Paper Players #78 - LeAnne's Color Challege

Hello there! Sorry my Paper Players post is so late today. I have not been having a lot of fun with my allergies this weekend. Mountain Cedar season has arrived here in South Texas and it is my nemesis. Itchy eyes, scratchy throat, sneezing fits and a voice that seems to be coming and going every 30 minutes. Blech! 

Let's get to the challenge at hand, shall we? The super-fabulous LeAnne is our hostess over at the Paper Players this week and she has come up with a color combo that is chock full of "Spring Fever"! I'm not allergic to these colors...how could you be? They are so happy and fun for the upcoming spring season! 

Here is my card:

 I was also inspired by this week's sketch over at Freshly Made Sketches:

This was actually my second attempt at a card for LeAnne's colors. Note to self: never try to watercolor a detailed image all hopped up on allergy meds. Bad things will happen. So, the first card went bye-bye and then I remembered the Beautiful Wings Embosslits Die that hasn't seen the light of day in a while. I love that it cuts the shapes and embosses them at the same time. Hooray for multi-tasking! 

I really wanted to keep the card clean to show off the colors. I won't bore you with all of the info on how I made it...I will just list all of the supplies I used at the end of this post. It is tough to see in the photo but I did heat emboss the sentiment so it had a shine to match the ribbon. That beautiful ribbon is just one of the many fantastic items you can earn for free (with a qualifying order) at SU! Sale-A-Bration which begins January 24th!! :) 

Thank you so much for stopping by! Please check out what the rest of the Paper Players DT have whipped up with these fun colors and if you have a chance this week, please join us with YOUR creation. You can link up until *NOON* (PST) on Friday, January 20th. 

The Paper Players Design Team

Ann Schach

Anne Marie Hile

Jaydee

LeAnne Pugliese

Lesley Croghan

Nance Leedy

Have a HAPPY day today! Ah-choooo!! ;) 


Stampin' Up! Supply List: 
Stamps: Sincere Salutations
Paper: Blushing Bride patterned DSP, Calypso, Blushing Bride, Pear Pizzazz and Whisper White card stock
Ink: Versa-mark and Calypso Coral Classic ink
Accessories: Beautiful Wings Embosslits Die, Basic Pearls, Square Lattice Embossing folder, Perfect Polka Dots Embossing folder, Pear Pzzazz Glimmer brad, Clear Embossing Powder, Heat Tool,Stampin' Dimensionals and Calypso Coral ribbon from Everyday Enchantment Ribbon and Brad pack (Sale-A-Bration)

Up in the Air Over Pleated Ribbon

Hello there! Happy Saturday to you! I usually post my DT card for Our Creative Corner on Saturdays but guess what? I didn't play close enough attention to the guidelines of the challenge when I made my card, so it is NOT posted on the OCC site...but I wanted to share it anyway. This week at Our Creative Corner, Vicki Burdick is our hostess and here are the details, so that you can check it out and play along: 

Paper Piecing: Use some kind of paper piecing on your card or project this week. Stamp something and use some Designer Paper to piece an element of the stamp or paper piece your Background. In addition NO ribbon and only one embellishment is allowed.

It really was a true challenge for me NOT to use ribbon or multiple embellies on a card, so there they are! For some reason, I had convinced myself that the challenge was to include ONE ribbon. Wrong! (*shaking head*) I'm sorry gals! What can I say...I just love that new pleated satin ribbon TOO much to not use it! ;) 

My card was also inspired by the following challenges this week: 

 ~Sketch from Mojo Monday~

 ~Pleats or Ruffles Theme Challenge at Hand Stamped Sentiments~

(looking forward to seeing a few of these girlies at the Stampin' Up Regional Event next weekend! Woot woot! ) 

The little balloon from the Ain't Love Grand Hostess set using the Loves Me DSP (ret.). After I finished the paper piecing I added some Dazzling Details to highlight a few of the parts, then covered the entire balloon in Crystal Effects. The sentiment from the Up, Up & Away set was colored with markers then stamped to make the hearts stand out a bit more. There is also a little pop of Glimmer Paper behind the punched border and all of the edges were sponged with ink. All of the supplies used are listed at the end of the post. 

Thanks so much for stopping by! Please check out the Our Creative Corner site to see what the other gals on the Design Team created (using the correct guidelines...lol!) and I hope you have a chance to play along. 

Have a HAPPY day! :) 

Stampin' Up! Supply List: 
Stamps: Ain't Love Grand (hostess) and Up, Up & Away (sentiment) 
Paper: Loves Me DSP (ret.), Silver Glimmer Paper, Taken With Teal (ret.), Pretty in Pink, Regal Rose and Whisper White card stock
Ink: Basic Black and Regal Rose Classic ink
Accessories: 1- 1/4" Circle punch, 1- 3/8" Circle punch, Dazzling Details, Crystal Effects, Taken with Teal, Close to Cocoa and Regal Rose Stampin' Write Markers, Pretty in Pink Pleated 3/8" Pleated Satin ribbon (Mini catty), Perfect Polka Dots Embossing folder, Basic Rhinestones, Stamping Sponges and a whole lot of Stampin' Dimensionals
Non SU! Accessories:  scalloped circle and large circle die cuts

Paper Players #77 - All You Need is Love

Hello there! The Paper Players are finally back from holiday hiatus this week with a super-fun challenge. Our fearless leader, Lesley Croghan is hosting and our theme is: "All You Need is Love". That also happens to be one of my favorite songs by The Beatles. Are you humming the tune now? I know I am. Here is more about the challenge, in Lesley's own words: 

"Today's challenge is a Theme Challenge. I decided to focus on love with Valentine's Day fast approaching...but you could also create a project for a man/woman, a best friend, a work mate, or even a family member.  Love comes in all forms, so feel free to choose romantic or platonic love!"

For my card, I used one of my new favorite color combos, Melon Mambo, Daffodil Delight and Pear Pizzazz (and in this case some Old Olive, because I grabbed the wrong card stock to match the DSP on accident...oops!). Everything about these colors together just says HAPPY to me. :)  I also used some new products from the Occasions Mini Catalog: DSP from the Spring Fever Simply Scrappin' Kit and the Fashionable Heart Embosslits Die. The Daffodil Delight DSP on the main panel is from the (ret.) Sunny Garden DSP. THis paper is still available, however, as a digital download in My Digital Studio. Please contact me for more info or to place an order.

For the sketch, I got inspiration from this week's design over at Freshly Made Sketches, which I flipped on it's side. 

All of the edges are sponged with ink to give them more dimension and I popped up all of the layers with Stampin' Dimensionals, as well. I also added some sponged ink to the pieces of Silver Glimmer Paper, although the Melon Mambo scalloped oval came out a little lighter then I had hoped. All of the supplies I used are listed in detail, at the end of this post.

Thanks for stopping by! Please stop by the Paper Players site and check out the rest of the projects from the LOVE-ly ladies on the Design Team. We sure hope you will play along this week. The challenge closes at Noon (PST) on Friday, January 13th, 2012. 

The Paper Players Design Team

Ann Schach

Anne Marie Hile

Jaydee

LeAnne Pugliese

Lesley Croghan

Nance Leedy

Have a HAPPY day today! 

Stampin' Up! Supply List: 
Stamps: Well Scripted (retired, Sale-A-Bration)
Paper: Spring Fever Simply Scrappin' Kit, Silver Glimmer Paper, Sunny Garden DSP (ret. but still available in My Digital Studio), Cottage Wall DSP (ret.), Melon Mambo, Daffodil Delight, Old Olive and Whisper White card stock
Ink: Pear Pizzazz, Melon Mambo and Daffodil Delight Classic ink
Punches: Large Oval, Scalloped Oval, Extra-Large Oval and Pinking Hearts Border punches
Accessories: Fashionable Hearts Embosslits Die, Houndstooth Embossing Folder, Old Olive 1/4" Grosgrain ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals, Stamping Sponges and Basic Pearls

Show Us Your Shape at OCC

Hello and Happy Saturday to you! Hope the first full week of 2012 has been a good one for you. :) It's time for another challenge over at Our Creative Corner and our hostess this week is the lovely Vicki Burdick:

"Show Us your Shape"

Shaped cards. Anything but a square or rectangle.You can find so many cute templates on the internet or use a die or cut file (and your imagination) and show us your shapes!!

I came upon a super-cute, dress template at Stampington & Company. Click the site name for the FREE dress template, along with lots of others. I started out by printing the template on a 8- 1/2" x 11" piece of Blushing Bride card stock, cut it out and scored where directed. Then, because I really like fussy-cutting (*insert sarcastic tone here*), I added more layers of DSP for the front and inside of the card. That dress needed some girly flair, even if it meant more cutting! I just love the new Twitterpated DSP from the Occasions Mini Catty. It looks very shabby-chic and what goes better with "shabby" then lace, ruffles and pearls? 

The layered ruffles add extra dimension to the card. I adhered the ruffled Chantilly Lace Trim under the DSP using Sticky Strip. I tried to get those ruffles even...I almost succeeded. Ugh! :) Then, I stuck down the Blushing Bride Pleated Satin Ribbon over the top and wrapped it around all the way through the inside of the card, for a clean finish.

Here is the inside of the card, with a sentiment on layered punches. The edges inside of the card were sponged with Pear Pizzazz ink and then I added some Dazzling Details glitter glue to trim the dress. (I had to get some sparkle in there somewhere, right?) This could also be a cute card for a baby shower invite or a birthday card for a little lady.

Thanks so much for stopping by! The rest of the gals on the Design Team created some awesome projects, as always. I hope you will stop on over to the Our Creative Corner site to check them out and to play along with us this week.  


Have a very HAPPY day! :) 


Stampin' Up! Supply List: 
Stamps: Petite Pairs
Paper: Twitterpated DSP, Blushing Bride, Pear Pizzazz and Very Vanilla card stock
Ink: Pear Pizzazz, Rose Red and Blushing Bride Classic ink
Punches: 1" Circle punch, Scalloped Circle punch, Small Oval punch (ret.), Large Oval punch, Scalloped Oval punch, Owl Builder punch (for the centers of the flowers) and Extra-Large Oval punch
Accessories: Chantilly 1/2" Lace Trim, Blushing Bride 3/8" Pleated Satin Ribbon, Stamping Sponges, Subtles Buttons, Basic Pearls and Stamping Dimensionals

My First Card for 2012

...and it's a Christmas card! Go figure, right? When I saw that my friend Lesley had posted a Christmas sketch challenge on her blog, I was immediately inspired to create. She's calling it "Merry Monday" and the goal is to make a Christmas card every week this year to get a head start on your holiday cards. CLICK HERE for all the details. Lesley's sketches ROCK!! Admittedly, I was getting a bit tired of Christmas cards, but MY cards were late this year. Some still need to be sent off, actually..shameful, I know. I think I can really benefit from Lesley's challenges. 

Here is the Merry Monday sketch for the week: 

Although this is a Christmas card, I tried to shake it up a bit with some non-traditional colors. I used the (ret.) Jolly Old Saint Nick stamp set paired with some new goodies from the upcoming SU! Sale-A-Bration event, which begins January 24th. You can earn the Everyday Enchantment DSP and Everyday Enchantment Ribbon and Brad pack for FREE with a qualifying order. How cool is that? 

I colored the image in with markers and then dressed it up with some sponged edges and Dazzling Details glitter glue. It's tough to see but the buttons have a pop of Crystal Effects on them as well. All of the supplies used are listed at the end of the post. Here is a quick shot of the inside of the card, too: 

Before I go, I wanted to share a cute gift I received this Christmas from my blogging friends Shirley and Terry, from A La Card Monkey. Shirley makes these absolutely adorable owls (click her name above to check out her blog) and it was such a sweet surprise when I found him in my mailbox. I have affectionately dubbed him Owen and he is proudly displayed in my stamp studio. He's SO cute!! Thanks gals, I love him! :) 

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you get the chance to check out Lesley's blog and play along in her Merry Monday challenges. Have a very HAPPY day! 

Pin It

Stampin' Up! Supply List: 
Stamps: Jolly Old Saint Nick and Petite Pairs
Paper: Everyday Enchantment DSP (SAB), Calypso Coral, Lucky Limeade and Very Vanilla card stock
Ink: Basic Black and Crumb Cake (for sponged edges) Classic ink 
Accessories: Small Oval (ret.), Scallop Trim Border punch, Everyday Enchantment Ribbon and Brad Pack (SAB), Basic Pearls, Stamping Sponges, Calypso Coral, Lucky Limeade and Basic Gray Stampin' Write Markers, Dazzling Details glitter glue, Crystal Effects and Stampin' Dimensionals 
Non SU! Accessories: frosty blue marker for the "sky", oval and scalloped oval die cuts 

Year in Review - Part 2

Hello again! As promised, I'm back with my favorite cards from July through December 2011. Oddly enough, 4 of the 6 are Christmas cards and 3 of the 6 use the Ornament Punch. Hmmm! One would think my Christmas cards would have went out on time since I started them so early this year. HaHa! :)  For more info about each card, you can click on the link above each photo to get to the original post. Here we go...

July - Christmas in July

It's not a big secret that I love lots of layers on my cards...and of course, sparkle. It was fun to create a holiday card when it was 105 degrees in South Texas in July, too. 

August - Corduroy Pumpkins

Two of my favorite things...the Button Buddies stamp set and Corduroy Buttons (retired). A friend who received one of these cards told me she framed it to put out every year in her home for Thanksgiving. That totally made my day! 

September - Wicked Little Owl

This little owl card was so much fun to make! Actually, I liked this card so much, I never sent it out. The treat bag with the bitty face just makes me smile. :) This card also made it into the "took-over-3-hours-to-make-club" because I kept adding more and more to it. 

October - Tri-Fold Shutter Holiday

This fold always intimidated me, but was really pretty easy to make. I also seemed to be sponging ink on EVERY edge of my cards for a few months this year. Isn't it funny how you get into using a technique and it becomes your "thing" for a while? 

November - Mocha Morning Christmas

I really wanted to try to make a Christmas card with very non-traditional colors and I loved how this one came out. This Mocha Morning DSP is GORGEOUS!! The sketch (designed by Lesley from the Paper Players) is one of my favorites, also. 

December - Snow Swirled Christmas

The Snow Swirled stamp set has seen a LOT of ink in my stamp studio. There is something about the way that tree looks embossed. This was for Ann's CAS color challenge over at the Paper Players. I really learned to like CAS cards over the past year...although I still tend to use a lot of layers on them. 

Well there you have it! I guess it's time to get crackin' on some new creations for 2012. Hope you are having a great day today and thank you SO much for stopping by! :) 

2011 Year in Review - Part One

Hello and Happy New Year to you! I hope this first day of 2012 has been great for you! 

I have noticed that a lot of my blogging buddies have been posting their favorite cards from 2011, so I decided to jump on board and head down memory lane with my favorite creations from the past year. I am sharing January through June 2011 today and will be back with the rest of the year tomorrow. Click the month and title of each card to view the original post. 

January - Thanks for Caring Joy-Fold Card

I really enjoy making Joy-Fold cards and seem to create them a lot. It is one of the few "fancy-folds" that I can create with confidence. Lol! I loved making this card for a blog hop with the lovely ladies at the Paper Players. 

 February - Sew Suite and Shabby Chic?

This card was my first real attempt at "shabby-chic". This one took a while...layered flowers, fussy cutting and deciding on the layout. It has officially been entered into the "took over 3- 1/2 hours to create" club. Ugh! 

 March - Springtime Shadow Box

I have to be honest...making a Shadow Box card scared me and this was the first time I attempted a "sponged sky". I still love this stamp set, even if it is retired. I used it a LOT! 

April - Sail Away

This card came about totally by accident. The color combo was laying in a pile of scraps to be filed away and I thought it would be cool for a nautical-themed card.  

 May - Kimono Kids Friendship Card

One of my favorite stamp sets for one of my favorite friends. I used a Mojo Monday sketch for inspiration and just seeing this card again makes me smile. Sometimes the occasion for the card seals the deal for the "favorites" list. *grin* :) 

 June - Butterfly Thanks

Embossed and blinged-out butterflies with a bright and happy color combo...I can't even tell you how many of this particular card I made. This DSP is still well-loved (I'm into my 4th pack of it!) 

I will be back tomorrow with the my favorites from July through December. Thank you so much for stopping by today! Wishing you all the best in 2012! This past year was filled with SO many wonderful memories, I can't WAIT to see what this new year brings.

Big Hugs,

Bright and Happy New Year at OCC

Hi there and Happy New Year's Eve to you! (albeit a little late in the day...guess who forgot to schedule her blog post to go live this morning?) Well, another week has passed during this busy holiday season and it's time for a new challenge at Our Creative Corner. I am the hostess this week with a "Color and Theme challenge":

"Bright and Happy New Year" - 

It's time to ring in 2012! Create a card for a CELEBRATION using this color combo. There are so many occasions that call for a celebration ...New Year's, birthday cards, congratulations...just to name a few. Have some fun with these bright and happy colors!

I decided to create a birthday card with some new SU! goodies that are coming out in the Occasions Mini Catty starting January 4th. This post is a little "sneaky-peeky". The flower is stamped from the new Mixed Bunch stamp set, which has a coordinating punch. (Hooray!) The striped DSP is from the Spring Fever Simply Scrappin' Kit. My favorite product in the new Mini HAS to be the Pleated Satin Ribbon. It comes in 4 colors and is sooo pretty! I have a feeling I will be using a LOT of it! 

I embossed the stamped flower in Clear Embossing Powder on Melon Mambo card stock. The center of the flower is a punched 3/4" circle dressed up with a bunch of Basic Rhinestones that I colored with markers. I popped up all of the layers of the flower with Stampin' Dimensionals. 

Finally, here is the inside of the card: 

Thanks for stopping by today! If you have a chance this week, we hope you can play along over at Our Creative Corner. The lovely ladies on the Design Team have created some beautiful projects for inspiration, too. Be sure to check them out. Have fun ringing in the New Year tonight! 

Happy 2012! :) 

Stampin' Up! Supply List: 
Stamps: Mixed Bunch (new!), Short & Sweet (front sentiment) and Happiest Birthday Wishes (hostess, inside sentiment)
Paper: Spring Fever Simply Scrappin' Kit (new), Pear Pizzazz, Melon mambo, Daffodil Delight and Elegant Eggplant card stock
Ink: VersaMark, Elegant Eggplant, Pear Pizzazz (for sponging around flower center) and Melon Mambo Classic ink
Accessories: Blossom punch (new), 3/4" Circle punch, Word Window Punch, Modern Label punch, Clear Embossing Powder, Pear Pizzazz 3/8" Pleated Satin Ribbon (new), Perfect Polka dots Embossing Folder, Stampin' Dimensionals, Basic Rhinestones and markers to color them! 

Merry Christmas!

Hi there! I just wanted to peek in today to say Merry Christmas! I hope you all are enjoying this holiday season and have been spending time making wonderful memories with those that you love most. It truly is the "most wonderful time of the year"! I don't have a card to post today, but DID want to share two little, furry faces that are chock full of holiday cheer! 

I found some elf hats for the dogs this year: 

Turns out they fit the cats, too: 

(words can NOT describe how angry he was in this photo)

I hope these little elves made you smile. I wish these furry helpers could have assisted me in getting my holiday cards out on time, but sadly, they will be late this year...along with a couple of gifts. Eeek! I just ran out of time. 

But it is a great excuse to keep the holiday spirit going, right? 

Thank you SO much for stopping by to visit! 

Have a MERRY day! :)