Brian’s Week in Review: July 19, 2026

Welcome to my Week in Review!

Every Sunday, I love taking a few minutes to look back at the projects, moments and little highlights from the week – perfect for those who don’t follow along every day and a fun behind-the-scenes peek for those who do. And yes…there are always a few extras tucked in here just for you. ♥

A Little Re-Design

I fought the lawn…and the lawn won.

Our front yard has been intentionally destroyed.

Over the past week, we’ve had tall tree branches removed, overgrown shrubs taken out and the yard stripped down so we can finally address a long-standing drainage problem. Over the years, the front lawn has gradually eroded and become a collection point for rainwater. The plan is to re-grade everything before putting down new grass that will (hopefully!) thrive in a much healthier landscape.

It may take longer than I’d like, but here’s what the front yard looked like after a quick downpour yesterday:

Gorgeous, right?!

Let me be clear – this is not what our yard looked like before this week. 🙂 This is after the struggling grass was removed, the flower beds around the pine trees were leveled and, of course, after the rain.

It’s a little painful to look at right now, but I’m excited about what’s coming.

Still Having Fun with Mom

Mom is still here, and we’re still having a wonderful time together.

Yesterday we visited a quilt shop (no pictures) and grabbed lunch (still no pictures). We are meeting Jeremiah’s mom at Stone Mountain Park today – I promise I’ll take pictures there and will share them with you soon. ♥

She heads home Monday morning, and I’m already sad to see her go. I just wish she could stick around long enough to see the front yard come back to life!

Back to My Week in Review…

My week of posts was filled with a lot of fun products. Let’s take a look back at the projects I shared with you this week…

Monday

On Monday – which somehow feels like a year ago – I shared the online tutorial for our Scenic Coast Super-Awesome Fun Time Card Kit. Emma and I have received such wonderful feedback from everyone who has completed the projects, and that makes us incredibly happy.

If you’d like to learn more about the online tutorial (just $25), click on the image below.

If you’d rather skip the reading and purchase the tutorial, CLICK HERE.

And if you’d like to learn more about the full kit, CLICK HERE.

Tuesday

I don’t make a lot of Halloween cards, but I really do enjoy creating them.

On Tuesday I shared this spooky design featuring the Web of Fun and Fun for Fall Bundles.

Week-in-Review Bonus:I study Designer Series Paper like there’s going to be an exam, and then I file all that information away in my little brain. When the Delicate Dreams Specialty Designer Series Paper was released back in March, Halloween wasn’t even on my radar. Even so, I immediately knew the Gray Granite sheet that resembles weathered stone or a misty watercolor landscape would be perfect for a spooky card someday. I tucked that idea away until Halloween products arrived. A Spring paper, Fall stamps and Halloween dies all came together exactly the way I’d imagined. ♥

Wednesday

On Tuesday evening, my dear friend Peggy Noe joined my InKing Royalty team call to demonstrate the new Stampin’ Hot Foil System. On Wednesday, I shared photos from her incredible presentation.

Here’s one of my favorite pictures of Peggy and me:

And here’s the beautiful card she created during the demonstration:

To read more about our evening together and see additional photos of Peggy’s gorgeous project, CLICK HERE.

Thursday

I enjoyed showcasing Peggy’s project so much on Wednesday that I decided Thursday should belong to Mom.

After sharing everything she’d been creating during her visit, I featured this beautiful lighthouse card she designed while happily buzzing around the Fungeon.

Week-in-Review Bonus: Here’s a little behind-the-scenes story about this card. While Mom was making it, she kept asking for my opinion. I intentionally held back because I wanted her to enjoy the process of experimenting with colors, layouts and design choices before settling on the final version. I think the “playing” part of creating is just as important as the assembling, and it’s often overlooked. I did suggest the Gorgeous Grape layer, and she suggested adding the moon (or sun). I actually told her not to use the circle…and I was completely wrong. It became the perfect focal point and really makes the entire card shine.

If you want to read more about Mom’s beautiful lighthouse card, CLICK HERE.

Friday

Friday’s project featured the Inked Floret stamp set and Fresh Freesia Two-Tone Cardstock.

It’s not often I create cards with such soft, delicate colors, but I absolutely love how this one turned out.

To create this look, I stamped the large floral image on both sides of a sheet of Fresh Freesia Two-Tone Cardstock. Using my Stampin’ Positioner allowed me to stamp the image in exactly the same place on both sides. After cutting the cardstock apart, I pieced the panels back together to showcase both tones.

To learn more about this project, CLICK HERE.

Saturday

Friday evening, inspiration struck, and I hurried into the Fungeon to make a card that had been sitting in my head for quite some time.

Well…to be more accurate, it had actually been sitting on my desk.

I love an all-black and gray color palette, and this Halloween card was exactly what I’d envisioned.

Want to read more? CLICK HERE

Week-in-Review Bonus: I’ve shared several all-black and gray cards over the years, and they remain some of my favorite designs. If you’d like to see a few more, click on one (or all!) of the images below.

Last Thoughts

It was another week full of creativity, friendship and family – and that’s a combination that’s hard to beat. Having Mom here has made the Fungeon feel especially lively, and I’m soaking up every minute before she heads home. Hopefully next week’s photos will show a greener lawn…or at least a little less mud. Thanks, as always, for spending part of your week with me. I can’t wait to share what’s coming next!

Thanks for stopping by!

Brian