Happy Hula Hoop: {CCMC156}

Yahoo, it's Thursday and that means a new challenge at Create with Connie & Mary! This week we have a fantastic color combination for you.   Check it:

Love it, right?  These colors are so bright and happy that I had to give some love to the Recess stamp set from the Mini Catalog:

This card reminds me of my daughter and her love for jump ropes and hula hoops!  I thought the Playdate Designer Series Paper was the perfect match for these happy colors.  I used the big flower from the DSP and just cut down the 12x12 paper to the section that I needed.

Then I stamped my girl in Jet Black Stazon and colored her shirt, skirt and hula hoop with my Stampin' Write markers a Blender pen and ink pads in the challenge colors.  See the little bows in her hair?  Yes, I drew those free-hand with a Tangerine Tango marker!  I also rimmed the edge with a glue pen and then dipped it in Dazzling Diamonds because a little girl can never have too much sparkle!

I trimmed the main panel with a Tangerine Tango Scallop Ribbon Border and stamped the background randomly with the Recess hopscotch image inked in Old Olive. 

Using the Cupcake punch (coming back in the new catalog July 1st) I made some Whisper White clouds which I sponged with Tempting Turquoise and stamped in the challenge colors with "Happy Sweet Day" from the Fabulous Phrases set.

Of course, I couldn't forget the inside!  Some Funky Four flowers were stamped in the challenge colors and the Apple Blossoms [hostess] sentiment just seemed to fit the feel and emotions of this card...happy thoughts do indeed make happy days!  You'll make us happy if you play along at Create with Connie & Mary!  Be sure to check out the rest of the design team inspiration over at Create with Connie & Mary and then load up your challenge card for a chance at the top 3 pick!

supplies:

stamps: recess, funky four, apple blossoms, fabulous phrases

ink: tangerine tango, tempting turquoise, old olive

paper: old olive, tangerine tango, whisper white CS, playdate DSP

xtras: scallop ribbon border punch; dazzling diamonds; stampin write markers (tangerine tango); blender pen; cupcake XL punch; 2-way glue pen; 1 3/4" circle punch; 2" circle punch (non SU)

Funky Paper Players {PP39}

Happy Paper Players Sunday everyone!  It's a new week and a brand-new category of challenge for us at The Paper Players.  If you've played along with us you might have noticed that each week is a different type of challenge: theme, color, sketch, etc.  So this week we would like to introduce a Clean-and-Simple challenge with a sketch:

Lots of ways to go with this one designed by our very own Jaydee!  Here's my interpretation of Jaydee's sketch:

 

I stayed pretty true to the sketch but you can use the layout and elements as suggestions and go wherever your creativity takes you!  I started with a base of Night of Navy and stamped it with the Woodgrain background in the same color ink.

If you're a Canopy follower, you know how much I love woodgrain, lol!  For my focal piece, I stamped the little stems from Funky Four in Night of Navy, Old Olive, Marina Mist and Daffodil Delight.  My stamp-a-ma-jig got a workout here!

I stamped the sentiment from Apple Blossoms in Night of Navy and rounded the opposite corners for a retro look.  A Daffodil Delight mat, some sweet 1/8" taffeta ribbon in Old Olive and a single rhinestone wrapped it all up!  I find the tiny taffeta ribbon difficult to tie so I wrapped one piece around the front securing it to the back with some SNAIL tape and added the knot separately with a glue dot.  Much easier to tie and it saves on ribbon too!  Since this is just a little note, I left the inside plain except for a row of dots and another little stem.

I loved this sketch and hope you'll let me know what you think of my take on it.  I hope, too, that you will play along with us this week!  If you do, please use PP39 on your post and leave a direct link to your post on The Paper Players blog.  You have until midnight (PST) on Friday, March 25th to load your creation.  The design team will choose a Headliner and A Cut Above to feature on Saturday!  I hope you'll join us!

I just had to take a few pix of our beautiful white azaleas to share with you:

and the little friends that were visiting them this morning:

That's it from me...have a great week my friends!

the goods:

stamps: funky four, woodgrain, apple blossoms

ink: night of navy, old olive, marina mist, daffodil delight

paper: night of navy, daffodil delight, whisper white CS

xtras: corner rounder punch; old olive 1/8" taffeta ribbon; basic rhinestone

Owl Together: {CCMC110}

How stinkin' cute are these little lovebirds? Totally cute with the assistance of the 2-Step Owl Punch. It was one of the first items from the new catalog on my wish list. Love how it punches all the separate pieces so you can customize your owls. And SU's double-sided designer paper makes coordination a breeze! I love this new Play Date designer paper--so fun and whimsical! All the patterns featured here are from the same DSP--so cute!

The sketch is very loosely based on this one over at Create with Connie & Mary. Yes, very loosely based...but it's just supposed to be an inspiration, right? :-)

Since this is an anniversary card for my MIL & FIL, I wanted to make one of the owls a little feminine. I really wanted to give her a bow but the owls are so tiny, none of my ribbon is thin enough. I tried linen thread but that didn't pop and then it dawned on me...embroidery floss! So I made her a little green bow (it's almost old olive isn't it?!) with some red bling. Now she's dressed and ready for her anniversary dinner!

On the inside I repeated the Funky Four mushrooms coloring and stamping with Stampin' Write markers in Tempting Turquoise, Chocolate Chip, Old Olive and Real Red. These are perfect for my MIL because she loves to draw mushroom houses with our daughter!

I used a combination of sentiments here. The first is from a level 2 hostess set Occasional Quotes, which has many sentiments for use both outside and inside a card. Again, I colored it with Stampin Write markers. "Celebrate Today" is from a retired fave Starring You and was inked up in Tempting Turquoise. I already mailed this one otherwise I would show you that the coordinating envelope was stamped with the same colorful mushrooms--it's a little sneak peek for the recipient to what's inside. I hope this one brings a smile to your face...thanks so much for stopping by...Cheers!

edit 8/11/10: So excited this card was a Top Three choice at Create with Connie & Mary! Thanks ladies, I'm delighted you liked my card!

supplies:
stamps: funky four; occasional quotes, starring you; teeny tiny wishes
ink: chocolate chip, tempting turquoise
paper: play date dsp; so saffron, chocolate chip, real red & whisper white CS
xtras: 2-step bird punch (branches); stampin' write markers in tempting turquoise, chocolate chip, old olive and real red; circle nesties; dmc embroidery floss; adhesive rhinestone from my stash