Blossom Lantern: {PPA87}

If you're looking for my Paper Players recycling card, please click here.

Happy Monday everyone!  Just wanted to pop in and share a card I made over the weekend with my mom.  We were inspired by a card displayed at SU Regional training using punches and a crimper to make a paper lantern.  Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get the name of the artist, so if you know please tell me!  When I saw the latest punch art challenge at the Pals Paper Arts, I knew I had to enter this one:

I cut a Very Vanilla circle with my 3" circle die, stamped the spray of Easter Blossoms in Jet Black Stazon and ran it through my paper crimper.  The Basic Black Small Tag punch was tucked under the bottom and a scaled down Word Window punched piece was attached to the top with a loop of hemp twine.  The Word Window punch was too big so I tucked one end back into the punch, from the top, and punched again giving me a shorter window punch.

Of course, I needed to sprinkle a few Basic Rhinestones to the blossoms as well as a row across the top of the lantern. 

 They are soooo pretty IRL!  To the Crumb Cake base, I added some [retired] Urban Oasis and a punched border of Very Vanilla [non-SU].  

The background looked a little plain so I stamped the blossom spray in Crumb Cake and added a sentiment from Bring on the Cake.

I just can't put down those cherry blossoms!  So, the inside got some too along with another sentiment from Bring on the Cake.  Thanks for stopping by today!  Before you go, I would love to know what you think of today's card.  Have a great day, my friends!

supplies:

stamps: easter blossoms, bring on the cake

ink: crumb cake, jet black stazon

paper: crumb cake, basic black, very vanilla CS; urban oasis DSP [retired]

xtras: paper crimer, basic rhinestones, hemp twine, 3" bigz die, fiskars border punch

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

Vintage Cameo {PPA80} & {MFW}

Happy Saturday, everyone!  I hope it's a good one so far.  Have you seen the vintage challenge over at Pals Paper Arts this week?!  Oh my word, the photo is absolutely gorgeous! 

Stunning, right?  Oh the colors, the yards and yards of fabric, the black satin--yum!  I really think I was born in the wrong era, lol!  Anyway, I know this challenge isn't a photo inspiration one but it's the photo that hooked me.  I thought the PPA vintage theme was a perfect partner with The Appearance of Cameos Challenge in the Moxie Fab World to create something that's been kicking around in my head for awhile:

I used the Easter Blossoms set to create a cameo from the little girl silhouette.  Isn't she sweet?!  I inked her first in River Rock, then Versamark, stamped onto Very Vanilla and heat set with clear embossing powder.  The Large Oval punch was used to crop out just the top portion and the Scallop Oval punch made a lovely mat in Brushed Gold cardstock.

 

I always admire the mat stacks my friend Christina creates so I tried my hand at it here.  I made another mat from Basic Black cardstock with the Decorative Label punch and decorated the ends with a few Basic Pearls.

I wanted to emulate the gorgeous fabric of the skirt and the closest color I found is Rose Red.  The Rose Red designer paper is from Springtime Vintage DSP which I overstamped with the French Filigree background stamp in River Rock.  I matted it in Rose Red and placed atop a River Rock card base.  I like how the flourishes mimic the voluminous fabric of the skirt.

I love the play of black against the rose and decided to give the wide striped grosgrain ribbon an aged look by snipping the bottom and pulling loose some threads.  Looks a bit like a Victorian area rug!  I just received Fabulous Phrases in a recent order and I love all the sentiments to mix and match!  In the end "happiness" best seemed to describe the feeling I get from the little girl cameo and the soothing colors.

A bit of leftover Rose Red DSP on Very Vanilla adds some interest to the inside and one French Filigree flourish inked with my River Rock marker pulls it all together.  I'm not sure if it's possible to create clean-and-simple vintage card but I think that's what I ended up with!  I would love to hear what you think of today's creation!  Thanks for stopping by and be sure to check back tomorrow for the next challenge from The Paper Players!

supplies:

stamps: fabulous phrases, french filigree, easter blossoms

ink: river rock, versamark, jet black stazon

paper: river rock, rose red, very vanilla & brushed gold CS; springtime vintage DSP

xtras: large oval, scallop oval & decorative label punches; basic pearls; black 1 1/4" wide striped grosgrain ribbon; clear stampin' emboss powder