I'm super excited to jump in on a new challenge for me this week - Stylin' Stampin' Inspiration - who's running a gate-fold challenge right now!  I think I can make Freshly Made Sketch #333 work for it, too!
I tried to keep my card front pretty simple, while I worked out whether I could make this sketch work as a gate-fold - I think I made it!  I did add some stitched circles behind my balloons, though originally I was trying to go without them.  I like it better so much more with them, and they really help keep the card closed.  I did put some more cloudy Soft Sky inside, too, though!  Soft and pretty - and here in Arizona, yes we DO have Calypso Coral clouds - get over it, lol...  It's been a fun little technical morning here...
Lift Me Up Stamp Set; Whisper White & Soft Sky CD; Soft Sky, Calypso Coral, Pear Pizzazz & Memento Tuxedo Black Inks; Stitched Shapes Framelits; Up & Away Thinlits; Tutti Frutti Sequins; #SSink4; #FMS333.

We're in the pink this week with Color Throwdown #485!  And I think Just Add Ink #401 will take us there!  And I just figured out a way to jam in TGIF #152's marker-to-stamp technique challenge, too - woo!
I got to play with my Stamp-A-Ratus again today - LOVE that tool!  It was kinf of automatic for this Lovely Inside & Out stamp set - I need to use for other sets, too, lol.  I had originally planned to do all kinds of pinks for this card, but then I was digging the Blushing Bride so much I just stuck with that.  So fun, especially when I realized I hadn't used my Flower Shop in FOREVER!  I could get into pink more when it goes as well as this card, lol...
Lovely Inside & Out & Flower Shop Stamp Sets; Petal Passion DSP; Whisper White, Blushing Bride & Basic Black CS; Memento Tuxedo Black & Blushing Bride Inks & Markers; Blushing Bride Blend; Stitched Shapes Framelits; Pansy Punch; Fancy Frost Sequins (retired); #CTD485; #JAI401; #TGIF152.

Woo hoo!  Time for a new sketch at Try Stampin' on Tuesday #360!  I think it'll go great with these colors from In{k}spire Me #342, too!
This is the time of year I start noticing stamp sets on my shelves that maybe haven't been out to play in a while, like the one I settled on for today's challenges, Sharing Sweet Thoughts, this year's RMHC set.  It was on my very first catty order, because well, JAR set, lol, but I really haven't gotten back to it too often!  Time to change that!  I combined with the new-to-me background Marbled - it's awesome!  Other than that, simple, sweet thoughts, all the way...
See you over at TSOT - can't wait to see your creations!
Sharing Sweet Thoughts & Marbled Stamp Sets; Coffee Break & Adventure Bound (retired) DSP; Whisper White & Flirty Flamingo CS; Island Indigo, Soft Sky & Flirty Flamingo Inks; Everyday Jars Framelits; Ruffled DEF; Banner Triple Punch; Flirty Flamingo Enamel Shapes; #TSOT360; #IM342.

So excited (and nervous!) to see this week's Freshly Made Sketch #307 - it's a tough one!  I think I'll also see if I can squeeze in these colors from Color Throwdown #462!
So, I finally broke down and got the set A Little Wild - I couldn't take it anymore - the little critters are just too adorable, and the tag feature is pretty intriguing, I have to say.  And so fun to color!  I think I DID manage the colors!  Woo hoo!
A Little Wild Stamp Set; Whisper White, Pool Party & Always Artichoke CS; Memento Tuxedo Black, Tangerine Tango & Cajun Craze Inks; Layering Circles & Little Loves Framelits; Tangerine Tango Enamel Shapes; #FMS307; #CTD462.

I'm super excited about Paper Players #358's clean & simple coloring challenge this week - my favorite things!  And I think I'll use the pretty circus colors from Global Design Project #101 - fun!
So, I found these colors challenging - after finishing up some favors for a baby shower, I kinda have a pink and blue block going on right now, lol.  Trying to get past it, I dug out my retired pack of Inside the Lines DSP, and tried to pick a pattern to color that had room for all three colors - and then I went very minimal indeed!  I tried to pick out all the smallest details in this sheet to color, and I aqua-painted it all to keep the colors fairly muted.  A quick sentiment from Lovely Friends and a few tiny rhinestones completes the layout - whew!
Lovely Friends Stamp Set; Inside the Lines DSP (retired); Whisper White & Basic Black CS; Flirty Flamingo, Bermuda Bay & Night of Navy Inks; Lovely Laurel Thinlits; Basic Jewel Rhinestones; #PP358; #GDP101.

Today's sketch comes to us from Try Stampin' on Tuesday #329 - so spiffy!
Since today ended being a review of leftover Paper Pumpkin parts, I decided to make an alternate card using the fabulous Sprinkled With Love kit!  I have to say, this has been my fave kit in a long time, though I do find something to love about them all, I swear, lol.  We made a set of 4 cards for my Pumpkin Club for this, so I decided one more for a 5-card Donut Set would be just right to sell on my craft table this Fall - yeah!  Donuts for Thanksgiving will be perfect, especially a sparkly one - see how I had to take a bite already??
Sprinkled With Love Paper Pumpkin Kit; plus, Crumb Cake, Whisper White & Soft Suede CS; Early Espresso Inl 1 1/2" & 1 3/8" Circle, and 7/8" Scallop Circle Punches; Swirly Scribbles Thinlits; Brown Sequins (from Season of Gratitude PP, actually); #TSOT329.

Christmas in July Class July 13 & 15
I'm so excited it's finally time once again to launch our "Part 1" Christmas Card class - woo hoo!  This year we will feature 5 cards, all using sets from our big catty, plus one PREVIEW card using a fun set from the upcoming Holiday Catty - how cool is THAT??  All 5 cards will feature sets that we haven't used in our classes before, even if they are carry overs from last year - promise!  (Our "Part 2" class will be on October 21, and will feature all new sets from our upcoming Holiday Catty!)
Class is announced for Thursday, July 13 at 630 pm, and Saturday July 15 at 3 pm, and includes snacks, drinks and a special treat from me, all for $25.  This class is also FREE with your order of $30 or more!  RSVP today - I can't wait to see you!

Fusion has once again brought us an exciting combo - this fun curvy combo and the the "tulips on a bike" inspiration pic - I know just the thing!  I think I'll sneak in these super fun colors from Paper Players #348, too - I think I'm going to be a sucker for anything with Lemon Lime Twist this year, lol!  I also realized at the last second that I could sneak in the "Anything Goes" challenge at Retro Rubber #64, too, once I picked my stamp, lol...
...which was my beloved Pedal Pusher, from our 2016 Sale-A-Bration!  Love this stamp set - the sentiments are just so perfect, and I can't wait to add in the new Bike Ride set, I'm just being restrained right now.  Right this second, I can't think why, but there it is!  Just making the party last, I guess, lol...
Pedal Pusher (retired); Whisper White & Lemon Lime Twist CS; Memento Tuxedo Black, Lemon Lime Twist, Daffodil Delight & Pool Party Inks; Circles Collection Framelits (retired); Spring Flowers EF; Pool Party Candy Dots (retired); #FusionTulipBike; #PP348; #RR64.

I'm so excited about the new "navy patterns" challenge from Fusion Card Challenge this week!
I think one of my fave new suites from the pre-order is the elegantly simple Lovely Inside & Out - those word thinlits are amazing!  I kept today's rendition a play in Night of Navy - I can totally see me giving this to hubby for good behavior, lol.  I was so relieved that I could make my own "DSP" with one of the pattern stamps, too - yay all around!
Lovely Inside & Out Stamp Set; Whisper White & Night of Navy CS; Night of Navy Ink; Lovely Words Thinlits; Layering Circles Framelits; Basic Jewel Rhinestones; #FusionNavyPatterns.

I love sketches with grand repeats of shapes, like this week's Match the Sketch #170 - so fun!  Adding in Just Add Ink #353's "critters" challenge ought to be interesting, too, lol.
When I was on the critter hunt, I spotted my beloved Barnyard Babies - yeah!  I quickly settled on the cute little piggy in this set - I just love that sentiment "Hogs & Kisses," lol.  I decided to do a few colors and add some texture - I wish now that I did different texture on my solid dots, too, but I still laugh out loud when I look at this, so I'm good!  (And yes, I looked up group names for pigs, so "Passel of Hogs is actually a technical term, lol.)
Barnyard Babies Stamp Set; Whisper White, Crumb Cake, Flirty Flamingo & Pink Pirouette CS; Memento Tuxedo Black, Pink Pirouette, Crumb Cake & Flirty Flamingo Inks; Seaside EF; 1", 1 1/4" and 1 3/8" Circle Punches; Flirty Flamingo Enamel Shapes; #MTS170; #JAI353.

While out commenting on someone ELSE'S cool card last week, I came across this new-to-me challenge - FUSION!  I'm so excited - they combine a sketch with a design concept, and you can do one or the other, or combine them both - wow!  I'm jumping in on this one - Fusion Scrambled Letters!  I'm adding the Paper Players #334 "Cut It Out" challenge, too, AND these bright colors from Global Design Project #77!
I had to really dig to find the alphabet elements I imagined!  Luckily, I'm just a bit of a stampin' stuff hoarder, lol.  I kept things pretty sparse, and took a tiny liberty with the sketch, but I had a BLAST playing with all these challenges today!  Weee!
Letters For You Stamp Set; Whisper White, Bermuda Bay, Crumb Cake & Early Espresso CS; Peekaboo Peach Ink; Large Letters Framelits; Expressions Thinlits (retired); Alphabet Press EF (retired); Peekaboo Peach Enamel Shapes; #FCC; #PP334; #GDP77.

Man Cards Class March 11!
We all know it can sometimes be a bit of a challenge to come up with that just-right "man card!"  So let's jump in with both feet and celebrate the guys with a Man Class!  This class will feature 5 all-occasion cards for those special dudes.  We'll play with several fun new sets and papers from our 2017 Occasions Catalog!  $25 covers all your supplies (bring your own snips and adhesive!), snacks and drinks, plus a bonus treat from me!  This class is also FREE with an order of $30 or more!  Class is still on for Saturday, March 11 at 3 pm.  RSVP today to reserve your spot!