A Paper Players Sketch {PP119}

Happy Sunday, friends, and welcome to another week with The Paper Players!  I am delighted to be your hostess this week for our monthly sketch challenge.  I love sketches--sometimes they are just a starting point and get the mojo flowing and sometimes I follow them exactly.  Either way as the foundation of the design, it's a great way to get started!

Even though it's late for a Halloween card, I just had to show you a card we made at my monthly stamp clubs:

You'll notice that I followed the sketch almost exactly--except where I used the Apothecary Accents Framelits instead of the banner.  You might also notice that it's a little bit longer than normal.  I just cut it in the middle and extended it beyond the focal image to make it a bit taller.  The label framelit covers the edges so no one would ever know that it's cut in half!  For the focal image, I heat embossed an image from Toxic Treats and using a 3/4" circle as a mask, sponged More Mustard ink around the circle.  Remove the circle and you have a perfect, spooky full moon!

I amped up the spook factor with a single eyeball accent and some champagne shimmer paint brushed over the spider web embossed background.  Gives a subtle sparkle to the background.

I used the same full moon masking technique on the inside along with two more of the images from Toxic Treats.  Stamping the images in Tangerine Tango and the masked moon in More Mustard.

And just because it goes so well with the colors and the full moon of today's card, I thought I would share a picture from our recent trip to Savannah, Georgia.  The historic district is brimming with gorgeousness around every corner and this historic square is no exception.  It was a perfect Southern night for strolling and snapping a pic or two!

I hope you'll find this week's challenge a perfect excuse to get busy in your craft room.  Go check out all the fabulous creations from the rest of the Design Team and  then link up your creations with us at The Paper Players!  Just be sure to get in on the action before Friday, November 2nd at Noon (PT) when this challenge turns into a pumpkin!  Happy Halloween!

The Paper Players Design Team

Jen Arkfeld
Dawn Easton
Helen Heil  

Anne Marie Hile

Jaydee

Nance Leedy

LeAnne Pugliese

Ann Schach

Amy White

Supplies 
Stamps: Toxic Treats
Ink: More Mustard, Tangerine Tango, Jet Black Stazon
Paper: More Mustard, Tangerine Tango, Very Vanilla, Basic Black CS; Houndstooth & Scaringbone DSP; Champagne Glimmer Paper
Xtras: Apothecary Accents & Labels Collection Framelits; Spider Web embossing folder; Basic Gray striped satin ribbon; 3/4" circle punch; googly eyes from my stash; Finishing Touches Edgelit die; Champagne Shimmer paint

All Framed Up! {PP118}

Happy Sunday everyone! Welcome to another week with The Paper Players. It's finally started to cool down here in North Florida and we are lovin' it.  Mind you, when I say cool I mean mid-70s, LOL!  Anywho...let's see what our hostess-with-the-mostest, Anne Marie has this week for our Clean-and-Simple challenge.

Our challenge was to incorporate frames into our projects keeping it clean-and-simple.  So I turned to the Four Frames stamp set and went to town with all of them!  

I was inspired by the colors in this fabulous card from Rochelle Gould.   Isn't it incredible?!  I used Basic Gray, Cajun Craze, More Mustard and Baja Breeze and stamped them in all of the images from Four Frames.  I matted the whole piece with More Mustard, trimmed it out in some More Mustard designer paper from the Regals Designer Series Paper Pattern Stack, wrapped it with Baja Breeze Seam Binding ribbon and a Designer Ribbon Slide.  Do you have these ribbon slides from the Holiday Catalog yet?  You should!  They're great!

This is just one of my "stash" cards so I left the inside without a sentiment but repeated some more frames...and that's it!  Pretty clean and oh-so-simple!  So simple it's a little embarrassing even!  The rest of the design team has some awesome projects for you so be sure to check them out.  Hope you'll join the fun but don't delay!  The Paper Players challenge ends Friday, October 26th at Noon (PDT)!

The Paper Players Design Team

Jen Arkfeld
Dawn Easton
Helen Heil  

Anne Marie Hile

Jaydee

Nance Leedy

LeAnne Pugliese

Ann Schach

Amy White

 
Supplies 
Stamps: Four Frames; Sweet Essentials 
Ink: Basic Gray, More Mustard, Cajun Craze, Baja Breeze, Jet Black Stazon
Paper:  Basic Gray, More Mustard, Whisper White CS; Regals Designer Series Paper Pattern Stack
Xtras: Baja Breeze Seam Binding Ribbon; Designer Ribbon Slides; Large Basic Pearls

Bravo, Midnight Cajun! {PP117}

Happy Sunday everyone and welcome to another week with The Paper Players! I'm sorry my blogging has reduced to once a week--just can't seem to manage more than that with all my daughter's activities too!  I'll keep trying though as long as you'll keep visiting, deal?  Good.  Let's take a look at the beautiful autumn colors Jaydee is hosting for us this week:

Yummy!  These warm, rich colors had me thinking of Thanksgiving and being thankful for family and friends.  With that in mind, here's what I designed:

I recently purchased the Layered Labels set and matching Apothecary Accents dies and wow, are they pretty!  I love the detailed scroll work on the large label.  I hope Jaydee will forgive that I used Midnight Muse instead of NoN--they're so close!  I really wanted to use the chevron paper from Comfort Cafe for one of the DSP strips since the pretty Cajun Craze pattern was in the same pack.  Had to dig a little deeper for Bravo Burgandy--with only one sheet of cardstock--but the Designer Series Paper Regals Pattern Stack came to the rescue with the polka dotted BB paper.  Love those stacks!

I layered the elements of the Layered Label stamp.  Stamping the middle section again in Bravo Burgandy onto Cajun Craze cardstock and fussy cutting the oval.  The sentiment came from the Loving Thoughts set and it's difficult to see but a added an extra bit of BB cardstock to the flagged end by adding a piece cut with the Bitty Banners Framelits.  A bunch of pearls and some Crumb Cake Scalloped Tulle Ribbon dressed it up nicely.

As I was making this, I realized that thankful thoughts also go out for my boss.  Did you know that Bosses' Day is Tuesday, October the 16th in the US and Canada?  This sentiment, from the retired set Occasional Quotes, is ideal for the workplace.  If you're in the US or Canada, don't forget your boss or supervisor on Tuesday--they would love to receive a handmade card from you!

And, I would love to see you play along with us at The Paper Players.  Go check out the rest of the fabulous inspiration from my friends on the design team and then gather up your crafting supplies and get busy!  You've got until Friday, October 19th at Noon (PDT) before the challenge ends.  Thanks for stopping by today!


Supplies 
Stamps: Layered Labels; Loving Thoughts; Day of Gratitude; Occasional Quotes (ret.)
Ink: Midnight Muse, Cajun Craze, Bravo Burgundy
Paper: Cajun Craze, Very Vanilla, Bravo Burgundy CS; Comfort Cafe, Orchard Harvest DSP; Designer Series Paper Regals Pattern Stack
Xtras: Crumb Cake Scalloped Tulle Ribbon; Basic Pearls; Apothecary Accents Framelits; Bitty Banners Framelits; 1.24" square punch; Chantilly Crochet Trim (ret.)

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