A Class Act for The Paper Players

Hello friends!  Today, over at The Paper Players, the lovely Elizabeth is hosting our monthly color challenge and has chosen bright and fun primary colors.

The Paper Players

These colors reminded me of a cute MFT stamp set that couldn't be more perfect with these colors!

This little cutie is from an older Birdie Brown stamp set but I think she's ageless!  She is fun to color and this time her apparel reflects the challenge colors.  I used my alcohol markers and then she was die cut with the matching die.

I had a vision of making a scene card, but it didn't work out the way I liked.  I had stenciled the red brick white, so I just trimmed it down and added it to a 4" x 5.25" white panel then adhered that to the card base.  The circles were die cut and adhered to the card front, then the schoolgirl was popped up with thin foam squares, as was the sentiment.  The last touch was to use some bright red enamel dots.

We would love to see what you are inspired to make with these colors!  The challenge lasts through Friday Sept. 13th at 3pm EST.  Don't forget to pop over to the challenge blog and see what the rest of the team created.

Thanks for visiting and take care!

Stef

• MFT Class Act stamps and die
• MFT English Brick Wall stencil
• Hero Arts Infinity Circle and Scallop Circle dies
• Lumberjack Plaid Distress Ink
• Altenew Tea Party Enamel Dots 
• Copics - E11, 21, 00, 29, 37, 33, YR23, Y19, 15, 13, R59, 46, 27, 05
• Olos - B0.7, 0.6, 0.5, 0.3

Graceful Flowers for The Flower Challenge

Hello friends!  Wow, here we are in September already - the year is truly flying by now, right?  

The Flower Challenge is back and this month we have something easy - include a stamped flower.

TFC 95

I used a large floral image so rather than cut it down, I decided to make a slimline card.

This was a super easy card to pull together.  After stamping my floral image, it was colored with Copic markers and die cut with the matching die.  The sentiment is from the same stamp wet and also cut with it's coordinating die. 

At this point I had to make a decision on the background.  Embossing?  Cover plate?  Well, as you can see, I went with the cover plate, but from aqua cardstock and then adhered directly to the card base, for a card size of 3.5" x 8.5".  The flowers were adhered to two additional die cuts for dimension and added to the card front along with the sentiment.  A few clear sparking gems completed my card.

What are you inspired to make for this challenge?  Although this time I used a newer stamp set, I think for my mid-month card I'll be pulling out an older set I haven't used for a while - this challenge was a good reminder for me to do that.  I hope you join us this month, the challenge remains open until Wednesday, September 25th.

Thanks for visiting and take care!

Stef

• Simon Says Stamp Graceful Flowers Stamps and Dies
• SSS Filigree Slim Plate die
• Altenew Crystal Clear Gem Sparkles
• Copics - V09, 17, 15, 01, RV09, 17, 06, 04, 02. B69, 66, 63, YR23, Y15, 11, BG 09, 15, 11

Thinking of You for Color Hues and The Paper Players

Hello friends!  Today I have a card that combines two challenges.  At The Paper Players, the lovely Joanne is asking us to use spots or stripes and I managed to do both!

The Paper Players

 

Over at Color Hues, the wonderful Carol has chosen Rust and Green as her color combination. A note about the color Rust - it covers a range hues - from terracotta, bronze, ginger, cider, burnt orange, so there are lots of options. I really love this combo!

Color Hues

My card features a favorite stamp set, but one that I haven't used for a while, so I thought it was about time.

As you can see, the pots have both spots and stripes (albeit wavy ones!).  The plants and pots were all stamped then colored with alcohol markers, then die cut with the matching dies.  The sentiment is from a different stamp set and was cut with its matching die as well.

Next, the "floor" was die cut from white cardstock using a wood plank die then also colored with markers.  The die impresses embossed woodgrain detail, so I just followed those with my darkest brown marker then when over it with a shade lighter. It was adhered to a panel of light green cardstock and before added the plants I decided to make things look a bit more interesting by adding the die cut lattice.  

What are you inspired to create with these two challenges?  My teammates have so much inspiration to share with you, please be sure to use the links above for both challenges and check out their wonderful cards.

The Paper Players challenge is open until Friday, Sept. 6th at 3pm EST and the Color Hues challenge runs through 9am EST Saturday, Sept. 14th.  I hope to see you in both galleries!

Thanks for visiting and take care!

Stef

• Honey Bee Stamps Happy Plants stamps and dies
• Simon Says Stamp Graceful Flowers sentiment stamp and die
• SSS Wood Plank die
• Spellbinders Woven Lattice Texture die
• Copics: E19, YR18, 07, 04, E59, 57, W3, 1, 0
• Olos:  YG1.6, 1.4, 1.2, G1.8, 1.7, 1.5, 1.4

Merry Christmas for The Paper Players

Hello friends!  It's time for a new challenge at The Paper Players and this time we have a sketch from the lovely Jaydee!  She is off this week, so I am filling in for her as hostess.  I hope you have fun with this one!

 

The Paper Players

I am now feeling crunch time to start working on Christmas cards in earnest, and this sketch worked well with the image I wanted to use.

I used my new Pinkfresh Studio press plates to create the leaf and berry border as well as the senitment.  I used some cotton watercolor paper thinking I might try to use watercolor or colored pencils but on my trial piece I didn't like either, so I went to my go to Copic markers.  Because of the type of the paper, one must use a light hand when coloring or it will bleed.

I then die cut the sentiment and used partial die cutting so the die wouldn't cut the bottom edge of the border so I could have a larger panel to make sure the border was somewhat close to the middle.  On a separate panel of cardstock, I adhered the red glitter paper, then added the die cut panel, then adhered it all to an ivory card base.  My intention was to use the sketch as Jaydee created it, but when I started arranging the sentiment, I realized it looked so much better with the sketch flipped on its side.  A few green sparkly gems completed the card.

What are you inspired to create with this sketch?  We would love to see your card in the gallery this week!  Before you head off to your craftroom, please be sure to visit the challenge blog where my talented teammates have some more inspiration on how to use this sketch.  The challenge will remain open until 3 pm EDT on Friday 8/30.

Thanks for visiting and take care!

Stef

• Pinkfresh Studio Magical Holiday Pressplates and Dies
• Spellbinders Betterpress Cotton card panel
• Altenew Brilliant Red Glitter cardstock
• Picket Fence Studios Candy Lane Gem Mix

Cheers for The Paper Players

Hello friends!  Today we have a fun new challenge at The Paper Players.  The amazing Claire is hosting our CAS challenge and is asking us to use fruit on our cards.

The Paper Players

 

I decided to make a very vibrant card to share, which seemed fitting for summertime.

The glass and fruit were all foiled in gold using a pressplate, colored with Copic and Olo markers then die cut with the coordinating die.  The stamp set and pressplate create all the images at once and then there is only one die to cut it all out, which I love since it's all done in one pass.  

After I had all the elements colored, I ink blended the front of a white card base with super vibrant colors, then let that dry as I gold heat embossed the Cheers sentiment and stamped out the sub sentiment.  When I started to assemble the card, it just seemed to need a bit something more, so I added the foiled and die cut frame directly to the edge of the card, then added everything else.  Some things were adhered directly to the card front and some elevated with a bit of foam tape, but I made sure to leave lots of "white" space.  I love the bright colors and the festive, fruity elements!

Thanks for taking time to stop by and I hope that you'll join us this week!  My talented teammates have some amazing inspiration for you over on the challenge blog, so please be sure to stop by and take a look.

Take care!

Stef

• Pinkfresh Studio Cheers Stamp, Dies and Pressplate
• Pinkfresh Studio Decorate Frames Pressplate and Die
• MFT Skinny Strips sentiment lable die
• Simon Says Stamp Peony, Sherbet and Lemonad inks and Ultra Fine Gold embossing powder
• Olo markers:  RV1.7, 1.5, 1.3, YG1.6, 1.4, 1.2, G1.5, 1.4, 0.1
• Copic markers: Y26, 38, 08, 04, 00, R39, 37, 35, YR09, 16, B000, 0000

Summertime Silhouette for Color Hues

Hello friends!  We have a new, beautiful color combination for your inspiration at Color Hues.  This time the amazing Tracey has chosen something I think is perfect for summer, yellow and orange.

Color Hues

 

To me, these colors say either a beautiful summer sunrise or sunset, although fruit would be an equally good choice.  But I chose I sky scene.

I used an older Simon Says Stamp/CZ Design stamp set with these gorgeous colors to create a little summery scene.  Starting with the silhouette image, it was stamped with black pigment ink on a panel of Koh-I-Noor Bristol paper, then I ink blended a few Distress inks to create the background.  I put the paper back in my Misti and stamped a second time to darken the silhouette.

Because the stamp is narrow, a mini slimline seemed most appropriate, so the panel was trimmed down.  It was at this point that I decided to add some new Distress Spritz sprays in Spiced Marmalade and Fossilized Amber.  I add some light spray and also did a bit of splattering then set it aside to dry.  The sentiment from the same stamp set was white heat embossed on black and die cut along with two butterfly dies, also from the same set. The dried panel was added to the black card base, then the sentiment and butterflies were adhered with some foam tape.  To complete the look, three tiny gems were added to each butterfly.  My only regret is not restamping the silhouette image after the spray dried, but I tell you, in real life all the shimmer and sparkle don't really diminish the silhouette like the photo does.

This is such a great color combo, I hope you're inspired to create along with us!  I know you'll love to see what my very talented teammates have created, so head over to the challenge blog before heading to your craft room!  The challenge will remain open until 9 a.m. Thursday August 29th.

Thanks for visiting.  Take care!

Stef

• Simon Says Stamp Silhouette Sentiments Stamps and Dies
• Squeezed Lemonade, Mustard Seed, Spiced Marmalade and Wild Honey Distress inks
• Spiced Marmalade and Fossilized Amber Distress Spritz sprays
• Spellbinders Aura Color Essential Gems

Sulfur Cosmos for The Flower Challenge

Hello friends!  I'm here with my mid-month reminder card for The Flower Challenge.  This month we are using the beautiful mood board colors, of which you need to use at least three with your floral card.

 

TFC 94 reminder    

Last time I used the pink, coral and sage, so for this card I went with peach, sage and gray.

I fell in love with these Sulfur Cosmos blooms and stencils from Altenew.  Along with stencils to color the flowers, it also included the pattern in the background of my card, which I created using paste on a gray panel.  The flowers were stenciled with soft peach and sage inks, then die cut with the coordinating die.  I did fussy cut the space between the upper and lower flowers because I didn't care for the big section of white against the gray panel.  I also went in with a few Copic markers to enhance the shading and create more dimension.  

After adding the floral image to the gray panel, the overhanging parts were trimmed off then it was adhered directly to the front of a white cardbase.  The sentiment, also from the same stamp set, was stamped, die cut and added to the card front.  To complete things, I added three iridescent drops around the sentiment.

Thanks so much for stopping by.  I encourage you to use the link above to be inspired by the beautiful cards by my amazing teammates and hopefully join us!  There's still plenty of time; the challenge will remain open until Sunday, August 25th.

Take care!

Stef

• Altenew Sulfur Cosmos Stamps, Stencils and Dies
• Hero Arts White Pearl paste
• Altenew Orange Sorbet, Pastel Sunrise, Canyon Clay, Peachy Glow, Golden Honeycomb, Silver Sage, Jade and Eucalyptus dye inks
• Copic markers
• Pinkfresh Studio Iridescent Clear Drops

 

So Sweet for Time Out Challenges

Hello friends!  I'm so very pleased to be the Guest Designer at Time Out Challenges #270 for the next two weeks!  They have a wonderful photo to inspire in so many ways.

Time Out Challenges

  

I was literally inspired by the berries and in retrospect, wish I had used a heart too.

Just prior to being asked to GD, I purchased the cute House-Mouse Berry Good stamp, so it was a perfect match.  The image (which is bigger than you see here - more on than in a minute) was stamped then colored with Copic and Olo markers. I had trimmed it down to a rectangle and was getting ready to put together my card when I dropped an ink pad on a portion of the colored image!  AAWWWKK.  I'd had a hold of the lid, thinking it was secure but nope, it wasn't.  So I went to Plan B.

I was inspired by a card on the Spellbinders website (where they now sell the House-Mouse products) that spotlighted a portion of the image in a circle, so that is what I did.  I had a white woodgrain panel already trimmed down with a rounded rectangle die, so I used a circle die to cut a hole then layered the colored panel beneath.  Here is where I wish I'd used a heart rather than a circle but, you know, hindsight.  Everything was added to a plum card base, then I decided to create a frame around the window and that really made things pop.  Last came the sentiment which is also from the same stamp set.

Thanks for taking time to stop by and I encourage you to check out the challenge, where the DT have fabulous cards to further inspire you plus there are prizes to be won if you play along!

Take care!

Stef

• Spellbinders House-Mouse Designs stamp set
• Hero Arts Infinity Circle and Rounded Rectangle dies
• Copics:  Sky - B00, 000, 0000; Berries - RV69, 66, 55, 52; Basket - W5, 3, 1, 0; Mice - E37, 35, 33, 31, 30; Leaves - G29, 21, YG45
• Olos - Grass - YG 1.6, 1.4, 1.2