It’s time to play with The Paper Players! This week, we are featuring a Clean and Simple Washi Tape Challenge, hosted by the talented Nance Leedy.  Now I will be the first to tell you, I am not a Washi Tape user, but I do collect it.  So I pulled out my washi stash and stared at it for an hour.  I couldn’t decide if I wanted to use my elegant Watercolor Wonder Washi or my fun and funky Retro Fresh Designer Washi.  I guess I was just being a little wishy-washi!  However, being a fun and funky retro type of gal, I went with the bright colors and created a happy card.  I hope you enjoy it!

The Stampin’ Schach Design Tips: Washi Fun
This finished card measures 5-1/2″ wide by 4-1/4″ long.

• Doing a happy dance…tango style! The Oh, Happy Day circle, from Starburst Sayings, was inked in Tangerine Tango.  This is such a fun color which just screams “HAPPY”!  I cut it out using the Starburst Framelits, and backed it onto a Coastal Cabana circle, for just a hint of color peeking out from behind.

• Arrow-dynamic!  An Arrow, from the Essential Wooden Elements collection, was covered with Daffodil Delight Gingham Washi from the Gingham Garden Washi Tape collection. 

• Yipes, stripes! Maybe I went a little overboard with the washi tape, but it was so easy creating this striped background!

I am such a pushover for Tangerine Tango and Coastal Cabana.  The combination is so cheery, and definitely retro!  And couldn’t we all use a little more cheer in our lives?

As I stated at the beginning of today’s post, I have not delved much into the world of washi…and it shows.  I look at the cards of the other Design Team members, and I love what they have created.  I guess I am not a washi woman. How about you? Do you use washi tape often? Won’t you let me know in today’s comment? And remember, if you ever have any questions about the cards I create or the techniques I use, I am only an email away! Until next time…

 

Stamp Set:  Starburst Sayings; Ink:  Tangerine Tango;  Card Stock:  Coastal Cabana, Whisper White, Baked Brown Sugar; Tools:  Big Shot, Circles Framelits, Starburst Framelits; Glitz and Glam:  Essentials Wooden Elements, Gingham Garden Washi Tape, Retro Fresh This and That Washi Tape;

On July 30, 2009,  Pals Paper Arts kicked off its inaugural challenge.  Two hundred challenges later, the journey continues. In order to celebrate this milestone, all twenty members of both Design Teams created monochromatic inspiration cards using Margaret Moody’s sketch and a color of their choice.  AND as an extra surprise, ONE lucky participant in this week’s challenge will be randomly selected to receive all twenty Design Team cards.

Members of the Design Team were able select the color we wished to use, on a first come basis. I chose Crumb Cake.  I hope you enjoy my interpretation of this week’s sketch.

The Stampin’ Schach Design Tips: By the Seashore
This finished card measures 4-1/4″ wide by 5-1/2″ long.

• Vanilla! The Crumb Cake patterns in the Fresh Prints Designer Series Paper Stack coordinated with Whisper White. But since I was in a Very Vanilla mood, I simply brayered over the designs with Very Vanilla ink! Problem solved!

• Pearls! The pearled background was created using the Simply Scored Diagonal Plate. Mini-pearls were placed at each intersection for that extra-special touch. 

• Distressing! Sea creatures from By the Seashore were stamped in Crumb Cake and snipped out with Paper Snips.  To add a touch of contrast, the edges were distressed using  Soft Suede Ink and a Sponge Dauber.

Because this card will be heading to a lucky player this week, I wanted it to reflect who I am.  I think I gave it some of my special touches…distressing, diagonal backgrounds, a banner, water spots, linen thread…and yep, a few pearls!

A Blast from the Past

Our first challenge was a color challenge…Bermuda Bay, Chocolate Chip, Melon Mambo.  That was back when Bermuda Bay was an In-Color.  How times…and styles have changed. I am so proud to have been a member of the Design Team since the very beginning.  Here is my first Design Team card and the original post:

As always, your comments are important to me. Won’t you leave me a comment to let me know what you think of today’s card? Would you have been able to recognize it out of a stack of twenty as being designed by me?  And remember, if you ever have a question about the cards I create, or the techniques I use, I am only an email away.  Oh…and be sure to play at PPA in order to win today’s card.  Until next time…

It’s Sunday, and time to play with The Paper Players!  This week we have a fun, color challenge featuring a trio of my favorite colors:  Coastal Cabana, Calypso Coral, Always Artichoke.  I hope you enjoy today’s fun and colorful card, featuring one of my favorite sets from the Occasions catalog, Simple Stems.

The Stampin’ Schach Design Tips
This finished card measures 5-1/2″ wide by 4-1/4″ long.

• Colors! All three challenge colors were easily incorporated into the Simple Stems Flowers, and the leaves from Secret Garden. Of course, any well-dressed flower wears Pearls!

• Bordering on fun!  An Always Artichoke Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border packs a playful punch and adds contrast.

• Feeling sentiment-al! For a slightly different look, the Happy Day sentiment from the Happy Day stamp set was inked in Always Artichoke, and stamped on the Grid pattern paper from the I Am Me Designer Series Paper collection.

As I write this post, Lexi and I are completing Day #2 of our dog show marathon.  So far, Lexi has showed beautifully.  She definitely has her head in the game, and is putting her best paw forward.  Although we have not been the big winner, we haved garnered a class win and a second place at the Boxer specialty…and we still have two shows to go!

As always, your comments are important to me…so won’t you let me know what you think of today’s card? With it’s playful combination of stripes and polka dots, I think that today’s card would surely make anyone’s day a happy one! And remember, if you ever have any questions about the cards I create or the techniques I use, I am only an email away! Until next time…

Stamp Sets:  Simple Stems, Secret Garden, Happy Day; Inks:  Always Artichoke, Coastal Cabana, Calypso Coral; Designer Series Paper:  I Am Me, Fresh Prints; Card Stock:  Whisper White, Calypso Coral, Always Artichoke; Tools:  Big Shot, Secret Garden Framelits, Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border Punch; Glitz and Glam:  Pearls