It’s Sunday and time for The Paper Players Challenge. This is a color challenge week, and Design Team member Nance Leedy has selected this beautiful color combination for you.

Instead of focusing on stamping, my card features the beautiful Springtime Vintage Designer Series Paper…my new found favorite! The sentiment is from the Bliss Sale-A-Bration set. Don’t you just love it? Enjoy today’s quick and easy card!

Sometimes it is fun to let the paper take center stage on a card, such as we see today. It’s quick and easy! And you do not have to use this many pearls. I wanted to show you several options so that you could see what the mini-pearls look like on the Scallop Oval and how the Dotted Ribbon border looks adorned with pearls. For another great look…try cross-stitching the border!

I hope that you will head over to The Paper Players and check out what my Design Team colleagues have created for you! I will give you a little hint…it’s all fabulous! But before you leave, won’t you please leave me a comment and let me know what you think of today’s card? You comments definitely brighten up my day. And remember, if you 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 Set: Bliss (W 121851; C 123217—Sale-A-Bration); Inks: Soft Suede (115657); Stampin’ Write Markers: Baja Breeze (120965), Early Espresso (119680), River Rock (120972), Rose Red (100063); Designer Series Paper: Springtime Vintage (121782—Occasions Mini), Elegant Soiree (117163); Card Stock: River Rock (108640), Rose Red (102544), Very Vanilla (101650); Tools: Paper Snips (103579), Sponge Dauber (102892), 1-3/4″ x 7/8″ Oval Punch (119855), Scallop Oval Punch (119856), Dotted Ribbon Border Punch (119275), Stampin’ Dimensionals (104430); Glitz and Glam: Basic Pearls (119247)

On Sunday, The Paper Players will unveil their second challenge of the new year. To get you inspired, I am sharing a peek at this week’s inspiration card. I hope that you will join me on Sunday for the reveal. In the meantime, please stop by The Paper Players to see which talented stampers were honored as our Cuts Above and Headliner!

Are you ready to take advantage of Stampin’ Up!’s demonstrator benefits? Stampin’ Up! can make that happen with their Sale-A-Bration Starter Kit Special! Beginning January 25th, you will be able to get 15% off the cost of either the Standard Starter Kit or the Digital Starter Kit, reducing the price to $148.75, AND you will also receive a FREE Bonus Bundle (a $50 value). Starter Kits ship FREE.

You will receive 30% off your first qualifying purchase of $150 or more (if placed within 45 days). In addition to receiving your Hostess Rewards, you will also receive a minimum of 3 Sale-A-Bration items (one for every $50 of product spent).

Please feel free to email me about the advantages of becoming a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator.

I have no card ready to post today, but instead I do have two pictures of The Twins. These were taken the Monday before Muffy’s “wrestling mishap”. They were visiting their handler, Michelle, who was working on show ring training and etiquette with them. Michelle’s friend graciously took these pictures and forwarded them to us, since “Mom” and “Dad” stayed out of sight during the training. Muffy, as always, is being a little diva. Michelle loves Muffy’s lines and her sparkly personality. If she were a card, she would have lots of “bling”!

As usual, Brody is doing an excellent job…but yikes…his tail is down! Michelle is a professional Boxer handler whose list of impressive wins include campaigning one of her clients all the way to the Eukanuba National Dog Show. Michelle’s assessment of the Twins at this point is that Muffy is ready to begin her show career. Brody still needs to mature more, but in order to get him used to the sights and sounds of the show ring, he will be shown on a limited basis until he is ready. She loves Brody’s head and thinks he is adorable. If he were a card, he would be “clean and classy”.

Many of you have emailed me asking for an update on Muffy’s condition. I am happy to report that she has been an excellent patient. The swelling is greatly reduced, and although she favors her leg slightly, I believe that she will be ready to show at her first show in February. During the first few critical days, she spent a lot of her time sleeping, which helped me in my quest to keep her from jumping!

The upcoming months will be an adventure. But each of the Twins is first and foremost a member of our family, and that is their true calling in life. They have brought so much joy to us since their arrival. Yes…there were times when I wondered if I would survive early puppyhood…if I were too old to raise not one, but two bouncing Boxer babies. But each day gets easier as they get me better trained!

Classes, Retreats and Parties

Would you like to host a class, retreat or party for a group of your friends? I am currently booking workshops and classes for January, February and March. I can tailor my classes to meet your needs…from beginning stamping to advanced card making. Email me today to save your date. Until next time…