Love is in the air at The Paper Players! For our first challenge of  2012, Lesley has selected a very fitting theme,  All You Need is Love.  You can create a card for a spouse, a romantic friend, a best friend, a co-worker, a family friend, a neighbor, a family member…or even a family pet! Love comes in all forms. We can’t wait to see what you create.  And tell me…is that old Beatle song playing in your head yet?  If not, just sing this, and you will be humming it all day:  “All you need love…da da da da da da! All you need is love…da da da da da da! All you need is love, Love! Love is all you need!”

The Stampin’ Schach Design Tips: Vintage and Feminine
This finished card measure 5-1/4″ square.

• Color me softly! If you wish to create a feminine flair with the colors you choose, Attic Boutique is the Designer Paper for you! A softly patterned Daffodil Delight heart highlights this card, along with a subtle script and floral patterned heart in Pool Party and Soft Suede.  Add these to a beautiful Soft Suede ornate patterned paper, and you have the recipe for femininity!

• Double the bow and double the wow! A double Pool Party Seam Binding bow adds another feminine touch, especially when paired with Stampin’ Up!’s new Trinket Hearts!  

• Sweet heart! Doesn’t your sweetheart deserve a sweet heart? Simply outline the heart with Basic Pearl strips and add a Basic Pearl center.

• A lovely sentiment! Flag one end and curl the other for a lovely touch to any sentiment…and don’t forget the Basic Pearls! As for me, I free hand the snip, and use the round file from the Distressing Essentials Kit to create my curls.

• Classy Cupid! Colored with Blush Blossom, our little Roman god of Love sports Dazzling Diamond wings and pearl ends on his bow!

For the “Down Home” play-by-play, click on the video below: 

I hope you enjoyed today’s card as much as I enjoyed creating it! Won’t you let me know what you think in today’s comment?  And of course, if you ever have a question about the cards that I create or the techniques that I use, I am only an email away!  Until next time…


(And help us wish Brady the Boy luck as he performs at 10:50 this morning in the MTNA (Music Teachers National Association) competition in Kalamazoo, MI.  For those of you who love classical trumpet music, he is performing 30 minutes of selections from Hummel, Bach and Jolivet.  Regardless of the outcome, we are very proud that he is representing the state of Illinois in the Brass section of the competition.)

Stamp Set:  Valentine Love (W 122695, C 122697); Inks:  Soft Suede (115657), Blush Blossom Stampin’ Write Marker (100037), Daffodil Delight (119667); Designer Series Paper:  Attic Boutique (125407 Occasions Mini);  Card Stock:  Very Vanilla (101650);  Tools:  Big Shot (113439), Hearts Collection Framelits (125599 Occasions Mini), Two Way Glue Pen (100425), Paper Snips (103579);  Glitz and Glam:  Dazzling Diamonds Stampin’ Glitter (102023), Basic Pearls (119247), Large Basic Pearls (125577), Trinket Hearts (125605 Occasions Mini), Pool Party Seam Binding (125582 Occasions Mini), Pool Party Baker’s Twine (125574 Occasions Mini), Twitterpated Designer Buttons (125579 Occasions Mini)

The Paper Players are back after our holiday break…and we can’t wait to share our first challenge of 2012 with you.  To get you in the challenge mood, here is a peek at my card which will be revealed in its entirety on Sunday! I can’t wait to read what you think of it! So please…make a date to join me on Sunday!  There are new products from the Occasions Mini on it!

I LOVE everything in the new Occasions Mini, but several of you have asked me for a shorter listing of my top favorite things.  So here we go…in no particular order:

1.  The Framelits Dies…both collections
2.  The Adorning Accents Edgelits and Embossing Folders…super for making custom edges
3.  3/8″ Pleated Satin Ribbon in all colors…instant “Wow” factor
4.  Twitterpated and Attic Boutique Designer Series Paper
5.  Rue Des Fleurs Stamp Set…vintage to the max!
6.  Apothecary Art Stamp Set…oh so elegant!
7.  You’re My Type Stamp Set…so many clean and simple options
8.  Loving Thoughts Stamp Set…perfect sentiments for both scrapbooking and card making
9.  Sweet Cake Stamp Set…cute and versatile
10.  Large Pearls…you know me and my pearls

OK…now it is your turn!  What are YOUR favorite products from the Occasions Mini?  Let me know in today’s comment!  And if you need a paper copy,  just email me! Until next time…

Welcome to first Pals Paper Arts challenge of 2012.  Before we get to the challenge, we would like to say good-by to two old friends, Debbie Pierce and Barbara Chatzkel, and say hello to three new members of the design team: Sandie Conner, Cindy Hall and Dawn Tidd.  When you visit the PPA blog, you will also notice some changes with our layout and that we will be going to two challenges a month.  Plus, we have extended our deadline for linking your project to one full week.  As always, we welcome all products and players!  We can’t wait to see what you have created! And now, let the challenge begin!

Are you feeling blue?  Does the post-holiday period have you singing the blues?  Or are there blue skies smilin’ at you?  Then you need to join the Pals at Pals Paper Arts in this week’s Color Challenge PPA126:  Baja Breeze, Not Quite Navy and Very Vanilla! As for me, there is nothing like a Cup of Thanks to start the New Year off right! Enjoy!

The finished card measures 4-1/4″ wide x 5-1/2″ long.

• Razzle Dazzle! Dazzling Diamonds Stampin’ Glitter adds a touch of bling to the pretty pansies decorating the Tea Cup from the Tea Shoppe set.  I used a little Tombow Adhesive, which I painted on with a paintbrush, and then I sprinkled on the glitter, knocking off the excess.

• Texture! After randomly stamping the Very Vanilla panel, it was zipped through the Big Shot with the Square Lattice Textured Impressions Embossing Folder.  A Blender Pen, with Not Quite Navy and Always Artichoke inks,  was used to add a needed spot of color!

• Snip a sentiment! After stamping a sentiment, add interest by snipping a “V” in one end…creating a banner effect!

•  Lots of Layers!  The Dotted Oval pattern from the new Twitterpated Designer Series Paper coordinates perfectly with Baja Breeze Stripes and Not Quite Navy Dots from the Patterns Designer Series Paper Stacks! Coordination…that’s the beauty of  Stampin’ Up!

Want to learn more about the method behind the madness?  Click on this “Down Home with Ann Schach” video, where I explain the thought process behind the design.  It is not a tutorial, nor is it a glossy production.  It is me doing what I love best…talking!  In case you were wondering about the absence of videos, I was needing a tripod, which arrived this Christmas courtesy of the Twins!  I promise, the quality will get better.  Practice makes perfect!

Won’t you please leave me a comment and let me know what you think of today’s card?  Your comments are important to me, and I do read each and every one.  And remember, if you ever have a question about the cards that I create or the techniques that I use, I am only an email away.  Until next time…

Brody Update:  The word of the day is benign!  Brody wants to thank everyone for the kind thoughts and prayers!  Now let’s hope that this is the end of those pesky Boxer Bumps!

Stamp Set:  Tea Shoppe (W 125545, C 125547);  Inks:  Not Quite Navy (103008), Always Artichoke (105219), Soft Suede (115657);  Designer Series Paper:  Twitterpated (125406), Regals Patterns Designer Series Paper Stack (117154), Subtles Patterns Designer Series Paper Stack (117152);  Card Stock:  Very Vanilla (101650), Baja Breeze (111352), Not Quite Navy (101722); Tools:  Big Shot (113439), Square Lattice Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (119976), Blender Pen (102845), Tombow Adhesive (110755), Sponge Dauber (102892);  Glitz and Glam:  Basic Pearls (119247), Baja Breeze Seam Binding (122331), Not Quite Navy 3/8″ Taffeta Ribbon (122978), Dazzling Diamonds Stampin’ Glitter (102023)