CAS Skater

Hi friends! It's Sunday and that means time for a new challenge at The Paper Players! This week the sweet and talented Claire is our hostess with a Clean and Simple challenge: Sports. Though I thought the concept was quite fun, this one was tough for me - I have NO sports themed products of any kind. But wait...

After making a second go-around of my stash, I gave a second look at this little penguin. Skating is an Olympic sport, right? OK, this fat little penguin is a bit of a stretch, I know. But that's the best I could come up with! Actually, all said and done I kind of like this card. This little guy seems so serene skating in his arctic scene. Though I used quite a few layers, I consolidated them to a 3x3 square, left a bunch of white space, and kept things monochromatic. I hope that is CAS enough! 

Stamp Sets: Winter Penguin, Peace Love Joy (Lawn Fawn)
Card Stock: Solar White (Neenah), Soft Sky (Stampin' Up)
Patterned Paper: Let's Bokeh in the Snow (Lawn Fawn)
Ink Pads: Tuxedo Black (Memento)
Markers: Copic
Tools: Big Shot, Winter Penguin Dies, Stitched Square Dies, Stitched Hillside Border Dies, Forest Border Dies (Lawn Fawn)

Thanks so much for stopping by! Please leave a comment, and then head over to visit the rest of the Design Team at The Paper Players. We hope you'll play along with our challenge this week, too! 

Inky hugs :)

Birthday Flowers

Hi everyone! It's time for a new challenge at Seize the Birthday! 

This time around the "Toppings" options is "Die Cuts or Punches". However, you can also chose to do an Anything Goes birthday card, the choice is yours!

I used lots of die cuts on this card including the floral cuts, the stitched border, and a new-to-me background die, which I love. It adds some terrific interest, IMHO. Thanks to my crafty friend Laurie for enabling me to purchase it! The floral images were heat embossed with white embossing powder and watercolored, and I added a simple sentiment, also heat embossed.

I'm also playing along at The Flower Challenge, where this month it is Anything Goes. As everyone knows, my favorite images of all time are florals!

Stamp Sets: Spring Flowers, More Spring Flowers (Simon Says Stamp), Beautiful Lady (Altenew)

Card Stock: Solar White (Neenah), Black, Fog (Simon Says Stamp)

Ink Pads: Versamark

Tools: Big Shot, Heat Tool, Stitched Rectangle Dies (Lawn Fawn), Spring Flowers Dies, More Spring Flowers Dies (Simon Says Stamp), Tulisa Collage Die (Poppy Stamps)

Accessories: White Embossing Powder (Simon Says Stamp), Gansai Tanbi Watercolors (Kuretake)

I'm so glad you paid me a visit today! If you have a moment please leave a comment, then visit the rest of the wonderful Design Team at Seize the Birthday. We'd love for you to play along, too!

Inky hugs :)

Hi There Leaves, PP409

Hi friends! It's Sunday and that means time for a new challenge at The Paper Players! This week the newly returned Anne Marie is our hostess with an elegant color challenge.

As soon as I saw these colors, I thought 'Home Decor'. I envisioned a transitional decor with polished hardwood floors, big white fluffy couches, some mint throw pillows, and a huge vase with deep purple flowers. Ok sounds great, right? But try to make a card out of that! I don't know how I landed on these elements, but here 'ya go. I tried to keep it clean with lots of white space, some added texture with my background, and just a pop of color with the challenge colors. I guess the additional color of my choice is white. I saw that challenge badge and I was done! You certainly have an eye for color, AM.

Stamp Sets: Agapanthus (Technique Tuesday)

Card Stock: Solar White (Neenah), Blackberry Bliss, Crumb Cake, Mint Macaron (Stampin' Up)

Ink Pads: Tuxedo Black (Memento)

Tools: Big Shot, Layering Leaves Dies (Concord & 9th), Leafy Vine Embossing Folder (Taylored Expressions), Stitched Rectangle Dies (Lawn Fawn)

Accessorieslayerubn: Cotton Thread (from my sewing stash), Moonshine Sequins (Simon Says Stamp)

Thanks so much for stopping by! Please leave a comment, and then head over to visit the rest of the Design Team at The Paper Players. We hope you'll play along with our challenge this week, too! 

Inky hugs :)

Rainbows, Unicorns and Glitter

Hi friends! It's Sunday and that means time for a new challenge at The Paper Players! This week the sweet and talented Joanne is our hostess with a fun theme challenge: Lunchbox Love Notes. 

There are no wee ones in my household anymore, but everyone could use a random little love note now and then, don't you think? Especially if that love note contains rainbows, unicorns and glitter! Needless to say, I have someone in mind for this card. There's nothing complicated about it. I just stamped, colored, die cut, and glittered. 

Here's a close up with a better view of the sparkle. But note to self... turn off ceiling fan before you start sprinkling glitter! 

Stamp Sets: Be A Unicorn, Pixie Dust (Avery Elle)

Card Stock: Solar White (Neenah)

Ink Pads: Tuxedo Black (Memento)

Markers: Copic

Tools: Big Shot, Wonky Stitched Rectangle Dies (MFT), Be A Unicorn Dies, Pixie Dust Dies (Avery Elle)

Accessories: Dazzling Details Glitter (Stampin' Up)

Thanks so much for stopping by! Please leave a comment, and then head over to visit the rest of the Design Team at The Paper Players. We hope you'll play along with our challenge this week, too! 

Inky hugs :)

Rainbow Floral

Hi everyone! It's time for a new challenge at Seize the Birthday! 

This time around the "Toppings" options is "Rainbow". However, you can also chose to do an Anything Goes birthday card, the choice is yours!

I must admit, for some reason I struggled a bit with this challenge. I love color and love rainbow, and even have a Pinterest board dedicated to it. I was hoping to make a colorful background as some of my teammates did, but I was unsuccessful in my efforts and they all wound up in the trash. In the end I went with what was more comfortable for me, florals colored with Copic markers. I thought a little border of black at the top and bottom would add a bit of continuity to all these colors, and finished it off with a little smattering of clear sequins.

I'm also playing along with the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge, where it's Anything Goes.

Stamp Sets: Kind Soul (Wplus9), Birthday Greetings (Altenew)
Card Stock: Solar White (Neenah), Black (Simon Says Stamp)
Ink Pads: Tuxedo Black (Memento)
Markers: Copic
Tools: Big Shot, Kind Soul Die (Wplus9)
Accessories: Moonshine Sequins (Simon Says Stamp)

I'm so glad you paid me a visit today! If you have a moment please leave a comment, then visit the rest of the wonderful Design Team at Seize the Birthday. We'd love for you to play along, too!

Inky hugs :)

Happy Holly Days, PP407

Hi friends! It's Sunday and that means time for a new challenge at The Paper Players. This week the amazing Jaydee is our hostess with a sketch challenge. I think it's a great one - leaves so much room for interpretation.

I had so many ideas for it but in the end, decided it would be a great way to give some focus to a pretty piece of patterned paper. I've been on a kick to jumpstart my Christmas cards lately, and as such settled on this holly paper and a coordinating sentiment. It's a super simple card, but as is typical for me, I spend all my time deciding what to make and very little actually making the card. Anyone else out there like that?

Stamp Sets: Happy Holly Days (Hero Arts)

Card Stock: Ivory (Simon Says Stamp)

Patterned Paper: Christmas Wonderland (Carta Bella)

Ink Pads: Tuxedo Black (Memento)

Tools: Big Shot, Ovals Dies (Sizzix)

Accessories: Gold Sequins (Assorted)

Thanks so much for stopping by! Please leave a comment, and then head over to visit the rest of the Design Team at The Paper Players. We hope you'll play along with our challenge this week, too! 

Inky hugs :)

CAS Christmas Trees

Hi friends! I've been trying to squeeze in a few Christmas cards each month, as my stash is painfully low. After all, there are only 126 days until Christmas :) I know what you are thinking... you want to throw a rock at me right now, lol! 

This time of year I need a challenge to get my creative Christmas juices flowing, and the first challenge I'm playing along with today is CAS Christmas, where the challenge is Tree. There are some really stunning cards in their gallery; you should check it out. Retro Rubber has a Tic-Tac-Toe board this week, and I chose diagonally from bottom left: Birds, Green, Masculine. The Let It Snow stamp set I used is a real oldie. It dates back to 2012, before every stamp set came with matching dies! 

I stamped the same tree image from Lawn Fawn numerous times in eight different shades of green ink. I borrowed a tiny cardinal from a Mama Elephant set, for a little pop of red. 

Stamp Sets: Let it Snow (Lawn Fawn), Winter Wonderland (Mama Elephant)

Card Stock: Solar White (Neenah)

Ink Pads: Red Royal, Green Apple, Field Greens, Emerald Green, Forever Green, Lime Green, Soft Olive, Green Hills, Mint Julep (Hero Arts)

Tools: Big Shot, Stitched Rectangle Dies, Stiched Hillside Border Dies (Lawn Fawn)

Accesories: Moonshine Sequins (Hero Arts)

Thanks for visiting!