Check it out - I found ANOTHER new blog to play at:  Back to Basics & Beyond #5, and this week is all about heat embossing!
Going through my stack of new stamps (it's getting smaller!) I decided to go with the new Sitting Pretty set - I could totally see that gorgeous wrought iron bench heat-embossed in black!  This is another super well-coordinated set - lovely framelits with a texture piece, too, and lots of two-step stamping opportunities in the images in the set - even an extra bench in the framelits!  I'm just dipping my tow in the wrought-iron today, lol...  Quick Tip:  have a little miss on your two-step stamping?  Use your blender pen to fudge the lines a little, as I did to achieve a kind of two-tone effect on my spider plant leaves!  They need NEVER know, lol...
Sitting Pretty Stamp Set; Whisper White, Mossy Meadow & Crumb Cake CS; Versamark, Memento Tuxedo Black, Mossy Meadow, Crumb Cake & Merry Merlot Inks; Black EP; Pretty Park Framelits; #BBB5.

OK troops, your Fearless Fabbers are on the job with the new In Colors for this week's Fab Friday #140!  Let's take these babies out for a spin!
I myself am actually enjoying these colors pretty well - and traditionally I'm not a huge fab of the "brights" year, lol.  I'm finding that they work AWESOME at filling in some shading gaps in our larger color families, and I'm having a blast doing that, lol.  Christmas cards will really shine this year, folks!  I'm a little less certain about having them all TOGETHER, but then I realized how well they approximate the traditional rainbow, and I totally got over it.  So HELLO, color!  Welcome to the Fab Fam!  And we'll see YOU at the challenge!
Letters For You & Itty Bitty Greetings Stamp Sets; Whisper White & Basic Black CS; Lovely Lipstick, Grapefruit Grove, Pineapple Punch, Call Me Clover, Blueberry Bushel & Memento Tuxedo Black Inks; Large Letters Framelits; Maps Etc DEF; #FabFri140.

Look at the cute sketch Inspire Create Challenges #20 has for us - so much scope in these simple lines!
I went a little bit one-color today - can you tell I'm pining away after my return from Maui??  Sigh.  The Coastal Cabana and Bermuda Bay are really talking to me today, lol.  I finally pulled out my new Brights DSP stack - love that they are 6" x 6" minis!  I feel so much less guilt about getting them when I still have older 12" x 12" to get through, lol.  I'm also loving this new Mini Striped Ribbon - it goes a dream on the card fronts!  Made in the shade, lol...
Pocketful of Sunshine Stamp Set; Brights DSP Stack in Coastal Cabana; Whisper White & Bermuda Bay CS; Memento Tuxedo Black Ink; Mini Striped Ribbon in Bermuda Bay; Glitter Enamel Dots in Coastal Cabana; #ICC20.

AAA Cards #117 has a fun clean and simple "geometrics" challenge that I really want to try for - so fun!
I don't actually do geometrics very often, I realized - and the added twist of keeping it clean and simple?  Argh!  It's like they're going right for my weak spot, lol.  Fortunately, I remembered to check out the gorgeous new Delightfully Detailed Laser Cut sheets, and one of them had this diamond pattern to play with.  Looks geometric to me!  I added some soft color with a sponge roller, and finished with this retired geometric sentiment.  Then, well, I just HAD to add a tiny bit of bling, lol.  I really tried to keep it subtle, I swear!  I was also proud that I though to use the "mat" for my brayering to also do the envelope flap - looks cool!
Urban District Stamp Set (retired); Delightfully Detailed Laser Cut Sheet; Whisper White CS; Calypso Coral, Soft Sea Foam & Gorgeous Grape Inks; Build It Framelits (retired); Basic Jewel Rhinestones; #AAA117.

We have an AWESOME sketch for you this week at Try Stampin' on Tuesday #369!
I couldn't resist breaking out another new set today, and also give a test run for my Christmas in July class, lol.  I am fascinated by the lovely images and swirls in our new Stylish Christmas set - so elegant!  I love when the color gradation is built into the stamps, as well - it adds so much depth to the images!  Anyway, I added in some strips of one of the tiled sheets from the Under the Mistletoe DSP, and I think it goes just right, a real play on styles.  I also snuck in a few of our new metallic gold pearls - love these!  Can't wait to see your creations - see you at the challenge!
Stylish Christmas Stamp Set; Under the Mistletoe DSP; Whisper White & Pear Pizzazz CD; Real Red & Pear Pizzazz Inks; Banner Triple Punch; Gold Metallic Pearls; #TSOT369.

It's been a while, but I'm thrilled that I get to jump in on this week's Paper Craft Crew #295 - such a sunny sketch!I LOVE when they do their two-weekers!
The lovely round shape on the sketch immediately had me pulling out another new goodie - the Stitched All Around bundle.  The framelits that go with this collection of sentiments all feature stitching details, and there are even a couple strips for adding some cross or straight stitching wherever you please!  I love the phrase I chose, and the shape it fits in - so delicate, and a snap to create.  I really struggled with what DSP to go with for my background panel, sigh, maybe next time I shouldn't START with the die-cut shape, lol.
Stitched All Around Stamp Set; Share What You Love DSP; Whisper White & Crumb Cake CS; Blackberry Bliss & Old Olive Inks; Stitched Labels Framelits; Touches of Nature Elements; #PCC295.

We have a bright and tasty color challenge for you over here at Sunday Stamps #181 this week!
These two greens together made me think of this fun new hostess set, Artfully Folded.  I used to be a crane-folding fiend when I was in college, and I remember doing an installation of a thousand of them all in muted greens, lol - what a job!  It took me almost two weeks to crank those babies out - these are MUCH easier with the two-step stamping option for all the pretty folds!  This is the kind of nostalgia I could get used to, for sure, lol, and so fun to have my beloved Mint Macaron back - yay!  Can't wait to see YOU over at the challenge - come on down!
Artfully Folded Stamp Set; Mint Macaron, Pear Pizzazz & Whisper White CS; Memento Tuxedo Black, Melon Mambo, Mint Macaron & Pear Pizzazz Inks; #SSC181.

Well, Hand Stamped Sentiments #291 is welcoming me home from Maui in true nautical style, lol.  Til I return, beloved island!
Just off the shore from where we stayed was a gorgeous protected and accessible reef, and the water was so shallow, we almost didn't even need the snorkeling gear!  I was so struck by the calm movement, and gorgeous life under the waves - I could have floated there forever, just watching it all go by...  It was the perfect escape from our desert life, for sure, lol.  All that inspired this simple scene - and I had some fun piecing together this sentiment, that I also have on a shirt.  Our new Make a Difference set made it fun and fast!  Ahhh, what a perfect vacation we had!
Make a Difference & By The Tide (retired-2013) Stamp Sets; By the Shore DSP (retired); Very Vanilla & Dapper Denim (retired) CS; Dapper Denim (retired), Calypso Coral & Crumb Cake Inks; Glitter Enamel Dots in Dapper Denim (retired); #HSS291.

With their usual perfect timing, SU Only #201 has a masculine/Father's Day challenge for us this week - excellent!
For this one, I couldn't resist grabbing my Everyday Hero set off the shelf when I was working on yesterday's Retro Rubber card - another fun guy set that just didn't get enough catty-time, so far as I'm concerned, lol.  And I LOVE that this set has male AND female heroes, lol.  Today, though, it's all about the dude!  I wanted to take a few of our new colors out for a spin, too - surprisingly, Balmy Blue is growing on me, how about that! 
Yay, Daddy (that's a our daddy pep rally cry around here, lol), you're the best - always! 
Everyday Hero Stamp Set (retired-2017); Balmy Blue, Merry Merlot, Gray Granite & Whisper White CS; Memento Tuxedo Black, Daffodil Delight, Balmy Blue & Merry Merlot Inks; #SUO201.

2018 New Catty Intro Class June 16!
Woo hoo!  It's new catalog time!  Come on out for an introduction to fun new products and colors, and new toys to boot!  This class will focus on 5 new suites of products from our just released 2018-19 Idea Book and Catalog, with all-occasion cards you will love!  Class includes all your supplies (bring your own snips and fave adhesive), plus snacks, drinks, and a special gift from me, all for $25!  This class can also be FREE with your purchase of $30 or more!  RSVP today to save your spot! Class is still on for Saturday, June 16 at 3 pm - let me know if you can make it, or need to make it up now that summer's here!

Oh gosh, Retro Rubber #88 is turning us loose and running an anything goes challenge this week!  Woo hoo!  Gonna dig deep for this one, lol.
One of my fave things to do at Retro Rubber is to combine really wide-spread eras into one fun new creation.  Check out this oldie!  This 2-set combo was the start of my alphabet obsession, lol - and I certainly am no closer to recovery for that little addiction!  Alphabets just have so many possibilities, I guess - and I adored this one that had the little definition sentiments to go with - a one-two punch!  I have a feeling this will be one of the first cards I send to my daughter this Fall at school  when she goes away - there's an empty nest getting closer and closer!  I couldn't resist combining them with my fave sheet from our gorgeous Share What You Love paper - I think they were both born in the wrong generations, lol...
Define Your Life & Defining Alphabet Stamp Sets (retired-2007); Share What You Love DSP; Tranquil Tide, Whisper White & Blackberry Bliss CS; Tranquil Tide & Blackberry Bliss Inks; Layering Ovals Framelits; Silver Cording Trim; #RR88.

2018 New Catty Intro Class June 16!
Woo hoo!  It's new catalog time!  Come on out for an introduction to fun new products and colors, and new toys to boot!  This class will focus on 5 new suites of products from our just released 2018-19 Idea Book and Catalog, with all-occasion cards you will love!  Class includes all your supplies (bring your own snips and fave adhesive), plus snacks, drinks, and a special gift from me, all for $25!  This class can also be FREE with your purchase of $30 or more!  RSVP today to save your spot! Class is still on for Saturday, June 16 at 3 pm - let me know if you can make it, or need to make it up now that summer's here!