Polar Bear Pal for PP804

Hello friends!  Sunday has rolled around again, bringing a new challenge at the Paper Players.  This week, the amazing Christy is hosting our CAS challenge, and she wants us to include a bear or bears on our cards.  Just remember to keep it clean, with minimal layers and embellishments.

Paper Players

I went looking through my stamp and die sets and found a few potentials for a bear card.  I finally landed on a cute one from MFT.  While they're out of business, I have a good amount of product from them that I will never part with, and the stamp set I used for today's card is one of them.

He's so cute, isn't he?  I went with a teal and purple color scheme, a combo on the cool end of the color spectrum, which seemed apropos for a polar bear.  I stamped and colored him with Copic and Olo markers. I left the stamp in the stamp positioner, so I could restamp him in black pigment ink, remove that stamp and line up the sentiment beneath him.

I wanted to use something more playful than a normal rectangle and my old MFT Modern Rectangle stax came to the rescue.  The larger panel was cut from Simon's Peacock cardstock, which tends to be more on the green than blue side of teal and matched the teal markers I used on his scarf.  Unfortunately, photos using my phone camera tend to give everything more of a blue hue.  The teal panel was die cut then I use a large background stamp to add tone on tone little twinkles and dots for just a bit of interest.  After it was added to the card base, the main image was mounted with foam tape. No embellishments this time.

Thanks for stopping by, I appreciate it.  I encourage you to head over to the challenge blog to see the fabulous cards from the rest of the design team.  The challenge will remain open until Friday September 25th at 3pm EDT.  I hope you'll join us this week!

Stef

• MFT Polar Bear Pals stamp set
• SSS Twinkling Stars background stamp
• MFT Stitched Modern Rectangle Stax dies
• SSS Aegan ink
• Olos - V2.6, 2.4, 2.3, 1.1, BG 2.7, 2.5, 2.4, 2.1
• Copics - C3, 1, 0, BG 000, 0000

Chinese Lanterns for PP799

Hello friends!  This week at the Paper Players we have a new Clean and Simple challenge.  The lovely Claire is hosting and has added the theme of Looking Forward to Fall.  

Paper Players

For this card, I used three stamps that are oldies but goodies, two of which I've had for at least a decade.

The floral image includes both Chinese Lanterns and American Bittersweet.  When I first met my husband, he had a huge yard with so many plants I'd never seen before, including Chinese Lanterns.  They are a delight, with small white flowers in summer, then come fall, the orange lanterns develop and in that temperate zone (Vancouver, WA), they were fairly long lasting.  So, when I saw this stamp a few years later, I had to buy it.

It's illustrated by Marcella Hawley, the owner of Power Poppy.  She has an amazing garden that inspired her beautiful drawings.  While Power Poppy no longer appears to sell stamps, there are oodles of beautiful digital images for sale, including this one.

I colored everything using Copic and Altenew Artisan markers, including the addition of a bit of light blue around the image.  The sentiment is one of my favorites and so I made sure that oval die I used to cut out the panel had sufficient room for it.

On the orange panel I used a large background stamp from MFT to create a subtle tone on tone look.  I opted not to add any embellishments.

Thanks for taking time to stop by and I encourage you to pop over to the challenge blog to see all the amazing inspiration from the rest of the design team.  The challenge will remain open until Friday August 21st at 3pm EDT.  I hope you'll join us this week!

Stef

PS if you're here early, come on back a later when my Color Hues DT post goes live.

• Power Poppy Sunny Harvest stamp set
• Stampingbella Autumn Sentiments stamp set
• MFT All Line Up Diagonally background stamp
• Spellbinders Essential Stylish Oval die

Showers of Love for the Paper Players

Hello friends!  The Paper Players is back with a new challenge.  This week, the lovely LeAnne is hosting and has chosen a timely theme of Spring Showers. 

Paper Players

Lots of cute ideas in that image board!  I used my favorite stamp and die set for this theme.  It's a retired MFT set but the images still remain cute as ever. 

The cute little girl and her duck friend, along with the clouds, sun and sentiment are all part of the MFT Rain or Shine stamp and die set.  They were all colored with Copic markers and then die cut.  I added some white gel pen highlights and polka dots to her coat, just for fun.

I saw a few cards on Pinterest with the rain to sunshine design for the background, so I thought I'd try that too.  A panel of white was ink blended with two colors of blue, then I used a Copic Mulitliner to create the "raindrops" and colored them in with the white gel pen.  The panel was trimmed down and before adhering to the card base, the cobblestone path was colored then added.  The sun and clouds were all glued to the card front.  Everything else was added with foam tape and the card was done.

This is a fun theme and I hope you'll find time to play along.  For more inspiration, please head over to the challenge blog where my talented teammates have some amazing cards.  The challenge will remain open until Friday, April 10th at 3pm EDT.  I hope to see your card in the gallery!

Thanks for stopping by!

Stef

•  MFT Birdie Brown Rain or Shine stamps and dies
• Simon Says Stamp On the Ground stamp
• SSS Galaxy and Twilight inks
• Copics - YG09, 07, 05, 01, B39, 37, 34,  YR24, 23, Y15, 11, 00, E29, 37, 33, 04, 21, 000, R21

Magical Day for the Paper Players

Hello friends!  The weeks just fly by and here we are on the 1st of March!  This week at the Paper Players the amazing Christy is hosting, and she has chosen a really fun theme of Mythical Creatures. Think fairies, elves, leprechauns, dragons, aliens (I guess?), unicorns, mermaids...anyway, I think you get the picture!

Paper Players

I have a few "mythical creatures" in my crafty stash but I've been working on cards for children and teens to contribute to the Cards for Cubs card drive for children in the foster system, so I pulled out an old favorite stamp and die set from MFT (which is now closed, sadly).

I love this cute dragon flying with the little child on his back.  I decided to go with a purple dragon just for fun.  I like this image because child could be a boy or a girl.  

After coloring and die cutting the image, I added some fun dots on the dragon with my white gel pen.  The next step was to create a background.  Oh boy, did I fuss around with this, but finally decided to crop the stenciled cloudy sky background down with a circle die, then adhere the dragon and child directly to it.  I wanted a little bit of texture on the card base and found this panel already cut with a cover die.  I wasn't sure if I liked it or not but, in the end, thought it worked okay, especially in the light green color. Let me know what you think. 

The sentiment is from an old Lawn Fawn stamp set.  It was cut with a label die then I fished tailed the ends.  Both it and the circle were then added to the card front with foam tape, and I finished things off with a few purple enamel dots.  

I hope you'll join us for this fun challenge!  For more ideas and inspiration, take a moment to visit the challenge blog to see the fabulous cards by my talented teammates. The challenge will remain open until Friday, March 6th at 3pm EST.  

Thanks for visiting and if you have a chance, please come back by later for my new DT post for Color Hues.

Stef

PS  I'd also love it if you'd come visit on Thursday, March 5th, when I have a very, very special post to share!

• MFT Birdie Brown Magical Friends stamp and die
• Lawn Fawn Fairy Friends Sentiment stamp
• MFT Mini Clouds stencil
• Hero Arts Nested Circle die
• Pinkfresh Studio Stitched Diamonds cover plate die
• Copics - YG67, 17, 03, E29, 37, 33, 04, 21, 000, B39, 37, 34, 01, 000, 0000
• OLOs - V2.7, 2.6, 2.4, 1.1
• Altenew Shades of Purple Enamel Dots

Cozy Birdhouse for Color Hues

Hello friends!  The summer is sure cruising by and here it is, August 1st! Over at Color Hues we have a new challenge, this time hosted by the amazing Carol.  She has chosen a lovely combo of pink and gray.

Color Hues

Making a bunny with these colors definitely crossed my mind but instead I decided to use a couple of cute die sets to make a fun little scene.  Since the dies are new, I'll be linking up to Darnell's NBUS as well.

NBUS

I started out by inking the background using a cloud stencil and a light pink ink on an A2 panel of white.

Next all the elements were die cut from white, which were colored with a variety of inks in pink, gray and brown.  For the sentiment, I took the inkpad direct to paper, let it dry overnight, then die cut it.  

I started creating the card front with the branch, which I layered on two additional die cuts, then wrapped some hemp twine on it before adding it to the top of the panel.  The twine was pulled taut, then I used a little tape to hold it in place.

Then came the birdhouse and fun little birdies.  I put the house together first, added foam tape to the back and positioned it so that the roof hid the taped twine.  The interior panel is also cut from the die but it's hard to get it exactly centered, so next time I think I'll create a slightly larger one.  After adding the birdies, the layered die cut sentiment was centered and I was done.

I encourage you to use the link above to see what my oh, so talented teammates have created with this color combination.  After seeing all that great inspiration, I hope you'll head off to your crafty space and join us!  The challenge will remain open until Thursday, August 14th at 3pm EDT.  

Thanks for visiting and take care!

Stef

• Simon Says Stamp Birdies and Cozy Birdhouse die sets
• MFT Mini Cloud Edges stencil*
• MFT Hello There Dienamic set*
• SSS Mocha Cappucino and Latte inks
• Altenew Baby Pink, Pinkalicious, Rubellite, Idustrial Diamond and Pure Graphite inks

*Sadly, MFT has closed but I am guessing there may be products available online or other retailers.

Merry Moose for The Paper Players

Hello friends!  It's Sunday and time for a new challenge at The Paper Players.  This week the lovely Ann is hosting our CAS week and this time it's back to nature!

The Paper Players

You are welcome to use any plant or animal on your card, just remember to keep it clean and simple.  For my card I used a fun moose!

Well, our silly moose found himself all tangled up in the decorations but not to worry, he's having fun!  The moose and the sentiment are both from the Merry Moose set from MFT and there are so many fun images.  I colored a number of the moose images with Copic markers but decided this guy was my favorite for this card  

In keeping this very simple, I used some older MFT pattern papers on the bottom of a panel, stamped the sentiment above, then die cut it with a deckled rectangle.  Two more layers of scrap cardstock were cut with the same rectangle die, added to the back of the main panel, then adhered to the card base. I did the same with the moose, layering up two additional die cuts.  If I'm making a CAS card, I like adding that bit of dimension for more interest.  Although you can't see it in the photos, I added Glossy Accents to the ornaments and lights in his antlers.

This is a great challenge because you can use any plant or animal, so lots of options for a CAS card.  We'd love to have you join us this week and if you drop by the challenge blog, you'll see lots of inspiration from my talented teammates!

Thanks for visiting and take care!

Stef

• MFT Merry Moose stamps and dies
• Waffle Flower Deckled Frames
• MFT Cool Collab patterned paper
• Ranger Glossy Accents
• Copics - E59, 57, 55, 53, R39, 37, 35, BG07, 45, 53, C9, 7, 3

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

In My Heart

Hello friends, I'm back yet again this week, this time with a fun card for the current challenge at The Paper Players.  Claire has chosen some yummy, vibrant colors and I knew immediately what stamp set would work best with them.

PP685

I have had this cute stamp and die set for months but never used it so when I saw these colors I knew it was time to put it to use.

I stamped out all the images, colored them with Copic markers and then used the dies to cut them out.  The sentiment is from the set but I only used part of it, masking off the part I didn't want to include, then used a paper trimmer to size it appropriately.

Next the brick background was stenciled with gray about 2/3rds of the way down the panel, trimmed down to 4" x 5.25", then I built the scene, adhering everything directly to the panel except for the planters on each side, which were popped up with foam tape, as was the sentiment.  

Thanks for taking time to stop by!  I hope you're having a good week and that Spring has finally arrived where you are.  Here in Meridian, our weather keeps vascilating between 50s and 70s but I'm hopeful that by next week we'll be well into warmer weather. ;-)

Take care!

Stef

• MFT Sittin' Pretty stamps and dies
• MFT English Brick Wall stencil
• Simon Says Stamp Earl ink
• Copics - RV19, 09, 06, 04, 02, BG49, 13, 11, YG67, 17, 03, 01, YR27, 24, 15, 11, E11, 21, 00, C5, 3, 1, 00, W5, 3, 1, 0

Showers of Love

Hello friends!  Just popping in with a quick post with a card I made for Claire's Rainy Days theme over at The Paper Players.  I also decided to use the Color Hues colors of turquoise and green for our current challenge.

PP679

CH #82

I'm also joining the current Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge where the theme is to add a sentiment.

When I saw Claire's theme, I knew I had to pull out one of my older but well-loved Birdie Brown stamp and die sets from MFT.

I started by stamping the sweet little girl and the splash drops.  They were colored with Copic markers then die cut.  I also die cut the clouds and the puddle, then used my Copics to color them as well.  

For the background, I cut a panel of white cardstock with MFT's Stitched Modern Rectangle Stax die, then white heat embossed the sentiment before inking up the background with Altenew's Aqualicious ink.  I splattered the background with water droplets, but they didn't show up as well as I wanted, so I splattered some white paint on there as well.  Once the panel was dry, the clouds, puddle and drops were adhered directly to the panel, then foam tape was used to give our cute little girl some dimension.  

Thanks for stopping by, I appreciate it.  I hope all is well in your neck of the woods!  Take care!

Stef

• MFT BB Rain or Shine Stamps and Dies
• MFT Stitched Modern Rectangle Stax die
• Versamark and Altenew Aqualicious Fresh Dye inks
• Dr. Ph Martin's Bleed Proof White
• Copics - E29, 37, 33, 11, 21, 00, BG09, 45, 01, 11, 10, YG09, 07, 05, 01 R20, C5, 3, 1, 0, 00

My Favorite Human Bean for Just Us Girls

Hello friends!  Well, the month of January is flying by and today I'm sharing my 3rd card as guest designer for Just Us Girls.  This week we have a wonderful mood board that I think is one of the sweetest and coziest I've ever seen.

 Just Us Girls

I know the photos are a bit hard to see but if you head over to the JUGs blog, they have a larger version where you can see all the details.  

I'm also joining the current Inkspirational Challenge, where the theme is Stencils.

Inkspirational #307

I just love this JUGS Mood Board!  I was inspired by the kitty's warm cuddly sweater and hat, along with the cup of coffee.

I started with Altenew's Sweater Pattern stencil and used light brown and medium gray to create the pattern on a panel of white, which was then cut it down with a rectangle die and added to a white card base with foam tape.

Next I used the MFT Coffee Talk Bundle to create the die cut coffee cups and stamp the sentiment.  I laid the coffee cups on a sticky mat, then colored them with Copic markers.  Two additional dies were cut for each cup and they were layered up before adhering to card front around the sentiment.  The last thing was to add a heart.  I have some clay hearts from Trinity Stamps but the color was a little too tomato-y, so I just used a dark red Copic marker to change the color and after adhering it to the cup, I covered it with Glossy Accents for some shine.  I was tickled pink by how this card turned out because I've never used this bundle before although I think I bought it over a year ago.  Time to keep shopping my stash, I guess!

So, what inspires you on the mood board?  Please take a moment to visit the challenge blog and see what inspired the DT and hopefully play along!  Thanks for visiting.

Take care!

Stef

Stamps and dies:  MFT Coffee Talk Bundle, Hero Arts Nested Rectangle die

Stencil:  Altenew Sweater Pattern

Ink:  Simon Says Stamp Latte and Earl, Versafine Clair Pinecone

Other:  Trinity Stamps Candy Apple Hearts, Glossy Accents

Copics:  R39, C2, 1, 0, 00, E35, 31, 30

Yeti or Not for Just Us Girls

Hello friends!  I am so honored to be the January Guest Designer for Just Us Girls!  And this week we're starting off 2024 with a fabulous color combination that I absolutely love!

Just Us Girls

 

I'm also sharing over at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge where this week's theme is Something New, which is perfect since I used a new stamp and die set for this card.

I knew right away that I'd be using these colors for a birthday card for our great-nephew because they are perfect for creating a snowy scene.

I started with a panel of mixed media paper and ink blended the teal sky with Altenew Teal Caves.  Next I combined some Tim Holtz Distress Snowfall Grit Paste and Sparkle Paste then spread it through a snow stencil.  While that dried, the images were all stamped, colored with Copic markers and die cut.

Before adding the cute little Yetis, the background was added to the panel.  I used a Copic marker to add teal around the edges then used Stardust Stickles to add sparkle on top and also on the tree branches.  The Yetis were then added with thin foam squares, as was the sentiment, and lastly I used Glossy Accents on the balloon to make it nice and shiny.  I think my nephew will get a kick out of this card, especially the punny sentiment.

Thanks for taking time to stop by, and I hope you'll do the same at the challenge blog, where the DT have some fabulous inspiration for you!

Take care!

Stef

Stamps:  MFT Yeti or Not

Dies: MFT Yeti or Not, MFT Grounded

Paper:  Neenah Solar White, Vicki Boutin Mixed Media

Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne, Memento Tuxedo Black, Altenew Teal Cave

Stencil:  MFT Heavy Snowfall

Copics:  B39, 37, 34, BG07, 45, 53, YG67, 17, 03, E29, 25, 11, 21, 00, W3, 1, 0, C3, 00

Fragrant Peony for The Flower Challenge

Hello friends!  It's the fourth of the month, which brings a new challenge over at The Flower Challenge!  This month we are asking everyone to use a die.

http://theflowerchallenge.blogspot.com/

I'm also playing along with Addicted to Stamps and More where the challenge is to make a birthday card.

ATSM #453

Finally, I'm also joining the Anything Goes Challenge at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge.

For my card, I went all in with dies, using the lovely Fragrant Peony dies from Altenew, along with a couple others.

I recently decided to buy a few of the new Altenew Fresh Dye inks and this card was the perfect way to test them out, and quite honestly, they are wonderful.  I love my Crisp Dye inks and they work fine, but I did see a bit brighter results from ink blending and a clearer image when stamping the sentiment.

I started by ink blending the lightest blue, Water Hyacinth and the lightest green, Silver Sage, on white cardstock, then die cut the petals and leaves.  I then used the next two darkest inks from both ink families to add shading to the die cuts.  The center was die cut separately from a scrap of white and blended with Sunray and Yellow Ochre.  Putting the flowers together is easy with Altenew's keyhole design for lining up the layers.

With the flowers and leaves ready to go, I die cut the Waffle Flower Ring Panel die from white and layered it on a panel of Simon Says Stamp Fog cardstock, which was then added to a white card base.  The sentiment, from MFT's Stylish Sentiments stamp set, was stamped in Indigo Skies, the darkest blue, then die cut with label die.  The flowers were arranged around the sentiment and I was done.

No doubt you have a die in your collection and we'd love to see what you create with it.  But before you head off to your crafty place, be sure to check out the stunning array of cards the design team has created over at the challenge blog!

Take care!

Stef

Stamps:  MFT Stylish Sentiments

Paper:  Neenah Solar White, SSS Fog

Ink:  Altenew Yellow Ochre Crisp Dye ink, Sunray, Water Hyacinth, Alpine Aster, Crystal Violet, Indigo Skies, Silver Sage, Jade and Eucalyptus Fresh Dye inks

Dies: Altenew Fragrant Peony and Featured Sentiment dies, Waffle Flower Ring Panel die

You're the Coolest

Hello friends!  The Paper Players has a fun CAS challenge this week, so I thought I'd play along.

PP649

I love Anne Marie's choice of Bon Appetit! but I don't have many stamps or dies of food, but I did remember one I bought last summer and never got to use.  So, this seemed like the best perfect time to try it out

I was debating whether to die cut and ink blend the popsicle layers or just use multiple colors of cardstock when I spotted an unused panel that I'd ink blended then covered with an iridescent spray, and I thought that would be a fun way to make the popsicles.  We'll just pretend that the spray is frosty-cold goodness lol!  As a child I spent many a hot summer day eating a popsicle or two and those first cool licks were the best!

For the fudgesicle, I originally used a cream cardstock for the ice cream portion but it looked rather blah next two the popsicles, so I ink blended it with Picked Raspberry.  The fudge layer was die cut from brown cardstock, then I added two layers of Ranger Glossy Accents to make it nice and shiny.  Once the sticks were created and everything was adhered together, the sentiment was stamped on the deckled die cut layer which was added to the white card base with foam tape, then the popsicles and fudgesicle were glued on and my CAS card was complete!

Thanks for visiting!  I hope you're able to stay cool and safe in this miserably hot summer.  Here in Idaho. we'll be up around 105 degrees for the next few days.  All the better to stay inside and make more cards!

Take care!

Stef

Stamps:  MFT Pair of Popsicles

Paper:  Neenah Solar White and Desert Storm, Stampin' Up Early Espresso, Strathmore Bristol

Ink:  Simon Says Stamp Amethyst; Distress ink in Chipped Sapphire, Wilted Violet, Pick Raspberry, Spiced Marmalade and Fossilized Amber

Dies:  Pair of Popsicles, Altenew Mix and Match Frames

Other:  Hero Arts White Iridescent Shimmer Spray, Ranger Glossy Accents

Peaceful Birthday for Sunday Stamps

Hello friends!  Well, isn't this month just rolling by?  It's time once again for a new challenge at Sunday Stamps!  This time it's a sketch challenge by yours truly - I hope it inspires you to join us!

Sunday Stamps

It had been a while since I'd made a slimline card and I like all the real estate for creating that it provides. For my card, I did rotate it so it is portrait rather than landscape style. I also apologize with the photo quality of the first shot - I had a heck of a time getting the sentiment to read clearly, even after photo editing.  I'm currently using an older smartphone and I think it's time for an upgrade lol!

The Peaceful Birds stamp and die set from MFT were perfect for making a slimline birthday card.  All the images were stamps, colored with Copics and die cut with the matching dies.  The MFT mini clouds stencil and some light blue ink were used to create the clouds on a 3.25" x 8.25" panel.  I then laid out my scene so I'd know where the grass layer would go and ink blended a couple of green Distress inks on a separate panel of white, then die cut it with a grass border die.

Before adhering the scene panel to the card base I colored a strip of white with the same Copic marker as the one used for the birdhouse, added it to the white card base, then layered the panel on to finish things up.

Do you like making slimline or mini slimline cards?  We'd love to see yours in the gallery, the challenge is open until 4pm MDT Friday 7/7.  In the meantime, please pop over to the challenge blog where the other DT members have created some fabulous cards for your inspiration!

Take care!

Stef

Stamps:  MFT Peaceful Birds

Paper:  Neenah Solar White, Black

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Versamark, Simon Says Stamp Marine, Mowed Lawn and Rustic Wilderness Distress

Dies:  Peaceful Birds, Lawn Fawn Grassy Borders, MFT Skinny Strips

Stencil:  MFT Mini Cloud Edge

Copics:  B28, 26, 23, YG45, 41, G28, 17, 03, Y26, 08, 13, R20, C3, 000, YR16, E49, 47, 44, 43, 41