Two for One {CCMC195}

Hiya friends, and welcome to another week at Create with Connie & Mary!  The gals have a fun color challenge for us this week:

Basic Gray and So Saffron are two of my favorite colors and while they do look good with Poppy Parade....I'm still not in love with that color!  I think I will be glad to see it retire in June!  So what to do with these colors?  Well, inspiration truly is everywhere as evidenced by the design on this tee at I recently bought from Old Navy:

I loved the interlocking diagonal stripes and the pattern that runs underneath the stripes.  So...with that in mind, here's what I made for Connie & Mary:

Kinda cool, huh?  Different?  You know my philosophy when I am not keen on color, right?  Use it in small doses...as in half inch wide strips, lol!  I cut half inch strips from a collection of designer papers (supply list below) and started laying them out on a piece of textured Basic Gray cardstock.  The Basic Gray cardstock started out slight larger than I wanted the end product to be.  That way, I could lay the strips with edges hanging over and trim the whole edge at once.  Gives a nice even cut that way.  Once I had the strips laid out, I used the 2 1/2" circle punch to pop out a space for the sentiment from the Word Play set.  

Of course, there was some leftover strips which I just added to the inside along with a sentiment from Happiest Birthday Wishes.  I even stamped it in Poppy Parade!  Now, before I let you go I also wanted to show that these colors could be used for a more feminine card.  I saw this beauty over at Kristin's blog and just knew I had to case it.  Be sure to check out Kristin's blog--she is amazingly talented and one of the nicest people I've met in blog-land.  Anywho....here's my take on her blossom card with this week's colors:

 and a peek at the inside:

Sorry for the pic-heavy post, there's just so much to show you!  And there's also much to see from the Design Team over at Create with Connie & Mary...be sure to check it out and maybe you'll think about playing along with us this week!  The challenge ends on Wednesday, April 4th at Noon (EST).  Hope to see you there!

 

Supplies 

Card #1: Stripes

Stamps: Word Play; Happiest Birthday Wishes

Ink: Poppy Parade

Paper: Naturals White, Whisper White CS; Basic Gray textured CS; Attic Boutique DSP (poppy); Pocketful of Posies DSP (so saffron); Designer Patterns Stack (Neutrals-basic gray)

Xtras: Basic Gray Satin Ribbon; Basic Rhinestones.

Card #2: Blossom

Stamps: Friendly Phrases; Pursuit of Happiness; Broadsheet Alphabet; Mixed Bunch

Ink: Poppy Parade, So Saffron

Paper: Naturals White, Whisper White CS; Basic Gray textured CS; Just Add Cake DSP

Xtras: Basic Gray Satin Ribbon; Basic Rhinestones
Punches: Blossom, 1" circle, 3/4" circle, 2 1/2" circle, Itty Bitty Punch Pack, Blossom Bouquet Triple Layer, Boho Blossoms

Just a Little Note {PP88}

Hiya friends! It's Sunday and you know what that means....yep, it's another week at The Paper Players!  The always amazing Ann has a sketch for us this week:

So versatile--that center shape can be anything you want and I love the sideways sentiment.  Me, I stayed pretty true to the sketch and dug out a much-loved but collecting-too-much-dust favorite set--Aviary.

I used a fresh spring color combination of Night of Navy, Daffodil Delight, Old Olive and Crumb Cake.  I've been experimenting with background stamping and used the birds and birdcages to stamp tone-on-tone images to the card base:

You can also see the little flowers I added with the Itty Bitty Punch pack and some leaves snipped from the Bird Punch.  And because I had the birds in their cages on the front...

I had to release them on the inside!  See how they rocked open the cage--they look a little tipsy in their excitement don't they?!  Tee hee.  I hope that you're excited to play along with us at The Paper Players this week.  Ann's sketch challenge runs through Friday March 30th at Noon (PST).  Hope to see you in the gallery!

The Paper Players Design Team

Ann Schach

Anne Marie Hile

LeAnne Pugliese

Lesley Croghan

Nance Leedy
Jenn Picard
Heidi Boos

Sherry Eckblad (March GD)

Supplies

Stamps: Aviary; Just My Type 

Ink: Crumb Cake, Night of Navy, Daffodil Delight, & Old Olive classic inks

Paper: Crumb Cake, Night of Navy, Daffodil Delight, Whisper White & Old Olive CS

Xtras: Old Olive Scalloped Dot Ribbon; Scallop Border Punch; Itty Bitty Punch Pack; Bird Punch; Decorative Label punch; Basic Rhinestones

Open the Possibilities {CCMC194}

Happy Thursday everyone! It's another week at Create with Connie & Mary.  Each week I tell myself that I will try to post to my blog some day other than Sundays and Thursdays but....I'm just not finding the time.  At least I'm keeping up with the design teams, right?!  This week, Connie & Mary have a fun sketch for us:

 I started playing around with the different elements of the sketch and ended up with something totally different than what I had in mind....let's just say that the sketch was an "inspiration"...

It's actually a gate-fold card with the "gate" off-center a little bit.  What do you think?  An abstract take on the sketch but the elements of it are still there.  My base is a 4.25" x 11" piece of Soft Suede, scored at  3.5" and 9".  Once folded, it forms a regular A2 sized card.  Onto the gate doors, I layered some Calypso Coral paper from the Everyday Enchantment DSP and some Lucky Limeade patterned paper.  The focal image is the largest label from Apothecary Art which I colored with Calypso Coral and Lucky Limeade ink and a Blender Pen.

I thought the background paper needed a little something, so I stamped the edge of the single stamp, Elizabeth in Soft Suede to frame the center image.

I also used Elizabeth on the inside in Soft Suede.  I intended to color in just a few parts of the stamp but once I started, I couldn't stop!  I like the way it brings in the Lucky Limeade.    I would love to know what you think of today's card.  A bit different in style from my usual but once the inspiration started, I had to run with it!  I hope you'll be inspired to play along with me and the rest of the amazing design team at Create with Connie & Mary this week.  Be sure to link up before Wednesday, March 28th at Noon (EST).  Thanks for stopping by today!

Supplies 

Stamps: Apothecary Art; Elizabeth; Loving Thoughts

Ink: Calypso Coral, Lucky Limeade, Soft Suede 

Paper: Soft Suede, Very Vanilla, Calypso Coral CS; Everyday Enchantment DSP; In Color Designer Patterns 

Xtras: Labels Framelits; Crumb Cake seam binding ribbon; Basic Pearls;  Scallop Ribbon Border Punch; 1 1/4" Square Punch; Blender Pens

A Rainbow of Wishes {PP87}

Happy Sunday everyone! I am so excited to be the hostess this week at The Paper Players for our Clean-and-Simple Challenge.  My challenge is to make a Clean-and-Simple project featuring...BUTTONS!

I took an abstract approach to this challenge and instead of using real buttons, I used my Sweet Buttons embosslit die to make paper buttons.  Boy, my arm got a work out cranking that Big Shot!  Here's what I did with the buttons....ALL of them!

I actually only used one real button on this card but made and used 54 paper ones!!  My colors were Real Red, Tangerine Tango, Daffodil Delight, Old Olive, Tempting Turquoise and Rich Razzleberry.  I laid the buttons out on some scrap paper to get the layout I wanted and then transferred them to my cardstock one by one attaching each of them with some SNAIL tape.

I didn't want to cover up all those sweet little buttons with a sentiment so I stamped it onto vellum cardstock, flagged the end with a 1 1/4" square punch and tucked it under a [retired] Crumb Cake corduroy button.  I love the way the buttons peek through the vellum.

Of course, I had many extra buttons with each pass through the embosslit so I used some slightly larger ones on the inside with a Sale-a-Bration sentiment called Sprinkled Expressions.  So, what do you think?  Want to play along with us?  Maybe after you see the AMAZING creations from the rest of my teammates you will be even more inspired!  Seriously, they hit it out of the park on this one.  Check them out from this list:

The Paper Players Design Team

Ann Schach

Anne Marie Hile

LeAnne Pugliese

Lesley Croghan (on break)

Nance Leedy
Jenn Picard
Heidi Boos

Sherry Eckblad (March GD)

I do hope you will consider playing along with us at The Paper Players this week.  We would love to see your button creations!  Our challenge will close Friday, March 23rd at Noon (PST).  Thanks for stopping by friends!

Supplies 

Stamps: Curly Cute; Sprinkled Expressions 

Ink: Jet Black Stazon; Real Red classic ink 

Paper: Crumb Cake, Whisper White, Real Red, Vellum CS 

Xtras: Sweet Buttons embosslit; Crumb Cake Corduroy button [retired]; Whisper White Baker's Twine

It's a Banner Birthday! {CCMC193}

Happy Thursday friends and welcome to another week at Create with Connie & Mary!  I think you're really going to like this week's color challenge:

OK, really and truly I try not to use Pool Party but when it's asked of me....well, I have to oblige! I have so many scraps on my desk from the Sale-a-Bration paper, Everyday Enchantment that I went looking for an idea to use them up.  I found it in this great sketch from a previous Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge:

I got out my Petite Pennants Builder punch, my designer paper scraps, ink pads and got bizzy!  Here's what I made for you:

I have to say, I really like this card!  Those pennants are just so happy and the colors so fresh together that it makes me smile!  The stamped images are all from Bring on the Cake and for the focal image, I used my ink pads and blender pens to color the letters.  The little scalloped border was cut first with the Edgelit die and run through the Big Shot with the coordinating Adorning Accents embossing folder.  I love the texture it provides.

 Here's a little close-up so you can see that I punched a 1/16" hole in the corner of each pennant through which I strung some Lucky Limeade Baker's Twine.  A mini glue dot worked to hold the bitty bows in place and secure the banner.  The Pool Party background was made with a stamp from the same set, Bring on the Cake, just stamped repeatedly in Pool Party ink.

I used the same stamp to make a border on the inside as well as another sentiment from the same set.  Boy, that set is a great one with so many sentiments to choose from!

So what do you think?  Inspired?  I hope so.  Check out the rest of the Design Team at Create with Connie & Mary for even more eye-candy.  We would love to have you join us this week so be sure and link up your beautiful creations by Wednesday, March 21st at Noon (EST).  I hope to see you there!

Supplies

Stamps: Bring on the Cake

Ink: Peach Parfait, Lucky Limeade, Pool Party, Jet Black Stazon

Paper: Peach Parfait, Whisper White, Pool Party CS; Everyday Enchantment DSP

Xtras: Petite Pennant Builder punch; Lucky Limeade Baker's Twine; Adorning Accents embossing folders; Edgelit die; blender pens

Springtime Walk {PP86}

Hey there friends! It's Sunday so you know what that means...it's time for...The Paper Players!  Lovely Lesley is our hostess this week with a gorgeous, I mean gor-juss, color combination.  I'll bet you can guess what color it includes, right?  You got it...Pool Party!

Beautiful aren't they? When I look at these colors I hear, "Spring is here, Spring is here!"  Looking through my stamps for something "spring-y", I found one I haven't used in a long time, Nature Walk which I combined with Linda's fabulous sketch over at Freshly Made Sketches:

 

This is one of those sets that I struggle with.  All the images are so pretty and lend themselves to a collage style which I love.  Problem is, I still need a lot of practice with the "collage" look.   I fuss over placement of the images when I really just need to let it flow, right?  Well, anyway...after many tries on scrap paper, I'm finally happy with this one...I think ;-).  All the images are stamped in all 4 challenge colors...

with a little extra sparkle, via Dazzling Diamonds, on the bees' wings.  A little background stamping in tone-on-tone Crumb Cake really adds some interest to the plain card base.

I'm not really sure what I will use this card for so I left the inside sentiment-free for use at a later time.  But I did have fun with more Pear Pizzazz foliage and some bees.  Just love that sweet little bee.  That's it for me folks, I hope I've inspired you to play along with Lesley's gorgeous color combination.  Be sure to check out the rest of the Design Team for some fabulous inspiration:

The Paper Players Design Team

Ann Schach

Anne Marie Hile

LeAnne Pugliese

Lesley Croghan

Nance Leedy
Jenn Picard
Heidi Boos

Sherry Eckblad (March GD)

Our challenge will close Friday, March 16th at Noon (PST).  I hope you can join us!  Thanks for stopping by today!

Supplies 

Stamps: Nature Walk; Easter Blossoms [retired] 

Ink: Wisteria Wonder, Pool Party, Pear Pizzazz, Crumb Cake

Paper:  Wisteria Wonder, Pool Party, Pear Pizzazz, Crumb Cake, Whisper White; Flirtatious Specialty DSP

Xtras: Pool Party Seam Binding Ribbon; Linen Thread; Scallop Oval, Scallop Ribbon Border and Large Oval Punches

Flirtatious Doily {CCMC192}

Hiya friends and welcome to another week at Create with Connie & Mary! It's a sketch week and the gals have a fantastic sketch for us:

Oh, how I love circles so I was all over this one the first time I saw it!  I used a lot of circular elements in my otherwise fairly clean and simple card:

My inspiration is straight from the colors and patterns in the Flirtatious Specialty Designer Series Paper.  The main panel is stamped with Hello Doily in Wisteria Wonder, then topped with a laser-cut doily and a Melon Mambo rosette--both from the Flirtatious Specialty paper.  The catalog will tell you that Pumpkin Pie is the color in this designer paper but the laser-cut doily is a shade lighter and a much closer match to Peach Parfait.  So, the main panel is matted with Peach Parfait to pull together the colors.

I used the same colors on the inside, Wisteria Wonder, Melon Mambo & Peach Parfait, stamping randomly with images from Delicate Doilies and a matching sentiment from Petite Pairs.  There's actually more stamping on the inside of this card than the front, LOL!  Well, I hope you like it and find yourself inspired to play along with the rest of the Design Team.  Be sure to check out their amazing creations over at Create with Connie & Mary and if you decide to join us, please link up your crafty goodness by Wednesday, March 14th at Noon (EST).  I can't wait to see what you do with the sketch!

Supplies 

Stamps: Hello Doily, Delicate Doilies, Petite Pairs 

Ink: Wisteria Wonder, Melon Mambo, Peach Parfait

Paper:  Wisteria Wonder, Whisper White, Peach Parfait CS; Flirtatious Specialty DSP

Xtras: Simply Scored board; In Color Designer Brads; 1 1/4" square punch)

Peaceful Birthday {CR84FN49}

Create for fun...that's just what I did with this card I am sharing here today! We've been visiting my Mom and having a great time.  At night, she and I were able to sneak in some stampin' time, yahoo!  She has an amazing collection of PTI stamps so today I played just for fun!  I was inspired by this week's colors over at CR84FN49:

This card came together in about 20 minutes, really!  You'll see why; quick and simple:

I used a cotton ball dipped in Crumb Cake, Daffodil Delight and So Saffron ink to wipe each color across the main panel.  The beautiful stand of bamboo from Peaceful Garden (PTI) was over-stamped in Basic Gray and the whole thing matted on Daffodil Delight and popped up for dimension.

The inside was just a repeat of the the outside design with this lovely sentiment (Peaceful Garden) over-stamped in Basic Gray.  A very simple card but the brushed color gives a serene watercolor effect that blends well with the peaceful bamboo.  Be sure to check out all the amazing submissions over at the CR84FN Color Challenge along with the beautiful DT samples. Thanks for stopping by today!

 

Blue Skies & Happy Days {PP85}

Hey there friends! Coming to you today from sunny south Florida where our family is on Spring Break! Yes, still taking Spring Break after all these years, lol...that's just one benefit of living in a college town!  Today is Paper Players Sunday and Jaydee is our hostess-with-the-mostess for our monthly theme challenge:

My take on "spring" is blue skies, pastel colors and a happy sentiment.  I was totally inspired by this card from my CCMC team mate, Julie Edmonds and her super-clever use of the edgelit die.

Isn't that rolling hill of grass the cutest thing ever?!  I can say that since Julie thought of it so I'm not bragging, lol!  My base is Bashful Blue followed by a layer of a Certainly Celery mat and hill made with the Edgelit die and coordinating Adorning Accent embossing folder.   Thank you for the inspiration, Julie!

The balloons from Up, Up & Away were stamped in Bashful Blue, So Saffron and Pretty in Pink, hand-cut and accented with Dazzling Diamonds.  They are oh so sparkly in real life and oh-so-happy!  The clouds and balloon baskets were stamped in Crumb Cake...

...as was the inside sentiment from Sincere Salutations.  I stamped the Distressed Dots background on the inside as well as the outside along with a Pretty in Pink balloon and So Saffron balloon tail. 

I hope I've inspired you to play along with Jaydee's "Spring has Sprung" theme challenge this week at The Paper Players.  Be sure to check out the rest of the fabulous inspiration from our Design Team.  This week we are so excited to welcome two new team members, Heidi & Jenn, as well as one Guest Designer, Sherry!  Welcome ladies, delighted to be stamping alongside of you!

The Paper Players Design Team

Ann Schach

Anne Marie Hile

LeAnne Pugliese

Lesley Croghan

Nance Leedy
Jenn Picard
Heidi Boos

If you decide to play along with us, please link up your craft goodness by Friday, March 9th at Noon (PST).  I can't wait to come visit you!

  

Supplies 

Stamps: Up, Up & Away; Friendly Phrases, Distressed Dots; Sincere Salutations

Ink: Bashful Blue, So Saffron, Pretty in Pink, Early Espresso, Crumb Cake classic ink

Paper: Bashful Blue, Certainly Celery, Whisper White CS

Xtras: Edgelit dies; Adorning Accents embossing folder; Bashful Blue gingham ribbon (retired); Dazzling Diamonds

In My Thoughts {CCMC191}

Happy March 1st, friends!  You know what Thursday means...it's Create with Connie & Mary day! This week its a color inspiration.  Check out these happy, spring-time colors:

 I combined our colors with this beautiful sketch from the gals over at Card Patterns:  

I really liked the layout and the unique border treatment in the sketch.  So, here's what I did with it:

Just Believe was one of those sets I just HAD to have when it came out but it's been sorely neglected in my craft room.  So, I dusted it off and colored it with Wild Wasabi and So Saffron Stampin' Write markers to create my focal image.  I needed a thinking of you card for a friend and this one from Word Play is among my favorites.  I overstamped it in Island Indigo to coordinate with the card base.

The Lace Ribbon Border punch made a lovely trim piece through which I wove a piece of So Saffron 3/8" Taffeta Ribbon and with a glue dot added a little knot and some Island Indigo Baker's Twine--love that stuff!  And that's it, pretty simple really, especially when the sketch and colors are picked out for me!

I hope I've inspired you to play along with these gorgeous colors over at Create with Connie & Mary.  Be sure to check out the amazing inspiration from the rest of the Design Team--it's sure to be a treat!  If you decide to play along with us, please link up your creation by Wednesday, March 7th at Noon (EST).  I can't wait to see what you make...happy crafting!

 

Supplies 

Stamps: Just Believe, Word Play

Ink: Island Indigo

Paper: Island Indigo, So Safforn, Whisper White CS; Patterns Designer Paper Stack (Subtles)

Xtras: Lace Ribbon border punch; So Saffron 3.8" Taffeta Ribbon; Island Indigo Baker's Twine; Wild Wasabi & So Saffron Stampin' Write markers