Evergreen Theme for Paper Players #174

Hello and Happy Sunday to you! Can you believe it is December already? Were did the year go? This week at the Paper Players, the lovely and talented LeAnne has given us an "Evergreen" Theme Challenge. What I love about this challenge is that there are many different ways to be inspired by it. 

When I first saw the theme, I knew I was going to use the big ol' "evergreen" tree from the Christmas Lodge (ret.) stamp set...although I wanted to make my card without the color green anywhere on it. Here is what I came up with: 

I am in love with the Winter Frost Specialty DSP in the SU Holiday Catalog. Something about the mix of cool blue hues really makes it stand out on holiday cards. I added a pop of Silver Glimmer Paper in the background and heat embossed the tree for some added shine. I used some Island Indigo Candy Dots for the "ornaments" to dress the tree up a bit too. If you haven't bought those Candy Dots in every color yet...DO IT! They are an awesome accent and super easy to use.

Please join us over at the Paper Players!  The challenge is open through Friday, December 6th, 2013 at Noon (PDT). Stop by and say hello to the rest of the Design Team to see what they are sharing this week. 

  

The Paper Players Design Team

Ann Schach

Anne Marie Hile 
Jaydee

LeAnne Pugliese

Nance Leedy

Sandy Mathis

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Christmas Lodge for Paper Players #114

Hello there! I hope this post actually shows up, as I am having MAJOR woes with Blogger right now. I keep getting a nasty "error" message and I am trying to sneak in this post while Blogger lets me. Eeek! So, it's Sunday and time for another fun challenge over at the Paper Players. This week, the super-fabulous Ann Schach is our hostess with an awesome sketch challenge.  

I decided to create a Christmas card with this sketch, partially because the stamp sets (Christmas Cottage and Joyous Celebrations) were sitting on my desk already. I saw them...and the sketch...and thought "yes, this could work".  Also sitting on my desk was the Festival of Prints Designer Series Paper Stack from the SU! Holiday catalog. I picked a pattern from the stack and let that be my guide for the color combo on this one: Cherry Cobbler, Bashful Blue and Very Vanilla. 

The cottage and sentiment were heat embossed using black craft ink and clear embossing powder. I added some snowy detail to the lodge with Dazzling Diamonds Glitter, I also sponged the edges with Bashful Blue ink. As a tribute to our challenge hostess, I decided to dress up my card with some pearls...because they are an "Ann-approved" supply! 

Finally, a quick shot of the inside of the card, using a sentiment from the Occasional Quotes (ret.) set: 

I hope you will join us this week at the Paper Players and give this awesome sketch a go. The challenge closes on Friday September, 28th at Noon (PDT). Have a look at what the rest of the gals on the Design Team have created for inspiration this week: 

The Paper Players Design Team

Ann Schach

Anne Marie Hile (you are here)

Amy White

Dawn Easton

Helen Heil

Jaydee

Jen Arkfield

LeAnne Pugliese

Nance Leedy

But before I go...I "have" to post a shot of Abby, by demand. 

This kitten has her own fan club, I tell you! 

Although, from this shot, she is simply TOO exhausted to think about it! 

Stampin' Up! Supply List

COMING SOON! As soon as Blogger releases me from "time-out" I will add the supply list. This post took 3x as long as it normally does to post with the glitch and I am kind of sleepy. Stay tuned!! :) 

A Pink Christmas for Merry Monday #3

Hi there! This week, my friend Lesley, has a fabulous sketch for her Merry Monday Challenge. You can find the details on her blog: Always Playing with Paper. The goal is to make one Christmas card each week of the year...to be a little more prepared to get those cards sent off on time. *crossing fingers* I played along the first week of the challenge but missed last week. Ugh! That sketch is pinned (all of you Pinterest addicts know what I'm talking about) so I can go back and catch up. Here is the sketch for Week 3:

So, it's a very PINK Christmas for this one. Shocking for me to use pink, right? :) That pink plaid paper is from the Letters to Santa DSP...which technically IS a Christmas paper pack. Hooray for non-traditional colors! I embossed the image form the Christmas Lodge stamp set and added some "snowy" accents with Dazzling Diamonds glitter. I sponged the edges with Early Espresso ink. It's also my first time breaking in the new Labels Collection Framelits (from the Occasions Mini catalog) for the frame around the image. 

Here is the inside of the card. That sentiment was originally going to be on the FRONT of the card...until I showed it to my husband and he said: "Is that a Christmas card? Why is it pink? What 'season' is that sentiment for? You should add some snow to it. I don't get it!". Ahhh, leave it to him to give me an objective opinion that makes sense. ;) 

Thanks for stopping by. If you get a chance, check out Lesley's Merry Monday challenge. It's a lot of fun! Have a great day! 


Stampin' Up Supply List: 
Stamps: Christmas Lodge, Teeny Tiny Wishes (front sentiment) and Beautiful Season (inside sentiment) 
Paper: Letters to Santa DSP, Blushing Bride, Pear Pizzazz, Early Espresso and Very Vanilla card stock
Ink: Versa-Mark and Early Espresso Classic Ink
Accessories: Clear Embossing powder, Snowburst Embossing folder, Word Window punch, Labels Collection Framelits Die, Chantilly Lace trim, Basic Pearls,Dazzling Diamonds and Stampin' Dimensionals
Non-SU! Accessories: oval die cut

Paper Players #68 - CAS for Christmas

Happy Sunday to you! I'm super excited to share another fun challenge over at the 

Paper Players. 

Hooray! Lesley is our challenge hostess this week and she is in the holiday spirit, indeed. It's beginning to look a lot like...(a Paper Players) Christmas...

I often struggle with using "traditional" holiday color combos, but I really had fun with this one. I'm pretty sure it had something to do with the big ol' box of new stampin' goodies that arrived on my doorstep last week. So red and green it was...and wait, WHAT was that?...it was a Clean and Simple challenge, also? Really? Since CAS is JUST tough for me...so I'm calling dibs on something new: "CASS" (clean-and-simple-sparkles) I hope it catches on! Lol! 


The LAYOUT is CAS, but I think I went overboard with the embellies. BUT it is a Christmas card! It's supposed to be "merry and bright"...right? I added some Dazzling Diamonds to the stamped image. This card sparkles in the sunlight like a cute little vampire, let me tell you. (Any Twilight fans out there?)

Who loves Cherry Cobbler Embossing Powder? I do, I DO!! I used it for all of the stamped images, from the Christmas Lodge stamp set. Can I just tell you how MUCH I am loving this stamp set? SO perfect for classic holiday cards. 

Finally, here is a quick shot of the inside of the card: 

Thanks for stopping by! Please visit the rest of the Paper Players DT gals to see what they have cooked up for this festive challenge. We sure hope you will join us this week and play along! 

The Paper Players Design Team

Ann Schach

Anne Marie Hile

Jaydee

Julie Marshall

LeAnne Pugliese

Lesley Croghan

Nance Leedy

Tara Bilbao
Cindy Hall (October GD)

Have a HAPPY day today! :) 


Stampin' Up! Supply List: 
Stamps: Christmas Lodge (Holiday Mini catty) 
Paper: Frostwood Lodge DSP, Cherry Cobbler, Garden Green and Whisper White card stock
Ink: Versamark ink
Accessories: Scallop Trim Border punch, Cherry Cobbler Embossing Powder, Embossing Buddy, 3/8" Cherry Cobbler Quilted ribbon, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter, Multipurpose Liquid glue, Stampin' Dimensionals, and Basic Pearls