Thank You

Happy Monday all,

I took the day off and went for a SPA DAY with a couple of friends today, so for me it sure was a Happy Monday. We each had a facial and a massage, then lunch at the Inn at Torrey Pines. It's a beautiful craftsman style hotel and spa at the famous Torrey Pines golf course in La Jolla, Ca. The husband of one of my friends paid for our lunches, so I wanted to make a card to say thank you.

I used the Freshly Made Sketch #225. Sadly, the linkup has closed, but I love this sketch by Jen Mitchel, so used it anyway. The stamps and dies are all from MFT.

For the background, I just hand swiped stripes of black and Tip Top Taupe using my SU markers onto  white card stock. The black panel is chalkboard technique using the small stamps from the Recipe For Happiness set. The chef is stamped in Memento tuxedo black and colored with Copics, then cut out with the corresponding die. I originally colored the buttons with a Spica glitter pen, but they didn't show up like I wanted so I used some gold pearls instead. (He's a classy chef). The Thank You sentiment is from the MFT Big Greetings set.

It's back to work for me tomorrow, but my week should be much more low key than last week. I hope you have a good one! Thanks for stopping in,
Colleen

Supplies
Stamps: Recipe For Happiness and Big Greetings sets by My Favorite Things
Paper: SU Tip Top Taupe and Basic black card stock and X-Press It Blending card stock
Ink: SU Tip Top Taupe and Basic black markers, Memento tuxedo black, Copics, VersaMark
Other: SU white EP, Die-namics dies, sponge dauber, heat tool, the Big Shot and dimensionals

Hello,

I can't believe that a whole week has come and gone again! Yes, it's Sunday and that means it's time for another Paper Players challenge. This week, Claire has a great sketch for us to use.

I LOVE new sketches! Here's a St. Patty's Day card made using new and old MFT sets. You know I love to get out my Copics and color, and MFT-PI images are perfect for it.

I've had this Pure Innocence set for quite some time. She is stamped in Memento tuxedo black and colored with Copics. Since she's an Irish Lass, I gave her pretty red hair. These Doodlebug green prints were in my patterned paper stash and I've paired them with some pink ribbon. Who doesn't like pink and green together? The lucky horseshoe, 4 leaf clover and sentiment are from the newly released "Lucky" set.

Stop by the rest of the DT's blogs for more awesome inspiration.

The Paper Players Design Team

Claire Broadwater

Jaydee

Joanne James

Laurie Schmidt

LeAnne Pugliese

Nance Leedy

Sandy Mathis

Linda Callahan

Hannelie Bester

Colleen Begley-Me

I'm looking forward to seeing what you create with this great sketch from Claire. Have a fab Sunday afternoon and thanks for looking in,

Colleen

Supplies

Stamps: Pure Innocence 4 Leaf Clover set and Lucky set by My Favorite Things

Paper: SU Whisper white card stock, X-Press It Blending card stock, Doodlebug patterned papers

Ink: Memento tuxedo black and Copics

Other: Die-namics Inside and Out Stitched rectangle die, pink silk ribbon, green Stickles, Wink of Stella, the Big Shot, pink and green rhinestones, dimensionals

Up the Happy

Hello,

Boy, this week just flew by, didn't it? It's Sunday again and time for The Paper Players. This week, we are up to challenge number 283. Joanne is our hostess, and she has a Clean and Simple theme challenge for us. Look at that big, lovely bouquet of balloons.

I decided to use a brand new stamp set that I recently purchased and do some "no line" water coloring. It was fun and I really like the way it turned out.

I started with a panel of water color paper and stamped each balloon outline in a different color of Tim Holtz Distress ink. I masked each balloon after stamping so I could layer them across the top of the panel. The strings were stamped in the same color with the masks still in place. After all of the stamping was completed, I removed the masks and water colored each balloon with an aqua painter, using more ink and less water towards the bottom of each for shading. After the water coloring was dry, the sentiment was stamped with SU Craft black ink and heat embossed with clear EP. The butterfly is stamped in SU black and heat embossed as well, then water colored with various purple shades, and fussy cut. I stamped the butterfly on my panel in SU archival black ink, then placed the fussy cut one in place with dimensionals. I added a liberal amount of Wink of Stella clear glitter to the darker purple on the butterfly and a light swipe of it on the left side of the balloons. Finally, the panel was trimmed to the size, layered over the patterned paper and finished with some clear and white sequin.

Stop by the rest of the DT's blogs for more awesome inspiration.

The Paper Players Design Team

Claire Broadwater

Jaydee

Joanne James

Laurie Schmidt

LeAnne Pugliese

Nance Leedy

Sandy Mathis

Linda Callahan

Hannelie Bester

Colleen Begley

I'm looking forward to seeing what you all create. 

Thanks for stopping by,

Colleen

Supplies

Stamps: Up the Happy set by Ellen Hutson (designed by Julie Ebersole)
Paper: SU Perfect Plum card stock, water color paper, Echo Park patterned paper
Ink: Tim Holtz/Ranger Distress mini ink pads: Spun Sugar, Shaded Lilac, Dried Marigold, Scattered Straw, Stormy Sky, Victorian Velvet, SU Craft black, SU Archival black
Other: SU clear EP, heat tool, aqua painter, sequin, Multi matte medium

You're the Salt. . . .

Good Morning and Happy Valentine's Day,

It's time for a new The Paper Players challenge. Today, Laurie has a very "happy" color challenge for us to use.

It took me awhile to come up with my card, but once I figured out what I wanted to make, it came together.  I'll be giving this one to my "personal chef" for his Valentine's Day card.

I cut the Die-namics frames from the challenge colors and raised them up with fun foam, which is cut with the same dies. I glued the window plastic on top of the foam then glued the frames on top of the plastic. The sentiment is stamped on white card stock. I added the sequin then glued the fun foam to the white panel, which is glued to the Pool Party card base. The chef is stamped, colored with Copics, and cut out with the coordinating die. I raised him up on the front with dimensionals.

I'm looking forward to seeing what you do with this "happy" color combination. You'll find some awesome inspiration by visiting the rest of the design team's blogs:

The Paper Players Design Team

Claire Broadwater

Jaydee

Joanne James

Laurie Schmidt

LeAnne Pugliese

Nance Leedy

Sandy Mathis

Linda Callahan

Hannelie Bester

Colleen Begley-me

Have a great Sunday afternoon. Thanks for looking in today,
Colleen

Supplies
Stamps: Recipe For Happiness set by My Favorite Things
Paper: SU Pool Party, Daffodil Delight, Tangerine Tango and Whisper White card stock, X-Press It Blending card stock
Ink: Memento tuxedo black and Copics
Other: Die-namics Pierced Rectangle Frames, Recipe For Happiness dies, sequin, fun foam, window plastic, Multi Matte medium glue, the Big Shot, dimensionals

Warm Hugs

Hi all,

I made the following card with a brand new stamp set that I received in the mail Saturday afternoon. When I first saw this stamp set around blog-land a few weeks ago, I knew I wanted it. (And, I don't even drink coffee).  I inked it up as soon as I opened the package from SSS.

I love the whimsical design of the cup and saucer. I decided on a Valentine's Day card and used the current CAS(E) This Sketch #158 for my layout.

You'll notice that I rotated the sketch to make a "landscape" card because I wanted to use the TE Heart boarder die for the background elements. The image is stamped on SU Naturals Ivory card stock and colored with Copics. The Copics on this card stock do not blend all that well, but it worked "okay." The coffee is stamped in SU Soft Suede. I gave it a chance to dry into the card stock, then stamped the heart in VersaMark and heat embossed with SU white EP. The card base is the same card stock and the heart borders are cut in Riding Hood Red and Soft Suede card stock. After the card elements were all assembled, I went around the cup rim and handle with Crystal Effects to give it a glass or ceramic look. 

That's all from me tonight. Have a great Tuesday and thanks for checking in,

Colleen

Supplies

Stamps: Concord and 9th Let's Chat set

Paper: SU Naturals Ivory, Riding Hood Red and Soft Suede card stocks

Ink: Memento tuxedo black, Copics, SU Riding Hood Red, SU Soft Suede, VersaMark Craft

Other: SU White EP, Taylored Expressions Heart Border die, Heat Tool, dimensional

Congratulations

Hello again,

I grabbed a couple hours this morning to play with some sketches.

Linda Callahan is the Featured Stamper over at Pals Paper Arts this week and she has a really nice and simple sketch for us. When I saw it a few days ago, I knew I wanted to be sure to play along. The middle feature element looked perfect for a large sentiment stamp to me. Looking through my SU sets, here's what I came up with.

I kept it pretty simple, as you can see. I pulled the star theme from the star inside of "you" in the stamp and kept it going with the Taylored Expressions Star border die and the old, old, old SU silver star eyelet. To jazz it up, I added a very small orange enamel dot. The sentiment panel and border are cut with Die-namics Pierced Fishtail Flags STAX dies, I just cropped off the banner ends by turning the panels and cutting the flat end again.


Supplies
Stamps: Bravo set by Stampin' Up
Paper: SU Island Indigo, Tangerine Tango, Summer Starfruit card stock, X-Press Blending card stock and SU Sycamore Street DSP
Ink: SU Tangerine Tango
Other: Die-namics Pierced Fishtail Flags Stax dies, Taylored Expressions Star Border die, SU Star Eyelet, orange enamel dot, the Big Shot, dimensionals

We're off to a "Super Bowl" party in a few hours. Have a great Sunday afternoon and evening and thanks for looking,

Colleen

Sending You Hugs and Fishes - The Paper Players Challenge 281

Hello,

I hope you're having a wonderful weekend. Today is Sunday, and it's time for a new Paper Players challenge. This week, LeAnne has a fun theme challenge for us:

I have several stamps with cats and dogs, which I'm guessing many of us do. After looking through all of my options, I settled on this cutie from SugarPea Designs. I just love coloring the images in their stamp sets. The layout is based on last week's Retro Sketch.

I stamped the image onto Neenah cream card stock with Memento tuxedo black and colored it with Copics. It's cut it out with a Die-namics die. The card base is SU Pool Party and the layering panel and the scalloped border are SU So Saffron. I have a bag of old patterned papers and scraps and I pulled these out from it. I have no idea what company they are from. After putting the card together, I used some Crystal Effects around the edge of the fishbowl. IRL, it really makes the bowl dimensional.

Take a look at the rest of the DT's cards. You find some awesome inspiration!

The Paper Players Design Team

Claire Broadwater

Jaydee

Joanne James

Laurie Schmidt

LeAnne Pugliese

Nance Leedy

Sandy Mathis

Linda Callahan

Hannelie Bester

Colleen Begley-me

I'm looking forward to seeing what you make with our dog and cat theme challenge this week. 

Have a great Sunday afternoon. If you're a football fan, enjoy the BIG game later today.

Thanks for looking in,

Colleen

Supplies
Stamps: Don't Be Koi set by SugarPea Designs
Paper: SU Pool Party and So Saffron card stock, Neenah cream card stock, misc patterned papers
Ink: Memento tuxedo black, Copics, SU Hello Honey and Riding Hood Red classic ink pads
Other: Die-namics Stitched Curved Rectangle and large Banner STAX dies, Taylored Expressions large Scalloped Border die and Curly Border die, We R Memory Keepers enamel shapes, the Big Shot, dimensionals

Showered With Love

Hello,

It's Thursday, so only one more work day. I'm looking forward to getting together with friends this weekend.

Last night after dinner I made a quick card using the sketch from the new Freshly Made Sketches. I like the off-center element that Narelle has for us this week.

This was a fairly quick card to put together. The images are all from the same set called You Make Me Happy, a Taylored Expressions "Stamp of the Month" set from 2013. It took me longer to decide on the patterned papers than it did to do the stamping and put it all together. The umbrella was cut from the same paper as the rectangle using the opposite side. The raindrops in the background were added using a Simon Says Stamp stencil and Distress Ink.

Supplies
Stamps: You Make Me Happy set by Taylored Expressions
Paper: SU Heavy Whisper White card stock and  Echo Park "I Love Sunshine" patterned papers
Ink: Tim Holtz Distress ink, Pumice Stone and Memento Tuxedo Black
Other: Die-namics Stitched Curved Rectangle and Pierced Fishtail Flag STAX dies, Simon Says Stamp raindrop stencil, sponge, the Big Shot, dimensionals, TE white sequin

Have a great day and thanks for looking in,
Colleen