Get Your Shine On TGIFC51 - Diamonds Out of Dust

Welcome back to another (late) TGIF Challenge!  This week has been really busy - busy enough that I lost track of what day it was and forgot all about my post!  We celebrated a birthday, went bowling, cut down a tree and pulled weeds, went fishing, doctors appointments, put together a trampoline... Can't complain because it's sunny and warm finally, BUT I'm tired!  

This week's challenge is all about the glitz! Diamonds, Pearls, Glitter!  The timing was perfect because I received some happy mail yesterday from a good friends (Jessica Williams) - Maybe you've heard of her?) She had sent some Shine On Specialty DSP!  Awesome!  Be sure to click the image below to see what the rest of the team came up with!

So I was thinking about what stamp I could use for this challenge and it came down to my beloved Alphabet Rotary Stamp.  I seriously LOVE this thing.  If you don't believe me, you can click on the tag at the end of this post and you will see all of the posts I've done with this awesome stamp!

So here is my card:

So you might be wondering - what does that even mean!?  Well... Long story short, this past Sunday would've been the day my husband would have pinned on Captain.  We were both enlisted and then Shawn commissioned to become an officer in the Air Force.  Shortly after leaving for Officer Training School, he was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis and within a year he was medically retired from the service.  We had so many questions and fears with the unknown.  We had been in the military for 9 years and now we were leaving for the civilian life.  But we were trusting God the whole time - knowing he knows best.  

So this card is a reminder to me that He takes the tough situations, the job loss, the miscarriage, the failed marriage, the hard days of being a parent - He takes the dust of our lives and makes diamonds.  

This is a card to encourage someone.  I don't know who I made it for - but HE does... and I hope it will encourage whoever receives this card!

So what's with you music video you ask?  Go ahead and listen to where the sentiment came from!  It may get stuck in your head (sorry not sorry).  :)

Blessings,

Holly

PPA294 - Alphabet Rotary Stamp Highlight

I think April Fool's day is late.  I woke up to a white ground covering... 

Seriously, Minnesota Spring... make up your mind! 

So since it's cold out, I decided to do some more stamping while the boys played and our youngest napped. I have not played with Pals Paper Arts in a veeeery long time!  I get overwhelmed sometimes with the number of challenge sites out there and I forget to check in on certain ones.  When I saw an email come through my inbox with another stamper playing along, I thought this sketch looked easy enough!

I did shift my circle to the right a little, but I still think its the focal point of the card.

I like the look of skinny egdes on layers.  I've been trying to do more of that lately, and I think it helps frame in the map a little better. 

The Alphabet Rotary stamp is one of my favorite "tools" in the catalog.  I've done a lot of fun sayings with it and this one came to mind to pair well with the Going Global DSP and World Traveler embossing folder.  

I hope you enjoyed today's card.  Tomorrow I'll be back with our monthly Creation Station blog hop!

Have a great weekend!

-Holly

Stamp Review Crew Debut - Made with Love

Hey everyone!  I'm so excited to announce another fun team that I'm joining!  This team of stampers from all over the globe are super talented and I'm so honored to be joining them!  The Stamp Review Crew highlights a particular stamp set on the first and third Monday of each month, so I hope that they are some stamp sets you own and that you are inspired to get them out and ink them up!

Otherwise, we're just a big group of enablers! ha! 

Today we're featuring the Made with Love stamp set from Stampin' Up!:

 My post last Friday featured the cute little bunny for some Easter treat tags, so I thought this time I'd actually use the set for a baby card.  Except, I kinda went a little crazy...

And of course, that means Bring Your Own (BABY) Bottle... 

I wanted the font to match with the inside "congrats" so I used the Alphabet Rotary Stamp inside too.

Nonetheless, I was really pleased with how it turned out.  I know exactly who I'm going to send it to and I know she'll get a kick out of it!

Please make sure you visit EVERYONE on the hop.  There's too much talent for you not to :)

Your first stop is the talented Lisa Young.  My mom and I share her card ideas by the masses, so I know she won't disappoint! 

If you're feeling adventurous, you can go backwards instead and start with the talented Kelly Kent on her paper crafting journey!

Have a fantastic Monday!  Please take a minute to follow my blog so you don't miss our next hop!

-Holly 

A Deer Anniversary - Alphabet Rotary Stamp Highlight

A friend of mine recently asked if I would make her an anniversary card for her husband.  Her and her husband are avid hunters.  While this dear is no longer current, I knew that I could tie in the antlers from the new Wonderland set and make a little play on words with the alphabet rotary stamp.

I used Go Wild DSP for the chevron background and the black and white circle.

I love the versatility of the rotary stamp.  It's a must have!

Kelly is currently deployed to Hondoras and her husband is serving a short tour in Korea.  Happy first anniversary!  Thanks for your service. <3

And thank you for stopping by today! Have a wonderful week!

-Holly

Banana Cream Trifle

One of my favorite things to do other than stamping is bake.  It's something my mom instilled in all of her daughters.  Today our neighbors are having a cookout and I said I would bring dessert.

Then I realized, 80% of my baking stuff is packed and it's too hot to bake anyway.  I didn't pack my trifle bowl because it's my go-to summer dish.  Layers of fruit, dessert, salad... you name it!  So today I made this yummy Banana Cream Trifle. 

And it wouldn't be "me" to not add some kind of stamping! :)

(more on the tag later)

First layer the crushed up Nilla Wafers on the bottom of your dish.  Then take the full Nilla Wafers around the side and add the bananas. 

Pour in a layer of pudding. 

(I used an entire box per layer.)

Add a layer of Cool Whip and repeat.

Look at the layers of banana goodness!!

I wanted to add a label for the dessert since we are heading to a neighborhood get-together.  I'm sure most people could figure it out by looking at it, but what the heck, why not? :)  Makes the dish look even more appealing, don't you think?

For the tag I took Daffodil Delight and Whisper White CS, added the watercolor stamp from Work of Art, some brown (Crumb Cake) banana spots with Gorgeous Grunge and you guessed it, my (ever so loved) Alphabet Rotary Stamp! I added some extra detail with some linen thread and Daffodil Delight cotton ribbon.

Wish you could enjoy this with me!

Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend!

(come back tomorrow for CYCI Sunday)

-Holly

Banana Cream Trifle

Prep: 35 minutes Chill: 2+ hours Total: 2.5+ hours Serves: 10-16

3 (3.4oz) boxes instant vanilla pudding

2 (11oz) boxes of Nilla Wafers

2 (8oz) containers of Cool Whip (I only used about 1.5 containers)

6 cups milk

4 large bananas

In a food processor, crush one full box of Nilla Wafers.  Prepare pudding as directed on the box.  (I prepared one box at a time which helps when layering.) Layer wafers, bananas, pudding, cool whip and repeat.  Chill in refridgerator for 2 hours or until cooled to your liking.

OSAT Blog Hop - Father's Day

Welcome to the monthly OSAT blog hop!  This month we are featuring Father's Day or Masculine themed cards and projects and I'm so excited to show you what I have made!  If you came from Marisa's page, thank you for stopping by!  She's one talented lady and a hard blog to follow!

(I'll try not to disappoint!)

Let's rewind a little bit so I can show you my inspiration!  Two days ago we traveled to Boston Center so that I could finish my medical clearance for the FAA.  This was a long morning of appointments so my husband and the boys went hiking.  After they picked me up for lunch, the boys insisted that we go hiking again.  I'm so glad we went.  This was one of the prettiest hikes I had been on in awhile. 

I can only imagine how this park looks like in the fall! Looks like we will be venturing to New Hampshire again!

Looking through the pictures, I was remided of one that I took of my father and Eli late last year.  I printed it a few weeks ago to make a scrapbook page with, but I decided on this card instead.

The quote (by J.R.R.Tolkien) was made using the Alphabet Rotary stamp.  This is one of my favorite go-to stamps and it's on this week's Weekly Deals! 

I used Lovely As A Tree to "spruce" up the inside.  Spruce - get it?? :)

And what's a hike without the trail mix? :)  We made Eli's Pap some trail mix to send next week.

That's of course, if we don't eat it all!

:)

I hope that you enjoyed the projects today on the OSAT Hop!  Please make sure to VISIT all the blogs, PIN your favorites & FOLLOW everyone's pages!  Most of us are still new to the blogging world and it would mean a lot to us!

Click the next button below and head on over to the talented Miss AJ! 

Below is the list of supplies and the list of hoppers!

Have a wonderful Thursday!

-Holly

Justin

Andrea

Darla

Megan

Elizabeth

Wynne

Deborah

Marisa

(me)

AJ

Andrea

Maggie

Kim

Tina

Martie

Diane

Lori

James

Ginger

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

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If you do not have a current demo, I would love for you to be in the running to win this prize! But I do ask that if you have a current demonstrator that you shop through them - even if they don't have a cool prize to win. :) BUT... if you don't have a demo, here's the scoop! Now through June 16th, spend $50 (before tax & shipping) and you will be entered to win this prize pack worth over $25!