What Does the Fox Say for Paper Players #170

Hello and Happy Sunday to you! This week at the Paper Players the always fabulous Jaydee has a fun theme challenge for us. Time to ink up those critter stamps as we showcase "Wildlife" this week.

If you know me well, you know how very "outdoor-sy" I am. *insert chuckle here* I was looking through my stamp sets to try to figure out what to do for this challenge and I came upon the Storybook Friends set that I bought a while ago and have never used. As soon as I saw that little fox, that silly "What Does the Fox Say?" song got stuck in my head. If you haven't heard it, Google it. Then it will be stuck in your head too. 

I'm not sure if a Tangerine Tango is really an accurate color of a fox in the wild. Maybe there is one out there somewhere. Who knows? Besides, I wanted to use my Sweater Weather DSP so by default, the fox had to be tangerine. Let's not talk about my horrible coloring. Clearly, I need some more practice with my markers. Ha! I also tried to distress the card a bit by sponging ink around the edges, and using the (ret.) Color Spritzer Tool. It's tough to see but I also used the Gorgeous Grunge stamp set to add some "splotches" to the background papers. 

So, what does the fox say? On this particular card he says "Hooray!"...and I think he also says "You clearly do not know how to color a fox very well, Anne Marie." 

Please join us over at the Paper Players!  The challenge is open through Friday, November 8th, 2013 at Noon (PDT). Stop by and say hello to the rest of the Design Team to see what they are sharing this week.   

The Paper Players Design Team

Ann Schach

Anne Marie Hile 
Jaydee

LeAnne Pugliese

Nance Leedy

Sandy Mathis

Speaking of foxy ladies, I will leave you with a quick photo of our little foster pup Gidget. She was crashed out after all of the festivities on Halloween. She didn't even seem to care about her little witch hat either. Have a HAPPY day! 

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Christmas in July for Paper Players #153

Hello there, stamping friends! Can you hear that sound? It sounds a wee bit like...SLEIGH BELLS...in July! This week at the Paper Players, the always fabulous Ann Schach is our hostess and we are cooling things down with a "Christmas in July" theme challenge. Please join us! It is never TOO early to get a start on those holiday cards! 

My card is an interesting story. First of all, I created it almost completely with one hand, which was a feat in and of itself. (See the end of the post for the pitiful photo of my right hand!) Next, I don't have any new SU! holiday stamp sets, so I was feeling a bit unmotivated. Third, I live in South Texas. It is HOT here, so creating holiday cards feels out of sorts right now. But after I got going, with some holiday tunes blasting on Pandora, I got in the groove pretty quickly.  I wanted to try something different (as I wasn't sure I was going to be able to do any intricate stamping with the pain meds)  and decided to cut out some little trees out of card stock and built my card around that. 

I wanted a simple color palette, so I opened up the Modern Medley DSP that has been sitting in my craft room, waiting for some attention. I'm kind of a weirdo about red and green Christmas cards but in this case I kept it to a simple pop of red because I thought it was fun. Turns out, my injured hand can do one thing...hold paper while I distress ink around the edges of the card layers. So I went with it. The bow was honestly the most challenging part of the card. I confess...I did have to ask my husband for help with that. He rocks! All of the supplies I used are listed at the end of this post. 

Please join us over at the Paper Players this week. The challenge is open through Friday, July 12th, 2013 at Noon (PDT). Stop by and say hello to the rest of the Design Team to see what they are sharing for some early holiday cheer. I love my fellow Paper Players gals, they are truly the best!  

The Paper Players Design Team

Ann Schach

Anne Marie Hile

Jaydee

LeAnne Pugliese

Nance Leedy

Well, before I sign off I thought I would share that photo. Have you ever tried to create a project using ONE hand? It is pretty challenging. Hence, the reason I limited my stamping on this card. Thank goodness I am left-handed, so it wasn't as bad as it could be. I will spare you the details but I have to have my hand in this contraption until further notice. It's ok, it actually feels better IN the splint.  If I have to have it on longer then a week, it WILL be decorated in sparkly bling. Becuse everything is better with bling! :) 

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Stampin' Up! Supply List

Stamps: Petite Pairs

Paper: Modern Medley DSP, Champagne Glimmer Paper,  Always Artichoke, Soft Suede and Very Vanilla card stock

Ink: Soft Suede and Always Artichoke Classic ink

Punches: 1- 3/8" Square Punch and Scallop Border Punch

Accessories: Starburst Embossing Folder, Square Lattice Embossing Folder, Always Artichoke Seam Binding, Itty Bitty Banners Framelits, Big Shot, Regals Candy Dots, Sponge Daubers, Basic Pearls and Stampin' Dimensionals

Non SU Accessories: circle and scallop circle die cuts  

Perfectly Preserved for {SSC #269} and a New Blog Look!

Hello stampers! Happy Tuesday to you! Today I wanted to share a card I made with some new items from the Stampin' Up Holiday Catalog. Earlier today, while perusing the web, I came upon this week's sketch from Stamping 411 and couldn't wait to play along. I know I have mentioned before how much I enjoy their fun sketches and this one is no exception with all of the different elements in the layout.

The Orchard Harvest DSP was sitting on top of my desk today, so I decided to crack it open for this card. I paired it up with the Perfectly Preserved and Friendship Preserves stamp sets. I think I am so smitten with these sets right now because they both have matching die cut sets that perfectly coordinate. I LOVE that! All of the edges on the card are distressed with some sponged Crumb Cake ink. The list of supplies that I used is featured at the end of this post. 

There is a LOT of dimension to this card with all of the layers and popped up elements, as you can see in the photo below. 

If you have visited me before, you may have noticed that my blog recently received a make-over, including a brand new color combo (...that is NOT pink! Whaaat??) and a new theme. I want to give a BIG shout out to my dear friend Lesley for helping me create my "new look". Thanks Lesley! :) She is an absolute rock star and used Stampin' Up's My Digital Studio software for the new design. I just LOVE it and I hope you do, too. 

Have a HAPPY day! :) 

Stampin' Up! Supply List

Stamps: Perfectly Preserved, Friendship Preserves and Tiny Tags (ret.) 

Paper: Orchard Harvest DSP, Raspberry Ripple, More Mustard, Cajun Craze, Lucky Limeade and Very Vanilla card stock

Ink: Early Espresso, Raspberry Ripple, Lucky Limeade and Crumb Cake Classic ink

Punches: Modern Label (which I cut in the middle of the punch to make it fit better behind the sentiment), Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border (which I threaded hemp twine through) and Jewelry Tag punches

Accessories: Cannery Framelits Dies, Window Frames Collection Framelits Dies, Early Espresso Quilted ribbon (ret.), Square Lattice Embossing Folder, Stampin' Sponges, Crumb Cake Stampin' Write Marker, Color Spritzer Tool, hemp twine, gold brad, Basic Pearls, Crumb Cake 3- 1/2" Scalloped Tulle Ribbon, Sticky Strip, Paper Piercer, Piercing Mat and Stampin' Dimensionals

Perfectly Preserved for Dynamic Duos #14

Hi there and Happy Saturday to you! It's time for another fun challenge over at Dynamic Duos. As this is the first week of the month, we are featuring a Bold and Sassy color combo: Pumpkin Pie and Wild Wasabi. Aren't these colors so pretty together? I also used white, Crumb Cake and Early Espresso (slipped up on that one gals, I'm so sorry! GAH!) as my neutrals.

I paired this yummy color duo with inspiration from this week's sketch over at Tuesday Morning Sketches. I haven't played along in a while and I really enjoy their fun designs. 

To create my card, I used some new products from the SU Holiday catalog, including the Perfectly Preserved stamp set with the coordinating Cannery Framelits die cuts. I love how you can cut out the images perfectly to add more colors and dimension to your projects. The sentiment is simple to make this card appropriate for a variety of occasions.


I also used the new Core-Dinations card stock for the first time on this card. The inside core is a lighter shade, which looks exactly like Crumb Cake to me. So, with embossing and/or sanding you can create some added interest to your projects. I roughed up the edges with a sanding block. As if that wasn't enough, I decided to dirty up the card a wee bit more with sponging the edges along with the "aging" the lace trim. I also busted out the Color Spritzer Tool on the background paper, although it is tough to see in the photos. All of the products I used are listed at the end of this post.

As I am typing up this post, I am about two hours away from having foot surgery on both of my tootsies. Eeek, it's just a little scary to not know what to expect. This is my only planned project for this weekend, as I imagine I won't be feeling much like crafting (although, it could be interesting with those high-powered pain meds). Ha! I WILL be back really soon, I promise. 

Please check out what the rest of the lovely ladies on the Dynamic Duos Design Team have created this week. We sure hope you will join us! Thank you so much for stopping by today! 

The Dynamic Duos Design Team:

Allisa Chilton

Anne Marie Hile

Anika Lerche

Bronwyn Eastley

Kim Singdahlsen

Lesley Croghan

Lisa Elton

Melissa Chipperfield

Paige Grabau

Sue Joyce

Have a HAPPY day! :) 

Stampin' Up! Supply List
Stamps: Perfectly Preserved (Holiday Catalog) and Tiny Tags
Paper: Summer Picnic DSP (ret.), Early Espresso Core-dinations card stock (Holiday Catalog), Crumb Cake, Pumpkin Pie, Wild Wasabi and Whisper White card stock
Ink: Pumpkin Pie, Wild Wasabi, Early Espresso and Crumb Cake Classic ink pads
Accessories: Argyle Embossing Folder, Fancy Fan Embossing Folder, Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder, Cannery Set Framelits Die (Holiday Catalog), Adorning Accents Edgelits Die, Chantilly Crochet Trim (ret.), Stamping Sponges, Crumb Cake Stampin' Write marker, Color Spritzer tool, Sanding Block, Stampin' Dimensionals and Basic Pearls

Buttons, Burlap and Bows for OCC

(Looking for my Dynamic Duos post? It's right after this one! )

Hello there! I am running a little late with my card for this week's Our Creative Corner challenge. But better late then never, right? This week the fabulous Linda Coughlin (aka: The Funkie Junkie herself) is our hostess and she has whipped up a fun challenge for us. Here are the details, straight from Linda: 

"This week, we are going super simple with just two required ingredients, but they are some of my favorite embellishments - Buttons and  Burlap or Bows (must include buttons and either burlap or bows or both).  Easy peasy and lots of fun, right?  So grab your buttons and your burlap and your bows.  Let's see what you can do!"

Speaking of Linda, she actually inspired (and made a key component on) my card.  I got the flower and the burlap from her last fall and am so glad I did because in looking through my stash...it was the only burlap I had! Yikes! So, I suppose I am cheating a bit with this one as I didn't really make that gorgeous flower. Don't tell anyone, ok? Haha! ;)

I used all three components for the challenge, Buttons, Burlap AND Bows...well, just one bow but it still works. I used the new Argyle Embossing folder and distressed it with the watermark stamp from the French Foliage stamp set and a few squirts with the Color Spritzer Tool. The paper is retired, and I sponged some Chocolate Chip ink around the edges to tone down the fact that the print had sage green color which was not the right shade to match the flower. I guess those little circles look a little bit like buttons, don't they? Hmmm...

I sure hope you will join us and play along at Our Creative Corner this week. I think it is a really fun challenge, don't you? You can link up until Friday, June 22, 2012 at 11:59pm (EST). Please stop by and see what the rest of the awesomely talented gals on the Design Team have created, too:  

Linda Coughlin- The Funkie Junkie

Sue Butler- Scrumplescrunch
Anita Houston- The Artful Maven Haven

Anne Marie Hile- Stampin' Anne

Wendy Janson-  It's All About Stamping
Marcy Kaminski - En Papillote Arts
Holly Kean- Kean On Paper 
Irena Kowalczyk (aka Rudlis) - Love, Life and Crafts
Meihsia Liu- Simply Paper Crafts
Tui Nathan- Stampin Time
Lori Rider- The Diva Stamper
Kristin Tierney- Lilly Beth Boutique
Sharon Wheet- Designs by Sharon

Our Guest Designer this week: Jessi Fogan - One Crafty Mama

Thanks for stopping by. Have a HAPPY day! 

Stampin' Up! Supply List: 
Stamps: Curly Cute and French Foliage
Paper: Autumn Vine (ret.), Summer Sun (ret.), Chocolate Chip, Crumb Cake and Very Vanilla card stock
Ink: Chocolate Chip and Crumb Cake Classic ink
Punches: 1- 1/4" Square punch (to make the banner end) 
Accessories: Argyle Embossing Folder, Crumb Cake Stampin' Write Marker, Color Spritzer Tool, Stamping Sponges, Basic Pearls and Stampin Dimensionals
Non-SU! Accessories: layered flower, burlap (from Linda) and yellow button from my stash

Shabby Chic for Our Creative Corner

Looking for my Dynamic Duos post? It's right after this post. :)

Hello again! This week at Our Creative Corner, the lovely and talented Sue Butler is our hostess and she is challenging us to create a "Shabby-Chic" project. Here are the details in Sue's own words: 

"The theme this week is unequivocally 'Shabby Chic'. This means the shabby part of Vintage! The challenge requires you to pull elements together, the more old/worn and distressed the elements/images the better; think of muted colours, layers, roses, burlap and pearls. You do not have to use all of these elements. The effect you are aiming for is a soft warm palette." 

Ok, do you want to know a secret? I am NOT a shabby-chic gal. (not shocking, right?) I absolutely love this style, but it is a style that doesn't really come easily for me. After being a part of the Our Creative Corner Design Team (and having a friend like Ann Schach), who are masters of the "shabby chic-ness", I was hoping that I learned a thing or two from viewing their fantastic projects. In searching around "blogland" before I got started on my card, I was also inspired by the Crafty Creations Challenge featuring Pastels, Pearls and Lace.

When I thought "shabby-chic", the stamp set that came to mind was Artistic Etchings. I was going to try to make it work with the pink/yellow/ivory/kraft color combo I had decided on. There are a lot of details on this card. I sponged ink on all of the edges, used the Color Spritzer Tool for some soft accents, glittered up the edges of the scalloped frame, dyed the seam binding, distressed all of the edges, busted out some acrylic paint to color the corner accent, heat embossed the stamped images...it was a lot but I totally had fun with the process of creating the card. I left the inside of the card dressed-up yet blank. I figure I can add a sentiment when the occasion suits. (anniversary, engagement, wedding)

I dyed some Very Vanilla seam binding to match Blushing Bride. It's really easy, just fill a small bowl with water and a couple drops of re-inker. Add your seam binding, swirl it around, (don't splash it on your white shirt like I did) let it dry and BAM...custom-colored seam binding! All of the supplies used are listed at the end of this post. 

I hope you will join us and play along this week over at Our Creative Corner! Please stop by and see what the rest of the gals on the Design Team have created for inspiration this week, as well: 

Linda Coughlin- The Funkie Junkie

Vicki Burdick- It's a Stamp Thing

Sue Butler- Scrumplescrunch
Anita Houston- The Artful Maven Haven

Anne Marie Hile- Stampin' Anne

Wendy Janson-  It's All About Stamping
Marcy Kaminski - En Papillote Arts
Holly Kean- Kean On Paper 
Irena Kowalczyk (aka Rudlis) - Love, Life and Crafts
Meihsia Liu- Simply Paper Crafts
Tui Nathan- Stampin Time
Lori Rider- The Diva Stamper
Kristin Tierney- Lilly Beth Boutique
Sharon Wheet- Designs by Sharon

Have a SUPER day!! 



Stampin' Up! Supply list: 
Stamps: Artistic Etchings
Paper: Subtles Patterns DSP, Blushing Bride, So Saffron, Crumb Cake and Very Vanilla card stock
Punches: Small Oval (ret.) and Scalloped Oval punch
Accessories: Very Vanilla seam binding (dyed with Blushing Bride re-inker), Color Spritzer Tool, Crumb Cake Stampin' Write Marker, Cutter Kit (for distressing), Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder,  Stamping Sponges, Basic Pearls, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter and Stampin' Dimensionals
Non-SU! Accessories: lace trim and flower sent from a friend in Denmark, metal corner accent and metal accent behind sentiment from Linda Coughlin at Our Creative Corner and acrylic paint (for metallic corner accent)

Hand Stamped Sentiments #84- Fall Theme

Hello and Happy Tuesday to you! It's time for another fun challenge over at Hand Stamped Sentiments! This week we have a theme-challenge for you. It's all about FALL! Even though the weather is back in the 100's here in South Texas...a gal can pretend there are cooler temps on the horizon...right? *fingers crossed* 

I also incorporated the design from the Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge: 

So, in making this card, I realized something. I am definitely NOT a "collage-stamper".This one was really tough for me. After owning the French Foliage set for over  year, I finally decided to bestow some ink upon it, for this card. I have seen so many stampers create such gorgeous collage-style layouts with this set and I tried my best to emulate them. I even added some gold embossing and the Color Spritzer Tool to add some texture and dimension. I also sponged some ink on the edges. I'm not so sure how it came out....

Here is the simple inside, ready for a personalized note. Don't you LOVE that Confetti White card stock? I really like the flecks of soft color embedded in the paper. I need to remember to use it more often! 

Thanks for visiting! Please check out the lovely ladies on the Hand Stamped Sentiments Design Team to see what they have created! We hope you will join us in the Fall FUN, this week, too. The challenge is open until Monday September 19th at Noon (CST)


Have a HAPPY day! :) 

Stampin' Up! Supply List: 
Stamps: French Foliage and Teeny Tiny Wishes
Ink: Versa-Mark, Soft Suese, Early Espresso, Not Quite Navy So Saffron and Cajun Craze Classic ink
Paper: Well Worn DSP, Soft Suede, Early Espresso, Cajun Craze, Night of Navy and Confetti White card stock
Accessories: Hemp Twine, 3/4" Circle punch, Word Window punch, Modern Label punch, Gold Embossing Powder, Square Lattice Embossing folder, Scallop Trim Border punch, Chantilly 1/2" Lace trim, Paper Crimper, Color Spritzer Tool, Soft Suede Strampin' Write Marker, Sponges, Stampion Dimensionals and Antique Brads. 

Distressed Nature Walk

Hi there and Happy Wednesday! I wanted to share a card today that I really had some fun creating. The design inspiration came from the sketch over at Our Creative Corner. They also challenged participants to "Distress to De-Stress" on their projects, too. I was pretty excited to rough up the edges of this one, as I usually do not use distressing a whole lot in my projects.

I also paired it up with the fabby color combo from Friday Mashup! I don't know about you, but when Cherry Cobbler is involved, I'm always ready to play. As soon as I saw these colors, I knew that my Nature Walk stamp set was going to be inked up for the first time today. 

Here are a few of the details:

• I distressed the edges of all of the cardstock layers on the card using the Cutter Kit. The 7-Sided Distressing Tool in that kit makes it easy-peasy to get a little rough around the edges. Then, I sponged the edges with Early Espresso ink to help them show their age a little more. :)
• I used Botanical Gazette DSP and decided to emboss a few of the pieces with the Square Lattice embossing folder for some more texture. 
• I inked up the image in Early Espresso ink, wiped off the ink on the little flowers and colored them with my Cherry Cobbler marker. After stamping the image on Very Vanilla, I used my blender pen and ink pads to color the flowers in Cherry Cobbler and the leaves in So Saffron. 
• The distressed edge around the main image was created using the Color Spritzer and a Crumb Cake marker, then sponging So Saffron ink, then Early Espresso ink, on the very outer edge. It was a lot of steps but I love how it turned out. 
• I know I have used this little, cut-out bee before on another project. He fit so perfectly on this one that I brought him back for an encore performance. Of course, I didn't foget to glitter up his wings! ;)

 One last shot of the inside of the inside of the card, with more distressing 

(that DSP took on an odd color in the photo but, trust me, it's Cherry Cobbler): 

That's all for today! Thanks so much for stopping by. Be sure to visit again really soon. My 2 furry felines (<---see the side-bar) helped me clean up my craft room the other day and they have decided that "Benny and Tomas' BIG Give" will be coming up soon. It's their catchy name for blog candy. They completely stole the name from Oprah, too. While there will NOT be a car given away, we will have some fun, crafty-goodness to share. (Sorry, I do not have Oprah's budget, lol!) Stay tuned! Have a HAPPY day! :)


Stampin' Up! Supply List: 
Stamps: Nature Walk, Teeny Tiny wishes (sentiment)
Ink: Early Espresso, Cherry Cobbler and So Saffron Classic ink
Papers: Botanical Gazette DSP, Early Espresso, Cherry Cobbler, So Saffron and Very Vanilla card stock
Accessories: Word Window punch, Dazzling Diamonds glitter, Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding, Blender Pens, Crumb Cake Stampin' Write Marker, Color Spritzer Tool, Sponges, Basic Pearls, Scallop Border punch (inside), Square Lattice Embossing folder, Antique Brad, Cutter Kit (distressing tool) and Stampin' Dimensional
Non SU! Accessories: circle and scalloped circle die cut