Need for Speed {PP146}

Happy Sunday, peeps...I hope you're having a wonderful weekend!  Today, the incredibly talented Ann has a Clean-and-Simple challenge for us at The Paper Players...

a masculine Clean-and-Simple challenge!  This is a great challenge because, in my opinion, masculine cards should be fairly clean and simple.  Generally speaking, guys don't like a lot of fussy stuff on their cards so CAS is just perfect.  I had an idea of what I wanted to do and found the perfect sketch over at CAS(E) this Sketch:

 And here's what I did with it:

So, this might not be as "clean" as a true CAS card but there's no way that 4x4 would make anything "clean", right?!  So I added a little dirt, mud and road splatter courtesy of my Color Spritzer, ink splatter stamp and some sponging. 

The Chevron embossing folder makes the perfect tire tracks and I thought the Basic Gray Washi Tape looked a bit like road stripes or maybe rumble strips!!  What do you think of that new color?  That's Smoky Slate making it's debut with the new catalog starting May 31st.  Isn't it pretty?  Oh, sorry this is a guy card....it's, um, handsome isn't it?!

I used it on the inside too...stamping the four wheeler from Need for Speed (retiring soon--get it before it's gone!) and adding some more "dirt" with the Color Spritzer (retiring soon too, geesh!).  But, what is not retiring is our awesome Design Team.  Check out their amazing masculine projects over at The Paper Players and then come join us!  Just be sure to link up before the challenge ends on Friday, May 24th at Noon (PDT).  Thanks for stopping by!
 

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: Need for Speed; Hey There (Paper Pumpkin); Delightful Dozen 
Ink: Smoky Slate (available 5/31/13); Versamark; Jet Black Stazon
Paper: Smoky Slate (available 5/31/13), Basic Black, Whisper White, Vellum CS
Extras: Chevron embossing folder; color spritzer; basic black stampin' write marker; 2.5" circle punch; Epic Day washi tape; 1.25" square punch

Mosaic Madness for {PP145}

Happy Sunday peeps and Happy Mother's Day to all my friends who are mothers--furbabies included--out there!  This week is our color challenge over at The Paper Players and the talented Jaydee has a rich color challenge for us:

I was itching to use another of my sneak peek products with these gorgeous colors so I grabbed the new stamp set Mosaic Madness, available May 31st, and got to work:

Not only does this stamp set have a coordinating punch--love that!--but also a coordinating embossing folder.  I embossed the Whisper White cardstock and started stamping a bunch of different shapes until I found what I liked.  The outline mosaics are stamped in Midnight Muse and the centers--a separate stamp (again, love that!)--are Gumball Green.

I stamped directly on the embossed cardstock with Raspberry Ripple inside the smaller mosaics.  I just love these shapes--really clean but still ornate, ya know?  

I kept the inside super simple for a hand-written note.  Just added a few more outline mosaics with alternating colors for the center.  While these colors, on their own, are very rich and regal when paired with white they look crisp and faintly patriotic!  Perfect for summer--since that's what it feels like around here!  I hope you're feeling some warmer weather where you are for Mother's Day today.  Please drop by The Paper Players to check out the rest of the Design Team samples, I know you will enjoy it!  Then come on along and join in the fun before our challenge closes on Friday, May 17th at Noon (PDT).  Hope to see you there!

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: Mosaic Madness [available 5/31/13]; Curly Cute 
Ink: Midnight Muse; Raspberry Ripple; Gumball Green; Versamark
Paper: Midnight Muse, Gumball Green; Whisper White CS
Extras:  Modern Mosaic Textured Embossing Folder [available 5/31/13]; Mosaic Punch [available 5/31/13]; 1.25" square punch; white embossing powder; Stamp-a-ma-jig

Wildflowers for Mom

Hiya friends--we made it--it's Friday! Woohoo!  Just wanted to sneak in another post this week for our Mother's Day challenge over at The Paper Players.  I needed a card for my lovely MIL who truly would prefer a bouquet of wildflowers to roses anyday.  When I saw the new Wildflower stamp and coordinating embossing folder, I knew it was perfect for her card:

I inked the stamp with Stampin' Write markers in Lucky Limeade, Poppy Parade, Crushed Curry and Island Indigo and stamped onto watercolor paper.  I love the texture that shows through!

I also used my Aqua Painter to add a light touch of Soft Sky ink around the embossed edges.  It's VERY subtle, lol!  I probably could have gone a little darker but I was being cautious.  :-)  I am really impressed with how easy it is to line up the coordinating embossing folder to the stamped image.  Love it!

 

With the image so large, I didn't have a suitable sentiment to fit so I stamped one from Teeny Tiny Wishes and punched out each word with the retiring Medium Jewelry Tag punch and tied it onto some Linen Thread.  

I combined some sentiments on the inside--one from the retiring set, You Are Loved and one from a retired hostess set.  I couldn't resist coloring a portion of the flowers again to decorate the inside.  I hope my MIL likes it--I think it's just her style.  And that's what it's all about, right?  Making a card that you know is just PERFECT for that special someone.  

And speaking of special someones....I passed my 4-year blog-o-versary yesterday and I remain amazed by all the special folks who visit here each day, subscribe or follow me on this crafting journey.  Of course, a girl always loves comments but whether you leave one or not I am truly honored that you find a little bit of inspiration in my work.  So, thank you, thank you, thank you!  Be on the lookout for some blog-o-versary candy soon!  ((hugs))

Edited 5/11/13: my friend, Lesley, alerted me to the fabulous Wonder of Watercolor challenge happening in the Moxie Fab World so I would like to throw this card in the mix!  Thanks Lesley for alerting me and thanks MFW for some beautiful inspiration!


Supplies 
Stamps: Wildflower; Teeny Tiny Wishes; You are Loved; Something to Celebrate [retired] 
Ink: Early Espresso; Soft Sky
Paper: Island Indigo CS; watercolor paper
Xtras: Lucky Limeade, Poppy Parade, Crushed Curry and Island Indigo Stampin' Write markers; linen thread; medium jewelry tag punch; aqua painter

Daydreaming of Mother's Day {PP144}

Hi everyone and happy Sunday to you!  This week at The Paper Players the amazing Anne-Marie is giving us one more chance to get all our cards made for Mother's Day!

One of the benefits of being a Stampin' Up! demonstrator is an advance look at the new catalog and the chance to pre-order some of the goodies including the new In Colors that I've used today.

One of the cards in the new catalog inspired me to dust off the Daydream Medallions stamp set and combine it with some of the gorgeous new In Colors.  I'm afraid the dark and dreary day we had today didn't do much to show how pretty these colors are.  I'll try for a better pic if the sun ever comes out again!

 

I stamped the layered medallions in Crisp Cataloupe, Baked Brown Sugar and Pistachio Pudding on a piece of Very Vanilla cardstock.  I used the Floral Frames framelits to cut a window from the Pistachio Pudding cardstock to frame the focal element.  At 4.34" x 6.5", this card is larger than standard A2 size but I wanted to show off the full size of the beautiful framelit and it will still fit in a larger (non-SU) envelope.  Because you can never shower Mom with enough pearls, I've scattered them all around the inside and outside of the medallions.

 

Since this card is destined for my wonderful Mother, I had to use one of these new Very Vintage Buttons that I just know she will love.  Isn't it pretty?  The carved detail is gorgeous and they look like a vintage ivory treasure from a well-traveled button box. 

The sentiment stamped in the middle of the medallions on the inside is actually two separate sentiments from the Petite Pairs set.  They're perfect on their own but paired together they send a heartfelt message.  Of course, I couldn't have layered the medallions and the sentiments so well without the aid of my handy Stamp-a-ma-jig!

I hope you like my card today.  I would love to hear your thoughts on the three new In Colors I've shown you.  Make sure to check out the rest of The Paper Players Design Team with their wonderful projects and probably a few more sneak peeks:

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

If you've still got one or two Mother's Day cards to make, why not join in the fun with our challenge?  You've still got time to hand-deliver, or even mail, a card to Mom or a special Mom in your life.  We'd love for you to join us before the challenge closed on Friday, May 10th at Noon (PDT).  Thanks for stopping by!  

Supplies 
Stamps: Daydream Medallions, Summer Silhouettes, Delightful Dozen; Something to Celebrate [retired] 
Ink: Crisp Cantaloupe, Baked Brown Sugar, Pistachio Pudding
Paper: Pistachio Pudding, Very Vanilla CS
Extras: Floral Frames framelits; Linen Thread; Basic Pearls; Lots of Tags die [retired];Very Vintage Buttons [available 5/31/13 in 2013-2014 Annual Catalog]; Stamp-a-ma-jig

This 'n' That Sketch {PP143}

Hiya, friends and Happy Sunday! Of course, Sunday means another week with The Paper Players where our friend, Ann, is hosting a sketch challenge. I LOVE sketch challenges, don't you? They're a great way to get the mojo flowing and Ann's sketch this week is no exception: 

This one's a keeper!  Love the flagged banners and I knew right away that I wanted to use some Washi Tape from Stampin' Up's new suite of products called This and That. 

Washi Tape is so much fun to work with!  It's re-positionable and for someone like me (a little OCD) who loves to play around with the layout, being able to pick it up and re-position the pieces of tape is key!  The colors in the Epic Day DSP are so fresh and modern and made choosing my color palette easy. The base is Crumb Cake and the DSP is layered onto Gumball Green.  I stamped the big flower from Betsy's Blossom's onto Daffodil Delight cardstock and stamped the fun Hey There sentiment (from my first Paper Pumpkin kit) in Gumball Green. 

The fabulous patterns on the washi tape really show up well when attached to a neutral base.  Here, I added some score lines to a strip of Very Vanilla cardstock that I aged with my spritzer and Crumb Cake marker as well as some sponging.  

On the inside I really played around with color and texture--adding an itty bit of washi tape and some embossed chevrons made with the Borders Scoring Plate.  The Feel Goods sentiment was inked up in markers and the flowers from Fabulous Florets were added in Pool Party for a splash of fun!

And for even more fun, be sure to check out the rest of the creations from our design team--there's good eye candy there!  We hope you'll join in the fun this week before the challenge closes on Friday, May 3rd 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: Betsy's Blossoms; Hey There; Fabulous Florets; Feel Goods
Ink: Gumball Green. Daffodil Delight, Crumb Cake, Pool Party
Paper: Crumb Cake, Gumball, Green, Very Vanilla; Epic Day This and That DSP
Extras: 2.5" circle punch; In Color Dahlias; Simply Scored; Borders Scoring Plate; Epic Day Washi Tape