Sunday, October 30, 2011

Final October Projects at CPC and a WINNER!

Hi everyone! Well, as promised, I wanted to share the last two projects for the month of October over at Craft Project Central! (One of which happens to be MINE...eeek!!) Also, I have a free subscription winner to announce at the end of this post, so stay tuned for that. It has been an honor to create with Jacque Craig this month and the team of awesome designers. The projects were fantastic, as always! 


The last project of the month, and an adorable one at that, was designed by Heather:
This Magnetic Christmas Countdown Calendar is the perfect way to help celebrate and countdown to the upcoming holiday!  It’s created on a metal sheet so you can store the magnetic pieces on the back as you count down. For step-by-step instructions for Heather's fun project and 9 others, just hop over to CPC and subscribe to October. It's only $10 for 10 projects! 


And the October BONUS Project was designed by: ME 
This is a fun project to put you in the holiday spirit!  Included in this project are instructions for four different Christmas cards using the Christmas Lodge stamp set and the Frostwood Lodge Designer Series Paper.  The project also features instructions for a folder to package the set in for gift giving. This set makes a great gift for someone special this holiday season (teachers, co-workers, neighbors, etc.) and is also perfect for clubs and classes! I hope you like it! :) 

To get my BONUS project, just subscribe to October at CPC, AND meet one of the other bonus project requirements of: subscribing to two or more months in a row, putting the CPC badge/blinkie on your blog, OR referring a friend and letting CPC know when they subscribe! 

Time to announce the winner of the October Subscription at Craft Project Central! After plugging the numbers into random.org, the winner is...drum roll, please...
In her comment about what she was most looking forward to this holiday season, Lori said: "I'm looking forward to a trip to spend time with our loved but missed family members. They are expecting next year and we are blessed!" 

Congratulations to you, Lori on winning the free subscription to Craft Project Central and I hope you enjoy your time with your family this holiday season. Send me an email at:: annemariehile (at) gmail (dot) com and I will get the info to you to get your subscription. Hooray!! 

Thanks for stopping by today! :)  

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Paper Players Fall Blog Hop

Looking for the Our Creative Corner post? Please CLICK HERE!
Happy Saturday everyone!  If you have been to the Paper Players Blog, you will know we are having a blog hop!  Everyone on the hop is celebrating a fall project on their blog and some of us have blog candy to share! So be sure to check out each blog.The list is at the end of the post. 

For my card, I went to my trusty fall favorite set: Day of Gratitude. I know, I tend to use this set a LOT this time of year but I really like the amount of ink it holds for those clean and bold images. Pair it up with some Spice Cake DSP and it's a "Fall-tastic" duo! 
I kept my layout pretty clean to let the colors and textures take the stage. Lately, I seem to be fixated on polka dots, so they made their way onto this card with the ribbon and the embossing folder. 
 Here is a quick shot of the inside of the card: 

***WAIT, did somebody say BLOG CANDY??***
In honor of the Paper Players Fall Hop I have some goods to give away. I will ship anywhere on the planet, too...so no matter where you live, you are eligible. 

Included in my "goods" will be: 

  • a "Hi & Hello" wood mount stamp set (ret.)
  • a full roll of Alpine felt ribbon (ret.)
  • Candy Lane DSP (cut into 6x6 squares)
  • a handmade card...or two, from my stash
  • other crafty treats to fill the box up...some may be SU!, some may not be...but I am committed to filling all the space in the shipping box with treats! 

(although there are a few readers who would like me to send a Maine Coon cat or a Schnauzer...unfortunately, they are NOT up for grabs this round. But their behavior is on a slippery slope, you might have a crack at them really soon! Stay tuned!)

****So HOW DO YOU WIN?*** 
Simple...just leave me a happy comment. If you want a bonus entry, then all you have to do is hop on over to ALL of the blogs on the hop and leave them a comment. Stop back here and let me know that you did, and you will get another entry. You have until November 5th to register for the give-away! I will be doing a random drawing for a winner that day. Of course, if you would like to become a follower, that would be awesome and would make my day....but it's NOT required to win! :) 



Here is the Blog Hop list (in order)...click the names to hop on over to see what everyone has created for the fall season: 

Anne Marie Hile (you are here)

This week at the Paper Players the lovely Ann is hosting our challenge:
We sure hope you will join us and play along. Please click HERE to visit Cindy's Blog.  She's next on the list of fall hip-hoppers. ;)

Thanks for stopping by!



Stampin' Up! Supply List: 
Stamps: Day of Gratitude
Paper: Spice Cake DSP, More Mustard, Pool Party, Early Espresso and Very Vanilla card stock
Ink: Pool Party, Early Espresso and More /mustard Classic Stampin' Pad
Accessories: 1- 1/4" Square punch, 1- 3/8" Square punch, Small oval punch (ret.), Large Oval punch, Scallop Trim Border punch, Chocolate Chip 12" Scallop Dots ribbon, Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder, Rich Regals Botton Assortment, Natural Hemp Twine, Basic Pearls and Stampin' Dimensionals

Fancy Folds for Our Creative Corner



Hi there and Happy Saturday to you! I'm so excited to share a fun challenge over at Our Creative Corner brought to you by this week's hostess: Tui Nathan. Tui is challenging us to create a FANCY FOLD card this week. How fun is that??! 
I created a tri-shutter card. It looks so much more difficult then it actually is to create. CLICK HERE for a great tutorial from Splitcoast Stampers. Because this card was SO dimensional, I had a hard time NOT over-embellishing it. 
Believe it or not, this is the FIRST time I have ever created one of these cards. After I finished it I wondered why I hadn't tried this technique sooner. Yup, I might be the first on the planet NOT to have created one of these....

For the dimensional ornament, I simply punched 6 ornaments from the punch of the same name. I folded each in half and distressed them a bit with some Early Espresso ink and a Stampin' Sponge. I stuck the punched ornaments together with liquid glue...added some (ret.) Silver Elastic cord and a hook from the Basic Clip Assortment. I stuck the ornament down with Sticky Strip just to make sure it held on.

The double bow is accented with the mini-jingle bells for fun. Now, this isn't THE card you are going to stick in the mail, but think about how awesome it would be to hand-deliver a card with such fun dimension.  
Each layer was distressed by sponging some Early Espresso ink around the edges:
Here is an overview of the entire card design:
So are YOU ready to get your "FANCY ON"? Please stop by the Our Creative Corner site and check out what the lovely ladies on the DT have created for inspiration this week. We hope you will join us and play along. :) 

Have a HAPPY day! 


Stampin' Up1 Supply List: 
Stamps: Holiday Happiness, Bright Hopes (sentiment)
Paper: Christmas Lane Simply Scrappin' Fit, Letters to Santa DSP, Lucky Limeade, Cherry Cobbler and Whisper White card stock
Ink: Early Espresso and Cherry Cobbler Classic Stampin" Pad
Accessories: Ornament punch, Mini Jingle Bells, Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding, Silver Elastic Cord (ret.), Stampin' Sponges, Basic Rhinestones , Sticky Strip, Clips Assortment and Stamping Sponges

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Newness at CPC & Blog Candy Time

Hi stampers! I'm sorry I have been MIA most of the week, but I have a give-away to share at the end of this post, so that is pretty exciting, right? (Stay tuned, there is another blog candy coming up this weekend, too! Hmmm....) So, I have not one but TWO new projects to share with you over at Craft Project Central tonight. I am a little behind schedule. 


First up, here is a gorgeous fall project, designed by Lynn:
~French Foliage Folio Set~

Next, check out this pretty-in-pink project, designed by Sharon:
(She featured one of my FAVORITE paper packs on this one...eeek!!) 
~Flirtatious Gift Packaging Ensemble~


So how do you get the instructions for these projects for October? Easy. Just subscribe to Craft Project Central this month. You will get all 10 of the awesome tutorials for only $10. That's $1 a project! What a deal! 


**Want to WIN a subscription?**
Well guess what? I'm going to give one away to one lucky reader. (awwww, yeah!) How do you get a chance to win? Easy...just leave me a comment on this post between now and Sunday 10/30. (That's when MY project posts over at CPC, by the way!) Tell me what you are most looking forward to this holiday season and I will enter your name into a random drawing to be held at 9pm CST on Sunday evening. Check back to see if you have won. 


I will be back soon with some fun projects really soon. Hope you will stop by and visit! Also, please stop by both  Lynn and Sharon's blogs, to share some smiles on their beautiful projects. 


Have a great day! :) 

Monday, October 24, 2011

Christmas Tree Pyramid Box at CPC

Hi there, stampers! Hope you had a fantastic weekend! I wanted to share the new project over at Craft Project Central with you. My project will be featured later this month, but until then, the designers have been creating some AMAZING inspiration Please check it out! 
This festive project comes to you designed by Rose Diehl!
~Christmas Tree Pyramid Box & Card!~
Cute little packages tied up in string – these are some fun holiday things!  This little Christmas tree pyramid box is a sweet way to package small little treats or trinkets for the holidays – and when you open it up, the sides can unfold flat and make a pretty display.  The matching card completes your gift ensemble with just a touch of Glimmer Paper bling and country charm with the Cherry Cobbler Baker’s Twine.  This project is also a fun and easy club or class project!


To get the instructions for Rose’s project, just subscribe to October at CPC!  And please leave Rose a comment and let her know how much you like her project!


 Have a HAPPY day!! :) 

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Paper Players #69 - Nance's Sketch

Hey there stampin' friends! This week at the Paper Players, the "notorious" Nance has a fun sketch to share.  I say notorious because she is absolutely AWESOME!  Big hugs to YOU, Nance! Give her big whoo-hoo for this fabby sketch...and I sure hope you will join us and play along this week.
I had a big ol' box of stampin' treats delivered to my door on Friday and I couldn't wait to bust into them.  I'm officially in the "holiday spirit" and can't stop making Christmas cards, as of late. I dressed my card up with some pearls because it just seemed fitting. 

I used the new Stitched Felt accents (from the Holiday Mini) on my card. Such a fun way to add detailed dimension to a project. They come already assembled, you just stick them down. How easy-peasy is THAT??! I dressed up some Satin Ribbon to add a little pizazz  My 'folds" are mostly even...eeek! The sentiment and image are stamped and heat embossed for added shine. 
Here is the inside of the card...because I think it is fun to "keep the party going" from the front. I've also started decorating my envelopes. I figure, if you are going to send a hand-made card, you just need to do it right and embellish it up! 

Before I go, I wanted to share a shot of my boys, post-grooming-session this week. Look at those Halloween bandannas! So cute! I realized that I have not shared some "furry-fun" in a while, so here you go. (It was a quick shot from my iPhone, so please excuse the poor lighting.) 

Thanks for visiting today! Please stop by and see what the rest of the lovely ladies on the Paper Players DT have created for inspiration this week: 


The Paper Players Design Team
Anne Marie Hile (that's me!) 
Tara Bilbao
Cindy Hall (Octob
er GD)

Have an awesome day! 
Hugs,


Stampin' Up! Supply List: 
Stamps: Beautiful Season (inside and outside sentiment) and Bright Hopes (/front stamped image)
Paper: Holly Berry Bouquet Specialty DSP, Real Red Glimmer Paper, Real Red, wild Wasabi and Very Vanilla card stock
Ink: Versamark ( for sentiments) and Real Red Classic ink f(or sentiments and for sponging around edges)
Accessories: Scallop Trim Border punch, Clear Embossing powder, Heat Tool, Winter Wishes Stitched Felt accents, Stampin' Dimensionals, Basic Pearls,  

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Our Creative Corner Fabulous Face Off

Hello stamping friends! This week at Our Creative Corner we have a theme challenge for you. The marvelous Marjie is our hostess again this week and she has focused us on "Fabulous Faces". Here are the challenge deets from our lovely hostess: 

"Whether you like stamping, card making, altered arts, scrapbooks or collage, I bet faces have played a part of your artwork at some point.  Show us what you’ve got… whether you like vintage ladies in lace or fresh and funky kids…. steampunk engineers or shabby chic chicks…. even photos of yourself or your family.  Please show us your favorite faces this week."
For my card, I went with a "famous face". You may have heard of this guy. "He sees you when you're sleeping, he knows if you're awake. He knows if you've been bad or good...so be good, for goodness sake." You know, if you really think about it, those song lyrics kind of make Santa sound a little like a STALKER, don't they? Yikes! ;)

I colored Jolly Old Saint Nick with a variety of tools including: watercolor pencils, Aqua Painters with ink pads, markers and some glamerous glitter. My little pearl accents are covering up a boo-boo. See that Stampin' Up! logo in the corner on the DSP? (If you don't, that is ok, please don't look for it! Haha!) I meant to flip that around..whoops. Pearls to the rescue! 
*My layout was very loosely based on this week's Create with Connie and Mary sketch. They have a slanted element in their sketch and I just couldn't get it to work correctly with Santa's ginormous head. So, I will be giving the sketch another go for a different card. *sigh*


Finally, here is a quick shot of the inside of the card. All of the supplies used to create the card are listed below.
Please hop on over to the Our Creative Corner site and play along with us this week. We can't wait to see your smiling face along with your project with this theme. Check out what the rest of the fabulous Design Team has created for inspiration this week, as well. These gals are awesome, let me tell you! 


Have a fantastic day today! :) 
Hugs, 


Stampin' Up! Supply List: 
Stamps: Jolly Old Saint Nick (ret.) and Snow Swirled (inside sentiment)
Paper: Letters to Santa DSP, Early Espresso, Marina Mist, Riding Hood Red and Whisper White card stock
Ink: Versamark, Basic Black, Crumb Cake (for sponging around the edges) and Riding Hood Red Classic ink
Accesories: Chocolate Chip 1/2" Scallp Dots ribbon (which looks more like Early Espresso to me), Scallop Edge Border punch, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter, Aqua Painters, Watercolor Pencils, Sahara Sand Stampin' Write marker, Clear Embossing Powder, Stamping Sponges, Stampin' Dimensionals, Basic Pearls and Snow Burst Embossing foder

Need for Speed Masculine Card Set at CPC

Hi there! Just wanted to share an awesome new project over at Craft Project Central with you. I have had a BUSY week, so I haven't had a lot of time on the ol' blogitty blog. But the weekend is finally here! Hooray! 

This great masculine card set comes to you designed by Kris from Australia!
~Need for Speed Masculine Card Set~
If you struggle with masculine cards, the Need for Speed is a great set to use.  Make a set (or several) of cards with a matching gift box and give them away to the guys (the kids’ male teachers, male co-workers, etc.) in your life!  Project includes instructions for a four different cards and a gift box to put them in!  This project is also a fun club or class project! 

To get the instructions for Kris’ card set and gift box, just subscribe to October at Craft Project Central.  And please leave Kris a comment and let her know how much you like her project!

Thanks so much for stopping by! See you tomorrow with a fun new challenge over at Our Creative Corner. Have a great day! :) 

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Everyday Elegance Simply Sent Card Kit at CPC

Hi there stampers! Popping in to say hello from a BUSY start to the week to share a new project with you over at Craft Project Central. Please check it out! 


This elegant and easy project comes to you designed by Sharon!
Here’s the perfect gift for the person who is in need of a card.  In other words…this project is great for everyone on your gift list!  The box has one compartment that holds seven cards and envelopes, and another that holds Stampin’ Dimensionals, postage stamps, and embellishments to make simple, but beautiful cards.  This is also a great club or class project especially with the Stampin’ Up! Simply Sent Kits promotion going on this month!


To get the instructions for Sharon’s project, just subscribe to October at Craft Project Central!  And please leave Sharon a comment and let her know how much you like her project!


Hope your day was awesome! :) 

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Paper Players #68 - CAS for Christmas

Happy Sunday to you! I'm super excited to share another fun challenge over at the 
Hooray! Lesley is our challenge hostess this week and she is in the holiday spirit, indeed. It's beginning to look a lot like...(a Paper Players) Christmas...
I often struggle with using "traditional" holiday color combos, but I really had fun with this one. I'm pretty sure it had something to do with the big ol' box of new stampin' goodies that arrived on my doorstep last week. So red and green it was...and wait, WHAT was that?...it was a Clean and Simple challenge, also? Really? Since CAS is JUST tough for me...so I'm calling dibs on something new: "CASS" (clean-and-simple-sparkles) I hope it catches on! Lol! 


The LAYOUT is CAS, but I think I went overboard with the embellies. BUT it is a Christmas card! It's supposed to be "merry and bright"...right? I added some Dazzling Diamonds to the stamped image. This card sparkles in the sunlight like a cute little vampire, let me tell you. (Any Twilight fans out there?)
Who loves Cherry Cobbler Embossing Powder? I do, I DO!! I used it for all of the stamped images, from the Christmas Lodge stamp set. Can I just tell you how MUCH I am loving this stamp set? SO perfect for classic holiday cards. 
Finally, here is a quick shot of the inside of the card: 
Thanks for stopping by! Please visit the rest of the Paper Players DT gals to see what they have cooked up for this festive challenge. We sure hope you will join us this week and play along! 


The Paper Players Design Team
Tara Bilbao
Cindy Hall (October GD)

Have a HAPPY day today! :) 


Stampin' Up! Supply List: 
Stamps: Christmas Lodge (Holiday Mini catty) 
Paper: Frostwood Lodge DSP, Cherry Cobbler, Garden Green and Whisper White card stock
Ink: Versamark ink
Accessories: Scallop Trim Border punch, Cherry Cobbler Embossing Powder, Embossing Buddy, 3/8" Cherry Cobbler Quilted ribbon, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter, Multipurpose Liquid glue, Stampin' Dimensionals, and Basic Pearls

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Totally Transparent OCC Challenge

Hmmm, the title of this post has an interesting sound to it, eh? Well this week at
we are showing our "transparent-side"! The fabulous Marjie Kemper is our hostess and she has challenged us to have some fun with transparencies. Here is the challenge, in her own words: 
"Transparencies are so versatile!  You can find them in shapes small enough for journaling and large enough for full 12X12 scrapbook pages.  Whether you make cards or layouts, tags or art journals… you can easily include transparencies into your art.  They can be stamped, inked, painted, misted… the sky’s the limit. You can even run them through your printer and die cut them.   We hope you’ll join us this week showing how creative you can be using transparencies."


Initially, I had a different idea for this card, but I had a set-back with my supplies. I discovered I did NOT put the lid tightly on my Staz-On stamp pad, the last time I used it....fantastic! So, I felt utterly defeated...until I stumbled upon this awesome color mix from the Create with Connie & Mary site:
Admittedly. I am NOT the biggest fan of River Rock, but for some reason, it is pretty cool in this combo. I'm not saying it is my new FAVORITE color, but I *almost* warmed up to it with this mix. Almost. And when there is a creative challenge at-hand, what better accessory to turn to then the good ol' butterfly punch? :)
My transparencies are (ret.) Stampin' Up! Clearly Thanks Printed Window Sheets. I cut and punched them to fit my design. (The CLEAR Window Sheets are available in the current catty, so you can stamp whatever image your heart desires on them.)  The biggest challenge with using transparencies is HOW to attach them to your project. I added adhesive behind all of the punched elements and then tied-down the corners with some Hemp Twine. They are secured to the card and no icky adhesive shows through this way. 


Thanks for stopping by! Please pop by the Our Creative Corner site and see what the rest of the lovely gals on the Design Team have created this week. We sure hope you will join us and play along, too! 


Have a very HAPPY day! 
Anne Marie


Stampin' Up! Supply List:
Stamps: Perfect Words
Paper: Pocketful of Posies DSP, Vellum, Bravo Burgandy, River Rock and Baja Breeze card stock
Ink: Bravo Burgandy (sentiment) and Sahara Sand (vellum butterflies) Classic ink
Accesories: Clearly Thanks Printed Window Sheets (ret.), Word Window Punch, Modern Label punch, Butterfly punch, Stripes Embossing folder, Stampin' Dimensionals, Hemp Twine and  Basic Rhinesttones