Loving my pages this month! I think I have found a good balance of photos and journaling with embellishments only to fill space or add a bit of fun. Super excited that I got these pages finished right at the end of the month (even if it took me awhile to upload here). I’m almost doing these in real time!
Currently
Reading: The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan for book club in early May. So far, it’s been nice and light. Just what I needed.
Watching: J and I took a mini break from our Marvel marathon to start Umbrella Academy. I wanted to wait until I read at least the first trade of the comic. Only two episodes in, but really loving the show!
Listening: Lots of NPR Politics, but I might need to take a bit of a break from political news. (Or at least ration it out).
Making: I’m trying a new-to-me recipe of Coconut Lentil Soup. Really hope it’s good!
Feeling: This past weekend the temperature was in the high 80s. Yesterday and today the temperature plummeted into the 50s. I’m so cold!
Planning: Working on finishing out our summer plans.
Loving: While at the Mall of America, we stopped at a fun candy store and I bought a pound of fancy gummi bears. Many of them were cocktail flavored (margarita, bourbon and coke, pina colada, etc).
Don't Worry About the Rain
Today’s card features the retiring Friendly Conversation Stamp Set, Playful Backgrounds Stamp Set, and Tranquil Textures DSP. I knew I wanted to use this big sentiment with the Tranquil Textures DSP, but wasn’t sure where to go from there. After playing around, I settled on stamping a background piece and layering a piece of scrap DSP over it. Very nice compliment. From there, I stamped my sentiment, added some touches, and placed it on a piece of cardstock to create a nice layered piece. Very simple card with a lot of varying blues!
Stamps: Friendly Conversation; Playful Backgrounds
Inks: Balmy Blue; Night of Navy
Cardstock: Tranquil Textures DSP; Balmy Blue; Night of Navy; Whisper White
Accessories: Rhinestones; Night of Navy Crinkled Ribbon (retired)
Tools:
Simple Birthday
Last weekend was OnStage (Stampin’ Up!’s convention) and as part of the convention, we find out what products are retiring. One of the first things I did after getting home was pull all my retiring products out and evaluate. Some I’ll keep. Some I’ll sell after the new catalog comes out. And all I’m going to try and highlight before the new catalog launches. Today is the start of my month and a half long series highlighting all those wonderful products!
Today’s card highlights two big retiring products: Birthday Wishes for You Stamp Set and Best Route DSP. This particular DSP is very fun, but somehow I didn’t use much of it over the past year. Thankfully it pairs very well with the Birthday Wishes for You Stamp Set. I stamped in Momento ink (best for alcohol based markers) and colored it in using my Smoky Slate, Night of Navy, Pumpkin Pie, and Daffodil Delight Stampin’ Blends. I turned a simple outline sentiment and made it pop with fun colors and blending. After getting my sentiment set, I added some layers of pattern paper and lots of fun embellishments.
Stamps: Birthday Wishes for You
Inks: Momento Black; Smoky Slate, Daffodil Delight, Night of Navy, and Pumpkin Pie Blends
Cardstock: Best Route DSP; Mango Melody; Whisper White
Accessories: White Accent Dots (retired); Silver Sequins (retired); Clothespin (retired)
Tools: Triple Banner Punch
Minneapolis OnStage 2019
Bright and early we arrived at the Convention Center ready to craft! We checked in and received our welcoming bag and goodies inside! And then at 9am, the fun started!
Throughout the day, there were multiple prize patrols. I wont the all-new Genuine Gems stamp set!
All the presentations were amazing and I wrote down a ton of good ideas. But my favorite part of the day is the make n takes! We ended up making five different cards featuring four new stamp sets and the upcoming Hugs from Shelli Paper Pumpkin! My favorite was the Bird Ballad suite. We colored those wonderful birds with some Stampin’ Blends! (At the end of the day, Pam got to take home that Bird Ballad Stamp Set)
Because of the switch over, we didn’t get to play with the new dies associated with the Come Sail Away Suite. I ended up not finishing this card all the way. I want to change it up a bit at home.
Right in the middle of crafting!
And on to the other super fun thing at OnStage, the display boards! You can see the products involved in each suite, plus some example cards for a few.
In May, everyone will be able to order the new Everything is Rosy Suite. Check out these gorgeous example cards we saw:
The To A Wild Rose stamp set and coordinating dies didn’t wow me at first glance, but then the designer (and stamper) Mary Ellen Byer did a live demonstration and I seriously fell for the bundle!
By the end of the day, we parceled out all of the goodies and each took home a bag! Along with the all-attendee stamp set, Daisy Lane, I got all this stuff! (The ink pads will replace my still good, but old style case pads.)
I took the picture above, got my bag packed, and then they announced one more all-attendee gift!!! What?!?!?! Was not expecting that! Everyone got the Mosaic Mood DSP! I was planning on getting that entire suite for part of my preorder and now I don’t have to buy the paper and can instead buy a different DSP pack!
The next OnStage is November 14th - 16th. The closest Local to me is Lansing, Michigan. We’ll see if I can make it! Until then, we have a new catalog launching in June, a new suite of products available in May, new Stampin’ Storage available now, a special Hugs from Shelli Paper Pumpkin kit in May (I’ve already ordered mine!), and all the retiring and carrying over products to play with. Let’s get crafting!
Minneapolis Fun!
The closest OnStage to me was Minneapolis and my upline (and good friend) lives in Chicago. Minneapolis was the perfect halfway point for us to meet up, enjoy the area, and attend OnStage. Let’s check out our non-convention fun:
After picking Pam up from the airport, we headed over the Mall of America. Neither one of us has ever been! We shopped and chatted. Before leaving, we had to ride something. We ended up picking the Pepsi Orange Streak roller coaster. So much fun!
We checked into our AirBnB just north of downtown and headed out for dinner. On the recommendation from our hosts, we chose Brasa. Oh so yummy!
Saturday was filled with the convention, but we had to pick out a dinner spot. Thank goodness Sushi Train is just a few blocks away from the convention center. So good! Our favorite roll was the Empire Roll (spicy tuna, avocado, spicy crab, eel sauce, spicy mayo, wasabi mayo).
Stay tuned tomorrow for pics from the convention.
Desktop Tuesday #5
I emptied my bags from convention and my desk kinda exploded! Oops! I should probably spend some time today and clean this up so I can play with my new goodies!
P.S. Eagle eyed readers might notice that the poster behind my desk has changed. J got my birthday present framed a few weeks back and put it up while I was gone. Love my fancy poster of The Birds.
The 100 Day Project 2019 Update #1
I’m going to focus and trying to accomplish my already started projects!
#100daysofcompleting
Short list of projects to complete:
Quentin’s 2018 PL album - currently in March
Arthur’s 2017 PL Album
Arthur’s 2018 PL Album
Family 2019 PL Album - haven’t even started, but do have the supplies
WITL 2019 kit
Various half-down cards laying around
I’ll probably also throw in some card that I’ll make from start to finish throughout the 100 days. And there’s usually a surprise project that crops up. So I’m not going to restrict myself too much. I just want to work on one of my projects each day. The daily time could be 5 minutes or 2 hours, but the idea is to do something toward one of my craft projects. I’m going to do weekly (or biweekly) posts on here with my progress. And I’m going to try to document daily on instagram (@TFrances19).
Update #1: April 2nd - 14th (Days 1 - 13)
The first two weeks of this project were so incredibly productive! In total I finished:
35 pages of Quentin’s Project Life Album = 20 weeks!!!!
March Memory Planner Pages
One Planner Week
One Regular Card
Five Make n Takes at Stampin’ Up!’s OnStage
Hoping to keep up the momentum!
Happy to Have You
I’m back after taking a break from card making. 30 Days of Birthday cards was a lot of fun, but really took a lot of work. Plus The 100 Day Project started on April 2nd and I’ve been focusing on other projects. But don’t worry! I’m getting back into the swing of things. And I know I’ll be getting a ton of inspiration from this weekend’s Stampin’ Up! convention.
Today’s card is a quick little thing I whipped up for my Day 8 of #100DaysofCompleting. I love this fun pattern paper and had to use it as a background. But I didn’t want to make the card too busy and distract from the pattern. Enter the wonderful and simple Amazing Life stamp set. Love the big and customizable sentiments! After getting my sentiment right, I added some sequins and ribbon to finish it out.
Stamps: Amazing Life
Inks: Granny Apple Green; Blushing Bride; Basic Black
Cardstock: Tropical Escape DSP; Shaded Spruce; Whisper White
Accessories: Powder Pink 3/8” Shimmer Ribbon; pink sequins
Tools: Rectangle Stitched Framelits
Currently
Reading: The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin — Finishing The Broken Earth trilogy and it is amazing!
Watching: We’re right in the middle of the Marvel movies. We finished Phase 2 last night.
Listening: Enjoying the back episodes of the Currently Reading podcast. I’m about half way through the back episodes.
Making: Working through The 100 Day Project and attempting to finish or make big progress on a ton of projects. Specifically working through Quentin’s 2018 Project Life album.
Feeling: This weekend is going to be great!
Planning: Leaving on Friday for the Stampin’ Up! convention. Working out where we’re going to eat and what we’re going to do beyond the convention itself. I can’t wait!
Loving: On a whim I made wacky cake last night. So good and so easy!