What a crazy summer already!!! Since so many of our Control Freaks members were Incentive Trip earners (they spent a glorious time on a Grecian Isle Cruise!), we have been a little MIA!! NEVER FEAR!! We are BACK ... and this month we are Steppin' It Up! The Marvelous Melissa Davies is at it again ... so much inspiration, right???

I've been playing with Stampin' Up's stamps for close to 18 years (which is amazing considering I am still only 27!!). Every dang time they come out with some sort of "veggie" set I am SUCKED IN!!! I love fruit and veggie images. SOOOO MUCH! It must be the California Girl in me ... I could NOT resist this beautiful little avocado! In this "simple" version of my card today, I just stamped everything straight down. Even though I didn't layer the pit of the avocado by fussy cutting it and sticking it on with a dimensional, I still gave this card some depth with the rectangles of different colored cardstock and vellum. It came together really quickly, and the entire sentiment is placed in one cute little chubby rectangle.

Stamps: Garden Goodness, Band Together (for the avocado leaves), Birch
Paper: Soft Suede, Whisper White, Mellow Moss, Vellum
Ink: Mellow Moss, Soft Suede
Accessories: Stitched Rectangle Dies, Subtle Embossing Folder, Sahara Sand 5/8" Woven Threads Trim

When I started to "step it up" I just couldn't stop myself!!! I was inspired to make this background from my dear and talented friend, Elizabeth Price. The background was stamped and then run through my BigShot using the Subtle embossing folder. (Seriously, y'all ... if you don't own this one yet, you NEED it! PRONTO!!) The "shiplap" look of the background was created by cutting the background Birch image into five different strips (and no ... they are NOT even ... I obviously can't count ... but I like how it turned out anyway!)! Then, I used a spritzer with a handful of Crumb Cake ink dropped into it. I spritzed each of the pieces, then used my aqua painter and some Mellow Moss ink to add the green bits sporadically on the strips I had already cut. Lastly, I ran my fingernail along the upper and lower edges of each strip and all edges of the Mellow Moss panel to give it a more worn look ... and to allow the Soft Suede cardstock to peek through the panels as grout. This time I not only fussy cut the leaves, but also the avocado itself, as well as the pit of the avocado. I wish you could see the depth and texture of this in person ... it is SO fun! 

Stamps: Garden Goodness, Band Together (for the avocado leaves), Budding Borders, Birch
Paper: Soft Suede, Whisper White, Mellow Moss, Vellum
Ink: Mellow Moss, Soft Suede
Accessories: Stitched Rectangle Dies, Stitched Shapes Dies, Subtle Embossing Folder, Sahara Sand 5/8" Woven Threads Trim, Metallic Pearls

Next up???  ... Magnificent Melissa Stout!! I'm in between a MELISSA SANDWICH!! (I have done this before ... and it's a privilege to be between these two talented ladies!)

True confessions time ... I bought myself a Stamparatus as soon as I could get my hands on one. I even "preordered" it before Stampin' Up even had them in stock! And I have hardly ever used it at ALL!! I even couldn't find where I had stored it for a while (I put it someplace that made "sense" ... someplace really "safe"). I promptly forgot where that was. Now that I have found it, I decided I needed to play with it!

The Stamparatus was the PERFECT tool to put this background together using the "Budding Borders" stamp set. I think I can't believe it has taken me THIS LONG to get it together and use it! YAY ME!!! It's FABULOUS!!

Stamps: Budding Borders, Capture the Good (sentiment)
Paper: Whisper White, Bermuda Bay
Ink: Lovely Lipstick, Pineapple Punch, Bermuda Bay, Pacific Point
Accessories: Stitched Nested Labels Dies, Stitched Shapes Dies, Bermuda Bay 1/4" Mini Striped Ribbon, Whisper White Solid Baker's Twine, Stamparatus









Bright and beautiful!!!











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 hope to be able to do some hiking/running this weekend ... but who knows??? Weekends usually come and go so quickly that I will just have to wait and see!

I almost didn't even get to make this card. After receiving my new box of goodies last week, I quickly tucked the items away (sorta) where they belonged because I was working on another HUGE project and had things strewn hither and yon around my craft room.

Knowing what I had ordered (and presumably tucked away), I knew I wanted to play with this "Wish For It All" bundle. Until I could NOT find the dies. I mean ... ANYwhere!!! I looked in my paper hanging files, through my dies, through my new stamps ... NADA. I looked again and AGAIN. I went and checked my order to make SURE I had order the "bundle" and not just the stamp set (because experience tells me I HAVE done THAT before!). Nope. I ordered the bundle. So I looked ... again and again. I was all set to call Stampin' Up the next morning to say that I had never received the dies. And then I looked through my stamps again. And THERE THEY WERE ... stacked between two stamp sets just minding their own business!!! They had been there all along and I had somehow missed them every dang time!! Sheesh!!! I must be losin' it ....

So here is what I made when I finally got my act together!

Stamps: Wish For It All
Paper: Basic Black, Whisper White, Petal Pink, Lovely Lipstick, Subtles DSP
Ink: Lovely Lipstick
Accessories: Doily Wishes Dies, Trio Corner Punch, Lovely Lipstick Grosgrain Ribbon, Ovals Dies

We are already heading into another busy and crazy weekend. Honestly, how DOES the time zip by so quickly in the summer???? I have NO idea ... but it'll be Monday again before ya know it ... SIGH ...

Oh BABY-BABY!!! These elephants are SOOOO STINKIN' CUTE!!! They just make me happy! And I couldn't think of anything more adorable to use for my grandniece's first birthday! This last year has just WHIZZED by!!

I used the sample photo in this year's catalog as inspiration for this card ... I flipped the orientation and added a few things to make it more my own. Don't ya just LOVE finding something that inspires you in your craftiness??? I know that I do for SURE!!

I cheated a little bit on this and used the now-retired Smoky Slate gingham ... I just couldn't HELP myself because it was the PERFECTO match for this card.  You could actually use the gingham DSP and create the same look.  Cut it about 3/8" and accordion fold it about halfway across.

Stamps: Little Elephant
Paper: Whisper White, Melon Mambo, Blushing Bride, Smoky Slate, Neutrals DSP, Vellum
Ink: Smoky Slate, Melon Mambo
Accessories: Stitched Shapes Dies, Elephant Builder Punch, Smoky Slate Gingham Ribbon (retired), Corrugated Embossing Folder, Large Numbers Dies (also retired! Sorry guys!)

We are doing a Young Eagles Rally tomorrow with some of our airplane friends. Basically, it's where pilots donate their planes, time and fuel to give free rides to kids between the ages of 8-18. It's fun for the kids, it's fun for the pilots ... and it's even fun for the support crew (of which I am a part!)! I have been making t-shirts to sell for the kids ... so I have spent ALL my "free" time this past week putting those together (I have made 60 of them!)!! Hoping the forecast stays the same and that we will have sunny skies! Have a GREAT weekend!