Leaves are Falling for {PP#111}

Hi there, stamping friends! I am SO sorry I have not been posting on my blog this past week. If you have been following me, you know I am in the process of recovering from bi-lateral foot surgery. Trust me, I am SUPER tired of talking about it...but last week was not conducive to "creating" for me. I had a Dr. appointment on Friday and the good news is, after another month of recovery (YUCK!),  I will be better then new to ring in the month of October. Hooray! Thanks for hanging in there with me! I have LOTS of bloggy news coming up, so please stay tuned. 

But you didn't come her to hear about feet, did you? So, let's get to some crafty goodness! It's Sunday, so it is time for another fun challenge over at the Paper Players. This week, Jaydee is our fabulous hostess with a great theme challenge. Fall is almost here...well, maybe anywhere BUT South Texas, where it is still 100 degrees...and we are featuring projects with leaves or trees.  

For my project, I attempted an autumn-themed card. I got some inspiration from the awesome sketch from the Sweet Stop challenge.

To be honest, this is the first time EVER I have inked up the Lovely as a Tree stamp set. Yes, I have had it for a really long time...I just never used the set. For this card, I dusted off my Watercolor Pencils and Blender Pens and attempted to create a fall-ish scene. I'm not claiming to be an expert in the world of watercoloring but I really like how it turned out.  One of the things I miss a LOT, are the changing seasons back in Upstate New York, where I am originally from. The leaves do not turn here in Texas so I tried to recreate what I consider "Fall" to be on my card.

I roughed up the edges of my card and added a lot of sponged ink. The Woodgrain Embossing Folder was added to compliment the main image. After the card was finished, I decided to add those brads to the corners. Thankfully, I did not destroy the card in the process. Yikes! All of the supplies used are listed at the end of the post. 

Here is a quick shot of the inside of the card: 

I really hope you will join us and play along this week at the Paper Players! Please be sure to check out what the rest of the Design Team have whipped up this week for inspiration.  The challenge closes on Friday, September 7, 2012 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

Have a HAPPY day! :) 

Stampin' Up! Supply List

Stamps: Lovely as a Tree, Teeny Tiny Wishes and Full of Life (inside sentiment, retired) 

Paper: Regals DSP paper pack, Cajun Craze, More Mustard, Garden Green and Whisper Whits card stock

Ink: Crumb Cake, Cajun Craze, Basic Black Classic ink

Punches: Modern Label Punch

Accessories: hemp twine, Naturals Buttons, Woodgrain Embossing Folder, Stamping Sponges, Watercolor Pencils, Blender Pens, Crumb Cake Stampin' Write marker, Color Spritzer Tool, distressed gold brads and Stampin' Dimensionals

Non SU Accessories: oval and scalloped oval dies

Time for a Fall Treasure Hunt with LNS!

Hello there! I am a member of a fun group of SU! Demos called the Late Night Stampers. From now through October 31st there is a Treasure Hunt going on! Basically, the Treasure Hunt is a BIG ol' blog hop to search for clues. No Treasure Hunt is complete without a prize at the end and our sweet hostess, Sherrill Graff, is offering up $150 in Stampin' Up! product to one grand prize winner of the hunt. All of the details are below. 

Late Night Stamper's Fall Treasure Hunt! 

Here is how it works:

• Click the tab at the top of my blog titled "LNS Blog List" or to make it easier if you are viewing this in a blog reader or via email, you can also just click this link: http://stampinanne.blogspot.com/p/lns-blog-list.html
• When you click the names on the list, you will be taken to that demonstrator's blog. 
• Look for a post with the Treasure Hunt photo (like the one above) and their clue for the Treasure Hunt. The clue might even be on their blog sidebar.
• Not everyone on the list is participating, so the goal is to find the 50 clues from the list. You may have to go back several postings to find the clue, as we started the hunt on August 20th. It's always nice to share some smiles and leave a comment, too. :) 
• When you find the clue: write the BLOG NAME and THE CLUE down. When you have located 50 clues, please send me your list (at annemariehile@gmail.com) and I will make sure your name is entered in the drawing. 
• The Treasure Hunt runs from now through October 31st, so be sure to check back, as clues will be posted at different times.
• The winner of the $150 in Stampin' Up! product will be announced by Sherrill Graff at the end of the Treasure Hunt. 
• ALSO, as a big thank you for stopping by and participating in the hunt, I will be giving away a special prize to one randomly selected person who emails me their Treasure Hunt list. What better prize then the item from my own clue?? That will be announced on November 1st.

Here is my clue: 

Festival of Prints Designer Series Paper Stack

Fun holiday colors. Versatile designs. Use for card fronts or mounting photos. 48 sheets in ea. pad. Four ea. of 12 double-sided designs; acid-free; ea. sheet: 4-1/2" x 6-1/2". Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake, Early Espresso, Island Indigo, Lucky Limeade, and Very Vanilla.

Good luck and Happy Hunting! 

Have FUN! :) 

Paper Players #110 - Scentsational Season and A Sketch Challenge

Hello there and happy Sunday to you! This week at the Paper Players, the always wonderful LeAnne is our hostess and she has whipped up an awesome sketch to play along with. 

I broke into a lot of new items from the Holiday Catalog for this card, including the Scentsational Season stamp set. This set also has a coordinating die to cut the images out perfectly every time. I just love how quick and easy those dies are!  

After I stamped and die cut that little tree, it was needing serious holiday trimmings to "spruce" it up some. (Like that little pun? Haha!) I colored some pearls with a Cherry Cobbler marker and popped on some rhinestones for sparkle. I didn't decorate the entire tree, as those polka dots coordinate with the DSP so wonderfully. I topped off the tree with a little star die cut from Silver Glimmer Paper. If I could cover the walls of my craft room with that paper, I would! I LOVE sparkle!

Also, it is tough to see in the photo but the sentiment was heat embossed for added shine. I also added a seam binding bow as a final touch. For some reason, this paper reminds me of holiday wrapping paper and a gift really isn't complete without a big ol' bow, right? All of the supplies I used are listed at the end of the post.

Here is a quick peek at the inside of the card, using a holiday sentiment from the Happy Hour stamp set:: 

I sure hope you will join us this week at the Paper Players to try out LeAnne's great sketch. The challenge is open until Friday, August 31, 2012 at Noon (PDT). Please stop by and see what the rest of the gals on the Design Team have created this week, too. So many beautiful cards! 

The Paper Players Design Team

Ann Schach

Anne Marie Hile (you are here)

Amy White

Dawn Easton

Jaydee

Jen Arkfield

LeAnne Pugliese

Nance Leedy

Have a very HAPPY day! :) 

Stampin' Up! Supply List

Stamps: Scentsational Season (Holiday catalog), Teeny Tiny Wishes and Happy Hour (inside sentiment) 

Paper: Be of Good Cheer DSP, Silver Glimmer Paper, Cherry Cobbler, Gumball Green and Very Vanilla card stock 

Ink: VersaMark and Gumball Green Classic Ink

Punches: Word Window Punch and Modern Label Punch

Accessories: Snowburst Embossing Folder, Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding, Early Espresso and Cherry Cobbler Stampin' Write Marker, Holiday Collection Framelits Dies, Window Frames Framelits Dies, Festive Paper Piecing Pack, Paper Piercing Tool, Clear Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, Basic Pearls, Basic Rhinestones and Stampin Dimensionals

Lacy and Lovely Thank You

Hello there stampers! It's Saturday and time for another new color challenge over at Dynamic Duos. As it is the fourth week of the month we are focusing on monochromatic colors and this week, it's all about the purple hues. Wisteria Wonder and Concord Crush make a pretty SWEET pair, don't they? I loved working with these colors, as "the purples" are not colors I regularly gravitate towards. 

I decided to use another stamp set I received at SU Convention called Lacy & Lovely for my card. This is such a fun set and is really versatile, as well. Also, the font used for the sentiments in this set is FABULOUS!! I got my inspiration for my card layout from this week's sketch over at Freshly Made Sketches, designed by the always awesome Jen Mitchell . Any sketch that has a repeated element (in an odd number) ALWAYS gets my mojo workin' and this is certainly no exception. SO much fun! 

I guess it is pretty obvious that I had a CIRCLE-theme going on for this one. I found some (ret.) Concord Crush polka dot paper in my stash, added some different textures and a few pops of bling and there you have it. I am pretty happy about how this one came out and as an added bonus, it is easily able to be popped in the mail without a TON of additional postage. Love that! All of the supplies I used are listed at the end of the post.

Please stop by and check out this week's challenge over at Dynamic Duos! The lovely ladies I am on the Design Team with have created some awesome projects for inspiration, too. The challenge closes at Noon (PDT) on Thursday, August 30, 2012. We would love to have you share your "purple-tastic" creations with us!  

The Dynamic Duos Design Team:

Allisa Chilton

Anne Marie Hile

Anika Lerche

Kim Singdahlsen

Lesley Croghan

Lisa Elton

Melissa Chipperfield

Paige Grabau

Sue Joyce

Have a HAPPY day today! :) 

Stampin' Up! Supply List

Stamps: Lacy & Lovely

Paper: Concord Crush DSP (ret. hostess), Concord Crush, Wisteria Wonder and Whisper White card stock

Ink: Concord Crush Classic ink

Punches: 1" Circle Punch and 1- 1/4" Square Punch (for the banner "tails")

Accessories: Square Lattice Embossing Folder, Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder, Adorning Accents Embossing Folders, Adorning Accents Edgelits Dies, Basic Rhinestones and Stampin' Dimensionals 

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

Moving Forward for Paper Players #109

Hello there stampers! It's Sunday and that means it's time for another fun challenge over at the Paper Players. This week, I am super excited to be the challenge hostess. I decided to add a fun twist to our Clean and Simple (CAS) challenge, by adding paper piecing to the mix. Now, I'm not the world's best fussy-cutter, but I really do love what paper piecing can add to a design, by dressing up a stamped image. I sure hope you will join us and have some fun creating with this technique! :) 

When it came to deciding on an image to paper piece, I looked no further then the Moving Forward stamp set. This is such a fun stamp set for a couple of reasons. First of all, the images are really cute and perfect for a lot of occasions. Also, when you buy this stamp set through Stampin' Up, YOU help make a difference, as proceeds from the stamp set are donated to support Ronald McDonald House Charities. For more information, click HERE. 

Here is a close up of my little sailboat. I paper pieced all of the elements and that little flag was actually heat embossed with clear embossing for added detail. The sail is popped up with dimensionals for some fun, along with that row of sparkly bling. Today was just a "blingy" day...awww, who am I kidding? ANY day is a good day for bling, in my book. :) 

The striped patterned paper and red checked paper (on the little boat) are from the Storytime DSP which I received for FREE at Convention. It was a little treat for first time Convention attendees at a special lunch. So much fun! All of the rest of the supplies are listed at the end of the post. 

Even though my card is Clean and Simple, there is a LOT of dimension to it, thanks to popping up the layers with Stampin' Dimensionals.  I can't wait to get this one in the mail to a dear friend. 

Thanks so much for stopping by! Please be sure to stop by the Paper Players challenge to play along with us this week. The challenge closes on Friday, August 24th at noon (PDT). Also, please stop by and say hello to the lovely members of the Paper Players Design Team. They really created some fun paper pieced designs this week for inspiration! :)

The Paper Players Design Team

Ann Schach

Anne Marie Hile (you are here)

Amy White

Dawn Easton

Helen Heil

Jaydee

Jen Arkfield

LeAnne Pugliese

Lesley Croghan

Nance Leedy

On a personal note: I have had a few folks asking for an update on my foot surgery. The good news is that the bandages are off and the (itchy) stitches came out of both feet on Friday. The feet themselves still have a slight resemblance to Frankenstein, but are healing up more every day. Sorry, no pictures in this post. Maybe if I made a Halloween card, they would fit in. Ha! I just have to be very diligent about making sure I don't stay up on them for extended periods of time, as the swelling can become a big problem if I'm not careful. So I'm officially 1/4 of the way through recovery. Baby steps....

Have a very HAPPY day! :) 

Stampin' Up! Supply List: 
Stamps: Moving Forward
Paper: Storytime DSP, Subtles DSP paper pad, Riding Hood Red, Pool Party and Whisper White card stock
Ink: Basic Black and Riding Hood Red Classic ink pad
Punches: Word Window punch
Accessories: Clear Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, Basic Rhinestones, Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder, So Saffron 3/8" Taffeta Ribbon and LOTS of Stampin' Dimensionals
non-SU! Accessories: circle and scallop circle die cut

Ornament Keepsakes for Dynamic Duos #16

Hi there stampers! It's time for a brand new color combo over at Dynamic Duos! This week is our "Black Tie" challenge where we combine one color with Basic Black and throw in one extra element as a "Dessert Option". You can add that extra element (for this challenge it's brads), or not...either way, it's a lot of fun. We are featuring a color this week, that I rarely use: River Rock. I decided to try these colors on a Christmas card. I am a HUGE fan of Christmas cards in non-traditional colors. 

I have a whole bunch of new products in my studio from the SU Holiday Catalog. There is SO much fun stampin' stuff in that catty, it's awesome. *swoon* The new Ornament Keepsakes stamp set is gorgeous and the best part is, there is a matching set of die cuts to perfectly cut out the stamped images. That ROCKS! 

I heat embossed the ornaments to give them a more elegant finish and what "black tie" event is complete without some pretty pearls? I added the heat embossed sentiment by creating a banner, with the "tails" clipped off with the 1- 1/4" Square Punch. I kind of like how it pops off the card, so this one would need a larger envelope to mail, or just make the exclusive "hand-delivered" list. *wink, wink* All of the supplies I used are listed at the end of the post. 

For the inside of the card, I used the sentiment from the Snow Swirled set. I will probably cry if that set ever retires. That has to be my most used Christmas stamp set, EVER. I had embossed and die-cut an extra ornament that didn't fit on the front, so instead of wasting it, I just added it to the inside. I think it's a nice way to keep the party going from the front of the card. :) 

Thank for stopping by! Please hop on over to Dynamic Duos and check out the challenge, won't you? You can play along through Friday, August 24, 2012 at Noon (PDT). The lovely ladies on the Design Team have created some beautiful projects for inspiration, too. Stop by and say hello to them. :) 

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 very HAPPY day! 



Stampin' Up! Supply List:
Stamps: Ornament Keepsakes and Snow Swirled
Paper: Ginger Blossoms DSP (ret.), River Rock, Basic Black and Very Vanilla card stock
Ink: Basic Black Craft Ink Pad
Punches: 1- 1/4" Square Punch (to make banner tails)
Accessories: Holiday Ornaments Framelits Dies, Lacy Brocade Embossing Folder, Gold Cord trim (ret.), Basic Black 5/8" Satin Ribbon (ret.), Clear Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, Black Brads, Basic Pearls and Stampin' Dimensionals

Convention Make and Take, Two Different Ways

Hi stampers! Well, I finally decided to finish up my Convention Make and Take projects this week. Yup, I was at Convention about three weeks ago but I didn't make my projects there for fear they might get crushed in my suitcase. Have you seen the way they THROW luggage around at the airport?? Yikes!!

After putting together the card above using the Affection Collection set, I was having so much fun that I decided to create a second version of the card with some dressed-up elements. That first card pictured was THE Make and Take project, just as it was designed by Stampin' Up. I love the collage-style look of the stamped images on the original card, but there is something about collage that makes me think "vintage." So that was what I tried to do with my second card. It's a "Make and Take, Two Ways." 

For the second card, I added a few more layers, a LOT more bling (which is not shocking in any way..haha!) and some vintage distressing, just to name a few things. The *new* Lacy Brocade Embossing Folder looks a lot like the stamped image, so it seemed like a perfect fit. I sponged the edges for some added detail. I changed up the punch for the scalloped border to incorporate some more sparkle and also embossed the popped-up heart with some Iridescent Ice (sparkly) Embossing Powder. It's tough to see in the photos. The paper piercing in the corner was something I just played around with...the corner seemed a little empty without it. I also used the Color Spritzing Tool to add more "dirty"elements. It was a little MORE then I had originally planned, but what can you do, right? 

Here are the two cards, side-by-side. Now I'm not saying one card is "better" then the other in ANY way. I just think it is fun to see how you can change up the style a card with a few simple products. I hope you like them and I would love to hear what you think. The supplies are listed below. 

Before I go, here is a little "Schnauzer-love" to share. My sweet Emmitt has been the BEST little friend during my ongoing recovery from foot surgery. Here is a photo I shared on Instagram the other day of my super-comfy, little dude. 

Isn't he a cutie?? 

Thanks for stopping by and have a very HAPPY day! :) 



Stampin' Up! Supply List

CARD #1
Stamps: Affection Collection (Holiday Catalog)
Paper: Primrose Pink, Early Espresso and Whisper White card stock
Ink: Primrose Pink, Midnight Muse, More Mustard, Daffodil Delight and Early Espresso Classic Ink Pads
Punches: Scallop Border Punch, Small Heart Punch
Accessories: Basic Rhinestones and stapler

CARD #2

Stamps: Affection Collection (Holiday Catalog)

Paper: Primrose Pink, Midnight Muse, More Mustard, Daffodil Delight, Early Espresso and Whisper White card stock

Ink: Primrose Pink, Midnight Muse, More Mustard, Daffodil Delight, Early Espresso and Crumb Cake Classic Ink Pads

Punches: Scallop Trim Border Punch, Small Heart Punch and Modern Label Punch

Accessories: Paper Piercing Tool, Lacy Brocade Embossing Folder, Stamping Sponges, Iridescent Ice Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, Stampin' Dimensionals, Basic Rhinestones and stapler

Winner, Winner...We Have a Winner!

Hi there! I did not forget about drawing a giveaway winner, as promised, tonight. I had a phone call from an old friend which completely distracted me from posting this earlier. Eeek! 

I do want to thank everyone who took the time to leave their fabulous crafty organization tips on my post HERE. There were some AWESOME organizational ideas shared and I'm really excited to try some of them out. :) 

Without further delay, I would like to announce, that after plugging the numbers into random.org, a winner has been selected. Hooray!

The winner of a a new & improved Stampin' Up Classic Ink Pad in Melon Mambo
is.....*drumroll, please*...

#6 Caroline!!!!! 

Here is what Caroline had to share: 

CarolineAugust 9, 2012 8:30 PM

"Hope you are feeling better soon. Sweet little schnauzer, I have one too, Bosley who is nine. I recently bought some beautiful cubicle stands with fabric baskets and I've re-done my craft room. I'm excited about all the new storage space, since it was all over the place before :) Melon Mambo is on my must have list!!"

Caroline, please send me an email to annemariehile@gmail.com with your mailing address, so that I can get your new ink pad sent out to you right away! Thank you so much to everyone who played along in honor of my 2nd Blogging Anniversary! 

Before I sign off, I thought I would share a photo of my toes after my first post-op visit to the Dr. last Friday. After changing out the bandages and finally getting a glimpse of my Frankenstein feet, he gave me some new stylin' foot wraps, which I LOVE...because they are PINK! This is so much more my style, don't you think? Haha! Until next time...

Have a very HAPPY day today!