I'm so excited I get to sneak in on Stamp Ink Paper #205 this week - check out these gorgeous colors!
And since this challenge is all about our most basic tools - stamps, Ink and paper, lol - I decided to stick to just that, and go clean and simple all the way!  Colorful Seasons is just right for that, with the lovely leaf builder stamps in that gorgeous set, and of course, the awesome dies to go with, lol.  The fun thing about this color challenge was also how I could actually do multiples of each color family, since they didn't actually name NAMES, lol.  Perfect!
Colorful Seasons Stamp Set; Very Vanilla CS; Early Espresso, Cajun Craze, Real Red & Pumpkin Pie Inks; Seasonal Layers Dies; #SIP205.

Holiday Gifts & Packaging 2019 Class Nov 16!
It's time once again to celebrate all things Christmas-giving with my annual Holiday Gifts and Packaging Class!  You KNOW I love to spoil you, and this class is all about the giving (and anything left in the Holiday catty we haven't played with yet, lol!)  We'll feature all new packaging projects for all your treat and gift giving, along with the awesome cookie buffet (Saturday only!) - make sure you RSVP early!
Class is only $25, and includes all supplies needed (bring your fave snips and adhesive) drinks and snacks, plus an extra gift from me!  This class can also be FREE with your order of $30 or more!  Class is still on for  Saturday, Nov 16 at 3 pm - I can't wait to see you!

OK, super cute - check out the mermaid cupcake over at this week's Fusion Mermaid Challenge!  Eek!
Lucky for me, I OF COURSE still have my beloved Magical Day set, which has this super cutie mermaid in it.  I did some coloring to go along with the beautiful inspiration pic Fusion shared, but I mixed up the sentiment using one from Silhouette Scenes - I think this mermaid looks like she's dreaming anyway, lol.  I was also able to give her some waves to float over with our wonderful High Seas EF - which works a real treat now with our new blue plate just for our current 3D folders - $10 is completely worth it to take the guesswork out of how much to shim this beauty, sigh...  This came out super simple, but I'm loving the quiet details - so sweet!
Magical Day (retired 2018) & Silhouette Scenes Stamp Sets; Whisper White, Pool Party & Purple Posy CS; Memento Tuxedo Black Ink; Pool Party, Purple Posy, Nude & Cajun Craze Blends Markers; Magical Mates (retired) & Stitched Shapes Dies; High Seas EF; Clear Epoxy Droplets; #FusionMermaid.

Holiday Gifts & Packaging 2019 Class Nov 14 & 16!
It's time once again to celebrate all things Christmas-giving with my annual Holiday Gifts and Packaging Class!  You KNOW I love to spoil you, and this class is all about the giving (and anything left in the Holiday catty we haven't played with yet, lol!)  We'll feature all new packaging projects for all your treat and gift giving, along with the awesome cookie buffet (Saturday only!) - make sure you RSVP early!
Class is only $25, and includes all supplies needed (briung your fave snips and adhesive) drinks and snacks, plus an extra gift from me!  This class can also be FREE with your order of $30 or more!  Class is on for Thursday, Nov 14 at 630 pm, or Saturday, Nov 16 at 3 pm - I can't wait to see you!

Woo hoo!  Time for another fabulous color challenge - check out Fab Friday #176!
I got started by checking my DSP stash for any of our challenge colors - this sheet from Follow Your Art features Blushig Bride, so I went from there!  I thought I'd go with the suite set It Starts With Art, but I couldn't stop thinking about the scissors and sentiment that I knew would be just right in Crafting Forever, lol.  I don't really want to think about how many times I've fussy cut these bad boys, I always seem to come up with another card for them, lol.  I thought it would also be cute to show the snips in action, too - like my crazy sentiment?
I can't wait to see what YOU come up with for our Fab colors - meet you at the challenge!
Crafting Forever Stamp Set; Follow Your Art DSP; Whisper White & Terracotta Tile CS; Memento Tuxedo Black Ink; Smoky Slate, Terracotta Tile, Pretty Peacock & Crushed Curry Stamp-n-Write Markers; Woven Threads Sequins; #FabFri176.

Christmas Countdown Kit Bonus Class Nov 9 at 3 pm!
Woo hoo!  There's just enough time for ONE Christmas Bonus Class - and the new Advent Calendar Kit wins it by popular acclaim!  Come to class for a relaxing time for crafting and chatting, plus some yummy drinks and cookies, and we'll put our kits together in record time!  RSVP to make sure I have enough kits on hand, or bring your own and enjoy the company!
Class is $35, all supplies provided (bring your own snips and fave adhesive), or $10 if you are bringing your own kit!
See you soon!

VERY nice - this week's challenge from The Library Challenge #43 is The Secret Garden - one of my all-time childhood faves!  I still have my copy - it's very different from this cover, which I've not seen before  - pretty!
With such a cool cover remake, I had to try some color-on-black embossing - I don't heat emboss a lot, but I love the drama when I do, lol.  I tried to go with some garden motifs similar to this cover, and keep things fairly translucent, rather than super opague.  I like the effect, though I'm not sure how cherry this came out, lol.  This sentiment is from 2010's Plant Hope set - and the whole reason I have kept it all this time, lol.
Swirly Bird (retired 2019) & Plant Hope (retired 2010) Stamp Sets; Whisper White, Basic Black & Mossy Meadow CS; Versamark Ink; White EP; Woodland EF; Stitched Shapes & Frosted Bouquet Dies; Champagne Mist Shimmer Dye; #TLC043.

Oh gosh, whenever Retro Rubber has an "anything goes" challenge, I really want to dig through the vault for them, lol.  Today I'll add in Hand Stamped Sentiments #324's colors, too - maybe they can help me steer!  And at the last second, I realized I could sneak in The Sisterhood of Crafters "friendship" theme, too - woot!
I decided to go through my REALLY oldies today, and I started by browsing my wood sets.  When I came across The More the Merrier from 2009, I knew I had hit the ONE.  Not my oldest set by any stretch, but SUCH cute images, I just can't let it go.  Even though I just realized I'm missing the snowman sentiment from it.  Oh well, sigh...  Good thing the birdies are up today!  I love these little guys walking all over the place, spreading cheer!  And they look adorable in this awesome color combo - wowza!
The More the Merrier (Retired 2009) Stamp Set; Mint Macaron, Pretty Peacock, Whisper White & Grapefruit Grove CS; Memento Tuxedo Black Ink; Mint Macaron, Pretty Peacock, Terracotta Tile & Grapefruit Grove Stamp-n-Write Markers; Fancy Frost Sequins in Mint Macaron; #RR120; HSS324; #TSOCFriendship.

We have a wide-open landscape sketch for you at Sunday Stamps #214, perfect for some pretty scenery!
This seemed like just the chance to finally ink up the gorgeous Bloom & Grow set that's been cooling off on my desk for a couple months now.  I've been so distracted by the holiday catty, lol, but I am delighted with this set!  I've been taking a strong stand on flower sets this year, as I've mentioned before, and this set checks all the boxes to make the cut:  gorgeous images, check.  Varied sentiments, check, in a fun font, double check.  And DIES, yeah-baby-check!  I've been all about Christmas so much lately, I decided to go with some soft pastels for my first take on it, and also kept it fairly simple.  A little fold of Pear Pizzazz Shimmer Ribbon is my only extra!
SO, what will YOU do with our sketch this week?  Come join us!
Bloom & Grow Stamp Set; So Saffron, Soft Sea Foam & Whisper White CS; Memento Tuxedo Black Ink; Soft Sea Foam, So Saffron, Mango Melody & Calypso Coral Blends Markers; Budding Blooms Dies; Pear Pizzazz Shimmer Ribbon; #SSC214.

VERY nice, Retro Rubber # 119 has a lovely Autumn color challenge for us this week!  I can also JUST sneak in this week's sketch from TGIF Challenges #229 - yay!
I still have just the set for this combo, 2016's gorgeous Thoughtful Branches.  I love all the tree-building options it has, along with some truly wonderful sentiments - images AND words is totally the way to my stampin' heart, lol.  I sponged both Pumpkin Pie and Real Red onto my leaves, and stamped and stamped off a few times to add some fullness over this cool trunk.  I added one leaf for a full-size accent, my lovely big sentiment, and even some words inside: "and always in my heart."
Thoughtful Branches Stamp Set (retired 2016); Crumb Cake, Whisper White & Pumpkin Pie CS; Early Espresso, Pumpkin Pie & Real Red Inks; Stitched Shapes & Beautiful Branches (retired) Dies; Corner Rounder Punch; Orange Sequins; #RRC119; #TGIFC229.

Oo, good one!  The Male Room #119 has an Autumn theme going this week!
I couldn't resist going back to the lovely Rooted in Nature for this Autumn theme, and the bonus is it has this blocky stacked sentiment that is so easy to show off on a masculine card, not that I haven't used it on a woman's card, too, lol.  Anyway, I am so intrigued by this leaf shape included in this set, so I did a little fall of them down the edge in some rich fall colors, and finished with a nice button, too, which I thought would be better than sequins today.  Very guy-ish, I hope, lol.
Rooted in Nature Stamp Set; Garden Green, Cajun Craze & Whisper White CS; Memento Tuxedo Black, Garden Green, Crushed Curry & Cajun Craze Inks; Crushed Curry Button (retired); Linen Thread; #TMR119.

Time for another fun mix-it-up challenge at this week's Try Stampin' on Tuesday #425 - let's give it a go!
So, wow, pocket cards, lol.  Yikees!  I remember doing double-pocket cards an age ago, with some kind of folding technique and 12 x 12 paper, but I decided to kind of wing it today - a simple single pocket, floated over a regular card base - that holds a loose card for pulling out on the front, while still keeping the whole inside available for my written note - what fun!  And what better suite to suit our creating than It Starts With Art?  I slipped in a little bit of everything here, smiling all the way!  A perfect little secret love note!
So, what will YOU create??  Can't wait to see you "mix it up" with us over at the challenge!
It Starts With Art Stamp Set; Follow Your Art DSP; Whisper White, Calypso Coral & Coastal Cabana CS; Calypso Coral & Pacific Point Inks; Arts & Crafts Dies; Crushed Curry Seam Binding Ribbon; Follow Your Art Felt Shapes; #TSOT425.

Fall & Thankgiving Class Sep 12 & 14!
Ah, it's finally starting to cool off around here, so it's time to start thinking about our lovely Fall occasions - better break out the scarf!  This class will feature six cards all about Autumn, and all from our new Holiday Mini Catty - there might even be a little spooky sneaking in there somehow, lol.  Class includes all supplies (bring your favorite snips and adhesive), snacks, drinks and a special gift from me, all for $25!  This class can also be FREE with your order of $30 or more!  RSVP to save your spot today!  Class is on for Thursday, September 12 at 630 pm, or Saturday, September 14 at 3 pm.  See you soon!

Oh yum, Hand Stamped Sentiments #322 is all about the purple inspiration this week - love it!
So, I will admit freely that I've been a bit off florals this catalog year - I actually have NOT gotten any of the major flower suites this year at all, lol.  BUT, I do think these lovely leaf images from Rooted in Nature can do the trick nicely, and they have their dies to go with as well, of course.  Let's just go purple crazy, and call it good, OK?
Rooted in Nature Stamp Set; Whisper White CS; Blackberry Bliss, Gorgeous Grape & Highland Heather Inks; Blender Pen; Nature's Roots Dies; Purple Posy Faceted Dots, #HSS322.

Fall & Thankgiving Class Sep 12 & 14!
Ah, it's finally starting to cool off around here, so it's time to start thinking about our lovely Fall occasions - better break out the scarf!  This class will feature six cards all about Autumn, and all from our new Holiday Mini Catty - there might even be a little spooky sneaking in there somehow, lol.  Class includes all supplies (bring your favorite snips and adhesive), snacks, drinks and a special gift from me, all for $25!  This class can also be FREE with your order of $30 or more!  RSVP to save your spot today!  Class is on for Thursday, September 12 at 630 pm, or Saturday, September 14 at 3 pm.  See you soon!