So excited, Stylin' Stampin' Inkspiration #52 is doing a technique challenge that I've been wanting to try!  Cant wait!  Yay, string art!
So, our next messy class is definitely going to have one of these babies in it, lol.  Thank goodness I planned ahead before bringing out the soaked string, lol.  I'm sure the dog won't have that stripe on their tongue for TOO long!  After a couple goes on our regular CS, I decided to move to our watercolor paper - such a fun effect!  It kind of reminds me of our blooming saguaro out here, really, maybe crossed with Jack-in-the-Pulpits, lol.  Anyway - good times!  Totally doing more of these!
Colorful Seasons Stamp Set; Watercolor, Very Vanilla & Fresh Fig CS; Lemon Lime Twist Re-inker; Memento Tuxedo Black, Berry Burst & Fresh Fig Inks; Seasonal Layers Thinlits; #SSINKTC52.

Wow, LOVE this cool new color combo over at Inspire Create Challenge #22!  Can't wait to try it with this fun sketch over at Case This Sketch #280!
I really had to dig to find something that would work for the arrows of the sketch - branches?  Actual arrows?  Maybe a thread wrap?  Then I spotted the dotted line elements in our fun Artfully Folded hostess set.  I used to be an origami nut, so I totally snatched this beauty up as soon as I could, lol.  I chose the "diamond" dotted line for the card, and used my grid paper to help me line up all my rows - yikees, lol.  I decided a few tiny pop-dotted images would be just what I needed, and then I realized that my Basics Sequins would also coordinate.  A little more detail than I had originally envisioned, but still super simple!
Artfully Folded Stamp Set; Whisper White CS; Shaded Spruce, Coastal Cabana & Powder Pink Inks; Basics Sequins; #ICC22; #CTS280.

Catch Up Classes Available July 21!
Oopsie!  Did you miss something you still want to make up?  Well, this day is for you!  Come any time, all day, on Saturday, July 21, for your chance!  I'd love for you to visit with me at Sarah's 2018 Summer Craft Retreat, at the Spirit in the Desert Retreat Center in Carefree!  I'll have FIVE classes available for you to make up - just let me know which ones you're interested in!  This will be your chance to check out the fun at retreat, too - maybe next year you'll join us for the weekend!
Available classes:  March 2018, Bubbles & Raindrops, 2 seats; April 2018, Man Cards 2018, 3 seats; May 2018, Picnic With You & Barn Door Class, 3 seats; June 2018, New Catty Intro, 4 seats; July 2018, Christmas in July 2018, 2 seats.  All classes include all supplies (bring your own snips & fave adhesive) and a special gift from me, all for $25 each!  Classes can also be FREE with your order of $30 or more per class!  RSVP today!

Such pretty and soft colors to try this week at Hand Stamped Sentiments #293!
My search for a set to show off these colors took a bit.  I also wanted something I haven't used in a while.  When I spotted Crafting Forever, I just couldn't get the idea of coloring the pens to the challenge out of my head!  What fun!  Then I realized I could do Blends!  And keep it one-layer (which I am NOT famous for, lol) and super CAS (again, NOT famous for, snicker.)  I succumbed to a few pretty sequins in the end, but I'm also super pleased with the final card.  I'm building some cute notes that I already know I want to be sending to my daughter when she goes away to school in August - I'm still excited for her, but it's starting to hit me, my nest will be EMPTY in a bout a month!  Eek!
Crafting Forever Stamp Set; Whisper White CS; Memento Tuxedo Black Ink; So Saffron Marker; Smoky Slate & Pool Party Blends; Iridescent Sequins; #HSS293.

Christmas in July 2018!
It's once again the most wonderful time of year - for Christmas in July!  This is your chance to get started early on your Christmas planning, and check out the beautiful new holiday suites available in our new 2018-19 Idea Book and Catalog, and a look at some favorite returning sets as well!  As always, I'll be ready with the sleigh bells!  Class will feature 5 holiday cards, and will include all your supplies (bring your own snips and fave 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 today to save your spot, for Saturday, July 14 at 3 pm, or contact me for make-up dates!  You don't want to miss it!

Very cool - Back to Basics #6 is feature "spot-lighting" this round!
I had a fun time browsing my stash for likely candidates for this one.  I finally settled on my retired Pleasant Poppies background stamp, and paired it with a lovely sentiment from Beautiful Bouquet.  Once I got going, I realized I wanted to do a couple "spots" and in the end I colored over my sentiment, too, to match the background of the two color spots.  I love the off-edge effect of the largest circle!  What a fun afternoon!
Pleasant Poppies (retired 2013) & Beautiful Bouquet Stamp Sets; Crumb Cake, Poppy Parade & Whisper White CS; Memento Tuxedo Black Ink; Poppy Parade & Pear Pizzazz Markers; Light Pool Party Blend; White Gel Pen; Stitched Shapes Framelits; Basic Jewel Rhinestones; #BBB6.

Christmas in July 2018!
It's once again the most wonderful time of year - for Christmas in July!  This is your chance to get started early on your Christmas planning, and check out the beautiful new holiday suites available in our new 2018-19 Idea Book and Catalog, and a look at some favorite returning sets as well!  As always, I'll be ready with the sleigh bells!  Class will feature 5 holiday cards, and will include all your supplies (bring your own snips and fave 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 today to save your spot, for either Thursday, July 12 at 630 pm, or Saturday, July 14 at 3 pm, or contact me for make-up dates!  You don't want to miss it!

A fun and varied sketch awaits us at this week's Hand-Stamped Sentiments #292!
These lovely circles all in a row made it possible to pull out my brand new Pop of Petals set - and I've been so excited to ink this baby up!  Now, I admit, I broke my usual rule (more like a guideline, really) and bought a set that was all images, instead of the mix of images and sentiments that I prefer.  But, this cutie can be bundled with a PUNCH, and punches are awesome!  Much as I love my Big Shot, sometimes a girl doesn't want to get out of the stampin' seat, know what I mean?  Perfect punches are my solution to that, lol.  I managed to get 4 flower combos on there in some of our bright new colors, and, of course, over my fave new green.  Not a bad afternoon's work!
Pop of Petals & Colorful Seasons Stamp Sets; Granny Apple Green Stack DSP; Granny Apple Green & Whisper White CS; Granny Apple Green, Poppy Parade, Coastal Cabana, Mango Melody & Gorgeous Grape Inks; Four Petal Flower Punch; Layered Leaves DEF; Glitter Enamel Dots in Gorgeous Grape; #HSS292.

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.

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!

I'm so excited to host this month's technique challenge at Try Stampin' on Tuesday!  I love me a good shaker card, and I'm glad to share the step by step details on how I made this one for you!
I put together a little printable tutorial for this card which you can find here, but I was SO thrilled to have some new goodies to play with for it, lol.  I had some fun with several new colors, too - I think Mango Melody is definitely my new fave.  The gorgeous new Accented Blooms coordinates with the Tailored Tag Punch, which you may already have if you got the Truly Tailored suite from the Spring catalog - I'm so happy we have another stamp set to use with it!  Using a punch really made the construction of the shaker go super quick, and I was able to sneak the sentiment INSIDE the shaker window - cool!
I can't wait to see YOUR shakers, and I mean that in the nicest way, lol.  Shake on over!
Accented Blooms Stamp Set (2018-19 AC); Whisper White & Granny Apple Green CS; Memento Tuxedo Black & Gray Granite Inks; Granny Apple Green, Mango Melody, Daffodil Delight, Flirty Flamingo, Calypso Coral, Pool Party & Highland Heather Markers; Dimensional Strips; Window Sheet; Tailored Tag Punch; Sprinkles Embellishments (retired); Share What You Love Artisan Pearls; #TSOTJune18Tech.

Love this layout at In{k}spire Me #351 - like the sun coming out!
I think this sketch finally gives me enough scope to roll out another one of my preview sets - so excited about this suite!  The gorgeous Rooted in Nature suite includes stamps, framelits, DSP, twine and embellies - the whole nine yards!  I love these gorgeous trees and leaves especially because the stamp set also includes sentiments (yay!) and has comprehensive framelits to boot!  I have a brand new go-to tree set (sorry, Lovely as a Tree, lol.)  Another debut with today's card is the rockin' return of Blackberry Bliss - yummy!  SO glad to have such an expanded purple line!  Enjoy it, stampers!
Rooted in Nature Stamp Set; Nature's Poem DSP; Tranquil Tide, Blackberry Bliss & Whisper White CS; Tranquil Tide & Blackberry Bliss Inks; Layering Circles & Nature's Roots Framelits; Banner Triple Punch; Leaves Trinkets; #IM351.