Up, Up and Away Birthday PP342

Hi friends!  The fabulous Jaydee has a fun Tic-Tac-Toe challenge for us this week at The Paper Players.  We can choose any three options either across, down or diagonally:

So, we have a lot of May birthdays in our family.  In fact, there are three just next week alone!  One of them is my sweet MIL and using the top row--circle, green & twine--this is the card I made for her:

A few years ago, my sweet in-laws took our whole family on a safari in Tanzania for their 50th wedding anniversary.  How wonderful are they, right?!  The highlight of the trip was a hot air balloon ride over the Serengeti on the morning of their anniversary.  It is an amazing memory and one I hope my MIL will remember when she sees the paper on her card.  The paper inspired my color choices of Smoky Slate, Night of Navy, Watermelon Wonder, Peekaboo Peach and Mint Macaron.  I also wanted to play with the retiring Crazy about You stamp set and dies--love this big scrollly "happy"!  I was also pleasantly surprised to figure out that another long-ago retired set, Up, Up & Away, coordinates perfectly with the striped balloons on the paper.  I'm glad to see that the Balloon Bouquet punch will not be retired because it sure makes for quick balloon shapes!

Now I remember why I loved this stamp set and didn't get rid of it!  Just look at those cute balloons and clouds!!  I guess I should have made these inside balloons with the hanging basket but I liked the look of the string dangling and how it mimics to ones on the front of the card.  That's just a little creative license with the stamps!

Thanks for popping in for a visit today...I hope you enjoyed my card.  Take a look at all the wonderful inspiration my teammates have for you over at The Paper Players.  Come along and play Tic-Tac-Toe with us before our challenge closes on Friday, May 5th at Noon (PST).

The Paper Players Design Team 

Claire Broadwater

 Jaydee

Joanne James

Laurie Schmidt

LeAnne Pugliese

Nance Leedy 

Sandy Mathis 

Crystal Komara

Valentyna Komisarenko

Deanne 

Paper, Paper so much Paper! PP341

I have sooooo much patterened paper--too much!  All the pretty prints and colors are hard to resist but I really have waaaay toooo much.  I've cut down on how much I buy and I'm trying to use it instead of hoard it.  Can you relate?!  :-)  So with Sandy's super fabulous sketch in hand, I made TWO cards using up some of my stash!  Take a look at her awesome sketch this week at The Paper Players:

The same sketch but two very different looks just by changing the paper and the colors.  The first card uses some retired Botanical Gardens DSP and the colors are Basic Black, Hello Honey and Mint Macaron.   I used the coordinating dies from the Special Reason stamp set to cut the flowers and leaves tucking a few behind the main panel.  It took some figuring with scrap copy paper to get the sizing of the sketch elements just right so in case you're interested....the main panel of DSP is 3.25" x 5.5" and the secondary panel (with the flower die-cut) is 2.75" x 3.5".  The second card is exactly the same layout and measurements just changing the paper for retired Birthday Bouquet DSP and the colors of Blushing Bride, Mint Macaron and Mossy Meadow.

The Special Reason stamp set made quick work of the inside with that gorgeous bloom.  A little masking to create the leaves and a simple sentiment finished it off.  That's it for me today friends....pop on over to the rest of my teamies at The Paper Players and check out their fabulous creations.  Come play along with us before the challenge closes on Friday, April 28th at Noon (PST).  

The Paper Players Design Team 

Claire Broadwater

 Jaydee

Joanne James

Laurie Schmidt

LeAnne Pugliese

Nance Leedy 

Sandy Mathis 

Crystal Komara
Valentyna Komisarenko
Deanne 

Thank Goodness for Clean-andSimple PP340

That's right, thank goodness for LeAnne's cute Clean-and-Simple challenge this week at The Paper Players!  My brain couldn't handle more than CAS this week and even at that, my card is ridicuously simple.  First, here's LeAnne's cute challenge:

I had all kinds of ideas swimming in my head and maybe that was part of the problem--I couldn't settle on just one.  I think it's really after a couple weeks off, my creative juices are slow to get started again.  Anway, here's my card:

Almost embarrassed to post it because there is little stamping or creativity involved--I let this cute paper do all the work.  I've been hoarding saving this retired paper for just the right moment and I think this is it.  Love these cute bikes in their bright colors.  I used a new-to-me die from My Favorite Things--Stitched Basic Edges--to make the fun off center edge.  Before I cut it, I did back the DSP with a piece of cardstock to give it more weight.  I knew I wanted to pop it up on the card base and didn't want it to sag.  The sentiment is from a sweet PTI set, Pedal Pusher, that I borrowed from my mom.   Thanks, Mom!  The sentiment is heat embossed in white on the Bermuda Bay base.  Like I said, ridicuously simple!!

My teamies have some great CAS projects to share with you over at The Paper Players so go check them out before our challenge closes on Friday, April 21st at Noon (PST).  Thanks for stopping by, friends....and for those that celebrate...Happy Easter!

The Paper Players Design Team 

Claire Broadwater

 Jaydee

Joanne James

Laurie Schmidt

LeAnne Pugliese

Nance Leedy 

Sandy Mathis 

Crystal Komara
Valentyna Komisarenko
Deanne 

PP339; A Color Challenge from Joanne

Hiya friends!  Volleyball season is in full swing in our house and I'm taking a little bloggy break.  Please check out the beautiful color challenge our friend Joanne is hosting this week at The Paper Players!