Rich Comfort {CCMC173}

Happy Thursday, friends! Welcome to another week at Create with Connie & Mary. This week, the gals are bringing us a beautiful color challenge:

 

My favorite holiday cards usually use a non-traditional color palette so I was itchin' to try my hand at a Christmas card with these colors.  I think I succeeded...what do you think?

The Island Indigo card base was layered with two different patterns--one in Baja Breeze and the other in Rich Razzleberry--from the Pocketful of Posies designer paper.  I love using non-holiday paper for a holiday card!  I chose these two patterns not only for their color but because the shapes reminded me of snowflakes.

This dove from Comfort & Joy is so pretty!  Here, I inked it first in Versamark then Island Indigo ink, stamped and heat embossed with clear embossing powder.  I sponged the edges with Baja Breeze for a little definition and lightly colored the dove with Baja Breeze ink and a Blender pen.  Of course I had to add some Dazzling Diamonds to the wings...you know it's not a holiday card without Dazzling Diamonds!

The sentiment oval got the same sponging treatment as the main image and I also stamped the background with the swirly part of the main image that had been inked in Baja Breeze and stamped off once.  A little silver glimmer border and some Whisper White Organza Ribbon finished off the front...while some more designer paper and a little stamping, finished off the inside.

So what do you think...do these colors inspire you?  Check out the rest of the Design Team even more inspiration and then think about what you  might do with this week's color palette.  We would love to see!  If you can play along, please link up your crafty goodness at Create with Connie & Mary by Wednesday, November 2nd at noon (EST).  I can't wait to see what you make!

supplies:

stamps: comfort & joy; petite pairs

ink: baja breeze, rich razzleberry, island indigo; versamark

paper: baja breeze, rich razzleberry, island indigo, whisper white CS; pocketful of posies DSP

xtras: ovals die; silver glimmer paper; scallop border punch; whisper white organza ribbon; basic rhinestones

Music & Joy {PP66}

Happy Paper Players Sunday, friends!  It's good to be back--I missed stamping with my Players pals last week!  LeAnne is our sweet hostess for this week's theme challenge: music!  Add music to your project or create a project inspired by your favorite song...whatever puts a bounce in your step and gets you stamping!

Music is always around our household and most of the time it is my husband's choice but come December 1st, I get  to play Christmas music...and hubby just groans, lol!  But, he indulges me with the Frank Sinatra Christmas album and Vince Guaraldi Linus & Lucy--my two favorites!  So with Christmas in mind, here's what I made for you:

The color combination is a Splitcoast Stampers color challenge last week: Early Espresso, Cherry Cobbler and Pool Party.  Aren't they pretty together?  Such a fresh take on the holidays! 

I embossed this image from Comfort & Joy with Cherry Cobbler embossing powder and then colored the dove with a blender pen and Pool Party ink.  Letting some Very Vanilla peek through the dove's middle and some extra shading on the wings, really gives it dimension.  A little Dazzling Details on the wing tips match the shimmer border at the top.

Here's the musical score from Nature's Pace inked in Pool Party on the same color cardstock.  Lots of ribbon detail here with Cherry Cobbler quilted satin and Very Vanilla seam binding onto which I stamped the sentiment from Comfort & Joy. 

This detail gets lost in the first picture but wanted to you to have a closer look.  I stamped the same dove image repeatedly across the bottom half of the card in Cherry Cobbler ink.  It gives a really nice tone-on-tone textured look and adds just a little more interest.

Lastly, a peek at the inside with my favorite technique of repeating the main image from the front but stamping off so that the sentiment is the focus.  I also sponged the edges lightly with Early Espresso ink and added a strip of EE cardstock behind to draw your eye in.

Thanks for joining me under the Canopy today....be sure to check out the rest of the design team for their amazing projects!  This week we welcome our October Guest Designer, Cindy Hall--she is one of the nicest people I've met in blogland and you're going to just love her gorgeous style!

The Paper Players Design Team

Ann Schach

Anne Marie Hile

Jaydee

Julie Marshall

LeAnne Pugliese

Lesley Croghan

Nance Leedy

Tara Bilbao
Cindy Hall (October GD)

We hope you'll play along with LeAnne's musical theme...if you do please link up your creation over at The Paper Players by Friday, October 7th at midnight (PST).  I can't wait to stop by for a visit!

supplies:

stamps: comfort & joy

ink: pool party, cherry cobbler, versamark; timber brown stazon

paper: pool party, cherry cobbler, early espresso, very vanilla CS; silver shimmer paper; frostwood lodge DSP

xtras: ovals die; cherry cobbler quilted satin ribbon; very vanilla seam binding ribbon; designer buttons (regals); silver elastic cord [retired]; dazzling details; blender pen

Frosty and Fresh {FMS3}

Have you heard the news?  There's a fun, fresh and fabulous new challenge blog in town.  Yes, I'm talking about Freshly Made Sketches and today I am honored and delighted to be their Featured Designer!!  My fellow Paper Player and blog queen extraordinaire, Lesley Croghan lined up an all-star "Clean Team" to bring you a fresh and clean sketch every week.  What is "clean" you say?  Well, it's clean lines--no sponging, distressing or tearing but not simple style either--embellishments and layers are encouraged!  All the gals at FMS rock, hi girls(!), and I am tickled pink to be with them this week.    Here is this week's Freshly Made Sketch #3:

Fabulous, isn't it?  I wanted to get a head start on my holiday cards and had a "fresh" stack of Frostwood Lodge designer paper just calling my name:

Since I really bought this paper for the gorgeous woodgrain patterns (right, Rita?!), I surprised myself by actually using plaid!  I am not really a plaid girl--must be my catholic school girl roots--but paired with the birch background paper and the woodgrain background stamp (yes I used it again!), the Cherry Cobbler plaid just worked!  Here's few close-ups of the fun bits:

Love that birch patterned paper--another woodgrain, yay!  The trees from Plant Hope were stamped in Garden Green and outlined with dazzling diamonds....because who says you can't wear diamonds with plaid?  :) 

Even the inside got the fresh and clean treatment with this beautiful sentiment from Comfort & Joy.

So, what do you think....are you inspired?  Check out Freshly Made Sketches for even more inspiration--you won't be disappointed!  I hope you'll play along with the team!  Just make sure to link up your clean creation over at Freshly Made Sketches by Monday, September 26th at midnight (PST).   The Clean Team will be delighted to come visit you and offer an encouraging comment or two!  Thanks so much to Lesley and the Clean Team for inviting me on board this week...and thanks to you for stopping by! 

supplies:

stamps: plant hope; woodgrain; you're a gem; comfort & joy

ink: garden green, cherry cobbler

paper: cherry cobbler, early espresso, whisper white CS; frostwood lodge DSP

xtras: paper crimper; designer buttons (regals); dazzling diamonds; early espresso baker's twine