Embossed & Dashing for the Paper Players {26}

Happy Sunday everyone!  I hope all my US friends enjoyed the holiday weekend, I sure did!  It was nice to have a leisurely time making my card for this week's Paper Players {26} challenge.  Usually it's a mad rush to the deadline!  This week is Jaydee's Paper Players Plus challenge and she's calling for wet embossing.  Such fun--I love how embossing creates a sharp and glossy image.  For this one, I turned to a much-neglected holiday favorite from 2009.  Sweet Dasher has yet to see ink this holiday season so I thought he was due for a turn at my craft table.

Isn't he handsome?  He looks wonderful emobssed in Night of Navy.  First, I cut a 3" circle with my Nestabilities and stamped the long row of bare trees from Lovely as a Tree in Bashful Blue.  

 

Next, I overstamped Dasher by inking him first in Versamark, then Night of Navy and sprinkled with clear embossing powder and heat set.  I love this technique which allows me to emboss in any ink color.  Versamark + classic ink of choice + clear embossing powder and heat set = FAB results!  I also added a little Dazzling Diamonds to the snowy hills with a glue pen. 

Bashful Blue cardstock was embossed with the Northern Flurry impressions folder and sponged over with Frost White Shimmer Paint.  I applied the Shimmer Paint directly to the cardstock with a sponge and added a few basic rhinestones for even more sparkle!

 

 Whisper White organza ribbon is my go-to ribbon for holiday cards--it's elegant and shimmery all at once.  Of course, my other go-to this season is the Silver Tinsel trim I tied onto the knot.  A little bit of tinsel goes a long way but adds such a fun element!

 

On the inside, I stamped Lovely as a Tree again in Bashful Blue and overstamped a sentiment from Occasional Quotes (hostess level 2) in Night of Navy.  I just love this sentiment, it's the perfect match for the serene, frosty mood I was going for.  Of course, the inside needed a bit of "frost" too so a few more strokes of the glue pen and a sprinkling of Dazzling Diamonds was in order.

Won't you join us for a embossing challenge?  Head on over to The Paper Players this week to check out the rest of the Design Team's creations--you're sure to find a lot of inspiration when you do!  To play along just link up your creation by midnight (PST) Friday, December 3rd to be in the running for "A Cut Above" and "Headliner".  The winners will be featured on The Paper Players blog Saturday, December 4th.  Come join us, we can't wait to see what you'll create!
 

supplies:
stamps: dasher; lovely as a tree; contempo christmas; occasional quotes

ink: bashful blue, night of navy, versamark

paper: night of navy, bashful blue, whisper white CS

xtras: northern flurry impressions folder; whisper white organza ribbon; silver tinsel trim; dazzling diamonds; frost white shimmer paint; basic rhinestones, clear embossing powder

Gratitude and Thanksgiving wishes for you! {CD86}

 

Hi all, can you believe it's the day before Thanksgiving?  Where has this year gone?  Well, it's Wednesday and that means another challenge at the Color Dare {86}: Pumpkin Pie, Cajun Craze, Wild Wasabi and Baja Breeze.  Wow, at first glance, I thought "what am I going to do with that?!"  Then, I saw this fabulous wreath over on my friend LeAnne's blog and I knew I wanted to try my hand at it too.  Using the lid of a small storage jar, I lightly traced a circle in pencil onto my Naturals White cardstock.  The storage jar lid was handy but you could also use a punched circle as a template.  The circle is about 1 3/4".  The circle helped me line up the leaves, branches and twigs of my wreath to create an [almost] uniform circle instead of the ellipse I got the first time I tried it without tracing a circle! :-)

I stamped the small leaf from Autumn Days in Wild Wasabi leaving a little space between each one.  Next, I stamped the same leaf in Pumpkin Pie and followed up with Baja Breeze leaves.  I really like how the BB looks next to the PP & WW!  Lastly, the twig branch was stamped in Cajun Craze randomly around the circle.  A little Pumpkin Pie 1/4" grosgrain ribbon, secured with a glue dot, added a little dimension to the wreath.  As always, the hardest part was figuring out the pattern of leaves and colors--there were a few samples in the trash before I settled on "the one".

 

The color combination was looking so pretty (thanks Riley!) that I wanted to dress up the inside too.  I tried acrylic block stamping in Baja Breeze and I love the effect.  Just put your acrylic block directly on the ink pad and then stamp on your paper.  It gives a great background element.  Here, I used SU's block "D" and stamped off once before stamping the Baja Breeze onto the Naturals White cardstock.  I have tried this was some non-SU acrylic blocks (while I was waiting for the UPS man to bring my order with the blocks!) and I have to say that the SU blocks are better for this technique because the edges are rounded and give a soft stamped edge.  Other blocks have a right angle edge which gives a sharp hard edge to your stamped image.  Anyway....the wonderful Thanksgiving sentiment from Seasonal Sentiments, was overstamped in Cajun Craze with the other colors, Pumpkin Pie & Wild Wasabi, coming in on the leaf and branch from Autumn Days.

I wish I could send this card to all of you, dear blog readers and friends.  Your comments and well wishes keep me going and push me to be more creative with each post.  Since I can't mail one to all of you, this post is dedicated to you--thank you!  Whether you are celebrating Thanksgiving tomorrow or not, here's to you and a wonderful weekend ahead with friends and family...cheers!

supplies:
stamps: autumn days; seasonal sentiments, woodgrain bg, thankful for

ink: cajun craze, wild wasabi, pumpkin pie, baja breeze

paper: cajun craze, wild wasabi, naturals white CS

xtras: dotted scallop ribbon border punch; pumpkin pie 1/4" grosgrain ribbon; acrylic block D

PPA yeah!!

It's been way too long since I played at the PPA.  It's always been one of my favorite challenges but I just haven't been able to make the time.  I'll bet you can relate, right?!  Would you believe that I dreamed up this card on a 4 hour drive home Sunday and made it in about 30 minutes?  That's what I call clean-and-simple!

PPA69 calls for a clean-and-simple project featuring fabric and/or ribbon.  How fun!  I knew I wanted to use these gor-juss Joel Dewberry and Amy Butler fabrics I've been hoarding.  I love these colors and River Rock, Always Artichoke and Baja Breeze were a delightful match!  I ran 4 different patterned fabrics through my Big Shot on the Tasteful Trims die. Then I played around with the mix of patterns--this part took the longest!  A bit of sticky strip on the top of each scallop held it in place and I simply wrapped the ends around my Naturals Ivory cardstock.  Using the sticky strip at the top let each piece ruffle out a little bit.

Doesn't that look pretty?!  I inked one of the flowers from Pocket Silhouettes in Baja Breeze and stamped off once before stamping on the Naturals Ivory.  It made a lovely background image for an Always Artichoke Signature Greeting from PTI.  Then I wrapped the whole panel in Always Artichoke seam binding ribbon.  I had some scallop strips left over so I used a little bit on the inside...

and repeated the Pocket Silhouettes in Baja Breeze & Always Artichoke.  A little more seam binding ribbon and an Always Artichoke sentiment from On Your Birthday completes my project.  I hope you have as much fun looking at this one as I did creating it!  I can't wait to use more fabric on other projects--so many ideas in my head, wish I didn't have to sleep!  :-)  Have a good one friends!

supplies:

stamps: pocket silhouettes; on your birthday; signature greetings (PTI)

ink: baja breezem always artichoke

paper: river rock, naturals ivory cardstock

xtras: always artichoke seam binding ribbon; tasteful trims xl die

A Sketch for the Paper Players {25}

Happy Sunday everyone!  I am feeling rested and rejuvenated after some quality time with my Mom.  Everyone needs a little mama time now and then, right?!  Of course, our weekend included quality craft time so I am ready for a new challenge at The Paper Players.  I was honored when Lesley asked me to design a sketch for you :

I know, I didn't follow my own sketch quite exactly but it's just a starting point, LOL!  You can take liberties too!  I took my colors from the Candy Lane designer series paper: Baja Breeze, Garden Green and Blushing Bride.  Love these colors together!  The Blushing Bride and Baja Breeze Contempo Christmas ornaments were inked first in Versamark, then Classic ink, sprinkled with Iridescent Ice embossing powder and heat set.  The results are oh-so-sparkly but with the addition of a Basic Rhinestone trio at the top, they are downright festive!

Once I get into a design--the colors, shapes and mood of it--I can't stop at just the front!  So, the inside got a little Canopy treatment as well:

Just love the little sentiment and fab tree in the Contempo Christmas set.  Here I stamped the tree in Baja Breeze and overstamped, just a little, with the Garden Green sentiment.  A scrap of Candy Lane DSP and a Garden Green scallop ribbon border pulled it all together.

I will be so happy if you find inspiration in this week's Paper Players sketch. With a deadline of midnight (EST) Friday November 26th, our US friends should have enough time to recover from Thanksgiving and still get in on the challenge.  And those of you outside the United States will have a head start on us!  Thanks for stopping by and I hope to see your creation over at The Paper Players!

supplies:

stamps: contempo christmas; berry christmas (bows) [retired]

ink: baja breeze, garden green, versamark

paper: baja breeze, garden green, whisper white CS; candy lane dsp

xtras: scallop ribbon border punch; ornament punch; scallop trim border punch; iridescent ice stampin' emboss powder; basic rhinestones; polka dot impressions folder

A little R & R

'Evening everyone!  Sorry no card for you today...just a quick little note to let you know that I am taking a short break from blogging.  In the meantime, please check out the challenge over at The Paper Players for a wonderful holiday color combination and the talented crew at the Color Dare for a bright and cheerful color trio.  I'll be back on Sunday with my DT card for The Paper Players and it will be my turn as hostess again, yippee skippy!  Enjoy the rest of your week, see you on Sunday my friends!