Oh, Whale for the Paper Players

Happy Sunday, friends! I hope you're having a great weekend. Sundays are a great day around here because it means another week with The Paper Players!  Check out the great sketch our friend, LeAnne has for us this week:

It's a good one isn't it?  I must say, though, I took a few liberties with it--including flipping it--but I think you can see the bones, at least I hope that LeAnne can!

 

We made another version of this at my stamp clubs this month and it seemed to be a big hit!   Don't you just love that little whale?  For the main panel, I added some large scalloped "waves" cut with the Tasteful Trims die from the gorgeous Sale-a-Bration Sycamore Street DSP. 

I alternated the scallops and tucked the Island Indigo whale from Oh, Whale in amongst the waves.  Then, I curled up the edges of the scallops to add more dimension.  A pass through the new Cloudy Day embossing folder {heart!}, some [free] Tangerine Tango satin ribbon and a rhinestone eye completed the look.

To mimic the ribbon in LeAnne's sketch, I added a trio of waves with the stamp from Oh, Whale to the Sahara Sand card base.  Some Sahara Sand marker spritzed onto the card added interest and a "sandy beach" feel.

The inside got a similar treatment with some more wavy stamping and polka dotted waves.  With the ease of the coordinating Happy Whale Clearlit, I couldn't resist adding another die cut whale.

And, with LeAnne's great sketch I know you won't be able to resist our challenge this week!  Check out the rest of the Design Team for some fabulous inspiration and then go get busy in your craft room!  Just make sure to come back and share with us at The Paper Players by Friday, February 1st at Noon (PST).

The Paper Players Design Team

Ann Schach

Anne Marie Hile

Jaydee

LeAnne Pugliese

Nance Leedy

Amy O'Neill

Brian King

Jen Nelson

Justin Krieger

Sandy Mathis

 
Stamps: Oh, Whale; Friendly Phrases; Wishes Your Way
Ink: Tangerine Tango, Island Indigo, Sahara Sand, Summer Starfruit
Paper: Sahara Sand, Whisper White; Sycamore Street DSP
Extras: Tasteful Trims die; Tangerine Tango satin ribbon; Cloudy Day embossing folder; basic rhinestones; Happy Whale clearlit; 

Swallowtail Multi-Color Technique

Hi there, friends! I'm so excited to share today's card with you. But first, Jaydee has a wonderful Clean-and-Simple sketch challenge for us over at The Paper Players:

Such a great sketch with all kinds of possibilities.  While at Stampin' Up's Leadership Conference last weekend, we saw a demonstration using multiple ink pads to color the gorgeous Swallowtail stamp from the Spring Catalog.  I was so inspired to try it myself:

I turned the stamp rubber side up and applied ink directly with the ink pad, tilting the ink pad and brushing it on in sections like a paintbrush.  Starting in the middle and working outward I used Elegant Eggplant, Summer Starfruit and Baja Breeze.

Because I wanted the butterfly to float off the edge of the card base and show more of the beautiful stamp, I stamped it again on the Summer Starfruit base using the stamp-a-ma-jig to line it up with the previous stamped image.  I also spritzed a little Soft Suede marker across the card front.

On the inside, I used Baja Breeze and Summer Starfruit only to ink the butterfly, stamped off once and then onto the Whisper White cardstock.  A sentiment from Blooming with Kindness was added to bring in my third color--Elegant Eggplant.

With the large Swallowtail stamp, I've shown you just one way to interpret Jaydee's clean-and-simple sketch.  Check out the rest of the Design Team for even more gorgeous inspiration.  I hope you'll come back to The Paper Players and show us  your creation before this challenge closes on Friday, January 25th at Noon (PST).  Thanks for stopping by today!

The Paper Players Design Team

Ann Schach

Anne Marie Hile

Jaydee

LeAnne Pugliese

Nance Leedy

Amy O'Neill

Brian King

Jen Nelson

Justin Krieger

Sandy Mathis

Stamps: Swallowtail; Blooming with Kindness; Sweet Essentials 
Ink: Summer Starfruit, Elegant Eggplant, Baja Breeze 
Paper: Summer Starfruit, Whisper White CS 
Xtras: Color Spritzer; Soft Suede marker; Dazzling Diamonds; glue pen

Blue Sky & Daffodils {PP128}

Hi there friends! It's another Paper Players Sunday and the always-effervescent-Anne-Marie is our hostess this week for a color challenge!

I love color challenges.  I love the opportunity to mix colors and how the combinations sometimes push me outside my comfort zone.  I have to admit, anything using Pacific Point does just that, lol!  That said, I adore this combination that Anne-Marie has given us.  Pacific Point is really pretty with gray & yellow.  I knew that I wanted to incorporate flowers:

And that is exactly what I did!  I was itching to use the Secret Garden stamp set and coordinating Framelits and they did not disappoint.  I started with a Basic Gray base and layered a piece of Pacific Point run through with the Tulip Frame embossing folder and trimmed down to size.  I found the perfect patterned Pacific Point paper (say that 5 times fast!) in the International Bazaar DSP. 

Then the fun began!  I stamped the flowers with Versamark ink onto Daffodil Delight and heat set them with white embossing powder.  I stamped each flower twice and fussy-cut the center part to layer.  I wanted to highlight the beautiful line art of the flowers so I added a little shading with a blender pen and Daffodil Delight ink.   I must say I am really pleased with the results!

I do hope you'll join us this week for Ann-Marie's fabulous color combination.  As you read this I am traveling back from SU's Leadership Conference--my very first!  I am sure that I will have lots of ideas to share with you as I try to absorb and create with all that I've learned from the experience.  In the meantime, be sure to check out the rest of the Design Team who are sure to have some stellar projects to share with you.  This week's Paper Players challenge closes on Friday, January 18th at Noon (PST).  Thanks for stopping by today!

The Paper Players Design Team

Ann Schach

Anne Marie Hile

Jaydee

LeAnne Pugliese

Nance Leedy

Amy O'Neill

Brian King

Jen Nelson

Justin Krieger

Sandy Mathis

Stamps: Secret Garden; Blooming with Kindness
Ink: Pacific Point, Daffodil Delight, Basic Gray, Versamark
Paper: Pacific Point, Daffodil Delight, Basic Gray,Whisper White CS; International Bazaar DSP
Xtras: Secret Garden Framelits; Basic Gray taffeta ribbon; Labels Framelits; Festive Paper Piercing Pack; Tulip Frame embossing folder; blender pen

A Preview Surprise!

***If you're looking for my Paper Players card, click here***

Hi friends! I know you must be thinking what's up...Nance posting on Tuesday?! Well, it's a very special post because today is the day when I am revealed as a Guest Designer for the Create with Connie & Mary Spring 2013 Edition!  

I was delighted to be invited back to the Create with Connie & Mary team--even for one project.  Connie & Mary have lined up an amazing group of artists and the 
Create with Connie and Mary Spring 2013 Edition will be chock-full of fabulous projects and tutorials but...only for subscribers.  

Each Guest Designer will feature a stamp set or product on their project. Here is the card I created as a sneak peek...can you guess what product I will feature?

You won't want to miss it!  Preview week started yesterday, and the session runs all week. There are some talented designers ready with over a month’s worth of projects – just for you!  

Remember, the only way to get to see my project created especially for Connie & Mary, or the other designer’s projects, is to sign up, so head over to Create with Connie & Mary to take advantage of the $29.95 early bird price today!

 

Love Across and Down {PP127}

Hi there, friends! Happy Sunday and welcome to the first Paper Players challenge of 2013.  I've had a lovely two week break over the holidays and am ready to get back to the "real" world. ;-)  This week, the sweet and sassy [Ann] Schach is hosting a theme challenge:

I am excited to share my card with you today.  First, a little back story....I've been keeping a secret from you...  :-)  Have you heard of the Control Freak Swappers?   They are an awesomely talented group of SU demos who host the monthly Control Freak Blog Tour as well as a swap group.  And, can you guess?  Yes...I was invited to join the fun!  Truly, this is a big honor for me--it's an amazing group of talent and I am proud to be a Freak!  OK, so that's the back story for the card which I made, with today's challenge in mind, for a recent Control Freak Swap!

Oh my gosh, there are so many products that I love from the new Spring Catalog on this card!  First, I stamped a sentiment from the new set Cross My Heart in Early Espresso on Very Vanilla cardstock and fussy cut the shape.   

The heart is punched from Primrose Petals cardstock with the Owl punch and got a glossy look with some Crystal Effects.  See the Pool Party heart behind the sentiment?  The heart was cut with a Heart Framelit and over-stamped with the chevron oval stamp from the new Oh, Hello set.  Love this set, too!

And, I know you noticed the deep impressions of the new Honeycomb Embossing Folder, right?  Isn't it gorgeous?  This tiny little heart from the Tiny Tags set decorates a few of the honeycomb spaces.  Finally, I added another heart under the sentiment and layered a piece of the yummy More Amore Specialty Designer Series Paper to the front as well as the inside.

Sorry for the photo-heavy post but I wanted to show you all the little details I so love adding!  And speaking of show, I just know the rest of the Design Team has some wonderful projects to show you.  Be sure to check them out, including our 5 new Guest Designers!  I hope you'll get your craft on and join us before the challenge closes on Friday, January 11th at Noon (PST).  Have a great week everyone!

The Paper Players Design Team

Ann Schach

Anne Marie Hile

Jaydee

LeAnne Pugliese

Nance Leedy

Amy O'Neill

Brian King

Jen Nelson

Justin Krieger

Sandy Mathis

 
Supplies 
Stamps: Oh, Hello; Cross My Heart; Delightful Dozen; Tiny Tags 
Ink: Primrose Petals, Early Espresso, Pool Party 

Paper: Very Vanilla, Primrose Petals, Pool Party CS; More Amore Specialty DSP
Xtras: Scalloped Ribbon Border Punch; Primrose Petals Stitched Satin Ribbon; Hearts Framelits; Owl Punch; Honeycomb Embossing Folder; Crystal Effects; Fancy Fan Embossing Folder