It’s Sunday, and time to play with The Paper Players! This week we have a Clean and Simple Challenge from the talented Anne Marie:  Bring on the Bling!  While the other members of the design team brought it on with rhinestones and sparklies, I blinged it up with a simple trio of …what?  Can you guess? Anybody? Yep! Pearls! Enjoy today’s quick and easy card.

The Stampin’ Schach Design Tips: Clean and Simple
This finished card measures 5-1/2″ wide x 4-1/4″ long.

• Put the paper to work! Modern Medley is a gorgeous collection of Basic Black and Very Vanilla designer patterns.  I wanted an elegant, sophisticated look which would complement the flower, and this pattern filled the bill.  In a matter of minutes, the background was complete.

• The power of the flower! Since red is the color of love and passion, it was the perfect choice for this Stippled Blossom image. I selected Cherry Cobbler with a Jet Black StazOn overlay.

• It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that bling! I will admit that I originally tried a trio of rhinestones in the center of the blossom.  However, they “clashed” with the warmth of the Very Vanilla.  So I replaced them with pearls.

 

In retrospect, I wish that I would have matted the Bride and Groom sentiment from Sweet Essentials with Basic Black. However, I wanted to stay more on the clean and simple side and avoid layers.

This card was designed for a former student, Cory, who was recently married.  As a science teacher, it is always satisfying when a student embarks on a career in the sciences.  Cory is now a successful chiropractor, and I am so proud of him!

I am also proud of my girls, too! Muffy came back from the specialties this past weekend sporting two firsts in her very competitive class, while little Lexi won her class once and was second the rest of the days.  Muffy looked gorgeous, while Lexi looked adorable.  And speaking of adorable, Muffy gave birth yesterday…to the latex fish…again.  Those of you who are longtime followers of The Stampin’ Schach know that every year, Muffy goes through a false pregnancy.  The poor thing went off feed, built a nest, and “gave birth”!  She snuggles with it, cleans it, and positions it so it can nurse.  She will make a great mother some day!

What do you think of today’s card?  Won’t you let me know in your comment today? Your comments are important to me, and I do read each and every one them.  Of course, 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…

Round Three Share Update:  I only have two openings left in the Designer Series Paper share and two left in the Ribbon Share.  These are Shares One and Two found at the bottom of  this post.   Everyone who participates in my shares will have their name placed into a drawing for a Holiday “I Want It All” share.  Please email me if you are interested in one of these two remaining spots.  This will conclude the new product shares from the 2013 – 2014 Catalog.  The next shares will be from the Holiday Catalog.  Thank you so much for your overwhelming support of my share program!

Stamp Sets: Stippled Blossoms (W 132076, C 126747), Sweet Essentials (W 132085, C 126457);  Inks: Cherry Cobbler (126966), Old Olive (126953), Jet Black StazOn (101406);   Designer Series Paper:  Modern Medley (126926); Card Stock:  Very Vanilla (101650), Basic Black (121045); Tools:  Paper Snips (103579); Glitz and Glam:  Basic Pearls (119247)

It’s Sunday…and time to play with The Paper Players! This week we have a summer quartet of colors for you:  Calypso Coral, Pool Party, So Saffron, Early Espresso.  I elected to do something a little different from what I usually design. I hope you enjoy today’s “Dare to be Different” card, which I created for my son, Brady.  But how easy would it be to switch out the hybrid sentiment to transform this into a Father’s Day card.  How about “Dad, you stand out in the crowd” or “Dad, you are one in a million”.  Knowing my son like I do, who does indeed dare to be different, he would probably opt for something like “Dad, you’re the goldfish in a school of perch”!

The Stampin’ Schach Design Tips: Hybrid Sentiments
This finished card measures 5″ x  5″.

• Poppin’ perch! The Fish image from By the Tide was inked in Calypso Coral and stamped onto So Saffron cardstock.  It was then snipped out and popped up on Stampin’ Dimensionals atop a Pool Party Sea Fan.  The result is a fish of a different color!

• Special sentiment! Looking for just the right words to convey what you want to say? My Digital Studio can come to the rescue.  I used Plantagenet Cherokee and Mistral fonts for my customized sentiment.

And here is the intended recipient of this card:

 I have to admire his unique sense of being.  In a world of Air Jordans, Brady elected to wear “Velcro” shoes in junior high.  In a school community where athletes are the stars, Brady stepped off the team to prepare for auditions and contests.  He preferred Goodwill over Abercrombie.  And he went on to be a participant in All State Band, All State Jazz Band, All State Speech, Optimist Youth of the Year, a Gallon Grad blood donor, Valedictorian and more.  His peers honored him by voting him Homecoming King and graduation speaker.  Today he continues pushing the boundaries, being different, and being true to himself.  His wardrobe still comes from Goodwill.  He is not afraid to wear Velcro and slip-ons.  He is still daring to be different…

I hope you enjoyed today’s post and this glimpse into my life.  Won’t you let me know what you think of my “Dare to be different card” in your comment?  As always, if you have any questions about the cards I create or the techniques I use, I am only an email away.  Until next time…

Stamp Set:  By the Tide; Ink: Early Espresso, Pool Party, Calypso Coral; Card Stock:  Calypso Coral, Pool Party, So Saffron, Whisper White; Tools: My Digital Studio; Glitz and Glam: Basic Pearls

It’s Thursday, and time to play with the Pals at Pals Paper Arts! This week is our monthly color challenge:  Primrose Petals, Gumball Green and Whisper White.  What started out as a combination that I thought I would hate, turned out to be one I love.  I hope you enjoy today’s card as much as I enjoyed making it.

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

• Stampin’ off! The Solid Blossom from Stippled Blossoms was inked in Primrose Petals and stamped off four times to achieve the proper shade of pale. The Stippled stamp was actually stamped “full strength”.  The same thing was done with Gumball Green and the leaves.  The result is the perfect duo of colors for two-step stamping!

• Custom color!  Very Vanilla Seam Binding was dyed a subtle shade of Primrose Petals in seconds.  How?  A few drops of Primrose Petals reinker was added to a Stampin’ Spritzer.  I laid the ribbon upon a paper towel, and spritzed away!

• Pretty pearls! The Argyle Pattern from the now retired Patio Party Designer Series Paper collection was tailor-made for this card.  The colors match the colors in the flowers perfectly!

On the Road Again

As you read this,  Muffy and Lexi, with me in tow, are headed to Wheaton, IL  for four shows from Friday through Sunday. These are going to be super competitive shows, including two Boxer specialties, with some of the top Boxer girls in the Midwest in attendance.  Wish us luck!

Muffy chillin’ in her crate on a recent road trip.  She’s all set with her water bucket, chewy, toy, and a video in the portable DVR.  Muffy rides right behind me.

So there you have it!  Because the sentiment can be easily switched out, this card would be perfect for a variety of occasions:  thinking of you, birthday, wedding, anniversary, or thank you. What do you think of today’s card? Won’t you let me know in today’s comment?  Your comments are important to me, and I do read each and every one.  And remember, if you have a question about the cards I make or the techniques I use, I am only an email away! Until next time…

Stamp Sets:  Stippled Blossoms (W 132076;  C 126747), Loving Thoughts (W 128436;  C 125845); Inks:  Primrose Petals (126858), Gumball Green (126861), Primrose Petals Ink Refill (126851); Designer Series Paper:  Patio Party (retired); Card Stock:  Whisper White (100730), Primrose Petals (126841); Tools:  Big Shot (113439), Argyle Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (127750), Stampin’ Spritzer (126185), Paper Snips (103579); Glitz and Glam:  Basic Pearls (119247), Very Vanilla Seam Binding (120999);