Kick Up Yer Heels for {PP #115}

Howdy! I feel like it has been forever since I have posted. Please trust me when I say that my creative time has been really limited lately. This week at the Paper Players, I am the challenge hostess. Hooray! We are playing along with a fun Tic-Tac-Toe theme this week. Just pick a row, across, down or diagonally and add those elements to your card. Easy Peasy! :)

For my card, I went with:

• Colors: Blue/Red,
• An Element Repeated in 3's (bling)
• Birthday-theme"

I also was inspired the sketch over at I {Heart} To Stamp for my card layout. 

I wanted to create a Texas-themed birthday card. I really wish I had some "bandana" print patterned paper. Actually, I'm 100% certain that I do, but I can't seem to find it in the mountain of craft supplies in my stamp studio. Time to do a little cleaning, I suppose. So, I found the plaid print from the Frostwood Lodge DSP (retired) and added more patterns from there. Since nothing is better then a trio of bling, I added two of them, on the boot and as an accent. The boot and the sentiment are heat embossed for some extra shine.

Here is a quick shot of the inside of the card, with the "Boot"-day sentiment, which I think is too cute:

Want to join us and play along with this week's Tic-Tac-Toe challenge over at the Paper Players? That would be awesome! The challenge is open through Friday October 5th at Noon (PDT). Please stop by and visit the rest of the gals on the Design Team to see what they have created.  

The Paper Players Design Team

Ann Schach

Anne Marie Hile (you are here)

Amy White

Dawn Easton

Helen Heil

Jen Arkfield

LeAnne Pugliese

Nance Leedy

Stampin' Up! Supply List

Stamps: Bootiful Occasions

Paper: Frostwood Lodge DSP (retired), Regals DSP paper pad, Cherry Cobbler, Marina Mist, Basic Black and Whisper White card stock

Ink: Basic Black Craft Ink

Accessories: Argyle Embossing Folder, Clear Embossing Powder, Basic Black 1/2" Scalloped Dots Ribbon, Basic Rhinestones and Stampin' Dimensionals

Non-SU! Accessories: oval and scalloped oval die

Christmas Lodge for Paper Players #114

Hello there! I hope this post actually shows up, as I am having MAJOR woes with Blogger right now. I keep getting a nasty "error" message and I am trying to sneak in this post while Blogger lets me. Eeek! So, it's Sunday and time for another fun challenge over at the Paper Players. This week, the super-fabulous Ann Schach is our hostess with an awesome sketch challenge.  

I decided to create a Christmas card with this sketch, partially because the stamp sets (Christmas Cottage and Joyous Celebrations) were sitting on my desk already. I saw them...and the sketch...and thought "yes, this could work".  Also sitting on my desk was the Festival of Prints Designer Series Paper Stack from the SU! Holiday catalog. I picked a pattern from the stack and let that be my guide for the color combo on this one: Cherry Cobbler, Bashful Blue and Very Vanilla. 

The cottage and sentiment were heat embossed using black craft ink and clear embossing powder. I added some snowy detail to the lodge with Dazzling Diamonds Glitter, I also sponged the edges with Bashful Blue ink. As a tribute to our challenge hostess, I decided to dress up my card with some pearls...because they are an "Ann-approved" supply! 

Finally, a quick shot of the inside of the card, using a sentiment from the Occasional Quotes (ret.) set: 

I hope you will join us this week at the Paper Players and give this awesome sketch a go. The challenge closes on Friday September, 28th at Noon (PDT). Have a look at what the rest of the gals on the Design Team have created for inspiration this week: 

The Paper Players Design Team

Ann Schach

Anne Marie Hile (you are here)

Amy White

Dawn Easton

Helen Heil

Jaydee

Jen Arkfield

LeAnne Pugliese

Nance Leedy

But before I go...I "have" to post a shot of Abby, by demand. 

This kitten has her own fan club, I tell you! 

Although, from this shot, she is simply TOO exhausted to think about it! 

Stampin' Up! Supply List

COMING SOON! As soon as Blogger releases me from "time-out" I will add the supply list. This post took 3x as long as it normally does to post with the glitch and I am kind of sleepy. Stay tuned!! :) 

You're Amazing for {DD#21} and {FMS#53}

Hello there stamping friends! It's Saturday and that means it is time for another fab color combo over at Dynamic Duos. This week we are keeping it "monochromatic" and GREEN with Certainly Celery and Always Artichoke. 

I used the sketch design from Tui at Freshly Made Sketches for my inspiration for this one. It was a fun layout to showcase some scraps of DSP (Designer Series Paper) that perfectly matched the color combo I was working with. 

I paired the You're Amazing stamp set with the coordinating Apothecary Accents Framelits for the main image. I stamped the image in Always Artichoke and colored in the "amazing" with Certainly Celery ink and a Blender Pen. I added some bling and some Crystal Effects to make it pop a little more. The Essentials Paper Piercing Pack helped add a little flair around the edges of the sentiment. I personally think that is a "must-have" if you have the coordinating dies. It's super-easy and adds a lot of extra detail. 

I hope you will join us this week at Dynamic Duos and play along. The challenge closes Thursday, September 27th at 12 Noon (PDT). Check out what the rest of the gals on the Design Team have created for inspiration: 

The Dynamic Duos Designers:

Allisa Chilton

Allyson Anderson (GD)

Anne Marie Hile

Anika Lerche

Karen Aicken (GD)

Lesley Croghan

Lisa Elton

Michelle Bala (GD)

Melissa Chipperfield

Paige Grabau

Sue Joyce 

Before I head out, I wanted to share a photo of Abby, our "foster kitty". I have had a LOT of emails asking about her and thought I would share a recent photo of her doing what she does best...being CUTE!

Have a HAPPY day! :) 

Stampin' Up! Supply List

Stamps: You're Amazing

Paper: Subtles and Regals DSP Paper Stacks, Always Artichoke, Crumb Cake and Very Vanilla card stock

Ink: Always Artichoke and Certainly Celery Classic ink

Accessories: Blender Pens, Certainly Celery Buttons, Lucky Limeade Baker's Twine (it looks like Certainly Celery), Essentials Paper Piercing Pack, Paper Piercing Tool, Crystal Effects, Square Lattice Embossing Folder, Basic Rhinestones, Mini Glue Dots and Stampin' Dimensionals

Swapping with the Divas!

Hello there stampers! I wanted to share with you some photo of the cards from my swap last month with the Divas. This is a really fun swap group and there are always so many fun ideas shared. 

For the August swap, we were to feature DSP and accessories on our cards. 

First up, here is my card for the swap: 

It is almost identical to the card I made HERE. I opted to use the new Ribbon Slides instead of the tags that I used on the original card, simply because they are a really cool accent. I used a LOT of products from the SU Holiday catalog for this one. 

The following cards were created by the lovely ladies in the swap.

 I have listed their names under the photos of their corresponding cards. 

There were two cards that did not have names on the cards, one belongs to Jackie Bowman and the other to Penny Blair, I am just not sure which one! Eeek! 

From left to right: Kerry Hansing, Arla Blocher, Sharon Tong-Robinson

From left to right: Phyllis Strickland, Danette Ruger-Throckmorton

From left to right: ???, Nancy McClain, Marci Long

 From left to right: C.J. Summers, ???, Barbara Phillips

 From left to right: Olive Barnes, Gina Taylor 

(Super-cool fold with the band to hold the card closed. More photos on Gina's blog which I linked above)

I hope you found some inspiration from these beautiful cards! Our next swap theme is Halloween cards and I'm really looking forward to that one! Hope you have a great day today! :) 

Wicked Googly Halloween for {PP#113}

Hi there! It's Sunday and time for another challenge at the Paper Players. This week, Nance is our fabulous hostess. It's CAS (clean and simple) week and the twist on the challenge is to feature some banners on your project.

So, I am not the queen of CAS, by admission. I try...but I have a slight addiction to layers and therefore, will never ROCK the CAS-style. I had an idea in my head for this card and it didn't really come together like I wanted it to. Sorry, friends...I am failing in the crafty world lately. Someone call the "Mojo Fairy" because I need her help!!! Bibbity bobbity...just get it together AM! :)

I broke out the new Howlstooth and Scaringbone  DSP for my card. I really wanted to focus on the patterns and add some extra charm from the Googly Ghouls stamp set. My goal was to have the spider peeking out from the middle banner....I added a pop of sparkle behind the spider to make this creepy-crawler stand out. The spider and the sentiment were heat embossed for some extra shine. All of the supplies I used are listed at the end of the post. 

I hope you will join us and play along at the Paper Players this week! Please stop by and see what the rest of the Design Team have created for inspiration with this "banner-tastic" challenge. 

The Paper Players Design Team

Ann Schach

Anne Marie Hile (you are here)

Amy White

Dawn Easton

Helen Heil

Jaydee

Jen Arkfield

LeAnne Pugliese

Nance Leedy

Ok, to further confirm my "crazy cat-lady" status, That is a joke...you do NOT really have to confirm that. I'm not QUITE there, YET. But I have to add an Abby photo to today's post. Here is a shot of her playing with my husband's iPhone. Yes, he downloaded some apps for the kitten. Yes, they do have apps for kitties! Crazy, right??

Stampin' Up! Supply List

Stamps: Googly Ghouls and Wicked Cool

Paper: Howlstooth and Scaringbone DSP, Silver Glimmer Paper, Basic Black, Very Vanilla and Tangerine Tango card stock

Ink: Basic Black Craft ink and Basic Black Classic ink

Punches: 1" Circle punch, 1- 1/4" Circle punch, Large Oval Punch, Modern Label punch and 1- 1/4" square punch (to make the banners)

Accessories: Silver Elastic Cord (ret.) Clear Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, Googly Eyes, Basic Rhinestones and Stampin' Dimensionals

Not So Frightening Feline {DD#20}

Hello there! Another week has come and gone and it's time for a new Dynamic Duos challenge. This week we are dressing things up with a "Black Tie"color combo of Basic Black and Lucky Limeade. The twist of this challenge is that you can also add some "dessert" to your creation by making a Halloween themed project. Spooktacular! 

I used the awesome sketch over at Mojo Monday for my card layout. As soon as I saw it, I knew I wanted to give it a go! Hooray for banners!

I have to admit, my mojo has been struggling lately. This one was kind of tough to get going and I'm not 100% sure I love the result. But I tried and that's what counts, right? I used the Frightening Feline stamp for the first time for this one. The image was heat embossed with Iridescent Ice Embossing Powder for some added pop. The main photo of the card is terrible, sorry...I will re-shoot it tomorrow.

I have determined that, for me, the best way to get out of the "mojo rut" is to drag out the bling...so that is what I did. (Who am I kidding...I didn't "drag" out the bling. It is ALWAYS on my desk!) Might be a little excessive but honestly, can you ever have TOO much sparkle? It looks pretty cool in person, I promise!

Please stop by and join us this week at Dynamic Duos! The rest of the Design Team have whipped up some awesome inspiration, too.

The Dynamic Duos Designers:

Allisa Chilton

Allyson Anderson (GD)

Anne Marie Hile

Anika Lerche

Karen Aicken (GD)

Lesley Croghan

Lisa Elton

Michelle Bala (GD)

Melissa Chipperfield

Paige Grabau

Sue Joyce 

Speaking of "not so frightening felines"...I couldn't leave without sharing a photo of Abby. Look at her! Don't you just want to hug her fluffy face?? GAH! When she plays, she needs to get EVERY toy out of her little basket. it's too cute! I shared this photo on Instagram the other day...anyone else hooked on Instagram? Love it!! :) 

Stampin' Up! Supply List: 

Stamps: Frightening Feline, Mixed Medley (spiderweb) and Teeny Tiny Wishes 

Paper: Lucky Limeade, Basic Gray and Basic Black card stock

Ink: Basic Black Craft ink

Punches: Word Window punch, 1- 1/4" Square punch (for banner tails), 1" Circle punch and 1/2" Circle punch

Accessories: Iridescent Ice Embossing Powder, Chevron Embossing Folder, Heat Tool, Basic Rhinestones and Stampn' Dimensionals

Non-SU! Accessories: circle and scallop circle die

Layered Labels Wedding for {PP#112}

Hellooo there stampers! Hope you are having an awesome day out there. I wanted to share my card for this week's challenge over at the Paper Players! This week, Lesley is our hostess and she has a fab color trio to try. 

I had a wedding card to make for our cousin and for some reason these colors seemed like they would be an elegant mix for the occasion. I got the inspiration for my layout from the sketch over at the Create with Connie and Mary challenge. They always have such great sketch ideas! :) 

Overall, the card is pretty simple, just a lot of layers...I love layers! Haha! I added some bling and Glimmer Brads to dress things up along with a pretty satin bow. The framed sentiment from the Layered Labels stamp set was heat embossed, too. I love that there are matching die cuts for that set in the Apothecary Accents Framelits dies. So easy! The scallop trim punched border, under the die cut sentiment, was added after the card was put together. Gotta love when you almost rip a card apart to add an element. *sigh* But I love the added pop it gave the card and I hope the happy couple loves the card, too. 

I hope you will join us over at the Paper Players this week and play along! Stop by and visit the rest of the gals on the Design Team to say hello and see what they whipped up with the colors. The challenge closes on Friday, September 14th at Noon (PDT). 

The Paper Players Design Team

Ann Schach

Anne Marie Hile (you are here)

Amy White

Dawn Easton

Jaydee

Jen Arkfield

LeAnne Pugliese

Nance Leedy

One more thing, before I sign off...how about a cute kitten photo to make you say "awww"? Little Miss Abby (our foster kitty) has been doing very well, although I kind of forgot how much work little kittens can be. But she's so stinkin' cute, we really don't mind too much. 

Have a HAPPY day! :) 

Stampin' Up! Supply List

Stamps: Layered Labels

Paper: Baja Breeze, Basic Black and Basic Gray card stock

Ink: Basic Black Craft ink

Punches: Scallop Border Punch

Accessories: Lacy Brocade Embossing Folder, Stripes Embossing Folder, Apothecary Accents Framelits, CLear Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, Black Glimmer Brads, Black Satin Ribbon (ret.), Basic Rhinestones and Stampin' Dimensionals

Day of Gratitude Thanks for {DD#19}

Hey, hey..it's Saturday! Where did the week go? Yikes...I need a couple of days back. How about you?  Never-the-less, it IS Saturday and time for another fab color combo at Dynamic Duos. This week, we are going subtle with a couple of rich and regal colors: Cajun Craze and Always Artichoke. Admittedly, NOT my two most favorite colors ever, but you know what? They really look awesome together!! 

I used the sketch from Fab Friday Challenge as the inspiration for my card layout. My blogging buddy, Mindy, just started her challenge blog and I couldn't wait to play along. 

I'm excited that it is almost fall...well, that is the case for anywhere OTHER then South Texas. So as we experience our "cool front" this weekend in the low 90-degrees, I will live vicariously through those of you that really ARE experiencing the start of the fall season. *said with a hint of jealousy*

You know how you have a few stamp sets that you will always gravitate toward? The Day of Gratitude set is one of those sets for me. I love how those images look stamped in ANY color. For my card, I fussy-cut the leaves. I also sponged ink on the edges to cover-up my poor cutting skills. Lol! I listed all of the supplies for this card at then end of the post, if you are interested.

Before I sign off, I wanted to share one of the reasons why I have been missing from the blogging world recently. Along with recovering from foot surgery, my husband and I decided earlier this week to foster a kitten from a local shelter. I will share her story in an upcoming post...trust me, you will want to have some tissues handy. But until then, let me introduce: Miss Abby! 

The cuteness is at a ridiculous level with this little 7-week-old furball...who eats a LOT!

Please stop by and visit the Dynamic Duos challenge this week and try out this fabby color combo. The rest of the gals on the Design Team have created some awesome projects for inspiration, as well. Stop by and say hello. The challenge closes Thursday, September 13, 2012 at Noon (PST).  

The Dynamic Duos Designers:

Allisa Chilton

Allyson Anderson (GD)

Anne Marie Hile

Anika Lerche

Karen Aicken (GD)

Lesley Croghan

Lisa Elton

Michelle Bala (GD)

Melissa Chipperfield

Paige Grabau

Sue Joyce

Have a very HAPPY day! :)

Stampin' Up! Supply List

Stamps: Day of Gratitude and Full of Life (inside sentiment, retired)

Paper: Regals DSP Paper Pad, Cajun Craze, Always Artichoke and River Rock card stock

Ink: Cajun Craze and Always Artichoke Classic ink

Accessories: Finishing Touches Die, Bitty Banners Die, Square Lattice Embossing Folder, Stamping Sponges, Basic Pearls, Natural Buttons (Holiday Catalog), Hemp Twine and Stampin' Dimensionals