pen tip out of the inside of the pen lid, thus creating a splattered-ink look.

I also layered a couple of the dies from the Spotlight On Nature for the focal point and created the sentiment using a stamp from the Something Fancy Stamp Set and a die from the accompanying dies. 

Don’t even get me started on how GREAT the Cute Crochet 3D Embossing Folder is! My new favorite!

Stamps: Spotlight On Nature, Something Fancy

Paper: Azure Afternoon, Balmy Blue, Whisper White

Ink: Black Memento, Blueberry Bushel, Azure Afternoon, Lemon Lolly, Granny Apple Green; Stampin’ Write Markers - Azure Afternoon, Versamark

Accessories: Spotlight On Nature Dies, Something Fancy Dies, Cute Crochet 3D Embossing Folder, White Baker’s Twine, White Embossing Powder, Opal Rounds Assortment, Aqua Painter, Wink of Stella

Thanks for stopping by! Have an awesome weekend!

Isn't She Lovely???

Isn't she loooooovely? Isn't she won-der-ful??!?? Ok ... Now that I have all of you singing along with Stevie Wonder in your heads (or out loud, whatever the case may be!) ... I have been wanting to scrapbook some of my daughter's bridal photos from last spring. Can I say that there were SOOOO many to choose from that were FABULOUS that I had a VERY hard time choosing??? We had an A-MAZ-ING photographer that took so many PERFECT photos!!! I really need to make an entire album just of my daughter's bridal photos ... and engagements photos ... and wedding photos. Maybe this layout will get me started!

When I saw Stampin' Up's Springtime Impressions Thinlits Dies in Las Vegas this past March I KNEW that they would be coming to live with me!! Just as surely as I KNEW that I would be creating some scrapbook pages from my daughter's wedding ... if you look closely at the beading on Amelia's dress you will see that it is a PERFECT match with this beautiful corner border die ... I mean, SERIOUSLY??? I had fun using the die as a stencil as well. I made kind of a "boho" pattern in the upper-left corner to tie the page together. It's my new favorite die, I think!! (And we all know how quickly that can change, depending on what we are using and how much we like the finished product, right???)

Here's a close-up of some of the detail. The little cross-stitching from the thinlits die??? The fraying on the edges of twine ... and, of course, the "messy" stenciling from the beautiful flower corner die ...

Supplies: Stitched All Around
Paper: Crumb Cake, Whisper White
Ink:  Crumb Cake
Accessories: Springtime Impressions Thinlits Dies, Stitched Labels Framelits Dies, Crumb Cake Nature's Twine, 5/8" Burlap Ribbon, Pearl Basics Accents

I struggle with trying to keep my creations "simple" ... I know I have mentioned that before! I want to use #allthethings #allthetime!!! I'm glad I was able to restrain myself on this particular layout ... the pictures are so "lovely" that I didn't want to detract too much from them. This was FUN!!! Now to make the other 547 pages I need to make Amelia's wedding memories COMPLETE!! Hahaha!! Perhaps she can just look at the photos in our GoogleDrive!

Monday Montage #93

And so it goes ... the LAST blog post I made was for Monday Montage THREE WEEKS ago!! SHEESH!! The wedding has come and gone ... it was a GORGEOUS day!! Things could NOT have gone more amazingly!!! So I feel it is ABOUT TIME that I shared the wedding invites with all y'all ...

I'm gonna be honest ... I do NOT "copy" cards/crafty things from people ... like NEVER (I used to do it WAAAYYYY back in the day when I first started stamping ... we're talking about the early 1990's here, people!)!!! HOWEVER ... when my daughter sent me a link to a wedding invite she saw on Pinterest created by the ever-fabulous Heidi Swapp and said to me, "I'm pretty sure you don't have the stuff to do this, but I love it!" CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!!! Bwahahaha!!! So here is what I made ...

This is what the invite looked like from the front.  I used a Minc machine (which is basically a laminator).  The trick to this is to have the photo in the background NOT be created with TONER ... and for the wording to be printed WITH toner.  You with me so far??? I COULD have used a inkjet printer to do the photos (as suggested by Heidi Swapp on her blog for the invites that she created), but since this was for my daughter's WEDDING, for crying out loud.  I'm SUPER picky and did NOT want to have any printer "banding" visible at ALL in the photo.  I had a local printing service (Heath at MasterLab Photo in Murray, Utah) print out the photos for me.  They came out BEAUTIFULLY (also primarily due to the master photography of Christie Berube - Christie Q Photography).  The photos were printed at 7"x7".   After running the photos through my LASER printer for the wording, I THEN ran each photo through the Minc laminator with some rose gold foil.  In person these look absolutely GORGEOUS (if I do say so myself!!)!!

I created a fold using my Simply Scored tool to make a faint score line 2" from the right-hand side, so that the finished invite measures 5"x7" once it is folded.  I also used my handy-dandy corner rounder on all four corners (I used it once the invite was folded ... and just had to punch the corners on the far-right side by themselves ... does that make sense???)

I used the now-retired MDS (yeah, I am one of THOSE people who canNOT let go of it!!) to created the file with the wording on it ... made it VERY easy!

Here is what the invite looks like from the back side ... I ordered some rose gold spiral clips to hold the flap closed so I could put the special "invites" behind the flap created.  I was able to create the inserts using MDS as well ... and they were ALSO run through the Minc laminator with the rose gold foil.  Was SOOOOO grateful for my handy-dandy SU paper trimmer to get them cut JUST RIGHT!!

See???? Aren't they caYOOT??? I can't tell you how happy I was with how they turned out.  And Quinn and Amelia??? They kept looking at them and making comments like, "Look how cute we are!" and "These are SO classy looking!"  They made me smile BIG TIME about it!!!

Stamps: None
Paper: Photo Paper and 24 lb. White Coverstock
Ink: LaserJet Black
Fonts:  King Basil Lite (Script for Quinn & Amelia's names), Ginora Sans (for the remaining text)
Accessories: Project Life Corner Rounder Punch, Simply Scored, Paper Trimmer, Rose Gold Spiral Paper Clips, My Digital Studio

I guess I have NO excuse to NOT clean up my house ... my craft room ... and the inside of my car, right???? Wedding is OVER!!! I think I need a trip to Disneyland ...

Click "Back" for Melissa Stout and "Next" for Amy O'Neill ... Brilliant-brilliant-BRILLIANT!!

Let's Freakin' CELEBRATE!!

Well ... it's time to Tour with the Control Freaks once again!! I always look forward to these ... my fellow Freaks are FANTABULOUS!!! I'm always getting a TON of ideas from them myself!!! And this month we are "celebrating" ... making projects that celebrate someone or something!! It looks like Connie Babbert and I were on the same wavelength (and I'm gonna be honest when I say I ALMOST made a purse out of the cute little Window Box Thinlits Dies myself!!)!!

My daughter is getting married (YAY!) in May ... and I'm started to crank my brain up into FULL GEAR!! I'm going to make the invites myself (NO BRAINER) ... and I am also making paper crane curtains and little wedding favor boxes with MACARONS in them (yes ... I AM crazy!! Made my very first batch of macarons yesterday ... they weren't perfect, but I was pretty happy with them!)! And since I have had wedding-on-the-brain ... I made a wedding card!!! And I STILL have to finish reassembling my messy craft room from the Great Flood of December 2017 (it's VERY overwhelming!). So I seem to be "stuck" with the things I can actually find!!

Stamps: Lift Me Up
Paper: Whisper White, Blushing Bride, Tasty Treats Specialty DSP
Ink: Crumb Cake
Accessories: Window Box Thinlits Dies, Sending Love Embellishments, Blushing Bride Sequin Trim, Linen Thread, 3/8" Burlap Ribbon, , Mini Stapler

Moving on ... I LOVE this Window Box Thinlits Dies SO much!!! (Ask me in a few months after I've made about 300 of them!)!! I was just playing around with this mostly ... wanted to see how two macarons would fit inside here ... the answer??? PERFECTLY!!! (Sadly, I already ate all the macarons I made ...) This is gonna take some time (and I will be changing up colors and accessories for the actual ones I do for the wedding) ... but won't this be the cutest wedding favor EVER????

Stamps: Sealed with Love
Paper: Whisper White, Blushing Bride
Ink: Crumb Cake
Accessories: 3/8" Burlap Ribbon, Window Box Thinlits Dies, Sealed With Love Embellishments, Linen Thread

And aren't they so caYOOT side by side???? CUTECUTECUTE I tell ya!!!







Moving onward ... click on the "next" link to go to see the wonderful "flight-inspired" celebration-style projects by the ever-creative LeeAnn Greff!!

Stamp Review Crew - Papillon Potpourri Edition

Here I am ... again ... and it's been a whole week since last I blogged!! Sigh ... I am honestly SO happy that I have so many talented groups with whom I "blog hop" ... it keeps me on my toes!!! I haven't had a chance to play with my Stamp Review Crew friends for QUITE some time. SOOOOO happy I FINALLY have a set that they are using (I know, I know ... you'd think I had EVERYthing, wouldn't ya???)

INLOVE with this Detailed Floral Thinlits Die!!! OHMYGOSH!!! I want to use it ALLTHETIME!!! I think it is the PERFECT compliment to the Papillon Potpourri set, don't you???? But then, y'all KNOW I have a "thing" for butterflies ...

Stamps: Papillon Potpourri, Floral Phrases
Paper: Whisper White, Elegant Eggplant, Wisteria Wonder
Ink: Elegant Eggplant, Wisteria Wonder
Accessories: Detailed Floral Thinlits, Elegant Butterfly Punch, Bitty Butterfly Punch, Silver Ribbon

Yep ... it's GORGEOUS!!! I am soveryhappy that it did NOT retire this year ... it just stinkin' goes with SO much!!









I'm still running-running-running ... since it's officially "running season" I have several races in my future ... I will be doing a half marathon this next Saturday, and a Ragnar race (Wasatch Back) the following week. It took me nearly THREE YEARS of consistent running to actually "like" it ... now I can say that I am HOOKED!!

The "previous" button will take you to the ever-so-talented Mickey Roberts, and the "next" button to super-awesome Rochelle Blok!!

Freakin' New Catalog Goodness!!

Oooooo!! What could be MORE FUN than getting inspiration from the Control Freaks as they play with NEW GOODNESS from the NEW CATALOG???? Not a whole heck-of-a-lot!!! This month we are all making creations from things we have ALREADY "acquired" from the new Stampin' Up Catalog!! Did ya SEE what the Creative Connie Babbert shared??? She is ALWAYS amazing!!

I saw a card similar to this one at a recent "downline" meeting I went to at Pam Morgan's ... couldn't tell ya WHO made it ... but I DO know that I KNEW that I HAD to do something similar!! I seem to be having a "thing" lately with tone-on-tone, monochromatic creations ... and I LOVELOVELOVE that I was able to use the new Blendabilities markers to make this card for a wedding gift that needed a card for a wedding reception I am heading off to ... I am INLOVE with these Blendabilitites!!

Stamps: I Like You, Itty Bitty Banners
Paper: Pool Party, Whisper White
Ink: Pool Party, Whisper White, Coastal Cabana Blendabilities, Old Olive Blendabilities
Accessories: Bitty Banners Framelits, Mossy Meadow Stitched Satin Ribbon, Small Oval Punch, Zig Zag Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Corner Rounder Punch, Whisper White Embossing Powder

And ... to continue with the "tone-on-tone" thing I got going ... here is a card I made with the Bordering Blooms stamp set ... I also seem to be having a "thing" with the Corner Rounder Punch (which is now available with the Project Life goodies!) ...

Stamps: Bordering Blooms, A Dozen Thoughts
Paper: Crisp Cantaloupe, Mossy Meadow, Very Vanilla, Naturals Ivory
Ink: Crisp Cantaloupe
Accessories: Zig Zag Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Corner Rounder Punch, 1 1/4" Square Punch, Very Vintage Designer Buttons, Gold Sequin Trim, Venetian Crochet Trim, Pearl Basics, Linen Thread

Next up is the MARVELOUS Mary Brown!! LOVE her style!!

Happy-Shiny NEW Stuffs!!

Do you know how DIFFICULT it is to know that there is a lovely box FULL of shiny-happy new things from the shiny-happy new Stampin' Up catalog sitting on your porch and being unable to even SEE it (let alone TOUCH it) until 10:00 pm after a VERY long day???? I DO!! Sheesh!!! And I was SO tired by the time I got home last night (even my HAIR was tired) that I didn't even have the ENERGY to OPEN the box!! Now THAT'S what I call just plain ol' SAD!!!

GOOD NEWS is that I got up early this morning to play ... despite the fact that I (a) had LOTS of household chores I COULD have done instead (yeah ... right ...) and (b) I SHOULD have gone running or done some sorta exercise ... nah ... wasn't gonna happen!!

Even though I didn't place an overly-large order as soon as I was able (which was at NOON last Monday!) ... I was STILL overwhelmed with all the (dare I say it again??) happy-shiny new stuffs staring back at me from the box after I opened it up this morning??? WHERE to BEGIN??? Sigh ... first.world.problems.

So I made this card before I had to run out the door for another busy-crazy day. And I have been feeling happy-shiny ever since!!

LOVE the new Striped Scallop Thinlits Die!! LOVE the new Little Letters Thinlits dies, too!! Oooooo!! So much to choose from in this new catalog!! If you'd like to see for yourself, just click on the catalog icon on my sidebar to the right ... FUN stuffs, I tell ya!!

Stamps: None
Paper: Whisper White, Pool Party, Real Red, Typeset DSP
Ink: None
Accessories: Striped Scallop Thinlits Die, Little Letters Thinlits Die, Pool Party 1/4" Cotton Ribbon, Itty Bitty Accents Punch Pack, Gold Sequin Trim, Sewing Machine

"Flyin'" By ...

Have a LOT to do today (WHY IS IT that Saturdays go SO fast and Mondays go SO slow??) ... just wanted to pop by really quickly and share a page that I made last night using MDS (My Digital Studio) ... whilst watching the Opening Ceremonies for the Olympics (GO TEAM USA!!)!!

Although the weather was a bit too blustery for these two to "fly away" at the end of their reception last night, a good time was had by all!! (And YES, they DID get me to do the "Boot Scootin' Boogie!) So very happy for these two and the adventure called life that they have chosen to share with one another!!

That is all ... have a great weekend!!

MDS Supplies
Stamps: Beautiful Today (heart, small wash 2)
Paper: Old School, Beautiful Today, Be Yourself, Calypso Coral, Very Vanilla, Pacific Point
Accessories: Burlap Ribbon (folded), Mis-Stitched (6b and 6c), Flag Punch, File It Fun Punch (Label 8)

Wedding Bells

Today we are celebrating the marriage of some of our good "flying" buddies. Over the past 10+ years, we have gotten to know some of the most a-MAZ-ing people through our association with the EAA (Experimental Aircraft Owners Association). They have become like part of our family. AND ... believe it or NOT ... my husband actually talks as MUCH as or MORE than I do when we get together with these people!! (For those of you who know ME well ... or ESPECIALLY if you know my husband ... this is saying SOMETHING!!).

Sooo .... BIG CONGRATULATIONS to Jeff and Amanda!! I felt myself getting a little carried away on this one ... I kept adding and adding and adding little bits of stuff ... I likey!!

Really looking forward to celebrating with everyone later this evening. Food, music, a PINATA (oh JOY!!) ... and, weather permitting, Jeff and Amanda are literally gonna "fly off into the sunset!" How COOL is THAT???

Stamps: Happy Watercolor, Perfect Pennants, Off the Grid
Paper: Coastal Cabana, Pistachio Pudding, Crumb Cake, Whisper White
Ink: Coastal Cabana, Crumb Cake, Pistachio Pudding
Accessories: Chalk Talk Framelits, Gold Sequin Trim, Natural Chevron Ribbon, Pistachio Pudding Ruffled Ribbon Trim, Doily (January Paper Pumpkin), Small Heart Punch, Sewing Machine

Oh Happy Day!

And so ... today I am sharing two VERY different things that I created with the same stamp set ... which just happens to be one that you can earn for FREE with any $50 order during Stampin' Up's Sale-a-Bration promo (which just started YESTERDAY!).

FIrst off ... a card. I was going for sort of a "quilted" look. Not quite sure I achieved that, but I DID try to evoke a little but of springtime with the colors, butterflies and flowers. January is always the coldest, grayest and most BLEH month for weather. Can't WAIT to see the sun!! (We suffer from nasty inversions in the Salt Lake Valley ... cloud cover gets trapped in between the mountain ranges on the extreme west and extreme east sides of the valley ... kinda like living in a bowl! ... and any nasty pollutions and what-not get trapped under the cloud cover until we get a storm to blow it outta here .... which is where we are right now ... again ... waiting for a storm to expose the blue skies above the cloud cover!)

Stamps: Bloomin' Marvelous (SAB)
Paper: Pretty in Pink, Lucky Limeade, Wisteria Wonder, Whisper White
Ink: Pretty in Pink, Lucky Limeade, Wisteria Wonder
Accessories: Lucky Limeade 3/8" Ruffled Ribbon, Ticket Duo Building Punch, Simply Scored

Next up? A scrapbook layout. And yeah ... that IS me ... in my wedding dress! I made my friends who were going to Leadership Convention in Florida (where this sample was posted) PROMISE NOT to throw darts at this ... OR (especially) draw big ol' mustaches or Harpo-Marx-style eyebrows on it, although I KNOW they were tempted!!

Same stamp set, totally different look. I used the Natural 7/8" Cotton Ribbon to create this pearly flower (with help from the Jumbo Sticky Rounds!) ...

And, of course, I HAD to add at last ONE butterfly in there somewhere!!

Stamps: Bloomin' Marvelous (SAB), Madison Avenue (SAB)
Paper: Sahara Sand, Whisper White, Sycamore Street DSP (SAB)
Ink: Whisper White, Rich Razzleberry, Sahara Sand
Accessories: Small Oval Punch, Elegant Butterfly Punch, 1 3/8" Square Punch, Vine Street Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Stripes Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Natural 7/8" Cotton Ribbon, Pearl Basics, Linen Thread


Wedding dresses started to get really FUN and INTERESTING a few years AFTER I got married (but, hey ... at least "back in the day" most of 'em had SLEEVES!)! I'm pretty sure my daughter is NEVER gonna wanna even try my wedding dress ON ... but it IS properly boxed up in a closet downstairs in the event that SOMEday I find something to do with it!!

Here's Comes the Bride ...

I have been known, on occasion, to be coerced into making wedding announcements for people I know ... doesn't happen all the time, but I do at least one or two sets a year. Looks like it's that time again. I always find it fun and interesting to see what the bride helps me come up with. I never take on these adventures alone. For such an important day, I want it to be what makes the bride happy, so it is usually a team effort.

This one makes me smile ... not for the reason you would necessarily think, though. It actually makes me think of proms in the 80's ... the color combo isn't too far off of what me and my date wore to my Junior Prom (HE wore a burgundy tux ... NO LIE!!). And since the bride had chosen burgundy and "peach" as her color combo, I was VERY lucky that I had a leftover stash of Apricot Appeal in my "retired" file box. And I mean VERY lucky! I cut up every last scrap I had in order to get these done!!

Here's a peek at the inside that I created using MDS. That program has come in sooo stinkin' handy! I am amazed at how many different projects I have used it for!

My husband and I spent part of the weekend in Wendover volunteering for the airshow they had there. It was great fun ... we have made so many awesome friends in conjunction with our love of flying. So fantastic to have so many great people to share it with.

Stamps: Love & Laughter
Paper: Bravo Burgundy, Apricot Appeal, Whisper White
Ink: Bravo Burgundy, Apricot Appeal
Accessories: Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Folder, Elegant Lines Textured Impressions Folder, Whisper White Satin/Organza Ribbon, Tag Corner Punch (Retired), Rhinestone Basics, MDS2

Sneaky Peeky Freaky Fun!!

Welcome, welcome to this month's Control Freaks Blog Tour where we are giving you a few sneak peeks at what is coming up in both the Occasions Mini AND Sale-a-Bration Catalog!! If you are following the Tour around, you should have just come from the blog of my BFF, JanTink! She blows me away pretty much All. The. Time!





As we still have several months of winter chill in this neck of the woods, I decided to make a fun little item that you can share with a friend ... the teacups in the new Tea Shoppe set just spoke to me ... stinkin' ADORABLE!! So, I decided to make a little hot chocolate kit!!

Wait for it ...


Wait for it ...




TA-DA!!! Lookie what is inside!! Not only some hot chocolate (which, I am sad to say, I only had samples of "generic" stuff that came in little packets ... all my yummy gourmet stuff comes in canisters!), but some mini marshmallows and peppermint bits t'boot!! (Thanks for the inspiration, Kim!) I had way too much fun making this!!

Stamps: Tea Shoppe
Paper: Early Espresso, Soft Suede, Calypso Coral, Vanilla, Everyday Enchantment DSP
Ink: Soft Suede, Early Espresso, Calypso Coral, Poppy Parade, Pool Party, Pear PIzzazz
Accessories: Simply Scored, Modern Label Punch, Small Oval Punch, Scallop Circle Punch, 1 1/4" Circle Punch, Soft Suede Taffeta Ribbon, Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Pearl Basics, Pear Pizzazz Ruffled Ribbon, Test Tubes


Moving on ... I made this card for my aunt for her birthday. I haven't done any "painting" with reinkers and a blender pen in AGES!! I almost forgot how much FUN it is!! And I LOVELOVELOVE how we have a die, embossing folder AND stamped images that all coordinate together (I am saving the stamped image that goes with this lovely curvy edge for another day!). C'mon SPRING!!

Stamps: Bordering on Romance, Elementary Elegance
Paper: Wisteria Wonder, Concord Crush, Whisper White
Ink: Wisteria Wonder, Concord Crush, More Mustard, Certainly Celery, Pear PIzzazz, Black Stazon
Accessories: Scallop Trim Corner Punch, 1 3/8" Circle Punch, Adorning Accents Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Adorning Accents Edgelits Die, Pear Pizzazz Ruffled Ribbon, Pearl Basics, Dimensionals

One more to share with ya ... I swore I wasn't gonna get this set ... but it kept calling me from the closed pages of my Occasions Mini ... "Wendy ... you KNOW you want to!! Just DO IT!!" So I did! And I also think I am kinda hooked on the ruffled ribbon ... SOOOO PURDY!!

Stamps: Love & Laughter
Paper: Blushing Bride, Rich Razzleberry, Whisper White
Ink: Blushing Bride, Pearl Pizzazz, Rich Razzleberry
Accessories: Elegant Lines Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Blushing Bride Ruffled Ribbon, Rhinestone Basics

Now it's time to visiting one of my Freaky Friends who is brand new to the Blog Tour this month (although I've been swapping with her for YEARS and she is AWESOME!!). Yvette Ashe!!