Trick or Treat for the Paper Players

Hello friends!  Today the Paper Players has a new theme challenge.  The amazing Claire is hosting and has chosen a fun one for the season - Halloween Costumes!

Paper Players

If you've followed me for any length of time you know I LOVE making Halloween cards and for this one I used a new Tim Holtz/Sizzix die set.

Isn't that a hoot?  I love the cute/creepy costumed kids with a cat and an umbrella (???)!  

I started by masking off the moon, then using a number of Distress inks to create the atmospheric setting.  I splattered it with a bit of water and when that was dry, I used a stencil to lightly color in the moon.  

All the images were die cut with black cardstock, then attached to the background.  The only thing that took time, other than making the background, was just figuring out the placement of the sentiment, limbs and bats.  Not hard to make but I like how it turned out.

I'll have a couple more Halloween cards to share in upcoming posts (one on 10/12, the other on the 16th), so please come back and take a peek if you enjoy these types of cards.  Or consider yourself forewarned if you don't lol!

What are you inspired to create using Claire's fun theme?  The other DT members have created some fabulous cards and I encourage you to visit the challenge blog and check them out.  This challenge will remain open until Friday October 10th at 3pm EDT.  I hope to see your card in the gallery!

Thanks for visiting and take care.

Stef

• Tim Holtz/Sizzix Trick-or-Treat and Vault Fright Night dies
• Hero Arts Nested Circle die (for moon mask)
• Villainous Potion, Wilted Violet, Crushed Olive, Peeled Paint, Antique Linen and Black Soot Distress Inks
• Picket Fence Haunted Moon Blending Stencils

Joyful Bouquet for The Flower Challenge

Hello friends!  The Flower Challenge is back for the month of October and this time we'd like everyone to add purple on your floral card.  Since I love purple, I didn't have to think twice about that!

I have a sweet bouquet stamp purchased during Stamptember that I decided to use.  It was a collaboration stamp between Simon Says Stamp and Altenew.  Since I keep adding to my NBUS collection, I guess I better send it over to Darnell's NBUS blog lol!

I used mainly blue violets but I did manage to add a pop of yellow along with the purple flowers.

The pretty floral spray was colored with Olo and Copic markers, then die cut with the matching die.  I love the angle of the stamp, it could fit so many ways on a card, but the placement I used seemed to make the most sense so I could add the sentiment, which also from the same stamp set.

The cover panel was die cut from SSS Lavender and adhered to the card base.  Another die from the same set was cut from white and popped up with foam tape.  After adding the spray and the sentiment I added a few Opal Dazzling gems to finish things off.

Okay all you purple and flower lovers, we'd love to see your cards in the gallery this month!  Be sure to stop by the challenge blog (linked above) to see all the gorgeous inspiration from my oh, so talented teammates.  So many beautiful cards!  The challenge will remain open until Saturday October 25th.  Please join us this month!

Thanks for stopping by!

Stef  

• Altenew/SSS Joyful Bouquet stamps and dies for Stamptember 2025
• Honey Bee Stamps Spring Vine Layering Frames dies
• SSS Opal Dazzling Gems
• Olos - BV1.7, 1.4, 1.2, 1.1, BG2.7, 2.5. 2.4, 2.1, YO 2.5, Y2.3, 2.2, 1.1
• Copics - YG67, 17, 03, E37, 33, V17

Trick or Treat

Hello friends!  I'm popping in with a card to share with the lovelies over at the Time Out Challenge.  It's the "Pick 2" challenge, which is always a fun one to play along with.  This time I chose spatter and season.

TOC #298

 

I love making Halloween cards, so my season choice is fall.  I have to admit this one is a bit more on the creepy side, but I had a blast making it because I love getting inky.

I started with the background using a panel of Distress watercolor paper.  After masking off the moon, I used Distress Spray Stains to cover the panel.  It was a lot of water, spray, dry to get what I wanted. I dried, that, removed the mask then sprayed water on the moon so the spray stains around the edges would seep across the moon and create that spooky atmosphere. 

I learned out this technique from watching a video by Amy R. who credited it to Stacy Hutchinson here. I used it on a couple other Halloween cards I'll be posting in the next couple of weeks.

In the end, the background turned out much darker than I originally planned because I ink blended Black Soot on the foreground so the pumpkins looked less like they were floating in space.  They still do a little bit, ha ha - spooky floating pumpkins!

The pumpkins were colored with Copic markers, die cut, then I used gray markers to color in the white from the die cut.  The sentiment is from the same stamp set and the bats from another TH die set.

Thanks for stopping by, I appreciate it!

Stef

• Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous Pumpkinhead stamps
• TH/Sizzix Vault Coffin bat dies
• Simon Says Stamp Pumpkinhead dies
• Distress Spray Stains - Black Soot, Fossilized Amber, Rusty Hinge, Cracklin' Campfire
• Distress Inks - Black Soot, Scorched Timber, Antique Linen

Fall Wreath for Color Hues

Hello friends!  Another month has rolled around and therefore it's time for a new challenge at Color Hues.  The lovely Marcia is our host, and she's chosen some perfect fall colors for this challenge.

 

Color Hues

Yep, I went with leaves, these colors were too perfect not to.  

The leaves were all die cut from white cardstock, then I used Copic markers to color them in a variety of yellows, light reddish brown and rust.  Coloring wasn't anything fancy but when the colors are all blended, they look so nice.

A panel of C & 9th Sunflower cardstock was die cut with a postage edge die, then stamped in a similar color with a plaid, creating a subtle, tone-on-tone background.  The panel was added to an ivory card base, then the wreath was assembled, layered on two additional wreaths cut from SU Cajun Craze.  A few extra leaves were die cut, colored, then mounted slightly askew on top of the same leaves.  The sentiment was die cut and added, along with a few gems, and that completed the card.

That's it!  Please spend a minute visiting the challenge blog, my talented teammates have some amazing cards to inspire you.  The challenge will remain open until October 14th at 9am EDT.  I hope to see your card in the gallery!

Thanks for stopping by!

Stef

• Simon Says Stamp Fall Wreath dies
• SSS Autumn Leaves dies
• SSS Postage Edge die
• SSS Soft Plaid Background stamp
• Honey Bee Stamps Birthday Wishes stamp and dies
• HBS Vintage Love gems
• C & 9 Cayenne ink
• SSS Honey ink
• Copics - Brown - E99, 97, 95; Rust - E19, YR18, 14; Yellow #1 - YR24, 19, 15, 13; Yellow #2 YR27, 24, 23, 31

Snowflake for the Paper Players

Hello friends!  It's Sunday and time for a new challenge at the Paper Players.  This week I'm hosting our monthly sketch challenge and created one that will be super easy and versatile for you to use.

PP757

As you can see, the circle can be any shape, so your choices are vast!  

For my card, I created a simple Christmas card.  In fact, it was so simple I ended up making four altogether.  But here's my favorite...

I had several ideas for this card, but I ended up with a foiling session, using the Pinkfresh Studio Radiating Snowflake press plate and a couple of Spellbinder sentiment sets.

Next I pulled out one of my favorite Christmas patterned paper pads and found four that would match the snowflakes I'd made.  For the most part, the papers all utilize a bokeh effect, along with different colors and some with more prominent snowflakes.  I love the gold and blue on the card above.  

Putting the card together was super simple.  The snowflake was layered on two additonal die cuts then adhered to the card front, the sentiment popped up with foam tape and then I added three snowflakes cut from white glitter paper and topped with sparkly gems.  I used the same design on the other three cards.

I hope this easy-to-use sketch inspires you to join us this week!  For more design ideas, my wonderfully talented teammates have some fabulous cards on challenge blog here. The challenge will remain open until 3pm EDT on Friday 3rd - I hope to see your card in the gallery! 

Stef

• Pinkfresh Studio Radiating Snowflake Betterpress plate and die
• Spellbinders Comfort & Joy Sentiments Hot Foil plate and die
• Spellbinders Sending Joy Sentiments Betterpress plate and die
• Kristina Werner Kristina's Essential dies A2 rectangle
• SSS Woodland Treescape Snowflake dies
• SSS Warm Tones, Surf and Prism Dazzling Gems
• Whimsy Stamps Blurry Flurries patterned paper

Scenic Birthday for The Paper Players

Hello friends!  A new Sunday brings a new challenge at the Paper Players.  It's Clean and Simple week, and our host, the lovely Jan, is asking us to use watercolor.  

Paper Players

 

Keeping things CAS is easy to do.  Add only a limited number of layers or embellishments and your card should be clean and uncluttered, with lots of "white" space.  

I haven't water colored much over the past few years as I prefer to use my Copic or alcohol markers.  But this challenge reminded me it doesn't have to be complicated.  I chose a small scene, which also kept things simple. 😉

I used the Simon Says Stamp card kit for July to create this card.  The kit had many components, including three window dies, some fabulous city scene pattern papers, and a stamp set with various outdoor scenes that work with yet another window die, which is what I used here.  

The scene was stamped on watercolor paper with black pigment ink then heat embossed with clear embossing powder.  I smooshed four Distress ink pads onto my glassboard work surface, added water and did some simple coloring of the scene.  

A strip of aqua paper was trimmed down and stamped the sentiment black and heat embossed, adhered it to the card base, then added the two strips of green cardstock.  The window was die cut from black glossy paper to coordinate with the black embossing, layered onto the trimmed down watercolor scene, then popped up with foam tape.  I felt like the card needed something more, so black enamel dots to the rescue.  In hindsight, I think some scoring on the panel would have looked nice as well.

Below are a couple of other cards I made with the kit.  They were sent off to a dear girlfriend as part of her birthday present, along with some other cards.

Thanks for coming by! I encourage you to visit the challenge blog, where my talented teammates have some wonderful designs to inspire you!  The challenge ends Friday 9/26 at 3pm EDT.  I hope you'll share you card in the gallery this week!

Stef

• SSS Through the Window Stamps and dies
• SSS Strips 1 die
• Altenew Black Enamel dots
• Mowed Lawn, Rustic Wilderness, Hickory Smoke and Salvage Patina Distress inks

Holiday Cheer

Hello friends!  Today Color Hues has a new challenge with new colors chosen by the fabulous Jules.  

Color Hues

My initial plan had nothing to do with the holidays but things kind of morphed and that's what I ended up making.

I began with Simon Says Stamp sage cardstock, die cutting it with the SSS Arching Leaf Border die.  I found a couple of nice smokey blue inks from Altenew and blended them on the panel, darkest on the left, fading out to white on the right.  I was planning to add the die cut white flowers and make it a birthday card or use another sentiment, but the colors really had a holiday vibe to me.  

I did search the googles to see what white flowers are used at Christmas and there were white roses, poinsettias, helibores, but nothing quite like these dainty little flowers.  I decided, what the heck, they would look pretty and just be something a little different.

I found the completed sentiment tucked away in the die packaging and thought silver would work perfectly.  Before adding the flowers or sentiment, silver mica ink was splattered onto the leafy panel. When dry, I placed the sentiment then added the flowers, finishing things off with silver baubles for the flower centers. 

How will you use this lovely color combo?  My talented teammates and wonderful guest designer, Birgit Norton, have some amazing cards that are sure to get those creative juices flowing for you, so be sure to head over to the challenge here and take a peek!  You'll have until 9 am Monday, September 29th - I hope you will join us!

Thanks for stopping by.

Stef

• SSS Arching Leaf Border die and Holiday Cheer dies
• Memory Box Layered Impatiens dies
• SSS Sage and Matte Silver cardstocks
• SSS Artichoke and Kale inks
• Altenew Cloudy Sky and Nimbus inks