Paper Players CAS Silver or Gold challenge #122

That's right!  Let it snow!!!  It's getting to be about that time when I'm wanting some snow on the ground!  I like snow.  And if it's gonna start getting cold....well, it just as well be pretty outside.  That sparkly white stuff is pretty!  

Speaking of sparkly, the Paper Players design team is challenging you to use gold or silver on your project this week!

Is it obvious what color I chose to use???  This was a card that was in my head for Stamp Club, but then I just couldn't get it to work out the way I wanted to.  So, I did what anyone would do.  Took the partial card to "my gals" and asked for some tips.  With their help, this was invented:

It's clean and simple, and a beauty at the same time.  Mask off an area for your ornament.  Then, mix up a little silver shimmer paint and rubbing alcohol in a spritzer and spray your card panel.  Remove mask.  Stamp ornament in Versamark, heat emboss with clear embossing powder.  Then ink up your sentiment stamp with silver shimmer paint using a sponge dauber and stamp it over the top of the embossing.  The paint WILL stick - it won't do the emboss resist that you would expect.  Poke a hole at the top of the ornament, run some silver cord thru it, adhere to back.  Tie and adhere a bow.  Add some twinkly stars and you are good to go!  This one is great for mass producing!

I don't know about you, but I think it's pretty awesome.  Like there is snow coming from behind the ornament.

Now it's your turn to play along with The Paper Players this week - but first be sure to go see what the rest of the design team came up with!

The Paper Players Design Team

Amy White

Ann Schach

Anne Marie Hile

Dawn Easton

Helen Heil

Jaydee

Jen Arkfeld

LeAnne Pugliese

Nance Leedy

The Paper Players Color Challenge #121

We're bringing you a color challenge this week.  For me, this was quite a challenge in more than one way!  I saw Bravo Burgundy, and practically shuddered.  My first thought was....I know what my Bravo Burgundy ink pad looked like, and it's not pretty.  It was the VERY first ink pad I bought.  Back in the day, these were the colors I gravitated towards.  Yeah.  My poor BB ink pad is shriveled and miss colored from lack of use I'm sure.  I even think I heard it groan when I opened it to take a peek at it.  I put that back on the shelf.  I did find one lone piece of BB cardstock, so decided to run with it.  I took a rather clean and simple approach with my card.  In fact, I turned to Clean and Simple Blog for my sketch this week.

In the end, I'm pretty darn impressed with how nicely these colors work together.  I even like my card.

Hope you will make the time to play along with us this week.  Go and get some inspiration from the design team - they've got some superb projects to get you going!

The Paper Players Design Team

Amy White

Ann Schach

Anne Marie Hile

Dawn Easton

Helen Heil

Jaydee

Jen Arkfeld

LeAnne Pugliese

Nance Leedy

Paper Players Challenge #113

Good morning peeps!  Are you feeling fall in the air?  We have been and I love it!  I love when I can shut that air conditioner off, and throw open the windows, and when I'm sleeping that cool air makes me snuggle in my bed a little tighter!  The fall air is just so crisp and refreshing - a much needed break from our HOT and humid summer.

With fall among us, I wanted to do a fun fall card for our Banner-rific week at The Paper Players.  At first I was going to do an actual banner that spelled out fall.  Then, after a little more brainstorming, I was going to do a leaf banner.  Except all of my leafy dies were too big.  So, I noticed this little acorn in the Autumn Accents Die - and thought to myself - I'll go out on a limb.....and the idea was with me and it stuck.
 

I knew I was going to have to break out some non-SU supplies to pull this one off.  But you know what - they are kinda going to waste in my stash of stuff.....  And....this little stash of non-SU stuff just went so perfectly, I couldn't resist.  Initially I was going to use some green alpha stickers - but noticed the blue grid lines running thru the letters and thought I'd work with that a bit more.  So glad I made that choice.  The green would have been blah - and I like how the turquoisey blue really adds some zing.

Thought I needed to repeat that blue a little more so added some more with the buttons.  Had I not already tied the knots in the twine and glued those down, I would have added the buttons up in the corners of the twine....oh well....it's all good in the end.

Oh course, while I'm making this card.... I was thinking of all kinds of "nut" sentiments that could be used.  Wish I could make stamps up in a jiffy....I'd rather use stamps for sentiments than the computer, just because I can place them on my card where I want.  Anyway - more fun sentiments - "OH NUTS! I forgot your birthday!", "Nut'ings better than a day spent with you" - well and there are a couple I probably shouldn't mention here.....but it does make me chuckle....(insert dirty thoughts !)

Anyway....on that note - you better just go on and see what the rest of the clever design team has come up with!

The Paper Players Design Team

Jen Arkfeld (you are here!)
Lesley Croghan
Dawn Easton
Helen Heil
Jaydee
Nance Leedy

Anne Marie Hile

LeAnne Pugliese

Ann Schach

Amy White

Paper Players Sketch #110 - times TWO!

Did you do a double take when you read that title?  Well, you read it right - times two.  You just as well grab your favorite beverage and have a seat!  :)  The first card I'm showing you is actually the second card I created.  This was pretty fun, but as I was crafting it, I was constantly asking "....is this where you were Cream of Corn..." - Hope Floats.  If I only had a stamp that said that.... I know. I know.  I can create something in My Digital Studio, and I just might!  This is corn country, ya know.  So, anything corn is welcome around here.  Although, I don't know if there are any real Queens of Corn....
Anywhoooo.......I've been wanting to do something with this canning jar, making it look as tho things are truly inside.  Ahhh.  Insert vellum.  I simply stamped on vellum, die cut it, put a slit in the top so that one ear of corn was sticking out and put the others behind the vellum.  I usually struggle with hiding my glue marks.  Here tho, I was able to hide the glue with the Thank You label.  But, if you look REALLY close, I used a dot of Tombow Mono on the bottom of the ear of corn that is inside the jar.  I'm thrilled at how well it dried and doesn't show all that much.
You may also notice that I paper pieced my corn.  I tried several times to color my stamp with markers and just wasn't getting a nice clean image. (ya - I'm picky, I know)  So, I stamped one image in Lucky Limeade and one in Daffodil Delight - well, two each really.  Then i cut the husk off the green one and layered it over the top of the yellow.  It also adds a tiche of dimension.
Here's the full card:

Now....I liked this sketch so much, I created a couple of cards!  This was actually the first one that I created:

I was trying to think fall wedding here.  And I like the card.  It just seems lacking....

I wonder what it would look like if I were to have reversed my paper selections, using the darker blue in the background....I thought it was missing something so I added the pearls to the main panel.  And then I added more pearls....

They don't stand out so much....oh well.

We've got a foggy morning out there today - I can't see 100 ft out into our yard - much less the bottom of the lane (which is 1/4 mile away).  I think I'll stay snuggled on my couch with Will, who is sorting football cards into his book, and drink another cup of coffee.  Anyone have any good coffee recommendations?  I'm in need of a new flavor or something.  I usually just drink a plain coffee (drip coffee maker - not a fancy schmancy Keurig) and use flavored creamer.  Once in a while I'll get creative and use a little Pampered Chef Cinnamon Plus right in the grounds and that adds a nice flavor.
Well - go off and enjoy the rest of your day - and stamp something while you're at it!  Make sure that you play along with The Paper Players over on the blog - here's the sketch:

Howdy folks! Are you having a good weekend?  We're having a cool and dreary day in Iowa (well on Saturday anyway) - and that brought some much needed rain today (Saturday! ).  Probably not enough to make a big difference, and a little too late to help out most of our crops, but we do a little dance these days when it does rain.  It's pretty chilly tho - the high I'm sure didn't get about 60, and we have an outdoor party to attend tonight.  I'm wondering if I need to wear a turtleneck - and ya - it is only August.  I don't usually break those out until November.  Maybe October.  Anyway.....I know you came here to see some paper piecing creations from The Paper Players.  Well, did you check out that little number above?  Isn't she just the sweetest?  I went a little crazy on this gal.  I pieced her dress, the pumpkin and her socks and hat.  It was a little tedious - but my best customers know that I don't mind fussy cutting anything.  And I know that my best customers appreciate me even more when I don't make THEM fussy cut!

Aren't you loving that chevron dsp?  Super cute.  In fact, the Halloween paper from SU this year is probably my all time fave.  I like that it's not gothic or full of skulls and crossbones.  I like that it's trendy yet classic.  Great patterns that will stand the test of time.  That's totally me!  I like a good classic turtleneck, blazer, herringbone pattern, tweed.....you name it!  And the plaid I used here for this little gal's dress - how adorable did that turn out?  She'll be styling for years to come!

Are you ready to play along with The Paper Players?  Go ahead and get your fussy cutting scissors out - put on your bifocals if you need to - but join in the fun - just by clicking on the graphic below!

Once you've submitted your card - go check out what the other fantastic designers have come up with!

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

Supplies used:

InLinkz.com

The Paper Players #108

Good Morning friends!  I'm going to tell you right off the bat - this color challenge was a real challenge!  Kraft/Crumb Cake - that's not the problem.  If you've been around this blog long, you know that I use a lot of Kraft cardstock.  It's the Cherry Cobbler/Not Quite Navy combo that I really struggled with.  I didn't want it to look too Patriotic.  I didn't want a manly card. (although I could use some manly cards!)  I perused  my stamp sets, gazed thru my book of sketches.  Finally, I settled on this clean and simple sketch (an oldy from Clean and Simple Stamping).  It quite clean, quite simple.  I don't know that I really am in love with it.  I've seen better work come out of my craft room. However, the use of the Natural Elements DSP - I DO like that.

I'm still in search of my creative mojo - so if you've seen it, could you please give it back.  I've been scouring Pinterest for some inspiration - even at 3am when I can't sleep.  I think that lack of sleep is part of my mojo prob.  I don't like to get up in the middle of the night, because then I just fall into that routine.  I'm hoping when school starts back up here I'll be back into a good routine.  It's frustrating for me to feel lack-luster and  uncreative.  VERY frustrating. I'm typically the type of person that doesn't sit and watch tv or just hang out - I've got to be doing something.  Cooking, crafting, gardening....I'll put the laundry and cleaning off.  But those other things I really like to do.....so to not feel really motivated to do those fun things is odd.  I'll get there tho.  Just a little funk I'm going thru.  I tried a new coffee this morning and it's super yummy....maybe that will be the key.  (FYI - the coffee is Cameron's Cinnamon Sugar Cookie.  mmm. mmm. good!)

Now - go head out to see what the other crafty Paper Players came up with.  There are some great creations out there!

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

The Paper Players #107 Theme Challenge

Good day folks!  We're all about Back to School RULES this week over at the Paper Players - and let me just say....after the week I've had with my kiddos, I'm SO terribly ready for school to start.  Gosh - I could really tell there was a full moon this week and it must have had some very potent power.

Here's the card I created for this weeks challenge:

I'm not gonna lie - I was completely inspired by the Headliner card last week - from Anni.  Gosh, her card just inspired me all around.  I used her card more as a sketch than anything, and of course changed some things up.  I loved Anni's card and was going to be quite disappointed if mine wasn't as good.  In the end tho - I'm very happy with my results.  I was thrilled with the addition of the linen thread and button.  It added just the right elements.  And, of course, working with the Storytime DSP  - you can't go wrong.  Can you believe it, there is hardly any stamping on this card - just the sentiment.  That cute little girl I punched right out of the Storytime DSP.  Easy Peasy!

Go on now - go see what the rest of the splendid design team came up with!

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

Paper Players #105

Good day folks!  I'm here with this week's challenge for The Paper Players! Jaydee created a great sketch for us this week.  Here's my creation:

I decided to play with some of the new products from the upcoming Holiday Catalog.  Have you received yours in the mail yet?  If not - but sure to shoot me an email and I'll get on out to you right away!  The Holiday Catalog is larger in size and much more full of good things! The only things that aren't new on this card is the Cherry Cobbler Cardstock and the Cherry Cobbler Bakers twine!

One of my favorite things in this mini - this fabulous Sweater Trim Ribbon.  My goodness.  This stuff is so stinkin' soft - I seriously could wrap myself up in it!  If it wasn't 100 degrees out 24/7, I probably would!  And how about that woodgrain embossing folder???  Nice, deep embossing!  Love it.

What you see here is that I heat embossed the candy cane for some shine - what you may not be able to tell, is the fact that it is Peppermint scented embossing powder!  It's heavily scented, but once I embossed it, it really tamed down.  And I simply cut a slit in my "cocoa" with an exacto knife to slip my candy cane thru.  Wish I had some marshmallows to throw in there!  To get the appearance of cocoa, I inked up the mug with Gumball Green, then wiped away the area where the drink (cocoa, coffee, tea...) is supposed to be with a q-tip, and then colored it in with an Early Espresso Marker.  Why did I do it this way?  Well, sometimes I feel like I don't get a nice enough stamped image if I have to color a large area with marker, so I went this route and was quite satisfied.  I did not huff back on the stamp and I suppose that is why the cocoa part is not so dark?????  Not sure.

Well, go off and see what the rest of the design team has to show you this week - there are some amazing cards to draw inspiration from!

The Paper Players Design Team

Jen Arkfeld (you are here)
Lesley Croghan
Dawn Easton
Helen Heil
Jaydee
Nance Leedy

Anne Marie Hile

LeAnne Pugliese

Ann Schach

Amy White

The Paper Players Colour Challenge

Good Day folks!  Is everyone having a nice weekend?  Mine started off with a BANG - Friday night we celebrated my 10 (x2) year high school reunion.  (Fyi - I refuse to believe that I've really been out of high school that long!)  It was a great time, and was so nice to chat with old friends and catch up.  Wish I could have gone back for the festivities on Saturday, but this old lady and her hubby we tired!  More so the hubby than me!  We actually saw 2 am and I haven't seen that in well over 6 years!  But I'd go do it again if it meant more time with all of those grand friends!

So, you want to really hear about my card tho right!  I know!  This week The Paper Players are hosting a color challenge.  Phew....you know me.  I'm not always thrilled with color challenges.  When I first saw the color combo, I was a little perplexed.  But once I decided to let the Calypso Coral stand out, it was pretty smooth sailing from there.

So, let me tell ya a bit about this card.  I couldn't find any DSP that just called to me.  Guess what.  With stamps and ink, it's pretty darn easy to create your own!  I used the flowery image from Lacy and Lovely and stamped it with Calypso Coral on Calypso Coral CS.  I didn't bother with the stamp-a-ma-jig - just practiced a bit on my grid paper and got a feel for how to line things up.  Worked slick.  And I'm thrilled with the results.

This sweet little butterfly was punched with the new Elegant Butterfly punch and layered on a delicate doily die, and for his body I used one of the punches in the Little Labels punch pack.  So cute!

Go see what the rest of the design team came up with this week!

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

Paper Players #102 and FIJI BOUND!!!!

Hi everyone!  I'm here with my first post as one of The Paper Players Design Team Member!  This week our theme is Christmas in July.  It might be sweltering hot outside, but this card is screaming cool Christmas!

The Paper Players

For my card I used the new Be of Good Cheer DSP.  This paper might just grow on me.  I wasn't sure at first, but I think I'm gonna like it.  And I love this little gal from Greeting Card Kids.  I stamped her with Stazon Ink on Watercolor paper then used a blender pen and markers to color her.  I glittered her trim with some (retired) Smooch. 

Before I go - I want to thank my wonderful customers and great downline - I've earned my first ever Stampin' Up! Incentive Trip - to FIJI!  This seems like a trip of a lifetime, I think I'm still in shock that I did it, but know that I couldn't have without my great customers and Stamp Us Silly team!  Now, it's a matter of convincing my hubby that he should go with me.  He seems to come up with new excuse all the time. - the trip will be right in the middle of planting season and he's the one who plants the crops (although his dad or brother COULD probably manage), someone needs to be around to take care of the kids, oh, and the flight is just too long!  I will have to find a way to break him down.....this may be harder than earning the trip itself!  :)  Anyway - I can't wait to go on my first incentive trip - I just know it will be amazing!

Check out what these other fabulous Design Team Members have come up with:

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

Paper Players Color Challenge

Hi all!! I'm here to play along with this week's Paper Players color challenge.  I've told you before that I can struggle when it comes to color challenges.....but I think I pulled this one off pretty darn well.  I let Basic Gray take control of this one and put the other colors in with a light hand.  I just have to say that this one is awesome!

I took advantage of embossing powders in Whisper White and Melon Mambo to add some pizzazz.  Always love the look of embossing on dark cardstock.  Very sharp!  I had to use my new Daydream Medallions for this card - isn't that such a fun set?  Do not fear - I'll be using this set more and more! (however, Mr. Brown is scheduled to bring me some more goodies today! It might have to take a backseat for a bit!) I ruffled up my piece of Melon Mambo - at first I tried to use the new Edgelits Dies - Finishing Touches, but it was just too delicate and didn't show up like it needs to.  So I took a strip of paper and pulled it between my bone folder and thumb several times until it seperated into two strips.  This made it much thinner and easier to ruffle up. The result in the end was a lot better, even if it does get a little wonky in the center....oh well!!!  The sentiment comes from Petite Pairs....how many of you LOVE that set.  Perfect for so many occasions.  Sometimes I wish they'd come out with a duplicate, but enlarged set.  How does Large Pairs sound?

I know many of you have wondered where I've been for so long. I mean it has been a whopping three weeks since I've been here.  UGH!  And I hate to give excuses - but I really have been busy.  I had my New Catalog Kick Off Party - that was a  blast.  I had about 20 people attend and we had a good time.  The weekend after that I had a ton to do for my church's St. Peter's Parish Picnic.  This is a great time once it gets going,  but there is so much prep work involved....and probably more so this year.  Another member and I made pennant banners to hang along the balcony in our hall - 110 feet of pennants!!!!  They were beautiful!  In fact, I took the colors from the fabric ( Verona - found at fatquartershop.com ) and am going to use them in some upcoming cards (I'll have to pull out some retired colors but so be it!)  I'd also love to get some more of that fabric and make Aubrie some dresses.  I found that I kind of miss sewing!  Then, another gal and I are chairpeople for the Kids' Stand.  Last year was our first year.  The Kids' Stand has games and prizes, etc.  It was very lacking - I mean very lacking!!!  The building we have the Kids' Stand in was dull and blah - so we went to town.  Hung up blue sheeting (well, plastic table cloth) made signs for all of the games (good thing for lots of scrap cardstock and my Silhouette) and came up with some new games - thanks to Pinterest!  I made a new Fish Pond - and that Silhouette came in handy as I cut lots of fishies and sharks and crabs.  I put the kiddos to work tearing up retired blue colors of cardstock to make water.  We  then re-organized the prizes -which still is in need of work.  That was a busy week.  Then when it was all over....I had to clean it all up!!! UGH!  We left the decor up in the Kids Stand.  That poor building just gets used for storage anymore - it used to hold Bingo and Men's Night back in it's hay-day.  In fact I'd love to see all of our Church Grounds back in it's hay-day.  The nun's house still stands and is now used for Religious Ed and the Church Ladies Quilting Group.  The Schoolhouse is gone :(  .  The hall/gym is still there and used frequently.  But I'd love to see it when it was all in it's prime.  I bet it was fascinating!  I think that a lot of old buildings and towns.  I bet things were spectacular.....

What else have I been up to?  Well, it is summer.....and we just finished the last t-ball game for the boys.  Next year Will will be in coach pitch.  Alex will be in t-ball - so that will send us in two diff directions!  Aubrie - she'd love to play, and has been practicing. She's got a great swing and can really hit the ball.  I love how she even bends her lil' knees when she stands up to the t.  What a gal!!

My boys - well.  What can I say.  they are boys!  Andy washed his pickup one afternoon and that made a little stream in the lane.  Perfect for making a beaver dam....I always tell them that it's a good thing they are so stinking cute!

Off for now!  Enjoy your day - I'll be back with more.....tomorrow!