Vintage Flower Fields: {PP57}

Happy Paper Players Sunday, friends!  Glad to have you here with me for my week as hostess over at The Paper Players.  We're hosting a sketch challenge this week and I designed it especially for you:

Some more goodies from the new catalog arrived on my doorstep last week and I couldn't wait to ink up Field Flowers.

I turned to my Color Coach for inspiration and found this fresh color combo: Soft Suede, Island Indigo, More Mustard and Lucky Limeade isn't it pretty?  Field Flowers is a gorgeous two-step stamp set and the best part is that the stems are separate from the flowers so they can be two different colors without using markers!  The stems were stamped in Lucky Limeade directly onto some First Edition Specialty Paper--love this look!  

One flower was stamped directly onto the DSP while the other was stamped two-step style onto Very Vanilla cardstock and snipped out for some dimension.  Both flowers received a Soft Suede center with yet another stamp in the set. Because I was channeling my teammate, Ann Schach, (!) I sponged the edges of the flower with Soft Suede.  In fact, I think I sponged all the edges and oh, yes I even used one of Ann's favorite tools the 7-sided distressing tool!  Love how it roughs up the edges! 

I rolled one corner and separated the layers of Island Indigo cardstock--I told you I was channeling Ann, LOL!  The corner was just crying out for something so a sweet little Soft Suede bee floated out of the Nature Walk stamp set and landed on my paper!

The opposite corners of the Soft Suede base got a background stamping treatment with the water spots and script stamp from French Foliage. As well as the More Mustard Top Note peeking out from the bottom.  Isn't that new In Color ruffled ribbon lovely? 

Another new stamp set saw ink on this card...Friendly Phrases is a must-have--love the mixed fonts and the cursive handwriting. 

More fun with water spots on the inside too!  Can't get enough of them!  So, I hope you've enjoyed today's card and that you'll cruise on over to the rest of the Design Team for some lovely inspiration:

The Paper Players Design Team

Ann Schach

Anne Marie Hile

Jaydee

Lauri Ingram

LeAnne Pugliese

Lesley Croghan

Nance Leedy

Sandra Azzopardi

Tui Nathan (GD)

If you decide to join us this week, please load your craftiness on The Paper Players blog by Friday, August 5th at midnight (PST) to be in the running for A Cut Above or even Headliner!  I can't wait to see what you do with our sketch!  Thanks for stopping by!

supplies:

stamps: field flowers, french foliage, nature walk, friendly phrases

ink: lucky limeade, more mustard, soft suede

paper: soft suede, island indigo, more mustard, very vanilla CS; first edition specialty DSP

xtras: lucky limeade ruffled ribbon; top note die; 7-sided distressing tool; sponges;

Pocketful of Love: {CCMC160}

Welcome to the Thursday Challenge of Create with Connie and Mary--oh, I was sweating over this one!  Skewed panels get me every time so this truly was a challenge for me but that's why it's called a "challenge", right?!  Here's this week's sketch:

Yep, it's a doozy!  I really loved the look of the black ribbon in the sketch and thought it was a great pop against the beautiful colors of the Timeless Portrait designer paper.  Here's what I made for you:

What do you think, really?  This is so far out of my comfort zone but I'm kinda liking the results.  I had an anniversary card in mind for my in-laws and thought the rich colors lent themselves to a romantic, shabby feel so I went with it!  The base is River Rock onto which I stamped Hello Doily in River Rock ink, sponged the edges with more River Rock for a tea stain look and framed it in Cherry Cobbler.  The panels of Timeless Portrait DSP were also edged in River Rock and applied directly to the card base.

The real star is this yummy flower punched twice with the Fancy Flower punch from Cherry Cobbler cardstock.  Just fold, crunch and distress each flower using the bone folder on the edges until the paper starts to separate.  I pulled apart the layers of cardstock flipped one over and layered them on top.  Flipping one flower over to the distressed side gives it a suede or velvet look.  

I finished off the center with a 3/4" circle of Island Indigo, an Antique Brad and a Tiny Tag sentiment.  The background of the sentiment is stamped in River Rock with one of the flourishes from the Tiny Tag set.  In lieu of a bow, I added a few Basic Black branches using the Large two-step Bird punch and tucked them behind the flower.

The inside got a little matching designer paper as well as a Teeny Tiny Wishes sentiment framed in Island Indigo with a Four Frames stamp.  So what do you think, will you take the challenge?  I certainly did!  I hope you will check out what the rest of the Create with Connie & Mary design team did with this sketch and then play along with us.  We can't wait to come visit you!  Thanks for stopping by...cheers!

supplies:

stamps: hello doily, teeny tiny wishes, charming, tiny tags

ink: river rock, island indigo, jet black sazon

paper: river rock, very vanilla, cherry cobbler CS; timeless portrait DSP

xtras: basic black satin ribbon; large two-step bird, scallop ribbon border, medium jewelry tag, 3/4" circle punches; antique brad; bone folder

Happy Birthday LeAnne!

Thursday is my friend, and fellow Paper Players DT member, LeAnne's birthday...Happy Birthday LeAnne!  LeAnne is such a sweet person with immense crafting talent and a wicked sense of humor!  Her emails and comments always brighten my day so I created this card to send some happiness her way!

Pinwheels are all the rage in the paper crafting world and I was inspired by the pinwheels on this card over at my friend Rita's blog, Cards by Rita.  The pinwheel is super simple to make--this one is a 3" square of Just Add Cake designer paper, scored corner to corner to form an "X" and cut in from each corner almost to the center but not all the way.  I made it more difficult by punching holes for the brad but it would be much easier to secure the ends with a glue dot in the center!  Live and learn.... :-)

The French Filigree background stamp was inked in So Saffron and stamped directly on another piece of Just Add Cake designer paper to mimic swirling wind!  That swirling wind is waving a sentiment flag cut from Whisper White cardstock and punched at the end with a 1 1/4" square punch on an angle and wrapped around a lollipop stick.  Lollipop sticks can be bought in bulk wherever candy making supplies are sold. 

Of course, wherever there is wind there are clouds...cupcake clouds that is!  On this card, these were punched with the Build-a-Cupcake XL punch and sponged with Baja Breeze.

And because I can't stop making cupcake clouds, I added a few more to the inside with some matching DSP and another sentiment from Happiest Birthday Wishes (sorry the pic is so dark).  I hope you'll ride a few of those cupcake clouds over to LeAnne's blog and wish her a Happy Birthday...have a good one friends!

supplies:

stamps: french filigree; happiest birthday wishes

ink: so saffron, wild wasabi, baja breeze

paper: wild wasabi, peach parfait; baja breeze, whisper white CS; just add cake DSP

xtras: polka dot impressions folder; build-a-cupcake punch; glimmer brads (subtles); 3/4" circle punch; lollipop stick; 1 1/4" square punch;

Worth the Wait: {PP56}

Happy Paper Players Sunday everyone!  What a great way to start off the week--with a sketch from The Paper Players!  This week the fun and fabulous Anne-Marie is our hostess and she has designed this awesome clean-and-simple sketch for you to try:

Now, the sketch is a square but I know Anne Marie won't mind if you make a traditional A2 card like I did.  I noticed a few other design team members snuck in a standard size too!  :-)  I love the circle elements in the sketch and couldn't get my mind off of buttons for this one.  So I built the card around some [retired] large designer buttons to make a welcome baby card for some friends of ours who recently welcomed a baby boy!

In addition to the buttons, I wanted to use the new Not Quite Navy 1 1/4" striped grosgrain ribbon I had left over from my ribbon share.  This ribbon is gorgeous and I love it in NQN!  I'm totally hooked on flagged ends too and my craft scissors made a quick flag on one end of the ribbon.  The other end I just looped around and adhered with snail adhesive then applied the whole piece of ribbon to my card base with sticky strip.

With the buttons and the ribbon selected, I had three colors for the sweet little turtle from Fox & Friends: Daffodil Delight, Not Quite Navy and Tangerine Tango.  The sentiment from Word Play, inked in Early Espresso, was the perfect companion to the slow and steady trio of turtles!

The buttons each received a treatment with Early Espresso Baker's Twine to dress them up nicely!  And here's a peek at the inside:

 Be sure to check out the rest of the Design Team inspiration:

The Paper Players Design Team

Ann Schach

Anne Marie Hile

Jaydee

Lauri Ingram

LeAnne Pugliese

Lesley Croghan

Nance Leedy

Sandra Azzopardi

Tui Nathan (GD)

We hope you'll play along with us this week--we enjoy peeking at your creations and sharing the fun with you!  You have until Friday, July 29th at midnight (PST) to link up your creation over at The Paper Players--we hope to see you there!

supplies:

stamps: fox & friends; word play, a word for you

ink: early espresso, not quite navy, tangerine tango, daffodil delight

paper: very vanilla, crumb cake, early espresso CS

xtras: scallop squares duo die; early espresso bakers twine; polka dot impressions folder; not quite navy 1 1/4" striped grosgrain ribbon.

Sweet Birthday: {CCMC159}

Oh my goodness, has it really been 10 days since I last posted?! Yikes!  Sorry friends, I guess I needed a bit of a break.  :-)  Thank goodness for this week's challenge over at Create with Connie & Mary to get my crafting mojo in gear!  This week we have some really pretty colors for CCMC159, how about Regal Rose, Marina Mist and Sahara Sand...lovely!

I paired this week's colors with this adorable sketch from the Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge (SSSC126):

With colors and sketch in hand, I knew just what I wanted to do...

I just love that flagged end to the Regal Rose designer paper!  The balloon was made by stamping a sentiment from the new hostess set Happiest Birthday Wishes in Marina Mist ink onto MM cardstock.  The circle was made with the 2 1/2" circle punch and edged with some Tombow liquid adhesive and Silver Glass Glitter.

The balloon basket from Sweet Centers was stamped in Sahara Sand to which I added some Regal Rose balloon weights, Linen Thread ties and Sahara Sand clouds punched with the Build-a-Cupcake punch.  I can't believe I don't have a Regal Rose marker so I substituted with a RR ink pad and blender pen.  Guess what's on my next order?!

I love those cupcake clouds!  And here's a quick peek at the inside:

Another banner panel for the inside with more clouds, this time sponged with Marina Mist ink and the super happy sentiment also from the Happiest Birthday Wishes hostess set.  

That's all for me today folks--I hope to be back to a regular posting schedule now.  Be sure to check out the rest of the design team inspiration over at Create with Connie & Mary--they're sure to have some lovely projects!  We hope you'll play along with us--we can't wait to see what you create with these colors!

supplies:

stamps: sweet centers, happiest birthday wishes

ink: marina mist, regal rose, sahara sand

paper: sahara sand, whisper white, marina mist CS; designer patterned paper (brights)

xtras: build-a-cupcake, scallop ribbon border, 2 1/2" circle and 1 1/4" square punches; basic rhinestones; silver glass glitter; linen thread; blender pen