Mojo Monday and Unity Beach Days Set Sail!

I loved this sketch from Mojo Monday week 97 !

I keep hearing all the comments about summer being almost gone, how here in Michigan we haven't had much of a summer, but I so disagree! I loved the weather we have had so far, hardly any humidity, high 70's to low 80's, to me its perfect! So all that being said, I did connect with the part about summer being almost gone, so I had to snatch up my newest Unity stamp set "Beach Days" and give it a go! The set is so cute, and I loved this sailboat, so I could just see it sitting in the center of the "mojo monday" sketch! The little starfish are from an EK Sucess punch that I purchased at Michael's for a mere song" of $1.97...how could I resist that? The DS paper is of course a SU retired line, my colors I used are SU Ruby Red and Not Quite Navy, and Real Red CS...........your nice comments are welcome! Oh, and my card looks crooked, its just the dumb way I photographed it!

If you are interested in the Unity Beach Days set, here is the link ,have fun!

just hoppin' all is well!!

I met another challenge, this one from Our Creative Corner, using the Stampin'Up! set "Hoppy For You" for the sentiment and A Flower For All Seasons for the image! Don't you just love how the Su stamps all work so well together! I used two different Cuttlebug Embossing Folders, and a the Nestabilities Scalloped Ovals, the ribbon is from the SU Sale-a-bration promotion this Spring that was FREE!

Recipe:

Cardstock: Old Olive, Certainly celery, Melon Mambo

Stamps: Hoppy For You, A Flower For All Seasons

SU Markers: Regal Rose, Lavender Lace, Pumpkin Pie, Rose Red, Gable Green, Certainly celery

Other: Old Olive retired Su Ds paper, certainly celery ribbon, oval punches

2 Sketches 4 You Challenge

I am really, really on a roll! This is yet another challenge I finished this week 2 Sketches 4 You .

This challenge has a wonderful prize of $100 gift certificate to Just Rite Stamps...woowho baby...yummmmmmmmmmmy!!!

I went with a totally vintage look, and lots of layers for this one, plus I was able to use up more of my stash! I am not sure of where the DS papers came from, except for the glitter one, its k company, the flower is a chipboard...just kind of put together with odds and ends....I like how it turned out, and hope to print a nice little vintage birthday sentiment to go inside!

Flourishes Challenge FTTC26

Flourishes Timeless Tuesday Challenge this week is to use ONE color with either cream or white. I think the monochromatic cards are so pretty and decided to participate in yet another challenge this week!

I used the NEW Stampin'Up! in color melon mambo along with whisper white! This is a gorgeous color, and as much as I LOVED the retired in colors, these new colors are very fast being another "fav"! I used a SCS sketch SC195 for my card template, the stamp sets are Great Friend and Simple Friendship, which work perfect together! I also used Matchbox Messages. So what do you think??

Don't forget to scroll on down to see another challenge I did that I have posted today!

Pecked Just For You~Cupcake Friday Challenge TECC75

I participated in yet another challenge!! This one is from Taylored Expressions Cupcake Friday challenge. I made another large card, kind of fun to change from the "norm"! I bought these chicken Hambo stamps (2003) and this the first I have inked them! My Mom, sister, and I used to have these "running chicken jokes" we played on each other for years, every Christmas, birthday, or just a special day, we would get some kind of a "funky" chicken item......I can't even remember what it was all about or why we did it now, but it was fun at the time, so I think I had purchased these cute "little chickens" with my Mom and Sister in mind!

I am into using up "old Stock", so I sewed SU (retired) DS paper on my card base (another item I have had for about 13 years and am using up...the card base I mean) using black thread and my machine, used a SU 1 3/4" punch to punch the images out, opened a new pack of ribbon (dated 2002), added that at the bottom, added my sentiment (also Hambo).....so how bout "those chickens"???

Appreciation*Gratitude*Thankfulness

Once in awhile I find my manners and might need to send a thank you card, so in case that happens, (me finding my manners I mean), I will actually have a card made ahead!

This is a total Stampin' Up! card, with the exception of the brads, those are some I JUST purchased ( yes, really I am actually using a just purchased item and not stashing it) from Basic Grey, I buy a set of these everytime I enter our local stamp store, they are my favorites!

Cardstock used is our new (SU) line of "in colors", Soft Suede, (you will see me using this alot) Crushed Curry and Dusty Durango. The polka ribbon is dusty durango, a scrap of retired SU DS paper, and the NEW jumbo wheel Bright Blessings was used for the focal point! I think I would call this a CAC (clean and simple) card!!!

From owl of us...From Courtney's Closet #50

Courtney is posing upside down, I had to use THIS photo, as it was just too funny!

Geez, I have been on a roll this week, a posting everyday, hope I can keep up with myself...teehee!!

For this lovely Monday morning I decided to participate in the "From Courtney's Closet" Challenge, I used to do these on a regular basis, then "life" just keeps getting in the way! If you are not familar with this challenge, Libby dresses her darling little daughter and we are to use her outfit as inspiration. Well, what could be more inspiring then a baby girl? Nothing, I say, and since I have some "little" grandaughers myself, I decided to get back in the challenges!

This is a rather large card, and since I have been in the "use some of the old" mood, I made the card from a pre-packaged note card set I purchased about 13 years ago...no kidding! I mounted the card onto SU's NEW Rich Razzleberry CS, (I am loving this color the more I use it),used 2 of SU's Exclusive Sizzix dies, Little Leaves (cut from certainly celery)and an embosslit Flower Burst. The owls were stamped with both Soft Suede and Chocolate Chip, and "yep" there is a difference in the color! Stamp sets used were Animal Stories for the owl (new), Owl Together Now for the sentiment , and the little flower I used on the background came from Season of Friendship.

Second Post Today~A Bambi Moment!

I have been having a run in most mornings and evenings with this deer, she seems to like the lillies in my garden, but trouble is, so do I! So I have have been trying to chase her away. This afternoon she reappeared with her little "sidekick" Bambi! I took these photos minutes ago from across the creek outside my bedroom slider.....cute little bugger, isn't she? I hope she doesn't have the taste for lillies!

Have A Tweet Sunday!!!

I made this simple little card spur of the moment, just trying to get me motivated again! I have been in such a creative slump, ya'all know how that is!

Anywho, I used Kiwi Kiss CS (gee I wish that were in the catty forever!), ran the front half thru my Fiskers Crimper, added a piece of Bashful Blue CS, used up some scrap ribbon (yeah!and the ribbon is BROWN check, not black as it looks), a few flower brads, and the charming SU set "Spring Song" for the bird, the birthday sentiment (also a retiree) was stamped on very vanilla CS, punched with my very favorite NEW SU punch called Modern label! When I first purchased this punch I wasn't too sure about it, but now I can't leave the dang thing alone!!! Hey I posted 4 days in a row.....I must be getting my drive back, or just too lazy to do anything else................have a great Sunday!

PS: My first "new" "stuff" from SU came today, other then my preorder.......stamp sets, DS paper, 6 rolls of yummy ribbon, another NEW punch, a couple of "wheels" CS......not a ton, but it was exciting just the same!!! I will be showing some if it this week!!!

Color Throwdown #52

Well, here I am doing another Challenge to keep me motivated! This one is called "Color Throwdown Challenge # 52" . For the challenge we were to use Certainly Celery, Chocolate Chip and Perfect Plum (Perfect Plum is the first SU "color" I purchased at a worshop "way back when"). The stamp set I choose is a retired SU set called "You Make Me Happy"! The DS paper as well as the certainly celery organza ribbon are also "retiree's. I added a bit of "bling" to the flower centers with Diamond Dust Stickles, a few pearls to the sentiment, the butterfly is from a MS punch! I have to say, this card is much prettier IRL, then my photo shows here, but I always say that!

Have a nice weekend everyone, I am off to Grand Rapids to watch my granddaughter compete in the Nationals (they took state in their division) for Cheer America, this is her last year, they have won Nationals five years in a row...is she good, you betcha.

It's Friday and Unity Hip Hop Hangover Goes Girlie!

Go here to visit the UNITY blog.

I participated in the Unity Hip Hop this week, a first for me, though I am sure it won't be my last! I visited all the DT blogs and boy oh boy, did they have some awesome creations! I just did my own thing using my latest Unity KOM for July! I went kind of "girlie" and managed to do 2 cards.
The first card I made using the neat pocket stamp, posies and saying "A pocket full of posies", don't you just love these "girlie" colors...so dainty! The DS paper for the pocket is a scrap of my retired SU paper as well as the Baja Breeze CS. I added some brads to the pocket and some bling to the flowers. The flowers were colored with my SU Stampin Write Markers, markers to stamp technique, then stamped. The sentiment was punched with the new SU Modern Label punch!
I did a second card using the heart stamp from the July KOM and turned it into a flower, the watering can and the sentiment are also from the same kit. The DS paper is the new SU Razzleberry Lemonade, and a piece of the new SU Bermuda Bay CS. Thanks, now hiphop on to the next person, you can get to the links HERE !

Birthday Party

Do you love to give little parties? I do, its so fun to get those dishes you never use out, polish the silver, put on a vintage tablecloth, add some flowers from your garden, and make a bunch of new recipes (and hope they turn out)!

It was my sister's birthday on Sunday, so I invited just her and my Mom for a luncheon. I made the card the morning of, as thats how I normally operate, last minute! I used a background stamp (retired SU) and then preceded to cover it up almost entirely with a CB embossing folder, the dies I used are from SU's exclusive line, Cherry Blossom and Little Leaves, little leaves is only $5.50 in the catalog and I use it all the time for a quick, last minute card.

I made each guest (only 2...haha) a little box of chocolates and set on each plate. I did a luncheon for my Mom for her birthday in May, and hers was all roses and pastels, so this time I made it a very "summery" bright luncheon.

Our menu was:

Hay and Straw ( a linguine with julienned ham and peas, and the sauce was made with whipping cream and shredded Parmesan cheese).

Zuchinni Sticks (these are baked in the oven, breaded with grated parmesan cheese and bread crumbs) served with ranch dressing

Berry Slaw ( a cole slaw with strawberries and dried cherries)...so "berry" sweet!

Marble Chocolate Cheese Cake (I baked this the night before and was up until 1am letting it cool enough to remove it from the springform pan...what was I thinking?)

Third Wings of Friendship Card

Here is my 3rd card using the NEW SU hostess set "wings of friendship" showing the new ins colors from a previous post! This one I used 'Crushed curry" as the base and the bird was stamped inthe same! The large scallop background was cut with the new SU DS paper razzleberry lemonade, and the Sizzix large scallop circle. I also used a SU exclusive Sizzix die called little leaves, this little "guy" only sells for $5.50, and I use it alot! I stamped and cut the flower out , popped it up with dimentionals, add a tiny jewel for bling and a pretty satin bow.

Happy 4th of July~God Bless America

Don't you just love this trike?? It's a Unity stamp from the set Everyday Adorable, which is just that, ADORABLE!! I bought the set with my grandkids in mind for scrapbooking, but this trike reminded of when we were kids and we would put little flags on our "bikes", I remember decorating the spokes of our wheels with red, white, and blue crate paper and streamers, so fun being a kid in the 50's and 60's!

I used a cuttlebug folder to make the "waves" of a flag on SU riding hood red cs (boy am I going to miss that cs) I had bought a little stamp years ago that had 4 patriotic designs on a block, I colored the little flag with my SU markers and cut it out to mount on the trike. The "God Bless America" was stamped in gold, the ribbon is some from Michael's 4th of July line. The stars I stamped with a star from the same little block in SU Night Of Navy and Riding Hood Red.

The second photo is my dining room table display! Have a safe 4th of July Holiday!

Second in Wings of Friendship Card

Here is the second card I did using the stamped images from the new SU in colors I showed in a previous post. On this one I used Very Vanilla as the card base, and then I cuttlebugged the new "melon mambo" and also used "crushed curry"! I am liking more and more how these colors work together, and how well they work with other SU colors! I used the twill tape SU sells and stamped both colors on it for the bow. I loved how that turned out, and you get 3 sizes, 9 yards total of this twill tape for only $5.95. I can see I will be using this alot! I stamped one of the flowers from the hostess "wings of friendship" cut it out, popped it up with a dimensional and added a jewel to it for some "bling". I also added some stickles for more "bling"! I used the SU eyelet border punch for the top above the bird...mainly to cover a "booboo"!!

Wings of Friendship

Here is the first card I did using the stamped images showing the new SU in colors from a previous post. this one uses Soft Suede and Crushed Curry, and a new DS paper called RAzzleberry Lemonade! I added a little jewel for some bling in the flower center, and the brown ribbon is the last of a spool I had, yeah, I actually used something up!

I added a music player to my blog, if you don't like it, just turn your speakers down, this is new for me, as I usually don't like music on blogs, but decided to add some 4th of July music...odd pics I know, but something different, I'll change the music after the 12th! And here is what my cat "Soot" thinks of the music.....Blah!

It's HERE~The NEW Stampin'Up! Catalog!!!

The new Stampin'Up! catalog is LIVE today for ordering! It is full of NEW goodies and 100's of fantastic ideas......go here to visit my website to view, or click on my sidebar and it will take you there. Want to order, you can email me (can be found on my about me page), order thru the website or leave me a comment with YOUR email address, and I won't post it! Youa re going to love it!!

I am working on the cards from the stamped images I posted yesterday, they are really pretty, if I can get good light, I will post them tonight, otherwise tomorrow, its a dreary and dark day today, and only in the 60's...........brrrrrrrrr, thats cold for July 1st!!