Oh, Petite Hello {PP195}

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there!  I hope you have something special planned or, better yet, nothing but relaxation.  Aaaah, I am certain that you deserve it.  :-)  Today at The Paper Players, Sandy has given us a lovely color combination to work with:

I was feeling a bit rushed and out of sorts so I went in search of inspiration at some of my favorite challenge blogs and found this fabulous sketch over at Freshly Made Sketches:

I combined the two together with a favorite retiring stamp set, Oh Hello, to create a card just for fun:

I used a whole bunch of products that are either retired or retiring--sometimes it's fun just to dig through my stash and pull things together.  

I love to fussy-cut and find it so mind-numbingly relaxing that I don't mind cutting out the flowers in the Oh, Hello set.  I had a little left over Calypso Coral Organza ribbon from 2013 SAB that I tied along with some Linen Thread and attached with a Glue Dot.  Oh yes, this embossing folder is retiring too--another favorite--that adds such a charming detail without a lot of fuss.

It's hard to see in the overall picture but I wanted to show you the tone-on-tone stamping I did in opposite corners with the flourish from Creative Elements.  Just a subtle layer to the background that is very pretty IRL.

I think this is one set that will stay in my personal stash even after it is retired.  I love all the elements and find them so easy to work with--even on the inside!  

When it comes to working with stamps and paper, I'm going to need all the good thoughts you can manage to send my way as I work to create twenty-four samples for SU's North American Convention...  That's right, I applied and was invited to be a Display Stamper at Convention!!!  I am so excited, what an honor.  Oh, and just a little bit terrified too, lol!  I hope I can get everything accomplished in a short amount of time!  So, if things are a little quiet here you'll know it's not because I've abandoned you, it's because I am sequestered in my studio trying to churn out convention worthy designs...wish me luck!

In the meantime, do check out all the fabulous inspiration from my friends on the rest of the Design Team.  I hope our work inspires you to play along before the challenge ends on Friday, May 16th at Noon (PST).  Have a wonderful day, friends!

The Paper Players Design Team
Ann Schach
Anne Marie Hile
Jaydee
LeAnne Pugliese
Nance Leedy
Sandy Mathis

This Day Forward, with Love

From the moment I saw it in the catalog I knew the stamp set This Day Forward was just perfect for a very special anniversary card.  My mother and father-in-law celebrated their golden anniversary last summer and their card had to be over-the-top special, just like them.  I'd like to share it with you.... (beware: photo heavy post!)

Brushed Gold cardstock is simply gorgeous when dry embossed.   This retired DSP has a gold line running through that made it the perfect companion.  I sponged some Champagne Shimmer Mist paint onto the doily and embossed the image and sentiment with gold embossing powder.   Here's a peek to the inside...

The flourish from Creative Elements is one of my favorite stamps and embossed in gold on vellum it is just gorgeous....

The vellum overlay adds such an elegant look to their beautiful wedding photo.  I scanned the photo and printed it onto Very Vanilla cardstock from my home printer.

Of course, there were so many layers and embellies to this labor of love that it couldn't go into just a regular envelope.  So I decorated a Tag a Bag gift bag with even more embossing, glitz and glam!  I hope you've enjoyed this special card for a special couple as much as I enjoyed making it.  I know that my in-laws enjoyed it--I think there was even a tear or two--I heard word that they left it on display in their home for the rest of the celebratory year!  That made me feel so good!  For me, that's what making a handmade card is all about--pouring your heart and creativity into something that you know the recipient will LOVE!  Thanks for stopping by so I could share it with YOU!

 

Ka-Washi for the PP {PP192}

I am excited today to be this week's hostess over at The Paper Players where we have a fun Clean-and-Simple challenge:

I have several different sets of SU washi tape and decided to work with Gingham Garden because it hadn't seen the light of day yet!  As soon as I saw this great sketch on the Cardabilities blog:, a card design popped into my mind's eye.

The images and patterns of Gingham Garden are small and delicate so I wanted to keep the other design elements and images in keeping with that theme.  The light and airy scrolling flourish from Creative Elements makes a pretty background pattern especially when stamped in Pear Pizzazz to coordinate with the color in the Washi Tape.  

I've been so enamored with flowers lately, that my butterfly stamps and punches were starting to feel lonely.  I inked up Papillion Potpourri in Melon Mambo and layered an elegant and bitty butterfly.  Island Indigo is also one of the colors in the Washi Tape and I just happened to have some matching Baker's Twine to wrap up the butterfly.  A couple tiny butterflies cut and embossed from Vellum cardstock with the Beautiful Wings embosslit add a little dimension without adding more color.

Very easy to pull all these elements to the inside of the card as well....I had so much fun with this one that I decided to make a second, more gender neutral, card with the same sketch but different Washi Tape:

Here, I had fun playing with the colors from the Retro Fresh Washi Tape as well as elements from several stamp sets including Just Sayin', Peachy Keen, Starburst Sayings and Gorgeous Grunge. I mean because once you start...

you just can't stop....now go Washi something!  I have to tell you that the name Washi Tape makes me giggle.  DD has camped locally with the Girl Scouts at Camp Kateri where we learned at orientation that they don't call their bathrooms restrooms or toilets.  They call them....wait for it....Ka-washis!  So, now I want to call it, Kawashi Tape!!  :-)  Be sure to check out all the Ka-washi-tas-tic Kreations from my friends on the Design Team:

The Paper Players Design Team
Ann Schach
Anne Marie Hile
Jaydee
LeAnne Pugliese
Nance Leedy
Sandy Mathis

Card #1: Click image for details and ordering info:

Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl - Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.

Card #2:  Click image for details and ordering info:

Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl - Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.