Blended Harvest Birthday - Stampin' Up! Nature's Harvest - Paper Players 556

 Sunday again and that brings us around to a new Paper Players challenge!  This week Jaydee has given us a fun Tic Tac Toe board for inspiration!  Just like the game, pick any 3 down, across or diagonal and use those squares to make your card!

  My card uses the left hand down column; feminine, birthday and florals.

  I ended up making multiples of this design to use for customer thank yous as I was so pleased with how it turned out.  I usually send my customers a blank thank you card with a hand written note on loose paper (so they can use it) but I thought they might like to get a different kind of card as a thank you this month.  Birthday and thank you are my most often needed cards.

  I loved using the blending brushes and Polished Pink and Pale Papaya inks for the background.  The flower outline stamp from Nature's Harvest is simply stamped on top of the blended inks in Memento black for a great way to show off some color and a detailed stamp.

  I used a Basic Black base to set off the lighter colors and then accented with some sequins and Pale Papaya open weave ribbon.

  The narrow die cut is from the Harvest dies and the sentiment die cut is from the Stitched So Sweetly dies.

  I can't wait to see which Tic Tac Toe line you use for your card.  To see more inspiration from the Design Team head over to their blogs: 

Jaydee
 LeAnne
Claire
Joanne
Laurie
Anne Marie
Ann
Nancy
Debbie 

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Nature's Harvest, Many Messages

Ink: Polished Pink, Pale Papaya, Memento Black

Paper: Basic Black, Polished Pink, Basic White

Accessories: blending brushes, Harvest dies, Stitched So Sweetly dies, open weave ribbon, sequins, dimensionals

 

Fall Season Wreath - Stampin' Up! Season Swirl Dies - Paper Players 555

  The Paper Players are back at it today!  Laurie has given a us fun sketch to try out!  I have to admit the tilted layer gave me some pause but several ideas later I got it done!

   I went with a fall theme as before we know it we'll be full on Christmas card making and I wanted to get a few autumn cards made and added to the stash before it was too late!

  This one starts with a Crumb Cake base that has been lightly sponged around the edges with Crumb Cake ink.  Next is a layer of Harvest Meadow DSP.

  I made the tilted frame with the Stitched Rectangle dies and then backed it with a piece of Basic White that is embossed with the Bark embossing folder.  I lightly brushed some Crumb Cake ink on the ridges to tone down the brightness.  Then I popped it up with dimensionals.

  The wreath is cut out of Crumb Cake cardstock using the new Season Swirls dies. One of the dies cuts extra leaves so I used that for the Bumblebee leaves and then cut a second wreath from Calypso Coral and snipped the leaves off and adhered them to the Crumb Cake wreath to fill it out a bit.

  Using the carryover set, Banner Year I stamped the sentiment in Misty Moonlight onto Calypso Coral cardstock then flagged the end.  I added a few extra leaves to one end and then popped it with dimensionals.

  The final touch is a little linen thread bow.

  Check out all the great inspiration from the Paper Players Design Team and then add your creation to the gallery!

Jaydee
 LeAnne
Claire
Joanne
Laurie
Anne Marie
Ann
Nancy
Debbie 

 Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Banner Year

Ink: Misty Moonlight, Crumb Cake (for sponging)

Paper: Crumb Cake, Misty Moonlight, Basic White, Calypso Coral, Bumblebee, Harvest Meadow DSP 

Accessories: Stitched Rectangle dies, Seasonal Swirls dies, dimensionals, Bark embossing folder, linen thread

Birthday Leaf - Stampin' Up! Gorgeous Leaves - Paper Players 554

   I hope everyone is having a fun weekend!  Hopefully the fun can continue with you stamping along with the newest Paper Players challenge!  Anne Marie has given us the true challenge of doing a Clean and Simple Masculine card!  Sometimes those two kinds of card are hard enough on their own for me but for some reason putting them together I was able to make a card I was pretty pleased about without too many tears! :)

  Isn't that the cutest graphic?  Maybe that will be some inspiration for your project?  I went with an understated masculine color combo with a classic leaf.

 To bring in a bit of detail without adding busyness I stacked the main panel up on several other layers as well as used the Stitched Rectangle dies to cut the top panel.

  The Gorgeous Leaves set has a really cool wood grain stamp which I used with Gray Granite ink to anchor my leaf against.

  And to keep the card from being too dark and broody I added a Bumblebee twill knot to the leaf stem. 

  The Design Team always has some great inspiration for you!

Jaydee
 LeAnne
Claire
Joanne
Laurie
Anne Marie
Ann
Nancy
Debbie 

   Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Gorgeous Leaves, Itty Bitty Greetings (retired)

Ink: Gray Granite, Evening Evergreen

Paper: Evening Evergreen, Basic White, Soft Succulent, 

Accessories: Intricate Leaves dies, Stitched Rectangle dies, dimensionals, Bumblebee twill ribbon (retired)

The Stockings Were Hung - Stampin' Up! Sweet Little Stockings - Paper Players 553

The Paper Players challenge is back with a fun color combination for you this week.  Claire has given us 3 classic colors to work with; Real Red, Old Olive and Daffodil Delight.  My first thought was bright summer flowers but then I took a 180 degree turn and went with Christmas!  I can't wait to see how you use these colors so play along and share your creation in our gallery!

  The Sweet Little Stockings bundle wasn't on my preorder list the first time I went through the catalog as I wasn't really into the little animals but then I took a closer look at the rest of the stamps and coordinating dies and realized it was so much more than a cute animal set.  The stockings were so cute and the line images are perfect for a bit of coloring; big enough not to get lost on a card front but small enough that it didn't feel like it took forever to color! And coloring is what I did!

  Just a few details to point out as it's really a very simple card for the most part!  The stockings are colored in the challenge colors using Stampin' Blends markers and then die cut and strung up on baker's twine.  I used an itty bitty hole punch to make the holes in the loops.

  The sentiment is stamped in Old Olive and then the Basic White panel is embossed with the Subtle embossing folder for just a bit of extra texture.

  The card base is stamped with the Knit Together background stamp which is a really fun way to immediately make a card for colder weather.

  I used a few of the smaller dies to decorate around the stockings; bows, stars and the little holly sprig on the smallest stocking.

  Check out the Design Team inspiration and then join the fun!

Jaydee
 LeAnne
Claire
Joanne
Laurie
Anne Marie
Ann
Nancy
Debbie 

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Sweet Little Stockings, Knit Together

Ink: Memento black, Old Olive

Blends: Real Red light & dark, Old Olive light & dark, Daffodil Delight light & dark

Paper: Old Olive, Real Red, Basic White, Daffodil Delight

Accessories: Stockings dies, dimensionals, Subtle embossing folder (retired), baker's twine, adhesive rhinestones

Framed & Striped Birthday - Stampin' Up! Party Puffins

   I'm playing along with 2 challenges with this card.  I've got lots and lots of stripes for Seize the Birthday and then I've also got a frame for the Just Add Ink challenge

   I pulled out a striped sheet of Pattern Play host DSP and cut it into narrow strips of various lengths and layered them on a piece of Basic White embossed with the Subtle embossing folder.

  I cut a frame with the Stitched Rectangle dies and popped it on dimensionals and then added the other elements.  I used Party Puffins for the puffin and sentiment and Penguin Place for the balloon.

  Some Coastal Cabana enamel dots are the last detail.  Now that I'm looking more at this card I wish I would have changed out the frame color to something other than white.  I just might have to re-do this one another time and see!

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Party Puffin, Penguin Place

Ink: Memento black, Flirty Flamingo

Blends: Daffodil Delight dark, Pumpkin Pie dark

Paper: Flirty Flamingo, Coastal Cabana, Basic White, Pattern Play DSP

Accessories: Stitched Rectangle dies, Subtle embossing folder (retired), black bakers twine, dimensionals, enamel dots (retired)

Freshly Penned Birthday - Stampin' Up! Penned Flowers Dies

   I haven't played along with the Freshly Made Sketches challenge in a while even though their last few have caught my eye.  Some weeks just do not have enough hours to squeeze in all that I want to do!  Yesterday I let a few things slide so that I could stamp for a bit and I used the new challenge to get started.  What a nice sketch to use up some narrow scraps!

  I thought these colors and the all the white space made for a fresh birthday card!  Nothing too crazy here, just some embossing in the background with the Tasteful Textile embossing folder and the big die cut from the Penned Flowers dies.  I added a bit of Pale Papaya by cutting out a few of the flower shapes and tucking them under the Basic White outline.  The die cut leaves in Garden Green are adhered on top.  A few In Color gems in Pale Papaya decorate some of the smaller flowers.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: All Squared Away

Ink: Garden Green

Paper: Crumb Cake, Basic White, Garden Green, Hand-Penned DSP

Accessories: corner rounder punch, Tasteful Textile embossing folder, Penned Flowers dies, dimensionals, In Color gems

2021 July-December Mini Catalog & Sale-a-Bration!!!

   They're finally here!  After a months postponement we can finally share the new mini catalog and Sale-a-Bration brochure!

  You can download the PDF for the mini and brochure from my sidebar or go to StampinUp.com

  Some things to remember:

•   The July-Dec. mini sales period is August 3-Jan. 3, 2022 but product availability may be limited at the end. Don't wait to get that "must have" item!
•  Choose a FREE Sale-a-Bration reward with every $50 or $100 you spend (before tax/shipping) until September 30
• If you want to join my team during Sale-a-Bration you can choose $125 worth of products for $99 PLUS a free bundle from the mini catalog (12 choices listed at the back of the SAB brochure)!! Contact me for more details or join through my demonstrator website by clicking the purple shopping bag on the sidebar
  
• Use Host Code: DFCA6DEJ for your order and be entered to win the Seasons of Fun host set (item 156576).  For each $25 you get one entry (before tax/shipping). Host code will close Aug. 31
  

 

Trio of Beauty - Stampin' Up! Beauty of Friendship

   My card today is very much CASEd from the annual catalog.  I was a bit stuck using the Beauty of Friendship bundle a few weeks back and I looked to the catalog for some ideas and the sample on page 158 that highlights the coordinating dies seemed like a good one to get the creativity ball rolling.  The catalog is a wonderful resource for inspiration with layouts and color combinations.  And sometimes it has just the perfect card to copy!

  I did change up a few elements like the Bark embossing in the background, the color of the tree trunks and the change to the sentiment layer where I used Mint Macaron instead of vellum and added some bakers twine.

  Don't ever be hesitant to copy another card; sometimes the original ideas just aren't flowing and that's ok.  But always remember to give credit to the original whether from a catalog or another stamper.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Beauty of Friendship, And Many More (retired)

Ink: Cajun Craze, Night of Navy, Mint Macaron, Early Espresso

Paper: Night of Navy, Basic White, Mint Macaron

Accessories: Bark embossing folder, Stitched Rectangle dies, Beautiful Trees dies, dimensionals, baker's twine

Grateful Leaves - Stampin' Up! Gorgeous Leaves

   We had under 90 degree weather for a day or two recently and it got me in my fall feels with stamping.  I saw the Hand Stamped Sentiments color challenge and thought they were perfect for fall!  And I wanted to give my new Gorgeous Leaves stamp set a spin. Win win!

  I started off with an Old Olive base stamped on the diagonal with Old Olive ink using the Gorgeous Leaves stamps.  The smaller leaf I stamped off once so that the OO ink wouldn't be so bold.

  Next I built up my focal point using some of the retired 2020-2022 In Color DSP in a wood grain pattern cut with a stitched circle die.  I layered a Tailor Made tag with die cut leaves; one being stamped in Rich Razzleberry and the others cut right out of cardstock.  A bit of retired cotton ribbon ties the top of the tag and then the whole cluster is popped on dimensionals.

  The sentiment is from another new set; Sparkle of the Season and is stamped in Rich Razzleberry on a narrow scrap of Basic White.  A few Artistry Blooms sequins finish off the details of this card.

  This was definitely a great color combo to get started on some fall cards!

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Gorgeous Leaves, Sparkle of the Season

Ink: Old Olive, Rich Razzleberry

Paper: Old Olive, Cinnamon Cider, Basic White, 2020-2022 In Color DSP (retired)

Accessories: Stitched Shapes dies (retired), Tailor Made Tags dies, Intricate Leaves dies, dimensionals, Artistry Blooms sequins, cotton ribbon (retired)

 

Seashells by the Seaside - Stampin' Up! Friends are Like Seashells - Paper Players 552

   The past week has just flown by and here we are back again on a Sunday!  Let's start this week off on the right foot by stamping along with the newest Paper Players challenge.  Joanne has us working with a great theme this week; Beside the Seaside.

  

  Of course my go to stamp set for a challenge like this is Friends are like Seashells!  And I did a little bit of ink blending to create a background that kind of looks like the surf meeting the sandy shore.

  For the blended background all I did was tear the edge off a piece of scrap paper to mask off part of the Basic White panel and then blended Balmy Blue and Misty Moonlight inks for the water.  Then I flipped the scrap leaving just a little bit of a space for the foamy surf and then blended Crumb Cake ink for the sand.  Using the little speckle stamp in the FALS set I added a bit of texture.

  Next was just stamping and embossing a few of the shells as well as a sand dollar and creating a cluster with a bit of Fine Art ribbon.

  I pulled out the retired Itty Bitty Birthdays set for the sentiment as none of my current sets had one that fit my vision and stamped it in Night of Navy on a narrow scrap of Basic White.  The whole cluster is popped on dimensionals.

  Check out what the fabulous Paper Players Design Team is creating and then play along with us!

Jaydee
 LeAnne
Claire
Joanne
Laurie
Anne Marie
Ann
Nancy
Debbie 

   Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Friends Are Like Seashells, Itty Bitty Birthdays (retired)

Ink: Misty Moonlight, Balmy Blue, Crumb Cake, Night of Navy, Sahara Sand, Mint Macaron

Paper: Night of Navy, Basic White, Sahara Sand, Very Vanilla

Accessories: blending brushes, Seashells embossing folder, Fine Art ribbon