MASCULINE JULY BIRTHDAY

Paper Shares and Ribbon Shares groups are filling up fast! Don't miss out! Click HERE for details.I've been anxious to try the inlaid embossing technique. The stars were punched out and adhered to the Whisper White CS, and the sentiment was stamped in Night of Navy ink .... then run through the Big Shot in the Square Lattice Embossing Folder. The small Night of Navy star inside the large Basic Gray star was embellished with a silver brad, then raised on dimensionals after the embossing. I used the Colour Q Challenge #91 of Bravo Burgundy, Ruby Red, Night of Navy, Basic Gray and Whisper White. A great easy masculine July birthday card!

RECIPE
Stamps: Phrases for a Friend (retired)
Paper: Bravo Burgundy, Ruby Red, Night of Navy, Basic Gray and Whisper White CS
Ink: Night of Navy
Embellishments: Silver Brad
Tools: Square Lattice Embossing Folder, Star Punches
Supplies: Stampin' Dimensionals

WHAT YOU'VE GOT CHALLENGE (WYG), LONG BALI BREEZE

Last week, I mentioned an upcoming challenge I had been working on with Joanne Basile, Just a Little Something, and Dawn Easton, Treasure Oiler Designz. The big day for the first "What You've Got" or "WYG" Challenge is finally here! Once a month, Joanne will be challenging Dawn and I to use a selection of Stampin' Up! supplies that we already own, "What You've Got" or "WYG". After we show you what we've come up with, the challenge is raised to YOU! The idea is to get inspired by the Stampin' Up! supplies you already have.

The first challenge Joanne issued to Dawn and I was to make a LONG card using Bali Breeze DP. By long card, we mean the size that fits into a standard business size envelope. My cards measure 4" x 9 1/4". Head on over to Joanne's blog, Just A Little Something for all the details of this fun challenge! I hope you'll play along with us! (The SCS keyword will be WYG.)

I ended up making two cards for the first WYG Challenge. The flower on this first card was created by simply cutting out the large flower from the Bali Breeze DP twice, layer and stagger the two, and adding Flower Fusion and a Turquoise Rhinestone Brad.
RECIPE
Stamps: Phrases for a Friend (Occasions Mini '08)
Paper: Bali Breeze DP, Whisper White
Ink: Rose Red Classic Ink Pad
Embellishments: Flower Fusion, Turquoise Ice Circle Rhinestone Brad
Supplies: Stampin Dimensionals

This second card uses all the Old Olive patterns in the Bali Breeze DP pack with Rose Red accents. I don't think my Doodle This flowers look quite ripe, what do you think?! LOL! Yep, Old Olive flowers! Weird, huh?!

The Doodle This flower was stamped twice in Basic Black onto Bali Breeze DP then cut out and staggered. I curled the flower petals around a pencil for a 3-D appearance. A small Flower Fusion was placed in the center of each flower with an Old Olive Brad.

It's difficult to tell in the photo but there is Paper Piercing on the Rose Red CS strip above and below the Old Olive 5/8" Grosgrain Ribbon.
RECIPE
Stamps: Doodle This
Paper: Bali Breeze DP, Rose Red CS
Ink: Basic Black
Embellishments: Flower Fusion, Old Olive Brads, Old Olive 5/8" Grosgrain Ribbon
Tools: Ticket Corner Punch, Paper Piercing Tool & Mat Pack, Pencil
Supplies: Pop-Up Glue Dots, Stampin' Dimensoinals

BEATE'S WEEKEND SKETCH CHALLENGE WSC40

I can't believe our Spring Break is almost over already. Allie returned home last night from Florida. She spent the week near Tampa in a beach house with her best friend, Britt, and her family. This is the second time Britt's family has taken Allie with them to Florida, and last year, they took her along to Washington DC! Britt's family is so good to Allie!

Drew stayed busy with his friends over break, and even made some money filling in on a couple of his sister's babysitting jobs!

This is the card I made for Beate's Weekend Sketch Challenge WSC40. I am in love with Stampin' Up! Felt Flower Fusion!!! Although I'm not quite sure how crazy I am about my card as a whole, I AM liking the flower! My flower seemed to be floating on the card, so I added the swirl from SAB Friendship Blooms to anchor it. The "thinking of you" sentiment is from the new Phrases for a Friend, the Ribbon Slide is from the new Styled Silver Hodgepodge Hardware, and the ribbon is the new Chocolate Chip Poly-Twill Ribbon ... ALL from the current Occasions Mini Catalog.

Here is a close-up of my flower. Starting at the bottom layer: I used the 5-Petal Flower Punch for (a) Old Olive, (b) Rose Red, and (c) Chocolate Chip, then Flower Fusion in (d) Pumpkin Pie, (e) Rose Red, then (f) Old Olive. The center of the flower is a Pumpkin Fire Circle Rhinestone Brad.

RECIPE
Stamps: Phrases for a Friend, Friendship Blooms
Paper: Bali Breeze DP, Chocolate Chip and Rose Red CS
Ink: Chocolate Chip Classic Ink Pad
Embellishments: Flower Fusion, Pumpkin Fire Circle Rhinestone Brad, Chocolate Chip Poly-Twill Ribbon, Style Silver Ribbon Slider Hodgepodge Hardware
Tools: 5-Petal Flower Punch, Photo Corner Punch, Paper Piercing Tool/Mat/Template, Ticket Corner Punch
Supplies: Pop-Up Glue Dot, Stampin' Dimensionals

Wishing you all a wonderful Easter holiday !!!! We'll be going to church then having dinner at John's Aunt Shirley's house with family, and visiting John's mom, Ada.