LIME Zest for Paper Players #406

Good Morning stamping friends! Today I have some news to share! I am beyond excited to announce that I am officially back on the Design Team over at The Paper Players. *jumping up and down* This amazing team holds such a special place in my heart. Not only are the weekly challenges fantastic, but the team is comprised of some of the sweetest women I know. This is so exciting for me to be able to join them again, not only to share my projects, but to be inspired by these lovely ladies and their beautiful projects every week. Thank you so much for welcoming me back to the team.
 Y’all are the best and I’m so happy to be back. Big hugs sent to you all! 

Oddly enough, I came back on Clean and Simple Week, which you all know is a wee bit of a struggle for my layer-and-detail-loving self. I kind of failed on the layers…sorry Sandy! 

The theme is Fruits & Vegetables and that is something that I am absolutely smitten with. I can count on one hand the fruits and vegetables that I don’t “prefer” although if that is all I had to eat, I wouldn’t mind one bit. For the record, Brussels Sprouts and Lima Beans are NOT on that list…I LOVE them! 

We eat a lot of fresh produce in our house….what are your favorites??

For my card, I decided to use the Stampin’ Up! ® Lemon Zest stamp set. Except, I had to turn it into a LIME, because other than celery, spinach and broccoli, that is one of the “must-have’s” on the grocery list every week. Funny story, I live in Texas. I love iced tea. Generally in the South “sweet tea” is what you get when you order “tea.” I’m one of those odd Texan's transplanted from New York who prefer UNSWEET tea with lots of lime. 

I kept my card as simple as I could for a CAS challenge. Ha! I did emboss the white layers, with the Softly Falling Embossing Folder and the other with the Subtle Embossing Folder. I like texture…what can say. The “lime slice” was dressed up with the Wink of Stella Glitter Brush for same added sparkle. I also love the monochromatic vibe using Granny Apple Green and Garden Green. 

A quick shot of the inside of the card because I think they need as much attention as the front of the card. Don’t forget to stamp those envelopes as well. 

Make that “happy mail” even HAPPIER! 

So let’s talk about the challenge over at The Paper Players! 
You can link up your project from today through Friday 8/24 at noon PST. 
Plenty of time to get your Fruit and Veggie game on. 

Happy stamping! 

Please check out the projects from the team and share some love with them: 

The Paper Players Design Team

Claire Broadwater 

Jaydee

Anne Marie Hile

Joanne James

Laurie Schmidt

LeAnne Pugliese

Sandy Mathis

Annie Abrahamson

Elizabeth Stewart 

 Jan Clothier

Before I sign off, I wanted to share a little Sunday smile on behalf of Gidget Louise. I haven’t posed any pet in a while so I though it would be fun to share this one today. 
Have a HAPPY day, stamping friends! 

Thanks for stopping by! :)

-Anne Marie 

Product List

Lemon Zest Clear-Mount Stamp Set [143808]	Lemon Zest Wood-Mount Stamp Set [143805]	Lemon Builder Punch [143712]	1-3/4" Circle Punch [119850]	Softly Falling Textured Impressions Embossing Folder [139672]
Subtle Dynamic Textured Impressions Embossing Folder [143706]	Banner Triple Punch [138292]	Brights 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 Cm) Designer Series Paper [146964]	Granny Apple Green 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [146990]	Garden Green 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [102584]
Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [100730]	Twine Baker's Whisper White [124262]	Granny Apple Green Stampin' Pad [147095]	Garden Green Classic Stampin' Pad [147089]	Basic Adhesive-Backed Sequins [146933]
Clear Wink Of Stella Glitter Brush [141897]	Big Shot [143263]	Stampin' Dimensionals [104430]	Glue Dots [103683]	SNAIL Permanent Adhesive [104332]

Blended Seasons Team Swap Cards

Hello and Happy Wednesday to you! Today I thought I would share the cards I made for my monthly team swap. This month our theme was: COLORING. There were so many different techniques shared on these swaps including watercolor pencils, sponging, markers, Brusho and Aquapainters. As always, the cards in our team swaps are amazing! 

I am never disappointed at just how talented everyone is. 

For my swaps, I decided to use Stampin’ Blends and the gorgeous Blended Seasons Bundle. This stamp set and the coordinating Stitched Seasons Framelits are only available from August 1-31, or while supplies last. The bundle has amazing images and shapes that are truly perfect for use all year long. If you are interested in purchasing this bundle, don’t wait. 

 I colored the floral image using Stampin’ Blends in Old Olive, Flirty Flamingo and Daffodil Delight. Shading image is a breeze with Stampin’ Blends. The colors blend beautifully and give a lot of depth to the image. One note: when using Stampin’ Blends, make sure you are using a Momento Ink Pad. Momento is a dye based ink, which will resist smearing when you are using the Stampin’ Blends, which are alcohol based. 

I also added Wink of Stella for some sparkly accents in the center of the flowers along with the “baby” blooms on the image. The background is embossed with the Tin Tiles Embossing Folder, which will be available in the Holiday Catalog beginning September 5th. I love it! 

The sentiment is from the Stitched All Around stamp set and I thought would work for a variety of occasions (birthday, congratulations, wedding) and I really like the mix of fonts. Finally, the Whisper White Polka Dot Tulle Ribbon made a soft, yet fluffy bow. That is one of my favorite ribbons at the moment. I use it a lot! 

I also made a few of the swap cards in Calypso Coral on the floral image for a little variety. I really can’t decide which color I like better. 

I used the Climbing Vine Textured Impressions Embossing Folder for the background on this card, again, to change up the detail a bit.  

Here are both of the cards side-by-side. What do you think? Do you prefer Flirty Flamingo or Calypso Coral? Either way, I absolutely adore this floral image. It’s a lot of fun to color…although after coloring over a dozen of them, I needed a little break. Haha! 

Again, if you want to learn more about the Blended Seasons Bundle CLICK HERE to head on over to my Stampin’ Up! ® online store. You can purchase just the Blended Seasons stamp set, just the Stitched Seasons Framelits or purchase the two together for 10% off. Also included in this limited-time promotion is a new collection of Watercolor Pencils with gorgeous new colors. Just remember, if you are going to use watercoloring, make sure to use the correct paper and StazOn ink instead of Momento ink. The correct choice of ink makes all of the difference when it comes to different coloring tools! 

Before I go I wanted to remind you about the awesome Bonus Days promotion Stampin’ Up!® is offering right now. From August 1-31, every $50 purchasers you a $5 voucher to use on your order in September. The new Holiday Catalog debuts September 5th, so there will be plenty of fun new items available. You earn one $5 voucher for EVERY $50 purchase you make…so $100 will earn 2 - $5 vouchers for September. Hooray for getting some extra stamping money, right? You can click any of the product images below to shop!  

Thanks for visiting today! Leave a comment and say hello so I know you stopped by. Until next time, have a HAPPY day! :) 

-Anne Marie

Product List

Blended Seasons Clear-Mount Stamp Set [149016]	Blended Seasons Wood-Mount Stamp Set [149019]	Stitched Seasons Framelits Dies [149013]	Blended Seasons Clear-Mount Bundle [149894]	Blended Seasons Wood-Mount Bundle [149893]
Stitched All Around Clear-Mount Stamp Set [146632]	Tin Tile Dynamic Textured Impressions Embossing Folder [147906]	Whisper White 5/8" (1.6 Cm) Polka Dot Tulle Ribbon [146912]	Gold Foil Sheets [132622]	Old Olive 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [100702]
Flirty Flamingo 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [141416]	Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [100730]	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad [132708]	Old Olive Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack [144597]	Flirty Flamingo Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack [147278]
Daffodil Delight Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack [144603]	Clear Wink Of Stella Glitter Brush [141897]	Big Shot [143263]	SNAIL Permanent Adhesive [104332]	Stampin' Dimensionals [104430]