Thanks a Ton - Stampin' Up! Whale Done - Paper Players 533

 Happy Sunday stampers!  The Paper Players are back with a brand new challenge for you to start your stamping week!  Ann has given us the really fun theme of CAS Animals.  So get out your animal stamps and show us what you've got while keeping it clean and simple!

 

  I blew through all of the thank you cards I had made over the last few weeks and found myself needing one more so I thought the Whale Done set would be just the ticket for my clean and simple animal card.

  I started with a Pool Party base, then a layer of Whisper White with the little bubbles stamped off in Pool Party ink.  I topped that with a piece of Pool Party that I embossed with the Seabed embossing folder.  I cut the one corner off with a Layering Circle die so the stamped piece of Whisper White is showing.  I also used my blending brushes to brush on a bit of white craft ink to help show off the design a little bit better.

  The whale is stamped in Pretty Peacock ink and punched out along with his silver glimmer paper splash using the Whale builder punch.  All of those pieces are popped on dimensionals.

  The sentiment was stamped and embossed in white onto Basic Black cardstock.  It's then cut out with a Stitched So Sweetly die and popped over a length of silver baker's twine.

  So while this card has some texture and dimension I think it stayed CAS with the limited color palette and the open space on most of the card.  And of course the whale for the animal element.

  To check out what the rest of the Paper Players Design Team did with this challenge visit the challenge site or their blogs:

 Jaydee
 LeAnne
Claire
Joanne
Laurie
Anne Marie
Ann
Nancy
Debbie 

Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Whale Done

Ink: Pretty Peacock, Pool Party, Versamark, white craft

Paper: Pool Party, Whisper White, Basic Black, Silver Glimmer paper (retired)

Accessories: Whale punch, Layering Circle dies, Stitched So Sweetly dies, white embossing powder, Seabed embossing folder, silver baker's twine (retired), dimensionals

Birthday Heart and Star - Stampin' Up! Itty Bitty Birthdays

   I have been busy working on a set of 24 custom cards and haven't had time to stamp anything else so I'm sharing a card I made a month ago for my brother's birthday.  His birthday falls on Valentine's day so I tried to mix a heart onto the card without it turning into a Valentine's day card! 

  I mixed and matched hearts and stars and used 3 different patterns from the Well Suited DSP.

  The little heart and star stamps are from the Many Messages set and could easily get overlooked but are just the right size a bit of add-on stamping.  Not much else as this card is pretty straightforward and the shapes do all the work here!

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Itty Bitty Birthdays, Many Messages

Ink: Night of Navy, Real Red, Smoky Slate

Paper: Whisper White thick, Well Suited DSP

Accessories: heart punch, Stitched Stars dies, Curvy dies, Night of Navy baker's twine, dimensionals, candy dot (retired)

Rainbow Envelopes - Stampin' Up! Snail Dies

   I think a rainbow is in order for this gray, dreary day!  After beautiful weather last week and over the weekend it got overcast yesterday afternoon and then we even had a bit of icy pellets come down last night. My morning walk was cold and damp so I think something cheerful necessary for my share today!

  This card has hardly any stamping but the mini envelope die in the Snail dies certainly got a work out!

 I pulled out my best rainbow colors to put this card together.  It starts with a Whisper White thick base then a layer of Whisper White embossed with the Old World Paper embossing folder.  It's hard to see in the photo but it's there.

  After the envelopes were cut and folded up I arranged them on the card front leaving the center open for the little note.  I stamped the 'smile' from the Cute Fruit set in Memento and then cut it out.  I added a die cut heart out of the Rainbow Glimmer paper.  

  I'm adding this one to my pile to send to Bearly Arts for their card drive for kids in foster care.  To read more about that cause and to join in check it out here: Bearly Arts Cards for Cubs.  If you're local to me and want to help I am collecting cards from my stampers to mail out a big package and you're welcome to join in!  Just get in touch!

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Cute Fruit

Ink: Memento Black

Paper: Whisper White thick, Whisper White, Poppy Parade, Mango Melody, Daffodil Delight, Granny Apple Green, Coastal Cabana, Pacific Point, Gorgeous Grape, Melon Mambo, Rainbow Glimmer paper

Accessories: Old World Paper embossing folder, Snail dies, dimensionals

Butterfly Thank You - Stampin' Up! Butterfly Brilliance

   My butterfly envy is over!  My Butterfly Brilliance bundle arrived on Thursday so I was able to play a bit and see what this set is all about.  I'm still not too sure about all the butterflies connected as one large stamp instead of individually but I can always cut them apart if it's too cumbersome in the long run.  But the images are gorgeous and I enjoyed a bit of easy coloring for this card.  I used the CAS Colours & Sketches layout which is a perfect open design for a nice single butterfly as the focal image.

  This one starts with a Mint Macaron base, then a layer of Whisper White cut with the Stitched Rectangle dies.  Next up is a beautiful piece of Butterfly Bijou DSP.  I love the soft watercolor look!  I used the Stitched With Whimsy dies to add a little border around the edge. The whole panel is popped with dimensionals.

  To follow the sketch I cut some leaves with the Poppy Moments dies.  I used Mint Macaron for the bottom layer and Just Jade for the top.  

  I inked up just the one butterfly with Memento black and then cut it out.  I colored it in with Blends (colors listed below) and then popped it on dimensional on top of the leaves.

  The sentiment from Free as a Bird is embossed in white on Basic Black and I added a Blushing Bride flag behind it so it wouldn't look so stubby.  I also popped the sentiment on dimensionals.

  I added a few retired white sequins just because and the fact that I need to use up some embellishments before my drawer overflows!

  I can't wait to create some more with the bundle.  It was perfect timing to get a new stamp set for spring just when the weather is warming up.  Soon enough I'll be seeing my own butterflies in the yard.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Butterfly Brilliance, Free as a Bird

Ink: Memento black, Versamark

Blends: Calypso Coral light & dark, Daffodil Delight light, So Saffron light & dark, Basic Black light

Paper: Mint Macaron, Just Jade, Whisper White, Butterfly Bijou DSP, Basic Black, Blushing Bride

Accessories: Stitched Rectangle dies, Stitched with Whimsy dies, Brilliant Wings dies, Poppy Moments dies, dimensionals, white embossing powder, sequins (retired)

Soft Spring Ferns - Stampin' Up! Forever Fern - The Paper Players 532

  All of this warmer weather lately has me in my spring feels with pastels, flowers and sprouting plants and I put it to use when designing my card today.   The Paper Players   newest challenge has some great colors to get you started on your next card.  Joanne has given us Highland Heather, Seaside Spray and Old Olive to use this time. 

  Aren't they pretty together?  I was excited to see Seaside Spray since we have a limited time left with this color as a current In Color I want to get the most out of it!

  I went with the favorite Forever Fern stamp set for my card.  It works so well with many different colors and tones.

  The card starts with a Seaside Spray base.  I stamped my images along the bottom of a piece of Whisper White and then embossed it with the Tasteful Textile embossing folder.  I added a distressed strip of Seaside Spray along the bottom before adhering the panel to the card front.

  I stamped a few more of my ferns/sprigs and cut them out and mounted them in a little cluster on a Stitched So Sweetly die cut.  A little green baker's twine bow ties up the stems.  The label is popped on dimensionals over a strip of Seaside Spray scalloped linen trim.

  I need to send out  a few thank you card this week so I decided a nice thank you sentiment was in order.  I used Ornate Thanks and Seaside Spray and Highland Heather ink for a 2 strip sentiment.

  Check out what the Paper Players Design Team has done with these colors!  You're sure to be inspired!

 Jaydee
 LeAnne
Claire
Joanne
Laurie
Anne Marie
Ann
Nancy
Debbie 

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Forever Fern, Ornate Thanks

Ink: Highland Heather, Seaside Spray, Old Olive

Paper: Seaside Spray, Whisper White, Highland Heather

Accessories: Forever Flourishing dies, Stitched So Sweetly dies, Tasteful Textile embossing folder, dimensionals, baker's twine, scalloped linen thread

Teen Boy Birthday - Stampin' Up! The Right Triangle

   Teen boy cards can be a bit hard especially if you don't have a stamp set that goes along with some of their interests.  Or you have that stamp set but have used for more than one card for them already!  Sometimes I just go with bright colors and some fun shapes and a bold sentiment.

  For my teen boy birthday card today I used the Global Design Project sketch for inspiration on the layout.  

  The card starts with a Whisper White thick base, then has a narrow strip of Whisper White embossed with the Subtle embossing folder for a little detail for the sketch element.

  I cut various sized triangles with the Stitched Triangle dies in Granny Apple Green, Pumpkin Pie and Bermuda Bay and then stamped some with The Right Triangle stamp set.  I layered them in a cluster for a nice grouping to put the big sentiment onto following along with the sketch.

  I used some retired Black Glimmer paper, adhesive foam sheets and the Playful Alphabet dies to make a nice sparkly happy birthday hashtag.  Hashtags are probably not cool anymore but I've never claimed to be 'in' so I'm staying on brand!

  For the celebrate flag I used Basic Black cardstock and the Many Mates set.  It looks a bit of a hot mess but it's embossed with white shimmer embossing powder so the parts that look funny are the bits of the glitter which don't photograph well.  I promise it looks cooler in person.  I popped the flag on dimensionals and then added a retired Bermuda Bay enamel star along with 2 more in the triangles.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: The Right Triangle, Many Mates

Ink: Granny Apple Green, Bermuda Bay, Pumpkin Pie, Versamark

Paper: Whisper White thick, Whisper White, Granny Apple Green, Bermuda Bay, Pumpkin Pie, Black Glimmer (retired), Basic Black

Accessories: Stitched Triangle dies, Playful Alphabet dies, foam adhesive sheets, Subtle embossing folder, white shimmer embossing powder, dimensionals, enamel shapes (retired)

Berry Thank You - Stampin' Up! Berry Blessings - Fab Friday 209

   The team at Fab Friday is back with another fantastic challenge!  We have a great sketch this time and can't wait to see how you interpret it!

  Fun right?  I decided to flip my card because I couldn't get a sentiment to look right with the portrait layout so landscape it is!

  I saw this color combination on a bedding set in a catalog and tore it out to remember to try on a card.  I like the neutral background using the same stamps as I did for the focal image grouping.

  Once I got the background stamped I used the Layering Square dies to cut the Whisper White panel and then accented it with the Stitched with Whimsy dies.  I backed that with a piece of Misty Moonlight.

  The berry sprigs are stamped in Misty Moonlight and Bumblebee and then fussy cut.  It really doesn't take much time at all so don't be intimidated to try!  I layered them on the square panel to mimic the little flags in the sketch and then popped the whole thing on dimensionals.  

  The sentiment from Sweet Strawberry was the perfect size to stamp to the right of the berries.  I used my dark Gray Granite Blends marker to color a length of crinkled seam binding ribbon to tie into a bow to adhere to the stems.

  Check out what the Fab Friday Design Team has for you for inspiration and then play along!

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Berry Blessings (SAB), Sweet Strawberry

Ink: Gray Granite, Misty Moonlight, Bumblebee

Blends: Gray Granite dark

Paper: Misty Moonlight, Whisper White

Accessories: Layering Squares dies, Stitched with Whimsy dies, dimensionals, crinkled seam binding ribbon

Vintage Bird - Stampin' Up! Free As A Bird

   I'm stepping a bit out of my comfort zone with today's card.  I saw the lovely inspiration photo over at Daring Cardmakers and thought I would give it a go.  I pulled the colors, the newsprint, the birds, the branch with blossoms and the touch of gold to use on my card.  There was so much to look at in this inspiration photo that there are many directions one could take it.

  I started with a Pool Party base, then a layer of retired Typeset Specialty DSP which I crumbled up and flattened out and then sponged some Crumb Cake ink on the edges.  Next I used a piece of Pool Party and lightly stamped several different images over it in stamped off Pool Party and stamped off Crumb Cake.  I also distressed the edges of this panel and sponged more Crumb Cake ink.  I added gold brads to the corners and a strip of Very Vanilla lace trim along the bottom.

  Using the Posted for You set I stamped the birds in stamped off Crumb Cake onto Crumb Cake cardstock and then lightly colored in the image with colored pencils and a blender pen.  Then I 'cancelled' the image with the 'special delivery' stamp.  After punching it out with the Rectangular postage punch I distressed the edges again with Crumb Cake.

  For the flowers and branch I used the Birds & More dies and thick Very Vanilla cardstock to cut out the shapes and then colored them in using Blends markers for a nice vibrant look.  I also sponged Crumb Cake ink over the colored images for a more worn look.

  The bird is stamped in Crumb Cake and colored in with colored pencils and a blender pen. After fussy cutting the bird I popped it up with dimensionals on the edge of the branch.

  I'm not sure I truly pulled off the vintage collage look and my desk was a hot mess afterwards but it was fun playing around with so many different sets and supplies.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

 Stamps: Free as a Bird, Posted for You, All Wired Up

Ink: Crumb Cake, Pool Party

Blends: Granny Apple Green light & dark, Crumb Cake dark, Melon Mambo light & dark, Flirty Flamingo dark

Paper: Pool Party, Very Vanilla thick, Very Vanilla, Crumb Cake, Typeset Specialty DSP (retired)

Accessories: colored pencils, gold brads, scalloped lace trim, Birds & More dies, Rectangular postage punch, dimensionals