Festive Flurry for Paper Players #175

Hello there! This week at the Paper Players, I am hosting with a fun color trio to take for a spin. When I originally planned these colors together, I knew I wanted to make a holiday card, but I think they can be used for so many different occasions. I hope you will join us and play along with the challenge this week.

I used the Festive Flurry stamp set once again. I think the reason I love this set so much is that it has matching die cuts for the images. It's super easy to add lots of extra dimension to a card. I also used some Silver Foil Paper to give a little pop. I don't know why I haven't used this paper sooner. It's so pretty! Of course, I had to finish the card off with some blingy accents, too. I added a little embossing behind the snowflakes using the Northern Flurry Textured Impressions Embossing Folder. It's subtle but it adds a little extra interest behind the popped-up snowflakes. The sentiment is from the Occasional Quotes (ret.) stamp set. 

Here is a close up so you can see the Silver Foil Paper a little better. The card has a lot of sparkle and shine "in person".

Please join us over at the Paper Players!  The challenge is open through Friday, December 12th, 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

Before I go, I wanted to share a quick photo of our little foster dog, Gidget. Her adoption in Colorado fell through (and she came down with a bad "cold") so she is still with us until her new home is found. As the weather turned colder down here in South Texas, her wardrobe has expanded to include a new winter jacket...in pink, of course. She's too cute! Have a great day!

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

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

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

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

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Paper Players #173 - Shaped Cards and Shopping!

Hi there! I haven't fallen off the face of the planet, I promise. I'm back with my project for the fun challenge over at the Paper Players! This week, my fabulous friend Jaydee is hosting a "Shaped Card" challenge. How cool is that?! Speaking of cool...we have a crazy cold front here in South Texas right now. I know that 38 degrees might not seem that cold to some of you, but we are shivering down here! Ack! Please send sweaters and hot chocolate! :)

I have honestly had a crazy week. Like "try not to eat carbs because you are stressed" week. I didn't cave though. It was tough!! When I finally sat down to create a project for this challenge, I didn't know what to do. So, I went for a walk to pick up the mail and inside the mailbox was a pretty envelope containing the holiday catalog from Tiffany & Co. That was my inspiration for the challenge. 

So, in my homage to Tiffany & Co. I created a little "purse card" in Coastal Cabana with some sparkly, girly accents. I used the Eastern Elegance DSP for some pattern and dressed it up a bit. My handbag card was cut by hand (no pattern), which is something I think I have done only one other time. It might not be perfect but it was fun to create. I used an oval die cut to trim round the handle of the purse, then punched out the "middle" of the handle with the XL Oval punch. I am actually going make a few adjustments to the measurements to make this a gift card holder for an upcoming class...and possibly a tutorial.

Please join us over at the Paper Players!  The challenge is open through Friday, November 29th, 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

Before I sign off...I have to share some news. Remember our little three-legged foster kitty Tony "Triple" Paws? Well, he is officially part of our family. He has been with us as a foster since May and did not have ONE single inquiry for adoption through the rescue. Can you believe it? Well, 6 months later, he has blossomed from a scared, angry little guy into a friendly, curious kitty. Not to mention he is adorable! He fits in so well with our family, we honestly felt it wouldn't be fair to him to take him from a life he has come to finally trust after everything he has been through. Triple is adopted and officially part of our pack! :)

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

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Gently Falling for Paper Players #171

Hello there! This week at the Paper Players, the always awesome Ann Schach is our Hostess with a fab color challenge to try: Crushed Curry, Chocolate Chip and Tangerine Tango. Perfect combo for the fall season, isn't it?

It just so happens that this color combo is found in the Sweater Weather DSP from the SU Holiday Catalog, so that was where I started. Then I inked up the Gently Falling stamp set that I recently received and created this fall birthday card. I wanted a distressed look so I sponged some ink on the edges and used the Color Spritzer Tool to add some extra shading. I wanted to rough up the edges of the DSP but had already stuck it down when I remembered to do it. Oops! So just imagine that detail is there. Haha! All of the layers are popped up for added dimension.

Please join us over at the Paper Players!  The challenge is open through Friday, November 15th, 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

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

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

What Does the Fox Say for Paper Players #170

Hello and Happy Sunday to you! This week at the Paper Players the always fabulous Jaydee has a fun theme challenge for us. Time to ink up those critter stamps as we showcase "Wildlife" this week.

If you know me well, you know how very "outdoor-sy" I am. *insert chuckle here* I was looking through my stamp sets to try to figure out what to do for this challenge and I came upon the Storybook Friends set that I bought a while ago and have never used. As soon as I saw that little fox, that silly "What Does the Fox Say?" song got stuck in my head. If you haven't heard it, Google it. Then it will be stuck in your head too. 

I'm not sure if a Tangerine Tango is really an accurate color of a fox in the wild. Maybe there is one out there somewhere. Who knows? Besides, I wanted to use my Sweater Weather DSP so by default, the fox had to be tangerine. Let's not talk about my horrible coloring. Clearly, I need some more practice with my markers. Ha! I also tried to distress the card a bit by sponging ink around the edges, and using the (ret.) Color Spritzer Tool. It's tough to see but I also used the Gorgeous Grunge stamp set to add some "splotches" to the background papers. 

So, what does the fox say? On this particular card he says "Hooray!"...and I think he also says "You clearly do not know how to color a fox very well, Anne Marie." 

Please join us over at the Paper Players!  The challenge is open through Friday, November 8th, 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

Speaking of foxy ladies, I will leave you with a quick photo of our little foster pup Gidget. She was crashed out after all of the festivities on Halloween. She didn't even seem to care about her little witch hat either. Have a HAPPY day! 

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

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Festive Flurry for Dynamic Duos #77

Hello there and Happy Saturday to you! Time for a new color challenge over at Dynamic Duos! This past week has been bittersweet as we had to say farewell to our designers for the past 6 months...but also welcomed the new team. To our designers from the past 6 months, THANK YOU! Such an awesome group of gals who continue inspire with their creations. To the new team, WELCOME! Looking forward to the next 6 months with you! 

I just love these colors together, don't you? As soon as I saw them I knew I wanted to make a Christmas card. Out came the Festive Flurry stamp set and lots of polka dots and this is how it all came together. Of course, it needed some bling so I added some sparkles to finish it all off. 

Please stop by the blog and see what the team created this week. The challenge is open through Thursday November 7th at 12 noon (PDT). I'm sure the new designers would love it if you would stop by their blogs and say "hello". Have a great day! :) 

The Dynamic Duos Challenge Blog

Anne Marie Hile

Annette Elliott

Angel Johns

Caroline Bredeson

Cindy Brumbaugh

Holly Endress

JoAnn Burnham

Julie Gearinger

Michelle Bala

Sarah Fleming 

Tenia Nelson

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

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Warmth and Wonder for Paper Players #169

Hello there! Long time no blog, eh? After a couple of weeks off from the *blog-o-sphere*, I am back with my card for the Paper Players challenge this week. I am hosting this week and I created this sketch to try out. I hope you like my sketch and will join us for the challenge. 

I used the Warmth and Wonder Hostess set from the Stampin' Up Holiday catalog for the stamped image and the sentiment from Teeny Tiny Wishes. The little tree is so simple yet perfect for holiday cards. I added some sparkle to the "ornaments using Dazzling Details glitter glue. The little trio of banners are washi tape attached to some Crumb Cake card stock. The washi tape would have shown the textured background if I just stuck it to the card. I have a washi tape obsession right now. Anyone else? I really need an intervention to stop buying so much. There are just so many fun patterns out there, it's hard not to try to buy it all. Ha! 

Before I go, I will share our new "house guest" with you. This is our newest foster Gidget. She is a little Brussels Griffon mix and almost 2 years old. Look at that under bite! She is an absolute doll and will be headed to Colorado in mid-November. 

Please join us over at the Paper Players!  The challenge is open through Friday, November 1st, 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   

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

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Design Team Call for Dynamic Duos

The Design Team Call is on at Dynamic Duos, and is open to any and all crafters! 

• Do you like to work in an organized atmosphere that is both friendly and fun? 
• Do you love working with color? 
• Do you enjoy commenting on the work of others? 
• Then this team is for you!

We are looking for a few creative crafters to join our Dynamo Design Team! We are looking for Scrapbookers, Card Makers and 3D Designers.

Requirements:

1. Complete a weekly project based on the 2 colors provided: card, scrapbook page, digital project, etc.
2. Comment on the cards of participants.
3. Use any product you would like.
4. Be active in social media.  
5. Must have a FACEBOOK page and a blog.
6. Must participate in FACEBOOK Social Media activities.
7. Commit to a six month term with your first challenge starting November 2013 and the last in April 2014.
8. Be a team-player.

How to apply:

Send an email to Lesley and Anne Marie at ddteamapplication@gmail.com with the following info:

1.            Name

2.            Blog address-with a link, so we can visit your blog!

3.            Why you would like to join the team?

4.            Tell us about your style.

5.            Clear photos of THREE projects that best display your crafting style.

DEADLINE: Friday, October 26th by Midnight (PST).

Thank you for your interest! NO experience is necessary and all craft product is welcome.

Lesley and Anne Marie

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

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Trick or Treat Kitty for Paper Players #166

Hello and Happy Sunday to you! Today finally feels like fall here in South Texas and what better way to get into the season then with a Halloween card? This week at the Paper Players, the lovely and talented Nance is our hostess with a fun "Trick or Treat" theme challenge.

For my card, I actually CASE'd myself. Haha! I made another card with the Frightening Feline stamp and I changed up the colors and patterns a bit to make it more "traditional" Halloween.  I guess I may have cheated a little bit, but I haven't had a lot of extra time this week to spend in the stamp studio. Do you sometimes use projects you have already made as inspiration for new projects?  Sometimes I need a little "kick" to get the mojo workin' again.

It's tough to see in the photo but the kitty is embossed in black for added shine. The Champagne Glimmer paper and some bling finished everything off. I hope you will join us this week over at the Paper Players. The challenge is open until Friday October 11th, 2013 at Noon (PDT). Be sure to stop by and visit the rest of the Design Team to see what they have created for the challenge:

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 new photo of our little foster puppy Sabrina. Well, actually her new family decided to name her Willow...but I'm having a tough time remembering to call her that. This little lady is going to be headed to her new home in Minnesota this week. Her new family is super excited to finally meet her. We are going to miss this little bundle of cuteness! :) 

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

Follow my blog with Bloglovin