The Paper Players #382: A Sketch Challenge from Sandy

Welcome back, PP Friends!  The oh-so-talented Sandy is our hostess this week for our monthly Sketch Challenge and it's a good one!

I tried the spotlight technique for my card this week:

First I stamped the MFT Floral Fantasy background stamp on Neenah Solar White cardstock.  Next I die cut the center for the focal point in the sketch.  I colored the die cut with Prismacolor pencils.  I added the black embossed strip and then popped up the "spotlight" with black fun foam. The sentiment (Wplus9) was white heat embossed on another piece of black cardstock.  I also used Wink of Stella on the colored focal point. It's pretty shimmery IRL!

You can check out the rest of the DT members' fab cards on their blogs:

The Paper Players Design Team

• Claire
• Joanne 
• Jaydee
• Laurie
• LeAnne
• Nance
• Sandy
• Elizabeth 
• Jan

And just a few rules:

1. Create a new paper project.
2. Upload your project to your blog with a link back to The Paper Players.
3. Provide a direct link to your blog post for your challenge entry.
4. Please link your card to no more than FOUR challenges (including ours).
5. HAVE FUN! 

We hope you'll play along with us this week and can't wait to see what you create!  Thanks for visiting!

Birds and Butterflies

Happy Friday!  I have a couple of cards today:

The first one is for the current Freshly Made Sketches Challenge:

On an MFT Steel Gray card base, I layered a stitched rectangle that I had stamped with that wonderful butterfly from Catherine Pooler (Faithful Flutterings) using 3 different shades of her purple ink.  I then masked the butterfly and stenciled the background (Tim Holtz) with Hickory Smoke Distress Ink.  The sentiment is from Hero Arts, heat embossed and popped up. I finished it off with 3 silver confetti sequins.

The second card is for the Live Love Cards Community Challenge for February featuring a bird or birds:

 

The card base is SSS Fog and the same Fog ink was used for the wood plank background stamp (MFT).  The postage stamp dies are from Catherine Pooler.  The sentiment from Concord & 9th.  The birds and flowers (SU Petal Palette) were colored with Tombow Markers and a blender pen, die cut, and popped up.  I touched up a few areas with Wink of Stella and called it done! 

Thanks for stopping by ~ I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

CASology #288: Pun

Hello!  It was a 'snow day' at the beach yesterday - something that doesn't happen too often around here.  It was so pretty and peaceful which made for a great crafting day.  I was able to get a couple of DT cards done and also play along with CASology this week:

I love puns of all kinds and have a few punny stamps.  For this challenge I went with hot air balloons and a sentiment from The Stamps of Life:

I masked off a section and ink blended the sky with Distress Oxide Broken China.  I added a few die cut clouds, sparkled up with Wink of Stella, from the same stamp set.  The balloon was stamped with Catherine Pooler's Rockin' Red ink.  All three elements were popped up with foam tape and done!

Thanks for visiting ~ I hope you're having a good week!

Cards in Envy: Give It Some Heart

Welcome back for another Cards in Envy Challenge!  We're still playing with hearts and I'll bet you have a few still sitting on your desk too after Valentines Day!  Just create a card with at least one heart and that is flat enough to fit in an envy and you're on your way to the gallery.

I've been on a rainbow kick for the past few weeks - they make me happy on these gray, winter days.  I used Distress Inks to watercolor a background and then layered the PTI Hearts Cover Plate die cut over the watercolored piece.  The sentiment is from MFT and I left the inside blank so I could use it for any occasion.  

Thanks for stopping by!  Now, show us some hearts!

The Paper Players #381: A CAS Challenge from LeAnne

Hello Paper Player Friends!  This Sunday our Challenge is a Clean & Simple one from the talented LeAnne:

Use a sewing related item on your CAS creation and play along!  I used to do a lot of sewing and really should dust off my sewing machine.  My machine isn't quite as old as the one on my card, but I'm pretty sure there aren't any parts available any more!

This adorable image from Penny Black was watercolored with Zig Clean Color Markers.  It makes me smile because when I do finally pull out the old machine, I'm sure I'll need to read the instruction manual on how to thread it!  Since it's a CAS challenge, the only "embellishment" I added was two small stitched lines with pink embroidery floss.

Click on the DT members' blog links below for additional inspiration:

The Paper Players Design Team

• Claire
• Joanne 
• Jaydee
• Laurie
• LeAnne
• Nance
• Sandy
• Elizabeth 
• Jan

And just a few rules:

1. Create a new paper project.
2. Upload your project to your blog with a link back to The Paper Players.
3. Provide a direct link to your blog post for your challenge entry.
4. Please link your card to no more than FOUR challenges (including ours).
5. HAVE FUN! 

We can't wait to see what you create!  Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful week!

CASology & FMS #324

Happy Friday!  I was finally able to play along with a couple of challenges this week so I chose two of my favorites:

CASology #287:  Together

I thought the green background was a good idea to make the feathers pop...maybe not so much!  Sorry about that.  I used a small feather stamp from Stampendous, sentiment from Avery Elle Love Notes, and Catherine Pooler inks.

The second card was for Freshly Made Sketches:

A birthday card for my SIL using MFT products (DSP, dies), Lawn Fawn's Happy Birthday Border die, and Copics for the candle flames.  I usually do not make too many pastel-type cards but I like how this one came out with the gold metallic cardstock for accents.

Thanks for stopping by ~ Have a great weekend!

The Paper Players #380: A Color Challenge from Laurie

Welcome back for another fun challenge over at The Paper Players!  Last week was amazing.  There were so many beautiful Valentines that we had a very difficult time picking our favorites.  Thanks so much for filling the gallery with all that 'Love.'  

This week is our Color Challenge week and Lovely Laurie has chosen such a fun color combo: 

I'll admit that sometimes color challenges cause me a little stress, but not this one!  It will work for so many different types of cards for males or females, kids or adults, etc., etc. 

On a Kraft card base, I layered a plaid background that was stamped using Concord & 9th's plaid background stamp and MFT Kraft and Catherine Pooler's Rockin' Red ink.  I added Kraft and felt doilies before popping up my red latte cup from Stampin' Up's Coffee Café stamps and dies.  I finished it off with some punched hearts because...I love coffee!

Check out the other DT members' blogs for some fantastic inspiration:

The Paper Players Design Team

• Claire
• Joanne 
• Jaydee
• Laurie
• LeAnne
• Nance
• Sandy
• Elizabeth 
• Jan

And just a few rules:

1. Create a new paper project.
2. Upload your project to your blog with a link back to The Paper Players.
3. Provide a direct link to your blog post for your challenge entry.
4. Please link your card to no more than FOUR challenges (including ours).
5. HAVE FUN! 

We look forward to seeing what you come up with...Thanks for stopping by!  I hope you have a great week and Happy Valentines Day 💘

Valentine Dance

Hi there!  A quick card today to play along with CASology's latest challenge:

When I saw the cue of "Butterfly," I knew I wanted to pull out one of my favorite, old Valentines' stamps from Penny Black.  It's called Valentine Dance and I love the sketchy look...perfect for some loose watercolor with splatters.  The sentiment is from a SSS sentiment set called Loving Heart.

Thanks for stopping by!  I hope you're having a great week!  

Cards in Envy: Love You So Much!

Happy Monday!  It's the first Monday of February and time for a new Cards in Envy Challenge.  With Valentines' Day approaching, CIE is looking for Love and/or Valentines Day cards.  The cards can be any size but must be flat enough to fit in an envy without lumps and bumps.

It's a simple one layer card today using the Hearts frame from Paper Smooches die cut in black cardstock and again out of watercolor card.  I watercolored the hearts in rainbow colors and inlaid them into the black frame.  Of course I had to lather them up with Wink of Stella too!

Thanks for being a CIE fan and stopping by today...come play with us!  This challenge will close on Sunday, February 18th.  

The Paper Players #379: A Theme Challenge from Claire

It's a big day...Super Bowl AND a new challenge from The Paper Players!  This is Theme week and it's hosted by the lovely Claire:

If you haven't finished up your Valentines cards, this challenge is perfect for you!

I pretty much let the DSP do the work on this one.  The Doodlebug Designs' DSP and punny sentiments are just so stinkin' cute and I love the colors.  I used MFT dies to cut the layers and added some bubbles and fizz up on the top with VersaMark ink.  

So, after watching the game (go Eagles), we hope you'll find some time in your craft room to play along.  Check out the DT members' blogs for some fun inspiration:

The Paper Players Design Team

• Claire
• Joanne 
• Jaydee
• Laurie
• LeAnne
• Nance
• Sandy
• Elizabeth 
• Jan

And just a few rules:

1. Create a new paper project.
2. Upload your project to your blog with a link back to The Paper Players.
3. Provide a direct link to your blog post for your challenge entry.
4. Please link your card to no more than FOUR challenges (including ours).
5. HAVE FUN! 

Thanks for stopping by today ~ I hope you have a wonderful week!