CAS Christmas Poinsettias

Hi everyone! Yes, this is a Christmas card, in July! I'm sorry to say that this is only the fourth Christmas card I've made all year, and if I don't pick up the pace I'm going to be in trouble come December. This one features the gorgeous Poinsettia stamp set from Mama Elephant, and I've colored it with my Copic markers. 

Here is my source of inspiration, the Poinsettia theme at the CAS Christmas Card Challenge. There are some very pretty cards in the gallery; you should check it out!

Stamp Sets: Poinsettia, Jingle Greetings (Mama Elephant)

Card Stock: Solar White (Neenah)

Ink Pads: Tuxedo Black (Memento)

Markers: Copic

Accessories: Gold Sequins (Simon Says Stamp)

Thanks for stopping by, and have a great day!

Pretty Good Things

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 color challenge, and this one is a beauty! So pretty, I love it.

Well, it will come as no surprise to you that these colors shouted "floral" to me! I settled on a digi set from Power Poppy and colored it with my Copic markers. Slowly. Over the course of three days, lol! I hope Joanne doesn't mind, as I added a bit of "sky" blue in the background. The bouquet seemed kind of lost without it. 

I'm also playing along with the Power & Spark Challenge at Power Poppy, to use any of their previous challenges. I chose the Blow up your Digi's challenge. 

Stamp Sets: Countryside Bouquet, Fall Haul Digi Stamp Sets (Power Poppy)

Card Stock: Solar White (Neenah), Lilac Mist Textured (My Colors)

Ink Pads: Tuxedo Black (Memento)

Markers: Copic

Tools: Big Shot, Stitched Rectangle Dies (Lawn Fawn), Femme Frame Dies (Mama Elephant), Circle Punches (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 :)

Birthday Sequins

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

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

My card features one of my favorite florals, the Kind Soul stamp set from W plus9. I had the panel heat embossed, and took it with me while on a short three-day vacation to Rhode Island. All I needed to pack was my card front, a few paintbrushes, and my super portable Watercolor Dot Palette from Daniel Smith. When I got home, I did a partial die cut of the front, mounted it on a card base, and added a smattering of sequins. Easy-peasy! 

I'm also playing along with the ladies at the Just Us Girls challenge where it's Anything Goes. I think this is the first time I'm playing along with this challenge, though I'm not 100% sure... lol! At Stamp Ink Paper it's Card Maker's Choice, and it's no secret that my favorite stamps are anything floral! 

I love how perfectly our new Seize the Birthday watermark coincides with my creation! 

Stamp Sets: Kind Soul (W plus9), Birthday Greetings (Altenew)

Card Stock: Always Artichoke (Stampin' Up), Smooth Watercolor (Bristol)

Ink Pads: Versamark, Forever Green (Hero Arts), Watercolor Dot Palette (Daniel Smith)

Tools: Big Shot, Heat Tool, Kind Soul Dies (W plus9)

Accessories: White Embossing Powder, 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 :)

PP400 Huge Celebration and Giveaway!

Hi friends! It's Sunday, that means time for a new challenge at The Paper Players, and this is a big one! For the next two weeks we will be celebrating our 400th Challenge. Not surprisingly, the theme is CELEBRATION!  You can create any kind of celebratory card, such as a birthday, anniversary, wedding or graduation. And with every good celebration, we are having a party with LOTS of prizes! The wonderful Jaydee is our hostess for this party, WHO I might add, has been on this team since Challenge #1! We also have a couple of surprise past Design Team members returning to add to the inspiration. So how do our simple rules differ for this party?

1. PP400 will run for two weeks, and you may submit up to two cards for this challenge. 
2. Prizes awarded to participants will be drawn from random.org.
3. Create a new paper project.
4. Upload your project to your blog with a link back to The Paper Players.
5. Provide a direct link to your blog post for your challenge entry.
6. Please link your card to no more than FOUR challenges (including ours).
7. TRULY ENJOY OUR CELEBRATION!  We have appreciated your participation over the last 399 challenges.

You must be wondering about the prizes! We've been floored by the generosity of the crafting community. We will be picking 40 lucky winners for one of the following (sponsors listed in alphabetical order)...

1. Altenew- $30 gift card
2. Atenew Academy - $20 gift card
3. Avery Elle- $20 store credit
4. Butterfly Reflections - Breathe Rainbows Stamp Set (US winner only)
5. CAS-ual Fridays - $25 store credit
6. Cheery Lynn - $20 gift card  
7. Cheery Lynn - $20 gift card
8. Concord & 9th - $25 gift card
9. Craftin Desert Divas - $10 store credit
10. Dies R Us - $15 gift card
11. Ellen Hutson -  $20 gift card 
12. Ellen Hutson - $20 gift card
13. Happy Little Stampers - $20 store credit
14. Heffy Doodle - Sticky Friends Stamp Set (exclusive - not available for purchase)
15. Heffy Doodle - Sticky Friends Stamp Set (exclusive - not available for purchase)
16. Heffy Doodle - Sticky Friends Stamp Set (exclusive - not available for purchase)
17. Heffy Doodle - Sticky Friends Stamp Set (exclusive - not available for purchase)
18. Lawn Fawn - $25 gift card
19. My Favorite Things - $25 store credit
20. Neat & Tangled - $15 store credit 
21. Newton's Nook - $20 store credit
22. Pink & Main - $20 store credit
23. Power Poppy - $10 store credit
24. Stampendous - $20 reward cards (US winner only)
25. Stampendous - $20 reward card (US winner only)
26. Stampendous - $20 reward card (US winner only)
27. STAMPlorations - $20 gift certificate
28. Stampin' Up! - $20 gift certificate
29. Stampin' Up! - $20 gift certificate
30. Stampin' Up! - $20 gift certificate
31. Stampin' Up! - $20 gift certificate
32. Stampin' Up! - $20 gift certificate
33. Technique Tuesday - $20 gift card
34. The Foiled Fox - $25 store credit
35. Trinity Stamps - Let it Grow and Lady Liberty Stamp Sets
36. Tutti Designs - $15 gift card
37. Uniko - any in-stock stamp set of the winner's choice
38. Verve Stamps - stamp & accessory bundle (US winner only)
39. Verve Stamps - stamp & accessory bundle (US winner only)
40. Waffle Flower -  $15 gift card

How awesome is that?! Well, this post is getting crazy long so I guess it's time to move on to my card...

Since it just a few days before US Independence Day, I thought I'd make a celebratory card in patriotic colors. I don't have a particular recipient in mind yet, but I think this card would be suitable for a graduation, birthday, or any summer party. I stamped the balloons and strings on my card front first. Then I stamped more balloons on another piece of card stock and colored them with Copic markers. Finally, I cut the balloons out by hand and adhered them to the base. A very simple card, and I gave the Big Shot a day off! 

Stamp Sets: Birthday Bits (Simon Says Stamp)

Card Stock: Solar White (Neenah)

Ink Pads: Tuxedo Black (Memento), Cornflower (Hero Arts), Lipstick Red (Simon Says Stamp)

Markers: Copic

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

Inky hugs :)

Farewell Merry Monday

Good morning, all! It's going to be a scorcher in New York this weekend, perhaps not the kind of weather when most people think about Christmas cards. However, I just had to play along with the farewell challenge at Merry Monday. I'm so sad to see that challenge come to an end. Though I certainly didn't play along every week, I wished I could have and sometimes created a card in my head even if it didn't make it to paper. I love the different themes each week and wonderful inspiration. Thank you, Merry Monday Team! 

This week's challenge is Rustic Christmas, and I took lots of inspiration from the challenge badge, including the colors, wood paneling, and deer mount. I love making a Christmas card in earthy tones, and I think it makes for a great masculine card.

In searching for other Christmas Card Challenges, I came across this one that is new to me, Christmas Card Throwdown. The challenge there is Wood Background, so I'm playing along there for the first time, as well. 

Stamp Sets: Christmas Noel (Recollections)

Card Stock: Ivory (Simon Says Stamp), Early Espresso, Always Artichoke (Stampin' Up)

Patterned Paper: Welcome Home (Carta Bella)

Ink Pads: Versamark

Tools: Big Shot, Heat Tool, Deer Head Dies (Recollections)

Accessories: White Embossing Powder (Simon Says Stamp)

Thanks for stopping by, and have a great weekend!

PP399 Floral Flourish Thanks

Hi friends! It's Sunday and that means time for a new challenge at The Paper Players. This week the sweet and talented Laurie is our hostess with a sketch challenge.

So here's my take on the sketch. I knew I wanted to use this new-to-me stamp set from Verve for the focal point, but I wasn't sure where to fit the sentiment so I shifted the vertical panels to the right a bit. I think this is the first time I am using these dies, too. I almost used a real button, but liked the way the piercings in the paper button echoes those in the flourish.

Stamp Sets: Dream Big (Verve)

Card Stock: Solar White (Neenah), Smoke, Sunshine (Simon Says Stamp)

Patterned Paper: Classique Beauty (Carta Bella)

Ink Pads: Tuxedo Black (Memento), Butter Bar (Hero Arts)

Tools: Big Shot, Scalloped Flower Dies (Verve), Pierced Fancy Flourish Die, Vintage Button Dies (My Favorite Things)

Accessories: Enamel Dots (Simple Stories)

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 Cupcake

Hi everyone! It's time for a new challenge at Seize the Birthday. This time around there are no "Toppings", so it's Anything Goes Birthday. As long as it's a birthday card, you are good to go! 

This is a new-to-me set, one in the Pure Innocence line from My Favorite Things, and I have to say I think it's my favorite so far. Isn't she a cutie? I did a bit of paper piecing, and think she looks just adorable in her argyle dress and red Mary Jane's. I had lots of fun putting this card together. These little girls always make me smile :)

Still coloring... with the 30 Day Coloring Challenge. Is it day 21? Losing track, but trying to set a few minutes aside each day to color, and to have some "me" time. Kathy joked in one of her posts about it being cheaper than therapy, then said hmm.. maybe not. So true! 

Stamp Sets: Cupcake Day (My Favorite Things)

Card Stock: Solar White (Neenah)

Patterned Paper: Polar Pals (Doodlebug)

Ink Pads: Tuxedo Black (Memento)

Markers: Copic

Tools: Big Shot, Cupcake Day Dies, Pierced Rectangle Dies (My Favorite Things), Stitched Rectangle & Stitched Circle Dies (Lawn Fawn)

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 :)