What a fun overlapping sketch this week from Freshly Made Sketch #337!  I think it will be lovely in the cool blue and green colors challenge at Color Throwdown #493!
Thinking over the colors, I realized that I already had a good start on them with my Coffee Break DSP, which is about to retire {SOB} but for which I have a backup pack for hoarding standing by, lol.  I figured I should use the stamp set if I was pulling out the paper, right??  It's not like I actually need an EXCUSE to use my beloved Coffee Cafe, lol.  I kept the card pretty clean and simple, and used Early Espresso for my other neutral, naturally.  This whole suite has been just a delight - sorry to see my accessories go, but so glad we get to still play with the stamps and framelits!  Whew!
Coffee Cafe Stamp Set; Coffee Break DSP; Whisper White, Early Espresso & Soft Sky CS; Early Espresso & Pear Pizzazz Inks; Coffee Cups Framelits; Soft Sky Finely Woven Ribbon; Pear Pizzazz Enamel Shapes.

Yummy gumdrops!  We have such a gorgeous color challenge this week for you at Sunday Stamps #179 - I'm using the sketch from Global Design Project #138, too!
These colors made me think juicy and refreshing, so I naturally ran straight for Bubble Over - can't get much more refreshing than that!  I decided all our purples and pink would stack up for a cute pop bottle label, leaving the blues for the bubbles!  This card might be Tempting Turquoise's last hurrah for me - so sad to see it move into retirement next month, sigh.  Luckily, there are plenty of new colors to love!
See you at the challenge - can't wait to see your creations!
Bubble Over Stamp Set; Whisper White, Silver Foil & Night of Navy CS; Memento Tuxedo Black, Tempting Turquoise, Berry Burst, Rich Razzleberry & Flirty Flamingo Inks; Bottles & Bubbles Framelits; Softly Falling EF; Basic Jewel Rhinestones; #SSC179; #GDP138.

SO excited that this week's What Will You Stamp #168 challenge is Climbing Orchid - I have not been using it enough!
Today for the first time I decided to try the more "assembled" version of the orchids - we have all those awesome framelits for a reason, right??  Sometimes I make myself wonder, lol.  Anyway, I broke into my last full sheet of DSP from the Delightful Daisy pack for my background, and with all this green wash, I knew I had to add a purple, lol.  I did the two sizes of orchids you see in Berry Burst, with some Early Espresso details, and tossed on a few Glittered Enamel Dots, too.  I'm so pleased with it - my grandmother would have loved it!
Climbing Orchid Stamp Set; Delightful Daisy DSP; Whisper White, Early Espresso & Old Olive CS; Early Espresso, Berry Burst & Old Olive Inks; Orchid Builder Framelits; Glittered Enamel Dots in Berry Burst; #WWYS168.

VERY dramatic inspiration pic in this week's Fusion "the harbour" challenge - wow!
I knew when I saw that pic that I wanted to use my beloved High Tide set - I think it was made for this one!  I'm straying from the sketch a little in that I stacked the sentiment up with my lighthouse image.  Still I'm really pleased with how this came out.  I added a white panel to the inside with the little sandpipers like on the envelope, too.  I feel like I can smell the salt air!
High Tide Stamp Set; Serene Scenery DSP (retired); Island Indigo, Cherry Cobbler, Pool Party & Whisper White CS; Memento Tuxedo Black, Island Indigo & Cherry Cobbler Inks; #FusionHarbour.

We have a fun banner sketch this week from TGIF #159 - pretty!  I have another new bundle that this makes me think of, tee hee!
OK, so even though Jeanna's gorgeous DT card beat me to the punch for this set, but I just COULDN'T refocus after my first thought, lol - I had to still go for it!  It really is ingenious how the letters interchange in this thinlit set - and there's even some punctuation!  My card is much more simplified, of course, but I did play with reversing the letter color by adding some layered DSP letters, too.  The combo of the Lined Alphabet stamp set with its Layering Alphabet Edgelits really does take this bundle to the next level of opportunity, lol.  And you know my rule, any combo of green and purple is just all right by me, lol.
Lined Alphabet Stamp Set; Tutti-Frutti & Eastern Palace DSP; Whisper White, Lemon Lime Twist & Fresh Fig CS; Memento Tuxedo Black Ink; Layering Alphabet Thinlits; Ombre Ribbon in Lemon Lime Twist; Lemon Lime Twist Sequins; #TGIF159.

There's a Mother's Day theme over at SU Only #199 this week - good timing!  Retro Rubber #86's flower challenge will be perfect with it, too!  At the last second, I've decided to throw in Case This Sketch #271 to help me along, too!
So, my new catty pre-order has now arrived, and for me the largest feature of this is this big stack of NEW colors I'll be rotating in to my line-up very soon.  I couldn't resist using two of them in my "retro" endeavors today, though, my new faves Mango Melody & Soft Sea Foam, which I also have some new DSP for - yes!  I figure this bright card suits the desert here perfectly - Mom has cacti blooming in just these colors at her house right now!  I also had to slip in something from our new Itty Bitty Greetings, too - love the mix of fonts and both new and fave sentiments - a new must-have, sigh.  Like you need my encouragement, right?
Flower Patch (retired-2014) & Itty Bitty Greetings Stamp Sets; Tranquil Textures DSP; Whisper White, Old Olive & Mango Melody CS; Memento Tuxedo Black, Soft Sea Foam, Old Olive & Mango Melody Inks; Flower Fair Framelits (retired); Large Oval Punch (retired); Faceted Dots in Soft Sea Foam; #SUO199; #RR86; #CTS271.

I can't believe it's time already for our next Tic-Tac-Tuesday #3 at TSOT!  I just might be getting hang of these babies, lol - the key is to choose wisely, grasshopper!!
Today I went for the rising diagonal of green-blue-stripes, and pulled out my trusty-but-retiring Work of Art set.  We were given this set at some catalog reveal event, I think, and I find myself returning to it again and again for the simple but bold elements - dots, zig-zags, swooshes, and of course, STRIPES!  Once the set was chosen, it all went like butter, and I'm so psyched with my bright color choices of Lemon Lime Twist and Bermuda Bay - good times!
Can't wait to see you at the challenge - what will YOU choose??
Work of Art Stamp Set; Whisper White & Basic Black CS; Memento Tuxedo Black, Lemon Lime Twist & Bermuda Bay Inks; Stitched Shapes Framelits; SAMJ; Lemon Lime Twist & Bermuda Bay Sequins; #TSOTTTT3.

I think it will be gorgeous in these fun colors from Stylin' Stampin' Inkspirations #51!  I'll match them with this fun sketch from Hand-Stamped Sentiments #289!
I couldn't help but notice that the Big on Birthdays set, which is retiring with the current catty, had a couple larger sentiments that seemed like they would fit the shapes of the sketch quite well, so I decided to go for it!  It took me a couple tries to get the stamp inked up to my satisfaction - markers and photopolymers aren't best friends, lol, but it CAN be done!  I'm pretty pleased with this sparing but still bright finished card, and I even dug out a few Dapper Denim Enamel Stars for a finishing touch!
Big on Birthdays Stamp Set; Color Theory DSP; Whisper White & Lemon Lime Twist CS; Dapper Denim Ink; Flirty Flamingo & Lemon Lime Twist Markers; Banner Triple Punch; Dapper Denim Enamel Shapes; #SSINKC51; #HSS289.

Merry Monday #289 has a festive challenge for us this week - add a star!
I did a quick search through my Christmas star sets, and one that I kept coming back to was this short-lived Newborn King set from 2014- I loved it for the coloring possibilities and I haven't been able to let go of it yet!  It has a cute little star to feature so I just went with it!  I had some fun coloring everything up with all my green Blends, plus a few other color details.  I love the font in this sentiment so much, I decided to make it pop as well!  So fun!
The Newborn King (retired-2014); Whisper White & Pear Pizzazz CS; Memento Tuxedo Black Ink; Old Olive, Wild Wasabi, Crumb Cake, Soft Sky & Crushed Curry Blends; Stitched Shapes Framelits; Basic Jewel Rhinestones; #MM289.

Super excited that I get to play at What Will You Stamp #167 this week - with Apron of Love!!  I'm adding in this bright and fresh color challenge from Global Design Project #137, too!
I decided a hot pink apron would like DIVINE against a lime background, and with my mix of DSPs, I ended up doing very little stamping, since the framelit set for this is just so over the top.  I love love LOVE the little utensil dies the most I think - and who wouldn't want a set in Pool Party?  I added a few extra baking accessories and some candy dots, just like any good cookie baker should, lol.
Apron of Love Stamp Set; Melon Mambo Stack (retired), Picture Perfect Birthday & Tutti-Frutti DSP; Whisper White, Basic Black, Pool Party & Melon Mambo CS; Memento Tuxedo Black & Melon Mambo Inks; Apron Builder Framelits; Pearlized Doilies; Brights Enamel Shapes; #WWYS167; #GDP137.