FabFri48- FOR BABY!

Hey everyone! I'm so excited for this post! My dear friend (and convention roomie), Mindy Backes, is the creator of the Fab Friday challenge blog. She usually does all of the postings, but she just had her super adorable little baby boy, Ian, last week and is taking a break from doing the posts. She asked me to be her fill in during her break. This gave the design team an opportunity to plan a little surprise in honor of her and Baby Ian.

So, for the first (and possibly last) time ever, we decided to do a theme challenge and make baby cards! Aren't we so sneaky?

 

 

My card...

 

 

 

Stampin' Up Supplies Used:

Stamps: Zoo Babies

Paper: Lost Lagoon, Hello Honey, Whisper White, Moonlight DSP stack

Ink: Lost Lagoon, Hello Honey

Accessories: Circle framelits, banner punch

 

I have to admit that this is not my best work or photography and I would normally make something a little more elaborate for a fellow stamper, but (in other big news) I was hired last Monday to teach second grade at the school that my son attended for the last four years and that my daughter is currently attending. I'm super excited, but I have been extremely busy and tired as I get ready for the school year to begin (on Monday- yikes!). It is also pretty difficult to transition from full-time stay at home mommy to full-time teacher again. I haven't been in the classroom for nine years and it is unbelievable how much has changed in that time!

 

Anyway, enough about me! We all hope you will join us in this challenge to honor Mindy and Ian. It would be so much fun if this was our highest participation in a challenge ever. :-)





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Blended Sympathy

Happy Fab Friday! This is going to be a quick post. Tons going on this week. I always thought summer was supposed to be carefree and relaxing. I'm not finding that to be the case this year. How about you?

Anyway, we have a fun sketch for you over at Fab Friday.

My interpretation is a little "loose". I hope my design team friends won't mind. I got a new stamp set that I wanted to use, so I made the sketch fit my idea.

I have to give a shout out to my best stampy friend, Rita. She encouraged me to go for a mostly white card. I almost never have this much white on a card, but it did turn out pretty. I also got to get in a little more practice with my Blendabilities. They are so fun to color with! I will try to get back soon to post a supply list, but no time at the moment.

I hope you'll join us at Fab Friday! We'd love to see your work! Pin It

FabFri46: Grungy Butterfly

Hello and Happy Friday! I'm having a bit of a sad Friday because I am not in Salt Lake City for Stampin' Up convention. I have gone twice before, but because I am not working and my business is really just to support my hobby, I can't justify the expense of going each year. I aim for every other year, which means that next year I AM THERE!!!! It is fun to see all of the pictures that my stamping buddies are posting, so I live vicariously through them this year.

Even though I am not at convention it is still a Fab Friday and time for a fun, bright, and cheery color challenge. What do you think?

And here is my card...

Stampin' Up Supplies:
Stamps: Papillon Potpourri, Gorgeous Grunge, So Many Thanks
Paper: Daffodil Delight, Coastal Cabana, Strawberry Slush, Whisper White
Ink: Daffodil Delight, Coastal Cabana, Strawberry Slush, Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories: Butterfly punch, rhinestones

I decided to go for a CAS design for my card. My stamping time is very limited this summer because I am continuously interrupted by the kiddos. When I do get a chance to stamp, I need to finish quickly, so CAS is the way to go.

It's your turn to come and play along. We'd love to have you join us!

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FabFri45: Just Sayin'

Hello and Happy Fourth of July to my American friends! I hope all of you enjoy a fun and safe holiday today. In addition to July 4th, it is also Friday and Fab Friday! We have a new sketch challenge for you this week.

And here is my (flipped) take on it...

Stampin' Up Supplies Used:
Stamps: Just Sayin'
Paper: Hello Honey, Blackberry Bliss, Very Vanilla
Ink: Hello Honey, Blackberry Bliss
Accessories: Big Shot, Banner Framelits, Blackberry Bliss ribbon, Hearts and Stars Decorative Masks, Sponge Dauber

This card is not at all what I had in mind when I sat down to stamp, but my original idea just wouldn't work out. I had MANY interuptions while trying to stamp, so I decided to go with a quick and easy design. I love the new masks in the new catalog. They make such fun backgrounds! I also really love this color combination. Yellow and purple just naturally look nice together, but the super saturated shades in Hello Honey and Blackberry Bliss are extra nice together.

Now it's your turn. Come on over to Fab Friday and play along with us. We'd love to see what you create! Pin It

Blackberry Bliss Birthday

Hey there! My kids are away visiting with my parents this week which means two things-
1. My house is way too quiet and a little boring. :(
2. I have some free time to stamp. :)

I decided to use some of that free time to do a little stamping this evening. I am preparing for a class coming up this weekend. I want to be sure to showcase lots of new products as well as the new in colors. I did what I always do when I need a little inspiration. I checked out Pinterest for some card sketches. I found this one from Sweet Sunday and was pleasantly surprised that it is their current sketch!

Here is my card using this fun sketch...

 

I am still experimenting with Gimp for my photo editing and I had some trouble with this one. I couldn't get the colors to be as true as I would have liked and I couldn't figure out how to change the opacity of my watermark. I need a lesson! Anyway, this uses a bunch of fun new products. I like the way it turned out and that may be because I LOVE Blackberry Bliss! I am a purple person and I love this dark, beautifully saturated shade of purple. Plus, it looks really pretty with each of the other new in colors!

 

Stampin' Up Supplies Used:

Stamps: Bloom For You (single stamp), Remembering Your Birthday

Paper: Blackberry Bliss, Hello Honey, Sahara Sand, Whisper White, Moonlight DSP stack

Ink: Blackberry Bliss, Hello Honey, Basic Gray

Accessories: Fun Flower punch, 7/8" Scallop Circle punch, Linen Thread, Vintage Faceted button (colored using the darkest of the Daffodil Delight Blendabilities), Banner punch, Scallop Trim border punch

 

I think this will be one of the cards we will make at my new catalog class on Friday. If you are local and would like to come, be sure to let me know!

 

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Fab Friday 44 meets FMS141

Hi there! I'm finally back in business after several weeks of technical difficulties. I finally have a new laptop, but I still don't have Photoshop installed, so I tried using Gimp this time to edit my picture. I think it worked well. I still need to figure out how to use my old watermark in the program, but at least I was able to add one (even if it isn't very cute).

Anyway, it's Friday and time for another challenge at Fab Friday. This time it is a color challenge using all of the new 2014-2016 in colors. Check it out...

And here is my card...

 

I also used the sketch from this week's Freshly Made Sketches...

 



Stampin' Up Supplies Used:
Stamps: Work of Art, Just Sayin'
Paper: Blackberry Bliss, Lost Lagoon, Mossy Meadow, Hello Honey, Tangelo Twist, Whisper White
Ink: Blackberry Bliss, Lost Lagoon, Mossy Meadow, Hello Honey, Tangelo Twist
Accessories: Big Shot, Word Bubble framelits, Adorning Accents embossing folder (retired)

We had a busy week last week. My daughter, Caroline, was in her very first dance recital. Isn't she just the cutest little turkey you've ever seen?

Thanks for stopping by! Make sure you play along with the challenges at Fab Friday and Freshly Made Sketches!

~Marla Pin It

FabFri42: Butterflies Just For You

Hey there, stampers! Sorry for being away for so long. I have been having major technical difficulties lately. My laptop crashed and is still not repaired. Fortunately, my hubby got a new laptop for work and I can now use his old one. :)

It's Friday (Woo Hoo!), and time for another challenge at Fab Friday! This time we have a color challenge.

Pretty, right?

I wasn't sure what direction to take with these colors and my friend, Rita, suggested that I try a watercolor wash. I had never done this technique and decided to give it a whirl. As it turned out, it was perfect for these colors and for making a quick and simple card (which I needed after the slightly crazy day I've had). This is what I cam up with...

 

 

Isn't the watercolor wash a pretty background for the butterflies? This was a very quick card to make, but I like it a lot. To do the watercolor wash, I filled my aquapainter with water and squeezed some ink from my Pool Party reinker into the lid of the ink pad and used the aquapainter to quickly paint the background onto watercolor paper. I did the same thing for the butterflies. I painted small areas with the aquapainter and the different ink colors and then stamped the butterflies over the colors once they dried. Then I added some accents with my stampin' write markers and punched them out. Easy peasy!

 

Stampin' Up Supplies Used:

Stamps: Work of Art, Papillon Potpourri

Paper: Pool Party, Basic Black, Watercolor

Ink: Crisp Cantaloupe, Summer Starfruit, Pool Party, Coastal Cabana, Memento Black

Accessories: Aquapainter, Butterfly punch, Small Butterfly punch, rhinestones

 

OK, now it's time to flutter on over to Fab Friday and play along with us! I can't wait to see what you make!

 

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Work of Art

Hey stampers! So, I got to go to the Stampin' Up Catalog Premier party in Alexandria on Monday night and they gave away a brand new stamp set to all attendees. I was so excited because it was one that they used a lot during the demonstrations that night and it was definitely on my wish list. I got a few minutes this morning to try it out and this is what I made.

Stamps: Work of Art
Paper: Crumb Cake, Strawberry Slush, Whisper White
Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Strawberry Slush, Crumb Cake
Accessories: rhinestone

It's super simple and was very quick to make, but I like the way it turned out. I stamps the large brushstroke with Rich Razzleberry and then stamped two more times below it without inking up the stamp again. Cool effect, isn't it? I have to give credit to my friend, Amanda, for suggesting stamping off.

I'm noticing that my picture is a little crooked and isn't the best, but I wanted to get this posted quickly before I eat my lunch and head out in the rain to run errands. Have a great day! Pin It

FabFri40: Mosaic Madness

Hello there! One of my New Year's (Stamping) Resolutions was to post more often than every two weeks for the Fab Friday challenge. It doesn't look like I'm doing too well with that one. I promise that I will do better this summer when I (hopefully) have a little more free time.

It is Friday once again and we have a color combination for our challenge at Fab Friday this time. Check it out...

I will admit that I really struggled with these colors. I like them all individually, but I drew a blank on how to use them together. (And I totally messed up and used Basic Gray instead of Smoky Slate- oops!) This is what I came up with...

 

This is a CASE of my own card that I made back in June. I remembered making the original card when the challenge was to use all five in colors, and I thought it would work well with these colors as well.

Please come and play along with us. We love to see the cards that everyone shares with us!
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FabFri39: Scrappy Birthday!

Hello there! It's going to be a short post because it is party day at my kids' school and I am in charge of both of their parties- yikes! Busy time, but come 3:00, spring break begins and I can finally relax (as much as I can with a five-year-old and an eight-year-old anyway)!

It is Friday and time for a new challenge at Fab Friday! We have a sketch this time. And if you are like me and have tons of scraps, this is a great sketch for actually using them.

And here is my card...

Stampin' Up Supplies Used:
Stamps: Perfect Pennants
Paper: Basic Gray, Bermuda Bay, Raspberry Ripple, Very Vanilla, Birthday Basics DSP
Ink: Bermuda Bay, Raspberry Ripple
Accessories: Big Shot, Perfect Polka Dots EF, Chalk Talk framelits, Raspberry Ripple ribbon, linen thread

OK, now it's your turn to come and play along with this fun sketch! Join us at Fab Friday- we can't wait to see your creation! Pin It

FabFri38: Spring Has (Finally) Sprung!

Hey there, stampers! Spring is here! I am so happy to be through with this endless winter. If only it would warm up just a bit, maybe I would get out of this slump I have been in all winter long. The cold and snow seems to have just completely zapped my motivation and energy. I'm really excited to get back to some of the things that I enjoy (like stamping)!

It is time for a new Fab Friday challenge and we have a color challenge this time. Check it out!

At first glance, all I saw was a masculine card when I looked at these colors. I couldn't get anything to come together, so I just started playing with some things I had out on my table and this springy card happened...

I can't get enough of the new Hardwood background stamp. I just love it! The butterflies from Papillon Potpourri are also frequent flyers (pun totally intended) for my cards. ;-)

While it wasn't my intention to CASE this card, I must have had my awesome friend, Rita's, lovely card in the back of my head when I made this one. I think it was definitely my subconscious inspiration.

Stampin' Up Supplies:

Stamps: Hardwood, Summer Silhouettes, Papillon Potpourri, Hello Lovely

Paper: Baked Brown Sugar, Pistachio Pudding, Sahara Sand, Very Vanilla

Ink: Baked Brown Sugar, Pistachio Pudding, Sahara Sand

Accessories: Elegant Butterfly punch, Bitty Butterfly punch, sponge

Now it's your turn to come and play along with us! We would love to see what you make!

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Keepin' It Clean for Fab Friday

Hey there stampers! Is it just me or has this been the longest week? By Tuesday afternoon, I felt like it should have been Friday. Maybe it is because my kids finally had a full week of school (I think this is only the second time that has happened since they returned from Christmas break)! Anyway, whether your week went fast or slow, Friday has finally arrived and it is time for a new challenge from Fab Friday! We have a bright and fun color challenge for you this time.

These colors come straight from the Kaleidoscope DSP in the Occasions catalog, so if you have that paper, the challenge will be nice and easy. If you don't have it, I hope you will not let it keep you from playing along. I do not own this particular DSP. I like it, but it is just a little too bright and the patterns are a little too bold for my style. I had to get creative to make my card, and I will freely admit that it was a little bit of a struggle. So much of a struggle, in fact, that I made three cards before I finally settled on one that I liked! I am not normally a CAS (clean and simple) stamper even though I love that style. I have just never felt that I could pull it off. However, in a moment of sheer desperation to make a card that I was happy with, I decided to try a CAS sketch that I found on Pinterest. To my great surprise, I liked the finished product. Here it is...

Stampin' Up Supplies Used:
Stamps: Papillon Potpourri, Teeny Tiny Wishes, Perfect Pennants
Paper: Strawberry Slush, Basic Black, Whisper White, Crushed Curry
Ink: Strawberry Slush, Bermuda Bay, Staz On
Accessories: Butterfly punch, rhinestones (colored with a black Sharpie)

OK, now it is your turn to play along. Come over to Fab Friday and join us! This challenge closes on March 13th. Can't wait to see your creations!



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Simply Sketched Sympathy for FabFri35

Hey there! Happy Valentine's Day! I hope that you are not one of the many, many people that are buried under mega amounts of snow (like I am). We got about 12" overnight Wednesday night and another 3" or so during the morning yesterday for a total of 15" by around noon yesterday. Crazy, crazy winter! I'm so ready for spring! How about you?

So, I'm glad that we didn't make any major Valentine's Day plans because we wouldn't have been able to keep them anyway. Valentine's Day is a special day for my hubby and me. We met on a blind date on Valentine's Day in 2000! Nothing like a high pressure first date, right? Cupid must have been smiling on us that day though because here it is fourteen years later and we are still going strong.

Anyway, you did not come to hear about the snow or how I met my husband, you came to see my latest Fab Friday card. We have a sketch this time. Even though it is Valentine's Day, I don't have a valentine to share this time. Sorry about that! Poor planning on my part. I made this card as a possible class card and then decided that my customers probably wouldn't like the watercoloring. I don't find this image particularly easy to color, and I am not very skilled when it comes to watercoloring, but I try. I can't wait for Stampin' Up to release Blendabilities, their new alcohol markers soon. I hope that they will help me hone my skill! Anyway, here is the fun Fab Friday sketch...

 

 

And here is my card...

 

 

Stampin' Up Supplies:

Stamps: Simply Sketched, Hello Doily

Paper: Crisp Cantaloupe, Pistachio Pudding, Smoky Slate, Whisper White, In Color DSP stack

Ink: Basic Gray, Crisp Cantaloupe, Pistachio Pudding

Accessories: Blender Pen, Pistachio Pudding ruffled ribbon

 

OK, now it is your turn! Pop on over to Fab Friday and play along with us! I can't wait to see your creations. Also, be sure to visit our newest design team member, Brian King, and give him a big welcome!

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Hearts a Flutter Valentine

Hello! It is Friday and the Fab Friday team is back from our break and ready for a brand new color challenge! It's a color challenge this time, and I LOVE these colors together! What do you think?

So pretty, right? Here is the card I made using these colors (that are conveniently found in the Fresh Prints DSP stack). We made this card at my stamp-a-stack last Friday, and I think everyone really liked it.

Stampin' Up Supplies Used:
Stamps: Hearts a Flutter, Bitty Banners
Paper: Real Red, Crumb Cake, Coastal Cabana, Whisper White, Fresh Prints DSP stack
Ink: Real Red, Coastal Cabana
Accessories: Big Shot, Bitty Banners framelits, Arrows EF, Postage Stamp punch, Banner punch

Please be sure to stop by and play along with us at Fab Friday. The challenge doesn't close until February 13th, so you have lots of time! Can't wait to see what you create! Pin It

Sweet & Simple Sympathy

It was no surprise to me that when I asked my customers what types of cards they needed for their stashes, most of them said they needed sympathy cards. Why do they not have sympathy cards? Because I rarely make them for classes. I find them to be very challenging to make. Even if I don't sit down to make them with a person or situation in mind, I still think about the recipient and how they will be feeling when they receive the card and it just makes it difficult for me.

I do find, though, that it is better for me to have a supply of sympathy cards on hand because when I do need to make one for someone I know, it is that much harder to come up with an idea for a card.

Here is what I came up with for my upcoming event.

I was really happy with how this card turned out. It is fairly simple and uncomplicated, which I think is necessary for sympathy cards. It is also just cheery enough while still appropriate.

 

Stampin' Up Supplies:

Stamps: Hardwood (background), Simply Sketched

Ink: Crumb Cake, Crisp Cantaloupe (for sponging)

Paper: Crumb Cake, Crisp Cantaloupe, Pear Pizzazz, Whisper White

Accessories: Big Shot, Fun Flowers die, Little Leaves Sizzlet, Boho Blossom punch, Large pearls, sponge

 

Thanks for stopping by! I will have the rest of my samples ready to share next week, so be sure to come back to check them out. 

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Sending Good Thoughts

Hello and Happy New Year! It sure has been a looooooong time since I last posted. I hope that anyone reading this had a wonderful Christmas and that the new year is treating you well so far! Life for us was super busy around the holidays and then when the kids finally returned to school after the long Christmas break, we had bad weather and they missed two and a half days of school last week! On top of that, we had frozen pipes during an extremely cold couple of days and were completely without water. It has been interesting to say the least! This week has finally been more normal and I have been able to spend some time in my stamp room preparing for my upcoming class.

Here is the first card I made. It was inspired by this card I saw on Pinterest (always great for when the mojo is in short supply).

I really like the versatility of this greeting. It could be a thinking of you, get well, good luck, or even a birthday card. My customers requested get well/thinking of you as one of the card types for my class, so this one definitely works for that. I am not really a pastel person, but I do think the colors in the Sweet Sorbet DSP (free with a $50 order during Sale-a-Bration) are pretty and perfect for spring (which I hope will come early this year).

Stampin' Up Supplies:
Stamps: Perfect Pennants, Papillion Potpourri, Betsy's Blossoms
Ink: Basic Gray, Pool Party, Summer Startfruit
Paper: Pool Party, Sahara Sand, Crisp Cantaloupe, Basic Black, Whisper White, Sweet Sorbet DSP
Accessories: Scalloped Tag punch, Pistachio Pudding ruffled stretch ribbon, small butterfly punch, baker's twine

Thanks for stopping by! Come back tomorrow because I will have my next card then. Pin It