Pretty Kitty for Paper Players #246

Hello there! This week at The Paper Players, we have a sketch challenge to play along with. I’m also excited to say that I am hosting the challenge this week, so I would love it if you would join us. :) Here is the sketch I came up with:

I recently ordered this adorable “Nine Lives” kitty stamp set with matching dies from Paper Smooches. The fluffy kitty reminds me of my little Sophie and I attempted to color her to resemble her. My Copic marker skills are improving, but I still have a LONG way to go. 

I grabbed a piece of SU Designer Series Paper from the Confetti Celebration pack and used that to pick my card stock colors for the layers. I went with Strawberry Slush and Pistachio Pudding. I felt like this card needed more texture, so I used the Fancy Fans and Decorative Dots Embossing Folders. I just love that tiny trio of paw prints! I made this card to send off to my friend who runs the cat rescue that I adopted Sophie and Triple from. We are actually planning an event to make cards that the she can use to send to adopters and supporters of the rescue, which should be a lot of fun. 

Please join us over at The Paper Players this week! 

The challenge will close Friday, May 29th, 2015 at Noon (PST).

The Paper Players Design Team

Ann Schach

Anne Marie Hile 

Claire Broadwater

 Jaydee

Joanne James

Laurie Schmidt

LeAnne Pugliese

Nance Leedy

Sandy Mathis 

Debbie Mageed

Karren Johnson

Shannon Jaramillo

Before I sign-off, here is a photo of my kitty, Sophie. She 10 months now and is currently in a phase where she can be extremely moody. One minute she is cuddly and then out of nowhere, she tries to act tough. It’s pretty funny, especially when she flashes her tiny teeth. Such a sassy girl! Have a great day! :)

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Golden Birthday Girl for Paper Players #237

Hello there, stamping friends! It's Sunday and that means it is time for another fun challenge over at The Paper Players. This week, my sweet friend LeAnne is our hostess and she has an awesome sketch for us. Check it out:

I LOVE this sketch! So many possibilities. I decided to flip the sketch on it's side for my card. To get started, I pulled out the SU Birthday Bash Specialty DSP and a stamp set from Close to My Heart called Be Yourself. These stamps were sent to me from a very sweet, AMAZING friend and I had yet to ink them up. I love the flecks of gold in the DSP, so that was what made me decide to emboss the stamped image in gold. It took me 4 tries to get it right, because I was lazy and didn't think I needed to use my Embossing Buddy. I was so wrong. Don't skip this step when you are embossing, you will be really frustrated, trust me. 

The color combo in this paper is not something I would have ever put together and I love that! Let's talk about that patterned paper though! Doesn't it completely look like cake/cupcake sprinkles? The pops of gold make it even more fabulous. I thought my embossed "golden girl" worked well with it. I added a touch of Glimmer Paper and some sequins because this party gal looked like she needed some more sparkle.  All of the supplies I used are listed below. 

Here is a quick shot of the inside of the card. Here's a fun fact: I was on the phone while I was finishing my card and totally stamped WAY off-center because I was distracted. How embarrassing!  What was I thinking? I tried to cover it up with that strategically placed strip of DSP so I wouldn't have to do it over again. If I didn't tell you, you would think I meant to do it that way, right? Ha! Just nod and agree. It will make me feel better about my mistake. :)

Please join us over at The Paper Players! 

The challenge will close Friday March 27th at Noon (PST). 

The Paper Players Design Team

Ann Schach

Anne Marie Hile

Claire Broadwater

 Jaydee

Joanne James

Laurie Schmidt

LeAnne Pugliese

Nance Leedy

Sandy Mathis 

Debbie Mageed

Karren Johnson

Shannon Jaramillo

Before I sign-off, I wanted to share a photo of my little "helper". Not only did she steal my Embossing Buddy off the desk while I was stamping, but I caught her hanging out in my new IKEA cart. Apparently, it is not just for organizing your crafting supplies. You can also sort your spare kittens in it. Oh Sophie....

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Stamps: Petite Pairs (sentiment) and Be Yourself (from Close to My Heart)

Paper: Birthday Bash Specialty DSP, Champagne Glimmer Paper, Calypso Coral, Bermuda Bay and Whisper White card stock

Ink: Versa-Mark and Calypso Coral Classic Ink

Accessories: 1- 1/4" Circle Punch, 1- 3/8" Circle Punch, Gold Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, Bermuda Bay ribbon (ret.), Bermuda Bay Sequins and Stampin' Dimensionals 

Yee-Haw for Paper Players #233

Hello there! After taking a week off for foot surgery (which went very well, by the way) I am back in creative action. This week at The Paper Players, the lovely Sandy Mathis is our challenge hostess bringing us a fun sketch to play along with. As soon as I saw it, I immediately knew what I wanted to do with it: a bright and cheery cowgirl card! That's was exactly what you were thinking when you saw the sketch too, wasn't it? Haha!! Clearly you can tell that I know nothing about being a cowgirl, except that your boots should be pink and sparkly. I do live in Texas though, so somehow I think that makes me more "legit". Maybe? Not exactly. :)

I used two of my favorite stamp sets on this card: Bootiful Occasions and Yee Haw. I have to totally be honest that I completely forgot about placement of the sentiment on the sketch until I had already created the card. I went back to look at the sketch and said "whoops". I added that little banner at the last minute and I really like how it pops. It's just a F-U-N card! 

I absolutely in love the Adventure Bound DSP Stack from Stampin' Up! That "weathered wood" paper is awesome! I want to get like 100 more sheets of it. I also sponged a little but of Crumb Cake ink on the sparkly Silver Glimmer Paper to tone it down a little. Here is a fun fact. I have 13 packs of unopened Silver Glimmer Paper in my stamp studio. 13. That is not right. #sparklehoarder

 Please join us over at The Paper Players! The challenge closes on Friday, February 27th, 2015 at Noon (PST). Stop by and say hello to the Design Team.

The Paper Players Design Team

Ann Schach

Anne Marie Hile
Claire Broadwater
 Jaydee
Joanne James
Laurie Schmidt

LeAnne Pugliese

Nance Leedy
Sandy Mathis 
Debbie Mageed
Karren Johnson
Shannon Jaramillo

As I usually do, I am signing off with one of my favorite photos from the past week. This is my Oscar. We rescued him from the shelter after he was surrendered by his former owners who simply didn't want him anymore. Ugh! He is the most loving guy, although we are still working on teaching him manners. Have a fantastic day! Happy stamping! :) 

Stamps: Yee Haw, Bootiful Occasions

Paper: Silver Glimmer Paper, Tangelo Twist CS, Rose Red CS, Natural White CS, Adventure Bound DSP Stack

Accessories: Baker's Twine, Itty Bitty Accents Epoxy Stickers and coordinating punch

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Under the Umbrella for Paper Players #231

Hello there! This week at The Paper Players my wonderful, amazing friend Nance has gorgeous color challenge to get inky with. Please join us and share your creations this week.

As soon as I pulled the 3 colors of card stock out of my stash, I was absolutely smitten with this combo. It can work for so many types of cards, but I really wanted to create something fun and cheery this week. One thing I have discovered about moving into the new house and totally recreating my stamp space is that I have a LOT of stuff! A lot of stuff that has never seen the light of day. Time to change that.  This fun umbrella die and sentiment set are from My Favorite Things. I dressed up the umbrella with some texture and sparkle...and of course that spot of bling. I can't seem to make a card without it.

The polka-dot background paper is actually pretty cool. It comes plain white with embossed details. You can sponge or spritz any color of ink you would like on it to create a "custom design". Super easy and totally customizable. It's the Irresistibly Yours Specialty DSP and is only available with a qualifying order during SU's Sale-A-Bration. Shoot me a message if you would like more details.

Finally, here is a photo of the inside of the card. I stamped the sentiment a little crooked originally, so I covered it up with the layered, punched detail. It's still not completely centered but shhh, just tilt your head and pretend it is. I had a crazy kitten on my desk while creating this card and by the time I got to stamping the sentiment I was tired of her shenanigans. She chewed up a punched umbrella handle and tried to eat some Stampin' Dimensionals. She is out of control!

Please join us over at The Paper Players! The challenge closes on Friday, February 13th, 2015 at Noon (PST). I'm actually having foot surgery that day...EEEK!! Stop by and say hello to the Design Team.

The Paper Players Design Team

Ann Schach

Anne Marie Hile
Claire Broadwater
 Jaydee
Joanne James
Laurie Schmidt

LeAnne Pugliese

Nance Leedy
Sandy Mathis 
Debbie Mageed
Karren Johnson
Shannon Jaramillo

Before I sign off, I thought I would share a photo of my co-creator of the card, Miss Sophie. She looks like she is plotting her next move here...gotta love those kittens! Enjoy your day! :) 

Dusting off the Cobwebs for Paper Players #226

Well hello there stamping friends! I decided to get my little broom out to dust off the cobwebs (and a wee bit of glitter) from my blog...FINALLY! If anyone has stuck with me this long, you might remember that I took a little (OK, a LONG) break back in July of last year. My husband and I moved into our new home and between that and work, life got pretty hectic. Sadly, crafting moved to the back burner. 

Flash forward to a brand new home and a freshly painted stamp studio. I'm so excited to finally be back at The Paper Players hosting the first challenge of 2015. I'm trying to get back into the swing of things and am super excited to be creating with these amazing ladies once again. We are also welcoming our new DT members and Guest Designers this week, so please stop by and say hello. This week, I have a fun Theme Challenge to share: "Everything Old is New Again". The details of the challenge are pretty simple: simply create a project with a recycled or re-purposed item(s). 

To create my card, I used a holiday gifted box of Ferrero Rocher chocolates (yes, some are missing...thanks to my hubby...and maybe me. *wink*), a Birchbox which held my cosmetic goodies from my November subscription and some matches. Isn't this a random mix of re-purposed items? I really wanted to try to challenge myself with this one. After not creating for a while, it was kind of fun to just look for inspiration around the house to get that creative mojo working. 

I used the new One Tag Fits All stamp set and coordinating punch. I'm NOT going to list everything I have used on the card because honestly, this card was all about being creative and having fun. I wasn't wrapped up in the "ingredients" of the card. I thought this would be perfect card to use paired with a candle (and maybe some chocolate) for a gift to a friend. Pretty cute, right? 

There have been many changes since I have last ventured into the blogging world. I won't go into all the nitty-gritty right now, but I absolutely have to share a photo of this little nugget. This is Miss Sophie. Isn't she ADORABLE?? She has been taking over the house since she arrived last month. She is 5 months old and as sassy as they come! 

Please join us over at The Paper Players! The challenge closes on Friday, January 9th, 2015 at Noon (PST). Stop by and say hello to the Design Team. Thank you so much for stopping by to visit today. Happy Stamping! :) 

The Paper Players Design Team

Ann Schach

Anne Marie Hile
Claire Broadwater
 Jaydee
Joanne James
Laurie Schmidt

LeAnne Pugliese

Nance Leedy
Sandy Mathis 
Debbie Mageed
Karren Johnson
Shannon Jaramillo

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Celebrating the 200th Challenge at The Paper Players!

Hello there stamping friends! I am so excited to be back after a week off to celebrate our new challenge at the Paper Players! Can you believe this is the 200th challenge? Wow! I started working with these amazing gals in November 2010 as a Guest Designer (Challenge #23). I was asked to become a permanent member of the Design Team in December 2010 and have enjoyed every single minute of working with these fabulous ladies.

This week, in honor of this milestone challenge, we are having some fun. Here are the details:

• The Design Team members are sharing new projects created from past challenges this week. 
• We are asking participants to create a project from ANY past Paper Players challenge. There are a LOT to chose from. Just make sure to add the challenge photo to your blog, so we know which you selected and a link back to the Paper Players blog. 
• In addition to selecting our regular Cut Above and Headliner winners, we will also be randomly drawing one lucky winner to receive ALL of the Design Team cards from this week's challenge. Whoo hoo for happy mail! :) 

For my card for this week's challenge, I decided to go with a fabulous sketch that my friend Jaydee created for Paper Players Challenge #61. Pictured below is my original card for the challenge, which has always been one of my favorite cards.

For the new card using the sketch, I went with a completely different theme and created a fun baby card using the Zoo Babies stamp set. anyone who knows me well knows I have a slight obsession with giraffes. I love, love, LOVE them! I am also smitten with the new SU In Colors of Hello Honey and Blackberry Bliss, as I seem to be using them a LOT lately.

Here is a quick photo of the inside of the card, including a tiny monkey, waving at YOU: 

Please join us over at the Paper Players!  The challenge is open through Friday, June 20th, 2014 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

Before I sign off, I wanted to share a photo (or "photoshopped" photo) of little Gidget on the court with her favorite NBA team. Doesn't she look serious? Haha! Game 5 of the NBA Finals is on tonight and we are rooting for our San Antonio Spurs to win it all. GO Spurs GO! 

**CLICK HERE** to order anytime 24/7 from my Stampin' Up! website

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Caped Crusader Pup for Paper Players #193

Hello there, stamping friends! This week at the Paper Players, it's my turn to host the challenge and I created a sketch which I hope you will enjoy. When I drew this sketch out, I had the preconceived idea that it would be a great layout to showcase a lot of different patterned papers. But it can also be clean and simple, with a few layers. Either way, I hope you like it and it will inspire you to create a project for the challenge.

I really wanted a bright and sassy color combo for my card, so I started with the I Am Me DSP, which I finally ordered. I love the colors in this paper. They are so cheery! I decided to ink up the sweet pup from the Cool Kid stamp set for this challenge. Let's be honest folks, you really can't get more fun then a dog wearing a red sparkly "super-hero" cape, paired with yellow boots. It's ALL about the accessories, isn't it? I seriously love this stamp set! (I will be sharing another card with the kitty from this set coming up this week) 

I added a sentiment using the Just Sayin' stamp set and perfectly cut it out with the Word Bubble Framelits Dies. Images really come to life with a "caption" sometimes, don't they?

Here is a look at the inside of the card. I combined the sentiments from a retired set and the Cool Kid set. This card is for a co-worker, who truly IS awesome! I hope this brightens her day.

Please join us over at the Paper Players!  The challenge is open through Friday, May 2nd, 2014 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

Speaking of captioning an image...look at these two. They were freaking out because they heard some deer on the other side of the fence. I told them to simmer down and these were the looks I got. Never a dull moment around here, I tell you. :)

**CLICK HERE** to order anytime 24/7 from my Stampin' Up! website

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Just Sayin'

$26.95

Word Bubbles Framelits Dies

$24.95

Cool Kid

$23.95

I Am Me Designer Series Paper

$10.95

Basic Rhinestones Jewel Accents

$4.95

Cherry Cobbler Dazzling Details

$2.50

Pool Party 8-1/2 X 11 Card Stock

$6.95

So Saffron 8-1/2X11 Card Stock

$6.95

Real Red 8-1/2X11 Card Stock

$6.95

Basic Gray Classic Stampin' Pad

$5.95

Blender Pens

$9.95

So Saffron Classic Stampin' Pad

$5.95

Big Shot Die-Cut Machine

$99.95

Magnetic Platform

$39.95

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