Timeless Textures Valentine PP379

Hi friends!  Are you all ready for the Super Bowl?  We're not huge football fans in this house--give us volleyball or cycling any day--so we probably won't even watch it. LOL. However, I am rootin' for the Eagles just for my Paper Players pal LeAnne!  Speaking of The Paper Players, this week the lovely and talented Claire has a fun Theme Challenge for us: 

I tried a few things and just wasn't getting anywhere and then I spied a picture of the Painted with Love designer paper in the Occasions Catalog.  I don't own it--really trying to cut down on my paper buyign--but it is gorgeous!  When I saw the paper, something just clicked!  So I pulled out my stamp pads, acrylic blocks and some abstract stamp images and made this:

Which turned into this:

I made my own designer paper and it was so much fun!  I started with some Blushing Bride ink on a small acrylic block stamping it in a loose checkerboard pattern on a piece of Whisper White cardstock.  Next I added the abstract swoosh from Work of Art in Sweet Sugarplum.  Next was an element in Flirty Flamingo from the Timeless Textures stamp set.  A step back to look at it and it still needed some more layers....so I kept going.  I added another image from Timeless Textures in Powder Pink ink and some random tiny splotches, also from Timeless Textures, in Fresh Fig.  That seemed pretty good but to really make it special, I added a swirly stamp--you guessed it from Timeless Textures--that I heat embossed in gold.  

You can better see all the stamped images in this close-up and also see the little bit of gold thread added behind the die-cut sentiment.  Love that I was able to fill a whole sheet of cardstock because now I can make at least 4 more card fronts from it!  Woohoo!  I had a little strip of the my stamped cardstock left over which I used to trim the inside panel of the card.  I can't show it to you though because that would give away the name of the recipient!  Shhhhhh. 

Be sure to check out the work of my fabulous teammates at The Paper Players and come join us before the challenge ends on Friday, February 9th at Noon PST.  Thanks for stopping by!

The Paper Players Design Team 

Claire Broadwater

 Jaydee

Joanne James

Laurie Schmidt

LeAnne Pugliese

Nance Leedy 

Sandy Mathis 

Annie Abrahamson 

Jan Clothier 

Elizabeth Stewart 

Y'all seemed to enjoy last week's photo of our daughter playing volleyball so I thought I would share again...two pix from last weekend's tournament in Tampa:

And this is one of her teammates but I just love the shot and the intensity of Cate's stare--I think I would be intimidated looking at that from across the net!

Love these girls and their moxie!

Love You to......Jupiter? PP278

This week, the super creative Sandy is our hostess at The Paper Players with a challenge to create a Clean-and-Simple valentine--yay, Valentines!!

You know that excitement you get when you've made a card you love and just HAVE to share it with someone?  Right?  After I made today's card, I literally squealed because it came out just like I pictured it in my head.  I rushed to show it to our daughter--coz, ya know hubby just doesn't "get" it--and was delighted when she squealed too!  And then I said look how I painted the moon with Wink of Stella so it sparkles and she said......that's not the moon, Mama, that's Jupiter.  Talk about a buzz kill, ha!

Alright, I admit the swirly paper (Going Places DSP stack) does look a bit like the Jupiter's big red spot but I prefer to think of it as the swirling mists of a full moon.....especially with all the Wink of Stella I painted on it!  The background paper is also from the Going Places DSP stack and I used the Alphabet Rotary Stamp to create the sentiment (a favorite saying between DD and me).  I added some Gold Thread looped behind the moon (yeah, I know the moon doesn't have rings!) just because I thought it looked very galactic.  

I picked up the Hello Honey color from the DSP and used it on the inside with two images from the Going Global stamp set--love how the images coordinate with the Going Places DSP.  Oh, and if you're curious the card measures 5" square.  I don't often make square cards but this one seemed just the right size.  

We hope you will join us at The Paper Players this week for some Valentine fun!  Check out the rest of the design team for more inspiration and then join us before our challenge closes on Friday, January 22nd at Noon (PST).  Have a great day! 

The Paper Players Design Team

Claire Broadwater

Jaydee

Joanne James

Laurie Schmidt

LeAnne Pugliese

Nance Leedy

Sandy Mathis

Linda Callahan

Hannelie Bester

Colleen Begley

Twitterpated Cameo {CCMC186}

Happy Thursday, friends, and welcome to another week at Create with Connie & Mary! It's a sketch week and the gals have a really pretty sketch that I think you will like.  Let's have a look-see:

 The first time I saw this sketch, the scallop framed oval made me think of a cameo.  Then I saw this great card which just happened to be created by my fabulous Mom (!) and I was inspired to make this:

The colors and vintage patterns of the Twitterpated designer paper seemed like a good companion to the old-fashioned cameo.  But wouldn't you know it, I don't own any Twitterpated DSP so you know what I did?  That's right...printed it in My Digital Studio!  And if you read all the way through today's post, there's a surprise for you at the end!  ;-) 

I stamped the cameo frame in Blushing Bride ink and the silhouette in Riding Hood Red then ran it through the Big Shot with the oval embossing frame.  The edges were sponged in more Blushing Bride and some flowers were added with the Itty Bitty Punch Pack. 

A Riding Hood Red border was added with the Adorning Accents Edgelit die and the Basic Gray background was stamped with the flourish image from Creative Elements.

Lastly, some yummy Baja Breeze Pleated Satin Ribbon was augmented by an embossed strip of Baja Breeze run through the Framed Tulips embossing folder. I love how the embossed image really pops out with just a little bit of sponging.

You still with me?  I hope so because I have something for you...a free tutorial on Full-Page Printing in My Digital Studio!  I hope you like it...just follow the link below to download the PDF file.  It may take a few minutes to load, so please be patient.  After you try it out, please come back and let me know if it was helpful to you!

Just maybe you'll use my tutorial to print some paper for this week's sketch!  I hope you'll join us over at Create with Connie & Mary.  Be sure to check out the rest of the Design Team's lovely inspiration and then link up your crafty creations!  The challenge will run until Wednesday, February 1st at 12 Noon (EST).  I hope to see you in the gallery!


Tutorial: Full-Page Printing in My Digital Studio

Supplies 

Stamps: Forever Young, P.S. I Love You, Creative Elements

Ink: Basic Gray, Blushing Bride, Riding Hood Red, Baja Breeze

Paper: Basic Gray, Blushing Bride, Riding Hood Red, Baja Breeze, Whisper White; Twitterpated DSP (MDS)

Extras: Framed Tulips embossing folder; Baja Breeze pleated satin ribbon; Designer Frames embossing folders; Basic Pearls; Itty Bitty Punch pack; Adorning Accents Edgelits; 1 1/4" Square Punch