Remember how I said I was so in love with Retro Sketch #35?  Well, here's take 2!
I can just see these wrenches swinging around in someone's shop, waiting to help a sistah out!  This is my thank you to all those who've been there to provide practical assistance.  In this house, no one (besides DH, of course) fits that bill better than Derrick Makowski, Handyman Extraordinaire.  He can patch Weimeranar chew holes in drywall like nobody's business, AND do the touch up paint.  Even on the inside curve of a stairwell.  Up three stairs.  While fending off additional canine assistance.  With a smile.  Ask me how I know!  And ladies, he does Christmas lights, too.  Call early, is my advice.
Totally Tool (retired) stamp set; Basic Gray, Going Grey (retired), Early Espresso, Crumb Cake & Whisper White CS; Ultra Mini brads; 1/4" Early Espresso grosgrain.

I am LOVING this week's Retro Sketch #35 - I have a stack of stamp sets all lined up to do several takes on it!  What a fun layout!
I started out by searching out my stamp sets that had a long skinny shape that I could make into a "forest" of sorts - and of course, this old sports stamp set had a baseball bat that just leaped out at me.  I figured, I can never have too many boy cards, right?
Have A Ball (retired) & Happiest Birthday Wishes (retired) stamp sets; Not Quite Navy, Cherry Cobbler & Whisper White CS; Crumb Cake, Soft Suede & Not Quite Navy Inks; Cherry Cobbler Baker's Twine.

This week's Fab Friday 05 sketch seemed made for this ornate Star of David from the Jewish Celebrations stamp set.  Now, if only I had done a better job wrangling the blues I wanted to mix up for this design!  I might need to go back and swap out the background doily for a different color, I think...
Jewish Celebrations stamp set; Festival of Prints DSP pack; Silver glimmer paper; Baja Breeze, Marina Mist & Going Gray (retired) CS; Silver embossing; Early Espresso ink;  self-adhesive rhinestones.

I decided to trot out some Soft Subtles colors today, for this floral themed Clean & Simple Sketch #214.  It's kind of clashing with the weather quite a bit here - I think when I look outside I'll see the Emerald City, it's so windy!  Not the kind of bluster that these sweet flowers would thrive in, I don't think!

Mixed Bunch & Curly Cute stamp sets; Sahara Sand, Early Espresso, Whisper White, Pretty in Pink & Bashful Blue CS & inks; Early Espresso Baker's Twine; Blossom & 3/4" Circles punches; Versamark ink; Little Leaves sizzlet.

Well, here's a pretty literal interpretation of Freshly Made sketch #58 - I just took teeny little liberties with the circle shape - that's OK, right?
I've really been wanting to use this stamp set more, too.  I got this one thinking I would make my "house" Christmas cards from it, and now I can't settle on a design!  For this one, I was thinking the DSP looks a little like a Rose Window at a cathedral.  I just love this angel...

Rejoicing With You stamp set; Crumb Cake & Very Vanilla CS; Festival of Prints DSP pack; gold embossing and Versamark; Lacy Brocade embossing folder; Labels Collection framelit.

Oh my GOSH, my little chocolate treats for the ladies tonight were SO FUN to make - I've been beside myself waiting to trot these out to show!  So clever, I know I'll be making some version of these for many occasions to come!  Here's a great video on how they go together, by Kay at Stampin' to Share - super easy!
Tonight's Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread recipe can be found here at Our Best Bites, as usual!
And here's tonight's class instructions as well!

Perfectly Preserved & Itty Bitty Banners stamp sets; Naturals White CS; Orchard Harvest DSP; Cannery Set & Bitty Banners framelits; cotton twine; Lucky Limeade ink.

Oh gosh - I almost don't even LIKE it when Stampin' Up! offers so many promotions at once - I'm always paranoid that I'll forget to tell you about one you really wanted!  Argh!  So, sorry for the commercial nature of this post, but I'm out to get it over with all at once! 

First up - 10 new single stamps are now available on a first come-first served basis til January 2 - you can click on the pics below to get to the full flyer, and buy them at my online SU! store, also found over on the right hand column of my blog home-page.  Look under the Products tab, then Shop Now.  You may as well check out the Clearance Rack while you're in there, too!

Next up is the Sell-A-Stamp Spooktacular!  On Monday Oct 29, starting at 12:00 AM (MT) and ending at 11:50 PM (MT), almost every stamp we sell will be 15 percent off.  ONE DAY ONLY!  This means all stamps in the current catalogs including background stamps, personalized name stamps, Cookie Press stamps, single stamps, you name it.  Stamps on sale!  Woot Woot!  This sale does NOT include hostess sets, bundled stamp sets or digital brush sets.  There is NO minimum purchase, and no limit to the number of stamps you can order.  Discount is applied to your shopping cart, and, while I should be around most of Monday (and will be standing by!), keep in mind that your best bet to make sure to get what you want is to shop in the online store mentioned above for fastest service! 

Also available on October 29, the first winning new project kit, designed by an amazing demonstrator or fellow customer with YOU in mind - a little something new from SU! to us.  This will be the first in a new series of kits offered throughout the year for us to check out - it'll be as much a surprise for me as you, too!  Check it out while you're in there getting Spooktacular Stamps (and Clearance Rack items!)

And finally, Digital Scrapbooking Day is almost upon us!  To help celebrate, Stampin' Up! is offering free downloads and reduced kits for the week of Oct 29 thru Nov 5.  See info on the promotions for My Digital Studio here, and MDS2 here.

Here's another stamp set that has never seen ink - shame!  Thank goodness I have Retro Sketches #34 to keep me moving!
I wanted to try another white on white layout, play with shapes and textures, but add just a splash of cheerful color.  These stamps totally fit that bill - delicate, but cheery...
I can't really remember life before my Big Shot anymore - can you?

Best of Everything & Itty Bitty Banners stamp sets; Whisper White & Island Indigo CS; Bitty Banners & Labels Collection framelits; Tasteful Trim die; Itty Bitty punch pack; Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder; ruffled ribbon in Island Indigo; self-adhesive rhinestones.

I can't help it - I LOVE LOVE LOVE this sentiment stamp from that other place!  This is what Christmas is all about!  It was tricky to think how to present it - and I think it's pretty well-established what a fussy-cutting freak I am, right?
I'm really getting into this tone-on-tone way of doing color as well - very chic!

Our Daily Bread Joy Tree; Whisper White, Old Olive & Real Red CS; Old Olive DSP from the Brights Collection; Petals a Plenty embossing folder; Lace Ribbon Border punch; Satin Ribbon in Real Red; home-made glitter brads; white embossing powder; self-adhesive rhinestones.

I made this card as a warm up for a Freshly Made sketch I was having a hard time with - I ended up going in a totally different direction, LOL...
I love the idea of a clear, crisp winter's night, though - we get a lot of those out here in the desert!

Merry Minis & Deseos pequenitos (Teeny Tiny Wishes) stamp sets; Night of Navy, Whisper White & Always Artichoke CS; Regals DSP & Champagne glimmer paper;  Gold embossing powder; Adorning Accents edgelits; Cupcake Builder punch; Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder; Frost White shimmer ink.