Just Add Betsy's Blossoms {PP193}

So, have you seen the list of retiring stamps and accessories?  It's quite a list and lots of the stamp sets are gone already!  There are a few I wish weren't retiring and I've got one to share with you today.  The always fabulous Anne Marie is our hostess at The Paper Players this week and she has an awesome sketch:

I had a specific stamp set in mind and when I saw this beautiful color combination over at Just Add Ink, it all came together--love when that happens!  Bermuda Bay, Baked Brown Sugar, Crumb Cake and Very Vanilla:

I love the Betsy's Blossoms stamp set and likely won't get rid of it after it retires.  I always fall for big, graphic flowers like the one in this set and I especially like the way it looks in a lighter color with the stem stamped over.  Layering stamped images add so much depth and interest to your card.  You can see that I even stamped it in the background and on the sentiment circle too.  That's how much I love it!

The rest of the card is fairly straightforward but you might be wondering about the striped "DSP" I used.....  Well, it's not actually DSP!  I didn't have any that matched this combination of colors exactly and I knew that stamping the other images in the set would be too busy so..... I made my own striped paper with a ruler and Stampin' Write markers in Bermuda Bay, Baked Brown Sugar and Crumb Cake.  I'm really happy with the results and it wasn't difficult at all!  OK, maybe just a little time consuming!  :-)

Another retiring retired favorite (gone alread!), Bring on the Cake, is featured on the inside.  Just love that "a year better" sentiment.  I won't get rid of this one either.  I hold on to almost all my sentiment stamps just because you can never have too many, right?!   And, over at The Paper Players we can never have too many participants!  I hope you'll join in the sketchy fun before the challenge closes on Friday, May 2nd at Noon (PST).  Be sure to pop over to the rest of the Design Team to see what they're sharing today!  Come back later this week, too, when I will share a project featuring another retiring stamp set...

The Paper Players Design Team
Ann Schach
Anne Marie Hile
Jaydee
LeAnne Pugliese
Nance Leedy
Sandy Mathis

Click any image for details and ordering information:

Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl - Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.

By the Colorful Tide {PP149}

Happy Sunday, friends, and welcome to another week with The Paper Players! This week, the incomparable Ann has brought us a wonderful color challenge:

Aren't these colors pretty together?  All that coral and pools made me think of oceans so I turned to my By the Tide set and got to work.  I sure am glad this set continued into the new catalog so I could use it some more!

The saying goes, the devil is in the details, right?  Well, that was true of this card!  I started with the basic elements: Pool Party base, So Saffron layer die-cut with an Oval Framelit.  Then, I filled in with some smaller elements: stamped the fan coral in Calypso Coral on Naturals White cardstock and added the text stamp from By The Tide to the So Saffron layer.  After I stamped the sentiment from Bring on the Cake to the banner, I needed to pull in some more Early Espresso so I used my retired color spritzer to sprinkle some on the So Saffron cardstock with an Early Espresso stampin' write marker.

A Naturals Designer Button and some Early Espresso Baker's Twine finished off the sentiment.  To adorn my seascape, I stamped the seahorse and shell in Calypso Coral and Pool Party inks and fussy-cut.  Pearls and some Dazzling Diamonds add just the right amount of shimmer and sparkle.

I hope you like today's card for The Paper Players.  Be sure to check out the rest of the design team and their amazing projects.  We would love for you to join us before the challenge closes on Friday, June 14th at Noon (PDT).  Thanks for stopping by today!

The Paper Players Design Team

Ann Schach

Anne Marie Hile

Jaydee

LeAnne Pugliese

Nance Leedy

Amy O'Neill

Brian King

Jen Nelson

Justin Krieger

Sandy Mathis

Supplies
Stamps: By the Tide; Bring on the Cake; Sanded (retired)
Ink: So Saffron, Pool Party, Calpyso Coral & Early Espresso
Paper: So Saffron, Pool Party, Early Espresso & Naturals White CS
Xtras: Naturals designer buttons; Early Espresso Baker's Twine; Basic Pearls; Dazzling Diamonds; Color Spritzer (retired); Oval Framelits; 1.25" square punch; Dotted Scallop Ribbon border punch

Tic-Tac-Toe & the Players {PP106}

Hiya friends! It's another Paper Players Sunday and that means it's been a week since I last posted...yikes!  Hopefully, this week I'll be a little more active in my stamp room.  Nothing like a big box of new toys for some motivation!  We've also had a new addition to the family that's kept me busier than usual but more on that later...  Today, the lovely Lesley has a Tic-Tac-Toe challenge for us.  Choose any 3 elements from the board: vertical, horizontal or diagonal:

I couldn't wait to use my Floral Frames Framelits and matching Daydream Medallions stamp set.  I found this great sketch over at Create with Connie & Mary and am delighted to play along with my friends over there--Hi gals! 

I combined the sketch with the center column of the Tic-Tac-Toe board: Birthday, Dry Embossing & Ribbon to create this:

The color combination is directly from the Color Coach and I love it: Basic Gray, Primrose Petals and Summer Starfruit!    The background paper is actually new Halloween paper called Howlstooth & Scaringbone from the upcoming Holiday mini.  Love those gray polka dots!  The center panel is 2 3/4" wide and stamped with the largest image from Daydream Medallions in Summer Starfruit.  I trimmed it with more Summer Starfruit cut with the Adorning Accents edgelit and matching embossing folder.

Here's a close-up of the flower--don't you just love a coordinating stamp set and Framelit?  I used 3 different ribbons: Chantilly crochet trim (ret.), Summer Starfruit stitched satin and some new Basic Gray striped satin ribbon.  All the ribbons are held together with our cool new Ribbon Slides (Holiday mini).  I knew right away that they would be perfect for pulling together a riot of ribbons and I was right!  (love it when that happens, lol!)  It's a great way to make a big impact with a small amount of ribbon.

Of course, you know I had to finish the inside!  More stamping of the medallions in the background as well as the center panel and the perfect sentiment from Bring on the Cake.  

The Paper Players Design Team

Jen Arkfeld
Lesley Croghan
Dawn Easton
Helen Heil
Jaydee
Nance Leedy

Anne Marie Hile

LeAnne Pugliese

Ann Schach

Amy White

Please be sure to visit the rest of the design team for some amazing inspiration! I'm so happy that almost all of the senior design team is back in action this week.  Between vacations and SU convention, we've all been scattered!  Now we just need our fearless leader!  I hope you'll play along with Lesley's Tic-Tac-Toe challenge...you have until Friday, August 3rd at noon (PST) so go get your craft on!

Now, if you would like to stay tuned for some personal stuff....first a couple pix of a different kind of craft:

These gorgeous platters are handmade by a group of women living near Royal Natal National Park.  Each coil is made from reeds, wound together with thread and coiled into a platter.  The colors are added with different colored threads and string--often recycled from purchased products.

Their smiles are genuine and the creativity astounding.  We actually saw them harvesting the reeds by the side of the road.  Our daughter couldn't wait to have her picture taken with them!

OK, lastly...if you're still with me...we took the plunge this week and added a new member to our family.  Our last kitty passed on a few months ago and the house had been too quiet ever since.  So, we visited the rescue center run by our vet and well....let's just say there's no such thing as "let's go have a look", ha!  May I present....Miss Sadie Leedy:

She is a 3 year old mix of Jack Russell terrier / Italian Greyhound and all kinds of uber-cuteness! 

We are all in LOVE...and I think she is too.  :-)  She's become quite attached to me in a short period of time--follows me everywhere, even to the bathroom, ha!  Nothing like a dog for dedication!  If you've made it this far, thanks for indulging my need to share and thanks for stopping by.  Have a great week!

 

Supplies 

Stamps: Daydream Medallions,Bring on the Cake, Blooming with Kindness

Ink: Summer Starfruit, Basic Gray, Primrose Petals

Paper: Summer Starfruit, Basic Gray, Primrose Petals, Very Vanilla CS; First Edition Specialty DSP; Howlstooth & Scaringbone DSP

Extras: Floral Frames Framelits; Adorning Accents Edgelit & Embossing Folder; Ribbon Slides (Holiday mini, avail Aug 1st); Basic Gray Striped Satin Ribbon (Holiday mini, avail Aug 1st); Large Basic Pearls; Chantilly crochet trim (ret.); Summer Starfruit stitched satin ribbon; Basic Pearls.

A Sketch for the Paper Players

Happy Paper Players Sunday, friends!  This week at The Paper Players, I am delighted to be the hostess with a sketch that I designed:

The sketch is based on this card I designed a few weeks ago and I liked it so much that I CASED myself, LOL!

This card is going to a very special blogging friend of mine who is celebrating a birthday this week.  She's probably going to see it here but she doesn't yet know it's for her.  Shhh, don't tell!  {wink!}  I hope she will be surprised when she finds it in her mailbox!  I took my color cues from the Timeless Portrait designer paper: Basic Black, Very Vanilla, River Rock, Cherry Cobbler & Island Indigo.  Designer paper is a great source for color combinations and takes the guess work out of the process!

Along each side of the center panel, I embossed the scalloped border with the Adorning Accents embossing folder.  Embossing Vanilla cardstock really lends an elegant feel to the whole project and coordinates nicely with the floral spray on the DSP.

The Mixed Bunch blossom was heat embossed with Cherry Cobbler embossing powder and the scalloped borders were sponged with Island Indigo ink to make them pop!  Because my friend adores pearls, I filled the center of the flower with as many as I could fit!

I hope you'll consider playing along with my sketch over at The Paper Players--just link up before Friday, April 27th at Noon (PST).  Be sure to check out the rest of the Design Team for even more amazing inspiration.   Thanks for stopping by today!

The Paper Players Design Team

Ann Schach

Anne Marie Hile

LeAnne Pugliese

Lesley Croghan

Nance Leedy
Jenn Picard
Heidi Boos

Shirley Pumpkin (April GD)

 

Supplies 

Stamps: Mixed Bunch; Sweet Cake; Bring on the Cake 

Ink: Cherry Cobbler, Island Indigo, Jet Black Stazon, Versamark

Paper: Very Vanilla, Basic Black, River Rock, Island Indigo CS; Timeless Portrait DSP

Xtras: Cherry Cobbler embossing powder; Basic Pearls; Blossom punch; Scallop border punch; Adorning Accents embossing folder; Island Indigo ruffled ribbon

It's a Banner Birthday! {CCMC193}

Happy Thursday friends and welcome to another week at Create with Connie & Mary!  I think you're really going to like this week's color challenge:

OK, really and truly I try not to use Pool Party but when it's asked of me....well, I have to oblige! I have so many scraps on my desk from the Sale-a-Bration paper, Everyday Enchantment that I went looking for an idea to use them up.  I found it in this great sketch from a previous Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge:

I got out my Petite Pennants Builder punch, my designer paper scraps, ink pads and got bizzy!  Here's what I made for you:

I have to say, I really like this card!  Those pennants are just so happy and the colors so fresh together that it makes me smile!  The stamped images are all from Bring on the Cake and for the focal image, I used my ink pads and blender pens to color the letters.  The little scalloped border was cut first with the Edgelit die and run through the Big Shot with the coordinating Adorning Accents embossing folder.  I love the texture it provides.

 Here's a little close-up so you can see that I punched a 1/16" hole in the corner of each pennant through which I strung some Lucky Limeade Baker's Twine.  A mini glue dot worked to hold the bitty bows in place and secure the banner.  The Pool Party background was made with a stamp from the same set, Bring on the Cake, just stamped repeatedly in Pool Party ink.

I used the same stamp to make a border on the inside as well as another sentiment from the same set.  Boy, that set is a great one with so many sentiments to choose from!

So what do you think?  Inspired?  I hope so.  Check out the rest of the Design Team at Create with Connie & Mary for even more eye-candy.  We would love to have you join us this week so be sure and link up your beautiful creations by Wednesday, March 21st at Noon (EST).  I hope to see you there!

Supplies

Stamps: Bring on the Cake

Ink: Peach Parfait, Lucky Limeade, Pool Party, Jet Black Stazon

Paper: Peach Parfait, Whisper White, Pool Party CS; Everyday Enchantment DSP

Xtras: Petite Pennant Builder punch; Lucky Limeade Baker's Twine; Adorning Accents embossing folders; Edgelit die; blender pens

Crisp Clean Summer: {CCMC161}

Hi friends and welcome to the Thursday Challenge at Create with Connie & Mary!  Last week's challenge was a doozy for me but it looks like many of you really rocked that crazy sketch!  This week Connie & Mary went much easier on us with a classic and elegant color combination:

I love black and yellow together--it always makes me think of crisp summer clothes with clean and classic lines, very Talbot's if you know what I mean!  Here's my take on crisp, clean and summer:

If only the weather had been bright and sunny for a better photo!  I have been itching to try this simple technique with the Flower Fest set and I chose the big beautiful zinnia.  I stamped it in Jet Black Stazon and then colored inside each petal with a Daffodil Delight marker--it really gives the flower dimension doesn't it? 

Of course, I stamped it a few more times and cut each successive layer out and popped it up on a dimensional.  Adding a little dazzling diamonds and a Basic Black Glimmer Brad to the mix as well.  The Old Olive snuck in in a scrap of embossed cardstock I already had.  The leaves were punched with the Build-a-Blossom punch and bent for added interest.

Clean and classy absolutely must include polka dots and this card has twice the polka dots!  This is my first use of the new Polka Dot Scallop ribbon and it is lovely!  Here, I wrapped one piece around the front of my cardstock and secured it to the back with snail.  Made a loop of ribbon from a separate piece, pinched in the middle, added a Glimmer Brad and adhered with a glue dot...instant bow!

And one last detail to show you that adds so much to the card IRL.  I heat embossed more zinnias in the opposite corners of my card base for added texture and shine.  It's difficult to capture in the photo but it really pops! 

I hope you've enjoyed my Crisp Clean Summer card today....I'd love to hear your comments.  I read and treasure each and every one of them!  I know the rest of the Create with Connie & Mary design team has some amazing projects for you so be sure to stop by.  We hope you'll join us this week, I'd love to come visit you!

supplies:

stamps: bring on the cake, flower fest

ink: jet black stazon, versamark

paper: basic black, whisper white, daffodil delight, old olive CS; designer series pattern stack (brights)

xtras: glimmer brads (nuetrals); polka dot impressions folder; top note die; basic black polka dot scallop ribbon; 2 3/8" scallop circle punch; build a blossom punch; black stampin' emboss powder