Cup of Inspiration {PP116}

Happy Sunday, all, and Happy Thanksgiving weekend to my Canadian friends!  It's another week with The Paper Players and this week LeAnne has given us a theme challenge "Cup of Joy":

I've had precious little time in my stamp room lately and when I hit a dry spell, I need a few challenges to get the mojo flowing.  With LeAnne's theme in mind, I went searching for even more inspiration and found a fabulous sketch over at Mojo Monday:

As well as some fresh and funky colors at Hand Stamped Sentiments:

I mixed all these together to create a get well card for a co-worker:

I had so much fun adding little details to this one...who am I kidding I always love the details, lol!  I flipped the sketch to fit the image and the Window Frame Framelit.  Piercing around the edge with the coordinating Festive Piercing Pack (FREE this month with a bundled purchase!) really adds detail without alot of fuss. 

Of course most of the details are concentrated in the focal element.  Using the Morning Cup stamp set, I paper pieced the teapot and mug with an Island Indigo pattern from the Floral District DSP.  The paper piecing was easy because I didn't worry about cutting out the handle or the lid--just trimmed 'em right off and then colored each with an Island Indigo Stampin' Write Marker.  Easy peasy!  I punched two 2.5" circles--Whisper White and Early Espresso.  I embossed the espresso circle with the Woodgrain EF and then trimmed off the bottom which I used as a table for the coffee pot and cup! 

I added a trio of galloping teacups to the Tangerine Tango banner and colored each heart with a Tangerine Tango Stampin' Write Marker.  Love how the Perk Up! sentiment from this set fits inside the Bitty Banner Framelit!

My first banner for the front didn't work out as I planned but made the perfect accent for the inside of the card especially paired with a sentiment from the retired set, Puns From the Past.  I hope this card brings a smile to my co-worker and...inspires you to play along with our challenge this week at The Paper Players!  If you need even more inspiration, check out the fabulous creations of the other designers: 

The Paper Players Design Team

Jen Arkfeld
Dawn Easton
Helen Heil 
Nance Leedy

Anne Marie Hile

LeAnne Pugliese

Ann Schach

Amy White

We hope you'll join in the fun...just make sure to do so before Friday, October 14th at Noon (PDT).   Can't wait to visit you and your creations!

 
Supplies 
Stamps: Morning Cup; Woodgrain; Puns From the Past [retired] 
Ink: Early Espresso
Paper:  Early Espresso, Whisper White, Island Indigo CS; Floral District DSP
Xtras: Tangerine Tango & Island Indigo Stampin' Write Markers; Tangerine Tango grosgrain ribbon [retired]; Early Espresso Baker's Twine; Window Frame Framelit; Bitty Banners Framelit; Festive Piercing Pack; 1 1/4" square punch

Perk Up for The Color Dare {CD79}

Hello everyone!  Today's card is for this week's  Color Dare combination:

CD 79

Wild Wasabi

Early Espresso

Marina Mist

So pretty together...do I say that every week?!  This little get well card is addressed to my stampin' mojo.  I don't know where it went but I hope it perks up soon.  I guess we all have creative slumps now and then, right?  Anyway, pretty simple layout today with stack of wonky teacups courtesy of the Stamp-a-ma-Jig and the Tiny Teacup stamp.  

I'll bet you're wondering how I made the scalloped Whisper White rectangle, right?  With the scallop square clear die!  First, I cut some WW cardstock with the scallop square die.  Next, I picked up the square I just cut and slid it over on the die so that some of the square was hanging off the edge and the scallops line up with the scallops on the die.  Run it through the Big Shot a second time to cut off the edge and you end up with a scalloped rectangle!  You can adjust the size of the rectangle by lining up as many scallops as you wish.

The little tag was stamped first with another Tiny Teacup inked in Wild Wasabi and stamped off once.  The sentiment from Puns from the Past was perfect for my get well/tea theme and was stamped in Early Espresso.  My 1 1/4" and 1 3/8" circle punches made the perfect sized tag to dangle from the retired Wild Wasabi striped grosgrain ribbon.

This is a really great color combination that could be used so many ways.  Check out the rest of the inspiration from the Color Dare design team and then head on over to the Color Dare blog to link up your creation.  We can't wait to come visit you!

• Riley - our leader
• Glenda - Papers, Scissors & Rocks
• Heather - Princess Scrapper Stamper
• Joan - JJ Creations
• Marisa - Rosemary Reflections
• Melissa - My Paper Obsession

supplies:

stamps: tiny teacup; puns from the past

ink: wild wasabi, early espresso, marina mist

paper: whisper white, early espresso, marina mist CS

xtras: 1 1/4" & 1 3/8" circle punches; scallop square clear die; wild wasabi ribbon [retired]; polka dots impressions folder;  baker's twine

Paper Dolls: CD {77}

Welcome to another week of The Color Dare challenge and wow do we ever have a dare for you!  This week Riley has chosen the color combination of Tempting Turquoise, Poppy Parade, Pumpkin Pie and Not Quite Navy...wow, right?!  I can honestly say that I never would have thought up this combo on my own but you know what?  I like it!  Here's where I went with it:

Now you can see why this post is titled Paper Dolls, right?  This is a single stamp that was stamped in NQN on Very Vanilla for the background.  Using the matching color ink, the ladies were stamped again on Poppy Parade and Tempting Turquoise designer patterned paper.  I cut out just their dresses and SNAIL'ed their fabulous frocks in place.  Of course, no lady of this era is complete without her pearls, dah-ling!

The large scallop trim was created by running NQN cardstock through my Big Shot with the new Tasteful Trims die.  I distressed it with a bone folder and some crumpling to separate the layers of paper.  Stitched in place onto some Poppy Parade DSP, the edges roll up like the ruffle of a dress!

With the dressmaker's pattern in the background, the sweet Puns from the Past sentiment was sew perfect (sorry, couldn't resist!) and I carried the theme over to the inside with the coordinating sewing machine image and a little more trimming and stitching.

So, come on over to The Color Dare and join us!  We would love to see what you make of these colors.  If you don't have these exact colors, something close will do--just get crafty!

supplies:

stamps: puns from the past; curly cute; make your own (hero arts)

ink: tempting turquoise, not quite navy, crumb cake, poppy parade

paper: crumb cake; tempting turquoise, very vanilla, not quite navy CS; poppy parade DSP; flock together DSP (retired)

xtras: tasteful trims die; basic pearls; pumpkin pie 1/4" grosgrain ribbon; brights buttons; DMC floss

Get your morning perk @ PPA24

This isn't exactly how I imagined this card would turn out but here it is!  I hardly ever put things on an angle!  In fact, I always tease my Mom for putting almost everything on an angle!  So she should like this card, right?!  Anyway, I had three objectives with this one: 1) make a card for PPA24 featuring a fabulous Margaret Moody sketch (PPA is my absolute favorite challenge!) 2) use up some of my "holiday" paper in a not-so-holiday-way and 3) use a stamp set that I love but haven't inked up in quite awhile.  While it isn't exactly what I saw in my mind's eye, I still like it.  I think this will be one of my go-to layouts.  The colors are taken from the Holiday Lounge DSP on the bottom: Ruby Red, Taken with Teal and Sahara Sand.  I think the DSP looks a bit like bubbles percolating in the coffee machine, don't you?  I just love the vintage percolator image and the play on words for the sentiment--both from the Puns From the Past (#111676) set.  I think I used this set just once previously but I love all the images.  Before mounting the stamp to the wood block I separated the sentiment from the image (it was below the image) and mounted the sentiment on the side of the block so I could used them independently if needed, as I did here.  Did you notice the bottom border?  Can you guess what it is?  The sentiment is resting on a pretty big hint.  Yes, it's the Curly Label punch (#112208)!  I punched out 4 of them from my Ruby Red CS, lined them up side-to-side and taped them together.  Then I just attached them to my DSP as usual with any other border.  I've seen alot of cards in blogland using a similar Fiskars punch but since I'm trying to stick to only SU products, I thought I would try to match it.  Cool, eh?  For the sentiment, I punched a 3/16" hole with my crop-o-dile in the side of the curly label then threaded my Kraft taffeta ribbon {love} through and tied a knot.  I like the effect and thought it dressed up this otherwise simple card.  One other tip: Kraft ribbon is a fantastic match for Sahara Sand.  So there you have it, perfect with your morning coffee or afternoon tea or nighttime decaf....