Very cool - AAA #131 is changing up their format with the new year - they've offered a banded CAS sketch with an optional twist to use pastel colors - very fun!
The first thing I did was go looking for something fun to make the "bands" with - Little Elephant is perfect, especially since I haven't used it in a while!  I picked out some soft and pretty colors and got to work.  I did my rows first in stamped off Calypso Coral, So Saffron & Soft Sea Foam - gorgeous!  Then I punched out a stamped off elephant, and added my fave sentiment from this set - the smaller elephant is on the inside!  I decided to add a few Faceted Dots, since I don't use this color that much - seize the day, and all, lol...
Little Elephant Stamp Set; Whisper White & So Saffron CS; Calypso Coral, So Saffron & Soft Sea Foam Inks; Elephant Builder Punch; Faceted Dots; #AAA131.

So excited about this week's sketch at Try Stampin' on Tuesday #388 - we outdid ourselves, I believe!
I thought I'd take a short break from Christmas today - how about a baby card?  I haven't been using the Wonderful Moments stamp set enough, I don't think, and I love this image!  I matched it up with the sweet ans soft Twinkle Twinkle papers, and had fun coloring in my lady.  Love the finished card - perfect for an expectant mother!
Can't wait to see how YOU handle our sketch - see you at the challenge!
Wonderful Moments Stamp Set; Twinkle Twinkle DSP; Whisper White & Soft Sea Foam CS; Memento Tuxedo Black Ink; Crumb Cake, Soft Sea Foam & Blush Blends Markers; Stitched Shapes Framelits; Basic Sequins in Soft Sea Foam; #TSOT388.

Big Plans Planner Kit Class Dec 13 & 15!
So excited that we finally get to put together our planners for 2019!  The new Big Plans kit is gorgeous and easy to use, and has so many awesome new features over last year's - I know you're going to love it!  For class, we will assemble our planner kits together, and then make a set of 10 notecards and envelopes to go with from the coordinating Big Plans Memories & More Card Pack - woo!  There are two pricing options here: if you need the planner kit, your class is $40, and includes the full planner kit along with everything you need to make your 10 notecards (plus extra supplies!)  If you have your own kit to bring, class is $15 for the notecard supplies.  If you are only making the cards, the class can also be FREE with your order of $20 or more.  Class is announced for Thursday, December 13 at 6 pm, or, Saturday December 15, at 3 pm, and includes drinks, snacks and a special gift from me for BOTH class options!  RSVP today to save your spot - and see you there!

I'm loving the sketch at this week's Fusion Baby Shower challenge!
I've slowed down on the baby sets these days, but one set I DO have is the gorgeous Wonderful Moments, which pairs so beautifully with last year's Beautiful You (still available!)  I haven't used this lovely image of the expecting mother - it's been all about balloon lady so far, lol.  Today was the perfect chance!  I paired it with the soft Twinkle Twinkle DSP, and took my colors from that for a soft baby card in neutrals.  Very simple and true to the suggested layout...
Wonderful Moments Stamp Set; Twinkle Twinkle DSP; Whisper White, Gray Granite & Soft Sea Foam CS; Memento Tuxedo Black Ink; Nude, Dk Petal Pink & Lt Crumb Cake Blends Markers; Stitched Shapes Framelits; Basics Sequins; #FusionBabyShower.

Christmas Cards Part 2 2018, Oct 11 & 13!
Hooray!  You KNOW how much I love Christmas, we celebrate around here all year long!  Christmas Cards 2018 Part 2 will feature 6 gorgeous holiday cards, all from the 2018 Holiday Idea Book & Catalog, just in time to give you a jump on your "special" cards, or help you make some decisions about your "house" card, lol.  We must give to receive, right!  All supplies provided and prepped (bring your own snips and fave basic adhesive) plus snacks, drinks and a special gift from me!  Class is announced for Thursday, October 11 at 630 pm, and Saturday, October 13 at 3 pm.  We also have a make-up class already shaping up for Saturday, October 20 at 3 pm!  Class is $25 or can be FREE with your order of $30 or more.  RSVP today to save your spot!

Oh yes!  The Library Challenge #15 is back again, this time with the adorable Winnie the Pooh!  Eee!
I'm pretty sure that A Little Wild is the perfect set for me to play at this challenge - and I didn't even have to pull out the bear booty to show off its cuteness, lol.  I love that the bear "suite" for this set includes some little bees, and a beehive, all with their own framelits - yay!  I might have gone a little crazy with the bees, but it was so fun to scatter them around, lol...  What a perfectly sweet book cover to play this week!
A Little Wild Stamp Set; Whisper White, Crushed Curry, So Saffron & Crumb Cake CS; Memento Tuxedo Black Ink; Lt Crumb Cake Blend; Crushed Curry & Basic Black Markers; Layering Circles & Little Loves Framelits; #TLC015.

Ready for Fall Class Sep 15!
Time to start warming up for the cooler weather, and make some gorgeous Autumnal cards with our new harvest sets from the 2018 Holiday Catalog!  We have some beautiful suites to play with, and I'm pretty sure there will be a spooky treat in it for you, too!  We will make 5 cards, using all new products, celebrating the season and gratitude.  Class will include all supplies needed (bring your own snips and fave adhesive!) and will also include snacks, drinks and a special gift from me, all for $25!  This class can also be FREE with your order of $30 or more!   Class is still on for Saturday, Sep 15 at 3 pm, chez Heroldt!  RSVP today to reserve your spot!

Good times - SU Only #206 has a babies and kids challenge going this week!
I decided to use my adorable A Little Wild set - these little critters are TOO cute, and I think it's so hilarious that they're also actually tags - so you get a front and a "back" for each one, lol.  Elephant booty, anyone??  Anyway, I found my old Hello You Thinlits to stack for the front and put my "great big welcome" on the inside.  I liked this stripey paper from the Twinkle Twinkle suite for the "non-specific" colors, too.  Mission accomplished!
A Little Wild Stamp Set; Twinkle Twinkle DSP; Whisper White & Smoky Slate CS; Memento Tuxedo Black Ink; Lt Smoky Slate & Lt Petal Pinks Blends; Layering Circles Framelits; Hello You Thinlits (retired); Gray Sequins; #SUO206.

Ready for Fall Class Sep 13 & 15!
Time to start warming up for the cooler weather, and make some gorgeous Autumnal cards with our new harvest sets from the 2018 Holiday Catalog!  We have some beautiful suites to play with, and I'm pretty sure there will be a spooky treat in it for you, too!  We will make 5 cards, using all new products, celebrating the season and gratitude.  Class will include all supplies needed (bring your own snips and fave adhesive!) and will also include snacks, drinks and a special gift from me, all for $25!  This class can also be FREE with your order of $30 or more!   Classes are on for Thursday, Sep 13 at 630 pm, or Saturday, Sep 15 at 3 pm, chez Heroldt!  RSVP today to reserve your spot!

Lots of room to set a scene in our wide-open sketch at this week's Try Stampin' on Tuesday #370!
For me, this was totally another chance to bring out another new set I have standing by for ink - the adorable Little Elephant, which is also available bundled with a punch!  I'm feeling like we're starting to see a punch revival this catty - yay!  So quick and easy to get your shapes done, and with a punch template, a snap to use even on the builder punches!  Anyway, I also featured two new colors this card - Gray Granite and Soft Sea Foam.  I am LOVING the Sea Foam - it's not the same as Mint Macaron or Pistachio Pudding at ALL!  You'll love the DSP, too - make sure to check it out!  See you at the challenge!
Little Elephant Stamp Set; Subtles DSP Stack in Soft Sea Foam; Soft Sea Foam, Gray Granite & Whisper White CS; Gray Granite Ink; Elephant Builder Punch; Layering Circles Framelits; Textured Weave Ribbon in Gray Granite; Gray Sequins; #TSOT370.

Our fearless Fab leader has a scary pink color challenge for us over at Fab Friday #138 - yikes!  Lucky for me, As You See It #176 has a wonderful mosaic sketch for us that I think will be perfect for it!
My original plan here was to do some kind of DSP mosaic, I'll be honest.  But then my eye came across this scrap of the upcoming Graceful Glass Designer Vellum that my dear friend Nancy gave me - SHE got it as a sample when she was at our last On Stage event - who doesn't love convention??  Anyway, it's been sitting out on my desk for a few weeks now, while I tried to think of something cool to do with it.  That bolt of lightning struck today!  I think this vellum is probably best colored with our Blends markers, but I did a super careful job with our regular markers, since that's where I had all the challenge colors, lol.  I colored on the BACK, and layered it over some Whisper White for pop and smudge protection.  So fun - can't wait to get a full pack!
Short & Sweet Stamp Set (retired 2007); Graceful Glass Designer Vellum; Whisper White & Powder Pink CS; Memento Tuxedo Black Ink; Melon Mambo, Flirty Flamingo & Powder Pink Markers; Flirty Flamingo Enamel Dots (I think these came from a Paper Pumpkin!); #FabFri138; #AYSI176.

There's so much to love in the sweet inspiration pic from Fusion Baby's Room this week - memories of my own sweet Ann the Elephant are coming back, too, lol.
For my baby elephant theme, I decided to pull in the super cute A Little Wild.  The side-by-side nature of the stamps with their framelits makes totally adorable tags, but I also using them on cards, and getting a chance to pull in the booty for the envelopes, lol, as I have today.  This is actually my first time with the elephant, so I'm glad to get a chance to have used all my sweet critters!  I spotted a few blue details in the inspiration pic, so I also used this as a chance to pull in some Marina Mist DSP - one of our retiring colors.  Buh bye!
A Little Wild Stamp Set; Marina Mist 2010-2013 DSP Stack Scrap (retired) & Smoky Slate Scrap from a past Paper Pumpkin; Smoky Slate, Pear Pizzazz & Whisper White CS; Memento Tuxedo Black Ink; Smoky Slate & Pink Pirouette Blends; Little Loves & Stitched Shapes Framelits; #FusionBabyRoom.

We have a pretty portrait sketch this week from Try Stampin' on Tuesday #348 - I'll be adding in Stamp Ink Paper # 125's colors as well!
I can't stand it anymore, and I HAVE to use another preview set I earned at On Stage, this one at our Leadership Luncheon on Saturday.  The speakers were great, there was lots of info to be shared and considered, but of course, the bow on top was this stamp set, called Flying Home.  It's a collection of bird-themed images, all line art just waiting to be colored!  I suspect it's more of a spring set, lol, but I couldn't wait any longer to ink it up, lol...  Cuteness!
Flying Home (2018 Occasions) and Badges & Banners Stamp Sets; Whole Lot of Lovely DSP; Whisper White & Early Espresso CS; Memento Tuxedo Black, Early Espresso, Crushed Curry & Cajun Craze Inks; Duet Banner Punch; #TSOT348; #SIP125.

Here's some fun layers from Sketch Saturday#456 - hopefully I can squeeze in a frame for Less Is More #321, too!
As I was working my way through this sketch, I was struck by how structured it is - something I usually have a hard time with, lol.  BUT, I just happened to have a new-to-me set standing by that I realized was perfect for all the structure - Bookcase Builder!  AND, wouldn't you know, there's a stamp OF a little frame in there - it's like kizmet!  I had fun building some sweet baby shelves!  I think this set is way more versatile than I had realized!
Bookcase Builder Stamp Set; Perfectly Artistic DSP (retired); Whisper White, Early Espresso, Mint Macaron & Watermelon Wonder CS; Early Espresso, Crumb Cake, Watermelon Wonder & Mint Macaron Inks; Layering Ovals Framelits; Brick Wall EF; Gold Enamel Shapes; #SS456; #LIM321.

Easter Bonus Class April 1!
No, that's not an April Fools' joke - it really is a quick and fun Easter class, just to get a few extra treats your way!  This class will be your ticket to a trio of all different Mini Egg Cartons, each with a tag and accompanying card - all you need to add is your favorite goodies when you're ready to give them away!  Here's your chance to play with Basket Bunch!
Class is announced for Saturday, April 1, at 3 pm, and will include all your supplies (bring your own snips and adhesive!), snacks, drinks and a special gift from me, all for $25!  This class is also FREE with your order of $30 or more!  RSVP today to save your spot!