First – I’m going to brag. I checked in at Fab Friday today, because I knew it would be a sketch challenge and those are my favorites. It’s a really fun sketch this time – and then I noticed the “Fab Faves” from the last challenge – and mine was the top pick! Wooot! I’ve never had a project picked for the favorite – ever. Can you tell I’m excited? You have two weeks to enter a card for the sketch challenge – so give it a try. The examples from the design team are awesome! You have until 8 am CST August 20, so you should have plenty of time to create something, well, “Fab!”

My Holiday catalog preorder arrived yesterday, and I took a few minutes today to play.

This uses a new set of thinlits dies, Hearth & Home. There’s a coordinating stamp set (and you can bundle them, which, of course, I did), but it was all winter and fall scenes, and I’m not ready to drop summer yet. So I have the view looking into the house with a window box on the outside.

I embossed a layer of Whisper White with the Brick Wall textured impressions embossing folder (TIEF), then sponged a little Sahara Sand and Smoky Slate to age the bricks.  The window is also die cut from Whisper White, and the “curtains” are Mint Macaron dotted lace trim with a So Saffron card stock background. The flowers in the Lost Lagoon die cut flower box are simply punched with the flower punch from the Itty Bitty Accents punch pack with Crushed Curry Dazzling Details in the centers. (This isn’t in the catalog; I made it myself with Dazzling Diamonds and Crushed Curry ink refill. I use it so much, I decided I needed a whole container of it.) And the leaves, of course, are punched with the Bird builder punch.

I thought it needed a little something more, so I added a few shrubs under the window. I stamped the leaves from Sprinkles of Life in Mossy Meadow ink on Mossy Meadow card stock, then punched with the Tree builder punch.

I’m not sure what this is going to be for; maybe a birthday. When I add a sentiment, it will be a little banner in the flowers, I think.

I’m so excited about the Cottage Greetings class tomorrow. I’m definitely making another set of cards for me. And I’ll be punching 29 more gift bags for the assisted living facility to give to the Hurst Hospitality House at our local hospital. The residents of Spring Arbor will fill the bags with soap, shampoo, conditioner and lotion, and leave them for visitors to use. It’s such a sweet project, and I know the visitors who stay at the Hospitality House appreciate them! (In case you didn’t see the earlier blog, the Hurst Hospitality House is a local Ronald McDonald-type House. It’s staffed by volunteers and funded by donations, and I’m so happy to be able to help a little.)

Thanks for stopping by Stamping with Buffy. Have a wonderful day!