First Things First.........FMS97

This is the first time ever I have used Soft Sky on a card! Wow what have I been waiting for?  I love it with Chocolate Chip, Crushed Curry and Pumpkin Pie!

There was another first around here this week as well.  My son taught me how to play Quick Draw one night when we went out to dinner at the Pub. Wow what have I been waiting for?  I won $135 - well for a short time anyway - because then I found out dinner was on me..................

Our Artisan Design Team Member Jen Timko designed a wonderfully versatile sketch this week at Freshly Made Sketches!

Interrupting Your Regularly Scheduled Summer.....PPA165

I am interrupting your regularly scheduled summer to show you a sneak peek of Halloween treats from Stampin' Up!'s new holiday catalog.  Witches Brew Designer Paper and Washi Tape are definite Halloween delights! Tickets stamped from Halloween Bash and That's the Ticket create an invite for some Halloween fun! 

Fall will be here before we know it but for now......back to your regularly scheduled summer program!

                Nicole designed such a fun original sketch this week at Pals Paper Arts!

                                     

U Rule! FMS96

Many of my stamping friends received awards and recognition this past week at Stampin Up!'s convention in Salt Lake City so I have been busy mailing out cards to congratulate them! Our Freshly Made Sketches team was well represented at convention.  Jen Timko was chosen to be a member of SU's Artisan Design Team - a wonderful honor! As display stampers Rita Wright and Amy O'Neil had their creations posted on inspiration boards.  Of course I could always send this card to William and Kate to congratulate them this week as well...................

                   I love the tag on Amy's sketch for us this week at Freshly Made Sketches!


                                           

Boy Oh Boy! PPA164

The baby boom continues around here! Two of my close friends have welcomed grandsons this week so I have needed more baby cards. Good thing I hired a secretary to help me with all of my correspondence!

                     Have fun with Margaret's sketch this week at Pals Paper Arts!  I did!

                                           

Way to Go! FMS95

Somehow the toucan from Zoo Babies found its way onto my Bon Voyage card.  He looks quite pleased with himself standing atop a suitcase with his bright blue feet.  Two weeks of 90 degrees, high humidity and almost daily thunderstorms have made us polar bears in upstate NY rather miserable. (Central air - what's that?) But that tropical toucan is loving it.........maybe I need to paint my feet blue.....



             Narelle designed a sweet layered sketch for us this week at Freshly Made Sketches!

                                                 

Say It With Flowers!

Pals Paper Arts returns to weekly challenges and introduces a brand new design team this week!  I played along combining the PPA colors and the sketch from CAS(E) this sketch.  Hope you get inspired by our talented new team this week!

PPA163

                                                   

You Are Fabulous~ FMS94

The windowsheet from the Quatrefancy Designer Paper Set is fabulous so it just seemed right to layer it over Wisteria Wonder and partner it with that sentiment.  And Miss Emma Lin was looking rather fabulous herself as she took her very first dip in the lake this week.  She had a great time splashing around in her "Strawberry Slush and Summer Starfruit" floaty!

Conveniently cropped out of the picture are her mother and grandmother in their bathing suits.......not so fabulous :)







                         Linda's sketch this week at Freshly Made Sketches is fabulous as well!

                                      

Pals New Colors Hop

                                     



Welcome to the Pals July Blog Hop!  We are celebrating Stampin' Up's new in-colors!  They are definitely yummy!  Crisp Cantaloupe, Strawberry Slush, Pistachio Pudding, Coastal Cabana and Baked Brown Sugar can all be found in my card below.  These colors make me think of tropical breezes, linen jackets, straw hats and lazy ceiling fans!  

                      Using the sketch from Fab Friday let me showcase all of the colors with ease!


                                                 





If you arrived from Kim's blog you are right on track!  Your next stop is Deb's Stampin' Grounds - enjoy!


                                              


The complete lineup of hoppers:

1. Dawn Tidd at Tiddbits from Dawn
2. Lynn Hoyt at cattaildesigns
3. Amy Lazzell at Just a Thought...Cards by Amy
4. Barb Furlong at The Love of Stamping
5. Mary Fish at Stampin' Pretty
6. Laurie Chilton at Stampin Ink
7. Kim Czenszak at Live Love Stamp
8. Linda Callahan at Stampin' Seasons
9. Debra Simonis at Deb's Stampin' Grounds
10. Nicole Picadura at Scraps & Stamps
11. Peggy Noe at Prettypapercards.com
12. Kerry Willard Bray at Stampgoodness
13. Martie Pollard at The Crafty Bandit
14. Rae Harper at Wild West Paper Arts
15. Debbie Mageed at Scrappin' and Stampin'
16. Diane Roberts at Score at Four and a Quarter
17. Mikki Sarkisyan at Mikki's Creative Corner
18. Kari Linder at Stampin' Essentials
19. Angie Blake at Angie's Musings
20. Susan Itell at Simple Stampin'
21. Katy McGloin at Just Fun Stamping
22. Shirley Sumption at Look At My Cute Stuff
23. Sherrie Gross at Stampin' Sunshine
24. Debbie Crowley at expressivelydeb...
25. Carmen Sublasky at The Creative Stamptuary
26. Colleen Mollema at My Crafty Habit

Accessories

A well dressed card never leaves the house without a few good accessories!  On this card I used a button, bling, twine and washi tape. I rarely make a card without at least one of these four elements.  But the hardest working accessory I use is one I never really want you to see on my cards -  the stampin' dimensional!  The gingham panel is popped up with dimensionals along with the main flower.  Definitely completes the look of the card  - like any good accessory should!

    SUO Challenge 74 this week is to use a favorite accessory or two or three.........

Celebrate the Fourth! PPA162

Wishing you a star-spangled down home Fourth of July!  May it be full of Sparklers and S'Mores!

Play with us at Pals Paper Arts!

Timeless Talk - FMS93

There is something wonderfully charming about old fashioned telephones.  I grew up in the era of operators, party lines and shouting long distance phone calls.  When you talked on the phone the person on the other end had your undivided attention because you were tethered to one spot in your house. The whole family shared one phone and somehow we survived. Now it seems that talking on the phone is something you do at the same time you are doing everything else in life.  But it's nice that my husband and I often talk to each other on our cell phones.  It usually starts with one of us shouting:  "Honey I can't find my phone......call me will you?"



             Allisa's sketch is wonderfully charming this week at Freshly Made Sketches!