Candy Butterflies

Hiya friends!  So glad to be back with you today.  Thanks for letting me take a little mental holiday.  As promised, I have some blog candy for you but first I have a card to share!  I really wanted to play along with the Shabby Tea Room's Butterfly challenge last week.  Just look at this gorgeous inspiration photo:

I missed that deadline but was delighted to have another chance this week with the Stampin' Up Only (SUO) challenge in celebration of...butterflies!   Using last week's photo as inspiration, here's what I made:

Oh, I had fun with this one!  They look like candy, don't they?  Fitting for today's blog candy post.  All the butterflies were cut with the Beautiful Wings embosslit that cuts and embosses in one pass through the Big Shot!  The designer paper is all from the patterned DSP stack in the Brights & Subtles color families using Tempting Turquoise, Wild Wasabi, Daffodil Delight, Pumpkin Pie and Melon Mambo.

I took a sanding block to the embossed sections of the butterflies to expose the white paper core and added a trail of basic rhinestones.

 I love a basic black card base especially when using so much color but that definitely means I need to complete the inside...unless the recipient can read invisible ink!  I love how the butterfly from Bold Blossoms (available in the Summer Mini) looks inked up in all the colors from the front.  They really pop against the black.  So, what do you think of today's card?  I would love to know!

Now for the sweetest part!  It's hard to believe that Saturday will mark my second anniversary of blogging.  When I started this blog, I wasn't sure I would have anything to say much less expect anyone to visit me!  But two years later, I've found a supportive community of crafters and made some wonderful friends!  So to honor all of my friends and followers, I am throwing a little party...and it wouldn't be a party without candy! Here's what you can win:

One of the most popular stamp sets from the now-retired Spring Mini catalog....Nature Walk in clear-mount and a pot of Silver Glass Glitter!!  I will chose a random winner from all comments left on this post by my blog followers and announce the winner on Saturday May 7th.  So, join in the fun...sign up to follow and let me know what you think of today's card, or the candy or anything at all--just hearing from you makes my day!  Have a good one, friends!

the goodies:

stamps: bold blossoms; something to celebrate; bring on the cake; hope happens

ink: jet black stayzon; wild wasabi, daffodil delight, tempting turquoise, pumpkin pie, melon mambo classic ink

paper: whisper white & basic black CS; patterns designer series paper stack brights & subtles

xtras: elegant lines embossing folder; beautiful wings embosslit; basic black satin ribbon; basic rhinestones; petal cone die (banner tag)

Paper Players are Sew Suite: PP40

Happy Sunday everyone!  I can't believe a week has gone by since my last post but it's been a whirlwind...more on that in a minute.  Today, I am delighted to share with you a sketch I designed for this week's Paper Players Sketch Challenge {PP40}!  Here's the sketch:

and here is my card:

I liked it so much I made a second one with a Baja Breeze base and Pear Pizzazz/Greenhouse Gala designer series paper:

The details on this one are pretty straightforward but I do want to show you some close ups...I love, love, love cutting out these dress forms.  I know you might be thinking "oh I hate to cut things out" but this little mannequin is so easy once stamped on Greenhouse Gala designer series paper with Early Espresso ink--all my lines are right there ready for cutting!

Isn't she "sew" sweet?!  That's a bitty flower from the Itty Bitty Punch Pack in Baja Breeze with a big basic pearl in the middle.  Once the pearl was attached, I just scrunched the paper up around the pearl to distress it a little.

Can't you just see giving a card with this sentiment, from Bold Blossoms, to your best girl friend?  I stamped it in Early Espresso and then used the small ornate blossom from Friends Never Fade stamped off once in Pear Pizzazz behind the sentiment.  And because the top left corner seemed a little neglected...

I added a little snip of Pumpkin Pie 1 1/4" striped grosgrain ribbon.  I literally stapled this one in place...I scrunched up a little 2" piece of ribbon, stapled the bottom together and tucked it under my oval with a glue dot.  Doesn't it look a bit like a jaunty scarf?!

Just a simple inside...a piece of whisper white stamped with an all-time favorite sentiment from Great Friend in Early Espresso, another Pear Pizzazz dress form and the final touch is an itty bitty flower from Cheep Talk to mimic the flower on the front.

So, if you're still with me...I just have to share some incredible news with you.  In addition to our Paper Players challenge this week, I took this card to swap at our Regional Training event in Orlando, FL this weekend.  It was a fabulous all-day event full of stamping, swapping and demonstrations all hosted by our company's incredibly gracious and sweet president, Shelli Gardner.  OK, I'll cut to the chase here....all the swap cards were posted on boards around the room and entered into a Creativity Challenge where Shelli selected her favorites.  Well, guess what?  Can you guess?  OMG, yes...are you with me?  OK, get ready for some shouting going on here....SHELLI CHOSE MY CARD!!!!!   OMG, can you imagine?!  It was awesome to have her hold my card up on the big screen for all to see--what a thrill!  Oh, and as if that wasn't enough...I also won a $50 SU shopping spree!!  I know, right?!

And let me just say that she is as gracious and kind in person as you would want and expect her to be!  It was a such an honor!

OK, thanks for indulging me for a moment.... :-).  I hope you will play along with our sketch challenge this week. Be sure to pop on over to The Paper Players blog, check out all the other DT inspiration then load up your creation by midnight (PST) Friday April 1st.  We can't wait to come visit you!  Have a great day my friends!

the goods:

stamps: sew suite, friends never fade, great friend, cheep talk

ink: pear pizzazz, baja breeze, early espresso

paper: baja breeze, pear pizzazz, pumpkin pie, whisper white, naturals white CS; greenhouse gala DSP

xtras: scallop border punch, itty bitty punch pack, 1 1/4" wide striped grosgrain ribbon, scallop oval frame die, basic pearls

Thankful for YOU {PPA83}

My big surprise today...are you ready?  OMG, I am so excited to tell you...this week I am the Featured Artist at Pals Paper Arts!!!  Did you hear my squeal?!  Words cannot express how excited, honored and THRILLED I am to join this super talented group of stampers.  And not only are they talented but the whole team is kind, supportive and so generous with their comments.  Here's the lovely color combo we're working with this week:

Baja Breeze, Soft Suede and Crumb Cake--beautiful aren't they?  I loved working with them to make this for you:

So when you're designing for the Pals, where to start?  Oh my gosh, talk about pressure! :-)  So, I looked in the PPA archives and found a fantastic sketch, PPA77, which was the perfect starting point.

 The single leaf stamp from Bold Blossom was inked in Soft Suede and stamped repeatedly onto Crumb Cake patterned paper following inspiration from a favorite handbag designer of mine, Orla Kiely--famous for her stem leaf prints.  Another patterned paper from the Neutrals Patterns designer paper stack, this time in Soft Suede polka dot provided the background on top of my Woodgrain stamped Baja Breeze card base.  The single Baja Breeze flower works well on its own with the coordinating sentiment also from Bold Blossom.  I wrapped the card base with Crumb Cake seam binding ribbon and secured the ends under the main panel.  A simple little bow was made with a loop of more seam binding ribbon tied in the middle with linen thread and secured with a glue dot.

I thought I was all finished but...well...it just needed a little something else and like the perfect pearl necklace, a scattering of small Basic Pearls on the leaf stems and the flower center was just the thing!

I hope you enjoy my PPA card as much as I enjoyed making it and savoring the moment when I received the invite to join this talented team.   A HUGE thank you to the whole team but especially Ann, Linda, Mary, Margaret and Debbie for their support and encouragement.  Please stop by Pals Paper Arts to enjoy the rest of the design team inspiration and play along this week--I can't wait to see what you make with these beautiful colors!  Enjoy the rest of your week, my friends.  :-)

the goodies:

stamps: bold blossom, woodgrain

ink: soft suede, baja breeze, crumb cake

paper: baja breeze, very vanilla, soft suede CS; neutrals patterns designer paper stack

xtras: crumb cake seam binding ribbon; linen thread; basic pearls; large oval, 3/3" circle and 1" circle punches