It’s Sunday…and as we all know by now…it’s time to play with The Paper Players!  This week the talented LeAnne has selected a fabulous trio of colors for Challenge #72.  I know you will want to play along.  So grab your paper, stamps and inks, and join in the fun! As for me, I inked up this cutie patootie from Gift Givers.  I hope you enjoy!

• Dimension and texture!  The “Snow Girl” image from Gift Givers was stamped twice onto Naturals Ivory card stock.  The background image was “painted” with Dazzling Details and sprinkled with Dazzling Diamonds.  The girl on the second stamped image was watercolored with Blender Pens and  Riding Hood Red, Always Artichoke, Blush Blossom, and Pretty in Pink inks.  She was then snipped out with Paper Snips and adhered into position on the background image using Stampin’ Dimensionals.  Basic Pearls were colored with a blue permanent marker and added to the snowy background for contrast.

• Flower power!  Small Riding Hood Red blossoms were punched using the Boho Blossoms Punch, and given Basic Pearl centers.  The Always Artichoke leaves are courtesy of the Bird Builder Punch.  A Tiny Tag provides a perfectly “merry” touch!

• Flag it! The Riding Hood Red strip is given a little pizzazz by adding  River Rock Dotted Scallop Ribbon edges and by “flagging” the end!

Behind the design:  When working with a trio of colors, select one color to be the main color, one to be the secondary color, and one to be an accent color.  For this card, I selected Always Artichoke as the main color, Riding Hood Red as the secondary, and River Rock as the accent!  This way the colors compliment each other rather than compete.  (Or as Muffy has just told me, there is only one alpha in the pack!)

Gift Givers, from the Holiday Mini, is a versatile set to own! Just look at the holidays for which it can be used! And if you love to dabble in different techniques, like I do, there are so many things you can do with it.


I hope you enjoyed today’s card. It is one which can be completed relatively quickly, and it still has sparkle and shine.  And how about this adorable little girl?  Is she not a cutie patootie? Just perfect for saying “hello” on a winter day!  So please, leave me a comment and let me know what you think.  Your comments are important to me, and I do read each and every one of them.  Of course, I LOVE to teach about the cards that I make and the techniques that I use, so if you ever have a question, I am only an email away!  Until next time…

 

Stamp sets:  Gift Givers (W 123772, C 123774), Tiny Tags (W 118091, C 118592);  Inks:  Riding Hood Red (111836), Always Artichoke (105219), Pretty in Pink (101301), More Mustard (103162),  Blush Blossom Stampin’ Write Marker (100037), Basic Brown (retired);  Designer Series Papers:  Regals Collection Designer Series Paper Pack (117154), Letters to Santa (122349);  Card Stock:  River Rock (108640), Riding Hood Red (111348), Always Artichoke (105119), Naturals Ivory (101849); Tools:  Big Shot (113439), Designer Frames Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (123130), Square Lattice Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (119976), 1-3/4″ Scallop Circle Punch (119854), 2-3/8″ Scallop Circle Punch (118874), Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border Punch (119275), Extra Large Oval Punch (119859), Jewelry Tag Punch (117190), Boho Blossoms Punch (119858), Bird Builder Punch (117191), Blender Pens (102845);  Glitz and Glam:  Basic Pearls (119247), Dazzling Details (124117), Dazzling Diamonds (102023), Victoria Crochet Trim (118481)

It’s Thursday and time to play at Pals Paper Arts! This week it is a theme challenge, and what better theme is there at this time of year than “Holiday”!  I took my inspiration from the trees in this photo and created a Center Step card featuring the gorgeous pines from Christmas Lodge and Lovely As a Tree.  I had never made a center step card before I created this one.  I thought they looked complicated.  But you know what…they are not difficult to make at all! I hope you enjoy, “Trees for the Pals”!

(This is a non-standard size card which will be used as a table decoration:  6-3/4″ wide by 6-3/4″ when folded.  I have also included directions at the end on how to make a standard sized Center Step Card.) 

• Terrific  trees! The Tree from Christmas Lodge was inked with Always Artichoke and stamped onto Naturals Ivory card stock.  The edges were distressed with the Seven Sided Tool and inked with Soft Suede.  A few speckles (added with the Color Spritzer tool) and Waterspots (from the French Foliage set) are used to age the image.  Basic Pearls, colored red with a permanent marker, make the perfect ornaments!

• Frilly Chantilly! Chantilly crochet trim forms the perfect vintage bow.  Mini-Glue Dots magically hold the pleats in place.

• Side-by-side!  The Pine from Lovely As a Tree makes a perfect complementary image to the center Christmas tree.  The Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border Punch, when used with Cherry Cobbler card stock, forms the perfect border!

• Sentiment-al!  The Merry Christmas sentiment, inked in Early Espresso, adds vintage pizzazz…especially with its pennant ends and pearls!

To make the card base:

• Begin with a 5-1/2″ by 11″ piece of card stock.  1″ in from the 11″ side, make a cut from the 1″ mark to the 6-1/2″ mark.  Flip your paper and do the same on the opposite side.

• Using your Simply Scored tool, score from the edge of the paper to the cut at 1″, 2″ and 6-1/2″.  Do the same on the opposite edge.

• Score between the cuts at 5-1/2″.  I have marked the lines for better visibility.

•  Fold your card base as illustrated.

• To make a standard sized card which can be mailed,  modify the directions above as follows:  Cut from 1″ to 5-1/4″, and score the edges at 1″, 2″ and 5-1/4″.  Score between the cuts at 4-1/4″.

With the silly Twins still galloping around the house, I do not think that we will attempt to decorate a Christmas tree again this year. So I will display this card instead…and keep my fingers crossed that Muffy, my stamping helper, does not decide that it needs even more distressing.


Remember, your comments are so very important to me. So won’t you please let me know what you think of today’s card by leaving me a comment? I do read each and every one! And remember…if you ever have any questions about the cards that I create, or the techniques that I use, I am only an email away! Until next time…

Stamp Sets:  Christmas Lodge (W 123767, C 123769), Lovely As a Tree (115026), French Foliage (W 120845, C 121166);  Inks:  Always Artichoke (105219), Soft Suede (115657), Early Espresso (119670), Soft Suede Stampin’ Write Marker (120973);  Designer Series Paper:  Frostwood Lodge (124002);  Card Stock:  River Rock (108640), Naturals Ivory (101849), Very Vanilla (101650);  Tools:  Distressing Essentials (118762), Cutter Kit (106958), Paper Snips (103579), Color Spritzer Tool (107066), Paper Cutter (104152), Simply Scored (123334), Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border Punch (119275); Glitz and Glam:  Chantilly Crochet Trim (118480), Basic Pearls (119247)

It’s hard to believe that it is already Wednesday and time to take a peek at this week’s Pals Paper Arts card. It’s a pretty big peek, but hopefully you will still be a little surprised when you join me for the reveal on Thursday!  It does include something that I have never done before.  Hmmm….what could that be? You will just have to check in and see!  So until next…


What…Muffy quit pawing at my arm.  I am almost done with today’s post and then…

Muffy:  But Mom, I want to type on the ‘puter.  I haven’t got to type on the ‘puter for a long time. 
Mom:  What do you want to say, Muffy?
Muffy:  I want to show people the pretty pictures of me.
Brody:  I want to show people pretty pictures of ME!
Muffy:  That would be impossible Brody because you aren’t pretty!
Brody:  MOM…
Mom:  Brody, you are just going to have to learn to stand up for your own rights.
Brody:  But I can’t, Mom.  Muffy is the alpha dog.
Mom: Well, Brody, you do have a good point.  Muffy definitely is the alpha dog between you two.
Muffy:  Yeah, I’m the alpha.  Just like Mom is the alpha over Dad.  Girls are always the alphas, aren’t they Mom?
Mom:  That may be the case in our household, Muffy, but I let Dad think he is the alpha.  It just makes life easier.
Brody:  I’m gonna tell! I’m gonna tell Dad that he isn’t really the alpha and that you are just make believin’!
Mom and Muffy: NO YOU WILL NOT!!!
Brody:  OK…OK…I was joking. 
Muffy:  Oh just grow up, Brody.
Brody:  I’m trying, Muffy.  But I don’t have any control over that.  I already weigh over 65 pounds.  But I don’t have a chest yet. My butt is getting bigger, but it is not as big as yours, “Muffy Big-Butt”.
Muffy:  I meant don’t be so immature!
Brody:  That is so gross, Muffy.  I am not “in manure”.  That is just about as gross as when you had the yukky dead squirrel tail in your mouth and Mom rinsed your mouth out with the special mouth-cleaner juice for our teeth.  She was mad at you.  I told you not to bring it in the house.
Muffy:  Yeah…well I told you not to tear up Mom’s address book that she left on the table. 
Brody:  She would never have missed it if you wouldn’t have brought her torn up pieces of it.
Muffy:  Yes she would have, Brody.  Do you think Mom is an idiot?
Brody:  Huh??? Do I think that Mom is a what?
Muffy:  Don’t you ever listen?  I said, “Do you think Mom is an idiot?”
Brody: I’m sorry Muffy.  I can’t hear you.  What was that last part?
Muffy:  MOM IS AN IDIOT!!!
Mom:  Muffy Lin…I heard that!  It’s straight to the crate for you!
Brody:  Now who’s in manure, Muffy!  And now I can type on the ‘puter!
Muffy: Try it, Big Foot! You can’t hit the right keys.
Brody:  ifrrauyr wbcpt owun’ pfdsj kgriu oqwk
(This is a beautiful picture of me on the day I earned my United Kennel Club “Champion” title. The judd thought I looked so handsome.  She is smiling at me.)

Brody:  doqwrenjvdfpoqwubgdf-[goihwerugq=
(This is a picture of ugly Muffy when she won her “Champion” title the day before.  I am sure that the judd felt sorry for her.  He looks like he is in shock because she is so ugly.)

Brody:  592wkvoin4n’dfjvbn’qw[fmnweoq[/
(This is a picture of both of us.  I am the beautiful one.  Muffy is the ugly one.  I am with Michelle the Handler and Muffy is with my good friend, Marie.  She is Michelle’s helper.  Michelle has a big smile on her face because she gets to hold my leash.  I think Marie looks unhappy because she has to hold ugly Muffy.)

Brody:  ri0409eivnwloe0595y2hnwllovi-02
(Mom says I have to get off the ‘puter now.  See you next time.)