Vivid Vases for Paper Players #180

 Hello there! Hope you are enjoying your day so far. This week over at the Paper Players, my sweet friend Ann is our challenge hostess with a really fun sketch. There are lots of possibilities with this sketch and I love that little tag element. I hope thou will join us and play along.

I used my new Vivid Vases stamp that is in the new Occasions Catalog for the main image on my card. I received this stamp at SU! Leadership conference a few weeks ago. it is a REALLY fun stamp to watercolor. What I love about watercoloring is that it doesn't have to be perfect. You can go outside the lines a little bit and it just adds to the look. Which is a good thing because I went outside the lines with my Aquapainter more then a few times while coloring this one. Haha!

My little tag pulls out of the card and shows off the super cute Kaleidoscope DSP  Love the fun colors and patterns on this paper!  I had initially intended this to be a gift card holder, but after I got everything cut, I measured it a wee bit too small. Whoops! The recipient could always use the tag for a bookmark or could add to it to use on a card or gift of their own.

Please join us over at the Paper Players!  The challenge is open through Friday, January 31st, 2014 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

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Stampin' Up! Supply List

Stamps: Vivid Vases

Paper: Kaleidoscope DSP, Watercolor Paper, Strawberry Slush, Bermuda Bay, Daffodil Delight and Whisper White card stock 

Ink: Black Staz-On Ink, Strawberry Slush, Old Olive, Tangerine Tango, Daffodil Delight and Bermuda Bay Classic ink

Accessories: New Scalloped Tag Topper punch, Basic Metal buttons, White Baker's Twine, Chevron Embossing Folder, Stampin' Dimensionals and Basic Rhinestones

Kitty Love for Paper Players #179

Hello there stampers! Happy Sunday to you! This week at the Paper Players, Sandy is hosting with a One-Layer Valentine challenge. We all know how much I enjoy making one-layer cards...hahaha! I am going to tell you a secret. It took me almost 2 1/2 hours to make this card, with 8 different attempts. Yes, it is true. But, I pushed on and this is what I came up with.

I love the little kitty from the Cool Kid stamp set. She has already seen a lot of ink, as I used her to create my swap cards at Stampin' Up Leadership Conference last week. I will share more about that in a later post. The word bubble is from the Just Sayin' stamp set and the little hearts are from the Language of Love stamp set, which we received as a gift from SU at Leadership.

I created the background by adding a square mask and sponging Soft Sky and Wild Wasabi Ink to create a little scene. The kitty is heat embossed for added shine. The little pops of Melon Mambo on the kitty's nose, the sentiment and the stamped hearts just makes me happy. Although anything pink usually puts a smile on my face. I actually just bought a pink Coach handbag earlier today. Squee!! I also had to add a single spot of bling to the sentiment. I really like how it pops.

Please join us over at the Paper Players!  The challenge is open through Friday, January 24th, 2014 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

Before I sign off, I want to share a photo from Leadership with you. I was SO excited that Shelli Gardner (Stampin' Up! CEO and Co-Founder) was able to attend this event. We were very happy to get a chance to say hello to her and Sterling in-person. Who are those lovely ladies in the photo? Of course, my fabulous stamping friends, Ginger and Ann (also on the Paper Players team). These gals are such a hoot and it was so nice to see them again in Houston. Stay tuned for more pics from Leadership really soon! :) 

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Chalkboard Birthday for Paper Players #177

Hello there! Wow! It has sure been a while, hasn't it? I hope you all enjoyed your holiday season and are off to a great start in 2014. After a much needed stamping break, I am back with my card for our new challenge at the Paper Players this week. Nance has a fab theme challenge for us featuring the "chalkboard technique". Never tried this technique before? Here is a link to how to do it: Chalkboard Technique Tutorial. 

For my card, I used some all new stamping goodies from the new 2014 Stampin' Up Occasions Catalog, which just started January 3rd. The stamped sentiment is from the Perfect Pennants set and the paper is from the Fresh Prints Designer Series Paper Pad. The embossing folder I used on the Silver Foil Paper will be available in the Sale-A-Bration catalog, which launches January 28th. You can earn it for free with a $50 order. I just love the color combo of Coastal Cabana and Real Red together, too. I happened to have some baker's twine (non SU) on my desk, so that was how I decided to use those colors for this card. 

I also used the sketch from the Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge as inspiration for my card layout. I always love their sketches and it has been a very long time since I have played along. 

Here is another photo of the card, showing the popped-up layers: 

Please join us over at the Paper Players!  The challenge is open through Friday, January 10th, 2014 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

I will be heading to Houston, TX for Stampin' Up Leadership Conference this week and can't wait to learn new things and visit with my stamping buddies. I hope to post some updates from the conference, but I know it is going to be a very busy trip. Fingers crossed. Before I go, here is a photo from Christmas of Gidget and Emmitt in their little hats. It just cracks me up how patient they both are. Have a great day! :) 

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Festive Flurry for Paper Players #175

Hello there! This week at the Paper Players, I am hosting with a fun color trio to take for a spin. When I originally planned these colors together, I knew I wanted to make a holiday card, but I think they can be used for so many different occasions. I hope you will join us and play along with the challenge this week.

I used the Festive Flurry stamp set once again. I think the reason I love this set so much is that it has matching die cuts for the images. It's super easy to add lots of extra dimension to a card. I also used some Silver Foil Paper to give a little pop. I don't know why I haven't used this paper sooner. It's so pretty! Of course, I had to finish the card off with some blingy accents, too. I added a little embossing behind the snowflakes using the Northern Flurry Textured Impressions Embossing Folder. It's subtle but it adds a little extra interest behind the popped-up snowflakes. The sentiment is from the Occasional Quotes (ret.) stamp set. 

Here is a close up so you can see the Silver Foil Paper a little better. The card has a lot of sparkle and shine "in person".

Please join us over at the Paper Players!  The challenge is open through Friday, December 12th, 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

Before I go, I wanted to share a quick photo of our little foster dog, Gidget. Her adoption in Colorado fell through (and she came down with a bad "cold") so she is still with us until her new home is found. As the weather turned colder down here in South Texas, her wardrobe has expanded to include a new winter jacket...in pink, of course. She's too cute! Have a great day!

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Evergreen Theme for Paper Players #174

Hello and Happy Sunday to you! Can you believe it is December already? Were did the year go? This week at the Paper Players, the lovely and talented LeAnne has given us an "Evergreen" Theme Challenge. What I love about this challenge is that there are many different ways to be inspired by it. 

When I first saw the theme, I knew I was going to use the big ol' "evergreen" tree from the Christmas Lodge (ret.) stamp set...although I wanted to make my card without the color green anywhere on it. Here is what I came up with: 

I am in love with the Winter Frost Specialty DSP in the SU Holiday Catalog. Something about the mix of cool blue hues really makes it stand out on holiday cards. I added a pop of Silver Glimmer Paper in the background and heat embossed the tree for some added shine. I used some Island Indigo Candy Dots for the "ornaments" to dress the tree up a bit too. If you haven't bought those Candy Dots in every color yet...DO IT! They are an awesome accent and super easy to use.

Please join us over at the Paper Players!  The challenge is open through Friday, December 6th, 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

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Paper Players #173 - Shaped Cards and Shopping!

Hi there! I haven't fallen off the face of the planet, I promise. I'm back with my project for the fun challenge over at the Paper Players! This week, my fabulous friend Jaydee is hosting a "Shaped Card" challenge. How cool is that?! Speaking of cool...we have a crazy cold front here in South Texas right now. I know that 38 degrees might not seem that cold to some of you, but we are shivering down here! Ack! Please send sweaters and hot chocolate! :)

I have honestly had a crazy week. Like "try not to eat carbs because you are stressed" week. I didn't cave though. It was tough!! When I finally sat down to create a project for this challenge, I didn't know what to do. So, I went for a walk to pick up the mail and inside the mailbox was a pretty envelope containing the holiday catalog from Tiffany & Co. That was my inspiration for the challenge. 

So, in my homage to Tiffany & Co. I created a little "purse card" in Coastal Cabana with some sparkly, girly accents. I used the Eastern Elegance DSP for some pattern and dressed it up a bit. My handbag card was cut by hand (no pattern), which is something I think I have done only one other time. It might not be perfect but it was fun to create. I used an oval die cut to trim round the handle of the purse, then punched out the "middle" of the handle with the XL Oval punch. I am actually going make a few adjustments to the measurements to make this a gift card holder for an upcoming class...and possibly a tutorial.

Please join us over at the Paper Players!  The challenge is open through Friday, November 29th, 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

Before I sign off...I have to share some news. Remember our little three-legged foster kitty Tony "Triple" Paws? Well, he is officially part of our family. He has been with us as a foster since May and did not have ONE single inquiry for adoption through the rescue. Can you believe it? Well, 6 months later, he has blossomed from a scared, angry little guy into a friendly, curious kitty. Not to mention he is adorable! He fits in so well with our family, we honestly felt it wouldn't be fair to him to take him from a life he has come to finally trust after everything he has been through. Triple is adopted and officially part of our pack! :)

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Gently Falling for Paper Players #171

Hello there! This week at the Paper Players, the always awesome Ann Schach is our Hostess with a fab color challenge to try: Crushed Curry, Chocolate Chip and Tangerine Tango. Perfect combo for the fall season, isn't it?

It just so happens that this color combo is found in the Sweater Weather DSP from the SU Holiday Catalog, so that was where I started. Then I inked up the Gently Falling stamp set that I recently received and created this fall birthday card. I wanted a distressed look so I sponged some ink on the edges and used the Color Spritzer Tool to add some extra shading. I wanted to rough up the edges of the DSP but had already stuck it down when I remembered to do it. Oops! So just imagine that detail is there. Haha! All of the layers are popped up for added dimension.

Please join us over at the Paper Players!  The challenge is open through Friday, November 15th, 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

CLICK HERE to order anytime 24/7 from my Stampin' Up! website

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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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Festive Flurry for Dynamic Duos #77

Hello there and Happy Saturday to you! Time for a new color challenge over at Dynamic Duos! This past week has been bittersweet as we had to say farewell to our designers for the past 6 months...but also welcomed the new team. To our designers from the past 6 months, THANK YOU! Such an awesome group of gals who continue inspire with their creations. To the new team, WELCOME! Looking forward to the next 6 months with you! 

I just love these colors together, don't you? As soon as I saw them I knew I wanted to make a Christmas card. Out came the Festive Flurry stamp set and lots of polka dots and this is how it all came together. Of course, it needed some bling so I added some sparkles to finish it all off. 

Please stop by the blog and see what the team created this week. The challenge is open through Thursday November 7th at 12 noon (PDT). I'm sure the new designers would love it if you would stop by their blogs and say "hello". Have a great day! :) 

The Dynamic Duos Challenge Blog

Anne Marie Hile

Annette Elliott

Angel Johns

Caroline Bredeson

Cindy Brumbaugh

Holly Endress

JoAnn Burnham

Julie Gearinger

Michelle Bala

Sarah Fleming 

Tenia Nelson

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