Holly Christmas for the Paper Players

Hello friends!  The Paper Players are back with another year of weekly challenges.  This first one is our color challenge, hosted by the lovely LeAnne.  I used these colors to create a Christmas card (can't build up that 2026 stash fast enough!) but the trio would work nicely for many occasions.

Paper Players

What a gorgeous combo of colors!  My card uses a beautiful holly background stamp from Kristina Werner/Concord & 9th.  And because this is the first outing for this stamp on my blog, I'll be sharing it over at Darnell's NBUS blog.  And because Inkspirational is looking for Shine/Shiny on one's card, I'll also share over there because both my cards have shiny embellishments.

NBUS

Inspirational #358

Finally, I'll be sharing over at the SSS Wednesday Challenge where the theme this week is Something New.

I made two styles of card with these colors, but I like this first one best.

Because of the simplicity of the design, I ended up creating multiples, some on colored cardstock, with or without any ink blending.

For this card, I started by heat embossing the Easy Repeat Holly Background stamp in silver, then ink blending with shades of blue, fading to white.  I really like this look.  

The sentiment was created with Spellbinders Sending Joy Betterpress Plate and die.  I had a long and productive foiling session with this set last fall, and I have been reaping the benefits as I put together my holiday cards.  Simon Says Stamp Prism Sparkling Gems were added for berries and I was done!

So simple and so pretty!  For the card below, I ink blended blues on a panel of what I think was Misty Moonlight after heat embossing the same stamp in silver.  I trimmed down the sides, added it to a white card base and finished it off with thin strips of silver and SSS Starshine Sequins.

What style card do these colors bring to mind for you?  My wonderful teammates have a variety of designs to inspire at the challenge blog here.  The challenge lasts until Friday January 16th at 3pm EST.  I hope you'll join us!

Thanks for stopping by!

Stef

Warm Wishes for Color Hues

Hello friends and Happy New Year!  I hope your holidays were wonderful.  We're back with a new year of challenges at Color Hues and starting off 2026, the lovely Bonnie is hosting and has chosen a wonderful winter pairing.  

Color Hues

I'd been wanting to use an older stamp set from Stamping Bella and these colors couldn't have been more perfect to use with it.

This is Quinn.  She looks very stylish and cozy in her cute coat and warm boots!  I used Copic markers in cool grays to color her coat, stockings and to add shading, including on the ground so she didn't look like she was floating in air lol!  The red markers are more of a tomato red mix and worked well with the poppy cardstock used for the layering arch. A white gel pen was used to add polka dots to her scarf, but it looked so bright white that I chose to lessen the effect by coloring over them with a light red marker.

I used a piece of gray snowflake patterned paper from the Honey Bee Stamps North Pole paper pad (it came out last year but it's still available), cut it with an arch die, then layered that over the poppy cardstock cut with the next smaller arch die.  Two additional layers were added under that for a bit of dimension before adhering to the card base.  

The sentiment is from the same stamp set and was die cut with a small circle die.  The final touches were to add Star Dust Stickles to the hat pompom and head band, along with the tops of her boots, plus a few HBS Aurora Borealis gems.  In person, the sparkle is amazing but of course, it is difficult to capture in a photo. 

I hope you'll have an opportunity to play along with us this round.  These colors provide a wide range of options, as shown here by my talented teammates and our wonderful Guest Designers Lisa and Barb.  The challenge will stay open until 9 am Wednesday, January 14th.  I hope to see your card in the gallery!

Thanks for visiting!

Stef

• Stamping Bella Uptown Quinn and her Boots stamps
• Simon Says Stamp A2 Arches dies
• Hero Arts Nested Circle die
• Star Dust Stickles
• HBS Aurora Borealis gems
• HBA North Pole paper pad
• Copics - R59, 46, 27, 17, C7, 5, 3, 1, 0, E47, 44, 43, 41, 04, 21, 00

Season's Greetings for The Flower Challenge

Hello friends!  I'm back with my reminder post for The Flower Challenge.  This month we are using Christmas florals on our cards.  I think this is a lovely way to bid a fond farewell to TFC and I do hope you'll join us if you haven't already.  The challenge will be closing for the last time on the 25th of this month.

TFC #109 Reminder

 

Well, I thought I'd be using something other than a poinsettia, but as I was looking through my Christmas floral stamps, one stood out rather forlornly, having not been used for a couple of years and I realized this was the perfect time to do so.

This is a retired stamp from Simon Says Stamp called the Center Cut Holiday Floral.  It's a large red rubber stamp and as the name implies, the center can be removed so you're left with a spot to use whatever sentiment you wish.  I stamped the entire image and colored it with Copic and Olo markers, then used the new SSS Frames dies to cut out the interior rectangle with the floral image and the scallop frame.  

The rectangle was layered onto a light blue panel, then the frame, which was cut twice from white and once from white glitter card stock, was puzzle pieced around it.  I used a foiled Betterpress sentiment, which a trimmed apart so it could be stacked in the circle.  A silver metallic pen was used to color the flower centers and the highlight on the berries.  The last touch was to add three blue gems.

As noted above, the challenge will remain open until the 25th, plenty of time to add a card or another, if you've already joined this month.  Please be sure to visit the challenge blog and my lovely, talented teammates who have made this an inspiring place to create and share.

Happy holidays to you and all the best in the New Year!

I'll be back on January 1st with my DT card for Color Hues.  Hope to see you then!

Stef

• SSS Center Cut Holiday Floral stamp
• SSS Frames dies
• Spellbinders Sending Joy Betterpress Sentiment plate and die
• Honey Bee Stamps Winter Wonder gems
• Altenew Silver Metallic pen
• Copics - R89, 85, 83, 81, YG67. 63, 61, BG18, 72, 70, B45, 41
• Olos - YG8.7, 8.5, 8.3

Bright Christmas for the Paper Players

Hello friends!  It's time for the final challenge of the year over at the Paper Players.  The lovely Jaydee is hosting our monthly theme challenge, and she has chosen a timely one.

Paper Players

 

I've created a gift envelope for Christmas giving but as you'll see from the team, it could be for any occasion.  

For this card and gift envelope set I used the Simon Says Stamp November 2025 card kit.  The envelope was created using the Pine and Post Gift card envelope set along with some stickers from the Tim Holtz-Idea-ology Christmas sticker book and the papers on both the card and the envelope are from his 2025 Christmas Backdrops papers.

The die that cuts the envelope also provides scoring, which made it easy to adhere together, then the front can be decorated however one wants.  I used the accompanying dies that cut the "ribbon and bow", the greens and berries, the tag and the postage stamp exterior and interior.  I use the tiny interior rectangle die to cut the snowman from the sticker book, then adhered it to the postage die cut from red cardstock.  The tag was cut from ivory cardstock then I adhered one the of the gift tag stickers on it.  So cute!  

The card used the SSS Bright Christmas stamp with the darling reindeer and the sentiments.  I had some fun by adding a red nose and a bow to the deer.  The distressed papers lent themselves well to the rustic stamp and I ended up making the same style cards and gift envelopes for all three of my grandchildren.  The other two cards are below (I don't have a photo of the other two envelopes but they're nearly identical to the one above).

I hope between all your holiday activities that you'll find some time to join us for our last challenge of the year, which will remain open until Friday, December 12th at 3pm EST.  I encourage you to visit the challenge blog where my wonderful teammates have created some beautiful inspiration for you!

The PP team will be back on January 11th next year. May peace, joy and happiness fill your days this holiday season!

Stef

• SSS Bright Christmas Stamps
• SSS Pine and Post Gift Card Envelope die set
• Spellbinders A2 Matting Basics B rectangle dies (for layered sentiments)
• SSS Labels Slides Christmas stamp and die
• Tim Holtz/Idea-ology Christmas Backdrops patterned papers and Christmas sticker book
• Hemp twine and red baker's twine from my stash
• Red Pom Poms and TH Christmas Droplets
• Walnut Stain Distress Ink
• Versamark Clair Nocturne, Pinecone and Acorn inks
• Altenew Crimson ink

Grand Poinsettia for The Flower Challenge

Hello friends!  It's time for a new challenge at The Flower Challenge.  This month we're asking everyone to use your Christmas Florals.

The Flower Challenge

Before we take a look at my card, I have some sad news to share.  This month will be the finale for The Flower Challenge.  We've had 9 wonderful years thanks to the brilliant idea by Aileen Ryan and Vivian Hodge and with the assist of Karren Johnson running the challenge for the last two years.

On a personal note, I found The Flower Challenge shortly after it had begun and was thrilled to have a place to share my floral creations.  I was even more thrilled when Viv reached out to me in late 2021 and asked me to join the design team.  I'm going to miss my wonderful teammates but I'm hopeful we'll see one another in other blogosphere places!  And I will miss seeing all the beautiful floral creations each month.

So, given that this is our final challenge, I hope this inspires you even more to join us this month.  We'll be back with reminder cards on the 15th and the winners will be announced on January 4, 2026.  

So, now on to my cards.  I made two because they were so very quick and easy.

The very large embossed poinsettia is from a Gina K class I took in November.  It was created only for the card kit that accompanied the class, so it's no longer available.  But obviously any poinsettia die or stamp set would work here.

The folder came with the poinsettia die along with 2 fir branch dies.  The flower was die cut, then embossed.  I used the coordinating stencils and one of her new ink colors, Light Cranberry, which was just released on November 24th.   

To create the panel the flower and sentiment are resting on, I first used a Thermoweb Toner Sheet with a piece of Gina K Sparkling Silver Fancy Foil.  Actually I made two, and used the other on second card.  the Altenew Ornate Nesting die was cut from the panel and I was impressed with how beautifully it die cut.  And how darn sparkly it is!  For the flower center, I used Kuretake Silver Mica Ink, added the sentiment plus a few prism gems and called it done!  

Look at that sparkle!

My second card is similarly CAS.  I left the flower white, painted the centers like the first card, then mounted it and the sentiment on a scallop die cut panel.  I was going to add some gems but there wasn't really a good place.  I debated adding it to the flower center but opted not to at the time.  But I may change my mind...what do you think?  

Okay, my friends, I hope you'll visit the challenge blog to see my talented teammates' beautiful creations for our final month and then slip off to your craft room and create your Christmas floral.  The challenge will remain open until Christmas Day and we would really, really love to have you help fill the gallery one last time. 💕

Thanks for stopping by and take care!

Stef

• Simon Says Stamp/Gina K Grand Poinsettia ef, stencils and die
• Altenew Ornate Nesting die
• Memory Box Fringed Scalloped Frame die
• Spellbinders Sending Joy Betterpress sentiments and dies 
• Gina K Sparkling Silver Fancy Foil and Therm-a-web Toner sheets
• Kuretake Silver Mica ink
• Gina K Light Cranberry ink

Grand Poinsettia for Color Hues

Hello friends!  Here it is, the first day of the last month of 2025.  My, my time seems to pass so quickly.  Do you feel the same?  Anyway, the good news is that the first of the month brings a new challenge at Color Hues.  The lovely Tracey is hosting our final challenge of the year and has chosen a wonderful color combination and it's a perfect combo for any time of the year.

Color Hues

I'm also joining in over at the Time Out Challenge, where this time we are to "Pick 2" and I chose nature (flowers/pine branches), emboss and sparkle.

TOC #302

And I'm playing along with Just Us Girls, where it is Anything Goes Stencil Week.

JUGS #803

How about one more poinsettia?  This one is unique in that it was made exclusively for the Simon Says Stamp/Gina K class kit sold earlier this fall, so there weren't any made available outside the kit, and it is sold out.  However, it's too pretty not to share and other components on my card are currently available.

The beautiful Grand Poinsettia was die cut from white cardstock then embossed in the coordinating folder, after which I used the matching stencils to color it in three shades of pink.  The pine sprigs were die cut from two shades of green cardstock.  All that was set aside to create the background.

The SSS/Gina K Merry & Bright stamp set (this one IS available) has a number of snowflake stamps, so I used them to create the background on a 4.75" x 6.75" panel.  A clear block was used to stamp them in Gina K's Medium Spruce ink, followed by a large blending brush to lightly blend the same color to soften the edges.  

The sentiment can be found in the same stamp set or, as I used, in a matching Polyglaze sheet, which I foiled, one each of gold and silver, then die cut.  The 4" x 6" panel was matted with silver glitter cardstock, added to the snowflake panel then all the other elements adhered.  I finished things off by adding SSS Prism Dazzling Gems to the flower center and up around the sentiment.

And of course I couldn't make just one, so here's the same design with gold.

Both of these cards were inspired by one we made in class from Gina K's design.  We used her new ink colors of light, medium and dark Cranberry, along with the spruce. 

So where will these colors take you?  For more inspiration, I encourage you to visit the challenge blog, where my amazing teammates have some gorgeous creations.  

Since this is the final challenge of the year, it will be open until December 29th at 9:00 am EST, so I hope that gives you time to sneak away from the holiday goings-on and play along with us!

Thanks for stopping by!

Stef

P.S. If you like today's card, come by on Tuesday when I use the same poinsettia ef to create two CAS cards.

• Gina K Grand Poinsettia ef, stencils and dies
• SSS/Gina K Merry & Bright stamps, dies and Polyglaze sheet
• Altenew Baby Pink, Fuchsia and Magenta inks
• Gina K Medium Spruce ink
• SSS Prism Dazzling Gems

Christmas Magic for the Paper Players

Hello friends!  I hope all of you in the US had a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday.  We had a big family gathering and it was a gorgeous day for the end of November.

Since it's the fifth Sunday of the month, we have a Tic-Tac-Toe challenge this week at the Paper Players.  The lovely Claire is hosting and has created a wonderful board full of great combinations.

Paper Players

I'm also sharing over at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge

where this week's theme is Anything Goes.

My card fits both the left column (white, Christmas, die cuts) and the bottom row (die cuts, trees, sparkle).  Let's take a look!

I'm a big fan of Tim Holtz die sets and when this came out earlier in the fall, I snapped it up.  I didn't have a cityscape die set and thought this one was so cute and I ended up making four of them!

First came the background.  It was ink blended on Distress Watercolor paper with light, medium and dark blues, along with black around the edges.  The die set has a moon die but I wanted this to be a snowy scene, so I intentionally left a lighter spot, suggesting the moon trying to show through the clouds.  At least that was the story in my head lol! After applying the ink, the panel was splattered with an iridescent shimmer spray and white paint.

Next all the city scene components were die cut, then ink blended towards the bottom of the die cut for some shading.  I took time to randomly add little strips and squares of yellow cardstock behind some of the windows in the buildings, then adhered all the die cut pieces to the dried backgrounds.  The snowbanks were hand cut from white glitter paper. I used more white paint to splatter which dried while I created the sentiments.  Those were added with foam tape to finish things off.

I will admit I probably got carried away with the snow/splatter but I still like how it turned out!

I hope Claire's TTT board inspires you to play along with us this week!  The challenge will remain open until Friday December 5th at 3pm EDT.  Before you head off to your crafty space, I hope you'll pop over to the challenge blog, where my talented teammates have some fun cards to inspire you further!

Thanks for stopping by!

Stef

• Tim Holtz/Sizzix Vault Christmas Magic dies
• TH/Stamper's Anonymous Simple Sayings Stamp
• Simon Says Stamp Labels die
• Distress Watercolor and Black Heavystock paper
• SSS Slate, Red Metallic and White Glitter paper
• Broken China, Uncharted Mariner, Chipped Sapphire and Black Soot Distress inks
• SSS Kale ink
• SSS White Splatter medium
• Hero Arts White Iridescent Spray