A Little Birdie for the Paper Players

Hello friends!  This week is CAS week at the Paper Players and the lovely Joanne is hosting.  She has chosen an apropos theme for this time of year.  Just remember to limit your layers and embellishments and leave plenty of "white" space to keep it CAS.

Paper Players

 

I'm also playing along with the lovelies at Seize the Birthday, with their Anything Goes option.

STB #318

What I was initially thinking of using turned out to be not very CAS, so I made a change of direction and used a fun little die set that is more in line with this challenge.

I adore the Simon Says Stamp Birdies die set, but it's been quite a while since I used it here, plus I acquired the Birdies Winter Accessories dies last month and wanted them to be able to take an outing in their latest apparel. Wait, what?  Birdies around you aren't wearing their winter attire?  Well, those poor little things! 😉

After all the die cutting and assembly, I thought the birdies needed an appropriate background, so I ink blended some sky and clouds on a panel of white using the MFT Rolling Clouds stencil, then adhered it directly to the card base.  After adding the cute birdies on the branch, the sentiment (from Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous Crazy Talk) was popped up with a bit of thin foam tape.  I'll add the Happy Birthday wishes on the inside of the card when I go to send it.  The last step was to use a Sakura Black Glaze pen for their eyes.

What signs of winter would you like to share this week?  For additional inspiration, please pop over to the challenge blog here, where my amazing teammates have some wonderful creations to share!  You can play along until Friday January 23rd at 3pm EST.  I hope you'll join us!

Thanks for visiting!

Stef

Merry Little Christmas for the Paper Players

Hello friends!  It's time for a new challenge at the Paper Players and this week I have the honor of hosting!  This is our CAS week, and I've chosen what I hope is an easy theme for this time of year, for those making holiday cards.

Paper Players

Your favorite holiday image can be from any holiday, such as Christmas, Hanukkah, Diwali, Kwanzaa, to name just a few.  Things like Santa, a Menorah, candles, presents, ornaments, Christmas tree, etc. Remember to keep it clean and simple - limited layers and embellishments, plenty of "white" space, etc.

I've been working through my stash of Bundle Girl stamps for Christmas and today's card is similar to the one here created for my recent guest designer spot at Time Out Challenges.  I really like using them because it's easy for me to create at CAS card.  The stamp for today has two of my favorite images for Christmas - Christmas trees and ornaments.  Plus, the little girl and the birdie are sooo cute!

I remember when I was very young and being enthralled with our pretty Christmas tree that my mom painstakingly decorated.  After my parents passed, I was fortunate to receive a number of their antique ornaments. And naturally, using them every year brings back many joyful memories.

But that's not what brought you here - let's move on to the card!

 

The image was stamped, then I used a bit of ink blending for the sky before coloring with Copic markers. The panel was cut with a Postage Edge die, then the sentiment stamped and Glossy Accents applied to the ornaments for shine.  I also added it to the little girl's pom and the snow on the ground, then covered that with Distress Rock Candy Glitter.  It looks so pretty IRL!  

The pierced panel was created with a Pinkfresh Studio cover die and adhered to the card base.  I first tried adding the main image to the card base directly but it seemed like it needed a little somethin' somethin' more but still keeping things CAS.  

 

So what is your favorite holiday image - we'd love to find out!  Please join us this week, the challenge will remain open until 3pm EST on Friday, November 21st.  But, before you head off, be sure to head over to the challenge blog where my talented teammates have some wonderful cards to inspire you!

Thanks for visiting and take care!

Stef

• Stamping Bella Bundle Girl with a Christmas Tree and a Birdie (retired)
• Pinkfresh Studio Diamond Cover die
• Simon Says Stamp Postage Edge die
• Glossy Accents and Distress Rock Candy Glitter
• Sakura White Gelly Roll pen
• Copics - R39, 37, 35, 20, G29, 17, 05, B02, 000, 0000, YR24, Y15, 13, E49, 47, 44, 43, 41, 11, 21, 01

Holiday Cheer for Time Out Challenges

Hello friends!  I'm so thrilled to share that I am the guest designer for Time Out Challenges for the next fortnight!  My card here was chosen as the winner of TOC #296.

For this challenge, we are to create a card for our favorite holiday to celebrate.  I chose Christmas because I think I'm still a kid at heart, loving all sparkle, decorations and family gatherings.  

We look forward to seeing which holiday your favorite is to celebrate!

Time Out Challenges

Challenge #301 is sponsored by  Angie Blom Digital Designs.  The challenge winner as chosen by the Design Team will receive a $25.00 store credit. The winner will also receive an invitation to join them as Guest Designer for a future challenge.

ETA:  I saw that my friends at Just Us Girls are celebrating their 800th (!) challenge and wanted to join in during their special week.  And it's easy since the theme is Anything Goes.  Be sure to go check it out - the DT cards are amazing and there are even prizes to be won!

JUGS #800

I once again decided to use one of the sweet Bundle Girl images from Stamping Bella for my card.  This time she's sending correspondence to Santa.  I wonder, what could it be?

I started with a panel of white that had been cut with a Postage Edge die.  Next the image was stamped on the panel, then stamped again on a piece of Gina K Masking Magic.  From different piece of masking paper I cut a small hillside to mask off the horizon line while I ink blended the sky.  

With the ink blending done, the masks came off and I used Copic markers to color everything.  White polka dots were added to her scarf, then I went over them in the shaded areas with my mid-tone red marker.  The sentiment was then stamped on the card panel. 

The last step was to use Glossy Accents for adding dots to the sky and squiggles to the snow, then cover them with Distress Clear Rock Candy Glitter.  I know it doesn't usually snow on a clear day, but I did create a few clouds in the sky. Plus, I've been skiing many a time when we'd get a little light snow shower in the midst of an otherwise nice day on the slopes. So that's what I imagined for this scene, plus it was a fun excuse to add more glitter! 

As I was writing this post, I realized I forgot to add "snow" to the mailbox.  That will be remedied before sending.

Thanks for taking time to stop by!  I hope you'll take time to play along with the lovely crew at Time Out Challenge - share what you love to celebrate!

Take care!

Stef

• Stamping Bella Bundle Girl Sending a Letter to Santa
• Poppystamps Christmas Sparkle Stamp set
• Simon Says Stamp Postage Edge rectangle die
• Distress Clear Rock Candy Glitter
• Copics - R39, 37, 35, E47, 44, 43, 04, 21, 00, B02, 00, 000, T4, 2, 0

There's Snow Buddy Like You

Hello friends!  I'm here to share a card that I made for the current challenge at Just Us Girls.  They have a terrific winter mood board for inspiration. 

And I have a fun little winter card that I made recently using the January 2025 card kit from Simon Says Stamp.

Isn't he the cutest little yeti?  I had so much fun putting this card together.  I started by stamping and Copic coloring the trees, mountains, yeti and the two hearts, one that he's holding and one up by the sentiment.  Everything was die cut with the matching dies and the neat thing is that the yeti die cuts his hands so that you can insert little items like the heart I used.  The sentiment is also from the same set.

Next I used a piece of patterned paper that looks like snow falling for the background, then layered on a "snow hill" that had been die cut with a hillside border.  I left enough room to tuck in the mountains and tree, then added the trees and yeti.  I used Copic markers to add a touch of blue shadow atop the hills and underneath the yeti and two trees.  The sentiment and little heart were added and I called it done.

Thanks for taking a look and I hope you have a great weekend!

Stef

I also invite you to come on by tomorrow when my new Paper Players card goes live.

• SSS Get Yeti stamps and dies
• Honey Bee Stamps Horizon Slimline Borders die
• Photoplay Yeti for Winter Custom patterned paper
• Copics - R39, 37, 35, 20, G29, 17, 05, BG78, 75, 72, 000, 0000, E29, 37, 33

Sending Peace for Color Hues

Hello friends!  The year has passed quite swiftly and here we are at the beginning of December, where it's time for a new Color Hues Challenge.  The amazing Nancy is our host this time and has chosen the beautiful combination of blue and purple to close out the year.  Yes, the challenge will be open until December 29th.

Color Hues

We've reached a milestone at Color Hues because it happens to be our 100th challenge, Woohooo... so there will be a fabulous prize offered to one of our winners. You can read all the details over on the Color Hues blog linked above.

I really dithered on this challenge, not because I had trouble with the color combination but because I made a card, decided it wasn't "enough" so I went a different direction.  But ultimately I decided to use my first card.  I'll share my second card at the bottom of the post.  Let me know which one you would have chosen.

These colors reminded me of a beautiful late afternoon winter sky, so I tried to emulate that.  I started by stamping the row of trees on a panel of Bristol paper in black pigment ink.  When that dried, I began ink blending with the darker shades of the two colors at the top and bottom of the panel, then ended up blending the two lighter shades in the middle. I created snowflakes by splattering white acrylic paint across the panel.

While that dried, the frame and peace sentiment were die cut from purple glitter cardstock and "sending" was stamped and die cut with the matching die.  I added a second layer to the frame before adhering to the now dry panel, then added the sentiments.  I decided nothing more was needed.  I think the sentiment was very appropriate as the scene has me envisioning myself in a wooded area made quiet by the falling snow.

Here's the second card I created, going a completely different direction. Either way, I ended up with another card to send!  Side note - did you know there is a purple poinsettia?  It's called Plum Pudding and I believe it's a relatively new varietal and not common.

What are you inspired to create with these colors?  Although this is a busy time of year, I hope you'll find a way to carve out some crafty time and share your card with us.  Don't forget there's a prize to be won!  The challenge will close at 9 am EST on Sunday the 29th.  I hope to see your card in the gallery!

Thanks for visiting and happy holidays!

Stef

Card #1 (all products from Simon Says Stamp except where noted)

• Peaceful Trees stamps and die
• Simple Peace die
• A2 Nesting Frames
• Winter Glitter 6x6 paper pack
• Altenew Sea Breeze, Tidal Blue, Wisteria and Hydrangea inks
• Dina Wakely White Glossy Acrylic Spray
• Hero Arts White Iridescent Shimmer Mist

Card #2

• Penny Black Scarlet Stamp
• SSS Elegantly Modern Christmas Stamp and Die
• MFT Elegant Rectangle Stax die
• SSS Silver embossing powder
• Altenew Caribbean Sky ink
• Copic and Olo markers

Peaceful Holiday for The Paper Players

Hello friends!  It's Sunday and time for a new CAS challenge over at The Paper Players where LeAnne is asking us to add a tag.

The Paper Players

I am also sharing over at Inkspirational, where the theme is Seasonal.

Inkspirational #327

I love to make cards with tags, so I was excited to see our tag challenge.  I am in desperate need of adding more cards to my holiday card stash, so that is where I went with this challenge.

I started by die cutting the tag then stamping and clear heat embossing the tree trio on the tag.  I created a mask using the circle die that comes with the set to cover the moon while I used inks to create the night sky, then removed the mask and used the moon stamps in light and medium yellow.  I grabbed a scrap of white cardstock, hand cut the top then used the tag die to cut the bottom.  After it was adhered to the tag, I added some Star Dust Stickles to the top of the "snow"

The stag and the sentiment were also stamped and clear heat embossed, then die cut with the matching dies.  A white gel pen was used to create "stars" in the sky then the die cut pieces were added to the tag. I found a leftover bit of white sparkle ribbon and added that to the top of the tag and tied it off with some silver baker's twine.  It was then added to a card base that I found in my stash with the embossed panel already adhered.  The final step was to add some of the Star Dust Stickles to the tree branches.  It sparkles so much IRL!

What are you inspired to create with this challenge?  We'd love to have you join us this week - the challenge remains open until Friday October 25th at 3pm EDT.  In the meantime, be sure to head over to the challenge blog, where my wonderful teammates have some fantastic inspiration to share with you!

Thanks for visiting and take care!

Stef

• Simon Says Stamp/Gina K Stamptember 2024 Stay Cozy collaboration stamps and dies
• SSS Snowy Pines embossing folder
• Ellen Hutson Tag Trio die
• Altenew Desert Night, Dusk, Lemonade Stand and Honeydew Glow inks
• Lawn Fawn Silver Baker's Twine
• Sakura White Gelly Roll pen