You're Weird

I love quirky stamp sets so it's not surprising that I love the sentiment in the Gerda Steiner Designs Llama Tell You stamp set...

You are weird and I love it.

Yep, just quirky enough to get me to purchase the set... plus look at that funny llama. I love it!

And I even know who I'm going to send this card to. ;)

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!


Supplies Used

Stamp Set: Gerda Steiner Designs Llama Tell You stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink and colored with Copic Markers

Papers: Recollections Black and White and SU Confetti Tan CS and DP from the DCWV Everyday Essentials Paper Pad

Embellishments: Oriental Trading and Recollections Enamel Dots

A True Love Story Never Ends

I have been in the Unidentified Image card swap for a few years. This is our 38th round. WOW! Rounds last two months and we take turns hosting. The host chooses the image we will use to make our cards.

I am the host for Round #38... and I chose Unity's Promise Always stamp set for the image. I love - LOVE! - this stamp set and hope the other swappers liked it, too.

Aren't they just the sweetest couple ever?!?!?!

This is my card:

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Stamp Set: Unity Promise Always stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink and colored with Copic Markers

Cardstock: Recollections Black, Red, and White and SU Buckaroo Blue 

Designer Paper: American Crafts The Goods Tulle and Recollections Black & White Paper Pad

Embellishment: Heart-shaped Brad from an unknown vendor

Celebrating with Fireworks

I have two blog posts today. This is a very special one... patriotic in honor of American's Independence Day and featuring a stamp set from The Project Bin. The next one (or just go HERE) is my Craft Your Stash monthly post.

I'm not sure if you've noticed, but every Thursday I post a card using a stamp set from The Project Bin. The design team is actually posting on different days of the week... and my day is Thursday. So I love Thursdays!

This is the last Thursday before America's Independence Day, so I decided to use the Red, White &Boom! stamp set for my card.

America the Beautiful!

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Supplies Used

Stamp Set: The Project Bin Red, White & Boom! stamped with Memento Ink (Lady Bug and Paris Dusk)

Papers: Recollections Blue, 110# Red and 110# White CS and DP from the Paper Studio Four Seasons Paper Pad

Embellishments: Recollections Rhinestone Stars and Ribbon from an unknown vendor

Amazing Flamingo

On the 28th of each month the Challenge your Stash group on SCS reveals a card they've made featuring that month's theme, which is chosen by one of the members. The catch is we cannot buy anything for the card. It has to be made completely with things we already own.

Now that is usually not a problem... since I have a lot of toys. LOL!

This month's theme was chosen by Lola. She asked us to use an elephant and/or a flamingo on our cards. I actually own several stamps that fit the description of either/or... but I couldn't seem to embrace putting both an elephant and a flamingo on the same card, so I decided to go with a flamingo.

Whipper Snapper Figaro Flamingo 

(that I've owned for a very long time)

My Favorite Things Amazing 

(that I've owned for a year or more)

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!


Supplies Used

Stamps/Dies: MFT Amazing and Whipper Snapper Figaro Flamingo stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink and colored with Copic Markers

Papers: Recollections Black and 110# White CS and DP from my scrap file

Embellishments: Brads from an unknown vendor

Dazzling Sunshine

There's a new challenge today at Craftaholics R US... it's all about

SUNSHINE!

I was really excited about that because it gave me cause to use a stamp set that had yet to see ink.... plus, who doesn't like sunshine, right?

I hope you'll participate in the

Sunshine Challenge

June 27 - July 4

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!


Supplies Used

Stamp/Die Set: Stampin' UP! Pocket of Sunshine stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink and colored with Copic Markers

Papers: Recollections White and SU Cucumber Crush and Summer Sun CS and DP from my scrap file

Stencil: Craftin' Desert Divas Bright Horizons (with SU Daffodil Delight Ink)

Embellishments: Your Next Stamp Gum Drops

Personal Challenge 2018 - Week 26

This is the 26th week of my personal 50-week States of the Union Challenge. Each week I research one of the 50 United States (in the order they attained statehood). I share tidbits of information about the state here on my blog and I create a card that is inspired by something about that state.

This week's state (the 26th one to attain statehood) is...

Michigan

Date of Statehood: January 26, 1937

Michigan touches four out of the five great lakes, more than any other state: Huron, Michigan, Erie and Superior.

No point within the entire state is more than six miles from a lake.

In the city of Mackinac Island, Michigan, cars have been banned since 1898. 

The J.W. Westcott II, which operates out of Detroit, is the world's only floating post office, as it delivers mail to ships as they pass under the Ambassador Bridge.

Detroit residents were the first in the nation to have phone numbers. It seems that by 1879, the city had grown so large that operator were no longer able to route the calls by name alone.

The Saugatuck Chain Ferry, built in 1838, is the only remaining hand-cranked chain ferry in the U.S. 

Traverse City is the tart (i.e., pie) cherry capital of the world, and hosts the week-long National Cherry Festival each July. 

Battle Creek is the cereal capital of the world due to the presence of the Kellogg Company. Kellogg's, by the way, offered its first mail-in cereal box prize back in 1909.

Vernor's Ginger Ale, which was created by a Detroit druggist, is possibly the oldest soft drink still on the market. 

The Ella Ellenwood, a schooner that used to transport lumber from Montague to Milwaukee, went down in a storm in 1901. While the ship was not recovered, its nameplate did manage to float back to Montague all on its lonesome a year later.

The Detroit metro area sits atop a gigantic salt mine. According to some estimates, there's enough salt down there to last for 70 million years at the world's current rate of consumption. 

70 percent of all potatoes grown in Michigan, become potato chips, making them the No. 1 state for chipping production. 

The Kalamazoo Mall was the first outdoor pedestrian shopping mall in the United States.

The world’s largest weathervane is located in Montague. It stands forty-eight-feet tall and weighs thirty-five hundred pounds. Its wind arrow is twenty-six-feet long.

The first air-conditioned car was manufactured in 1939 by Detroit's Packard Motor Car Company.

A one-mile stretch of Detroit road was paved with concrete in 1908, making it the world's first concrete-paved road.

Oscoda claims to be the official hometown of the literary Paul Bunyan, as the first published story about him appeared in the Oscoda Press in 1906. Oscoda puts on an annual Paul Bunyan Festival each September.

French-Canadian lumberjack Fabian Fournier, who worked for a lumber company in the Grayling area in the late 1800s, was said to be an inspiration for the legendary Paul Bunyan.

 Ossineke has a giant statue of Paul Bunyan and Babe, his blue ox.

A Michigan Judge held himself in contempt after smartphone rang in court.

 A Roseville man who dropped a couple of F-bombs after falling out of his canoe was convicted in 1999 under a law that had been on the books since 1897 prohibiting “indecent, immoral, obscene, vulgar or insulting language in the presence or hearing of any woman or child.” In 2002 the conviction was overturned by the Michigan Court of Appeals, and the law was struck down at the same time.

Here are some other Michigan laws...

In 2008, the city of Flint passed a law that gave police the authority to arrest anyone whose pants sagged so low as to expose their undies or bare butts.

Automatic (switchblade, etc.) knives are illegal to own in Michigan, except for one-armed people.

Persons may not be drunk on trains.

It is against the law to sell cars on Sundays.

Willfully destroying your old radio is prohibited in Detroit.

It is illegal to let your pig run free in Detroit unless it has a ring in its nose. 

It is also against Detroit law for a man to scowl at his wife on Sunday. (Now I like that one! The only thing that would make that better is if it were a law EVERY day.)

No person in Grand Haven may throw an abandoned hoop skirt into any street or on any sidewalk, under penalty of a five- dollar fine for each offense.

I've decided to go with this bit of Michigan information for my card's inspiration... Michigan actually has a lot of firsts when it comes to education, both formal and informal. For instance, the state was the first in the United States to make establishing public libraries a part of its state Constitution. It was also the first to guarantee every child in the state a free high-school education.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Supplies Used

Stamp: Kraftin Kimmie Smarty Pants stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink and colored with Copic Markers

Papers Recollections White and SU More Mustard CS and all other papers from my scrap file

Die: MFT Stitched Mini Scallop Rectangle

Embellishment: SU Ribbon

Books, Books, and More Books

I'm loving the Eyelet Outlet stamp sets! I've used two others so far - the Apple one and the Fan one. Today I'll show you two cards I made with the Books stamp set.

I've also used these Eyelet Outlet products on today's cards:

Books Brads

Books Stamp Set

Books Washi Tape

Clock Washi Tape

Glitter Enamel Dots

Skinny Washi Tape

Card #1

Card #2

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Eyelet Outlet Products: Books Brads, Books Stamp Set, Books Washi Tape, Clock Washi Tape, Glitter Enamel Dots, and Skinny Washi Tape

Stamp: Taylored Expressions Library Card

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black and Ranger Antique Linen

Papers: Recollections Black and White and SU Tangerine Tango CS and DP from my scrap file

Eyelet Outlet Products: Books Brads, Books Stamp Set, and Books Washi Tape

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black and Copic Markers

Papers: Recollections White and SU Night of Navy CS and DP from my scrap file

Die: SU Top Note

Art Nouveau???

Okay, I need to get out more, broaden my horizons, learn new things.

I serve on the International Art & Soul with some super talented and amazing women. I am in awe of their creativity. And their knowledge!!!

I usually try really hard to fit in and not make waves... but then. Oh then! I saw that the upcoming challenge them - which now IS the challenge theme - was Art Nouveau. And... *gasp! I didn't even know what that was. Seriously, I didn't.

So I had to swallow my pride and ask in our private design team Facebook group. They were so kind and gave me some help. I said, Okay, thanks.... but truthfully, I was still stumped. I didn't know if I'd have a single thing in my stash - and I have a pretty good sized stash - of stuff that would fit this theme.

I. was. concerned. beyond. belief.

I looked at the cards the DT members were creating - drooled a bit - and then sweated some more.

Until!

I was creating a card for another design team - The Project Bin - and I was looking through my bin of stamps from that company. I ran across this stamp set and I had an ah-ha moment.

The International DT gave me a nod, and I went with it.

I'm still not sure if this is anywhere near Art Nouveau, but it IS my card and my oh-so-talented and smart friends have given me permission to not sweat this any more.

I hope you'll participate in the 

International Art & Soul Art Nouveau Challenge!

June 24 - July 7

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!


Supplies Used

Stamp Set: The Project Bin Spring Zen stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink and colored with Zip Wink of Stella Markers

Papers: Recollections Black and #110 White and SU Cucumber Crush CS and DP from my scrap file

Embellishments: CC Designs Enamel Dots, and a Brad and Washi Tape from unknown vendors

My Favorite Pizza Maker

Who doesn't love pizza, right?

Well. Except for Brock. He doesn't like pizza. But he does like going to Classic Pizza, a local pizza place here in our town. He always orders a sandwich and soup there.

Not me! I go for pizza! And the fantastic salad bar! YUM! I'm making myself hungry.

So, since I like pizza, I couldn't pass by this adorable Whipper Snapper pizza-making stamp when I spotted it in the clearance bin at Creative Pals (the Whipper Snapper store) when I was in Wisconsin in January. He was a bargain, for sure.

And he's the perfect stamp to use for the Sweet Stampin' Challenge this week!

June 23 - 29

Theme: Food & Drink

I hope you'll participate!

Oh, and just in case you're like me... you like to laugh.... so there's a giggle for you on the inside of my card...

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!


Supplies Used

Stamps: Two Lips Eat a Pizza (I used Ranger Inks to distress it) and Whipper Snapper Edwardo stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black and colored with Copic Markers

Papers: Fun Stampers Journey Hazelnut Blend, Recollections White, and SU Night of Navy CS and DP from the Paper Studio Entirely Textures 2 Paper Pad

Embellishments: Foof-a-La Button, Target Bakers Twine, and Ribbon from an unknown vendor

A Prickly Situation

The Creative Card Chicks are a fun group of ladies (on SCS) who love creating - and chatting, of course. Each month one of the members sends a little kit of goodies to the others in the group and we all make a card using the same items. It's always great fun because even though we all have the same items to play create with, our cards normally don't look a bit alike.

This month Debby is the hostess. She said she's recently discovered a new passion - succulents! In her words, I am really "stuck" on these little cactus and am doing pretty well keeping some alive. 

Hmmmmm..... so am I, if you take into consideration the only succulents I have are stamps. LOL! Oh, wait! Are hen and chickens succulents??? If so, I have some gorgeous ones.

Anyway, I digressed - my bad! Debby sent us a fun kit of succulent goodies.

Debby's kit included the following items...

Images: Woodware Cactus Stamp Set (stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink

Sayings: Deadbeat Design (stamped with SU Old Olive)

Papers: Hobby Lobby (FYI - the only thing of my own that I used on my card was some CS - Recollections Black and SU Lemon Lime Twist)

Embellishments: An Assortment (from unknown vendors)

Debby also included a fun embossed piece (that I didn't use)

Here's my card:

Thank you for stopping by my blog today!

Thank You for Making Happy

I was going through a bin of things in my Working Studio recently and I came across some puff emoji things that I didn't even remember I had. I'm not sure how long I've had them. There is a sticker on them saying they were a gift from Simon Says Stamps.

Anyway, when I saw them, I immediately thought of this fun statement stamp that I have. It's in the #bff stamp set from The Project Bin.

I also have some fun emoji Washi Tape, so I put these all together and created this card...

The "Thank You!" is also a piece of Washi Tape. I like that it adds a word of appreciation for the recipient of my card. I also like that you can faintly see the DP through the words.

Here's the inside of my card:

Thank you for stopping by my blog today!


Supplies Used

Stamp Set: The Project Bin #bff stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink

Papers: Recollections Black, 110# Red, and White CS and DP from my scrap file

Embellishments: Gina Marie Enamel Dots, Pink Fresh Studio Emoji Studio Puffs (a free gift from Simon Says Stamps), and Washi Tape from an unknown vendor