Gettin' Spicy!

Mornin' y'all!  I am sitting at the computer, which is next to front-facing windows in my house, and I'm keeping an eye out for the UPS guy because I have a Stampin' Up! order out for delivery today : )  I do have some things from my *last* order that I haven't used yet (don't tell the hubs) and I spent about an hour yesterday sorting out my wedding pictures.  I am GOING to get moving on that project THIS WEEK!  For reals!

But first, a card to share.  I wouldn't think it's possible to make a suggestive card with SU! stamps, on the whole they're pretty wholesome, but today's card is a little bit spicy.

I think it's the winking taco that makes me giggle.  It may be nonstandard, but I'm entering this at the Paper Players challenge this week:

The hubs and I grew up in Texas, so tacos are definitely our love language.  We made sure to go to Chuy's when the hubs was here at Christmastime.  Also, his birthday is ON Valentine's Day, which he hates, so I didn't want to lean into hearts for this one, and when I saw the color challenge at CAS Colours & Sketches, Taco Fiesta seemed like the natural choice:

Maybe I was hungry at the time, too.  And I used a modified version of the Try a Sketch on Tuesday sketch:

I made my card the standard A2 size rather than square, and kept the elements of the sketch a bit smaller to fit in with the CAS component of the color challenge.  I've got lots of white space (which is red, in this case) so it still feels CAS.

Okay, I'm going to go upstairs and see if I can come up with a plan for that wedding album.  I really do want to get it done by the time the hubs' deployment ends.  Project time!

Supplies, all SU!
Stamps:  Taco Fiesta
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Stampin' Blends in Daffodil Delight, Poppy Parade, Lemon Lime Twist, Shaded Spruce
Paper:  Poppy Parade, Crushed Curry, Thick Basic White, Tahitian Tide DSP
Accessories:  Stylish Shapes dies, Dimensionals

Balloon Fiesta

Mornin' y'all!  I didn't get much craft room time yesterday as I had someone come over to repair the furniture that was damaged in the move last year...he did a great job on everything but it kinda took up most of my available time during the day.  Here's hoping that things don't get damaged in the *next* move...which will be this summer.

But I did squeak in enough time for one card, and this is it:

I was inspired by the Global Design Project challenge to cut into that balloon pattern:

And it just so happens that balloons are on the inspo list for Festive Friday this time around too:

I used bright colors (Lemon Lolly and Azure Afternoon read as bright to me, plus some Sweet Sorbet accents), twine (I did order the twine that goes along with this DSP, but it doesn't get here until tomorrow), outdoors, large sentiment (Sending Smiles was the largest one I could find in my current stamps), and balloons.  Sweet Sorbet is not listed in the colors on this DSP, but there is a darker pinky color that I figured worked well enough with the Sweet Sorbet twine and heart accents.  Calypso Coral would work too I think, and it's not on the color list either.  Anyway, I went with a very simple card layout so I could use a big piece of that fun balloon pattern.  It's cute!

That's it for me today.  Cheers, peeps!

Supplies, all SU!
Stamps:  Sending Smiles
Ink:  Azure Afternoon
Paper:  Balmy Blue, Lemon Lolly, Azure Afternoon, Thick Basic White, Lighter than Air DSP Stack
Accessories:  Sending dies, Sweet Sorbet baker's twine, Adhesive-Backed Hearts & Flowers, Dimensionals

Maine: Last Page

Scrappy Monday, y'all!  And today I have the very LAST page from my Maine album (that I still need to put together).  Check it out!

These three pictures are ones I loved but didn't fit with any of the other layouts, so they're on the last page.  The pic on the left is the artwork that was in the bedroom the hubs and I shared at the Air BnB, isn't that the weirdest thing ever???  And I love that pic of Ryan in his footie jams with Peking right next to him.  I miss the footie jam days sometimes, they were so cute.

Today's color palette:  Cajun Craze, Bumblebee (and years later I'm still wondering why this color is a single word name when Bumbling Bee is RIGHT THERE, or Busy Bumblebee!), Mossy Meadow, Cinnamon Cider, and white.

I keep saying I'm going to do my wedding album...well, I pulled out all the pictures, but the boxes are just sitting on the floor in my craft room.  I started to look through them last Friday but one of the first ones I pulled out was of my friends Beth and Neelu, both of whom are now gone because of cancer; they were both bridesmaids in my wedding.  So making this might be a little difficult but I really do want to get it done.  Wish me luck getting started this week!

Supplies, all SU!
Stamps:  Pines
Ink:  Mossy Meadow, Early Espresso Marker
Paper:  Cajun Craze, Bumblebee, Cinnamon Cider, Thick Basic White, Beauty of the Earth DSP
Accessories:  None

London Calling

One more post for this weekend!  Here's my super quick card for today...

I couldn't resist making something for the Inspired By... challenge:

It made me think of the phone booth stamp from Feeling Sentimental, which I think maybe was a Sale-a-Bration stamp set from a few years ago (I'm not going to go upstairs to check, I'm lazy).  I stamped the phone booth with Versamark and then embossed with Cherry Cobbler embossing powder...remember when colored embossing powder was A Thing?  I still have lots of it in various colors, it's fun to play with periodically.  One fussy cut greeting and a few Milky Dots, and my card is done.

Well, kiddo had a taekwondo tournament yesterday and did a great job.  He entered four events for his age group and got first place in one and second place in the other three events.  They divvy up the competitors as much as possible so they can give out as many trophies as possible at his age level, it's how they try to make tournaments a positive experience for the younger kids.  Ryan sure was excited about it!  And today we have to clean up the house because I have someone coming over tomorrow to fix the furniture that the movers damaged last year.  Wish me luck getting the kid motivated to clear all his Legos out of the guest room...and the living room...and everywhere else.  Ha!

Supplies, all SU!
Stamps:  Feeling Sentimental, Heartfelt Hellos
Ink:  Versamark, Basic Gray
Paper:  Smoky Slate
Accessories:  Cherry Cobbler embossing powder, Milky Dots, Dimensionals

A Little Note

Hey y'all, happy Saturday!  I usually don't post on Saturdays, but there were just so many good challenges this week that I couldn't fit them all in : )  So a little bonus card for today:

I got the Notes of Nature bundle in my most recent order, and pretty much the rest of the product suite is on its way to me now.  My card for today is 4 1/4" square to follow this week's Freshly Made Sketch:

And here is this week's Color Throwdown:

I used Shaded Spruce (the lighter Stampin' Blend), Boho Blue, and Crumb Cake for my simple little card.  At first I was going to do a Boho Blue mat around the main panel, but then I sponged the edges instead to keep it simple.  There's a yoga video that I do periodically and the yoga instructor says "Simplicity is always freeing" and I think that is appropriate for this card.

That's it for me today.  In just a couple of minutes, we've got to get Ryan ready to go--he's got a taekwondo tournament this morning.  Should be fun to watch.  Cheers!

Supplies, all SU!
Stamps:  Notes of Nature
Ink:  Early Espresso, Boho Blue
Paper:  Crumb Cake, Thick Very Vanilla
Accessories:  Notes of Nature dies, Dimensionals, Tinsel Gems

Sophisticated Dogwood Blooms

Mornin' y'all!  Well, we didn't get any answers on my car yesterday so I'll have to take it back in sometime next week, ugh.  But at least I don't have much on the docket today, which means craft room time!  I actually pulled out all my wedding pictures the other day...but I haven't even looked at them yet : )

For today I have a pretty quick and simple card to share.

Detailed Dogwood (image) and Softly Sophisticated (sentiment) are two of the Sale-a-Bration offerings, and how do you like this color combo that I came up with?  It's Bubble Bath, Soft Sea Foam, and Lost Lagoon.  I like the detailed floral image stamped directly on a piece of patterned paper.

I used the sketch from Global Design Project:

That's it for me today, kids; I need to go make a cup of tea so I'm ready to tackle the rest of the day (and those wedding pictures).  Cheers!

Supplies, all SU!
Stamps:  Detailed Dogwood, Softly Sophisticated
Ink:  Bubble Bath, Lost Lagoon
Paper:  Soft Sea Foam, Bubble Bath, Bold & Beautiful DSP Stack
Accessories:  Stitched Rectangles dies, Stylish Shapes dies, Tinsel Gems

Wizard in Blue

Mornin' y'all!  Wellllll I just discovered that Stampin' Up! started a preorder period today for the next batch of online exclusives and yeah I just got myself into trouble the next time the hubs checks our checking account ; )  Also there are now a few more choices for Sale-a-Bration rewards so go check that out!

Time for today's card, and I'm bringing back a retired stamp set today.

NONE SHALL PASS.  Or is he saying HARRY DID YA PUT YA NAME IN THE GOBLET A FIYAAH?? I make myself laugh, at any rate, that's the important thing.  How cool is that wizard in his blue robe and hat?  I'm participating in a couple of challenges today, starting with Retro Rubber:

The stars are ombre and I colored in his robes in an ombre pattern and okay the Tahitian Tide maybe isn't *quite* the same as sky blue but I was working with the colors in the DSP.  Umm hello Stargazing DSP!  This is the first time I've cut into it and isn't it perfect for the wizard!  The polka dot pattern is from the retired Tea Boutique DSP Stack (I needed some Tahitian Tide for the horizontal strip) and the stars are from the current Bright & Beautiful DSP Stack and I just ordered a second pack of it because I've had so much fun with it.  Anyway, my stamp set is Magical Day, which debuted six years ago, and this is only the second time I've used the wizard.  I put the sentiment on the inside of the card (it says "Have a magical day!").

I must admit that the Cupcake Inspirations challenge dictated my choice of stamp set:

Wizards definitely belong in fairy tales.  This challenge had been percolating in my brain for a few days and then the Retro Rubber challenge popped up and that's what made me choose the wizard over the dragon or the unicorn.  And check out the fun sketch from Inspire. Create.:

I had a lot of fun combining the three sets of patterned papers I used on my card.  And the embellishments are the retired Fine Adhesive Sparkle Gems from last year, they're supposedly Pacific Point but I thought they looked right at home with all the blues on my card.

Okay!  I think I need another cuppa tea and then I have to go take my car in for repairs today.  Cheers!

Supplies, all SU!
Stamps:  Magical Day
Ink:  Night of Navy, Stampin' Blends in Night of Navy, Blueberry Bushel, Tahitian Tide, Smoky Slate, Natural Tones
Paper:  Night of Navy, Tahitian Tide, Thick Basic White, Stargazing DSP, Bright & Beautiful DSP Stack, Tea Boutique DSP Stack
Accessories:  Magical Mates dies, Stylish Shapes dies, Fine Adhesive Sparkle Gems, Dimensionals