Wildwood Florals for The Paper Players

Hello friends!  Today at The Paper Players we have a great sketch created by the lovely LeAnne.  We're also celebrating our 700th challenge - woo hoo!  Here's to many, many more.

The Paper Players

 

The three circles could certainly be anything but I decided to pull out an as-yet-unused stamp and die set that was certainly deserving of some ink!  

The set from The Greetery has layering stamps for many of it's images and I was so pleased to see how easily they layered.  Sometimes it can be a challenge, at least for me, but these stamps required just a couple of tries before getting the results I was pleased with. After stamping, including the sentiment, everything was die cut with the matching dies. 

Along with the three flowers representing the circles on the sketch, I also added a few sprigs and leaves for interest.  The white panel was first run through with a cover die that only creates a stitched look to the images, then it was cut down with a rounded rectangle die.  That was layered onto a sage-like card base that went well some of the leaf colors, then the arrangement added with both foam tape and glue. The sentiment was partially layered on top of the largest flower and I was done.  I liked the clean look of this, so I didn't add any embellishments.

I hope you'll join us this week to celebrate our anniversary with this fabulous sketch!  Be sure to visit the challenge blog, where my wonderful teammates have some fabulous inspiration for you!

Take care!

Stef

• The Greetery Wildwood Stamps and Dies
• Pinkfresh Studio Floral Tiles Cover die
• Hero Arts Rounded Rectangle die
• Altenew Pastel Sunrise & Canyon Clay Crisp die inks and Peachy Glow, Golden Honeycomb, Amber Breeze, Melted Butterscotch, Silver Sage and Eucalyptus Fresh Die Inks
• Simon Says Stamp Mocha ink

Birthday Queen for The Paper Players

Hello friends!  This week The Paper Players brings you a CAS Birthday challenge.

The Paper Players

Summertime is the height of birthday season for my family, so it was no trouble making a CAS birthday card.  This one went to my granddaughter, who loved the humor of it.

The stamp set is from Stamping Bella and all of their packaging has a colored example on the front, so this one was relatively easy to recreate.  I knew the pleats were going to be a challenge for me to color, so I stamped the image twice, practiced on one then set about coloring the final image, for which I used Copic markers.

Next the panel was cut with a diagonal stitched rectangle die, then matted on a light purple card stock.  I cut two additional panels from scrap cardstock and layered the behind the main image, then adhered it to the black card base.  The sentiment was stamped and fussy cut in a wonky fashion befitting the script and the "queen", and added to the card front with foam tape.  The last touch was to add some black rhinestones and using a shimmer pen on her crown and dress, because who doesn't need a bit of sparkle on their birthday?

Thanks for visiting, now pop on over to the challenge blog, where my talented teammates have some wonderful inspiration to share with you!

Take care!

Stef

• Stamping Bella Oddball Birthday Queen stamp
• Pinkfresh Studio Diagonal Stitched Rectangle die
• Honey Bee Stamps Obsidian Rhinestones
• Tonic Aqua Shimmer pen
• Copics: Crown- YR24, 23, 15, 11; Hair-E29, 37, 33; Skin-E04, 11, 01, 00; Dress-V17, 15, 01; Shoes, Skulls, Plate and Fork-T8, 6, 4, 2, 0; Cake-E59, 57, 55, 53; Shadow-W3, 1, 0

Christmas Bird Poinsettia for Color Hues

Hello friends!  For the next two weeks at Color Hues we have a wonderful combo of red and green from Sheri.  This led me to create make a Christmas card because I love doing Christmas in July, but of course there are plenty of other options with these colors.

Color Hues

 

This was the perfect opportunity for me to break out the Christmas Bird Poinsettia die set that I'd bought on sale a while ago.

I began by die cutting multiples of everything from white cardstock, then used a variety of Copic and Olo markers to color the pieces.  I love to either use markers or ink blend my die cuts, I feel like I get much more dimension on the pieces.  I decided to use gold for the poinsettia center and also some of the sprigs.

A panel of bright green was embossed with a pine branch folder, then the poinsettia was popped up with foam tape in the center.  Each piece of the arrangement was then added.  These is a bird die cut with this set (hence the name of the set and my blog post) but I decided not to use it on this card.  I really love the candy canes, so I wanted them and the poinsettia to be the main points of interest.  The sentiment was die cut from dark red cardstock added below the arrangement, then the panel was trimmed down and adhered to a white card base.  The final step was to use an aqua shimmer pen to add sparkle to the poinsettia, some of the leaves and the red stripes of the candy canes.

So how do these colors inspire you?  We'd love to have your card in the gallery - the challenge remains open until 9 am EDT on Monday July 29th.  But before you run off to your crafty spot, be sure to stop by the challenge blog to catch all the wonderful inspiration by my talented teammates!

Thanks for visiting.  Take care!

Stef

• Spellbinders Christmas Bird Poinsettia die set
• Simon Says Stamp Holiday Words on a Line die
• Honey Bee Stamps Snowy Pines ef
• Tonic Aqua Shimmer pen
• Copics - R39, 37, 35, YG67, 17, 03, C1
• Olos - YG8.7, 8.5, 8.3, G1.8, 1.7

Chelsea Floral for The Flower Challenge

Hello friends!  Today I'm sharing my reminder card for The Flower Challenge, where this month the theme is to create a birthday card.  

TFC 93 Reminder

As I shared in my blog post for TFC at the beginning of the month, I decided to play with a couple of as yet unused embossing folders, so today I reveal the 2nd of the two.

For this card, I reached for something I rarely use, which are my Distress Watercolor Pencils.  If you follow my blog, you know my favorite coloring medium is alcohol markers, but I knew it would be relatively easy to use some simple water coloring for this panel.  It was embossed using watercolor paper, then I set about using some bright and cheerful colors.  I really love how the peachy flowers turned out by mixing Tattered Roses and Wild Honey. I finished it off with a tiny bit of splatter using Picked Raspberry and Wild Honey.

After the water coloring dried, the panel was trimmed down then layered on two additional panel of scrap paper for a bit of dimension.  It was then matted on a bright green A2 panel before adhering to the card base.  The sentiment was stamped then die cut with a label die and the last step was to add a few embellies around the sentiment that matched to peachy flowers.

There's still plenty of time to join us this month; the challenge remains open until Thursday July 25th.  In the meantime, please be sure to visit the challenge blog, my teammates have new cards to further inspire you!

Take care!

Stef

• Simon Says Stamp Chelsea Floral embossing folder
• Concord & 9th Pop-Up Par-Tay stamp set (sentiment)
• Distress Watercolor Pencils in Picked Raspberry, Tattered Rose, Wild Honey, Twisted Citron and Rustic Wilderness
• Picked Raspberry Distress Oxide ink
• Stampin' Up Polished Dots
• MFT Fishtail Foundations

Thinking of You for The Paper Players

Hello friends!  This week brings our Color Challenge to The Paper Players.  Jaydee is hostess this time and she chose black, grey, red and white.

The Paper Players

I had plans for a totally different card with these colors but then I happened upon a floral image that I'd stamped in ink intended for "no line" coloring.  I normally shy away shy away from "no line" because I find it much more difficult than coloring a stamped image. It took me much longer to make, however I was pleased with how it turned out. 

The full image is much larger, so I trimmed down the panel, which was less intimidating lol!  It was stamped on white, and I started with the leaves, which I colored in warm greys.  I continually referenced the stamp packaging to be sure I knew what I was coloring, which was extremely helpful when I began working on the flowers, and even then I think I changed a couple of the petals, but no one will ever know except you and me wink, wink. 

After I thought I was done coloring, I felt like it needed something more, so I colored in the background with a black marker and it really made the floral image pop!  I adhered it to a white card base and created a frame to add some interest.  Lastly, I added the sentiment with some thin foam squares, and while I thought about adding some sequins or gems, ultimately decided not to now.  I always do that later when I go to mail it.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you'll join us this week!  Be sure to pop over to the challenge blog, my wonderful teammates and guest designers have oodles more inspiration for you.

Take care!

Stef

• Simon Says Stamp Celebrate Rose Corner stamp
• Altenew Cascading Flowers stamp (sentiment)
• SSS A2 Nesting Frames and Sentiment Label die
• Copic Markers - R39, 37, 35, W3, 1, 0, Black 100

Summer Fun for The Paper Players

Hello friends!  I am thrilled to be here with my very first card for The Paper Players as a new member of their design team!  Also joining the team are the super talented Elizabeth Stewart and Jan Clothier.  After spending a year as a Guest Designer a few years ago (as did Elizabeth and Jan), it's a wonderful moment to be back as a permanent part of the team with the amazing ladies that have inspired us all for many years! ❤️ 

So, shall we get on with the challenge?  The lovely Claire has chosen Summer Fun for Theme week.

The Paper Players

So many options for that theme and I chose one of my favorite things to do in summer, which is hanging out by the ocean.

I decided to use a fun Anita Jeram illustrated stamp set to create a beach scene.  I began by stamping and coloring the images, including the buried cat and the sandcastles, then cut them out with the coordinating dies.  The sentiment was stamped and fussy cut.

The background was masked off as I created each section - sand, water, and sky.  Copics were used to color the sand so they would match the buried cat and sandcastles, then I used a light, medium and dark in Distress ink to create the sky and water, deliberately not fully covering the sky to give the illusion of clouds.  The water was enhanced with a couple of blue Copic markers, then I used a white gel pen to create the "seafoam".  

The row of walking friends was adhered directly to the background, then the buried kitty added with thin foam tape.  The sandcastle was then popped up on regular foam tape.  The sky to the left looked a bit empty, so I added three die cut birds and called it finished.

Won't you come join us and show us your version of fun in the summer?  We'd love to see what you're inspired to make!  The challenge will remain open until open until Noon PST on Friday, July 12th.

Take care!

Stef

• Anita Jeram/Colorado Craft Company Beach Life stamps and dies
• Hero Arts Cloudy Sky Scene Fancy Dies
• Tumbled Glass, Broken Chine and Salty Ocean Distress Inks
• Copics - CATS - YR27,24, 23, 31, N4, 2, 0, R21; NECKTIE and HAT - B16, 12, R39, 29, 24; DOGS - E27, 23, 21, C7, 5, 3, 1; SAND - E37, 35, 33, 31, 30; OCEAN - B26, 16, 12, 000; SHOVELS - YR26, 08, B16, 12; BUCKETS - R39, 29, 24, B16, 12, Y26, 08

Birthday Wishes for The Flower Challenge

Hello friends and Happy Independence Day to those in the United States! 

Welcome to my blog and to the month of July (already?) where it is time for a new theme at The Flower Challenge.  This one is easy - create a birthday card, with the requisite florals, of course.

TFC 93

I've had a couple of beautiful floral embossing folders that have been waiting to be used, so you'll get to see them both this month.  This first one has a floral frame with the perfect spot for a big sentiment.

I started by embossing an A2 sized panel of white cardstock, then used the matching dies to cut the flowers from a separate piece of cardstock.  I taped them inside the folder and embossed them was well, then set about ink blending everything.  

I was definitely in the mood for something bright and colorful!  I used an ink family of three yellow green inks over the background, keeping the center light.  The flowers were inked with three purples, and I used an intense yellow in the center which, because I couldn't keep all the purple out of it, came out more of a yummy orange-y yellow.

Before assembling the card, the panel and the flowers were splattered with white gouache and gold metallic paint to give it more interest, plus the gold tied in with the foiled sentiments.  No embellies this time, the splatter was enough.

Thanks for stopping by for a look and I hope you'll head over to the challenge blog where my wonderful and talented teammates have a wonderful variety of floral birthday cards to inspire you!  The challenge remains open until Thursday, July 25th, so I hope you'll make time to join us this month.

Take care!

Stef

• Simon Says Stamp Beaufort Floral Frame embossing folder and dies
• Poppystamps Birthday Wishes Poe Script Foil and Die Cut set
• SSS Celery, Limelicious, Pearfection, Lilac, Orchid and Amethyst inks
• Altenew Lemonade Stand Fresh Die ink
• Altenew Metallic Gold paint
• White Gouace

Hello Friend for Color Hues

Hello friends!  Wow, here we are at the beginning of July - is this year flying by for you too?  Nevertheless, the first of the month does bring us a new challenge over at Color Hues, where this time the lovely Nancy has chosen aqua and white for her color combo.  

Color Hues

I was playing around with foiling using press plates because, while they are wonderful used as intended with the Betterpress System, they are work just as well for foiling.  This makes me happy because my crafty budget goes further with a dual purpose tool.  So, here's what I came up with for my card...

Doesn't that Gilded Marble Press Plate look divine in white on aqua?  I loved how it turned out, so much so that it was hard to trim down the panel lol!  But I did, then added it to the white card base.  I love this design with the angled panel, which has been around for a long time, but never think to use it, that is until I was reminded of it when watching a crafty video recently.

The sentiment was die cut three times from black cardstock, then layered together for some nice dimension.  Before adhering the sentiment to the card, I added a thin strip of black on top of the cut panel to give it a finished look.  The word friend was stamped and trimmed down to fit below the line, and lastly, I added some Surf gems for a bit of sparkle.  Very CAS (for me, anyway) and fast to pull together.

What are you inspired to make with these colors?  For loads of beautiful ideas from my talented teammates and our guest designer Nance, be sure to head over to the challenge blog and take a peek.  I hope you'll join us for this challenge, it's open until 9 am EDT July 14th.

Thanks for visiting!  Take care!

Stef

• Altenew Gilded Marble Press Plate
• Altenew Fancy Hello die
• Honey Bee Stamps Bit Time Kindness Stamp set
• Concord & 9th Aqua Sky cardstock
• Spellbinders Opaque White Glimmer Hot Foil
• Simon Says Stamp Surf Dazzling Gems

Birthday Wishes

Hello, friends!  I'm back with a share a card made for the current challenge at Color Throwdown.  

CTD #799

I love these colors so much, so I had to play along.  

I hadn't used this stamp set in a long time but was recently inspired by Joyce Maddox on IG and decided it would be perfect for this challenge.

I colored the stamped image in my OLO markers from the newly released bright pinks, bluish purples and yellow green markers (listed below).  I used a white gel pen to highlight the stamin then die cut the panel to fit on a piece of black cardstock cut to 8.5" x 3.5" with a slimline stitched rectangle die.  After stamping the sentiment, the last step was to add a bit of bling.

Thanks for taking time to stop by.  Take care!

Stef

• Pinkfresh Studio Miss Your Smile and Joyful Day stamps
• Waffle Flower Slim Lacy Layers die
• Honey Bee Stamps Aurora Borealis gem stickers
• Sakura White Gelly Roll pen
• OLO markers - BV 1.7, 1.4, 1.2, 1.1, RV 1.7, 1.5, 1.3, 1.1, R1.8, 2.4, YG1.6, 1.4, 1.2, G1.8