PP435 Happy Easter

Hello stampers!  Hope your weekend is fabulous so far!  We had some warm temps yesterday...a little teaser, I think, because it's going to RAIN all week long!  Anyway, we can spend time inside stamping, right?  It's time for another Paper Players challenge, and Laurie has a tic-tac-toe challenge for us:

I chose the bottom row across, but I also have the diagonals too!  My card today was based on a card my upline Pennie sent me, which I just loved!  So here is mine, featuring Botanical Butterfly DSP, a sentiment from Fable Friends, florals from Painted Seasons, and diecuts from Cross of Hope, Be Mine and Stitched Shapes:

And here is Pennie's gorgeous card she sent me:

So the very cool thing about this card is that it folds flat and fits in a standard sized envelope! Edited to add:  just "push" the card flat...one side will stay folded, the other will stay extended---and in this way, it will fit into the envelope).  I started with a piece of cardstock 4 1/4" x 8", and scored at 1 1/4" and 2 1/2" on the 8" side, then flipped it over and scored the same on the other side.  (If you don't feel like flipping, your measurements would be 1 1/4", 2 1/2", 5 1/2" and 6 3/4"). I started with a Highland Heather card, and pieced the outer panels with the Botanical Butterfly DSP.  My inner panel was embossed with Perfect Polka dots embossing folder and my cross was diecut from Silver Foil and Gorgeous Grape cardstocks:

My front panel was embellished with two dies from Be Mine, the stitched scallop and the open floral; I added some flowers and leaves that I fussy cut after stamping them with Highland Heather ink; I also added a little silver thread behind it to tie in with the silver foil cross:

I thought the upper left side needed a little something as well, so I stamped the same floral and cut just the inner petals to make a smaller flower:

Tic-tac-toes are always so fun, I hope you'll play with us this week and share your creation at the Players!  Meanwhile, check out what the DT created:

Ann

Claire

Jaydee

Joanne

Laurie

Nance

Anne Marie

Su

Wanda

Windy

Saturday, my friend Robyn and I went to a crafty neighbor's house to learn how to make felted bunnies:

Here is my "work in progress":

And here he is, all finished and "on display" with my other Easter goodies:

The carrot makes it, don't you think?!!  And here they all are, on parade:

So much fun!  And so many cute possibilities for other little critters too...but I DO NOT NEED ANOTHER HOBBY, LOL!  Thanks for popping in today...enjoy it and be blessed!

Project Details—All Products SU! Unless Otherwise Specified
Stamps	Fable Friends, Painted Seasons
Card stock & Papers	Whisper White, Highland Heather, Gorgeous Grape, Silver Foil, Botanical Butterfly DSP
Ink	Highland Heather
Accessories	Silver Thread, Dimensionals
Tools	Big Shot, Be Mine Thinlets, Cross of Hope Framelits, Stitched Shapes Framelits,  Perfect Polkadot Embossing Folder (ret)

Lazy FMS318 Get Well Soon

Happy Saturday, peeps!  Just a quick post...an uber-simple card for an uber-simple FMS sketch:

I realized I have very few get-well cards (or get-well stamps!) so I thought I should make one, and the sketch was perfect for letting these beautiful papers do all the work:

I am getting itchy for the new catalog is coming out soon, because I am bored with my old papers!  So I looked in my huge stash of other DSPS and came up with this lovely one!  This particular line of paper called Chelsea Garden is from last year's Close to My Heart catalog (or maybe two years ago!), and I have been hoarding it because it is just so beautiful, easy to coordinate and the colors are divine!  I layered some of the pieces to follow the sketch, stamped a real simple image from Treat Time in Lost Lagoon and added a Smoky Slate scallop!  Easy peasy!  Thanks for popping in today!

I corralled Cassidy to do a little yard work earlier this week....picking up sticks is not her cup of tea, you can tell by the bored look:

Eventually she knuckled down and did some work, but it was like pulling teeth.  I don't really like it either, but it's gotta be done!

Enjoy your day and be blessed!  And be sure to come back tomorrow for a new Paper Players challenge!

AYSI197 Botanical Thanks

Hi everyone!  Yay, it's Friday!!  Do you have fun plans for the weekend?  I am taking a felting class with my friend Robyn, and we're going to make a bunny!  Can't wait!  Today's As You See It challenge is a sketch...it's pretty much like my FAVORITE layout, so I was excited to play!

I have been neglectful in playing with our pretty laser-cut papers....sometimes they are a bit fiddly to maneuver...the little pieces catch on each other while I am trying to take them out of the package, but for today's card, I took my time and had success!!  Check it out:

I layered this leafy-patterned diecut over some Painted Seasons DSP, which then went on top of a Mint Macaron layer!  (An easy way to adhere these laser-cut pieces is to use a spray adhesive....use outdoors,and spray inside a box lid or somewhere where the spray won't get all over your craft room!!)  I added a scalloped layer in white and I thought that one of the diecuts from the Botanical Tags dies would look really nice with it:

After cutting it from a piece of Whisper White cardstock, I cut the bottom edge with a circle die and layered it on another piece of Mint Macaron, cut from the same circle die.  I added a sentiment and a couple of pearls, colored with my Mint Macaron Blend, then adhered it atop a piece of velvet ribbon.  The die and the laser-cut panel look like they were meant to go together, don't they?  

I hope you'll play along with our sketch this week too...the DT has some fabulous samples to share as well!  Check them all out at the AYSI blog!

Enjoy your day and be blessed!

Project Details—All Products SU! Unless Otherwise Specified
Stamps	A Big Thank You, Botanical Bliss
Card stock & Papers	Whisper White, Mint Macaron, Delightfully Detailed Laser-cut Specialty DSP
Ink	Mint Macaron
Accessories	Pearls (ret), Tranquil Tide Velveteen Ribbon (ret)
Tools	Big Shot, Be Mine Framelits, Botanical Tags Thinlets, Layering Circles Framelits, Mint Macaron Blends

IB65 Windows, Not the Microsoft Kind

Happy Thursday, stampers!  It's time for another Inspired By challenge from Laurel, and she really challenged me this week!  I did need a sympathy card, so it was perhaps a good challenge for that:

And here is her prompt:

I know I am not much of a city girl, so I really struggled to find some inspiration in the photo! I did live in a city right out of college, East Orange, New Jersey, and I like to think that I can make a home wherever I am, but I am a farm/country girl at heart!  Anyway, I could just imagine a little kitty looking out one of those windows, so that's what I went for!  I used the Heart and Home Framelits for my white window, and stamped a sentiment from Itty Bitty Greetings on the bottom portion.  The kitty is from an Impression Obsession die, and the brick is a Cajun Craze panel embossed with a Tim Holtz brick embossing folder and sponged with some white craft ink:

On the inside, I added a Papertrey sentiment:

On the whole, I just think it looks a little plain and sad...maybe I should have added another kitty as a playmate, LOL!  Anyway, I hope you'll find some inspiration with our challenge this week and share what you create at the Inspired By blog!

And speaking of kitties, my friend Martha sent me this picture of her kitty, making herself right at home in a Stampin' Up! box:

She's not only pretty, she's smart too....choosing a SU box for her bed, LOL!  Enjoy your day and be blessed!

Project Details—All Products SU! Unless Otherwise Specified
Stamps	Itty Bitty Greetings
Card stock & Papers	Basic Gray, Smoky Slate, Whisper White, Cajun Craze, Misc DSP from my stash
Ink	Basic Gray, Craft White
Accessories	Dimensionals
Tools	Big Shot, Hearth & Home Thinlets (ret), Brick Embossing Folder (Tim Holtz), Stampin' Sponges, Cat Die 083-K( Impression Obsession)

Botanical Bliss Thanks

Hi everyone!  It's the middle of the week...the temps are getting a little better every day and hopefully by the end of the week it may actually feel like SPRING!  I have a pretty spring flower for you today on my card...no challenge, I was just experimenting with some watercoloring on Shimmery White cardstock and liked my "experiment" well enough to cut it out and use it on a card:

I know this is the second card in a row on which I've used yellow, but I can honestly say that I think this is the first time I've used the In Color Pineapple Punch!  I paired a layer of it with some of the Botanical Butterfly DSPs, added a black scalloped border and a flower from Botanical Bliss, which I stamped in Stazon, then used various inks and an aquapainter to color it in:

I added a sentiment from Itty Bitty Greetings, stamped in Granny Apple Green and diecut with a Rectangle Stitched die, then a few sequins from my stash.  Another cheery card is on its way!

Wayne tried to show Cassidy how to throw a rock and have it skip across the water.  They weren't too successful...practice, practice, practice!

Enjoy your day and be blessed!

Project Details—All Products SU! Unless Otherwise Specified
Stamps	Botanical Bliss, Itty Bitty Greetings
Card stock & Papers	Shimmery White, Whisper White, Pineapple Punch, Basic Black, Botanical Butterflies DSP
Ink	Stazon Black, Daffodil Delight, Pumpkin Pie, Granny Apple Green
Accessories	Sequins from my stash
Tools	Big Shot, Be Mine Framelits, Aquapainter

RRCB107

Happy Tuesday, stampers!  It's time for another Retro Rubber Challenge, and this week we have a Tic-Tac-Toe challenge!  They're always fun, right?  Here we go:

I chose the lower row of yellow, heat embossing and ribbon or twine...but then I realized I also nailed the left column as well!  So here's my creation:

This sweet little spring line-up is from a set called Nature's Seasonal Borders...it is from 1998, and I think it might have been a hostess set.  I could not find it in Splitcoaststamper's gallery, which is quite unusual.  It comes with three more seasonal borders...one of my favorites!  I heat-embossed it in black on Thick Very Vanilla cardstock, then watercolored it with various yellow-hued inks:

I added a Crumb Cake die-cut border top and bottom, and some Linen Twine.  I also heat-embossed a sentiment from a past Paper Pumpkin kit directly on to some Gingham Gala DSP:

I finished it off by mounting everything on a Daffodil Delight card on which I stamped a few little sprigs from another Paper Pumpkin kit!  This card is already out in the mail to a special friend!

I hope you'll find something on the tic-tac-toe board to inspire you...remember, your stamps have to be at least a year old and you must tell us the age!  Have fun, be creative and share your card with us at the Retro Rubber Challenge!

The sun FINALLY came out and warmed things up enough that the fam could go for a hike on Sunday:

Eden especially enjoyed the sun!  Enjoy your day and be blessed!

Project Details—All Products SU! Unless Otherwise Specified
Stamps	Nature's Seasonal Borders (1998), Paper Pumpkin (ret)
Card stock & Papers	Daffodil Delight, Crumb Cake, Thick Very Vanilla, Gingham Gala DSP
Ink	Stazon, Daffodil Delight, Crushed Curry, Mango Melody, Crumb Cake, Pear Pizzazz
Accessories	Linen Twine
Tools	Big Shot, Be Mine Framelits, Aquapainter, Black Embossing Powder, Heat Tool

PP434 Rev Up the Fun

Hi everyone!  Happy Sunday, and welcome to another Paper Players challenge, where Joanne has a nice sketch for us!  Here we go:

I am always in need of masculine birthday cards, so I pulled out a retired set and went to work!  I did orient the sentiment panel to the other side to make it work better with the motorcycle!!

I used some older SU Brights DSP for my simple panels, stamped the sentiment and tire tracks,  then stamped the motorcycle in Pacific Point and colored it with some Old Olive Blends.  I fussy-cut it out and popped it up so it was doing a wheelie!!!:

There were a couple of other challenges that this fit as well:  the Clean and Simple Colours and Sketches challenge wanted Pacific Point, Old Olive and Sahara Sand:

and the Festive Friday challenge wants handmade and/or dots!  I think my card qualifies for both!

So what will you create with this sketch?!  I hope you will share it with us at the Paper Players this week!  Meanwhile, check out what the others created!  

·         Ann

·         Claire

·         Jaydee

·         Joanne

·         Laurie

·         Nance

·         Anne Marie

·         Su

·         Wanda

·         Windy

      

       Thanks for popping in today!

Project Details—All Products SU! Unless Otherwise Specified
Stamps	Rev Up the Fun (ret)
Card stock & Papers	Sahara Sand, Whisper White, Brights DSP (ret)
Ink	Sahara Sand, Pacific Point
Accessories	Halloween Enamel Dots (ret), Dimensionals
Tools	SU Blends

We are almost finished cleaning out my dad's tools....we went from this:

To a much smaller pile in the kitchen:

John, my brother and brother-in-law loaded stuff into the utility trailer:

And we have almost all the stuff out of the garage....besides all the tools and other stuff he "collected", he had about 100 fishing poles hanging from the rafters:

Not to mention bobbers, minnow buckets, lead weights, reels, lures, tackle boxes....the list goes on and on!  But at least we can walk through the house without stepping over tools! 

Enjoy your day and be blessed!